Sports
Justin Gaethje Responds to Claims He Had Something in His Gloves vs Ilia Topuria
It only took four rounds for Justin Gaethje to claim victory over his opponent llia Topuria at the UFC Freedom 250, much to the surprise of many watching.
At the beginning of this year, it seemed likely that Gaethje was very close to retirement, but after last week’s fight, the consensus is that it would be silly for the lightweight champion to step away from the sport when he is at the top of his game.
The event took place on the White House South Lawn, with President of the United States Donald Trump in attendance. The pressure of the event didn’t seem to get to the 37-year-old, though, as he went on to clearly dominate his opponent in the main event.
Since then, Gaethje has made an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience”, where he was asked about the claims being made about him and how he must have had rocks in his gloves for the fight against Topuria.
Justin Gaethje’s Response to Glove Allegations
The undisputed winner of the fight called these claims a “compliment” and took them in a lighthearted manner, going on to say: “People say I’m juiced. What a compliment. People say I’ve got bricks in my f****** gloves. What a compliment.”
Topuria was undefeated throughout his professional career coming into this fight and had never taken a battering like it. After being forced to quit on his stool between rounds four and five, the 29-year-old was immediately taken to hospital and was medically suspended for 180 days, or until cleared due to his injuries, which are rumoured to contain two broken orbitals.
Aftermath of UFC Freedom 250 Main Event Result
The Georgian fighter went on to post on his Instagram with a photo of the fight and captioned it saying: “Justin, congratulations. You said you’d leave your mark on my face… and you did.”
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He went on to say that there were “no excuses” and “we will have our rematch.” If Gaethje did have rocks, or anything else for that matter, in his gloves like some people are suggesting, it is highly unlikely that Topuria would take a defeat like this so well.
Joe Rogan did, however, say on his podcast: “The UFC, they did a test on him (Gaethje) to see who has the hardest bones in the UFC. He had the hardest bones.”
Sometimes, fighters can be gifted with their genetics, but without the training, belief, and discipline, there is no way Gaethje would have been able to pull off a performance like he did.
The undisputed champion does plan to fight again, but we will have to wait till his own medical suspension is up as he aims to return to the cage in early 2027.
Sports
Liverpool Join Rivals In Race For £100k-a-week World Cup Star
Liverpool have joined the race to land a midfield star at the World Cup this summer, as TeamTalk claims the Reds will be battling Premier League rivals for his signature.
It comes as the Merseyside outfit are looking at potential options for the central ranks, with changes expected for Andoni Iraola’s first campaign in charge at Anfield.
Curtis Jones is expected to leave the club as he enters the final 12 months under contract, with interest growing from Inter Milan over the course of the summer.
Alexis Mac Allister is also facing an uncertain future, moving into the final two years of his deal, while teams appear to be positioning themselves for a possible move.
With that in mind, rumours have swirled surrounding Liverpool‘s interest in Alex Scott of Bournemouth as well as Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
However, there appears to be a new name on the radar: Felix Nmecha.
Liverpool Want Felix Nmecha Transfer
According to the report from TeamTalk, Liverpool have entered the race to sign Borussia Dortmund and Germany midfielder Nmecha this summer.
It’s claimed that a return to the Premier League, where he broke through with Manchester City, is now appearing to be a realistic proposition for the 25-year-old.
The report claims that intermediaries have been looking at potential landing spots for Nmecha, even though his release clause worth £52 million doesn’t kick in until next summer.
It’s stated that while Liverpool are among those keen on a potential deal, there is also interest from rivals Manchester United, as they rebuild their own midfield options.
Fellow English sides Arsenal, Chelsea, and Man City have all been contacted about the possibility too, while Barcelona and Real Madrid have been touted as potential suitors.
It remains to be seen whether a transfer will be possible, however, as Dortmund remain relaxed over his contract situation and the release clause inserted into his deal.
That may change if a concrete offer is made by Liverpool or their rivals, which could heat things up.
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How Good Is Felix Nmecha?
As Liverpool enter the market for midfielders, a move for Nmecha makes sense. At 25, he has experience of living in England and thriving in Germany, which could make it an easier transition for some who are just moving over for the first time.
The Dortmund ace has impressed, enough to earn a starting place for Germany at the World Cup for their opening two group games, and there is potential for him to improve even further.
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Considering he is touted as earning £100k-a-week in Germany, there may be no issue getting the personal terms done, while the larger hang up will be over a potential fee with his club.
However, regardless of that, the play profile may be an ideal fit to give Iraola the energy and control he needs in the middle of the pitch with his style of play.
Sports
Top 10 Most Goals Scored in a Single Season Since 2000
In its simplest form, football is all about who scores the most goals. That’s why strikers are often the most popular players on the pitch, with everyone behind them relying on their clinical finishing to help add silverware to the trophy cabinet. Goals win games, after all. But when it comes to finding the back of the net, who does it best?
Clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have enjoyed their fair share of otherworldly goalscorers over the years, with their marksmen spearheading trophy-laden eras and helping build incredible collections of Champions League titles. The same can be said for nations such as Portugal and Argentina, whose forwards have fired them to World Cups, European Championships and other major honours.
However, what separates the great from the truly elite is their ability to produce a season for the ages. Those are the campaigns that become the stuff of legend. Scoring goals consistently across a career is one thing, but it’s those breathtaking peaks that win trophies and define eras. With that in mind, this article explores the 10 greatest goalscoring seasons by a player since 2000.
Best Goalscoring Seasons By a Player Since 2000
10. Cristiano Ronaldo (2012/13) – 59 goals
In a generation defined by the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi duopoly, much of this list inevitably repeats the same superlatives for the two greatest footballers to ever exist. The former’s 2012/13 season with Real Madrid is often overlooked in favour of some of his even better campaigns, but with 12 Champions League goals in as many appearances, he still became the club’s top scorer in Europe and contributed to a third of their league goals that term.
9. Robert Lewandowski (2019/20) – 59 goals
While playing for Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski was the overwhelming favourite to win the 2020 Ballon d’Or, only for the organisers to decide it wouldn’t be awarded that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In effect, he was denied what many felt was his due, as every other player was in the same boat, but he managed to block out outside distractions and finish as top goalscorer in every competition his club won that season – the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal.
8. Luis Suarez (2015/16) – 60 goals
Luis Suarez’s 2015/16 season at Barcelona was one of the most complete striker campaigns of the modern era – the kind where he was, quite literally, tearing entire teams apart by himself. He found the back of the net 40 times across 35 La Liga matches, which helped him on his way to a European Golden Shoe as teammate Messi spent much of the campaign sidelined through injury.
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7. Lionel Messi (2014/15) – 62 goals
From one MSN member to the next, the 2014/15 season was arguably when all three of Suarez, Messi, and Neymar found their highest gear together, as Barcelona won the Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey to complete a treble. Messi finished the campaign with 62 goals and 27 assists in 57 appearances, combining outrageous output with his usual all-round influence.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo (2013/14) – 62 goals
Appearing for the second time out of five on this list, nobody features more times than Ronaldo. This time around, in the 2013/14 campaign, Portugal’s captain reached “video game” numbers, and he broke the Champions League record for most in one season when he netted 17 en route to a first Real Madrid title in 12 years.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (2014/15) – 66 goals
Scoring 60 plus goals in one season takes some doing, but going on and doing it again a season later is just astonishing. Well, that’s what Ronaldo managed to do between 2013 and 2015, but his second term wasn’t nearly as memorable as, while he did all he could and more, Los Blancos missed out on all major honours they competed for.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (2011/12) – 69 goals
It’s incredible to think CR7 scored 69 goals in the 2011/12 season but still didn’t win the European Golden Shoe, scoring fewer goals than one other player (more on him later, though it’s an easy guess). It was a tit-for-tat battle with his old adversary, but while Ronaldo’s 46 La Liga goals was four shy of his rival, his efforts counted for more as Real Madrid won the title with 100 points under Jose Mourinho.
3. Lionel Messi (2012/13) – 69 goals
Messi scored in 21 consecutive La Liga matches in the 2012/13 season, a record that still stands. He also scored nine goals in 11 Champions League matches, as well as 46 in 32 total league appearances. Incredible stuff, really, but sadly not as stunning as the idea that, during the transitional season, Barcelona won zilch.
2. Harry Kane (2025/26) – 69 goals
England’s all-time top goalscorer, Harry Kane can still add more to his tally to a season he’s already won the Bundesliga and European Golden Shoe in. With two goals already in this summer’s World Cup, the Three Lions will hope that he continues his fine run of form to help them bring football home for the first time in six decades. The nation’s hopes rest on him, and they can feel pretty safe in that knowledge.
1. Lionel Messi (2011/12) – 82 goals
Of course it’s Messi who holds the record for the best goalscoring season ever. He scored 73 goals in 60 matches for Barcelona, adding a further 10 with Argentina. It contributed to another record of his, which was his 91 total goals in 2012, which is also the gold standard.
Stats courtesy of Pop Foot (correct as of 21/06/2026)
Sports
Tuchel Has Already Made Feelings Clear
Thomas Tuchel already made his feelings clear about England supporters’ chants directed at Keir Starmer, after expletive-ridden songs rang out in the Three Lions’ win over Andorra in September 2025. Politics, once more, found their way onto the terraces.
Ahead of the World Cup qualifier, some fans were even spotted selling “stop the boats” flags, while the UK Prime Minister became the subject of further abuse from sections of the Holte End amid debates over the current immigration policies. To the tune of The White Stripes’ 2003 hit Seven Nation Army, large sections of the crowd could be heard chanting: “Keir Starmer is a w*****.”
The chants were heard again during England’s World Cup win against Croatia, despite FIFA warning there could be punishments for doing so. That didn’t stop those who seemed more intent on shifting the focus away from football altogether – and onto the government.
Thomas Tuchel on Anti-Keir Starmer Chants
Similar foul-mouthed chants could be heard as England defeated Andorra in the reverse fixture back in June last year. To the tune of KC & The Sunshine Band’s hit Give It Up, they could be heard singing: “Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na-na-na now, Starmer is a ****, is a ****, Starmer is a ****.”
Supporters at RCDE Stadium, Espanyol’s stadium that became Andorra’s temporary home venue due to its more modern facilities, also chanted: “Keir Starmer is a w****r, is a w****r.” Listen to some England supporters’ chants in a previous game below:
After the game back in June, Tuchel said he did not hear any of the songs in question, but made it very clear what he thought about the matter. As per the Daily Mail, he told reporters:
“If it happened, it’s not acceptable. But I didn’t hear any offensive songs or chants.”
The Three Lions have made a strong start to their World Cup campaign after an opening-day victory against old foes Croatia. They head into games against Ghana and Panama needing just three points to ensure their passage into the knockout rounds.
Starmer, a keen football fan, might have some more time on his hands to cheer on his country. The Prime Minister is expected to resign from his post.
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