Reece James has already had his say about the prospect of Donald Trump handing England the World Cup trophy if the Three Lions go all the way this summer.

The President of the United States of America is expected to hand the iconic trophy to the winners on July 19, and could even break FIFA protocol and stay involved in the celebrations. James knows Trump’s willingness to get involved all too well.

Should Thomas Tuchel end 60 years of hurt and bring football home, there’s a strong chance the controversial 80-year-old will be a prominent figure in any images. They’d be sure to live on through many generations, just as photos of the great Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup in 1966 have.

Donald Trump Caught Reece James By Surprise

Brian Snyder via Reuters

The newly formatted FIFA Club World Cup was held in the States last summer. Chelsea, as one of the English representatives, went all the way and won the trophy after beating PSG 3-0 in the final.

As it was hosted on American soil, Trump was heavily involved. He was the man chosen to put the winners’ medals around each player’s neck. Not only that, but the President also handed the captain the new trophy.

To the surprise of James and teammates such as Cole Palmer, Trump decided to remain in the middle of everyone as Chelsea lifted the trophy. Watch the awkward moment below.

Speaking about it in the immediate aftermath, the Blues’ skipper said (per BBC Sport): “I think the first thing I have to say is that it probably highlights how big the tournament is. The coverage for the tournament and the final was huge.

So, instead of passing on the trophy and leaving the stage, he instead opted to simply stand next to James. Palmer could be seen mouthing: “What’s he doing?”

James on Trump Handing England the Trophy

While he found it a strange experience last year, it appears James is more than happy for Trump to be handing over the World Cup trophy. But he’s still delighted that it’ll be Harry Kane’s problem if England do go all the way.

When asked if he was prepared for the President getting involved again, the 26-year-old responded: “No! I don’t have a plan. I’ll leave that to Harry!”

Hydration breaks have become the big talking point in this year’s competition. After getting first-hand experience of the temperatures England would be playing in, James explained how hard it was managing the heat.

He said: “It’s super difficult conditions to play in that heat, especially us playing in England — there’s not anything like that before

“Once you are out there you adapt the longer you are there. You feel the heat the minute you step outside the hotel. The conditions are super hot, difficult conditions to play in and the pitches when we were there weren’t the greatest either and made it a little bit harder. But hopefully by the time the World Cup comes around it’s better.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)