Bundesliga

5 biggest storylines from the World Cup draw

The stage is set for the 2022 World Cup. Below, we examine the five most compelling storylines from Friday’s draw.

No definitive Group of Death in Qatar

When Lothar Matthaus plucked Germany out of Pot 2 during Friday’s draw in Doha, Qatar, it seemed like he had just set up his country to fail at the 2022 World Cup. Already in the same group as Spain, Germany also faced the possibility of being matched with Africa Cup of Nations champion Senegal and Canada, which finished atop the standings in CONCACAF qualifying.

Germany understands more than most nations the perils of taking the group stage lightly. Losses to Mexico and South Korea eliminated the then-defending World Cup champion in the round robin in 2018, setting into motion a period of soul-searching and uncertainty for Die Mannschaft.

Alexander Hassenstein – FIFA / FIFA / Getty

But the rest of the draw went smoothly. Japan – far from the team Keisuke Honda led to the round of 16 in 2010 and 2018 – brings relief as the third team in Group E, and the winner of the intercontinental playoff between Costa Rica and New Zealand will round out the quartet in June.

Spain and Germany will still contest the most exciting match of the group stage, but apart from that, qualifying for the knockout round should be a straightforward assignment for two of Europe’s powerhouse nations.

The rest of the groups look fairly balanced. The weakest is undoubtedly Group A, with Qatar and Ecuador likely to serve as cannon fodder to Senegal and the Netherlands. Group H, with Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea, and Ghana, could end up being the Group of Life, as every team has a realistic shot of advancing.

U.S. and England renew old hostilities

The United States will face England on Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving, in a rematch of the 1-1 draw between the two rivals in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup. It’s also a match that carries political and socioeconomic undertones. The U.S., after all, supplanted Great Britain as a world economic power during the 20th century, and it has since sent many of its sports franchises to the U.K. as a marketing and expansion exercise. But England has always maintained superiority on the pitch.

Martin Rickett – PA Images / PA Images / Getty

“English encounters with the U.S. are freighted with a strange tension, a superiority complex masking deep-rooted anxiety, because if America ever overtakes us in football, then what, as a country, do we have left?” The Guardian’s Tom Dart wrote in 2019.

There’s also some history to explore. At the 1950 World Cup, the U.S. – then composed of amateur players who worked mainly as dishwashers, mailmen, and hearse drivers – upset 3-1 favorite England. The shocking 1-0 win barely made a dent in the American public’s consciousness – The New York Times devoted just two paragraphs to the game – but it stung the English psyche. Bert Williams, England’s goalkeeper for the match, told The Associated Press that it took “a lot of forgetting.”

That remains the U.S.’ only competitive win over England. It now has a chance to reopen old wounds.

Ghana seeking vengeance

Ghana’s out for revenge against Uruguay – and rightfully so. Back in 2010, it was vying to become the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals when Luis Suarez swatted away what would’ve been the winning goal in the 120th minute of play. Although Suarez was sent off for that deliberate handball, Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent penalty kick, and Uruguay won the ensuing shootout, earning social-pariah status as the team that knocked out Africa’s only remaining hope in the first World Cup to ever take place in the continent.

Michael Steele / Getty Images Sport / Getty

“We thought we had clearly won that particular game but for that save from Suarez,” Kurt Okraku, president of Ghana’s football association, told BBC Sport Africa on Friday. “It is very interesting for us to pitch against them again, obviously with fond memories (this time around).

“It is important that we all set the record straight.”

After that match, Suarez reportedly told the media “the hand of God belongs to me,” referencing Diego Maradona’s goal against England at the 1986 World Cup.

Canada has upset potential

Canada was arguably the toughest team to come out of Pot 4. Only a loss to Panama on Wednesday – with a heavily rotated starting lineup – denied the Canadians a place in Pot 3. Given the U.S. and Mexico, two of the eight teams in Pot 2, each lost to their northern rivals in CONCACAF qualifying, Canada could’ve claimed an even higher place in the draw.

This group of players, led by striker Jonathan David and the omnipresent Alphonso Davies, has the talent and willpower to cause an upset in Qatar. That’s especially true in Group F, which is more manageable than it looks. Belgium and Croatia will enter as the favorites to advance, but despite holding the No. 1 ranking for much of the past two years, the Belgians remain an aging group that mainly feasts on European minnows.

The same goes for Croatia, which is far from the team that made the 2018 World Cup final. Captain Luka Modric continues to anchor the squad at 36 years old, but without Mario Mandzukic – who retired in 2021 – or Ante Rebic – in exile after a spat with head coach Zlatko Dalic – the national team is entering its endgame.

Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images Sport / Getty

“Canada, for us, was always a hidden threat,” Belgium’s head coach, Roberto Martinez, told TSN’s Matthew Scianitti after the draw.

Martinez added: “It’s been very impressive to see this Canadian team with the consistency, with the energy, with the youth, with the team spirit that they have. … We know that we’ll be facing a team that is together.”

Morocco has some star power – full-back Achraf Hakimi plays for Paris Saint-Germain, and goalscorer Youssef En-Nesyri leads the line for Sevilla, La Liga’s second-placed team – but its recent results don’t instill much fear. It recently lost to Egypt – which didn’t even qualify for the World Cup – and managed most of its wins against the likes of Sudan and Guinea-Bissau.

Juicy quarterfinal matchups on tap

If things go to plan, the quarterfinals could pit England against France, the Netherlands against Argentina, and Spain against Brazil. That would put six of the top eight betting favorites in an early bind and potentially open a path to the semifinals for Portugal, which could avoid some of the mayhem at the top of the knockout bracket if it finishes atop Group H and enters the bottom half. Portugal would then face either Switzerland or Serbia in the round of 16 before meeting Belgium or Germany. Even then, it’s not much of a consolation.

Potential matchups

The quarterfinals four years ago were fairly underwhelming: France beat Uruguay, Belgium upset Brazil, Croatia edged out Russia, and England knocked off Sweden. The prospects are much more tantalizing this time around. Can Lionel Messi avoid disappointment in what is likely to be his last World Cup appearance? Will Brazil be eliminated in the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five tournaments? And is England ready to take the next step?

Bundesliga

Ranking the 10 best deals of the January transfer window

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With a quiet January transfer window now complete, theScore ranks the 10 best moves made across the game’s top leagues.

10. Gift Orban ?? Lyon

Isosport/MB Media / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Details: Signed from Gent for reported €12M fee

There were some concerns when Gent signed Orban in January 2023. His scoring record of 20 goals in just 21 starts was clearly impressive, but that was in Norway’s second tier. Those reservations were soon forgotten as he amassed nine goals and two assists over 10 Belgian Pro League appearances and struck five times in five Conference League outings. His productivity has since slowed, but €12 million for an intensely competitive 21-year-old striker could prove extremely fruitful business for Lyon. Orban’s outgoing personality should also be a welcome addition to the dressing room.

9. Timo Werner ?? Tottenham

Details: Signed on loan from RB Leipzig with reported €17M option to buy

Like many transfers in the January window, bringing in Werner presented a low-risk deal for Tottenham. If it works out, €17 million is an affordable sum for a forward of Werner’s pedigree. The German was largely ineffective over his first two appearances but was much better in his third outing, setting up Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson for goals in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Brentford. His incredible work ethic and pace, paired with Ange Postecoglou’s ability to instill belief in his players, could make this a great move for both parties.

8. Said Benrahma ?? Lyon

Details: Signed from West Ham in deal worth up to €20.4M

Lyon fought for this one, and it should pay off. After battling some administrative issues, the Ligue 1 side completed the deal a day later than expected, announcing Benrahma had joined on an initial €6-million loan deal that could become permanent for another €14.4 million. It’s a low-risk move that should enliven Lyon’s struggling attack. Benrahma’s a functional system player who can break games open and change their pace with the flick of a foot. Though he started just five times for West Ham in the Premier League this season, he hasn’t lost those progressive traits.

7. Marcos Leonardo ?? Benfica

Zed Jameson/MB Media / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Details: Signed from Santos for reported €18M fee

You just know Benfica are onto something here. They always are. Leonardo arrives from Santos in a deal that could look like a bargain in the years to come. Despite playing for one of the worst Santos sides in its 111-year history, the 20-year-old still managed to score 26 goals in 66 league appearances. He’s an old-school striker who loves to hang in the penalty area, and if Benfica can provide him with the right service, he’ll have no issues doubling that goal-scoring return.

6. Tommaso Baldanzi ?? Roma

Details: Signed from Empoli for reported €15M fee

The deal for Baldanzi is perfect in nearly every sense. Roma get a long-term replacement for Paulo Dybala without breaking the bank or running further afoul of Financial Fair Play regulations. The future Italian international also satisfies the club’s long-held preference for central attacking midfielders. Baldanzi even idolized Dybala during his formative years at Empoli. He could’ve waited to go to a club fighting for trophies, but he’ll get far more playing time at Roma, especially if Dybala’s injury issues persist.

5. Adam Wharton ?? Crystal Palace

Details: Signed from Blackburn Rovers for reported initial £18M fee

Crystal Palace are no strangers to fishing in the EFL. They plucked the thrilling double act of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise from the Championship, and it took an impressive loan spell at Swansea City to convince the Eagles to sign Marc Guehi from Chelsea. Wharton is the next to join that contingent. The 19-year-old will bring some much-needed solidity to the midfield, but his admiration of Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, and Rodri hints at how much he treasures possession. He displays so much composure while he instigates attacks from the base of midfield.

4. Valentin Barco ?? Brighton & Hove Albion

Details: Signed from Boca Juniors for reported $10M fee

Tipping a player that Brighton & Hove Albion bought to shine usually works out, right? For a modest fee, the south coast club has acquired a cocksure 19-year-old who can play in any position down the left and also appeared across the midfield for Boca Juniors. Barco is a slippery operator, regularly dribbling past opponents and becoming difficult to track down once he’s wriggled free, and he’s constantly trying to ignite attacks with probing passes. It might take time for him to be a regular in Roberto De Zerbi’s lineup, but this signing should be yet another example of the Seagulls’ South American scouting network striking gold.

3. Jadon Sancho ?? Borussia Dortmund

Details: Signed on loan from Manchester United

Sancho is back at Dortmund – albeit temporarily – after leaving for Manchester United for around €85 million in 2021. The winger had a much-documented spat with Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag, and it’s difficult to envision a route back into the first team while the Dutchman’s in charge. By contrast, Sancho has been given a warm welcome in Germany, with club executives claiming he has no disciplinary issues and is in fine condition after being frozen out at United. It seems Sancho is in an ideal environment to revive his career.

2. Claudio Echeverri ?? Manchester City

Details: Signed from River Plate for reported £12.5M fee

Manchester City continue to bet on young talent during the January transfer window. Highly rated midfielder Echeverri follows in the footsteps of Julian Alvarez as the latest under-23 South American to sign for, if not necessarily join, the Premier League champions in the winter. Like Alvarez, whom City also signed from River Plate, Echeverri has been sent back to his boyhood club on loan for the year, allowing him to continue his development in a controlled environment. He’ll then arrive in Manchester in January 2025. City continue to hit the right note, never panicking while other clubs scramble for that elusive extra oomph to end the season.

1. Arthur Vermeeren ?? Atletico Madrid

Angel Martinez / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Details: Signed from Royal Antwerp for reported €18M fee

At just 18, Vermeeren already boasts plenty of experience. He played more minutes than any other player in Belgium’s top flight over 2023 and even captained Royal Antwerp during this season’s Champions League group stage. The midfielder has already won the Belgian league, cup, and super cup, too. Vermeeren might lack some physicality – and that weakness might not seem ideal when he’s going to play under the combative Diego Simeone – but he has a Koke-esque knack of progressing play while producing more interceptions, blocks, and clearances than the Atletico Madrid veteran. An €18-million deal is a bargain for someone who could become one of Europe’s leading midfielders.

Honorable mentions: Fabio Carvalho (Hull City), Radu Dragusin (Tottenham Hotspur)

Bundesliga

Transfer Deadline Day Live: Breaking down all the major deals, rumors

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Transfer deadline day is in full swing. We’re providing live, quick-hit analysis of the biggest deals and rumors until tonight’s 6 p.m. ET deadline.

Give Chelsea all of your money

Chelsea are the headline act again at the transfer deadline – but playing a different role entirely. Languishing in 10th place in the Premier League standings and without Champions League football on the horizon, the cash-guzzling Blues desperately need funds to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations ahead of the 2024-25 season. Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher are reportedly up for sale, not because they’re angling to leave but because they offer the juiciest profit margin. Chelsea are raising academy graduates for financial slaughter, having pawned off Lewis Hall, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Mason Mount for tens of millions of pounds in pure profit over the last six months. Fulham are interested in taking Broja off Chelsea’s hands, just not at the quoted £50-million asking price, according to BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty. A loan deal could be a welcome compromise.

Bayern getting instant relief

Bayern are closing out the window strong. Signing Sacha Boey from Galatasaray for a reported €30 million solves a crisis at the right-back position, where midfielder Konrad Laimer and left-back Raphael Guerreiro have split time as square-peg-round-hole replacements for the injured Noussair Mazraoui. Further injuries to wingers Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman forced Bayern to bring in 22-year-old Granada winger Bryan Zaragoza six months ahead of his expected move to the Bavarians. The deals give Bayern the depth they need to continue competing on all fronts. Given their sputtering form and a surprisingly sustained challenge from Bundesliga title rivals Bayer Leverkusen, they need all the help they can get.

No place like home for Hojbjerg

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s future at Tottenham Hotspur has been up in the air since Antonio Conte left the club in March 2023 – and it’ll be suspended in motion for a while longer. Hojbjerg, one of former manager Conte’s soldiers in midfield, has made just five Premier League starts under Ange Postecoglou. And while he remains on the periphery of Postecoglou’s plans, Hojbjerg remains committed to the cause. He doesn’t lack options – Juventus, Napoli, Ajax, and Lyon reportedly expressed interest in the midfielder – but still feels part of something big in north London. Credit to Postecoglou for making a player with such limited minutes feel connected to the cause.

Forest keep wheeling and dealing

Nottingham Forest are sticking to their usual deadline-day formula. Having closed out the 2023 summer transfer window with an incredible seven signings, Forest are back to juggling negotiations. They’ve completed the signing of highly rated Portuguese striker Rodrigo Ribeiro from Sporting CP and Gio Reyna on loan from Borussia Dortmund. Forest are also reportedly flying in Strasbourg goalkeeper Matz Sels after abandoning talks with Crystal Palace over shot-stopper Sam Johnstone. They’re allowing some departures, too, with Serge Aurier expected to leave for Galatasaray and Orel Mangala heading for Lyon.

Other deals to watch today …

Said Benrahma to Lyon
Stefano Sensi to Leicester City
Tommaso Baldanzi to Roma
Hugo Ekitike to Eintracht Frankfurt
Antonio Nusa to Brentford
Bryan Gil to Brighton & Hove Albion
Enes Unal to Bournemouth
Serge Aurier to Galatasaray
Thomas Meunier to Burnley
Rafa Mir to Valencia
Maxwel Cornet to Crystal Palace
Matz Sels to Nottingham Forest

Bundesliga

The Best FIFA awards: Follow live as Messi, Bonmati eye more trophies

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World football’s top players and managers of 2023 are being recognized at The Best FIFA Football Awards show on Monday. Below, theScore is tracking all the winners of the various trophies handed out in London.

Best Men’s Player finalists

Erling Haaland (Manchester City and Norway)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain and France)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami and Argentina)

Can Messi get one over on Mbappe yet again? The Argentine will look to retain the honor he won last year when he beat out his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate. The two superstars will face stiff competition from Manchester City striker Haaland for FIFA’s top individual prize, which was inaugurated in 2016 following the governing body’s split with Ballon d’Or organizer France Football. For this year’s award, accomplishments from Dec. 19, 2022, to Aug. 20, 2023, were taken into consideration by voters.

2022 winner: Lionel Messi

Best Women’s Player finalists

Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona and Spain)
Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid and Colombia)
Jennifer Hermoso (Tigres and Spain)

Bonmati can cap one of the most dominant individual seasons in the history of women’s soccer on Monday. The World Cup-winning midfielder, already having captured the Ballon d’Or and various other accolades over the last 12 months, is looking to succeed compatriot Putellas, who won this award in each of the last two years. The qualifying period for this year’s honor was Aug. 1, 2022, to Aug. 20, 2023, the date of the most recent Women’s World Cup final, which saw Bonmati’s Spain defeat England.

2022 winner: Alexia Putellas

Puskas Award finalists

One of the sport’s most coveted individual trophies. This year’s Puskas Award, given to the scorer of the best goal, covers the period between Dec. 19, 2022, and Aug. 20, 2023. Finalists include a long-range strike to conclude an excellent team move, a sensational bicycle kick, and a perfect rabona.

2022 winner: Marcin Oleksy

Best Men’s Coach finalists

Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)
Luciano Spalletti (Napoli)

A trio of club managers are vying for the men’s coaching award; though Spalletti is the current Italy boss, his nomination came on the back of an enchanting title-winning campaign at Napoli. The two tacticians who were on the touchline for last season’s Champions League final, Guardiola and Inzaghi, square off once again, with the Manchester City boss considered the favorite after his team’s historic treble-winning season.

2022 winner: Lionel Scaloni

Best Women’s Coach finalists

Jonatan Giraldez (Barcelona)
Emma Hayes (Chelsea)
Sarina Wiegman (England)

A mixture of club and international coaches are vying for this prize. Wiegman and Hayes are the two most recent winners. The England manager has taken the award home on three occasions, more than any other bench boss (male or female). Giraldez, meanwhile, is looking for his first FIFA honor.

2022 winner: Sarina Wiegman

Best Men’s Goalkeeper finalists

Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal and Morocco)
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid and Belgium)
Ederson (Manchester City and Brazil)

Bounou helped Sevilla win yet another Europa League crown in 2022-23 before departing for Saudi Arabia, while Ederson backstopped Manchester City to a trio of titles during the club’s record-breaking campaign. Courtois is the only finalist to have won this award before.

2022 winner: Emiliano Martinez

Best Women’s Goalkeeper finalists

Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham and Australia)
Catalina Coll (Barcelona and Spain)
Mary Earps (Manchester United and England)

Three netminders who shone brightly at the 2023 Women’s World Cup will battle for this accolade. Coll helped Spain take home the title, while Arnold and Earps have become cult heroes in their respective countries. The latter, in particular, is one of the most popular footballers in England thanks to her combination of on-pitch excellence and off-field personality.

2022 winner: Mary Earps