Inhaltsverzeichnis für December 2025 in World Soccer

Everyone loves an underdog, and for this issue we’ve told two of the year’s most unlikely success stories: village club Mjallby becoming champions of Sweden and Cape Verde qualifying for their first-ever World Cup. You’d have got long odds on Morocco triumphing at the recent Under-20 World Cup too, and we take a closer look at their shock win as well. There are no underdogs at the upcoming Copa Libertadores final though, with the two best sides in South America set to meet, while Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai told us about his dream of reaching the 2026 Champions League final back home in Budapest.…

A tale of two presidents The story of the budding, but necessary, friendship between Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino Ahead of the upcoming draw for the 2026 World Cup in December, FIFA supremo Gianni Infantino had been seen basking in the warm aura of United States President Donald Trump at just about each and every major occasion. The two presidents are best friends to such an extent that Infantino was among the insiders when Trump took the oath of office in the US Capitol Rotunda, sat alongside past US presidents, Supreme Court judges, tech bosses Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, and populist foreign leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni. Infantino had received a “thank you” from Trump at the pre-inauguration rally and was back…

The heat is on FIFA must enforce sensible kick-off times at the 2026 World Cup to avoid dangerous conditions The warnings from climate experts about the dangers of extreme heat at the 2026 World Cup are stark. They fear the risk of a “sporting tragedy”. Serious alarm was also sounded by the experience of players at the Club World Cup a few months ago. Enzo Fernandez, the dynamic Chelsea and Argentina midfielder, called the conditions “very dangerous” after becoming dizzy during the semi-final against Fluminense. It was 35°C at kick-off for that Chelsea match in New Jersey. In June 2024, a heat wave took temperatures into the 40s in some cities in the USA and to 50°C in Mexico. An assistant referee collapsed due to the oppressive weather conditions in…

SEASON RANKINGS Cumulative votes through the season GOALKEEPERS David Raya (Arsenal) 8 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Man City) 2 Mile Svilar (Roma) 2 Alisson (Liverpool) 1 Lucas Chevalier (PSG) 1 Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) 1 Peter Gulacsi (RB Leipzig) 1 Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) 1 Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) 1 Geronimo Rulli (Marseille) 1 Yann Sommer (Internazionale) 1 DEFENDERS Gabriel (Arsenal) 13 Nuno Mendes (PSG) 10 Achraf Hakimi (PSG) 6 Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich) 6 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) 6 Alex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen) 3 Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) 3 Gianluca Mancini (Roma) 3 Eder Militao (Real Madrid) 3 Alessandro Bastoni (Internazionale) 2 Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal) 2 Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale) 2 Jules Kounde (Barcelona) 2 Jurrien Timber (Arsenal) 2 Illia Zabarnyi (PSG) 2 Nayef Aguerd (Marseille) 1 Manuel Akanji (Internazionale) 1 Alvaro…

When Serbia and Albania met at the 8,000-capacity Dubocica Stadium in Leskovac in World Cup qualifying in October, it was always bound to be a game with far-reaching consequences – regardless of the result. The last time these two Balkan rivals met in Serbia was in 2014. During that politically sensitive Euro 2016 qualifier, a drone towing pro-Albanian sentiments was flown over the Partizan Stadium pitch, sparking a mass brawl. In an attempt to avoid a repeat, this clash was declared as high-risk and subsequently moved away from Red Star’s famously intimidating 50,000 Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade to a sleepy city in southern Serbia. Tickets for the match were not available for public sale and instead handed out to sponsors, football clubs and regional associations. With local fans on…

Four drinks breaks. That’s how many times referee Zac Keenan stops play on a swelteringly hot Brisbane afternoon to allow players from Moreton City Excelsior and Sydney Olympic to rehydrate. Welcome to Australian football, where games are played in summer and temperatures often skirt the bounds of player safety. A midday kick-off for Moreton City’s first-ever home game in the Australian Championship sees the two teams run out under a blazing hot sun and a temperature of 31.2 C – with relative humidity at 70% – although anyone in attendance at Perry Park will tell you it feels much hotter than that. Not that the scorching conditions are going to ruin Moreton City’s big day. Having only been formed in 2023 through the merger of Moreton Bay United and the…

“You have managed India twice in the past, and recently came close to being appointed by the country again. How did it feel to miss out on the job to Khalid Jamil? I respect and understand why they selected Khalid because he has done some good things. However, I do think they made a mistake by not bringing me back. My track record speaks for itself. The highlight of my first spell [2002-2005] was winning the LG Cup [with the Under-23s]. We were not expected to beat Vietnam on their home patch. It was a major boost for Indian football, and over10,000 fans greeted us when we got back to Kolkata. It was my first international trophy, so very special. When I returned [2015-2019], India were ranked 173rd by FIFA.…

After 154 matches played since early February, the 66th edition of the Copa Libertadores has boiled down to a final showdown between South America’s two outstanding sides of the last few years – teams who are also caught in a duel for the Brazilian league. The meeting of Flamengo and Palmeiras is a historic occasion. It means that the title will go to Brazil for a seventh consecutive year – an unprecedented period of domination – and that Brazil will pull level with Argentina on 25 Libertadores triumphs apiece. Whoever comes out on top on November 29 will also become the first Brazilian team to win the title four times. This is heavy stuff, as Palmeiras midfielder Andreas Pereira knows all too well. The former Manchester United and Fulham midfielder…

There remains a year-and-a-half to go before the 2027 World Cup, with qualifying barely underway, but already favourites are starting to emerge after the autumn international break. Two were always obvious: holders Spain, only defeated in this year’s European Championship final on penalties having looked the best side in the tournament, and the Olympic champions, the United States, who will be desperate to wipe away the memory of their ignominious 2023 World Cup. Joining this vaunted pair are Brazil. Increasingly it looks as if Arthur Elias is building a vibrant contending team with a mixture of youth and experience that could finally enable Marta to cap her incredible career with a World Cup winners’ medal. Twenty years after she won silver in Shanghai, Brazil’s only World Cup final appearance, that…

1 ANOTHER MVP SHOWING FROM MESSI Lionel Messi is set to become the first player in 30 seasons of MLS to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award in back-to-back years. The only other player to have won the prize twice is Predrag Radosavljevic, better known as “Preki”, who did so with Kansas City Wizards in1997 and 2003. For a while, it looked like Messi may have left the door open for someone else to take the league’s top individual gong in 2025, especially as his Inter Miami team, with their disorganised, leaky defence, failed to match Messi’s level. The winners of the 2024 Supporters’ Shield failed to defend their crown, perhaps not helped by their league campaign being frequently interrupted by cup competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the…

After a two-year absence, Tuvalu returned to international football at the latest Oceania Football Confederation Futsal Cup – but only after help from abroad. With the tiny Pacific island unable to secure full membership of the OFC, San Francisco-based tech company DeepAI stepped in with sponsorship to help cover the costs of the1,100km trip to the 2025 event in Fiji. “I went to Tuvalu looking for ways our team can help with their digital initiatives and infrastructure,” explains Nicholas Miller, director of business at DeepAI. “I happened to take a walk one day and met Michiel, a Dutch football instructor who was there with his non-profit [organisation]. We got to talking, and he said that Tuvalu is not a full member of the OFC and hadn’t played [much recently]. I…

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LEVERKUSEN LOOKALIKES LEAD THE WAY IN VIETNAM It is rare in football for a promoted club to become champions of their country. Before this season, the last team to achieve such a feat in Europe was Ararat-Armenia, who were only founded in 2017 but immediately gained promotion from the second tier and claimed the Armenian title the following campaign. But 2025 appears to be a golden year for newcomers across the continent: Thun, Wisla Plock and Valletta are making waves in Switzerland, Poland and Malta respectively, while ML Vitebsk are closing in on the title in Belarus. The phenomenon extends to Africa and CONCACAF too, with promoted Scottland and US Sinnamary already crowned champions of Zimbabwe and French Guiana respectively. In Asia, meanwhile, new boys Ninh Binh FC sit atop…

The English connection Graham Potter’s appointment by Sweden continues a long link between English coaches and the Scandinavian country Graham Potter and Sweden. Two damaged souls, seeking in their temporary union some solace. Potter is not the first manager to be chewed up by West Ham United, but there was a sad sense of finality about his departure: his achievements at Brighton have faded as his successors have thrived, he looked overwhelmed by the Chelsea job and few managers get a fourth chance in the Premier League, not without either tangible achievement or a greater sense of individuality and charisma than he has been blessed with. Sweden are suffering too, the appointment of the former Denmark strikerJon Dahl Tomasson an almost complete failure. He was sacked following a pair of…

Willie YOUNG (1951-2025) Scottish defender who formed a formidable partnership with David O’Leary in an Arsenal back-line that reached three FA Cup finals in a row between1978 and1980, lifting the trophy in1979. The ex-Aberdeen man joined the Gunners from North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in1977, making the switch a few months before Pat Jennings. Young then spent two years under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest before spells at Norwich City, Brighton and Darlington, retiring in1984. A tough and imposing central defender, he would almost certainly have won numerous Scotland caps, but was banned after being involved in an altercation on a night out in Copenhagen, which also ended the international career of Billy Bremner. Mladen ZIZOVIC (1980-2025) The head coach of Serbian side Radnicki 1923 passed away after collapsing during…

18 Age of Lamine Yamal when he was picked for this year’s FIFPRO Men’s World XI, the youngest-ever player to be selected. The previous record holder was Kylian Mbappe, who also made this year’s XI. 6 England players represented in the FIFPRO Women’s World XI: goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, defenders Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright and Leah Williamson, and forwards Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo. 88 England caps won by centre-back Bright, who recently announced her international retirement. 17 Years and 242 days, the age of Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl when he scored against Club Brugge to become the youngest-ever German to net in the Champions League. 13 Previous record of consecutive wins in all competitions to open a European campaign – set by Fabio Capello’s Milan back in1992-93 – which was…

As a player, he was a one-club man. As a coach, with more than1,000 games at16 clubs in eight countries spanning over three decades, he was respected and admired. Winning the 2007 Copa Libertadores with Boca Juniors placed him in the pantheon of Argentine and South American football greats. In October, Miguel Angel Russo died of prostate cancer at the age of 69. Emotive tributes poured in and a minute’s silence was observed at grounds across the country after news broke of his passing. The day after the funeral, his son Ignacio, a young striker at Tigre, finished off a counter-attack to score in the league match against Newell’s Old Boys. Ignacio lifted his shirt to point to a tattoo, which read: “todo se cura con amor” – “love heals…

“A three-point deduction for fielding Teboho Mokoena when he should have been suspended in the World Cup qualifiers made life difficult for you, but you finally secured your place in the 2026 tournament… We were in a very good position, and then suddenly they [FIFA] deducted the three points. I said it before, we made a mistake, but we never thought that we would have points [deducted] six months after it happened. That shows the pressure that some countries put on FIFA to reopen the case, because there was a disciplinary commission that at three times [after the incident in March] never dealt with the matter. We felt, okay, there was no complaint. There was nothing. And then one week before the last two crucial qualifiers, suddenly we were deducted…

The sprawling metropolis of Sao Paulo has the largest community of Italian descendants in the world – even more than Rome – and its football team is Palmeiras. Founded in1914, the club were originally called Palestra Italia, until the Second World War made that a bad idea. Without losing their Italian identity, they adopted a more tropical name, which translates as “palm trees.” They grew as the city grew around them, vying for local supremacy with Corinthians, their most traditional rivals, and Sao Paulo. In1961, they were the first Brazilian club to play in the final of the Copa Libertadores. Their great, artistic side of the late1960s-early ’70s lost another final in 1968. After a long dry run, the titles came rolling in in the1990s, when they were bankrolled by…

Five newcomers in the group phase of the 2025-26 African Champions League make for something of a refreshing look to what had become an all too familiar line-up, and one of those debutants is among the competition favourites. Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane have won the African Confederation Cup three times in the previous six seasons but, having never won their domestic title before romping to the championship in April, had never qualified for the top competition. CAF installed them as one of the four top seeds for the group-phase draw, lining up in Group A with holders Pyramids, Power Dynamos (Zambia) and Rivers United (Nigeria). That effectively means three group-phase newcomers in a single group along with Egypt’s Pyramids, who defeated Berkane1-0 in the African Super Cup in October. Berkane’s former…

Yugoslavia v Northern Ireland 1982 World Cup, Zaragoza, Spain When Norman Whiteside made his Northern Ireland debut at the 1982 World Cup aged 17 years and 41 days, he became the youngest player in the history of the finals, breaking the record set by Pele 24 years earlier – an achievement that still stands today “The thing about that World Cup was I’d only played about100 minutes in the First Division before I was chosen to go to Spain. I did watch Northern Ireland qualify for the tournament at Windsor Park but being 16, turning17 shortly, I didn’t think at any stage that I’d be part of that squad. I had a little whisper from our physiotherapist at Manchester United, Jim McGregor, who was also the physio for Northern Ireland.…

Tony Bloom: football’s best investor When Chris Hughton was dismissed as Brighton & Hove Albion head coach within 24 hours of keeping them up in the Premier League in 2019, I tweeted angrily about what a heartless decision it was by the club’s owner, Tony Bloom. Couldn’t Bloom have let Hughton savour the moment? A change was inevitable, but I felt Hughton deserved a week to celebrate with staff rather than being rushed out the building with the Champagne corks still popping. Bloom phoned. He delivered one of the most cogent explanations for the expediency of speedily sacking a much-loved employee. Bloom’s argument was it would have been even more “heartless” – to use my accusing word – to allow Hughton back into the training ground, get a taste of…

“Today, Spanish football has lost an opportunity to advance, project itself globally, and strengthen its future”La Liga president Javier Tebas reacts after the proposed Villarreal v Barcelona clash in Miami was cancelled TRANSFERS ★ LOANS ★ SACKINGS ★ HIRNGS ★ SWITCHES ★ RETIREMENTS Aaron RAMSEY The Wales captain quit Liga MX side Pumas after just six games following the disappearance of his dog. In a statement, Ramsey said the loss of the pet would “haunt” his family. Luciano SPALLETTI Juventus moved quickly to replace Igor Tudor after ending the Croatian’s tenure at seven months. A Scudetto winner with Napoli in 2023, Spalletti departed the Italy job in June. Stefano PIOLI Following an even worse start than Vieira’s Genoa, Pioli was sacked as Fiorentina head coach after failing to win any…

Patrick Kluivert’s appointment as Indonesia head coach in January was met with a lukewarm reception, and there was little outcry over his departure nine months later. What happened in between means that the Dutchman still faces a challenge in getting some of the glitter from his outstanding playing CV to transfer across to his coaching resume. It’s easy to see why the 49-year-old ex-Ajax, Milan and Barcelona forward took the job. The local passion was evident in November 2024 as more than 55,000 supporters inside the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta celebrated a shock 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, an Asian powerhouse, in a vital World Cup qualifier. It really did seem as if Team Garuda could make next summer’s tournament, a first appearance since the country became independent…

Flamengo of Rio de Janeiro will be playing their fifth Copa Libertadores final, and their fourth in the last seven years. Victory will make them the most successful Brazilian club in the history of the competition. It is a revealing statistic. Formed as a rowing club in1895, Flamengo took up football in1912 and have been a giant for many decades. In the1930s, a team associated more with the elite acquired the popular touch by signing the three leading black players of the day, and built a huge national support base. In the1950s, a run of success cemented their relationship with the newly built Maracana stadium. And in the ’70s and ’80s, they had a fine side spearheaded by the magnificent Zico. But there was often an element of chaos together…

Never more dangerous than when cast in the role of underdog, Morocco enjoyed a giant-killing spree for the ages in Chile, seeing off Spain, Brazil and France prior to defeating Argentina 2-0 in the final. Yassir Zabiri, who plays in Portugal for Famalicao, proved the hero of the hour against the much-fancied Argentines, on target with a superb direct free-kick and far-post volley from a Othmane Maamma cross. No wonder Moroccans celebrated so ecstatically, both in Santiago and back home. This was the North African nation’s first-ever world title and just the latest manifestation of the country’s growing global competitiveness, following hard on the heels of a semi-final spot at the senior World Cup of 2022 and a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics. The national federation’s long-term plan to…