world cup sports update

The number seven shirt can weigh heavy on just about anyone at just about any club. But at Manchester United , it has been suffocating for several stars desperately attempting to follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/1GzPltU via IFTTT

Zinedine Zidane praised the impact Lucas Da Cunha has had in France's midfield during this international break. Da Cunha started against both Belgium and Italy in the Nations League, with Les Bleus winning the first match 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with the Azzurri on Friday. Against Belgium, Da Cunha won possession more often than any other France player (six times), while also recording the second-most touches (97) and successful passes (83). He then created the most chances of any player at the Stade de France on Friday (four), also completing 82 of his 85 passes (96.5%). However, Da Cunha was involved in the mistake which led to Italy's equaliser, as Alessandro Bastoni pounced on a mix-up between the Como midfielder and Adrien Rabiot. Nevertheless, Zidane defended the 25-year-old and focused on the positives from his two performances during this break. "Football is about trying to make as few mistakes as possible. I'm not going to get into the question of whose...

Whilst Everton will be quick to point out that he who laughs last shall laugh hardest now that Manchester City have been found guilty by the Premier League just a month after Iliman Ndiaye's big-money move, they should still hold plenty of regret. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/I8BlEv4 via IFTTT

Slaven Bilic believes Croatia must "take special care" of Luka Modric as they prepare to face England in the Nations League. Croatia started their Nations League campaign with a 2-1 win over Czechia before losing 4-1 to Spain last time out. Modric opened the scoring in their win over Czechia, which was also the first goal of Bilic's second tenure with the national team. The 41-year-old was used as a late substitute against Spain, with the world champions comfortably leading at the time of his introduction. Bilic insisted they will monitor Modric's minutes, but is confident the AC Milan midfielder can make an impact for Croatia. "Of course, as with many other players, we have to be mindful of his workload, which is why we take special care of him," said Bilic. "He is simply unique. The old saying is that age is just a number, but with him, it really seems that way and he proves it. Punim srcem, snažno, za Hrvatsku!   #HrabarBroj #NationsLe...

For Florian Wirtz, Philippe Coutinho is arguably the benchmark at Liverpool when it comes to modern-day attacking midfielders, the Brazilian having been immense during his Anfield pomp. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/1FlXWNV via IFTTT

Fred has called former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag "a piece of crap" for the way he managed the squad. Ten Hag was appointed United boss in June 2022 and went on to win the FA Cup and EFL Cup before being sacked in October 2024. The 56-year-old won 70 of his 128 matches in charge (D23 L35), while also losing the FA Cup final in 2022-23. Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, only Jose Mourinho (58.3%) and Michael Carrick (58.3%) have had a better win percentage than Ten Hag (54.7%) among permanent Manchester United managers. Although he praised Ten Hag's tactical knowledge, Fred slammed the Dutch coach's man-management skills. "Ten Hag was tactically very good, but with the group he was a piece of crap," Fred said on the Charla Podcast. "He argued with everyone. He argued with me, with Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Casemiro, with Rashford … He wouldn't put me in to play, sometimes it got stressful. "[With Ten Hag] Only his ...

Juventus has revived its interest in Pierre-Emile Højbjerg as it looks for an experienced midfield addition in January, according to Filippo Cornacchia of La Gazzetta dello Sport . The Marseille midfielder is being considered to help cover captain Manuel Locatelli’s absence. The report says Juventus wants a player who can provide leadership for Luciano Spalletti and believes it can persuade the 31-year-old to consider a move. Marseille reportedly no longer regards Højbjerg as unavailable, while Fiorentina is also following his situation. A departure for Teun Koopmeiners would make a Juventus approach easier, although no agreement or formal offer is reported. Højbjerg’s position at Marseille remains significant. He has started all six of his appearances this season and scored once, with coach Bruno Genesio continuing to rely on him. His contract runs until 2028. The Denmark international came close to joining Newcastle during the summer before deciding against the move. That decisio...

Daniel James' story at Leeds United is like nothing you've ever seen before. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/pDMAek3 via IFTTT

Roberto De Zerbi 's position has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, following a winless start to the Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur , the Italian likely to be the next managerial casualty in north London if things don't improve. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/jP82wbV via IFTTT

Jurgen Klopp says his focus remains on "bringing German football back to where we all want it to be" as he continues his search for a first win in charge. Klopp's side have made a winless start to their Nations League campaign, drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands before they suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat to Greece. No Germany head coach has ever failed to win each of their first three matches in charge. Next up for Germany is a clash with Serbia, and Klopp will get the chance to see his second squad of players across the last two games of this international break. "We will build a team that can cause problems for all teams," Klopp said. "We're just getting started in this process. We are all interested in bringing German football back to where we all want it to be." While Germany sit third in Group A2 with one point, Serbia prop up the table having lost their opening two matches against Greece and the Netherlands by 2-1 scorelines. ...

Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio is set to have surgery on a stress fracture in his right tibia. Asencio has been struggling with the injury since the start of the season and was not included in any of Madrid's first five matchday squads this term. Even following his return, he has not played a single minute for Madrid so far and seemingly aggravated the issue in training on Wednesday. As such, he will undergo surgery on Thursday, with Spanish media reports suggesting he is set for two to four months on the sidelines. Asencio's medical report. https://t.co/qXG6jqmqwY — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) September 30, 2026 Asencio made 34 appearances for Madrid in all competitions last term but lost his starting place in the latter stages of the season. Jose Mourinho has been using Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen as his regular centre-back pairing since his arrival. However, the Portuguese head coach could soon be able to call on Eder Militao, who has returned to...

Arsenal have now been gifted the chance to sign a defender, with manager Mikel Arteta known to be a keen admirer. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/tm3vq8Y via IFTTT

England boss Sarina Wiegman insisted her focus is on qualifying for next year's Women's World Cup and not on her expiring contract. The Lionesses face Greece in a two-legged play-off semi-final, with the winner facing either Slovakia or Ukraine for a spot in next summer's competition. Wiegman has led England to back-to-back European Championship titles so far during her tenure, while also reaching the World Cup final in 2023. She is the first-ever men's or women's manager to reach five consecutive major international tournament finals, after also reaching the showpiece in both competitions during her time with the Netherlands. Despite her contract with the Lionesses ending after the World Cup, Wiegman's full focus is on qualifying for the tournament. "We had conversations before," said Wiegman when asked if talks had taken place about a possible extension. The #Lionesses are BACK  Sarina Wiegman has named her squad for our upcoming #...

Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18 by an independent Commission, the league has said. In a statement on Tuesday, the Premier League said City had been found guilty of all charges that related to serious breaches of the financial rules and the majority of charges which were "in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League's investigation". Following widespread reports surrounding the verdicts last Friday, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insisted he was still confident of proving the club's innocence. City have until October 2 to exercise their right to appeal, and the club suggested that they plan to do so as part of a robust statement published after the verdict. It read: "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission that has been published. "The club is innocent ...

Following the impressive summer transfer window, many Leeds United supporters were optimistic that the 2026/27 campaign would be one to remember under Daniel Farke . from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/C4KIGns via IFTTT

Spain will play in front of their home supporters for the first time since lifting the 2026 World Cup when they welcome Croatia to Seville for a UEFA Nations League encounter on Tuesday night. La Roja began their latest campaign with a thrilling victory over England, while Croatia also opened with three points after overcoming the Czech Republic, setting up an intriguing early showdown between two of Europe’s most experienced international sides. Verdict: Total home goals over 2.5 Best odds: 13/15 Bookmaker: BetUS Spain Spain continue to set the standard in international football after adding the World Cup trophy to their European Championship triumph this summer. Luis de la Fuente’s side returned to action against England on Saturday and demonstrated once again why they are regarded as the team to beat. Despite falling behind after an explosive start, Spain showed remarkable composure to recover and secure a 3-2 victory at Wembley. Lamine Yamal struck inside two minutes t...

The end of last season didn't end with a trophy for Manchester United , but a third-place finish felt as good as that. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/iTEP6du via IFTTT

With Julian Ward now back at Liverpool , the hope is that better squad building is on the horizon. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/c9IvgdZ via IFTTT

Zinedine Zidane is confident Ousmane Dembele can step up and be France's captain after Kylian Mbappe withdrew from the squad due to injury.  Dembele took the armband during France's 1-0 win over Turkiye in their Nations League opener, with Mbappe forced off after scoring the only goal in the 54th minute.  It has since been confirmed that the Real Madrid star suffered a hyperextension in his left knee, though the severity of the issue has not been disclosed at this time.  Mbappe will prove to be a big miss, not only for his leadership, but also for his quality on the pitch. He netted his 12th goal for France in 2026 last time out, equalling the highest total for a French player in a calendar year in the 21st century, set by himself in 2022.  Dembele also played his part at Turka Arac Muayene Kocaeli Stadyumu, finishing with team-high totals for chances created (four) and touches in the opposition box (seven).  "He is already doing it...

Manchester United would only consider sacking Michael Carrick if one of their top two managerial targets became available, Football FanCast sources understand. from Football FanCast https://ift.tt/mRO0Lqc via IFTTT