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West Ham now come forward to sign "outstanding" £34m UCL-winning striker

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

West Ham United have come forward to sign an “outstanding” striker, who is now likely to leave his club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Hammers set sights on striker after Forest defeat

Graham Potter would have been hoping the 2-0 victory over Manchester United would give his side the platform to have a strong end to the Premier League season, but his side fell to yet another defeat on Sunday afternoon, with Nottingham Forest prevailing 2-1 at the London Stadium.

Jarrod Bowen, who has been one of the only bright sparks for the Hammers this season, was once again on the scoresheet, netting his 12th Premier League goal of the campaign, with the England international featuring as a striker.

Bowen’s output this season indicates he could be capable of remaining the first-choice centre-forward in the 2025-26 campaign, rather than moving back out wide, with Potter currently short on options in that area of the pitch.

West Ham United's JarrodBowencelebrates scoring their first goal

However, with Michail Antonio now 35-years-old and Niclas Fullkrug failing to make an impact in his debut Premier League campaign, it could be wise to bring in another striker this summer, and a forward with top-level experience has now entered the frame.

According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), West Ham have now come forward to sign AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who is set to leave the Italian side permanently this summer, upon returning from his loan with AC Milan.

A deal will not be easy, however, with Abraham setting his sights on a move to a ‘top-tier club’, despite his recent struggles, and there are doubts over whether he would be tempted by a move to the London Stadium.

West Ham now racing to sign £84m striker who's been "blowing teams away"

The Hammers have set their sights on a striker, who is also being targeted by Arsenal and Aston Villa.

ByDominic Lund May 18, 2025 "Outstanding" Abraham could reignite career at West Ham

In truth, the 27-year-old is unlikely to be in a position to be too picky about his next club, given that he has hardly set the world alight in the Serie A this season, picking up just three goals and five assists throughout the campaign.

The Englishman could get his career back on track by moving back to his native country, however, and a move to the London Stadium could be a good fit for all parties, with Potter currently lacking options in the striker department.

Despite his recent struggles, the “outstanding” former Chelsea man also has a lot of experience at the top level, having made 22 appearances in the Champions League, winning the competition during his time with the Blues.

As such, Abraham, who cost AS Roma £34m back in 2021, could be a solid signing for West Ham this summer, should he be willing to change his stance and move to a club of the Hammers’ stature.

Leeds' £17.5k-p/w sensation is now becoming Farke's new Jaidon Anthony

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Leeds United looked on course for a triumphant return to the Premier League when convincingly putting Sheffield United to the sword 3-1 at Bramall Lane back in February.

Now, however, everything has seemingly gone pear-shaped again on the end of Daniel Farke and Co, with the once confident table-toppers tumbling out of the Championship top two after a third successive draw in the division against Luton Town.

Much like last season when Leeds failed to win promotion, there are a number of underperformers who have failed to reach the heights expected of them across the last few worrying clashes, with one player in Farke’s camp now replicating Jaidon Anthony’s poor loan stint.

Anthony's poor stint at Leeds

Sometimes in football, certain moves just don’t go to plan, with Anthony’s forgettable season-long loan spell at Elland Road last campaign seen as one of those.

The AFC Bournemouth loanee would only start two Championship games all campaign for Farke’s Whites, with just one meagre goal coming his way off the back of such sparse game-time.

Jaidon Anthony in action for Leeds.

Thankfully for the former fringe Leeds winger, he has since bounced back on loan with new employers Burnley, with the Clarets amazingly now top of the second tier at the expense of his ex-outfit.

The two golden strikes that took Scott Parker’s men to the very summit actually came about from Anthony, with six goals and six assists in total for the Lancashire side in league action across 2024/25 far outweighing his measly Elland Road output.

Leeds will just hope another situation similar to Anthony’s isn’t playing out in West Yorkshire right now, with Farke sparingly using this attacker much like the now rejuvenated 25-year-old.

Farke's next Anthony at Elland Road

The German has shown across recent crunch games in the Championship that he can go against the grain with his team selections, seen in first-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier being axed.

But, even though Farke has shown some signs of flexibility by dropping the ex-Lorient shot-stopper, he has still left Largie Ramazani mainly rooted to the substitutes bench.

Ramazani hasn’t always found himself on the periphery at the promotion chasers, however, with the ex-UD Almeria attacker racing out of the blocks all guns blazing after his summer move from Spain, with this strike against Norwich City his second goal from five Leeds outings in the league.

He has since notched up two more goals in the unpredictable second tier, alongside also registering a promising two assists, but Farke’s reliance on starting the likes of Manor Solomon and Daniel James week in week out down the wings has seen the Belgian’s own minutes disappointingly deplete.

Games played

26

Games started

7

Average minutes

29

Goals scored

4

Assists

2

Indeed, the £17.5k-per-week attacker has started just seven of his 26 league clashes for Leeds so far this campaign, with a worry that Ramazani will just fade into the background now despite such promising beginnings.

Farke didn’t even bring on the “explosive” winger – as he was previously branded by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – in any capacity during the 1-1 draw away at Luton, stating that the £10m man needs to “step up” his game in order to be considered for more first team opportunities.

The door hasn’t been completely slammed shut, but Ramazani’s time at Leeds hasn’t exactly been a rip-roaring success so far, with a concern that any possible departure down the line could see him shine much like Anthony is now proving for one of the Whites’ fierce promotion rivals.

Leeds thought they had "the new Van Dijk", but Farke sold him for just £2m

Leeds United may have prematurely sold a player who could follow in Virgil van Dijk’s footsteps.

1 ByEthan Lamb Apr 4, 2025

Mehidy: 'Confidence comes from records and references – I have both now'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

In a chat with ESPNcricinfo, Shanto and Mehidy speak about what the 2-0 series win against Pakistan means to the side, and more

Mohammad Isam04-Sep-2024Mehidy, you have won Player of the Series against England and now this one against Pakistan. Which one is bigger?Mehidy: [friend], you tell him. What do I say? I’m confused.Shanto: I was the captain in this series, so this one is better.Related

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Masood makes no excuses for Pakistan's inexcusable performances

How would you rate Mehidy’s performance in the second Test?Shanto: He was just brilliant. The way he bowled on the first day on this wicket – a spinner taking five wickets, it was unbelievable. It was something else.And how about his batting?Shanto: We were 26 for 6. He comes up to me and says, ‘, this happens to our team all the time; Litton [Das] and I are there’. That’s all he said. He said it with all seriousness.Your turn, Mehidy – you have had quite a few clutch performances already…Mehidy: To be honest with you, I try hard. Allah helps me. If a person tries something and works hard for it, he’s going to be successful. You mentioned the two Player-of-the-Series awards – these two are huge moments in my life. I can’t choose one, both are big achievements. That was my debut Test series against England. It was our first Test win against them. This is my first Player of the Series on foreign soil. I never expected that I would contribute with bat and ball. So both are special for me.What do you tell yourself when the team is in trouble?Mehidy: I try to be calm. I try not to be too excited. I try to remember good memories from the past. Whoever I bat with, I try to diffuse the tension. I will joke with the batter at the other end. When I joined Litton at 26 for 6, I was joking with him. I asked him if he remembered how nervous we were when we opened the batting in the final of the Asia Cup [in 2018]. He joined in, he started to joke with me too. This is how we got rid of the nervousness.When the momentum came back, we started to discuss how to turn things around. We wanted to take the team to a good position. We had a very good partnership [of 165 runs]. I am thankful to Allah, he keeps me calm and cool even in these moments.9:19

Tamim: ‘Bangladesh’s biggest achievement in Test cricket’

Shanto, which was your favourite Mehidy performance in this series?Shanto: Batting. Both knocks [77 in the first Test and 78 in the second]. I would say it was 49-51 [between his batting and bowling performances].We always thought Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam and Mehidy only take wickets at home…Mehidy: Now you can say that we take wickets abroad too. To be honest, you cannot make a Test player in one or two days. You have to give him time. You have to allow him to do well. It takes time for him to settle into a role and dominate in world cricket. The more time he gets, the better he will be.Maybe my home performances gave me a certain kind of mindset, but now that I am bowling well abroad, I will have this as a reference point to do well in the future. It raises your confidence for the next big series abroad. Confidence comes from records and references. I have both now. I will be more confident next time.

Scotland's early exit encapsulates raw emotion of sport for Associate teams

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Of 16 teams at the World Cup, Scotland had played the least number of T20Is, only two, since the last edition of the tournament

Firdose Moonda21-Oct-20221:57

Berrington: ‘We can take huge amount of confidence and pride from our performances’

If the cruelty of the first round of the T20 World Cup could be encapsulated in one team, it would be Scotland.They’ve played more games in this tournament than they did in the year between the 2021 edition and this one. So is it really that surprising that they were unable to replicate their results of the last year and progress to the Super 12s?Of the 16 teams at this competition, Scotland played the least number of T20Is, only two, in the last one year. The next fewest were Netherlands’s seven, while India, the busiest team, played 35.Related

Chatara, Ervine and Raza lead Zimbabwe into Super 12s

“Who knows what we would be capable of if we played more?” left-arm spinner Mark Watt tweeted after the defeat.No one will have the answer to that, of course, but there’s every reason to believe more game-time would have helped. “You’re certainly not going to go wrong by playing more cricket,” their captain Richie Berrington said. “As a team, the more experience and exposure we get, we are only going to get better.”But he was not going to use it as an excuse.”We came into this tournament prepared and ready for what was ahead of us and I think we’ve shown that with some of the performances we have put in.”He is not wrong. No one would have called Scotland out of touch in their opening match where they set themselves up well with the bat and then surgically dissected the West Indies line-up to register a comfortable win.From there, the Super 12s seemed to be beckoning but Scotland were unable to defend totals against Ireland, with Curtis Campher playing a blinder, and Zimbabwe, against whom they simply did not score enough runs.George Munsey scored 54 against Zimbabwe but consumed 51 balls for it•ICC via Getty ImagesBerrington assessed their total of 132 as “25 or 30 runs short”. Zimbabwe’s nervy chase suggested he was about right, and much of Scotland’s post-mortem may involve dissecting why they weren’t able to get those runs.There might be some analysis of why they couldn’t find even a single boundary between the eighth and 16th over and how their batters can be more proactive against spin. Or they may ponder over their decision to bat first on a pitch that, as Berrington said, proved “stickier than we thought”.None of that, though, will confront the biggest issue about the first round in a T20 World Cup and the consequences it throws up for Associate nations through limited opportunity.Since a “first round” was introduced in the T20 World Cup in 2014, no Associate team has advanced from it in successive tournaments. Bangladesh, in 2014 and 2016, and Sri Lanka, in 2021 and 2022, are the only teams to have progressed through the opening round in consecutive editions. Netherlands have gone through twice eight years apart in 2014 and 2022, and missed out in 2016 and 2021.The two teams who made it through last year – Scotland and Namibia – have both exited early this time. This tells us that the level of competitiveness among the lower-ranked Full Members and the Associates competing at this level is incredibly high and the ICC has made the correct decision by increasing the number of teams from 2024 onwards. At the least, it provides some recognition for the work and the dedication the Associate teams put in.Despite their lack of international game time, Scotland have some resources because many of their players are active in England, and they have a rich tradition of playing the game themselves. Their former first-class wicketkeeper Alexander Steele, who was born in what is today Zimbabwe and requires a regular external supply of oxygen, still plays for his local club at the age of 81, with an oxygen tank strapped to his back.

And that’s really what this first round has shown us: the raw emotions of knockout sport. Just 24 hours before Berrington had to face the media, Namibia’s David Wiese and Gerhard Erasmus had sat stony-faced and answered questions about where it went wrong and where they saw the game going in their country from here.When Berrington was asked the same, he let out an audible sigh, as though he couldn’t bear to think that far, and explained that like Namibia, Scotland would turn their focus to ODI cricket. They also play in the World Cup League 2 and have an eye on the 2023 50-over World Cup. They are in a better position than Namibia and lie second on the points table. The top three teams will advance to the World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.”We need to move on from here,” Berrington said. But that’s more difficult than it sounds.

'Old blokes win stuff': Why experience has been key in the T20 Blast

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Six of the Blast’s eight oldest teams reached the quarter-finals

Matt Roller30-Sep-2020Chennai Super Kings were mocked as ‘Dad’s Army’ after the 2018 IPL auction, with 11 players over the age of 30 in their squad. They won the tournament that season, and would have retained it in 2019 but for a 35-year-old Lasith Malinga nailing a final-ball yorker.In this year’s BPL, 37-year-olds Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Irfan led the way with bat and ball respectively for Rajshahi Royals on their way to the title, supported by Andre Russell, a spring chicken at 31. In the CPL, Trinbago Knight Riders won every match on their way to the title, with 31-year-old Darren Bravo the youngest of their four leading run-scorers and 38-year-old Fawad Ahmed their top wicket-taker.”Old blokes win stuff,” Dan Christian (37) tweeted to congratulate Dwayne Bravo (36) on reaching 500 T20 wickets, soon after arriving in the UK to captain Nottinghamshire in the T20 Blast. Christian’s Notts side have been the oldest team in the competition so far: they won seven and lost one in the group stage, and go into the quarter-finals as the bookies’ favourites.

If the Bob Willis Trophy provided young players with a platform – there were some 30 first-class debutants across the competition – then the Blast has lived up to the adage that old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance. Six of the competition’s eight oldest teams have reached the quarter-finals, and teams are banking on their seniors to step up.”You can’t buy experience,” Imad Wasim, Notts’ other overseas player, said. “The more you play, the more you can deliver in tough situations. We have a lot of players who have played a lot of T20 cricket.”The XIs that Notts have fielded across the tournament have an average age above 30 years old; that figure would have been higher still but for the injury-enforced absence of Harry Gurney, 33. And even their young players are experienced: Ben Duckett (25), Joe Clarke (24) and Tom Moores (24) have 228 T20 appearances between them.

Northamptonshire, the Blast’s second-oldest team, sat down at the start of the season to hear David Ripley, their head coach, remind them of their experience as a group.”Rips said that having played so many games between us, we’ve probably been through every possible situation that could be thrown at us,” Josh Cobb, their captain, explained. “That can only really help. Having played in those tough games and pressurised situations, you know how to handle them and how to get the most of yourself.”Cobb, 30, has played 156 T20s in his career. If they line up as expected against Gloucestershire, then their top three – Richard Levi, Paul Stirling and Cobb – will have 600 career appearances between them. Their opponents have lost the retired Michael Klinger this season, but still boast an average age of 27.8.If they all play on Thursday, Northants’ top three – Paul Stirling, Richard Levi and Josh Cobb – will have 600 T20 apperances between them•Getty ImagesAt The Oval, Surrey and Kent will both consider bringing in old heads for their quarter-final. Will Jacks, 21, has had a breakout season for Surrey and will likely bat in a top four including Jason Roy (30), Laurie Evans (32) and Hashim Amla (37). Gareth Batty, the oldest player in the competition at 42, is fit to play after a hamstring injury, while Kent captain Sam Billings has floated the option of including 36-year-old Tim Groenewald. “Maybe that’s something we can look at – that experience, coming into those latter stages might be something to lean on,” he said.And down at Hove, Sussex will lean on their senior players against Lancashire, with the Blast’s all-time leading run-scorer – Luke Wright – and wicket-taker – Danny Briggs – in their ranks, and a pair of 35-year-olds in David Wiese and Ravi Bopara.”When you get older, you’re a better player thanks to that experience,” Wright said. “Often in cricket, we’re very quick to try and get older players to retire or are shocked when they do well, but I think now as Stevo [Darren Stevens] has shown, you can go on into your late 30s and early 40s.”And while Lancashire, one of the Blast’s younger sides, will hope their spinners – Tom Hartley (22) and Matt Parkinson (23) – prove to be the difference, they will still rely on Dane Vilas and Steven Croft (both 35) to hold their middle order together.Paul Nixon’s young Leicestershire side have been the exception to the rule•Getty ImagesThe exception to the rule are Nottinghamshire’s opponents: in Thursday night’s game at Trent Bridge, the Blast’s oldest side will be up against its second-youngest. “Experience brings consistency, but youth has no fear,” Leicestershire’s head coach Paul Nixon insisted. “If you get the right thinking, that will put the odds in your favour.”Nixon considers Leicestershire to be the competition’s best-prepared side, after employing freelance analytics consultant Dan Weston to help with opposition preparation and strategy. His side’s top run-scorers are captain Colin Ackermann and Arron Lilley – both 29 – but most of the squad are in their early 20s.”In T20 cricket, you have to be fearless but there is a lot of quick and smart thinking involved,” Nixon explained. “Tom Smith, my assistant coach, has a lot of knowledge, and I’ve played in and coached some very good teams over the years. We know from our experience how to focus on the right things.”But Nixon’s young side are the outliers in a tournament dominated by wily old-timers; unless they pull off another upset, Christian and his side will have another chance to prove his adage that it is old blokes who win stuff.

موعد قرعة كأس العالم 2026 اليوم

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

ينتظر عشاق كرة القدم اليوم الجمعة 5-12-2025، إقامة قرعة نهائيات بطولة كأس العالم 2026 التي ستقام في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتنطلق منافسات بطولة كأس العالم، خلال الفترة من 11 يونيو وحتى 19 يوليو 2026، بمشاركة 48 منتخباً، في كندا والمكسيك والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وجاء منتخب مصر بالتصنيف الثالث، بين 48 منتخبًا مشاركًا في نهائيات كأس العالم 2026.

طالع | يتجنب مواجهة 16 منتخبًا.. مجموعة مصر المحتملة في كأس العالم 2026 بعد إعلان التصنيف تصنيف المنتخبات في قرعة كأس العالم 2026

الوعاء 1: كندا، المكسيك، الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، إسبانيا، الأرجنتين، فرنسا، إنجلترا، البرازيل، البرتغال، هولندا، بلجيكا، ألمانيا.

الوعاء 2: كرواتيا، المغرب، كولومبيا، أوروجواي، سويسرا، اليابان، السنغال، إيران، كوريا، الإكوادور، النمسا، أستراليا.

الوعاء 3: النرويج، بنما، مصر، الجزائر، اسكتلندا، باراجواي، تونس، ساحل العاج، أوزبكستان، قطر، المملكة العربية السعودية، جنوب أفريقيا.

الوعاء 4: الأردن، الرأس الأخضر، غانا، كوراساو، هايتي، نيوزيلندا، المنتخبات الأربعة (أ، ب، ج، د) المتأهلة من الملحق الأوروبي، المنتخبان الاثنان (أ، ب) المتأهلان من الملحق العالمي.

طالع | القنوات الناقلة لـ قرعة كأس العالم 2026 اليوم موعد قرعة كأس العالم 2026 اليوم

تنطلق مراسم القرعة اليوم الجمعة 5 ديسمبر 2025 في تمام الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة و8:00 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

'You don't deserve to be here!' – Bernardo Silva claims Man City stars will be 'killed' if they fail to win more trophies in dark warning to team-mates

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Bernardo Silva has warned Manchester City stars that they face being "killed", in a sporting sense, if they fail to win trophies in 2025-26. Under Pep Guardiola, the Blues have grown accustomed to collecting major silverware. They missed out on the grandest of prizes last season and are aware that more tough decisions will be made if they come up short again.

Man City trophy hunt: Blues competing on multiple fronts

City did lift the Community Shield ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, but that was as good as it got on the trophy-hunting front. Liverpool ran away with the Premier League title, while Paris Saint-Germain were crowned champions of Europe. Guardiola’s side also came unstuck at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Arsenal’s bright start to the current campaign had many suggesting that City would miss out on a domestic title once again – having won four-in-a-row between 2020 and 2024 – but the odd wobble from the Gunners and a run of three successive top-flight victories for the Blues has lifted them to within two points of rivals from north London.

Positive progress has also been made in the Champions League, while Brentford will soon be faced in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and another FA Cup quest will get underway in January when lining up against League One outfit Exeter.

AdvertisementGettyKill or be killed: Man City expect to win major silverware

Silva, who has been with City since 2017 and has claimed 17 pieces of silverware with the club – including a Treble triumph in 2022-23 – is aware of the need to keep on winning. The Portugal international says exits are inevitable in upcoming transfer windows if the Blues end the current campaign empty-handed.

Silva told when asked if City can restock their trophy cabinet this season: "That’s the aim. It would mean a lot because at this club it’s not acceptable to not win. If you don’t win, the club will make decisions again and it’s normal, it’s part of the business.

"Either you kill or you get killed, and that’s the way it is. That’s good, that’s good. If you want to play for Man City, you need to win. If you don’t win, you don’t deserve to be here. So that pressure, that’s on us, it’s a good one and we take it."

Quizzed on whether City are better prepared to compete for major honours than they were 12 months ago, Silva added: "I think we’re much, much better, you cannot compare. Like, if you said to me last season with no injuries, last season was a very, very good squad, but with all the injuries we had and all the problems that we had, I would say that right now we’re much more prepared to fight for titles, yeah."

Retirement plan: Will Silva become a manager?

Silva is determined to enhance his own CV as he will be out of contract next summer. He is far from being finished, at 31 years of age, but is already giving some thought to what path he will tread when reaching retirement.

Pressed by on whether he will remain in professional football, the 107-cap Portugal international said: "I don’t know if, when I finish my career, I will miss football or not. I think I will. Football brings a load of travel and energy that is difficult. With 20 years, or more with the youth years I gave to football, I will want to spend time with my family. I will want to travel with my wife. I will want to give time to my children.

"I don’t know if I will want to give that time back to football after I finish my career. But without a doubt, if I return it will be as a coach, and I think I will have the ability to do it."

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GettyWorld Cup quest: Silva will compete with Portugal as a free agent

Silva does have vast experience to pass on, having worked under the likes of Guardiola and alongside five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. After chasing down domestic and continental honours with City, his attention will turn next summer – when hitting free agency – to a World Cup title bid with Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo sends out message as Portugal beat Austria to win maiden Under-17s World Cup title thanks to Anisio Cabral goal

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Portugal secured their first-ever Under-17 World Cup title courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Austria in the final in Qatar on Thursday and Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the greatest Portuguese player of all time was first in line to offer his congratulations with a simple but very effective message to his huge audience of 668 million followers on Instagram.

AFPPortugal become U17 world champions

The decisive goal came in the 32nd minute when Benfica forward Anisio Cabral found the back of the net from close range, with his seventh goal of the tournament. Austria pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half, but a resilient Portuguese defence held firm. The win marks a historic milestone for Portugal and capped a tournament where they remained unbeaten, having reached the final by defeating Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout in the semi-finals.

AdvertisementRonaldo sends celebratory message

Ronaldo often shows significant public and private support for younger Portugal teams and players. He embraces his role as a leader and mentor, offering advice and encouragement to the next generation of Portuguese talent. His commitment to the national team also serves as a benchmark for young players, as he once stated, "nothing compares to representing your country".

And following Portugal’s victory over Austria, Ronaldo shared an image on Instagram to his 668 million followers, saying: "Giants! Congratulations, World Champions!"

Instagram

Stunning tournament concludes in Doha

The Under 17 World Cup in Qatar was a landmark event, marked by a major format overhaul and the maiden title for Portugal. The tournament saw the field expanded to a massive 48 teams and shifted from a biennial to an annual competition, with Qatar locked in as the host nation for five consecutive editions – 2025-2029. Highlights included a compact "football paradise" set-up, with most matches in the state-of-the-art Aspire Zone, allowing fans to easily watch multiple games. The new developments centered on FIFA's strategy to accelerate youth development by providing more frequent, high-level international competition. The tournament's expanded, single-city format was praised for its logistical efficiency, leveraging the facilities built for the 2022 senior World Cup. 

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Getty Images SportWhat next for Ronaldo?

The global football icon may be heading into the twilight of his playing career, with one eye on a last hurrah on the world stage at next year’s World Cup, but he also continues to pursue multiple avenues to continue building Brand Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has announced he is making a move into MMA, revealing a new role in a link-up with UFC legend and compatriot Ilia Topuria on WOW FC. 

WOW FC, once a small promotion, has rapidly become one of Europe's fastest-growing MMA organizations. In the last year, attendance has soared by over 400 per cent, with events consistently selling more than 5,000 tickets. Live broadcasts now reach over 170 countries. The addition of Ronaldo is set to accelerate the promotion's expansion into Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, leveraging his involvement to blend sport with culture, fashion, entertainment, and education.

In a statement, Ronaldo said: "MMA represents values I truly believe in – discipline, respect, resilience, and the constant pursuit of excellence. WOW FC is building something unique and powerful, and I’m proud to join this project to help elevate the sport and inspire the next generation."

And in a separate post on social media, he added: "I’m excited to share some big news: I will become a shareholder of @wowfcmma! We share values I truly believe in – discipline, respect, resilience, and the constant pursuit of excellence. WOW FC is building something unique and powerful, and I’m proud to join this project to help elevate the sport and inspire the next generation."

Bruised Pakistan take on UAE in knockout clash

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Winner joins India in Super Four round from Group A; loser exits the Asia Cup

Danyal Rasool16-Sep-20253:21

Mukund: ‘Pakistan go in as clear favourites’

Big pictureThere may not have been handshakes in Pakistan’s most recent game at the Asia Cup, but in the one coming up, there will certainly be a goodbye.One of the two teams – either UAE or two-time champions Pakistan – will be eliminated on Wednesday. Both sides beat Oman comfortably and lost to India heavily, making their fixture in Dubai a knockout game: the winner joins India in the Super Four, while the loser exits.Pakistan are favoured to win, having beaten UAE twice over the past fortnight, during the recent tri-series in Sharjah. However, there were moments in both those games where UAE appeared to have the upper hand, and it was their inability to sustain these sparks that separated the Associate team from the Full Member one.Pakistan have also had consistency issues. Against India on Sunday, they had what their coach Mike Hesson called a bad day. But there is a suspicion that Pakistan might have become flat-track bullies. They have racked up wins against inferior opposition over the past few months, but were outmatched against India from the first ball. Questions have intensified since about whether their positive results against weaker oppositions reflect an uptick in quality, or are just a reflection of their kind schedule.Either way, Pakistan should have enough skill and power to defeat UAE. Their slower bowlers might be what separates the two sides: Pakistan have played two wristspinners, as well as Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz, in each of their previous two fixtures, as well as the final of the recent tri-series. The good news for them is they appear to have settled on an eleven that should see the job through with little fuss.Related

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The UAE, meanwhile, have seen their stature grow in the past few games. A poor showing against India aside, they ran both Pakistan and Afghanistan close in the tri-series. They defeated Oman, racking up a significantly higher total than Pakistan managed against the same opposition. Their slightly wayward bowling attack will need some quick fine-tuning ahead of their final group fixture, but they would have taken a one-match shootout against a bruised Pakistan at the start of this tournament.UAE’s top-heavy batting order is the key to their success. Captain Muhammad Waseem has settled into a good run of form, scoring a 54-ball 69 against Oman. Since Muhammad Zohaib has been replaced by Alishan Sharafu at the top of the order, Waseem has not needed to play the quick-scoring role alone. Sharafu also scored a half-century in his 88-run opening stand with Waseem against Oman, while Asif Khan’s promotion up to number three of late rounds out their menacing top order.The UAE, too, will need their spinners to be pitch perfect. Haider Ali is the spin pack’s obvious leader and he demonstrated during his spell of 2 for 22 on Monday. Waseem has also talked up right-arm offspinner Dhruv Parashar’s ability.For the UAE, this upcoming encounter is their biggest game of the year so far, and they will feel they have the tools to spring this Asia Cup’s most dramatic surprise.Muhammad Waseem is crucial to UAE’s chances•Ryan Lim/AFP/Getty Images

Form guidePakistan: LWWWL   UAE: WLLLLIn the spotlightThere are days when Fakhar Zaman is impossible to rein in. Though they are less frequent than they used to be, he had one of those the last time these sides faced each other. Stuck at 80 for 5, Pakistan needed someone to take them through the second half of their innings, and Zaman delivered, smashing an unbeaten 77 off 44.Zaman has had an interesting couple of months with the T20I side. While deemed to have suffered a loss in form, he has found a way to contribute just about every time through high-impact cameos. He has scored 17 or more in eight of his last nine innings, even if seven of those ended between 17 and 28. Though his match-winning potential remains alive, UAE will sense his vulnerability at the top of the order.Asif Khan announced himself to the wider cricketing public when he blew Pakistan’s spinners away at the end of August, smashing six fours and six sixes en route to his 35-ball 77. Since then, however, he has not been able to use his unquestionable power with the bat. His 40 against Afghanistan in a dead rubber was the only other meaningful knock he has played since, with the other four innings producing a combined 12 runs. In a side that lacks power outside the top three, UAE cannot afford to have one out of form for a game of this magnitude.Fakhar Zaman has had starts but not many big scores recently•Associated Press

Team newsHesson made clear the defeat to India was not a personnel issue. Pakistan have played the same XI in each of the past three games, and changes are unlikely.Pakistan (possible): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub 3 Fakhar Zaman 4 Salman Ali Agha (capt) 5 Hasan Nawaz 6 Mohammad Haris (wk) 7 Mohammad Nawaz 8 Faheem Ashraf 9 Shaheen Afridi 10 Sufiyan Muqeem 11 Abrar AhmedUAE also have a settled XI that produced a clinical win over Oman on Monday. Expect them to give the same combination one more crack at glory.UAE (possible): 1 Alishan Sharafu, 2 Muhammad Waseem (capt), 3 Muhammad Zohaib, 4 Asif Khan, 5 Harshit Kaushik, 6 Rahul Chopra (wk), 7 Dhruv Parashar, 8 Haider Ali, 9 Muhammad Rohid Khan, 10 Muhammad Jawadullah, 11 Junaid SiddiquePitch and conditionsThere are no signs of the hot and humid weather abating in the UAE. The pitch is expected to continue offering plenty of assistance to the slower bowlers.Stats and triviaPakistan have lost six matches across the men’s T20 Asia Cups – the second most defeats for any team in the tournament, with only Hong Kong losing more. Across all formats of the Asia Cup, Pakistan’s 26 defeats are also the second most, surpassed only by Bangladesh’s 44. UAE captain Muhammad Waseem brought up 3000 T20I runs on Monday, more than any current Pakistan player. Fakhar Zaman, who has 2144, is the only Pakistani in the side with more than 1000.

'He has a gift' – Kylian Mbappe hails Rayan Cherki as a 'spectacular talent' after seeing France team-mate 'integrate very well' into Man City team

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Kylian Mbappe has hailed Rayan Cherki as a "spectacular talent" after seeing his France team-mate "integrate very well" into Manchester City's team. After starring for Lyon with 13 goals and 21 assists across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, Cherki was signed by City in the summer transfer window, while Didier Deschamps handed him his France debut in June.

How is it going for Cherki at City?

Cherki struggled with a thigh injury at the start of the 2025-26 campaign but now that he has recovered, the Frenchman has started to feature regularly in Pep Guardiola's team. He has appeared in nine matches across all competitions for the Cityzens, registering three goals and three assists. Cherki is slowly establishing himself as a key member of the City squad and is building an understanding with Erling Haaland, having set up both of the Norwegian's goals against Bournemouth in the Premier League earlier this month. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'He's a special talent'

Cherki has now linked up with his France team-mates for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. After watching the City star training with the squad, captain Mbappe spoke highly of the youngster, telling reporters: "He's a special talent. I think he has a gift, which he's making the most of. It's an innate, spectacular talent. He's integrated very well into the group and into Manchester City, which isn't easy. I hope he continues like this. He's started well with us. Now he has the opportunity to return, and I hope he's as good as he was at Manchester City."

Guardiola blown away by Cherki

Guardiola has coached some of the greatest players in the world, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and considers Cherki to be in a similar talent bracket. He declared in October: "Rayan is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career. His talent… he is top. The question is how he settles and how he needs to read actions. He started well at the Club World Cup but then had a few weeks off. I have the feeling most of the time when the ball comes to him, the situation is better. But not all the time you have to do exceptional things – just play football. He has something. He is a player who doesn't feel pressure. He is like a street player. He wants the ball when he doesn't have it. But he is here a short time – he needs a little bit of time because in football you learn to play with your mates. But these types of players are intelligent. They see everything."

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Getty Images SportCherki tipped to reach De Bruyne's level

Former City, Arsenal and France full-back, Gael Clichy has also heaped praise on his compatriot, backing Cherki to reach the level of Etihad Stadium legend Kevin De Bruyne. Clichy told GOAL, via : "If we talk about the quality of the player, I haven't seen anyone that good. That's a big quote, but I do feel that if he can bring his off-the-ball game to a certain level, I think we could be talking about a player that can can reach Kevin De Bruyne’s numbers, because in tight spaces, in key areas of the pitch, he can create danger. And this is what you want at City. When you play against a low block team with a defence of five, there's not much space. So you need to have the quality on the on the wing, which I think City are lacking a little bit. You know, you go from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane which for me, as a full back, were a nightmare to play against. I think they lost that."

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