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Lionel Messi was rested for Argentina’s friendly against Venezuela, a 1-0 win, at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday, keeping alive the possibility he could feature for Inter Miami against Atlanta United on Saturday. Earlier in the day, head coach Javier Mascherano said Messi’s availability would depend on whether he played against Venezuela, noting that Argentina would make the final decision.

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  All eyes on Lionel Messi

  With Messi being rested, he could return to Inter Miami and be available for Saturday’s MLS clash with Atlanta United at Chase Stadium before rejoining Argentina for their next match against Puerto Rico early next week – which was moved to the Herons' home stadium.

  “If he doesn’t play tonight, there’s a possibility, I’d love to have Leo with us,” Mascherano said. “But the truth is, he hasn’t been with the team this week. Rodrigo [De Paul] and Telasco [Segovia] are also away. The only player who’s available after international duty is Fafà [Picault], since Haiti released him. The rest remain with their national teams.”

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  "Messi can play at any time, obviously"

  Although Mascherano would love to have his full squad ahead of Saturday's match, he also emphasized that Inter Miami respects national team commitments.

  “When players go with their national teams, we don’t interfere or make calls to bring them back. For now, everything remains the same,” he said.

  When asked if Messi could still play despite not having trained with the group, Mascherano mentioned the eight-time Ballon d'Or is always welcome.  

  “Messi can play at any time, obviously. The thing is, I can’t talk about something hypothetical because he’s not here, and I haven’t spoken with him. We’ll see what happens tonight," he said. 

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  'We haven’t decided the lineup yet'

  Scaloni left the door open on the possibility of Messi rejoining the MLS side to participate in Saturday's match. 

   “I’ll speak with him this afternoon, and then we’ll see," Scaloni said. "There’s not much more to say. It just so happens we’re playing here, and the second game – against Puerto Rico – might also be in Miami, but we’ll confirm that later. Everything is still up in the air.”

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  Big matches ahead

  While Miami have missed out on a chance to win the Supporters' Shield, the fourth-placed side in the Eastern Conference could still finish as high as second if they win out their remaining two regular season games and results go in their favor. They face Atlanta on Saturday and wrap up their season with Decision Day on Oct. 18.

Chelsea wanted to sign a new centre-back in the summer transfer window and were actively exploring options, following Levi Colwill’s disastrous ACL injury which is expected to keep him out for a large portion of 2025/2026.

Enzo Maresca even publicly asked the club to bring in a new central defender, and they were actively pursuing a deal for Dean Huijsen before the Spaniard ultimately opted for Real Madrid.

While the Italian later backtracked on this message, claiming an internal solution was the only option, it is crystal clear from Maresca’s statement there that he’s not happy with Chelsea’s current defensive options.

Colwill’s injury has left them light in that area, with Wesley Fofana also having struggled for consistent fitness since his £70 million move from Leicester City three years ago.

Axel Disasi is part of the Chelsea ‘bomb squad’ with Raheem Sterling, and while Benoit Badiashile has returned to first-team training this week, it is unclear how ready he is to feature for Maresca.

Summer signing Jorrel Hato can play centre-back but is primarily viewed as a left-back and alternative to Marc Cucurella, leaving little wonder why Maresca was so keen on another option to bolster the heart of his defence.

With the UK window closing on September 1, this could still be on the agenda for 2026, with journalist Graeme Bailey reporting that they’re big fans of Club Brugge starlet Joel Ordonez.

Chelsea send officials on midweek mission with Joel Ordonez set to leave Brugge

Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey states that Chelsea scouts were sent to run the rule over Ordonez during Ecuador’s 1-0 win over Argentina on Wednesday.

Enner Valencia scored the only game of the game as both Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Otamendi were sent off during a tense affair, but Ordonez managed to help Ecuador keep a clean sheet against the world champions.

The 21-year-old, according to reports, is valued at around £40 million by Brugge, and Bailey says that Ordonez is “almost certain” to leave in 2026 amid interest from Chelsea.

Tottenham have also been credited with an interest in the “huge talent”, with his mooted summer move to Marseille falling through. It could only be a matter of time before he’s plying his trade in the Premier League, and Ordonez ticks nearly every box.

Arsenal star Beth Mead admits that she is "not the biggest fan" of the new Women's Champions League format. Changes have been made to elite European competition that mirror those made in the men's game. Rather than a group stage playing out, all 18 teams are now placed into one league table – with the Gunners hoping to successfully navigate that en route to defending their continental crown.

• Champions League format: Changes made in 2025-26

  The north London outfit savoured a memorable success in 2024-25, but are now taking a different path to ultimate glory. The league phase sees each team face six fixtures – three at home and three on the road – with the top four teams qualifying automatically for the quarter-finals. Those ranking between fifth and 12th enter the play-off round, while anybody finishing 13th or lower is eliminated.

  The ‘Swiss Model’ has been introduced across European competition in the men’s game, but Arsenal forward Mead – who has helped England to back-to-back Euros triumphs – is not convinced that a tweak to the Champions League format delivers obvious benefits.

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• Arsenal become a target as European title holders

  The Lionesses hero told after finding the target in the Gunners’ 2-0 victory away at Benfica: "I'm not the biggest fan, I like group football and knockout football. I think that's a beauty of football, but ultimately this is the way it's now [and] we've got to play what's in front of us."

  Mead opened the scoring for Arsenal in Portugal, with England team-mate Alessia Russo doubling their advantage in the 89th minute. Assessing a battling performance, Mead added: "It was tough, we knew we were going to come here and Benfica are a very physical team. They like to get under your skin. Obviously we like to play football and we knew that we shouldn't get involved …. It is hard, but we got the three points, got the two goals and that's how it came in."

  Arsenal have happy memories of gracing the field in Lisbon, as that was the scene of their stunning Champions League final victory over Barcelona back in May. They now have a target on their back as rivals from across Europe seek to knock them from the loftiest of perches.

  Mead said of that challenge: "Once you win it, everyone wants to beat you. And, ultimately we've got up our game again. We had an up and down Champions League season last season and obviously we don't want to play out like that again. But we're looking forward to the challenge. We've got to step up to the challenge and we've got to be even better than we were last year."

• Assess and plan: Slegers ready for international break

  Arsenal, who were beaten by Lyon in their opening European game of 2025-26, have now reached another international break. Head coach Renee Slegers will be using that to assess what has happened and plan for what is to come.

  She told the Gunners’ : "It's always a big reflection moment for us as a staff. Especially the first week, we will review both pre-season and the first block of games. And then the second week, we will preview the next block that's coming up. So it's always a good moment for us.

  "There's plenty of learning and plenty of energy is built to start the next block again. And I'm happy there's a lot of players going to international camps. We'll have a couple of players at home and everyone will do their thing, but I look forward to the start of block two."

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  Arsenal fixtures: Testing run of WSL & Champions League games

  Arsenal, who sit fifth in the WSL table, will not be in action again until taking in a trip to Leicester on November 2. They will then head into a testing run of fixtures that Slegers needs to ensure her squad are fully prepared for.

  After playing host to Chelsea, the Gunners head to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and then Tottenham for a north London derby date. A return to continental competition sees them play host to Spanish giants Real Madrid, before then tackling Liverpool on home soil.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their home comforts in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

The grass isn't always greener, but this weekend turned out to be a largely successful one for Britain's footballing expats. Two of them conjured up vital goals against title rivals, while the current England captain also revelled in another big victory, albeit without getting on the scoresheet. However, a select few were left downbeat after ending up on the wrong side of a result, and one former Chelsea star missed a golden opportunity to leave a lasting mark.

Every Monday this season, GOAL will bring you the definitive lowdown on British stars abroad, what they're getting up to, who is reaching the greatest heights and who appears to be suffering with homesickness. Let's get stuck into this week's edition…

• Bellingham delivers crushing Clasico blow

  What a week for Jude Bellingham! The Real Madrid midfielder scored his team's Champions League winner against Italian giants Juventus in midweek, and then repeated the trick in a bad-tempered Clasico encounter with Barcelona on Sunday.

  Any concerns over whether Bellingham would take months to rediscover his best form after shoulder surgery have been emphatically dispelled. Deployed as a right-sided No.10, the 22-year-old was sensational against Barca in both attack and defence.

  Bellingham's beautifully weighted pass set Kylian Mbappe free to score Madrid's opener, and he cleverly ghosted in at the far post to score their second just before the break, tucking home from close range after Eder Militao had nodded a Vinicius Jr cross back across goal. Los Blancos went on to win 2-1, with Fermin Lopez's 38th-minute effort proving to be nothing more than a consolation for the visitors, and Madrid now sit five points clear at the La Liga summit.

  Xabi Alonso's men were great value for the victory, too, with a missed penalty from Mbappe keeping the score down. If they can maintain this level, a clean sweep of silverware is not beyond the realms of possibility for the 15-time European champions.

  Mbappe will continue to bag most of the headlines with his goals, but Bellingham is shaping up to be Madrid's leading man again. He tormented Barca's defence throughout his 89 minutes on the pitch, mustering five shots in total, and also shut down the majority of their counter-attacks as he posted five lung-busting recoveries.

  Alonso singled out the former Borussia Dortmund star for special praise after the game, telling reporters: "We knew before the last break that he needed time, minutes, to get going. He’s done better than we expected after the last break. Jude is all about feeling, communicating, and connecting. That’s why he’s had some very good games."

  An England recall should now be a formality when the November international break comes into effect. Bellingham is well and truly back.

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• Magic McTominay downs Inter

  Napoli went into Saturday's home game against Inter still reeling from a shocking 6-2 defeat to PSV in the Champions League. Antonio Conte vowed to "bring the whip" to his players after that setback, and the tough love certainly seemed to have a positive effect.

  The reigning Serie A champions, who had also lost their last domestic outing to Torino, returned to the top of the table courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Inter, with goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Frank Anguissa seeing off Inter.

  Anguissa scored the pick of the bunch to round things off after a scintillating run from near the centre-circle, but it was McTominay's 54th-minute strike that held the most significance. He raced on to a searching long pass from Leonardo Spinazzola, and after appearing to misjudge the flight of the ball initially, readjusted himself before unleashing a fearsome volley that was destined for the bottom corner as soon as it left his boot.

  McTominay also scored both of Napoli's goals in the PSV game, having previously found the net just once in his first eight appearances of the season. The Scotland midfielder has rediscovered his eye for goal just when his team needed him most.

  "I lost it in the lights, so the pass took me by surprise, the lights are so bright I couldn’t see it. Then I just thought to shoot," the ex-Manchester United ace told when asked about the instinctive strike. "Now we need to find that consistency so we can continue to push."

  Conte has historically struggled to maintain consistency across domestic and European competition as a manager, but when McTominay is firing on all cylinders, Napoli can go toe-to-toe with any opponent. Despite the summer additions of De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund, McTominay is still the king of Naples and the key to their hopes of more silverware.

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  Kane gives up Bayern spotlight

  Harry Kane has been arguably the best player in Europe so far this season. He racked up 20 goals and three assists in his first 12 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich, including Champions League braces against Chelsea and Pafos, emerging as the early frontrunner for the 2026 Ballon d'Or in the process.

  Heading into Bayern's latest Bundesliga clash with Borussia Monchengladbach, Kane was looking to find the net for the 12th game in a row for club and country, having also netted twice in England's 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over Latvia last month. But all good things must come to an end.

  Bayern maintained their perfect start to the 2025-26 with a comfortable 3-0 win at Gladbach, but it was Joshua Kimmich, Raphael Guerreiro and teenage sensation Lennart Karl who provided the goals, not Kane. It was a frustrating afternoon for the 32-year-old, who found little joy against Gladbach's low block after the hosts were reduced to 10 men just 17 minutes into the contest.

  Kane thought he'd broken the deadlock just after the hour mark, only to be denied by the offside flag. Fortunately, Kimmich then popped up moments later to set Bayern on their way to a 13th consecutive victory, equalling AC Milan's 33-year-old record for the most competitive wins by a team in Europe's top-five leagues to start a season.

  Last season, Bayern's glaring flaws as a collective were exposed whenever Kane had an off-day, but they looked far more well-rounded now. Vincent Kompany has created a team that should win the Bundesliga title again at a canter and push far harder for the Champions League trophy. The goals will flow for Kane again soon enough; what's more important is that he is no longer shouldering the team's hopes by himself.

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• Greenwood scores beauty but Marseille found out

  Mason Greenwood and Marseille were on cloud nine after routing Le Havre to go top of Ligue 1 last week. The Manchester United academy graduate hit four goals in a thumping 6-2 win that sent a strong message to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, who surprisingly dropped points at home to Strasbourg, but Roberto De Zerbi refused to get carried away with talk of a potential tilt at the title, saying: "Today is only October 18, not May 18, so today, first place counts for nothing."

  The Marseille boss was right to be apprehensive. A visit to Sporting CP in the Champions League three days later brought OM crashing back down to earth, as they fell to a 2-1 defeat after losing Emerson Palmieri to a red card right on the half-time whistle. 

  Preparations then began for Saturday's trip to fourth-placed Lens, which proved to be another banana skin. Marseille made the best possible start to the game, though, with Greenwood producing a lovely first-time finish from the edge of the box in the 17th minute for his eighth goal of the season.

  Confidence should have been surging through the squad again, but instead, they imploded. Benjamin Pavard gave away a needless penalty six minutes later, which Odsonne Edouard gratefully converted, and the former Bayern defender then scored a horror own goal early in the second half that ended up sealing all three points for Lens.

  Marseille have a formidable forward line, led by the likes of Greenwood and summer signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Igor Paixao, but De Zerbi's side won't be proper trophy contenders until they fix the defence. The centre-back partnership of Pavard and Nayef Aguerd certainly didn't work against Lens, and West Ham and Chelsea flop Emerson has always been a liability at full-back.

  PSG moved back into first by breezing past Brest on the same day, and that's where they'll be again on May 18. The brutal reality is that Luis Enrique's side are still miles ahead of their Classique foes.

Everton host West Ham United in the Premier League on Monday evening, and David Moyes will look to take advantage after the beleaguered Irons sacked Graham Potter on Saturday.

It’s no secret that West Ham have endured a torrid start to the season, and in fact, have toiled ever since parting ways with Moyes at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

The two sides sit at opposite ends of the Premier League scale right now, and while Everton are tenth, they find themselves with a glorious chance to return to the win column and put the frustrating Carabao Cup exit at Wolves behind them.

Moyes shuffled his pack for that midweek defeat, but by reinstating his side’s biggest stars, the Blues might just get the job done.

How Everton can beat West Ham

Everton have yet to taste defeat at their new home, and for that to change on Monday would be considered a big blow for a side looking to make headway after several years of imperilled fortunes.

But stranger things have happened, and West Ham will hope to use this transitional period to strike while expectations are low. However, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye returning to the starting line-up, Everton should have enough to breach a wobbly defence.

The Londoners’ xG allowed total of 7.6 is next-to-last in the standings right now, marginally behind pointless Wolves. This effectively means they have been poor in defence, shipping many chances and lacking the authority and coherence to repel danger.

Grealish must be excited to test himself against such rusted Iron, and Ndiaye too. But West Ham have weapons of their own, and the home side’s backline must have their wits about them.

Everton have enjoyed, by their standards, a fine start to the season, habitually slow to get into gear. And all this without their star defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who is now ready to return to the field.

Branthwaite has not yet kicked a ball at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but his form and fitness will yet shape the mood on the blue half of Merseyside over the coming months, and he will be crucial in silencing Hammers talisman Jarrod Bowen.

The return of Jarrad Branthwaite

Said to be “one of the best defenders” out there by journalist John Barlow, Branthwaite has settled comfortably into his standout role at Everton over the past few seasons.

And, for the second campaign in succession, he’s been absent throughout the early weeks. This proved detrimental for Sean Dyche’s system one year ago, but Moyes has staved off any threat of a relegation-battling term, having made some emphatic summer signings.

With the England star now fit again and in line to make his seasonal debut, the Blues might just shape into a force to be reckoned with, the backline reinforced and setting a rigid framework for the forwards ahead.

It might prove the missing piece of the puzzle to raise Everton’s game and rebuff a disorganised West Ham side.

And it’s the forwards who are taking the plaudits in Everton’s team right now. The Toffees have been hard at work this summer, with Moyes adding Grealish and Tyler Dibling to pre-existing ranks boasting the fickle Beto and the deadly Ndiaye, who was the club’s top scorer last year with ten strikes across all competitions.

However, Bowen would love nothing more than to torment his former mentor on Monday night, and while West Ham have struggled this season, with two goals from three recent league matches, the Three Lions forward is one to watch.

Bowen scored three goals from his first six games against Everton, but has blanked across each of the past two top-flight terms. Curiously, those four fixtures coincide with Branthwaite’s return from PSV to Merseyside.

Previously said to be “unplayable” on his day by The Guardian’s Barney Ronay, the 28-year-old will certainly be up for the task. As per Sofascore, he has averaged five duels a game in the Premier League this season, also converting his only two big chances.

Bowen’s pace and tenacity on the ball serve him well, but Branthwaite would directly impede that facet of his game, one of the toughest tacklers in the Premier League.

As per FBref, he also ranks among the top 7% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for clearances per 90.

Moreover, Branthwaite has a cast-iron relationship with the stand-in skipper, James Tarkowski, on the field, and his return to fitness will only raise the 32-year-old’s game once more.

Perhaps the most exciting part is that Branthwaite is still only 23 years old and has much still to learn as he marries his physicality and athleticism with a more cultured take on the technical side of the game.

The development and modernisation of Moyes’ tactics will give rise to such growth, to be sure, and while Branthwaite is an “absolute monster” of a centre-half, as he has been declared by talent scout Jacek Kulig after winning back-to-back Young Player of the Year awards on Merseyside, there is still room for improvement.

But the fact that he has the skillset to negate the threat of a talisman such as Bowen at this stage of his career bodes well indeed. West Ham are in disarray, and Everton are not. A combination of fluent attacking play and steely defensive work should prove enough for Everton to withstand against the advances of their opponents and strike them down.

Everton messed up selling their original Tyler Dibling for just £1.5m

As Everton place their faith in youth gamble, one former player offers a cautionary tale.

By
Will Miller

Sep 26, 2025

Let’s have some run today with a couple of plus-money pitching props!

We are betting on two home pitchers to allow at least three runs before they exit today.

Best MLB Prop Bets Today

Yusei Kikuchi OVER 2.5 Earned Runs (+110) at DraftKings

The Houst Astros bats have been hot lately, averaging 5.37 runs per game since June 1. They hit lefties well, too.

Their .266 average vs. southpaws ranks fifth in MLB, and their .457 SLG ranks sixth.  

On average, the Astros have scored 2.70 runs this season in the first five innings of games. Across the last three, that number is even higher at 3.33 runs per first five.

On the other side, Kikuchi has been struggling lately. He allowed four or more runs in each of his last three starts. With Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez both hitting lefties better than righties this year, I’ll grab the plus money here for the Astros to put up a three-spot before Kikuchi exits. 

Trevor Rogers OVER 2.5 Earned Runs (+105) at DraftKings

The Boston Red Sox have also been hot since June 1, scoring 5.32 runs per game — just behind the Astros. 

They also see lefties well with a .337 OBP (fourth in MLB). Per first five, the Red Sox are averaging 2.7 runs this season, and they have averaged 3.0 runs per first five innings across their last three games.  

The Red Sox are also averaging 5.07 runs per road game – the fifth most in MLB. Lefty Trevor Rodgers has an xERA of 5.17 according to Statcast and a higher ERA when at home this year. That’s enough to have me interested in plus-money. 

Leeds United have started well in the Premier League, after bouncing back to the top flight for the first time in two years. Daniel Farke’s side have been something of a yo-yo team in recent times, with this being their fourth campaign in the top flight in the last seven seasons.

The Whites only just managed to stay in the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign, ending 17th that season, after a strong finish of ninth the year before.

The man who kept them up by the skin of their teeth four years ago was Jesse Marsch, who was eventually dismissed despite some statement signings during his tenure.

Marsch’s prominent signings at Leeds

51-year-old Marsch brought 11 new faces to Elland Road during his time at the club. One of those, goalkeeper Joel Robles, was a free transfer, and another joined on loan, with Weston McKennie switching Juventus for Leeds for six months in 2023.

The most expensive addition that the Wisconsin-born manager made during his time as Leeds boss was Georginio Rutter. The Frenchman was, and still is, the club’s record signing from German side Hoffenheim. He cost the Whites £35.5m back in January 2023.

Nowadays, the former Leeds striker plays for Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, where he moved for £40m. He has 14 goals and assists for the Seagulls so far, and is yet to get close to his Leeds tally of 26 goal involvements.

Not only did Marsch purchase Leeds’ most expensive player of all time, but he also bought the man second on that list. Brenden Aaronson cost the Yorkshire outfit £24.7m in 2022 and is still at the club today.

The attacker has chipped in with 15 goals and assists in 95 games.

Aaronson is not the only Marsch signing still plying his trade at Leeds. There is another player now worth far more than what they paid for him.

The Marsch signing whose value has skyrocketed

There are certainly some of the signings made by Marsch which have turned out to be good additions to Leeds’ squad. Rutter, for example, saw the club make a healthy £5m profit on the deal, and Aaronson is a key player under Farke today.

Well, perhaps the biggest success story of the lot has been Italian attacker Wilfried Gnonto. The 21-year-old has been a Leeds player for some time now, joining the club back in 2022 at the end of the transfer window. He cost just £3.8m from Swiss side FC Zurich.

Throughout his time at Elland Road, Gnonto has shown why Leeds invested in him despite being just 18 years of age at the time. In 123 games for the Whites so far, Gnonto has found the back of the net 22 times and assisted 14 goals.

His best season for the Yorkshire giants came in the 202425 campaign, where they got promoted back to the Premier League. Gnonto played a huge part in their Championship title win, scoring nine times and assisting six in 43 games.

To further reinforce Gnonto’s quality in a Leeds shirt, take a look at some of his underlying numbers from the Championship last term.

One of the standout stats is the 4.27 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes he created, which placed him in the top 6% of forwards in the second tier.

With all that in mind, it might not be a surprise to learn that the value of the “explosive” winger, as football scout Antonio Mango called him, has absolutely skyrocketed. He has certainly improved leaps and bounds since the Whites paid the cut-price fee of £3.8m three years ago.

Nowadays, according to Football Transfers, the Italian youngster is worth an impressive £22.8m, a higher amount than anyone in the Leeds squad. That is an eye-watering increase of 500% from the original deal the Yorkshire side got.

Gnonto has certainly been worth the cheap fee that the Whites paid for him three summers ago. Given the fact that he is just 21 years of age, there is still plenty of time for his value to shoot up and for the impressive performances to continue.

Leeds ace who's been a "massive signing" would walk into Bielsa's best team

This current-day Leeds United star would walk into Marcelo Bielsa’s best team.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 9, 2025

Roberto Firmino has weighed in on some of football’s biggest debates ahead of Liverpool’s blockbuster clash with Real Madrid, picking Mohamed Salah over Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr over Luis Diaz. The ex-Liverpool star praised both rivals but revealed his admiration for Vinicius’ energy and Salah’s unmatched consistency ahead of Champions League clash.

• Firmino names Salah and Vinicius among favourites

  Former Liverpool forward and Brazilian international Firmino has shared his picks between some of the world’s top footballers, siding with Salah and Vini when asked to choose between the duos Salah-Bellingham and Diazi-Vinicius. Speaking to , the Brazilian, who currently plays for Al Saddi in the Qatar Stars League, didn’t hesitate when asked to compare two of his former Premier League peers.

  When asked who he would choose between Diaz and Vini Jr., Firmino responded: “It’s very difficult to choose so simply. But… Vini!” He also showed loyalty to his former teammate when asked to pick between Bellingham and Salah, replying: “Mo Salah.”

  Firmino’s choices come ahead of the high-powered Champions League showdown between his former club Liverpool and Madrid, a fixture he described as “one of the best matches you can find in world football.” The Brazilian made it clear that his heart remains with the Reds, “as a Liverpool fan, I hope the Reds win.”

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  Firmino 'a big fan of Vini’

  The ex-Liverpool man also expressed admiration for Vinicius, both as a player and as a person, commending the Madrid forward’s attitude and skill while defending him from critics. “Vinicius is a great player. I had the opportunity to be with him on the national team and play against Real Madrid,” Firmino said. “Personally, he’s a really good guy. I think it’s normal for opposing fans to put pressure on him, but what I don’t like is when they bring up racism.”

  The Brazilian also offered advice for his compatriot on how to handle off-field distractions, saying: “If I were him, I’d try not to listen too much to what’s being said outside the stadium. I’d try to focus on football regardless of what people say. I wish him all the best. I’m a fan of Vini, and I love him as a footballer.”

• Salah still shining at Anfield

  Firmino’s selection of Salah over Bellingham highlights not only his respect for Liverpool’s Egyptian icon but also his enduring bond with his former teammate. Salah and Firmino formed one of the most formidable attacking trios in modern football alongside Sadio Mane, powering Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League glory under Jurgen Klopp.

  During his eight-year stay at Anfield, Firmino scored 111 goals in 362 matches. His connection with Salah on and off the field was central to Liverpool’s success, and his latest comments reaffirm the admiration he has for the winger’s professionalism and consistency.

  While Bellingham has recently emerged as a superstar at Madrid, Salah remains Liverpool’s heartbeat. Firmino’s nod to his former teammate serves as a reminder of the Egyptian’s longevity and impact at the highest level, a player who continues to deliver even as Liverpool undergo a new era under Arne Slot.

  The Brazilian, who now stars in Qatar’s top flight, continues to follow Liverpool’s fortunes closely and believes the Reds’ evolution under Slot could soon yield major results. Having seen Klopp step away in 2024, Firmino recently also hinted on the Diary of a CEO podcast that his former manager might one day return to the dugout: "I think he's taking a break, I think he's going to go back to coaching a club. Whether it's Liverpool, only he can say."

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  Liverpool vs Real Madrid set for UCL showdown

  Firmino’s comments arrive just as Liverpool and Real Madrid prepare to renew one of football’s fiercest modern rivalries at Anfield. The Reds head into the Champions League encounter after a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Aston Villa, but their opponent is looking too dangerous under Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid remain in imperious form, winning 13 of their last 14 matches, and leading their league's table, after clinching the intense Clasico, and beating Valencia 4-0.

  Arne Slot’s side will need all their firepower, including Salah’s leadership, to overcome Alonso’s relentless Madrid, who boast Kylian Mbappe's form, along with Vinicius, and Bellingham also in unstoppable form. The stage is set for another European classic, one that Firmino, watching from Doha, will surely be following with emotion and pride for both his former club and his fellow Brazilians.

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, a Westlake, Ohio, native and lifelong Cleveland sports fan, had his fandom levels for Cleveland sports teams questioned after he attended Game 1 of the ALCS between the Guardians and New York Yankees with his girlfriend and pop star Taylor Swift.

Fans couldn't help but notice that Kelce wasn't wearing any gear respresenting the Guardians. But Kelce, who posted an excited message on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the Guardians' thrilling walk-off win over the Yankees in Game 3 on Thursday, also took the time to set the record straight on his Cleveland sports fandom.

Well, there you have it. Kelce, who was raised on Cleveland sports and played football at the University of Cincinnati, made it clear that it shouldn't matter if he wears Cleveland sports gear or not—anyone who knows him knows he's a true fan.

Kelce's response to the critics prompted the Guardians, clearly in a good mood following the dramatic victory, to take to X and poke fun at the Chiefs tight end with a lighthearted joke.

Now, would be one heck of a response.

Legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who is a die-hard supporter of Manchester United, has publicly pleaded with Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand to approach the team management and offer his help to fix a glaring issue. United blew a one-goal lead to draw 2-2 for the second week in a row away at Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday, missing the chance to move into the top four.

• United's topsy-turvy start to the season

  United staged a remarkable comeback in October after a rocky start to their 2025-26 campaign as Ruben Amorim's side won three successive Premier League matches against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. It was finally looking like the star-studded attack that the club had assembled in the summer transfer window was finally delivering as they quickly climbed up the table.

  However, the Red Devils have experienced yet another dip in form at the start of November, recording back-to-back draws 2-2 draws against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. 

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  'Stressed out' Bolt reaches out to Ferdinand

  Eight-time Olympic champion Bolt has admitted to being "stressed out" by United's performances this season. After the Spurs draw, Bolt reached out to United legend Ferdinand with a voice note and pleaded with the former England star to help the club fix a glaring issue.

  In the voice note, played on Rio Ferdinand's podcast, Bolt said: "I just watched the United game, one of our biggest problems is when we invite pressure onto ourselves. They're always running back, all we do is invite pressure. Please (Rio), I'm begging you man. Get to the team and say something. You are one of the greatest defenders Man United ever had, please bro, it's stressing me out. I know you have nothing to do with this but tell the guys to pass the ball quicker. Oh my God, bro. They don't know how to defend one-on-one. Shaw is the only one who seems like he understand. All they know is system, lineup and play well. 'They don't know how to step up, push the defender and then go back into your line. I push up (as a defender) and the midfield slots in. Please, Rio, get to somebody."

• 'We're still in this rebuilding phase'

  Unlike Bolt, Ferdinand was less scathing with his analysis of Amorim's side as he said: "There were times against Spurs where it (United's defence) wasn't working as a cohesive unit. We're still in this rebuilding phase and I think that's why we've got to manage the expectations of fans. I've seen some people going off on one, going crazy saying, 'the manager ruined it with his substitutions'. But if he didn't make any subs and we still got the same result, everyone would be going, 'why didn't he change it?'. He's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't sometimes. Arne Slot won the league last year, went to [Manchester] City this year and got it totally wrong. It does happen."

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  Amorim admits to United's flaws

  Amorim agrees that there is still plenty of work to do to further improve the team's performances, as he told after the Tottenham game: "During the game we felt like the three points were there to take home. But then with everything that happened, Harry Maguire and Casemiro coming off and conceding two goals… we scored again and it's a point. When you cannot win you don't lose, once again we did that. We have so much to grow as a team, because today was our day to win this game. 

  "We need to look at ourselves, we were not pressing with the same intensity, we felt comfortable but we need to understand that if we had more bravery we kill the game. But sometimes this happens, you have a better first half than second. We believe in our capacity to score goals until the last minute. It's a little frustration, but also pride at the response of the players at the response to second goal of Tottenham. This is the tip of the iceberg, we are at the beginning of becoming a strong team, so we have a lot to do."