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      Arsenal legend Thierry Henry brutally trolls Tottenham at Fifa The Best awards as fans say ‘gotta love The King’

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      ARSENAL legend Thierry Henry brutally trolled Tottenham with a cheeky dig at the The Best Fifa Football Awards. The Gunners icon hosted the event alongside presenter and Spurs fan Reshmin Chowdhury.
      Thierry Henry and Reshmin Chowdhury hosting The Best Fifa Football AwardsCredit: EPA
      And Henry was on hand to accept the Best Men’s Player of the Year award on behalf of his ex-Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi.
      But it soon turned into the chance to aim a dig Tottenham’s way.
      Henry said: “Someone is going to have to take the trophy. I actually have two reasons for taking it. I never won it, so I’ll keep it.”
      Henry then turned to Chowdhury and asked: “You are a Tottenham fan right?’ To which his co-host confirmed.
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      He then cheekily added: “That’s the other reason, as you do not usually get your hands on a trophy, so I’ll take this one.”
      Henry’s comment soon went viral with dozens of Gooners hailing the Premier League great.
      One said: “Gotta love the King.”
      Another added: “Long live the King. Once a Gunner always a Gunner.”
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      One gushed: “Absolute Legend.”
      Henry won a pair league titles and FA Cups at Arsenal before leaving the club for Barca in 2006 after eight years, 377 games and 228 goals.
      With Messi in Spain, they won the LaLiga title twice and in 2009 became Champions League winners together.
      The Argentine superstar is still goig strong and took home the night’s prestigious player of the year award and also made World 11 for the 17th year in a row. More

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      Lionel Messi only won Fifa The Best gong thanks to little-known rule after finishing level on points with Erling Haaland

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      LIONEL MESSI pipped Erling Haaland to Fifa’s The Best award thanks to a little-known rule.The pair finished with the same number of votes from national team captains, managers, a media panel and fan vote for the gong.
      Lionel Messi beat Erling Haaland to Fifa’s The Best award thanks to a little-known ruleCredit: Getty
      Haaland finished on the same number of points as Messi after the votes were talliedCredit: Reuters
      However, it was Messi who won The Best men’s player trophy for a record third time.
      Both he and Haaland scored 48 points once the votes had been tallied, ahead of third nominee Kylian Mbappe on 35 points.
      Of his votes, though, Messi had more from the national team captains to see him named winner on the tiebreak.
      England skipper Harry Kane was amongst those to pick the World Cup winner ahead of Haaland.
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      Messi was not present at Monday’s ceremony to collect his award, though, with host Thierry Henry collecting the trophy on his behalf.
      The 36-year-old started 2023 with Paris Saint-Germain before a summer move to MLS side Inter Miami in the summer.
      He scored nine goals for PSG as they won Ligue 1 last season, which he followed with 10 strikes in seven games to inspire Inter Miami to the inaugural Leagues Cup.
      As for Haaland, the Norwegian’s 36 Premier League goals in 2022-23 saw him win the European Golden Boot.
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      Across all competitions, the City striker scored a club-record 52 goals as he helped power Pep Guardiola’s side to the treble.
      Elsewhere at Monday’s ceremony, Spain’s Aitana Bonmati was named the best women’s player.
      City’s Pep Guardiola and Ederson picked up the men’s coach and goalkeeper gongs.
      Meanwhile, Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman claimed the best women’s coach award, with Mary Earps named best goalkeeper. More

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      Alessia Russo & Ella Toone stun in see-through outfits as Lionesses dominate Team of the Year XI at Fifa The Best awards

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      ALESSIA RUSSO and Ella Toone both rocked see-through outfits at Fifa’s The Best awards on Monday night.The England duo stunned on the green carpet as the Lionesses dominated the Fifpro Women’s World XI at the glitzy bash.
      Alessia Russo stunned in a see-through outfit at Fifa’s The Best AwardsCredit: AP
      Ella Toone also rocked a see-through look as she posed on the green carpetCredit: Getty
      Russo and Toone were both named in the Fifpro Women’s World XICredit: Rex
      Russo and Toone were pictured in striking black outfits at The Apollo Theatre.
      Arsenal forward Russo wore her hair in a bun as she posed in a glittering all-in-one dress.
      Meanwhile, best pal Toone’s sleeveless look featured feathered shoulders, which she paired with a matching bag.
      Fans praised their style choices on social media, with one writing: “Alessia Russo. That’s the tweet.”
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      Another added: “Alessia Russo, you’re everything.”
      A third fan also commented: “Ella Toone looks absolutely stunning tonight.”
      Both players were included in the Fifpro Women’s World XI alongside five of their England team-mates.
      Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh and Lauren James were also rewarded for their Women’s World Cup heroics.
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      Fans hailed Toone’s ‘stunning’ outfit at Monday’s awards ceremonyCredit: Getty
      Russo was dubbed ‘everything’ by one fan on social mediaCredit: Getty
      Spain’s Olga Carmona and Aitana Bonmati, as well as forwards Alex Morgan and Sam Kerr completed the line-up.
      The Lionesses reached the final last summer before a heart-breaking defeat to Spain.
      Russo scored three times during England’s campaign, whilst Toone opened the scoring in the semi-final win over co-hosts Australia.
      Manager Sarina Wiegman was also rewarded by being named best women’s coach for a fourth time.
      As for Earps, she won best women’s goalkeeper ahead of Spain’s Cata Coll and Australia keeper Mackenzie Arnold.
      The Manchester United stopper picked up the award for the second year running after saving a penalty in the World Cup final.
      Meanwhile, Manchester City dominated the Fifpro Men’s World XI with six of their stars making the team.
      John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland – beaten to the main individual prize by Lionel Messi – were all included from the treble winners.
      Real Madrid trio Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr also featured alongside Kylian Mbappe and Messi.
      Mary Earps was named best women’s goalkeeper at the awards showCredit: Getty
      Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman also picked up the best women’s coach awardCredit: Getty More

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      Erling Haaland’s dad looks furious as Lionel Messi beats Man City superstar and Kylian Mbappe to Fifa The Best award

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      ERLING HAALAND surprisingly missed out on Fifa’s The Best Men’s Player award to Lionel Messi – leaving his dad clenching his jaw.Haaland led City to a stunning Treble triumph last season with a staggering total of 52 goals and nine assists in 53 appearances.
      Man City superstar Haaland missed out on Fifa’s The Best Men’s Player awardCredit: Getty
      Lionel Messi beat Haaland to the award much to the surprise of manyCredit: Reuters
      Haaaland’s father Alf-Inge looked furious by the outcomeCredit: FS2
      The star striker’s incredible performances saw him finishing as top scorer in the Premier League as well as the Champions League.
      However, Messi still beat the Norway international to the prestigious award, even though he now plays in the MLS for Inter Miami.
      The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also bested a prestigious list of candidates, including Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.
      Haaland’s City team-mates Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva were also nominated.
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      The list also included Marcelo Brozovic, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Victor Osimhen, Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Ilkay Gundogan, who played with the 23-year-old at the Etihad last season.
      And Haaland’s dad – ex-City ace Alf-Inge – couldn’t hide his frustration after the Argentina international was handed the award.
      The camera caught the former City ace looking stony faced with furrowed brow as other attendees applauded the Barcelona legend.
      And some football fans agree with the ex-Leeds star’s reaction in the capital.
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      One supporter tweeted: “Feel bad for Haaland man. His dad was even p****d….”
      Another posted: “Haaland not winning a single award after winning all this has to be one the biggest robberies in football history.”
      A third said: “I’ll say it again. Haaland should be winning these awards. Messi is a legend but Haaland came to a new league, smashed its goal record, and won a Treble.”
      This fan wrote: “What more does Haaland have to do?”
      And that one wondered: “If Erling Haaland had won the World Cup with Norway in December 2022 while Messi won the treble, who would have won both the Ballon d’Or and The Best Awards?”
      It wasn’t the only controversial moment of the evening, either – after Pep Guardiola accidentally dropped an F-bomb after an awkward grilling from Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
      Fifa The Best awards
      Men’s Player: Lionel Messi
      Men’s coach: Pep Guardiola
      Men’s XI: Thibaut Courtois; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ruben Dias; Bernardo Silva, Jude Bellingham, Kevin de Bruyne; Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylina Mbappe, Vinicius Jr
      Goalkeeper: Ederson
      Women’s player: Aitana Bonmati
      Women’s coach: Sarina Wiegman
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      Women’s XI: Mary Earps; Lucy Bronze, Olga Carmona, Alex Greenwood; Keira Walsh, Alessia Russo, Lauren James, Ella Toone; Aitana Bonmati; Alex Morgan, Sam Kerr
      Women’s goalkeeper: Mary Earps More

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      Kyle Walker speaks ‘personally’ on stage at Fifa awards after being dumped by wife Annie Kilner over Lauryn Goodman baby

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      KYLE Walker last night spoke “personally” on stage at a Fifa awards show – after being dumped by his wife Annie Kilner over his baby with Lauryn Goodman.The Manchester City defender appeared at the Best FIFA Football Awards at the Apollo Theatre in London.
      Kyle Walker spoke ‘personally’ at a Fifa awards showCredit: .
      He appeared on stage with Pep Guardiola and Ruben DiasCredit: .
      Kyle Walker is attending the Best FIFA Football Awards at the Apollo TheatreCredit: ©Karwai Tang
      The star posed for an official photo portrait before the galaCredit: Getty
      Walker has been dumped by his long-suffering wife Annie KilnerCredit: Getty
      The Manchester City defender fathered a second love child with Lauryn GoodmanCredit: Getty
      He arrived alongside his son Roman, whom he shares with his estranged wife Annie Kilner.
      Walker was named in the FIFA FIFPRO’s Men’s World 11 alongside teammates Ruben Dias, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
      Manager Pep Guardiola was honoured as The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
      Walker went on stage to collect his award with fellow City defender Dias and Guardiola.
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      He said: “First of all good evening everyone.
      “It’s a great honour to be here. Obviously personally, for me, for Ruben. We’re representing everyone. To honour the boss.
      “He doesn’t like me to call him boss, he likes me to call him Pep.
      “To work with Pep day in, day out for seven years now has been a great honour.
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      “He’s taught me a lot on the field. The player I was when I joined from Tottenham to now Man City is I’d say a great thing.
      “For me to be here on this stage with this trophy in my hand is a big success to him as well.”
      Before the event Walker posed for stylish snaps at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel in nearby Mayfair.
      It came hours after Annie was spotted for the first time since discovering Walker fathered a second love child with Lauryn Goodman.
      The long-suffering wife, 30, was pictured smiling behind the wheel of her luxury Mercedes 4×4 driving through Cheshire this morning.
      And yesterday, Walker and Annie – who is six months pregnant – were pictured together for the first time since the split as Annie handed over Roman in Prestbury, Cheshire.
      The bombshell Boxing Day revelation saw the love rat Manchester City defender, 33, turfed out of the family’s sprawling £2.5million pad.
      In an online statement Annie revealed the pair, who share three sons together, were splitting.
      She wrote: “I am posting this in response to growing recent media enquiries about my marriage to Kyle and in an effort to protect my family against the intensity of the media spotlight.
      “Sadly, after many years of marriage and three wonderful children together; I have decided to take some time away from Kyle.
      “I do not wish to comment on the position any further. For now, I ask that the privacy of myself and our three young children is respected during this difficult time.”
      And, her fuming dad has also begged her not to go back to the footballer – or he will disown her.
      Annie is considering divorce and has even hired Coleen Rooney’s victorious Wagatha Christie lawyer, Paul Lunt.
      It comes as Lauryn spoke in an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, and said she revealed the truth so they could all “live their lives like adults”.
      The emotional 32-year-old said: “I kept saying to Kyle, ‘You need to tell her.
      “You need to tell Annie that you are our daughter’s father and you are having a relationship with your children.
      “‘We need to start 2024 out in an open way. If everyone knows where they stand they can make their own adult choices in life’.
      “I didn’t want to cause any more heartache for Annie or be a b***h but I had to tell her because Kyle was too weak to do it.
      “There were hearings coming up surrounding our daughter, there was paperwork flying around and legal meetings had taken place and Annie needed to know the truth before something went public.
      “Kyle was happy hiding the truth because he was having two families and was scared about what would happen when Annie knew but I kept saying to him, ‘Our daughter can’t be a secret, she is a human’.
      “I didn’t want them to split up or cause harm but it had to be out in the open for all of our sakes.
      “When I told Annie, she was cool and calm.”
      But, now fresh text messages from Lauryn Goodman’s phone in July 2022 revealed she was “ready to finish” Walker’s marriage.
      She texted a pal: “Ready to finish them” — then added laughing and heart emojis.
      Another message read: “Ask him if he wants to go with me again? I’m down for baby number 2 [five laughing emojis].”
      A pal who sent the text messages to The Sun said: “Lauryn is insisting that she never interfered in their marriage, but I beg to differ — these messages to me say the complete opposite.”
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      Lauryn became pregnant three months later after a secret rendezvous with Walker in London and gave birth to a girl in July last year.
      The influencer also has a three-year-old son with Walker, from a brief relationship while he and Annie were apart.
      Walker dressed in a stylish black suitCredit: Getty
      The photoshoot took place at a fancy hotelCredit: Getty
      Walker was in London for an awards show in the West EndCredit: Getty More

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      Reshmin Chowdhury and Jill Scott stun on red carpet in bold outfits ahead of Fifa The Best awards at glitzy London bash

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      RESHMIN CHOWDHURY has stunned at the Fifa The Best awards alongside a host of football legends.The TNT Sports host wowed in a flowing pink dress as she arrived at the ceremony in London.
      Reshmin Chowdhury stunned in a flowing pink dress at Fifa’s The Best awardsCredit: Getty
      She posed with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry ahead of the ceremonyCredit: AFP
      Henry is set to host the awards show alongside ChowdhuryCredit: Getty
      Ex-England midfielder Jill Scott paired an all-white outfit with a light blue bagCredit: EPA
      Chowdhury is hosting the awards show alongside Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
      Ahead of the event, she posed alongside the Frenchman and content creator Duda Pavao.
      The trio smiled for the cameras as a number of other famous faces hit the green carpet in the capital.
      Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman wore an all-black outfit at The Apollo Theatre.
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      She has been nominated for best women’s coach alongside Chelsea’s Emma Hayes and Barcelona’s Jonatan Giraldez.
      Hayes was also all smiles as she stopped for the cameras prior to the ceremony.
      Former England midfielder Jill Scott paired a white suit with a light blue bag as she arrived in London.
      The 36-year-old retired in 2022 after winning the Euros with the Lionesses.
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      Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman wore all black as she arrived to the eventCredit: Reuters
      Chelsea’s Emma Hayes is nominated for best women’s coach alongside WiegmanCredit: Getty
      Current England stars Mary Earps and Alex Greenwood were also in attendance, along with Manchester City defender Ruben Dias.
      City striker Erling Haaland is up for the best men’s player award along with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
      World Cup stars Aitana Bonmati, Linda Caicedo and Jennifer Hermoso will battle it out for the women’s award.
      As for best men’s coach, Pep Guardiola, Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi and former Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti are the candidates.
      Fifa will also present the Puskas Award to the scorer of the best goal in 2023.
      Brighton youngster Julio Enciso is nominated for his long-range striker against City in May.
      He faces competition from Botafogo midfielder Guilherme Madruga and Sporting Lisbon’s Nuno Santos.
      Lionesses duo Alex Greenwood and Mary Earps arrived on the green carpet togetherCredit: PA More

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      World Cup final in line for unprecedented change with Fifa under pressure to ensure a faster paced game

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      FIFA chiefs are under pressure to confirm the venue for the 2026 World Cup final.And there are signs that the biggest game in football could be played indoors for the first time.
      There are signs the World Cup 2026 final will be held for the first time in an indoor stadiumCredit: Getty
      New York’s MetLife Stadium had long been considered the front-runner.
      An East Coast venue would allow a mid-afternoon kick-off, prime time in Europe.
      But temperatures in the Big Apple in mid-July regularly hit 90F-plus, likely to mean stifling conditions and a slow-paced game.
      So expectations are increasing that Dallas could be the chosen option.
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      The Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, 19 miles from the city, is called the world’s largest air-conditioned room,   with the retract- able roof helping set a temperature of 70F.
      It would mean a kick-off at 2pm local time to fit the demands of European audiences and likely lead to a faster game.
      Dallas and Miami — home of the North and Central American and Caribbean confederation Concacaf — are alternatives for Fifa bigwigs’ main tournament base away from New York.
      Argentina won the last World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 in an epic final against France.
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      This was the first-ever World Cup held in the winter and bang in the middle of the European football season.
      Victory gave Argentina their third World Cup win, and provided a fitting finale for captain and talisman Lionel Messi.
      La Albiceleste secured the title after winning 4-2 on penalties at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
      Like the other stadiums planned for the 2022 World Cup, the 88,000-capacity stadium was air-conditioned to keep players cool using solar power. More

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      Fifa’s Club World Cup new format is crazy – elite players are being asked to perform too much already

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      NOT so much flogging a dead horse, but we are definitely flogging our finest footballers.The Club World Cup, you may have noticed, was won by Manchester City in Saudi Arabia this month.
      Manchester City won the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia this monthCredit: Rex
      But while it involved only seven sides, including mighty Auckland City and Urawa Red Diamonds, next time it will be 32. This is crazy.
      There is almost universal agreement that  elite players are being asked to perform too much already and yet Fifa wants to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams in summer 2025.
      The expansion has been criticised by Fifpro, the global union for professional players, as well as the World Leagues Forum, which represents pro leagues.
      Both have raised concerns about player welfare.
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      La Liga, the Spanish top flight, has come down hard on this latest wheeze and we should do the same.
      And the 2026 World Cup is expanding from 32 to 48 nations.
      It’s the same elsewhere, as the Champions League is getting ever bigger. From next season it will involve 36 clubs, all playing in a single league with eight group games.
      The top eight will qualify for the last-16 knockout stage, while those ranked 9th to 24th can still make it through a play-off.
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      The Champions League is expanding next yearCredit: AP
      In a nutshell, you can finish 24th in a league and still win the goodies at the end of the season.
      Maybe increasing the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams isn’t too much, but then you have the European Championships as well for national teams. Euro 2024 will involve 24 teams.
      There is also the 2024-25 Nations League, with games being played next autumn and the finals in June 2025.
      Hang on, I hear you ask, isn’t that when the Club World Cup will be held as well? Erm, yes…
      Confused? You should be.
      Uefa say the expanded Nations League is there to “minimise meaningless friendlies”, but how many of you could recall who won it in 2019, 2021 and 2023?
      Most of us understand you need top players performing at the biggest and best competitions but where does all this end? The Premier League is very clear. There are 38 games spread over ten months.
      The old First Division was over 42 games and I would argue the reduction has led to improved  quality levels.
      By the start of January, West Ham will have played 28 games across all competitions (joint third-highest in the Prem).
      I haven’t even begun to think how many games on top of this our international stars have played.
      So, what Uefa and Fifa are suggesting is squeezing the pips until they squeal.
      Top footballers already have to spread themselves too thinly and the danger is that injuries will multiply.
      I hear some of you say “fair enough, they are very highly paid”. But we want to see the best football, played by the best players on the best occasions?
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      The Club World Cup, Champions League, World Cup, Euros, Nations League — it’s too much.
      Precious diamonds are priceless because of their rarity. This ever-expanding land-grab suggests football’s governing bodies know the price of everything and the value of nothing. More