Football Blog (Page 154)

[ad_1] Former Liverpool stalwart Lucas Leiva has been removed from training at current club Gremio after club doctors sound a heart issue. Lucas spent 10 successful years at Liverpool between 2007 and 2017, making 346 appearances in all competitions before moving to Lazio where he’d spend a further five seasons. The midfielder left European football in June 2022 in order to return to his former club Gremio in Brazil. At the moment his career back in Brazil has been temporarily halted however after a routine check-up found a heart issue. In a statement released on his own Twitter, Lucas wrote: “The Gremio Medical Department communicatesRead More →

[ad_1] The Seattle Sounders have signed goalkeeper Jacob Castro to a homegrown contract through the 2023 MLS season. Castro is the Sounders’ 21st all-time homegrown player and could remain with the club beyond next season with options in his contract for 2024 and 2025. “We are excited to sign Jacob after a standout career in the Pac-12,” Sounders general manager and chief soccer officer Craig Waibel said in a club press release. “He has shown great upside since joining the Academy in 2017, which he further developed in his collegiate career. We’re pleased to add yet another talented goalkeeper to an already established core.” NowRead More →

[ad_1] Al Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has admitted he would like the chance to coach Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Saudi side still awaiting his response to their contract offer. Ronaldo is currently a free agent after the mutual termination of his Manchester United contract, following his scathing criticism of the club in an interview with Piers Morgan. Al Nassr have made an offer to Ronaldo which would see him become the highest-paid footballer of all time. Sources have confirmed to 90min that he is yet to respond to the offer, although there is a confidence among those in charge of the club that Ronaldo willRead More →

[ad_1] France manager Didier Deschamps is sweating over the fitness of Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano ahead of their World Cup semi-final against Morocco. Les Bleus are looking to become just the third country in men’s World Cup history to lift the trophy in back-to-back tournaments, and are into the last four after seeing off Gareth Southgate’s England 2-1 in a tense quarter-final. Kylian Mbappe has been the standout player for France at this year’s tournament, topping the scoring charts with five goals, but there’s been a number of standout performers in Deschamps’ squad. Among those to have impressed are Rabiot, who has filled theRead More →

[ad_1] Lionel Messi has confirmed that the final on Sunday at Lusail Stadium will be his last ever FIFA World Cup game. Messi’s Argentina booked their place in the showpiece event with a surprisingly comfortable 3-0 win over Croatia on Tuesday evening, with a spot kick from Messi and a brace from his strike partner Julian Alvarez proving to be the difference between the two sides. In scoring his 11th World Cup goal in the semi-final, the PSG star became Argentina’s all time top goalscorer at the competition. Messi also became the joint highest appearance maker in the tournament’s history, going level with Germany legendRead More →

[ad_1] Lionel Messi has credited head coach Lionel Scaloni for leading Argentina to the World Cup, saying he is really enjoying playing for him. Messi was in fine form again as Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 in the semi-final, scoring again to draw level with Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race. It was another incredibly efficient performance by Argentina in which Messi was once again relied on the provide the magic, but he says no one should be overlooking the contribution of Scaloni either. “I think this group is very intelligent, they know how to read the moments during each game,” Messi said, as quotedRead More →

[ad_1] How many goals did Pele actually score? It’s a question that’s boggled statisticians and governing bodies for a while. Is it in the hundreds? Is it in the thousands? It seems as though there is a multitude of answers but, in reality, there’s only one truth – or explanation, at least. So, if it’s a topic that’s been driving you mad, here’s the truth behind that disputed goal tally of Pele’s. According to the legend himself, Pele is the sport’s all-time leading goal-scorer having netted a total of 1,283 times – but he’s the only one that’s claimed that figure. Already sounds at leastRead More →

[ad_1] If you asked a Tottenham fan to grade their season so far, most answers will range between a B- and a C. Sure, Spurs are into the last 16 of the Champions League and remain in the Premier League’s top four, but the intangibles about their wins and progress haven’t been as enjoyable as those at the end of last season. There’s still a long way to go in the campaign, however. They have a solid base to build on and if they can make small margins of progress, they can still have a memorable year. Here’s four things Antonio Conte’s men can doRead More →

[ad_1] Ronaldo has insisted that Neymar still has a vital role to play for his country following Brazil’s exit from the World Cup in Qatar. The Selecao legend, who scored 62 goals in 98 caps and won two World Cups in 1994 and 2002, believes that Brazil’s talisman will come back stronger in four years’ time. Searching for their sixth World Cup triumph, Brazil thought they had done enough to beat Croatia after a wonderful goal from Neymar in extra time of the quarter-final on Friday. A dramatic equaliser from Bruno Petkovic followed in the 117th minute before penalty heartbreak. Neymar, shooting fifth for Brazil,Read More →

[ad_1] Manchester United will unveil a lasting tribute to legend Jimmy Murphy at Old Trafford next year. Murphy was a key figure at the club in developing the ‘Busby Babes’ and was the caretaker manager for 22 games following the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, playing an absolutely pivotal role in helping the club come to terms with and recover from the tragedy. He was not on the flight himself as he was coaching Wales at the time, and he remained as Sir Matt Busby’s assistant until 1971 to help rebuild the club. That contribution will now be immortalised with a statue outside the StrefordRead More →