NEWS – Football Flame

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike to miss 2026 World Cup

15Apr

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike to miss 2026 World Cup

Hugo Ekitiké #22 of Liverpool FC reacts after his injury during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on April 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England.Liverpool and France striker Hugo Ekitike sustained a ruptured right Achilles tendon and will miss at least nine months, including the 2026 World Cup.Sources told ESPN, L'Equipe and Le Parisien about Ekitike's status Wednesday.The striker was hurt in the first half of the Reds' 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League quarterfinal Tuesday in Liverpool, England.The Reds have yet to confirm the injury, which led to Ekitike being taken off the field on a stretcher.Coach Arne Slot told reporters Tuesday that he didn't expect Ekitike to return...

Czechs reach football World Cup for first time in two decades

1Apr

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Czechs reach football World Cup for first time in two decades

Czech Republic's headcoach Miroslav Koubek (C) gestures from the sidelines during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification final football match Czech Republic vs Denmark on March 31, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic.The Czech Republic’s footballers have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 20 years after overcoming Denmark in their playoff final in Prague on Tuesday night. The Czechs twice went ahead and twice saw the visitors equalise before they eventually won the match at Sparta Prague’s stadium on penalties, just as they had against Ireland in a playoffs semi-final. Coach Miroslav Koubek’s team will be in a group with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea at the World Cup, which starts in North America in June.

Tonali leads Italy past Northern Ireland and into World Cup playoff final

27Mar

By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

NEWS

Tonali leads Italy past Northern Ireland and into World Cup playoff final

Sandro Tonali of Italy celebrates a goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Italy and Northern Ireland at Stadio di Bergamo on March 26, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy.Italy finally won a match in the World Cup playoffs. Now the four-time champion needs to win one more to avoid failing to qualify for a third straight time. The Azzurri beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in the European semifinals on Thursday. Sandro Tonali broke the deadlock with a half-volley early in the second half for Italy at home in Bergamo and then set up another goal for Moise Kean. "After taking the lead, we cleared our minds," Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said. "We put in a good performance. This should be a confidence boost for Tuesday. We have to win. We have no other choice." Also ad...

Cristiano Ronaldo’s son trains with Real Madrid

25Mar

By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

NEWS

Cristiano Ronaldo’s son trains with Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Jr of Portugal U16 during the U16 Men match between Portugal U16 v Holland U16 at the Complexo Desportivo on February 14, 2026 in Vila Real de Santo Antonio Portugal.Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, has trained with Real Madrid’s academy, raising hopes of a possible move soon. The 15 year old took part in sessions with the club’s under 16 side earlier this week according to Athletic's report. Is he going to join the famous La Fabrica? We don't know, yet. Ronaldo Jr is currently with Al Nassr’s youth setup in Saudi Arabia, following his father’s move in 2022. But a switch to Madrid would be a special one. It is the same club where Cristiano Ronaldo became a global icon, scoring 450 goals in 438 matches and winning multiple trophies. The y...

Ronaldo sends fitness updates amid 2026 FIFA World Cup concern

23Mar

By Silver Emmanuel4 Comments

NEWS

Ronaldo sends fitness updates amid 2026 FIFA World Cup concern

Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr warming up prior the Saudi Pro League match between Al Najmah and Al Nassr at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.Cristiano Ronaldo responded to concerns regarding his fitness in his own original way. Last month, he suffered a hamstring injury during a match for Al Nassr.The Saudi Pro League club confirmed his injury but didn't provide a timeline for his return.He has also been excluded from Portugal's squad for their upcoming international friendlies.Even the Portugal national team hasn't revealed a timeline for his return.But head coach Roberto Martinez has already dismissed fears that he might miss the upcoming FIFA World Cup, claiming it is not a serious injury and that he will recover bef...

O’Reilly the hero as Man City beat Arsenal to win EFL Cup

22Mar

By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

NEWS

O’Reilly the hero as Man City beat Arsenal to win EFL Cup

Rodrigo, Omar Marmoush,Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City celebrate with the trophy after the Carabao Cup Final match Arsenal and between Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England.Manchester City ended Arsenal's bid for an historic quadruple with a deserved victory in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.Nico O'Reilly scored twice in four second-half minutes as Pep Guardiola's side overpowered the Premier League leaders with an outstanding display.It was a day of pain for Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta, whose decision to keep faith with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in this competition instead of first choice David Raya backfired badly.Kepa gifted City their first goal on the hour when he dropped Rayan Cherki's routine cro...

Inter Miami star Messi scores milestone 900th goal, joining Ronaldo

19Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Inter Miami star Messi scores milestone 900th goal, joining Ronaldo

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF looks on during the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 Second Leg match between Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC at Chase Stadium on March 18, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Cristian Espinoza fired home the second-half goal that sent Nashville SC to the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, knocking out Inter Miami on a milestone night for Argentinian star Lionel Messi.The match ended 1-1 on Wednesday night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, leaving the teams level 1-1 in the two-game, total-goal match. Nashville advanced on the away-goals tiebreaker.Messi opened the scoring in the seventh minute with his 900th career goal for club and country, but reigning MLS Cup champion Miami couldn’t find the net again.Nashville advance to meet either the...

YouTube and FIFA team up for the FIFA World Cup 2026

18Mar

By Silver Emmanuel11 Comments

NEWS

YouTube and FIFA team up for the FIFA World Cup 2026

The emblem of the 2026 World Cup was unveiled at the 2026 Appliance&Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai, China on March 12, 2026.YouTube to become a “Preferred Platform” for fans, media partners and creators to experience the football tournament. YouTube and FIFA announced that YouTube has officially partnered with FIFA to become a Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026. This game-changing partnership between the two organisations will provide audiences with more ways to enjoy the tournament. “FIFA is delighted to welcome YouTube as a Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026. By spotlighting FIFA’s premium content and unlocking new opportunities for Media Partners and creators, this agreement will engage global fans in ways never seen before,” said FIFA Secretary ...

Europa League: Nottingham suffer first-leg loss to Midtjylland

13Mar

By Silver Emmanuel12 Comments

NEWS

Europa League: Nottingham suffer first-leg loss to Midtjylland

Midtjylland's Gue-Sung Cho scores their side's first goal of the game during the UEFA Europa League round of sixteen, first leg match at the City Ground, Nottingham. Picture date: Thursday March 12, 2026.Nottingham Forest suffered another Europa League defeat to Midtjylland after Cho Gue-sung’s late header earned the Danish side a 1-0 win at the City Ground in the last-16 first leg. Forest were aiming to avenge their previous loss to Midtjylland, who came to Nottingham back in October and won 3-2, but were unable to stop history from repeating itself to leave the Reds trailing heading into the return fixture next week. The home side could not find a way past goalkeeper Elias Rafn Olafsson, who made a string of saves to keep it goalless at the break. Severe weather conditions in the se...

Aston Villa to face Lille again in Europa League last 16

27Feb

By Silver Emmanuel9 Comments

NEWS

Aston Villa to face Lille again in Europa League last 16

Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, gestures during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United at Villa Park on February 14, 2026 in Birmingham, England.Unai Emery's Villa, who finished second in the league phase of this season's competition, behind another French side in Lyon, will go to northern France for the first leg on March 12 before the return in Birmingham on March 19.Aston Villa will play Lille for the second time in three seasons after the sides were drawn together Friday in the last 16 of the Europa League, while Nottingham Forest have a rematch against Midtjylland of Denmark.Unai Emery's Villa, who finished second in the league phase of this season's competition, behind another French side in Lyon, will go to northern F...

Europa league: Winning start for new boss Pereira as Forest win in Istanbul

20Feb

By Silver Emmanuel13 Comments

NEWS

Europa league: Winning start for new boss Pereira as Forest win in Istanbul

Igor Jesus of Nottingham Forest scores his team's second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Fenerbahce SK and Nottingham Forest FC at Fenerbahce Sükrü Saracoglu Spor Kompleksi on February 19, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.Nottingham Forest welcomed new manager Vitor Pereira by seizing a commanding 3-0 victory away to Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Europa League play-offs. Pereira, who replaced Sean Dyche earlier this week, saw his team overcome a hostile atmosphere at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium by taking control through a clinical Igor Jesus brace. The Brazilian forward has been the central figure of Forest’s European charge this season, and his double tonight took his continental tally to seven. Morgan Gibbs-White added a third shortly after the br...

16Feb

By Silver Emmanuel14 Comments

NEWS

Arsenal put four past Wigan in FA Cup

Eberechi Eze of Arsenal is challenged by Jack Hunt of Wigan Athletic during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Wigan Athletic on February 15, 2026 in London, England.Arsenal scored four goals in the opening 30 minutes as they cruised past Wigan to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in six years. The Premier League leaders dominated the League One strugglers from the outset and opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Eberechi Eze picked up the ball near the halfway line and played a defence-splitting pass for Noni Madueke who finished confidently past Sam Tickle. The hosts doubled their advantage seven minutes later, with Eze again providing an excellent assist - this time for Gabriel Martinelli to finish into the corner. Arsenal extended their lead wh...

Liverpool defeat Brighton to cruise into FA Cup fifth round

15Feb

By Silver Emmanuel7 Comments

NEWS

Liverpool defeat Brighton to cruise into FA Cup fifth round

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on February 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England.Mohamed Salah gave one of his best performances of the season as Liverpool breezed past Brighton into the fifth round of the FA Cup on a chilly Saturday night on Merseyside. The Egyptian troubled highly rated Brighton left-back Ferdi Kadioglu all night, and it was only a matter of time before this attacking play showed on the scoresheet. Before then, another standout player in Liverpool red helped his side get off the mark. Milos Kerkez has grown into the left-back role this season ahead of club legend Andy Robertson, and put in a performance here that was only matched by...

Ireland to face Israel in upcoming Nations League

12Feb

By Silver Emmanuel9 Comments

NEWS

Ireland to face Israel in upcoming Nations League

A general view of UEFA Nations League branding prior to the UEFA Nations League 2026/28 League Phase Draw at Brussels Expo on February 11, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.The Republic of Ireland will play Israel in the 2026-2027 UEFA Nations League as well as matches with Austria and Kosovo. The two games between Ireland and Israel are likely to be highly politically charged. In November, the FAI voted to submit a motion to UEFA to ban Israel from its European club and international competitions but following today's draw, the association confirmed it would fulfil the upcoming fixtures against Israel. "The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirms that the Ireland Men's National Team will fulfil their 2026 UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel after being drawn together in Group B3...

Arsenal beats Chelsea to reach Carabao Cup final

4Feb

By Silver Emmanuel7 Comments

NEWS

Arsenal beats Chelsea to reach Carabao Cup final

Kai Havertz of Arsenal scores a goal to make it 1-0 during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on February 3, 2026 in London, England.Arsenal took a step closer to winning their first major silverware since 2020 as they beat Chelsea to reach the Carabao Cup final.Leading 3-2 from the first leg, the Gunners had to wait until the 97th minute to seal their progress on a tense evening at the Emirates Stadium.Substitute Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the night deep into injury time, rounding goalkeeper Robert Sanchez before slotting home.Mikel Arteta's men, who are top of the Premier League and still involved in three cup competitions, will face either Manchester City or Newcastle in the final at Wembley next month....

Unai Emery happy with comeback win in Europa League

30Jan

By Silver Emmanuel7 Comments

NEWS

Unai Emery happy with comeback win in Europa League

Unai Emery manger / head coach of Aston Villa applauds the fans at full time during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Aston Villa FC and FC Salzburg at Villa Park on January 29, 2026 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was happy with the way his side reacted to going two goals down after they clinched a place in the Europa League top two with a 3-2 victory over RB Salzburg. Villa were already assured of a place in the last 16 and picked up their seventh win from eight games in the group phase but there was an injury scare as Ollie Watkins was forced off in the first half. Karim Konate took advantage of Tyrone Mings’ error to give Salzburg a half-time advantage and Moussa Yeo’s flick doubled the lead as it looked like Villa would slip ou...

28Jan

By Silver Emmanuel11 Comments

NEWS

Unai Emery looks ahead to Salzburg game

Manager Unai Emery of Aston Villa looks on during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park on January 7, 2026 in London, United Kingdom.Unai Emery has sat down before the media ahead of Aston Villa’s UEFA Europa League meeting with Salzburg. The Villans will be looking to close their league phase campaign with victory on Thursday evening (ko 8pm), after a 1-0 win over Fenerbahçe last week secured their place in the round of 16. And the Villa boss joined the local, national and European outlets for his pre-match media briefing at Bodymoor Heath on Wednesday, discussing Thomas Letsch's side, the thirst to finish as high as possible in the league phase standings and his business in the transfer window. “Abraham, you know him, because he was playing h...

Europa League: Celtic surrender two-goal lead to draw with Bologna

23Jan

By Silver Emmanuel6 Comments

NEWS

Europa League: Celtic surrender two-goal lead to draw with Bologna

Reo Hatate of Celtic receives a red card from referee Vasileios Fotias during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Bologna FC 1909 and Celtic FC at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on January 22, 2026 in Bologna, Italy.Celtic lost a two-goal half-time lead but held on for what could be a precious Europa League point in Bologna. Reo Hatate opened the scoring early on before collecting two yellow cards in three minutes. Auston Trusty doubled Celtic’s lead but Martin O’Neill’s side came under sustained pressure after the interval and goals from Thijs Dallinga and Jonathan Rowe brought Bologna level. Although the Italian side managed 37 attempts at goal in total, both teams had chances to win it before the game finished 2-2. The Celtic fans celebrated the result, which puts ...

Senegal wins AFCON after chaotic final against Morocco

19Jan

By Silver Emmanuel4 Comments

NEWS

Senegal wins AFCON after chaotic final against Morocco

Senegal's forward #10 Sadio Mane holds up the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final football match against Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on January 18, 2026.Senegal were crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions after a chaotic and controversial final in Rabat, edging hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time on Sunday night as scenes bordering on farce threatened to overshadow a gripping contest. Midfielder Pape Gueye struck the decisive blow in the 94th minute, firing past Yassine Bounou to seal Senegal’s second title in three tournaments, but only after an extraordinary sequence of events late in normal time that saw Senegal’s players walk off the pitch in protest at a penalty awarded to the hosts. The flas...

football club scores:Troy Parrott nets hat-trick as AZ Alkmaar beat Ajax 6-0

15Jan

By Silver Emmanuel3 Comments

NEWS

football club scores:Troy Parrott nets hat-trick as AZ Alkmaar beat Ajax 6-0

Troy Parrott of AZ Alkmaar, Davy Klaassen of Ajax, Sven Mijnans of AZ Alkmaar during the Dutch KNVB Beker match between AZ Alkmaar v Ajax at the AFAS Stadium on January 14, 2026 in Alkmaar Netherlands.Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott scored a hat-trick for AZ Alkmaar as they hammered Ajax 6-0 in the Dutch Cup last-16 on Wednesday. It was a stunning win for Alkmaar over the Netherlands' most successful club. Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson was in attendance to watch his star striker bring his tally for the season to 24 goals. Parrott opened the scoring after just two minutes, as the Dubliner pounced on a rebound. He scored his second after 33 minutes as he took the ball from a long pass before brushing off his winner and finishing. Kees Smit and Peer Koopmeiners scored in the...