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Every September, football fans go through the same ritual. For an entire year, we complain that the Ballon d’Or has lost its credibility. We argue that the voting system is flawed, that individual brilliance is being weighed against team success in inconsistent ways, and that the award no longer represents what it is supposed to represent. Then September arrives, the nominations are announced, and suddenly we forget every complaint we made over the previous twelve months. We

There was a time when Raphinha’s place at Barcelona was constantly debated. Was he consistent enough? Could he deliver in the biggest moments? Was he really capable of being one of the faces of this team? Seven La Liga games into the season, those questions are becoming increasingly difficult to ask. Raphinha has turned the beginning of this campaign into a personal statement. 12 goals in his first seven league appearances, including two hat-tricks and three braces, have put

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has made a fresh statement about the Ballon d’Or race, highlighting his rivalry with Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé and insisting that individual brilliance should not be judged solely by goals or Champions League success. In comments shared by football media outlets, Yamal said there is a direct rivalry between him and Mbappé because the Frenchman represents Real Madrid while he plays for Barcelona. “Mbappé plays for Real Madrid and I play for

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has boldly placed himself alongside Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe as the two best players in the world, while insisting he deserves to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Speaking about the ongoing Ballon d’Or race, Yamal said he believes there are “perhaps only two players” who can be considered the best in the world this year — himself and Mbappe. “For me, Kylian Mbappe and I are the best two players, and anyone who watches the matches knows tha

Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an extraordinary 21-year career with the Argentina national team to an end. The 39-year-old Argentina captain confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain was his final appearance in an international tournament for La Albiceleste. Messi will also step down as captain of the national team. In a statement shared with his millions of followers on Instagram, Messi said the decision was p

MADRID: Atlético Madrid have reportedly made their stance clear on Julián Álvarez, insisting there is “0% chance” of the Argentine forward being sold to Barcelona. According to a statement attributed to an Atlético spokesperson and cited by Spanish media, the Madrid club believes it has been unfairly targeted in the ongoing controversy surrounding Álvarez. “The player is being victimized, but the only victim of the Julián case is Atlético,” the spokesperson reportedly said, a

HULL: Hull City marked their long-awaited return to the Premier League in spectacular fashion, defeating Manchester United 2-0 in one of the biggest surprises of the opening weekend. After a nine-year absence from England’s top flight, Hull delivered a composed and deserved victory to immediately announce their arrival back in the Premier League. Fellow newcomers Ipswich Town also enjoyed an impressive start, securing a 2-1 home victory over Sunderland. Leeds United produced

Leandro Paredes has been handed a 10-match suspension by FIFA after Argentina’s players were involved in an on-field clash with Spain following their World Cup final defeat. The FIFA disciplinary panel imposed one of the harshest sanctions in World Cup history on Paredes, who was found to have assaulted Spain’s Eric García and pushed Gavi to the ground during the post-match confrontation. Argentina defender Nahuel Molina received a seven-match ban, while Thiago Almada was sus

Cristiano Ronaldo and his longtime partner Georgina Rodríguez have officially tied the knot, bringing their decade-long relationship to a new chapter with a private civil ceremony in Portugal. The Portuguese football superstar and Rodríguez were married on August 11 in the coastal town of Cascais, near Lisbon, with their five children reportedly present for the intimate occasion. Ronaldo confirmed the marriage on social media by sharing a photograph of the couple’s hands disp

SYDNEY: Smaller football federations, particularly those in Oceania, have remained largely silent amid FIFA’s growing internal dispute because they fear putting crucial development funding at risk, former Papua New Guinea international Alex Davani has said. Davani, a former deputy general secretary of Football Australia, believes FIFA’s development funding system needs reform and says the controversy surrounding Gianni Infantino’s abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal co

BARCELONA: Ferran Torres has told Barcelona that he wants to leave the club this summer and join Paris Saint-Germain, according to sources. The 26-year-old forward has reportedly agreed personal terms with the French champions, with PSG now expected to begin negotiations with Barcelona over a transfer fee. Torres has just one year remaining on his Barcelona contract, and the Catalan club are understood to be willing to sanction his departure if an acceptable offer arrives fro

ROSARIO: Jorge Messi, the father and longtime adviser of football superstar Lionel Messi, has passed away at the age of 68 in Rosario, Argentina. Jorge died at a clinic in Rosario after being under medical care for an undisclosed health condition. Reports from Argentine outlet Infobae confirmed his death on Friday night. Jorge played a hugely influential role in Lionel Messi’s extraordinary football journey. He supported his son from his early days in Rosario and later became

BARCELONA: Ferran Torres has found himself at the centre of fresh transfer speculation after suggesting that FC Barcelona must “show they want me” if they hope to keep him at the club. The Spanish forward made the remarks while discussing reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain F.C., saying it is flattering when top clubs express interest but insisting that Barcelona must demonstrate their commitment. Torres also noted that he remains under contract and is in control of hi

Turkish giants Trabzonspor are on the verge of completing one of the biggest transfers in the club’s history after reaching an agreement to sign Mohamed Salah on a free transfer following his departure from Liverpool FC. The club officially confirmed on Tuesday that negotiations with the Egyptian superstar are underway, bringing an end to nearly ten days of discussions. Salah is expected to sign a two-year contract that will keep him at Trabzonspor until June 2028. The 34-yea

Pakistan’s men’s football team is set to make history by participating in its first-ever FIFA-sanctioned tournament after being confirmed for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup later this year. The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) announced that the national team will be among 14 participants in the competition, which will be staged during the extended FIFA international window in September and October. Pakistan have been included in the main FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia alongside

Sixteen years after Fernando Torres played a key role in Spain’s golden generation that conquered the 2010 FIFA World Cup, another Torres has written his name into Spanish football folklore. Ferran Torres scored the decisive extra-time winner as Spain edged Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, securing La Roja’s second World Cup title. With the match seemingly destined for penalties, Ferran struck in the 1

Argentina produced a dramatic late turnaround to defeat England 2-1 and book their place in the FIFA World Cup final, where the defending champions will face Spain in a blockbuster title clash on Sunday. After falling behind to Anthony Gordon’s second-half opener, Lionel Scaloni’s side once again showcased their resilience on the biggest stage. Enzo Fernández levelled the contest with a powerful strike from outside the box before Lautaro Martínez broke English hearts in stopp

Spain produced a disciplined and commanding display to defeat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup semifinal on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, securing their place in the final and extending their recent dominance over Les Bleus. The victory marked Spain’s third consecutive win over France, following triumphs in the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinal and the UEFA Nations League semifinal in 2025. It also ended France’s bid to become only the third nation in history to reach three straight Wo

Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA World Cup journey has officially come to an end after Portugal suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Spain in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 7 in Arlington, Texas. Spain dramatically sealed victory as Mikel Merino struck in the 90th minute, ending Portugal’s campaign and bringing the curtain down on Ronaldo’s record-breaking World Cup career. Ahead of the knockout clash, the 41-year-old had once again confirmed that the 2026 editi

Ousmane Dembélé produced a masterclass with a sensational hat-trick as France defeated a heavily rotated Norway side 4-1 to finish top of Group I with a perfect record at the FIFA World Cup. France wasted no time asserting their dominance, coming within inches of taking the lead after just 22 seconds. Kylian Mbappé rattled the underside of the crossbar with a fierce effort after bursting in from the right, narrowly missing what would have been one of the fastest goals in Worl