Aston Villa were 3-1 up after 43 minutes but were made to sweat for their first win of the season, emerging victorious from an entertaining Champions League opener with Club Brugge. John McGinn, who struck the only goal when Villa belatedly got their season up and running last September against Bologna, opened the scoring before Emi Buendía and a first goal for Nicolas Jackson in claret and blue appeared to put Villa out of sight at half-time.The Belgian side have become familiar foes since Villa returned to the big time, the glitziest club competition of them all; a freakish Tyrone Mings handball gifted the hosts a penalty, and subsequently victory, in 2024-25 and on this occasion Aaron Wan-Bissaka conceded a second-half penalty to plunge a seesawing contest back into the balance. Continue reading...
⚽ Champions League news from the 5.45pm BST kick-off⚽ Live scores | Follow us on Instagram | Read Football DailyHarry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice have been nominated for this year’s men’s Ballon d’Or while Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood have been nominated for the women’s award.The 30 men’s and 30 women’s nominees were revealed by France Football magazine on Tuesday, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on 26 October. Ousmane Dembélé, who won the men’s award last year, has been nominated again, as has his France teammate Kylian Mbappé, who made history when he overtook Lionel Messi for all-time World Cup goals (22) at this summer’s tournament. Continue reading...
Eight-time laureate Lionel Messi is in the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or, with Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé among the favourites to succeed France's Ousmane Dembélé. Cape Verde's Vozinha has been shortlisted for the goalkeepers' Yashin Trophy after his heroics at the recent World Cup.
When asked to name his top three candidates for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, Ousmane Dembele left out Lamine Yamal. Now, the Barcelona star has responded with a clear message that includes Kylian Mbappe. With the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist finalized, several players have been asked to name their top candidates. After Ousmane Dembele left Lamine Yamal off his ballot, the Barcelona winger offered a swift response. On Tuesday, Dembele was asked to reveal his top three picks for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The PSG winger selected Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe. The omission of Yamal surprised many, including Yamal himself. Asked about Dembele’s picks a few hours later, the Barcelona star responded with a gentle jab aimed at Mbappe. “He is good friends with Kylian, right?” Yamal answered with a laugh. “I’m very happy with the season I had. I think every time we faced each other, I probably did something that made them dislike me! And that’s normal. My relationship with Ousmane is very good, and I understand that he wants to choose other players. But I’m very happy with what I delivered this year, and I’m confident that everyone watched it, even if he didn’t.” Lamine Yamal unfazed by individual awards With the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist officially released—featuring Lionel Messi while omitting Cristiano Ronaldo—speculation has intensified over who will claim this year’s honor. Lionel Messi attends the 67th Ballon D’Or Ceremony Yamal is widely considered a frontrunner following a stellar season with FC Barcelona and a summer campaign that saw him lift the 2026 World Cup trophy with Spain at just 19 years old. Nevertheless, the young winger insists the outcome is out of his hands. “I’m not gonna campaign for anything. I won’t be begging to win anything… the Ballon d’Or is up to you [journalists], not me,” Yamal said. “We had a great year with Barça and the national team. That makes me proud.” Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe recently declared himself the favorite for the award on the back of his 10-goal performance at the World Cup, highlighting just how competitive this year’s race has become.
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