Brazil

Real Madrid and Brazil legend Marcelo chose Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo. Marcelo is well qualified to speak about many of the biggest soccer stars of this century. He was teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and with Neymar on the Brazil national team, but he picked Lionel Messi—whom he faced numerous times while playing against Barcelona. During a recent conversation on Romario’s YouTube channel, Marcelo was asked which player was the toughest to face, specifically between Ronaldo and Messi. The former left back did not hesitate: “Messi. He was, and is, extraordinary.” Marcelo then explained the reasoning behind his choice of the Argentine forward. “He understands everything very well. Every position on the field,” the 37-year-old said. “When the ball is coming to him, he already knows where to go and what to do… Messi is incredible, very difficult.” The matchups between Marcelo and Messi During his years with Real Madrid and Brazil, Marcelo faced Lionel Messi on numerous occasions. In fact, Messi is the opponent he faced most often in his professional career: 33 matches, with the defender winning 10, drawing seven, and losing the remaining 16. Marcelo playing for Real Madrid. This matchup was especially demanding for Marcelo given their positions on the field. Messi typically starts his runs on the right side before cutting diagonally toward the center, which often puts him up against opposing left backs—who, if left-footed, must defend him using their weaker right foot. That was exactly the situation the Brazilian defender found himself in during his battles with Messi, and it clearly left a lasting impression. “I’m still looking for him to this day, damn it,” Marcelo joked, recalling the moments when Messi would dribble past him. Marcelo also praises Cristiano Ronaldo In the same conversation, Romario asked Marcelo who the best teammate of his career was. “Cristiano. I played with Gaucho (Ronaldinho), with Roberto Carlos, with Ronaldo (Nazario), with many players. But Cristiano surprised me with his consistency. If he scored 30 goals one year, the next he scored 40,” the former left back said. He then added that Cristiano Ronaldo is the most professional player he has ever seen: “He is. It’s unbelievable. And it’s not just about arriving earlier or leaving later. No, he’s professional in everything—every aspect shows dedication. Sleep, training, recovery, the game—everything.”

In an interview with Brazilian icon Romário, Marcelo was put to the test, and his response has sparked a lot of discussion. Leer

Set to face Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, Raphinha will be a major absence for FC Barcelona. Barcelona host Atletico Madrid in a high-stakes first leg of their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie at Spotify Camp Nou. While fans will be hoping to see every available star on the pitch, Raphinha‘s absence from the squad has raised questions ahead of the match. Raphinha will not feature against Atletico Madrid due to injury. The winger suffered a tear in the biceps femoris of his right leg while representing Brazil in their friendly against France during the March international break on the 26th, and has been sidelined ever since. The timing could hardly be worse for both the player and the club, with Raphinha expected to be out for a minimum of five weeks. Under that recovery timeline, the Brazilian will miss both legs of the Atletico Madrid tie as well as Barcelona’s next four La Liga fixtures. According to Mundo Deportivo, head coach Hansi Flick is targeting El Clásico on Sunday, May 10, as the date Raphinha could return to action. Should Barcelona maintain their winning form up to that point, a victory over Real Madrid could clinch the 2025-26 La Liga title with three games to spare, making it a significant moment for the winger to make his comeback. Raphinha got injured playing for Brazil FIFA to reimburse Barcelona Currently sitting atop the La Liga table with 76 points and still alive in the Champions League, Raphinha’s injury has prompted Barcelona to direct their frustration toward FIFA. As reported by Diario Sport, the governing body will be compensating the club for the duration of his absence. Re-elected president Joan Laporta aired his grievances with Món Esport over the situation: “In some way, we should demand that FIFA create an international calendar that takes into account the competitions of the most important clubs. It’s true that when one of your best players gets injured in a friendly match between France and Brazil in the United States, it is very frustrating. The problem is the congested fixture list, especially at this point in the season when we are playing for everything. It is exasperating!” Under FIFA’s established compensation framework, clubs receive a daily payment of 20,548 euros, applicable for a maximum of 365 days and capped at 7.5 million euros per player. With Raphinha projected to miss approximately five weeks, reports indicate Barcelona stand to receive around 143,836 euros in reimbursement.

The performance of Manuel Neuer with Bayern Munich against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League has sparked debate in Germany over whether he should be part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals was built, in part, on Manuel Neuer’s performance. That put the veteran goalkeeper back in the spotlight, fueling debate over whether he should return to the Germany national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “This version of Neuer is world-class; he belongs in the national team,” said legend Lothar Matthaus after the match, according to Marca. He also sent a message to the Germany head coach: “I hope Nagelsmann watched the match. I would love to see Neuer in this kind of form at the World Cup… but I also know that won’t happen. Nagelsmann won’t open that door.” That push comes nearly two years after Neuer’s retirement from international soccer. He chose to close that chapter of his career following Germany’s elimination from UEFA Euro 2024 in the quarterfinals against Spain. In that way, the goalkeeper said goodbye to Germany after 15 years, having first been called up in 2009. During that span, he played in four World Cups and four European Championships, and won the sport’s biggest prize at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final. In total, he made 124 international appearances and recorded 54 clean sheets. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. “The best players have to go to the World Cup, and Manu is by far the best goalkeeper in the world,” said former star Benedikt Howedes, who was Neuer’s teammate at the 2014 World Cup. Even a current Germany and Bayern Munich player, Aleksandar Pavlovic, shared his view: “I would never say no to Manu, no matter his age. He is still an exceptional goalkeeper.” What did Neuer say about a possible return to Germany? Those calls for Manuel Neuer’s return to the Germany national team generated enough speculation that the 40-year-old goalkeeper addressed the topic himself after the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League. “Everything has already been said about it,” Neuer replied when asked about a potential appearance at the 2026 World Cup. Instead, he chose to focus on his club objectives: “What matters now is finishing the rest of the season with Bayern. I’m enjoying my time with the team, at the club, with the coaching staff. It’s true that I’m 40 years old, but I’m still here.” How have Germany replaced Neuer? Since Manuel Neuer’s international retirement, Julian Nagelsmann has been forced to test different options in goal for Germany. Over the past two years, the coach has used three different goalkeepers in official matches and friendlies. The most-used has been Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann, with a total of 11 appearances. Behind him is Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has managed just four matches due to injury issues during his time with Barcelona, which have also kept him sidelined at Girona. The third goalkeeper selected by Nagelsmann is Stuttgart’s Alexander Nubel, who has featured in three matches.

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! While Arsenal were busy Arsenaling their way to a worthy but dull Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg win at Sporting on Tuesday, the players of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich released the collective handbrake and performed many high-speed donuts, wheel spins and Rockfords as a pleasing counterpoint to the careful mirror-signal-manoeuvring on display at Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade. Like a couple of stolen supercars racing each other around a shopping mall in The Fast and the Furious: Bicester Village, these two European heavyweights massively committed to the bit, not unlike a daily football email bogged down in a laboured motoring metaphor. “When I see the chances we had, that has to give us confidence that we can score more goals,” whooped Vincent Kompany following a hi-octane Bernabéu white-knuckle ride from which his team emerged deserving winners, even if it was their 40-year-old goalkeeper who took home the gong for player of the match. A doff of the Romanian cap to the great Mircea Lucescu. As a player, he captained his national team against World Cup holders England and eventual World Cup winners Brazil at the tournament in 1970, after which Pelé wanted to exchange shirts with him. And, as a manager, apart from all his domestic success, he was the first manager to get Romania to qualify for the Euros in 1984 and nearly led a poor Romania team to the World Cup in 2026, a couple of weeks ago, while very sick. What a football man, what a tremendous football man …” – Noble Francis. Interesting to see the report about Nike’s new Geopolitics World Cup kits bunching up ridiculously at the shoulder seams. You never got problems like that back in my day, principally because, on the massively oversized kits of the 90s, the shoulder seam was positioned halfway down the arm. The tendency of these kits to make even professional athletes look like Sunday pub league players is exemplified by the photo of Blackburn’s relegated 1999 team in today’s edition of The Knowledge – an effect amplified by the fact one of them seems to have been playing in tracksuit bottoms, and another in sliders” – Phil Taverner. After being emotionally blackmailed into running the LLHM by my friend and broadcasting colleague Max Rushden, I began training in late October. Having done little or no exercise beyond nimbly climbing on and off bar stools for almost 30 years, I was heroically unfit and literally couldn’t jog 100 metres without stopping to catch my breath. Reader – I had bitten off more than I could chew. At the start line I will be 53 years old and I remain overweight despite all my training. I still drink too much and have resigned myself to the fact that I won’t win the race, but I plan to enjoy a unique day. If you’d like to add to the already huge sum raised, every little helps. It would be absolutely magic to hit the £60,000 mark before race day. With that in mind, please give anything you can, safe in the knowledge that I’ll be enduring a world of pain to try to alleviate that of that experienced by so many wonderful and brave kids.” Donate here.

England and three other footballing nations are set for a historic swap. The Three Lions, along with Brazil, Germany and Italy are getting ready to trade Panini for Fanatics when it comes to exclus…

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Topps, owned by Fanatics, will take over licenses for England, Brazil, Germany and Italy, ending long-term deals with Panini.