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West Ham are reportedly ready to offer Kobbie Mainoo an escape route from Manchester United in January, as the England star is desperate to rescue his 2026 World Cup chances. The 20-year-old England international once stormed onto the Premier League stage with poise and maturity. But he now finds himself watching from the sidelines, and could seek an exit in the winter transfer window.

• Mainoo caged at Old Trafford

  Mainoo is a product of United’s much-acclaimed academy, but has been handed just eight appearances all season, and only one of them has come as a starter: during the club’s disastrous Carabao Cup humiliation against League Two minnows Grimsby Town. Ruben Amorim's rigid 3-4-3 formation has offered no room for the young star, and he has been left to warm the bench. Despite calls over the summer for him to seek a loan move, the club blocked every approach, insisting he’d feature prominently. But nearly halfway into the campaign, his role has dwindled into cameo appearances and false promises.

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  West Ham come calling for Mainoo

  According to transfer insider , the Hammers have made a firm approach to take Mainoo on loan this January. Crucially, they’re offering something United can’t, which is guaranteed minutes. 

  Speaking on his daily podcast, Romano explained: "Mainoo wanted to go on loan late in the summer transfer window, but Manchester United and Ruben Amorim decided against it at the time. Mainoo is not playing regularly, so he wants a loan move. There is interest from West Ham, offering guaranteed minutes." 

  For West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Mainoo fits a glaring need as the Portuguese coach wants a dynamic midfielder who can carry the ball, dictate tempo, and break lines. 

• Napoli enter the race, as Conte eyes a midfield reinforcement

  But West Ham aren’t the only ones at the table. Over in Italy, Napoli have rekindled their pursuit of the English starlet. The reigning Serie A champions, who are now managed by Antonio Conte, are on the hunt for midfield reinforcements after Kevin De Bruyne was sidelined with a thigh injury. According to , Napoli’s interest in Mainoo is for real, and discussions are already underway over a potential January loan that includes an option to buy. United are said to be open to a compromise as they could allow a temporary move, but have ruled out a permanent sale in January. The proposed deal would see Napoli take Mainoo on loan until the end of the season, with an option to make it permanent in 2026, depending on appearances and performance.

  It has been reported that Mainoo is tempted by the opportunity to work under Conte. The idea of playing alongside Scott McTominay, another United academy graduate now thriving in Italy, only adds to the allure. Moreover, United would prefer to send him abroad rather than strengthen a Premier League rival. This is a stance that complicates West Ham’s pursuit. The club hierarchy has reportedly ruled out several domestic options, leaving Napoli as the frontrunners if United dig in their heels.

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  Zirkzee could also head to Serie A

  Mainoo might not be the only one packing his bags in January. Fellow Red Devil Joshua Zirkzee could also be heading for Italy, according to fresh reports from . The Dutch forward, who joined from Bologna, has endured a torrid time in Manchester. He has made just five appearances, is yet to find the net, and has zero starts in the Premier League. AS Roma are now reportedly leading the chase for his signature, with negotiations already in motion. Zirkzee’s representatives have reportedly reached a salary agreement with the Giallorossi. However, he’ll need to accept a significant pay cut to make the deal happen. He is said to be willing to sacrifice wages for minutes, as Zirkzee remains determined to reboot a career that has stalled alarmingly fast. Meanwhile, AC Milan are also monitoring the situation. They view Zirkzee as a potential partner to Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao in what would be a revamped attacking setup at San Siro.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been handed a positive injury update on new signing Benjamin Sesko after the Slovenia international hobbled off during their thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham. Amorim had expressed concerns for his striker after the match, but initial investigations have offered hope Sesko won't be sidelined for an extended spell.

• Worrying end to match for Sesko

  It was an afternoon of high drama in north London after United secured a vital point against Spurs. The visitors took the lead courtesy of Bryan Mbeumo's header in the 32nd minute, but the hosts staged a late comeback with goals from substitute Mathys Tel in the 84th minute and Richarlison in the first minute of stoppage time, which put them in front and, seemingly, on course to earn the hosts all three points. But the match ended in chaos, as United defender Matthijs de Ligt headed home an equaliser from a corner in the 96th minute, salvaging a draw for his side.

  The closing stages saw Sesko pick up an injury. He entered the match in the 58th minute but was forced off late with a knee problem, casting a shadow over United’s hard-fought draw. His performance featured a couple of missed chances and came before he was taken off following a robust challenge from Micky van de Ven. The forward has scored two goals in 12 appearances and has struggled for form and confidence.

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• Amorim fears for Sesko

  The United boss was asked after the match if he thought the injury was serious, he said: "I have no idea. Because it's the knee, we never know. I'm concerned with the injury because it's in the knee. We need Ben to be a better team. We have to check everything, we have to check what has happened with him."

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  Encouraging Sesko update offered from home country

  But in the hours after the match there was an update coming from Sesko's native Slovenia, where local media reports say the initial tests show that the injury was not serious and shouldn’t rule him out for a lengthy spell. There was the additional detail from , which says the full extent of the injury will only be revealed after an MRI scan, which will take place in the coming days. 

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  Missed opportunity for Red Devils

  Speaking after the match, Amorim offered a mixed review of his team's performance also revealed his plan for the players who aren’t heading off on international duty. 

  Amorim said: "In the end, I think if you see the game you feel that the three points were there to take home, but then with everything that happened – Harry (Maguire) has to come out, Casemiro has to come out, (so does) Ben. We suffered two goals again in a short period of time, but managed to score again, so it's a point. When you cannot win, you don’t lose and once again we managed to do that. If you look to the game and if you feel the environment, we have so much to grow as a team, because today was our day to win this game.

  "I think it's more we need to look at ourselves. We were not pressing with the same intensity, because we felt comfortable. We need to understand that but to feel also that if we have a little bit more bravery, we can kill this game. Sometimes it's like that: you have a first half better than the second."

  He added: "It’s a little bit frustrating but also a little bit pride of the response of the players after the second goal of Tottenham. Then to look at the team. I understand that this is just the tip of the iceberg. So we are just in the beginning of becoming a very strong team. We have a lot to do and we are going to work with the guys that are not going to the national team, and we are going to evaluate everything, trying to see also games from the kids. So try to use this space on evolution of our club, not just the first team."

Who will replace Brendan Rodgers as Celtic manager?

Well, most supporters would like to see Ange Postecoglou return, having won five trophies during his two seasons in Glasgow, very much still, almost inarguably, the most popular Celtic boss of modern times.

However, according to widespread reports, the Aussie is highly unlikely to return to the club at this time, seeking time away from football following his ill-fated 39 days in charge of Nottingham Forest, failing to win any of his eight matches in the East Midlands.

Other names, including Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy, Kjetil Knutsen and Nicky Hayen, appear to be high up on the board’s wish list, but getting them out of their current positions will not be easy, so should Celtic target a “box office” title-winning coach currently out of work, who could repeat Postecoglou’s success?

What made Ange Postecoglou a success at Celtic

Given that Celtic had been a total mess the season before, when Postecoglou was appointed manager in the summer of 2021, most, including all Rangers supporters, were laughing.

Well, they weren’t laughing for long because, after losing his first three Premiership away games, the Australian then oversaw a 38-match unbeaten streak in the league, winning 32 of these matches, departing having picked up two league titles, two League Cups and a Scottish Cup.

His charisma and personality completely won over a then-divided fan base, very much playing the role of a cult leader, while his now infamous Ange-ball high intensity, high-possession, relentless style of play was like nothing seen in Scottish football before or since.

Also, Postecoglou’s knowledge of lesser-known markers, specifically the Japanese league, helped him sign Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Kyōgo Furuhashi, while, in a cosmopolitan squad, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Matt O’Riley, Aaron Mooy, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Alistair Johnston and others from all across the globe thrived.

All of this culminated in creating, arguably, the most thrilling and unstoppable Celtic side anyone has enjoyed watching for a very long time, ending the 2022/23 season with 99 points, having scored 114 goals, the most the club have managed in a single league campaign since 1916.

However, it was Postecoglou’s cult of personality that instantaneously enamoured him with supporters from day one, which was crucial considering his lack of prior name recognition, so should Celtic now seek to appoint a coach who possesses similar characteristics?

Celtic's next Ange Postecoglou

According to a report by Sky Sports, seven names are under consideration for the vacant Celtic job, including the aforementioned Bellamy, Knutsen, McKenna and Hayen.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

They also state that Damien Duff is ‘being assessed’, noting that he has ‘strong ties with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond’.

The Irishman began his coaching career as youth manager at Shamrock Rovers before joining Celtic, briefly working with the B team before serving as Neil Lennon’s assistant when he replaced Rodgers in February 2019.

After Lennon was sacked, he had a short stint on the Republic of Ireland’s coaching staff, before joining Shelbourne, where he truly made a name for himself.

In just over three seasons in charge of Shels, overseeing 151 games, Duff enjoyed unparalleled success, as the table below documents.

When Duff was appointed Shelbourne manager, they were a newly-promoted club, leading them to a first ​​​​​​​FAI Cup Final for 11 years at the end of his first season, ultimately beaten 4-0 by Derry City at the Aviva.

Nevertheless, this would prove to be the start of something special because, last year, the Reds were crowned League of Ireland champions for the first time in 18 years, pipping serial champions Shamrock Rovers on the final day by two points.

As a player, Duff won two Premier League titles with Chelsea and was part of the Fulham side that reached the Europa League Final, as well as accumulating 100 international caps, only six Irishmen have more.

Nevertheless, considering the Reds were 25/1 rank-outsiders before the season began, Duff described this as both the greatest achievement and the “pinnacle” of his career, adding that it was like something out of a Hollywood script.

Despite being a beloved figure among the Tolka Park faithful, Duff resigned as manager in June, following a sequence of five wins from 20 league matches, stepping away just days before the start of their Champions League qualifying campaign.

Still very popular in Drumcondra, Shelbourne technical director Luke Byrn described Duff as “box office”, while Miguel Delaney of the Independent asserted that his personality is ‘intensely captivating’ and ‘compelling’ to listen to, comparing him to José Mourinho, who was of course his manager at Stamford Bridge.

Meantime, Samuel Hutchinson of Total Football Analysis documents how Duff favours a style revolving around high possession and high intensity, very similar to that of Postecoglou.

Thus, Duff has both the personality and playing style to replicate Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow.

Of course, his lack of elite-level coaching experience is a concern, but he has worked at Celtic before and, possibly most crucially of all, is available.

Postecoglou himself was not first-choice, the Celtic board spending months attempting to woo Eddie Howe before that fell through, so Duff could ultimately prove to be the right man at the right time.

O'Neill 2.0: Celtic chasing "one of the best coaches" as Ange alternative

Rather than Ange Postecoglou, should Celtic appoint “one of the best coaches” in the EFL who would repeat Martin O’Neill’s success from 2 decades ago?

By
Ben Gray

Oct 31, 2025

A few days after Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon announced that he will be retiring after this season, he shared a special moment on the field with his parents before Thursday's game, which kicked off the start of his final weekend as an MLB player.

His parents Myron and Ellen were able to throw out the first pitch ahead of Thursday afternoon's matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals. Blackmon stationed himself at home plate to catch the pitches thrown by his dad.

After the pitch, which Myron delivered straight to his son's glove, Blackmon hugged his parents and posed for pictures.

Blackmon got off to a hot start in Thursday's game after he crushed a 393-foot two-run home run in the second inning. In case Thursday is the last time Blackmon's parents get to attend one of his games, it was pretty awesome they got to witness one more home run by him.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani finished last season by winning his first World Series. He led the National League with 54 home runs and created the 50/50 club by becoming the first player in baseball history to have 50-plus home runs and 50-plus stolen bases.

This year he hopes to do it all again while coming off an injury suffered in the World Series. And he's going to return to the mound where he was a Cy Young candidate with the Los Angeles Angels.

On Friday Ohtani hit his first home run of the year, an opposite field blast off Yusei Kikuchi in his first at-bat of spring training. If he keeps up this pace he's going to set some kind of record.

Another year. Another incredible sound as the ball hits his bat and then ends up over the fence.

Ohtani has hit 178 home runs over the last four years. Last year he won MVP and took two out of three legs of the Triple Crown. Maybe this season things will finally start to come together for him.

Vincent Kompany insists that his Bayern Munich side will iron out their set-piece weakness before they take on Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Bayern returned to winning ways with a resounding 6-2 victory over Freiburg but went behind on home turf to two early corners as their dead-ball issues came to the fore once more.

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  Bayern's set-piece struggles magnified in win over Freiburg

  Bayern sit top of the Bundesliga after the opening 11 games of the season having claimed 31 points from 33 available. In the process, the Bavarian giants have conceded just eight league goals, the fewest in Germany's top tier this term, as they maintain their seemingly unstoppable march towards back-to-back Bundesliga crowns.

  However, of the eight goals they have shipped, six have come from set-piece situations, which is a concern ahead of Wednesday's Champions League game at Arsenal. The Gunners, like Bayern, boast a 100 percent record in European action this season having won their opening four league phase games.

  Arsenal sit top of the Premier League table following their opening 11 matches of the season, and have a chance to go six points clear of second-placed Chelsea when they welcome Tottenham to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon. A key reason behind the Gunners rise to top spot in England's top tier has been their proficiency from set pieces.

  Mikel Arteta's mean have scored 10 goals from dead-ball situations, more than any other team in the Premier League this season, and their ability to challenge any team from corners of free kicks will pose a huge threat to Bayern in midweek.

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• Kompany 'calm' on Bayern's set-piece issues

  The last four goals Bayern have conceded have come from set-piece situations, which their Premier League counterparts will look to exploit on Wednesday night. Bayern boss Kompany, though, insists he is "calm" having been asked whether he is worried about facing set-piece specialists Arsenal in the Champions League.

  "I'm calm. We made mistakes in these phases as a team. We shouldn't hide, we should show personality and character to defend them," Kompany said.

  "We're also a good team in attacking set pieces, we scored from a corner today. We just have to stay calm and work to get out of this phase and show that we're also good in this department. I have confidence that we'll solve it"

  Ultimately, Bayern went on to claim a huge 6-2 victory over Freiburg on Saturday, as goals from Michael Olise – twice – Lennart Karl, Harry Kane, Nicolas Jackson and Dayot Upamecano saw FC Hollywood return to winning ways having been held to a 2-2 draw with Union Berlin prior to the international break.

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  Bayern boss heaps praise upon Arsenal

  Kompany did go on to heap further praise upon Arsenal ahead of next week's meeting, adding: "They're the best team in Europe at set pieces. I think it's a good challenge. I don't know if there are many better teams than Arsenal in Europe at the moment. We're looking forward to the game."

  Arsenal's reliance from set-pieces means they have been dubbed 'Set Piece FC', a nickname that supporters have taken in their stride. Indeed, whenever Arsenal have scored from a dead-ball situation, supporters have chanted 'Set Piece again, ole ole!' to celebrate their effectiveness from corners or free kicks.

  The Gunners will hope to maintain their good form when they take on Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday. Spurs haven't won a league game at the Emirates since they came from two goals down to win 3-2 in 2010 as strikes from Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Younes Kaboul capped a remarkable turnaround.

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• Arsenal receive timely injury boost

  And Arsenal have received a timely injury boost ahead of the hectic festive run of games as captain Martin Odegaard nears a return from injury. The Norwegian midfielder has endured a stop-start beginning to the 2025-26 season, with Odegaard presently missing having suffered a knee injury in a home win over West Ham last month.

  In his pre-match programme notes, however, Odegaard has admitted his is close to a comeback, stating: "This week I’ve been working really hard on my rehab – it’s going very well. I can feel I’m getting closer every day and getting towards the final stages where it’s a lot more exciting.

  "I’ve been doing some pitch work and training, so I really feel like I’m getting there. That’s the best part of the rehab, when you’re getting closer to joining the team, you can do a lot more on the pitch and you can be more aggressive in the rehab. I feel like I’m getting stronger and stronger. I can’t wait to be back now, we’re on a good path and it’s looking good. I’m really excited.

  "I guess that’s one of the good things about being injured. You get hungrier and more excited to play football again. That’s the good part of it, I’m desperate to get going again."

With the international break coming to an end, Celtic have now reportedly discovered when Wilfried Nancy is likely to take charge for the first time after submitting a £2m compensation offer to Columbus Crew.

The Bhoys have been without a manager since the departure of Brendan Rodgers, but have watched on as Martin O’Neill has rolled back the years on an interim basis. The 73-year-old has taken his old club into a Scottish League Cup final, which will take place with or without him against against St. Mirren on December 14.

As things stand, O’Neill will still be in charge for Celtic’s return to action against St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership this weekend in a preview of that aforementioned final. The veteran manager recently addressed fans, admitting that it was a “bit of a whirlwind fortnight” before the international break.

After this weekend’s clash, however, the Hoops may move closer to their managerial appointment. After being linked with the likes of Kieran McKenna and Ange Postecoglou throughout the process, it looks as though Nancy could be arriving.

Celtic learn Nancy timeline with deal close

As reported by TeamTalk, Celtic have now submitted a £2m compensation package to sign Nancy from Columbus Cew along with multiple members of his backroom team. The board hope to have their new manager in the dugout by November 30, when they square off against Hibernian.

The Bhoys are also reportedly close to agreeing personal terms with the MSL manager, with comparisons to Postecoglou instantly making him a top target around Celtic Park.

Nancy can forget Maeda by making £325k-per-week star his 1st Celtic signing

Celtic’s potential new manager could forget about Daizen Maeda by signing this reported transfer target.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 18, 2025

Often operating in a 3-4-2-1 system, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Nancy adjusts his ways right away in Scotland. It’s rare that Celtic are seen in such a formation, but it’s one that has brought their potential new manager plenty of success in America.

Having earned plenty of praise during his time in the MLS, Nancy now looks destined to become the next Celtic manager.

He's better than Kenny: Nancy could unearth Celtic's new Kyogo very quickly

Toeing the rubber for the Colorado Rockies on Sunday is rookie starting pitcher Chase Dollander, who is making his MLB debut against the Athletics.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Dollander acknowledged that he was tipped off to the possibility he'd be called up to MLB prior to Sunday's start, thanks to a confirmation email he received for an upcoming hotel stay.

"Right before I got called into the office I got a text from a hotel, saying, 'Hey, we're looking forward to welcoming your stay,' and I was like, 'Oh.' Immediately, my heart dropped and I was like, 'what's going on?'" said Dollander.

"I walk in and, thankfully our pitching coach, [Chris] Michalak, played it off really well and was like, 'Hey let's just go into the scouting report…' I look up and I saw the camera, and I was like, 'Is this happening right now?'"

The Rockies released a video of the moment Dollander found out about his promotion to the big leagues. He was discussing the scouting report with Michalak when the Albuquerque Isotopes' pitching coach informed him that he wouldn't be facing the team's upcoming opponent and that he'd instead be heading to Denver to join the Rockies.

Any confusion that hotel confirmation email created was quickly resolved when Dollander officially got word he'd be heading to the show.

Dollander, who ranks as the No. 1 prospect in Colorado's farm system, is a former first-round pick by the Rockies, having been selected with the No. 9 pick in the 2023 MLB draft out of the University of Tennessee. Across two minor-league levels in 2024, he recorded a 3.05 ERA throughout 23 starts with 169 strikeouts in 118 innings on the mound.

We are deep into the international break now and yet, Daniel Farke still remains in the Leeds United dug-out.

If there were an apt time to get rid of the under-fire German, it would have been during this big gap in fixtures in the Premier League.

However, he has managed to see out the break – for now – without feeling the wrath of the 49ers, as he attempts to get back to winning ways against Aston Villa up next, when the hustle and bustle of the top-flight returns.

He will need summer recruit Noah Okafor back to his rampaging best down the left flank to secure a surprise result against Unai Emery’s visitors, with the Swiss continuing to stick out as one bright spark, even as the losses begin to stack up high.

How Okafor's start compares to Leeds wingers of days gone by

Already, the former AC Milan attacker has captured the hearts of the hardened Elland Road masses, with Leeds content creator Oscar Marrio even hailing him as a “difference maker” down the left flank.

Indeed, the £18m summer arrival is constantly trying to carve out openings and excite the Leeds fans watching on, with a whopping 12 dribbles attempted in November, even as his new employers fell to back-to-back away defeats.

Okafor also has the goals to back up his tricks and flicks, with two goals already put away by the hard-to-contain 25-year-old from eight Premier League contests.

But, how does his electric start to life in England compare to other notable wingers who previously called West Yorkshire home?

Amazingly, before he went on to reach “world-class” heights at Barcelona – as Brazil icon Romario stated – Raphinha would ply his trade for the Whites, with 17 goals and 12 assists collected from 67 matches in total.

Yet, he would only tally up one goal from his first eight Leeds appearances in the Premier League, with zero assists also next to his name.

Even more staggeringly, Luis Sinisterra – who only made 16 top-flight appearances for Leeds – managed a more impactful start than his Brazilian counterpart, with two goals fired home from his opening six matches, also seeing him surpass Okafor’s early numbers.

Back to the present, however, while Farke will be overjoyed with Okafor for the most part, he will still be feeling the strain of the right wing spot in his starting XI.

Leeds loanee is outperforming Okafor

Farke continues to persist with the likes of Brenden Aaronson on the right, despite his up-and-down reputation on English shores continuing into this season.

Only one goal has come the American’s way this campaign in league action, with Joe Gelhardt – on the other hand – full to the brim with goals and assists galore out on loan at Leeds’ Yorkshire neighbours in Hull City.

He might well be somewhat of a forgotten name now at Elland Road, but Gelhardt – who has eight Premier League goal contributions under his belt – is tearing apart the Championship at the moment with the Tigers, as classy dinked finishes such as his fine effort against Portsmouth become customary.

Hull manager in Sergej Jakirovic, when speaking to Croatian outlet Jutarnji, has even stated that the Liverpool-born star goes about his business on the pitch “in the style of legendary Dennis Bergkamp”. Leeds would surely benefit from having their classy 23-year-old attacker back at his parent club, therefore, if his glowing praise is anything to go by.

The numbers back up all the wild praise, too, with Gelhardt now up to a stunning seven goals and two assists already in league action, despite lining up for just 15 matches.

This also means the one-time England U20 international is outperforming Okafor back at Elland Road, with the temptation surely there to recall Gelhardt from his loan at the Tigers, to see if he can impress in the league above, again, and fix Farke’s Aaronson-related woes.

Really, this should be no surprise to those who saw him tearing things up on the youth pitches at Wigan Athletic. He scored ten goals in one match against Huddersfield at U14s and was said to be on par with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

“Very few players stand out at 14. Steven Gerrard did in my first season, Rooney and certainly Joe [Gelhardt],” long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt once stated.

Reports do suggest Leeds have a small window right at the start of the upcoming transfer window to recall the reinvigorated 23-year-old if they so desire, with Gelhardt and Okafor on either flank back at Leeds a terrifying prospect.

Farke must drop Ampadu to unleash Leeds star who's like Declan Rice

Daniel Farke could boldly drop Ethan Ampadu by unleashing this Leeds United star in a new role.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 16, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo will be “terribly sorry” about missing a “once in a lifetime” win for his country, claims the President of Portugal, as “geniuses are like that”. All-time great CR7 was forced to sit out a 9-1 victory over Armenia through suspension, with that stunning success seeing Roberto Martinez’s side secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

• Ronaldo suspension: Why Portugal superstar is banned

  Ronaldo played no part in that contest as he served a ban. The evergreen 40-year-old frontman picked up the first red card of his international career in a defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin – with that dismissal coming when earning his record-extending 226th cap.

  Al-Nassr striker Ronaldo was given his marching orders after swinging an elbow into Irish defender Dara O’Shea. It is yet to be determined whether FIFA will force him to sit out two more matches – which will come at next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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  Mixed emotions: Ronaldo left watching on from afar

  Ronaldo will be desperate not to miss any more action as he continues to chase down 1,000 career goals and more major honours. He was denied the opportunity to fill his boots against Armenia, with Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes bagging a hat-trick in that fixture as Portugal hit nine.

  Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told reporters of the mixed emotions that CR7 will have felt while watching on from afar: “Ronaldo always has a place. He's always in our hearts. He's part of our gratitude. He must be terribly sorry he didn't come today. It's a shame. He missed a game where it was crucial for the captain to be there. But, well, geniuses are like that.

  “A word for Roberto Martínez. He deserves it. People said he wouldn't make it. I still remember the team's first dinner, where the players were at one table and Martínez at another, and they said they wouldn't pay attention. He held on, he held on, and he got to where he needed to be. Of course, with a big scare, but 9-1 is a joy for all of us.”

• Portugal qualify for 2026 World Cup in style

  De Sousa added on Portugal booking tickets to the 2026 World Cup in stunning fashion: “This is the game of my life and the life of many Portuguese people. We've had more exciting games, which resulted in victories, but 9-1 is a once-in-a-lifetime result. And it could have been 10-1 or 11-1. It was exceptional. The team played with such spirit, with class, with speed. It was unique. It's good that there were so many children here, who will remember this game.

  “We are in the final phase [of the World Cup ] and, by happy coincidence, I had scheduled the awarding of medals for the Nations League victory for today. It's a happy combination. We won the Nations League, I'm handing out the medals, after a great game, and it's the closing of a cycle, because I started with Euro 2016 and I'm ending with this qualification.”

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  Can Ronaldo win the World Cup before retirement?

  Plans can now start to be pieced together for another shot at global glory. The general consensus is that Portugal – who can call upon the likes of Ronaldo, Fernandes, Joao Felix, Ruben Dias, Joao Neves and Vitinha – have enough talent at their disposal to compete for the grandest of prizes.

  De Sousa intends to witness their pursuit of the World Cup crown, adding on Portugal’s claims to the most prestigious of trophies: “Of course. I can see it. I have a phrase that the Federation president agreed upon with me and the Prime Minister: in America, Portugal will win. Will you watch the games? If I'm invited, I'll go. If not, one or two, I'll pay out of my own pocket to go.”

  Ronaldo was quick to congratulate Portugal after seeing them wrap up qualification for the 2026 World Cup. He has conceded that event will likely be his last as an international performer, but has admitted – while working on a contract at Al-Nassr through to 2027 – that he has at least a couple of years left in him before retirement is considered.