Sport
Xabi Alonso Says Everyone Must Defend Including Vinicius and Mbappé
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has stressed that every player, including the attackers, must be involved when the team is defending. Speaking ahead of their final Club World Cup group match against Salzburg, Alonso made it clear that defending starts from the front.
“We all have to defend, all eleven players need to press — Vinicius Jr, Jude, Fede Valverde, Mbappé, everyone,” Alonso said. Madrid currently sits on four points after two games and needs just one more point to book a place in the Round of 16. Alonso also addressed questions about Rodrygo, who didn’t feature in their last match against Pachuca.
“Rodrygo is in good shape. He stayed on the bench for tactical reasons. He’s still very important for us, and we’ll definitely need him at the Club World Cup. He’s a special player and will have a big role to play,” Alonso added.
Sport
Thierry Henry Criticises Taking Dressing Room Issues to the Press
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Sport
PSG Luis Enrique Shares Hope for the 2026 Ballon d’Or
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
Sport
Walid Acherchour Backs Lamine Yamal to Win 2026 Ballon d’Or
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
