Sports
Sir Alex Ferguson Has Already Given His Thoughts on Darren Fletcher
Manchester United haven’t been the same club ever since legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement in 2013. After 27 years full of trophies and success, the Scot’s exit signalled an end to the Red Devils’ reign as a dominant force in England.
Ruben Amorim was the latest manager tasked with getting the club back on track, but the 40-year-old fell short and has been dismissed from his Old Trafford role as a result. His replacement comes in the form of ex-United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who will act as interim boss until a permanent successor is appointed.
Fans of the club will be very interested to hear what Ferguson made of the Scottish midfielder’s prospects of becoming a coach while he was still an active player. As always, the greatest manager in Premier League history had a brilliant answer.
Next Man Utd Manager: Paul Scholes Names His 3-Man Shortlist to Replace Ruben Amorim
Paul Scholes has revealed his three preferred options to be the next Manchester United manager after Ruben Amorim’s sacking.
Speaking while Fletcher was still a player, Ferguson noted that he had already put the wheels in motion during his health scare in 2011. The retired midfielder was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which threw his playing career into doubt.
Knowing this, Ferguson planned to help him move into coaching if he wasn’t able to return to the pitch. The now 84-year-old explained: “I started preparing him so that he could be a coach with us. That was, without question, the long-term view of it.
“I’ll always remember he said, ‘If you’re playing for Manchester United, there’s an expectation that you’re not showing out there. If you can’t do it in a reserve game, then you’ve got absolutely no chance of playing for Alex Ferguson.’
“I’ll always remember him saying that. He didn’t see me, I was standing at the door. I should’ve given him a rise.”
When asked if he thought his compatriot would explore coaching after hanging up his boots, Ferguson immediately responded: “Absolute certainty. He’s absolutely right to be saying what he’s saying because the best years of your life are playing. After that, it’s downhill. Trust me. I always looked back upon playing as the best part of my life.
“I think the long-term position will be as a coach, maybe even management. He’s got the presence, he’s got the sacrifice. When you become a manager, it’s a sacrifice. You give up your family life.”
Darren Fletcher’s Man Utd Philosophy
Shortly after it was confirmed that Fletcher would take the reigns of the first-team until a new manager is appointed, a video emerged on social media of him speaking after an Under-18s match in August.
What Happened to 7 Young Man Utd Stars Sir Alex Ferguson Predicted in 2001
Sir Alex Ferguson tipped seven Man United youngsters to become stars in 2001, but not all of them developed as he would have hoped.
The 41-year-old has been in charge of the youth team since July. He admitted to showing his young players videos of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney as he attempted to implement a ‘proper United’ style. He said
“The fast attacks, it’s proper United. I’ve been showing them clips of Rooney, Ronaldo, Ji-sung Park… counter-attack goals. Trying to show a bit of that Man United DNA.”
Not stopping there, Fletcher proved he wants his team to play quick attacking football as he added: “If teams want to come out and press, we’ve got the ability to play around them. If they want to leave a high line against the players we have in the final third, we can be devastating.”
Sports
IShowSpeed Breaking Canada Rule to Watch Cristiano Ronaldo
American streaming sensation IShowSpeed is risking a breach of his own rule in his attempt to watch Cristiano Ronaldo in action.
Ronaldo is set to captain Portugal in tonight’s World Cup Round of 32 clash against Croatia at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada. Speed has attended and streamed games throughout the tournament.
The YouTuber is a Ronaldo superfan and has followed the former Manchester United star around the globe, including watching him play for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. He had been looking to attend Portugal’s meeting with Croatia but his plans have been thrown into jeopardy.
Speed Had Sworn Not to Visit Canada
Speed sent out an urgent message on X after his plane to Canada was cancelled. He wrote to his followers: “Who has a jet or plane in san francisco???? i need to get to toronto my plane got cancelled and now i can’t see ronaldo play this is so bad please helpppppoppp.”
Should the 21-year-old manage to board a flight to Toronto, he’ll be visiting the country for the first time. He previously swore to never visit Canada due to a family grievance.
Back in May 2025, Speed revealed that his grandfather had been killed by a Canadian. He told his fans on a livestream:
“Chat, my granddad got killed by a Canadian, bro. That’s why, out of respect, I don’t think I will, maybe never, or chat, I may go to Canada. But out of respect for my grandad, I just don’t think that’s, like, you know what I’m saying?”
Speed plans to livestream Portugal’s encounter with Croatia on his YouTube channel. The stream is set to go live one hour before kick off and he’s in a rush to get to the stadium in time due to his flight being cancelled.
The popular streamer has already attended several World Cup games held in the USA. He has embarked on a tour in collaboration with FIFA and even met with president Gianni Infantino ahead of the tournament co-hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speed Predicted World Cup Glory For Ronaldo
Ronaldo has yet to win a World Cup during his illustrious career and it’s the one trophy evading his glistening trophy cabinet. This is likely his last chance to do so as he is now 41 and will be 45 when the tournament is co-hosted by Portugal in 2030.
Speed vowed to attend as many games as possible including every Portugal game to watch the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. He told FOX Sports: “The World Cup is in America, right? So, I can be anywhere. Obviously, I’m pulling up to every game, every Portugal game.”
Speed backed Ronaldo to finally become a world champion after he captained Portugal to the UEFA Nations League in June 2025:
“I truly believe that Cristiano Ronaldo is going to win the 2026 World Cup. Y’all heard it from me, IShowSpeed. Ronaldo is winning the 2026 World Cup. He just won the Nations League. That’s just an appetiser; the World Cup is the real meal, and they’ve got it. Portugal’s squad is looking good.”
If Portugal beat Croatia, they will face Spain, who beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 earlier in the day. Should Roberto Martinez’s team advance to the quarter-finals, they could face the USA, posing a massive dilemma for Speed given his admiration for Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo Issues 9-Word Response About Lionel Messi as He Storms Out of Interview
Ronaldo issued a nine-word response as he’s asked about Messi – while storming out of the interview
Sports
USA vs Bosnia Sees Fans Learn Rarely-Seen Football Rule
An early scare nearly cost the United States in their 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 at the World Cup on Wednesday night.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men beat the Bosnians in a tense match courtesy of goals from Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman. They played the last 26 minutes with ten men after Balogun’s controversial sending-off.
Bosnia almost took a shock early lead just minutes into the game when the USA defence either forgot or were unaware of a rule. They avoided conceding after American goalkeeper Matt Freese denied Ermedin Demirovic.
Goal-Kick Rule Nearly Cost USA vs Bosnia
That move came from Nikola Vasilj’s goal kick, which he pumped upfield to find former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko. Pochettino’s defence had pushed up and allowed the ball to arrive for the Bosnia skipper, perhaps thinking he had been in an offside position.
Dzeko then found Demirovic, whose effort was punched away by Freese. This served as a wake-up call for the Americans, whose lapse in concentration almost led to the European minnows opening the scoring.
USA eventually booked their place in the Round of 16 with a clash against Belgium on Tuesday (July 7th). For Dzeko and Bosnia, they will rue not making the most of the early opportunity, which was just one of four shots they managed on target throughout the game.
Some fans will have been quick to find out why Dzeko hadn’t been ruled offside. That’s because the rules state that “no one can be offside directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner.”
‘I’m Shook’ – Fans Stunned by Rule
The early chance for the Bosnians courtesy of a goal-kick appeared to shock many viewers of last night’s game. Some have only just learned about the rule that has led to some iconic goals.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson had a habit of picking his man out with a goal kick to hit the opposition on the counter. It’s a clever tactic which can often throw the defending team off.
One fan wrote on X after seeing Bosnia try to use it to their advantage: “I was today year old when I knew that you cannot be called offside from a goal kick.”
Another supporter added: “Ain’t no way this is a rule?”
One was equally as shocked: “I have been watching soccer all my life and I did not know this rule.”
Another wrote: “Not gonna lie, it’s something I’ve never seen in my whole life until this point. I’m shook.”
One replied: “You can randomly wake up, and a new football rule just spun out of nowhere.”
This is not a new football rule and has, in fact, been in effect since 1866, when the FA began drafting the official laws of the game. It’s a major reason managers like sweeper keepers who are good with their feet and can find attackers with pinpoint accuracy.
World Cup 2026 Set-Piece Goals
Some nations have clearly been putting the work in on the training ground ahead of the World Cup…
Sports
Why Lamine Yamal Has Two Flags on His Boots For Spain
Lamine Yamal is one of the stars to watch at the World Cup and he has caught the eye ever since he burst onto the scene at Barcelona and quickly became one of the best players in the world.
The forward is just 18 years old, but is already outplaying some of football’s most established stars for both club and country. Whether it’s with Barca or Spain, he more often than not dominates, further demonstrating why he is one of the best players on the planet.
He was influential in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, and if it wasn’t for him, it’s hard to imagine the Catalan giants would be enjoying a successful era under Hansi Flick. His exploits for his national team have already made him a hero in Spain.
As brilliant as the winger has been, eagle-eyed fans have spotted that it’s not just Spain that he holds a close affinity towards, as the teenager has been spotted sporting boots with two other national flags embroidered on them whenever he represents his country.
Why Yamal Has Two Flags on His Boots
Despite Yamal becoming one of Spain’s best attacking talents, it hasn’t stopped him from paying tribute to two other countries he could have represented had he wanted to. As fans have noticed, the star regularly wears boots featuring the flags of Morocco and Equatorial Guinea when he plays international football.
Yamal, born in Catalonia, has parents of Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean descent. His father was born in the North African country, and his mother came from the Central African nation next to Cameroon. As such, the superstar had the opportunity to represent either side at international level, but instead opted to play for his nation of birth.
Despite that, Yamal has not forgotten his roots and is often seen wearing boots displaying both the Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean flags throughout his career. In the past, this was also accompanied by the Spanish flag, but it hasn’t always been the case.
The La Masia academy product hasn’t been quite as prolific during the World Cup as many anticipated. He has registered one goal in four games thus far but has showcased incredible ability whenever on the ball.
There is a chance that Yamal comes up against Morocco in the semi-finals of the World Cup. The two nations are on the same side of the bracket and have been among the strongest teams.
Morocco’s Attempt to Lure Lamine Yamal
The Royal Morrocan Football Federation were especially keen to ensure that the Barcelona man opted to represent them for the rest of his career. In 2023, national team head coach Walid Regragui described the player as being Moroccan but pleaded for calm surrounding the player’s future.
“The essential thing is that the player, as well as his father, are Moroccans.”
“There is no need to put pressure on the player and his decisions. We will not get ahead of events. We will see tomorrow what his choice will be.”
Despite that, Yamal remained steadfast in his decision to represent the three-time European champions. Having already represented the country at under-15 level, the young prodigy made clear his ambitions to move up to the senior squad in an interview with the Spanish national team’s YouTube channel.
Despite that, Moroccan Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa confirmed that a meeting between the two parties had taken place, but to no avail:
“We met with his parents. We conveyed our project to him and his family, but Lamine was already convinced of going with Spain. And we wish you good luck and great work.
“Spain and Morocco are separated by 14 kilometers and it is normal for these things to happen. I respect Lamine.”
Lamine Yamal’s International Career
At just 16-years, one-month and 26 days, Yamal became the youngest ever player to feature for the Spain senior squad in a 7-1 drubbing over Georgia. It was a dream debut for the record-breaker, who also managed to open his goalscoring account less than 30 minutes after being introduced from the bench.
Since then, the teenager has gone on to make 29 senior appearances, scoring seven goals along the way. His impressive form for club and country has seen Yamal become one of Spain’s best current players, and he was pivotal to their European Champions triumph in 2024, when they lifted the trophy for the third time by beating England in the final.
Yamal
Yamal has also played 151 times for Barcelona so far and considering he’s still just 18 years old, the sky is truly the limit for one of the Ballon d’Or favourites. Should he fire La Roja to World Cup glory, he’ll undoubtedly be viewed as one of the all-time greats despite only being in his teenage years.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 02/07/2026
-
Sports2 days agoRayan Cherki Appears to Ignore Didier Deschamps After 3-0 Win vs Sweden
-
Sports1 day agoGary Neville Names Only Team That Can Stop France From Winning the 2026 World Cup
-
Sports15 hours agoVAR Expert Casts Clear Verdict on Folarin Balogun Red Card vs Bosnia
-
Sports2 days agoLamine Yamal Names 3 Most Impressive 2026 World Cup Players
-
Sports24 hours agoRoy Keane Names the Two Teams That Will Contest the 2026 World Cup Final
-
Sports2 days agoSerena Williams Slammed For Actions After Losing to Maya Joint
-
Sports2 days agoFIFA Issue Statement After Controversial Germany vs Paraguay VAR Call
-
Sports2 days agoWhat Miroslav Klose Said About Kylian Mbappe Breaking World Cup Record



