All posts by n8rngtd.top

Sevilla have secured the signing of Cesar Azpilicueta on a free transfer as the veteran defender arrives after leaving Atletico Madrid this summer.

• Azpilicueta joins Sevilla on a free transfer
• The 36-year-old signs a one-year contract
• Sevilla hope to recover from a poor start to season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Chelsea captain Azpilicueta has signed for Sevilla on a one-year contract, according to reports from COPE and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The 36-year-old joins as a free agent after his contract with Atletico Madrid expired. The defender arrived in Seville on Friday to undergo a medical and finalise the deal.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Azpilicueta provides a wealth of experience to a Sevilla side that has endured a difficult start to the season, losing their opening two league matches. The veteran Spaniard rejected interest from his boyhood club Osasuna, as well as Celta and offers from MLS and Qatar, to join the Andalusian club. His leadership will be crucial for a team that narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing 17th.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  During his two-year spell with Atletico Madrid, Azpilicueta made 54 appearances in all competitions. However, his final season was hampered by a muscular injury, which restricted him to just 20 games and 10 starts in La Liga, leading to the club's decision not to renew his contract.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR AZPILICUETA AND SEVILLA?

  After completing the formalities of his medical and contract signing, Azpilicueta will be officially unveiled as a Sevilla player. He will be expected to immediately integrate into the first-team squad and provide defensive reinforcement as the club seeks to climb out of the bottom three. The former Spain international could be in line for a swift debut in Sevilla's next fixture. 

Jamie Vardy is set to begin a new adventure in Italy after agreeing a move to Cremonese, despite late efforts from Robin van Persie to lure him to Feyenoord. The ex-Leicester striker, who ended his long spell at the King Power Stadium this summer, will sign a deal in Serie A and take his remarkable career abroad for the first time. He is set to sign a one-year deal with an option to extend by 12 months.

• Vardy agrees Cremonese deal despite Feyenoord push
• Former Leicester striker to move abroad
• One-year contract plus option to extend

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vardy has reached an agreement to join Cremonese, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 38-year-old will travel to Milan to complete his medical before signing a one-year contract, with the option of an additional season if the club avoids relegation to Serie B. Feyenoord, led by Van Persie, made a last-ditch attempt to sign him, per , but Vardy ultimately opted for Serie A.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Vardy’s move to Cremonese marks a significant new chapter after his legendary spell with Leicester City. He won the Premier League title in 2016 and scored over 200 goals for the Foxes, becoming one of English football’s great success stories.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Vardy had interest from several clubs, including Crystal Palace, Wrexham, Rangers and sides in Spain, and Feyenoord came closest, with Van Persie personally pursuing the deal, but the Dutch club could not convince him. Instead, Vardy chose Cremonese, who were promoted to Serie A last season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR VARDY?

  The legendary England striker will complete his medical and sign his contract in the coming days. Cremonese are expected to unveil Vardy before the transfer window shuts. All eyes will now be on how the veteran forward adapts to life in Serie A.

The Argentina coach was emotional when asked about Messi, who could be playing his final World Cup qualifier on home soil

• Messi set for potential last home qualifier with Argentina
• face Venezuela in Buenos Aires
• Family and friends expected for Messi’s possible farewell

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni delivered an emotional news conference on the eve of what could be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup qualifier on home soil. 

  Scaloni, who has known Messi since their playing days, was moved to tears while reflecting on their journey together. When a reporter became visibly emotional, Scaloni tried to lighten the moment.

  “Are you crying? That wasn’t my intention,” he said, only for the journalist to reply: “You gave me the greatest joy of my life.”

  The exchange left the Argentina coach with watery eyes and a trembling voice as he tried to put into words what Messi has meant to him.

  “I played alongside him, and just passing him the ball was special," he said. "Being at a World Cup with him, and seeing him lift the trophy, is something truly moving. Over time, we’ll all realize even more what it meant. Tomorrow will be beautiful and emotional. Surely it won’t be his last game in Argentina – we’ll make sure he has another if he wants it, because he deserves that.”

  host Venezuela Thursday in CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a match already carrying the weight of history.

Advertisement

• WATCH THE MOMENT

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Scaloni urged fans and teammates to savor every moment with the Argentina captain. 

  “To understand it, you have to be in this position. The most important thing is that today he’s here, and we have to enjoy him. I’m the first one who enjoys every day of coaching him,” he said.

  Messi is currently at 193 appearances for Argentina and has an astonishing 112 goals for the national team. He has won four trophies with including the World Cup, two Copa Americas, and one Finalissima. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT SCALONI SAID

  The coach confirmed Messi will start against Venezuela, saying, “Of course he plays – how could he not?” 

  Scaloni also left the door open for the No. 10 to feature in Argentina’s second match of the window, away to Ecuador, depending on how he feels after the Venezuela match.

India’s record at the Wanderers is an outlier when it comes to away touring

Bharath Seervi25-Jan-2018India’s bowlers prevailed once again at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, managing to get the hosts all out for 194. It’s India’s most successful bowling venue in South Africa and one of the reasons they’re unbeaten in four previous Tests here. India average 28.22 with the ball at the Wanderers – their best at any venue in South Africa.

In fact, this is the venue where India have recorded their best figures in all away Tests where they played five or more Tests. Next on the list is Eden Park in Auckland, where they average 29.61, followed by Durban. Nagpur is the only venue where India have a better bowling average (28.07) – anywhere in the world – with a qualifier of five Tests played.Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul in the first innings is the fourth such haul by an Indian bowler at Wanderers – the most at any South African venue. Before Bumrah, Anil Kumble in 1992-93, Javagal Srinath in 1996-97 and S Sreesanth in 2006-07 took five-wicket hauls. In the one Test in which Indian bowlers didn’t take a five-for, in 2013-14, there were two four-wicket hauls, taken by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma. Since 1992, only at Lord’s and Sabina Park in Kingston have India had more five-wicket hauls away with five each.South Africa batsmen have struggled against Indian bowling at the Wanderes like against no other visitor. Their average runs per wicket at the venue against India is their lowest against all visiting teams. Against the other subcontinent teams, they have averaged the best: 41.37 against Pakistan and 40.60 against Sri Lanka. They have won at least two Tests against all other teams at Wanderers, but not once against India.

India are yet to face a whitewash in South Africa and that has been solely due to their domination at the Wanderers. Leading by 42 runs with nine wickets in hand after day two and considering their previous results at the venue, India have got the best chance to finish the series on a high after two defeats.

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford is eyeing a move to Barcelona and the Catalan side are reportedly open to signing the England international.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Rashford wants to make move to Barcelona
• Barcelona said to still be interested in winger
• Forward certain that he wants to leave United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford decided to part ways with his boyhood club, Manchester United, in January after falling down the order under Ruben Amorim, with Barcelona having been said to be interested. However, after being unable to secure a move to Catalonia, he moved to Aston Villa on a short loan deal without an option to buy in the summer for the Midlands club.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford is said to still be keen on leaving United in the summer after having impressed on his loan stint with Aston Villa, and is hoping that a move to Barcelona can come to fruition. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that the Catalan side are still open to a move for the England winger as they are keen on signing a left-winger this summer.

• WHAT ROMANO SAID

  Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano said: “Let me tell you that, internally at Barcelona, they still believe that Marcus Rashford could be an option for the summer transfer window.

  “They believe at Barcelona that Rashford might be available on the market. They believe at Barcelona that Rashford could be a good solution because he can play as number nine, he can play on the wing, so he can help in several positions and he’s a player appreciated by those at Barcelona.

  “Barca already wanted Rashford in January. It didn’t happen because Ansu Fati didn’t leave, and so in terms of Financial Fair Play it was not possible to balance the deal, but Marcus Rashford remains on the list of Barcelona.

  “If Rashford is not staying at Aston Villa, we will see what happens as he is one of the options under consideration at Barcelona.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  The 27-year-old has already taken a major step to try and sign with Barcelona as he is working with super agent Pini Zahavi, who is said to be very close to the Catalan club's top management, including president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco.

The striker is currently enjoying a break before joining AC Milan for preseason ahead of the new campaign

• Lost his starting spot to Raúl Jiménez
• Has five goals in 42 appearances for El Tri
• Sees himself as a starter for the opening match

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Santiago Giménez has made it clear who he wants to line up with when Mexico kicks off its 2026 World Cup campaign. In a recent video interview with “El Escorpión Dorado,” the AC Milan striker named his ideal starting XI – and included himself up top alongside Raúl Jiménez.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Giménez, who has fallen behind Jiménez in the pecking order under Javier Aguirre, still envisions himself playing a key role. Rather than choosing between the two, he embraced the idea of a dual-striker system, something Aguirre briefly experimented with during the Nations League – and with some success. However, that setup was scrapped at the Gold Cup, where Raúl earned the starting job as the lone striker.

  Giménez also backed 16-year-old sensation Gilberto Mora, who has taken Mexican football by storm and secured a place in Aguirre’s starting lineup for major matches. Giménez praised the teenager’s rapid rise and expressed confidence in his ability to contribute on the sport’s biggest stage.

  Despite scoring just five goals in 42 matches for El Tri, Giménez remains hopeful he can earn a leading role when Mexico opens the World Cup on home soil.

• AFP
  

  GIMÉNEZ'S IDEAL STARTING XI

  Goalkeeper: Luis Ángel Malagón (Club América)
  
  Full-backs: Jesús Gallardo (Toluca), Rodrigo Huescas (Copenhagen)
  
  Center-backs: Johan Vásquez (Genoa), César Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow)
  
  Midfielders: Alexis Vega (Toluca), Gilberto Mora (Tijuana), Edson Álvarez (West Ham), César Huerta (Anderlecht)
  
  Forwards: Raúl Jiménez (Fulham), Santiago Giménez (AC Milan)

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

  Aguirre’s Mexico will be back in action during the next international break, with friendlies against Japan on Sept. 6 and South Korea on Sept. 9. Both matches are set to be played in the United States.

The home side how face a crucial clash against New South Wales with Western Australia also in the race

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2024Jake Fraser-McGurk was sent packing early as Victoria rocketed to top spot on the One-Day Cup table with a three-wicket win over South Australia at Junction Oval.Chasing 232 for victory on Thursday, Victoria reached the target with 35 balls to spare courtesy of solid knocks from Tom Rogers (67), Nic Maddinson (54) and Marcus Harris (43).The win catapulted Victoria from third to first on the table ahead of the final round of the season, however they missed the chance for what could prove a crucial bonus, losing 5 for 41 in their chase for it before getting over the line.Victoria take on second-placed NSW in their final match, with both sides aiming to lock in a spot in the February 25 decider. Defending champions Western Australia, one point behind NSW and four points behind Victoria, are the only other team capable of snaring a spot in the final.South Australia remain last with five losses and a no result from their six matches.Adding to their woes was a suspected broken nose to opener Henry Hunt, who was struck flush in the face after dropping a catch while fielding at mid-off.Hunt had blood streaming from his nose after his attempted catch at mid-off from a powerful Rogers shot. As Hunt was falling to ground, the ball slipped through his hands and struck him flush on the nose, with blood immediately gushing out.Henry Hunt suffered a nasty injury when he was struck in the face•Getty Images

Team-mates rushed to Hunt’s aid, with Rogers also showing his concern. After receiving some on-field treatment, Hunt walked off with a towel covering his nose to contain the blood and went to hospital for scansSouth Australia recovered from 132 for 7 to reach a defendable 231 for 9 after being sent in to bat. Peter Siddle snared the first wicket of the day when Hunt edged through to the keeper with an attempted hook.Five balls later, X-factor Fraser-McGurk departed for 6 after dancing down the wicket and striking the impressive Fergus O’Neill straight to cover. It came just two days after Fraser-McGurk cracked 41 off 18 balls for Australia against West Indies.Nathan McSweeney and debutant Jake Winter helped the Redbacks move from 19 for 2 to 81 for 2. But when both were caught behind in quick succession, South Australia were in trouble again at 85 for 4.Wickets continued to fall before Harry Nielsen and Harry Conway lifted the visitors to a defendable total.Conway also provided one of the highlights of the match with a juggling catch on the boundary to dismiss Peter Handscomb for 17.

Newly-promoted WSL side London City Lionesses have completed a huge coup by announcing the signing of England international Nikita Parris.

• London City announce Parris signing
• Has over 70 caps for England
• Lionesses complete major coup ahead of debut in top-flight

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  London City Lionesses will mark their debut in the Women's Super League, the top-flight of women's football in England, in the 2025-26 season. Ahead of the campaign, the club has announced the signing of England international Parris, a major coup for the London-based outfit.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Parris possesses a noteworthy CV, having played for teams like Manchester City, Everton, Lyon, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Brighton. She has scored 68 goals in the WSL, putting her fifth in the list of all-time top scorers in the league. She will be joining a team that already features former Real Madrid duo Kosovare Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson, Finnish legend Sanni Franssi, and Dutch icon Danielle van de Donk. Parris has signed a contract at the club until 2027.

• WHAT NIKITA PARRIS SAID

  Speaking after signing her contract with her new employers, Parris said: “I’m excited. It’s a very ambitious project and I’m really looking forward to meeting all the girls and getting started. The project here aligns with the challenges I want to meet and the goals I want to achieve. I’m going to give my all to make sure the team progresses.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR NIKITA PARRIS?

  Parris will be expected to make her official debut for London City Lionesses on September 6, against European champions Arsenal.

Shane Warne became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets in a country other than his own

George Binoy05-Aug-2005

The ball pitched deep in the bowler’s footholes. The batsman stuck his pad out and tried kicking it away. An absolute ripper, it spun back viciously, zipped past his front leg and crashed into the stumps. Sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it? Well, this time it wasn’t Mike Gatting – it was Andrew Strauss.With that wicket, an uncannily similar one to his first in England, Shane Warne became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets in a country other than his own. To take 100 wickets in England is an appropriate indicator of his dominance over the Ashes, a baiting game that began with Gatting and the ball-of-the century in 1993. Cricket has its own sense of irony: Warne has bamboozled England time and again, and yet he had been treated with utter disdain in the first innings, disappearing for 116 runs off 25 overs. Still he reaches this milestone in this manner – what a fitting riposte. (Click here for Warne’s bowling statistics in England)Warne became the highest wicket-taker in a foreign country when he trapped Ashley Giles plumb in front in the first innings, his 97th wicket in England. In doing so, he went past another England tormentor, Dennis Lillee, who has 96 Test scalps in England. Warne, with 334 away-wickets, heads the list of bowlers with most number of wickets abroad. His achievement is unique because he is the only spinner in the list of top ten bowlers with most away-wickets; Muttiah Muralitharan is 11th with 190 wickets. Looking at it from another angle 56.2% of Warne’s 594 wickets have come on foreign soil.

With the exception of Headingley, where Warne has just three wickets in as many Tests at an embarrassing average of 89.33, he has excelled at all other English venues, his haul of 17 wickets in two Tests at 14.59 at Old Trafford being his best. Warne’s measure over England’s batting is comprehensive. His mastery is most evident when you see that six top-order batsmen figure in the list of eight English batsmen dismissed most often by him.

Warne’s unique record is unlikely to be matched or broken for quite a while because his competition have either retired or are a long way behind. He will look to add a lot more English wickets to his kitty during what, in all probability, is his last Ashes in England.

A stats preview of the third Test between England and Pakistan at Headingley

George Binoy03-Aug-2006