A world-wind year for the global game

RAW TALENT

Fancy a swig of raw milk? Good for your gut, and legs it seems. Head too. It’s superfood, just ask Super Haaland. He loves to visit a Cheshire farm to get his locally sourced bottles. And as you know, he rarely bottles up in front of goal – scoring 25 times in his 23 matches for City so far. For Norway, 13 goals in 5 matches including a fifer against Moldova in Sept ensured 2026 World Cup qualification. Isn’t it good/ Norwegian wood. Knock, knock!

AN OVAL CUP

Who is gonna take away the World Cup? Your guess is as good as ours but we are willing to bet our bottom dollar on a certain Mr. Doland... sorry, Donald Trump. This is the closest an American will perhaps ever get to the trophy, and the recent renovation at the White House suggests there will be a new Oval Office to go with it. The Club World Cup may be already there. Winners Chelsea lifted a replica – Trump wanted to steal their celebration too but Cole & Co. were too clever to let him take the limelight. Replicas are as good as it gets – the original is safe at the FIFA HQ in Zurich.



PARIS FINDS ITS MATCH

Ooh la la! PSG’s success story in 2025 is one to behold -- How Luis Enrique rebooted the continent’s nearly men into European champions with discipline, teamwork, tactics, belief while deleting the individualist approach. All for one and one for all, Luis’ musketeers reeled in trophy after trophy but there was one battle PSG lost, to former talisman Kylian Mbappe, in the boardroom and the courtroom. In this sabre fencing, Paris employed the slashing technique, cutting off the Frenchman’s salary that included a so-called ‘ethics bonus’. Mad in Madrid, Mbappe’s riposte was of the legal kind. After the back and forth, the court ruled that the former employers pay up unpaid wages of 60m euros. Back in Spain, Mbappe earned some Real love from the Bernabeu faithful, after scoring 59 goals in 59 games, equaling his ‘hero’ Cristiano Ronaldo’s record, the most in a calendar year. How did he celebrate it? Siuuuuu…

NO FAN’S LAND

The Big Leagues’ global expansion was put on hold. La Liga president Javier Tebas’ plan to ‘host’ a league match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami 7,500-km away from the shores of Spain was cancelled. The league had also chartered planes to take around 2,000 to 3,000 Villarreal fans to the US of A. In Oct, there were league-wide protests, stopping active play to express displeasure. Ultimately, Tebas had to bow down as organisers pulled out. Last week, a high-profile plan to stage a Serie A match -- AC Milan vs. Como -- in Perth was scrapped.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

One of the most viral pics of 2025 was of Georgina Rodriguez’s oversized diamond engagement ring reported to be valued between $2 and 5m, the kind of flashy display that one can associate with her fiancé Cristiano Ronaldo. Off the pitch, he definitely glittered.

On it, the Portuguese became the top scorer in the history of the World Cup qualifiers with 41 goals with a brace against Hungary.

Hours later, in his current home Miami, Lionel Messi was not to be surpassed with his double assist for Argentina against Puerto Rico making him the supreme provider in internationals with 59, beating Neymar’s record.

While their club lives in the Saudi Pro League and MLS are at the fringes of people’s interests, the legends are at the forefront of our consciousness. The kind of fanfare and chaos that followed Messi on his whirlwind India tour is proof of that. Please save the last dance for the World Cup finals.

END OF DREAMS

‘How many times did we say: Just bring Jota on’ was a striking tribute to the very likeable Diogo Jota at Liverpool’s Anfield ground, after a tragic car crash in Zamora stole the lives of the Portuguese and his brother Andre Silva. Manager Slot said he was looking for Jota on the bench when the scoreline was 2-2 against Bournemouth. Salah won it that day, and the tears flowed.

Since then, fortunes have taken a different turn for both Liverpool and Mo. After promising and delivering a record-equalling 20th league title in April, ‘the Egyptian king’ found himself on the sidelines, and an outburst against club and gaffer, left him on the brink of an exit as he proceeded to AFCON duty with his legacy under threat and a question mark over his return.

In Spain, close on the heels of a successful Euro campaign, Lamine Yamal finds himself ostracized -- from ‘wonderkid’ to ‘bad loser’, with his moves scrutinized in public by a damning jealous social media. His alleged infidelity, luxurious lifestyle, outspoken statements, athletic pubalgia have all been discussed at length. How will an 18-year-old handle this? “Let him grow, do not put him under pressure so we can enjoy a talent like this for many years,” advises a 40-year-old Ronaldo