Category: Football

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko will be out of action “for a few weeks” after hurting his knee before the international break, manager Ruben Amorim said on Friday.

The forward, who joined United from RB Leipzig for £74 million ($97 million) in August, was injured during the 2-2 draw at Tottenham on November 8 and missed Slovenia’s World Cup qualifiers.

Amorim was initially “more concerned” about the issue due to the fact it related to a knee, but the United boss is confident the 22-year-old has avoided a lengthy lay-off.

“He is going to stay out for a few weeks, I don’t know how long, but it is not that serious,” Amorim said at his pre-match press conference for Monday’s visit of Everton.

“We have to be careful with him, he is going to recover, he is doing the recovery and is feeling better. So in a few weeks I expect to have Ben (Sesko).”

Amorim said he expected Sesko to return around the time that Cameroon’s Bryan Mbeumo, Ivory Coast international Amad Diallo and Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui would leave for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Morocco on December 21.

Discussions are taking place about when they will be released.

“We are doing our job to try to maintain the players a little bit longer but it’s not just in our hands,” said Amorim.

“We need to respect that, but we will try to do everything to protect the club, protect the player and protect the national team.”

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The Portuguese was asked how he felt as he approached the anniversary of his first game as United boss, against Ipswich on November 24 last year.

“Right away, I knew that we would struggle in some things,” he said. “But it was that feeling of, yes, it’s the best league in the world.

“It’s maybe the best club in the world. But at the same time, it’s a big job and it’s going to require a lot of work.”

Amorim said United were showing progress after a tough 2024/25 season, when they finished 15th in the Premier League.

“We suffered a lot last year, so we have to take that into account and play every game like it’s the last one or the first one,” he said.

“But of course, if you ask me, I expect a team with more control, more dominance, playing better football and, the most important thing, more competitive in every way.”

United will also be without Harry Maguire against Everton after the defender picked up an injury in the Spurs draw.

Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo could be available to face David Moyes’s side, and Lisandro Martinez is getting closer to a return after being involved in the Argentina camp over the break.

United are seventh in the Premier League after an unbeaten run of five games, although they have drawn their past two, against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.

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Finally reopening Camp Nou is cause to celebrate for Barcelona, but coach Hansi Flick will only be happy if they inaugurate their rebuilt stadium by kick-starting their La Liga title defence on Saturday.

The Catalan giants host Athletic Bilbao while trailing Real Madrid by three points after an inconsistent start to the campaign, below the level they were at as they claimed a domestic treble last season.

With three international breaks disrupting the opening months, now Flick has the chance to knuckle down and find solutions to Barca’s problems.

They have shipped 15 goals, more than nine of the 10 teams beneath them, while the attack has also struggled to ignite in the way it did in Flick’s debut year.

Returning to their home is one of several reasons for Barca to believe the coming weeks will be positive.

They last played at Camp Nou in May 2023, with the stadium shut for two-and-a-half years.

Barca had hoped to reopen it in November 2024, but construction problems and other setbacks led to its delay, with the team playing in exile at the Olympic stadium.

“(Playing there) will definitely help us… for the club’s future, it’s very important, I congratulate everyone who has worked on it,” said Flick.

In Barcelona’s prior outing, they beat Celta Vigo 4-2 in Galicia, with a wild first half giving way to a far more controlled second, which might indicate the direction his team need to take.

“The second half gives us confidence for the next matches, and this is what we need,” said the coach.

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Flick hopes that confidence is what the team needs to be able to execute their high-line defence to perfection, as they did for a long period last term.

“I always think to say something about the experts, former players, former coaches, but I will not do it, (it makes) too much noise for us,” said Flick, showing he has heard the criticism regularly aimed at him over Barca’s defensive woes.

The club have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the nine games they have played across all competitions since goalkeeper Joan Garcia was injured.

The stopper is poised to return against Athletic to help end that run.

Striker Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-trick against Celta, and following a troubled start to the campaign because of injury, his presence is a big boost.

The veteran has a nose for goal, which his stand-in Ferran Torres cannot replicate, as well as offering good build-up connections for Barca’s wingers.

Teen starlet Lamine Yamal is a doubt after he missed Spain’s World Cup qualifiers following treatment on a long-running groin issue, while Raphinha is close to a return on the other flank.

Although Marcus Rashford has impressed during his loan from Manchester United, the Brazilian’s intensity and work rate have been missed in recent weeks.

One problem for Flick against Athletic is Frenkie de Jong’s suspension while Pedri is out injured, denying the coach his first-choice pair of central midfielders. Marc Casado and Dani Olmo are likely to step in.

Whoever Flick selects will become part of the stadium’s new history, 68 years after the previous iteration was opened in 1957.

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Paul Pogba is expected to make his long-awaited return to action after over two years out of the game when Monaco travel to Rennes this Saturday in Ligue 1.

The 2018 World Cup winner has made only 12 appearances across the last three seasons due to injuries, a doping suspension and an extortion case in which he was the victim.

Pogba failed a drug test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and was handed a four-year ban, which was subsequently reduced to 18 months.

Nonetheless, the Italian giants terminated his contract last November, bringing to an early end an unhappy second stint in Turin blighted by injuries and other problems.

In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a plot to extort 13 million euros ($15.3 million) from Pogba in 2022.

But the chance to salvage his career came to the 32-year-old in the form of Ligue 1 side Monaco, who decided to take a gamble on him once he became available again following the conclusion of his suspension in March.

The extravagantly gifted midfielder signed for the principality side in the close-season, but was initially kept on the sidelines as he followed a custom-made plan to get his body back into the shape necessary for elite competition.

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Pogba’s return has twice been delayed due to knocks picked up this autumn, but after having won four Italian league titles with Juventus and the 2017 Europa League with Manchester United, Pogba is now set to play club football in his home country for the first time in his professional career.

Unlikely to start at Roazhon Park against Rennes as Ligue 1 starts back up after the international break, Pogba may only be sent on for the final moments of the match by Sebastien Pocognoli as sixth-placed Monaco continue to bed him in gently.

Regardless, all eyes will be on Pogba to see if his innate ability to spot and execute the pass that few else could even imagine, much less pull off, has not disappeared with time.

Pogba has stated he dreams of returning to the France set-up ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but only time will tell if his body can find it within itself to stand up to the demands of modern football over the rest of the season.

“It’s the wish of every French football player to represent the France national team, but there are stages,” Pogba said upon signing for Monaco.

“Today I’m at stage one: coming back and performing well.

“There are spots to be won and you have to earn them.”

Elsewhere in Ligue 1 action this weekend, leaders Paris Saint-Germain take on Le Havre, third-placed Lens welcome fourth-placed Strasbourg and bitter south coast rivals Nice and Marseille meet.

READ: Italy to face Northern Ireland in 2026 World Cup playoffs

Four-time World Cup winners Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the European playoffs for the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Ukraine will face star-studded Sweden.

Italy will take on Northern Ireland on March 26 next year at an Italian venue that is yet to be confirmed, after to the draw made in Zurich on Thursday.

Five days later the winner will travel to face the winner of Wales’s semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Despite another error-strewn qualification campaign, Italy still have a chance of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time since the 2014 tournament in Brazil, having failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022.

Facing the Azzurri will be a daunting challenge for Northern Ireland, who have only beaten the Italians once in 11 meetings, and that was in 1958.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said: “Let’s concentrate on the first match. Northen Ireland are a team that we can beat.

“They’re a team that have their own style, they’re very physical… they’ll give us a good game but we can do it.

“We know about Wales and Bosnia, and playing in Cardiff is difficult for anybody, but for now let’s concentrate on the semi-final.”

War-torn Ukraine will play a Sweden team that could feature Liverpool’s £125 million ($164 million) forward Alexander Isak and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedes, though, were woeful in qualifying, finishing bottom of their group, and only got into the playoffs thanks to their performance in the Nations League.

Newly appointed English coach Graham Potter, formerly in charge of Brighton and Chelsea, faces a tough task to steer the Swedes to the finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

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Potter said Sweden had a “fantastic opportunity”.

“We need to make sure we’re in a good place in March. We need to use our time until then wisely,” he said.

Whoever triumphs in the Ukraine v Sweden match will face the winner of Poland’s meeting with Albania — the Albanians are bidding to reach football’s showpiece for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland, who reached the playoffs after a dramatic late goal from Troy Parrott earned a 3-2 win in Hungary on Sunday, face a tough trip to the Czech Republic.

The winner of that match will host the winner of the semi-final between Denmark and North Macedonia.

Turkey will play Romania, who were surprise quarter-finalists the last time the tournament was played in the United States in 1994.

The winner will face either Slovakia or Kosovo, who are also trying to reach a World Cup for the first time in their history.

All the European semi-finals will take place on March 26, with the finals on March 31.

In the inter-continental playoffs, New Caledonia — another nation bidding to make a first appearance at a World Cup finals — will play against Jamaica for the right to face the seeded Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bolivia will play Suriname — yet another country seeking a first ever appearance — with the victor going on to a winner-takes-all game against Iraq.

Those games will be played in March next year.

The expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams from 32 teams in 2022 has led to a clutch of first-time qualifiers, including Curacao and Uzbekistan.

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Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi won the African Men’s African Footballer of the Year award on Wednesday, capping a season in which he lifted the UEFA Champions League with his club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The 27-year-old also won a fourth Ligue 1 title last season and claimed the French Cup and UEFA Super Cup; however PSG came up short in the final of the Club World Cup as Hakimi was forced to settle for a runners-up medal in New York.

The right-back beat out two past winners in Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen to claim the prize for the first time in his career.

Notably, he became the first defender in 52 years to win the African Footballer of the Year title.

“It’s really an honour for me to be here today and I’m proud to win such a prestigious trophy,” Hakimi said, before thanking his family, teammates and Morocco coach Walid Regragui.

“This trophy, it’s not just for me, it’s for all the strong men and women that have dreams in Africa and those that dream of becoming footballers.”

Hakimi is currently nursing a severely sprained ankle, but if fit, will lead hosts Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations from December 21 as they seek to win the competition for the first time since 1976.

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Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak claimed the prize for the best women’s player on the continent, beating out fellow countrywoman Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigerian Rasheedat Ajibade.

The Al Hilal attacker was the leading scorer in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations this year, although her side went down to Nigeria in the decider.

It was a bumper day for the ceremony’s host country, Morocco, as Yassine Bounou scooped up the best men’s goalkeeper award and the Moroccan under-20 World Cup-winning side was voted best men’s national team.

Watford 20-year-old Othmane Maamma of Morocco claimed best young men’s player, while compatriot Doha El Madani retained the title of best young women’s player.

Cape Verde boss Bubista was awarded men’s coach of the year after leading the nation with a population of 525,000 to a place at the 2026 World Cup.

Nigerian shotstopper Chiamaka Nnadozie won her third consecutive women’s goalkeeper of the year award.

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UEFA has given Barcelona the go-ahead to play Champions League matches at their partially rebuilt Camp Nou stadium, the La Liga giants said on Wednesday.

The news comes just a couple of days after Barcelona announced their long-awaited return to league action at the stadium, which had been beset by construction chaos, after more than two years in exile.

The Spanish champions will host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Camp Nou on December 9, just over two weeks after reinaugurating the stadium against Athletic Bilbao in domestic action on November 22.

Barcelona said in a statement that “UEFA accepted the request, considering that all the necessary requirements have been met.”

The Camp Nou return will end a messy saga in which Barcelona repeatedly had to postpone their announced reopening of the stadium as construction delays and a failure to secure safety licences curtailed their plans.

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The Catalans were humiliatingly forced to play two matches at their 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff training ground stadium in the first weeks of the season after failing to get the permit they needed for Camp Nou, because of safety reasons.

They have since then been playing in the 55,000-seater Olympic stadium on Montjuic hill.

Barcelona will open the Camp Nou against Bilbao with a temporary capacity of 45,401 spectators, with space for 105,000 when the top tier is eventually completed.

They opened the stadium up for 23,000 fans to watch a training session earlier in November as a test event in the reopening process.

The delay in the work represents a huge financial loss for the club, which needs the revenue generated by its stadium to regain stability.

Financially troubled Barcelona are estimated to be spending 1.5 billion euros ($1.74bn) on the rebuild.

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Haiti football team will make a long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup after 52 years, booking their spot in the 2026 edition set to be hosted by the United States of America (USA), Mexico, and Canada.

The Caribbean nation sealed their qualification with a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua in Curacao, where they have been forced to host home qualifiers due to ongoing unrest at home.

Goals from Louicius Don Deedson and Ruben Providence ensured a decisive win, sparking celebrations for the team and fans alike.

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Haiti’s triumph, combined with Honduras’ 0-0 draw against Costa Rica, saw them finish top of Group C with 11 points from six matches, narrowly ahead of Honduras, who ended with nine points and missed out on the inter-continental playoffs on goal difference against Suriname.

This marks only the second time Haiti has qualified for the World Cup, the first being in 1974 when they were eliminated in the group stage after losses to Italy, Poland, and Argentina.

Haiti’s remarkable qualification campaign is a testament to the resilience and determination of the team, overcoming both competitive and logistical challenges to return to football’s biggest stage after more than half a century.

READ: Curacao become smallest nation to qualify for football World Cup

The tiny Caribbean nation of Curacao became the smallest country ever to qualify for the football World Cup, as they sealed their place in the 2026 edition on Tuesday after battling to a 0-0 draw against Jamaica in Kingston.

Curacao, with a population of just 156,000 people, fought off a furious second-half onslaught from the Reggae Boyz to grab the draw they needed to clinch their ticket to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Curacao, whose veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat was forced to miss the game due to a family issue in the Netherlands, were left celebrating a historic result.

The result capped a fairytale qualification campaign for the team known as the ‘Blue Wave’, who finished top of Group B with 12 points from six games, one point clear of Jamaica.

Curacao are by far the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, which is being expanded to 48 teams next year for the first time.

The previous smallest country to qualify for the tournament was Iceland in 2018, with a population of around 350,000.

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Curacao finally booked their place after an extraordinary finale at Kingston’s National Stadium, where Jamaica, coached by former England manager Steve McClaren, launched a furious onslaught as they chased the win which would guarantee them a World Cup place at their opponent’s expense.

The Jamaicans hit the woodwork three times in the second half, with substitute Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri going agonizingly close with a header that crashed off the post in the 87th minute.

There was more drama in store in stoppage time, when Jamaica were awarded a penalty after substitute Jeremy Antonisse’s sliding tackle brought down Dujuan Richards in the area.

Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton pointed to the spot to leave Curacao facing the prospect of a heartbreaking defeat.

But as Curacao’s players protested, the decision went to VAR and was dramatically overturned to leave the Caribbean islanders on course for the World Cup.

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Iraq scored a penalty in the 17th minute of injury time to beat the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2-1 in the second leg of their 2026 World Cup qualifying tie on Tuesday and secure a place in the inter-confederation play-offs.

Substitute Mohanad Ali, who plays in the UAE for Dibba, and Amir Al-Ammari scored in Basra as Graham Arnold’s men came from behind to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw.

Iraq, whose only appearance at a World Cup was a group-stage exit in Mexico in 1986, progressed to the six-team play-offs where the last two tickets to the finals will be decided.

The UAE broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, as Yahia Nader slipped the ball through for Brazilian-born forward Caio Lucas to fire the ball past Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hachim.

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But Iraq hit back midway through the second half when Mohanad Ali headed home Al-Ammari’s free-kick.

The home side piled on the pressure late on, with Mohanad Ali missing two good chances to score a winner.

But VAR awarded Iraq the latest of penalties for a handball, and Al-Ammari stepped up to net the spot-kick and keep alive his nation’s hopes of ending their 40-year wait to play in a World Cup.

Bolivia, New Caledonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have also booked their places at the inter-confederation play-offs.

The other two play-off spots will be decided by the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers later Tuesday, with Jamaica and Panama currently in position to qualify for the mini-tournament.

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ISLAMABAD: Syria football team reinforced their dominance over Pakistan with a comprehensive 5-0 victory in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifying clash at Jinnah Stadium on Tuesday.

Mohammad Al-Hallaq opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, capitalising on an assist from Zakaria Hannan, putting Syria ahead early in a game that had no bearing on the Group E standings.

The visitors, having already secured qualification to the next round with four straight wins, rotated their squad to give new players valuable international experience.

The second half saw Syria take complete control. Al-Hallaq doubled the lead in the 48th minute, followed by Yassin Samiah’s strike in the 79th minute, assisted by Mahmoud Al Mawas.

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In injury time, Alaa Al Dali and Samiah added two more goals, with assists from Hasan Dahan and Anas Dahhan respectively, sealing a crushing 5-0 win.

Syria had previously defeated Pakistan 2-0 in the first leg back in March, maintaining their upper hand over the South Asian side.

For Pakistan, the loss highlighted ongoing challenges in Group E, where they sit at the bottom behind Myanmar and Afghanistan.

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Asia’s 19th edition of its premier men’s football tournament, will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, featuring 24 national teams after the 2019 expansion.

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