Latest news with #GoldenBall
Sharjah 24
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Sharjah 24
UAE Pro League announces 2024–2025 Season Award Nominees
Award Categories Listed The awards span several categories: Best Player (Golden Ball), Best U-23 Player (Golden Boy), Best Goalkeeper (Golden Glove), Best Coach (Leader), Best Goal, Fan's Player of the Year, alongside statistical and special awards presented by the league. Best Player Nominees Nominees for the Best Player award include: Kodjo Laba and Alejandro Romero (Al Ain), Cartabia and Sardar Azmoun (Shabab Al Ahli), Firas Ben Larbi and Caio Lucas (Sharjah), Mehdi Ghaedi (Ittihad Kalba), Omar Khribin (Al Wahda), Fabio Lima (Al Wasl), and Nabil Fekir (Al Jazira). U-23 Player Nominees Contenders for Best U-23 Player include: Renan Victor da Silva and Guilherme da Silva (Shabab Al Ahli), Marouane Azarkan (Al Nasr), Matías Palacios (Al Ain), Brahima Diarra and Ruben Canedo (Al Wahda), Lethyrie Silva (Ajman), Siaka Sidibé (Al Wasl), Guilherme Biro (Sharjah), and Mamadou Coulibaly (Al Jazira). Goalkeeper of the Year The nominees for Best Goalkeeper are: Sultan Al Manthari (Ittihad Kalba), Hamad Al Maqbali (Shabab Al Ahli), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), and Khalid Eisa (Al Ain). Best Coach Nominees Best Coach nominees include: Paulo Sousa (Shabab Al Ahli), Milos Milojevic (Al Wasl), Cosmin Olaroiu (Sharjah), and Abdelmajid Ibrahim (Khorfakkan). The Fan's Player of the Year award includes top names from various clubs. Voting Period Details Voting opens at 2 PM on Saturday, July 26, and closes at 2 PM on Thursday, July 31. Voting will be accessible via the official website and app, and will involve team captains, coaches, media representatives, and fans. Statistical and Special Awards Several statistical awards will be presented, including the Golden Boot for ADNOC Pro League top scorer (Kodjo Laba – Al Ain), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup top scorer (Ramon Mieres – Al Jazira), and the Silver Boot for U-23 League top scorer (Saeed Mansour Al Menhali – Al Wahda). Additional honors include the Fantasy League Best Manager award, Fan League award, and the Dream Team award. Professionalism Recognition The ceremony will also feature the Professionalism and Licensing Excellence award, granted to the club that meets the criteria set by the UAE Pro League.
Business Upturn
3 days ago
- Sport
- Business Upturn
Ballon d'Or 2025 Rankings: Top 5 contenders after the Club World Cup
The 2025 Ballon d'Or race is heating up as the football world gears up for the prestigious ceremony on September 22, 2025, at Paris' Théâtre du Châtelet. With the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup now in the books, the rankings for football's ultimate individual prize have seen some dramatic shifts. From dazzling youngsters to seasoned superstars, here are the top five contenders vying for the Golden Ball, based on their performances throughout the 2024-25 season. 1. Ousmane Dembélé Ousmane Dembélé has emerged as the leading candidate for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, and it's easy to see why. The Paris Saint-Germain star has been a force this season, leading his team to a Champions League triumph and a Club World Cup final appearance. With an impressive tally of 33 goals and 15 assists across all competitions, Dembélé's impact has been undeniable. His pivotal performances, including a goal against Bayern Munich and an assist in the Club World Cup semifinal thrashing of Real Madrid, have solidified his position at the top. Despite PSG's loss to Chelsea in the final, Dembélé's consistency and big-game mentality make him a strong favorite to claim the Golden Ball, potentially becoming only the fourth player in 17 years to break the Messi-Ronaldo dominance, joining Luka Modric, Karim Benzema, and Rodri. 2. Lamine Yamal At just 18 years old, Lamine Yamal is making waves as one of football's brightest young stars. The FC Barcelona wonderkid has dazzled with 18 goals and 21 assists in the 2024-25 season, leading La Liga in successful dribbles with an average of 4.6 per match. His flair and maturity shone through in La Liga and the Champions League, though Barcelona's absence from the Club World Cup slightly dented his chances. Still, Yamal's individual brilliance and key contributions to Barça's domestic double keep him firmly in the top tier. If voters prioritize potential and impact, Yamal could make history as the youngest Ballon d'Or winner ever. 3. Raphinha Raphinha has been a key figure in Barcelona's La Liga and Copa del Rey triumphs, finishing the season with 18 goals and 11 assists in La Liga alone, plus a joint-top 13 goals in the Champions League. His standout moments include a hat-trick against Bayern Munich and decisive contributions in El Clásico and against Dortmund. While Barcelona's absence from the Club World Cup limited his global exposure, Raphinha's creativity and consistency make him a strong contender, often ranked in the top five. 4. Mohamed Salah Mohamed Salah's 2024-25 season was nothing short of historic, with 34 goals and 23 assists in the Premier League alone, leading Liverpool to the title under Arne Slot. His 47 goal involvements set a new Premier League record, and he claimed the Golden Boot. However, Liverpool's early Champions League exit and lack of international success in 2025 have slightly weakened his case. Despite a late-season dip in form, Salah's sheer output in Europe's most competitive league keeps him in the conversation, though his chances of topping the list are fading. 5. Kylian Mbappé Kylian Mbappé was expected to dominate the 2025 Ballon d'Or race after his blockbuster move to Real Madrid, where he scored 40 goals and 5 assists in his debut season. A hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League was a highlight, but Real Madrid's trophyless domestic campaign and early Champions League exit hurt his prospects. His struggles in the Club World Cup, particularly against his former club PSG, further derailed his bid for the Golden Ball. While still a world-class talent, Mbappé's lack of team silverware this season has pushed him down the rankings. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
News18
5 days ago
- Sport
- News18
With Uncertain Future, Legacy Tournament Durand Cup Shows Indian Football Light
Lt. Gen. Mohit Malhotra, AVSM SM, Chief of Staff, Eastern Command, and Chairman of the Durand Cup Organising Committee, though, assured calm. 'Let me assure you that all the measures that are required are in place in Manipur for a safe conduct of the tournament for everybody," he said at the trophy unveiling ceremony in Kolkata on Friday. Lt Gen Malhotra also took the opportunity to announce that the total cash prize money pool of the Durand Cup this year will increase three times to ₹3 Crore. 'I am delighted to announce that this year the tournament has significantly ramped up its prize structure, from under ₹1.2 Cr in the past to over ₹3 Cr now. In addition, three brand-new SUVs for the three individual award winners (like the Best Goalkeeper, Golden Boot and Golden Ball winners) will also be presented," he announced. Which Teams Are Participating In Durand Cup? Defending champions Northeast United, along with Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal FC, Mohammedan SC, Jamshedpur FC, and Punjab FC, will participate – six of 13 Indian Super League sides. Lt. Gen. Malhotra also weighed in on the ongoing issues at the All India Football Federation (AIFF), stating, 'It's all in front of you." 'It won't be appropriate for us to comment on this, but what we are certain of is that both parties are committed to the development of Indian football, and we hope the matter will be resolved soon. 'As far as the Durand Cup is concerned, we have received tremendous support from FSDL and the AIFF over the years, and we remain thankful to them," he added. The Malaysian Armed Forces and Nepal's Tribhuvan Army are the invited foreign sides. Maj. Gen. Rajesh Arun Moghe added, 'We are also proud to provide a platform for four promising grassroots teams in 1-Ladakh FC, South United FC, Bodoland FC, and Rangdajied United FC." From the I-League, Namari FC, Real Kashmir FC, Diamond Harbour FC and Shillong Lajong FC. Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC of Assam, along with Manipur's TRAU and NEROCA, are representing I-League 2. The group stage has six groups of four teams each, with each group playing six matches. Six group winners and two best second-placed teams will advance to the quarterfinals, scheduled for August 16th and 17th. The semifinals are set for August 19th and 20th, leading up to the final on Saturday, August 23rd. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the tournament in Kolkata.
IOL News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Donald Trump weighs in on soccer's age-old GOAT debate: 'This player was tremendous'
GOAT according to Trump Chelsea's Cole Palmer is congratulated by US President Donald Trump after being awarded the Golden Ball trophy during the award ceremony for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Champions. Photo: Franck Fife/AFP US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the age-old debate over who is the greatest soccer player of all time. Trump, who attended Chelsea's FIFA Club World Cup final win over European champions Paris Saint-Germain in New Jersey on Sunday, snubbed both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are seen by modern football fans as the greatest to ever play the game. While names like Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the conversation in recent years, the likes of Pelé, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Eusébio, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, and Zinedine Zidane have also been mentioned. But, due to being part of the Boomer generation, His Orangeness opted for a player who graced the pitch in the 1950s and 1960s when asked who he thought was the greatest footballer of all time.
NDTV
15-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Ravindra Jadeja's Bittersweet English Tales
Ravindra Jadeja rose to fame on English soil 12 years ago. Since then, he has gone back multiple times and returned with bittersweet memories. Here are the reasons why the English fans in the past decade have been in awe of this spunky cricketer who transitioned from a rockstar to a big brother on the tour. Ravi Jadeja's Champions Trophy show in 2013 This was the year the world, and particularly England woke up to the magic and madness of Ravi Jadeja. He won the Golden Ball that year, for picking up 12 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 12.83. The left-arm spinner bowled with accuracy, and picked up wickets in conditions that were not conducive to spin bowling. That was when Jadeja established himself as the man for all formats The Jadeja- Anderson Spat- 2014 A year later he returned to England with MS Dhoni 's test side and returned to the headlines too with his spat with Jimmy Anderson. The incident, which occurred during the lunch break in Trent Bridge on day 2, involved allegations of Anderson pushing and abusing Jadeja. Anderson claimed Jadeja had acted aggressively towards him. This led to a Level 3 charge against Anderson by the ICC and a Level 1 charge against Jadeja. But the effects of the incident was felt from Nottingham to Southampton as the whole tour party travelled from North to South of England. The Bits and Pieces cricketer- 2019 Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar kicked up a social media storm by calling Ravi Jadeja a bits and pieces cricketer during the world cup 2019. By this time he was an established cricketer in the Indian set up... It was during the 2019 ODI World Cup when former India cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar called Ravindra Jadeja a 'bits and pieces' cricketer during India's match against England. He said during commentary, "I am not a big fan of bits and pieces players which Jadeja is at this point of his career in 50-over cricket. In Test matches, he is a pure bowler. But in 50-over cricket, I would rather have a batsman and a spinner," Jadeja's extra practice Birmingham- 2025 He has outlasted his contemporaries - Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravi Ashwin and so on this tour of England is a remnant of that golden generation of Indian cricket. Jadeja decided to lead in his own style. He swept aside BCCI's diktat of travelling with the team arrived at Edgbaston on day two of the second Test a lot earlier than his India teammates for some extra batting practice and that clearly worked in his favour as the all-rounder put his team in a strong position alongside double centurion Shubman Gill. Jadeja Lord's test- 2025 And finally the tragic hero at Lord's on this tour.. He batted for 181 balls and 266 minutes for his 61. Along the way batted with the last 5 batters. But his effort could not ensure an India win in Lords. They fell short by 22 runs on 22 yards.
