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A significant update has now emerged regarding Raphael Wicky becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, as the Championship side look to find the right replacement for Rob Edwards in the near future.

The exit of Edwards to Wolves has knocked Boro for six at an important point in the season, but it is vital that they don’t allow it to derail their Championship promotion push in the coming weeks and months.

A number of candidates have already been mentioned as potential options as the Englishman’s successor, including former Young Boys manager Wicky.

It has been claimed that Boro are serious about appointing the 48-year-old as their next boss after he impressed during talks, although he is far from the only candidate being mentioned for the job.

Former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a contender for the Championship side, with the Dutchman reportedly given Gareth Southgate’s endorsement, following their time working together with the England national team. Steven Gerrard, Gary O’Neill and Carlos Corberan are some of the other names to have been thrown around.

Wicky keen on taking Middlesbrough job

Now, according to a fresh claim from The Northern Echo, Wicky is keen on becoming Middlesbrough’s next manager, with the Swiss very much in the mix to come in.

He is said to be one of a host of overseas bosses who are “interested” in taking charge at the Riverside Stadium, following his exit from Young Boys last year, having spent two years at the club.

Wicky stands out as a strong option for Boro, with journalist Graeme Bailey describing him as an “impressive” individual, following a successful managerial career to date.

He won both the Swiss league title and Swiss Cup with Young Boys in the 2022/23 season, outlining his winning mentality, and at 48, he is still a relatively young manager who will bring fresh ideas to the Riverside.

It remains to be seen if the 4-4-2 diamond-playing Wicky will ultimately be Boro’s pick as their new boss, but the fact that the job appeals to him can only be a good thing, and his trophy-winning pedigree isn’t something that should be ignored.

Middlesbrough now considering move for ex-QPR manager recommended by Southgate

He’s been out of a managerial job since 2022.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

It is vital that the club don’t rush into the decision, however, instead ensuring that they have the best possible choice of manager to hopefully spearhead their return to the Premier League, rather than making a quick call and bringing in the wrong man.

How Middlesbrough feel about Raphael Wicky as Swiss manager holds Riverside talks

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta suggests the Gunners could be without a key player until 2026 after a pre-Chelsea injury update.

Arsenal set for Premier League six-pointer against Chelsea

The Gunners face a brief period of assessment ahead of Sunday’s Premier League blockbuster at Stamford Bridge, with Arteta sweating over the fitness of a few key players following Wednesday’s triumphant Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

Their commanding 3-1 victory over the German champions came at a cost, with Leandro Trossard forced off in the first half through injury.

The Belgian’s withdrawal was a fairly worrying sight given his excellent form this season, though substitute Noni Madueke stepped up brilliantly in Trossard’s stead to score his first goal for the club.

Arteta played down fears surrounding Trossard’s injury in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision to withdraw him was precautionary rather than enforced by serious damage.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

However, the manager’s cautious approach means Trossard’s participation against Chelsea remains uncertain, with Arsenal’s medical staff set to analyse his condition ahead of Sunday.

Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are also doubts for this weekend, with Arteta refusing to confirm their involvement against Chelsea following their spells out through injury.

Havertz has been nursing a knee problem which required surgery, keeping him out since the very start of 2025/2026, while Mikel Merino has deputised well in place of Gyokeres, who hasn’t featured since their 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Related Arsenal hold 'initial talks' to sign Real Madrid target who Arteta thinks is 'ideal'

The Gunners are moving in ahead of January.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

Gabriel Jesus continues to work his way back to full fitness after 11 months out with an ACL injury, with the Brazilian participating in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week.

Jesus is actually set for an ‘earlier than expected’ return from injury, but uncertainty continues to surround his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.

The star defender injured his thigh on international duty with Brazil and is set to miss the trip to Chelsea, with Arteta also asked if he’ll return before the end of 2025.

Mikel Arteta suggests Arsenal star Gabriel could be out until 2026

When asked by reporters if Gabriel would make a return to the field this year, Arteta’s answer cast doubt.

This suggests that the £100 million defender may not be back until 2026, thrusting summer signings Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera right into the spotlight.

Hincapie was given the nod for Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Spurs last weekend, and the Ecuadorian performed very well alongside William Saliba at the heart of Arteta’s backline.

Mosquera was then chosen to partner Saliba against Bayern, and again earned plaudits for his display, so Arsenal’s boss has a key selection decision to make against Enzo Maresca’s side.

Ex-Manchester United winger Antony has admitted that the decision to turn down Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window was driven by a desire to prioritise his family, with Real Betis and the life he had started to build in Spain ultimately the better choice in that respect. The Brazilian was on loan with Betis last season and made that move permanent in September.

• Kompan wanted Antony at Bayern

  Although his Manchester United form, barring a goalscoring run in his first few Premier League games, made him one of the club's worst ever signings when considering the enormous fee, Antony still managed to attract interest from perennial Bundesliga champions. It came after resurgent form during a half-season loan at Real Betis reminded the football world of his ability.

  Bayern lost Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman during the summer, to Galatasaray and Al-Nassr respectively, making a winger an area for the recruitment department to target. Antony's 14 goals and assists for Betis in 26 La Liga and Conference League appearances prompted Bayern boss Vincent Kompany to personally get in touch, which took the player by surprise.

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  Antony: Bayern interest really shook me up

  "I'm going to be completely honest. It really shook me up," Antony told during an interview which addressed the Bayern interest.

  "We're talking about a global giant, Bayern Munich, where a coach with that kind of history, Kompany, calls me. And we have a conversation there, he was super polite to me, said he always really liked my football, and this was at 11pm, a little after 11.

  "Whether I wanted to or not, it really affected me. Because of the greatness of the club, the greatness of the coach, and the way he approached me, the way he talked to me."

• Family matters more to Brazil winger

  Antony got engaged to girlfriend Rosilene Silva towards the end of 2024, shortly after welcoming their daughter in to the world – the player already had a five-year-old son, Lorenzo. They made the move to Spain as a family when Manchester United agreed a short-term deal with Real Betis and they quickly fell in love with the city of Seville and a new life in southern Spain.

  It was clear from an early stage that Antony wanted to return to Betis when the initial loan ended, but it was far from guaranteed for a long time because the finances of a proposed deal threatened to price the La Liga club out of keeping him. Ultimately, he held out, turning down opportunities to head elsewhere – Bayern included.

  "What weighed heavily on my decision was also my family," Antony added. "It's about looking out for my children. Lorenzo loves this place, loves this city [Seville]. When we were on vacation in Brazil, without knowing anything, he always asked: 'Dad, when are we going back to Spain?'"

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  Real Betis could challenge for trophies

  Bayern could have offered virtually guaranteed silverware, already six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table only 10 games into the season. The Bavarian giants are also favourites to win Germany's DFB-Pokal and fancy their chances in the Champions League.

  A trophy with Betis will be much more of a challenge, owing to the club's smaller stature. But they have started well in La Liga – only Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid (1 each) have lost fewer games than Betis’ two through 12 games – and are well place to challenge for a Champions League place.

  Los Verdiblancos won the Copa del Rey as recently as 2021-22 and almost delivered a European trophy last season, reaching the Conference League and initially taking the lead against Chelsea. This season, they're unbeaten in the Europa League through four matchdays and look a good bet to reach the knockouts.

  Antony is clearly happy too, starting 2025-26 the way he finished 2024-25. In his first 11 games as a permanent Betis player, it's eight goals and assists across La Liga, the Europa League and Copa del Rey.

A surprise guest was introduced over the Oakland Coliseum loudspeakers on Thursday to sing the national anthem for the Oakland Athletics' final home game in the East Bay—former AL Cy Young winner Barry Zito.

Zito, who pitched for the A's from 2000 to '06 and rejoined the club for three appearances in '15, sang "The Star Spangled Banner" in front of a sold-out crowd of 46,889 fans.

After 57 years in the Oakland Coliseum, the A's will play their home games at Sutter Health Park, the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, in California's capital city for the next three seasons as they attempt to relocate the franchise to Las Vegas by 2028.

"You can't prepare for something like this," Zito said of the final Coliseum game on the NBC Sports California broadcast. " … I had to be a part of this. This is just so special. I love seeing all the fans and all the green and gold, man."

Zito's singing talent didn't come out of nowhere. He has a long history as a musician, as he began playing guitar in the minor leagues and played with his sister Sally's band during each offseason from 2000 to '07. After he retired from baseball in 2015, Zito released his first EP in 2017 and appeared on season three of on Fox.

Although he has plenty of talent on the microphone, Zito was even better on the mound. Across 15 seasons, Zito was a three-time All-Star and logged a 165–143 record and 4.04 ERA. He was named the 2002 AL Cy Young winner after registering a 23–5 record, 2.75 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 35 starts, leading the "Moneyball A's" to an AL West division title.

By the second hour of the third day in Bulawayo, the outlook had turned bleak for Zimbabwe. South Africa’s third-wicket partnership between Wiaan Mulder and David Bedingham had grown to 72 at over five runs an over. Zimbabwe’s spearhead, Blessing Muzarabani, was off the field due to illness. The field placements were defensive and the home side looked out of answers.Then came a lucky breakthrough. Wellington Masakadza, brought back for the 33rd over, banged one in short to Bedingham, who should have dispatched it to the boundary. Instead, he mistimed the pull straight to midwicket and fell for a brisk 35. That dismissal triggered a slide, with South Africa losing 3 for 19 in five overs; the only passage of play in Zimbabwe’s favour.It was otherwise a day of South African dominance. Mulder, who had added 63 with Tony de Zorzi for the second wicket, had a partnership of 104 with Kyle Verreynne for the sixth. South Africa’s No. 3 made a career-best 147 at a strike rate of 71.35 and put the match out of Zimbabwe’s reach. They were set a target of 537, after South Africa were bowled out for 369 in their second innings, and ended the day at 32 for 1.Mulder, who started the day patiently, lost his partner de Zorzi when the left-hander edged Tanaka Chivanga to second slip for 31. But each time the bowlers strayed in line or pitched too full, Mulder tried to drive to the boundary. Those occasional fours, and Bedingham’s quick start, kept South Africa going. Mulder brought up his fifty with a huge six over midwicket off Masakadza in the 24th over, by which time South Africa’s lead had passed 250.Zimbabwe resorted to spin at that point for nine consecutive overs but couldn’t prevent Mulder and Bedingham from scoring 44 runs in that phase. Bedingham’s miscue eventually gave Zimbabwe a window, and Vincent Masekesa exploited the rough outside off to turn one sharply into first-innings centurion Lhuan-dre Pretorius, bowling him for 4. Masekesa struck again in the 38th over, dismissing Dewald Brevis for 3 when he attempted an ambitious hoick.Wellington Masakadza picked up four wickets•Zimbabwe Cricket

With South Africa 155 for 5, Mulder capitalised on the hittable balls. He drove, flicked and glanced for three boundaries in the next two overs, and reached his second Test hundred in the 43rd over with another boundary. By lunch, South Africa were ahead by 352.Five overs into the second session, Mulder and Verreynne were scoring boundaries frequently as Masekesa and Chivanga lacked control. Zimbabwe’s energy and confidence dropped; although their spinners were getting turn, the two well-set batters were untroubled.The century partnership was eventually broken by a short ball, as Wessly Madhevere had Mulder caught at deep midwicket. Three balls later, Masakadza found just enough turn to induce Verreynne to edge to slip for 36. At 259 for 7 – just as when they were 155 for 5 – Zimbabwe hoped to end South Africa’s innings quickly. But it wasn’t to be.South Africa’s captain Keshav Maharaj and Corbin Bosch deepened Zimbabwe’s woes, extending the lead beyond 425 with a quick 92-run stand. Maharaj began cautiously with three dots, but from the 61st over, the pair added 47 runs in eight overs.With the lead nearly 500, Zimbabwe suffered another blow in the last over before tea. Muzarabani, eligible to bowl after making up for his time off the field, had Bosch caught at first slip off a no-ball. Maharaj got to a half-century off 64 balls in the 77th over, but in the next one, Masakadza bowled Bosch for 36 by turning one from the rough outside leg.Masakadza had his fourth wicket soon after, removing Maharaj, who missed one after skipping down the pitch. Muzarabani then cleaned up Kwena Maphaka to finally bring Zimbabwe’s ordeal to an end.Set a daunting target of 537 and with stumps approaching, openers Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Prince Masvaure adopted a defensive approach. Only eight runs were scored in the first seven overs, as Codi Yusuf and Mulder bowled with discipline. When the final over of the day began, Zimbabwe had reached 32, and 15 of those runs were extras. The second ball of that over turned out to be the last of the day, as Kaitano edged Bosch to second slip, giving South Africa their first breakthrough in their pursuit of victory.

Liverpool bounced back from their four successive defeats in style as they came from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all got on the scoresheet for the Reds in Germany while Florian Wirtz finally registered his first assists since his big-money arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

Arne Slot made five changes to his side from Sunday's loss to Manchester United, and Alexander Isak twice went close to putting them ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, only to be denied by Michael Zetterer in the Eintracht goal. Instead it was the hosts who broke the deadlock, as Rasmus Kristensen finished off a sweeping move from back to front after Wirtz surrendered possession.

Zetterer had to be at his best to keep out a point-blank Conor Bradley header, but he was powerless to stop Ekitike from equalising against his former club as the forward ran onto Andrew Robertson's fine through-ball and slotted home 10 minutes before half-time. By the break the visitors were 3-1 up as first Van Dijk and then Konate both powered home close-range headers from corners.

Suddenly in confident mood, Liverpool went close to adding to their lead as Federico Chiesa volleyed wide and Bradley had a powerful effort pushed onto the post before Gakpo tapped into an empty net after Szoboszlai and Wirtz combined to cut through the hosts. Szoboszlai then grabbed his goal with an arrowed drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Deutsche Bank Park…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Giorgi Marmadashvili (6/10):

Couldn't do much to keep out Kristensen's strike but wasn't called upon all that often thereafter.

Jeremie Frimpong (5/10):

Couldn't make much impact on the game before an injury forced him off inside the opening 20 minutes.

Ibrahima Konate (7/10):

Had an easier night from a defensive point of view than in recent weeks and showed good strength to wrestle free of his marker and head in Liverpool's third.

Virgil van Dijk (7/10):

Wild that he was given so much room in the box to head Liverpool in front, but he made no mistake. Held things together pretty well at the back, too.

Andrew Robertson (6/10):

Perhaps could have done more to stop Kristensen from shooting for the opener, but redeemed himself with a superb first-time pass to set Ekitike free to equalise. Does look more dependable than Kerkez right now.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Florian Wirtz (6/10):

Shrugged off the ball far too easily by Nathaniel Brown which led to Eintracht's goal. Did show some nice touches both out wide and when moved centrally after the break, but nothing came off for the big-money signing before he finally provided his first assists for the club with a nicely weighted ball into Gakpo and an easy pass into Szoboszlai.

Dominik Szoboszlai (8/10):

Had to cover a lot of ground in the first half as attempted to shield the defence almost on his own at times. Grew in stature as the game wore on and produced some excellent defensive interventions before starting the move for Gakpo's goal and netting a fine long-range strike of his own.

Curtis Jones (7/10):

Given the task of driving Liverpool forward from midfield, the England international performed admirably in a tough role.

Cody Gakpo (7/10):

Provided a couple of fine crosses into the box, including for Van Dijk's goal, and got himself on the scoresheet in the second half with a tap-in. Continues to be the most consistent of Liverpool's forwards right now.

Getty Images SportAttack

Alexander Isak (4/10):

Denied twice by Zetterer in the opening 10 minutes, but faded badly after that bright start before being replaced at half-time.

Hugo Ekitike (7/10):

Spent the first half-hour with his back to goal, but showed what he can do when going the other way with his composed equaliser. So silky when he picks up possession, he looks a much better bet than Isak at the moment.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Conor Bradley (7/10):

Could have had a couple of goals if not for Zetterer and produced a fine block to deny Bahoya at 2-1 in a typically gritty display.

Federico Chiesa (5/10):

Wasted a couple of good chances but showed good energy after replacing Isak at half-time.

Mohamed Salah (5/10):

Tried all he could to get on the scoresheet in the final 20 minutes but couldn't find the net

Alexis Mac Allister (6/10):

Replaced Gakpo for the final 20 minutes.

Joe Gomez (6/10):

Gave Konate the final minutes off.

Arne Slot (7/10):

Opting for a 4-4-2 didn't quite work even if Liverpool went 3-1 up before half-time, and did the right thing taking Isak off at the break to ensure his side could control the second half.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Criciúma será mais uma equipe a solicitar o reconhecimento do título da Série B de 1986, que naquele ano foi chamado de Torneio Paralelo. Nesta terça-feira (5), o diretor de relações internacionais do clube, Rodolfo Moretti, informou que o clube foi declarado pelo Treze, da Paraíba, e o Central, de Pernambuco, para se unir a este desejo.

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De acordo com Moretti, o Tigre entendeu que e decidiu requerer o reconhecimento da Série B de 1986. De acordo com ele, a Inter de Limeira também procurará o reconhecimento na Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF). O Lance! procurou o clube paulista, que no momento está mobilizando sua parte jurídica, mas ainda não se manifestou oficialmente.

+ Como foi a Série B de 1986, que teve quatro clubes campeões

– Em conjunto, a diretoria entendeu que o Criciúma não poderia ser prejudicado ficando de fora de uma eventual aclamação, e decidimos que vamos sim requerer o reconhecimento e a homologação do título da Série B de 1986. Seria um título dividido entre os quatro clubes que venceram seus grupos e ascenderam à Primeira Divisão daquele ano. Grupos esses que, por mais que pertencessem a um só campeonato, eram equivalentes a uma Segunda Divisão ou um Torneio Paralelo – destacou o o diretor de relações internacionais do clube.

+ Ranking de patrocínio: veja os clubes da Série A com mais marcas no uniforme

O requerimento será feito por meio da Federação Catarinense de Futebol (FCF), que terá a responsabilidade de levar o pleito ao presidente da CBF. Em paralelo, os clubes assinarão uma carta em conjunto solicitando o reconhecimento do título e sua homologação.

– Até porque não haverá qualquer interferência no ranking da CBF, visto que a pontuação é contabilizada apenas nos últimos cinco anos. Então, seria um registro histórico de um feito considerável à época. Com isso, também resgatamos a história vencedora daquele time de 86, campeão Catarinense daquele ano e que também acendeu à elite do futebol brasileiro – afirmou Rodolfo Moretti.

+ O Flamengo foi campeão Brasileiro de 1987? O que foi a Copa União?

Além do Criciúma, Treze, Central e Inter de Limeira foram os campeões dos seus respectivos grupos do Torneio Paralelo de 1986 e garantiram o acesso para a Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro de 1987. No entanto, a competição não trazia critérios de desempate nem declaração de campeão. Por este motivo, os clubes atualmente pleiteiam o título da Série B de 1986.

A Inter de Limeira tem o título da Série B de 1988, enquanto o Criciúma sagrou-se campeão da edição de 2002. Caso seja homologada a conquista, os demais clubes conquistarão pela primeira vez a Segundona.

Manchester United are on the lookout for reinforcements to continue their mission under Ruben Amorim and could now be in a position to enact one of the deals of the 2026 transfer window.

Manchester United dealt triple injury blow

Injuries are an unfortunate reality of the modern game, and the Red Devils aren’t immune to being caught short in that regard after Amorim confirmed Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot and Mason Mount have been ruled out of facing Manchester City.

He stated: “I think they are out for this game. I don’t want to say (how long they will be missing). If you talk with Cunha, if you catch Cunha outside, he will say he can play this game! So I don’t know. We will manage day by day, but they are pushing hard and that is a good thing.”

While the demands of the Premier League are bound to hit everyone at points across the campaign, Manchester United will have a free run at the league for the next few months, easing pressure on a schedule that usually includes European football and domestic cup action.

In light of their lack of fixtures, The Sun have claimed that the Red Devils could look to participate in semi-competitive midweek friendly matches to help fill the financial black hole at Old Trafford after missing out on the Europa League last season.

With extra revenue on the line, Manchester United already took the step of having a post-season tour of Asia last term, illustrating that they are willing to do whatever it takes to earn capital.

Man Utd’s potential midweek friendly opponents

RB Leipzig

Neither team in Europe

Sevilla

Neither team in Europe

AC Milan

Neither team in Europe

Lazio

Neither team in Europe

What would extra funds generated go towards? If recent developments are to be believed, INEOS could be about to launch an offensive to land one of the world’s most talented stars.

Man Utd ahead of Real Madrid to sign Dayot Upamecano

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are ahead of Real Madrid in the race to sign Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, who could be a free agent in the summer of 2026.

Vincent Kompany’s men are struggling to agree terms with the France international on a new long-term contract, with his current one earning the star close to £14 million per annum, and he is said to want a significant increase on that figure before signing on the dotted line.

It's not Mbeumo: Man Utd sensation is now their best signing since Bruno

Manchester United conducted excellent business by landing the signature of one talent.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 13, 2025

Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping tabs on his situation in Germany, where he has made three appearances this campaign across all competitions.

The outlet claim his market value sits at around £51 million, presenting a market opportunity that Manchester United are eager to take advantage of by offering him a central role in their plans, placing them ahead of Real Madrid. INEOS also view him as a significant upgrade on Harry Maguire and other defensive options.

Upamecano has been a consistent starter for Bayern again in the Bundesliga this term, and appears to fit the mould as someone who could help the Red Devils get back to competing for major honours.

Kate Scott's husband, Malik, has urged former Manchester United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney to stage a 'global' boxing bout, claiming that it would do a lot of 'good' for the sport. Celebrity boxing events have been gathering a lot of fame over the last couple of years with multiple stars getting involved.

Scott wants Ronaldo and Rooney to fight in the ring

Former boxing heavyweight Scott has been coaching a number of athletes since his retirement, including names like Deontay Wilder and Ezra Taylor. The 44-year-old, who has started delving into the football world since marrying broadcaster Kate, has suggested that Ronaldo and Rooney should have it out in the ring, as it would bring a lot more eyes to the sport thanks to their stature.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBoxing would be better for another celebrity fight

Speaking to , Scott said: "Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Wayne Rooney would bring more eyes to boxing, and I'm all for it. Any time boxing gets more attention, it's a good thing. I want people to enjoy the spectacle, not just critique it. Just enjoy the carnival.  It would be a global event because these are high-level names that would draw huge numbers."

AFPRonaldo and Rooney's history with boxing

While neither Ronaldo has never boxed in a match before, his former Manchester United team-mate does have a love of the sport. Rooney's infamous boxing celebration and the revelation that former Sheffield United keeper Paddy Kenny wants to fight him in the ring are among his escapades in a game he loves on the side. Ronaldo, meanwhile, has often been spotted watching MMA and boxing clashes.

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Could Ronaldo and Rooney actually get into the ring?

The chances of Rooney taking part in a boxing bout are actually high with the ex-England international often having talked about getting into the ring. However, facing off against Ronaldo seems highly unlikely at least for the next few years, as he continues to focus on his Al-Nassr career.

Sam Surridge admits that it feels “surreal” to be involved in an MLS Golden Boot battle with Argentine GOAT Lionel Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is maintaining remarkable individual standards at Inter Miami, but former Nottingham Forest striker Surridge is keeping pace with the South American superstar when it comes to prolific strike rates in 2025.

• Surridge moved to MLS in same summer as Messi

  Surridge made his way to the United States a matter of days after Messi accepted a call from Manchester United and England legend David Beckham. They have been plying their respective trades in MLS since the summer of 2023.

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  How many goals have Messi & Surridge scored?

  Messi helped to down Surridge and Nashville in the Leagues Cup final shortly after his arrival in South Florida, with Supporters’ Shield and MVP honours being savoured since then. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has 30 goals to his name this season – with 22 of those being recorded in MLS action.

• Why Messi remains one of the best in the business

  Surridge has found the target on 21 occasions, telling of rubbing shoulders with a member of the global elite: “Being in a race with Messi is special for me. It is a bit surreal.

  “Messi could end up scoring however many goals in a game, and I can’t control that. I focus on what I can do. It's also great that he's doing well because it's almost like me against him in a way, but there's still some others in the race to get the Golden Boot.”

  Surridge added on Messi still being one of the best in the business: “Yes, he is, 100%. Him and (Cristiano) Ronaldo. Messi is not just doing it in MLS, he’s still doing it internationally. It’s only a couple of years ago, he won the Ballon d’Or whilst playing in Miami. It's great for the league that he's here.”

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  Suarez also used as a source of inspiration

  It is not just Messi that Surridge looks to for inspiration, with the 27-year-old adding on Inter Miami’s vastly-experienced No.9 Luis Suarez: “I've always looked up to him. Suarez is a great player, someone I always would watch on YouTube, watch his movement, watch how he can create chances for himself.

  “He doesn't move as well as he used to, but these players, they always try and find an extra yard. He's still got that fire.”