Jan Vertonghen does not believe there will be two players who dominate the Ballon d Or during the next decade in the way Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have done.
Messi scooped his record-extending eighth Ballon d Or on Monday in Paris.
The 36-year-old led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year, and also enjoyed a fine individual season with Paris Saint-Germain.
This Ballon d Or will almost certainly be Messi s last. Since 2008, he or Ronaldo have won every edition of the award bar two, with Luka Modric taking it in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022.
Messi finished ahead of Erling Haaland – who scored 52 goals in his first season at Manchester City – and his former club-mate Kylian Mbappe, who played a direct part in 50 goals in all competit…
Liverpool s Dirk Kuyt scored two late goals as the Netherlands beat Hungary in an eight-goal thriller in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
The hosts moved to the brink of booking their finals but berth were pushed all the way as the visitors beaten 4-0 in the reverse fixture in Budapest on Friday twice fought their way back into the game.
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie s early strike gave the Dutch a half-time advantage but goals from Gergely Rudolf and Zoltan Gera turned the game on its head.
Gera equalised again after goals from Wesley Sneijder and Ruud van Nistelrooy had got Holland back in front, before Kuyt had the final say to move Bert van Marwijk s side to 18 points from six games.
In Soha, Sweden had to withstand a late barrage from Moldova to claim a 2-1…
Pep Guardiola will get his first taste of a Manchester derby in the opening four games of the 2016-17 Premier League campaign as City travel to Old Trafford.
The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach will renew rivalries with United boss Jose Mourinho on September 10 as both men look to make a solid start to their new roles.
City begin life under Guardiola at home to Sunderland before an away trip to Stoke City, while they travel to last season s title contenders Tottenham on October 1.
December looks like being a tough month for City with clashes against Chelsea, Leicester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, with a trip to Hull City on Boxing Day sandwiched in between.
February 25 sees the return fixture with United before a daunting three-game run beginni…
Sweden and Montenegro secured play-off spots, while Germany, Spain and the Netherlands maintained perfect records in Euro 2012 qualifying.
Erik Hamren s Sweden side sealed second place in Group E after a 2-1 away win over Finland.
Sebastian Larsson put the visitors in front within ten minutes and defender Martin Olsson extended the advantage after half-time.
A Joona Toivo strike for Finland put the visitors under immense pressure late on, but the Swedes held out to secure all three points.
The result means Sweden have the chance to qualify for next year s finals through the play-offs after the Netherlands secured top spot in the group with a 1-0 home win against Moldova.
Greece replaced Croatia as the leaders of Group F with a well-earned 2-0 v…
Nathaniel Clyne will not return for Liverpool until the new year after undergoing back surgery.
Clyne has not featured for the Reds this season because of a back problem he sustained in a pre-season friendly with Tranmere Rovers in July.
In a statement, Liverpool said there were no complications with the operation.
It added: Clyne is on course to return to action in the new year and be available for selection once more for Liverpool, though no specific time frame has been placed on his return.
Posting on Twitter, the right-back wrote: Frustrating period for me but hopefully now things are on the up! Had a small successful op and working hard to get back on the pitch.
Frustrating period for me but hopefully now things are on the up! Had a small s…
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Spain and Germany, both aiming to become the first team to secure a fourth European Championship title, will clash at the MHPArena in Stuttgart in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals on Friday evening.
The winner of this high-stakes encounter will advance to the semis to face either Portugal or France, thus resolving this widely regarded as the more difficult road to the final.
Spain
Having triumphed in all three group games at a European Championship for the first time since 2008, Spain are the only team at Euro 2024 with a perfect four-match record. They advanced to the quarter-finals after a convincing 4-1 comeback win over Georgia in the last 16 on Sunday.
Spain faced an early shock when Robin Le Normand s own goal put Ge…
The year-long delay to Euro 2020 has shifted the narrative for a host of stars, and meant the long wait for a return to the big stage has been extended for others.
Now, though, Europe s elite are set to battle it out as Portugal defend the title they won in France five years ago.
Some players enter the competition in great form and with little baggage, but for others this month-long tournament is a chance to make a big splash, or live up to long-held expectations.
Here, Stats Perform looks at two famous footballing nations, four big-name stars and a coach who bows out of his current job and may have designs on his next assignment.
Brilliant EURO free-kicks Which is your favourite here?
Gareth Bale
Michael Ballack
Zinédine Zidane
Fra…
Lucy Staniforth says her recall to the England squad after being a standby player ahead of the World Cup is something she feels she earned.
The 30-year-old, who had been set to go on holiday with her mother to Ibiza, changed that plan when she was called up by Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman in late June to replace Jess Park on a standby list also featuring Maya Le Tissier.
Staniforth was subsequently involved in preparations at home and then in Australia before parting ways with the squad as the tournament – in which Wiegman’s European champions went on to finish runners-up – got under way.
The Aston Villa midfielder, capped 17 times, most recently in October 2021, is back in the fold at the first opportunity since the World Cup, for the upcoming Nations Lea…
Hungary midfielder Zoltan Gera has won the Euro 2016 Goal of the Tournament award, edging out Cristiano Ronaldo.
The accolade, which is decided by supporters, saw the 37-year-old top the poll with 32% of the votes cast for his strike against Ronaldo s Portugal in the dramatic 3-3 Group F draw on June 22.
Gera s effort, which gave Hungary the lead, saw him control with his chest before powering home a left-footed long-range strike.
Ronaldo came second with 24% for his leaping header against Wales in the semi-final, with Xherdan Shaqiri (23%) third following his acrobatic goal in Switzerland s last-16 match with Poland.
Eder (16%) was fourth for his decisive goal from distance in the final against France, while Hal Robson-Kanu s goal for Wales in their vi…
For years, Belgium s golden generation has promised much but never quite lived up to its potential – in arguably their last opportunity for success, they are primed to give it all they have.
The one area of Roberto Martinez s team that would cause most supporters concern would be their aging backline, but in the face of sheer desperation and an attack brimming with quality, they stood firm in Seville to see off Cristiano Ronaldo and defending European champions Portugal 1-0 on Sunday.
It was a performance that brought further credence to the growing idea that pragmatism rules on the international stage, with Belgium making the most of a wonderstrike and then offering little threat themselves at the other end.
A gauntlet was laid down to Portugal and, despite bo…