The 2027 tournament will mark the first time the World Cup has been held in Latin America, in a country where women were banned from playing soccer as recently as 1979. The post Brazil great Formiga says 2027 World Cup will ‘change players’ lives’ appeared first on Soccer America.
Vinicius Junior during Real Madrid’s win over Inter Milan (Picture: Getty) Steve McManaman claims Real Madrid fans turned on Vinicius Junior during their hard-fought Champions League win over Inter Milan. Jose Mourinho’s side kick-started their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Serie A champions Inter on Tuesday night. Real Madrid were far from at their best but took control in the first-half through goals from Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde. Inter Milan dominated possession throughout the match and Madrid’s lack of control caused huge tension inside the Bernabeu. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. The whistles from the home fans grew louder and louder as Real Madrid failed to put the game to bed and McManaman felt some of the anger was directed at Vinicius. The Brazilian winger has endured a slow start to the new season after a summer in which he was heavily linked with a move to Premier League champions Arsenal. ‘You can hear the whistles at Vinicius Junior,’ former Real Madrid midfielder McManaman said on TNT Sports after the 26-year-old gave the ball away in the second half. Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-1 at the Bernabeu (Picture: Getty) ‘Listen to that… they are not happy with Vini Junior at all. He certainly has a love-hate relationship with the fans.’ The frustration inside the Bernabeu only increased when Inter Milan pulled a goal back on 77 minutes through Carlos Augusto. Inter then hit the woodwork as they chased an equaliser but ultimately returned to Italy empty-handed, with Madrid beginning their Champions League campaign with a narrow win. Jose Mourinho during Madrid’s European win (Picture: Getty) Vinicius’ late substitution was met by a mixed reaction by the Madrid fans but Mourinho made a point of applauding the Brazilian as he made his way off the pitch. Asked about Vinicius’ performance after the game, Mourinho said: ‘He worked hard – incredibly hard. ‘I know it, we all know it, and he knows it – he isn’t quite sharp yet – he isn’t quite ‘Vinicius’ yet –but he works hard, and anyone who works hard and gives their all deserves respect.’ Full-time scenes at the Bernabeu as Real Madrid get their Champions League campaign off to a winning start! 👏📺 Watch live on TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/CsUfcz29sg— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 8, 2026 Discussing Real Madrid’s win more generally, Mourinho added: ‘I prefer to call this a crazy match – generally, there’s so much criticism when a game is boring, but today it was crazy – it could easily have ended 7-6. ‘We had a depleted midfield, Inter made substitutions very early on, and I didn’t have many options for midfield. ‘I made changes when I saw the players were struggling, but I think they did a great job. It certainly wasn’t boring. ‘We had the chance to make it 3-0 in the final minute of the first half. I want to give credit to my players because pressing is something you train for and [Federico] Valverde’s goal is the result of hard work. ‘It’s one thing that neither you nor they have control of the match – and I’d say our opponent didn’t have it either. ‘[Thibaut] Courtois made a lot of saves, but how many chances did we miss in transition? It was a great match.’ Next up for Real Madrid in the Champions League are RB Leipzig, while Inter Milan will look to bounce back against Club Brugge. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
KIERAN GILL: Alonso has held private talks with Estevao Willian amid speculation that Chelsea's Brazilian boy wonder is concerned with his lack of opportunities and new manager's vision for him.
Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva will both miss Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Inter Milan due to red-card suspensions carried over from last season. Real Madrid will be without Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva for their Champions League opener against Inter Milan, with both players serving suspensions carried over from red cards picked up in their final European appearances of last season. Eduardo Camavinga is also unavailable under the same circumstance, having been sent off by a second yellow card in the 87th minute of last season’s quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich. Under UEFA regulations, yellow-card suspensions are wiped between seasons, but red-card bans carry forward, meaning Jose Mourinho has no way around the absences barring an exceptional pardon, which has not been granted in either case. The Portuguese coach will instead turn to Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde to anchor his midfield against an Inter side eager to make an early statement in the new league phase. 📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!🆚 @Inter_es pic.twitter.com/2hmtAAD7Kd— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 8, 2026 Where do Guler and Silva’s suspensions come from? Guler‘s suspension stems from a sending-off in the same quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich in which Camavinga was also dismissed, with the Turkish midfielder picking up two yellow cards of his own. The one-match ban that followed had gone unserved by the end of last season and now carries into Real Madrid’s first group-phase match of the new campaign. Bernardo Silva‘s case carries a layer of irony, since his red card came while he was still playing for Manchester City against Real Madrid in last season’s round of 16, when he was sent off for deliberately handling the ball to stop a goal, a decision that led to Vinicius Junior converting the resulting penalty. Having since completed a move to the Bernabeu, the Portuguese midfielder now finds himself suspended for his own team’s Champions League opener because of that incident.
While being in the MLS, Lionel Messi has managed to be included in the 30-nominee list for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, prompting questions whether he's the only player in the league to ever be nominated. Lionel Messi secured a spot on the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, recognized for his elite production with Inter Miami and his focal role during Argentina’s World Cup run. Earning inclusion while competing outside Europe’s top five leagues, questions arise regarding whether any other active Major League Soccer player has accomplished the feat. On Tuesday, September 8, France Football unveiled its 30-player nomination list recognizing the world’s standout performers over the past season. In a field headlined by 10 PSG players, European mainstays, and Saudi Pro League stars Julian Quinones and Sadio Mane, Messi stands as the lone MLS representative on the ballot. The nomination follows a prolific campaign with Inter Miami alongside his individual performance at the 2026 World Cup, where he led Argentina to the final with eight goals and four assists. Fresh off capturing the 2025 MLS Cup after recording 43 goals and 25 assists in 49 overall matches, Messi has maintained his dominance in 2026 with 21 goals and 11 assists through 24 matches. For the first time in the honor’s history, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will move away from Paris to take place at The London Palladium in England. With the gala scheduled for Monday, October 26 at 3:00 p.m. ET, and Inter Miami set to host FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, October 28, Messi’s personal attendance at the event remains unconfirmed. Our captain has been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or ✨🔟 pic.twitter.com/FoenOXgPiW— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 8, 2026 Messi not the first MLS player to feature on the shortlist Messi previously set historic precedent by becoming the first active MLS player to win the award in 2023, though that vote primarily celebrated his 2022 World Cup triumph. His 2026 nomination, while fortified by international play, reflects a full year of dominance in MLS as the league’s reigning MVP. However, the Argentine icon was not the first player nominated for the Ballon d’Or while actively rostered in MLS. That benchmark belongs to David Beckham, who earned a nomination in 2007 after joining the LA Galaxy. Ahead of the 2007 edition, organizers at France Football modified the voting rules by expanding eligibility globally. Prior to that decision, the award was strictly limited to players competing for clubs under UEFA jurisdiction. David Beckham #23 of the Los Angeles Galaxy. (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Beckham played a key role in helping Real Madrid secure the 2006-07 La Liga title over FC Barcelona during his final season in Spain. Upon completing his high-profile transfer to the Galaxy in July 2007, the English midfielder was named to the 50-player shortlist that Octobera , vote ultimately won by Brazilian star Kaka, while Beckham finished without receiving a vote.
Sporting director disappointed to lose Bruno GuimarãesManchester United target Lewis Hall agrees new contractNewcastle’s sporting director, Ross Wilson, has revealed he began planning at the start of this year for Eddie Howe’s departure.Howe stepped down as manager in late July and the club turned to Matthias Jaissle, who had been identified as the preferred successor. Continue reading...
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