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The New York Mets will miss the 2025 MLB playoffs. A few months ago, that seemed impossible.

Nevertheless, New York lost to the Miami Marlins 4–0 on Sunday, eliminating them from postseason contention on the regular season’s final day. Francisco Lindor grounded into a double play in the top of the ninth to end the game. The team has a payroll of approximately $323 million and won't be playing in October.

After Lindor's season-ending groundout, Mets broadcasters Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez lamented the collapse they had watched over the past few months.

"And the Mets' agonizing, three-and-a-half-month, slow-motion collapse is complete," Cohen said. "It is unfathomable that this collection of talent winds up outside of an expanded playoff system. After having the best record in baseball for the first two and a half months of the season, everything goes wrong over the last three-and-a-half months, and the Mets find themselves on the outside looking in."

"Players about as stunned as the fans," Darling said. "I think a lot of the players felt as though this day would never come, that they'd be able to turn it on at some point and not have to endure this. But they weren't able to do that."

"This has got to be so heartbreaking, disappointing for the players, but they didn't get it done," Hernandez said.

New York's loss means Cincinnati has made the postseason. The Reds lost to the Brewers 4–2 on Sunday and finished with the same 83-79 record as the Mets but hold the tiebreaker. That means had New York won on Sunday or Saturday, Cincinnati would be out and the Mets would be in.

New York had MLB's best record on June 12 at 45–24. After that, they went 38–55.

Juan Soto And His Massive Contract Weren't Enough

The Mets spent lavishly over the offseason, most notably inking Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract. They also re-signed Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million deal that paid him $30 million this season and brought back Sean Manaea on a three-year, $75 million deal.

It didn't matter.

Soto had an excellent season, slashing .263/.396/.525 with a career-high 43 home runs, 105 RBIs and 38 stolen bases. His wRC+ of 157 ranked fifth in baseball, and he generated 5.8 fWAR, which ranks 11th. His raw hitting numbers were down from 2024, but he didn't get to play 81 games with a friendly short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

In the end, Soto was a star, but the rest of the roster wasn't up to the task.

It will be a long offseason in Queens.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is set to be without one star for a month through injury, with their stance on a January transfer solution also revealed.

Chelsea lose Champions League ground amid suspension and injury woes

Chelsea’s automatic Champions League qualification prospects suffered a significant setback in Bergamo on Tuesday evening as Maresca’s side surrendered a half-time advantage to lose 2-1 against Atalanta.

The Blues controlled proceedings during the opening period, with Joao Pedro sliding home his inaugural Champions League goal after Reece James’s precise delivery in the 25th minute.

However, a second-half capitulation, triggered by Gianluca Scamacca’s 55th-minute header and Charles De Ketelaere’s deflected 83rd-minute winner, leaves Chelsea precariously positioned in 11th place with two league phase games remaining.

Maresca confronts mounting selection dilemmas as Chelsea’s injury list continues to pose a real problem, as it has done all season.

The Italian has made more squad rotations than any other manager in the Premier League this term, with Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernández, Roméo Lavia, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo and Josh Acheampong all sidelined at various points this term through injury or suspension.

Mykhailo Mudryk also remains banned for alleged doping violations, though some surprise reports suggest he could actually return to action next month.

Mudryk poised for surprise January return as club eye Chelsea loan deal

The Ukrainian hasn’t played since November 2024.

ByEmilio Galantini 3 days ago

Palmer, the Blues’ talisman, is still working his way back to full fitness as Maresca manages his workload meticulously.

The England international’s persistent fitness struggles have restricted him to just six appearances across all competitions this season, and Chelsea quite simply need him firing.

Maresca confirmed that Palmer cannot feature in consecutive matches within three-day periods right now, prioritising long-term availability over immediate selection.

Roméo Lavia’s latest in a long line of injury problems has depleted Chelsea’s midfield alongside Caicedo’s suspension, with it being unclear as to when the 21-year-old Belgian will return.

Colwill’s ruptured ACL sustained during pre-season means the promising defender is in line to miss the vast majority of 2025/2026, with Essugo sidelined after suffering a setback.

The most pressing of all these concerns, though, is Delap’s return to the treatment table.

Chelsea handed Liam Delap injury update

According to BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Delap’s shoulder injury, sustained during Chelsea’s goalless draw with Bournemouth, appears significantly less serious than first feared.

The striker is now expected to return within four weeks rather than the two months originally mooted, which comes as good news for Chelsea, even if Maresca is poised to be minus Delap for a month.

The 22-year-old departed the Vitality Stadium in considerable distress, landing awkwardly after a first-half aerial challenge with Marcos Senesi and immediately sparking concerns about a prolonged absence.

Initial reports suggested Delap faced between six and eight weeks sidelined, potentially ruling him out until February and forcing Chelsea to accelerate Emmanuel Emegha’s pre-arranged summer transfer from Strasbourg.

However, subsequent scans delivered encouraging news by confirming no fracture, drastically reducing the recovery timeline.

Maresca had expressed genuine concern post-match, admitting the shoulder issue “looked quite bad” and lamenting Chelsea’s serious bad luck.

The revised timeline means Delap could potentially return before the January transfer window closes, alleviating immediate pressure to bolster Chelsea’s attacking options.

The England Under-21 international has endured a frustrating debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, having already missed two months earlier this season with a hamstring injury sustained in August.

Delap has managed just six starts across all competitions since his £30 million summer arrival from Ipswich, scoring once against Barcelona in the Champions League.

As the former Man City striker continues his recovery, it appears Marc Guiu and Pedro will continue shouldering striker responsibilities.

نالت تصريحات النجم المصري محمد صلاح النارية ضد نادي ليفربول والمدير الفني للفريق، آرني سلوت، اهتمامًا من جانب كبرى صحف إسبانيا، بسبب محتوى الحديث الذي أدلى به مساء يوم السبت.

كان ليفربول قد خاض مباراته، مساء يوم السبت، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، في الجولة الخامسة عشر، ضد ليدز يوناتيتد حيث تعادلا بثلاثة أهداف لمثلها.

ومثلما حدث في آخر مباراتين لـ ليفربول، لم يدفع المدرب آرني سلوت بـ محمد صلاح في التشكيل الأساسي، حيث تواجد على دكة البدلاء طوال لقاء الأمس، وهي المرة الثانية في غضون 3 مباريات التي يظل فيها على الدكة طوال الوقت.

ولكن لم يمر الأمر مرور الكرام بالنسبة لـ محمد صلاح، الذي انفجر في تصريحات صادمة لوسائل الإعلام بعد وقت من المباراة، حيث شن هجومًا ضد ليفربول وخاصة المدرب آرني سلوت (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقالت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “وكأن ليفربول ليس لديه ما يكفي من أسباب الصداع، لم يتردد محمد صلاح في الحديث لوسائل الإعلام بعد تعادل السبت مع ليديز يونايتد، حيث تواجد على دكة البدلاء للمباراة الثالثة على التوالي ولم يشارك هذه المرة، واشتكى الجناح المصري بشكل صريح حيث أكد أنه لا يقبل ذلك ولا يعرف سبب حدوث ذلك له دائمًا، موضحًا أنه ليس مشكلة ليفربول الحالية عكس ما يحاولون إدعائه ضده”.

وأضافت: “كانت مفاوضات تجديد عقد محمد صلاح قد أثارت نقاشًا واسعًا، ورغم الانتقادات اللاذعة التي وجهها صلاح طوال الموسم السابق، والموجهة تحديدًا إلى مجلس إدارة ليفربول، والتي ألمح بعضها إلى وداعه، قرر المصري في النهاية تمديد عقده، وهو في الثانية والثلاثين من عمره، حتى عام 2027، وسيكلف هذا التجديد 23 مليون يورو سنويًا”.

وواصلت: “أكمل محمد صلاح لأحد أفضل مواسمه في مسيرته في موسم 2024-2025، مع 34 هدفًا سجلها في جميع المسابقات، وواصل إلى 250 هدفًا في 420 مباراة مع ليفربول، ويُعد الفرعون أسطورة في أنفيلد، ولهذا السبب تسبب جلوسه على مقاعد البدلاء ثلاث مرات متتالية، اثنتان منها دون أن يلعب ولو دقيقة واحدة، في حدوث شرخ غير مسبوق في ملعب الريدز”.

في حين قالت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “تغير وضع محمد صلاح في ليفربول بشكل جذري، من لاعب أساسي بلا منازع مع الريدز، بينما أصبح الآن يجلس على مقاعد البدلاء في آخر ثلاث مباريات، هذا الوضع تسبب في انفجار غضب المهاجم المصري الذي قال في تصريحات نارية (لا أعرف السبب، لكن يبدو أن هناك من لا يريدني في النادي، هذا غير مقبول بالنسبة لي، لا أعرف لماذا يحدث لي هذا، لا أفهمه)”.

وأكدت الصحيفة: “المهاجم المصري، الذي تواجد بديلًا في آخر ثلاث مباريات مع ليفربول في الدوري الإنجليزي، غاضب للغاية من وضعه الجديد”.

أما صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، فقد قالت: “أزمة حقيقية في ليفربول، يوم السبت تعادلت كتيبة آرني سلوت مع ليدز يونايتد 3/3، رغم تقدمه بهدفين دون رد، وبعد المباراة اندلع جدل واسع بعدما تحدث محمد صلاح إلى وسائل الإعلام وانتقد النادي ومدربه بشدة، بعدما تواجد على دكة البدلاء للمرة الثالثة على التوالي”.

واسترسلت: “لم يشارك مهاجم ليفربول ولو دقيقة واحدة في مباراة التعادل ضد ليدز، وتراجع مستواه بشكل كبير هذا الموسم، لدرجة أنه يفكر في مغادرة النادي إذا لم تتغير الأمور، هذا ما أوردته العديد من وسائل الإعلام في إنجلترا، وبعد هذه التصريحات النارية قد تتسارع الأمور”.

Tony Meola reacted to Gio Reyna’s showing in the USMNT’s 2-1 win over Paraguay, praising his goal and chance created and noting his importance to the team despite lingering fitness questions. He said Reyna should be encouraged by the performance, which marked a strong return after a long spell away. The 22-year-old played 75 minutes on Saturday.

Getty Images SportReyna’s performance a positive step

Meola noted that Reyna should feel encouraged by his recent display, which included both a goal and a chance created that led to Folarin Balogun's game-winner, marking a significant return to form after a lengthy absence from the national team. 

“He should feel good about his performance, getting back to the national team,” Meola said on the podcast. “It’s a pressure moment for him. We talked about how this is the storyline for tonight. We can make up some of the other storylines, but Gio Reyna is the story.

“He’s probably not even close to where he needs to be for his career with regards to fitness, minutes, and confidence, and all of that stuff. And we can only hope that his time at Gladbach continues to grow, and continues to get to a place where now he can go 90 minutes.”

AdvertisementPochettino views Reyna as an exceptional talent

According to Meola, head coach Mauricio Pochettino regards Reyna as an exception in the USMNT roster, highlighting the unique skill set and creativity he brings to the team. This distinction underscores the coaching staff’s belief in Reyna’s potential to influence games decisively when fully integrated and fit.

“Mauricio Pochettino has been steadfast on if you don’t play at your club, you’re not playing in the national team,” Meola explained. “And then you go make, what he calls an exception, he’s the exception. Every manager has one of those but then you gotta go and you gotta play well. Then you gotta go and you gotta perform. You gotta show the manager ‘Ok you got faith in me? I got to give you something in the end.’ He gets a goal and probably the assist [for the second], he’s involved in the play and has great touches in the first half."

GettyUSMNT’s performance elevated

Meola has regularly argued that Reyna brings a rare creative profile to the U.S. pool – quick feet, tight-space vision, and the ability to unlock defences – and reiterated that view after the Paraguay game. His position is straightforward: the USMNT is a stronger team when Reyna is firing on all cylinders, but that upside is only useful if the player can combine fitness and form consistently.

“I still think and I’ve said this all along, we’re a better team when he’s at his best version,” Meola said. “And whether he comes off the bench or whether he starts, he can make an impact for this team.”

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Getty Images SportWhat's next for the USMNT?

The USMNT will face Uruguay next on Nov. 18.

MatériaMais Notícias

Maior promessa do futebol brasileiro nos últimos anos, o atacante Endrick relevou em entrevista qual é o seu último objetivo com a camisa do Palmeiras antes de se apresentar ao Real Madrid.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras se beneficia com Endrick titular da Seleção, mas também se preocupa com semifinalPalmeiras25/03/2024PalmeirasPalmeiras deve treinar no Allianz Parque antes de semifinal do PaulistaPalmeiras25/03/2024PalmeirasCom Abel Ferreira e Allianz Parque, Palmeiras tem trunfo para avançar à final do PaulistãoPalmeiras25/03/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Endrick entra na sua reta final de Palmeiras e deve atuar por somente mais três meses com a camisa do Verdão, já que completa 18 anos em julho e já estaria apto para se apresentar ao Real Madrid.

– A meta é que esse resto de temporada com o Palmeiras termine bem, com o nosso time vencendo o Paulistão mais uma vez – disse a joia de 17 anos.

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Em um texto emocionante relatado ao famoso ‘The Players Tribune’, Endrick deixou uma carta para o irmão de apenas quatro anos, contando todas as dificuldades que a sua família enfrentou para que ele chegasse nesse atual momento vivido.

O Paulistão 2024 é o último campeonato com chance real de título que Endrick disputará com a camisa do Palmeiras nessa primeira passagem no clube.

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+ Palmeiras deve treinar no Allianz Parque antes de semifinal do Paulista!

Bicampeão brasileiro, ele foi um dos destaques do último título paulista do Verdão, quando marcou gols tanto na primeira final, quanto no jogo que sacramentou o título, contra o Água Santa.

O texto completo de Endrick no ‘The Players Tribune’ você encontra aqui!

Sussex pay price for a lack of acceleration, though local seagull steals the show, and banana

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 24-Aug-2025Yorkshire, the outstanding team in Group B of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, made sure of qualification for the climax of the competition with their sixth win in seven games. The Sussex Sharks, meanwhile, with one game remaining, cannot progress.A second wicket stand of 196 in 33 overs between Imam-ul-Haq and James Wharton provided the foundation of Yorkshire’s ultimately comfortable win, with 14 balls to spare. Imam continued his outstanding form with 106 from 105 deliveries, with ten fours and three sixes, while Wharton struck a List A best 85 from 103 balls.But the pair’s failure to accelerate put Yorkshire under some pressure when they lost both batsmen in successive overs, followed by the quick dismissal of Finlay Bean. That meant they needed 58 off seven overs, and 51 off six, before some late hitting by Matt Revis and George Hill saw them over the line.The Sussex innings was one of two halves, in which they scored 97 in the first 25 overs and 187 in the second as Matt Milnes took seven wickets for 38 runs, Yorkshire’s third-best bowling figures in List A cricket and their best since 1997. Milnes also took a hat-trick and almost managed a second.Sussex have had a number of batting collapses in this year’s competition and here they managed two, losing three wickets for six runs in 12 balls early in their innings and then three in three balls to Milnes towards the end.Between these low points, however, they staged a remarkable recovery, led by Oli Carter, whose 94 from 79 deliveries was , and it required some late hitting by his best score in List A. The first building blocks of the Sussex fightback were put down by Charlie Tear (35) and John Simpson (65) who came together at 24 for three and put on a patient 60 from 15 overs.But it was the partnership between Simpson and Carter, who added 79 for the fifth wicket in 12 overs, which transformed the match before a depth charge from Danny Lamb, who thumped 53 from 45 deliveries, gave his side a challenging total.Carter reached his fifty from 55 balls when he pulled Hill for the second of his five sixes (there were also seven fours) and it was then that he accelerated, judging length very well and scampering his runs when he failed to find the boundary.He was out in the 45th over, caught as he attempted to ramp Milnes. Jack Carson lifted his first ball to long-on and then Archie Lenham was lbw to give Milnes his hat-trick. But the bowler almost had three in three when he dismissed Tom Haines and Tom Clark with successive deliveries and then saw Hudson-Prentice scoop his first delivery just short of midwicket.Shortly after this, a Sussex-supporting seagull descended on Milnes, who was fielding at long leg, and robbed him of his banana.

MatériaMais Notícias

CRB e Fortaleza se enfrentam neste domingo (9), pelo jogo de volta da final da Copa do Nordeste. O Leão do Pici tem a vantagem por dois gols e CRB precisa buscar o resultado para impedir o tri do Tricolor. A bola vai rolar a partir das 16h30 (de Brasília), no estádio Rei Pelé (AL), com transmissão da ESPN e Star+.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Clique e assista final da Copa do Nordeste na Star+

Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre CRB e Fortaleza (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
CRB X Fortaleza
Final – Copa do Nordeste
🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 9 de junho de 2024, às 16:30 (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Rei Pelé (AL);
📺 Onde assistir: SBT (Nordeste); ESPN e Star+.
🟨 Árbitro: Emerson Ricardo de Almeida (BA);
🚩 Assistentes: Alessandro Álvaro Rocha (BA) e Daniella Coutinho (BA);
🖥️ VAR: Pablo Ramon Gonçalves (RN).

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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

CRB (Técnico: Daniel Paulista)
Matheus Albino, Hereda, Saimon, Fábio Alemão e Matheus Ribeiro; João Pedro, Falcão e Gegê; Facundo Labandeira, Léo Pereira e Anselmo Ramon.

Fortaleza (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
João Ricardo, Brítez, Kuscevic e Titi; Yago Pikachu, Matheus Rossetto, Zé Welison, Moisés e Bruno Pacheco; Lucero e Pochettino.

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Tudo sobre

Copa do NordesteCRBFortalezaOnde assistirSTARPLUS

The role of a central defender has changed over time, with those at the very top now not just world-class in the air and in a tackle, but also brilliant in possession with the ball at their feet.

The new generation of centre-backs are crucial to their team’s build-up play and, in some cases, pass more than most midfielders, but who is the best in the world at the back at this moment in time?

Ranking factors

To help rank the centre-backs in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has been performing Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others are saying about them 15 Willian Pacho PSG and Ecuador

Willian Pacho has gone from strength to strength after joining PSG from Frankfurt in 2024 and now appears to be a regular at the Parc des Princes.

The Ecuador international is still only 23 years of age and has been described as the ‘wall nobody saw coming’ next to Marquinhos.

The €40m fee PSG paid for Pacho is now looking like a smart piece of business, with the player’s market value already increasing to €65m.

Champions League

2025

Ligue 1

2025

UEFA Super Cup

2025

French Cup

2025

French Super Cup

2025

Belgian Pro League

2023

Belgian Cup

2023

Belgian Super Cup

2023

Copa Sudamericana

2019

Ecuadorian Serie A

2021

14 Antonio Rudiger Real Madrid and Germany

Antonio Rudiger has gone from strength to strength after joining Real Madrid from Chelsea back in 2022, so much so that he was linked with a return to Stamford Bridge.

Over the last 18 months, Rudiger has been praised by Carlo Ancelotti and Mesut Ozil, who have said the German “is playing at his best” and in his “prime”.

However, he has missed the majority of the 2025/26 season so far with a hamstring injury which has dropped him down the rankings.

La Liga

2024

Champions League

2021, 2024

Europa League

2019

FA Cup

2018

Copa del Rey

2023

FIFA Club World Cup

2022, 2023

UEFA Super Cup

2021, 2022, 2024

FIFA Intercontinental Cup

2024

Spanish Super Cup

2024

Confederations Cup

2017

13 Eder Militao Real Madrid and Brazil

Dropping down the list due to serious injuries in recent years is Real Madrid’s Eder Militao. The Brazilian was dubbed the “best in the world” at the back by Carlo Ancelotti in 2023 and has won multiple honours at the Bernabeu since 2019.

At the age of 27, Militao should still have plenty of high-level years ahead of him and will be looking to remain fit over the coming seasons.

Champions League

2022, 2024

La Liga

2020, 2022, 2024

Copa America

2019

Copa del Rey

2023

FIFA Club World Cup

2023

UEFA Super Cup

2022, 2024

FIFA Intercontinental Cup

2024

Spanish Super Cup

2020, 2022, 2024

12 Dayot Upamecano Bayern Munich and France

Transformed into Bayern Munich’s Mr. Reliable under Vincent Kompany has been Dayot Upamecano, who has partnered Kim Min-jae at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund has said in 2025 that the Frenchman “has become a leader” who “plays strongly and consistently at a high level.” At the age of 26, Upamecano appears to be entering his prime.

Nations League

2021

Bundesliga

2022, 2023, 2025

Austrian Bundesliga

2016, 2017

Austrian Cup

2016, 2017

German Super Cup

2021, 2022

11 Josko Gvardiol Man City and Croatia

Josko Gvardiol stars as a centre-back and sometimes as a left-back for Man City and Croatia.

Used as a centre-back in the Nations League for his country, Gvardiol turned out centrally under Pep Guardiola in the latter stages of the 2024/25 season, with City winning five out of six Premier League games with the 23-year-old at the heart of the defence.

Premier League

2024

HNL

2020, 2021

FIFA Club World Cup

2024

UEFA Super Cup

2023

DFB-Pokal

2021, 2022

Community Shield

2024

Croatian Cup

2021

Croatian Super Cup

2019

10 Alessandro Buongiorno Napoli and Italy

At the top of his game with a career-high €45m Transfermarkt valuation is Napoli and Italy’s Alessandro Buongiorno.

The 25-year-old is “extraordinary in one-on-one situations” and has been key for Napoli under Antonio Conte, winning the Serie A title in 24/25. Should his rapid rise continue, Buongiorno could climb up this list in years to come.

9 Dean Huijsen Real Madrid and Spain

One of the most in-demand defenders of the 2025 summer transfer window was Dean Huijsen, with Real Madrid winning the race to sign the Spaniard from AFC Bournemouth.

Wanted all across Europe, Huijsen starred in the Premier League after leaving Juventus and Tiago Pinto even said he “will be the best central defender in the world in two years”.

Coppa Italia

2024

8 Marquinhos PSG and Brazil

Paris Saint-Germain icon Marquinhos has been leading a new generation of stars at the Parc des Princes under Luis Enrique and has still remained at an extremely high level himself.

Now 31, Marquinhos continues to be a regular in a young PSG side and even became the first player in the club’s history to start 100 matches for PSG in the Champions League.

Ligue 1

2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

Copa America

2019

Champions League

2025

Coupe de France

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024

Coupe de la Ligue

2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020

French Super Cup

2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025

Copa Libertadores

2012

7 Ruben Dias Man City and Portugal

Ruben Dias is coming up to five years as a Man City player and continues to be a regular under Pep Guardiola, with Transfermarkt having the Portugal starvalued at €65m.

Rated as good as Virgil van Dijk by Jamie Carragher 12 months ago, Dias’ displays have dipped slightly at the Etihad in 2024/25, however, there is no denying his quality.

Premier League

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Nations League

2019

Champions League

2023

FA Cup

2023

League Cup

2021

UEFA Super Cup

2023

Community Shield

2024

FIFA Club World Cup

2024

Liga Portugal

2019

Portuguese Super Cup

2020

6 Marc Guehi Crystal Palace and England

Marc Guehi is becoming one of the most in-demand centre-backs in world football after his move to Liverpool from Crystal Palace collapsed in the summer of 2025.

Now a regular for England and starring at Selhurst Park, Guehi is on course to become a free agent in 2026 and is being linked with the biggest clubs in Europe.

It shows just how good Guehi has been under Oliver Glasner, lifting the FA Cup and Community Shield with Palace in 2025.

FA Cup

2025

Community Shield

2025

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a move for an exciting winger compared to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, with Arsenal and Barcelona also in the mix.

Mohamed Salah’s struggles this season continued on Sunday afternoon, with the Egyptian largely ineffective in Sunday’s 3-0 defeat away to Manchester City in the Premier League.

Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has now even called for the 33-year-old to be dropped by Arne Slot, following a dramatic dropoff from last year’s title-winning brilliance.

“The guy is not giving you anything! You could look at it the other way and say: ‘He’s going to be away for two or three months so we may as well try and figure something out now. Why am I going to wait on a guy who’s giving me nothing? I need to be proactive here. I can’t just sit on my hands and let it happen and hope and pray that all of a sudden somebody waves a magic wand and he becomes the Egyptian King again.’

“I absolutely think he needs to do something and my own person opinion, I would sit him.”

Salah’s form is increasingly showing the importance of Liverpool finding a successor to him, and it looks as though Fofana could be a leading option.

Liverpool keen on signing Malick Fofana

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are tussling Arsenal and Barcelona for the signing of Lyon’s Malick Fofana, who has emerged as one of the most talented young attacking players in Ligue 1.

It is claimed that Barca have made contact with the 20-year-old’s agent over a potential switch, but the Reds and the Gunners are showing the “most interest” in him from the Premier League. He could cost as much £44m, with Lyon refusing to budge on their asking price.

It is easy to see why Liverpool like Fofana so much, with scout Jacek Kulig comparing him to Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr, as well as describing him as “magnificent”.

The Belgian is a left winger by trade, so he could be seen as an upgrade or long-term replacement for Cody Gakpo, but he can also shine on the opposite flank, allowing him to provide competition for Salah.

More than Wirtz: £36m Liverpool star is becoming a "serious issue" for Slot

Liverpool were condemned to a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Etihad.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

Fofana has already bagged 17 goals and eight assists in 74 appearances for Lyon, and those numbers should only improve as he matures with his end product.

As bad as Salah: Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels vs. Man City must be on borrowed time

Pink-ball cricket at Adelaide Oval must be the stuff of Starc’s dreams, and today they added up to career-best figures against an opponent that has traditionally had the better of him

Andrew McGlashan06-Dec-2024It was the roar. Mitchell Starc has celebrated plenty of wickets across his decorated career, but it felt as though this one had a bit more meaning than many. The first delivery thudded into Yashasvi Jaiswal’s pad as the left hander played across it and, for the third time in his career, Starc had a wicket with the first ball of a Test match.The last time a wicket fell to the opening delivery of a men’s Test was when Starc extracted Rory Burns’ leg stump with the opening ball of 2021-22 Ashes at the Gabba. That brought a wild celebration, too, but with the context of this match Jaiswal’s wicket was quite the moment. The noise from a yet-to-be-full Adelaide Oval as he departed was something to behold.There has been a lot said and written both during and after the first Test about Australia’s performance; plenty of it has been fair and balanced – it was a defeat of rare proportions on home soil – but there were extreme views and the usual collection of hot takes among it. Alex Carey talked of some surprise at the reaction, Nathan Lyon said he found parts of it humorous. But the bottom line was, Australia needed a quick response.Related

• Stats – Starc gets to Adelaide fifty, Bumrah to 2024 fifty

They could not, therefore, have asked for a better start than removing the batter who had made 161 in the second innings in Perth. Jaiswal had shown his willingness to get into a duel by suggesting to Starc that he wasn’t bowling fast enough, although in the subsequent press conference spoke of his respect for Starc and thrill of facing him. He had, however, begun Perth with a duck courtesy Starc before making his presence felt. It is shaping as one of the battles of the series.For a little while after the early breakthrough, it appeared as though Australia were losing their way. Scott Boland denied himself a first-ball wicket in his first home Tests for two years when he overstepped having removed KL Rahul – in a bizarre twist Snicko suggested there was no nick despite the batter beginning to walk before the no-ball call. Later in the same over, Usman Khawaja spilled a catch at first slip to give Rahul a second life.Mitchell Starc is a pleased bowler, walking off with a career-best 6 for 48•Associated PressIndia reached 69 for 1 by the final half an hour of the session when Starc returned, having Rahul fending into the gully and then drawing Virat Kohli into edging a rising delivery to second slip in a similar manner to his dismissal in the first innings in Perth. Both Kohli and Starc love Adelaide Oval, but it was the latter who took the honours this time. When Boland trapped Shubman Gill lbw with a full delivery, India were 81 for 4 at the dinner break.On the one hand it was no surprise that Starc was Australia’s main man, but on another it went against the grain. He has a phenomenal record in pink-ball Tests – by the end of innings it read 72 wickets at 17.81, including 4 for 53 in the corresponding Test in 2020-21 – but overall against India in Tests it’s been more of a struggle: before today he had 51 wickets at 38.72 and never more than five in a game. They are comfortably the opponents he’s been least productive against.So, in a sense, it was using one of his favourite combinations – Adelaide and the pink ball – to overcome a more stubborn obstacle. He has been in excellent rhythm this season even if he took some punishment during India’s big second innings in the first Test. “I said last week in Perth, I thought he looked as good as he’s looked in a long time,” Ricky Ponting said on .Midway through the second session Starc returned and for the third time in the day and struck in his opening over in a spell when he trapped R Ashwin lbw with a full delivery which swung back (and also caused some damage to Ashwin’s foot). The movement was again on show when he ripped one through Harshit Rana as he continued producing significant shape with a ball 39 overs old.”Ash’s dismissal was a very good example of why he is so effective with the pink ball,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said. “He’s someone who presents the seam nicely. He obviously uses that other ball very well in setting up batters. When the ball swings back to a certain degree – a lesser degree – the batters can generally figure it out. But when you’re guessing on both sides, it makes him far more effective.”When Starc closed India’s innings by ending Nitesh Kumar Reddy’s boisterous counterattack it gave him new career-best figures of 6 for 48. It bettered the 6 for 50 he took against Sri Lanka, in Galle, in 2016, which in a neat twist was the first occasion he had taken a wicket with the first ball of a Test. With his Jaiswal wicket, Starc became the second bowler to achieve the feat three times after Pedro Collins, who has the wonderfully quirky distinction of removing the same batter – Bangladesh’s Hannan Sarkar – on each occasion.Scott Boland got among the wickets after Mitchell Starc started the collapse•Getty ImagesIt was also notable that Starc’s best analysis came in his 91st Test. Only two frontline bowlers have achieved a new high watermark later in their careers in terms of matches played: James Anderson in his 128th outing and Glenn McGrath in his 103rd.But while 180 all out looked like a job well done, we’d been here a couple of weeks ago in Perth when India were bowled out for 150 leaving Australia with the final session to bat. That did not go well for the hosts and here they not only had to contend with Jasprit Bumrah, but also the night-time session.The outcome was as good as could have been hoped for. Usman Khawaja edged Bumrah to slip – meaning his form remains a watching brief – but the inexperienced Nathan McSweeney, on his adopted home ground, and the under-pressure Marnus Labuschagne made it through to the stumps.McSweeney, who was dropped on 3 by Rishabh Pant, had been goaded by Rana during the early stages of his innings, which appeared to lure him into a pull that wasn’t far from being dragged on, but he retained his composure impressively beyond that, even when the floodlights twice when out in quick succession. As the final half hour approached, McSweeney slotted away consecutive boundaries against Reddy, and in the closing moments pulled the chirpy Rana for another.A day that started with a roar for Starc, ended with cheers for a local star doing the hard yards to make sure Starc’s work didn’t go to waste. Australia needed a good day; they had an excellent one.