Steve Clarke has been inducted into the Scottish football hall of fame as he prepares to lead Scotland in their first men's World Cup for 28 years. The 62-year-old has also steered Scotland to successive European Championships since taking charge in 2019. As a player, Clarke turned out for St Mirren and Chelsea - where he won the Uefa Cup, FA Cup and League Cup - and earned six Scotland caps.
The number-one goalkeeper spot at Brighton will be "potentially a big headache" for Fabian Hurzeler next season, says former Seagulls defender Guy Butters. Current first choice Bart Verbruggen, who played every minute of the Premier League campaign, has been linked with a move away - including to Spurs in Wednesday's BBC Sport gossip column. Of their other goalkeeping options, Carl Rushworth has impressed on loan at Coventry City this season as Frank Lampard's side won the Championship, while Jason Steele will travel to the USA with Thomas Tuchel's England squad to help with training.
England will head into the 2026 World Cup with several familiar stars watching from home after Thomas Tuchel left Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, Phil Foden, and other major names out of his final 26-man squad. England will head into the 2026 World Cup with several familiar stars watching from home after Thomas Tuchel left Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, Phil Foden, and other major names out of his final 26-man squad. The decision has immediately sparked debate across English soccer, with the German manager making it clear that reputation alone would not secure a place on the plane to North America. The squad announcement marks the beginning of a new era for the national team. Tuchel has chosen a group built around intensity, balance, and tactical discipline, while also placing trust in younger players and experienced figures he believes can handle the pressure of a long tournament. England supporters were expecting difficult decisions, but few anticipated omissions on this scale. Palmer, Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, and Luke Shaw were all left out despite their importance in previous tournaments. Instead, Tuchel selected players such as Ivan Toney, Djed Spence, Dan Burn, Kobbie Mainoo, and Noni Madueke, showing he values specific roles and chemistry over star power. The inclusion of Toney, who has scored 32 goals in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli, was one of the biggest surprises of the announcement. England’s substitutions. The Three Lions’ squad still contains elite talent through Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice. However, the overall shape of the group suggests Tuchel is prioritizing collective cohesion rather than assembling the most individually gifted names available. England squad in full and how Tuchel explained the omissions Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City) Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City) Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona/Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) It’s official. Your #ThreeLions players heading to the @FIFAWorldCup! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/lqsDBYSP4X— England (@England) May 22, 2026 The England manager eventually explained the thinking behind his controversial decisions, insisting the World Cup would be won through unity rather than fame. “From day one, we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said. “Teams win championships. It’s as simple as that.” The German coach believes England’s previous generations often relied too heavily on individual brilliance, and he now wants a squad fully committed to tactical discipline and team spirit. “I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26 100-per-cent committed players in camp with us who are ready to buy into their role on and off the pitch,” he added. Tuchel also admitted the phone calls with the omitted players were emotional. “It was difficult, sometimes painfully difficult,” he explained. “I felt the emotion.” Why Palmer and Foden missed out The absences of Palmer and Foden have become the biggest talking point surrounding the squad. Both attacking midfielders were considered central figures for England’s future only a year ago, but inconsistent club campaigns ultimately damaged their chances. Foden struggled to reproduce his best form for Manchester
Al Nassr won the Saudi Pro League, marking Cristiano Ronaldo’s 36th career title. But how many trophies does Lionel Messi have? This Thursday, Al Nassr defeated Damac in the final match of the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season and secured the title. For Cristiano Ronaldo, the victory marked his 36th professional trophy, an impressive milestone that places him among the most decorated players in soccer history. However, he still trails Lionel Messi, who leads the all-time rankings with 48 trophies. Since joining Al Nassr in December 2022, Ronaldo had been chasing his first official title with the Saudi club. After losing three finals and winning the unofficial 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, he finally achieved that goal. The achievement also allows Ronaldo to maintain a remarkable streak: winning at least one title with every club he has played for. Early in his career, he captured the 2002 Portuguese Super Cup with Sporting CP. At Manchester United, he won 10 trophies, including one UEFA Champions League title and three Premier League crowns. Later, the most successful stretch of his career came with Real Madrid, where Ronaldo won 16 trophies, including two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. With Juventus, he added five domestic titles, while with the Portugal national team, he won the Euro 2016 title and two UEFA Nations League trophies. Lionel Messi is the most decorated player of all time. Lionel Messi’s titles While Cristiano Ronaldo’s 36 titles are impressive, they still fall short compared to Lionel Messi’s record. The Argentine forward not only leads this comparison but is also the most decorated player in soccer history with 48 trophies. Most of Messi’s titles came during his 17 years with Barcelona, where he won 35 trophies, including four Champions League titles and 10 La Liga championships. At Paris Saint-Germain, Leo added three more trophies, while with Argentina, he claimed six, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup title. More recently, Messi lifted three trophies with Inter Miami: the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup. Messi leads all-time trophy rankings With his Saudi Pro League triumph, Cristiano Ronaldo is now just one title away from breaking into the top 10 players with the most trophies in soccer history. Once there, he would join legends such as Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta, Karim Benzema, and Gerard Pique. Here is the list of players with the most trophies in soccer history: 1- Lionel Messi (48)2- Dani Alves (43)3- Marquinhos (42)4- Andres Iniesta (40)4- Hossam Hassan (40)6- David Alaba (39)6- Hossam Ashour (39)8- Karim Benzema (38)8- Gerard Pique (38)10- Maxwell (37)11- Sergio Busquets (36)11- Angel Di Maria (36)11- Cristiano Ronaldo (36)11- Ryan Giggs (36)11- Ibrahim Hassan (36)
