Spain are attempting to lure Club Brugge prospect Samuel Gomez van Hoogen into pledging his international future to La Roja, despite competition from Belgium and Netherlands. The 19-year-old centre-back, who holds three passports, has yet to make a senior debut in official competition and could follow the same path as Dean Huijsen.
Lamine Yamal was given an injection by the doctors and physiotherapists of the Spanish national team ahead of their World Cup qualifying clash against Turkey as he was experiencing acute lower back pain. The 18-year-old had sustained a minor injury in the sacroiliac region before joining up with the national team but was trusted to play in the international games, sparking fury at Barcelona.
Portugal assistant coach Ricardo Carvalho has opened up on the team's struggle to cope with the tragic death of Diogo Jota, describing the Liverpool forward as a "five-star person." The comments come over two months after Jota and his brother were killed in a car accident, with Carvalho admitting the squad is still processing the loss.
The Spanish football federation has hit back at Barcelona after Hansi Flick accused the national team of ignoring the possibility of Lamine Yamal suffering a potential injury. The teenager will not be available for the game against Valencia, which made Flick furious. However, the Spanish FA has clarified that they conducted all medical checks on Yamal.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has slammed Spain’s handling of Lamine Yamal after confirming the winger will miss his side’s La Liga clash with Valencia at Camp Nou on Sunday. Flick has said Spain were aware that Yamal was already nursing an injury when they decided to start the teenager in both their World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkey this week.
Former England international James Beattie has described how unwelcoming the Three Lions’ squad was during its famous golden generation, revealing just four players introduced themselves following his first call-up. Beattie was in the prime of his club career with Southampton when he received the news that he had been called up for England in 2003.
Harry Kane is closing in on more England history as the Bayern Munich star eclipsed the great Bobby Moore during the Three Lions' victory over Serbia. Kane’s appearance was his 109th in an England shirt, nudging him past World Cup-winning skipper Moore (108) and into fifth place on the list of all-time most-capped players.
Former Germany star Michael Ballack has backed Florian Wirtz to show his quality at Liverpool, insisting the midfielder's slow start is nothing to worry about.
Thomas Tuchel has warned England’s star players that their reputations will not guarantee them a place in his squad for the 2026 World Cup. After a 5-0 qualifying win over Serbia, the German coach praised the emerging talent in the nation and vowed to make “brave decisions” to keep competition high and ensure balance in the Three Lions squad.
Cristiano Ronaldo has promised Dominik Szoboszlai to give him his shirt after the Liverpool midfielder missed out on swapping jerseys with his idol in Hungary’s World Cup qualifier defeat to Portugal. Szoboszlai, who has admired Ronaldo since childhood, was left disappointed after the Portugal captain had already given away his shirt but received a pledge instead.
Kylian Mbappe has climbed another rung on French football’s ladder of greatness as the Real Madrid sensation etched his name above Thierry Henry by netting his 52nd international goal, becoming France’s second-highest scorer of all time. Only Olivier Giroud now stands between him and the ultimate record.
England captain Harry Kane struggled to hold back the tears in an emotional speech to Djed Spence after his ex-Tottenham team-mate earned a first Three Lions cap to become the country's first openly Muslim player. The crushing 5-0 victory over Serbia in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night was about far more than the scoreline. For Spence, it was the moment dreams became reality.
Erling Haaland gave a classy pep talk to Moldova goalkeeper Cristian Avram after Norway scored 11 goals past him in a World Cup qualifying game. The Manchester City star scored five and provided an assist as Norway took a step closer to qualifying for the 2026 tournament. The Norwegian bagged his fifth international hat-trick and took his goals tally to 48 in 45 matches for Norway.
Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi was hailed as the "best team-mate" by Thomas Tuchel after his heroics for England following his failed transfer to Liverpool last week. Guehi was on the verge of securing a move to Anfield on deadline day but Palace pulled the plug on the deal in the 11th hour. Despite the disappointment, Guehi gave his best for the Three Lions and scored in their thumping 5-0 win over Serbia.
Marc Guehi may have seen his dream transfer to Liverpool fall apart on deadline day, but the Crystal Palace captain certainly didn't let it affect his mood with England. Instead, the 25-year-old made an emphatic statement during the latest Three Lions World Cup qualifiers, emerging as one of the standout performers.
Erling Haaland turned World Cup qualifying into his personal showcase on Tuesday night, scoring five times in Norway's 11-1 demolition of Moldova in Oslo. The Manchester City striker was unplayable, ensuring Stale Solbakken's side maintained their flawless start to the campaign and stayed firmly perched at the top of Group I with 15 points from five matches.
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