Despite victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League, Celtic’s week hasn’t been one full of positives away from the action with Greg Taylor’s future in doubt and one other now potentially joining him out the exit door next summer.
Celtic transfer news
Smashing Aberdeen 6-0 to reach the Scottish League Cup final and send a damning statement to their title rivals in the process, it seemed as though things couldn’t get better for Celtic. But then came the visit of RB Leipzig, who were brushed aside in sensational fashion as the Bhoys sealed a 3-1 victory in the Champions League.
It should be a week full of good news, but reports away from the pitch suggest that the Scottish Premiership champions could be set to be handed a double blow in 2025.
One of those could come courtesy of Taylor, with talks over a new Celtic contract reportedly reaching a stalemate recently. As things stand, the full-back is set to leave as a free agent in summer 2025, and he could be joined by another one of Brendan Rodgers’ stars.
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According to reports in Spain, Crystal Palace have already expressed their interest in signing Nicolas Kuhn, who just stole the show in the Champions League. Celtic, of course, saw their last talisman bid farewell to the Premier League last season when Matt O’Riley joined Palace’s rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. Now, Kuhn could follow suit.
Only arriving last January, Kuhn is beginning to truly burst into life at Celtic and has seemingly earned the attention of the Premier League as a result. With quite the decision to make, the winger could deal Rodgers yet another blow on the exit front, potentially joining out-of-contract Taylor out the door.
"Quick" Kuhn has finally found Celtic form
Having initially struggled to adjust following a winter arrival last season – scoring just twice in the Scottish Premiership in nine games – Kuhn put his first pre-season at the club to good use and is now stealing the headlines in top form.
Rodgers has been swift to praise his winger as a result too, telling reporters via Celts Are Here back in August: “I just think it’s time, isn’t it? I think we all expect people to adapt straight away, you’d love them to, whether they’re managers, coaches, or supporters.
“You want them to be ready immediately, but he came into the club during a challenging period in January. He had issues around his fitness and health, and everything else.
“He just landed in the middle of that difficult time, and it took him a little while. But he’s had a really good pre-season. He’s always been quick, one of the quickest players you’ll see, but I think now there’s more variety in his game, coming inside and out.”
With nine goals and 10 assists in just 16 games this time around, Kuhn has well and truly put any previous struggles behind him and become the latest star of the show at Celtic Park.
“The selectors felt that they cannot have two white-ball captains in two white-ball formats – that’s too much of leadership”
PTI09-Dec-2021Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, has confirmed that the board had requested Virat Kohli to continue as India’s T20I captain, but once he decided to step down, the selectors decided to remove him from the ODI captaincy and install Rohit Sharma in his place to avoid “too much of leadership” in India’s short-format squads.”We had requested Virat not to step down as T20 captain but he didn’t want to continue as captain,” Ganguly told PTI. “So, the selectors felt that they cannot have two white-ball captains in two white-ball formats. That’s too much of leadership.”Related
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Ganguly did, however, say that he was on board with the decision, and that is despite Kohli’s success as ODI captain: of the 60 captains worldwide to have led in 50-plus ODIs, only three have a better win-loss record than Kohli. “Yes, we did consider that but if you look at Rohit’s record in whatever ODIs he has captained for India [eight wins in ten games], it’s very good,” Ganguly said. “Bottom line – there can’t be two white-ball captains.”I can’t explain more about what all was discussed and what selectors have said, but this is the primary reason for having Rohit as white-ball captain, and Virat accepted it.”On Wednesday, Rohit, already India’s T20I skipper, was named the new ODI captain, while also being promoted to the vice-captaincy of the Test side – deputy to Kohli – in place of Ajinkya Rahane.Was there a worry that having two captains for the two white-ball sides would create some sort of confusion? “I don’t know [about confusion], but that’s what they [the selectors] felt,” Ganguly said. “That’s how this conclusion was arrived at – that let Rohit captain in white-ball [cricket] and let Virat be the red-ball skipper.”Rohit has long been considered a potential captain of the Indian side, not least because of his success at the IPL, where he has led Mumbai Indians to a record five titles in just eight-and-a-half seasons in charge – he had taken over some way into the 2013 season, replacing Ricky Ponting, and has led the team since.Ganguly didn’t want to talk up India’s chances in ODIs and T20Is under Rohit’s leadership, only saying, “It’s very difficult to predict. I wish him all the best and hope he does a good job.”The chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma, and Ganguly have spoken to Kohli about the development, the former India captain said. “Yes, I have spoken to Virat personally and chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma has also spoken to him on the issue.”
Yorkshire’s head coach, Andrew Gale, has been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing, while the club’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, has been signed off from work due to a stress-related illness, as the fall-out intensifies in the wake of the Azeem Rafiq racism investigation.Gale, the club’s former Championship-winning captain, was last week revealed to have used the anti-Semitic slur “Y*d” in a historic Twitter conversation with an executive at Leeds United football club.”We can confirm that Andrew Gale, Yorkshire First XI Coach, is currently suspended pending a disciplinary hearing following an historic tweet,” read a statement from the club. “The Club will make a further statement once this process has been completed.”Meanwhile, the club say that Moxon “will be given the necessary support” after being signed off from work for stress, as of Tuesday (November 9).Moxon is due, along with Rafiq, Mark Arthur, the chief executive, and Roger Hutton, the former chairman, to give testimony at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee hearing on November 16, as the full consequences of the club’s botched investigation into Rafiq’s allegations of institution racism become clear.Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Yorkshire’s new chairman, Lord Kamlesh Patel, hinted that the positions of Moxon and Arthur had become untenable after a torrid week for the club, adding that he would make “the right decisions in the coming days”. At present, Arthur is understood to still be in his role.The latest developments at Yorkshire come after the loss of a raft of key club sponsors including Emerald, Nike and Yorkshire Tea; an ECB suspension from hosting major matches, including next year’s Test against New Zealand, and a wave of allegations of racist behaviour from past and present players, including Gary Ballance, whom the ECB last week suspended from England consideration, and the former England captain, Michael Vaughan.On Friday, it was also confirmed that Yorkshire had settled its long-running employment tribunal with Rafiq, who was awarded a six-figure sum and offered an unreserved apology from Patel both for the treatment he had received in his time at the club, and for their previous attempts to impose a gagging order in return for a settlement.”Yorkshire County Cricket Club should be a club for everyone in Yorkshire,” Patel said in a statement that the club said had been released in “a spirit of transparency” to provide regular updates into the developments.”We need to listen to anyone who has experienced racism, discrimination and abuse at this cricket club, and I urge others to come forward to share their experiences,” Patel added.”We are aware that, since I spoke yesterday, a number of allegations have been made from individuals about their experiences in the media. These need to be properly investigated.Related
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“I announced that an independent whistle-blowing hotline will be set up as quickly as possible, as a safe space for people to come forward with disclosures. Once it is operational – and I have asked for this to happen by the end of this week – this will be the first step to a new and dedicated process to receive and to respond directly to all allegations and concerns.”We want anyone who may have suffered issues to come forward, and these will be considered carefully and with due diligence”.On Monday, Rafiq repeated his call for Arthur and Moxon to step down from their roles at the club.”Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the sport at large desperately need reform,” Rafiq had said in a press release following the conclusion of his employment tribunal. “This is a good start, but I want to reiterate my call for the change that must come next – and one that must happen quickly.”Mark Arthur, Martyn Moxon and many of those in the coaching staff have been part of the problem. They have consistently failed to take responsibility for what happened on their watch and must go. I urge them to do the right thing and resign to make way for those who will do what is needed for the club’s future.”
Celtic made it through to the final of the League Cup on Saturday after they produced a staggeringly impressive performance against Aberdeen at Hampden Park.
The Dons had been unbeaten across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign prior to this cup clash, with their lost competitive loss coming against the Hoops on penalties in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup back in April.
These two sides, of course, also met in the Scottish Premiership earlier this season when Brendan Rodgers’ side chucked away a 2-0 lead at half-time to draw the game 2-2, with both teams level on points in the top-flight as it stands.
The semi-final clash at Hampden Park on Saturday, however, looked like a complete mismatch as the Dons collapsed and Celtic ran out comfortable winners.
Cameron Carter-Vickers opened the scoring with a towering header from a corner, before Daizen Maeda set up Kyogo Furuhashi to score in an almost-empty net just three minutes later.
Daizen Maeda then scored a hat-trick of relatively simple finishes and Nicolas Kuhn rattled in a fantastic curling effort off the crossbar and in to complete the scoring.
One player who may not be too pleased with just how easy the game was without him in from the start is left-back Greg Taylor, who may be in danger of permanently losing his place.
Greg Taylor's form this season
The Scotland international was named on the bench from the start for the semi-final clash and came on for the final 27 minutes of the match, with Celtic scoring one of their six goals in that time.
Taylor missed 17 days with a hamstring injury in October and that provided others with an opportunity to shine in his place, despite a solid start to the season from the former Kilmarnock man.
He has started seven matches in the Premiership this term and contributed with 1.3 key passes per game and three assists from an offensive perspective.
Celtic defender Greg Taylor
Defensively, the full-back has won 53% of his duels but lost 67% of his aerial battles in the division, whilst he has also been dribbled past 0.7 times per game on average.
Meanwhile, the defender has struggled badly in Europe for the Scottish giants, with less-than-convincing performances in the Champions League this term.
Appearances
2
Sofascore rating
6.35
Key passes per game
0.5
Duel success rate
44%
Ground duel success rate
40%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.0
As you can see in the table above, Taylor has been a lightweight in his duels in Europe against SK Slovan and Borussia Dortmund, whilst offering little in the way of creativity.
Celtic conceded a whopping six goals in his 135 minutes on the pitch across the two games, which works out as a goal conceded every 22 and a half minutes with him on the field.
This shows that he is far from undroppable and that is why he should be concerned by the form of Alex Valle, his competition at left-back, in recent weeks.
How much Celtic signed Alex Valle for
The Scottish giants swooped to sign the Spanish defender on a season-long loan from Barcelona during the summer transfer window and reportedly agreed to pay a £1.2m to cover his wages.
Rodgers moved to bring in the 20-year-old starlet after he had impressed on loan with Levante in the second division of Spanish football during the 2023/24 campaign.
Valle played 29 times in LaLiga 2 last season and averaged 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst winning 56% of his duels, which spoke to his defensive qualities.
However, he failed to register a single assist and only averaged 0.6 key passes per game, less than one chance created per match on average, and there may have been a concern that he would not be able to offer as much offensively as Taylor does.
That has not turned out to be an issue, though, as Valle has hit the ground running in Scotland and his performances have been strong enough to potentially convince Rodgers to permanently ditch his favourite.
Why Alex Valle should replace Greg Taylor
Taylor has been one of the Northern Irish manager’s favourites since he returned to Parkhead last year, starting 42 of the club’s 48 Premiership games since the start of last season.
The Scottish full-back, who once claimed that he has improved “insane amounts” during his time in Glasgow, may lose that status because of Valle’s impressive displays.
Against Aberdeen on Saturday, the Spaniard lined up at left-back from the start and was awarded a player rating of 8/10 by GlasgowWorld, a score only bettered by Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda – who both landed 10/10 ratings.
His dynamic runs from left-back and his solid defensive work provided balance alongside Maeda down the left flank, as the Japanese star scored a hat-trick and helped out defensively with his pressing and tracking back.
Valle has also made the most of his opportunities in the Premiership for Celtic since his move on loan from Barcelona, which is another reason why he should permanently replace Taylor as the first-choice left-back moving forward.
Appearances
7
4
Assists
3
2
Key passes per game
1.3
1.8
Dribbled past
5x
0x
Ground duel success rate
65%
60%
Aerial duel success rate
33%
47%
As you can see in the table above, Valle has offered more creativity than the Scotsman, relative to how many appearances they have made, and been more reliable defensively.
The Barcelona loanee has not been dribbled past a single time by an opposition winger in the Premiership this season, whilst the former Kilmarnock man has been dribbled past five times, which suggests that forwards have had more joy up against the Rodgers favourite.
Valle, whilst still not perfect in this area, has also won a much higher percentage of his aerial duels and, thus, can offer more as a defensive presence from set-pieces and from crosses to the back post.
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Therefore, the 20-year-old defender should permanently replace Taylor in the starting XI because his recent performances suggest that he could offer more in and out of possession for the Hoops.
O Palmeiras está cada vez mais próximo de sua estreia na edição 2021 do Mundial de Clubes. Nesta segunda-feira pela manhã, no horário de Brasília, e tarde, no horário local, o elenco foi até oAl Nahyan Stadium, palco da semifinal contra o Al Ahly-EGI, nesta terça, às 13h30, para fazer o reconhecimento do estádio seguindo os protocolos da Fifa. Lá, Abel Ferreira elogiou o gramado.
> GALERIA: Veja 10 armas do Al Ahly para enfrentar o Palmeiras no Mundial de Clubes
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TABELA > Veja tabela e simulador do Mundial de Clubes-2021 clicando aqui
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
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Além de terem o primeiro contato com o campo em que farão seu primeiro jogo na competição, os jogadores realizaram o último treino da preparação. O Verdão vinha treinando noZayed Sports City e buscou o contato mais próximo com o novo palco. No entanto, se depender do treinador alviverde, não haverá problema, já que o gramado propiciará intensidade e velocidade ao jogo.
-Esta é a diferença, da intensidade do jogo, da velocidade do jogo, uma delas é o gramado. É fantástico. O estádio também é muito bonito, não é muito grande, é aqui no meio do shopping… É muito bonito – disse Abel à TV do clube.
Depois do reconhecimento do gramado e do treino comandado pelo técnico português, o Palmeiras terá mais um compromisso oficial com a Fifa, que é a coletiva de imprensa pré-jogo, com o próprio Abel Ferreira, e com o capitão da equipe, Gustavo Gómez, que está marcada para começar às 11h45 (de Brasília).
O Verdão estreia no Mundial de Clubes nesta terça-feira, às 13h30 (horário de Brasília), na semifinal do torneio contra o Al Ahly-EGI, noAl Nahyan Stadium, em Abu Dhabi, nos Emirados Árabes Unidos. O vencedor desse duelo enfrenta Chelsea, da Inglaterra, ou Al Hilal, da Árabia Saudita, na decisão da competição.
As primeiras palavras do professor no gramado da semifinal! 🗣🇵🇹#AvantiPalestra #JuntosPeloBi pic.twitter.com/FNDJCqKuWC
يخوض فريق الكرة الطائرة رجال بـ الأهلي، مباراة هامة وقوية اليوم الثلاثاء أمام منافسه الزمالك، وذلك بالمواجهة التي تجمع بينهما في إطار لقاءات بطولة الدوري المصري.
ومن المقرر أن يواجه طائرة الأهلي نظيره الزمالك في المباراة الثانية من سلسلة (Best Of 3) في نصف نهائي بطولة الدوري، في صالة حسن مصطفى.
وتتنافس أندية الأهلي والزمالك وبتروجيت والاتحاد السكندري، على لقب بطولة دوري الطائرة للموسم الحالي.
اتحاد الكرة الطائرة يمنع حضور الجماهير في مباراة الأهلي والزمالك.. ويعاقب ثنائي القطبين
وكان الأهلي قد تمكن من الفوز على الزمالك بنتيجة 3-1، في أولى مباريات (Best Of 3) ضمن منافسات نصف نهائي بطولة الدوري.
وفي نصف النهائي الثاني لبطولة الدوري المصري للكرة الطائرة، يلعب بتروجيت مع الاتحاد السكندري. موعد مباراة الأهلي والزمالك اليوم في الدوري المصري للكرة الطائرة
تنطلق المباراة اليوم الثلاثاء 18 مارس، في تمام الساعة 10:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الـ 11:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والزمالك اليوم في دوري الكرة الطائرة
من المقرر أن يتم إذاعة المباراة بين فريقي الأهلي والزمالك، عبر قناة أون تايم سبورتس 1، وقناة الأهلي.
ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.
West Ham had an extremely busy summer transfer window, spending around £120m on ten new signings, also making eight permanent sales, claiming back £37.5m.
One area the club identified was centre-forward, signing Niclas Füllkrug for a fee of around £27m from Borussia Dortmund, after being linked with Jhon Duran all summer.
niclas-fullkrug
This has backfired massively for the Hammers so far, with Duran netting six goals in ten appearances for Villa in all competitions, whilst Fullkrug has suffered from injuries, only making four appearances for the club so far, yet to score a goal.
So, it’s perhaps hardly surprising to see the Irons linked with another new forward.
West Ham interested in LaLiga striker
According to reports from the print edition of Tthe Sunday People, West Ham are interested in Norway and Atlético Madrid striker, Alexander Sorloth.
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The 28-year-old only just signed for the Spanish outfit this summer for a fee of around £26.5m, following his impressive 2023/24 campaign for Villarreal, making 41 appearances, scoring 26 goals and providing six assists.
So far this season, the Norway international has played 11 times, only scoring just once but providing two assists in his 502 minutes played, finding his minutes rotated with other striking options, such as Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann.
Villarreal striker Alexander Sorloth
Sorloth has played in the Premier League before, making 20 appearances for Crystal Palace, only scoring one goal and providing one assist, so if he was to come back, joining West Ham, it is likely the 28-year-old would want to prove people wrong in and show what he can do in the top-flight.
Sorloth vs Fullkrug comparison
To compare Fullkrug to Sorloth, we are best off looking at the 2023/24 season of the German striker when he was able to string some games together and gather some good metrics.
In the 23/24 campaign, Fullkrug made 46 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 16 goals and providing ten assists in 3,605 minutes played.
It is also worth comparing Sorloth to Duran, who was nearly signed by the Hammers this summer. The 20-year-old already has 14 goals in 59 appearances for Aston Villa, scoring those in just 1,553 minutes.
Goals
0.33
0.40
1.62
Assists
0.44
0.25
0.00
xG
0.38
0.48
0.81
Progressive Carries
1.07
0.76
1.11
Progressive Passes
1.43
2.28
2.22
Shots Total
3.19
2.34
5.41
Shots on Target
1.21
0.93
2.16
Goals/Shot
0.10
0.13
0.25
Key Passes
1.25
1.47
0.37
Shot-Creating Actions
2.32
2.52
1.85
Touches (Att Pen)
5.54
4.46
8.15
Aerials Won
5.54
3.49
4.81
Duran’s metrics are slightly skewed due to his minutes being off the bench, and the metrics being measured per 90 mins, but he clearly brings the most goal threat, generating the most xG, having an extremely high shot volume, and scoring the most goals per 90.
Sorloth and Fullkrug are different types of striker, who aren’t centered around their pace or running in behind, but instead, their intelligence, box movement, aerial prowess, and link-up play. Sorloth wins more aerial duels, takes more penalty area touches, provides more shot volume, and more assists/creation for others.
Fullkrug could prove many wrong at West Ham when he can get a sustained amount of minutes on the pitch to show his value. However, the longer he remains on the sidelines, and the more Duran continues to smash it, Hammers fans will want the striker situation addressed at some point. Sorloth could just be the remedy.
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Each year, the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual award, is handed to the player who has been the world’s best in the previous season. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.
Players, managers and the media have voted on the Ballon d’Or, though they don’t always get it right. Now solely voted for by a jury of journalists from across the world, the event will hopefully be more representative of who truly deserves the award moving forward.
However, plenty of players in the past have been disgracefully overlooked, from World Cup-winning goalkeepers to treble-winning shoo-ins.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a starting XI of the best players to have never won the Ballon d’Or. It’s worth noting that while Maradona and Pele would be on this list, neither player was ever eligible to win the award due to it only being open to non-European players since 1995, by which time Maradona was nearing the end of his career and Pele had long retired.
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1 ByBarney Lane Oct 23, 2024 1 Gianluigi Buffon Goalkeeper (best: 2nd 2006)
Only one goalkeeper in history – Lev Yashin – has ever won the Ballon d’Or, with the Soviet shot-stopper scooping the prize way back in 1963. Gianluigi Buffon arguably should have been the second.
In 2006, Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro was awarded the Ballon d’Or after captaining Italy to glory at the 2006 World Cup. While Cannavaro winning the prize wasn’t exactly a shock, Buffon was certainly worthy of it himself.
At the World Cup, the Juventus ‘keeper kept a record five clean sheets, conceding just two goals in the entire tournament, and made a match-saving save in extra-time of the final when he tipped a goal-bound Zinedine Zidane header over the bar.
2 Cafu Right-back (best: =14th 2002)
In December 2020, France Football – the magazine that conceived the Ballon d’Or – published a Ballon d’Or Dream Team. Voted for by journalists, the idea was simple: create and crown the best team in football history.
Logically, you’d think it would be full of Ballon d’Or winners, no? Think again.
Pele and Maradona made the cut, as did Spanish midfielder Xavi – none of whom have ever won the Ballon d’Or. Brazilian defender Cafu, another player to have never won the award, was also included at right-back.
Cafu’s place in the team was no doubt deserved. He is the one of the greatest right-backs to ever play the game. So why did he never win the Ballon d’Or itself? Perhaps he was too overshadowed in Brazil in the Ronaldo era.
3 Paolo Maldini Centre-back (best: 3rd 1994, 2003)
Paolo Maldini is your favourite defender’s favourite defender.
Take John Terry, for example. “I also hope that one day I will be as good as Maldini,” the Chelsea legend once said of the Italian. Or Rio Ferdinand: “Paolo Maldini, he’s the best,” he said recently.
Maldini is also your favourite attacker’s least-favourite defender – which is perhaps an even bigger compliment.
“Paolo Maldini is the best I’ve played against,” Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario once said of him. Zlatan Ibrahimovic once said: “Maldini was the best and toughest defender I ever faced. He had everything: he was a complete defender, who was strong, intelligent, and an excellent man-marker.”
However, despite him being revered by his peers, Maldini, who won seven Serie A titles and five European Cups during his career, never won the Ballon d’Or. He came closest in 1994 and 2003, finishing third on both occasions.
4 Virgil van Dijk Centre-back (best: 2nd 2019)
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
If Maldini is everyone else’s favourite defender, then who is the Italian’s favourite defender? No, it’s not his former AC Milan teammate Alessandro Nesta, nor his Italy counterpart Cannavaro.
Instead, and perhaps surprisingly, it’s Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.
“I have played with some of the greatest defenders like Nesta, Baresi, Cannavaro, but I feel I was unlucky not to pair with Van Dijk,” Maldini said of the Dutchman in 2022, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. “Virgil will be the best defender in history of football soon.”
Now 33, Van Dijk has been one of the world’s most outstanding defenders over the past decade, winning almost everything there is to win with the Reds, including the Premier League and the Champions League. He finished second in the 2019 Ballon d’Or behind Lionel Messi, but has yet to scoop the prize himself.
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ByBarney Lane Oct 24, 2024 5 Roberto Carlos Left-back (best: 2nd 2002)
In 2002, shortly after Brazil had lifted the World Cup, Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos came close to winning the Ballon d’Or, finishing second behind compatriot Ronaldo.
It’s difficult to argue that Roberto Carlos should have beaten Ronaldo in 2002 given that the striker was the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, two of which came in the final against Germany. However, had it not been for his countryman’s exploits, the full-back would have been a deserving winner.
Widely regarded as the greatest left-back of all-time, “The Bullet Man” was renowned for his marauding forward runs, mazy dribbles, and, of course, trademark bending free-kick.
The lynchpin in what many people believe to be the greatest midfield trio of all time, Xavi was a truly exceptional deep-lying playmaker, (or regista, if you will) who was a master of controlling the tempo of matches with his unparalleled passing range and vision.
He saw space that other players simply didn’t, allowing him to turn seemingly innocuous moments into dangerous attacks in the blink of an eye.
The Spaniard finished third in the Ballon d’Or for three years running between 2009 and 2011, with Messi winning the top prize in each of those years.
Players with the most Ballon d'Or voting points since 2000
These are the most voted-for players at the Ballon d’Or since the turn of the century… who comes out on top?
1 ByBarney Lane Oct 25, 2024 7 Andres Iniesta Centre-midfield (best: 2nd 2010)
Alongside Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi were the heartbeat of the Barcelona and Spain teams that dominated world football between 2008 and 2012, winning the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, La Liga, and countless other honours.
However, unlike Xavi, who ran things from deep, Iniesta had more of a prominent role in the final third. As such, he had some notable moments of glory, including his extra-time winner in the 2010 World Cup final. After that goal, Iniesta finished second behind Messi in the Ballon d’Or, a tale that has proven all too familiar over the years for many a player.
8 Kevin De Bruyne Centre-midfield (best: 3rd 2022)
Kevin De Bruyne has arguably been the Premier League’s best midfielder for almost a decade now.
Since joining Manchester City in 2015, he’s steered City to six Premier League titles and a first-ever Champions League triumph, contributing 103 goals and 171 assists along the way.
It’s difficult to understand quite how, amid those achievements, he has never been awarded the Ballon d’Or, especially in 2018, when he starred as the club won the Premier League with a record points total of 100.
“The way he’s played it’s difficult to find one [better] in Europe,” City boss Pep Guardiola said of De Bruyne at the time.
9 Thierry Henry Right-wing (best: 2nd 2003)
Not strictly a right-winger, but we had to put him somewhere; at his peak, Thierry Henry was simply unstoppable.
Fast, skilful, and with an unmatched eye for goal, the Frenchman scored 226 goals for Arsenal between 1997 and 2007, winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot a record four times and firing the Gunners to the title on two separate occasions. He was also a key man for his country, playing starring roles in France’s 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 triumphs.
Henry’s finest hour came in 2003/04, when he scored 39 goals in all competitions as Arsenal won the Premier League title without losing a game. His achievements, however, went unrecognised by Ballon d’Or voters, with the striker somehow finishing fourth behind Ronaldinho, Deco, and Andriy Shevchenko having been pipped by Pavel Nedved a year earlier.
10 Robert Lewandowski Centre-forward (best: 2nd 2021)
Robert Lewandowski has been robbed of the Ballon d’Or on two occasions.
In 2020 after a stunning season in which he scored 55 goals in all competitions as Bayern Munich won the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup, the award was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The following year, the Pole then put up similar numbers, scoring 48 goals, but was controversially snubbed in favour of Lionel Messi, who had endured a hit-and-miss first season with Paris Saint-Germain.
It’s not too late for Lewandowski, however. This season, despite being 36, he’s already scored 17 goals in just 14 games for Barcelona thanks to his recent double in El Clasico. Keep going at that rate, and he may well find himself in contention next year.
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Guptill, Chapman got fifties for NZ, but otherwise their batting struggled after being inserted at the toss
Karthik Krishnaswamy17-Nov-20212:03
Uthappa: Suryakumar is versatile and can move up and down the order
Daryl Mitchell is a seam-bowling allrounder who usually bats in the middle order, but for New Zealand’s T20 side he’s now an opening batter who barely bowls at all. Venkatesh Iyer is a seam-bowling allrounder who opens the batting for Kolkata Knight Riders, but on Wednesday night, making his India debut, he didn’t get to bowl, and walked in at No. 6.When Venkatesh faced his first ball in international cricket, India were threatening to lose a match that had seemed unloseable less than half an hour ago. With six balls left, they needed ten to win. And New Zealand, having used up all their main seam bowlers, threw the ball to Mitchell.Mitchell had earlier been out for a first-ball duck. Venkatesh had not been required at all until this point. Now they both had the chance to be the hero. Neither took that honour in the end. Venkatesh swatted the first legal ball he received for four, but was out next ball attempting a cute reverse-lap. Mitchell got that wicket, but he also sent down two big wides that reflected his rustiness as a bowler. Eventually, it came down to three off three, and Rishabh Pant, who had struggled to 13 off 16, stepped out and swiped Mitchell over mid-off to put an end to what had become an unexpectedly close contest.There had been fifties for Mark Chapman, Martin Guptill and Suryakumar Yadav, and a 48 from Rohit Sharma full of vintage strokeplay, as well as terrific bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin and Mitchell Santner, but the end result came down to the bit-part players.Swing keeps New Zealand quiet After a pair of outswingers to Guptill, Bhuvneshwar greeted Mitchell with an inswinger. Mitchell jabbed at the ball with no footwork, and the ball sneaked past his inside edge to knock back middle stump.That was India’s only wicket in the powerplay, but the ball kept swinging for Bhuvneshwar, Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Siraj, and all three made a concerted effort to bowl within the stumps. Chapman, New Zealand’s No. 3, struggled to break free of this strangulation, or even get off strike. After three overs, Guptill had faced just two balls, and after five overs, he had faced just six. At that point, Chapman was on 20 off 23, and New Zealand were 26 for 1.A partnership blossoms New Zealand got going in the last powerplay over, when Chahar overused the slower short ball and conceded 15. There was only one boundary in the next four overs – shared between Ashwin and Axar Patel – but India conceded a spate of them after that, with Guptill extending his arms through a pair of lofted drives against Siraj, and Chapman putting Axar away for six and four in the 12th over and bringing up his fifty in the process.When Guptill and Chapman hit back-to-back boundaries around the 14th over, New Zealand were 110 for 1, and looking on course for 177, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster.1:12
Daniel Vettori: R Ashwin’s skill helped him set Chapman and Phillips up
Ashwin turns on the magic But Ashwin had other ideas. He had already discovered that this pitch was offering grip and turn if he bowled the odd ball a little slower, and had beaten Chapman’s outside edge comprehensively in the seventh over with a dipping offbreak laden with overspin. He bowled another now, pitching on leg stump, and it beat Chapman’s leg-side heave to peg back his off stump.The next three balls were a probing examination of Glenn Phillips’ technique. Two offbreaks – the first going with the arm past the outside edge, the second ripping inwards to beat the inside edge and hit thigh pad – and then the carrom ball, angling in before straightening towards off stump. Phillips’ bat sliced across the line in defence, and the ball beat his outside edge to hit back pad – more or less in line with off stump, an umpire’s call verdict sending him on his way after he reviewed.Chahar and Siraj deny New Zealand big finish Guptill was still in, though, and big sixes off Siraj and Bhuvneshwar in the 15th and 17th overs hurried him past 50 (he got there in 31 balls) and into the sixties. Guptill then nailed a massive drive into the stands beyond midwicket off Chahar at the start of the 18th, to bring up New Zealand’s 150.The momentum seemed to be going entirely one way, but Chahar struck a crucial blow the next ball, taking pace off to ensure a repeat attempt from Guptill ended up caught on the boundary. New Zealand’s innings thereafter went like a pricked balloon: scoring only 14 off the last 16 balls of the innings, as the new batters struggled for timing.Rohit launches off Five overs into India’s chase, this seemed like the T20 World Cup transplanted into Indian soil. Win toss, chase, win handily. India were 50 for no loss by then, with the ball coming onto the bat and allowing Rohit to show off his range of back-foot shots. Horizontal-bat slap that leaves every fielder rooted to his spot? Yes. Open-faced steer to bisect backward point and short third? Yup. Pull into the stands? Are you seriously asking?The partnership between Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav put India on top•Getty Images
Suryakumar brings his wrists to the party Rahul fell at the start of the sixth over, picking out deep square leg with a pull off Santner, and India sent in Suryakumar, presumably to go after New Zealand’s spinners. Soon, he was purring too, pulling off his trademark whips over midwicket off Todd Astle and Lockie Ferguson. At the halfway mark, India were 85 for 1.Trent Boult sent Rohit back in the 14th over with a slower bouncer paired with a cleverly-set leg trap, but Suryakumar continued to find the boundary frequently and hurry India towards their target. He got to his fifty off his 34th ball, and when Boult dropped him at long leg in the 16th over – a sitter off Tim Southee’s bowling – the end looked very near with India needing 23 off 24.But one good over can transform a game, and Boult delivered it, alternating yorkers with short balls into the body to concede just a single in three balls to Pant, before bowling Suryakumar behind his legs. Shreyas Iyer played two dots to end the over, and suddenly India needed 21 off 18 without a set batter at the crease.And much like New Zealand’s innings, India’s ground to a halt, possibly because of the ball growing softer. Ferguson and Southee conceded just 11 off the next 12 balls, the last of which brought the wicket of Shreyas, caught at long-off. And he crossed over with Pant while doing so, leaving the newbie on strike for the last over.We know what happened next, and as tortuous and hair-raising as it was, the Rohit-Dravid era had begun with a win, and India had ended a seven-match losing streak, across formats, against New Zealand.
Barcelona have made Alexander Isak a top target for the summer transfer window as they look to challenge Arsenal for the striker's signing.
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Barca want Isak to replace LewandowskiStriker open to La Liga returnArsenal also eager to sign Sweden starFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Catalan club are in the market for a replacement for 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski and reports Sweden international Isak is their preferred candidate. Talks with his representatives have already taken place and the Newcastle forward has said he is open to joining.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Arsenal have long been linked with a move for the 25-year-old amid his starring role at Newcastle, but they have been told they will have to fork over £150 million ($187m) to convince the Magpies to sell him. With Barcelona's well-publicised financial issues, however, it is unclear how the Spanish giants intend to match Newcastle's asking price.
DID YOU KNOW?
Isak, who joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022, is contracted to the St. James' Park side until 2028 and has been in incredible form this season, scoring 17 goals in 22 Premier League appearances.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ISAK?
After impressing in his side's 2-0 win against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final last week, Isak will hope to enhance his reputation by netting against Manchester City in the league on Saturday,