Pep Guardiola has flushed out his Manchester City coaching staff as the club have confirmed the departures of Juanma Lillo & Inigo Dominguez.
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Guardiola bids farewell to Lillo & DominguezCarlos Vicens has also left the clubMan City yet to decide on replacementsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Lillo, a close confidant and long-time collaborator of Guardiola, will not be part of City’s future plans. The 58-year-old Spanish tactician originally joined the club in 2020 and was a key figure in the technical area during a dominant spell for the team. He left briefly in 2022 to manage Qatari club Al-Sadd but returned to City in 2023 for a second term as assistant coach. His contract has now expired, and both parties have opted not to renew it.
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Joining Lillo through the exit door is Dominguez. Over the past two seasons, Dominguez has contributed in various support roles, working closely with the first-team players and Guardiola on a day-to-day basis. Whereas, Carlos Vicens, another key figure in Guardiola’s setup, is also moving on – this time to pursue his own managerial ambitions.
The Spaniard, who began his tenure at City in 2017, steadily rose through the ranks, starting with the youth teams and eventually earning a spot in the first-team coaching structure. Having been responsible for set-piece strategy and gaining growing influence over the squad’s tactical details, Vicens has now been appointed the head coach of Braga in Portugal.
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The departure of three senior coaches is not merely coincidental but part of a broader strategy orchestrated by Guardiola himself. Renowned for continuously evolving his footballing philosophies, the City boss is believed to be keen on refreshing his staff with new thinkers who can challenge and contribute to the team’s continuous tactical refinement.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?
With the Club World Cup looming in mid-June, City must make new additions to the coaching team as quickly as possible. After a disappointing domestic and European campaign, City will look to salvage their season by adding a trophy to their illustrious collection on the global stage in the United States.
Glasgow Rangers were in the market to sign a new central defender in the recent January transfer window to bolster their depth in that position.
Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen eyed up a player in that role, due to injuries to the likes of John Souttar, Dujon Sterling, and Leon Balogun, and eventually brought in Rafael Fernandes on loan from Lille.
He has been an unused substitute three times and his only start so far came in the embarrassing 1-0 defeat to second tier outfit Queen’s Park in the SFA Cup.
Another player who was linked with a move to Ibrox in the January window was former Rangers defender Nikola Katic, who went on to sign for Plymouth Argyle instead.
Niko Katic's current market value
The Bosnia international joined the Championship team on loan from FC Zurich and is currently valued at just €1.5m (£1.2m) by Transfermarkt.
Despite his unimpressive market value, Katic, who made 59 appearances for Rangers, has caught the eye with some impressive performances for the Pilgrims.
The former Gers titan made a whopping 17 clearances and won five of his six duels in a historic 1-0 win over Premier League giants Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Katic has also won 65% of his duels across five appearances in the Championship for Plymouth, showing that he has hit the ground running as a dominant defender.
Rangers, however, have already hit the jackpot on their own dominant, 28-year-old, centre-back in the form of Scotland international John Souttar.
Rangers hit the jackpot with John Souttar
The Light Blues signed the Scottish defender on a free transfer from Hearts in the summer of 2022, and he was valued at £1.2m by Transfermarkt at the time of that move.
Market Movers
Souttar endured a frustrating debut campaign at Ibrox as he missed 50 games for club and country with an ankle injury, which caused his value to drop to £1m. He did not allow that setback to put him down, however, and has bounced back to become an incredibly valuable member of the squad.
July 2022
£1.2m
July 2023
£1m
March 2024
£2m
May 2024
£2.5m
October 2024
£2.9m
December 2024 – present
£3.7m
As you can see in the table above, his value has since soared by millions to the point where he is now worth more than three times as much as Katic, who is the same age as the Rangers star.
In the Scottish Premiership this season, Souttar has started 16 games for the Gers and caught the eye with his dominant defensive work – winning 69% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial battles.
John Souttar
The 28-year-old colossus, who was hailed as “unbelievable” by international teammate Andy Robertson, has also won a staggering 87% of his duels across seven appearances in the Europa League so far this term.
This shows that Souttar has been a rock at the heart of the Rangers defence, rarely allowing opposition players to get the better of him, which is why the club hit the jackpot when they signed him back in 2022.
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ByRoss Kilvington Mar 2, 2025
Not only did they sign an excellent defender who has performed well on the pitch, but they also signed a valuable asset whose market valuation has soared in recent years.
South Africa-born batter Sybrand Engelbrecht is also part of the 15-member squad; Fred Klaassen out with injury
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2023Colin Ackermann, Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe have returned to Netherlands’ squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. The trio had missed the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe earlier this year because of their county cricket commitments.South Africa-born batter Sybrand Engelbrecht was also named in the 15-member squad. Engelbrecht, who will turn 35 next week, first came into the limelight for electric fielding for South Africa during the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. He has played 58 List A games, scoring 1275 runs at an average of 45.53 and a strike rate of 78.89, and 54 first-class games and 45 T20s. The last of those matches, on the South African domestic circuit, was in 2016.From the World Cup Qualifier squad, Michael Levitt, Vivian Kingma and Clayton Floyd were left out, while Noah Croes was named as a travelling reserve, alongside Kyle Klein.ESPNcricinfo LtdTim Pringle, who was listed originally to travel with the squad for the pre-tournament camp in Bengaluru between September 19 to 28, has been withdrawn.* “There’s actually been a development with Tim Pringle: He’s picked up a couple of niggles, so he actually won’t be coming to the pre-World Cup camp in Alur,” head coach Ryan Cook said. “He’s obviously coming back from quite a big operation and we have been tracking his progress.” Pringle, 21, who played for Netherlands in the T20 World Cup last year in Australia, last played this March, turning up for Northern Districts in the Plunkett Shield. According to Cook, Pringle had suffered a fracture, but the nature of injury is not known.Left-arm seamer Fred Klaassen did not make it due to stress fracture. Klassen was also part of the set of players who missed the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe due to county commitments. Cook said that Klassen’s strengths as a new-ball bowler and left-am quick would no doubt be missed in India.”Fred Klassen’s a true performer for the Netherlands. He has shown through all the formats, whether that be one-day cricket or T20 cricket, so he’s a big one for us and would’ve formed a good part of our bowling attack there (in World Cup).Fred Klaasen misses out due to injury•Getty Images”Obviously, Fred would be gutted to miss out, but it was the right decision taken by himself. It is disappointing to not have him, but I’m pretty confident that most of the bowlers will be able to take up that slack that he probably leaves – his left-arm angle and swing and stuff up front is something that we really enjoy having in our side. Having said that, at the Qualifiers, those guys weren’t available either and the bowling attack fared well.”Asked whether it was a risk to include just four fast bowlers in the 15 during a long World Cup, Cook said he was content with the combination.”Some of the teams are obviously picking different combinations of players in their team,” he said. “I think India have also gone with that sort of four seamers plus some allrounders. I don’t want to give away too much in terms of what we’ve got up our sleeve going forward.”Cook also pointed out that it was a “fantastic initiative” by the KNCB to send Croes and Klein as development players, but they were not travelling reserves which would mean they could be drafted in as replacement for any injured player.Cook added that Netherlands’ goal was to make the semi-finals. “Any team that goes to a World Cup is looking to make the next stage of a World Cup, and in this case, that’s the semi-finals. So we are obviously looking to try and win as many games as we can to put ourselves in position to compete to get into those semi-finals. I believe that’s something that we can do and something that the guys are willing to put the work into to get that outcome.”From the Qualifier tournament held in Zimbabwe in June-July, Netherlands and Sri Lanka were the two teams to make it to the main event, ahead of the likes of West Indies, Ireland and Scotland.”Naturally, our planning and preparation for the World Cup started soon after our qualification in Zimbabwe,” head coach Ryan Cook said. “Having no bilateral fixtures after the qualifiers enabled us to plan for various scenarios for the duration of the summer. Over the past few months the players and staff have been hard at work with the full squad being very dedicated and detailed towards achieving our objective in the World Cup.”We have an exciting mixture of youth and experience and a unified, cohesive culture which allows those to express their best selves within the group.”Netherlands last played in an ODI World Cup in 2011. Wesley Barresi is the only member of the current squad to have featured in that edition. This will be their fifth appearance in the tournament.Netherlands squad for World CupScott Edwards (capt, wk), Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmed, Wesley Barresi, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Ryan Klein, Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd, Vikram Singh, Saqib Zulfiqar : Noah Croes, Kyle Klein
Game rattles on after Marsh ton, Wood five-for as England lose their top three before close
Alan Gardner06-Jul-2023Mark Wood and Mitchell Marsh were the standout performers on a rollercoaster day one at Headingley, as England and Australia jousted for the ascendency on a juicy Headingley pitch.Wood, back in the side after concerns about his fitness, bowled with sustained pace and hostility to claim his first five-wicket haul in a home Test, and helped England clean up the Australia innings with alacrity after an unheralded scene-stealing performance from Marsh had threatened to take the game away.Marsh was a surprise selection in the Australia XI, after Cameron Green picked up a minor hamstring strain, and playing his first Test since the final match of the 2019 Ashes. He had only made four first-class appearances in the intervening period, but produced a bullocking, 102-ball hundred – his third in Tests and third against England – to help steer Australia away from the rocks at 85 for 4 just before lunch.Marsh dominated his stand of 155 with Travis Head, outscoring his partner by almost four to one, but England hit back to take the last six Australia wickets for 23 runs in the space of 8.4 overs. The game continued to rattle along thereafter, too, as England lost their top three before the close.England came into this match 2-0 behind in the series and nursing their grievances after narrow defeats at Edgbaston and Lord’s. Only a win in Leeds will suffice if they are to keep their attempts to win the Ashes alive – and only Don Bradman’s 1936-37 Australians have successfully come back from such a position against their oldest rivals.Ben Stokes won his third toss of the series and duly put Australia in, with the expectation of helpful conditions at Headingley – scene of Stokes’ heroics four years ago and a ground known for its partisan stance. It took just five balls for the Western Terrace to let out its first roar of the day, as Stuart Broad found David Warner’s outside edge to extend his record against the Australia opener to 16 dismissals in Tests.Stuart Broad claimed the wicket of David Warner for the 16th time in Tests•Getty ImagesThere were immediate signs of pace and carry for the seamers, in contrast to the surfaces for the opening two Tests, and England’s reshaped attack were soon making further inroads. Wood had not played a Test since December or bowled in competitive match since mid-April at the IPL but hit his straps from the outset, pushing the speed gun up to 96.5mph/155kph and leaving Marnus Labuschagne groping for the ball during three consecutive maidens.When Labuschagne managed to get off strike, that left Usman Khawaja in the firing line. Five balls that were short or short of a good length were followed by a fuller, 95mph/152kph delivery that beat Khawaja’s flat-footed drive and left leg stump flat on the ground. His opening spell of 4-3-2-1 was proof plenty that Wood was ready to blast off.Labuschagne had grafted for more than hour but eventually fell for a ponderous 21 when Chris Woakes – this was his first Test appearance since March 2022 – had him edging to slip, and England went in to lunch in buoyant mood when Steven Smith, in his 100th Test, fell to a catch at the wicket off Broad despite reviewing Kumar Dharmasena’s on-field decision.It could have been better for the hosts, and dropped catches were a major blight on England’s day. Jonny Bairstow missed a tough chance off Smith on 4 and then put down a far simpler chance down the leg side when Head had made 9. The worst aberration was to come at the start of the afternoon session, however, when Woakes found Marsh’s outside edge only for Joe Root to grass a straightforward take at first slip.Marsh was on 12, having smashed Woakes for six earlier in the over, and he fully capitalised on his good fortune in one of the more extraordinary Ashes hundreds of recent memory. Strong on the drive through the covers and down the ground, he showcased his power with a bludgeoned six off Wood that flew into the Western Terrace, racking up his first Test fifty since March 2018 – from just 59 balls – to push England back.Their mood got worse when Ollie Robinson walked off the field mid-over after suffering from a back spasm, and Marsh continued to do much as he pleased. Broad was thumped down the ground, barely able to get his fingertips to a fast chance, and Moeen Ali’s offspin came in for similarly disdainful treatment, as a straight six took Marsh to 99 before a tap into the off side – a tight single had Stokes collected cleanly – brought up the second-fastest hundred by an Australian in England.But as the day threatened to run away from them, England grabbed on to Marsh’s coattails at the vital moment, Woakes finding an inside edge that ballooned to slip on the brink of tea. And although Root put down another chance to reprieve Alex Carey after the interval, he held Head’s outside edge from the very next ball and Wood then tore through the tail in the space of 14 deliveries: Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins pinned by pace, Carey hit on the head and then holing out, Todd Murphy dragging into his stumps.There was still more than an hour and a half left in the evening session, and Australia made use of the conditions themselves as Cummins struck twice in his opening spell. Ben Duckett was well held by the leaping Carey – who clinched an outstanding catch by pressing the ball to his lips in the tips of his gloves – and Harry Brook’s first outing at No. 3 was short-lived as he edged to second slip.Marsh then capped his day in the Yorkshire sun by removing Zak Crawley in his second over, via another fiddle to the cordon, before the local pairing of Root and Bairstow throttled down to see out a high-octane day, with the promise of more to come.
The Premier League has seen plenty of young talents introduce themselves throughout the previous 30 years.
Remember James Milner making his debut for Leeds United aged just 16 years and 309 days, while who can forget Wayne Rooney smashing his way into the headlines with his stunning goal against Arsenal in October 2002?
Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Frank Lampard made a name for themselves as youngsters before becoming world-class players.
This season, there have been a whole host of youngsters showcasing their abilities in the top tier. As such, we examine the finest young talent at every Premier League club.
Every 2024/25 Premier League club's most underrated player
These players don’t get the credit they deserve.
ByBarney Lane Feb 6, 2025
For this list, any player aged 21 or under at the time of writing can be included.
Arsenal Ethan Nwaneri, 17
Arsenal might not be at their fluent best this season, but Mikel Arteta is brewing some special talent that could take the club to new heights in the coming years.
Ethan Nwaneri is arguably the best of the lot. This season, the 17-year-old has scored seven goals in his 23 first-team appearances, repaying the trust shown in him by the manager.
The future looks exceedingly bright for the English teenager.
From Cole to Wilshere: The best 11 players to come out of Arsenal's academy
There have been plenty of stars to come out of Arsenal’s famed Hale End academy.
ByBen Browning Feb 14, 2025 Aston Villa Lamare Bogarde, 21
Aston Villa'sLamareBogardein action with Crystal Palace's Will Hughes
Lamare Bogarde made his debut for Aston Villa during the 2020/21 campaign, but it wasn’t until the start of the current season that he began to make his mark.
Indeed, the Dutchman has fitted in well across three positions for the club, making 11 appearances thus far. If given more chances between now and the end of the season, it could set him up well ahead of 2025/26.
Bournemouth Dean Huijsen, 19
Bournemouth's DeanHuijsencelebrates after the match
Dean Huijsen is still only 19, but the Bournemouth defender has already attracted transfer attention from Europe’s biggest clubs following his excellent start to life on the south coast.
The teenager has played a key role in the Cherries’ ascendency under Andoni Iraola of late as they seek a European spot next term. It is no wonder plenty of clubs are showing interest in the centre-back. Whether Bournemouth will be able to keep him is the question.
Brentford Yehor Yarmoliuk, 20
Yehor Yarmoliuk joined Brentford back in 2022, but it has only been since the start of last season that he has become a regular in the first team.
Aged just 20, the Ukrainian winger has plenty of talent to suggest Brentford might well just be a stepping stone in his career. He has yet to score or grab an assist this season – something which may need to change in the coming months if he is to fulfil his potential.
Brighton & Hove Albion Yankuba Minteh, 20
Brighton signed Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle last summer in a deal worth around £30m. The winger failed to make an appearance for the Magpies and with the need to balance the books, Eddie Howe cashed in.
The youngster has already registered six goal contributions for the Seagulls – three goals and three assists – this term. If he continues to impress, Minteh might not be at Brighton long.
Chelsea Tyrique George, 19
Tyrique George
Chelsea have a multitude of young talents ready and waiting to make an impression in the first team. Tyrique George, however, could turn out to be the best of the lot.
The left-winger made waves at youth level, scoring 18 goals for the U18s and U21s before getting a chance this term in the senior squad. In two FA Cup matches, he has already notched two assists.
The 19-year-old has a big future ahead. Watch this space.
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1 ByBarney Lane Jan 27, 2025 Crystal Palace Matheus Franca, 20
Matheus Franca for Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace brought Matheus Franca to the club last summer, yet he has played just 12 games for the club. This season, the Brazilian has made a solitary appearance due to injury, but he is certainly one for the future.
With two caps for the Brazil U20 side, there may be no stopping him once Franca gets consistent game time.
Everton Tim Iroegbunam, 21
Tim Iroegbunam for Everton
Despite being highly regarded at Aston Villa, Tim Iroegbunam moved to Everton last summer. It was something of a coup for the Toffees given his talent, and he has 10 appearances to his name.
An ankle injury has derailed his progress, but once fit, David Moyes should be introducing the Englishman to his starting XI regularly.
Fulham Martial Godo, 21
Martial Godo
Martial Godo has made fleeting appearances for Fulham this term, but the very fact he has made the matchday squad on numerous occasions suggests Marco Silva is a big believer in his talents.
He registered an assist during the FA Cup win over Watford last month, which must have given him plenty of confidence, while he also played the full 90 minutes against Wigan in the fourth round.
Ipswich Town Omari Hutchinson, 21
With opportunities at Arsenal and Chelsea failing to materialise into something meaningful, Ipswich Town signed Omari Hutchinson on a permanent deal last summer, giving him a fresh chance.
23 appearances as a Premier League starter and he is finally demonstrating the talent that indicated he would have a big future in the game.
Hutchinson should be a key figure in this Ipswich team for the foreseeable future.
Son Heung-min hailed his "best mate" Harry Kane and confirmed the Bayern Munich star will be the "biggest Spurs fan" during the Europa League final.
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Son & Kane remain the best of friends Kane won the first trophy of his career with Bayern Son can follow in his footsteps by lifting the UEL trophy Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Kane and Son formed one of the Premier League’s most iconic attacking partnerships during their time together at Tottenham from 2015 to 2023. Though now separated by leagues and countries, the bond between the two remains as strong as ever.
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Earlier this month, Bayern Munich secured the Bundesliga title — the first major honour of Kane’s career. Son was quick to congratulate his friend and acknowledged how significant the achievement was for the England captain. As Kane savours his Bundesliga medal, Son is hoping he too can celebrate silverware, with Tottenham on the verge of clinching the Europa League title.
WHAT SON SAID
Ahead of the Europa League final, Son said: "Everyone knows Harry is my best mate and it was a huge honour of playing alongside him. After he won his first title, we had a chat about his trophy. He is already on holiday, so he doesn't have to text me. I am just concentrating on myself with the boys and I'm sure Harry will be the biggest Spurs fan tomorrow and supporting us from his holidays."
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The final, which sees Spurs face Manchester United on Wednesday night, is being seen as a defining moment for a squad that has faced immense pressure and mixed fortunes throughout the season. Victory would mark Tottenham’s first major trophy since 2008 and would also be a personal milestone for Son, who is yet to lift silverware during his long and committed service to the North London club.
The three players will link up with the senior squad in Zimbabwe on June 23
Madushka Balasuriya20-Jun-2023Dilshan Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage and Sahan Arachchige are set to link up with the senior squad on June 23, after Sri Lanka Cricket announced that the trio would be flown in to Zimbabwe for the World Cup Qualifiers as “standby options”.The inclusion of Madushanka, a left-armer able to swing the ball at pace, follows impressive recent outings against South Africa A, where he picked up nine wickets across three 50-over games and then another four in a four-day encounter, and comes on the back of him becoming the most expensive signing at $92,000 at the inaugural LPL auction. It also makes sense considering the fragility of Sri Lanka’s seamers. Lahiru Kumara has a recent history of breaking down mid-game, while Dushmantha Chameera’s work load is being carefully managed. This leaves just Kasun Rajitha and the raw Matheesha Pathirana as reliable seam-bowling options.In Wellalage, meanwhile, Sri Lanka cover several bases, with the Under-19 captain a capable left-arm spinner – an option currently missing in the squad – while also offering an extra batting option lower down the order. He is also one of the better fielders in the Lankan setup.As for Arachchige, he was another that sparked a bidding war at the LPL auction, eventually being sold for $28,000. It was an impressive fee for a player that has yet to make his debut for the national side, but the aggressive 27-year-old is highly rated, has recent performances in the bank – three fifties in his last five one-dayers, including two against South Africa A – and looks on the cusp of making the step-up to the international stage.Sri Lanka won their opening game in the World Cup Qualifier against UAE by 175 runs. They next play Oman on June 23 in Bulawayo.
Ruben Amorim says losing the Europa League final would be a big blow but not qualifying for the Champions League may be better for Manchester United.
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Man Utd in Europa League finalAmorim wants trophy winBut makes bold UCL admissionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The United head coach believes that if they qualify for Europe's elite competition, by winning the Europa League against Tottenham, it may stunt the club's development as they need more time to gel in training and find their feet.
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When asked if it would help his side in the long-term not to qualify for the Champions League, he said: "That is my feeling, we need more time with the team, we need to arrange a lot of things in Carrington, not thinking game by game by game. Then we have the squad. We proved this year that we need to be a better squad to win European games and then be a better team in the Premier League. [Not winning the final] is going to be really bad, I don’t want to use that as an excuse, and the patience of the fans and you guys next year if we don’t win it is going to be on the limit."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite Amorim's comments, United desperately need to win this competition. One, it will bring them tens of millions in revenue – something they badly need – and two, it will allow them to attract a better calibre of player. Moreover, it will provide more security for Amorim at Old Trafford, with the Portuguese enduring a torrid Premier League season.
AFPWHAT NEXT?
Before United take on Tottenham in the Europa League final next week, Amorim's side are away to Chelsea on Friday in the Premier League.
While Najam Sethi does not disagree that India should get the largest share, he wants clarity about the workings of the model
ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2023The PCB has become the first board to publicly express unhappiness with the proposed ICC revenue distribution model, as revealed by ESPNcricinfo last week. The model is yet to be finalised but is close to what may be a final version. It is supposed to be approved by June, before being formally adopted at the ICC’s AGM in Durban in July. But Najam Sethi, the current PCB head, has said his board will not approve the model, unless it is presented with more details of the workings behind it.In the proposed model, the BCCI is expected to receive 38.5% of an annual projected ICC earning of US$600 million, followed by the ECB with a 6.89% share, CA with 6.25% and the PCB with 5.75%. The remaining Full Member (FM) boards all receive an annual share of less than 5%. The shares for each board are the result of weightage given to four different criteria: an equal share for FM status, variable shares for cricket history and performance at ICC events for men and women, and a share for the commercial contribution each board makes to the game.The commercial contribution weightage is what sets the BCCI apart from other boards and though Sethi agreed that India should receive a larger share, he said there needs to be more clarity where the figures are coming from.”We are insisting that the ICC should tell us how these figures were arrived at,” Sethi told . “We are not happy with the situation as it stands. Come June, when the board is expected to approve the financial model, unless these details are provided to us, we are not going to approve it.”ICC proposed financial model – 2024 to 2027•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe PCB was one of the dissenters when the Big Three surprised the cricketing world by attempting to overhaul the game’s administrative and financial model in January 2014 – the new proposed financial model is based on similar principles of marking members for performance and commercial contributions. The model was voted in before Shashank Manohar took over as the ICC head in 2016 and rolled back the changes the Big Three had made. After some wrangling, the ICC and BCCI agreed to a new financial model in which the BCCI was scheduled to receive USD$405 million over the course of eight years.This time round, the PCB apart, no board has publicly gone on record to say anything about the proposed model. Sethi said that two other Test-playing countries had also asked for more details on the workings of this model.”In principle, India should get more, there is no doubt about that,” Sethi said, “but… how is this table being developed?”All FMs are due to receive considerably more income in this rights cycle than in the last, a result of the increased bounty for the ICC in this cycle. Part of that was down to how the ICC broke down and sold its broadcast rights; where the ICC historically sold broadcast rights to all its events as one property to one broadcaster globally, this time it broke up its rights across different territories, in four and eight-year packages as well as into linear TV rights or for digital streaming (or both). As a result, where the ICC received approximately USD$2.1 billion for eight years in the 2015-23 cycle, they will receive upwards of USD$3 billion for four years from the India market alone this time. That means that a number of boards could end up receiving more than double what they did in the previous cycle.
After Club Leon's CAS appeal was denied, a source confirmed LAFC will host Club America for CWC berth
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CAS rules against Club Leon for CWC spotFIFA says LAFC and Club America will play for tournament placeSource: Match will be in Los Angeles on May 31Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?
After Club Leon's appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday, the court ruled that FIFA would thereby designate who would take the Liga MX side's spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. In March, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed talks of a one-game playoff between MLS side LAFC and Liga MX side Club America for a berth into the tournament. FIFA confirmed the two teams would feature head-to-head for the spot on Tuesday.
A source confirmed to GOAL that the playoff between the two clubs will be held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on May 31. reported it will effectively be a $10 million match. The victor of the match will earn a guaranteed entry fee of $9.55 million, plus an additional $2 million per group stage win, along with round-by-round prize money.
The winner will be placed in Group D of the tournament alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and ES Tunis.
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LAFC were selected because they finished as runners-up to Leon in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup, while America topped the CONCACAF coefficient ranks for the four-year cycle in question to qualify for the competition.
The 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 of the world's best teams, with eight groups of four competing in a group stage format followed by a World Cup-style knockout round bracket. The competition will be held in the USA one year ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
DID YOU KNOW?
The 2025 tournament will be the largest version of the competition to date, with the expansion to 32 teams. The first game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium on June 14, when Inter Miami takes on Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
LAFC and Club America will be preparing for their May 31 showdown, with the winner securing a large sum of prize money, but more importantly, a coveted berth into the Club World Cup.