Sports

Osimhen is 50th Most Valuable Player in the World

Published

5 years ago

October 27, 2021

Eric

Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, is ranked the 50th Most Valuable Player in the world, according to reputable football statistics website, Transfermarkt.

The 22-year-old has a market value of €60m, following his impressive performance for the Naples side.

Osimhen joined Napoli last summer for an African record of €81m from French side Lille last summer.

The Nigerian, who had a slow start to life in Italy scoring just 10 goals in 24 league appearances in the 2020/21 season, has become a headline name in Italy and across Europe for his prowess in front of goal.

The former Lille man has been linked with several European clubs like Manchester United and neighbours Manchester City. Recently, reports emerged that Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were all interested in the services of the striker with a transfer valuation of €100m.

Meanwhile, according to the statistics website Transfermarkt, PSG star Kylian Mbappe has the highest market value of €160m and is ranked number one in the world. Borrusia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is second with €150m and is closely followed by Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane at €120m.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is the African with the highest market value and sits joint fourth with Jack Grealish, Kevin de Bruyne, Neymar and Romelu Lukaku with €100m valuations.

Former Barcelona star, Lionel Messi, has dropped to No.21 in the world following his free transfer to PSG, but still boasts a market value of €80m.

The biggest omission from the Top 50 rankings is five-time Balon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sports

Ronaldo Celebrates Saudi Pro League Win with Al-Nassr

Published

1 month ago

May 22, 2026

Eric

Al Nassr captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has finally won the Saudi Pro League title.

They were confirmed champions on Thursday, thanks to a 4-2 drubbing of relegation battlers, Damac.

The title race had gone down to the final day after Al-Nassr dramatically dropped points against Al-Hilal the previous week.

Jorge Jesus’ side knew there could be no mistakes against a Damac side fighting for survival at the other end of the table.

Ronaldo was on the scoresheet, as his brace helped Al Nassr secure the title ahead of rivals Al Hilal.

Sports

FIFA Lists Six Females Among 52 Referees for 2026 World Cup

Published

3 months ago

April 10, 2026

Eric

FIFA on Thursday unveiled its list of match officials for the June 11-July 19 World Cup, including 52 referees, six of whom are women.

Football’s governing body will also take 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations.

“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer.

“They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments.

“In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”

The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be played.

There are 41 more match officials than at Qatar four years ago, where 32 teams played 64 matches.

“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing,” Collina said, with six women having already refereed in 2022.

AFP

Sports

AFCON 2025: CAS Overturns CAF Verdict

Published

3 months ago

March 25, 2026

Eric

African football has been plunged into fresh uncertainty after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) provisionally suspended a controversial ruling that stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and awarded it to Morocco.

In an interim decision issued on Monday, CAS accepted Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Board and ordered a “freeze” on the implementation of its verdict.

The move effectively places the 2025 AFCON title in legal limbo pending a full hearing.

The dispute stems from a chaotic final played in January 2026, where the Teranga Lions of Senegal defeated the hosts, the Atlas Lions of Morocco, 1–0 after extra time. The match took a dramatic turn late on when a contentious penalty was awarded to Morocco.

Although the spot kick was missed, Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest, prompting confusion before play eventually resumed, and the match was concluded. Weeks later, Morocco’s federation challenged the outcome, citing provisions within AFCON regulations relating to match forfeiture.

On March 17, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled in Morocco’s favour, declaring that Senegal’s walk-off constituted a breach severe enough to forfeit the match. The result was overturned to a 3–0 victory for Morocco, with Senegal stripped of the title.

Senegal swiftly condemned the decision as unjust and escalated the matter to CAS, arguing that the sanction was disproportionate and undermined the integrity of the on-field result.

CAS has now sided, at least temporarily, with Senegal’s request for urgent intervention.

By granting provisional measures, the tribunal signalled that enforcing CAF’s ruling before a full hearing could cause irreparable harm, particularly in a case involving the revocation of a major continental title.

The immediate consequence is that AFCON 2025 currently has no officially recognised champion. The trophy remains unassigned while legal proceedings continue.