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Joao Palhinha Wants to Stay at Tottenham Regardless of Relegation

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Tottenham Hotspur are involved in a fierce relegation battle with London neighbours West Ham United, but they have been boosted by the fact that one player wants to stay regardless of if they survive or not, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Tottenham knew they had to react to West Ham’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday with a positive result away at Aston Villa on Sunday, and Roberto De Zerbi and his players delivered with a 2-1 win against Unai Emery’s much-changed side.

Tottenham moved out of the relegation zone as a result and on to 37 points, with the Irons a point further back in 18th position with three games to go.

Nottingham Forest and Leeds United had looked set to be involved in the battle to avoid dropping to the Championship too a few weeks ago, but fine runs of form for both mean they lie on 42 and 43 points respectively, and are surely both now safe.

Tottenham host Leeds in their next match on Monday night, with West Ham welcoming Champions League finalists and Premier League title-chasing Arsenal to the London Stadium 24 hours before.

Joao Palhinha Producing Heroic Tottenham Displays

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Joao Palhinha celebrates Premier League win over Aston Villa

Expectations were high when Tottenham signed Joao Palhinha on a season-long loan deal, with an option to buy, from Bayern Munich last summer.

While the 30-year-old had struggled to make a big impact for the Bundesliga giants, he had established himself as one of the best in his position in the Premier League for Fulham previously.

The Portugal international started off positively but, like many of his new Spurs teammates, his form dropped off of a cliff and he often saw younger players like Archie Gray selected ahead of him in the XI.

The midfielder has bounced back and after three substitute appearances under De Zerbi, and a crucial winning goal against Wolves, the Portuguese was selected in the XI for the visit to Villa Park.

He didn’t let his Italian manager down either, with a fully committed display that even saw him celebrating winning challenges and free-kicks.

Joao Palhinha Wants to Stay at Tottenham

Joao Palhinha celebrates with Roberto De Zerbi

It’s been a roller-coaster season for Palhinha with Spurs likely to have changed their mind more than once about signing the player on a permanent basis this summer.

What is clear is that, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs, the player is keen to stay even if the club does go down to the Championship.

Speaking to GMS about the situation, the journalist said:

“Joao Palhinha has kind of come full circle. So it’s very difficult to predict. In the first few months, Tottenham were adamant they were going to trigger the option to buy because he started really well, then it tapered off, and it was trending towards not signing him permanently.

“Now in these last few games and under De Zerbi the mood has shifted again. What I can tell you with Palhinha is, if it’s up to the player, he wants to stay, and that will likely also be the case, even if Tottenham go down, because Palhinha’s move to Tottenham was about returning to England. It was about being in London.

“There’s family reasons why he wants to stay too. So Tottenham can feel very in control of that situation, because Palhinha doesn’t, I’m told, fall into the category of a player that will just want to jump ship.”

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IShowSpeed Breaking Canada Rule to Watch Cristiano Ronaldo

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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

IShowSpeed

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

Cristiano Ronaldo in 2016 REUTERS/Darren Staples

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 wearing a Portugal top.


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

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USA vs Bosnia Sees Fans Learn Rarely-Seen Football Rule

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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

Edin Dzeko (Bosnia) battles Chris Richards (USA) Phil Noble via Action Images via Reuters

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

Edin Dzeko at the 2026 World Cup Reuters/Steven Bisig

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.


Malik Tillman United States USMNT scores free kick vs Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup 2026


World Cup 2026 Set-Piece Goals

Some nations have clearly been putting the work in on the training ground ahead of the World Cup…

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Why Lamine Yamal Has Two Flags on His Boots For Spain

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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

Lamine Yamal celebrates for Spain Heiko Becker Via Reuters

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

Lamine Yamal in action for Spain

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

Lamine Yamal

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

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