Wataru Endō (Japan National Team, Liverpool)
March 2025 (World Cup Qualifiers)
Endō is on the verge of becoming the latest Japan captain to secure World Cup qualification.
Japan leads Group C with a nine-point advantage and can qualify with a win against Bahrain. If not, they have another chance against Saudi Arabia next week.
Canada National Football Team (Canada)
July 2025
Led by stars like Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Jonathan David (Juventus), and Tajon Buchanan (Inter Milan), Canada boasts young and experienced talent across all lines. Goalkeepers Dayne St. Clair and Maxime Crepeau will battle for the No.1 spot.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)
November 2025
Egypt scheduled a Nigeria friendly one week before AFCON. Liverpool and City are reluctant to release Salah and Marmoush for mid-December, prioritizing league congestion. Both will depart for Morocco 2025, potentially missing seven to eight club matches through January 18, 2026. Clubs cite fixture pile-up and injury risk after two-day turnarounds. City project Marmoush’s first absence from the Dec 16 EFL Cup; Liverpool anticipate Salah missing the Dec 20 Spurs trip. Arsenal and Chelsea unaffected. Expect negotiations on reporting dates; CAF regulations still govern final release windows.
Sadio Mane
January 2026
Mane explained why he persuaded Senegal players and staff to return to the pitch after they began walking off in protest over a disputed penalty decision. A penalty for Morocco sparked walkout attempts led by Thiaw, but Mane stayed, spoke with officials, and called teammates back; Diaz then missed the spot kick, and both Mane and Thiaw later said emotions ran high but football must be respected.
Mikel Arteta
April 2026
Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s 1-0 first-leg win at Sporting as a difficult and valuable result, highlighting the challenge of beating a team with such a strong home record. He also singled out David Raya after the goalkeeper’s crucial saves helped preserve the advantage. Kai Havertz scored the late winner after coming off the bench, while Raya produced key saves and earned Player of the Match. Arsenal also had a goal ruled out and needed patience before finding the breakthrough, which matched Arteta’s post-match focus on fine margins in the penalty areas.
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid & England
March 2025
Thomas Tuchel substituted Jude Bellingham in the 67th minute of England’s 3-0 World Cup qualifier win against Latvia to avoid the risk of a red card. Bellingham had already been booked and was involved in another reckless challenge.
After a first-half yellow and another risky tackle, Tuchel opted to remove Bellingham early to maintain control. England won comfortably with goals from Reece James, Harry Kane, and Eberechi Eze, climbing to the top of Group K with Tuchel extending his perfect start.
Morocco national team
September 2025
Morocco thrashed Niger 5-0 to book their 2026 World Cup place with two games to spare. The Atlas Lions have now qualified after winning all six group matches, cementing their place among the early confirmed participants for the tournament. Following their historic Qatar 2022 semi-final run, Morocco extended their impressive trajectory by dominating qualification. The team’s consistency and attacking firepower proved decisive, and optimism is high that they can replicate or better their deep run in the United States.
Curacao national team
November 2025
Curacao drew 0-0 with Jamaica to top Group B on 12 points from six games and book their first ever World Cup place, becoming the smallest nation by size and population to qualify for the tournament and surpassing Iceland’s 2018 landmark on the global stage. The achievement caps a remarkable rise since Curacao became a separate country in 2010, climbing from FIFA ranking 150 to 82 and joining Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan as debutants for 2026, while Jamaica coach Steve McClaren resigned immediately after failing to clinch qualification.
