Ruben Amorim could face the sack should Manchester United fail to beat Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. Reports have emerged suggesting INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to stick by the former Sporting boss, but his stance could change should results not improve immediately. The Red Devils remain favoured against the recently promoted Black Cats, meaning another loss would seriously ramp up the pressure.

Amorim on thin ice ahead of international break

United's start has followed a similar theme to life under Amorim last term. They sit 14th in the table, with just two Premier League wins to their name and already dumped out of the Carabao Cup in embarrassing fashion by League Two side Grimsby. Nevertheless, the latest reports suggest Sir Jim Ratcliffe is still keen to stick with the man who replaced Erik ten Hag as head coach, and that the ex-Sporting boss has no plans to walk away from the gig. 

Despite the public display of support from Ratcliffe, there is an understanding across the media that if things do not take an upward turn for United – sooner rather than later – the hierarchy in Manchester will have no choice but to swing the axe and dismiss Amorim.

It would mark the removal of the sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and another admission of failure to replicate the famed success of the Scotsman and Premier League icon.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesNo room for error when Sunderland come to town

United have lost just one of their three Premier League home games in 2025-26, and that was against a formidable Arsenal side. Since then, they have taken points from Burnley and Chelsea at Old Trafford, but the visit of Sunderland poses a new challenge for Amorim and Co. The recently promoted Black Cats have been in excellent form since returning from the Championship, sitting sixth, and four points ahead of their opponents. That gap could open up to seven with a win on the road this weekend, a result that could spell the end of Amorim's time at the club. 

Further reports have gone as far as to suggest a loss to Sunderland would be the final straw for the top dogs at the club. United were humiliated once again by Brentford last time out in the division, and Amorim's refusal to adapt his tactics or make so much as a formation tweak is causing growing frustration among both the fanbase and the staff at Carrington. 

Ratcliffe is certainly faced with a tough decision, as it would cost upwards of £12million to sack Amorim, another small fortune that would be added to the pile of wasted funds on replacing managers in the last decade. And after missing out on European football entirely last season – thanks to the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham – the Red Devils are desperate not to repeat that failure in 2025-26.

Dressing room faith faltering at crucial moment

Captain Bruno Fernandes has cut a frustrated figure in the opening six games of this campaign, and he is not the only one. The word behind closed doors is that a number of Amorim's squad is losing faith in his ability to lead the club of the dark and deep hole they have found themselves in, and the noise in the media will not be helping.

Several ex-players and pundits have piled criticism on United's current crop, something the head coach has validated. He said: "My players, I guarantee you, they are listening to you, all those opinions, and they are putting that inside because we are not winning games. But they have to believe in me because I watch more games [of United] than you guys combined. So my biggest problem is for my players [to] believe in you guys when you say the problem of our team is the system.

"I get crazy about that because I can see the team. I see this team playing in a different system and I can point you that the way we do or play in different systems, we need to play the same way, with the same power, with the same intensity, with the same focus. If you do that, it doesn’t matter the system. If you win, everything is OK. If you lose, you are doubting everything about yourself, about your team-mates, about the coach, everything. And that is normal."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Adapt or sacked for Amorim at Man Utd?

Amorim now faces a very tough decision. Does he stick to his beliefs and risk going down in a blaze of fire as we charge into the next international break? Or does he finally swallow his pride and make a few changes to guarantee more points on the board? Things do not get much easier for United after hosting Sunderland. When the players return from the break, they travel to Liverpool in a match that has the potential to cause unthinkable damage to both Amorim's and United's reputation. So the task is simple: Amorim must start winning, at all costs.

MatériaMais Notícias

Vai começar aCopa do Mundo Feminina 2023. Abaixo, oLANCE!apresenta todos os estádios do torneio, com informações como nome, cidade e capacidade de público. Ao todo, serão dez estádios divididos entre Austrália e Nova Zelândia.

AUSTRÁLIA

Estádio Olímpico de Sydney – Capacidade para 42.500 pessoas, receberá partidas da fase de grupos e oitavas de final

Suncorp Stadium – Capacidade para 52.000 pessoas, terá partidas da fase de grupos, oitavas, quartas e terceiro lugar. O Brasil jogará neste estádio contra a França.

AAMI Park (Melbourne Stadium) – Capacidade para 30.000 pessoas, receberá duelos da fase de grupos e oitavas de final. O Brasil enfrentará a Jamaica no local.

Perth Oval (HBF Park) – Capacidade para 20.500 pessoas, receberá jogos da fase de grupos.

Hindmarsh Stadium – Capacidade para 18.000 pessoas, irá receber partidas de fase de grupos e oitavas de final. É o menor estádio da Copa do Mundo e terá o duelo entre Brasil x Panamá, na estreia da Seleção.

Stadium Australia (ACCOR Stadium) – Capacidade para 82.500 pessoas, receberá jogos da fase de grupos, oitavas, quartas, semifinal e final.

NOVA ZELÂNDIA

SKY Stadium – Capacidade para 34.500 pessoas, terá duelos da fase de grupos, oitavas e quartas de final

Eden Park – Capacidade para 50 mil pessoas, receberá jogos da fase de grupos, oitavas, quartas e semifinal. Será a sede do duelo de abertura da Copa do Mundo Feminina, entre Nova Zelândia e Noruega.

Forsyth Barr – Capacidade para 30.748 pessoas e terá duelos da fase de grupos

Waikato Stadium – Capacidade para 30.748 pessoas e receberá duelos da fase de grupos.

Chelsea fans are still very firmly on cloud nine after their beloved side defeated their near-London rivals West Ham United with ease on Friday night.

After experiencing a disappointing stalemate on the Premier League opening day versus Crystal Palace, such a vibrant display was desperately needed, with new personnel such as Joao Pedro instantly settling into his spot up top in Enzo Maresca’s XI by bagging the leveller on the night.

Estevao also shone as a new livewire down the wings at the London Stadium, but while everything is rosy in terms of incomings, it looks as if a whole host of sales will have to be signed off on very soon to appropriately balance the books.

Chelsea's long list of departees

It is to be expected after all, with Chelsea splashing the big bucks to land the likes of Pedro for £60m, before you even consider further deals that saw Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Liam Delap, and many more join Maresca’s growing ranks this summer.

The Blues have got rid of some notable personnel already, with hit-and-miss attacker Noni Madueke defecting over to North London to join Arsenal for a weighty £50m back in July.

Christopher Nkunku could soon rival that amount when he is very likely to depart the building before September’s cut-off point, having now been eyed up by Aston Villa.

It’s a sorry end for the Frenchman who was expected to light up the English top-flight with the Blues after a significant £52m move, only to now be chucked to one side after a turbulent 18-goal stint at Stamford Bridge.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Moreover, despite starring in flashes with 24 Premier League strikes in West London, Nicolas Jackson also looks set to depart before the busy window is out, having further been named as a main target for Unai Emery’s men, on top of Newcastle United hunting him down as an effective way to get over the ongoing Alexander Isak scandal.

Chelsea fans far and wide will see the logic in trying to move on from these outcasts, but they would be bitterly disappointed if their side were to allow a rising star to leave, who could well become the Blues’ next Cole Palmer if given time to blossom.

Chelsea youngster could be Chelsea's next Palmer

Often, Chelsea has been negatively portrayed as a club that can be impatient when it comes to the next generation of talent rising through the ranks, with the likes of Declan Rice, Marc Guehi, and many other Premier League starters discarded by the cutthroat outfit when they were still youth players.

Thankfully, the Blues benefited from Manchester City prematurely getting rid of their own homegrown talents when purchasing Palmer back in 2023 for a modest £42.5m.

The rest is history now, with Palmer worth far more than that amount today, having notched up a ridiculous 43 goals and 29 assists from 98 senior outings.

That amount will no doubt rise and rise, but Chelsea won’t want to be plagued with regret if they were to sell Tyrique George shortly, with a hope surely on their end that the raw, yet exciting Englishman can go on to be Palmer 2.0 down the line.

Like Palmer, George possesses a magical ability to create something out of nothing. He’s quicker but he’s got a dazzling and mazy dribbling ability that can get him out of tight situations. Raw, of course, but there’s a lot to like about a player who is earning first team football at a higher level than Palmer did at the same age.

Sadly, he could be on the move. Fabrizio Romano has taken to X recently to confirm that AS Roma are keen on snapping up the 19-year-old attacking menace this summer, holding talks about the player at the back end of July.

Alongside interest from Serie A, Romano has also stated that there is interest from within the Premier League itself, on top of RB Leipzig further throwing their hat into the ring.

This would be a disastrous set of circumstances to lose George so early into his Blues career, having only just seen him bag his first-ever senior goal for the west London side last season, after being dubbed a “ridiculous” talent for the future previously by content creator Felix Johnston.

George has since backed up his debut effort with a further seven goal contributions in the first team picture, with Chelsea surely better placed to just gift their homegrown prodigy more minutes to get even more out of him, instead of prematurely putting him up for sale.

More consistent senior minutes could be presented to George out in Italy or Germany, however, as he now deliberates on his next step.

For Chelsea’s long-term sake, the hope will be that he remains put, so they can avoid another regret being piled onto their mountain of missteps.

Chelsea now plotting last-ditch move to sign £80m star who Maresca wants

The Blues may be saving their best deal for last.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 23, 2025

The CSK captain is also not worried about Pathirana as he has more death-bowling options to choose from

Alagappan Muthu22-Mar-20252:05

Cricinformed: MS Dhoni, CSK’s 43-year-old six machine

MS Dhoni arrived in Chennai in February to prepare for IPL 2025. He doesn’t play any cricket in between. He’s 43 years old. And he remains as important to Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) chances of success as he has ever been, performing the same role that he used to play – the finisher – but in a reduced capacity: batting for a couple of overs, trying to hit everything out of the ground.”I think his training is very much limited to whatever he tries to achieve,” Ruturaj Gaikwad, the CSK captain, said on the eve of their game against Mumbai Indians. “Or whatever his role would be in the IPL. So, it is pretty much very simple, focused on trying to hit as much as sixes as possible and trying to get the right swing, trying to be in the best shape.”That is what I think initially he was trying to do. And then I never thought he was out of shape even on the first day. So, I think obviously he is special – he’s done it for so many years.Related

Ashwin, Dhoni and their history of funvention

CSK vs MI – the greatest hits in the IPL over the years

Nine current IPL players who also featured in 2008

CSK look ready for spin to win again in Chennai

Dhoni: 'I just want to enjoy the game for the next few years'

“So, definitely that always will be there. If you see now even Sachin Tendulkar is batting as great as he is right even now at the age of 50 [51]. So, I think still many years to go.”Dhoni recently spoke about his cricket career, which began way back in 2005, and how he sees himself playing for a few years yet.”I want to enjoy it,” he said at the launch of one of his apps last month, “how I did as a child when I was in school. When I lived in a colony, 4 o’clock (in the afternoon) was sports time, so we’ll go and play cricket more often than not. But if the weather doesn’t permit, we used to play football. I want to play with the same kind of innocence (but it is) easier said than done.”MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja tune up for IPL 2025•PTI CSK are enjoying the benefits of that. “I mean everyday we get to see him,” Gaikwad said. “Obviously, it inspires [us] a lot. A lot of new players have joined the team and sometimes they, as professional cricketers, struggle to strike the ball as good as he is striking it right now.”So, definitely it inspires a lot of us including myself, including everyone from the group. So, whatever he is doing at the age of 43, I think it is remarkable. It is really commendable.”And definitely, he will be looking to contribute in the best way he can. But I mean we have certain strengths that we have been following since last two years. So, I think nothing much really changes and hopefully he will continue to deliver those crucial knocks for us.”CSK are known to stick to a set formula, especially when playing at home, and now their XI is likely to include three high quality spinners.”When you have someone like [R] Ashwin and [Ravindra] Jadeja and we have Noor [Ahmed]. I think we always wanted someone in our bowling department who can be an aggressive bowler, who can come in and take wickets at regular intervals. And there were very few in the auction pool. So, we wanted to get the best whoever is available, and I think Noor is right up there. So, hopefully if conditions suit us, definitely he will be a great threat for opposition.”

“I never thought he was out of shape even on the first day. So, I think obviously he is special – he’s done it for so many years. Everyday we get to see him. It inspires [us] a lot.”Ruturaj Gaikwad on MS Dhoni

Chepauk has a history of assisting spinners, but that wasn’t the case last season. It’s resulted in them relying on their fast bowlers in recent seasons. Death-overs specialist Matheesha Pathirana is their second-highest wicket-taker since making his debut in 2022. Pathirana appears to have made a change to his bowling action, where his arm is a little higher than it used to be on release. CSK lost him to injury towards the back end of last season, when they were unable to make the playoffs.”He [Pathirana] is definitely in a good shape and we had a good look at him in the practice game that we had,” Gaikwad said. “But what this year we have done in the options as well, I think we have got very good fast bowlers as back-ups.”We have Mukesh [Choudhary] who is bowling really well. We have Khaleel [Ahmed] as well, who is right up there in the Indian team. Anshul Kamboj has done really well in the domestic circuit. Gurjapneet [Singh] is there. [Kamlesh] Nagarkoti is there, who really impressed me in the pre-season. So, we have a good set of fast bowlers this year. We have [Nathan] Ellis as well. So, I think I am not really worried about that back-up option. But it is always good to have Pathirana in the team. But as I said, I am not really worried about if he is there or not.”

Kuhnemann took 5 for 49 as Tasmania ended NSW’s hopes of appearing in the Sheffield Shield final

AAP18-Mar-2025

New South Wales’ dreams of securing a spot in the Sheffield Shield final have been crushed by a superb five wicket haul from Tasmania spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.The Blues began day four in Hobart at 71 for 0, chasing 529 for an unlikely victory and a spot in next week’s decider against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval and that total soon swelled to 112 for 0 thanks to half-centuries from Sam Konstas and Blake Nikitaras.But seamer Gabe Bell struck twice in the same over around an hour after the resumption to break the promising opening partnership and then dispatch the in-form Kurtis Patterson without scoring.NSW’s innings never got going again after that, with the visitors all out for 202 just after 6.30pm local in the day-night fixture, 327 runs short of their target.Test spinner Kuhnemann was chief destroyer after Bell’s early efforts, removing of his fellow Sri Lanka tourist Konstas to begin his eighth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.Konstas (68) did his best to provide resistance with a second half-century since being overlooked for game time on the Test tour of Sri Lanka. The teenager showed off his creative side, reverse-scooping Bell to the boundary for four but was out only three overs later.Sam Konstas played a reverse ramp on his way to scoring 68•Getty Images

Bell was again at the centre of the action to remove Konstas, having earlier enticed Nikitaras into edging to flying wicketkeeper Jake Doran. Konstas holed out to Bell on the boundary rope at deep mid-wicket trying to slog sweep Kuhnemann, but still finished as the innings’ top scorer.Bowling allrounder Sean Abbott was the only batter to provide any resistance after that as Kuhnemann wreaked havoc.Kuhnemann decimated the NSW middle-order, clean bowling Josh Philippe through the gate before Ollie Davies skied him to Tim Ward.NSW skipper Jack Edwards played through knee soreness and came in at No.10, though added only one run before offering a return catch to Kuhnemann, who completed his five-wicket haul.

Manchester United are now racing Chelsea for the signature of an attacking midfielder, who has been compared to former midfielder Thiago Alcântara.

Sesko tipped to struggle after Man Utd fail to sign playmaker

Former Man United man Louis Saha has suggested Benjamin Sesko has the talent to be a success at Old Trafford if given the right service, but could struggle in the short-term given that Ruben Amorim failed to bring in a playmaker during the summer transfer window.

Saha said: “I think he’s capable if the manager managed to get that link between midfield and striker,

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the midfielder we wanted. So we’re still very weak in that department. And this is why I think Sesko will struggle maybe a little bit until we get that sorted.

“He’s got the quality because he’s tall, he’s going to score goals in the air, and he’s very technical as well.”

United did manage to sign two Premier League-proven forwards in the form of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, who should be able to provide more goals this season, with the latter player opening his account against Burnley last time out.

However, Amorim’s side have also now entered the race for a different attacking midfielder, according to a report from Spain, which states Man United are looking to sign Barcelona’s Dro Fernandez, who has started to attract widespread interest.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are among the clubs set to battle it out for Fernandez’s services, having impressed in youth competitions, while the 17-year-old’s versatility also makes signing him an attractive proposition.

Related 53 y/o manager Man Utd's top target to replace Amorim, has won 11 trophies

An “unbelievable” manager has now entered the frame as United’s first-choice option to replace Ruben Amorim.

Posts ByDominic Lund Sep 10, 2025

That said, it could be difficult to tempt the La Liga champions into a sale, given that they are thought to be reluctant to sanction the highly-rated youngster’s departure.

Fernandez could be the new Thiago

The teenager’s former coaches, Javi Roxo and Luis Perez, believe he could be destined for the very top, having compared him to former Barcelona midfielder Thiago, saying: “Dro is a talent of Thiago’s level, I have not seen anyone as technical as Thiago but Dro’s vision of the game is even superior.

“If he relieves himself of pressure and plays freely, he is capable of anything, his talent is infinite.”

The young Spaniard, who is capable of playing in attacking midfield and on the left-wing, is yet to make a senior appearance for Barca, but he has started to make an impact at youth level, scoring two goals in seven UEFA Youth League games last season.

That said, while Fernandez may be capable of being a future star, Man United’s main focus in January should be bringing in an established central midfielder, having missed out in the summer, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba among the most exciting targets.

Aston Villa are yet to show off their best in the Premier League this season.

It has been a disorienting summer for Unai Emery’s men after all, with the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins being consistently looked at by their fellow top-flight rivals, away from the disappointing departure of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United for £43m.

Still, with the transfer window wrapping up very shortly, the Spaniard will hope he can keep a firm grip on his top assets – away from the sad exit of Ramsey – with a bounce back from his side’s two winless opening matches also on the cards.

On top of that, he will further be eager to welcome in a few new additions before August is out, with a whole host of fresh signings reportedly on the Villans’ radar.

Aston Villa show late interest in £40m star

Minus splurging out £30m on Evan Guessand, Villa have been quiet in terms of flashy incoming signings.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

That could soon change if Emery and Co are finally successful in their advances to land Chelsea outcast Nicolas Jackson, with Villa having reportedly made him their top target for the remainder of the window.

A deal makes sense, particularly considering he’s already worked with Emery. However, he isn’t the only costly addition rumoured to be making the switch to Villa Park.

The Daily Mail Online have revealed that Villa are in the hunt to sign wantaway West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.

It won’t be straightforward for Villa to win the Brazilian, who has a hefty £40m price tag above his head, with the report further clarifying that Tottenham Hotspur are also keen to pick up another asset from their near-London rivals, having sounded out Paqueta as a target to now pursue after losing out on Eberechi Eze.

Yet, if Villa were to find themselves at the front of the queue for the lively 27-year-old, they might be about to win a far better signing than a hit-and-miss Jackson entering Emery’s group.

Why Paqueta could be a better signing than Jackson

Rampant transfer talk surrounding Watkins deserting Villa Park has died down in recent weeks.

Therefore, forking out £60m on a striker such as Jackson, who has been prone to widespread barren patches of form at Stamford Bridge, might not be the most sensible move, with £30m already shelled out on landing Guessand to enhance the Premier League side’s forward personnel.

Worryingly, Jackson has squandered a colossal 43 big chances across his last two league seasons at Chelsea.

His goal return of 24 league strikes when he isn’t being wasteful ultimately falls flat next to Watkins’ far superior 35 efforts across the same span.

While the former Villarreal forward might not be viewed as the most sensible use of money, landing Paqueta for £40m could be deemed a masterstroke if he can let his football do the talking in the West Midlands, away from being embroiled in off-the-field controversies at the London Stadium.

AM

55

9 + 9

CM

22

3 + 0

LW

13

2 + 4

LM

13

2 + 0

DM

5

0

CF

4

1 + 1

RW

1

0

RM

1

1 + 0

Indeed, Paqueta has stood out as a vibrant, versatile presence throughout his 122-game stay in East London, with his collection of 19 goals and 14 assists from those clashes seeing him line up in a plethora of different positions, showcasing precisely why he’s been described as “one of the best 10s in the world” by one data analyst.

Having been one of a select few to exit West Ham’s recent 5-1 loss with Chelsea with his head held high, too, having smashed home the Hammers’ opener, the Brazilian will be champing at the bit to line up alongside faces such as Watkins and Rogers, hoping he can elevate his game to their lofty standards in the process.

Well, he should be up for the test, having further been hailed as “magic” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

Emery will also immediately want Paqueta’s energy from the middle of the park to rub off on his players after a lifeless opening to the season, with the Hammers’ number 10 winning a high six duels per game in league action throughout 2024/25.

Jackson could well go on to do a reasonable job up top in claret and blue, but with Paqueta once being touted for an £85m switch to Manchester City, snapping him up for just £40m is surely the better move to sign off on.

Villa already have Watkins and Guessand who can play up top, but adding another creative face to take the burden away from Rogers – particularly considering he could leave – would be a wise use of funds.

Their next Ramsey: Aston Villa advancing to sign £26m star in late move

Unai Emery could swoop in for his next Jacob Ramsey at Aston Villa by successfully purchasing this £26m ace.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 25, 2025

Aston Villa have now emerged as strong candidates to sign a “fantastic” forward, with sporting director Monchi said to be keen.

Villa keen on new winger despite signing Sancho

After a disappointing start to the Premier League season, with Unai Emery’s side failing to score a single goal in their opening three games, Jadon Sancho made a move to Villa Park on deadline day, arriving on a season-long loan from Manchester United.

However, both Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher aren’t convinced about the new Villa signing, with the former saying: “Unai Emery might be good for Sancho but I do think it’s a weird signing.

“Villa Park is a massive pitch and he’s got a lack of pace and a lack of legs. He’s got some brilliance but what’s his real strength? I don’t really know.”

Carragher added: “I don’t know what Sancho’s thing is. Every player has something but I can’t think in my head what he does. I’ve never seen it in my life. I haven’t.”

It remains to be seen whether the 25-year-old is able to prove the doubters wrong, but Aston Villa have already set their sights on a different winger, with a report from Spain revealing they are now strong candidates to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt.

NSWE to make January move for £40m striker who loves scoring vs Aston Villa

The Villans have identified a striker as their top January target.

ByDominic Lund Sep 8, 2025

Monchi is said to be personally keen on a move for Brandt, who could arrive at Villa Park on a free transfer next summer, if the winger doesn’t extend his contract with Dortmund, which expires in less than a year’s time.

Dortmund are set to try and negotiate a new deal with the winger, however, with the German club reluctant to lose him on a free, having been widely reportedly to have shelled out €25m (£22m) to sign the former Bayer Leverkusen man back in 2019.

"Fantastic" Brandt would be versatile option for Emery

The 29-year-old has featured in various positions throughout his career to date, including both wings, attacking midfield and central midfield, which would make the forward a versatile option for Emery, and he has received plaudits from Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

Back in 2023, Kehl said: “His development has been great. He’s much more stable, robust and present. He has always shown in phases that he’s a fantastic player, but now he shows it over a longer period of time.”

The Bremen-born attacker has also outperformed Sancho across a number of key attacking metrics over the past year, ranking in the 97th percentile for assists per 90, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

Average per 90

Julian Brandt

Jadon Sancho

Non-penalty goals

0.17

0.15

Assists

0.43

0.20

Shot-creating actions

3.88

3.57

As such, Brandt could be a solid signing, and his potential availability on a free transfer is a bonus for Villa, who are known to be treading a fine line from a PSR point of view.

2025 US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz has weighed in on the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate, revealing which football ‘GOAT’ he is inspired by.

Alcaraz wins sixth major title in New York

Alcaraz picked up the sixth major title of his career with a victory in the US Open final against long-time rival Jannik Sinner on Sunday, winning the competition for the second time.

The Spaniard defeated Sinner 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 in the presence of Donald Trump, with the US president’s attendance causing the final to be delayed, before eventually starting in front of thousands of empty seats due to ramped-up security measures outside.

The 22-year-old may have a rivalry with the Italian on the court, but he took the time to praise the runner-up after clinching the victory in New York City.

Away from tennis, the World No.1 is well-known to be an avid supporter of Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants taking the time to congratulate the star on his recent success in the USA.

As such, it is no surprise Alcaraz’s list of the top five footballers of all-time may be considered a little Real Madrid-centric, with Ronaldo making the list, alongside Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Ronaldinho and Neymar, with Messi being omitted entirely.

The tennis star also said: “I love Cristiano Ronaldo. The confidence he has is unbelievable. He always believes in himself. When I hear he is the first player to go to training and the last one to go home, that shows the hard worker he is and that inspires me a lot.”

Ronaldo has one last chance to reignite GOAT debate

In many people’s minds, the GOAT debate was already settled prior to the 2022 World Cup, given that the Inter Miami star eclipses the Portugal legend in terms of Ballon d’Ors, but Argentina’s triumph out in Qatar arguably ended the conversation.

Ballon d'Or 2025 Final Rankings

Where did the 30 nominees finish?

ByCharlie Smith Sep 23, 2025

With the Al-Nassr star now 40-years-old, the 2026 World Cup will almost certainly be his last, meaning he has one final opportunity to lead Portugal to glory, which would perhaps mean there is a debate there to be had once again.

Albeit in Saudi Arabia, the record-breaking 222-time Portugal international is showing few signs of slowing down, despite his age, maintaining a fantastic goal-scoring record throughout the three previous seasons he has spent with Al-Nassr in the Gulf state.

Ronaldo in Saudi

League appearances

Goals

2022-23

16

14

2023-24

31

35

2024-25

30

25

However, given that Messi led Argentina to 2022 World Cup glory, and has three more Ballon d’Ors to his name, it has become much more difficult to make a case for Ronaldo, and Alcaraz’s preference is likely due to the fact he is a Real Madrid supporter.

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” عن قائمة الأندية المرشحة لجائزة نادي العام في القارة الإفريقية، والتي شهدت حضورًا قويًا لـ بيراميدز، بعد سلسلة من الإنجازات غير المسبوقة التي حققها الفريق خلال عام 2025.

ويأتي ترشيح بيراميدز تتويجًا لعام استثنائي في تاريخ النادي، حيث نجح الفريق في حصد ثلاثة ألقاب قارية كبرى خلال موسم واحد، في إنجاز تاريخي كبير.

وبدأ بيراميدز موسمه القاري بالتتويج بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا لأول مرة في تاريخه، بعد فوزه على ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي بنتيجة 3-2 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب، ليكتب اسمه بين كبار القارة بعد سنوات من العمل المتواصل والاستثمارات الكبيرة في الفريق.

ولم يكتفِ الفريق بذلك، بل واصل تألقه بحصد كأس القارات الثلاث، ثم توج باللقب الثالث هذا العام بعد تغلبه على نهضة بركان المغربي بهدف دون رد في مباراة كأس السوبر الإفريقي، ليؤكد هيمنته على الساحة الإفريقية.

طالع أيضًا | رسميًا | بيراميدز يتلقى خبرًا سارًا من كاف بشأن دوري أبطال إفريقيا قائمة الأندية المرشحة لجائزة أفضل نادي في إفريقيا

1- بيراميدز.

2- شباب بلوزداد الجزائري.

3- شباب قسنطينة من الجزائري.

4- أسيك ميموزا من كوت ديفوار.

5- نهضة بركان من المغربي.

6- ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي.

7- أورلاندو بايرتس الجنوب إفريقي.

8- ستيلينبوش الجنوب إفريقي.

9- الهلال السوداني.

10- سيمبا التنزاني.

ومن المنتظر أن يُعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي عن الفائز بالجائزة خلال الحفل السنوي لتوزيع جوائز “كاف”، والذي سيُقام في وقت لاحق هذا العام في إحدى الدول الإفريقية الكبرى.