Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia: ‘Raul messages me after every game, the comparisons are a great compliment'
Gonzalo has been the breakout player for Madrid during the Club World Cup, scoring the only goal of the game in the last-16 win over Juventus to bring his goal tally to three in four appearances.
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The 21-year-old forward scored 25 goals in the 2024-25 Primera RFEF (the third tier of Spanish football) — an all-time record for a Castilla (Madrid's reserve side) player, coming when legendary former Madrid striker Raul was the side's coach.
'He has messaged after every game, we keep in touch,' Gonzalo said of Raul after the win over Juventus. 'He congratulates me and tries to help in situations that can go better for me.'
Former Spain under-19 forward Gonzalo has impressed in Xabi Alonso's new-look side with his form in front of goal drawing early comparisons to Raul, whose 323 career goals for Madrid is surpassed only by Cristiano Ronaldo.
'Well, it's a comparison that obviously, respecting the distances…Raul is a Madrid legend and it's a great compliment to be compared to him,' Gonzalo said.
'I have had the opportunity to share a dressing room with him as a coach these last two years and he has taught me a lot of things.'
Alonso himself said after Madrid's progression through the group stages that Gonzalo reminded him of Raul.
'I knew a lot (about Gonzalo) because I've followed Castilla a lot,' Madrid's new head coach Alonso said ahead of the last-16 tie. 'For me, it's not so surprising what he's doing. He reminds me of Raul in many ways.'
Madrid now advance through to the quarter-final stage, where they will face the winners of Borussia Dortmund's match against Monterrey of Mexico.
(Emilee Chinn – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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Serhou Guirassy's first-half brace was enough to send his side through to an all-European quarter-final Getty Images Stats Perform / Getty Images Two minutes of first-half stoppage time pass without much incident. Dortmund hit the break leading by two goals thanks to Serhou Guirassy's brace. Getty Images On the occasions that Monterrey do get forward and create some good opportunities, they just don't have enough bodies forward to provide a credible threat. There are too many yellow shirts in the way and the promising attacks have tended to fizzle out. 44' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Corona leads a swift counter-attack from the halfway line. He won't win the footrace to goal so he checks back, only managing to win a corner in the end which Dortmund deal with comfortably. 41' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Corona breaks free down the left wing and makes a lovely move to skip past his nearest defender. He advances into the box and looks to beat Kobel from point-blank range, but the goalkeeper makes the stop. Corona had an opportunity to go down in the box under contact, which may have won him a penalty, but he stayed on his feet instead. Getty Images Former La Liga wonder kid Oliver Torres has found a home in Monterrey. Tonight, however, he has been unimpressive in central midfield. Hurried and anxious on the ball, the 30-year-old baby-faced Spaniard has underwhelmed. Nelson Deossa, on the other hand, has had a wonderful tournament. The left-footed Colombian playmaker has put himself in the European shop window during this competition. Not the 2013 Champions League semi-final, Mario? Too soon? Getty Images When all the media were preparing their stories about the Bellingham brothers facing off in case there was a Madrid-Dortmund match-up in the quarter-final, Jobe's unexpected absence could lead to more talk about, mmm, the Champions League 2024 final maybe? 31' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Bellingham sets up Guirassy in front of goal, but as he slides Guirassy is just barely unable to make strong-enough contact to direct the ball into the open corner of the net. That would have been a first-half hat-trick. Getty Images For those who needed a reminder of just how clinical of a goalscorer Serhou Guirassy is, his rate of 0.73 league goals per 90 minutes this past season were better than Manchester City's Erling Haaland, Barcelona's Raphinha and…Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood. 28' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Bellingham scythes down Deossa near the corner flag and is shown a deserved yellow card. That means, if Dortmund advance here, he's suspended for the quarter-final meeting with his brother, Jude, and Real Madrid! Getty Images Monterrey had reacted well but, and forgive the typical phrase, at the highest level mistakes are very damaging. The Mexicans failed in the opponent's area and were weak defending, once again unable to stop the Adeyemi-Guirassy duo. Karim Adeyemi's pace has been on full display so far in Atlanta. What a player he is. Monterrey's defenders are on their heels anytime the German attacker is on the ball. 2-0 for Dortmund and they can smell blood just 27 minutes into this match. It's exactly the same link-up — Adeyemi and Guirassy — to put Dortmund 2-0 up. Whereas the first goal was all about clever play in tight spaces, this one showcased the speed of Adeyemi, stretching the Monterrey defence on the right and then taking his time to play a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Guirassy, who again finished superbly. Getty Images 24' Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Monterrey Adeyemi breaks free down the right wing and draws the attention of two defenders before rolling the box into the centre for Guirassy, who finishes at the near post again! Getty Images Guirassy's strike was a beautifully taken goal that underlined what an excellent centre-forward he has become. A shame for Monterrey that Corona couldn't show quite the same composure at the other end a few minutes later, going fractionally too early with his run, getting flagged offside, and unable to find a way past Kobel anyway. Going back to Dortmund's goal, it was a smart move by Adeyemi to find that space inside, Rodriguez has been unable to read the play and Guirassy was in a very good position to score. That's the earliest goal Dortmund have scored in this tournament, but it doesn't look like Monterrey will give up so soon. 19' Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Monterrey Corona breaks free on goal but can't manage to beat Kobel one-on-one. The offside flag goes up immediately afterward to spare his blushes. Ryerson had done well to step up and put Corona offside. Getty Images Argentine referee Facundo Tello is well-respected in CONMEBOL circles and globally, as well. Facundo refereed three matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He also featured at Euro 2024 as the the first non-UEFA official to referee a match at a major European tournament.
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Euro 2025 predictions: Will Spain win, which players to watch and could Iceland make the semis?
Today is the day. The Women's European Championship gets underway in Switzerland, with England defending the title they won three years ago and Spain the favourites to win the tournament for the first time. Advertisement Our writers are already in Switzerland to cover the event and we have asked some of them, along with members of our UK and U.S.-based teams, to tell us how they think things will pan out. Let us know whether you agree in the comments. Follow the Women's Euros on The Athletic The Radar: 25 players to watch for '25 Team guides: All 16 competing nations profiled Group guides: Key matches, dark horses, players to watch What are you most looking forward to about this tournament? Charlotte Harpur: Tournaments are all about people — you never know who you're going to bump into. At the men's Euros last year in Germany, I sat next to N'Golo Kante's childhood friends on the train. Next thing you know, a legendary French fan is pulling out his cockerel Balthazar in the car park. Advertisement Megan Feringa: This is actually the first time I'm covering a major tournament on the ground, so I'm excited to finally be experiencing the adrenaline and atmosphere first-hand, rather than via a surreal para-social existence. Also, Switzerland is gorgeous. Alps outside my window? 10/10. Michael Cox: In an era when almost all international tournaments feature an unreasonably large or mathematically problematic number of nations, a 16-team Euros is a dream. Two matches a day. A quarter-final four days in a row. You can watch everything, get into a nice routine, and base your whole month around the tournament without it becoming overwhelming. Tamerra Griffin: I'll be keeping a close eye on the mid-tier teams in this tournament, especially those who have been quietly building their squads either from the top down or bottom up (looking at you, Belgium, Italy and Iceland). Cerys Jones: Seeing which teams have successfully moved on from their old guard and integrated their young talent. Since the last Euros, Germany's Alexandra Popp, France's Amandine Henry and England's Ellen White have all retired, while there is no Wendie Renard or Eugenie Le Sommer in the France squad. How will they adapt? Which player are you most excited about watching? Harpur: I'm intrigued to see what France striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto can do on the international stage. She was not selected for the 2019 World Cup and was injured for the 2022 Euros and 2023 World Cup. Advertisement Feringa: Sorry for being basic but, health allowing, Aitana Bonmati. I love watching her play. The flair, the elegance, the rhythm — the fact all of those things occur simultaneously with seemingly no thought or sweat. She makes football look easy. And for someone who was asked politely not to return to their under-sevens team for being s***, I appreciate watching that. Cox: I'm convinced Italy midfielder Manuela Giugliano has the potential to be the best midfielder in Europe, but at Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup, I've gone to matches hoping she would star, and Italy have lost 5-1 (to France in 2022 in Rotherham) and 5-0 (to Sweden in Wellington). Third time lucky for the 27-year-old? Griffin: Sandy Baltimore had arguably the season of her career with Chelsea, and frankly, should have made France's 2023 World Cup roster. She is decisive, pacy and creative on the ball, and has become an elite defender. That versatility will come in handy for France and provide oodles of entertainment. Jones: Claudia Pina. Within two minutes of coming on against England for Spain, the Barcelona attacking midfielder showed her ability to blow a game open. She's fearless, fun to watch and I'd bet on her to score one of the goals of the tournament. Who will be the player of the tournament? Harpur: Bonmati makes Spain tick. She sets the standards and the tempo, a creative outlet who can make something out of nothing and turns the heat up on the biggest stage. It will be such a shame if her case of viral meningitis limits her ability to make a huge impact. Advertisement Feringa: Watching Mariona Caldentey is like watching someone who has been told they have only 90 minutes left to live, but that time limit might be forgotten if she plays well enough. Her voraciousness is enthralling, and for Spain, it is potentially tournament-deciding. The Arsenal midfielder was unlucky not to be named the Women's Super League's (WSL) Player of the Year following her move from Barcelona. Maybe that's because the summer belongs to her instead? Cox: More attack-minded Spanish midfielders have received the plaudits in recent years, so maybe it's the turn of Patri Guijarro. On one hand, she's a classic deep midfielder, on the other, she can suddenly push forward to influence the game in the final third. She's basically the equivalent of Rodri, who won the men's equivalent award at Euro 2024. Griffin: Pina is Spain's 'it' player at the moment. She has consistently made the most of the minutes she's been given (and is still most lethal coming off the bench), with an insatiable hunger for goals and victory unmatched by any other player. Jones: I'm with Megan on this one. Caldentey blends consistency and flair perfectly. The Arsenal midfielder was the signing of the season in the WSL and will be the driving force behind Spain's creativity. Expect her to chip in with goals too. Which player could have a breakthrough tournament? Harpur: Without Mary Earps as England No 1, Hannah Hampton makes her major tournament debut. She is no stranger to high-pressure games at a domestic level with Chelsea but many will not have seen her quick reactions and pinpoint distribution. Advertisement Feringa: This is a two-pronged prediction, as Iceland should have a breakthrough tournament and Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir will be a key player in that. Some might recall the 24-year-old forward scoring four goals in 25 minutes against Roma in last year's Champions League, but she has more to show on the big stage, particularly after her move to Angel City. Cox: With apologies for choosing a 27-year-old as my 'breakthrough' player, Germany No 10 Laura Freigang is yet to start a game at a major tournament and remains a relative unknown to many, but her Bundesliga performances for Eintracht Frankfurt in recent years have been exceptionally consistent. Her late runs into the box could bring some crucial goals. Griffin: Even though Sydney Schertenleib is still growing her way into Barcelona's starting XI, she scored a stunner against Wolfsburg in the Champions League that makes you wonder what she's capable of with ample time on the pitch. Jones: Forward Michelle Agyemang, who has been on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion from Arsenal. Sarina Wiegman gambled on the 19-year-old instead of experienced Brighton & Hove Albion forward Nikita Parris — it could pay dividends. She will not be a starter for England but the stunning goal she scored seconds into her senior debut against Belgium shows super-sub potential. Who will win the Golden Boot? Harpur: We have seen glimpses of the vintage Alexia Putellas this season as she finished as Barcelona's second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider. If Spain go far, Putellas could be at the centre. Advertisement Feringa: Lea Schuller. The 27-year-old Germany forward was in hot form for Bayern Munich last season (11 goals in 22 league appearances), but in even hotter form this calendar year for Germany (five goals in six appearances). It brings her total goal tally since her international debut in 2017 to 52 goals in 75 appearances. Germany's group (Poland, Sweden and Denmark) is not weak but not nasty. Schuller's goalscoring form will play a big part in the team's progression. Cox: I feel inclined to choose someone from Group A, as it's so much weaker than the others. So let's overlook Norway's pathetic recent tournament showings and go for Caroline Graham Hansen. After all, she is probably the best attacker in Europe and enjoys more freedom for her country than her club. Griffin: Pina. Even if she doesn't start, she's one of those blood-in-the-water strikers from whom goals can cascade once they've sniffed out a vulnerability. Jones: Esther Gonzalez. The Spain and Gotham striker could feast on the supply line in group-stage games against Italy, Portugal and Belgium. How do you rate England's chances? Harpur: I really don't know which England is going to turn up, given their patchy form. They cannot afford to get off to a slow start, as that could mean them failing to make the knockouts. Hit the ground running, though, and they have the quality and tournament experience to go deep. Advertisement Feringa: England will go far. The noise is loud, but that means the players and coaching staff have had time to adjust to the volume. Despite the retirements and absences, Wiegman has plenty of strength in depth. There are still vulnerabilities in midfield but if England fail to go beyond the quarters, serious questions need asking. Cox: As others suggest, it does feel difficult to work out. They may have got some lingering 'squad harmony' issues out of the way already. That said, they're light in midfield, and the draw is tough. But they'll get through, and continue up until they meet Spain, in either the semi-final or final. They might be better off coming runners-up in their group to avoid them until the final. Griffin: England under Wiegman at international competitions have been special. Even with the roster shake-ups and inconsistent play recently, I will never count them out. I expect them to grow into this tournament and produce those vital intangibles needed to edge out opponents. I expect them to reach the semi-finals. Jones: There's a real chance they don't make it out of the 'group of death' with France and the Netherlands. But if they do go through, that confidence boost should take them to the final four. Which team might surprise us? Harpur: Despite the tough draw, France will change the narrative of their sub-par major tournament performances and will go further than the quarter-finals. Advertisement Feringa: Nailing colours to masts pre-tournament is always dangerous (please don't keep this as a receipt), but if you're still sleeping on Italy, I highly recommend you wake up. Italy topped their Nations League qualifying group to reach the Euros, defeating the Netherlands and Finland and drawing with Norway in the process. They're fun, brave and — as Michael pointed out — have midfield quality in Giugliano. Watch this space. Cox: It's impossible to ignore the lopsided draw. There are six serious contenders — Spain, Germany, Sweden, England, France and the Netherlands. Spain are the only ones in the top half of the draw, which means an outsider is going to reach the semi-finals, possibly without being that good. Let's go for Iceland, who have organisation, togetherness and some decent players too. Griffin: I'm going left-field and saying Portugal — in a bad way. I fear this tournament will expose them not as unworthy of a continental tournament, but for placing so much responsibility on their talismanic midfield maestro Kika Nazareth, who will miss out because of injury. The last match Nazareth played with Portugal, they drew 1-1 with England. They've had one win since, and a slew of wide-margin losses. For a side that nearly beat the U.S. Women's National Team at the World Cup, this Euros will hopefully be a wake-up call to the federation to continue investing in the team, not only its star player. Jones: Norway are far better than their 8-0 defeat against England at Euro 2022 suggests. If they top Group A, as expected, they're on the kinder side of the bracket and have stars, including Tuva Hansen, Ada Hegerberg and Guro Reiten. And finally… who will win it? Harpur: This tournament is so open, so it depends on who peaks at the right moment. Spain won the World Cup with a splintered squad and despite their federation and coach. The talent from one of the best generations of players remains, with a team seemingly more unified than before. Advertisement Feringa: I've tried to convince myself not to write the word 'Spain' for the past half hour. But the gut feeling is visceral. However wobbly some of the performances of the world champions have been leading to this tournament, when the players click, they're unbeatable. Cox: It's really hard to look past world champions — and Nations League champions — Spain. They actually weren't very convincing en route to World Cup glory two years ago, never truly finding the right balance. But they still won it. And they've got an incredibly easy route to the semi-finals this time. Griffin: France. It feels like now or never for a country that is yet to win a major international competition. Do I have questions about manager Laurent Bonadei's ability to lead them through knockout-stage football? Yes. Am I concerned about the absence of veterans like Renard to hold the dressing room together when the stakes rise? Yep. But Katoto is back, Baltimore and Delphine Cascarino have been balling, and goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin just had the game of her life in their comeback win over Brazil. It's time. Jones: Spain. They gave Belgium a 2-0 headstart in February and still won 3-2. In their past four games, they hammered Portugal and Belgium, then beat England and Japan. Their squad is packed with star players — as my answers above show — and they have a perfect blend of youth and experience. Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, Wales, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
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Instructed to right the ship, Norway manager Gemma Grainger brings something new to Euro 2025
The Law of Jante, or Janteloven in Norwegian, is not an actual law. It is rarely discussed among friends. But at some point in her life, Norway international Maren Mjelde came to know it intimately. 'It's like a philosophy,' the former Chelsea and Everton defender says over the phone about the phenomenon, which stems from a satirical novel by Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose. It's presented as a set of rules for a fictional town called Jante. Advertisement The law, which is said to reflect Scandinavian values, is code for 'stay humble'. 'The most important thing is the team,' Mjelde adds. 'Then you.' Two years ago, Mjelde's compatriot Caroline Graham Hansen referenced it after she was dropped by Norway boss Hege Riise for their second World Cup 2023 group stage game against Switzerland after being upset by co-hosts New Zealand in the tournament's opener. 'I think that in Norway we have a tradition of putting everyone in the same box,' the Barcelona winger, a three-time Champions League winner who came second for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, said after being left on the bench. 'The Law of Jante is strong.' Advertisement Mjelde gets the Law of Jante. She also gets why, sometimes, it sucks. 'If you're really good, you're allowed to be a little bit arrogant,' she says. Norway have reason to be arrogant. They are two-time European champions and one-time world champions. Their current team brims with top-level talent from across Europe: Hansen, former Barcelona team-mate Ingrid Engen, Arsenal forward Frida Mannum, Chelsea midfielder Guro Reiten, Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg, Manchester United duo Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland, and Bayern Munich defender Tuva Hansen (you might recognise that name from the World Sevens). The past few years, however, they have failed to live up to expectations. At Euro 2022, Norway crashed out of the group stages for the second Euros in a row, losing 8-0 to eventual champions England in their second match. Head coach Martin Sjogren subsequently resigned after five years in charge. The following summer brought another managerial change, as Riise left her role after the team's last-16 World Cup elimination to Japan. Her exit was flanked by reports of internal strife, with players allegedly unhappy with perceived tactical imbalances and in-game decisions, including the benching of Graham-Hansen during the World Cup group stages. Advertisement Ahead of Euro 2025, however, the tremblings of squad friction are gone, and expectations are even higher as Norway landed in a favourable group alongside Iceland, Finland and hosts Switzerland. Another reason is the arrival of head coach Gemma Grainger in January 2024. Tasked with 'bringing the group together', Grainger left her post with Wales to take the lead in Norway. In her 16 matches in charge, Norway have won seven, drawn six and lost three. Grainger has had to navigate injuries and absences to key players during the UEFA Nations League, including Chelsea's Guro Reiten, without the help of friendlies. 'I don't think I've named the same starting four attackers since I've been here,' Grainger says from her office in Oslo. Fresh off a lunch of a waffle with brown cheese ('Sounds disgusting, but I cannot recommend it enough,' she says), Grainger speaks excitedly about the summer. Taking the Norway job wasn't on the former England youth coach's radar, particularly after narrowly missing out on a first major tournament with Wales in extra time of a 2023 World Cup playoff final against Switzerland. Advertisement 'I was so invested there,' Grainger says of Wales. 'But it was an opportunity that I felt I couldn't turn down. The history, the potential, but also where the team was at and what they wanted from their new head coach, both on and off the pitch. I was at the World Cup as an observer. I was aware of what happened with Norway.' Stepping off the plane in short socks and exposed ankles in February 2024, Grainger felt the chill of -24C and immediately phoned her mum. But she's done well to settle. Her vocabulary and that of her staff have been upgraded with Norwegian football lingo. (Duolingo doesn't teach 'pocket of space' in its free version, according to Mjelde.) Darts fever hasn't caught on in Oslo the same as in Middlesbrough, where Grainger grew up escorting her dad to the local pub to play the sport. That hasn't stopped her from watching Premier League Darts every Thursday, taking in the spectacle that is 18-year-old arrow-slinger Luke Littler. 'I like it when you see he's too relaxed, he does some bad shots, then he turns it back up. I'm like, this guy's so good,' Grainger says. Advertisement In this way, Littler is educational: a maverick disassembling the darting continental shelf, an indulgence in the individual in a country of the collective. 'I very much focus on the individual in the team,' says Grainger, who is Norway's first English manager and the only English manager coaching in this year's Euros. 'The view here is egalitarian, the culture of the flat hierarchy. Whereas in England, maybe it's not so much. The unique thing about Norway is that these players are playing across eight different leagues in Europe. So while it's about respecting the Norwegian culture, it's about recognising and appreciating the individual within the team. 'So I spent the time to listen to them, having a team that can be aligned, but also have individuals who can be at their best. Because normally that's the biggest difference in the big teams: you can get the best out of your best players.' Grainger's focus on the individual keeps her busy. It also contradicts the Law of Jante. Days are spent travelling across Europe to check in with players. A focus on the individual also means hard conversations, as was the case with Mjelde, who found herself not called into the Norway squad after leaving Chelsea and returning to Norway for six months to play for first division side Arna-Bjornar (coached by her brother). Advertisement 'I was honest with Gemma about what I needed,' says Mjelde, who featured for Grainger for the first time since December 3, 2024 (3-0 Euro qualifying victory against Northern Ireland), when she started in the 1-0 Nations League win against Switzerland on June 3. 'I said to Gemma, I'm willing to do everything to get back into this squad. She said, as long as you perform, as long as you're in a good place, she would always consider me to come back into the squad.' Norway failed to get the better of France in their most recent Nations League group, while they drew twice with Iceland, their group stage opponents next month. Early on in Grainger's tenure, a run of four draws against Italy, Finland and the Netherlands further exposed the need for improvement. Even so, Norway are expected to comfortably make it out of the group stages. 'I heard one coach say there are no big teams in Group A,' Grainger says with a wry smile. Recent history is a timely reminder not to get ahead of oneself, but shifting the perspective of what Norway at a major tournament are capable of has been another goal of Grainger's since arriving. Advertisement 'We talk a lot about how we want people to see us,' Mjelde says. 'We've always had a really good group at Norway, it's a place you enjoy being. We just have to bring that out on the pitch to succeed. When you go through tournaments where you don't succeed, you have to figure out what didn't work. Everyone's been doing a great job. So we want people to see us as that hard-working team, a team that's together.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
