In the world of international football, every manager faces the delicate task of assembling a cohesive starting lineup from a pool of talented players. For Julian Nagelsmann, the newly appointed head coach of the German national team, this challenge takes on an added dimension as he ponders the best way to incorporate the mercurial talents of Leroy Sané into his star-studded squad.
Sané, the prodigiously gifted winger who plies his trade for Bayern Munich, has long been a favorite of Nagelsmann’s.
In a historic moment for Spanish football, 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi etched his name into the record books by becoming the youngest defender to ever play for the national team. The Barcelona prodigy replaced Aymeric Laporte in the 80th minute of Spain’s friendly against Colombia on Friday, eclipsing the previous record held by legendary centre-back Sergio Ramos.
Cubarsi’s debut at the tender age of 17 years and a few months underscores the remarkable talent emerging from the fabled La Masia academy.
The Korean national football team touched down in Bangkok on Sunday carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations on their shoulders. After a lackluster 1-1 home draw against Thailand in their World Cup qualifying match just days prior, the Taegeuk Warriors find themselves in desperate need of a confidence-boosting victory on Thai soil.
The disappointing result in Seoul left a sour taste, as the capacity crowd of 65,000 at the World Cup Stadium witnessed the home side squander a first-half lead provided by talisman Son Heung-min.
The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is heating up, with crucial qualifying matches taking place around the globe. One such highly anticipated clash is the return fixture between Malaysia and Oman, scheduled for Tuesday at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
In their previous encounter just a week ago, Oman emerged victorious on home soil, securing a 2-0 victory over the “Tigers.” However, Malaysia will be eager to exact revenge and keep their World Cup dreams alive in front of their passionate supporters.
In a performance that left spectators in awe, Craig Goodwin reaffirmed his status as one of the Socceroos’ most potent attacking threats, netting a brace and providing two exquisite assists in Australia’s resounding 5-0 victory over Lebanon. The Adelaide United winger’s pinpoint delivery and clinical finishing once again raised questions about how he had not cemented his place in the national team setup until recently, and why a sustained European career had eluded him.
