Qarabag's youth team have been fined just over £4,000 by UEFA after a supporter was found to have racially abused a Chelsea player during an academy match in Azerbaijan. Shortly after Blues striker Sol Gordon opening the scoring at Azersun Stadium in Baku earlier this month, the 17-year-old was allegedly subjected to monkey gestures. Now, Qarabag have been punished off the back of what transpired in this UEFA Youth League encounter.

• Chelsea strongly condemn unsavoury incident

  Despite Chelsea's Under-19 side going on to win the game 5-0, the contest was marred by Gordon being discriminated against by those in the crowd. 

  At the time, the Blues said in a statement: "We are aware of an incident during today's UEFA Youth League match in Azerbaijan in which, after scoring, a number of our players were subjected to racist abuse from an individual in the crowd. Racism and all forms of discriminatory behaviour are completely unacceptable and have no place in football or indeed in society. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Our players have the full support of everyone at the club, and we have raised the incident immediately with the UEFA match delegate and home club: We expect this matter to be investigated fully under UEFA's disciplinary procedures. We are proud of the way our players and staff responded to the incident on the pitch, swiftly reporting it to the referee, and commend those for dealing with the matter professionally and appropriately in line with UEFA protocols."

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  Qarabag apologise before getting fined

  Soon after Chelsea's statement, Qarabag responded with their own. They vowed to investigate the matter and said this incident does not reflect the club's values. 

  They added: "We are sorry about this incident. It does not reflect the values of our club. We will investigate it thoroughly."

  Now, European football's governing body, UEFA, has slapped them with a £4,379 fine, with Qarabag's youth team having to play a match behind closed doors following "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" – though that punishment is suspended for a year.

  A statement from UEFA reads: "The CEDB has decided: To fine Qarabağ FK Youth €5,000 and to order Qarabağ FK Youth to play its next one (1) UEFA competition match as host club behind closed doors, for the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters. Said match behind closed doors is suspended during a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision."

• Atletico Madrid punished for racism

  On a similar note, Atletico Madrid have been fined £26,256 by UEFA after their fans reportedly made monkey gestures and noises, along with Nazi salutes, towards Arsenal's players in their 4-0 home win at Emirates Stadium in October. The club has also been hit with a suspended sanction of a ban on travelling supporters for "racist and discriminatory behaviour". Despite the severity of the charges, the one-match ban on ticket sales for an away game has been suspended for a probationary period of one year.

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  What comes next for Chelsea?

  Aside from the aforementioned matter, Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host London rivals and league leaders Arsenal in a huge clash at the top of the table on Sunday. The Blues sit six points behind the Gunners, and a win at Stamford Bridge could catapult them into the title race. But a loss could put pay to those hopes and give Mikel Arteta's team a huge boost in their bid to win their first league title since 2004.

  Following Chelsea's 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona in midweek, head coach Enzo Maresca said: "I’ve told the players, next 48 hours, completely switch off. Have a rest. Recover the energy. Because [on] Sunday we have Arsenal. My message after the game was just: recover the energy. That, in this moment, is the most important thing. Then, on Friday, we start to think about Arsenal. We need to keep the momentum because it’s very nice – and it’s much easier to recover energy when you win games."

The Los Angeles Angels wanted no part of Aaron Judge on Wednesday night.

With Yusei Kikuchi on the mound, Aaron Judge came to the plate in the top of the first inning. Rather than pitch to Judge with a runner on second, Angels manager Ron Washington made the call to issue an intentional walk, giving the New York Yankees' slugger a free pass to first base.

Fans from both teams were miffed by the cowardice from the Angels, and the team was showered with boos from the stands as Judge took first base.

Judge has been a pitcher's worst nightmare this season, and he's particularly lethal with runners in scoring position. As Michael Kay said on the YES Network broadcast, the 33-year-old is hitting 18-for-40 (.450) with runners in scoring position this season, and that's not a statistic the Halos were eager to add to.

The decision didn't exactly pay dividends for L.A., as the Yankees were still able to take an early 1–0 lead in the first inning after Anthony Volpe plated Paul Goldschmidt with a sacrifice fly.

Judge came back to the plate in the second inning, and once again, Washington called for an intentional walk to let him on base.

Judge has been off to a historic start through the first two months of the 2025 season, slashing .395/.488.746 with 18 home runs, 47 RBIs and 36 walks in 54 games.

Despite the Boston Red Sox sitting at a perfectly average 19-19 as we approach the quarter-mark of the MLB season, third baseman Alex Bregman has been on an absolute tear. Through his first 37 games in a Red Sox uniform, the 31-year-old is hitting .327 with nine home runs, 30 RBI, and a 1.093 OPS.

That's why, with Wednesday night's game tied 3-3 in the seventh and with runners on second and third, WEEI radio announcers Will Fleming and Lenny DiNardo couldn't believe that Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was actually going to pitch to Bregman.

"I will tell you, it would be to me if they pitch to Bregman here," said Flemming on the call, with first base wide open and two outs on the board. "Wild."

And wild it was. Instead of walking the two-time World Series champion, the Rangers had lefty Robert Garcia throw to him, and Bregman made them pay. He lined a two-run single into left field and gave the Red Sox a 5-3 lead.

"Are other teams not paying attention to what's happening this season with Alex Bregman?!" asked DiNardo.

"Bruce Bochy is a first-ballot Hall of Famer," quipped Flemming. "He's won four championships. That is inexplicable."

Boston ultimately held on for a 6-4 win. They'll wrap up their series against the Rangers from Fenway Park on Thursday with a 1:35 p.m. EST first pitch.

It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Arsenal did what they needed to against Brentford.

Following a brutal run of fixtures that ended in a trip to Chelsea on Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s side had the tough task of hosting Keith Andrews’ Bees in a midweek Premier League fixture on Wednesday night.

Fortunately, despite looking a little underpar in the second half and losing another defender to injury in Cristhian Mosquera, the hosts came away with all three points, restoring their five-point lead over Manchester City.

While it wasn’t a classic performance, a few Arsenal players put in a good showing, though a couple probably played themselves out of the team as well.

Arsenal's best players vs Brentford

When it comes to those Arsenal players who really stood out for the right reasons on Wednesday night, it’s impossible to look past Ben White.

After all, the right-back was named the Player of the Match by Sky Sports, and it was entirely deserved.

On top of maintaining Jurrien Timber’s defensive solidity at the back, the Englishman reminded fans just how useful he can be in attack, and, in the words of one content creator, put in an “absolute vintage” performance.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion star ended the game having taken 86 touches, playing two key passes and creating one big chance, which led to Mikel Merino’s opener.

Speaking of the Spaniard, he was another starter who put in a brilliant account of himself.

The former Real Sociedad star might not be the most pleasing of players to watch, and can certainly misplace a pass, but he has become irrefutably efficient in 2025.

On top of scoring his goal, he also played the ball into Bukayo Saka, which led to the all-important second goal.

Next up, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori deserve to be singled out for their performances.

Like White, the latter perfectly married up his defensive and attacking duties, ending the game with four recoveries, three clearances, and one interception, as well as taking two shots on target and completing two dribbles. When it comes to the Englishman, what more is there to say about him?

It was another match in which he was here, there and everywhere, doing all the dirty work, while still finding time to get forward, take three shots and play three key passes – fans will be hoping it was only fatigue that forced him off at the end.

Finally, Noni Madueke and David Raya deserve some plaudits; the former for his direct play that led to the opener, and the latter for his incredible save in the first half.

With all that said, there were two Arsenal players who were underwhelming against Brentford and should be dropped from the side.

The Arsenal stars who didn't play well

It feels harsh to single out players after a win, but the standard at Arsenal is so high now that anyone who doesn’t reach it stands out like a sore thumb.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

To some extent, that was the case with Martin Odegaard against Brentford.

Now, it was the captain’s first start since returning from injury, so it’s not exactly surprising, but he was frustrating throughout the match and warrants being dropped for Saturday.

For example, in his 96 minutes of action, the Norwegian failed to create a single big chance, failed in 100% of his dribbles, lost six of seven duels, misplaced 100% of his crosses and failed to register a shot on target.

It was not the performance Arteta would have wanted from what was his most creative midfielder in the starting lineup, and more than justifies the 5/10 match rating he received from the Express’ Tom Parsons.

Minutes

96′

Expected Goals

0.04

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.08

Assists

0

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (0)

Lost Possession

12

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (0)

Dribbled Past

1

Odegaard wasn’t the only starter who played himself out of the side, though, as the same thing could be said about Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian was handed his second start on the bounce in Leandro Trossard’s absence, but as was the case on Sunday, he only showed why he might be better suited as an impact player.

For much of his time on the pitch, the former Ituano gem was anonymous, and then, when he did get a chance to make a difference, like the chance towards the end of the first half, he fluffed his lines.

He didn’t impress Parsons either, who also gave him a 5/10 match rating, writing that he ‘lacked an end product and will be concerned about keeping his place in the coming weeks.’

Minutes

61

Expected Goals

0.08

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.02

Assists

0

Shots on Target

0

Touches

34

Lost Possession

11

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (1)

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Passes

16

Ground Duels (Won)

8 (3)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Fouls

1

That might sound harsh, but it’s backed up by the statistics, as in his 61 minutes of relative inaction, he registered a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.10, failed to register a shot on target, took 34 touches – 18 fewer than Raya -, failed in 50% of his dribbles and 100% of his crosses.

Ultimately, Wednesday night was largely positive for Arsenal, but, like Odegaard, Martinelli should be dropped for the game against Aston Villa at the weekend.

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He wasn’t expecting it.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 3, 2025

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl only has to wait a few weeks before he can start to bring in his first signings in the January transfer window.

The former Sheffield Wednesday tactician will be looking to bolster his squad in key areas, despite all of the work that was done by former sporting director Kevin Thelwell in the summer.

Thelwell, along with CEO Patrick Stewart, was recently let go by the Gers and is yet to be replaced, which could mean that Rohl is given a large say in what happens in January.

The key areas Rangers need to strengthen in January

A new centre-forward should be on the agenda for Rangers, despite Bojan Miovski’s brace against Kilmarnock on Saturday, because their strikers have not offered enough in front of goal this season.

Per Transfermarkt, no Rangers number nine has scored more than Miovski’s four goals, with Danilo on three goals, and Youssef Chermiti on one goal, which is why Rohl may want a new marksman to provide goals on a regular basis.

The caveat to this, of course, is that things could change in the next few weeks and if Chermiti, Miovski, or Danilo hit a hot streak and look primed to be the main man up front, then a new striker could fall down the list of priorities.

A creative midfielder should also be on their list. No attacking midfielder or winger in the squad has provided more than one assist or created more than two ‘big chances’ in the Scottish Premiership, per FotMob, which points to a lack of creativity in those areas.

Along with a striker and a creative midfielder or winger, Rohl also needs to push the Light Blues to bring a senior and experienced left-back to Ibrox to replace Jayden Meghoma.

Why Rangers need to sign a left-back.

The Brentford loanee, 19, is the only natural left-back at the club at this moment in time, after Thelwell sold Ridvan Yilmaz and Jefte in the summer window.

He has shown some positive signs in possession in recent weeks, though, with a stunning goal against Dundee United and an assist for Mikey Moore against Kilmarnock in the last two league games.

In quotes sourced by PA Media prior to the clash with Kilmarnock, Meghoma reviewed his time at Ibrox so far and said: “The expectation here is really, really high.

“To be honest, I don’t blame the fans either because of the history. We know that as a team, we have to improve. That’s why we were chasing the game so hard. We know that we need to get more positive results. The loan has been amazing. Every experience you have is another learning curve. That’s what I always say. For me, it’s all an experience and I’m learning new things as I’ve been here. For me, it’s a fantastic experience.

“I think you mould quite well here as a player. Every experience I get here, I wouldn’t gain anywhere else. The experience alone is invaluable and it’s one of the best places to play in football at my age, especially.”

As the full-back said himself, he is gaining vital experience in his development by playing regular football at Ibrox, but Rangers have suffered at times as a result of his learning process, and it is Brentford who will benefit from it in the long run, not the Gers.

Meghoma

Premiership

Europa League

Appearances

12

5

Goals

1

0

Key passes per game

0.8

0.4

Assists

2

0

Ground duel success rate

61%

64%

Aerial duel success rate

19%

40%

Error led to shot

2

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Meghoma has particularly struggled in the air as a defender, which is a problem for Rangers when defending set-pieces and crosses into the back post from open play.

It was most evident for Jacob Lungi Sorensen’s goal for Brann in Rohl’s first match. TNT Sports commentator and former Rangers striker Ally McCoist said it was “remarkable” that the teenage defender allowed the Dane to get his head to the ball almost completely unchallenged to score.

Max Aarons has played at left-back, but is a natural right-sider and stunts the progression down that flank, which is why it is so important for the Gers to bring in a natural left-back in January.

The Light Blues need an experienced defender who can be relied upon to deliver consistent performances, without being a defensive liability, so that Rohl has some stability in his backline in the second half of the season.

Signing a proven performer at left-back would also provide Meghoma with a mentor who can help him to continue his development, even if this proposed signing could severely restrict his minutes on the pitch moving forward.

The Brentford loanee may be having an “amazing” time at Ibrox so far, but Rohl must be ruthless to build a squad that can compete for trophies, which is why he must brutally replace the teenager as a starter when the January transfer window opens for business.

Related Bid already submitted: Rangers could sign a "very pacy" Gassama replacement

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The Premier League season is only 15 games old, but it’s already been something of a roller coaster for West Ham United.

For the first couple of months, with Graham Potter in charge, it looked like the East Londoners were destined for relegation and unable to buy a win.

However, over the last few weeks, new boss Nuno Espírito Santo has helped to turn the ship around, and while they’re still in the relegation zone, the Hammers have lost just one of their last six games.

However, there are still problems on and off the pitch, including the fact that they’ll likely have to sell Lucas Paqueta in the summer, but before they do that, West Ham should get rid of someone else in the winter window.

Why West Ham should sell Paqueta

Now, the first thing to say here is that, at his very best, Paqueta has a claim to be one of the most exciting and talented attacking midfielders in the Premier League.

However, the problem is that he hasn’t been at, or really anywhere near, his scintillating best for quite some time.

For example, while he managed a brilliant haul of 15 goal involvements in 23/24, he then followed that up with just five last season, and so far this year, he’s produced just four.

Paqueta’s recent form
Seaon	24/25	25/26
Appearances	36	14
Minutes	2536′	1217′
Goals	5	4
Assists	0	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, it’s hard to make a case that his performances over the last year and a half have justified his sizable £150k-per-week wage.

Speaking of his contract, the next reason the Hammers should probably be looking to sell the former Lyon star is the fact that he’ll have just a year left on his deal in the summer.

Therefore, he’ll either need to be handed another bumper contract or be sold to protect his valuation.

Finally, the 28-year-old revealed that he almost forced a move back to Flamengo in the summer. So it’s not impossible to imagine he’ll want to leave sooner or later, which comes back to the idea that the Hammers should be the ones to instigate his departure at the end of the season and protect his value.

With all that said, there is another player, someone far less important to the side, that West Ham should look to move on before Paqeuta.

The West Ham flop Nuno has to sell

With West Ham improving over the last month or so, fewer players are sticking out for the wrong reasons, but one who continues to disappoint is Max Kilman.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star joined the Hammers for a whopping £40m fee in the summer of 2024.

Since then, while there have been the odd moments in which he’s looked like a quality centre-back, the Englishman has largely been a flop and someone who has been more of a hindrance at the back than a help.

For example, in the 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford earlier this season, the 6 foot 4 titan was partly to blame for both goals and looked miles off the pace and, in the words of one content creator, was “shocking.”

Worryingly, his former manager, Gary O’Neil, went into detail about some of his weaknesses and described him as someone who likes to “switch off” during games.

That does not sound like the kind of defender you want in the backline when fighting to stay in the Premier League, and, based on reports, it seems Nuno would agree.

According to a story from earlier this week, the Irons would be willing to part ways with the centre-back should someone make an offer of around £25m, and reports from earlier in the season claimed that Crystal Palace were interested in the defender.

On top of the eye test, another reason the club should perhaps lower their asking price is the fact that his underlying numbers are dire.

According to FBref, the Chelsea-born dud ranks in the bottom 45% of centre-backs in the Premier League for pass completion, the bottom 18% for tackles, the bottom 14% for progressive passes, and the bottom 9% for interceptions, all per 90.

Ultimately, while West Ham will likely need to sell Paqueta in the summer, they must sell Kilman first, as he simply isn’t good enough.

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Birmingham City have now reportedly sent scouts to watch an impressive teenage talent as they look to battle Crystal Palace for his signature.

Birmingham looking to bounce back after "disappointing" Saints defeat

It’s been a solid return for Birmingham in the Championship so far this season. The Blues sit eighth, despite falling to a frustrating 3-1 defeat against Southampton, and could move into the play-off places with victory over Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Manager Chris Davies will be desperate for a better performance than in midweek, having told reporters at full-time: “It’s a disappointing result for us. We lost the game in that first 20 minutes, we weren’t strong enough, we weren’t quick enough onto the ball, and paid the price with two soft goals from our point of view.

“They weren’t hard goals to score from their point of view and that gave us a real mountain to climb at a difficult away venue. After that I thought there was a lot of good, a lot of territory, we had our own chances and we managed to get back into it at 2-1.

“If we keep it there then it’s all on to finish the game and get something out of it but to concede the third goal on the break away puts us in another difficult position.

“From our point of view it was about having urgency and aggression to start the game, but unfortunately we didn’t have that. We had a few moments defensively where we weren’t strong enough, they got shots off far too easily. We have to learn from this one very quickly and move on.”

Davies’ disappointment highlights just how high the expectations are at St. Andrew’s and those expectations could be backed up by Birmingham’s ambition to sign talented teen Adam Brennan in 2026.

Birmingham sends scouts to watch Brennan

According to Football Insider, Birmingham are now battling Crystal Palace to sign Brennan from Republic of Ireland side UCD. The Blues’ scouts were spotted watching the 18-year-old in action and they could now make their move when 2026 arrives.

It’s not just Palace and Birmingham interested, however. Both Hull City and Wrexham are also interested in the teenager, who could yet be lured in by the red carpet in Wales.

There’s a big decision to make for the attacking midfielder and Birmingham should be hoping that their Premier League ambitions at least put them ahead of their Championship rivals.

Whilst Brennan is one for the future, beating Crystal Palace to his signature would certainly send an impressive statement from St. Andrew’s.

In a statement, Smriti Mandhana says “it’s time to move forward”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2025

Smriti Mandhana was India’s top-scorer at the women’s ODI World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

India batter Smriti Mandhana has confirmed that her wedding has been “called off”. She and music composer Palash Muchhal were scheduled to marry on November 23, but it was initially postponed after Mandhana’s father was hospitalised.Mandhana appealed for privacy in her statement on Instagram. “Over the past few weeks there has been plenty of speculation around my life and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time,” she wrote in her post. “I am a very private person and I would like to keep it that way but I need to clarify that the wedding is called off.”I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. I request you to please respect the privacy of both families at this time and allow us the space to process and move on at our own pace.”I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all and for me that has always been representing my country at the highest level,” she wrote. “I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible and that is where my focus will forever be.”She concluded her statement by saying, “It’s time to move forward.”Mandhana was the second-highest run-scorer during India’s successful campaign in the recent women’s ODI World Cup, with 434 runs at an average of 54.25.Her next assignment is the five-T20I series against Sri Lanka at home from December 21 to 30, after which she will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 WPL from January 9. RCB play the opening game of the season against Mumbai Indians in Navi Mumbai.

If Chelsea’s draw against Arsenal showed them at their best, the last week of results has shown them at their worst.

Enzo Maresca’s side were just six points off the Premier League leaders after their match against them, but a defeat away to Leeds United and a draw away to Bournemouth now sees them eight points adrift and in fifth place.

It’s been a frustrating week for the Blues and one that has shown that, for all their talent, they are still vulnerable and have more than a few week links.

In fact, one of those weak links could be Chelsea’s biggest liability since Tiémoué Bakayoko.

Tiémoué Bakayoko's Chelsea career

In the 16/17 season, AS Moncao shocked the world by mounting a surprising and successful title charge, their first to end in glory for well over a decade.

Chalkboard

That side was full of incredible players who’d go on to have glittering careers, like Kylian Mbappé, Bernardo Silva and Fabinho.

However, instead of signing any of them, Chelsea opted to splash north of £40m on Bakayoko, who, to be fair to the club, did look like a star in the making at the time.

Unfortunately, once he arrived in England, it was clear that he was anything but.

The Frenchman made 43 appearances across the 17/18 season, but very rarely, if ever, looked convincing, be that in possession or out of it.

The midfielder’s most notable performance in Blue just so happened to also be his worst, when, against Watford in February 2018, he was sent off just 30 minutes into the game.

In all, while he was once a hugely promising midfielder, Bakayoko is now known as a flop in England.

Following a slew of loans, he joined Lorient in 2023 before moving to PAOK last summer, and is now without a club at just 31 years old.

Unfortunately for Maresca, he might now have Chelsea’s biggest liability since the Frenchman in his current squad.

Chelsea's biggest liability since Bakayoko

Now, there are a few players Chelsea need to sell as soon as possible, but if you were to ask fans who in the first team needs to go first, most would likely land on Tosin Adarabioyo.

The Blues signed the Englishman for free after his contract with Fulham expired last summer, and while he has been a useful stand-in at times, it has become increasingly clear this season that he’s a problem.

For example, in the last five games he has started, the West Londoners have conceded 11 goals and won just two, drawing one and losing the other two.

Moreover, while the entire backline should be held to account for some of those goals, the 28-year-old has made some high-profile and almost comical mistakes.

Against Leeds United, for example, Dominic Calvert-Lewin only scored his goal because the Englishman lost control of the ball within the Blues’ penalty area.

It was a mistake Chelsea fan and content creator Tom Overend branded “utterly embarrassing”, and while that might sound harsh, it’s hard to dispute.

Minutes

96′

Tackles

1

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (1)

Fouls

2

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Touches

121

Shots

1

Key Passes

0

Expected G+As

0.07

It’s not just the eye-test where the defender fails, either: according to FBref, he ranks in the top 43% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles won and in the bottom 4% of dribblers tackled, all per 90.

In other words, he’s not proactive enough at the back, and even when he is, he isn’t very effective.

Ultimately, it’s clear that Tosin is not good enough to play for Chelsea, and therefore, the club should look to move him on as soon as possible, for everyone’s sake.

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علق إبراهيم حسن، مدير منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، على قرعة كأس العالم 2026 والتواجد مع منتخبات بلجيكا وإيران ونيوزيلندا.

وأسفرت قرعة كأس العالم 2026، عن تواجد منتخب مصر بقيادة حسام حسن في المجموعة السابعة، وتضم منتخبات بلجيكا وإيران ومصر ونيوزيلندا.

طالع | منافس منتخب مصر في كأس العالم 2026 حال التأهل من دور المجموعات

وتنطلق منافسات بطولة كأس العالم، خلال الفترة من 11 يونيو وحتى 19 يوليو 2026، بمشاركة 48 منتخبًا، في كندا والمكسيك والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وقال إبراهيم حسن لبرنامج “الناظر” مع أحمد شوبير على قناة “النهار”: “شعوري بتواجدي في محفل مثل قرعة كأس العالم فخر وشرف كبير جدًا، في حضور رئيس أمريكا ورئيس الاتحاد الدولي وأساطير العالم، الأمر لم يكن سهلًا”.

وتابع: “قبل القرعة تحدثنا مع بعض المنتخبات لكي نخوض مباريات ودية معهم، كان من ضمنها إيران، وبعد القرعة تحدثنا مع بعض المنتخبات مثل ألمانيا ومع مدرب إسبانيا”.

وأكمل: “واجهنا منتخب بلجيكا من قبل ويضم لاعبين أقوياء جدًا، مجموعتنا أفضل من غيرنا، لو عملنا حساباتنا بشكل صحيح”.

واختتم: “نتمنى تكون خطوة أولى في تاريخ مصر، والتأهل من دور المجموعات بالعمل وليس بالكلام، طموحي أنا وحسام حسن ليس له حدود، أهم شيء المساندة والمنظومة تكون في ظهرنا”.