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The Champions League remains the pinnacle of the European game, showcasing the very best that the continent has to offer, both collectively and on an individual basis.

Paris Saint-Germain romped to the title in emphatic fashion last time around, yet with talisman – and Ballon d’Or winner – Ousmane Dembele seeing his impact limited this time around due to injury, who else is now leading the way instead?

Ranking factors

• Current form
• Importance to team
• Reputation and honours

50-41

50. Xavi Simons	Spurs
49. Desire Doue	PSG
48. Phil Foden	Man City
47. Ivan Perisic	PSV
46. Carlos Forbs	Club Brugge
45. Rayan Cherki	Man City
44. De Ketelaere	Atalanta
43. Virgil van Dijk	Liverpool
42. Noni Madueke	Arsenal
41. Couhaib Driouech	PSV

A fair few new entrants to our top 50 this week, with Xavi Simons notably securing that final spot following his standout display against Slavia Prague, while Rayan Cherki also gets a nod following his stellar performance as Man City saw off Real Madrid.

Perhaps the performance of the week, at least from a Premier League perspective, came from Arsenal’s Noni Madueke, however, with the Englishman’s first of the night against Club Brugge an early contender for goal of the competition.

40-31

40. Serhou Guirassy	Dortmund
39. Eberechi Eze	Arsenal
38. Harvey Barnes	Newcastle
37. Scott McTominay	Napoli
36. Trincao	Sporting
35. Goncalo Ramos	PSG
34. Lennart Karl	Bayern
33. David Raya	Arsenal
32. Lamine Yamal	Barcelona
31. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	Marseille

A fresh face also emerges in this next batch of names, with Bayern Munich’s teen sensation, Lennart Karl, deserving of a first inclusion, having now scored in three Champions League games in a row – the youngest player to have achieved that feat.

Elsewhere, Madueke’s ever-reliable teammate, David Raya, also surges up our list, having kept yet another clean sheet away at Brugge – his fifth in just six outings in this year’s edition.

30-21

30. Kenan Yildiz	Juventus
29. Gabriel	Arsenal
28. Marc Cucurella	Chelsea
27. Hakan Calhanoglu	Inter
26. Marcus Thuram	Inter
25. Estevao	Chelsea
24. Jeremy Doku	Man City
23. Micky van de Ven	Spurs
22. Alejandro Grimaldo	Leverkusen
21. Gabriel Martinelli	Arsenal

It’s a bit of an Arsenal theme this week, with a word also needing to be said for Gabriel Martinelli, following his stunning second-half effort. The Brazilian speedster already has five goals in this season’s Champions League, despite making just three starts.

It also proved to be another positive outing for Bayer Leverkusen’s talisman, Alejandro Grimaldo, with the in-form left-footer denying Newcastle all three points late on in the BayArena.

20-11

20. Marquinhos	PSG
19. Anthony Gordon	Newcastle
18. Dean Huijsen	Real Madrid
17. Denzel Dumfries	Inter
16. Julian Alvarez	Atleti
15. Lautaro Martinez	Inter
14. Achraf Hakimi	PSG
13. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia	PSG
12. Enzo Fernandez	Chelsea
11. Nuno Mendes	PSG

The top 20 sees Anthony Gordon retain his place, having now scored five times himself this season, while Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez also deserves his own surge up this list after netting the opener against PSV Eindhoven.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s shock defeat away to Atalanta sees Enzo Fernandez drop out of the top ten, with the Serie A side coming from behind to win 2-1 in Bergamo.

So, who is included in the top ten after match week five?

10

Pedri

Taking Enzo’s place in this top ten is Barcelona genius, Pedri, with the Spaniard again putting on a midfield clinic in the 2-1 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt.

108 touches. 100% of his dribbles successfully completed. 100% of his tackles won. Need we say more?

9

Jurrien Timber

Heralded by some as the best right-back in the world after helping Arsenal beat Bayern at the end of November, Timber has showcased himself to be a phenomenal signing by the Gunners.

The Dutchman may have missed the clash with Brugge, but it would be harsh to dislodge him from his place in this top ten.

8

Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen has stormed into the top ten following his stunning hat-trick away at Ajax in match week four.

He didn’t play in game week five, and failed to fire this time around against Monaco, but still sits second in the scoring charts, now up to six goals from just four appearances in 2025/26.

7

Marcus Rashford

There can be a perceived lack of interest or importance placed on these league phase fixtures, although Marcus Rashford has already served up reasons to be entertained, notably lashing home that stunner at St James’ Park, while producing an early contender for assist of the season after picking out Ferran Torres against PSG.

With two more goals under his belt against Olympiacos, having also picked out Jules Kounde in stunning fashion in midweek, the 27-year-old is finally looking back to his brilliant best.

6

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich must be rubbing their hands with glee at having prised Michael Olise from Crystal Palace for ‘just’ £50m, with the France international going to new heights at the Allianz Arena.

With four goals and assists already in this year’s competition, the fleet-footed winger is already looking deadly again.

5

Declan Rice

Last season, Rice powered Arsenal to the Champions League semi-finals courtesy of two remarkable free-kicks against Real Madrid, deserving of the Puskas award. If you didn’t think he couldn’t get any better, think again.

He may have sat out Brugge through illness, although he memorably rocked up against Bayern Munich in match week five to deliver a virtuoso man-of-the-match display.

Is there a better midfielder in world football? Perhaps there’s one.

4

Vitinha

From struggling against Chorley in the FA Cup for Wolves, the Portuguese midfielder has come a long way since. He’s a Champions League winner and arguably delivered his finest performance in the competition to date against Tottenham in match week five, scoring a stunning hat-trick which included a cracking equaliser in the first half.

Thomas Frank remarked after the game that he is “the next Ballon d’Or winner”. Any complaints? Very few.

3

Harry Kane

The fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for one club, the England skipper is in the form of his life right now, notching up five goals already to kickstart his – and Bayern’s – bid for an elusive Champions League crown.

He was the finest player in the competition to date until he came up against Arsenal in match week five, having also failed to fire against Sporting in Bayern’s comeback 3-1 win.

2

Erling Haaland

Excluding the obvious duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the modern era hasn’t witnessed such a prolific presence as Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian already ripping it up in the new campaign.

A star for club and country, the 25-year-old arguably only ranks behind a certain Harry Kane as the continent’s finest number nine, scoring for the sixth time in the Champions League this season against Madrid.

1

Kylian Mbappe

Having somewhat upset the apple cart after joining then-holders Real Madrid last summer, Kylian Mbappe is back in the groove again under Xabi Alonso.

He may have missed the Man City clash through injury, but with nine goals in just five games, there’s no one better for the top spot.

Yamal this, Yamal that. The Frenchman is the greatest in the world right now.

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By
Charlie Smith

Nov 6, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank, in particular, will have been delighted with Saturday’s 2-0 win over his former club Brentford in the Premier League.

Goals from Richarlison, signed for £60m, and Xavi Simons, signed for £52m, secured all three points for the Lilywhites, as two of their most-expensive signings start to show their quality.

An expensive signing who is not offering too much to the team at the moment, though, is £47.5m addition Brennan Johnson, who was an unused substitute against Brentford.

Why Brennan Johnson has not been a waste of money for Spurs

The Wales international has not scored in the Premier League since August, with four goals in all competitions this season, and has not been used off the bench in two of the last three matches, per Sofascore.

Signed for £47.5m from Nottingham Forest in 2023, Johnson does not currently look like good value for money, given his struggles this term, but he has not been a waste of money on the evidence of his overall time at the club so far.

The 24-year-old attacker has delivered 27 goals and 18 assists in 104 games for the Lilywhites, per Transfermarkt, including the winner in the Europa League final last season.

You could argue that his winning goal in that final was worth the £47.5m on its own because of the memories that it created, as the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

Meanwhile, there is another expensive signing in the Spurs squad who should be sold, as he has been a bigger flop than Johnson and has yet to justify his price tag.

The Spurs player who should be sold in January

Dominic Solanke has been out with an ankle injury since August, with no return date given by Frank, but he should be ruthlessly sold in the January transfer window.

Spurs splashed a club-record transfer fee of £65m to sign the English striker from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, and his performances on the pitch have not reflected that huge outlay.

For a 27-year-old, now 28, who was brought in as a Premier League-proven star in the prime years of his career, Solanke has not offered enough in front of goal to suggest that he has been worth the money, with just nine league goals for the club to date, per Sofascore.

In April, pundit Micah Richards claimed that the £65m signing had “been a disappointment all season” in the 2024/25 campaign, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you look at his statistics, notably costing them around £4m per goal so far.

Solanke – 24/25	Premier League	Europa League
Appearances	27	13
xG	10.97	5.58
Goals	9	5
Big chances missed	12	4
Minutes per goal	245	161
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Solanke underperformed against his xG in both the Premier League and the Europa League last term, missing more ‘big chances’ than he scored goals in the former.

Johnson, meanwhile, hit double figures for goals with 11 Premier League strikes for the Lilywhites, which means that he has scored four more league goals for Spurs than Solanke since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

This shows that the Welshman, who plays on the wing rather than as a striker, has been more productive than the ex-Bournemouth man in the Premier League, whilst also being more impactful overall, given his trophy-clinching goal.

Solanke has simply not done enough on the pitch since signing for the club to prove that the Lilywhites were right to splash £65m on him, which is why they should cut their losses and cash in on him in January.

His current injury issues only add further fuel to the fire because Spurs now do not know if they can rely on him to be fit and available, whilst they also do not know if they can rely on him to be efficient in front of goal as their number nine.

Richarlison’s return of six goals and two assists in nine Premier League starts so far this season, per Sofascore, also suggests that Solanke will not be the first-choice number nine when he is back fit.

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By
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5 days ago

That is further reason for the club to cash in on the big-money flop in January to invest in a new signing in that position, as the Englishman’s move to North London has not worked out so far.

Harmer ran through Pakistan on the fourth morning before South Africa made short work of the chase

Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2025

Simon Harmer is swamped by his team-mates after completing his maiden Test five-for•AFP/Getty Images

Ultimately, Pakistan’s overnight hope was built on a bed of straw. South Africa did not even need to huff or puff particularly hard to blow the house down. It took them five balls to dismiss an ostensibly back-to-form Babar Azam, nine runs to take four wickets that put the conclusion beyond doubt, and one session to dispatch the paltry 68 they had been set for victory. Along the way, Simon Harmer took six wickets to take his tally to exactly 1000 first-class wickets, becoming the fourth South African to do so.It took South Africa to a thumping eight-wicket series-levelling win, their first in their defence of the World Test Championship title. For Pakistan, it is their first home defeat after winning the toss since they resorted to spin-friendly tracks at home, their recent third innings malaise coming back to haunt them in its full splendour. Babar’s little tickle into the onside off the day’s second ball got him to a first home Test half-century since 2022, but what should have been the bedrock of his innings was instead its culmination point. Three balls later, he stepped back into his crease off a similar, gentle off spinner, but this one kept slightly low, and rapped him just below the knee roll to begin Pakistan’s slide.A superb Harmer kept the pressure on, but there was assistance aplenty from a Pakistan side that immediately began to go to pieces. Harmer gave Rizwan generous flight, who stretched out well beyond his crease try and get to the pitch to defend. Instead, he got an inside edge onto the pad, which looped up to Tony de Zorzi at short leg, and Harmer went to 999.Related

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The four-figure dismissal was all about Harmer, though, and a microcosm of what has made him so successful for so long. He went around the wicket to Noman Ali, flighting it well and landing on a sixpence into some of the footmarks the left-arm bowlers have created. It spat up and away from Noman, kissing the outside edge on its way into Kyle Verreynne’s hands. Harmer threw his head up into the sky and let out a roar to rouse any part of Pindi that might still have been asleep.But Pakistan kept hoisting themselves by their own petard. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Agha worked themselves up into calling for a run, taking on Ryan Rickelton who dived forward to effect a direct hit that sent Shaheen on his way, and Pakistan had gone from 105 for 5 to 105 for 8 – yet another middle and lower order collapse in a series they have been sprinkled like confetti.Ryan Rickelton collided with Shaheen Shah Afridi while running him out•AFP/Getty Images

At the other end stood Agha, not so much like a rock of resistance as a young oak waiting to be felled. Maharaj duly did the honours in his first over, the arm ball cutting Agha in half as he chopped back on. Sajid Khan tried to take him on the following over, only to find himself well adrift of his crease for Verreynne to do the honours.Pakistan turned immediately to spin, but there was no intimidating South Africa with a target this shallow. They were off and away with an Aiden Markram mow across the line for four, and Rickelton began to get his kicks in shortly after. Pakistan kept recycling through some combination of their three finger spinners, and South Africa kept putting them away for four, speeding towards the target as lunch approached.Noman got Pakistan the dubious consolation prize of a late couple of wickets when South Africa’s target was in single digits. Markram was trapped in front as he went for another one of his productive sweeps that had fetched him six of his eight fours in the innings, and found Tristan Stubbs’ outside edge for a duck three balls later. But Rickelton made the ignominy official with a whack over long-off for six in the following over.After the previous Test, Pakistan captain Shan Masood had talked about how Pakistan would look to play if they lost the toss to try and stay competitive. South Africa showed they had been listening carefully, and across these four days, executed that plan to perfection.

When Everton wrapped up a season-long loan deal for Jack Grealish ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, it felt like the Three Lions star had entered the last-chance saloon.

It also raised questions as to what David Moyes was to do with his Toffees talisman, Iliman Ndiaye. Both mavericks couldn’t play on the left flank, after all.

But Ndiaye has performed excellently in a new right-sided berth, leading the club’s scoring charts with three goals from nine Premier League matches.

Iliman Ndiaye's importance to Everton

Alongside Grealish, he is the standout star in Moyes’ squad. Ndiaye only arrived in 2024, signing from Marseille for about £15m, but he was a beacon of hope throughout the end of Sean Dyche’s tenure and has scored nine goals under Moyes; no active Everton player has bagged more.

His electric pace and sharp-witted brain makes him a tricky customer for even the sternest Premier League defence. As per Sofascore, the Senegal international has won seven duels per game so far this season, and he has yet to miss a big chance when played in on goal.

Grealish has a unique skillset of his own, but there is really no one else quite like him on the blue half of Merseyside, perhaps the red streets too.

He wears the #10 shirt with pride and purpose, and it’s unlikely anyone in Moyes’ squad has the quality to take it from him right now.

There is an Everton up-and-comer who would fancy his chances, though. He’s currently out on loan, and causing quite the storm as he angles toward an emphatic return to the Premier League next season.

The Everton prospect who could take Ndiaye's shirt

For those of an Everton persuasion, it’s a hard thing to admit, but if Ndiaye isn’t playing European football before long, he may well cast an eye on the continent. Already, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a bumper bid, and the Friedkin Group have responded with a price tag spilling over the £70m mark.

Should he leave, Harrison Armstrong might fancy himself worthy of the summer. Certainly, the teenager has been riding the crest of a wave out on loan in the Championship with Preston North End this season, with his performances leading writer Jonny Nelson to predict that he “will be playing for England in two years”.

The 18-year-old has the grace, technical skill and physicality to become a mainstay in the Premier League, and after a promising spell on loan with Derby County last year, he has taken his game to the next level at Deepdale.

Rangy and ever-more athletic, he’s already featured eight times for Everton’s senior side and has racked up three assists, having played prominently for the development side before being determined to warrant a series of loan moves at a lower level.

Lauded for his “unreal” recent performances by the Second Tier Podcast, Armstrong is going from strength to strength.

We are seeing improvements. We are seeing maturity and growth. Armstrong ranks among the top 10% of Championship midfielders this season for progressive carries and the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90 (data via FBref).

But, more crucially, it is the overall level of his game that has been raised, more confident on the ball, more combative against the run of play. This is a Moyes midfielder, and one who stands a compelling chance of emulating Declan Rice at West Ham United, who was schooled into the superstar he is by the Scotsman.

Harrison Armstrong in the Championship

Stats (* per game)

24/25

25/26

Matches (starts)

15 (12)

8 (5)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

0

Touches*

33.6

35.0

Accurate passes*

14.8 (68%)

20.1 (82%)

Chances created*

0.3

0.3

Dribbles*

0.6

0.8

Ball recoveries*

3.8

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

3.2

2.1

Ground duels won*

2.9 (57%)

2.8 (59%)

Aerial duels won*

1.0 (45%)

1.1 (75%)

Data via Sofascore

He is not a winger, and would not replace Ndiaye in terms of tactical role, but the Finch Farm starlet has what it takes to dazzle on Merseyside and provide Everton with a new dimension, much like the silky winger.

Everton might just have a superstar on their hands in Armstrong, one who could hit the heights Ndiaye has reached, and more.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 27, 2025

Bavuma and Esterhuizen also struck half-centuries in what was the sixth-highest successful chase in India

Shashank Kishore09-Nov-2025Connor Esterhuizen showcased his impressive game against spin in a bludgeoning 52 not out that helped South Africa A beat fading light to chase down 417 five wickets in hand against India A at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. This was the highest fourth-innings chase in a first-class game in India since 2016, and the sixth-highest ever in the country.Esterhuizen’s innings comprised eight fours and a six, as he helped South Africa A convert a tricky chase in the final hour into a cruise. His unbroken sixth-wicket partnership with Tiaan van Vuuren was worth 65 off just 52 balls.While Esterhuizen delivered the knockout blow to India A, the chase was set up by Lesego Senokwane and Jordan Hermann. The openers put on 156, much of it during the course of a wicketless morning session where they took the attack to Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.Even Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t spared, but it also helped South Africa A that he was far from his best on a surface that didn’t aid spin as much as he would have hoped for. With the surface showing no signs of breaking down, Kuldeep hardly found turn and was easily picked off as Senokwane and Hermann didn’t allow him to settle. When he went full, he was imperiously driven. When he bowled shorter, the turn was so slow that it gave batters enough time to play him comfortably off the back foot.Hermann did the early running when he hammered an off-colour Akash Deep for four boundaries – an off-drive, two cover drives, and a square drive behind point. He soon got to his half-century, off 73 deliveries. India A’s frustration stemmed from the edges not carrying. The lateral movement that was there on the first two days and a bit also went missing.Jordan Hermann scored 91•PTI

Senokwane soon followed suit, albeit sedately, getting to his half-century off 113 deliveries. Having played cautiously against the fast bowlers, he was severe on left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, whom he welcomed with a superb slog sweep. Hermann was equally punishing, using the paddle sweep as Dubey struggled to vary his pace – he was guilty of bowling too quickly.Hermann had a slice of luck on 66 when a rip-roaring bouncer that rushed him for pace lobbed off the glove only to land behind Rishabh Pant as he ran backwards. But even half-chances like those were far and few in between.Prasidh provided the breakthrough when Hermann smashed a full toss back towards the bowler. Fortunately for India A, it got stuck in Prasidh’s hand and Hermann had to walk back for 91. The wicket briefly fired India A’s seamers, Siraj, in particular, as he delivered a telling spell in the afternoon, beating Senokwane a handful of times and then exchanging some words with him.All that seemed to have affected Senokwane as he was lulled into a sweep that he missed and was lbw to Dubey on 77. This brought Zubayr Hamza and Temba Bavuma to the crease – the only two batters from this squad to feature in the Test squad – and they added 107 for the third wicket to bring the target in the double digits.Having bagged a first-ball duck in the first innings, Bavuma was more sedate and copybook in his approach; Hamza was a bit more enterprising and looked to take the bowlers on from the get-go to make a push for the target.In between, India A had a scare when Siraj hurt himself trying to stop the ball at mid-off and immediately rushed off the field for treatment. Pant too didn’t keep for two sessions with Jurel taking over the gloves. It was established much later that the decision to take Pant off the field was keeping in mind the workload he has had over the past two games – with both bat and gloves.Hamza fell when he got an inside edge onto the stumps off Prasidh, and Bavuma fell soon after. India A had an opening with the visitors needing 89 when Marques Ackerman was bounced out by Siraj, only for replays to confirm the bowler had overstepped. Ackerman was eventually caught behind for 24 to bring Esterhuizen to the crease. The mood of the game changed considerably thereafter as he took the attack to Kuldeep and Dubey to seal victory in fading light.

After the humiliation of 69 all out, South Africa roared back as Tazmin Brits’ record-breaking hundred powered a statement World Cup win over New Zealand

Firdose Moonda06-Oct-2025

Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus’ 159-run stand took South Africa home•ICC/Getty Images

How do you recover from 69 all out?If you’re Marizanne Kapp, you hit Suzie Bates on the pads first ball in her 350th international to dismiss her in the same match where you become the most capped of your country’s women.If you’re Nonkululeko Mlaba, you take the wicket that sparks a collapse of 7 for 44, and finish with your career’s second four-for.If you’re Laura Wolvaardt, you stick your right arm out, and snatch the ball from the sky to claim what could be the catch of the tournament.Related

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If you’re Sune Luus, you share in South Africa’s highest partnership at a World Cup, with your team’s most in-form batter Tazmin Brits.Oh, and if you’re Brits? You do it by becoming the only woman to score five ODI hundreds in a calendar year, and anchoring a successful chase of 232.Good enough? We’d say so.South Africa showed up in their second World Cup match with a strong all-round display that restored their tournament credentials, and left New Zealand with zero points from two games. But it’s the manner in which they did it that will please them most after their abject display in the opener against England. Nineteen wides aside, South Africa barely put a foot wrong as they squeezed New Zealand in the first half of their innings, and then struck big blows in the second to limit them to a modest total. Still, given the inexplicably poor batting performance South Africa put on three days ago, 232 was a long way away.When Wolvaardt was dismissed in the third over, it was even longer. What South Africa needed was a player with form, confidence and belief. Enter Brits.South Africa fashioned a collapse of 7 for 44 for New Zealand•Getty ImagesBefore this match, Brits had already scored four hundreds this year, including back-to-back-to-back against West Indies and Pakistan. Her last was a career-best 171* in Lahore. So being bowled for 5 by Linsey Smith in the opener was so galling to her that it made her lose her appetite.”It didn’t sit well with me. I was actually very (nauseous), and I didn’t even want to eat that night, and I overthought the process completely,” Brits, who smashed 101 off 89 balls against New Zealand, said after the game. “We put that in the past as quickly as possible, and said we’ve got to move on to the next game.”Brits joked that the – it is fried dough soaked in syrup with or without a desiccated coconut covering – is what upped her form this year, but she wouldn’t have found any of that in Indore. Instead, she had to feast on a new scoring area, which has only opened up for her in the last year.She has gone from being a predominantly leg-side player to understanding how to access the off side too. Against New Zealand, she scored more than two-thirds of her runs – 68 – on the off side, including 27 through or over mid-off. In total, she scored 40 runs in the V down the ground. Apart from taking advantage of the width on offer, she created some of it herself by moving around, and used her feet well throughout her innings.3:20

Mlaba, Brits help SA register first World Cup points

“I’ve just tried to expand my shot selection a bit more, and I’ve been working very, very hard on that,” she said.Brits’ ability to strike powerfully and score quickly also meant this hundred, off 87 balls, was her fastest, and South Africa’s fourth-fastest. It also launched her into the record books. Brits now has 749 runs this year, the second-most by a South Africa batter in a calendar year after Wolvaardt’s 882 in 2022. At the rate she is going, Brits could surpass Wolvaardt’s record during this World Cup itself. She also has more centuries in 41 ODI innings than anyone else at the same stage in their career, surpassing Meg Lanning, whose first seven hundreds came in 44 innings.Happily, she also has a distinct reason to remember this century as different from all the others. Not only is it her first at a World Cup – and South Africa’s third overall – but it also came with a special celebration: the archer.Sune Luus’ unbeaten 83 was the perfect foil to Tazmin Brits’ 101•ICC/Getty Images”I always do a ballerina for my dad, so I did that at 50 and then I actually put it out to the fans,” she said. “There were actually two 13-year-old girls that sent me the archer celebration. So I did it for them.”While Brits will grab the headlines, some praise must also be reserved for Luus, who has better numbers at No. 4, where she averages 33.44 and has scored only ODI hundred, than at No. 3. But against New Zealand, Luus played an innings that could make No. 3 hers. Her unbeaten 83 was the perfect support act to Brits, especially as she employed a more conservative approach early on. That gave Brits the freedom to hit out. Between them, they could, and arguably should, even have got South Africa to the target quicker.Though South Africa reached the target inside 41 overs, which has helped their net run-rate, it remains in negative territory, and they may look at overs 30 to 40, where they scored 46 runs, as a handbrake. In a tournament where the weather could still play a significant part and five or six teams could end up fighting over one or two semi-final spots, South Africa don’t want to be too far behind.They have their first points, though, and after the embarrassment of 69 all out, that’s a start. The next step is another day of travel to play the hosts, India, who are unbeaten, in Visakhapatnam, in what could be an important clash in determining the semi-finalists.

A matter of days after Kevin Thelwell was relieved of his duties as Rangers’ sporting director, a former Premier League winger has revealed exactly why he rejected a move to Ibrox.

Cavenagh reveals reasoning behind Thelwell's Rangers exit

Thelwell’s exit looked on the cards as soon as he appointed Russell Martin. The sporting director instantly failed to win the fans over after a disastrous summer of decisions and has now paid the price alongside chief executive Patrick Stewart.

Revealing the news, chairman Andrew Cavenagh said: “Paraag and I have analysed the club’s needs, and as we reflect on what the club needs today, and where Kevin and Patrick are, we think we need something different.

“Our focus the first part of this season, the first part of our ownership period, has been on the sporting side and that’s where all of our attention went to for obvious reasons.

“With Danny coming in, he has started to improve the on-pitch performance, and that has created the space to allow Paraag and I to look at other parts of the club with new eyes and assess what we need going forward.”

Rangers dud is rivalling Chermiti for being one of Thelwell's worst signings

This Glasgow Rangers flop has been as bad of a signing as Youssef Chermiti was by Kevin Thelwell.

ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025

It’s a major decision from the 49ers, who have seen Rangers get back on track on the pitch since Danny Rohl’s arrival. The German has won all four of his Scottish Premiership games, but his side still sit nine points behind shock leaders Hearts to highlight the damage done by Martin’s time at the club.

Thelwell’s downfall can be pinpointed to his decision to hire Martin, but also his transfer decisions, including times when he missed out on top targets like Carlos Forbs.

Carlos Forbs reveals "one conversation" before Rangers rejection

Speaking to Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg, Forbs revealed why he rejected Rangers and Thelwell in favour of a move to Club Brugge in the summer.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee had quite the decision to make in the summer and Thelwell just couldn’t lure him to Rangers in what was a sign of things to come.

Since then, the now-former sporting director failed to get deals over the line to hire the likes of Steven Gerrard, before finally turning to Rohl. From appointing Martin, to missing out on Forbs and then Gerrard, the clock was always ticking on Thelwell’s time in Scotland.

"Rotten" Thelwell signing is Rangers' biggest waste of time since Dowell

MatériaMais Notícias

A Série A1 do Campeonato Brasileiro Feminino 2024 começa nesta sexta-feira (15) e contará com um investimento pesado da CBF. Ao todo, serão destinados cerca de R$ 25 milhões para a realização da competição, que termina apenas em setembro.

Todas as cotas de participação dos clubes terão reajuste em relação ao ano passado. Os prêmios ao campeão e ao vice também serão maiores. Abaixo, o Lance! Biz apresenta todos os valores.

➡️Acompanhe os negócios no esporte em nosso canal. Siga o Lance! Biz no WhatsApp

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasMercado do EsporteCamisa de Messi é a mais vendida da Adidas em todos os esportesMercado do Esporte15/03/2024Mercado do EsporteBarcelona recebe proposta bilionária de rival da Nike e pode trocar de fornecedorMercado do Esporte15/03/2024Mercado do EsporteSão Paulo fecha acordo para impulsionar plataforma de streaming do clubeMercado do Esporte15/03/2024

Em 2023, cada um dos 16 participantes do Brasileirão Feminino recebia R$ 30 mil pela participação na primeira fase. Este valor passará para R$ 300 mil neste ano.

Nas quartas de final, os oito classificados receberão R$ 100 mil, enquanto o valor era de R$ 35 mil até ano passado.

➡️ Corinthians, Flamengo ou Palmeiras: quem vai faturar mais com as placas de publicidade?

Os quatro semifinalistas ganharão mais R$ 100 mil – anteriormente eram R$ 50 mil. No total, os clubes vão dividir R$ 6 milhões em cotas de participação.

Avisa lá que eu tô de volta! Começa HOJE o #BrasileirãoFemininoNeoenergia 2024! 🥳 🏆 pic.twitter.com/HywkgfXDoZ

— Brasileirão Feminino Neoenergia (@BRFeminino) March 15, 2024

Além destes valores, há uma premiação extra para os dois finalistas. O campeão vai receber R$ 1,5 milhão, enquanto o segundo colocado receberá R$ 750 mil -um reajuste de 25% em relação a 2023.

💰 Cotas e premiação do Brasileirão Feminino 2024:

Primeira fase – R$ 300 mil
Quartas de final – R$ 100 mil
Semifinal – R$ 100 mil
Vice-campeão – R$ 750 mil
Campeão – R$ 1,5 milhão

* Nota: Os valores acima são acumulativos. O campeão, portanto, receberá um total de R$ 2 milhões ao final da campanha.

continua após a publicidade

Para a Dra Flávia Magalhães, médica do esporte que já trabalhou em clubes como Atlético-MG e América-MG, e que esteve presente em todas as edições do Brasileirão Feminino, o crescimento da competição é notável.

– Fico muito feliz por ver a valorização do futebol feminino no nosso país, porque sei que isso é fruto de uma luta nossa, de todas e todos que estão envolvidos nesse cenário. É louvável a evolução do campeonato desde a sua primeira edição, em todos os aspectos: técnico, organizacional, financeiro…Certamente ainda temos muitas barreiras para serem superadas, mas é necessário celebrar cada passo e cada conquista da modalidade – pontua.

Tudo sobre

Brasileirão femininoCBF

Manchester United’s midfield pivot has been something that Ruben Amorim has seemingly found a formula he likes. The Portuguese manager has caused lots of debate with his infamous 3-4-2-1, with the wing-backs being one thing to spark such conversation.

However, the makeup of his pivot has been interesting to see, too. This season, it seems as though the former Sporting boss has landed on captain Bruno Fernandes and the experienced Casemiro as his ideal duo in midfield.

It is a new role for Fernandes, who has played most of his career as a number ten.

As for Casemiro, he has done well this season. Yet, against Crystal Palace at the weekend, he looked exposed at times.

Why Casemiro can struggle in the pivot

Brazil legend Casemiro has certainly adapted well to playing in Amorim’s system.

Not too long ago, he was told to “leave the football before the football leaves you” by Jamie Carragher. Now, he is a regular starter for United at almost 34 years of age.

Indeed, Amorim has put a lot of trust in the former Real Madrid star this season. He’s played in 12 Premier League games, missing one due to a suspension.

Since the middle of September, he’s started every game in the league he’s been available for, and has even scored three times.

However, there are struggles that the United number 18 can experience in midfield.

Physically, Casemiro is a little behind the eight ball at times and can get exposed, often being left in the dust and opposition midfielders coasting past him.

Coming up against the Eagles last Sunday, it was an issue in the first half for the 82-cap Brazil international. As Goal journalist Calum Preston Kelly pointed out, he “struggled to prevent Palace dictating play in the first half.”

The energetic duo of Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada found it all too easy and were able to breeze past him countless times, having looked “haunted” up against the Englishman, in particular.

Perhaps this is an issue Amorim would like to nip in the bud before long. It might well make a change of personnel in the pivot to have a true impact.

United’s ready-made Casemiro alternative

There are options if Amorim wants to switch things up in midfield.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Mason Mount briefly played next to Bruno Fernandes away to Fulham at the start of the season, and Manuel Ugarte is another player who could slot into the side.

Yet, the obvious answer is Kobbie Mainoo. Amorim continues to ignore his obvious talent, despite being called a “future £100m+ footballer” by Alex Turk and starting in the final of Euro 2024 just 18 months ago.

It has been a tough campaign for the Stockport-born midfielder. He’s only played nine times in the Premier League, and is yet to start a game.

He’s featured for just 171 minutes, averaging 20 per game that he has played in.

Let’s not forget, though, the skill Mainoo possesses. He is a master in small spaces, able to break the press with his carrying ability and drive forward.

He’s also intelligent off the ball and is a strong dueller. Those were all on show on his Premier League debut against Everton, where he had 61 touches and won five duels.

Touches

61

Pass accuracy

83%

Passes completed

38/46

Ground duels won

3/5

Aerial duels won

2/3

Ball recoveries

3

Dribbles completed

2/3

The skills Mainoo could bring to United’s pivot would surely only benefit Amorim’s side. He is more physically up to speed than Casemiro and is less likely to get outrun.

On top of that, he brings different qualities on the ball which could add a new dynamic to midfield.

Plus, he still has an eye for goal like his fellow midfielder.

Mainoo has seven goals in a United shirt, with the most important one coming in the 2023/24 FA Cup final, which turned out to be the winner against Manchester City.

Mainoo has to get his chance in the United midfield soon enough. Their number 37 simply must be playing football every week, to continue on the path he was on just one year ago.

Don’t forget, he was trusted to start England’s biggest game in years.

With Casemiro’s occasional struggles out of possession, the starlet could be the Red Devils’ answer to their issues in midfield.

Bruno upgrade: Man Utd make £70m bid for "most complete player in football"

Manchester United could acquire a perfect upgrade in the midfield department in 2026…

ByRobbie Walls Dec 3, 2025

South Africa’s Test captain looks back on the Pakistan Test series and ahead to the two-Test series against India in November

Temba Bavuma31-Oct-2025I think it would have been fitting to have had a third Test against Pakistan. I know we are going to have the same argument again about whether more Tests should be played and all that. However, it would have been nice to have had a series decider, because you now see a South Africa Test team close to our best, and you would’ve wanted to give Pakistan another opportunity to rectify their wrongs.After the drawn Test series against Pakistan, we have another two-Test series in the subcontinent coming up against India from mid-November. That series will probably be a bit more challenging than Pakistan, and it will be important for us that we start the preparation now and not when we get to India.From a personal point of view, my preparation will come in the form of playing for the South Africa A side against India A. I will play in the second four-day match as part of my return-to-play programme. I’m looking forward to it, though I will have to find my South Africa A training kit because I haven’t used it since 2017! I welcome any match practice and am looking forward to being out there again. I have seen the squad India A have picked, so it will be competitive and more than just a practice game.Related

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• Maharaj: 'Old-fashioned Test cricket' helped us claw back

When I talk about preparation, I’m not necessarily speaking about our batters and bowlers getting into the nets, but more from a mental point of view. It comes down to understanding the challenges that we are going to face in Kolkata and Guwahati, and subsequently it’s how we are going to go about dealing with them.After losing the first Test to Pakistan in Lahore, we came back strongly in the second Test in Rawalpindi to win on day four. I think in the grander scheme of things, we probably suffered one of our normal issues of starting slowly in the Test series. If we had played in the first Test like we did in the second, who knows what the end result would have been in terms of the overall series.Given that South Africa’s spinners took 35 of 40 Pakistan wickets – including Simon Harmer’s 13 – they should be well prepped for India’s spinning pitches•Associated PressI think I have to be careful because I’m speaking from the outside here, but the wickets in Pakistan’s Test series against England last year looked a lot more spinner-friendly and a lot more deteriorated. I think these ones in our series were your natural subcontinental ones, where in the first innings guys could bat. The track in Rawalpindi looked a bit slow, so the scoring rates weren’t as quick, but guys looked like they could trust their defences. Even in the first Test, it looked like you could trust your defence and kind of build your game around what the conditions were offering.When it comes to India, we hope that the wickets are on the good side. When I say “good side”, it’s about batters being able to get in in the first innings and set out their stall. Then, in the second innings, the spinners will come into the game.To be honest, I don’t see India being any different in terms of the wickets they will prepare. If you look at the series between India and New Zealand, which the latter won, conditions were a bit spinner-friendly so I guess you always want to prepare for the worst, especially as batters. The mantra we subscribe to as a team is to “prepare for the worst and hope for the best”. It’s about how we counter tactics in extreme conditions and come up on the right side of the result.In our shared Test series against Pakistan I think the playing conditions were fair, but naturally the spinners were the main threat and they took the most wickets. In fact, South Africa’s spinners took 35 of the 40 wickets on offer in the series, which set a new record for the team in a two-Test series. However, I do think there was something in there for the batters, evidenced by the century scored by Tony de Zorzi in the first Test. It was also underlined by the way in which Ricky [Ryan Rickleton] got in in the second innings. As well as a guy like Stubbo [Tristan Stubbs] who scored 76 in the first innings, and even Dewald Brevis. In terms of Brev, he’s a little bit different because of the way he plays. He can kind of make a bad wicket a good one because that is the talent of the boy.In terms of our stand-in Test captain and opening batter, Aiden Markram, he didn’t go on to get big scores across the series, but the way he goes about his batting, he sets a good foundation and platform for the other players to follow. He plays off the front foot and is always looking to take it on. We feed off it as batters when guys at the top play with so much freedom and confidence.