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Karim Benzema has reignited one of the most compelling storylines of his career by revealing he remains fully open to representing France at the 2026 World Cup, despite a turbulent international history that has long suggested his time with Les Bleus is over. Didier Deschamps' men will be looking to regain the global crown in North America, spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe – and Benzema is willing to lend a helping hand to the cause.

• Benzema has played at just one World Cup

  Benzema has only featured at one World Cup, the 2014 edition in Brazil. He was ignored by Raymond Domenech in 2010 and remained in exile during France’s triumphant 2018 campaign as the fallout from the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape scandal left him out in the cold. 

  When he was finally recalled in 2021 under Deschamps, the return was short-lived. He travelled to Qatar in 2022 but suffered an injury during his very first training session. Subsequently, he left the camp in circumstances that raised eyebrows. Despite never announcing an official retirement, his absence from the national team since then has led many to assume the door had quietly shut.

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• Getty
  

  Door open to Les Bleus return

  Yet, speaking to , Benzema made it clear that the notion of him turning down France is simply not true and insisted that football decisions should be governed by purpose rather than politics.

  "I’m a football player. So, I play football. When they call me, I come, I play," he said. "I have goals in my head. I love football and I love winning. I like trophies. That’s what matters most to me. There, I am in my club. If I am called to the national team, I come to play football. And it stops there."

  Despite everything that has happened, the idea of refusing a World Cup return holds no truth for him.

  "It’s not a story of no longer wanting to come back to the French team," he said. "But we have to ask ourselves the question: what am I coming to do with the French team? We are talking about a World Cup. Obviously, these are not things where you have to say: 'No, I don’t want to.' Because it’s a lie to say: 'No, I don’t want to play in a World Cup'."

• Benzema's Al-Ittihad future in doubt?

  While Benzema’s national-team fate is uncertain, his club future also hangs in the balance. The Frenchman swapped Madrid for Jeddah in the summer of 2023, embarking on an ambitious three-year project with Al-Ittihad. His impact has been immediate. Last season, he spearheaded the club to a domestic double of the Saudi Pro League title and the King's Cup, scoring 25 goals across all competitions and establishing himself as one of the defining figures of the Saudi Pro League’s global evolution. His numbers remain largely in line with the output of his final years at the Bernabeu. Yet his contract enters its final six months, and speculation over his next move has intensified.

  "I’m really focused on what I’m doing, whether it’s for these last six months or for after if I extend my contract," Benzema said. "Some people are better placed to talk about all that. Right now, I have six months left on my contract, so I’m completely focused on football."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A European return on the cards?

  Benzema had revealed that he still watches Real Madrid regularly, and the Champions League continues to stir a sense of wonder in him. That feeling makes it impossible to rule out any scenario, including a return to Europe. He even revealed that several European clubs have expressed interest. For him, what matters most is choosing a place where he can continue competing at the highest level and feel valued. 

  "The best thing for me is to continue here, but also not just stay for the sake of staying for a year or two," he told "I can't do that. I think the level of football in the Saudi league is getting better and better. I've been here for three years now, and it keeps getting better and better. It's true that I have offers from Europe. I have to look at everything, choose wisely, and see where I feel comfortable, without forgetting that I feel good here and receive affection from everyone. But we'll see. They ask me for things, and I give them things. Everything's fifty-fifty, but there are things happening. I'm not going to quit football and stop competing in six months."

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar played in the franchise's first series of the season in late March, going 3-for-15 in a four-game sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres.

It was a rough start to the season for the newly acquired outfielder, which was made worse shortly thereafter when he landed an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

Profar returned to the lineup on Wednesday night after completing his three-month long suspension, and made sure to make his debut in front of the home crowd at Truist Field count.

With Atlanta leading the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Profar turned on an 89-mile-per-hour Hunter Strickland changeup and launched a towering solo blast deep into the night.

The no-doubt home run cemented a successful home debut for Profar. The Braves won 8-3, and Profar went 2-for-4 in his return from suspension.

It's been a disappointing season thus far for the Braves, who sit at 39-46 on the year, but the franchise hopes that Profar's return can continue to spark an up-and-down offensive attack in the second half of the season.

Minority owners Red Bull have reportedly told Leeds United to replace Daniel Farke with a manager who has worked with Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Leeds set fresh Farke sack timeline

The pressure is on Farke, who’s looking to avoid his very own Groundhog Day in the Premier League. The German is yet to achieve survival in the Premier League, despite previous attempts with Norwich City, and will be desperate to silence any doubters at Elland Road this season.

It looked for a moment as though the Leeds boss was about to do exactly that against Manchester City last time out, to his credit, only for Pep Guardiola’s side to turn on the style and secure a late 3-2 victory. A point at the Etihad would have been invaluable for those in Yorkshire, but they now play host to Chelsea this Wednesday with Farke under increasing pressure.

According to The Guardian, defeat against both Chelsea and Liverpool could spell the end for Farke at Elland Road. On paper, that may seem harsh. After all, Leeds are facing the world champions who just earned a point against Arsenal with 10 men and the Premier League champions, albeit during a tumultuous period for the Reds.

That is the harsh reality of the Premier League, though, and Leeds are seemingly willing to act as early as possible in an attempt to avoid the drop. As such, names like Ange Postecoglou have already been mentioned as potential candidates recently, but Red Bull have reportedly recommended Zsolt Low instead.

Red Bull tell Leeds to hire Zsolt Low

As reported by TeamTalk, Red Bull have told Leeds to hire Low to replace Farke if they decide to part ways with the German. The minority owners don’t have a say on sporting matters but are there for the 49ers to lean on, should they please.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road

The Whites are struggling for form in the Premier League and could now change tact in the dugout.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 28, 2025

It seems that, if they choose to do exactly that, then Low could be an option. The 46-year-old won’t be a name that many are familiar with at Elland Road, but he is someone that PSG, Bayern Munich and Chelsea know well.

Low was Tuchel’s assistant at all three clubs and is known by Red Bull thanks to his time as the interim boss at RB Leipzig at the end of last season and his time as Adi Hutter’s assistant at Red Bull Salzburg.

Out of the options available, Low would arguably be the greatest gamble. He’s had just eight games as a manager and won just two of those games at Leipzig last season – using a 4-4-2 system.

His work as an assistant is admirable, but Leeds must replace Farke with a far more experienced candidate.

Leeds lining up January spending spree for "phenomenal" Farke replacement

The Championship side have confirmed that a supporter has tragically died following a medical emergency at The Valley on Saturday afternoon. The fixture between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth was halted in the 12th minute while staff dealt with the incident. After a delay, referee Matthew Donohue told the players to return to the dressing rooms, and the match was later called off.

• Charlton issue statement

  Charlton issued the following statement: "The club are devastated to report that a Charlton Athletic supporter has died following a medical emergency during today’s game at The Valley against Portsmouth. The match was halted in the 12th minute while the supporter received treatment and was subsequently postponed. The club would like to thank the Charlton staff and first responders who did everything they could, but sadly the supporter later passed away in hospital. The club are grateful to supporters in attendance and the Portsmouth players and staff for their patience and understanding as this tragedy unfolded. Everyone at the club sends their heartfelt condolences to the supporter’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time."

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• Game abandoned following incident

  The contest was put on hold early in the game when the medical emergency took place, reports . The players initially waited on the pitch while emergency staff tended to the situation before they went back to their respective team dressing rooms. The goalless game was eventually called off nearly an hour after the initial events unfolded. This fixture will now take place at a later date.

• Portsmouth offer condolences

  In a statement of their own, Portsmouth, who are 22nd in the table, wrote: "Pompey are devastated to learn that the Charlton supporter taken ill at today’s game has passed away. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their family and friends at this difficult time."

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• Messages of support sent to Charlton

  Other message of support have been sent to Charlton following Saturday's tragic events at The Valley. 

  Millwall posted on X: "Everyone at Millwall is deeply saddened by this news.  Our love and condolences are with the supporter’s family and friends, as well as everybody at Charlton Athletic."

  The EFL added: "Our deepest condolences go out to the supporter's family, friends and all @CAFCofficial at this incredibly difficult time."

He last played for the team 21 years ago, but former Boston Red Sox pitcher-turned-TBS analyst Pedro Martinez remains a prominent voice in the team's sprawling media landscape.

When Martinez weighed in on the Red Sox's still-stunning trade of designated hitter Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, Boston's fans took notice. The Hall of Fame pitcher mounted a fierce defense of Devers amid recent reporting that painted a picture of a divided Red Sox organization.

"I was shocked (when I heard about the deal), because if you try to sell to me, knowing Raffy Devers, that Raffy is a bad teammate or he's not a team player, you're lying," Martinez said. "You're gonna tell me he's a bad influence in the clubhouse? He's not."

The Devers trade has embarrassed Boston's front office amid an up-and-down year (and decade). The Red Sox traded Devers despite what has become an 8-2 record in their last 10 games, and the team has made the playoffs once since winning the 2018 World Series.

"The thing they mishandled from the get-go… this should've been in the hands of baseball people, not front-office people," Martinez said. "Not leaking it to the media. Not having a back-and-forth with the media, and (manager) Alex (Cora), and (president) Sam Kennedy, and (general manager Craig) Breslow."

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed Danny Rohl as their new head coach on a three-year contract at Ibrox on Monday after Saturday’s return to action.

Steven Smith oversaw a 2-2 draw against Dundee United at Ibrox whilst in interim charge, and Rohl will now lead the team out against Brann on Thursday evening.

The former Sheffield Wednesday head coach will be hoping to fare far better than the man he is replacing, as Russell Martin won just five of his games in charge.

Rohl is tasked with getting more out of the group of players that the former Scotland international struggled with, and he has already shown that he can work well with Djeidi Gassama.

Why Djeidi Gassama will love the appointment of Danny Rohl

The French winger will love this appointment because he enjoyed the best season of his senior career to date whilst working with the German tactician at Sheffield Wednesday in the 2024/25 campaign.

Gassama scored seven goals in the Championship for the Owls, per Sofascore, which is a career high for the attacker at league level in his career to date.

The 22-year-old star has yet to score in eight Scottish Premiership games for Rangers, though he has scored four goals in Europe, and Rohl could ignite his league form if their work together in England is anything to go by.

Gassama is not the only attacker who may benefit from this fresh appointment by the Gers, though, as Thelo Aasgaard’s career at Ibrox could explode after his dismal time under Martin.

Why Thelo Aasgaard could thrive under Danny Rohl

The Norway international was signed from Luton Town for £3.5m in the summer transfer window and mainly played on the left of a midfield three for Martin, which meant that he spent a lot of time in his own half and with his back to goal under pressure from opposition players.

His heatmap, as shown above, for the 2025/26 Premiership season shows that he has spent far too much time in his own half and has hardly had any touches in central positions.

It is not a surprise, therefore, that he managed no goals, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five league appearances for Martin. He looked like a lost cause with no signs of life in his attacking displays, but his performance at the weekend showed that there is life in him yet.

Aasgaard played in the number ten position in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday under Smith and thrived in that role, taking more touches in central areas than he did under Martin, per Sofascore.

As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian star’s performance against Dundee United was significantly better than his average performance level under Martin.

Aasgaard only created one chance in five games under Martin before creating four in one match as a number ten in a 4-2-3-1 formation, whilst also scoring his first league goal for the club.

Per Transfermarkt, Rohl predominantly plays a 4-2-3-1 formation and this means that the former Luton star will be able to play as a natural number ten behind Bojan Miovski in the German’s system.

Rather than being forced to play too much in his own half, as he was as a left-sided central midfielder under Martin, he will be able to take the ball in the opposition’s half and play closer to their goal to make things happen in the final third.

Reporter stands outside Ibrox and sheds light on "11th hour 59th minute" Rangers manager twist

The Gers look to have finally got their man.

By
Ben Goodwin

Oct 20, 2025

Therefore, Rohl could ignite Aasgaard’s Ibrox career by coming in to make the Norway international his creator-in-chief in the number ten position, as the hub of the team. It could give him the license to truly impact matches week-in-week-out and emerge as a star for the Light Blues.

West Ham could oversee a host of exits when the winter window reopens for business, including some pretty noteworthy names.

January is set to be vital for Nuno Espirito Santo and co, with reports suggesting that chairman David Sullivan and the board are prepared to back their new manager to the hilt.

The Hammers have just been given some real encouragement they can avoid a dreaded drop to the Championship, having secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since October last year whilst scoring six goals in their last two games.

West Ham’s crucial wins over Newcastle and Burnley at the London Stadium have relieved some major pressure on Nuno, with the January window set to hand him another potential lifeline amid reports that the club are looking to sign a new defender and striker at the very least.

Nuno has also been given “confirmation” that West Ham will have money to spend mid-season (Sky Sports), and ExWHUemployee has backed this up recently whilst confirming that the club are scouting heavily in Belgium.

That being said, incomings are not the only item on West Ham’s agenda at the turn of the year.

After being axed from the squad, pretty much immediately after Nuno replaced Graham Potter, midfielder James Ward-Prowse is now resigned to leaving in January, despite being a vice-captain and first-team regular at the start of 2025/2026.

The 30-year-old, who is just one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s all-time Premier League record of 18, is not in Nuno’s long-term plans.

Meanwhile, The Times recently reported that Lucas Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in the winter, with Fabrizio Romano also stating in his GiveMeSport newsletter that an exit for the Brazil international isn’t ruled out in the slightest.

Now, as per a report from El Intransigente, midfielder Guido Rodriguez could follow them out the door.

Guido Rodriguez wants to leave West Ham in January

The Argentine, signed on a free deal from Real Betis last year, is another who’s suffered from Nuno’s axe — having managed just 19 minutes of action since the tactician’s arrival.

He was largely a bench player under Potter as well, and El Intransigente reports that Rodriguez is looking to leave West Ham as he aims to battle his way into Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo also “dreams” of signing Rodriguez and could offer him a route out of London, but he isn’t alone, as Real Betis, Espanyol and Club América are also actively targeting the 31-year-old World Cup winner whose contract expires at the end of the season.

West Ham could be forced to sell him on the cheap in January because of this, but considering they signed him on a Bosman deal in 2024, any fee received for Rodriguez would go down as pure profit through the lens of PSR.

Selling him is a real no-brainer, and Sullivan will be particularly keen to get his £75,000-per-week wages off the books to free up space for a potential striker.

As well as Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse and Paqueta, it is believed that Niclas Fullkrug has told West Ham he wants a January transfer, so they’ll need to replace the German.

Also, teams have won more games chasing. Here’s what the stats say after 50 matches of each season

S Rajesh02-May-2025At the start of the 2025 season, it seemed there would be new highs in terms of scoring rates and totals this year, as 119 sixes were struck in the first five games (compared to 87 after five matches last year), and 200 was breached six times, including three totals of over 240.