Lionel Messi is used to appearing in the history books, but this time the fact could be related to something that no trophy can show on its own: the duration of his longevity. Exactly 20 years passed between his first nomination, in 2006, and the current one.The most striking detail is not only his name on the list, but the time that has passed since that first appearance in 2006; with the nomination being completely official and concrete, exactly one generation has passed between the two momen

‎‎By Godwin Dudu-Orumen ‎Who owns Nigerian Football? ‎The people who built the game remain outside the room where its offices are shared. Where are the footballers?‎Not only the famous ones who appear on television when the Super Eagles are playing. I mean the men and women who came through Nigerian clubs, survived the local league, represented the country, and then spent years in serious football systems abroad. They have seen how clubs recruit, train, insure and prote

By Douglas Baye-Osagie  [email protected] Eguavoen is one of the enduring names in Nigerian football. His story stretches back to the great days of the Green Eagles in the 1980s and the Super Eagles in the 1990s, when Nigerian football was beginning to announce itself on the global stage. But for all the glory attached to Eguavoen the player, his journey as a coach has been a very different story — one marked by comebacks, departures, temporary assignments and an a

.Players’ body kicks against unequal representation.Insists, ‘state FA chairmen must not outnumber us’ By Jacob AjomAs Nigerians await the meeting between officials of FIFA and stakeholders in Nigerian football tomorrow in Abuja, a former Nigerian international, Sylvanus Okpala has said that Nigeria has nothing to fear.Speaking with Sports Vanguard yesterday, Okpala said insinuations about possible negative outcome from FIFA fact-finding mission were unfounded. “Nig

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan settled for silver in the women’s 100m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday.Amusan clocked 12.34 seconds to finish behind United States Olympic champion Masai Russell, who won the title in 12.22 seconds.Netherlands’ Nadine Visser completed the podium in 12.39 seconds.The result meant Amusan, the former world record holder in the event, could not reclaim the top spot from Russell, who broke the Nige

Akor Adams opened his Serie A goal account which, unfortunately, was not enough as Venezia lost 4-2 at home to Fiorentina on Friday night. Heading into the contest, both Venezia and Fiorentina had lost their opening three league fixtures. Fiorentina edged out the early exchanges and had a number of early opportunities through Beto, Mastantuono, [...]
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FIFA has confirmed that no decision has yet been made on the specific venue arrangements for the 2030 World Cup. Morocco, Spain and Portugal are co-hosting the 2030 tournament and have already begun competing for the right to stage the final, with Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu and a planned 115,000-seat stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca, viewed [...]
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By Adegboyega AdeleyeManchester United have banned 685 ticketing accounts and sanctioned or warned a further 464 supporters following a summer-long crackdown on ticket misuse and touting.According to Reuters, United launched the investigation in July after identifying unusual activity involving 1,617 accounts, but said bans were imposed only where significant misuse of the ticketing system for financial gain was established.The club said 468 cases were closed without further action after suppor

By Adegboyega AdeleyeFormer West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has returned to English football after joining Watford on a one-year deal, almost two years after suffering a broken leg in a life-threatening car crash.The 36-year-old joined Watford as a free agent after training with the Championship club for the past month, following his spell with Qatari side Al-Sailiya.According to the BBC, Antonio’s last senior appearance for West Ham came in their 3-1 defeat by Leicester City on D

By Adegboyega AdeleyeReal Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has hit back at criticism of his defensive work, insisting that a goalscorer will never be a problem for his team.According to ESPN, Mbappe was responding to criticism over his commitment to tracking back and defending during games for Real Madrid.“Everyone has their own point of view, but I think the goal of football is to score goals — to score one more than the opposition,” Mbappe told France Football.“A player wh

By Adegboyega AdeleyeFIFA has banned former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Bassam Adeel Jaleel for life from all football-related activities for misusing COVID-19 relief funds for his personal benefit.According to Reuters, FIFA also fined Jaleel one million Swiss francs ($1.23 million) after finding him responsible for the misuse of funds.Jaleel had previously been provisionally suspended while FIFA investigated allegations of money laundering, embezzlement and corruption.Loca

FIFA said on Friday that a decision on the venue for the 2030 World Cup final would be made “in due course”, after Moroccan football federation president Fouzi Lekjaa said the showpiece match would be staged in Morocco.Morocco, Spain and Portugal are co-hosting the 2030 tournament and have already begun competing for the right to stage the final, with Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu and a planned 115,000-seat stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca, viewed as the leading contenders.

By Adegboyega AdeleyeArsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed how he deliberately creates unexpected disruptions during pre-season to prepare his players for the chaos that can occur on matchdays.Arteta’s Premier League champions were affected by air traffic control problems while travelling to Italy for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Napoli, arriving three hours later than scheduled.According to the BBC, Arteta said Arsenal were prepared for the disruption because he had

By Adegboyega AdeleyeManchester City manager Enzo Maresca has told Manchester United to “adapt” to the fixture schedule ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby.City have two extra days to recover and prepare for the derby after beating Porto 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, while United thrashed Sabah 4-0 on Thursday.Asked about the scheduling advantage, Maresca pointed to a similar situation City faced last season before their game against Arsenal.“Sometimes it happen

Xabi Alonso admitted his entertaining Chelsea team need to tighten up defensively after a swashbuckling start to the season that has featured goals galore at both ends.The Blues are the joint-top scorers in the Premier League, plundering eight goals in three matches, but have also conceded seven.Their rollercoaster ride continued on Wednesday when they found themselves 2-0 down against Leeds in the third round of the League Cup before roaring back to win 6-3.Alonso, in his first season as Chels

By Adegboyega AdeleyeReal Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has defended Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior after the two forwards were booed by the club’s supporters, comparing the stars to fruit trees that attract criticism because of their success.Both players were jeered by sections of the home support during Real Madrid’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday, despite Mbappe scoring the opening goal.According to the BBC, Mourinho was asked about the criticism of Vi

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has dismissed Elliot Anderson’s jibe that City are “kings of Manchester” ahead of Sunday’s derby.Already trailing five points behind their bitter rivals, United will face Manchester City at Old Trafford with Anderson’s taunt ringing in their ears.Anderson joined City from Nottingham Forest for £116 million ($156 million) in the close-season after United refused to enter a bidding war for the England midfielder.The 23-yea

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he was “very surprised” by Gabriel Jesus’s claim that he was forced to train alone and was given no information prior to joining Barcelona.Jesus ended his four-year spell with the Gunners in September and has since made it clear he felt disappointed with the way his exit was handled.The Brazilian striker said in an interview this week that “out of nowhere they put me to train apart from the group”, adding that “nobody told me no

By Adegboyega AdeleyeChelsea have rewarded Pedro Neto’s impressive start to the season and commitment to the club with a new contract running until 2032.The Portugal international attracted interest from several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, during the summer transfer window but chose to stay at Stamford Bridge and continue under manager Xabi Alonso.According to Chelsea, Neto has made 108 appearances for the club since joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2024

Mikel Arteta has said he is “very surprised” by criticism over Arsenal’s handling of the departures of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli this summer. Jesus claimed that “nobody told me anything” about why he was asked to train away from the first-team before securing a €15 million ($17m) move to Barcelona. Former Gunners striker Ian [...]
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By Adesewa AdewaleHull City winger Sorba Thomas has escaped injury after his car overturned in an accident near the club’s training ground in Cottingham on Friday morning, with the Premier League club confirming that the Wales international emerged from the vehicle unharmed.The 27-year-old was involved in the road accident on Millhouse Wood Lane, close to Hull City’s training facilities. Images showing the overturned vehicle circulated on social media, raising concern among supporte

Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 32.The Ghana international made 28 appearances for the Black Stars after switching his allegiance from Spain in 2022.Williams scored two goals for Ghana and represented the country at two FIFA World Cups, featuring at the 2022 and 2026 tournaments.He was also part of Ghana’s squad at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Black Stars were eliminated in the group stage.Inaki Willi

The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is heating up, with the winner set to be announced in October.With the shortlist already revealed, several of the world’s biggest stars are competing for the prestigious individual award after standout campaigns for club and country.Here are the top 10 contenders ranked ahead of the ceremony.1. Harry Kane – Bayern Munich and EnglandHarry Kane heads the power rankings after producing the best season of his career so far.The England captain scor

Chelsea Brazil international Joao Pedro has been named the EA Sports Premier League Player of the Month for August 2026. The Blues confirmed Pedro as the winner in a statement on their official website on Friday. “It is the first time Joao Pedro has received the Premier League Player of the Month award and he [...]
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By Adegboyega AdeleyeChelsea forward Joao Pedro has won the Premier League Player of the Month award for August 2026, ending the club’s wait for the individual prize since Cole Palmer’s last victory almost two years ago.According to Chelsea, Pedro finished ahead of Palmer and six other shortlisted players in the public vote to claim his first Premier League Player of the Month award.The Brazilian made a flying start to the 2026/27 campaign, registering four goal contributions in Che

The countdown is on! The Super Eagles are set to begin their journey towards the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with crucial qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, before facing Russia in an international friendly in October. Nigeria cannot afford a slow start, and Eric Chelle will be expected to assemble a squad capable of getting [...]
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Calvin Bassey has described it as a “privilege” to captain Premier League side Fulham, Completesports.com reports. The Nigeria international has worn the captain’s armband in Fulham’s opening three Premier League matches of the season following an injury to regular skipper Tom Cairney. Bassey Relishes Captaincy Role Bassey is relishing the opportunity and believes his familiarity [...]
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Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has revealed in Paris court documents that he was punched, bound, and threatened with a knife during a 2023 home invasion. According to Daily Mail, on July 21, 2023, four men smashed windows into Donnarumma’s luxury flat on Avenue Montaigne in Paris while he and his then-pregnant partner, Alessia Elefante, [...]
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Enzo Maresca faces his first major test since stepping into Pep Guardiola’s shoes as City visit United in the Manchester derby on Sunday, while Arsenal aim to extend their flawless start at Sunderland.Alongside last season’s top two, only newly-promoted Hull remain unbeaten but their brilliant start faces an acid test against Xabi Alonso’s free-scoring Chelsea.At the other end of the table, Fulham have yet to register a point under Alvaro Arbeloa ahead of their tough trip to L

By Adegboyega AdeleyeElena Rybakina silenced Coco Gauff and the New York crowd to reach the US Open final after battling back to beat the American 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a thrilling semi-final.According to Sky Sports, the incoming world No. 1 will face defending two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final after the Belarusian defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 earlier in the night.Rybakina, who had already secured the world No. 1 ranking, recovered from losing the opening set to produce a powerful r

Fulham defender Calvin Bassey says his side are ready for a tough challenge as they prepare to face Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday. The Cottagers head to Merseyside looking to bounce back after a 1-0 loss to Sunderland last weekend, while Liverpool are unbeaten in the league this season. Read Also:FG Pays [...]
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The Federal Government of Nigeria has paid each player of the D’Tigres the naira equivalent of $100,000. The cash reward was confirmed by the Presidency on its X handle. This was the cash portion of a presidential reward package announced by President Bola Tinubu (represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima) in early August 2025 after the [...]
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