Latest news with #JudeBellingham
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hopping Mad: Club World Cup Players Getting a Bad Bounce
Hopping Mad: Club World Cup Players Getting a Bad Bounce originally appeared on Athlon Sports. FIFA's Club World Cup pitches are bouncing players into a fury, with surfaces so shoddy they're more suited for rabbits than world-class footballers. Jude Bellingham blasted the turf, saying, 'The ball barely bounces'. With the 2026 World Cup looming, can FIFA fix this pitch pickle? Advertisement Real Madrid's Bellingham didn't mince words, calling the pitches 'tough on the knees' and urging FIFA to act. PSG's Luis Enrique hopped on the complaint train, joking, 'The ball looked more like a rabbit jumping'. Players are leaping over divots like bunnies dodging a fox. 'It holds up the ball,' Bellingham groaned, noting the dry, patchy grass. Even FIFA's year-long grass studies haven't saved these fields from player scorn. Next: Two GOATs at the next World Cup? Are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Ageless? Weather isn't helping the pitch plight. 'They watered it, but ten minutes later it was bone dry,' a groundskeeper admitted to Scorching June heat evaporates moisture faster than a SpaceX rocket during launch, leaving surfaces cracked and unforgiving. Advertisement Prize money, reportedly $50 million for the winner, fuels FIFA's coffers according to Sky Sports. Yet, players wonder why funds aren't funneled into fields. 'It's a money grab,' one anonymous star quipped, dodging FIFA's wrath like a nimble hare. What a Messi these pitches are! - The Aptly Named Hard Rock StadiumPhoto by Rodolfo Buhrer/SportsBellingham's plea for better pitches echoes across the tournament. 'It's important to protect players,' he stressed, eyeing the World Cup. If FIFA doesn't act, 2026 could see stars hopping mad on subpar surfaces. Enrique's rabbit jab sparked chuckles, but the issue's no laughing matter. Poor pitches risk injuries and tarnish FIFA's shiny event. Fans deserve to see Messi the Magician, not Roger the Rabbit. Advertisement FIFA's turf troubles aren't new. Past tournaments faced similar gripes, yet solutions lag behind them. With $2 billion in Club World Cup revenue projected, surely FIFA can spare a carrot or two for quality grass? Players like Estevao slammed MetLife's field, calling it 'unplayable' talking to The Athletic. The Brazilian wonderkid's frustration mirrors a tournament-wide sentiment. Nobody wants to chase a ball down a rabbit-hole. The Club World Cup should showcase football's best, not its worst lawns. FIFA must sow seeds for better pitches before the World Cup. Until then, players will keep hopping over divots, dreaming of greener pastures. Next: Football's Dark Side: Rudiger Faces Racism from Fellow Player This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jude Bellingham & Arda Güler send online messages to Real Madrid teammate
Two members of the first-team ranks at La Liga giants Real Madrid have this week forwarded public messages of well wishes to teammate David Alaba. This comes after the Austrian celebrated his latest birthday. Advertisement Defender Alaba is for his part currently in the midst of a fresh spell on the sidelines. This comes owing to a meniscus injury suffered in his left knee back in April, which has kept the former Bayern Munich man out of action ever since. On Tuesday, Alaba, in turn, was afforded a rare recent reason to celebrate, upon turning 33 years of age. And as alluded to above, keen to commemorate the occasion were two of the stopper's youngest teammates. Midfielder Jude Bellingham first took to Instagram to write: 'Happy birthday big bro! Legend' And as much was soon followed by a further IG post on the part of Arda Güler, who also unveiled a photo of he and Alaba, tagging his teammate alongside a series of birthday emojis: Conor Laird – GSFN
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
From Lionel Messi to Auckland City, magic shining through Club World Cup issues
Fans cheer Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid as he is substituted during the Club World Cup match against Salzburg. EPA ATLANTA – The Club World Cup's various problems have been well documented, from empty seats to storm delays, extreme heat to complaints about Fifa's expanded competition being a cash grab at the expense of the players' long-term health. However, with the right ingredients slow-cooking in the United States summer sun, there has also been plenty to enjoy about the tournament so far. Several stars are getting their encore moments, including Inter Miami's cast of ageing former Barcelona greats, led by Lionel Messi. Now 38, Messi helped the Major League Soccer side make the last 16 against the odds. His mere presence still provokes intense reactions, including from a young boy in an Argentina shirt at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in tears before the new NBA-style walk-outs. He delivered, too, scoring a superb free kick to earn Miami a shock victory over Porto. 'I'm a Messi fan, he's still one of the best players in the world – that Porto game we weren't supposed to win,' said Yemi Obono, a 34-year-old tech product manager who lives in Atlanta. He and many others will get another chance to see the forward when Miami face European champions Paris Saint-Germain in Georgia in the last 16 on June 29. '(Watching Messi) was like a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me... I hope I can go on Sunday and see him again,' added Obono. Messi's reunion with his former club PSG is one of many narratives to catch the eye. With clubs taking the competition seriously, not least because of the total of US$1 billion in prize money on offer, these matches feel 'canon', unlike pre-season friendly tours. 'I'm pretty sure for the South American teams, for the Brazilian teams, for Argentinian teams, this competition is maybe the maximum,' said Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who hailed the passion of the South American fans in particular. 'People are surprised (when) European teams lose. Welcome to the real world my friends.' The group stage has offered some of the tension the revamped Uefa Champions League first round lacked. The Club World Cup has also offered a first look at Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid project, and new signings like Los Blancos duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, Chelsea's Liam Delap and several City arrivals. On the other hand, the tournament has been an opportunity to celebrate teams who rarely get to enjoy the global spotlight. While some mocked New Zealand amateurs Auckland City after their opening 10-0 defeat by Bayern Munich, it highlighted how impressive their 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors was in their final game. 'We're representing 99 per cent of club teams in world football who are amateurs... we all have day jobs,' said vice-captain Adam Mitchell. Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds' fans went toe-to-toe with their River Plate counterparts in creating a superb atmosphere, which is no mean feat. Although River and Argentine rivals Boca were eliminated, their passionate supporters helped bring the tournament to life. Even if stadiums are not full, the fans who are there are bringing the noise – and the average attendance is higher than for La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 last season. Brazilian clubs have flexed their muscles, with all four reaching the last 16, surprising those who thought the gap to Europe's elite was too great. The Club World Cup is a tournament in its infancy, with room to improve, but is already showing it has more heart than some expected. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Club World Cup group stage and what we learned
To anyone who managed to watch every minute of every group-stage game of the Club World Cup, we applaud you. With 48 games played across 13 days, there has been endless action to unpack. We have had shock results, extreme weather conditions, and plenty of strikes that would be worthy of winning goal of the tournament already. Advertisement For those who have not been glued to their television screens, what has caught the eye from the opening fortnight? Allow The Athletic to catch you up on some interesting themes we have spotted… There have been plenty of examples of the Club World Cup pitches not being up to standard, and it is affecting the way the players are playing in the United States. As evidenced by the change in grip and aerodynamics of the balls themselves, small details matter to professionals operating at the highest level. With players so finely tuned to the zip of a quality, well-watered pitch, a yard of distance could be the difference between an underhit pass and an assist, so you can understand why comments are being made. 'The pitches aren't great at all. It holds up the ball, the ball barely bounces,' Jude Bellingham said after Real Madrid's win against Pachuca. 'It's tough on the knees as well. Hopefully, there's someone who will look at that going into the World Cup next year.' The bounce of the ball has been particularly notable, even from television coverage, with a comical example from Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior in that Pachuca clash. Before taking a corner, the Brazil international throws the ball, expecting it to bounce back up with similar force. Instead, the ball barely reaches his knees as the turf swallows it up. 'It was a little bit dry,' said Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel after their first-game 0-0 draw against Fluminense. 'You can feel the turf beneath it, so the ball was not bouncing the way it usually bounces. It was a little bit soft. The ball didn't get the height it normally gets.' Dortmund seemingly had similar issues in their second game as they failed to read the run of the ball in Lucas Ribeiro's solo finish for Mamelodi Sundowns. Ribeiro's heavy touch forward would typically have zipped off the turf, but the ball held up as defender Ramy Bensebaini slid in, allowing Ribeiro to run through the whole Dortmund defence in a goal that looked like a glitch from a 2002 video game. Bellingham's reference to next year's World Cup feels pertinent given that little has changed in the pitch quality since the U.S. hosted the Copa America 12 months ago, with similar complaints dominating the post-match analysis among players and managers. In the interest of sticking to our analytics principles, readers might be interested to know that AI-driven turf management does exist, with a new company, Turfcoach, allowing clubs to collect data on their pitch. One of Turfcoach's research papers highlights the effects of surface and climate towards the tactics and performance of the team, meaning those who do best in this summer's tournament might be the ones who simply adapt best to the conditions. The sweltering U.S. heat — and the creative approaches teams have taken to adapt — has been one of the tournament's most eye-catching aspects. Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich housed their substitutes in the dressing room to shield them from the oppressive conditions in Cincinnati and Charlotte, while Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca cut training short, calling it 'impossible to train' under a code red heat warning. With this tournament also acting as a dry run for next summer's World Cup, it raises the question: could this be the hottest World Cup on record? While historical weather data is limited before 2010, data from the last four World Cups — sourced from weather provider Visual Crossing — suggests the U.S. edition is likely to be the warmest in modern times. How players and teams adapt to hot World Cups has always been a point of fascination, but next summer might take that challenge to another level. Unlike an international World Cup, it feels a little trickier to spot any reliable tactical trends that unite teams from the group stage of the tournament. However, have we seen a disciplinary issue at the Club World Cup? Players would be forgiven for (literally) feeling a little hot under the collar, but there have been 10 red cards across the 48 games played in the group stage. For context, that is more than each of the past three Champions League group stages after gameweek three, and more than the past two World Cup group stages combined (two in 2022 and three in 2018). Advertisement All in all, there have been seven fouls for every yellow card shown — about average compared with other tournaments listed above. However, it may be the case that two Argentine clubs are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. River Plate's 11 yellow cards and three reds across three games were rather shocking, with Marcos Acuna's red mist particularly notable as he chased Inter's Denzel Dumfries towards the tunnel before being tackled to the ground. With 104 fouls, River were the only club to hit triple figures by this measure, nearly 40 more than Boca Juniors, who clocked up 67 fouls, five yellow cards and two reds — both against Benfica — as the Argentine contingent failed to control their emotions. Ander Herrera's dismissal did not even see him get on the pitch, as he clashed with a member of tournament staff after showing his disdain for a VAR review for a penalty incident. To balance things out, Boca's Group C opponents, Auckland City, were the only side not to receive a yellow card during the group stages. At times, you might have to do some mental gymnastics or sophisticated data modelling to accurately determine whether a player can cut it if they move to a new league. Some might be familiar with the 'Bundesliga tax', speaking to the idea that there is often an 'exchange rate' in a player's output when they transfer from one country to another. Within Europe, for example, you can determine a league's strength by looking at clubs' performances from the respective leagues in European competitions, be it the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. Therefore, if a player goes from League A to League B, you can adjust expectations accordingly. However, aside from friendlies, we rarely get a decent calibration of this league exchange rate across continents, with previous iterations of the Club World Cup being a smaller selection of champions from the respective confederations. This summer has provided more cross-pollination than ever, with Chelsea's clash with Los Angeles FC being the first time that a club from England had played a club from the U.S. in a competitive fixture. Sure, a single game between two teams is not going to provide a robust output on the respective league strengths, but it can be a good snapshot. Advertisement There have been a fair few shocks already to help with this calibration. Inter Miami's 2-1 victory over Porto sent shockwaves through Portugal after an incredible winning free kick scored by a certain Lionel Messi. Botafogo shocked Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 victory and a disciplined defensive performance against the UEFA Champions League winners. Meanwhile, lowly Auckland City arguably had the result of the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors in their final group-stage game. For all that we can use this information, the timing of the Club World Cup means some clubs might be taking the tournament more seriously than others. European leagues have come to an end, while South American and MLS teams are in a different stage of their conditioning, being halfway through their respective domestic seasons. Still, any analysis can only work on the information it has been given, and there are positives to be taken from the fact that an intercontinental tournament has drummed up some clashes between leagues that have never faced off before. The data models will be so happy. It is not uncommon to see South American sides perform well in the Club World Cup. In the previous iteration of the tournament, CONMEBOL has been the only true competitor (four wins) to UEFA in the number of victories (16) since its inaugural year in 2000. In truth, that glory has been propped up by Brazil, who have the joint-second highest number of wins as a nation (level with England — four) across the tournament's history, behind only Spain (eight). Corinthians were the last Brazilian club to clinch the title in 2012, after Paolo Guerrero's header saw off Chelsea in a 1-0 victory. While the Argentine pair of River and Boca went into self-destruct mode, Brazilian lights are shining bright once again this summer. Advertisement Flamengo, Palmeiras, Botafogo and Fluminense have all advanced to the knockout stages, with Mexico's Monterrey (representing Concacaf) also joining the South American contingent. Just one loss between them across the group games shows that none of them are willing to roll over easily against the bullies from Europe. With Botafogo and Palmeiras facing each other on Saturday, twisted logic might mean that fans of Brazilian football should be happy that at least one club will be guaranteed to make it to the quarter-finals. Of course, supporters of either side would not take kindly to the suggestion that they could not have progressed past European opposition themselves, such is the pride, optimism and quality that the pair possess. Could a South American side go all the way this summer? European clubs remain the favourites to win the trophy on July 13, but given the fierce desire to make a dent in the tournament — coupled with favourable physical conditioning compared with other confederations — you would not bet against it.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘I can't even walk' – Real Madrid mainstay confessed exhaustion after Salzburg clash
Real Madrid secured their place in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup with an impressive 3-0 win over RB Salzburg, showing what many fans are calling their best performance yet under Xabi Alonso. In a bold move, Alonso switched to a 3-5-2 formation, pairing Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham together in central midfield. This decision paid off, with both players delivering standout performances. Advertisement When asked about his tactical choice, Alonso explained, 'I wanted them at different heights. Jude gives us superiority between the lines and has a great ability to arrive in dangerous areas. 'Arda, playing deeper, has a good touch, control, and stays close to the defenders. He does it very well. I'm happy with both of them.' Alonso's words show how seriously the team took this match, treating it like a final and giving everything on the pitch. Bellingham leaves everything on the pitch Jude Bellingham was very tired after the game. (Photo by) As such, it can be stated that no player showed this commitment more than Bellingham. The English midfielder worked tirelessly against Salzburg, covering every blade of grass. Advertisement By the end, he was completely exhausted andas per Defensa Central, told Alonso in the locker room, 'I can't even walk.' His determination and effort were clear to everyone watching. Seeing Bellingham's fatigue, Alonso wisely chose not to take any risks with the Juventus match just days away. He substituted Bellingham in the 81st minute for Brahim Díaz after noticing the staff had to stretch his calves to prevent injury. Despite leaving the field exhausted, Bellingham can be proud of one of his most complete performances so far in a Real Madrid shirt, helping the team secure a convincing victory and advance confidently in the tournament.
