Cristiano Ronaldo will face added competition for places at the 2026 World Cup, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has revealed. Evergreen 40-year-old CR7 is heading to that tournament, with another birthday being passed along the way, but is not expected to play every minute of every game — despite being captain of his country. Another spot will be filled by Paris Saint-Germain star Gonçalo Ramos — who stepped in for Ronaldo when his iconic compatriot was benched at the 2022 World Cup. CR7 is reluctant to take any backwards steps, or fill a support role, but must accept that he needs to be managed carefully in the latter stages of his record-shattering career. With that in mind, and sweltering temperatures being predicted at a major international tournament this summer, Martinez is eager to ensure that he is not left short in an important area of the field. But, at the moment, we think we need a third striker and that this will be an important position for the World Cup." Martinez added when asked about predecessor Fernando Santos' decision to rotate Ronaldo out of his plans at the last World Cup: "What happens around Cristiano is a historical aspect. He's a world football icon, but that doesn't condition or limit our work. When Cristiano Ronaldo is doing well, it's very important for the national team." Portugal should be full of confidence after winning the 2025 UEFA Nations League and securing automatic qualification for another World Cup. Martinez outlined how important those fixtures will be: "We have several profiles and the March stage will be very important in that regard. "This World Cup will be complex and demanding for the European teams. Therefore, this training camp will be very important, first for playing at altitude in Mexico, and then in an indoor stadium against the USA. Martinez has previously overseen quests for global glory with Belgium and believes he will have Portugal well prepared for the many challenges that they face. He explained the challenges of tournament soccer: "This will be my third World Cup, and I've learned that nobody arrives as a champion team. You need to grow during the first three games and do everything to ensure our players are comfortable throughout the tournament. "We don't have a history in World Cups, and that's part of our psychological preparation. We need to go step by step and make the players believe that we can truly win the World Cup." We're all in this together for the next challenge. Portugal have been placed in Group K at the 2026 World Cup, which will be staged between Houston and Miami. They will open against the winners of the intercontinental play-off (Jamaica, New Caledonia or Democratic Republic of Congo) before going on to face Uzbekistan and Colombia. Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

After a tumultuous spell at Arsenal, U.S. women's national team fullback Jenna Nighswonger has joined Aston Villa on loan. The loan will run through the end of the season, with the Birmingham club also having an option to buy the 25-year-old. Nighswonger has made just six appearances for the Gunners after arriving from Gotham FC in January 2025, playing only once this season. Despite the lack of minutes since joining the reigning Women's Champions League winners, Aston Villa is excited about the prospect of Nighswonger joining its project. "Everyone at Aston Villa is extremely excited to welcome Jenna to the club," said Director of Women's Football Marisa Ewers. "We have been tracking her for some time and are delighted that she has bought into our exciting project. "This signing forms part of our growing ambitions as we continue to build an exciting and competitive squad, and we believe Jenna will add real quality to the group and support our goals moving forward." Currently, the Villans sit in sixth place in the WSL standings, accumulating 16 points across 12 matches. For Nighswonger, this move could help her potentially return to the USWNT squad, where she has not featured since February 2025.

West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos had to be stretchered from the field after suffering a worrying head injury in the Hammers' FA Cup third-round clash with Queens Park Rangers. There were 39 minutes on the clock when he appeared to be shoved by QPR goalkeeper Joe Walsh. As Mavropanos crumpled to the deck, through no real fault of his own, his head collided with a defender's knee on the way down. It immediately became clear that the Greece international had suffered more than a minor bump. Hammers physios were quick to join him on the field, with further assistance being sought in the form of a stretcher. It is claimed that Mavropanos was conscious when leaving the pitch, with concussion protocols now having to be followed. He was replaced at the time by West Ham's new signing Pablo Felipe. With it taking a while for medics to ready Mavropanos for his removal, nine minutes of stoppage time were added to the end of the first half. QPR sent a message of support to a stricken rival on social media when posting: “Into added time after lengthy treatment for West Ham's Mavropanos. We wish him well.” It was during those extra minutes that Crysencio Summerville opened the scoring and fired West Ham in front. Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Mavropanos has figured in 14 top-flight fixtures for the Hammers this season, but has been unable to prevent them from shipping goals at an alarming rate. He will be eager to ensure that West Ham do not slip into the Championship. Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting Pressure has been mounting on manager Nuno Espirito Santo, with uncomfortable questions being asked of his future. Extra-time against QPR is the last thing that he needed, with the Hammers set to be back in Premier League action on January 17 when taking in a trip to Tottenham.

USMNT star Tim Weah has explained why he is embracing an “us against the world mentality” at Marseille. He is now turning out alongside ex-Manchester United star Mason Greenwood and enjoys filling the role of villains in Ligue 1. Marseille boast a passionate fan base, with Stade Velodrome left rocking when the team are playing well, but divide opinion across the rest of France. The 25-year-old winger is happy to operate in a “bubble” and knows that he can always call upon full backing from those in the stands and those playing by his side. It was that united front which convinced Weah that Marseille would be his best port of call when seeing exit doors open up at Serie A giants Juventus. Weah has told Le Dauphine Libere of life on the Mediterranean coast: “I put myself in my own bubble… but it's also a thrill, an honour. There aren't many similar stadiums in the world. We are opposed everywhere and I like this aspect of being alone against everyone.” While Marseille fans pride themselves on being unique and a law unto themselves, they can be found well outside the south of France. Weah has found that out during his travels around the country. He added on spending time back in the French capital, where he graduated out of the academy system at PSG: “It's funny, I run into more OM supporters than PSG supporters in Paris. Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Weah joined Marseille on an initial season-long loan agreement. A €14.4 million (£13m/$17m) fee will change hands, with his full transfer package potentially landing Juve close to €20m (£17m/$23m) if certain performance-related add-ons are met. He is said to have shunned interest from Nottingham Forest while waiting on rival bids. He said when retracing steps to France: “There were other clubs, but as soon as they [Marseille] called me, there was only one club. Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting Weah was asked to put his versatility to good use with Juve, as he filled a wing-back role at times, but has been pushed further forward by Marseille. He has taken his tally of senior international caps to 47. He added on his favoured position, with there a willingness on his part to play wherever he is required: “I don't have a favourite position when I arrive at a new club. The coach sees me as a utility player. Weah has registered two goals for Marseille through 21 appearances. His first strike for new employers was recorded in the iconic surroundings of Santiago Bernabeu during a Champions League clash with Real Madrid. He has continued to impress alongside Greenwood and Co, with the expectation being that he will form part of the USMNT's plans when they take in a home World Cup this summer - with head coach Mauricio Pochettino able to select a number of players that are plying their trade at the highest level in Europe.

U.S. men's national team striker Ricardo Pepi left Saturday's 5–1 PSV Eindhoven win over Excelsior Rotterdam with a fractured forearm and will undergo surgery, with his recovery expected to take two months. It marked his 13th goal of the season, before he was helped off in visible pain. While the injury comes at a poor time, considering his strong form with the Dutch Eredivisie leaders, he is not expected to miss the 2026 World Cup on home soil, which the USMNT kicks off on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Ricardo Pepi scoort, maar komt verkeerd terecht en moet het veld geblesseerd verlaten 😬#psvexc pic.twitter.com/vXXX3l8PNI Previously, USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino said the roster for that camp will not include more players than the final roster, leaving Pepi with little time to impress and earn a starting role. “It didn't look good right away and at such a moment you would prefer to look the other way,” said manager Peter Bosz, mentioning Pepi's injury history, which included a serious knee injury in January of the 2024–25 campaign, sidelining him for six months. He became more confident and was in that good flow again. All signs were green for a strong second half of the season, so this is incredibly disappointing. Pepi's injury puts him on a growing list of injured USMNT World Cup hopefuls, which also includes AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, who will miss the March friendlies. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. Up top, AS Monaco's Folarin Balogun scored his eighth goal of 2025–26 in a Coupe de France win against US Orléans and has the inside track to be the USMNT starter in the summer. At the same time, Josh Sargent and Patrick Agyemang have found form in the English Championship, with eight and six goals, respectively, across all competitions. Following the March friendlies, the USMNT will take on Senegal and Germany in May and June to wrap up World Cup preparations, with Pepi hoping to be back in form and within those plans. Ben Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

And with the 2026 World Cup six months away, key Socceroo figures have spent several weeks deep in a process that often flies under the radar but could be a secret ingredient in their quest to do something special: finding their home away from home for the global footballing showpiece. Alongside the rest of the qualified nations, Australia submitted their preferred options for a North American base to Fifa earlier this week, with the governing body expected to assign base camps using a criterion of geography and world rankings by the end of January. Drawn to play games on the west coast, this means that Australia has 16 regionalised camps in the official Fifa brochure to consider. But they'll also sit behind host nations the United States and Canada, as well as higher-ranked Switzerland, Belgium and Iran in the pecking order. For example, going off the brochure, the Socceroos could look to base themselves in the idyllic surroundings of Southern California, or nearby Tijuana, but this would be accompanied by at least a three-hour flight to their games in Vancouver and Seattle. Bases in Phoenix or Tucson would offer world-class facilities off the beaten track, but would also be buffeted by the fierce Arizonan heat. An out-of-the-way home such as Boise or Salt Lake City would offer serenity and just a short flight to games, but would bring the challenge of a different time zone. Vancouver, Seattle and Tacoma are also well located, but with Canada already swooping in on the British Columbia base, they will also be hot properties. “I prefer being in a smaller city [when] away,” says assistant coach Hayden Foxe. “We would prefer more privacy, especially when it comes to the base camp, where we can just put our minds on the job we need to do. And the quieter places, the more relaxed places you're able to do that, [compared with] something helter-skelter, where everything's going on and it can be distracting.” For the detail-obsessed Tony Popovic, some locations are clearly going to line up with his preferences more than others. And that goes for other coaches too. South Korea's Hong Myung-bo, for instance, whose side will play their group stage games in Mexico, has emphasised the need to find a base that will allow high-altitude adaptation, while Scotland boss, Steve Clarke, wants a training camp somewhere “hot, sticky and humid” before heading to the north-east. France want to be based in New York but would need to negotiate access to the training facilities of one of its two MLS sides, according to L'Equipe, and though England had earmarked the somewhat central Kansas City as their preferred landing spot, they now risk losing that site to the Netherlands. Initially anticipating heading east or centrally, Socceroos and Football Australia staff spent December crisscrossing the west coast, with everything from training pitches and hotels right down to small details being exhaustively pored over. Quality of sleep and diet are two of Popovic's most strident expectations, elite performance demanding elite preparation. With the Socceroos potentially six weeks or more in their base, creature comforts and the need to maintain good vibes are included, too. The team flew in their own barista and beans for Qatar, and that the players are supplied with a list of quality roasters when they travel to a new city shows just how important caffeine is to morale. The heightened security and demands of a World Cup will prevent the same level of wanderingthey're allowed on the road – Harry Souttar and Riley McGree bought cowboy hats in Dallas in 2023 – and staff are aware of the need to find a base where the squad can be at ease and minimise cabin fever. “The process is a lot,” Foxe says. Which one would suit you, as Australians?

South Sudan to open against Uganda in Zonal Afcon U-17 qualifiers New CECAFA Under 17 Champions: Tanzania beats Somalia 2-0 in Tourney finals CAF President Ahmad lead the crowds to Gitega on Sunday for intriguing Under 17 Final pitting Somalia against Tanzania Its Uganda – Somalia and Kenya – Tanzania in Cecafa under 17 semis Uganda with last chance to secure FIFA U-17 World Cup place through play-off Somalia's coach Nur Mohamed happy with exposure picked from U-17 Africa Cup of Nations President Suluhu wishes Taifa Stars success in AFCON knock out stage The draw was conducted on Saturday in Rabat, Morocco where TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is currently taking place. Interestingly CECAFA tams Kenya and Tanzania could meet in the final third round hurdle if they managed to sail through their first and second round matches. Rwanda have been placed against Zambia, while Djibouti take on DR Congo in other first round matches. It will be an all CECAFA affair when South Sudan take on Ethiopia. Kenya to face Cameroon in final phase of FIFA U-17 Women's W/Cup qualifier Ethiopia, Djibouti pick vital wins in CAF African Schools Football Championship Zonal qualifiers Ethiopia to face Uganda in semi final stage of AFCON U-17 Zonal qualifiers Kenya target perfect start in Africa Cup of Nations U-17 Zonal qualifiers Kenya Junior Starlets eliminated Uganda 5-0 on goal aggregate to book a place in the next round Patience Asiko netted an early goal after 5 minutes, and Brenda Achieng recorded a second half brace to guide Kenya Junior Starlets to the next round. Kenya will now face Cameroon who ejected Ethiopia 6-2 on aggregate. On Saturday Edinah Nasipwondi and Joan Ogola scored to ensure Kenya Junior Starlets picked a vital away win against Uganda in a match played at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo. The match was also graced by former Senegal and Liverpool top striker El Haji Diouf. Later tonight Burundi will play away to Ivory Coast at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan. The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup will take place in Morocco. Africa will be represented by five teams at the tournament. Coach Chryl Botes Ulanda's team went ahead to advance on an 18-1 goal aggregate after they won the first leg 10-0. Joan Kizza was on hand to make it 7-0 for Uganda, while Nabukenya added two more goals. Substitute Isabella Blick Kabarozi also got her name on the score sheet to make it 10-0. Young Africans draw Al Ahly for CAF Champions League group stage CHAN 2024: Kenya lead group, to face Madagascar in quarter final stage Uganda win, Tanzania pick late draw in FIFA World Cup qualifiers Uganda ejects Senegal to storm FIFA U-17 World Cup round of 16 Young Africans SC face Nyasa Big Bullets in CECAFA Kagame Cup kick-off We need to win the first match against Coronavirus – Infantino

Macclesfield goalscorer Paul Dawson celebrates at the full-time whistle Michael Regan The scoreline will forever read: Macclesfield 2-1 Crystal Palace. The sixth-tier National League North side, placed 117 positions below their Premier League opposition, produced the biggest FA Cup upset of all time. Macclesfield's shock victory on Saturday was the first time in the competition's 155-year history that a sixth-tier side had beaten a top-flight one. Paula Parks is a lifelong fan who attended the game with her husband, Colin, and their two sons, Mason, 10, and Dylan, 13. They celebrated Dawson's opening goal while still expecting to lose the game. It's something we didn't even expect,” Parks said. Asked where this day ranks in her life, Parks laughed, saying: “Not even the birth of my children or my wedding that I waited so long for (come close). This has got to be the top of it all, definitely.” It looked like a recreation of those iconic images of former England captain Bobby Moore after winning the World Cup in 1966. And fittingly, Macclesfield had just beaten a team with two players on the pitch, in Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton, who will likely be at this summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with England. On Tuesday, he had been shovelling snow off the pitch to ensure their sixth-tier match against Radcliffe went ahead. On Friday, he had been working packing boxes of candles and diffusers for Chloe Jade Home, a family-run business based in Cheshire. Manager John Rooney, the younger brother of the former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, had to tell Dawson to climb down from a tractor shovelling snow on Tuesday and get some rest before the 2-1 win that night. There was no resting on Saturday afternoon for any of Macclesfield's part-time players, who only train twice a week. “He (John Rooney) told me last week I'm two stone overweight and my best foot is my head,” Dawson, who scored a header, laughed as he spoke to the BBC at full time. On Friday, as Dawson was boxing up those candles, centre-back Sam Heathcote was teaching PE at Stamford Park Primary School in Altrincham, just as he has done for the past five years. Heathcote was the player fixing Dawson's bandage right before he powered that header past Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez. “I'll take the assist for that,” he said. He said the older kids understood it more and, like him, are used to watching the Palace players on television. Macclesfield owner Rob Smethurst will be the same. Smethurst never expected Macclesfield to be leading against Premier League opposition at half-time in a cup game, let alone defeating them – but he also never expected to be the owner of a football club that five years ago had ceased to exist. Fans thought their club was gone forever until Smethurst came to the rescue — something he himself has little memory of. It was four days of drinking, which Smethurst said led him to make a drunken decision to buy Macclesfield's stadium on the property website Rightmove. Former Wales international Robbie Savage was one of the people brought on board as a part-owner. After three promotions in four years, including one with Savage as manager for the 2024-25 season, the town's beating heart has been restored. With Savage moving on to manage Forest Green Rovers in the National League last summer, it was Rooney, then a Macclesfield midfielder, who Smethurst asked to take the reins. Six months into the job, Rooney, whose big brother was moved to tears on national television at full time, had to deal with an unforeseen tragedy in the team. On December 16, Macclesfield striker Ethan McLeod was killed in a car accident while driving home from a game against Bedford Town. “It is never, ever going to get easier,” Rooney said, dedicating the win to McLeod, whose parents were in attendance. “We spoke about him being here with us, I didn't want to say too much before the game to the lads because I didn't want to put a bit of extra pressure on them.” After the match, McLeod's parents were waiting to embrace Rooney in his office. I'm sure Ethan was definitely looking down on us today.” Rooney said the heartbreaking and unexpected loss of McLeod, who he brought to Macclesfield in July, completely tore through the club. This was just the fourth game the team have played since losing him and his No 20 shirt has been officially retired. It was a goal Palace manager Oliver Glasner labelled “slapstick”. Palace turned up as the FA Cup holders, wearing a golden kit with a special badge on the sleeve reserved for winners. “This gives us a responsibility to show our standards,” Glasner said about those details in the build-up to the game. Glasner said that he expected his team to score five or six past the non-league side. Instead, they laboured and created little to trouble Max Dearnley in the Macclesfield goal, except for Yeremy Pino's consolation free kick in the 90th minute. “That's the David against Goliath story,” Glasner said. I have no words for this performance today and it's not just losing, it's almost creating no chances in the attack. There was sadness and celebration as the parents of McLeod poignantly made their way around hugging every one of their son's team-mates and congratulating them on the win. They belted out ‘Someone Like You' by Adele, now an FA Cup tradition, and sprayed champagne at each other. And Smethurst has promised a trip to Ibiza — not this weekend, but at some point in the future. But after their convincing and hearty win over Palace, nobody will feel relieved to draw them. And their name will be drawn — they all made sure of that.

United States striker Ricardo Pepi suffered an ugly injury while playing for PSV Eindhoven. During PSV's 5-1 win over Excelsior in the Dutch Eredivisie on Saturday, Pepi broke his forearm and will be sidelined for two months, the club announced. “It didn't look good right away, and at such a moment you would prefer to look the other way,” PSV head coach Peter Bosz said, per ESPN. Pepi's injury comes just five months before the U.S. Men's National Team kicks off its World Cup campaign against Paraguay, with the striker's availability now in question for the team's last friendlies against Belgium and Portugal at the end of March — right before head coach Mauricio Pochettino will name his roster for the tournament. During his time with PSV this season, Pepi has scored 11 goals in 22 appearances and has been a steady presence for the club after suffering a knee injury in January 2025 which sidelined him for the second half of last season. “Last January Ricardo was already out due to his knee injury,” Bosz added. “It won't last that long now, but unfortunately we lost him again. He became more confident and was in that good flow again. “All signs were green for a strong second half of the season, so this is incredibly disappointing. For the USMNT, Pepe has scored 13 goals across 34 matches and was on the roster for U.S.' wins over Paraguay and Uruguay in November.