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Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five who played for both: Real Madrid and Juventus
Five who played for both: Real Madrid and Juventus Real Madrid and Juventus meet in a blockbuster encounter at the FIFA Club World Cup this evening. The most decorated clubs in Spanish and Italian football history go head-to-head for a place in the quarter-finals. Some of football's greatest-ever names have represented the clubs, with a select few turning out for both teams. Advertisement We've looked at five of the best players to have played for Real Madrid and Juventus. Five who played for both: Real Madrid and Juventus Michael Laudrup Michael Laudrup joined Juventus from Brondby in 1983, initially spending two seasons on loan at Lazio due to the foreign player rule in Serie A. He impressed alongside Michel Platini to win the Scudetto in 1985/86 but failed to adequately replace the Frenchman following Platini's exit. After 152 appearances and 36 goals, Laudrup left for Barcelona where he formed part of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' in Catalonia. Four consecutive La Liga titles and some magical football followed, before a controversial switch. Laudrup moved to Real Madrid after a fall-out with Cruyff and helped the club regain the title after a period of Barcelona dominance. Despite the switch, the Dane remains hugely respected on both sides of the El Clasico divide. Zinedine Zidane One of the greatest footballers of all time, Real Madrid broke the world transfer record by signing Zinedine Zidane from Juventus in 2001. The Frenchman had thrived since moving to Italy from Bordeaux, where he helped Juventus to two Serie A titles and inspired France to World Cup and European Championship success. Advertisement As part of the Galactico project at Real Madrid, he was one of four Ballon d'Or winners to move to the Spanish side between 2000 and 2004. His debut season ended with Champions League success and, fittingly, Zidane was the hero. The marquee addition scored arguably the finest Champions League final goal with a sweet volley to sink Bayer Leverkusen. A record three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, he was inducted into the Real Madrid Hall of Fame in 2014 and named in Juventus's best-ever XI in 2017. Fabio Cannavaro One of just three defenders to win the Ballon d'Or, Cannavaro spent three seasons each with Juventus and Real Madrid. Advertisement He joined Juventus from Inter Milan in 2004 and helped the side to successive Serie A titles, being named Serie A Footballer of the Year during their 2006 triumph. However, both titles were revoked in the wake of the club's involvement in the Calciopoli scandal and Juventus were relegated to the second tier. Cannavaro was part of a mass exodus and, fresh from captaining Italy to World Cup success, moved to Real Madrid. During his time in La Liga, the centre-back helped Los Blancos to league title successes in 2006/07 and 2007/08. After leaving the Bernabeu, he returned to Juventus for a single season before concluding his career at Shabab Al Ahli. Gonzalo Higuain Real Madrid have a long history of unearthing exciting South American talent and Gonzalo Higuain made his name with the club after arriving from River Plate. Advertisement The Argentine took two seasons to settle but exploded in output in 2008/09. He netted 24 goals in all competitions that season, one of three 20+ goal league campaigns with Los Blancos. Higuain scored 107 league goals in just 129 starts for Real Madrid but competition from Karim Benzema led to his exit. He moved to Napoli and was an instant hit in Italy, scoring prolifically. Higuain scored 71 league goals over three seasons, including a Serie A record 36 in 35 games in 2015/16. That form led to €90m move to Juventus, an Italian record transfer fee at that time. The goals initially continued to flow as Higuain won three league titles in Turin, netting 66 times across three seasons in all competitions. After falling out of favour, he spent time on loan at AC Milan and Chelsea before moving to MLS with Inter Miami. Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking career took in unforgettable stops in Madrid and Turin. Advertisement The Portuguese superstar, incredibly, scored over a century of goals for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Ronaldo is Real Madrid's record scorer with a barely believable 450 goals in 434 games, justifying the Spanish side's decision to spend a world-record £80m on his signature in 2009. Nine stunning seasons in Spain brought two league titles and four Champions League trophies among his honours, alongside extending his Ballon d'Or count to five. Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018, where he won two Serie A titles. He is the only player to finish seasons as leading scorer in England, Spain and Italy. Advertisement Read – Iconic Performances: The night Zinedine Zidane dominated Brazil See more – Five of Cristiano Ronaldo's greatest goals Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Super Bowl winner and New York Jets legend Gerry Philbin dead at 83
The New York Jets have announced the death of legendary defensive end Gerry Philbin at the age of 83. Philbin was on the team that won the Super Bowl with the Jets in 1969, so far the only title in the history of the organization. In a statement announcing his passing, the Jets described Philbin as 'the undersized, big-hearted, highly productive and well-decorated defensive end' for the team. At 6ft 2, Philbin was considered short for his position but natural ability covered anything he lacked in height. He told the Jets in 2018: 'I got the most out of how hard I worked, because I was a little disadvantaged with size and overcame it. 'I wanted to be an All-Star. I wanted to win the Super Bowl. And the personal goals of getting elected to the All-Time AFL Team. And then finally, becoming a Ring of Honor recipient with the Jets. All those things I cherish a lot.'
Al Jazeera
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Empty stadiums, mismatched teams: What's wrong with the Club World Cup?
When the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 opened on Saturday, Lionel Messi, arguably the world's greatest footballer, weaved his magic on the field as a cluster of former stars – David Beckham, Ronaldo, Kaka, Bebeto, Roberto Baggio and Javier Zanetti – watched on from their VIP seats at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. While Messi was unable to score any goals in Inter Miami's 0-0 draw against Egyptian club Al Ahly, football fans turned up in their thousands to watch the Argentinian lead his team in what could have been a goal-fest for the home side. The organisers, led by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, appeared pleased with the tournament opener and would have hoped for the goals, spectators and popularity to increase as the Club World Cup progressed. Infantino has treated the tournament as his personal project and aimed to bring the biggest names in football to the United States, one of the co-hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. From the unusual last-minute addition of Messi's Inter Miami to the main draw, to his attempts at luring Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to sign for a participating club and increasing the winner's prize money by a whopping $35m, the FIFA chief has pulled out all the stops to support his grand proclamation that the Club World Cup is 'the start of something historic that will change our sport for the better'. However, three days in, the tournament, billed by FIFA as the most elite global club competition, has failed to match the hype created by the sport's governing body. Here's what's gone wrong with the Club World Cup thus far: Kickoffs scheduled at noon and 3pm local time on scorching hot summer days have led to players dealing with difficult conditions. Some of these teams have finished full league and cup competition seasons in their respective countries and confederations. Others – from the US, South America and Oceania – have hit pause on their regular seasons and will return to their respective leagues after the Club World Cup. The tournament has been subject to criticism from regional football bodies and players' unions long before the first kick of the opening game. 'The decision today to schedule the FIFA Club World Cup between June 15 and July 13 without implementing further player workload safeguards demonstrates a lack of consideration for the mental and physical health of participating players, as well as a disregard for their personal and family lives,' players' union FIFPRO said in a statement when the tournament schedule was released in 2024. 'The extreme mental and physical pressures at the pinnacle of the game is the principal concern of players with multiple club and national team competitions, leading to exhaustion, physical injuries, mental health issues, diminished performance, and risks to career longevity,' the statement added. FIFPRO called for the consideration of player health and safety regulations as a 'matter of urgency' but that failed to deter FIFA from tinkering with the schedule. Auckland City, a club made up of amateur players with full-time day jobs, opened their campaign against six-time European champions Bayern Munich and were handed a 10-0 thumping. The 34-time German champions, fielding a full-strength team, scored four goals in the first 21 minutes of the game in front of a hapless Auckland defence. Add to it the fact that the fixture seemed more of a practice outing than a challenge for the Bundesliga side, with Bayern coach Vincent Kompany saying: 'The next game against Boca Juniors will be the highlight of the group stage.' While minnows and favourites are often pitted together in global tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, Oceania champions Auckland will also face Argentinian powerhouse Boca Juniors and Portuguese side Benfica in an incredibly tough draw for the team from New Zealand. It seems unfair for the team rated 4,957th in the world in the Opta Power Rankings to take on opponents ranked sixth (Bayern Munich), 24th (Benfica) and 131st (Boca Juniors). While Messi-mania brought the crowds in the tournament opener in Miami on June 14, and European champions PSG thrashed Atletico Madrid in front of 80,000 Los Angeles fans at the famous Rose Bowl a day later, the same cannot be said for some of the other fixtures. Monday's Chelsea vs LAFC encounter at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was played out in front of less than one-third of the stadium's capacity. The US-based side are often able to draw close to full-capacity crowds at their home venue in Los Angeles, and Chelsea rarely play in front of so many empty seats, whether at home or away. The stark contrast from the fervent fan support at their Stamford Bridge home in London prompted Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to say the atmosphere in Atlanta was 'a bit strange.' The 71,000-capacity venue saw the 3pm kickoff match play out in front of 22,137 spectators. 'I think the environment was a bit strange,' Maresca said after the game. Of the remaining 36 group-stage games, 13 will be afternoon kickoffs on a weekday and the low ticket sales for the first phase of the tournament could mean that organisers will struggle to fill up the venues. Strict security measures, which include the presence of border patrol officials and presenting passports as proof of identity, may also deter fans from thronging the venues.
The Independent
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Is Al Ahly v Inter Miami on TV? How to watch Lionel Messi in Club World Cup opener for free
The 2025 Fifa Club World Cup gets underway tonight with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami facing Egyptian side Al Ahly. As well as the prestige of being the first winners of the tournament under the new format, the winners can secure £100m in prize money. The competition begins tonight with a 48-game group stage then unfolding before the final on 13 July in New Jersey. Here's how you can secure a free live stream to watch the first game: When and where is Al Ahly v Inter Miami? Al Ahly v Inter Miami is on 14 June and kicks off at 8pm ET (1am BST on 15 June in the UK). The game takes place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, USA. How to watch the Club World Cup DAZN will be broadcasting each match of the tournament live, from the opener up to and including the final, for free in the UK. All users can watch a live stream on television and mobile devices, all they need to do is sign up for the company's DAZN Freemium service, with the option to watch ad-free coverage for £14.99. Users can watch DAZN from anywhere by using the DAZN App on TVs, smartphones and any device with a web browser. The streaming service has hired several footballing legends as part of it's coverage team, with Ronaldo Nazario, Claude Makalele, Sami Khedira, John Obi Mikel and Christian Vieri among the former players to feature on the punditry line-up, alongside Shay Given and Premier League striker Callum Wilson. Ade Oladipo, Kelly Somers and Olivia Buzaglo will act as hosts for the coverage alongside former Football Italia presenter James Richardson. And Conor McNamara will head the commentary team, with former Premier League players Andros Townsend, Michael Brown, Brad Friedel, Rob Green and Danny Higginbotham among the notable co-commentators. Club World Cup schedule and fixtures GROUP STAGE Saturday, June 14 Group A: Al Ahly Egypt vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. ET (1 a.m. BST) (Miami) Sunday, June 15 Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, 12 pm ET (5 p.m. BST) (Cincinnati) Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid, 3 pm ET (8 p.m. BST) (Pasadena) Group A: Palmeiras vs. Porto, 6 pm ET (11 p.m. BST) (East Rutherford) Group B: Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders, 10 p.m. ET (3 a.m. BST) (Seattle) Monday, June 16 Group C: Chelsea vs. León, 3 pm ET (8 p.m. BST) (Atlanta) Group D: Boca Juniors vs. Benfica, 6 p.m. ET (11 p.m. BST) (Miami) Group C: Flamengo vs. Espérance de Tunis, 9 p.m. ET (2 a.m. BST) (Philadelphia) Tuesday, June 17 Group F: Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. BST) (East Rutherford) Group E River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. BST) (Seattle) Group F: Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, 6 p.m. ET (11 p.m. BST) (Orlando) Group E: Monterrey vs. Inter Milan, 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. BST) (Pasadena) Wednesday, June 18 Group G: Manchester City vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. BST) (Philadelphia) Group H: Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal, 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. BST) (Miami) Group H: Pachuca vs. FC Salzburg, 6 p.m. ET (11 p.m. BST) (Cincinnati) Group G: Al Ain vs. Juventus, 9 p.m. (2 a.m. BST) (Washington) Thursday, June 19 Group A: Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly, 12 p.m. ET, (5 p.m. BST) (East Rutherford) Group A: Inter Miami vs. Porto, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Atlanta) Group B: Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid, 6 p.m. ET (11 p.m. BST) (Seattle) Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m . BST)(Pasadena) Friday, June 20 Group C: Benfica vs. Auckland City, 12 p.m. ET, (5 p.m. BST) (Orlando) Group D: Flamengo vs. Chelsea, 2 p.m. ET, (7 p.m. BST) (Philadelphia) Group D: León vs. Espérance de Tunis, 6 p.m. ET, (11 p.m. BST) (Nashville) Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors , 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Miami) Saturday, June 21 Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET, (5 p.m. BST) (Cincinnati) Group E: Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Seattle) Group F: Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD, 6 p.m. ET, (11 p.m. BST) (East Rutherford) Group E: River Plate vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Pasadena) Sunday, June 22 Group G: Juventus vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET, (5 p.m. BST) (Philadelphia) Group H: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Charlotte) Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Al Hilal, 6 p.m. ET, (11 p.m. BST) (Washington) Group G: Manchester City vs. Al Ain, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Atlanta) Monday, June 23 Group B: Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Pasadena) Group B: Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Seattle) Group A: Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Miami Gardens) Group A: Porto vs. Al Ahly, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (East Rutherford) Tuesday, June 24 Group C: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Charlotte) Group C: Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Nashville) Group D: Espérance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Philadelphia) Group D: León vs. Flamengo, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Orlando) Wednesday, June 25 Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Cincinnati) Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Miami) Group E: Inter Milan vs. River Plate, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Seattle) Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Pasadena) Thursday, June 26 Group G: Wydad AC vs. Al Ain, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Washington) Group G: Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3 p.m. ET, (8 p.m. BST) (Orlando) Group H: Al Hilal vs. Mexico Pachuca, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Nashville) Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, 9 p.m. ET, (2 a.m. BST) (Philadelphia) ROUND OF 16 Saturday, June 28 Match 49: Winners of Group A vs. Runners of Group B (Philadelphia) Match 50: Winners of Group C vs. Runners of Group D (Charlotte) Sunday, June 29 Match 51: Winners of Group B vs. Runners of Group A (Atlanta) Match 52: Winners of Group D vs. Runners of Group C (Miami) Monday, June 30 Match 53: Winners of Group E vs. Runners of Group F (Charlotte) Match 54: Winners of Group G vs. Runners of Group H (Orlando) Tuesday, July 1 Match 55: Winners of Group F vs. Runners of Group E (Atlanta) Match 56: Winners of Group H vs. Runners of Group G (Miami) QUARTERFINALS Friday, July 4 Match 57: Winners of Match 49 vs. Winners of Match 50 (Philadelphia) Match 58: Winners of Match 53 vs. Winners of Match 54 (Orlando) Saturday, July 5 Match 59: Winners of Match 51 vs. Winners of Match 52 (Atlanta) Match 60: Winners of Match 55 vs. Winners of Match 56 (East Rutherford) SEMIFINALS Tuesday, July 8 Match 61: Winners of Match 57 vs. Winners of Match 58 (East Rutherford) Wednesday, July 9 Match 62: Winners of Match 59 vs. Winners of Match 60 (East Rutherford) FINAL Sunday, July 13
The Sun
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Baller League Legends ratings: John Arne Riise and Balotelli shine but Arsenal cult hero gets a 1/10
MOUSSA DEMBELE is perhaps best known for being the toughest opponent your favourite player has ever faced - or the player who was the best any ex-Spurs star has ever seen. So when he was announced to be playing at the O2 Arena alongside Mario Balotelli, Ravel Morrison and John Arne Riise, fans came flocking. 6 The former pros lined up against KSI, Chunkz, George Clarkey and more in what was a spectacular Legends vs Influencers match decided by Niko Omilana missing a crucial penalty. SunSport's LLOYD CANFIELD rated the legendary players performances… JENS LEHMANN - 1 Unfortunately age catches up with all of us, and it seems to have done so with once-invincible goalkeeper. Failed to stop a number of shots that he got a hand to, but the 55-year-old was simply too slow to react to most of them - though one admittedly was a screamer from EmanSV2. PASCAL CHIMBONDA - 5 Didn't blow any minds with his performance, but wasn't really poor either. Pretty standard showing from the Barclaysman defender who would've been a blast from the past for most watching. 6 JOHN ARNE RIISE - 10 Wow! He's still got that left foot rocket in his locker, let's just say that. Hit the crossbar with a thunderbolt from range which alerted the keeper, before crashing home a screamer in the dying moments to level the scoring and send the game to penalties. Textbook Riise - Liverpool can save themselves a pretty penny on signing Milos Kerkez and just bring this beast back instead. LUKE CHAMBERS - 5 Much the same as Pascal Chimbonda, Chambers didn't really stand out what so ever and was largely overshadowed by the bigger names on the pitch. Mostly forgettable. JAY-JAY OKOCHA - 7 Scored a classy header that was unfortunately ruled out by the referee, it was the same Okocha we saw against Arsenal all those years ago - just much older. A legend of the game who still gave it his all and tried to entertain the crowd with a few silky touches and delicate passes. Didn't have the pace or engine he once possessed, but still impressed overall. MOUSSA DEMBELE - 9 The man of the moment looked like he still had it, running the show in the middle of the park for his time. You could still see echoes of the player he once was, impossible to get the ball away from and such a powerful presence with the ball at his feet. Dominated for large parts of the game and still had the silky feet and ability to pick a pass that he always had. 6 RAVEL MORRISON - 5 The ex- Manchester United wonderkid probably would've had a better rating were it not for the brilliance either side of him. Good on the ball and came close with a header that was flicked towards goal. Didn't blow anyone's socks off, but it was a solid performance from the former Red Devil. LEE TRUNDLE - 4 The highlight of his showing was sending KSI tumbling to the floor after a collision, but it must be said he gave it his all pulling off some of his trademark skills. The Football League cult hero was an entertaining watch, but didn't seem to have the end product or cutting edge he needed to get the better of the Influencer defenders all that often. MARIO BALOTELLI - 8 The man that most were excited to see, it was just a pleasure to see Super Mario back on the pitch with a ball at his feet. The ex- Liverpool and Manchester City striker still had a bit too, with some silky touches and passes, and a goal to boot! There was no trademark celebration or boasting from a man who has clearly matured since his playing days - but a showing more reminiscent of a classy Italian midfielder. Stuck around and took pictures with fans and players alike, which was lovely to see.
