Latest news with #BallonDor
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
From Dembélé to Salah: six contenders in an open race for men's Ballon d'Or
George Weah remains the only African to win the prize and the Liverpool forward's form in the past year has put him in a similar bracket to the Liberian. 'The Egyptian King' scored 29 goals and assisted a further 18 to lead the Reds to the Premier League title, but he could not take them further than the last 16 in the Champions League. Arne Slot played Salah in every league match, a sign of his importance and his stupendous fitness. 'He's had very, very, very good seasons at Liverpool but this one probably stands out in terms of numbers,' Arne Slot said of Salah's Ballon d'Or chances. 'If there's ever a chance for him, it would be this season. If not, then he's going to try to push even harder next season'. Turning 33 in mid-June, this might be Salah's final chance to achieve the highest personal accolade in the game, even if his head coach thinks otherwise. Finally, at 28, the forward is fulfilling his promise and filling his mantelpiece with shiny trinkets in the process. Dembélé's career was on the slide when he moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2023, but back in France he has looked more comfortable. Luis Enrique, a former Barcelona manager, is getting the best out of him, even after dropping the France international for disciplinary reasons in October. His pace and skill have traumatised defenders alongside that of Désiré Doué – this year's vote might come too early for the talented teenager – across the continent and helped PSG secure a historic first Champions League triumph to complete the treble. Dembélé makes beating defenders look easy, scoring 21 goals in 29 Ligue 1 appearances in the process. Having started the season in Naples, the Georgian can boast the rare feat of winning two domestic titles – Serie A and Ligue 1 – in the same year. Oh and he lifted the Champions League. Not bad for a lad who used to play for Rustavi. Everyone has known about Kvaratskhelia's qualities for a long time; that ability to breeze past players, going left and right, while possessing a vicious strike to test the fingers of any goalkeeper. The son of a former international – although his father Badri played for Azerbaijan – Kvaratskhelia's path to stardom may not have taken the most direct route. The 24-year-old played three seasons in Russia before Napoli came calling. Kvaratskhelia made a difference when it mattered for PSG in Europe, taking them to the extra level they struggled to find in the league stage. Remember that bloke who once saved Leeds from relegation? Well, he is now a serious contender for the Ballon d'Or, which is an especially strange thing to consider given 12 months ago Barcelona would have quite happily waved the Brazilian off into the sunset in the hope of getting some much-needed cash. Hansi Flick always wanted Raphinha to stay because he appreciated the 28-year-old's qualities. and he has become an influential on-pitch figure at Barcelona. A goal every other league game - and 34 in all competitions - was a key reason behind Barça becoming La Liga champions for a 28th time, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League. And Raphinha, used predominantly on the left-wing, will for ever be a hero in Barcelona after scoring two goals in last month's 4-3 clásico win over Real Madrid. There are few guarantees in life but if Lamine Yamal does not win the Ballon d'Or this year then he will definitely do so in the future, and almost certainly many times. The 17-year-old is a generational talent, already laden with medals and personal awards. Last summer it was the European Championship; this season the Copa del Rey and La Liga. 'He has no ceiling,' Raphinha said of his teammate. 'He can go as far as he wants. It all depends on him. He has quality, commitment and works hard.' No one wants to play against the prodigy who has a knack for cutting in from the right and finding the top corner, leaving a trail of shellshocked defenders in his wake. Currently listed at 50/1 by some bookmakers, Mbappé retains plenty of admirers. The Frenchman came sixth at the ceremony last year and none of those who finished above him are in contention this time. Admittedly, his first year at Real Madrid can be classed as forgettable. Mbappé won the Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup but losing out to Barcelona in La Liga and being brushed aside by Arsenal in the Champions League does not do much for egos in the Spanish capital. The goals flew in for Mbappé, with the 26-year-old scoring 31 times in 34 league appearances, but when it mattered in Europe, he did not produce what was required.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
PSG the antidote to cautious over-coaching that made Premier League duller
The image of the night – a recurring image – during Paris St-Germain's demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final was provided by one of the players who did not score in the 5-0 victory. It was Ousmane Dembélé who adopted a starting position every time Inter took a goal-kick on the edge of their penalty area that was akin to a sprinter ready to spring from the blocks. When the ball was played, Dembélé propelled himself forward to set the press and close down the opposition for the most exciting, creative team in the world at present. 🚨 Special camera from the Champions League final Watch how Ousmane Dembele was pressing Watch the horror in Sommer's eyes. Enrique said : Is there a player in the world who presses better than Ousmane Dembele? What a beast that never stops running 🤯 — KinG £ (@xKGx__) June 1, 2025 Dembélé's incredible work-rate, allied to his skill and teamwork, is all the more impressive because earlier this season he was dropped from the PSG squad – for the Champions League group game away to Arsenal, which was lost – because of a fall-out with head coach Luis Enrique who did not like his attitude. Dembélé was just not doing what the Spaniard wanted. Now the 28-year-old France international is probably the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or. What a transformation and what a transformation of PSG's football by the demanding Enrique. PSG play football for the new era. They are the antidote to the safety-first, over-coached approach that has unfortunately crept into the Premier League and that involves too many managers wanting to copy Pep Guardiola. Without being able to reach those standards. Even Guardiola has fallen short of them. Cole Palmer was revealing as he turned match-winner in Chelsea's Europa Conference League triumph. The England international admitted he had grown bored with having to play the ball sideways and backwards – presumably under instruction from Enzo Maresca – and decided to grab the game by the scruff of the neck with two brilliant assists. Where Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benítez, with their defensive-first approach, helped define the football of the early 2000s and then Guardiola did so for the next decade with a progressive, possession-based approach, so Enrique's PSG has shown Europe the way forward now. With honourable exceptions such as Liverpool, Newcastle United and smaller clubs such as Bournemouth, too many Premier League clubs are guilty of possession for possession's sake and appear to believe keeping the ball is more important than risking losing it by trying to score. How many times have we seen the ball played from right to left and back again, obviously and understandably probing for space, only a winger to be picked out. And what do they do? Stop, turn, check back and play a pass infield. Just take on your marker! Run into the space ahead of you! Make the opposition commit! Take a risk! The coaching approach of many managers – obsessed with statistics and expected goals – has not helped. Take Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, who argued all the data suggested his team deserved to beat PSG in the semi-finals. But anyone who watched the game would have concluded otherwise. To an extent it has become paralysis by analysis and although no one analyses the game more than Enrique – who often stands high up on a scaffold so he gets an overview of training – he also demands far more bravery and positivity in how his players do attack. Right-back Achraf Hakimi even pops up on the left wing. Quarter-final goal ✅ Semi-final goal ✅ Final goal ✅ Achraf Hakimi gives PSG an early lead in the Champions League final, but refuses to celebrate against his former side Inter ⚽ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 31, 2025 Punditry does not help. Some of it is excellent. Gary Neville is along the right lines when he talks about teams being 'micro-managed'. But then the same players are micro-analysed on television and any mistake is seized upon, with replay after replay and touchscreens and some pretty damning comments. It adds to the growing sense of wanting to be risk-averse. "That's not a Premier League game of football." Gary Neville explains why he's disappointed after the Manchester derby. — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 6, 2025 Which brings us back to what PSG do and how they can provide a template. First of all, it requires a huge amount of energy and buy-in with the 10 outfield players asked to counter-press and man-mark all over the pitch – a bit like Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth. It probably also needs a team of athletic, technically superb youngsters, which PSG have assembled. Dembélé sets that press, effectively, by being a 'false' nine who harries the opposition but also has licence to interchange with the two wingers, who make up the front three in the fluid, 4-3-3 formation. Crucially, though, those wingers stay wide. The demand is that they go high and run at, or beyond, their full-backs. That is where the real threat lies, not coming back inside where the pitch is more congested. It helps to have wingers of the quality and game intelligence of Désiré Doué, the man of the match in the final, and Bradley Barcola, who started the season ahead of Doué but replaced him off the bench against Inter. And then there is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose arrival from Napoli in the January window lit the red-and-blue touch paper. The Georgian is the most swashbuckling and charismatic winger in world football and, like Doué and Barcola, works prodigiously hard. Another of the images from Munich was Kvaratskhelia sprinting back to tackle an Inter player deep in his own half even though the game was won. He celebrated as if he had scored. And then went down the other end and scored. It is also risky. PSG lost the ball several times in dangerous positions and Inter were unable to capitalise, partly through some great defending, but also because of their shortcomings. Yes, PSG are effectively a state-owned and were assembled at enormous cost. They still have a vast wage bill, despite moving on from the galacticos of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. That is a valid argument and should not be overlooked but neither should the football they play and just how entertaining they are at a time when there is genuine concern over the direction in which the sport is heading at the highest level. Both those thoughts can co-exist and other clubs have also spent heavily without coming close to achieving such a return. On the night, PSG's brilliance was highlighted even more by Inter's far more rigid, essentially conservative, 3-5-2 approach, with set-pieces providing their best hope of scoring. This is not the sort of football we want, surely? Enrique has shown the way, as Guardiola did, and it is up to other coaches – including Guardiola – to respond. Football will be the better for it.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
TNT Sports presenter twerks in see-through outfit and leather coat as she hosts Champions League final
TNT SPORTS presenter Miroslava Montemayor twerked in a see-through outfit and leather coat while hosting the Champions League final. Montemayor, 35, is a former model who now presents live football coverage in Mexico for TNT Sports. 8 8 8 8 She is already a fan favourite thanks to her dazzling way with the camera. And before PSG's 5-0 win over Inter Milan, she turned heads with a plunging see-through outfit. Montemayor left little to the imagination as she flaunted her daring fashion choice. But she then went a step further as she twerked while pitch-side. Fans were left amazed by Montemayor's latest antics. One said: 'Blessings to you.' Another declared: 'The best is named Miroslava.' One noted: 'Incredible beauty.' Another added: 'This is spectacular.' Montemayor had already caused a stir before PSG's first-ever Champions League win. PSG hold Victory Parade following Champions League win against Inter Milan 8 8 8 8 She picked her team of the tournament alongside colleagues. But she controversially left out Barcelona's Lamine Yamal — widely tipped to win this year's Ballon d'Or. Fans forgave her though as they continued to react to her amazing dress. One said: 'You are a queen.' Another gasped: 'Simply stunning.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ballon d'Or winner's Florian Wirtz prediction is about to come TRUE
Ballon d'Or winner's Florian Wirtz prediction is about to come TRUE German legend knew Wirtz was destined for greatness At just 22 Wirtz has the potential to go on to be the very best in the game, but his potential has been clear for a while. Legendary German midfielder and Ballon d'Or winner Lothar Matthaus spoke on the Leverkusen star's ability back in 2021, when Wirtz was only 17-years-old. Advertisement 'He's 17-years-old and he's a talented midfield player. You have to watch him. He will be the second Kai Havertz,' Matthaus told the Bundesliga website. 'He will go the same way as Havertz. In a few years, we will see him play for the German national team and we'll see him play for a big, big team in Europe." Just how right Matthaus was. Wirtz appears to be on the cusp of a move to Liverpool, the most successful club in England and undoubtedly one of the biggest teams in Europe. The attacking midfielder has also played 29 times for the German national team. How good can Wirtz be? It is worth baring in mind that this comparison to Havertz came just months before the German scored in the Champions League final to secure Chelsea's second European Cup. Advertisement Although Havertz has plateaued since then, and Wirtz may have already eclipsed his compatriot, Liverpool supporters will no doubt be excited at the prospect of signing a player who has been so highly rated since such a young age. Matthaus' predictions were spot on, and since then Wirtz has won back to back Bundesliga Player of the Season awards, delivered Bayer Leverkusen their first German league title and been involved in 69 goals over the past two seasons. It will be a truly terrifying prospect for rival supporters if Wirtz does complete the move to Anfield. Lothar Matthaus has already been proven right over Wirtz, but a move to Liverpool would truly complete the World Cup winner's prediction.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inter Milan Captain Lautaro Martinez Could Make Strong Ballon D'Or Case With Champions League Final Win Vs PSG
Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez could make his case for the Ballon d'Or if Inter Milan beat PSG in the Champions League final. This is the view in today's print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews. Advertisement Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez finished seventh in the Ballon d'Or voting last year. While obviously a great result in and of itself, there was a lingering sense that it was disappointing for the Nerazzurri captain. That is because it came off the back of a season in which Martinez had been Inter's top scorer on the way to a dominant Serie A title win. Meanwhile, the 27-year-old was Argentina's top scorer at the Copa America last summer. Moreover, he scored the winning goal in the final against Colombia. Lautaro Martinez Could Make Ballon D'Or Case With Champions League Final Win MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 16: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring their team's first goal during the. UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FC Bayern München at San Siro on April 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by) This season, Martinez has not been at nearly the same level domestically. Advertisement The Argentine has scored a hardly-spectacular twelve goals in Serie A. That is certainly one reason why Inter failed to successfully defend their league title against Napoli. However, in the Champions League it has been a different story. Lautaro Martinez has found the back of the net nine times for Inter in Europe this season. And among these have been decisive goals against teams like Bayern Munich and Barcelona. There is generally a feeling that Champions League performances count far more towards Ballon d'Or voting than domestic ones. And few would deny that this has been Martinez's best ever campaign in Europe's top club competition. Therefore, if Inter are to go all the way this evening against PSG – and particularly if Martinez scores in the final – it would become hard to overlook the Nerazzurri as a Ballon d'Or contender.
