The Ballon d’Or is the most sought-after individual award in football.

Now, it’s fair to say that since Cristiano Ronaldo’s first win all the way back in 2008, the award has just been a contest between himself and Lionel Messi, with only three other players – Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Rodri – able to beat them to it.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the best players to have never won the award.

11 Honourable mentions: Pele and Diego Maradona

Over 1,500 goals between them; zero Ballon d’Or awards.

Before we get into the list proper, we thought it would be fitting to include two of the greatest footballers to ever live in Pelé and Diego Maradona.

There is no doubt that both of these superstars should have won a Ballon d’Or during their storied careers, and they almost certainly would have done, were it not for an irritating rule in place until 1995.

That rule stipulated that only European players could win the Ballon d’Or, and so neither Pelé nor Maradona were ever eligible to win it when they were playing.

The Brazilian icon was awarded an honorary Ballon d’Or trophy in 2014, but even that doesn’t make up for the fact that he never received one during his playing days.

Pelé and Maradona’s career in numbers:

Player

Appearances

Goals

Major Honours

Pelé

1,363

1,281

26

Maradona

680

344

11

10 Wesley Sneijder

Champions League winner 2009/10

Kicking off our list of the ten players who should have won the Ballon d’Or is Netherlands star Wesley Sneijder.

The Dutch magician was one of the best players in world football during the 2010s, so for him to finish in the top ten for the award only once in his career is a travesty. Now, we aren’t saying that there were several years in which he should have won the award, but there was undoubtedly one season in which we reckon he should have gotten his hands on that golden ball: 2010.

That year, the midfield magician played an instrumental role in Jose Mourinho’s legendary treble-winning Inter Milan side, as well as reaching the World Cup final with the Netherlands.

Granted, he was on the losing side of that final, but to reach the zenith of international football in the same year you win a treble feels like enough to win the Ballon d’Or to us.

9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

12 league titles, six top-10 Ballon d’Or finishes

From a man with one stand-out year that should have netted him the award to a man with one of the longest careers at the very top of the game in recent memory, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish monster had an unbelievable record in football, scoring 496 goals and providing 205 assists in 827 professional games, which means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.17 games across a 24-year career – and that’s just at club level.

He also won practically everything there was to win at the domestic level, finishing with five Serie A titles, four Ligue 1 titles, one La Liga title, two Eredivisie titles and a mountain of domestic cups to boot.

He only failed to win an international title and the Champions League. This likely hurt his cause, but considering he finished in the top ten of the Ballon d’Or six times, we genuinely believe he should have come out on top at least once.

It shows how much of a hold Messi and Ronaldo had on that era of football.

Ibrahimovic’s career in numbers:

Team

Appearances

Goals

Sweden

122

62

Paris Saint-Germain

180

156

AC Milan

163

93

Inter Milan

117

66

Ajax

110

48

Juventus

92

26

LA Galaxy

58

53

Manchester United

53

29

Barcelona

46

22

Malmö FF

8

3

Read more: 10 best goals not to win the Puskas Award

8 David Beckham

1999 Ballon d’Or runner-up

Ol’ Golden Balls himself managed to go his entire career without getting his hands on the most famous golden ball of them all, the Ballon d’Or.

Now, many of those who didn’t watch David Beckham in his prime might think of him as a deadball merchant and more of a celebrity than a footballer, but let’s be clear: Beckham was one of the most talented footballers of his generation.

He was such a talent that during a game against Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane came over and asked the Manchester United man to leave the Red Devils and come play for Los Blancos instead – something he would eventually do.

Beckham finished in the top ten of the Ballon d’Or three times in his career, with a highest finish of fourth in 2001. Still, we reckon he deserved more across his brilliant career that saw him lift one Champions League, six Premier Leagues, one Ligue 1 title, plenty of domestic cups and even the UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 1999.

Becks’ 1998-99 treble-winning season in numbers:

Appearances

55

Goals

9

Assists

20

Trophies

4

Read more: 10 memorable David Beckham moments

7 Andres Iniesta

Scorer of World Cup-winning goal, 2010

Just like Zlatan, Andres Iniesta has also featured in the Ballon d’Or’s top ten six times in his career, but unlike the Swede, he was once just a single place away from winning it when he finished in second place in 2010.

Now, Iniesta will be remembered as one of the most magical midfielders football has ever seen and one of the greatest Spanish players in history. He has won everything you can at club level, league titles, European trophies and domestic cups, but his crowning achievement came in 2010 when he scored the winning goal in the World Cup final.

That one goal ended Spain’s wait for their first World Cup and cemented the legacy of Andres Iniesta for generations to come, so why didn’t he win the Ballon d’Or?

Well, one man, Lionel Messi.

The Argentine had scored 60 goals and provided 17 assists in just 64 appearances that calendar year and won the same domestic titles as the Spaniard, so the voters clearly favoured the goals over the World Cup.

We can see their reasoning, but we disagree with it.

6 Gareth Bale

5 Champions League titles with Real Madrid

Historically, British players have struggled when they have played abroad. That’s starting to change, but it was undoubtedly still the case when Gareth Bale made his record-breaking move to Real Madrid in 2013.

The Welshman had just spent the previous season terrifying English defences, and he started doing the same to Spanish ones the second he arrived in Madrid.

His move may have soured towards the end, but there is no denying that the first few years in Spain were a massive success for Bale. In all, he scored 106 goals and provided 67 assists for Los Blancos, but most importantly, he played an essential part in their European triumphs.

The two goals that stand out are the overhead kick that gave them the lead against Liverpool in the 2018 final and the goal against Atletico Madrid that gave them the lead in 2014.

Without Bale, there is a genuine chance that Madrid wouldn’t have won those finals, so for our money, he’s worthy of at least one Ballon d’Or.

Bale’s career in stats:

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Wales

111

40

22

Real Madrid

258

106

67

Tottenham Hotspur

236

71

58

Southampton

45

5

12

LAFC

14

3

0

5 Wayne Rooney

Premier League and Champions League winner in 2008

The second Englishman on our list, but we don’t think it’s too controversial to suggest that Wayne Rooney deserved at least one Ballon d’Or during his outlandish career.

The Liverpool-born dynamo spent most of his career helping Manchester United dominate the Premier League and even won the Champions League in 2008. The United legend retired with 313 goals and 170 assists to his name and as the top scorer for both club and country.

He only finished in the top ten of the Ballon d’Or three times in his career, somehow never finishing higher than fifth. However, for anyone watching him regularly, it was clear that he should’ve been regularly making it into the top five.

4 Neymar

World’s most expensive footballer

Neymar Jr is one of the most polarising superstars in modern football.

Some see him as an over-dramatic waste of money who was never going to reach the standards people expected of him, whereas others see him as a tragic case of what could have been after his move to Paris Saint-Germain ultimately didn’t work out.

We tend to fall on the latter side of the argument.

When Neymar moved to PSG in 2017, the football world was stunned. Still, his desire to escape the shadow of Messi did at least make some sense.

After all, he may have been widely regarded as the third-best player in the world, but so long as he was playing with Messi, he would always be the second-best player on the pitch.

However, people shouldn’t rewrite history just because he failed to deliver a Champions League to the Paris club; on his day, Neymar was a genuinely world-class footballer.

Across his career, he has scored 296 goals and provided 193 assists in 503 games, leaving him just shy of a goal involvement every time he stepped onto the pitch. He has won it all as well, with a Champions League, five Ligue 1 titles, two La Liga titles and a swath of domestic cups all under his belt at just 31.

He has made it into the top ten for the Ballon d’Or six times in his career and has finished third twice.

Can you guess the two men in front of him on both occasions? Messi and Ronaldo.

For all of his recent failings, there was a period between 2015 and 2017 in which Neymar was comfortably the third-best player in the world and had he been playing in any other era, he would undoubtedly have at least one Ballon d’Or to his name by now.

Neymar’s transfers:

Date

Left

Joined

Transfer fee

1st July 2013

Santos

Barcelona

£71.4m

3rd August 2017

Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain

£200m

15th August 2023

Paris Saint-Germain

Al-Hilal

£86m

3 Luis Suárez

Record-breaking 31 Premier League goals in 2013/14

Luis Suarez is another player who dominated the 2010s thanks to his outstanding goal record, and yet he closed out the decade without a Ballon d’Or to his name.

Two seasons spring to mind when we think of the Uruguayan striker; the first was his unbelievable 2013/14 campaign with Liverpool, and the second was his equally brilliant 2015/16 season with Barcelona.

In that first campaign, he ended the Premier League season with a frankly ridiculous 31 goals and 17 assists in just 33 games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 61 minutes. Yet, he did not even make it onto the ten-man shortlist for 2014.

The other season in 2015/16, his second with Barcelona, saw him score 59 goals and provide 24 assists in 53 games across all competitions, giving him an even more impressive average of a goal involvement every 57 minutes.

He also helped Barcelona win La Liga that season and finished in fourth for Ballon d’Or, behind Antonine Griezmann, Messi and Ronaldo.

Suarez’s career in numbers:

Appearances

760

Goals

261

Assists

164

Trophies

20

Read more: The top 10 Liverpool players to wear the No 7 shirt

2 Thierry Henry

39 goals in 2003/04 as Arsenal won title unbeaten

Arguably the greatest player the Premier League has ever seen and undeniably one of the most incredible forwards in football history, it is amazing that Thierry Henry finished his career never once winging that golden ball.

The Frenchman was electric for the entirety of his Arsenal career and made a massive difference to Barcelona in the short time he spent there. He really could have won the award at several points in his career, but we’d argue that he should have won in 2004.

He had finished second to Pavel Nedved the year beforehand, and if we’re being honest, he probably should have finished ahead of the Czech, but his performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League probably swayed opinion somewhat.

In 2004, however, Henry had just helped Arsenal claim their third Premier League title in six years and had done so without losing a game. He also finished as the team’s top scorer with 39 goals and 15 assists in just 51 games.

The team weren’t great in the Champions League, which is likely what hurt his chance of winning, but on an individual level, he was outstanding in Europe. In just ten games in the competition, he scored five goals and provided seven assists, giving him a goal involvement every 74 minutes.

Finally, if European competition was the deciding factor, Andriy Shevchenko shouldn’t have come in first place as AC Milan crashed out of the tournament in the quarter-finals – the same round as Arsenal.

Marcus Trescothick bagged a pair but Azhar Ali ensured that Surrey would have to work hard for a victory against their closest challengers

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-20181:38

Worcestershire relegated after Essex hammering

ScorecardSurrey were frustrated by the weather and some stiff Somerset resistance on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Taunton.By the close of a day limited to 49.3 overs by rain and bad light, the hosts had reached 168 for three in their second innings and required a further 171 to avoid an innings defeat.The match looked set to end inside three days when Somerset crashed to four for two, following on, Marcus Trescothick bagging a pair when dismissed by Morne Morkel for the second time in the match.But from there the home side found a resolve that was missing from their first innings batting, James Hildreth making 60 and Azhar Ali ending the day unbeaten on 61.Overnight rain prevented play getting underway until noon and when it did Somerset’s last wicket pair of Josh Davey and Jack Leach added 24 before Davey looked to drive Morkel and was caught at point by Mark Stoneman.Somerset were all out for 146 and were soon in trouble in their second innings as Morkel bowled Trescothick in the opening over.Tom Banton hit a sweet on-drive for four off Tom Curran, but was bowled next ball and the hosts’ brittle batting in recent games looked set to repeat itself.Surrey could sense victory in the air as Hildreth walked out to the middle to join Azhar. Bu the third-wicket pair gradually grew in confidence and in the 13th over a blistering cover drive from Azhar off Conor McKerr saw the Somerset 50 up.The duo continued to prosper and Hildreth went to his half-century with a single off McKerr to square cover, his runs coming off 68 balls with eight fours.Two overs later Azhar edged McKerr to the third-man boundary to bring up 100, shortly after which the players left the field for bad light for an early tea.When play resumed only two more balls were possible before the players went off again due to more bad light.After an hour, play resumed with the loss of 16 further overs. Tom Curran switched to the Somerset Pavilion End and in his second over made the vital breakthrough when he tempted Hildreth to drive at a fuller ball and edge to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.In his next over Curran was unlucky to have Azhar put down at second slip when he was on 30. The former Pakistan captain survived and rode his luck, taking two boundaries to deep backward square leg in the young paceman’s next over.Azhar went to his fifty with a boundary to backward square off McKerr, having faced 97 balls and hit nine fours.Somerset had moved onto 168 for three off 42.2 overs, when bad light stopped play bringing an early close to proceedings, by which time Azhar and Tom Abell (21 not out) had added 61.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a boost after learning that one of their injured players could be set to return for this month’s game vs QPR in the Championship.

Where are West Brom in the table?

The Baggies have made a really mixed start to the new campaign having so far secured four wins, four draws and three defeats, meaning that they find themselves 11th in the table, and here is how that first group of matches have played out so far:

Victories	Draws	Defeats
Swansea City (3-2)	Leeds United (1-1)	Blackburn Rovers (2-1)
Middlesbrough (4-2)	Bristol City (0-0)	Huddersfield Town (2-1)
Preston North End (4-0)	Watford (2-2)	Birmingham City (3-1)
Sheffield Wednesday (1-0)	Millwall (0-0)

Carlos Corberan hasn’t at all been helped by the fact that Daryl Dike, Josh Maja, Adam Reach, Martin Kelly and John Swift are all out on the sidelines with their own respective injuries, but they aren’t the only ones to have recently been away from the action.

Over the summer, Jeremy Sarmiento put pen to paper on a season-long loan from Brighton and Hove Albion, but he had an unfortunate beginning to his new life in the Midlands having sustained a quadricep problem, which the boss said would keep him out for four weeks.

Jeremy Sarmiento injury update

Speaking to West Brom News, Dr Rajpal Brar delivered an injury update on Jeremy Sarmiento and suggested that West Brom's attacking midfielder won't be available for Saturday's encounter vs Plymouth, but could be back for the next game against QPR:

“He felt something in the quadriceps muscles after his first start – which sounds like soreness based on the reports – but then continued to feel pain after a limited-minute cameo. After that, he had scans – likely some level of tear – that will require a period of rest.

“Once the injury has healed sufficiently, the physios will begin to ramp him up again. He’ll miss the next one but may fight to return before the end of the month for games after this one.”

How old is Jeremy Sarmiento?

Sarmiento is only 21 years of age so he’s still very early on in the development stages in his career, and you can tell that with him having only posted five contributions, three goals and two assists, in 48 appearances since first bursting onto the scene (Transfermarkt – Sarmiento statistics).

However, Ecuador’s international is a versatile operator having previously been deployed in five different positions over the pitch, including three roles in the centre and even out wide on both the left and right flanks, so his ability to easily adapt to the manager's demands makes him a great option to have in the building.

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Sarmiento is an “exciting” talent and it’s a shame that he’s not yet had the opportunity to showcase his abilities at West Brom, but if he is to return to the pitch at some point in the near future, it would be a huge boost for Corberan to finally be able to utilise his summer signing.

The first four-day fixture (September 2-5) will be held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, while the second (September 8-11) will be played in Alur

Shashank Kishore28-Aug-2018

Peter Handscomb drives on the up•Associated Press

Australia A’s two-week stay in Bengaluru – originally scheduled for the 50-over Quadrangular series – is set to be extended. The BCCI is contemplating moving the two four-day games against India A out of Visakhapatnam.The 50-overs leg of their tour, originally slated to be held in Vijayawada, was also moved to Bengaluru because of heavy rain and unfit ground conditions. In Vijayawada, the Australian players were forced to spend a majority of their week-long stay indoors or in training at a private gym facility.While there has been no official announcement yet, ESPNcricinfo understands that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has accepted BCCI’s request, and has facilitated all logistical arrangements. The first four-day fixture (September 2-5) is likely to be held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, while the second (September 8-11) will be played in Alur, in the outskirts of the city.Until November 2017, Alur hosted only one-day fixtures. However, the recent construction of a clubhouse and dressing rooms that conform to BCCI’s set standards have made it a first-class venue. It hosted the second four-day fixture against South Africa A last month and has hosted matches in the ongoing Quadrangular series.

USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter revealed postgame that USA hero Haji Wright nearly missed out on Nations League camp due to a family vacation.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

USA defeat Jamaica 3-1Wright scores extra-time braceBerhalter shares story on striker's inclusionWHAT HAPPENED?

After an injury to Josh Sargent forced him to exit the U.S. camp, Haji Wright was called in as his replacement, but only by a matter of minutes.

After the USMNT's come-from-behind CONCACAF Nations League semifinal victory Thursday evening, where Wright netted both strikes in extra-time to secure victory, Berhalter revealed just how close the U.S. was to missing out on securing the Coventry City striker for the tournament.

Indeed, the U.S. boss caught Wright at the airport with his family, just as he was about to board a plane and head out on holiday.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT GREGG BERHALTER SAID POSTGAME

"He actually got Coach's Man of the Match, and for good reason," Berhalter said. "You have to shake off the disappointment of not getting selected in the first place and then you come into the group and it's always a tough feeling because you feel like you're second choice. When I called him and told him he wasn't in the team, the message was, 'You're doing everything right, you can't do anything more so just be patient'. I told him that this camp, we opted for this but when we called him to come in, and I'll share this with you, he was getting on a plane to go to Dubai. He had a family vacation planned for the International break.

"So I call him and he was like, 'Well, I'm at the airport and my whole family's here, my agent's already there, my girlfriend, she planned the whole thing'. This really happened! What do you do, right? I said, 'Haji, I'm going to give you 10 minutes', I didn't give him a timer but I said, 'Let's hang up and you just think about it, process it. I know it's a lot of information right now for you to handle and I know you have your parents, the bags are packed, and you're at the airport, but just think about it for 10 minutes and give me a call back'.

"He called me back and he said, 'I'm in', and, when I heard that, it really shows what type of guy he is and what his character is."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wright doubled his USMNT goalscoring tally Thursday evening, building on his effort in the 2022 World Cup knockout round loss against the Netherlands. His stupendous second-half cameo, alongside Gio Reyna – who assisted both of his goals – singlehandedly carried the USMNT into Sunday's final.

He wasn't even supposed to be a part of this tournament, but an injury to Sargent gave him the opportunity, and Wright took it. With 15 goals and six assists across all competitions in the English Championship with Coventry City, he was a worthy replacement, but his performance Thursday put him in concrete contention for a role in the XI going forward.

Now the biggest question ahead of the championship game involves Wright: does he start on Sunday?

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR WRIGHT AND THE USMNT?

The U.S. will take on Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final Sunday, following their win over Panama in the other semifinal. With a victory, it will be a third-straight title for the U.S., as Berhalter's squad looks for their first trophy of the calendar year.

Liverpool have been handed another injury blow, with Andy Robertson limping off in the first half of Scotland's clash with Northern Ireland.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Robertson starts for Scotland against Northern Ireland
• Limps off in first half
• Adds to Liverpool injury woes

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Robertson was captaining his country on Tuesday night at Hampden Park, with the hosts going 1-0 down in the 32nd minute thanks to a goal from his Anfield team-mate Conor Bradley. Shortly after that strike, Robertson slumped down to the floor, using his shirt to cover his face, and it soon became clear that his night was over.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Just before his withdrawal, Robertson had been left holding his ankle following a coming together with Northern Ireland defender Trai Hume. Although he could carry his own weight as he trudged down the tunnel, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will still be sweating over his fitness.

• Liverpool FC
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The Reds have been far from full strength all season, especially in defence. Although things have improved on that front somewhat lately, Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold missed their side's last game before the international break – a dramatic FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United – while Joel Matip is out for the season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  If Robertson's injury is significant, he could miss Liverpool's Premier League clash with Brighton on Sunday. After that the Reds host Sheffield United, with a trip to Old Trafford and a Europa League showdown against Atalanta also on the horizon.

Plucky Peshawar make it two in twoDespite the tired, yet inescapable narrative of departments reigning supreme against regions in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, Peshawar continue to defy the odds in the second round. Fresh from an upset victory in the first round against KRL, they put in another commanding performance as they took down another departmental powerhouse. This time it was HBL who fell victim to Peshawar, who cruised to a six-wicket victory.Peshawar’s start is all the more remarkable for a side completely devoid of big-name talent; the starting eleven does not have a single Test cap. Indeed, there’s only one international cap amongst the eleven, awarded to Sahibzada Farhan, who played a solitary T20I earlier this year. He played a crucial role in the fourth innings, scoring 46 as he put on a century partnership with Ashfaq Ahmed, who was unbeaten on 68, as they chased down what could have been a tricky target of 159.Pitch standards under scrutiny againLast season’s Quaid-e-Azam trophy was replete with complaints of pitches that were not ready for first-class cricket, and it didn’t take too long to have the first two-day finish in the 2018 season. It came at the embattled Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad, the same venue that earned Imran Farhat’s ire and an accusation that a bug infestation there had sent more than half his team to the hospital.It was on the pitch, however, that batsmen struggled to stop the bleeding as wicket after wicket fell on the first day, and well before the second session was up, the home side had been skittled out for 88. In the circumstances, KRL put on a nearly impregnable 176 thanks to a half century by Usman Arshad, doubling the first innings score. Rawalpindi didn’t fare much better the second time around, and as their innings wrapped up for a sorry 118, KRL had only 31 runs to chase down to register their first points on the board. They did so without the loss of a wicket, and before half-time had been reached in this four-day game, it was time to go home.A giant awakes from its slumberTraditional giants SNGCP will have been disappointed with only a draw in the opening round, which saw them fail to get off the mark in terms of points. Wounded into action, they put on a fearsome display in this round, routing FATA by an innings and 52 runs. All the damage was done in the first innings, as Imran Butt and Iftikhar Ahmed scored 111 and 145 respectively to help their side amass 461. And while FATA were spirited in their response, Samiullah scoring a hundred of his own, it wasn’t enough to prevent his side conceding a 195-run lead to Mohammad Hafeez’s men.Hafeez, who was recently omitted from the squad for the Asia Cup that begins on Sunday, had promised he would not retire, and instead earn his place in the national side back through performances on the domestic circuit. He couldn’t have wished for a better start, as in the second innings he took six wickets for 62, helping bowl FATA out for 143 and earning his side an innings win.Butt stars in WAPDA winThere was a time 18 months ago when Salman Butt was on the verge of making a spectacular return to the international side. When the QeA began last year, it was still conceivable he could be called up, depending on how he performed. As it turned out, he had an underwhelming year, Imam-ul-Haq burst onto the scene, and Butt’s moment passed.While the chances of an international call-up look extremely bleak anytime soon, Butt has, to his credit, kept plugging away on the domestic circuit. As captain of WAPDA, he led from the front to help them bounce back from a first round loss against Karachi Whites, scoring 68 and 49 as they beat Multan by 7 wickets. He didn’t top-score in either innings though. Adnan Raees led the charge in the first innings with 91, while wicketkeeper-batsman Ali Shan played arguably the most important knock of the game in the fourth innings, his unbeaten 96 seeing WAPDA comfortably chase down a not inconsiderable target of 175.

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de reunir-se com membros de torcidas organizadas do Flamengo pela manhã, na Sede da Gávea, o vice-presidente de futebol Marcos Braz esteve no Ninho do Urubu, onde, de tarde, o padre Omar Raposo, reitor do Santuário do Cristo Redentor, foi recebido.

Além de Marcos Braz, o meia e capitão Everton Ribeiro e o ex-zagueiro Juan, que faz parte do departamento de futebol, acompanharam a visita do padre Omar Raposo no CT do Flamengo.

Sem vencer há quatro rodadas no Campeonato Brasileiro e vindo de duas derrotas para o São Paulo e elmiinação na Copa do Brasil, o Flamengo recebe o Coritiba, neste sábado no Maracanã, pela 22ª rodada.

RelacionadasFlamengoFlamengo x Coritiba; prováveis times, onde ver, desfalques e palpitesFlamengo20/11/2020FlamengoCom lesão ‘grave e complexa’, Thiago Maia, do Flamengo, passará por cirurgia neste sábadoFlamengo20/11/2020FlamengoBraz e Spindel se reúnem com torcidas organizadas na sede do FlamengoFlamengo20/11/2020

> CONFIRA A CLASSIFICAÇÃO E A TABELA COMPLETA DO BRASILEIRÃO!

أصدر الاتحاد الفرنسي لكرة القدم، بيانًا رسميًا، بشأن ما حدث من قِبل لاعبي منتخب الأرجنتين بعد تتويجهم ببطولة كوبا أمريكا قبل يومين.

وفاز منتخب الأرجنتين ببطولة كوبا أمريكا 2024 عقب انتصاره القاتل على كولومبيا، في المباراة النهائية فجر الإثنين.

وذكرت تقارير فرنسية اليوم أن الاتحاد الفرنسي بصدد التقدم بشكوى لدى فيفا ضد الأرجنتين بسبب الإساءة العنصرية ضد لاعبي منتخب فرنسا.

ويعود الأمر إلى مقطع فيديو مقتطع من بث مباشر للاعب الأرجنتين، إنزو فرنانديز، يتضمن إهانات وإساءات عنصرية ضد لاعبي فرنسا وأصولهم (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقال الاتحاد الفرنسي في بيان رسمي، نشرته شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية منذ قليل: “يدين رئيس الاتحاد الفرنسي لكرة القدم، فيليب ديالو، بأشد العبارات التصريحات العنصرية والتمييزية غير المقبولة التي صدرت ضد لاعبي المنتخب الفرنسي، في سياق أغنية غناها لاعبو وجماهير المنتخب الأرجنتيني بعد فوزه بكأس كوبا أمريكا وتم بثها في مقطع فيديو على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي”.

وأضاف: “وأمام خطورة هذه التصريحات الصادمة، والتي تتعارض مع قيم الرياضة وحقوق الإنسان، قرر رئيس الاتحاد الفرنسي لكرة القدم تحدي نظيره الأرجنتيني والفيفا بشكل مباشر وتقديم شكوى قانونية بسبب تصريحات مهينة عنصرية وتمييزية”.

Glasgow Rangers have started positively under Philippe Clement, recording two wins and a draw across his opening three games in charge of the Ibrox side.

The Premiership clash against Hearts last weekend gave Clement an indication of how much work he will have to do in order to bring the club back to the summit of Scottish football.

The Gers trailed 1-0 heading into injury time, but a James Tavernier penalty and a Danilo header secured a remarkable turnaround and gave the Belgian another three points, yet the performance was underwhelming for 90 minutes.

The Light Blues face a hectic run of fixtures heading into the festive season, which includes a League Cup semi-final clash (and a potential final), while there are three Europa League fixtures still to be played.

The 49-year-old will need to get the best out of his squad in order to achieve success and there have only been a few senior players who have impressed so far this term.

Summer arrival Danilo has shone when called upon, scoring four times, despite missing nine games through injury, while Jack Butland has been a calming presence between the posts and this has made a massive difference.

It has arguably been Abdallah Sima – a loan signing from Brighton and Hove Albion – who has impressed the most however, finding the back of the net on nine occasions for the club and while he isn’t the most consistent player, these sorts of numbers are certainly impressive.

Could the Gers perhaps make a permanent move for the winger once the January transfer window rolls around?

Rangers transfer news – Abdallah Sima

According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are currently exploring the possibility of securing his services on a permanent basis following his encouraging start to life at the Ibrox side.

The club don’t have an option to purchase him at the end of his single-season loan deal, yet that doesn’t mean they can't make an approach in January and potentially secure a deal.

According to the report, there are several unnamed European clubs who are also keen on the winger which means Rangers face stiff competition for the Senegalese star.

With Clement just a few matches into his new role, Sima will be keen on impressing the former Club Brugge boss and the next couple of months could see him continue to shine, both domestically and on the continent.

How Sima compares to Ryan Kent

At the end of last season, the Ibrox side lost players such as Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent due to them not signing extensions on their contracts.

With all three players playing a key role under Steven Gerrard and leading the club to their first Premiership title in a decade, along with reaching a major European final and winning the Scottish Cup, losing them was a big blow.

Kent in particular had not enjoyed the finest of individual seasons during 2022/23, scoring only three goals and registering ten assists, but under the right manager, he could have thrived.

Indeed, over the course of his spell in Glasgow, the Englishman registered 89 goal contributions – 33 goals and 56 assists – across 218 games and on his day, there was arguably no finer attacking threat in the whole of Scotland.

Unfortunately towards the latter end of his Rangers career, these days were few and far between, yet a marauding Kent was a great asset to the club.

During the early parts of the season, Rabbi Matondo looked like he could be the ideal heir to the former Liverpool gem, scoring his first two goals for the club along with registering a couple of assists, yet injury has stopped his momentum.

Sima has been the one to benefit, enjoying a regular run of games on the left wing and has clearly taken his chance, scoring in half of the games he has featured in so far this season, indicating that he would make a fine signing.

Abdallah Sima's Rangers career in numbers

The 22-year-old scored against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifier back in August as the Gers dug out a solid 2-2 draw which gave them a wonderful chance of progression.

They had to settle for a Europa League place, but Sima has scored both of the club’s goals in the group stage so far, including the winner against Real Betis in the first match, and it is clear he is able to perform on the biggest stage.

Goals

0

5

Assists

0

0

Successful dribbles per game

1

1.8

Key Passes per game

0.8

1

Big chances created

2

0

Statistics via Sofascore.

His form has even been praised by Tavernier, who has said: “He has been a real attacking threat for us this season. He’s got electric pace and can finish in difficult areas.

“Generally with our forwards, we have to give them better service as a team. We need to get around them and give them opportunities to get on the scoresheet the same as Abdallah.”

This electric pace and being able to finish from tight areas were hallmarks of Kent during his first few seasons at Rangers as he terrorised defenders on a regular basis.

Sima certainly has all the qualities which could make him a standout this season and across the whole squad in the league, Sima ranks second for goals and assists (five) while also ranking second for shots on target per game (1.1) and second for successful dribbles per game (1.8), showcasing his impressive attacking skills which had made him a menace to defenders in Scotland.

It remains to be seen just how much of a budget Clement will have to work with in January, especially with some extravagant spending done by Michael Beale in the summer, but there will need to be some additions to bolster the squad.

Although signing Sima doesn’t appear to be a priority considering he is here until next summer, anyway, convincing him of the long-term project that is about to occur under Clement could be key in securing his signature.

Only time will tell, but the next few months could prove to be crucial with regard to how successful Rangers will be in the coming years. Signing Sima could be the catalyst for many more.