Arsenal · UEFA Nations League · Goalkeeper · #1 · Spain · 30 yrs
England legend Wayne Rooney has made his predictions for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and believes neither Argentina nor France will reach the final. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday with Mexico’s 2-0 victory over South Africa. In the coming days, some of the tournament’s biggest contenders, including France and Argentina, will begin their campaigns. However, England legend Wayne Rooney does not believe either side will make it back to the final. During an interview with BBC Sport, a group of former soccer stars that included Alan Shearer and Olivier Giroud were asked for their predictions ahead of this summer’s FIFA tournament. Rooney was among them and made his stance on two of the leading contenders clear. “England and Spain will make the final,” said the former Manchester United striker, who appeared in three World Cups with the Three Lions. He then added his preferred outcome for the title match: “Hopefully England will win it.” Rooney’s prediction is backed by the recent form of Thomas Tuchel’s side, which have won all of their matches in the European qualifiers and arrive at North America 2026 with their key players in excellent form. “I’m going with Kane to get the Golden Boot,” Wayne added. Former England star Wayne Rooney. Rooney’s potential surprise teams at the 2026 World Cup In the same conversation, Wayne Rooney was asked which teams could emerge as surprise packages during the tournament. “Norway could do quite well,” he began, referring to the team led by Erling Haaland. He then added another contender: “I like Ecuador too.” In a separate interview with Daily Mail, Rooney answered a similar set of questions and expanded on several other predictions. For example, when asked about the tournament’s best goalkeeper, he named a Premier League star: “Maybe David Raya, if he plays.” That caveat is significant, as all indications suggest Unai Simon will start in goal for Spain. Rooney defines what would qualify as a flop at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finally, when asked which team could be the biggest disappointment of the World Cup, Wayne Rooney was cautious in his response. “It’s hard to flop, to be honest. Any of the big teams if they don’t go past the last 32, then I suppose that’s a flop,” he said. That assessment is tied to the tournament’s expanded format. In addition to the top two teams from each group, eight of the 12 third-place finishers will also advance to the knockout stages. The new structure increases every team’s chances of progressing, and combined with the addition of 16 more teams than in previous editions, it means several lower-ranked nations are now in the field. Those factors should allow the traditional powerhouses to reach the Round of 32 without major difficulty.
Arsenal trio Declan Rice, Gabriel and David Raya have been nominated for the Professional Footballers' Association men's player of the year award alongside Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki. Midfielder Rice, defender Gabriel and goalkeeper Raya were all key players as Arsenal won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.
Ousmane Dembele converted a penalty kick to score the equalizer for PSG against Arsenal in the Champions League final. Ousmane Dembele delivered when his team needed him most, converting from the penalty spot to level the score for PSG against Arsenal in the Champions League final at the Puskas Arena. Following a build-up play from PSG, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia drove into Arsenal‘s box, where Spanish defender Christian Mosquera committed a foul while attempting to win the ball, resulting in a penalty. Dembele stepped up to the spot and sent a precise strike past David Raya into the far corner of the net. The equalizer at the Puskas Arena keeps PSG‘s hopes alive as they look to capture the European championship for the second consecutive year. With this goal, the French forward reached eight tallies in this Champions League campaign, making him the team’s second-highest scorer behind Kvaratskhelia, who leads the squad with 10 goals. ¡GOOOOOL DEL PSG! ¡MOSQUERA COMETE PENAL! 🤯🔥Terrible error del jugador del Arsenal, Dembélé anota desde los once pasos y pone el 1-1 pic.twitter.com/oCbtx5oY1K— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) May 30, 2026 PSG chasing back-to-back Champions League titles PSG have the opportunity to join a select group of clubs that have won the Champions League in consecutive seasons. Following their 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the 2025 final, the French side can secure its first back-to-back title by defeating Arsenal. In the modern UEFA Champions League era, which began with the tournament’s rebrand for the 1992–93 season, Real Madrid is the only club to successfully defend its title. The Spanish giants captured three consecutive championships under manager Zinedine Zidane, winning in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Prior to the tournament’s rebranding, several clubs achieved back-to-back titles during the European Cup era, including Benfica, Inter Milan, Ajax, Nottingham Forest, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, AC Milan, and Real Madrid.
When that red banner with white text appeared across the Sky Sports broadcast of the Bournemouth v Manchester City game announcing Arsenal as champions, many remarked that it felt like Fifa. Add to that the strangeness of Martin Odegaard actually lifting the trophy over his head at Selhurst Park on Sunday - though perhaps that was just because David Raya was dressed head to toe in the Arsenal home kit. There are subtle differences, though.
David Raya fastens his gloves and breathes out. This is Moss Rose, home of National League side Macclesfield Town and a teenage Spanish goalkeeper is embarking on a journey that will lead him to the biggest stage in European football. In front of fewer than 1,500 spectators, Raya was part of a Southport side beaten 3-0 by Macclesfield in September 2014.
The World Cup list of Spain had many players from Barcelona, which Iker Casillas linked with their financial issues. The World Cup squad that Luis de la Fuente announced for Spain brought contrasting reactions between the two giants: Barcelona have eight players, while Real Madrid did not get a single call-up. For Iker Casillas, there is a clear explanation. He made the comments during a Kings League conversation with Gerard Piqué. Casillas said: “Everything has a process. For there to be that many Barcelona players, the club had to go through a major financial crisis that forced them to rely on the academy. Then it’s a matter of whether the young players are good enough or not, but for that you first have to trust them and give them continuity.” The two legends were champions in 2010 in South Africa, with the goalkeeper being the team’s standout player as they analyzed the squad list, a list they mostly agreed with following the manager’s decision on Monday. Casillas on the goalkeepers One of the main doubts before the list was announced was in goal. Unai Simón is the clear starter for de la Fuente, not only because of his performances with Athletic Club, but also because of his strong record with the national team. García was chosen to be the third goalkeeper of Spain (Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The other logical choice was backup David Raya, who has had an excellent season with Arsenal that could even end with a Champions League title. However, the difficult decision was to leave Joan García ahead of Alex Remiro. Casillas said: “The goalkeeper position was the most well covered. García had a good season. The ones de la Fuente has called up are fine, I would still agree even if he had included others.” Casillas on the absence of Real Madrid players Another major talking point around the list was the absence of Real Madrid players for the first time ever, which sparked controversy because of the team’s level. That was also something the legend addressed. Casillas said: “I, having played in Real Madrid’s academy and being Spanish, am frustrated that none have been called up, it’s tough.”
Honourable mentions must go to Gabriel's late winner at St James' Park, Eberechi Eze's hat-trick against Spurs. To turn defending your own goal with a narrow lead in the last minute of stoppage time into a sure goal over that distance is pure football magic. Outstanding performers this season have been: Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel and David Raya.
Opta have conjured up their Premier League team of the season based on data collected throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Four Arsenal players have been selected in the XI following their title-winning endeavours, as Mikel Arteta's side lifted the Premier League trophy for the first time in 22 years. David Raya (goalkeeper): Raya ended the season with four clean sheets in Arsenal's last five matches, including a season-defining save against West Ham, as the Gunners closed in on their first title since 2004.
