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Gianluigi Donnarumma triumphed in 2017 but who will take top spot this year? Below, Goal lists the game's top talents born or after January 1, 1999

Getty/Goal CompositeYacine Adli

One of the stars of last year’s Under-17s World Cup, Yacine Adli is considered the most precious jewel in Paris Saint-Germain’s youth academy. Although he might resemble Adrien Rabiot on account of his physique and flowing locks, the 17-year-old is a far more offensively-minded midfielder. Adli is attracting just as much interest from overseas, though.

Getty/Goal CompositeAlan

What the diminutive Alan lacks in size, he makes up for in ability. The pint-sized Brazilian is blessed with a low centre of gravity, quick feet and a keen eye for a pass. Having starred for his country in the Under-17 World Cup, he is now hoping to become a Palmeiras regular. However, Real Madrid are already monitoring his development closely.

Getty/Goal CompositeEthan Ampadu

Still only 17, Ethan Ampadu plays with a maturity and calmness that belies his tender age, which is why the versatile defender was given his debut by both Chelsea and Wales before injury ended his season. Signed from hometown club Exeter City in the summer, Ampadu wasted little time in making a big impression at Stamford Bridge, starting several times in the cup competitions, and, given his ability to play in midfield and comfort on the ball, he is now regarded as the new David Luiz.

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Getty/Goal CompositeMirko Antonucci

Thanks to the hard work of Bruno Conti, Roma beat Serie A rivals Inter to the signing of Mirko Antonucci and the capital club are now reaping the dividends. An old-school winger who is almost unstoppable when he isolates his marker one-on-one, Antonucci is already adored by the Giallorossi fans, having blessed his first-team debut, against Sampdoria, with an assist.

USWNT star Sam Mewis is looking for a new club after NWSL side KC Current confirmed the 31-year-old's departure.

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Mewis leaves KC CurrentHas struggled with injuryLooking for a new challengeWHAT HAPPENED?

Mewis is on the move after a two-year stay at KC Current. The club have announced her departure and wished her the best for the future. Mewis joined the club in 2021 but has struggled for appearances due to continued knee problems.

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Mewis is facing an uncertain future as she bids to return to action after a nightmare time with injury. The USWNT star has not played for the national side since 2021 after undergoing two knee surgeries in the last two years. Her last appearances for her club side came in two Challenge Cup matches in pre-season back in March 2022.

WHAT MEWIS HAS SAID

Mewis has spoken about her injury nightmare recently on the 'Snacks' podcast for Just Women’s Sports. The 31-year-old has said her current objective is to "get as healthy as possible" and hopes to get her knee back "as good as it can get".

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WHAT NEXT FOR MEWIS?

Mewis is now a free agent and will be on the lookout for a new club. Her top priority will be to regain full fitness after a lengthy time on the sidelines and get back to doing what she enjoys the most.

USMNT defender Antonee Robinson issued a brutally-honest response to Luca De La Torre's Instagram post about their defeat in Trinidad.

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De la Torre posts about USMNT loss to TrinidadRobinson blasts performance in comment sectionCalled out Dest postgame, as wellWHAT HAPPENED?

De la Tore posted on social media platform Instagram about the USMNT's shock defeat, saying: "Can you do it on a Monday night in Trinidad and Tobago? 🤔 Tough game but proud of the team for reaching the next round ✅" to which Robinson commented "Apparently we can't."

The Fulham defender was a harsh critic of the team's performance on Monday evening, and even called out teammate Sergino Dest postgame during an on-camera press conference, labeling his red card 'unprofessional'.

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Robinson's brutally-honest review of the USMNT over the past 24 hours has been refreshing. It's a candid response which shows that there's a player on the roster who is willing to speak up in moments of frustration or anger, while doing it in a reasonable manner.

DID YOU KNOW?

Robinson has scored in back-to-back matches for the USMNT for the first time in his career, with a pair of goals against Trinidad – one at home and one on the road. In all competitions for club and country, he has two goals and two assists in his last three matches.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ROBINSON AND THE USMNT?

The 2023 campaign is over for the USMNT, and they now look to 2024 with the Copa America, Paris Olympics and Concacaf Nations League on the horizon. For Robinson and the Cottagers, Fulham are back in action on Monday against Wolves.

Dawid Malan and James Harris put on an unbroken 147-run stand for the eighth wicket to lift Middlesex from trouble to a position of strength

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge05-Jul-2015
ScorecardDawid Malan made his highest first-class score during an eighth-wicket stand that rescued Middlesex•Getty ImagesPeter Moores looked a man at ease in his new environment, watching play from the upper balcony in the Trent Bridge pavilion, chatting and laughing with the sundry players, coaches and support staff who emerged from the home dressing room to join him.You suspect he will take up permanent residence, given the upbeat welcome the former England coach was afforded when Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, introduced him during the county’s win over Worcestershire last week. Newell has shouldered responsibility for Nottinghamshire’s fortunes since he became first-team coach in 2002 and feels the time is right for someone to approach the challenge with a fresh perspective.What it means for his future remains to be seen. His willingness to put the county’s fortunes first, with the threat of relegation likely to colour the remainder of the season, can only be admired. Moores, in his consultancy role, will share the burden until a decision about what happens next is made in September.Among his many qualities, Moores has reputation for bringing on young players. That experience will be useful immediately, given the current profile of Nottinghamshire’s bowling attack. Brett Hutton, Luke Wood and Jake Ball have 29 first-class matches between them but all played here. Both Luke Fletcher and Andy Carter, injured in their last match, are sidelined for the immediate future. Meanwhile, Ben Hilfenhaus, the overseas player, took so much on in bowling their overs that Nottinghamshire decided he had to have a rest.When Middlesex were 165 for 7, the view from Moores’ perch will have looked pretty pleasing. With the ball swinging under an overcast sky, a batting line-up including two former England openers and the current one-day captain had found the going tough.However, the 41.2 overs that remained in a day interrupted by only one heavy downpour yielded no further wickets. Dawid Malan and James Harris instead added 147 more runs, the partnership itself chanceless until late in the evening, even though Malan had been given a let-off on 29 when Samit Patel spilled a low chance at point.Malan walked off with a career-best 159 not out, having batted for five and three-quarter hours. That he did not offer another chance in that part of the field alone was perhaps surprising, given that he scored 60% of his runs either square of the wicket or behind square on the off side, which Moores will note when he studies the data.There were other chances, though. Two were spilled by Brendan Taylor in the slips (Nick Compton on 19 and Eoin Morgan on 0), although the Zimbabwean atoned with a stunner at short extra cover to see off Ollie Rayner. Patel dropped his second of the day, again at point, as Harris had a life on 64.It has been a stop-start season for Malan, who had a poor time in 2013 but recovered his red-ball form impressively last season. He suffered a broken hand in the opening Championship match, also against Nottinghamshire, and has missed further cricket with a groin injury. This is only his third first-class match.On a pitch with plenty of grass left on, Middlesex lost their openers within the first eight overs, one each to Wood, who ripped out Joe Burns’s middle stump, and Ball, who dismissed Sam Robson leg before, both batsmen succumbing to inswing.Compton’s let-off cost nothing, with Hutton finding a little extra bounce with his next delivery and Chris Read taking the edge. That made it Nottinghamshire’s morning, although it should have been better still.Morgan and James Franklin were both dismissed soon after lunch. Morgan, caught at second slip off a Gurney no-ball, had not added to his 15 when he followed left-armer Wood’s away swing and nudged the ball into the gloves of wicketkeeper Read; Franklin was give out leg before by umpire Russell Evans, who judged that an inswinger from Gurney struck him on the pad before he got a bat on it.Nottinghamshire’s bowlers continued to exploit the conditions to good effect. John Simpson, driving, was caught by Hutton at third slip off Gurney, then Taylor redeemed himself by taking a blinder at short extra cover, diving to his right, as Steven Mullaney became the fifth seamer to take a wicket.Thereafter, though, the day was transformed, with Malan punishing Nottinghamshire heavily for allowing him a life and Harris, who is having a fine season with the ball, proving not for the first time that he is more than competent with the bat. Nottinghamshire have some work to do to get something out of this match, which Middlesex will see as a chance to reinforce their challenge for the title. You suspect that Moores, who professes to love a challenge, has a sizeable one.

Jurgen Klopp's men failed to take control of the match against the French side and were unable to complete a dramatic turnaround late on.

VAR was the enemy once again for Liverpool as they suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to Toulouse in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Reds were second best for much of the game but a late fightback saw them pull level right at the end when Jarell Quansah fired into the net. But a replay review in the last minutes of stoppage time saw an Alexis Mac Allister handball in the build up and the strike was disallowed, ensuring the visitors left with nothing.

Jurgen Klopp's team were off to a decent start, but a Kostas Tsimikas howler gifted the French side the lead and the Reds were unable to seize control afterwards. With Cody Gakpo anonymous throughout, Wataru Endo lucky to make it to half-time without being sent off and their defence looking terribly sloppy, Liverpool never really got going.

Even the half-time introductions of Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold failed to get Liverpool into gear, as Toulouse emerged from the break confident and eager to go for the second, which was delivered through a quality finish from Thijs Dallinga.

Liverpool did pull a goal back thanks to a bizarre mistake from defender Cristian Casseres, who wasn't even looking in the right direction as it struck his shoulder and went into the net. But Toulouse showed their resilience by scoring another fine goal right after.

Diogo Jota finished off a fine move to reduce the deficit once again and then Quansah lashed in a 97th minute equaliser, but it just wasn't to be for Liverpool.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Stadium Municipal…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Caoimhin Kelleher (5/10):

Couldn't do anything for the first goal due to the deflection, was well beaten by a fine finish for the second and spilled the ball for the third after it bounced off of Alexander-Arnold.

Joe Gomez (6/10):

Had an early header hit the bar. Sluggish and clumsy early on and left far too much space behind him. Moved to the left for the second half and it was the same story until his header helped pull a bizarre goal back.

Joel Matip (6/10):

Got across to sweep up after Gomez as Toulouse targeted Liverpool's right side. Was tidy on the ball but needed to get across quicker to block the second goal.

Jarell Quansah (5/10):

Looked solid as he stood up to challenges really well, but didn't look good for any of Toulouse's goals. Thought he had scored a last-minute equaliser but was undone by a VAR review.

Kostas Tsimikas (4/10):

Terrible to give the ball away that sent Toulouse on their way to the first goal. An easy target for Toulouse down the wing.

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Harvey Elliott (6/10):

Used the ball well as he attempted to kick-start attacks for the Reds.

Wataru Endo (3/10):

Made an unnecessary and overzealous tackle early on, got booked for another but was lucky to stay on after another rash foul. Full of energy but overcommitted to everything and was a danger to his own team.

Alexis Mac Allister (5/10):

Got up and down in an attempt to create something but offered little protection. Responsible for the handball that saw his side's equaliser chalked off.

GettyAttack

Ben Doak (5/10):

Put his dribbling ability to good use to unsettle the opponents but struggled to link up and went off at half-time.

Cody Gakpo (4/10):

Barely involved as Toulouse blocked Liverpool's path into the centre of the final third.

Luis Diaz (6/10):

Showed some energy and had some okay moments but was hardly effective. Understandable given the recent developments regarding his father's release.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):

On at half-time and added some strength on the right flank.

Mohamed Salah (6/10):

Came on to add the attacking spark Liverpool were missing and his presence helped for the own goal.

Dominik Szoboszlai (6/10):

Helped settle the midfield after a woeful first half.

Darwin Nunez (5/10):

Was supposed to add more of a direct threat but couldn't get up and running.

Diogo Jota (6/10):

Scored a lovely goal to give the Reds some hope late on.

Jurgen Klopp (5/10):

A terrible performance for his team and despite the ability of his substitutes, they hardly turned the game in the Reds' favour as expected.

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that they have activated a clause to sign Goncalo Ramos on a permanent basis from Benfica.

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Ramos signed on loan in summer windowDeal included permanent transfer clauseStriker signed contract until 2028WHAT HAPPENED?

PSG initially signed the striker on loan from Benfica in the summer window, with the deal involving an obligation to sign him on a permanent contract. The French champions have confirmed they have activated the clause, agreeing to pay a potential €80 million (£70m/$87m) including add-ons to the Portuguese giants, and have tied him to a contract until 2028.

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Ramos was signed by PSG after a fantastic season at Benfica in which he scored 27 goals in 47 matches in all competitions. Since joining the Ligue 1 side, however, he has managed just two goals in 15 matches – only eight of which he has started.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ramos faces some competition for the number nine role in Luis Enrique's team, with fellow summer signing Randal Kolo Muani also fighting for the striker position. Kolo Muani, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt, has fired in just three goals in 11 games.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RAMOS?

The Portuguese striker will hope to repay PSG's faith in him by adding to his goal tally when they take on Ligue 1 rivals Monaco on Friday. They will then prepare to host Premier League side Newcastle in the Champions League next Tuesday.

Former England batsman Mark Butcher says the ECB’s handling of Kevin Pietersen will leave a lot of supporters of English cricket “confused”

Gaurav Kalra12-May-20156:17

Butcher: Don’t think Pietersen would ever trust ECB now

Former England batsman Mark Butcher says the ECB’s handling of Kevin Pietersen will leave a lot of supporters of English cricket “confused”. Reacting to the announcement by newly appointed director of cricket Andrew Strauss that Pietersen wasn’t part of England’s plans for the upcoming summer, Butcher said it will be a “bitter pill to swallow” for the batsman who did everything that was asked of him to be back in consideration for a recall.”Pietersen trusted Colin Graves when he said that the slate would be wiped clean and he would be picked on merit again, he now knows that is not case,” Butcher told ESPNcricinfo. “Irrespective of how many runs he scores, he will not get picked. So, the trust from his side isn’t there either.”In confirming Pietersen’s exile for the rest of the summer, Strauss said “a massive trust issue” existed between the two. Butcher said he feared that this ruptured personal relationship between the men may have led to a situation where the best interests of English cricket weren’t prioritised.”I don’t know why their personal relationship is important as they no longer share a dressing room together,” he said. “The cricket that is coming up – England trying to win against New Zealand and the Ashes – did not get mentioned. There has been a lot of talk about building for the future. That’s one thing English cricket has always done exceptionally well. The present is passing by and the results are passing by.”Another interesting thing was that Strauss said that he has not been banned; he’s just not a part of our plans at the moment. It is the same scenario that has existed for a while now. I think the people and Pietersen want some clarity. He would want to know whether he’s wasting his time or has he still got a chance. As far as I can tell, none of those questions have been answered.”Butcher is convinced that despite the door being shut on Pietersen in the immediate future, this saga is far from over. He believes that come the Ashes the story will still be “bubbling beneath the surface”, especially if England falter in their upcoming series against New Zealand.”You don’t score that many international runs without being a very fine player,” Butcher said. “In order for him to get back in, there was always going to be a payoff. The payoff was that he had to score runs which he has done emphatically but also that others would have to fail or England will have to lose Test matches and series. So, we haven’t gone back to the critical point yet. The point is that England didn’t win in the West Indies and I said that they would do very well to win there.”Given that they face New Zealand now who are a fantastic side and will face an England side that is not at 100 percent they can very easily create a few problems. You cannot tell me this story is over because everyone knows what happens in English cricket when the Ashes occur. Big stories happen and heroes and villains emerge.”At least for the moment though, the ECB’s shambolic handling of the entire affair has meant Pietersen has won the public relations battle hands down in the eyes of most observers. Butcher is among those.”If there was somebody writing Kevin’s script and had this grand plan of turning public opinion in his favour against the ECB, then whoever’s writing that is doing a very good job,” he said. “With every passing day and the revelations and the press conferences, it looks as though the person who has come out of this smelling the sweetest is Kevin irrespective of whether he plays or not.”

Soccer legend Ronaldinho recently repped NBA superstar Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics jersey on an episode of Survivor Turkey.

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Ronaldinho guests on Survivor TurkeyWears Jayson Tatum jerseyPlays beach soccer with contestantsWHAT HAPPENED?

In the clip posted by the survival TV show, the Brazil legend was a guest speaking to contestants, who then proceeded to play a game of beach soccer with them. Of course, Ronaldinho wore the Celtics jersey on the sandy pitch while skilling alongside contestants!

The ex-Barcelona man followed it with a game of soccer tennis on the beach with the group.

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Tatum recently met up with soon-to-be real Madrid star Endrick last December, when the duo posed for photos courtside at TD Garden. Ronaldinho, meanwhile, is thoroughly enjoying his retirement from the professional game. Last June, in another visit to Turkey, the Brazil legend scored a 120-meter long-range volley onto a boat into a river. Safe to say Turkey is treating him well!

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDINHO AND TATUM?

The Boston Celtics currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, with a record of 43-12 this season. Meanwhile, Ronaldinho is enjoying retirement, with his latest cameo being on the survival TV show in Turkey. Who knows where he will pop up on our screens next!

New Zealanders bowled Jamaica Select XI out for 90 in just 32.5 overs to wrap up a 123-run win in their final warm-up game at the Trelawny Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2014
ScorecardFile photo – Ross Taylor scored an unbeaten 55 in New Zealanders’ second innings•Getty ImagesNew Zealanders bowled Jamaica Select XI out for 90 in just 32.5 overs to wrap up a 123-run win in their final warm-up game at the Trelawny Stadium. They must have wished, however, that the match had gone on longer than it did, considering the lengths they went to get in more practice for their bowlers ahead of the first Test, which starts on Sunday.When Select XI lost their eighth wicket with their score at 43, their opening batsman Horace Miller walked in to bat for a second time in the innings. When they lost Miller 7.4 overs later, he was replaced by his opening partner John Campbell, also batting a second time. And after Select XI were bowled out, New Zealanders continued bowling to their batsmen, till the scheduled 5.00pm finish.The day began with the umpires deciding that the pitch used for the first two days was too dangerous to continue playing on. The new pitch was too damp for play to begin immediately, however, and the start was delayed by 40 minutes.Resuming on 65 for 7 in their second innings, New Zealanders went on to declare on a score of 132 for 9, with Ross Taylor, who batted at No. 8, unbeaten on 55 off 62 balls. Medium-pacer Derval Green took both the wickets that fell in the morning to finish with figures of five for 41.Set 214 to win, Select XI got off to a disastrous start, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee reducing them to 3 for 3 inside seven overs. Offspinner Mark Craig then struck three times in the same over to have them 20 for 6. There was no recovery after that, even though Paul Palmer, Select XI’s captain, went on to score 52 off 67 balls. Craig finished with four wickets in the innings and five in the match, to go with three in New Zealanders’ one innings of bowling in the first tour game and stake a claim for a Test debut in Kingston.

England ended the first day miles in front after Stuart Broad’s 6 for 25 helped bowl India out for 152

The Report by Andrew McGlashan07-Aug-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA couple of weeks ago it appeared unlikely Stuart Broad would make it through this series and until a few days ago it was by no means certain that James Anderson would be available, either. As it was, the pair combined to take nine wickets – Broad the bulk of them with 6 for 25 – as India were removed for 152 inside two sessions at Old Trafford and by the close England were strongly placed only 39 runs behind to suggest a significant swing in the series.Within six overs India were in tatters at 8 for 4; three of the top four having collected ducks, including the struggling Virat Kohli who fell second ball to his nemesis Anderson. From the rubble of the first half an hour, their final total was something of a recovery. MS Dhoni, back at No. 6 after another reshuffle of the batting order, played excellently for his 71 but Broad, who according to reports will have knee surgery after the series, cleaned up the lower order.Stuart Broad dismissed Gautam Gambhir and Cheteshwar Pujara before running through the lower order•Getty ImagesThe six ducks in India’s innings equalled the world record as, for the first time this season, England managed to exploit what could be termed ‘English’ conditions although they were by no means frightful. It was certainly the quickest pitch seen so far but, by and large, England found the correct, full length which found the edges which they had failed to do at Headingley against Sri Lanka and Lord’s in this series.England did not have it all their own way in reply, certainly against the new ball as Sam Robson and Alastair Cook departed cheaply to leave them 36 for 2. However, on a gloriously sunny evening Ian Bell, after wild pull first ball, clicked into gear with a string of boundaries which included advancing down to loft R Ashwin for a straight six.Gary Ballance continued his fine form and the third-wicket pair looked set to see out the day but Ballance was trapped lbw by the impressive Varun Aaron, playing his second Test and first since November 2011, from around the wicket in what proved the final over the day. It should be noted that eight overs were lost.There was a stroke – or should that be a flip – of fortune for England before a ball was bowled. Cook lost the toss and Dhoni was happy to bat first; it has been the route taken by every Test captain at this ground since Graham Gooch against Australia in 1993. Cook admitted he would have batted, but as he said that he glanced skywards at the clouds, which had been heavy enough to delay the start by half an hour with drizzle, and pondered what could be on offer.Stood at first slip, Cook would immediately have been delighted by what he watched. A manic 13-ball period began when Broad made the opening incision in the fourth over when Gautam Gambhir, playing his first Test since December 2012 in place of Shikhar Dhawan, was squared up in a manner similar to the 2011 tour and edged to gully.Anderson had already found his groove and now started to find the edges. M Vijay, the pillar of India’s batting in the series, nicked a perfect outswinger to Cook at first slip and two deliveries later there was a near replay when Kohli moved across his crease and felt for another delivery which curved away. It was one of those spells where another wicket, if not more, felt inevitable and Dhoni’s uncertain technique was given a working over by Anderson.There has been some criticism this season of the length of spells Anderson has been asked to bowl, but the nine-over opening burst today was fully understandable in the circumstances. It was a reminder, not that any was needed, of the significance of the not-guilty verdict.The next stage of the match came when Cook changed the bowling – would Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan maintain the stranglehold? Woakes could have struck – for just the second time in Test cricket – with his third ball when Dhoni edged a booming drive which flew high towards Jordan at fourth slip but he could not time his jump to intercept the chance.Dhoni was always keen to try and get onto the front foot and England’s response was to bowl a touch shorter, which took them away from what had provided all the earlier success. It was not a complete dereliction of their duties as happened at Lord’s, but they were perhaps sucked in by Dhoni’s method. Whenever the ball was full, it kept moving.As it did at Lord’s, Ajinkya Rahane’s technique, playing the ball late with a straight bat, stood him in good stead and he was the most comfortable of India’s batsmen in the morning session only to be let down by a rare misjudgement, driving at a swinging delivery, although it was a timely reminder to England’s bowlers that the cost of a few boundaries is worth the potential reward of the outside edge. For Jordan, the weakest link of the attack at the Ageas Bowl, it was an important wicket after two barren outings although the support for Anderson and Broad was still not as exacting as it could have been.Shortly after lunch the other half of the recent off-field drama, Ravindra Jadeja, who had not been given an overly welcoming reception from the partisan crowd, was pinned lbw by a classic Anderson set-up, almost identical to how he fell at the Ageas Bowl. At 63 for 6 three figures was looking some way off for India.Ashwin counter-attacked, picking off England’s bowlers when they were drawn into bowling too straight, and the total was doubled during the 14-over stand with Dhoni. However, when there was just a hint that England could let frustration get to them, Ashwin picked out deep square-leg from a short delivery. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s batting mojo has deserted him since Lord’s and he left a delivery that hit middle stump and after Dhoni collected a few defiant boundaries managed to pick out the only fielder within acres on the leg side.It was not perfect from England. Early in England’s reply, Robson shouldered arms to a well-disguised inswinger from Bhuvneshwar which took his off stump. It was an unconvincing stay from Robson, who twice nearly edged to slip, and he is the one new member of the batting order who, despite his hundred against Sri Lanka, has yet to wholly convince.If Robson is feeling any pressure, he could glance over at his opening partner. Cook revived his fortunes last week and, as he slotted away an on- and off-drive off Pankaj Singh, and was moving smoothly only to be outdone by a slippery short delivery from Aaron who touched 90mph during a lively spell. Going for the hook, Cook was not in control and top-edged to Pankaj at long leg. Pankaj took it nonchalantly, but surely will have wished the dismissal was the other way around: his wait for a maiden Test wicket goes on.