Glasgow Rangers have not been good enough defensively, in the Scottish Premiership or in Europe, since Russell Martin took the job on in the summer.

The Light Blues have conceded six goals in six games in the league, gave up 3.79 xG to Genk in the Europa League, and lost 9-1 to Club Brugge on aggregate in the Champions League play-off.

This shows that the Scottish giants have coughed up far too many chances for opposition teams across all competitions, and that something has to change if the head coach wants to turn the season around and achieve success and, hopefully, trophies.

Livingston’s goal against the Ibrox giants in the 2-1 win for Martin’s team on Sunday, their first win of the season in the League, was another example of sloppy defending in the box by the Gers.

Whilst it was an excellent delivery into the box, John Souttar got caught under the flight of the ball and was not close enough to Mo Sylla to put him off his header, which allowed the forward to score.

The club’s struggles in the defensive third this season suggest that Martin needs to unearth his own version of Connor Goldson, who was pivotal to the success of the last Gers team that won the league.

Why Rangers need to find their next Connor Goldson

The Light Blues need to find their next version of the impressive centre-back at Ibrox because their defence has been questionable since his incredible form in the 2020/21 campaign.

Steven Gerrard led the Ibrox giants to the title in that season and his team was built on solid foundations with the former Brighton & Hove Albion brute at the heart of the defence.

Points

102

1st

xG

69.2

1st

Goals

92

1st

xA

18.8

1st

Goals conceded

13

1st

Clean sheets

26

1st

Losses

0

1st

As you can see in the table above, Rangers had an unbelievable defensive record with the English titan at the back in that season, conceding just 13 goals in 38 matches.

Goldson, playing as the right-sided centre-back, was an incredibly dominant central defender in that campaign, winning 68% of his ground duels and 72% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore.

His dominance at the back for the Scottish giants helped the team to remain solid and hard to break down, which was one of the main reasons why they won the title that season.

The Gers need their next dominant and reliable centre-back to lead the backline, as Goldson did in their last title success, and they may have their next version of the giant in the making, but it is not Derek Cornelius.

The Rangers star who is the next Connor Goldson in the making

Rangers swooped to sign Cornelius on loan from Marseille in the summer transfer window, and he showed some promising signs against Livingston by winning four of his seven duels, per Sofascore.

It was his defensive partner, Souttar, who was to blame for the goal that was conceded, as evidenced in the earlier clip, whilst the loanee made five clearances, two interceptions, and one tackle.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, the Canada international lost 67% of his duels against Genk in the Europa League and is a left-sided centre-back, which means that he is unlikely to be the next Goldson from a physical or positional perspective.

The lesser-seen Emmanuel Fernandez, however, may have the potential to eventually develop into being the club’s new version of Goldson, as a towering and physical presence in the right-sided centre-back position.

Rangers signed the English starlet from Peterborough United, in a deal that was described as a “blockbuster” move by Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, but he has only played two matches in all competitions to date.

Fernandez’s only appearance in the Premiership to date came in the 1-1 draw with St Mirren in August. There were positives and negatives to take from his performance alongside John Souttar in that match.

Appearances

1

6

Tackles + interceptions per game

4.0

1.5

Clearances per game

9.0

5.0

Dribbled past per game

0.0x

0.8x

Duels per game

12

5.3

Ground duel success rate

63%

48%

Aerial duel success rate

100%

60%

As you can see in the table above, the physical qualities that the 23-year-old star displayed in that draw with St Mirren were particularly impressive, especially when you consider that Souttar has lost the majority of his ground duels this season.

These statistics suggest that the towering English youngster has the physical profile to replicate Goldson’s dominant defending, which Souttar has been unable to do in the Premiership so far this term.

However, Fernandez did leave a little bit to be desired with his use of the ball, failing to complete a single long pass, and looked a bit too relaxed in possession against the Saints, which may be why that is his only appearance in the league to date.

At the age of 23, the youngster still has plenty of time left to make a success of his career at Ibrox. He may not be playing at the moment, but his defensive and physical numbers against St Mirren show that he has the potential to be a dominant defender for the Gers.

With Cornelius coming in on the left side of the defence, where Leon Balogun used to partner Goldson, Fernandez could compete with Souttar to start in the right-sided centre-back role as the Gers look to find solutions to their faltering defence this season.

The defence has not been good enough under Martin, that much is obvious, and the summer signing from Peterborough has shown some signs that he could be the dominant defender that they need.

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Therefore, the right-sided defender could be the next Goldson in the making at Ibrox if Martin is able to help him take the next step in his development to be a regular starter for the Light Blues in the future.

It is now down to Fernandez to show the manager, whenever he is given a chance to prove his quality on the pitch, that he can be relied upon as a regular starter to solve the club’s defensive issues this season.

With a quarter of the season already played, it would be fair to say that Arsenal are flying.

Mikel Arteta’s side had a slight stumble away to Liverpool a couple of months ago, but since then, they’ve been ruthless and looked far better than the defending Premier League champions.

In fact, following their win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, the North Londoners are now seven points clear of Arne Slot’s fragile-looking Reds, and appear destined to finally end their long title drought at the fourth time of asking.

The team are looking better and better with almost every passing gameweek, and one international in particular now has a shout for being one of the best in the world, just like Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal's world-class Saka

The Arsenal squad of today is almost entirely different from the one Arteta took control of over five years ago, and now has more than its fair share of world-class players, such as Saka.

For example, despite missing almost four months of action through injury last season, the Hale End icon still ended the campaign with 26 goal involvements in 37 appearances.

Moreover, he’s already missed some of this season and has still managed to score three goals in ten appearances.

However, while there is no denying the winger’s outrageous talent, it would be fair to say that he somewhat struggled to influence proceedings on Sunday afternoon.

The 24-year-old started his third game on the bounce against Crystal Palace, but ended up coming off the pitch 66 minutes in without a goal or assist, and unlike against Fulham, without looking all that dangerous.

Now, he did complete 100% of his dribbles, won two fouls and won 100% of his aerial duels, but he also amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.03, failed to create a big chance and didn’t take a single shot on target.

However, such a middling performance shouldn’t worry fans, as Arteta later confirmed that the talismanic winger was unwell before the game and unable to train with the team in the build-up.

So, as long as he recovers, supporters should expect Saka to be back to his world-class best for the next game he starts, which can be said about one of the Englishman’s teammates as well.

The Arsenal star becoming one of the best in the world

As things stand, it wouldn’t be all that controversial to call the likes of Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magehlese world-class.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Yet, there are other players in Arsenal’s squad who are getting closer and closer to being classed in the same category, such as Jurrien Timber.

The Dutch defender joined the club from Ajax in the summer of 2023, but had his first full season playing in red and white last year after missing almost all of 23/24 with an ACL injury.

The 24-year-old was undoubtedly one of the club’s bright spots last year, as, alongside the rest of the defence, he mostly stuck to his job and made the club incredibly difficult to break down.

However, so far this season, he has taken his game to another level entirely and certainly has a shout at being one of the best right-backs in the entire Premier League.

After all, as things stand, the Utrecht-born “diamond,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has made 12 appearances for Arteta’s side, ten of which have been starts, and has therefore been a key part of a backline that has conceded no goals in the Champions League and just three in the league.

If such a run continues, “Ajax’s crown jewel,” as analyst Ben Mattinson once dubbed him, could help the North Londoners beat Chelsea’s record of just 15 goals conceded in a league season.

However, it’s not just his defending that has got even better this year, as the dynamic full-back has also become far more of an attacking threat.

His dribbling and close control have come on leaps and bounds, and while he’s not someone who is going to deliver a Trent Alexander-Arnold-esque cross, he can and does create chances for his teammates or ends up in the box himself.

Goals

0.26

Top 1%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.26

Top 1%

Shots on Target

0.64

Top 1%

Through Balls

1.03

Top 1%

SCA (Shot)

0.51

Top 1%

Passes into Penalty Area

1.79

Top 4%

GCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.13

Top 4%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.90

Top 4%

Penalty Kicks Won

0.13

Top 4%

xG: Expected Goals

0.23

Top 7%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.23

Top 7%

Progressive Passes

6.41

Top 7%

Average Shot Distance

8.60

Top 7%

npxG/Shot

0.21

Top 7%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

88.8%

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.59

Top 7%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

2.56

Top 7%

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.26

Top 7%

GCA (Shot)

0.13

Top 7%

Tackles

3.72

Top 7%

Goals + Assists

0.38

Top 10%

For example, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% for full-backs in the league for goals scored, shots on target, through balls, the top 4% for passes into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

On top of that, he also has two goals and two assists to his name in just nine league games so far this season.

Ultimately, while it is still early on in the season, it’s becoming impossible to ignore the fact that Timber is currently playing like one of the best full-backs in the world.

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Whilst it’s often big-money transfers that steal the headlines, nothing beats success from the academy. Discovering the next Harry Kane is still just as important as it was finding the original. Even in football’s current climate, academies still have an invaluable part to play in producing the greatest players in the world.

Whether it’s in English football, Amsterdam or La Masia, the next generation of stars need a platform to start somewhere. Building one of the best academies can be just as crucial as having the largest budget if used right – have both and the possibilities can be endless.

The CIES Football Observatory has now identified football’s best academies based on three factors…

Players – how many players in 49 worldwide leagues they’ve trained for 3 years between their 15th and 21st birthdays Minutes – official game-time from those players in the last year Level – the level of clubs those players have played for

Five Premier League sides feature in the top 100 academies in the world, but none of them crack the top ten. Manchester City sit highest at 21st, Arsenal are ranked 48th, and Chelsea just about make the top 50. Meanwhile, Manchester United sit 56th and Liverpool sit 75th in a ranking that they should hope to improve.

Index

Club

Players

Minutes

Level

105.1

Benfica (POR)

93

2,582

0.807

98.7

Barcelona (ESP)

76

2,773

0.875

98.3

River Plate (ARG)

97

2,305

0.805

97.6

Ajax (NED)

80

2,690

0.841

95

Boca Juniors (ARG)

86

2,516

0.808

83.4

Sporting CP (POR)

76

2,488

0.811

77.9

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

77

2,532

0.732

77.0

Defensor SC (URU)

88

2,222

0.726

74.8

Real Madrid (ESP)

58

2,817

0.853

73.8

Velez Sarsfield (ARG)

70

2,406

0.805

10 Velez Sarsfield (Argentina)

One of three Argentine clubs in the top 10, Velez Sarsfield are not a well-known club but their academy has produced some undeniable gems. Both Nicolas Otamendi and Diego Simeone graduated from the Argentine club before enjoying fantastic careers in European football.

The former even became a Premier League winner at Manchester City and is now playing his football at Benfica in the latter years of his career. Nowadays, the likes of Dilan Godoy could be next in line to benefit, having been promoted from Sarsfield’s academy and enjoyed first-team football for the first time this season.

9 Real Madrid (Spain)

A less surprising name on the list, Real Madrid are ranked 9th in CIES’ list of the world’s best academies. It’s easy to assume that they’d be higher, given their place as arguably the world’s biggest team, but their focus has often been set on welcoming Galactico-esque signings such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.

Nonetheless, that’s not to say their academy hasn’t produced some impressive talent in recent years. The likes of Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia both came from Madrid’s academy and both now play their part in Xabi Alonso’s first-team squad.

8 Defensor SC (Uruguay)

Like Sarsfield, Defensor SC’s inclusion on this list will surprise many, but the Uruguay-based side have trained as many as 88 current professional players at the time CIES conducted their rankings.

They have been one of the most consistent breeding grounds for young talent in South America and have helped the likes of Maxi Gomez on their way. Given the influence that South America has on the transfer market these days, with Moises Caicedo and Murillo arriving before thriving in the Premier League, Defensor could be ones to watch.

7 Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Having trained 77 active players, Dinamo Zagreb find themselves higher than Real Madrid on this list. Having produced the likes of Luka Modric, however, that should come as little surprise.

It’s not just the veteran midfielder still representing the academy, either. Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol also graduated from the Croatian club and is now a Premier League winner. Now, questions will arrive as to who the next big product to come out of Zagreb will be. Whoever it is has quite the shoes to fill.

6 Sporting CP (Portugal)

The academy that made the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo, Sporting CP discovered a gem and have used their academy ever since. These days, graduates such as Goncalo Inacio, Geny Catamo and Geovany Quenda are stealing the show in products that reflect the success of Ronaldo after the academy was named after one of football’s greatest-ever players.

Aside from the Real Madrid legend, one stat which really stamps home the impact of Sporting’s academy is the fact that 10 of their graduates played their part in Portugal’s Euro 2016 victory.

5 Boca Juniors (Argentina)

The second Argentine team in the top 10, Boca Juniors remain one of the biggest clubs in South America and their academy reflects that. Icons such as Carlos Tevez have come through what is known as ‘The Boca Factory’ and the likes of Alan Varela and Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur have followed suit in recent years.

The Boca Factory doesn’t look likely to cease production anytime soon, either, given Valentin Barco has emerged from the academy into European football in the last two years.

4 Ajax (Netherlands)

Who remembers Erik ten Hag’s 2018/19 Champions League side? It was built on the success of Ajax’s famous academy and would have been enough to make the late-great Johan Cruyff proud.

In a golden generation, Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek all stole the spotlight and soon secured moves to some of Europe’s biggest clubs in Barcelona and Manchester United. Whilst those in Amsterdam are still seeking their next crop of generational talent, they have still made CIES’ top 10 football academies in the world.

3 River Plate (Argentina)

Argentina really is the place for young talent. Alongside Boca and Sarsfield, River Plate have been ranked inside CIES’ top 10 and sit as high as third. It’s no wonder, either. They’ve trained 97 active players and are responsible for blessing European football with talents Julian Alvarez and Real Madrid’s latest young gem Franco Mastantuno.

When it comes to attacking stars, there aren’t many more reliable clubs in world football than River Plate. Both Madrid clubs have benefitted from that and Man City could be next in line if Claudio Echeverri realises his increasingly-impressive potential.

2 Barcelona (Spain)

Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez – the list could go on. La Masia remains the most famous football academy in world football, even if CIES have deemed it second best. Just when they seemed down and out on Europe’s top table, the Spanish giants turned towards their academy to unearth some undeniable gems.

The odds that they would find the exact player to take Lionel Messi’s throne seemed impossible, but up stepped Yamal – a player who already looks destined to break records at just 18 years old.

1 Benfica (Portugal)

It takes a lot to beat La Masia and Barcelona on this list, but Benfica have done exactly that. Edging out their Spanish counterparts, Benfica trained as many as 93 players during CIES’ latest ranking and many of those stars are performing at the highest level.

Some of the best talents to benefit from their focus on young stars over the years include Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves – now one of the best midfielders on the planet – and Man City’s Bernardo Silva many moons ago.

It’s an academy which has funded Benfica over the years thanks to big-money moves for Joao Felix as well as others and now one that they’ll hope to see result in Liga Portugal glory in years to come.

Five years ago, Jurgen Klopp watched his Liverpool team crumble as injuries overwhelmed them. They had just won the Premier League, and the year before, christened what was to be a historic chapter when the boss led them to victory in the Champions League.

Lightning has struck twice. Arne Slot dominated the English game last year and won the title with such confidence, but Liverpool have fallen apart after a summer of significant spending, faulty across any number of areas and bereft of fluency and coherence.

There is maybe a need for patience, and for allowing these new cogs to connect with the Slot machine, but then the flip side of that would be that there is no excusing the error-strewn displays, and inability to react to opposition approaches.

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher called it a crisis, with the Merseysiders having lost four Premier League matches on the bounce.

And while many exciting attacking signings were made, with the full-back ranks reshaped, Liverpool are leaving so much to be desired defensively, and changes are surely needed.

Liverpool's need for centre-backs

Virgil van Dijk has for so long been a pillar of strength and leadership at Liverpool. Both things remain true, but the captain turned 34 in July and, while still immense, lacks the structure around him to give rise to his finest football.

To put that another way, Liverpool are a bit of a mess at the back, and Van Dijk has been carried along with the current across recent weeks.

Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have overseen a stylistic restructure across Liverpool’s backline, and this has knocked things out of kilter. Questions must be asked of the strategy behind adding Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez to the ranks, neither of whom appear to be glove-tight fits.

And the fumbled deal for Crystal Palace centre-half Marc Guehi has aggravated the issue. Liverpool sold Jarell Quansah this summer, and Giovanni Leoni, 18, is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury on his debut. Guehi was needed, but Liverpool left it late, and the Eagles didn’t want to play ball after missing out on targets of their own.

With that in mind, it appears the Reds have set their sights on a bid for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano. According to Spanish sources, Liverpool joined by Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid in angling for a move in 2026.

The France international is out of contract at the end of the term, and while the Bundesliga giants are desperate to seal his renewal, the 27-year-old may be tempted by lucrative offers from the Premier League and La Liga.

Why Liverpool want to sign Upamecano

Liverpool struck gold in the past when they landed a talented defender from the Bundesliga on a free transfer. Indeed, Joel Matip played a defining role in the Klopp era, playing 201 games for the club, scoring 11 goals and supplying six assists.

He won the Premier League and the Champions League among further honours, notably playing in Divock Origi for the Belgian’s conclusive goal against Tottenham in Madrid, six years ago.

It all started when the Cameroonian agreed to join Klopp’s nascent project in February 2016, arriving at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

Van Dijk has had many partners at the back, but when Matip was fully-fit and firing beside him, Klopp’s behemoths formed quite the partnership.

Now, with Upamecano approaching the end of his journey at the Allianz Arena, FSG are desperate to capitalise once again.

Bayern signed the Frenchman from divisional rivals RB Leipzig in 2021 for a reported £38m fee. He had been described as an “elite talent and a joy to watch” by scout Jacek Kulig before his move to Bayern.

And he’s gone from strength to strength since. Indeed, the tough-tackling star has polished his skillset to a standard that would befit a starring, much-scrutinised role in Slot’s Liverpool side. Should Liverpool pull this off, they may even forget all about that botched bid for Guehi.

Hailed for his “sensational” defensive ability by writer Mohammed Butt, Upamecano has the experience, athleticism and technical quality to make his mark on the Premier League, perhaps even bringing a more complete brand than someone like Guehi.

Van Dijk will expect to captain Liverpool next season, and the Dutchman’s cultured shift into his veteran years suggests that, with a more stable framework around him, he could see his club achieve their goals.

Guehi might have the experience within the English game, but Upamecano would fancy himself a cut above, boasting a wealth of top-level experience and with much silverware in the bank.

In 2025, he has also, crucially, established himself as a starting centre-back for Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus side, and with the World Cup on the horizon, this tells much of his quality and the faith of those above him.

Bayern Munich

164

5 (10)

RB Leipzig

154

4 (3)

France

34

2 (0)

FC Liefering

16

0 (0)

A ball-playing defender, data-driven platform FBref suggest that there is a likeness between Upamecano and former Anfield star Quansah, though Slot would hope to bring in a more refined and cultured presence than the up-and-comer he deemed unfit for a starring role in his project.

FBref reveal that, over the past 12 months, Upamecano ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion and progressive passes, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 11% for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for recoveries made per 90. Clearly, he’s got the skills and physicality to succeed in the Premier League.

Though Liverpool remain in the mix for Guehi, his free agency will attract the biggest sharks across the continent.

Not only would the £166k-per-week Upamecano prove a worthy fallback, but he might even be the better pick.

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اتخذ مسؤولو نادي الزمالك قرارًا هامًا بشان أحمد سيد زيزو لاعب الفريق السابق ولا النادي الأهلي حاليا، بعد التصرف الذي بدر من الأخير خلال مباراة قطبي الكرة المصرية في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري.

وأرسل نادي الزمالك شكوى رسمية للجنة الانضباط بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، ضد “زيزو” وذلك بسبب التصرف الذي صدر من اللاعب أثناء مراسم التتويج عقب نهائي كأس السوبر المحلي، وعدم مصافحته لهشام نصر نائب رئيس نادي الزمالك ورئيس بعثة الفريق الأبيض في السوبر.

وكان الأهلي توج بلقب كأس السوبر المصري للمرة الـ 16 في تاريخه، بالفوز على الزمالك بنتيجة 2-0، في المباراة النهائية التي أقيمت أمس الأحد، في الإمارات.

طالع| كاف يٌحدد موعد أول مباراتين لـ الزمالك في مجموعات كأس الكونفدرالية

واستند نادي الزمالك في شكواه إلى لائحة لجنة الانضباط التي تؤكد على اللاعبين أهمية الاحترام والالتزام بالمعايير الموضوعة والروح الرياضية.

وتنص المادة 6/6 من لائحة الانضباط والأخلاق الصادرة من لجنة الانضباط بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، على فرض عقوبات على من يتعرض بالإساءة إلى الاتحاد أو المجلس أو اللجنة أو الجهة المنظمة أو المسوؤلين أو عناصر اللعبة.

وطالب الزمالك في شكواه بتوقيع العقوبات اللازمة على اللاعب طبقًا للائحة.

 

Ousmane Dembele, Harry Kane, and Lamine Yamal are all prominently featured among the 11 nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Player 2025. The nomination sets up another potential battle between Dembele and Yamal, who recently went head-to-head for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, an award Dembele ultimately won. And there's a showdown between England Lionesses hero Alessia Russo and Aitana Bonmati for the women’s gong.

• Massive awards for football's elite

  The Best FIFA Football Awards are presented annually to honour the sport's most outstanding performers, including players and coaches. Relaunched in 2017, the winners are determined by a combined vote from four equally weighted groups. These groups include national team captains and coaches, selected media representatives, and the general public. The awards are seen as a modern way to celebrate excellence within the sport, covering a specific performance period rather than a calendar year. Recent notable winners include Bonmati, who won Best Women's Player in both 2023 and 2024, and Vinicius Junior and Lionel Messi, who were named Best Men's Player in 2024 and 2023 respectively. These accolades reflect the highest achievements within the world of football.

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  Race for the men's title

  Yamal, the brilliant teenage sensation, won the Kopa Trophy in 2024 and 2025 and finished second in the 2025 Ballon d'Or. He was instrumental in Barcelona's domestic Treble and won Euro 2024 with Spain, showcasing incredible skill. Dembele had a career-defining season, winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or and the Champions League with Paris St-Germain as part of another stunning Treble. He was also named the Champions League Player of the Season. And Kane finally ended his long wait for a major trophy by winning the 2024/25 Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. His brilliant goalscoring form saw him finish as the league's top scorer for the second consecutive season – and he’s already bagged 22 in all competitions for club and country this season. The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, and Cole Palmer will also hope to have some sort of say in the destiny of the prize. 

  The full list of nominees: Dembele (Paris St-Germain) Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain) Kane (Bayern Munich) Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) Nuno Mendes (Paris St-Germain) Cole Palmer (Chelsea) Pedri (Barcelona) Raphinha (Barcelona) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Vitinha (Paris St-Germain) Yamal (Barcelona).

• Race for the women's title

  And there’s a huge battle in store to land the women’s crown. Russo had a brilliant 2024-2025 season, winning the WSL Golden Boot with 12 goals for Arsenal. She also helped the Gunners to a historic Champions League victory with eight goals in the competition and was named the FWA Women's Footballer of the Year. For Barcelona, Bonmati enjoyed another exceptional year, winning her third successive Ballon d'Or. She was also instrumental in Barcelona's domestic treble and earned the UEFA Women's Champions League Player of the Season award for the third time running. 

  The full list of nominees: Sandy Baltimore (Paris St-Germain) Nathalie Bjorn (Chelsea) Bonmati (Barcelona) Lucy Bronze (Chelsea) Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal) Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current) Kadidiatou Diani (Olympique Lyonnais) Melchie Dumornay (Olympique Lyonnais) Patri Guijarro (Barcelona) Lauren James (Chelsea) Chloe Kelly (Arsenal) Ewa Pajor (Barcelona) Claudia Pina (Barcelona) Alexia Putellas (Barcelona) Russo (Arsenal) Leah Williamson (Arsenal).

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  Wait for awards to be announced

  The exact date and location for the next ceremony have not yet been announced by FIFA. The ceremony typically takes place early in the new year, often in January, to honour performances from the previous full calendar year. The 2024 awards were held in Doha, Qatar, in December 2024, and the 2023 awards were in London in January 2024. An announcement regarding the host city and specific date is expected in the coming months. The Best awards are often seen as a potential bellweather ahead of the Ballon d'Or too, so the player who ends up lifting the trophy may well also have designs on the most prestigious individual award a footballer can receive. 

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians é tetracampeão da Libertadores Feminina. Neste sábado (21), as Brabas venceram o Palmeiras por 1 a 0 e conquistaram pela quarta vez o troféu continental. Vic Albuquerque perdeu pênalti no primeiro tempo e Tarciane foi expulsa na etapa final, mas o gol de Millene garantiu o título corintiano. O partida marcou o último jogo do técnico Arthur Elias, que vai assumir a Seleção Brasileira Feminina.

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+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Cinco lances que marcaram a partida

!VIC NA TRAVE! Camilinha segurou Gabi Portilho dentro da área e o árbitro marcou pênalti. Vic Albuquerque não foi feliz na cobrança e mandou na trave.

!BRABAS NA FRENTE! O Corinthians não se abalou com o pênalti e abriu o placar aos 29 minutos do primeiro tempo. Millene limpou a marcação e finalizou sem chances para a goleira Amanda.

!NÃO IA VALER! Gabi Portilho e Vic fizeram boa jogada, mas a atacante parou na goleira Amanda. Tamires aproveitou o rebote e foi acertada no rosto, mas o lance já estava parado por impedimento.

> !PRESSÃO PALESTRINA! O Palmeiras voltou com tudo no segundo tempo e chegou com perigo duas vezes contra a meta de Lelê, mas a zaga corintiana prevaleceu e evitou o empate.

!EXPULSA! Tarciane fez falta dura em Bia Zaneratto, recebeu o segundo cartão amarelo e foi expulsa. Mesmo assim, as Brabas seguraram a vantagem nos últimos 30 minutos com milagres da goleira Lelê nos minutos finais.

+ Quais são os maiores campeões da Libertadores Feminina?

CORINTHIANS 1 X 0 PALMEIRAS
FINAL – LIBERTADORES FEMININA

Data: 21 de outubro de 2023, sábado
Horário: 20h30 (horário de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Pascual Guerrero, em Santiago de Cali, na Colômbia

GOLS: Millene (1-0, aos 29′ do 1ºT)

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: Arthur Elias)
Lelê, Kati, Tarciane, Mariza e Yasmim; Gabi Zanotti, Duda Sampaio, Jaqueline e Tamires; Millene e Vic Albuquerque

PALMEIRAS (Técnico: Ricardo Belli)
Amanda; Bruna Calderan, Poliana, Lorena e Katrine; Duda Santos, Amanda Gutierres e Camilinha; Bia Zaneratto, Flávia e Laís.

Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy struck important blows at Lord’s after working on his consistency with the red ball

Sidharth Monga10-Jul-20251:18

Reddy: Knew I had to improve bowling after Australia tour

Nitish Kumar Reddy has credited work with his Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins and India bowling coach Morne Morkel for his improvement with the ball after India felt like they were a seamer light in Australia. Reddy was the allrounder in on that tour, where he did impress with the bat and scored a century at MCG, but wasn’t used nearly enough as a bowler.More than the two wickets that he took on day one at Lord’s, it was the fact that the captain Shubman Gill trusted him enough to introduce him as early as the 14th over and then bowl him for 14 overs – as many as Mohammed Siraj – that should be good news for Reddy and India.Being slower in pace, he naturally swung the ball more than other seamers on average, but surprisingly, he also extracted the most average seam, slightly more than Jasprit Bumrah. He also attacked the stumps most often.Related

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“After the Australia tour I felt like I have to improve my bowling and my consistency,” Reddy said. “That’s what I looked [at]. And yeah, Pat is my captain [in the IPL], and he’s been brilliant in Australia, and I have asked him [for] some tips and he has been telling me how things would have been done in Australia, how can I go through in Australia. And that’s a great experience for me, sharing with Pat Cummins.”Coming to this tour, I would say, working with Morne Morkel has been great for me. He’s working with me for a couple of weeks, and we are seeing good progress in my bowling, and I’m really enjoying working with him.”Reddy played the first-class games and one intra-squad game before the Test matches. “We’ve been working on my consistency a lot since I get a bit of swing both ways,” Reddy said. “I just want to be consistent on the areas. So we are working on that. I’ve been working hard on my bowling for one year or two years. I’ve been doing a lot of hard work, but later on it is about understanding things and believing in myself. If you believe, that’s when your hard work comes on point. That’s what I’m realising now.”Reddy bowled just five overs during the IPL because he was recovering from a side strain, but he has built up his loads pretty well. “After injury it’s been a bit tough for me to get into my rhythm,” Reddy said. “It had been hurting a bit after the injury as well. An the end of the IPL season, I got my bowling started into the matches and I felt great. I just want to enjoy the movement, want to bowl what my team wants from me, and I guess that’s what I have done exactly, and pretty happy the way I bowled today, and I just want to continue tomorrow.”

As youngest Youth ODI century-maker, 14-year-old Suryavanshi’s 52-ball ton comes in 55-run win for India

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Jul-2025India Under-19 363 for 9 (Suryavanshi 143, Malhotra 129, Home 4-63, Morgan 3-54) beat England Under-19 308 (Flintoff 107, Dawkins 67, Moores 52, Pushpak 3-63) by 55 runsFourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi struck the fastest ever Youth ODI century – from 52 balls – as India U19 beat England U19 by 55 runs in Worcester to secure a series victory.India’s total of 363 for 9 featured two brilliant centuries. Suryavanshi smashed a blistering 143 from 78 balls and Vihaan Malhotra compiled a high-class 129 from 121 as they built a second-wicket partnership of 219 in 24 overs.That left India, at 233 for 1 after 27 overs, eyeing 400-plus but England fought back well as Worcestershire’s Jack Home took 4 for 63 and Middlesex seamer Sebastian Morgan added 3 for 54.

Of scoring the fastest ever in U19 and Youth ODIs & getting inspired by Shubman Gill

Vaibhav Suryavanshi shares his thoughts! #TeamIndia | @ShubmanGill | @VaibhavSV12 pic.twitter.com/ihQkaSs0SJ

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 6, 2025