
Caicedo was forced off against Brighton (Picture: Getty) Moises Caicedo is a doubt for Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday. The Ecuador international missed the opening game of the season against Fulham with an injury, returning to the squad last time out against Brighton. With the Seagulls launching a second-half fight-back, Caicedo was called from the bench against his former club but lasted just 11 minutes with injury striking again. The midfielder looked visibly upset as he left the pitch but Alonso calmed fears over a major injury after the game. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to the Emirates, the Chelsea boss said his player will undergo a late fitness test after a final training session on Saturday. ‘We will check tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last session for the squad on Sunday,’ Alonso said. More to follow Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Crystal Palace are reportedly preparing to revive their interest in Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez when the January transfer window opens after a proposed summer move collapsed because of concerns over his fitness. The Eagles had been close to signing the Ecuador international towards the end of August. Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as […] The post Crystal Palace looking to sign £26m man in January – he has already approved the move appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Chelsea explored Premier League and top-end Championship loan options for Celtic target Kendry Paez, but could not find a suitable move. The post Chelsea Came Up Short Finding Suitable Move For Celtic Linked Star appeared first on Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles.
Lionel Messi's international career included a perfect record at River Plate's Monumental, never once losing with Argentina at the historic venue. Lionel Messi closes his international career with a perfect record at one particular venue, having never lost a match with Argentina at River Plate’s Estadio Monumental. The stat resurfaced this week as clubs and fans across Argentine football paid tribute to Messi following his retirement announcement from the national team, with River among those honoring his legacy. Across 28 appearances at the Monumental, spanning two decades of World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, Messi finished with 22 wins and six draws, never once suffering a defeat on that ground. He also found the net 19 times in that stretch, further cementing the Monumental as one of the most fruitful stages of his international career. The gesture reflected the broader wave of tributes that followed Messi’s retirement letter, in which he described the decision as one that “hurt and still hurts the soul,” while thanking teammates, coaches and fans for two decades of shared history with the Albiceleste. 🏟️ Una historia 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮 en el Monumental: 28 partidos, 19 goles, 22 victorias y 6 empates.Gracias por tu magia en casa, Leo 🇦🇷🐐 pic.twitter.com/kjRbmBk4kI— River Plate (@RiverPlate) August 31, 2026 Every Messi match with Argentina at the Monumental DateResultCompetitionOct 9, 2005Argentina 2-0 PeruWorld Cup QualifiersOct 13, 2007Argentina 2-0 ChileWorld Cup QualifiersNov 17, 2007Argentina 3-0 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 15, 2008Argentina 1-1 EcuadorWorld Cup QualifiersSep 4, 2008Argentina 1-1 ParaguayWorld Cup QualifiersOct 11, 2008Argentina 2-1 UruguayWorld Cup QualifiersMar 28, 2009Argentina 4-0 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 6, 2009Argentina 1-0 ColombiaWorld Cup QualifiersOct 10, 2009Argentina 2-1 PeruWorld Cup QualifiersSep 7, 2010Argentina 4-1 SpainFriendlyJun 20, 2011Argentina 4-0 AlbaniaFriendlyOct 7, 2011Argentina 4-1 ChileWorld Cup QualifiersNov 11, 2011Argentina 1-1 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 2, 2012Argentina 4-0 EcuadorWorld Cup QualifiersMar 22, 2013Argentina 3-0 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 7, 2013Argentina 0-0 ColombiaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 4, 2014Argentina 3-0 Trinidad and TobagoFriendlyMar 24, 2017Argentina 1-0 ChileWorld Cup QualifiersSep 6, 2017Argentina 1-1 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersSep 9, 2021Argentina 3-0 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersOct 10, 2021Argentina 3-0 UruguayWorld Cup QualifiersMar 23, 2023Argentina 2-0 PanamaFriendlySep 7, 2023Argentina 1-0 EcuadorWorld Cup QualifiersOct 12, 2023Argentina 1-0 ParaguayWorld Cup QualifiersOct 10, 2024Argentina 1-1 VenezuelaWorld Cup QualifiersOct 15, 2024Argentina 6-0 BoliviaWorld Cup QualifiersJun 10, 2025Argentina 1-1 ColombiaWorld Cup QualifiersSep 4, 2025Argentina 3-0 VenezuelaWorld Cup Qualifiers Messi’s trophy haul with Argentina Messi’s international career with Argentina was defined not just by numbers, but by six major titles across youth and senior level. He won the U-20 World Cup in 2005 and Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games with Argentina’s youth sides, laying the foundation for what was to come with the senior national team. As an adult, he added four more to that tally: the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the 2024 Copa America. Those six trophies, combined with his unbeaten record at the Monumental, round out a legacy that stands as the most decorated in Argentine football history.
With Lionel Messi's retirement from the Argentina national team, several players could be in line to inherit the iconic No. 10 shirt. With Lionel Messi’s retirement from the Argentina national team now confirmed, one of the more symbolic questions is who takes over the iconic No. 10 shirt. There is no official word yet on how the decision will be made, and it remains largely speculative at this point, but a handful of names stand out as logical candidates given their standing within the squad. Unlike the captaincy, which typically falls to the most senior or respected figure in the dressing room and now looks set to go to Cristian Romero, the No. 10 carries a different kind of weight in Argentine football, tied directly to the legacies of Diego Maradona and now Messi himself. Whoever wears it next won’t just be filling a number on the roster, they’ll be stepping into a symbol that carries decades of history and expectation. Several established figures within the current squad could realistically be handed the shirt. Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister both carry significant weight in the dressing room and have been core pieces of this Argentina cycle, while Thiago Almada has continued to develop into an increasingly important creative option for Scaloni. Nico Paz, still just breaking into the senior squad, rounds out the list as a longer-term bet given his familiarity with the number at club level with Como. There’s also the possibility that Scaloni opts to hold off entirely, letting the number sit without a clear owner for a stretch while the new-look Argentina finds its footing in the post-Messi era. Franco Mastantuono is the last player other than Lionel Messi to wear the No. 10 jersey for Argentina. (Getty Images) Who wore the 10 when Messi wasn’t there The most direct precedent dates back to September 2025, when Franco Mastantuono wore the No. 10 shirt in Argentina’s World Cup qualifier defeat to Ecuador, with Messi left out of that squad entirely. Going back more than a decade, several others have worn the No. 10 for Argentina whenever Messi wasn’t available: PlayerLast time wearing No. 10Lionel MessiJuly 2026Franco MastantuonoSeptember 2025Angel CorreaMarch 2025Paulo DybalaSeptember 2024Sergio AgueroOctober 2016Ever BanegaSeptember 2016Angel Di MariaNovember 2015Javier PastoreOctober 2015Erik LamelaJune 2015Walter MontilloNovember 2012
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