Karim Benzema does not believe there is a team capable of being better than best in the world Real Madrid.
The Frenchman left Madrid in 2023 after 14 years in which he won 25 major trophies, including five Champions Leagues, five Club World Cups and four LaLiga titles.
He scored 354 goals for Los Blancos in 648 appearances before joining Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.
Following his departure, Madrid won LaLiga and lifted their 15th Champions League title last season, and Benzema backs them to follow that up without a challenge.
A spectacular season, very good, Benzema told Marca. Real Madrid is always the best team in the world.
Players come and go, but Real Madrid will always be at the top, at the very top. It is the best and will continue…
Jose Mourinho ranks as the best manager Willian has worked with and the former Brazil attacker hopes more European honours will be heading the Roma coach s way.
Willian was part of Mourinho s Chelsea squad as the Blues secured a Premier League and EFL Cup double in 2015.
The Fulham winger and Italian coach have since gone their separate ways but Willian still holds Mourinho in the highest of regards, hoping his former boss can lift yet another trophy this season.
Mourinho has guided Roma to the Europa League final, in which they face Sevilla, and Willian made it clear where his allegiances lie for that showpiece on Wednesday.
Back-to-back European titles?
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague)
For me, Mourinho is the best manager I ve …
With the Premier League title chase set to go right down to the wire, we have another season-defining set of fixtures on the cards.
With Manchester City looking to leapfrog Arsenal and reclaim their spot at the top of the table, we have nine top-flight showdowns throughout Saturday.
Ahead a stacked fixture list, we have found a trio of the most intriguing Premier League betting markets.
Saturday, May 11th
BST 15:00 Tottenham vs Burnley
While Tottenham might have continued to receive a string of plaudits since they welcomed Ange Postecoglou to north London last summer, Spurs have the feel of a squad seeking a much-needed boost. Last seen putting in another nightmare performance as they slumped to an action-packed 4-2 drumming against Liverpool, the for…
Alan Shearer believes Marcus Rashford should have left Manchester United if he wanted to reignite his England career.
Rashford enjoyed a stellar start to life under Erik ten Hag, netting 30 goals in all competitions during the Dutchman s first season in 2022-23.
However, he struggled to build on that momentum last campaign, scoring just eight goals and registering six assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, resulting in him being left out of Gareth Southgate s Euro 2024 squad.
So far this season, he has played in all four of United s matches but has failed to get a goal involvement so far, having had no shots and creating just three chances, meaning he has been unable to force himself into Lee Carsley s first Three Lions squad.
And former Engla…
Burnley have signed goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux on a free transfer from Leyton Orient, the newly-promoted Premier League club have announced.
The 29-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Turf Moor and becomes the Clarets’ second signing since they secured their return to the top flight.
Camden-born Vigouroux, who has previously had spells at Brentford, Tottenham and Liverpool, was a key part of the Orient side that won Sky Bet League Two last season.
Goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux makes Turf Moor move to become second arrival of the transfer window
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial)
Manager Vincent Kompany told the club’s website, burnleyfc.com: “We are looking forward to Lawrence being part of what we are building here at Burnley.<…
Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City was important for confidence but admitted the Gunners will need to be “at our best in every department for 100 minutes” if they are to repeat that success in the Premier League this weekend.
Arsenal beat Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side on penalties in August after Leandro Trossard’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser cancelled out Cole Palmer’s opener at Wembley.
However, that result between the teams has been the exception in recent years. City had beaten Arsenal in eight successive matches heading into the Community Shield, while Guardiola’s men are currently on a 12-match winning streak against the Gunners in the Premier League.
In fact, Arsenal have to go back to 2015 fo…
Now just two games away from getting their hands on a first piece of international silverware since their World Cup success way back in 1966, England will head to Dortmund on Wednesday night.
Just about edging past Switzerland last weekend, the Three Lions will have the expectations of a nation on their shoulders when they meet the Netherlands for their semi-final showdown.
Although England might still have their sights set on making real history this summer, Gareth Southgate’s camp will meet a Holland squad that mounted their own dramatic comeback against Turkey a few days ago.
Ahead of what looks set to be another nail-biting EURO 24 battle, we have taken a look at some of the most appealing Netherlands vs England bet builder tips.
England to ride their…
Tottenham playmaker Niko Kranjcar was instrumental in the victory, scoring two goals and setting up the third as Croatia maintained their unbeaten record in qualifying.
Kranjcar opened the scoring with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box after 17 minutes.
Four minutes later he netted his second, with yet another firm drive from outside the box that beat Maltese goalkeeper Andrew Hogg.
Slaven Bilic s side?dominated the match and the likes of Luka Modric, Mladen Petric and Eduardo all had chances to score before Blackburn striker Nikola Kalinic completed the victory, heading in Kranjcar s cross with eight minutes remaining.
Croatia top Group F with 10 points from four games, two points ahead of second-placed Greece, while Malta remain at the foot o…
A group of US senators is asking FIFA to strip Russia of hosting the 2018 World Cup.
The bipartisan letter, dated March 31, was signed by 13 senators, including Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, and Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, and cites the Ukraine crisis as a reason to bar Russia from staging the global showpiece.
The letter was sent to FIFA boss Sepp Blatter, with a copy also forwarded to the US Soccer Federation.
With the goal of ending the crisis in Ukraine and ensuring a successful 2018 World Cup, we strongly encourage FIFA to deny the [Russian President Vladimir] Putin regime the privilege of hosting the 2018 World Cup and make preparations for an alternate host country, the senators wrote in a statement widely released to media outlet…
Gareth Southgate is yet to decide if Jack Grealish will make his final 26-man England squad for Euro 2024, pointing to the fierce competition for places out wide.
Grealish made 10 appearances in total at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, but nine of those came off the bench as he played the role of impact player.
All 35 of his England caps have come under Southgate, but a stop-start campaign with Manchester City has seen his place called into question ahead of the Euros.
Injuries and poor form limited Grealish to just 20 appearances across all competitions in 2023-24, after he provided five goals and seven assists as City won the treble in 2022-23.
Ahead of this week s warm-up friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland, Southgate said Grealish…