World

Swedish prosecutor closes rape inquiry against Kylian Mbappe

12, December 2024

Swedish prosecutor closes rape inquiry against Kylian Mbappe 0

An investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault in Stockholm which Swedish media said targeted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been closed due to insufficient evidence, the Swedish prosecutor said Thursday.

Mbappe, the 25-year-old Frenchman who is one of the highest-profile players in world football, visited the Swedish capital October 9-11 with a group of people after he was left out of his country’s squad for a Nations League match.

Sweden’s prosecution authority announced on October 15 that it was investigating an alleged incident that occurred at an upscale Stockholm hotel on October 10, without mentioning the suspect by name.

Several Swedish media outlets, including newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT, identified Mbappe as the suspect.

“My assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed,” prosecutor Marina Chirakova said in a statement that also did not mention Mbappe by name.

Chirakova said the person in question had not been interrogated and “not been notified of suspicion of a crime”.

“I have concluded, based on what has emerged in the case, that new evidence, including interrogations of the person in question, would not change the evidence situation right now,” she told AFP.

She said her team had nonetheless “conducted a large number of interviews in the investigation”.

Petra Eklund, the lawyer for the plaintiff, whose name has not been disclosed, told AFP she had “no comment” to the news that the case had been closed.

Mbappe’s lawyer said in October that he was “shocked” to see his name linked to the investigation.

Speaking for the first time about the case on Sunday, he told French television show Clique he was “not involved”.

“I haven’t received anything, no summons… I’m not involved,” he said.

According to Aftonbladet, Mbappe and his entourage dined at a restaurant one evening before going on to a nightclub.

The complaint was filed on October 12 after the alleged victim had sought medical attention, according to the newspaper.

Expressen reported that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top. Photographs showed police officers leaving the hotel with brown bags.

Difficult season

Mbappe joined Madrid this summer after seven years at Paris Saint-Germain and has stayed clear of scandal in his private life.

The forward, who is known for carefully managing his image through a close network of family, lawyers and spokespeople, has become one of the world’s highest paid players after a stellar career that began when he was barely into his teens.

He has had a difficult season since moving to reigning European champions Real Madrid from PSG in the summer, failing to find his top form.

However the Frenchman scored in Madrid’s 3-2 win against Italian side Atalanta on Tuesday which revived Real’s flagging bid to regain their Champions League title.

Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were all on the scoresheet in Bergamo as Madrid moved up to 20th place in the Champions League table, on nine points from six matches.

The Spanish giants would have been at risk of dropping out of the Champions League play-off places if they had lost.

Mbappe won the World Cup as a teenager in 2018 in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar which France lost on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

At PSG he was part of a superstar trio with Messi and Brazilian forward Neymar, but the Qatar-owned club were unable to win the Champions League.

Source: AFP

Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr traces ancestry to Cameroon through DNA test

20, November 2024

Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr traces ancestry to Cameroon through DNA test 0

A Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test has revealed that Vinicius Jr., the Brazil and Real Madrid star winger, has ancestral roots in Cameroon.

The test conducted by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in partnership with AfricanAncestry.com on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at Fonte Nova revealed that the player’s ancestry is rooted in the Tikar tribe of Cameroon.

A certificate recognising Vinicius Jr’s Cameroonian heritage was issued, along with a video highlighting the legacy of his Tikar forebears, a prominent tribe in Cameroon.

The initiative is part of the CBF’s ‘Roots of Gold’ campaign, which honours the history and pride of the Afro-Brazilian community, with a special focus on football.

Speaking about his roots, Vinicius said, “Discovering that my roots are in Cameroon is a very special moment for me and my family.

“It reminds me that, despite the challenges, our origins and our history count for a lot.”

In response to the discovery, Vinícius’ father shared his excitement, saying, ‘It’s important for us to know where we come from. Many Brazilians are unaware of their ancestry or heritage. I’m happy that we have roots in Cameroon too.’

The founder and president of AfricanAncestry.com, Gina Paige, underscored the importance of helping people of African descent reconnect with their heritage.

“Vini Jr. carries within him the desire to honour his heritage. However, like many individuals of African descent, his ancestral story has been erased by racism and the legacy of slavery. Through a DNA test, we discovered that Vini Jr.’s ancestors belong to the Tikar tribe in Cameroon.

“We believe that Vini’s reconnection with his African roots is a powerful ‘act of resistance,’ in line with his advocacy for social justice both on and off the football pitch,” Page said.

In honor of his ancestry, Vinicius Jr. wore a special jersey featuring the flags of Brazil and Cameroon for the match against Uruguay, which ended in a 1-1 draw, with the winger playing the entire 90 minutes.

Source: Vanguardngr

Youtuber Jake Paul beats Mike Tyson

16, November 2024

Youtuber Jake Paul beats Mike Tyson 0

The boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson.

Paying homage to one of the biggest names in boxing history didn’t do much for the fans that filled the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.

Paul won a unanimous decision over Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former heavyweight champion in his first sanctioned pro fight in almost 20 years.

All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, replaced by boos from bewildered fans hoping for more action in a fight that drew plenty of questions about its legitimacy long before it happened.

The fight wasn’t close on the judge’s cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73.

Tyson came after Paul immediately after the opening bell and landed a couple of quick punches but didn’t try much else the rest of the way.

Even fewer rounds and shorter rounds, along with heavier gloves designed to lessen the power of punches, couldn’t do much to generate action.

Paul was more aggressive after the quick burst from Tyson in the opening seconds, but the punching wasn’t very efficient. There were quite a few wild swings and misses.

Tyson mostly sat back and waited for Paul to come to him, with a few exceptions. It was quite the contrast to the co-main event, another slugfest between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in which Taylor kept her undisputed super lightweight championship with another disputed decision.

It was the first sanctioned fight since 2005 for Tyson, who fought Roy Jones in a much more entertaining exhibition in 2020. Paul started fighting a little more than four years ago.

The fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but had to be postponed when Tyson was treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight.

Source: AP

Mike Tyson back in the ring to face Youtuber Jake Paul

15, November 2024

Mike Tyson back in the ring to face Youtuber Jake Paul 0

Nearly 40 years after making his professional debut, and 19 years after being battered into retirement, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson will climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout that has drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world.

Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, is lacing up the gloves once more to take on Youtuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.

The fight, which will be comprised of eight two-minute rounds, was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.

That gory mid-air emergency has provided another piece of ammunition for the numerous critics who have condemned Friday’s contest as a macabre circus act that poses an unacceptable level of risk for Tyson, who last graced a professional ring in 2005, when he was beaten via a technical knockout after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.

‘It shouldn’t be happening’

Mike Tyson slumps to the canvas in his last professional fight, a defeat to Ireland's Kevin McBride, in 2005
Mike Tyson slumps to the canvas in his last professional fight, a defeat to Ireland’s Kevin McBride, in 2005. © Paul J. Richards, AFP

“Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot,” the prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.

“If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you’re an idiot. It shouldn’t be happening.”

Hearn’s rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments.

“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said after the bout was announced. “It’s as simple as that.

“Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash – and that’s what this is.”

Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday’s contest, has brushed off the concerns for his wellbeing, insisting when critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.

“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he said earlier this year. “The people who said that wish they were up here. No one else can do this.”

At an open workout in Texas this week, Tyson declared that a gruelling training camp had left him with the conviction “that I’m tougher than I believed I was.”

“When I agreed to this fight and started training, I thought ‘What was I thinking of?’ But I’ve finished the process. The fight is the party. All the hard work is done.”

At a final press conference in Texas on Wednesday, a stony-faced Tyson pointedly declined to engage in the pre-fight hype.

“I’m just ready to fight,” he said. “I’m looking forward to fighting.”

Injury fears

Mike Tyson appears at a public workout in Texas on Tuesday ahead of his return to the boxing ring on Friday
Mike Tyson appears at a public workout in Texas ahead of his return to the boxing ring. © Ayisha Collins, Getty Images via AFP

A global audience of several million watching on Netflix, and tens of thousands inside the AT&T Stadium, will be watching on Friday to see whether Tyson’s hard work pays off.

His opponent Paul – who was born six months before Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their infamous 1997 rematch – rose to prominence as a Youtuber, before turning his attention to boxing.

Since his first fight against a fellow Youtuber in 2018, Paul’s opponents have included a basketball player, mixed martial arts fighters and other professional boxers. In 11 fights he has won 10 (seven by knockout) and lost one.

“I feel really good, sharp, powerful and explosive. It’s going to be a short night for Mike,” Paul said at Tuesday’s open workout, where he appeared wearing a bizarre head-dress in the form of a rooster.

It goes without saying that a prime, 1980s-era Tyson would almost certainly have dealt with Paul within a few minutes.

Does he retain enough residue of the talent and destructive power that made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986, at the age of 20 years and four months? Bob Arum, the legendary 92-year-old boxing promoter who has seen it all, is unequivocal.

“The answer is no,” Arum told Secondsout.com last month. “A 58-year-old guy, no matter how good they were, no matter how athletic they were, are not gonna be able to fight.

“You can’t throw punches like you’re supposed to, you can’t do a lot of things. I hope Mike doesn’t get hurt, but I really give him relatively no chance.”

(AFP)

Francis Ngannou KO Renan Ferreira

20, October 2024

Francis Ngannou KO Renan Ferreira 0


Francis Ngannou made a dominant return to MMA as he brutally dismantled Renan Ferreira in his first fight inside the cage for two years. Against a backdrop of personal heartache following the passing of his infant son, Kobe, earlier this year, ‘The Predator’ delivered a devastating performance to reassert his claim as the most dominant heavyweight on the planet.

Ngannou departed the UFC in 2022, while still reigning as the promotion’s heavyweight champion. A dispute over contract terms led him to make an unexpected leap into the world of boxing – where he had a surprising amount of success.

Sharing the ring with Tyson Fury in October 2023, the Cameroonian equipped himself well, even knocking down ‘The Gypsy King’ before dropping a close decision on the judges’ scorecards. His return to the squared circle against Joshua earlier this year, however, did not go to plan – as Ngannou was knocked out cold inside two rounds.

GIVEMESPORT’s Key Statistic: Francis Ngannou hasn’t lost an MMA fight since July 2018, when he was defeated by Derrick Lewis.

Back in the more familiar surroundings of the MMA cage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, though, Ngannou scooped the PFL Heavyweight Superfight Championship by pounding Ferreira unconscious in the first round. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion set the tone with an early takedown, secured dominant top position and then fought off Ferreira’s attempt at a triangle choke.

He was then free to unleash a furious barrage of strikes on his grounded opponent – and footage taken from cageside proves just how power Ngannou possesses.

Ngannou’s KO of Ferreira was Ruthless

From the camera stationed just inches from the action, every time Ngannou lands on Ferreira it sounds more like he is hitting him with a baseball bat than his fist. Unable to do much to avoid the onslaught, Ferreira was essentially only waiting for the referee to stop the action.

The official eventually acted, but not before Ferreira had taken more punishment than was necessary. By the time Ngannou threw his final punch, the Brazilian was already unconscious.

Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira

Ngannou would dedicate his victory to his late son Kobe, who sadly died in April at the age of only fifteen months. “Without Kobe, we wouldn’t be here tonight. I hope they can remember his name.” Ngannou said after his win.

Ferreira, to his credit, is a former PFL heavyweight tournament winner, and has a KO victory over Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader on his resume. But he just couldn’t muster anything against Ngannou.

‘The Predator’ does not currently have his next fight lined up, but few PFL heavyweights will be lining up to face him after his dominant victory on Saturday night.

Culled from GIVEMESPORT

Ngannou returns to MMA to take on Brazil’s Ferreira: Here are all the fight details

18, October 2024

Ngannou returns to MMA to take on Brazil’s Ferreira: Here are all the fight details 0

Cameroonian fighter Francis Ngannou is set to make his long-awaited return to the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) circuit to challenge the Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira of Brazil.

Here’s everything you need to know about the fight night:

When is the Ngannou vs Ferreira fight?

The fight is scheduled for Saturday, October 19.

When is the Ngannou-Ferreira ring walk?

Ngannou and Ferreira will begin their ring walks for the main fight at 11pm (20:00 GMT).

Where is the Ngannou vs Ferreira fight taking place?

The fight will be held at Mayadeen, an events venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

What are Ngannou and Ferreira fighting for?

The PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship belt.

Where and how can I follow the Ngannou vs Ferreira fight live?

Al Jazeera will have live text and photo coverage of the fight from 15:00 GMT.

The fight will be streamed and broadcast live on multiple regional platforms that are charging pay-per-view fees.

What will be the duration of the MMA fight?

MMA fights vary in their number of rounds and the duration of each round, with title fights generally being the longest. In this case, the fight will be spread over five rounds of five minutes each. The total duration, if all five rounds are completed, will be 25 minutes.

What’s the MMA fight ring called for Ngannou vs Perreira?

The custom cage for this fight will be called the PFL SmartCage.

PFL MMA
The fight will be held in the PFL’s custom MMA cage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [Courtesy of the PFL]

Who is Francis Ngannou?

The 38-year-old fighter began his career in 2013 in France before switching to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) two years later and became the promotion’s heavyweight champion in March 2021. He kept the title until 2023, when he left the promotion.

Ngannou signed with the PFL in May 2023, and the promotion agreed to let him follow his boxing aspirations, which saw him take on Tyson Fury in Riyadh on October 28, 2023, and Anthony Joshua, also in Riyadh, on March 8, 2024.

The Cameroonian’s journey began at the age of 12 when he worked in a sand quarry. In his mid-20s, he embarked on a long and life-threatening journey from Cameroon to France – a trip he once described as “hell”.

Ngannou crossed the Sahara Desert and spent a year in Morocco before entering Spain through the Mediterranean Sea. Upon reaching Spain, he was detained for entering irregularly and spent two months in custody before regaining his freedom and finally making it to France.

In Paris, he was homeless until he found a fitness centre where he could sleep and start training as a fighter.

PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants Press Conference at the The Anthem in Washington D.C., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Francis Ngannou’s last MMA fight came in 2022 [Courtesy of the PFL]

Who is Renan Ferreira?

The Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter began his career in the United States in 2013 and joined the PFL in 2023.

The 34-year-old won the PFL heavyweight title in a fight against Denis Goltsov, whom he beat in a second-round total knockout.

Ferreira, nicknamed “Problemo” has also recorded a win over Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in a three-round non-title crossover fight on February 24.

What’s Ngannou’s MMA fight record?

  • Fights: 20
  • Wins: 17
  • Losses: 3
  • By knockout: 12 wins, 0 losses
  • By submission: 4 wins, 0 losses
  • By decision: 1 win, 3 losses
  • By disqualification: 0 wins, 1 loss

What’s Ferreira’s MMA fight record?

  • Fights: 19
  • Wins: 13
  • Losses: 3
  • By knockout: 11 wins, 1 loss
  • By submission: 1 win, 1 loss
  • By decision: 1 win, 0 losses
  • By disqualification: 0 wins, 1 loss
PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants Press Conference at the The Anthem in Washington D.C., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Renan Ferreira is the reigning PFL heavyweight champion [Courtesy of the PFL]

What has Ngannou said about the fight?

  • On Ferreira: “Renan is at the top of the line [of MMA fighters] but my entire life, my biggest opponent has always been me. On Saturday night, I am going to get him, so he should be ready.”
  • What to expect from the fight: “This is an MMA fight, so everything will be on display. We’ve prepared everything, and everything will be on display. Ferreira is preparing some things because he is a jiu-jitsu black belt, and he is not undermining my punching power.”
  • Plans for a knockout victory: “I am going to fight strategically and according to how the fight presents itself. In my career, I went for a knockout, but it didn’t work out for me. The times when I did score a knockout, it wasn’t something that I had planned. I know I have 25 minutes, so I am going to lay my game plan down in that 25 minutes and win the fight.”

What has Ferreira said about the fight?

  • On Ngannou: “Both of us came from humble beginnings. We had an incredible career to reach where we are right now. It is a great honour to be fighting one of the strongest men in the world.”
  • What to expect: “We are both complete fighters. We can strike and grapple as well. I am ready to fight wherever the fight goes.”

What are the pre-fight events?

The main fight will be preceded by four events:

  • Women’s Featherweight: Cris “Cyborg” vs Larissa Pacheco
  • Bellator Middleweight: Johnny Eblen vs Fabian Edwards
  • Featherweight: Husein Kadimagomaev vs Zafar Mohsen
  • Lightweight: AJ McKee vs Paul Hughes

Who is on the undercards?

Five undercard fights will build up to the main event in Riyadh:

  • Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots vs Marcos Breno
  • Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov vs Dedrek Sanders
  • Featherweight: Ibragim Ibragimov vs Nacho Campos
  • Middleweight: Mostafa Nada vs Ahmed Sami
  • Featherweight: Youssef Al Housani vs Taha Bendaoud

Has Ngannou left boxing for MMA?

No. The fighter has been pursuing both since leaving the UFC in early 2023.

Source: Al Jazeera

Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher seen in public for first time in over a decade

2, October 2024

Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher seen in public for first time in over a decade 0

Michael Schumacher has been seen in public for the first time in over a decade. The Formula 1 legend was seriously injured after hitting his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps in December 2013, with the life changing accident leaving him in a medically induced coma for several months.

Since the accident, Michael requires round-the-clock medical care and the family have been fiercely protective of his privacy.

But last weekend (26 September), Michael, who is now 55 years old, was spotted attending his daughter’s wedding. Gina Schumacher tied the knot to her partner Iain Bethke in a stunning ceremony at the famous family’s luxury Spanish villa.

Source: Yahoo.com

Football: France’s World Cup winner Raphaël Varane retires after knee injury

25, September 2024

Football: France’s World Cup winner Raphaël Varane retires after knee injury 0

France World Cup winner Raphaël Varane on Tuesday announced his retirement from football at the age of 31.

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United centre-back Varane had joined Italian club Como for this season but was then excluded from their Serie A squad having suffered a knee injury in August.

“A new life begins off the pitch,” Varane said on social media.

“I will remain with Como. Just without using my boots and shin pads.

“Something I am looking forward to sharing more about soon,” the four-time Champions League winner added.

Varane made 93 appearances for France from 2013-22, playing a key role in their victory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as well as their runners-up finish four years later in Qatar.

Source: AFP

1990 World Cup: Italy’s icon Schillaci dies aged 59

19, September 2024

1990 World Cup: Italy’s icon Schillaci dies aged 59 0

Italian icon Salvatore Schillaci, the top scorer at the 1990 World Cup, has died aged 59.

Schillaci, better known as ‘Toto’, scored six goals to win the Golden Boot at the 1990 World Cup on home soil.

Italy lost in the semi-finals, but Schillaci was also awarded the Golden Ball as the best player and gained hero status.

Schillaci was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022.

Capped 16 times for his country, scoring seven goals, he represented Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan after beginning his club career at Messina.

Juventus, whom Schillaci joined in 1989, said: “We immediately fell in love with Toto. His desire, his story, his being so wonderfully passionate, and it showed in every game he played.

“We at Juve were lucky enough to get excited about him before – in that incredible summer of 1990 – the whole of Italy did, captivated by those wonderfully energetic celebrations of his.”

Schillaci scored his first goal of the 1990 World Cup as a substitute against Austria, and after another substitute appearance against the United States earned his first start against the Czech Republic.

Partnering Roberto Baggio up front, Schillaci scored again as Italy’s campaign built momentum, and his hero status was confirmed with further goals in the subsequent knockout round matches against Uruguay and the Republic of Ireland in the quarter-finals.

Despite opening the scoring in the semi-final against Argentina, Italy lost out on penalties in Naples – but Schillaci sealed the Golden Boot with his sixth goal of the tournament in the third-place play-off against England.

He would finish runner-up to Germany’s World Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthaus for the 1990 Ballon d’Or.

Source: BBC

Ballon d’Or: Messi and Ronaldo left out, Spain dominates as nominee list revealed

5, September 2024

Ballon d’Or: Messi and Ronaldo left out, Spain dominates as nominee list revealed 0

For the first time since 2003, neither Argentina’s Lionel Messi nor Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo feature as nominees for the Ballon d’Or, while Olympic champions Spain and Champions League winners Real Madrid headline the list of players vying for football’s most prestigious individual award.

Lionel Messi will not win another Ballon d’Or this year after being left out of the nominees revealed by organisers on Wednesday, as stars of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning team and Real Madrid’s Champions League victors feature heavily.

Messi claimed the eighth Ballon d’Or of his glittering career last year. Now aged 37, he is not among the 30 contenders this time despite winning another title with Argentina at the Copa America in July.

The former Barcelona superstar, now playing club football in MLS for Inter Miami, was also missing from the nominees in 2022 when Karim Benzema took the honours.

However, he returned to win last year after leading Argentina to glory at the World Cup in Qatar.

The most prestigious individual award in football is voted for by a jury of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in FIFA’s world ranking.

Brazil forward Vinicius Junior is among the favourites and is one of six members of the Madrid team that won La Liga and the Champions League last season to be nominated.

Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Ruediger and Fede Valverde are the others, while Kylian Mbappe — who left Paris Saint-Germain for Real over the close season — features too.

Carvajal is among the contenders from the victorious Spain team alongside Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal.

Manchester City’s Norwegian star Erling Haaland and England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane are on the list as well, but there is no place for five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, now 39.

Xabi Alonso, who won the Bundesliga in an unbeaten season with Bayer Leverkusen, is among the favourites for best coach.

His rivals include Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente.

Meanwhile, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and Spain will hope to retain the women’s Ballon d’Or.

Former winners Ada Hegerberg and Alexia Putellas are also nominated, along with five members of the United States’ Olympic gold medal-winning team in Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Lindsey Horan and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is due to take place in Paris on October 28.

Source: AFP

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