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World Cup

World Cup news

Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup trophy Portugal

‘They want Cristiano to win that title’ - CR7 World Cup claim

Ricardo Quaresma is tipping Cristiano Ronaldo to get his hands on a long-awaited World Cup trophy as Portugal international team-mates “want” the all-time great to “win that title”. At the age of 41, five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is preparing to grace FIFA’s flagship event for a record-setting sixth time. He is desperate to emulate Lionel Messi by landing the ultimate prize.

Mick McCarthy Roy Keane 2002

Feud reignited! Keane brutally labelled a 'c**t' by McCarthy

Mick McCarthy has reignited his feud with Roy Keane as the ex-Republic of Ireland manager considers Manchester United’s legendary former midfielder to be a “c**t”. The pair endured an infamous falling out ahead of the 2002 World Cup that is now the subject of a film from Steve Coogan. Time does not appear to have been a good healer when it comes to historic divides.

Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 2025

Ronaldo’s 1,000-goal 'obsession': Will GOAT stop passing?

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to chase down 1,000 career goals and another entry in his history books, but Portugal coach Roberto Martinez insists that target has not become an "obsession". There are no fears, at least not in international circles, that all-time great CR7 will stop passing to his team-mates in a bid to ensure that another individual milestone is reached.

Villarreal CF v Real Madrid CF - LaLiga EA Sports

Arbeloa speaks out on Mbappe and Bellingham's call-ups

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has dismissed concerns regarding Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham joining their national teams. Despite recent injury scares at the Santiago Bernabeu, the coach insists the superstar duo are ready for both club and country, thus he is happy for them to play over the upcoming international window.

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Dani Carvajal Spain 2023

Carvajal told by Spain manager how he can return to squad

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has laid down the gauntlet for Dani Carvajal after the Real Madrid captain was a surprise omission from the latest La Roja squad. The veteran defender faces a race against time to prove his fitness and form ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with Spain going into the tournament as European champions.

England home kit

England 2026 World Cup kits revealed

Nike has unveiled England's kits for the 2026 World Cup, revealing a fresh look for both the home and away jerseys, as well as the goalkeeper strip most likely to be worn by Everton star Jordan Pickford.

Thomas Tuchel

Tuchel reveals plan to 'split' 35-man England squad

Thomas Tuchel has explained the thinking behind picking a larger 35-man England squad for the upcoming international break, revealing that he intends to split the group into two separate camps for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan as he prepares his final squad assessment ahead of this summer's World Cup, where he will have to trim down to just 25 players.

Ballon d'Or Power Rankings GFX

BDO Power Rankings: Haaland slides as Kane keeps foot down

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race got going.

Harry Kane Ballon d'Or 2025

Kane for Ballon d'Or? Bayern & England star ‘in the discussion’

Harry Kane is “in the discussion” for Ballon d’Or honours, but may need to win the Champions League with Bayern Munich and star for England at the 2026 World Cup in order to land the Golden Ball. Emile Heskey admits as much, with the former Three Lions forward telling GOAL how his fellow striker can earn the prestigious billing of best player on the planet.

Nike x Jordan x Brazil

Why Nike x Jordan's Brazil collab is a seismic moment

We already knew Nike had built something special through their Jordan Brand and Paris Saint-Germain collaboration, with the 'Jumpman' logo replacing the 'Swoosh' on the French giants’ shirts for the past eight years - but they've entered another stratosphere after linking up with the Brazilian federation.

Mexico v Canada - International Friendly

Marsch says he turned down Leicester expecting USMNT job

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch says he was close to becoming the U.S. Men's National Team coach in 2023, but that the job was suddenly and surprisingly taken off the table. That decision came after Marsch says he turned down an offer from Leicester City with the expectation of taking the USMNT gig.

Frequently asked questions

Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.

Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.

Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.

Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.

Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.

Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.

Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.

Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.

The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.

Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.