waroffutbol

  Only a few English players have actually played for Barcelona throughout the history compared to those signing for their archrival, Real Madrid. The headline on Barcelona’s search for a new winger following Nico Williams’ sudden snub has been all over the news lately. Blaugrana has reportedly been eyeing the new target. Liverpool’s Luiz Diaz seems to be their top priority, but The Reds would not let him go for a low price. Such poses an issue for the Catalan giant. England international Marcus Rashford becomes their next target. He provides a better option and chance to sign, as he himself is interested in moving to Catalan; his current club, Manchester United, is willing to sell him or loan him out; plus, Rashford’s versatility in all positions upfront could be a long-term solution for Robert Lewandowski’s replacement. The Polish forward has only one year left in his contract. He is already in his mid-30s too, which might not be an ideal choice to lead the line anymore along...

  Several teams have reached the finals in the FIFA Club World Cup despite not being considered the favorites, making them the unlikely finalists in the tournament’s history. The 2025 FIFA CWC has come to the final four. As expected, the European sides are still dominating, with three clubs battling for two spots in the summit. The current UCL and UEFA Conference League winners, PSG and Chelsea, alongside the continental and global serial winner, Real Madrid, are taking the three berths in the semifinal, whereas the other one belongs to Brazil’s Fluminense. Renato Pantaluppi’s men were tipped with fortune in the quarterfinals. They only faced Al Hilal, which had downed Manchester City in an epic 4–3 comeback win in the round of 16. The Saudi Pro League side was expected to be the unlikely finalist in this CWC edition and go further, but sadly they failed. Simone Inzaghi’s men were unable to ease past Fluminense, as they were beaten 2–1. Had Al Hilal lost to Pep Guardiola’s me...

  Peter Rufai, one of Africa’s best goalkeepers in history, who has just passed away recently, had a couple of intriguing stints in Europe. The former Nigerian international goalkeeper in the 1990s has reportedly departed following his illness lately. It is another piece of devastating news in football, as another footballer, Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, has just lost his life due to a car crash. Rufai was one of several former Nigerian squad members in the 1994 FIFAWorld Cup who had gone from this world . The other names were Stephen Keshi, Uche Okafor, and Wilfred Agbonavbare. During his playing years, the goalie who appeared in two FIFA World Cup editions, 1994 and 1998, had several spells in Europe. Although he was mainly named understudy, he had some notable moments worth remembering in his career at the club level, beside his performance with the Super Eagles in major international tournaments. Here are the highlights of the shot stopper who had royal blood from the Idimu tr...

  In memory of Diogo Jota, his rapid rise in the early career with Paços de Ferreira undeniably proved how his talent truly was. The departure of Diogo Jota recently has undoubtedly shocked the football world. The Portuguese international was still at the peak of his career when he lost his life in a car accident with his brother, Andre Silva, a Penafiel man. The Liverpool forward was still 28 years old and had just tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend and the mother of his three children. To pay tribute to the former Wolves frontman, the beginning of his career with the modest Portuguese side, Pacos de Ferreira, deserved more spotlight apart from his golden years with The Reds. It was where the world began to see the quick rise of the Massarelos-born striker on the pitch in his teens. He joined Pacos at the age of 16 after his talent was spotted by the team’s scouts when he was still 13 years old. At that time he was still playing for the local side, Gondomar SC. ...

  Several goalkeepers have played a key role in their team’s success in the FIFA Club World Cup or its predecessor, the Intercontinental Cup. Goalkeepers have often been overlooked in the FIFA Club World Cup or its predecessor, the Intercontinental Cup . Throughout history, only two shot stoppers have been named the man of the match in the competition. In reality, there were, as a matter of fact, more than that, especially in the Intercontinental Cup. Here are the best goalies in the tournament’s history, judging from their form during the game plus in the shootout, should their teams have won the game through that road, instead of during the normal time. Their clinical saves and penalty saves are the decisive keys to determine their importance in the match. Surprisingly, none of them are Europeans. Pato Abbondanzieri (2003 Intercontinental Cup) He was Argentina’s number one between the sticks in the mid-2000s. Pato Abbondanzieri had his best years during his stints with Bo...