In the Mexico vs. South Africa game, Julian Quinones scored the first goal of the 2026 World Cup edition. Mexico and South Africa opened the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, June 11, in front of a sellout crowd at the iconic Estadio Azteca. With all eyes on the first game of the competition, Julian Quiñones made his way in history by scoring the first goal of the World Cup. As South Africa attempted to build possession out from the back, midfielder Siphephelo Sithole was suffocated by a high press from Erik Lira, who forced a crucial turnover deep in the attacking third. Quiñones pounced on the loose ball at the edge of the box and unleashed a low, powerful strike that nutmegged goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, opening the tournament’s scoring account in the 8th minute. MEXICO SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP 🇲🇽It's Julián Quiñones in the scoresheet! pic.twitter.com/SnoP04ltFP— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 11, 2026 By finding the back of the net early, Quiñones accounted for the fastest goal scored in a World Cup opening match since Germany’s Philipp Lahm famously curled one past Costa Rica in the 6th minute back in 2006. The gold standard for the earliest goal in a tournament curtain-raiser still belongs to 1934, when Argentina’s Ernesto Belis struck in just the 4th minute against Sweden. Quiñones breaks scoring drought with Mexico Julian Quiñones arrived at the World Cup carrying some of the most scorching club form on the planet, having found the back of the net a stunning 37 times across 35 total appearances for Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah. In fact, the dynamic forward completely stole the headlines by outlasting global heavyweights Ivan Toney and Cristiano Ronaldo in a thrilling Golden Boot race, claiming the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League’s top-scorer crown with 33 goals in 31 domestic matches. In stark contrast, his track record with El Tri had been far less clinical, as he entered the tournament with just two goals in 22 international caps. With his early strike against South Africa, Quiñones not only successfully translated his blistering club form to the international stage, but he also snapped an agonizing national team drought dating back to June 8, 2024, when he last scored in a 3-2 friendly defeat against Brazil. *Developing story…
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has confirmed that Lamine Yamal will miss the team's pre-tournament friendlies. While remaining optimistic about the forward's recovery, the coaching staff has stopped short of guaranteeing his availability for the 2026 World Cup opener. Spain are scheduled to play the first of their two pre-World Cup warm-up matches on Thursday, June 4, against Iraq. Manager Luis de la Fuente will be forced to navigate the fixture without star forward Lamine Yamal due to an ongoing injury. While the manager remains positive regarding the player’s status for Spain’s opening match in North America, there is still a tangible chance he could be sidelined. The Barcelona star suffered a torn biceps femoris in his left hamstring in late April, bringing an early end to his club season. Yamal recently admitted that he initially feared the injury would cost him his spot at the tournament before de la Fuente officially included him in the final 26-man roster. While Yamal’s rehabilitation process remains ongoing and entering in the final stages, his status for Spain‘s Group H opener against Cape Verde on June 15 can’t be confirmed. “It is certain that he is not going to play,” de la Fuente stated during a press conference when asked about the upcoming friendly against Iraq. “The plan is to follow our scheduled timeline, which gives us confidence that he will be ready for June 15. There is still time left, and we will see how he progresses. We might have to pause his workload at some point—I don’t know, I’m just speculating”. El último entrenamiento en nuestra casa.Te echaremos de menos, Ciudad del Fútbol.#VamosEspaña | #CopaMundialFIFA pic.twitter.com/qDr7mpuCTI— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) June 3, 2026 The Spanish manager noted that if Yamal’s rehabilitation continues at a normal rate, he should be fit enough to be part of the matchday squad for the World Cup opener, though he refused to confirm his presence. “It doesn’t guarantee he will play,” de la Fuente concluded. “We will see. He might play a few minutes, or he might just complete a training session to build up his physical load so he can be ready for the second match against Saudi Arabia. We will evaluate it moment by moment“. Nico Williams and Mikel Merino ruled out too Compounding Spain’s short-term selection issues, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino have also been ruled out for the friendly against Iraq. The Athletic Club forward is managing a muscle injury that forced him to miss the final three matches of the domestic season, while the Arsenal midfielder only recently returned to action following foot surgery, playing limited minutes in the Premier League finale. While the long-term outlook remains highly positive for both players, de la Fuente is unwilling to take unnecessary risks. He confirmed they will sit out alongside Yamal to prioritize their full recoveries, though he remains confident all three will be medically cleared before facing Cape Verde. “I believe Lamine, Nico Williams, and Mikel Merino will all be available for the first match,” de la Fuente assured. “I am certain they will be fine. That doesn’t mean we think they have to play right away—we might wait a little longer. But in terms of physical condition, they will be ready”.
Amid rumors surrounding a potential move to Barcelona, Bernardo Silva would reportedly be willing to give up a considerable amount of money. On June 30 of this year, in the middle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Bernardo Silva’s contract with Manchester City will expire, making him a free agent. That will give him the chance to negotiate freely with any club in the world, with Barcelona emerging as the leading favorites. “Aware that his salary in Catalonia will not be even remotely comparable to what he earned at City since his last contract renewal in 2023 (around €16 million per year), Bernardo Silva is willing to do practically anything to become a Barcelona player,” Portuguese outlet A Bola reported on Friday. Barcelona’s financial possibilities are limited compared to other options, which would force a sacrifice from the midfielder. “They have no money and have a more modest two-year contract with an option for a third, and a salary of around €8 million annually. This is practically half of what his lucrative contract with City offered him,” the report added. That means that, instead of the potential $18 million Silva could earn by staying at Manchester City, he would make around $9 million at Barcelona. “This difference could, of course, be mitigated by a generous signing bonus,” A Bola clarified. Hansi Flick, Head Coach of FC Barcelona. Other options for Bernardo Silva Although reports indicate that Bernardo Silva has a clear desire to play for Barcelona next season because of the sporting challenge it represents, there are other possible destinations if the move falls through. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown interest in the 31-year-old midfielder, in what would mean following the path of fellow Portugal national team players Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves and Joao Felix. In that scenario, the financial power of Saudi clubs suggests they could present a more lucrative offer than Barcelona. On the other side of the map, Inter Miami have also emerged as an option, driven by the desire to surround Lionel Messi with top-level talent. However, their current priority appears to be Casemiro, given the need to strengthen the defensive midfield position following Sergio Busquets’ retirement. Barcelona looking to strengthen midfield If negotiations for Bernardo Silva are completed, Barcelona would add another intriguing option to Hansi Flick’s squad. Right now, the team already has several proven midfield talents, including Pedri, Gavi, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo, so it will be interesting to see how the coach arranges his pieces to incorporate a star like Bernardo into his tactical setup.
The attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have launched an investigation into Fifa’s ticketing practices around the 2026 World Cup, focusing specifically on the matches due to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The investigation, announced Wednesday by New York’s Letitia James and New Jersey’s Jennifer Davenport, centers on fans who say they were misled about the location of the seats and on claims that Fifa’s own public messaging around tickets has contributed to the inflated prices seen throughout the tournament.
Julian Quinones, the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winner, has now made a crucial decision about his future, a development that could shape the balance of power in the competition ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest triumph in Saudi Arabia may have brought celebrations to Al-Nassr, but another major storyline quickly emerged around one of the league’s most dangerous forwards. Julian Quinones, the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winner, has now made a crucial decision about his future, a development that could shape the balance of power in the competition ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The race between Cristiano Ronaldo, Ivan Toney, and Julian Quinones became one of the defining stories of the Saudi season. While Al-Nassr eventually lifted the league title, the battle for individual scoring honors produced drama until the final matchday, with Quinones remarkably stealing the spotlight. The 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season ended with one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory. Heading into the final round, Ivan Toney led the scoring chart with 32 goals for Al-Ahli, while Quinones followed closely with 30, and Ronaldo remained within reach with 26. Everything changed in the closing hours of the campaign. Quinones exploded with a hat-trick in Al-Qadsiah’s 5-1 victory over Al-Ittihad, finishing the season with 33 league goals in 31 appearances. Meanwhile, Toney failed to score during Al-Ahli’s final match against Al-Khaleej. Ronaldo scored twice in Al-Nassr’s 4-1 win over Damac, but his final tally of 28 goals was not enough to secure a third consecutive Golden Boot. Ronaldo still protects a historic record Even though Ronaldo missed out on the individual award, his influence over Saudi soccer continues to dominate the league. The Portuguese forward still owns the all-time single-season Saudi Pro League scoring record with 35 goals, a mark established during the 2023-24 campaign. That record survived another intense challenge this season. Neither Quinones nor Toney managed to surpass the extraordinary total Ronaldo produced at the age of 39, further strengthening the Al-Nassr captain’s legacy in the region. Hat-trick on the final day to become the 🔝 scorer in the #RoshnSaudiLeague? Just Julian Quinones things 😎 🎩 pic.twitter.com/hcpThT81q9— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) May 24, 2026 Ronaldo also achieved a long-awaited milestone by helping Al-Nassr secure the Saudi Pro League title for the first time since 2019. After years of frustration and near misses, the Portuguese superstar finally lifted the domestic trophy that had previously escaped him in Saudi Arabia. Quinones makes official decision on his future As speculation around his future intensified following his Golden Boot triumph, Julian Quinones officially signed a contract renewal with Al-Qadisiyah until 2029, ending rumors about a potential departure. The Saudi club confirmed the extension through a high-profile social media announcement, presenting the Mexico international as one of the central figures of its long-term project. The club revealed the agreement was finalized alongside CEO James Bisgrove at the club’s headquarters in Khobar. البانثيرا مكمل .. كتابة تاريخه معانا 🐅✍🏻#القادسية | #جوليان_مكمل pic.twitter.com/1j4J761OYw— نادي القادسية السعودي (@Alqadsiah) May 25, 2026 The renewal represents a massive statement from Al-Qadisiyah, especially after Quinones established himself as one of the league’s elite forwards. Since arriving from Club America in 2024, he has reportedly contributed 62 goals and 12 assists for the club. المجد باقي .. من فصوله كثير 🐅❤️#القادسية | #جوليان_مكمل pic.twitter.com/BmrtWgEhyJ— نادي القادسية السعودي (@Alqadsiah) May 25, 2026 His performances throughout the season consistently delivered results in decisive moments. The striker collected 14 Man of the Match awards during the campaign, underlining his importance to the club.
Celtic legend Jim Craig, a revered member of the club’s iconic 1967 European Cup-winning squad, has revealed to the public that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Craig, who amassed more than 230 appearances for the Glasgow side, informed The Herald that he received the diagnosis for the irreversible brain disorder in 2022. While numerous former footballers have been diagnosed with brain conditions, often linked to the repeated heading of heavy footballs, Craig remains unconvinced that his own situation is directly connected to his playing career.
As the La Liga season enters its final stretch with Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe could miss out on a major individual award. The past few weeks have been turbulent for Real Madrid, with disappointing results on the field and controversy surrounding the club off it. Kylian Mbappe has not been immune to that situation, and now he could lose one of La Liga’s most prestigious individual honors. With two matches remaining in the 2025-26 Spanish league season, Mbappe currently leads the La Liga scoring race. He has scored 24 goals in 36 matchdays, although he has appeared in only 29 of those games. His seven absences were caused by physical issues, first involving his knee and more recently muscular problems. In that context, the French forward’s lead in the scoring standings is being threatened by an unexpected challenger. Vedat Muriqi has enjoyed an outstanding campaign with Mallorca, scoring 22 goals this season. He also holds the advantage of having played in 35 of the club’s 36 matches, missing only one game through suspension. Muriqi’s goals have been crucial in keeping Mallorca alive in La Liga. The club currently occupies one of the relegation spots, sitting 18th in the standings. However, they are level on points with Levante and Elche, and only one point behind Alaves and Girona, meaning their survival hopes remain very much alive. Vedat Muriqi of RCD Mallorca. That motivation could prove decisive for Vedat Muriqi in the final matches of the season, knowing his goals may help the team avoid relegation. Mbappe’s situation appears less encouraging, as he continues to deal with physical issues amid tensions with Alvaro Arbeloa while seemingly focusing more on the 2026 FIFA World Cup with France than on Real Madrid’s final two league games. What’s next for Mbappe and Muriqi in La Liga? The race for La Liga’s Pichichi Trophy appears to be down to Kylian Mbappe (24 goals) and Vedat Muriqi (22), with only two goals separating them. Far behind are Osasuna’s Ante Budimir (17) and Barcelona’s Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal (16). Each forward’s remaining two matches could prove decisive. Real Madrid will first travel to face Sevilla on Sunday before closing the campaign against Athletic Club in Matchday 38. Muriqi, meanwhile, will battle for survival with Mallorca against Levante and Real Oviedo. Mbappe used to finishing as league top scorer The season after joining Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappe won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot for the first time at just 20 years old. From that point on, he claimed the award in every season he played in France. In fact, the striker finished as Ligue 1’s top scorer for six consecutive years, outperforming even teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi. After joining Real Madrid in 2024, that scoring dominance carried over to Spain, where he finished as La Liga’s top scorer in his debut season. Now, he is trying to retain that honor for a second straight year.
After the disagreement between Alvaro Arbeloa and Kylian Mbappé, an old tweet from the Real Madrid manager about the player resurfaced. Fans do not have much time to read good news about their club as Real Madrid goes from one scandal to another. Kylian Mbappé was the one who unexpectedly started this latest issue with Álvaro Arbeloa over his benching. However, an old tweet from the manager has resurfaced. Arbeloa wrote: “Mbappé is like young Luke Skywalker. You know that sooner or later he’ll dominate the world. He’s a beast!” Fans dug it up because it was posted on June 20, 2018, when the Frenchman was dazzling as a teenager at the World Cup his country won with him as the main attacking player. It was a curious reminder of what Arbeloa thinks of Mbappé as a player. However, it is very possible that the manager is now tired of the player’s antics, especially after the two gave different versions of the conversation they had before the match against Real Oviedo. Mbappé es como el joven Luke Skywalker. Sabes que tarde o temprano dominará el mundo.¡Es una bestia!— Álvaro Arbeloa (@aarbeloa17) June 30, 2018 Arbeloa-Mbappé incident This was not a dispute like the one last week between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, which left the Uruguayan out for 10 to 14 days. It was a difference in what they told the media after the win. The player said Arbeloa left him out of the lineup because he was the fourth forward behind Franco Mastantuono, Vinicius and Gonzalo García, which was a question for the manager. When Arbeloa was asked about what Mbappé had said minutes earlier, he reacted with surprise and said he did not say that phrase to Mbappé, turning it into another scandal. The final matches Real Madrid must finish the season in a more respectable way after failing to win a title despite the club’s history. While they will not move from second place behind Barcelona, they need to get wins to calm their fans a bit. Their final matches are against Sevilla away and Athletic Club at home.
Real Madrid will be hosting Real Oviedo for La Liga, but Kylian Mbappe's absence in the starting XI raised eyebrows among fans. Real Madrid return to the Santiago Bernabeu this Thursday, May 14, to host Real Oviedo for Matchday 36 of the 2025-26 La Liga season. While several of Los Blancos’ heavy hitters made the cut, the glaring omission of Kylian Mbappe from the starting XI has sent shockwaves through the Madridista fanbase. Mbappe will begin today’s match on the bench due to a tactical decision by manager Alvaro Arbeloa. While the Frenchman has officially recovered from the last-minute injury that kept him out of El Clasico against Barcelona, Arbeloa has opted to ease the superstar back into action rather than handed him a starting role. After battling back from a torn muscle fiber, Mbappe reportedly felt minor discomfort in the final training session before the duel with Barcelona, according to Marca. He has since resumed full training with the squad at Valdebebas and is said to be eager to see the field as the season reaches its final days. Per reports out of Spain, Mbappe is determined to play a part in Real Madrid’s final three fixtures against Oviedo, Sevilla, and Athletic Club. With the 2026 World Cup just weeks away, the forward is focused on regaining his match fitness and sharpness before joining the French national team in June. 📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!🆚 @RealOviedo👉 @UnicajaBanco pic.twitter.com/1KNmE4GlJL— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) May 14, 2026 The move to include him in the squad comes as a surprise following reports from The Athletic suggesting Mbappe wanted to skip the remaining home games to avoid the hostile atmosphere and jeers from the Bernabeu crowd. However, it appears his priority has shifted toward being physically ready for France’s World Cup defense. Real Madrid deal with two more significant absences Arbeloa is still fielding a competitive side, with regulars like Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Vinicius Junior all named to the starting lineup. However, with Real Madrid mathematically out of the La Liga title race, the manager is taking some notable risks with his team selection. The most shocking exclusion alongside Mbappe is Jude Bellingham, who will also start the match on the bench. Furthermore, Federico Valverde, a pillar of the squad this season and frequent captain, is missing from the squad list entirely following the training ground clash with Tchouameni.
A stoppage-time eruption and a crying Manolo González means the Catalan club’s long-awaited victory changes everythingAfter 143 days and many more sleepless nights Manolo González was liberated, if only for a little while. In the 92nd minute of the 19th game of 2026, something amazing happened: Espanyol won and Espanyol went wild. A goal up against Athletic Club, a late Gorka Guruzeta header had shaken them more than the post it hit, a familiar fatalism refusing to leave, and they were desperately hanging on to what they had now and had lost too many times before, whistling for this suffering to finally end, when at last they could let go. “You have to be strong in life but, bloody hell, we all have limits,” González said, and they had reached theirs but now, on a Wednesday evening in May, they were released.Ramon Terrats, a boyhood Espanyol, nodded the ball on. Kike García, the only member of the squad born in the 80s and a man with a bit of the 80s about him, a 36-year-old, 6ft 1in, 12-stone striker they call the “labourer of goals”, a sub who had only been out there six minutes, ran on to it. Keeping his head, he guided a shot past Unai Simón so everyone else could lose theirs. The clock said 91.06. The scoreboard said 2-0. The table said: 14th, 42 points, 11 wins. And 29,943 people said: argrhjrfujhkngsafkjhfskljdzrogjdgixjkgjhlkbxcfh. As for González, he broke down and cried. Continue reading...
