Sports
Jude Bellingham Explains Clash With Lionel Messi During Argentina 2-1 England
England’s 2026 World Cup star Jude Bellingham has explained his heated clash with Lionel Messi on the pitch during his nation’s heartbreaking 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday evening.
England were looking to reach their first final in the tournament since 1966 but, unsurprisingly, it was a feisty start to the encounter in Georgia with many niggly fouls that the referee let go.
The Three Lions did find the breakthrough early in the second half as Anthony Gordon slammed home Morgan Rogers’ cross to give Thomas Tuchel’s men the lead, but the German coach decided in the latter stages of the game that the best route to go down was to bring on defenders and put as many people behind the ball as possible.
It was a tactic that had worked in previous matches at the tournament, but it wasn’t the same outcome this time as goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, the second of which arrived in stoppage-time, won the game for Lionel Scaloni’s men.
England will now face France in the third place playoff on Saturday night, while Argentina will look to retain the World Cup trophy by beating Spain in New Jersey on Sunday.
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Bellingham Explains Heated Clash With Messi
Before England took the lead and with the scoreline at 0-0 in the second half, Bellingham and Messi were involved in a heated exchange on the field.
Emotions and adrenaline were high in a match that had so much riding on it, and it threatened to spill over as the duo had a conversation when the game had stopped.
After the conversation had finished, Messi appeared to nod sarcastically to Bellingham, who turned away smiling.
Explaining the discussion in the post-match mixed zone, the Real Madrid midfielder played down that it was anything fiery:
“We were talking about a friction shot, actually there wasn’t anything bad. I’m sure everyone would do their job and amplify it, but for me there was nothing worth mentioning.
“I thought there had been a mistake before that, and he said to me, ‘I’m talking about the shot that was against me’. I said something to him. ‘You are strong enough to bear it, do you know what I mean?’
“But no, it was just a normal conversation. For me, it was an honour to play against Messi, there was no disagreement or problem between us, the loss is very painful, but to play against him was a privilege.”
Bellingham was involved in another incident after the final whistle in Atlanta, where he appeared to slap Argentina substitute Valentin Barco on the back of the head as he celebrated with his teammates.
New footage has emerged that explains why the Real Madrid star was so upset with the Strasbourg man, as he ran onto the pitch and punched the air right in front of Bellingham after Fernandez’s equaliser.
Sports
Arsenal Fans Cast Early Verdict on Bruno Guimaraes After Draw vs Como
Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench to make his debut for Arsenal in their 1-1 draw in a pre-season friendly against Como on Wednesday and fans have given their thoughts on his display.
The Brazilian midfielder completed a £75 million move to the Gunners from Newcastle United last weekend after pushing for the switch. He joins an already star-studded midfield which includes Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi.
The Emirates faithful got their first look at Guimaraes in the club’s colours when he came on at half-time against the Italians. He will be expected to be a starter once the season gets underway, and his new side clashes with Manchester City in the Community Shield next Sunday, August 16th.
Arsenal Fans React to Guimaraes Debut
Arsenal took the lead through Myles Lewis-Skelly who capitalized on poor goalkeeping to put his side in front. He appeared to send a message to his club’s fans with his celebration amid talk of a potential exit.
Cesc Fabregas’ visitors equalized through a superb strike from Croatian midfielder Martin Baturina. His quick feet saw him cut inside the box and send a fierce effort into the roof of the net.
Guimaraes came on for Arsenal starlet Max Dowman and made a good impression on his non-competitive debut. He helped control the tempo in the middle of the park, but fans couldn’t see him partner Rice, who is working on his fitness following the World Cup.
They instead watched the former Newcastle captain line up alongside Odegaard and Mikel Merino in Mikel Arteta’s midfield. He completed 23 of 26 passes, 17 of 20 of those coming in the Como half, and won both of his tackles.
Fans were impressed with what they saw from the 28-year-old, with one fan writing on X: “All Bruno G had to do was play a few vertical passes, and he’s moved me lmao.”
Another supporter added: “The difference in our midfield with Bruno in place is already clear. We finally have someone who moves the ball quickly and can break lines with his passing. We just need to provide him with some quality wingers because Martinelli has once again shown tonight why we need a significant upgrade.”
One hailed the Brazilian: “Every Bruno G touch is so elegant man. Clean on the ball.”
Another responded: “Bruno G is nuts omds.”
This was echoed by another: “With the addition of Skelly and Bruno G, we are going to see a very much fluid Arsenal this season. I can guarantee that. Just need Arteta to be brave with his rotations.”
Guimaraes, who also scored a penalty in a post-match shootout, has long been regarded as one of the most gifted midfielders in the Premier League. He wowed fans throughout his time at St James’ Park, which is why they are devastated to see him join Arteta’s champions.
Arteta Already Impressed With Guimaraes
Guimaraes has seemingly already made an impact on the training pitch, having only been an Arsenal player since last Saturday. He was presented by the club following a 3-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund and trained with the squad ahead of tonight’s draw against Como.
Arteta gave an insight into what the Brazilian has already brought to the club just days into his Emirates career:
“Well, we see very clearly, especially the energy that he brought immediately to the training ground, the hunger, the desire to come here and create a big history at the club. And that’s the ambition that we need.”
He added: “We want to go to the next level and [we are] very, very much convinced that we’re going to need players with such a personality, desire and character to push everybody inside the organisation to go even higher.”
Guimaraes was a key member of the Newcastle side that won the Carabao Cup in 2025, captaining the Magpies to their first major domestic trophy since 1955. He made 195 appearances during his time on Tyneside and will be hoping to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet after joining the Premier League champions.
Sports
Jaissle Desperately Needs Newcastle United to Sign Dedic After Defeat
Newcastle United are now said to have ‘opened talks’ over a deal to sign Benfica defender Amar Dedic, and fans will be relieved. The Magpies are now beginning a new era under new boss Matthias Jaissle, but there are worries aplenty ahead of the new season.
The Newcastle squad has been decimated this summer, with Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthomy Gordon have all left, not to mention head coach Eddie Howe, who has been a rock at the helm over recent years. The Magpies have done plenty of business in a bid to replace those players, but many fans are still not convinced the ingredients are there for success, however good Jaissle is.
Newcastle fans concerned after pre-season friendly
Newcastle lost to Everton in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday night, conceding far too easily. The performance concerned many Toon fans, who took to social media to express their concern over the defence.
Jaissle may well feel he needs more at the back before the transfer window closes, and it does seem as though Newcastle are planning to make another defensive signing.
Newcastle’s summer signings so far
- Bazoumana Touré
- Aladji Bamba
- Lukas Hornicek
- Sean Steur
- Ewen Joauen
Newcastle now in talks over right-back deal
According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are in talks over a deal to sign Dedic, and the right-back is said to be up for the move to the North-East. Dedic played a key role in Benfica going unbeaten in the league under José Mourinho last season, although they didn’t quite do enough to win the title.
Dedic, who is 23 years of age, represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup this summer, and Benfica know he is a valuable asset. It’s claimed there is a £25.6million asking price for the full-back, and while talks are ongoing between Newcastle and Benfica, it will come down to whether the Magpies are willing to pay the money for the full-back.
Newcastle have lost Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Matt Targett in recent times, and that has left Tino Livramento and youngster Leo Shahar as the remaining options. Jaissle may well feel as though he wants a more senior option to provide competition for Livramento, and the fans appear to feel the same way.
Sports
8 Athletes Are Billionaires as Roger Federer Loses Status and £38m
Tennis legend Roger Federer has left the billionaire club of athletes after his sports brand ‘On’ suffered a major price crash.
Federer had been among the few sportspeople with a net worth of $1 billion or above since last August. Forbes claimed that the 20-time Grand Slam winner had a net worth of $1.1 billion (£813 million), making him one of the wealthiest individuals in sports.
Much of the 45-year-old’s wealth was believed to have come from a significant minority stake in shoe and apparel brand ‘On’. He has an equity stake in the Swiss sportswear company worth more than $375 million (£277.3m).
The eight-time Wimbledon champion isn’t the only past-and-present tennis star affiliated with ‘On’, as their roster includes women’s world number six Iga Swiątek, Italian Flavio Cobolli, and Brazilian teenage prospect João Fonseca.
Federer Drops Out of Athlete Billionaire List
After going public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, On’s market capitalization is said to have reached nearly $15 billion (£11.1bn) in August 2025. That was until Tuesday, when, despite record sales, the company’s share price plummeted by over 20 percent and lowered its revenue forecast.
Federer, as a result, is no longer a billionaire and has lost $52m (£38.4m), reducing his net worth to $952m (£704m), per Forbes. Despite his and the sportswear company’s financial setback, tennis is still represented among the eight athletes who still hold billionaire status.
Former tennis and ice hockey player turned businessman, Ion Tiriac, has a staggering net worth of $2.3bn (£1.5bn). The Romanian was the inaugural billionaire athlete, reaching 10 figures in 2007 when he turned to investment in real estate, car dealerships, and financial services.
Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan joined the rich list seven years later, and his net worth is now estimated to be $4.3bn (£3.3bn). The basketball icon is joined by his former Olympic gold-medal-winning teammate Magic Johnson, whose worth is estimated at $1.6bn (£1.2bn).
LeBron James has been in the headlines after making the surprising decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this summer. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer’s net worth is $1.4bn (£1bn), slightly more than the ‘greatest golfer in history’, Tiger Woods, at $1.5bn (£1.1bn).
|
Rank |
Name |
Sport / Field |
Estimated Net Worth |
|
1 |
Michael Jordan |
Basketball |
~$3.2 Billion |
|
2 |
Ion Tiriac |
Tennis / Business |
~$2.1 Billion |
|
3 |
Magic Johnson |
Basketball |
~$1.2 Billion |
|
4 |
Tiger Woods |
Golf |
~$1.1 Billion |
|
5 |
LeBron James |
Basketball |
~$1.0 Billion |
|
6 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Football |
~$800–900 Million |
|
7 |
Lionel Messi |
Football |
~$650–850 Million |
|
8 |
David Beckham |
Football |
~$450–500 Million |
Just behind them are three footballing heroes, and inevitably, Cristiano Ronaldo ($1.2bn/£900m) and Lionel Messi ($1.1bn/£813m) continue their storied rivalry off the pitch. The only Englishman on the list is David Beckham, whose net worth is estimated to be $1b (£740m).
Federer: Playing Tennis Wasn’t About The Money
Despite the riches he earned during his illustrious career on the tennis court, Federer insisted that he played the game for the love of the sport rather than for money. Back in 2011, he was battling it out with Novak Djokovic but had earned a purported $61 million (£45.2m) in prize money.
Federer’s net worth at the time was thought to be between $100-160m (£73.9-118.2m), which speaks volumes about his earnings as his career progressed and after his retirement. He said:
“I never expected myself to earn so much money… I didn’t start playing tennis to make a living out of it. It was just more living a dream, trying, because you knew, okay, you could make a bit of money.”
Once Federer called time on his career in 2022, he had earned almost $131m (£97m) in prize money. Sponsorship deals with brands such as Nike, Uniqlo, Lindt, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, and Moët & Chandon proved beneficial, as he made around $1bn (£739m) in pre-tax off-court earnings.
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