Lamine Yamal won his second consecutive Kopa Trophy on Monday night, while at the same time finishing as runner up in the men's Ballon d'Or vote to Ousmane Dembele. This is not normal, of course. The kid is still only 18, which makes us think that we're witnessing the dawning of a new era of domination by a single player.
Ousmane Dembele was presented with the Ballon d'Or for 2025 at a typically lavish ceremony in Paris on Monday night, capping a remarkable redemption at Paris Saint-Germain for a player regarded by Barcelona fans as one of the worst signings in the club's history.
The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2024-25 campaign, the winner of the 2025 Golden Ball has been announced: Ousmane Dembele.
Egypt boss Hossam Hassan has entered a last-minute please for Mohamed Salah to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or as he appealed for fair treatment for the Liverpool forward. Hassan also hailed Salah as a "role model for all success seekers" in a passionate social media statement. Salah scored 34 goals across all competitions for the Reds last season and played a pivotal role in the team's Premier League title success.
If you thought the days of the Ballon d'Or generating headlines were over after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's era of dominance came to an end, then think again. After one of the most closely-fought races for a number of years, Rodri came out on top in 2024, beating Vinicius Jr into second place as Real Madrid dramatically boycotted the ceremony in Paris in protest at their star player missing out.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that Mohamed Salah and four other senior stars will sit out Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round tie against Southampton. The Reds edged Everton 2-1 in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, making it five wins on the bounce in all competitions. But Slot says heavy rotation is coming, with his most-used players to receive a much-needed rest.
There are obviously two ways of looking at Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday evening. On the plus side, they scored another late winner. On the negative side, they needed another late winner.
Mohamed Salah created history as Liverpool's Egyptian King broke a unique record during the Reds' dramatic Champions League win against Atletico Madrid. Liverpool, who have yet to click with a number of new signings in the squad, earned another late victory on a pulsating night at Anfield. Against Atletico, the Reds ripped into gear from the first whistle, silencing doubters with a blistering two-goal blitz inside the opening six minutes.
Erling Haaland was back to his very best as the striker led Manchester City to a thumping derby win over Manchester United on Sunday. The Norwegian made yet more history, becoming the joint-top scorer in the fixture as well as the fastest player to reach 90 Premier League goals. And a beaming Pep Guardiola declared that Haaland was in the best form of his career.
Liverpool considered making a huge call on Mohamed Salah before his history-making, match-winning penalty at Burnley. The Reds looked to be heading to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Turf Moor but the Egyptian's stoppage-time spot-kick ensured their 100 per cent start to the season continued.
Alexander Isak’s arrival at Liverpool will allow some goal-scoring responsibility to be shifted away from Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian superstar has been told that the addition of another forward “won’t improve” his numbers. Salah has been a revelation for the Reds, but they have now splashed out £125 million ($170m) on adding Swedish striker Isak to their ranks.
Liverpool made Premier League history with another late show at Burnley. Mohamed Salah converted a 95th-minute penalty to earn the reigning champions three points at Turf Moor. No top-flight team has ever won four games in a row in such dramatic circumstances, with Arne Slot’s side making a habit of securing vital victories as the clock ticks down.
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