Sports
Barcelona Fans Unimpressed by Anthony Gordon
Arguably, the biggest deal of the 2026 transfer window so far was Anthony Gordon joining Barcelona from Newcastle United. The Spanish giants forked up £69m for the Englishman, so pressure will be high on him right from the off.
One fascinating aspect of the move is that Gordon may well end up replacing Marcus Rashford, who spent last season on loan at Barca. Not only that, but the two left-wingers will be vying for the same spot on the flank for England this summer at the World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel has a big decision to make on that front and opted to give each winger 45 minutes to impress against New Zealand in a friendly this weekend. Gordon’s highlights have since emerged, sparking a strong reaction online.
Gordon and Rashford Get 45 Minutes Each vs New Zealand
Truth be told, it was a pretty dull encounter between England and the All Whites. The Three Lions came away with a win thanks to Harry Kane’s header, netted right before the break. This was the only goal of the game, which finished 1-0.
Rashford was in the starting XI alongside Kane and managed five key passes in his 45-minute cameo. He also completed 18/22 passes, with 37 touches, pulling off one dribble, losing the ball 11 times, and taking two shots, with none on target.
As for Gordon, he completed 21/22 passes, but none were key. He had one fewer touch (36) and completed as many dribbles (one), losing the ball seven times, while also taking two shots, but getting one on target.
There wasn’t much to seperate the pair, with Rashford given a 7.2 SofaScore rating, while Gordon was a little lower on 7.0. Highlighting just how big the scrutiny is when you become a Barcelona player, however, fans online have been quick to comment on his display.
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Not a good look ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Barcelona Fans Drop Clear Verdict on Gordon’s England Performance
Barcelona fans were clearly not impressed with the player. A two-minute compilation emerged on social media, as the former Newcastle man struggled to break down the New Zealand defence.
One concerned fan wrote: “We got scammed, wtf?!” Another said: “He was literally one of the worst finishers in the PL. It’s absolutely pathetic that we’ve spent €80m on someone this awful.”
Along that theme, someone else said: “Ewww man €75m for this???? This is like when City signed Grealish but 10x worse.”
Adding to the strong feeling, someone simply stated: “Rashford way better.” Another seemed worried by the highlights, adding: “I’m howling.”
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Even those with kinder takes weren’t exactly singing Gorfon’s praises. Somebody said: “Lamine being the only 1v1 specialist in the team irritates me. I’m not saying Gordon is bad, I’m just pointing out that without Lamine, no one can take on his man.”
Others were more defensive of the display, calling for more patience on the winger. One wrote: You guys should just relax and wait until he actually puts on the Barça shirt. That’s when the real evaluation starts.”
Another said: “This is why we don’t judge players on a friendly to warm up for the World Cup.”
Perhaps, damningly, one Barca fan even said: “He played better than I expected.”
Sports
F1 Rules Kim Kardashian Must Follow While Supporting Lewis Hamilton
Famous social media personality and model Kim Kardashian has been spotted at the Monaco Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton finished third behind Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen on Saturday.
The pair are believed to have been in a relationship since early 2026, although the British Formula 1 legend hasn’t publicly commented on it. However, his old teammate George Russell did refer to Kim K as ‘Hamilton’s girlfriend’ upon her arrival at the circuit.
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Hamilton is looking to add to his record-breaking 105 Grand Prix wins in Monaco, and will be supported from the stands by his partner. But the American TV star will need to be on her best behaviour, just like anyone else.
Kim Kardashian Already Breaks Formula 1 Rule at Monaco GP
Kardashian, a social media influencer with over 300 million Instagram followers, took her place on the balcony above the Ferrari garage to watch Hamilton claim third place in qualifying.
One of the rules everyone must follow at F1 events is that a pass must be worn at all times in the paddock. Rule 3.4 of FIA’s Sporting Regulations states:
“All persons concerned in any way with an entered car or present in any other capacity whatsoever in the paddock, pit lane, or track must always wear an appropriate pass.”
Meanwhile, Rule 3.5 says: “No pass may be issued or used other than with the agreement of the FIA. A pass may be used only by the person and for the purpose for which it was issued.”
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However, the 45-year-old has already been spotted in the paddock without a pass of any sort. It’s likely that her security will have sorted that upon her entry to the circuit and it’s hard to imagine any punishment being handed out.
She has stuck to the second rule she needs to follow. The FIA also have a rule that doesn’t permit pets of any sort in the paddock unless permission was granted beforehand.
Lewis Hamilton on Chances of Monaco Win
After a below-par performance in his first year as a Ferrari driver, the 41-year-old wasn’t overly confident about overtaking Antonelli and Verstappen, but claimed ‘nothing’s impossible’.
He said: “You know how these races go. It’s very, very difficult. I hope we can get a really good start and maybe apply some pressure. I probably need rain. But nothing’s impossible.
“It is a shame that this race is normally a procession, in the sense of following one another. The car is overheating; the brakes are overheating with the way the track is.
“But I’ll try to get in there and hassle these two [Antonelli and Verstappen] as much as I can and force them into not making certain corners.”
Sports
Iran May Be Forced to Break Strict FIFA Rule at 2026 World Cup
Iran may be forced to break a strict FIFA rule at the 2026 World Cup due to a controversial new demand imposed by the United States.
The Iranian national team, who were previously warned by US President Donald Trump to stay away from this summer’s showpiece international tournament due to political hostilities between the two countries, have been impacted by reported visas refusals to “key managerial and administrative” members of its World Cup team this week.
Hedayat Mombeini, the Iran Football Federation’s secretary-general, along with vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, are among 14 backroom staff and officials without U.S. visas, Iranian state television have claimed, per ESPN.
Iran’s 2026 World Cup training base is situated in Mexico, despite the fact the team’s three Group G matches are all taking place in the United States (two in Los Angeles against New Zealand and Belgium, and one in Seattle against Egypt).
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, has now told reporters that the national team have been informed they must arrive and leave the United States on the same day for all of their 2026 World Cup matches. Per The Mirror, Pasandideh said:
“We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day.”
Iran May Have to Break FIFA Rule
As well as presenting a host of potential logistical issues, this would also mean that Iran would have no option but to break one of FIFA’s strict tournament rules.
World football’s governing body have made it clear that every team’s coach must give a press conference on the eve of the match at the venue where their next match will be played, according to The Guardian.
However, this may not be possible for Iran if they must enter and leave US soil on the same day as their fixtures.
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With days to go before the tournament begins, Iran have called on FIFA to “hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment of Iran’s national football team”.
A statement posted on X by Iran’s Embassy in Turkey added: “You cannot whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations and breaches the United States’ host obligations merely by praising yourselves.
“Why do you not say that visas were denied to a large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team?
“You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level.”
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The statement continued: “By extending your whimsical hostilities against the Iranian nation into the realm of sport, the U.S. government in practice is depriving Iran’s national team of its right to play in the World Cup under normal conditions and without undue pressure and stress.
“This represents the worst possible form of politically biased interference in sport.”
Sports
Why Cristiano Ronaldo Stands Sideways During Portugal’s National Anthem
Cristiano Ronaldo is likely playing in his last-ever World Cup this summer. His first involvement in a major tournament for Portugal came in Euro 2004, while he won the European Championships competition in 2016, he’s never got his hands on the biggest prize.
Indeed, this will be the sixth World Cup Ronaldo has played in, and almost certainly his final chance to win it. Across the past editions, he’s scored eight goals and picked up two assists in 22 games, but has never made it past the semi-finals. Portugal came fourth in Germany 2006, crashed out at the Round of 16 in 2010 and 2018, didn’t even make it out of the group in 2014, and went out at the quarters in 2022.
Now 41, the Saudi Pro League star is very much past his prime, but will still expect to make a big impact this summer. In fairness, he has scored 10 goals in his last 10 international outings going into the tournament, which suggests he could yet be a real threat for the Portuguese.
At Euro 2024, however, Ronaldo struggled, failing to score as he started all five games before his team were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals. He made plenty of headlines that summer, but one interesting thing eagle-eyed viewers spotted was that he stood at a slightly different angle from his teammates during the Portugal national anthem ahead of kick-off. It’s likely to happen again at the 2026 World Cup, but why does CR7 do it?
Why Cristiano Ronaldo Stands Sideways During Portugal National Anthem
As the Portuguese team line up, side by side to sing ‘A Portuguesa’, Ronaldo instead often chooses to stand sideways in the lineup. He does so as a way of showing how much love and respect he has for his nation.
Indeed, the Al Nassr striker positions himself differently to make sure that he is facing the Portugal flag wherever it is flying in the stadium. Beyond anything else, this is simply an act of patriotism.
This has been a tradition of the captain throughout his career as a sign of respect for his home nation. Some may laugh at this idiosyncratic behaviour, but it doesn’t seem to have hurt the veteran forward.
Indeed, Ronaldo has scored more goals for Portugal than any other player in international football. In fact, he’s scored more goals in the sport than anyone else, so his methods ought not to be questioned when it comes to pre-game superstitions.
|
Ronaldo’s International Record |
|
|---|---|
|
Games |
227 |
|
Goals |
143 |
|
Assists |
46 |
|
Major Tournaments |
11* |
|
Tournament Wins |
1 (Euro 2016) |
|
*Will become 12 once Ronaldo plays at the 2026 World Cup |
|
Roberto Martinez Backs Ronaldo: ‘Age is Only a Number’
Ronaldo won Euro 2016 but was injured during the final. His absence in that game may be pointed out by those critics who suggest Portugal would be better off without him. Manager Roberto Martinez is often questioned about the matter, but has insisted that the 41-year-old is in the team based on merit, not reputation.
Speaking to the press about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ahead of the tournament, the Portugal manager explained:
“We manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that plays for the national team trying to get into the squad for 2026, not the iconic figure.
“Age is only a number. Certainly in the national team we can measure exactly what’s happening on the day, and you make the decisions for the next day. You never look any longer than the next day.”
Portugal come up against DR Congo in their first Group K match, before meeting Uzbekistan and Colombia. Ronaldo will almost certainly start some of those games, and it will be interesting to see how he lines up during the national anthem.
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