Breaking: Ronaldo Beats Messi To Win 2016 Ballon d’or

Breaking: Ronaldo Beats Messi To Win 2016 Ballon d’or

Sports Unknown   12:54 AM

Portugal and Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or for a fourth time on Monday night, beating Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann to world football’s top individual prize for 2016.

Ronaldo, who previously won the award in 2008, and in 2013 and 2014 when it was officially the FIFA Ballon d’Or, is only the second player to win it a total of four times, trailing only Messi’s record of five.

The honour caps a memorable year that saw Ronaldo win the Champions League with Real Madrid and the European Championship with Portugal — the country’s first major footballing silverware.

Ronaldo, 31, has scored 51 goals in 54 games for club and country in 2016.

See Heartbreaking Photos Of Coffins Containing Bodies Of Brazilian Players Killed In Colombian Plane Crash Placed Side By Side

See Heartbreaking Photos Of Coffins Containing Bodies Of Brazilian Players Killed In Colombian Plane Crash Placed Side By Side

Sports Unknown   1:38 AM

The bodies of Chapecoense players killed when the LaMia airline plane smashed into a mountain have been identified and are being embalmed and prepared for transport by military aircraft back to their homeland.

Heartbreaking pictures show the coffins laid out in the Colombian city’s San Vicente Mortuary with chairs dressed in white left out for grieving friends and relatives.

The last team photo taken  before they embarked on the doomed flight

The caskets are due to arrive in the club’s home city of Chapeco as soon as midday on Friday and be taken directly to the club’s stadium for a collective wake that Brazilian President Michel Temer is expected to attend.

The images of the caskets emerged as the Bolivian Civil Aviation Authority today suspended LaMia from operating.

Heartbreaking pictures show the moment footballers broke down in tears as they gathered with family and fans to remember teammates wiped out in a devastating plane crash in Colombia

FFIFA Finally Released 3-Man Shortlist For 2016 Player Of The Year Award [See FULL LIST]

FFIFA Finally Released 3-Man Shortlist For 2016 Player Of The Year Award [See FULL LIST]

Sports Unknown   10:53 PM

Antoine Greizmann on the left, Ronaldo by the right

The Federation of International Football (FIFA) has revealed the three-man shortlist for the best player in 2016.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann are the remaining three nominees in the race for the inaugural The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award.

High-profile names such as Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski all made the initial 23-men shortlist, but miss out on a podium place.

The original list of 23 names has been trimmed down to the Liga trio after voting by captains and coaches of national teams, select members of the media and fans voting on the official FIFA website.

Ronaldo enjoyed a hugely successful 2016 as he guided Madrid to Champions League glory, before capping a fine year by leading Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016.

Messi, meanwhile, helped Barcelona defend their Liga title, while also leading Argentina to the final of the Copa America Centenario, where Chile proved to be too strong.

Griezmann made it to the Champions League final with Atletico Madrid, while also reaching the final of Euro 2016 with France, only to end up on the losing side on both occasions.

Suarez claimed the Golden Shoe gong after scoring 40 league goals for Barcelona in 2015-16, while Neymar helped Brazil claim a maiden Olympic gold medal, but both missed out on a place in the top three.

The winner will be crowned at the annual FIFA gala on January 9 in Zurich.

Mourinho To Sign Mikel For Manchester United In January

Mourinho To Sign Mikel For Manchester United In January

Sports Unknown   10:35 PM

It seems Manchester United gaffer, Jose Mourinho is ready to make a shock move for his former player, John Mikel Obi.

The Super Eagles captain is yet to make an appearance under Antonio Conte and there are no plans to renew his deal, which expires at the end of this season.

Mourinho, who initially signed Mikel Obi to Chelsea as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, wants to sign the midfielder, so he can give Paul Pogba the freedom to roam.

Ironically, United thought they had landed Mikel Obi 10 years ago and even announced it on their official website, with a picture of the player in their shirt. However, the £4million deal was done directly with the player and his club, bypassing his agents.

BREAKING: Plane Carrying Brazilian Football Team Crashes In Colombia

BREAKING: Plane Carrying Brazilian Football Team Crashes In Colombia

Sports Unknown   1:43 AM

A plane carrying 72 passengers including members of a Brazilian soccer team and nine crew members was involved in an accident near Rionegro, Colombia, according to the country’s civil aviation department.

The plane declared an emergency between the municipalities of La Ceja and La Union, according to a statement from Colombian aviation officials.

There could be six possible survivors, the statement said.

The plane took off from Bolivia’s Viru Viru airport at 6:18 p.m. local time, according to Manuel Palamas, an air controller at the airport.

Stopping Iwobi, Iheancho will neutralise Eagles – Algeria coach

Stopping Iwobi, Iheancho will neutralise Eagles – Algeria coach

Sports Unknown   12:53 AM

THE coach of Algeria national team Georges Leekens says the key to neutralising the threat of the Nigeria going forward is to stop the duo of Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho from getting on the ball. 

Leekens said from the past games of the Super Eagles, the players are usually in a hurry to release the ball to the duo of Iheanacho and Iwobi, who are by far the most creative among the Nigerian forwards. 

Iwobi and Iheanacho 

The games he was referring were the 1-0 win over Tanzania and the 2-1 win away over Zambia in Ndola. 

Games where the duo bailed Nigeria out with crucial goals. Arsenal forward Iwobi opened scoring in Zambia before Manchester City Iheanacho doubled the Eagles lead, adding to his goal which condemned Tanzania to defeat in Uyo. 

“We have found out the two most important players in the Nigeria team Iwobi and Iheanacho, in tight spaces their teammates are always looking for them. 

They are also good at running behind unnoticed,”he told the media in Algeria. “The key is to deny them access to the ball, as whichever formation Nigeria play, they are key not even their captain Mikel. 

Stopping Iheanacho and Iwobi will neutralise Nigeria’s complex formation”.