Messi, winner of a record eight Ballon d'Or trophies, faces stiff competition from one of the deepest fields in history. Lavelle was nominated for the first time since 2019 when she finished eighth. She led Gotham FC to its second NWSL title in 2025. Lavelle's U.S. teammate Lily Yohannes is among the nominees for the Women's Young Talent of the Year. The post BALLON D’OR: Lionel Messi and Rose Lavelle are nominated for 2026 awards appeared first on Soccer America.
Morgan Whittaker could make his MLS debut for the Colorado Rapids this week, as they prepare for a trip to Q2 Stadium to face Austin FC. The post Wells confident Whittaker will bring ‘individual magic’ to Colorado’s attack appeared first on SoccerNews.
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (Picture: YouTube) Ryan Giggs has revealed Pep Guardiola expressed his huge admiration for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford in front of Sir Alex Ferguson. Giggs recalled a dinner he attended with then-Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Old Trafford legend Ferguson ‘about eight or nine years ago’. At one point during the night out, Giggs asked Guardiola which Manchester United players he most admired, believing David de Gea would be his go-to answer. De Gea was one of the best goalkeepers in the world at the time, winning United’s Player of the Year award four times in the space of five seasons. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. But Guardiola instead singled out Rashford for praise, insisting he would ‘take him at Man City tomorrow’. Rashford reached double figures in each of his first five full seasons after breaking into the first team at Old Trafford, scoring 22 goals in 2019-20 and 21 the year after. Man Utd and England star Marcus Rashford (Picture: Getty) The England star’s best season for the Red Devils came in 2022-23 when he netted an impressive 30 goals in all competitions. Rashford’s numbers have tailed off since then and his United future looked in huge threat after he was banished by Ruben Amorim and loaned out to Barcelona. The 28-year-old was keen to stay at the Nou Camp on a permanent transfer but Barca opted to send him back to Manchester United. Former Man City boss Pep Guardiola (Picture: Getty) Recalling his surreal night out with legendary managers Guardiola and Ferguson, Giggs said on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel: ‘There’s about eight of us, so he [Ferguson] sat me next to Pep, this was about, I’m going to say about eight or nine years ago. ‘I’ve gone to Pep and said, “you know, who do you like at Manchester United?”, and he went, “well, who do you think?” ‘So I went, David De Gea? He went, no. Luke Shaw? I was just like, no. He said the best player at Man United, Marcus Rashford. He said he would take him tomorrow. Alex Ferguson with Pep Guardiola in 2011 (Picture: Getty) ‘And that just made me [think], what’s Pep seeing in Rashford? And that was obviously when Marcus was playing as a centre forward.’ Giggs, one of the best players of his generation and an all-time legend at Manchester United, also revealed how he tried to persuade Elliot Anderson to join the club over the summer. Michael Carrick was keen to bring the England midfielder to Old Trafford but he ended up completing a stunning £116m move to Manchester City. Manchester City summer signing Elliot Anderson (Picture: PA) ‘It was literally a few days before he went to the World Cup,’ Giggs said, recalling an encounter with Anderson on a golf course while on holiday. ‘I peppered him. He didn’t know how to take it at first, and then he relaxed a little bit. ‘But for the first four or five holes, we were literally crossing. And at the end of it, he went, “will you just leave me alone… will you just let me play my golf, please? You’re in trouble!”‘ Ferdinand then revealed he has also tried to convince Manchester United transfer targets to make the move. ‘That’s what I do when I see some players,’ the former centre-back said. ‘I don’t care, you’ve got to try all sorts to get these deals over. ‘It’s mad, though. Obviously, the price tag was crazy. And it’s just like astronomical money. And Man United ain’t got the budget to pay for that.’ Giggs is one of the most decorated footballers of all time, having won 13 Premier League titles, eight domestic cups and two Champions Leagues during his 24-year spell at Manchester United. 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
Man City would ultimately land Anderson for £116million in the summer, with Man United going on to sign Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos in their midfield overhaul.
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