According to Inter Miami insider Jose Armando, the team will qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup if it beats New England Revolution in Sunday’s clash at Gillette Stadium.

The scenario became clearer after the games played on Saturday, where New England and Vancouver Whitecaps secured their places without playing their respective games, which leaves only one spot available.

Inter Miami could have had a complicated afternoon if FC Dallas had beaten Sporting Kansas City, but a penalty missed by Petar Musa in the final minute left the match tied. As a result, the Herons control their own destiny, and a win would earn them a ticket to the international competition.

Kily Gonzalez hints at changes in Inter Miami’s lineup

Head coach Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez anticipated that there will be changes in the starting lineup for the trip to New England. “Surely there will be modifications, there will be changes, but I base myself on the day-to-day, and I’m never one to make excuses,” he said, adding that the Revolution are a team above them and that the match must be treated as a final.

The Argentine coach also looked back at the 2-2 draw with Cincinnati, a game his team couldn’t win, and called for a response. “It’s the moment to recover what we have done again. It’s not that we forgot how to play, far from it. We have to keep improving, because important things are coming, and this match can mark us for the future,” he said. The coach closed with a message of confidence: “I fully trust that we’re going to be up to the task”.

With a spot in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup on the line, Inter Miami head into the game knowing that the margin for error is small. Whatever changes Gonzalez has in mind, the message from the dressing room is clear: the Herons have their fate in their own hands, and one win would be enough to turn a complicated season into a successful one.

Yamal scored a brace and provided an assist in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Alaves, standing out as the star of the night. The winger had already been involved in the team’s attack before finding the net himself, including a long pass that set up Fermin Lopez for the second goal of the match.

According to the statistician MisterChip, Yamal will enter November with at least 10 goals and 10 assists in all competitions for Barcelona (he currently has 12 goals and 10 assists after his brace against Alaves).

With those numbers, he became the first player in Spanish football to reach that mark since Messi in 2011, when the Argentine arrived on Oct. 31 with 19 goals and 11 assists in one of the best seasons of his career.

The comparison shows how complete the teenager’s game has become. Yamal is not only scoring but creating chances for his teammates, and that mix has made him the engine of Barcelona’s attack. With the season still young, he has time to keep adding to those numbers and to stay in the conversation with the best years of the player who wore the same shirt before him.

Yamal and Raphinha form the most lethal duo in Spanish football in 86 years

The numbers go beyond Yamal’s individual night. According to MisterChip, Raphinha (15 goals) and Yamal (10) have combined for 25 goals in the first 11 matchdays of the 2026-27 LaLiga season, a figure no pair of teammates had reached in that span for 86 years.

The last duo to do it was Pruden (17) and Campos (8) of Atletico Madrid in 1940-41, and only one pair has scored more in the first 11 matchdays of a LaLiga campaign: Bata (16) and Iraragorri (10) of Athletic Club, who combined for 26 in 1930-31.

Raphinha and Yamal, who were already part of a Barcelona attack that came into the match averaging four goals per game, now sit second on that list and have put themselves in a place reserved for the most prolific partnerships in the league’s history.

The Brazilian winger is having a standout 2026-27 campaign, and his latest performance at home has put him alongside two of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen.

Raphinha scored twice in the first half as Barcelona took a commanding 4-0 lead over Alaves before halftime, in Matchday 11 of LaLiga. His brace allowed him to write his name in the history books of Spanish football next to the Argentine and the Portuguese.

With that brace, the winger reached 15 goals in the first 11 matches of the 2026-27 season, a feat that only two players had achieved over the last 75 seasons, according to the statistician on X, MisterChip.

Ronaldo set the standard in 2014-15, when he scored 18 goals for Real Madrid in the first 11 games, a pace that left every defense in the league scrambling. Two seasons earlier, Messi had reached 15 for Barcelona in 2012-13, in a campaign that showed how unstoppable the Argentine was at his peak. Now Raphinha has matched the Blaugrana icon’s tally and sits behind only the Portuguese, a place in LaLiga history that few expected him to reach.

Raphinha surpasses Lewandowski and Ballesta

Raphinha’s first goal of the afternoon, in the 23rd minute, had already taken him to 14 in 11 games. That figure put him level with three other players on the list of 14 or more goals in the first 11 matchdays of a LaLiga season over the last 50 seasons: Robert Lewandowski, who did it with Barcelona in 2024-25, Messi himself in 2011-12, and Salva Ballesta, who reached it with Racing in 1999-00.

His second goal, in the 41st minute, took him to 15 and left all three behind. The Blaugrana winger is now ahead of his former teammate Lewandowski, the Spanish striker Ballesta, and the 2011-12 version of Messi, and only the Argentine’s 2012-13 campaign (15) and Ronaldo’s 2014-15 season (18) remain at or above his mark.

Raphinha has turned Barcelona’s attack into his own personal stage this season, and the record books are starting to take notice. His first 11 matchdays will be remembered alongside those of two legends, and the Brazilian has made it clear that his name belongs in the conversation about the best starts LaLiga has ever seen.

The American forward found the net from close range after a cross from Diego Moreira on the right side, sending the ball into the corner past the Inter defense. The goal gives Ruben Amorim’s side an early boost in a match they entered looking to bounce back from a 4-2 defeat to Bologna.

Adrien Rabiot extended the lead soon after. In the 10th minute, the French midfielder doubled the advantage for AC Milan, finishing from a corner delivery to make it 2-0 and leave Inter Milan stunned just minutes after Pulisic’s opener.

Milan came into the derby in fifth place with 18 points, seven behind league leaders Inter, who were unbeaten and sat on 25 points after nine matches. A win would help the Rossoneri close that gap in the standings and could change the mood around the club after a difficult week.

Inter Milan pulls one back, but Moreira extends the lead

Inter Milan responded in the 22nd minute to cut the deficit and bring the Derby della Madonnina back to life. Alessandro Bastoni rose to head home from a corner, making it 2-1 and giving the Nerazzurri a lifeline after Milan’s fast start. The goal came after Pulisic and Rabiot had put the Rossoneri two goals up in the first 10 minutes.

The hope did not last long for the league leaders. In first-half stoppage time, Moreira, who had set up Pulisic’s opener, restored Milan’s two-goal cushion with a free kick that went over the wall and past Inter goalkeeper Martinez, making it 3-1 at San Siro before halftime.

With the score at 3-1, Milan are in command of the derby, but the second half still has plenty to offer. Inter, unbeaten and at the top of the table, will push to get back into a match that slipped away from them just before the break, while Amorim’s side will look to hold on to their advantage in one of the biggest nights of their season.

The news was confirmed by assistant coach Aaron Danks, who is standing in for Vincent Kompany, at the pre-match press conference. “It’s coming a bit too early for Manuel Neuer, he still has pain in his foot,” Danks said, adding that the 40-year-old goalkeeper “has to keep watching” how he progresses. The club did not give a timeline for his return.

Neuer has already missed the Champions League match against Viking Stavanger, the Bundesliga games against RB Leipzig and Freiburg, and the cup tie against Magdeburg. He returned to the team for the Champions League game against Arsenal, but has been out again since.

In his absence, Jonas Urbig will start in goal once again against Dortmund. The 22-year-old has stepped in on several occasions this season, and he will now face one of the biggest tests of his young career in a match that could decide who sets the pace at the top of the Bundesliga.

Bayern’s injury list ahead of the Klassiker

Neuer is not the only absence for Bayern in the match. Jamal Musiala, Luis Diaz and Bara Ndiaye are also injured, which leaves Danks without several important options for the game.

There was good news for the club, however: Joshua Kimmich is in the starting XI after training with the team for the first time on Oct. 30, a quick return that gives Bayern a key piece in midfield for the Klassiker.

Despite the list of absences, Danks was confident ahead of the match. “It’s a big game, the whole world is watching it. We are ready,” he said. Sporting director Max Eberl, for his part, said the equal standing in the table “automatically means a level playing field,” but stressed that the club wants to win and “leave that level playing field”.

The Kopa Trophy is decided by the votes of former Ballon d’Or winners, who each choose three players and give them five, three and one points in order of preference. The award recognizes the best player under 21, and the rules prioritize individual performances, the ability to be decisive and the impression left on the pitch, followed by team performance, titles, class and fair play.

Messi voted for Yamal in first place and Cubarsi in second, but his third choice was Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza. The Argentine was the only one of the 27 former winners who included the 20-year-old Algerian in his top three, and that single point left Maza ninth in the final standings, ahead of Johan Manzambi and behind Eli Junior Kroupi.

Maza also became the first Algerian player to reach the list of ten candidates, thanks to his season at Leverkusen, where he has three goals and three assists in 11 matches, and his role at the 2026 World Cup.

Yamal won the award after a close battle with his Barcelona teammate Cubarsi, who finished second, while Warren Zaire-Emery completed the podium in third place. It was the third consecutive year that the Spanish winger took home the trophy, after his wins in 2024 and 2025.

The World Cup connection between Messi and Maza

The vote has a clear link to the World Cup. Maza faced Messi and Argentina in their opening match of the tournament in Kansas City, a 3-0 win for Argentina in which the captain scored a hat-trick. Despite the result, the midfielder had a standout performance for Algeria and set up a goal for Fares Chaibi that was ruled out for offside.

For Maza, the gesture from one of the greatest players in history is a recognition that goes beyond the standings, and for Messi, it is a reminder that his eye for talent extends to those who were on the other side of the pitch.

While Yamal and Cubarsi are the faces of a new generation, the Algerian midfielder now has a story to tell: the player who, after a World Cup match in which Messi dominated, earned his vote for one of the most prestigious individual awards in the sport.

Before turning 30 on Feb. 5, 2015, Ronaldo had scored 463 goals and 30 hat-tricks, during a first stage that took him from Sporting to Manchester United and then to Real Madrid, where he became one of the most dominant forwards the sport has ever seen. It was a career that, by itself, would have been enough to place him among the greatest.

Since then, the Portuguese forward has added 522 goals and 37 hat-tricks to his tally, in a second stage that includes his time at Real Madrid, Juventus, a return to Manchester United and now Al Nassr. That means he has scored 59 more goals and seven more hat-tricks after turning 30 than he did before.

The latest example came recently, when Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in just 15 minutes in Al Nassr’s 5-3 win over Al Kholood. At 41, he has reached 985 career goals and is now 15 away from the 1,000 mark, a milestone that seemed impossible just a few years ago.

Can Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals in 2026?

With 15 goals still needed and less than two months left in the year, the question is whether Ronaldo can reach 1,000 before the end of 2026. The published schedule gives him up to 13 matches: 11 with Al Nassr across the Saudi Pro League and continental competition, starting with the trip to Pakhtakor on Nov. 2, and two with Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.

That means he would need to average 1.15 goals per game if he plays all 13, and 1.36 if he plays only the 11 for Al Nassr. Scoring once in every match would leave him two goals short.

The Portugal games are the wild card. Ronaldo has been included in the national team’s preliminary squad for the November fixtures, and the 30-day suspension imposed by the Portuguese federation no longer keeps him out.

However, his place in the final list is not guaranteed: head coach Jorge Jesus will announce his squad on Nov. 6 for Portugal’s home match against Denmark on Nov. 14 and the visit to Wales on Nov. 17.

Reaching 1,000 by Dec. 31 is mathematically possible, but it would require a remarkable finish to the year, with multiple braces or another hat-trick. If he falls short, the milestone could simply arrive in the early months of 2027, which would still make it one of the most memorable achievements of his career.

Although the Brazilian never specified a date for his retirement, Neymar already knows what he will do when he steps away from professional soccer. “When I retire, I’m going to spend a year not doing a damn thing,” he said in the interview.

He insisted that he will not set any routine for that time: “I’m going to do this: if I feel like playing soccer today, I play soccer. If I don’t feel like doing a damn thing today, I do nothing”.

The forward also surprised by saying that he does not enjoy watching soccer on television. “When I said it in interviews or to my friends, nobody believed me. I love soccer, but I love playing it. Sitting on the couch, turning on the TV and watching a match… I can’t,” the Brazilian said.

He recalled his time at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, when friends who lived with him watched games on weekends from the morning until the late afternoon. “In Paris and Barcelona, on Saturdays and Sundays there was only soccer on TV. From 11 in the morning until 6 in the afternoon watching soccer… I can’t stand it!” Neymar added.

What awaits Neymar at Santos

For now, Neymar remains active, and his contract with Santos runs until Dec. 31, with no confirmation about his next step. The club wants to keep him for 2027, but talks have not advanced, and his continuity is expected to depend largely on the club’s presidential election in December and on a spot in the Copa Libertadores, with interest from the United States also in the background.

A possible retirement is not necessarily tied to the end of his contract, which keeps the door open for him to continue playing or to call it a day. Whatever he decides, Neymar has made one thing clear: when the time comes, he will not rush into his next chapter, and the year he plans to spend away from the game will be on his own terms.

Messi’s contract runs until the end of 2028, after he signed a renewal in October 2025, and Romano says the player wants to respect the deal in full. The Italian journalist added that Messi, who is “obviously in control of his future,” could decide later whether to go beyond that date. For now, he said, the intention is to continue at Inter Miami, not to go back to Argentina or join any other club.

The speculation about a return to Rosario began in February, when Newell’s said they had held talks with Messi over an emotional return to the club, with a possible move in the first half of 2027.

Nothing was finalized at the time, and the club’s interest has been one of the biggest storylines around Messi’s future ever since. Romano’s update points in the opposite direction, with the player and his family happy in Miami and no intention of changing anything.

A bond that goes beyond football

Messi’s connection with Inter Miami is no longer just about what he does on the pitch. Since arriving in July 2023, the Argentine has become the center of a project that touches the club’s business, its image and its future, and everything suggests that both sides want that relationship to last well beyond his playing days.

Romano also noted that Messi is deeply involved in several projects outside the pitch, including the Messi Cup for young talents, which is another reason he is not looking to make changes. At 39, and now that he has retired from the Argentina national team, the captain of Inter Miami is fully focused on the club, which continues to be the face of MLS.

The club shares that vision. According to reports, Inter Miami are already planning a long-term future with Messi that goes beyond his current contract, including the possibility of him joining the ownership group once he stops playing.

Whether it is through a longer contract, a role in the ownership group or the projects he leads away from the pitch, Messi’s future appears tied to Inter Miami for years to come. For now, the only certainty is that he is committed to the club, and that both sides are already building something that will outlast his playing career.

The Argentine captain avoids a suspension thanks to a league rule that rewards good behavior, a relief for the Herons as they fight for a place in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

Messi was booked in the 44th minute at Nu Stadium, adding to the yellow cards he had already received in matchweeks 8, 11, 20 and 31, and the one he got in matchweek 33.

Under MLS rules, a player automatically reduces his yellow card total by one each time he appears in five consecutive matches without receiving a yellow card, a red card or supplemental discipline. The incentive can be applied a maximum of three times in the regular season.

Messi went more than five games without a booking on two occasions, so two of his five cards no longer count toward the accumulation that would force him to miss a match.

The bookings remain on his disciplinary record, but they no longer put him at risk of a suspension, which keeps him available for a game in which Inter Miami cannot afford to be without their best player.

What is at stake for Inter Miami in New England

For Messi and Inter Miami, the importance of the match goes far beyond three points. The trip to Gillette Stadium could decide whether the Herons play on the continental stage next year, and the Argentine captain’s availability could not come at a better time.

Inter Miami sit third in the Eastern Conference, two points behind New England, and both teams have already qualified for the MLS playoffs. The Champions Cup is another story. Nashville have secured the Supporters’ Shield, which means second place in the East will earn one of the automatic spots, making the match in New England crucial for both sides.

Head coach Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez said after the draw with Cincinnati that his team no longer has any margin for error in the final two games of the regular season.

“I am convinced that the frustration we feel, just like after the previous match, must make us stronger, because we no longer have any margin for error. We need to realize that we are a club that has to step forward, take risks, show personality and play football without fear of making mistakes,” explained the Argentine coach.

With Messi cleared to play, Inter Miami head to New England knowing that a win could change the outlook of their season, while a slip could leave them chasing a Champions Cup spot in the final matchday. The Herons still control their own destiny, but after a late draw with Cincinnati, there is little room for anything other than three points.

With the match tied 2-2, Ronaldo scored in the 66th, 72nd and 81st minutes to take control of the Saudi Pro League clash at Alawwal Park. The first two goals were set up by Joao Felix, who finished the night with four assists, and the third came from a Sadio Mane pass.

Messi’s fastest hat-trick came more recently, in October 2024 for Inter Miami, when he needed only 11 minutes to score three goals in a 6-2 win over New England Revolution after coming on in the 57th minute.

The Argentine also has a treble that took a very similar amount of time for Barcelona, when he needed 13 minutes in a 2014-15 league match against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.

Not even Ronaldo’s fastest hat-trick

Despite scoring three goals in just 15 minutes, this was not the fastest hat-trick of Ronaldo’s own career either. His best mark came in 2015, when he scored his first three goals in eight minutes for Real Madrid against Granada, in a match he finished with five goals, the highest tally of his career in a single game, a mark he also reached against Espanyol.

With his latest treble against Al Kholood, Ronaldo reached 67 career hat-tricks. He now has 44 for Real Madrid, 10 for Portugal, seven for Al Nassr, three for Manchester United and three for Juventus, according to ESPN.

With both legends in the final stretch of their careers, every performance like this one adds a new chapter to the debate over who is the greatest of all time. Ronaldo is now 15 goals away from 1,000, while Messi sits on 936, and neither seems ready to slow down. The fast hat-tricks may not be as frequent as they once were, but as long as both keep scoring, the comparisons will continue.

According to The Nassr Tribune, only two players had previously reached that mark in the competition: Youssef El Gharbi in 2011 and Moussa Diaby in 2024. Felix’s first assist came in the 24th minute, when he sent a heel pass to Angelo, who equalized after Al Kholood had taken the lead. In the 38th minute, his first-time attempt from a cross turned into an involuntary assist for Sadio Mane, who put Al Nassr ahead.

The other two assists went to Ronaldo, who scored in the 66th and 72nd minutes to turn a 2-2 match into a 4-2 lead. The forward completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute, this time with an assist from Mane, and Al Kholood pulled one back late.

The win sends Al Nassr to the top of the Saudi Pro League table, at least until Al Hilal face Al Fateh, and it was a night for Felix to remember. The former Chelsea and Barcelona forward has been one of the league’s most productive playmakers since joining Al Nassr, and his performance against Al Kholood now stands alongside the best individual displays the league has seen.

Joao Felix keeps shining after a Player of the Season campaign

Last season, Felix was named the Saudi Pro League Player of the Season in his debut year at Al Nassr, an award he received a day after the club clinched the league title. He finished the campaign with 26 goals and 19 assists in 47 matches across all competitions, according to Transfermarkt, including 20 goals in the league.

His form has carried over to the new campaign. So far this season, the Portuguese playmaker has 5 goals and 8 assists in 13 matches in all competitions, including 3 goals and 7 assists in 10 Saudi Pro League appearances, in what is shaping up to be another standout year for Al Nassr’s number 79.

With the performance against Al Kholood, Felix added another highlight to a partnership with Ronaldo that continues to pay off for Al Nassr. The two Portuguese stars have become a constant threat for opposing defenses, and the record-tying night showed how well they connect when the team is at its best. As the title race heats up, Al Nassr will hope to keep that chemistry going, with Felix creating chances and Ronaldo finishing them.

Ronaldo put Al Nassr 3-2 ahead in the 66th minute with an assist from Joao Felix, added a second in the 72nd, again set up by Felix, and completed the hat-trick in the 81st minute with an assist from Sadio Mane.

The hat-trick lifts him to 7 league goals in the official standings, level with Mateo Retegui and Youssef En-Nesyri and one behind Tijjani Reijnders, who has 8. Ivan Toney remains well ahead with 12, although Ronaldo has played one more match than the Englishman, who has 9 appearances to the forward’s 10.

If the goal from the previous match against Al Faisaly is counted, Ronaldo would have 8 and would be level with Reijnders in second place, while Toney would have 13, so the gap to the top would stay at five goals.

The goals the Saudi Pro League took away

Not every record agrees on the tally. In the 3-1 win over Al Faisaly on Oct. 23, Ronaldo headed home from a Felix free kick, but replays suggested the ball may have come off defender Andrei Girotto, and the league ultimately recorded it as an own goal.

Toney’s case is almost identical: his header in Al Ahli’s 4-1 win over Al Khaleej was reviewed by VAR before it was confirmed, but it was later reclassified as an own goal too. The Saudi Pro League’s official website and statistics pages such as Transfermarkt currently do not credit those goals to either striker, as the table shows.

Journalists such as Fabrizio Romano, however, do credit them and report that Ronaldo reached 985 career goals with tonight’s hat-trick. Until the official records are updated, the debate over the totals will continue, both for the Golden Boot race and for Ronaldo’s march toward 1,000.

The former Boca Juniors striker announced the farewell in early September, and while he retired professionally in 2021, he will return to the stadium one more time to put on the boots for a final goodbye.

The news came during an appearance on the podcast of former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who is also among the guests. Tevez said the match will be played between Boca and a team of his closest friends, and he confirmed the presence of two big names. “Messi and Riquelme are going to play,” the Apache said, referring to Boca president Juan Roman Riquelme, who will take part as a player.

Beyond the confirmations from Tevez himself, Infobae reported that the guest list includes Gabriel Batistuta, Gianluigi Buffon, Edwin van der Sar, Sergio Aguero, Arturo Vidal, Patrice Evra, Martin Palermo, Pablo Zabaleta, Esteban Cambiasso, Nicolas Burdisso and Sebastian Battaglia. Tevez would also like Roberto Mancini and Carlos Bianchi to coach the two teams, although that has not been confirmed.

Ronaldo among the stars yet to reply

The biggest question mark is Cristiano Ronaldo. Tevez has long wanted to bring the two superstars together on the same pitch, and back in April 2025 he said he would personally reach out to both.

For now, the Portuguese forward is on a list of players who have not yet responded, along with Andrea Pirlo, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Daniele De Rossi, Giorgio Chiellini, Paul Pogba, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney, who could also attend.

Infobae also noted that the event could feature appearances from Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto and tennis former star Juan Martin Del Potro, both well-known Boca fans, as well as musical performances.

For Tevez, who scored 94 goals in 279 games for Boca and won 11 titles with the club, it will be a long-awaited farewell in front of the fans who adored him.

The first half was chaotic. Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside early on, and Julien Domingues put Al Kholood ahead soon after. Angelo then equalized from a Joao Felix assist, Sadio Mane turned the match around on the counter-attack, and Loic Essomba tied it at 2-2 just before the break.

Ronaldo had another goal disallowed for offside right after the equalizer, meaning he had two chalked off in the first half and three in his last two matches.

He made up for it after the break. Ronaldo put Al Nassr 3-2 ahead in the 66th minute with an assist from Felix, added a second in the 72nd to make it 4-2, again set up by Felix, and completed the hat-trick in the 81st minute with an assist from Mane. Al Kholood pulled one back late, but Al Nassr held on for a 5-3 win that sends them to the top of the Saudi Pro League table, at least until Al Hilal face Al Fateh.

Why the Saudi Pro League’s count differs

The 985 figure counts a goal in the 3-1 win over Al Faisaly on Oct. 23 that the Saudi Pro League did not record as Ronaldo’s. Although some journalists in Saudi Arabia claim the league credited the goal to the Portuguese star, the league’s official website listed him with four goals this season instead of five before tonight’s match. By the official count, the hat-trick takes him to 984 career goals, one fewer than the total reported by Fabrizio Romano and other outlets.

At 41, he continues to score at a steady pace for Al Nassr, who have won four in a row and are chasing the league leaders in the title race. Whether the Saudi Pro League eventually changes its records or not, the Portuguese star appears to be moving closer to the historic mark with every match.

The draw leaves the Herons with 56 points, fourth in the overall standings, which is the last position that currently carries a ticket to the continental tournament. Nashville SC lead with 71 points, followed by New England Revolution and Vancouver Whitecaps with 58 each, while FC Dallas sit just two points behind Miami with 54.

The next match is the one that matters most. Miami visits New England on Nov. 1, and only a win would keep them in control. A draw would not be enough because the tiebreaker prioritizes regular-season victories, which would leave the Revolution above them.

If the Herons fail to win and Dallas beat Sporting Kansas City, Miami would fall to fifth place with just one matchday remaining, the home match against Charlotte on Nov. 7.

What happens if Inter Miami finish fifth?

A fifth-place finish would not completely close the door. Miami could still qualify by repeating as MLS Cup champions, which would be a difficult task. They could also get in if one of the top four teams in the regular-season standings wins the MLS Cup, which would push the final berth down the table.

The situation is also shaped by the US Open Cup. St. Louis City, who already qualified as champions of that tournament, would pass their spot down if they finish among the top four, and the runner-up, Columbus Crew, would also take a place. That is why the race for the regular-season spots has become so tight in the final weeks.

Miami can still help themselves by beating New England, and the draw with Cincinnati did not eliminate them from the race. But the result turned what was a comfortable position into a situation where nearly every match in the final stretch will decide whether Messi’s team plays in the continental tournament next year.

“Football belongs to the fans! Thank you to all the fans around the world, the Ballon D’Or of All Time is also yours,” Ronaldo wrote. The post, which quickly passed 1.6 million views, was his first public comment since the award was confirmed.

The B.O.A.T. (Best of All Time) prize was decided in an online vote on the official Ballon d’Or website, where fans chose the best individual season among 10 players who had won the Ballon d’Or at least twice.

Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign with Manchester United, which earned him his first Ballon d’Or, finished first, leaving Lionel Messi’s 2012 season in second place, while Ronaldo’s 2017 edition placed third.

A fan vote, not an official Ballon d’Or

It is worth noting that, unlike the traditional Ballon d’Or categories, which are decided by a panel of journalists, the B.O.A.T. does not count as an official award in the same way. It reflects the preference of the fans who took part rather than a formal ruling, which is why it does not change the official tally of Ronaldo’s individual honors.

That tally stands at five Ballon d’Ors: the 2008 award with United and four more in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 during his time at Real Madrid. The English club also celebrated the result on its official website, and the Portuguese national team had congratulated its captain in a message of its own.

With the award now added to his résumé, Ronaldo turns his attention back to the pitch, where he is chasing another milestone. The 41-year-old forward sits on 981 career goals, 19 short of 1,000, and continues to lead Al Nassr’s push to defend the Saudi Pro League title, while his future with Portugal remains uncertain after his suspension.

Ronaldo left the national team camp before the Nations League match against Denmark after a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus over his playing time. Later, the Portuguese Football Federation’s Disciplinary Council found him guilty of leaving without authorization and handed him a 30-day suspension and a €255 fine.

Ramos, meanwhile, has been one of the players who stepped up in his absence, scoring the winner over Norway and starring in the 4-2 victory in Denmark. Asked whether it means something special to come on and score with one of the greatest players of all time alongside him, Ramos said the squad respects Ronaldo’s status and insisted that the two can often play together.

“There was a game at the Estádio do Dragão against Slovakia when we played together. We had a great game, and so did the whole team,” the striker said as proof that the combination works.

The AC Milan forward also tried to dispel the idea that one of them has to sit on the bench for the other to play, and said he does not want any teammate taken off to make room for him. “I think that’s what people often fail to understand. They think that, to play Gonçalo, Cris has to come off, and for Cris to play, Gonçalo has to sit on the bench. That isn’t necessarily the case,” he explained.

Ramos steps up in Ronaldo’s absence

Ramos took full advantage of the minutes he received during the UEFA Nations League window, in which Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup and later left the camp. Against Norway, he scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute to give Portugal a 2-1 comeback win.

Days later, in Copenhagen, he led the attack in a 4-2 victory over Denmark. The AC Milan forward was decisive, scoring Portugal’s second goal and providing an assist to help lead the team to victory.

Ramos’s strong run in the Nations League has strengthened his case to keep a prominent role in Portugal’s attack, but his words suggest he does not see himself as a replacement for Ronaldo.

With the captain serving a suspension and his future still unresolved, the debate over how to fit the veteran and the 25-year-old forward into the same lineup is likely to continue, and in the end it will be Jorge Jesus who decides.

“From 2008 to eternity. The all-time Ballon d’Or is Portuguese. Congratulations, Captain!” the team wrote on X, tagging the Ballon d’Or and Ronaldo’s account. The award was decided in an online vote on the official Ballon d’Or website, where fans chose the greatest individual season among 10 players who each won the prize at least twice. Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign with Manchester United, which earned him his first Ballon d’Or, finished first, ahead of Lionel Messi’s 2012 season.

The congratulations are notable because of the situation between Ronaldo and Portugal in recent weeks. After being substituted in the opening Nations League match against Wales and remaining an unused substitute in the win over Norway, he left the national team camp before the game against Denmark, following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus over his playing time.

Ronaldo later explained in a long statement that he felt the coach had broken his word, apologized to his teammates and the Portuguese public, and said he would accept any punishment.

A fine and a 30-day ban for Cristiano Ronaldo

After several days without a response on a possible punishment, a decision finally arrived on Oct. 19, when the Portuguese Football Federation’s Disciplinary Council found him guilty of leaving the camp without authorization. He was handed a 30-day suspension from the national team, covering official and friendly matches, along with a fine of €255.

According to reports, the ban could rule him out of Portugal’s final Nations League group games against Denmark and Wales on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17, unless the time already served is taken into account.

Ronaldo has insisted that he does not plan to retire from the national team and said he will be available after serving his suspension. Jesus, for his part, has said the door remains open and that “Cris is the one who’s going to decide”. The federation’s message of “Captain” suggests it still treats him as its leader, even as his future with the team remains unresolved.

The controversy began when Yamal collected the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player in the world, for a record third consecutive year. After the teenager gave a short speech and said he wished the award had gone to his teammate Pau Cubarsi, Henry stepped in with a remark of his own. “That’s your third one. But is it the one you really wanted tonight?” he asked. The theater in London erupted in laughter, Yamal smiled awkwardly and replied that he wanted “all of them”.

Footage of the exchange quickly went viral, and many users read it as a dig at Yamal, who had been open about his hopes of winning the Ballon d’Or. Henry responded with a video on Instagram. “I want to clarify some stuff as some people got really excited for actually nothing,” he said.

“First and foremost with Lamine Yamal, I wasn’t checking his ego at all. I just thought that as the third time he had won that trophy, I was just asking him if it was the one he truly wanted, and I brought out a laugh out of people,” the former forward continued.

Henry, who described the moment as a joke, acknowledged that some did not like it, but asked critics to drop the narrative. “We all knew what he wanted. Unfortunately, he didn’t get it. I’m a big fan of Lamine Yamal. That you don’t like the joke, I can understand that, but please, don’t do that. He’s actually one of those players I will pay to watch. I love him”.

All the winners of the 2026 Ballon d’Or gala in London

Thirteen prizes were handed out at the London Palladium. Here is the full list of winners:

• Men’s Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
• Women’s Ballon d’Or: Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses)
• Men’s Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
• Women’s Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player): Vicky Lopez (Barcelona)
• Men’s Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper): Unai Simon (Athletic Club)
• Women’s Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper): Cata Coll (Barcelona)
• Men’s Gerd Muller Trophy (top scorer): Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), with 73 goals for club and country
• Women’s Gerd Muller Trophy (top scorer): Charlyn Corral (Pachuca)
• Socrates Award: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
• Men’s Club of the Year: Paris Saint-Germain
• Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona
• Men’s Coach of the Year: Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
• Women’s Coach of the Year: Pere Romeu (Barcelona)

Donnarumma has been under scrutiny since City’s 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, when Nicolas Jackson’s second goal went underneath him. That mistake came after a difficult Champions League night against his former club PSG earlier this month, a 4-2 defeat, and his footwork had already been highlighted as a concern this season.

Maresca insists the absence has nothing to do with his form. Donnarumma is one of five players who were given three days off after the Villa game, alongside Erling Haaland, Elliot Anderson, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias.

The Italian coach also defended his goalkeeper in public during the press conference: “Gigio, since we started, is doing well. Like any player or any manager at some point, he is making some mistakes, but it’s part of the season. They are playing so many games and minutes that sometimes it’s impossible not to make some mistakes”.

Rulli gets a big opportunity

The 34-year-old Argentine returned to City for a second spell in the summer after the departure of James Trafford, and he has settled into his role as Donnarumma’s understudy. He started the previous round against Norwich, keeping a clean sheet in a 5-0 win, and he is now confirmed in the lineup again against Brighton.

Maresca has praised the veteran’s attitude. “He is good. Before I arrived here, I had a conversation with him and he knows exactly his role, it is important,” the manager said, adding: “When he played some minutes he was good and tomorrow he is going to play again”. It is expected that Donnarumma will return for the Premier League rematch with Brighton at the Etihad on Oct. 31.

Haaland is one of five regulars who were handed three days off after City’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa. Maresca named the group himself: “After Villa, we gave five players three days off. Erling, Elliot, Gigio, Ruben and Josko. They are all on holiday. Three days off, energy, go, come back full of energy and then go again”.

The decision is also tied to the calendar. City face Brighton twice in four days, with the Premier League rematch at the Etihad on Oct. 31, and Maresca admitted that the short turnaround forced him to make changes.

The club is not worried about the availability of the five players for that league game. Haaland did not pick up an injury at Villa, but both he and Maresca have spoken about the need to manage his workload after a long season for club and country.

It is not the first time the striker has been protected in this competition. Haaland also sat out the 5-0 win over Norwich in the previous round and was an unused substitute in the Champions League win over AEK Athens last week after picking up a knock against Ipswich.

Man City’s confirmed lineup

Maresca has confirmed a heavily rotated lineup, with Marc Guehi wearing the captain’s armband. Geronimo Rulli starts in goal, protected by Rico Lewis, Vitor Reis, Guehi and Nico O’Reilly.

Ayyoub Bouaddi and Mateo Kovacic anchor the midfield, with Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Allan and 17-year-old Floyd Samba, who scored twice against Norwich in the last round, completing the XI.

City’s starting XI: Rulli, Lewis, Reis, Guéhi (C), O’Reilly, Bouaddi, Kovačić, Foden, Cherki, Allan, Samba.

The bench is full of quality. Enzo Fernandez is among the substitutes, along with Iliman Ndiaye and Jeremy Doku, who give Maresca attacking options if the game needs a spark. Rayan Ait-Nouri and Abdukodir Khusanov are also available in defense, while youngsters Reigan McAidoo, Braithwaite and Oliver complete the list.

“He’ll reach 1,000 goals, for sure. And he deserves it. He’s the example of discipline, of perseverance,” Carvajal said. He also believes the public’s view of the forward is distorted by his recent years. “People are left with the image of the last few years. Anyone who hasn’t had the chance to see Cristiano here at Madrid… it was incredible, you had to see it. And especially in the dressing room,” he added.

The full-back also recalled a conversation before an important Champions League match, which shows how Ronaldo’s presence was felt in the squad. “He used to tell me: ‘Look, when you get there, put it in, I’ll be there.’ And you’d think: ‘My God, I’ll give you all of them, whoever it takes’ (laughs). He was very imposing… a predator in the box,” Carvajal said.

Ronaldo currently stands at 981 career goals, 19 short of the historic mark. Some statistics portals had credited him with a 982nd in Al Nassr’s 3-1 win at Al Faisaly, but that goal proved controversial, and the Saudi Pro League’s official match sheet ultimately did not give it to him.

The trophies Carvajal and Ronaldo won together at Real Madrid

Their paths crossed at Real Madrid between 2013 and 2018, years in which the club turned winning into a habit. Carvajal and Ronaldo shared 165 games and a dressing room that collected 13 titles in just five seasons.

The haul began in 2014, when Madrid ended its long wait for a 10th European Cup, known as La Decima, and added the Copa del Rey in the same campaign. The momentum carried into the next season with the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup, both won in 2014.

The best chapter came between 2016 and 2018, when the team won the Champions League three years in a row. Within that stretch, the 2016-17 LaLiga title and the 2017 Spanish Super Cup completed a domestic and European double, while the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup were each lifted again in 2016 and 2017.

It is the kind of result that goes straight into the competition’s list of great upsets. Fleetwood sit 18th in the fourth tier, just above the relegation zone, and arrived on the back of two defeats in their last three games. The Gunners, meanwhile, share the lead in the Premier League and had drawn 2-2 away at Bayern Munich in the Champions League only days earlier.

The hosts struck first in the 21st minute, when Aaron Loupalo-Bi outmuscled teenage defender Marli Salmon and poked the ball through Illan Meslier’s legs. Viktor Gyokeres leveled five minutes into the second half, scoring his first goal of the season, but the visitors could not find a winner despite outshooting their opponents 26-3.

The tie turned ugly in the closing minutes. Teenager Max Dowman was sent off with five minutes remaining for kicking out at a Fleetwood defender. In the shootout, Bruno Guimaraes saw his spot-kick saved, and Conor Haughey converted the decisive penalty to send the League Two side through.

Arteta had rotated heavily, handing starts to several academy graduates, before bringing on Martin Odegaard, Ben White, Bruno Guimaraes and Eberechi Eze after the break. The arrival of the regulars, however, did not help the Spaniard, as they failed to save the team from a disappointing exit.

The biggest shock eliminations in Carabao Cup history

• 1967, QPR 3-2 West Bromwich Albion: Third Division QPR, two tiers below the holders, came back from 2-0 down in the final.

• 1969, Swindon Town 3-1 Arsenal (aet): Third Division Swindon, two tiers below, won the final at Wembley.

• 2006, Southend United 1-0 Manchester United: Championship Southend, one tier below, beat the holders in the fourth round.

• 2010, Liverpool 2-2 Northampton Town (4-2 on penalties): League Two Northampton, three tiers below, won at Anfield in the third round.

• 2012, Bradford City 1-1 Arsenal (3-2 on penalties): League Two Bradford, three tiers below, won the quarterfinal.

• 2014, MK Dons 4-0 Manchester United: League One MK Dons, two tiers below, won comfortably in the second round.

• 2019, Colchester United 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur (4-3 on penalties): League Two Colchester, three tiers below, won in the third round.

• 2019, Oxford United 4-0 West Ham United: League One Oxford, two tiers below, won in the third round.

• 2025, Grimsby Town 2-2 Manchester United (12-11 on penalties): League Two Grimsby, three tiers below, won after a 26-kick shootout in the second round.

Speaking in an interview with the YouTube channel Los Edul, the defender named Atletico Madrid teammate Julian Alvarez as his choice to take over the shirt. Romero explained that his pick goes beyond football ability. “I see him with that profile of humility, family man, good kid. He has the qualities, I think it’s him,” he said, adding: “We have many very important players in the national team. I say Julian because I see all those things that are important to wear the 10“.

Romero did admit that his first idea would be different. “I would put it aside, put a mural up at AFA and that’s it, so that nobody has that responsibility,” he said, before accepting that it is not an option and saying he would give it to Alvarez.

The captain also revealed that he has already brought it up with the forward more than once, but that the player does not seem convinced. “I think he would like to wear it. I’ve told him many times, but he wants to keep his own,” Romero said.

Nico Paz is the other name emerging as a frontrunner for the No. 10. Local reports have pointed to the Como midfielder as the favorite to receive the shirt. However, no official decision has been announced, and Romero’s words show that the choice remains open.

Argentina cannot retire the No. 10 jersey

Romero’s idea of putting the shirt aside runs into a hard regulatory wall. FIFA rules require official squad lists for tournaments such as the World Cup and Copa America to use consecutive numbering from 1 to 26, with a number assigned to every player named to the roster.

That means the No. 10 cannot simply be left unused in official competition, no matter how symbolic the gesture would be. The number could theoretically go unused in a friendly, but in any official tournament, someone on the 26-man list would have to wear it.

It would not be the first time Argentina run into this obstacle. Ahead of the 2002 World Cup, the country tried to retire the No. 10 as a tribute to Diego Maradona, whose career had already cemented the number’s legendary status.

FIFA rejected the request outright, citing the same consecutive-numbering rule that stands in the way today. As a result, the shirt continued to be worn by later generations of Argentine players, eventually passing to Messi himself.

The club announced on X that the France winger took part in today’s training, his first session with the group since he suffered a hamstring injury in the AFC Champions League Elite match against Neftchi Fergana on Oct. 12.

His availability for the home match against Al Kholood in the 12th round of the league has not been confirmed, and it remains unclear whether the 30-year-old will start or even make the matchday squad. He missed the league games against Neom and Al Faisaly, and has made eight appearances this season, scoring once without registering an assist.

The same report said coach Ange Postecoglou has used a midfield duo of Abdullah Al Khaibari and Brazilian Angelo Gabriel in training, with the idea of pairing them in the starting lineup, while Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa will miss the game because of an accumulation of yellow cards.

A fit Coman would also be welcome news for Cristiano Ronaldo, who benefited from his creativity last season: five of the winger’s 12 assists in the Saudi Pro League title-winning campaign went to the Portuguese forward.

Al Nassr look to stay in the title race

Al Nassr enter the match second in the standings with 25 points, two behind leaders Al Hilal, and level on goal difference with third-placed Al Qadsiah, who have played one more match.

The defending champions have been one of the most consistent teams of the season, with eight wins, one draw and one defeat in their first 10 league matches, the only loss coming against Al Ittihad in September.

They arrive on a run of three straight league wins and with their sights set on retaining the title they won last season, which was also the first major trophy of Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at the club.

The match against Al Kholood is a chance for Al Nassr to build on that form and keep pressure on the sides above and around them in the table. Whether Coman can help in that push remains to be seen, but his return to training is a welcome sign for a team that wants to stay in the title race and defend its crown.

After finishing in fifth position, the Argentine became the third-oldest player ever to finish inside the top ten of the Ballon d’Or. Only Gianluigi Buffon and Stanley Matthews, the winner of the first edition, were older when they reached that mark.

Buffon was 39 years and 10 months old when he reached the top ten in 2017, just a few months older than Messi now, while Matthews was 41 years old when he won the inaugural award in 1956.

Harry Kane won the award, with Kylian Mbappe second, Lamine Yamal third and Rodri fourth, one place ahead of Messi. The Argentine’s fifth place came after a standout World Cup in which he scored eight goals and added four assists, won the Silver Ball and led Argentina to the final. With eight Ballon d’Or trophies already in his collection, he remains the most decorated player in the history of the award.

How Cristiano Ronaldo compares

For comparison, the last time Cristiano Ronaldo finished among the top ten players in the Ballon d’Or was in 2021, when he placed sixth while playing for Manchester United. The Portuguese forward was 36 years and nine months old when the ceremony took place in November of that year, more than two and a half years younger than Messi is now.

That remains the last time the five-time winner cracked the top ten. He has remained outside it in every edition since, while Messi, who won the award in 2021 and again in 2023, has returned to the top five at an age when Ronaldo was no longer in the conversation for the award.

Every Ballon d’Or finish of Lionel Messi

Messi’s fifth-place finish in 2026 is his 17th appearance in the Ballon d’Or voting, a career that includes eight wins, the most in the history of the award. These are all of his results:

The controversy began with a video, reportedly filmed in April and shared by the French podcast The Bridge, in which Mbappe was asked about his favorite meme. He said the funniest one he had seen put his face on “some guy,” adding “I think he’s a Chinese dictator”.

He did not name him, but the comment was widely read as a reference to a popular meme that places the forward’s face on an image of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People’s Republic of China.

“My comment was ill-judged and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” the French star wrote. He explained that he “reacted to an image of myself” and added: “I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry”. The message was published in French, Mandarin, and English.

Backlash in China reaches LaLiga and Mbappe’s sponsors

According to The Paper, a state-backed Chinese outlet, state broadcaster CCTV suspended broadcasts of LaLiga matches and of games involving Mbappe starting Monday night, Oct. 26, citing sources linked to the public broadcaster.

The report also said all advertisements and videos featuring the forward were removed. The decision has not been officially confirmed by CCTV, and the league’s streaming deal with Migu, renewed through the 2029-30 season, has reportedly not been affected.

The reaction has also hit the player’s commercial deals. Beverage group Dongpeng, which said it has a “zero-tolerance policy” toward behavior that offends national sentiments, ended its contract with Mbappe with immediate effect, and dairy companies Mengniu and Milkground also cut ties.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people “will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society”.

Javier Tebas apologizes on behalf of LaLiga

LaLiga has also responded to the controversy, issuing a statement in which the league “deeply regrets” the offense caused among Chinese fans and stressing that Mbappe’s comments “were made in a personal capacity and do not represent LaLiga”.

The organization apologized on behalf of the competition and all its clubs. President Javier Tebas went further in his own words: “We fully understand and respect the sensitivity of the Chinese people and sincerely regret any harm these statements may have caused,” he said, extending his apologies “to all those who have felt offended.”

Tebas highlighted the league’s long-standing ties with the country and warned against letting the episode damage them. “A relationship built over so many years cannot be damaged by a single episode,” he wrote on X, adding that LaLiga is “taking the measures within our reach and working directly with our partners and interlocutors in China to overcome this situation”. The league also announced it will develop a sensitivity and communication protocol together with clubs and players.

Ronaldo’s case dates back to Al Nassr’s 3-1 win at Al Faisaly in matchweek 11. The Portuguese appeared to head home the second goal in the 49th minute from a Joao Felix free kick, and he celebrated it as the fifth goal of the season and the 982nd of his career.

Replays, though, suggested the ball may have come off the head of defender Andrei Girotto, and the league ultimately recorded it as an own goal by the opponent instead of crediting him with a header.

Toney’s situation is almost identical. The England striker headed Al Ahli into the lead in the 11th minute of their 4-1 win over Al Khaleej, a goal that was reviewed by VAR for several minutes over a possible offside interference from a teammate and contact with defender Mohammed Khabrani before referee Abdullah Al-Shahri confirmed it.

Now the league has taken the goal away from him as well, recording it as an own goal and dropping his tally to 12 despite his stoppage-time penalty in the same match.

Saudi Pro League’s own numbers contradict each other

The reclassification has created an unusual contradiction within the league’s own data. While the standings now reflect the goals as own goals, the official match statistics still credit both of them to Ronaldo and Toney, leaving the two sets of records pointing in opposite directions.

The adjustment does little to change the top of the Golden Boot race. Toney remains comfortably in front with 12 goals, five clear of Mateo Retegui and Youssef En-Nesyri, who have seven each, while Ronaldo, on four, now sits well down the list.

Statistics sites such as Transfermarkt still credit the goals to Ronaldo and Toney, but the Saudi Pro League’s official website does not, leaving the two strikers with one fewer goal in the records that matter most for the Golden Boot race. Unless the league reverses its decision, the official figures will be the ones that count as the season goes on.

“I wanted to apologize to our people for my words during the World Cup. They were a mistake on my part, both the way I said them and the timing, and above all I understand people’s anger,” Alvarez said. “As a fan, I would have been angry too, especially considering how they have always supported me over all these years and these last few weeks, when they have been very generous. I value that a lot”.

His comments during the tournament expressed a desire to leave the club, which did not sit well with the fans. The forward was heavily criticized by the supporters after his remarks, who made their frustration clear with boos at every home game and even demanded that he leave the team.

Even so, he kept working to find his best form again, and it was only against Stuttgart in the Champions League that he scored his first goal of the season. Against Deportivo La Coruna, he then became the hero by scoring his side’s only goal to secure three valuable points.

Alvarez also said he is feeling better on the pitch. “Little by little I’m feeling good. I thank all my teammates because they have supported me a lot during this time,” he said, adding that he feels sharper both with the ball and physically. “When you feel good in life, it shows on the pitch. It’s everything: family, I’ve spent a lot of time at home doing other things, and it all matters, but I feel good and ready to compete for everything.” Asked whether the whistles could turn into applause, he answered: “I hope so, with work and humility”.

The World Cup comments that sparked the backlash

The controversy began at the World Cup, when Alvarez spoke with Argentine media in the mixed zone after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria. The forward, who had reportedly been upset with how his club handled Barcelona’s $116 million bid, which went unanswered, confirmed that he wanted to leave.

“I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about this, but I can’t hide or pretend otherwise either. I try to be an honest person. I spoke with the people at the club, with those I needed to talk to,” Alvarez told a reporter. “I think a transfer is best for everyone, and I want to fulfill my dream”.

The comments left the Argentine in an uncomfortable spot, with the club’s supporters turning on him and the pressure building at every home game. His transfer never materialized, though, and he stayed in Madrid to face the consequences. Now, after finally finding the net again, he has chosen to own his words and ask the fans to turn the page.

Gonzalez’s choice appears to be about rest. Messi traveled to Oviedo to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Oct. 23 and flew back to the United States right after the ceremony, leaving him little time to recover or train with the team before the match at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

The context of the match also made the decision easier for Gonzalez. Inter Miami have already clinched a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, and Nashville SC have already secured the Supporters’ Shield, which leaves Miami with no chance of competing for it. The team’s priority now is to finish second in the Eastern Conference and prepare for the postseason as defending MLS Cup champions.

Messi is still available to play and is expected to get minutes off the bench in the second half, although there is a chance he may not play at all. “We should feel proud that he, through his own initiative, wants to be with us and wants to play,” Gonzalez said of the captain, who scored twice in Miami’s previous match, a 3-1 win over Atlanta United.

Inter Miami and Red Bull New York confirmed lineups

In Messi’s absence, Fillipi Riquelme gets the nod in the attack and Luis Suarez will wear the captain’s armband, with German Berterame completing the front line.

Inter Miami arrive in search of a fourth straight win and second in the Eastern Conference with 56 points, while Red Bull New York, managed by Michael Bradley, are 10th in the league table with 36.

Inter Miami (4-3-3): Dayne St. Clair; Gonzalo Lujan, Casemiro, Micael, Sergio Reguilon; Rodrigo De Paul, David Ayala, Matias Galarza; Fillipi Riquelme, Luis Suarez (C), German Berterame.

Red Bull New York (4-3-3): Ethan Horvath; Dylan Nealis (C), Julian Bazan, Tim Parker, Devin Padelford; Mohammed Sofo, Adri Mehmeti, Ronald Donkor; Cade Cowell, Julian Hall, Jorge Ruvalcaba.

“71 years of passion. Happy birthday, Al Nassr FC!” the Portuguese star wrote on X, accompanied by yellow and blue emojis representing the club’s colors. The post came on the day the club marks the anniversary of its founding in 1955.

Ronaldo’s connection to the team has grown since he arrived in 2023, as he became the face of the club. He has scored more than 130 goals for Al Nassr and won his first major trophy with the team last season, when Al Nassr clinched the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title on the final day with a 4-1 win over Damac, with Ronaldo scoring twice.

Ronaldo’s impact has also reached well beyond Al Nassr. His arrival is widely credited with putting the Saudi Pro League on the global soccer map, as a wave of world-class players followed him to the country, including Karim Benzema, Neymar and Sadio Mane.

The influx helped turn a competition that once attracted little international attention into a regular fixture on the global soccer calendar, a transformation the club can now celebrate on its 71st anniversary.

Ronaldo’s numbers and records at Al Nassr

Ronaldo’s production at Al Nassr has produced some of the most prolific numbers in Saudi Pro League history. In 2023-24, he scored 35 league goals, breaking the single-season record of 34 set by Abderrazak Hamdallah in 2018-19.

He also reached 100 league goals for the club in only 105 appearances and, on Aug. 28, passed Mohammed Al-Sahlawi’s mark of 103 league goals for Al Nassr with his strike against Al-Taawoun.

As Al Nassr celebrate 71 years of history, Ronaldo’s legacy in Riyadh is already firmly written in the club’s record books. With the chase toward 1,000 career goals still ahead of him, the Portuguese star has plenty left to add to a story that has changed both the club and Saudi soccer.

With his latest strike against Al Faisaly, which the Saudi Pro League credited to him in Al Nassr’s 3-1 win, Ronaldo reached 135 goals for Al Nassr in all competitions. At Manchester United, he scored 145 across his two spells, 118 in the first and 27 in the second, leaving him 10 goals shy of matching that tally.

The count comes with a caveat, as several data providers recorded the goal against Al Faisaly as an own goal by defender Andrei Girotto. However, the Saudi Pro League credited the strike to the Portuguese star, which takes his official career tally to 982 goals.

Most of his goals for Al Nassr have come in the Saudi Pro League, where he has scored 107, and he has also found the net in the AFC Champions League, the Arab Club Champions Cup and domestic cups.

Ronaldo’s scoring rate has doubled since leaving Manchester United

The comparison shows how Ronaldo’s scoring rate has changed. Over two spells at Manchester United, he scored 145 goals in 346 appearances, an average of 0.42 goals per game.

At Al Nassr, entering the match against Al Faisaly, he had 134 goals in 159 appearances, roughly double the rate at 0.84 goals per game, while scoring one every 103 minutes compared with one every 183 at United.

Ronaldo has also scored more often from the penalty spot in Saudi Arabia, with 32 of his goals coming from penalties compared with 21 at United, and he has scored 17 headers for Al Nassr compared with 24 for the English club.

Asked about Lamine Yamal, Mourinho made it clear that Real Madrid will not tailor their approach to the young winger. “He’s a great player, and great players are respected,” he said. “One thing is respecting, another is changing plans, changing structures, forgetting your own essence. We won’t do that with him or with any other super-quality opponent we play, not just in this match, but in many matches“.

The former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager kept a conciliatory tone toward his rivals throughout the news conference. He said he could not find a single player who isn’t very good at either Real Madrid or Barcelona, and he praised Hansi Flick, calling the German coach “a great coach” who is “doing an excellent job.”

Barcelona arrive at El Clasico as clear LaLiga leaders, with a perfect record of nine wins from nine matches and 27 points. The defending champions had won their first 11 games across all competitions, a run that ended with a 4-2 defeat at PSG in the Champions League in their latest fixture.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, sit third with 21 points after winning seven league games and losing two, and they arrive on the back of 4-1 wins over Sevilla in LaLiga and Leipzig in the Champions League.

Kounde and Vinicius ruled out of El Clasico

Barcelona will be without Jules Kounde, who suffered a sprained left ankle in last weekend’s win over Real Betis and also missed the Champions League defeat at PSG.

The club had hoped to have the French defender back for the Clasico, but Hansi Flick confirmed that it will not happen. “Jules won’t be there tomorrow, we don’t want to risk him, he isn’t arriving at the right moment, but we have to accept it,” the German coach said.

Real Madrid will also have to cope without a key attacker, as Vinicius Junior is serving a four-game ban after his red card against Villarreal for pulling an opponent’s hair.

The Spanish federation’s disciplinary committee gave him two games for the offense and two more for his protests to the referee. The suspension has already kept him out of the win over Sevilla and will also rule him out of the matches against Racing Santander and Valencia.

The MLS club shared a message on X congratulating its captain on the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports. “Congratulations, captain, on receiving the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports. Your talent makes history. Your values leave a mark that goes far beyond soccer,” the post read.

Messi received the distinction from Princess Leonor at the Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, where he was greeted by a standing ovation. The jury recognized him for being the player with the most titles in soccer history, as well as for his talent, his humility and his charity work promoting education and health care for children. Messi did not give a speech at the ceremony and became the third soccer player to win the award, following Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez in 2012.

During her address, the princess described Messi as someone who “turned the extraordinary into routine” while putting the collective game above ego. The 39-year-old will now return to the United States, where Inter Miami visit the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 24, before his attention turns to the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Oct. 26, where he is among the nominees.

Messi dedicates the award to his late father

Messi did not give a speech at the ceremony, but he spoke with the news agency EFE about what the award meant to him, remembering his father, Jorge Messi, who recently passed away. “My father was extremely excited about this award,” the Inter Miami star said.

Messi explained that the trip was complicated by his match schedule, but that his father had always insisted he make the journey. “We knew it would be difficult because of my match schedule, but he really insisted that we come, that I travel here to spend these days and receive the award,” he said. “This award goes beyond what you do on the pitch or what I’ve achieved throughout my career. He was very happy about this recognition, and that’s why I’m sure he’s enjoying it too”.

The award adds another honor to a career that has already collected nearly every major distinction in the sport, but this one carried a deeper personal meaning for Messi.

Keeping his father’s wish in mind, he spent 36 hours in Oviedo and then skipped the post-ceremony cocktail to head straight back to the United States, a reminder that, even on one of the most emotional weeks of his life, soccer remains at the center of everything he does.

The three forwards dominated defenses across Europe and led the club to a historic treble in 2015, winning LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Even so, Neymar feels his best version did not come during that stage of his career.

The Brazilian made that clear while speaking with Argentine streamer Davoo Xeneize in a video on the creator’s YouTube channel, where he named Paris Saint-Germain as the club where he reached his prime.

“For me, the prime was at Paris Saint-Germain, when I played there. People remember Barcelona because of the MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar), but as a player I think PSG was my prime because I had strength, speed and intelligence there, I already knew the whole pitch, and for me that was my best version,” he said.

The answer stands out given Neymar’s four seasons in Catalonia between 2013 and 2017, before his move to PSG that summer. In Paris he won four Ligue 1 titles, and his reasoning has more to do with his maturity as a player, with the physical and tactical knowledge he had gained, than with trophies.

Barcelona vs PSG: how Neymar’s two eras compare

The statistics help explain Neymar’s view. With Barcelona, he scored 105 goals in 186 official matches, with 2014-15 standing out as his best campaign, when he netted 39 times in 51 games. In Paris, he scored 118 goals in 173 matches, a better goals-per-game rate than in Spain, and became the club’s fourth all-time top scorer.

The trophy cabinets tell a different story. Neymar won ten major trophies at Barcelona, including two LaLiga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies and the Champions League, all of them alongside Messi. At PSG he collected 13 domestic trophies, led by five Ligue 1 crowns, but never won a European title.

Whether his prime came in Catalonia or in Paris, Neymar’s career leaves little doubt about his talent, and the debate over which era was his best is likely to continue among fans. Now back at Santos, the club where it all began, the Brazilian can at least say he has chosen his own answer.

Ronaldo entered the top 10 after his header in Al Nassr’s 3-1 victory, his fifth league goal of the season and the 982th of his career. At that point he was part of a large group of players level on five goals, trailing only Ivan Toney, Youssef En-Nesyri and Mateo Retegui.

However, the rest of the day’s matches changed the picture. Toney scored a brace in Al Ahli’s 4-1 win over Al Khaleej to move to 13 goals, while his teammate Francisco Trincao, Al Ittihad’s George Ilenikhena and Al Hilal’s Gabriel Martinelli all moved past Ronaldo, reaching six tallies. Retegui also found the net for Al Qadsiah to move up to seven.

Ronaldo will get a chance to climb back up the scoring chart when Al Nassr host Al Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Oct. 29. Before that, however, the team has a continental date to take care of.

That match comes on Oct. 26, when Al Nassr welcome Al-Wasl in the AFC Champions League Elite. The Saudi side will look to keep its winning run going in the competition after beating Neftchi Fargona 3-1 in its last outing.

Saudi Pro League top 10 scorers after Matchday 11

The Golden Boot race is far from settled, but it is Toney who has taken control. The Al Ahli striker leads the chart with 13 goals in nine matches, six clear of Mateo Retegui and Youssef En-Nesyri, while Ronaldo is among a crowded group on five goals, listed 13th. This is how the scoring chart looks after the day’s matches:

Among the new names in the top six, Martinelli’s numbers stand out the most. The Al Hilal winger has scored six goals in just six matches, a rate of one per game that no other player in the top 10 comes close to matching. With Toney in a league of his own and a pack of strikers closing in, Ronaldo will need a hot streak to climb back into the conversation in the Golden Boot race.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will be without midfielder Samu Costa for the league clash against Al Kholood, as the Portuguese player has been suspended for accumulating yellow cards.

Costa picked up his fourth booking of the season in the win over Al Faisaly, which triggers an automatic one-match ban. His previous yellow cards came in the league games against Al Ittihad, Al Khaleej and Neom.

The midfielder has been a regular presence in the team this season, making nine league appearances, eight of them as a starter, and scoring three goals. He was left out of the squad for the trip to Al Riyadh in August for squad management reasons.

Who could replace Costa in Al Nassr’s midfield?

Costa has formed a midfield partnership with Abdullah Al-Khaibari in recent matches, so Ange Postecoglou will have to find a new partner for the Al Kholood clash. One option is Angelo, who started alongside the pair in the 1-0 win over Neom and came off the bench against Al Faisaly.

The Brazilian would give the team a more attacking profile, as he usually operates from midfield toward the opposing goal. Playing him in Costa’s place would add more creativity and forward movement, though it could come at the cost of some of the balance Costa provides.

If Postecoglou prefers to keep a similar profile to Costa’s, he could instead turn to Sami Al-Najei and Hayder Abdulkareem, two midfielders who were among the substitutes against Al Faisaly. Costa will remain available for Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Elite match against Al-Wasl on Oct. 26, as his ban only covers the next league fixture.

Ronaldo headed home a Joao Felix free-kick delivery to make it 2-0, his first goal in two matches after failing to score against Neom in his team’s last fixture, when he also missed a penalty. Ronaldo could have added to his total, as a second goal minutes after his header was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Although he has now reached five league goals in nine appearances, the 41-year-old remains well adrift of Golden Boot leader Ivan Toney of Al Ahli, who has 11 in eight matches.

Still, the gap is far from insurmountable for a striker with Ronaldo’s pedigree, and a couple of productive outings could quickly bring him back into the conversation at the top of the scoring chart.

The finish took his career tally to 982 goals, leaving him 18 shy of the 1,000 mark, while the win lifts Al Nassr to 25 points. They are now level with league leaders Al Qadsiah, who face third-placed Al Hilal later today in a result that could reshape the title race.

Saudi Pro League top 10 scorers

Ronaldo is one of eight players on five goals, with Toney, Youssef En-Nesyri and Mateo Retegui the only players above that mark. This is how the scoring chart looks after Ronaldo’s goal against Al Faisaly:

With more than two-thirds of the season still ahead, the Golden Boot race is far from decided. Ronaldo and Al Nassr will look to build on this win, as the 41-year-old tries to keep climbing the scoring chart while the team stays in the title hunt.

The goal came from a free kick, which Joao Felix delivered into the box for Ronaldo to head home and extend Al Nassr’s lead to 2-0. It ended a wait for the 41-year-old, who had been stuck on 981 goals since Oct. 12, when he scored in Al Nassr’s 3-1 win over Neftchi Fargona in the AFC Champions League.

Minutes after scoring, the Portuguese forward found the net again to complete a brace, but the goal was reviewed by VAR and ultimately ruled out for offside. Ronaldo now needs 18 more goals to reach 1,000, a milestone that would be unprecedented in the modern game.

Al Nassr stay firmly in the Saudi Pro League title race

With this partial victory, Al Nassr would climb to 25 points if the result holds, level with league leaders Al Qadsiah and one point ahead of third-placed Al Hilal. The leaders would remain first for now on goal difference (+15 to +14), while Al Nassr’s record would stand at eight wins, one draw and one loss.

The next result that could reshape the table is a direct clash at the top, as Al Hilal face Al Qadsiah in Matchday 11 today. The challengers have played nine games, one fewer than the two clubs above them, and currently sit on 24 points with the best goal difference in the league (+20).

Al Nassr would be best served by a result that stops Al Hilal from winning. A draw would keep the title race extremely tight, with Al Qadsiah just one point clear and the other two level on 25, while a victory for the leaders would at least keep the team with the game in hand from taking control at the top.

A win for the visitors would be the worst outcome, as it would put them two points clear after entering this round with a match in hand, complicating matters even further for the chasing pack.

The stadium is the Estadio Unico Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata. Alak toured the pitch with the stadium’s director, Fernando Islas Casares, in a video released by the city and showed the progress of the work: new seats, boxes being rebuilt and a recently installed pitch. “This stadium is going to host the 2030 World Cup,” said Islas Casares, who put the progress of the renovation at about 25%.

The venue has a capacity of about 53,000 spectators, far fewer than the more than 84,000 of River Plate’s Monumental, which was the main candidate in the proposal evaluated by FIFA in 2024.

Even so, the Monumental is expected to stop hosting the national team from 2027, and the tense relationship between AFA president Claudio Tapia and River could play a role in the final decision.

The decision, however, is not made yet. Rosario Central also entered the race with a proposal for the Gigante de Arroyito, and the final call belongs to FIFA. Alak’s announcement, therefore, is a sign of how determined La Plata is to host the match rather than a confirmation, and the stadium still has a long way to go before it is finished.

How the 2030 World Cup will work

The 2030 World Cup will be played in six countries on three continents. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host most of the tournament, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage a match to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup, played in Uruguay in 1930.

The tournament will begin in South America, with the opening match at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, where the 1930 final was played. Argentina and Paraguay will then each host one match before the competition moves to Europe and Africa for the rest of the tournament. That means only one match will be played in Argentina, and the country’s participation in the World Cup, in terms of venues, ends there.

The talks began as soon as Scaloni arrived in Argentina for the September and October FIFA window, and the agreement was reportedly reached on Wednesday between all parties.

The deal has not been signed or made official yet, and an announcement could come in the coming days or during the November international window. The AFA’s goal is for Scaloni to lead the team until the end of 2030, which would allow him to coach his third World Cup, after Qatar 2022 and North America 2026.

His desire to stay was clear after Lionel Messi’s farewell match against Benin. “If all goes well, I’ll continue as coach,” Scaloni said at the time. Since he took charge as interim coach in September 2018, he has led Argentina in 105 matches, winning 81, drawing 14 and losing just 10. He has also won four titles: the 2021 and 2024 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The new contract will give Scaloni the task of rebuilding the squad after Messi’s retirement. Once he finds a starting lineup and a base for the future, his next big target will be the 2028 Copa America, followed by another run at the World Cup in 2030.

Argentina’s next matches

Argentina will begin the post-Messi era with two friendlies in the November FIFA window. The team will face Uruguay on Nov. 13 in Buenos Aires and Costa Rica on Nov. 17 in Cordoba, matches that will be Scaloni’s first chance to test new options without the captain.

Ahead of the 2030 World Cup, Argentina are already qualified as hosts, along with Paraguay and Uruguay, who will stage matches in the tournament that celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Even so, they will take part in the South American qualifiers as a wild card, which will give Scaloni more competitive matches as he rebuilds the squad. With the contract situation close to being settled, the coach will have time to build a new generation around the world champions.

Courtois spoke to the media in the mixed zone at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he was asked about Vinicius’ dip in form. “I think he’s searching for his best form, and I’m confident he’ll find it with the support of the team and the fans,” he said. “In my opinion, he played a good match. I saw him create chances and pose a threat, but sometimes things don’t go as planned”.

The goalkeeper then used Ronaldo and Messi as an example. “As for players who consistently perform at their best season after season, I only know two: Cristiano and Messi,” Courtois said. “I’ve seen them at their peak year after year, yet even these two, among the greatest in history, have faced criticism at certain points”.

Courtois also stressed that Vinicius has carried a heavy workload, saying the Brazilian has been playing almost every match for nine years. “That’s why we have to help him find that best version,” he said, adding that Vinicius is the first person who wants to be happy and perform at his best.

A difficult season start for Vinicius

Vinicius has only one goal this season, and it came in the 4-1 win over Real Sociedad in LaLiga, a match in which he also added an assist. Since then, he has gone nine games without scoring: six in LaLiga and three in the Champions League.

The Brazilian has contributed three assists in LaLiga, against Real Sociedad, Malaga and Rayo, but he has not recorded a goal or an assist in any of his three Champions League appearances.

His season took another turn when he was sent off against Villarreal for pulling an opponent’s hair, just 20 minutes after coming on as a substitute. The moment of indiscipline led to a four-match ban that has already cost him the game against Sevilla.

The suspension will also keep him out of El Clasico against Barcelona on Oct. 25, as well as the matches against Racing Santander and Valencia. It has made Vinicius a target of criticism, and his return to LaLiga will not come until the match against Celta on Nov. 21.

“Barcelona means a lot to me. I feel special love for the city, the club. It will always be like this,” Messi said. He admitted that it is hard to sum up in a few words what the club means to him, because it is a part of his life, adding that he lived “many good things” in Barcelona, both at the club and in the city.

Messi then looked back on the success he enjoyed in Catalonia. “We were lucky to win everything, also in the way we did it, in how we enjoyed playing, winning, achieving important things, but above all in how we enjoyed the day-to-day, the training sessions. We had a great time,” he said. He also called it a privilege to share a dressing room with Xavi, Iniesta and Puyol, “and many more”.

Messi will receive the award on Oct. 23 at the Teatro Campoamor in a ceremony presided over by the Spanish royals, and he described it as an honor to join a list of winners that includes Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Michael Schumacher, among other sports icons.

Will Messi play against Red Bull New York?

The trip raised some doubts about Messi’s availability for Inter Miami’s next match. The ceremony in Oviedo takes place on Oct. 23, and Inter Miami visit Red Bull New York in Harrison, New Jersey, on Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m. ET, less than a day later. Sin embargo, Messi is expected to fly to New York on the night of the ceremony and rejoin the team immediately.

Inter Miami coach Kily Gonzalez had already addressed the situation and made it clear that the trip will not keep Messi from playing. “He’s going to be there, and I’m going to have him in the game too,” the coach said. He added that everyone at the club is “totally in agreement” with Messi going, “because it’s a tremendously important award, not only for him but for his family”.

The match carries less weight than it might have, because Inter Miami already secured a place in the MLS playoffs. With the postseason spot confirmed, the team can afford to be careful with Messi after his long trip, and the focus in the coming weeks will be on keeping its captain fresh for the playoffs.

According to the official Ballon d’Or website, Ronaldo’s 2008 season leads with 75% of the votes, a huge margin over the rest of the field. Messi’s 2012 season sits second with 9%, while Ronaldo’s 2017 award is third with 6%. The vote is a fan initiative to celebrate the passion of supporters, not an official trophy, and the percentages could still change while the poll remains open.

Ronaldo’s 2008 campaign is the one fans have chosen as the standout. He was named the world’s best player after winning the Premier League and the Champions League with Manchester United, claiming the European Golden Shoe and scoring 42 goals in all competitions.

With the 2008 recognition, Cristiano became the third Portuguese player to win the award, after Eusebio in 1965 and Luis Figo in 2000. Despite his huge lead over Messi, fans can keep voting until Oct. 27, and the final results will be published on Oct. 28 on the official Ballon d’Or website.

How the Ballon d’Or of All Time vote works

Fans are not choosing the best player in history, but the best season that earned a Ballon d’Or, and each vote costs one euro. That means a player’s career is divided into separate options, which hurts those with more awards. Messi appears eight times, for his awards in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023, so the votes for his career are split among several seasons.

Only players who won the award at least twice are on the ballot: Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldo Nazario, Marco van Basten, Michel Platini, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Alfredo Di Stefano.

The result adds another chapter to the long-running debate between Ronaldo and Messi, two players who shaped an era and combined for 13 Ballon d’Or awards. Whether the gap holds or narrows, the poll shows that for many fans, Ronaldo’s 2008 season is the one that stands above the rest.

The England winger went down in the opening minutes after appearing to hurt himself while making a pass. Replays showed that he did not make full contact with the ball, and Saka needed medical attention on the pitch before it became clear he could not continue.

Saka was replaced by Eberechi Eze, who took his place in the attacking line alongside Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke, behind Kai Havertz. The change forced Mikel Arteta to rethink his plan early in a demanding away match against one of Europe’s strongest teams.

The setback is a major concern for Arteta at a crucial moment. Arsenal arrive in Munich with a perfect record in the competition, after a 1-0 win over Napoli and a 3-0 win over Lille, and they are the only team yet to concede in this season’s league phase. Saka has been one of the team’s key attackers, and the extent of the injury will be closely watched in the coming days.

First injury concern of the season for Saka

The scare against Bayern is Saka’s first injury setback of the 2026-27 campaign. Last season, the winger missed 11 matches across all competitions, according to Transfermarkt, because of three separate problems: a hamstring injury in August and September, a hip issue in January and February, and an Achilles problem in April.

The Achilles injury was the most serious, as it kept him out of five matches in a decisive stretch. Saka missed Arsenal’s FA Cup quarterfinal, both legs of their Champions League quarterfinal against Sporting, and Premier League matches against Bournemouth and Manchester City. He returned in time to play in the Champions League semifinals and in the final against PSG on May 30, a defeat on penalties.

Arsenal are expected to provide an update on Saka’s condition in the coming hours. Until then, Mikel Arteta may have to plan for the coming weeks without one of his key attackers.

The Colombian winger starts on the bench despite scoring a hat trick in the 6-1 win over RB Leipzig on Oct. 17. Bayern have not reported any injury or suspension for Diaz, and Kompany has not explained the decision, so it looks like a choice made for tactical reasons.

In his place, Kompany decided to start Alphonso Davies on the left wing, behind Harry Kane. The attack will look very different from the one that took the field in the 3-3 draw against Viking on the previous matchday, as Michael Olise is suspended and unavailable for this match.

Kompany’s decision to leave Diaz on the bench can be read as a more defensive approach. With Davies in his place on the left, Bayern gain a player who can help in defense against the attacks of Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber.

Lineups confirmed

Without Joshua Kimmich and Olise, Vincent Kompany has gone with Bischof and Pavlovic in midfield. Manuel Neuer starts in goal despite being a doubt with a foot issue, while Davies, Gnabry and Saibari support Harry Kane in attack.

Bayern confirmed lineup: Neuer (C); Laimer, Upamecano, Min-jae Kim, Stanisic; Bischof, Pavlovic; Gnabry, Saibari, Davies; Kane.

Arteta has gone with Kai Havertz as his lone striker, leaving Viktor Gyokeres on the bench alongside Mikel Merino. Noni Madueke starts on the right wing alongside Bukayo Saka, with Eberechi Eze among the substitutes, while Jurrien Timber returns at right back.

Arsenal confirmed lineup: Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Konsa, Calafiori; Rice, Bruno Guimaraes; Saka, Odegaard (C), Madueke; Havertz.

Bayern confirmed that the German midfielder has been granted compassionate leave. The club asked for his privacy and grief to be respected and for further inquiries and reporting to be avoided, while sending its condolences to Kimmich and his loved ones.

With Kimmich out, Vincent Kompany has gone with Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic as the midfield pairing, behind Serge Gnabry, Ismael Saibari and Alphonso Davies, with Harry Kane leading the line.

Bayern arrive unbeaten in six Bundesliga matches and have won once and drawn once in the league phase, beating Bodo/Glimt 5-0 and drawing 3-3 at Viking. At home, they have lost just one of their last 31 Champions League matches.

Bayern also arrive with other absences

Kimmich is not the only one missing for Bayern. Michael Olise is suspended after his sending-off last week, and Jamal Musiala is out with a thigh injury, not even making the bench. Among the surprises in the starting lineup, Luis Diaz, who scored a hat trick in Bayern’s last Bundesliga match, will begin the game on the bench.

With the absences confirmed, Kompany will use the following starting lineup to face Arsenal: Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Min-jae Kim, Stanisic; Bischof, Pavlovic; Gnabry, Saibari, Davies; Kane.

Bayern will have to cope without their midfield leader on an emotional night in Munich. With Kimmich away from the team, the focus turns to Kompany’s side and its strong home record as it looks to keep its Champions League campaign on track against Arsenal.

Atletico Madrid went into the break trailing after Leweling put Stuttgart ahead in the 36th minute. Alvarez answered early in the second half, finishing a cross from Lookman first time into the top corner in the 47th minute, scoring his first goal of the season for Atletico.

The goal also ended the longest drought of Alvarez’s career. He had not scored since Apr. 29, when he found the net in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal in last season’s Champions League semifinal, a gap of 174 days.

Coach Diego Simeone was full of praise for his forward after the match, especially for the effort he put in on the night. “The game he played was with incredible physical effort,” Simeone said. “He worked parts of the match as an inside forward on the left. The goal was a golazo and it makes me very happy for him, we need him.”

The Atletico Madrid manager also stressed how important the World Cup winner is to his team. Simeone described Alvarez as “decisive in getting to the places we need to reach” and made a request: “Let’s hope that little by little he starts to find himself again with what he showed us today”.

Alvarez moves into elite company

With the goal, Alvarez moved past Hernan Crespo, who sits on 25, and now ranks among the top five Argentine scorers in Champions League history. Only Messi, Alfredo Di Stefano, Sergio Aguero and Lautaro Martinez have scored more.

Alvarez will now try to build on his goal as Atletico Madrid look to turn their Champions League campaign around. With four points from three matches, the team will need its forward at his best, and the numbers suggest he is on his way to climbing even higher on Argentina’s all-time list.

The Portuguese star left a heartfelt message of encouragement for the Georgian in a comment on the post in which the PSG player announced his diagnosis after the injury against Barcelona.

“The hardest battles in football are often ones nobody sees,” Cristiano wrote. “I know that feeling, Kvara. But never forget what brought you this far, and don’t let a difficult moment make you doubt how far you can go. Keep that fire on. Your best is still to come”.

The words carry extra weight because of who they come from. Kvaratskhelia has made it clear on several occasions that Ronaldo is his childhood idol. The two shared a moment at Euro 2024, when Georgia beat Portugal 2-0 and Kvaratskhelia swapped shirts with his hero. Now, at the lowest point of his career, that same idol has told him that his best is still to come.

When could Kvaratskhelia return?

PSG have not put a timeline on Kvaratskhelia’s recovery, and the club only confirmed that he will undergo surgery in the coming days. A rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament typically keeps players out for around nine months, and projections suggest that a return could come around July 2027. That would likely rule him out for the rest of the 2026-27 season, including the decisive stretch of the Champions League and Ligue 1.

The injury is a major setback for a player who had played 11 times for PSG this season and was making his first start of the campaign in the Champions League when he went down.

Apart from the Georgian, PSG also suffered injuries to Ousmane Dembele and Marquinhos in the match against Barcelona. The forward sustained a left thigh injury while the defender picked up a right thigh injury, and both join Nuno Mendes on the French side’s injury list.

With Kvaratskhelia out for a long spell and three more key players sidelined, PSG will have to lean on their depth as they try to defend their Champions League crown.