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      Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on Ali Daei at the top of international goal scoring charts as latest top 10 revealed

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO is just six goals shy of the all-time international scoring record.The Portugal superstar sits on 103 goals for his nation – with only Iran’s Ali Daei ahead of him.

      And the 36-year-old Juventus forward needs just eight more to become the highest international goalscorer of all time.
      Iranian forward Daei bagged 109 in 149 games his country while Ronaldo has taken 173 games to reach his milestone.
      And here SunSport reveals the top ten international goalscorers of all time.
      ALI DAEI – IRAN
      Goals: 109. Caps: 149.
      The striker was most successful on the international stage but also played for Bayern Munich.
      Scored his goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006.
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      Ali Daei is the highest international goalscorer of all time
      CRISTIANO RONALDO – PORTUGAL
      Goals: 103. Caps: 173.
      One of the greatest players of all time and looks set to surpass Daei’s record with ease.
      If he does, the record is likely to stand for years given the lack of modern day stars anywhere near him in the list.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Cristiano Ronaldo is just six shy of the all-time recordCredit: AFP
      FERENC PUSKAS – HUNGARY & SPAIN
      Goals: 84. Caps: 89.
      Real Madrid icon was unstoppable for Hungary in the 1950s scoring 84 goals in 85 games.
      He went on to play four times for Spain after gaining Spanish citizenship but failed to score.
      KUNISHIGE KAMAMOTO – JAPAN
      Goals: 80. Caps: 84.
      Kamamoto played for Samurai Blue for 13 years between 1964 and 1977 and scored a staggering 80 goals in 84 games for his country in that time.
      GODFREY CHITALU – ZAMBIA
      Goals: 79. Caps: 108.
      Chitalu is the most prolific African of all time scoring 79 from 108 games.
      He tragically died along with his international team-mates during the 1993 Zambia air disaster.
      HUSSEIN SAEED – IRAQ
      Goals: 78. Caps: 137.
      Nobody has scored more goals for Iraq than Saeed.
      The one club man only turned out for Al-Talaba but featured for his country at the Mexico ’86 World Cup as well as the 1980, 84, and 88 Olympics.
      PELE – BRAZIL
      Goals: 77. Caps: 92.
      Perhaps the best player ever to play football.
      But although impressive, his 77 goals from 92 Brazil caps seems low.
      However, far less internationals were played in Pele’s day which explains it.
      Pele is widely considered the greatest player of all time
      SANDOR KOCSIS – HUNGARY
      Goals: 75. Caps: 68.
      Only player on the list with more goals than caps.
      The ex-Barcelona man played alongside Puskas for Hungary in the 50s and scored his 75 goals in just eight years.

      BASHAR ABDULLAH – KUWAIT
      Goals: 75. Caps: 133.
      The star striker burst onto the scene in the late 90s.
      Spent his entire club career in the middle east and featured at three Asia Cups and the 2000 Sydney Olympics for his country.
      SUNIL CHHETRI – INDIA
      Goals: 72. Caps: 115.
      No player has scored or played more for India in their football history.
      Chhetri, 36, still plays for the Indian Super League side Bengaluru.
      Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood PAID inside man to smuggle Icelandic beauties into hotel More

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      Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on Ali Daei at top of international goal scoring charts as latest top 10 revealed

      by

      CRISTIANO RONALDO is just seven goals shy of the all-time international scoring record.The Portugal superstar sits on 102 goals for his nation – with only Iran’s Ali Daei ahead of him.

      And the 36-year-old Juventus forward needs just eight more to become the highest international goalscorer of all time.
      Iranian forward Daei bagged 109 in 149 games his country while Ronaldo has taken 172 games to reach his milestone.
      And here SunSport reveals the top ten international goalscorers of all time.
      ALI DAEI – IRAN
      Goals: 109. Caps: 149.
      The striker was most successful on the international stage but also played for Bayern Munich.
      Scored his goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006.
      CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
      Ali Daei is the highest international goalscorer of all time
      CRISTIANO RONALDO – PORTUGAL
      Goals: 102. Caps: 172.
      One of the greatest players of all time and looks set to surpass Daei’s record with ease.
      If he does, the record is likely to stand for years given the lack of modern day stars anywhere near him in the list.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Cristiano Ronaldo is just seven shy of the all-time recordCredit: AFP
      FERENC PUSKAS – HUNGARY & SPAIN
      Goals: 84. Caps: 89.
      Real Madrid icon was unstoppable for Hungary in the 1950s scoring 84 goals in 85 games.
      He went on to play four times for Spain after gaining Spanish citizenship but failed to score.
      KUNISHIGE KAMAMOTO – JAPAN
      Goals: 80. Caps: 84.
      Kamamoto played for Samurai Blue for 13 years between 1964 and 1977 and scored a staggering 80 goals in 84 games for his country in that time.
      GODFREY CHITALU – ZAMBIA
      Goals: 79. Caps: 108.
      Chitalu is the most prolific African of all time scoring 79 from 108 games.
      He tragically died along with his international team-mates during the 1993 Zambia air disaster.
      HUSSEIN SAEED – IRAQ
      Goals: 78. Caps: 137.
      Nobody has scored more goals for Iraq than Saeed.
      The one club man only turned out for Al-Talaba but featured for his country at the Mexico ’86 World Cup as well as the 1980, 84, and 88 Olympics.
      PELE – BRAZIL
      Goals: 77. Caps: 92.
      Perhaps the best player ever to play football.
      But although impressive, his 77 goals from 92 Brazil caps seems low.
      However, far less internationals were played in Pele’s day which explains it.
      Pele is widely considered the greatest player of all time
      SANDOR KOCSIS – HUNGARY
      Goals: 75. Caps: 68.
      Only player on the list with more goals than caps.
      The ex-Barcelona man played alongside Puskas for Hungary in the 50s and scored his 75 goals in just eight years.

      BASHAR ABDULLAH – KUWAIT
      Goals: 75. Caps: 133.
      The star striker burst onto the scene in the late 90s.
      Spent his entire club career in the middle east and featured at three Asia Cups and the 2000 Sydney Olympics for his country.
      SUNIL CHHETRI – INDIA
      Goals: 72. Caps: 115.
      No player has scored or played more for India in their football history.
      Chhetri, 36, still plays for the Indian Super League side Bengaluru.
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      Five top players England beat other countries to including Jack Grealish and Declan Rice

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      INTERNATIONAL football has evolved its own competitive marketplace for talented stars in recent years.
      The modern world means players often have a number of different countries that they are eligible for.

      Jack Grealish and Declan Rice could have been lining up together for Republic of IrelandCredit: Reuters

      Fifa’s rules allow footballers to switch allegiance up until the moment they appear in a competitive match, leading to several examples of double debuts and awkward encounters.
      England are no stranger to this facet of the game, with stars both leaving and joining the national setup in this way.
      The latest hot talent considered up for grabs is Yunus Musah, the teenager who has played for the Three Lions’ youth teams but is also eligible for Ghana, Italy and the United States.
      His recent appearances for the US in friendly action mean he can still decide to play for Gareth Southgate – something the manager is very keen on.

      That would mean following in the footsteps of Declan Rice, who played three times for Republic of Ireland before finally accepting England’s call.
      Here, SunSport details the stories of five top stars who chose the Three Lions over other countries desperate for their services.

      England still hope to persuade USMNT starlet Yunus Musah to switch allegianceCredit: PA:Press Association
      Jack Grealish – Republic of Ireland
      Few international sagas have drawn as much attention as Jack Grealish’s, a player who began his career in the Ireland youth teams.
      The Aston Villa winger’s heritage led to him playing gaelic football as a lad, even appearing at Croke Park, before he signed up for the Boys in Green.

      Several youth appearances pushed Grealish towards the Irish senior side but he took a break from international football in 2014.
      Fellow Ireland youth star Aiden O’Brien told SunSport earlier this year that the winger needed time to make his mind up, stating: “When you get approached at that age you don’t really know what to do. You lean on those closest to you, and he spoke with his family a lot.”

      Grealish recently played for England against the Boys in GreenCredit: AP:Associated Press
      John Barnes – Jamaica
      Watford and Liverpool legend Barnes did not arrive in England until his teenage years and was eligible to play for Jamaica.
      Yet he chose England to play in the biggest tournaments – with Fifa rules at the time allowing the switch despite his lack of a British passport.
      He would later recall: “I wanna play in the World Cup, but I’m 18, a little black boy from Jamaica. So I can play for England or I can play for Jamaica.
      “But also, as it turned out, I could play for England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales. I never signed anything, but I could play for any of the British teams. So as stupid as it seems, the only reason I played for England was because they were the first to ask.”

      John Barnes would play for England at two World CupsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Declan Rice – Republic of Ireland
      Like Grealish, Kingston-born Rice was another to choose England having started out in the Irish fold.
      But the midfielder even went as far as playing three games for the senior team before pausing his international career, with Ireland manager Martin O’Neill saying he was ‘giving him a little bit of time’.
      England were interested in the West Ham star but new Ireland boss Mick McCarthy pledged to make Rice the centre of his team.
      Alas, he chose the Three Lions – leading to an uncovered IRA-themed social media post making for a controversial switch.

      Declan Rice was allowed to switch from the Republic having only appeared in friendliesCredit: Sportsfile – Subscription
      Owen Hargreaves – Canada/Wales
      In the 2000s, a foreign-born player who starred for Bayern Munich being eligible for England was quite unusual.
      Yet the Three Lions saw Hargreaves’ potential and called him up to the Under-21s in 2000.
      Before that, the midfielder had already appeared at youth level for Wales, with his parents making him eligible for both.
      The decision to snub Canada led to Hargreaves becoming quite unpopular in the land of his birth.

      Owen Hargreaves won 42 caps and England’s 2006 Player of the Year honourCredit: PA:Press Association
      Patrick Bamford – Republic of Ireland
      Robbie Keane famously said of Leeds striker Bamford: “He should be chasing us. He should want to come here. If he doesn’t want to, no problem.
      “We shouldn’t be chasing people, by the way. That’s what f***ing winds me up. We shouldn’t be chasing people.”
      The Tottenham legend was one of many exasperated when last year Bamford contemplated switching back to Ireland, who he had played for at U18 level before committing to England.
      Bamford, 27, has represented England at U18, U19 and U21 levels but had not had a full cap.
      He recently told The Athletic: “At the start of the season I wouldn’t have said anything about England, or even thought about it, but the fact that I’ve started quite well, I need to just keep pushing and make sure that my name is in the frame for the summer.”

      Patrick Bamford is once again hoping for an England call-upCredit: AFP or licensors

      England star Jack Grealish admits he must thrive on ‘biggest stage’ at Euro 2021 to earn Paul Gascoigne comparisons More

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      Man Utd winger Daniel James vows to fight for place after hitting top form with Wales

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      DANIEL JAMES has vowed to fight for his Manchester United place after less than three hours of league action this season.
      The winger produced a top display for Wales in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Finland, recording a superb goal and an assist.

      Daniel James scored a superb goal against Finland in Wales’ 3-1 Nations League win on Wednesday

      James has featured in just three Premier League games for Manchester United this season

      But despite falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford and being linked to a move to Leeds, James will not give up on his United dream.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford
      The 23-year-old said: “Man United is my club and I love it there — whether I’m playing or not.
      “There were times I played a lot last season and I may not have played as much this time.

      “But I’m sticking in there and I’ll always be in and around it. I’ll never think differently to that.”
      James, who cost an initial £15million from Swansea in June 2019, returns to United for Saturday’s clash with West Brom buzzing after his 25-yard sizzler in Cardiff.
      His screaming, air-punching celebration signalled huge relief.
      He added: “You could see I was very happy to see it hit the back of the net. It helped I had less time and I instinctively hit the shot.

      “I feel really good at the moment. When I do play, I give my all.

      “And I’m as proud to play for Wales as I am for Man United.”
      James, who also set up Kieffer Moore’s header to seal Wales’ promotion to Europe’s elite, added: “The future is bright for Wales, definitely.
      “We all look confident here. It’s a great bunch of lads.
      “We all bond so well and you see that on the pitch.”

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      Watch Phil Foden’s outrageous half-volley Cruyff turn reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane during England win over Iceland

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      PHIL FODEN drew comparisons with a number of football legends with an outrageous piece of skill as England romped past Iceland at Wembley.
      The Manchester City starlet was handed just his second Three Lions start, both against Iceland, by boss Gareth Southgate for the Nations League clash.

      Phil Foden wowed fans with his audacious skill

      Seeya later! 👋𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 touch from Phil Foden! 🤤What a couple of attacking talents England have at their disposal now… 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/mrviLopg5U
      — Sky Sports (@SkySports) November 19, 2020

      But while the first will be remembered for the hotel room shenanigans that followed, the second is memorable for the all the right reasons.
      Foden, 20, got off to a great start, delivering a perfect set piece for Declan Rice to head England in front.
      And he then had fans online purring with a majestic piece of trickery.
      The attacking midfielder raced away from the helpless Ari Freyr Skulason by taking the ball on the bounce with a glorious Cruyff turn, leaving the Icelandic veteran trailing in his wake.

      Social media users were in awe of the Zidane-esque piece of skill, while SunSport compared Foden’s performance to those of Three Lions legend Paul Gascoigne.
      One Twitter user wrote: “Need to see that Foden touch again, was sublime”.
      While another gushed: “That touch is just pure class….best young talent around Foden”.
      And the man himself quoted a tweet reading ‘He’s at it again @PhilFoden’, writing: “Official sources state that is true.”

      Zinedine Zidane could execute the amazing trick

      Iceland’s task was made even more difficult when Birkir Mar Sævarsson was shown a red card in the 54th minute.
      And Foden made them pay with two excellent late finishes.
      His first strike came in the 80th minute, when he swept the ball home following a nice Jadon Sancho dummy and cut-back.
      And he doubled his tally just four minutes later, fizzing a low shot past Hannes Halldorsson from outside the box.
      Foden’s piece of skill was the second to go viral from England’s camp, with Jack Grealish’s wonderful control against Belgium also drawing admiring glances aplenty.

      Foden bagged his first two England goalsCredit: PA:Press Association

      England star Jack Grealish admits he must thrive on ‘biggest stage’ at Euro 2021 to earn Paul Gascoigne comparisons More

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      Watch Thibaut Courtois’ howler for Belgium as Real Madrid star lets ball roll under foot for goal in Denmark win

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      THIBAUT COURTOIS was left red-faced when letting a backpass slip under his foot against Denmark.
      In a battle for top spot of Nations League Group 1B, the Danes were given late hope by the Real Madrid goalkeeper’s late howler.

      🚖 | Taxi for Thibaut!An absolute howler from Belgium ‘keeper Courtois in tonight’s clash with Denmark, luckily it didn’t have an impact on the result! 😅 pic.twitter.com/DyFU1vR9Zi
      — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 18, 2020

      Nacer Chadli whipped the ball back to Courtois while under pressure inside his own half.
      The shot-stopper had plenty of time to gauge the pass and no one within five yards of him when he completely failed to control it.
      The ball grazed his studs and rolled agonisingly over the line.
      Former Tottenham star Chadli, who now plies his trade at Istanbul Basaksehir, was even lumped with the own goal under his name.

      Courtois, 28, is undoubtedly among the world’s best keepers but has had his fair share of howlers over the years.
      In February, he bizarrely withdrew his hands when facing a shot against Levante, allowing the LaLiga side a 1-0 win over Madrid.

      Thibaut Courtois set up to control a backpass from Nacer ChadliCredit: Sky Sports

      But the goalkeeper let the ball slip under his footCredit: Sky Sports
      And last night’s error was not the first time the ex-Chelsea man fluffed his lines in possession for Belgium, with a howler against Russia in Euro 2020 qualifying.
      Fortunately for Courtois, on both occasions the Red Devils won regardless.

      Following his long-range strike against England, Youri Tielemans bagged a fresh stunner from distance to open the scoring on Wednesday night.
      Romelu Lukaku scored twice to put Belgium 3-1 up at the time of Chadli’s own goal.
      With five minutes to go, Denmark needed two more goals to complete an unlikely turnaround and win the group.
      But Kevin De Bruyne popped up with a superb finish on 87 minutes to seal the 4-2 win.

      Courtois was left ruing his error but Belgium quickly scored to seal the winCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Belgium boss Roberto Martinez gave his approval of the Nations League after his side qualified for the final-four.
      He said: “It’s a tournament with quality of opponents that you want to be facing, with a semi-final and final against these sort of teams.
      “For us, these are games that we need. You only get these kind of knockout games in big tournaments, so I’m a big fan of this competition.”

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      England star Jack Grealish admits he must thrive on ‘biggest stage’ at Euro 2021 to earn Paul Gascoigne comparisons

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      JACK GREALISH says he thrives off comparisons to Paul Gascoigne – but maintains they are premature as he has not even featured at a major tournament yet.
      England’s new hero has reminded many of Gazza for his maverick style of play.

      Jack Grealish reckons the comparisons between him and Paul Gascoigne are still too earlyCredit: Guardian News & Media / Free to use by all titles in perpetuity under NMC agreement

      Grealish has studied the legendary Geordie religiously and idolised the way he had fans off their seats.
      The Aston Villa star, who shone again against Iceland, said: “I thrive off those kinds of comparisons.
      “I love Gazza, I’ve watched his documentary off Netflix about a million times.
      “I love his character on the pitch and off it. I love the way he played football with such a freedom and such a joy.

      “You hear people talk about him and say he was a joy to watch. I think that’s the biggest compliment you can have.
      “When people say it’s a joy to watch you, it makes me happy, because I just want to entertain people.
      “But I also want to be effective on the pitch, just like Gazza was.
      “Those comparisons are obviously far, far away because I haven’t even played a tournament like he did. He thrived on the biggest stage.

      Grealish’s hero Gazza remains an inspiration for the Aston Villa captain who loves to entertain on the pitchCredit: PA:Press Association

      “Until I do that, I can’t really be compared to him at the moment.”
      Grealish had a terrific international break, starting and starring in all three internationals against Ireland, Belgium and Iceland.
      He looks a shoo-in now for England’s Euros squad barring injury – and is confident he can handle high-pressure matches.
      The 25-year-old added: “I’ve got to stay level-headed and know now there’s going to be a bit of pressure on myself. A lot of eyes are going to be on what I’m doing on and off the pitch.
      “I’m old enough and wise enough now to control myself. But with the pressure on the pitch, that’s what I love.
      “All these big games, there are certain people it can affect, but I just thrive off it.
      “I absolutely love the big games and I love the pressure that comes with it.”

      Gascoigne played for the Three Lions at the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96Credit: Getty – Contributor

      Grealish is hoping to emulate the Geordie legend and certainly has similar characteristicsCredit: Andy Hooper-The Daily Mail

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      Israel 1 Scotland 0: Euro heroes suffer Nations League hangover as Scots miss promotion

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      SCOTLAND looked like they had the Euros on their mind as they blew their Nations League bid.
      Subs Scott McKenna and Leigh Griffiths came close with a couple of last-gasp attempts after Manor Solomon drilled Israel’s winner on 44 minutes – while home defender Eli Dasa rode his luck when he handled inside his penalty area in stoppage time.

      Kieran Tierney reflects on Scotland’s misfortune as defeat in Israel denied them promotion in the Nations LeagueCredit: SNS Group

      Israel striker Manor Solomon celebrates his winner against ScotlandCredit: AFP or licensors

      But it was too little, too late as the Czech Republic beat Slovakia to win the group.
      Boss Steve Clarke will put a brave face on it, but he will be secretly seething at squandering the chance to step up to the top table of Nations League football.
      More importantly, it would have left a clear route to a World Cup play-off place.
      But with a date with destiny against England safely booked for next summer, they will soon dust off their disappointment.

      There may be 36 more sleeps until Christmas.
      But every Scotland fan will know there are 154 more sleeps until Wembley, where they will face the Auld Enemy on June 18.
      And that is plenty of time to convince themselves that this young, developing Scotland team will be  capable of putting the Three Lions to the Claymore.
      If Clarke wanted to lull Gareth Southgate into a false sense of security, then he  did it with this lacklustre performance.

      Steve Clarke saw his Scotland side waste last chances to avoid defeatCredit: AFP or licensors

      Scotland midfielder Callum McGregor gets to grips with home defender Eli Dasa Credit: AFP or licensors
      Scotland’s play-off heroics in Belgrade seemed a distant memory, despite the manager sending out the same starting team that ended 22 years of hurt by holding their nerve to beat Serbia on penalties last week.
      Despite Clarke giving the vast majority of his first choice team the day off in Slovakia at the weekend, too many  still appeared  hungover in Netanya.
      Aston Villa’s John McGinn came closest to breaking the first-half deadlock with a flashing header.
      But his former Hibernian team-mate Ofir Marciano denied him with a brilliant fingertip save.
      There was no cutting edge and elsewhere trouble was brewing in Pilsen, where the Czechs had taken the lead against Slovakia to leapfrog Scotland at the top of  the group.
      If that came as a blow, worse was to follow when Israel took the lead a minute before half-time.
      Solomon had already served warning of his threat with a long range effort which zipped narrowly past David Marshall’s post.
      But the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder was not to be denied his first goal for his country.

      McTominay is a work in progress at centre-back.. The prospect of Grealish and Kane running at him will torment the Tartan Army.

      He piled pressure on the Scots when he exposed Scott McTominay’s defensive deficiencies again.
      The Manchester United midfielder is a work in progress at centre-back and it showed as Solomon turned him inside out before drilling a low shot beyond Marshall.
      The prospect of Jack Grealish and Harry Kane running at McTominay will torment the Tartan Army.
      But there is still time for the rookie defender to cram in some swotting during three World Cup qualifiers in March before his biggest test.
      Clarke sent on fresh firepower in the shape of Griffiths, Oli McBurnie and Oli Burke.
      But after five recent meetings between the two sides, Israel seemed to know their opponents inside out.

      They dealt with everything Scotland could throw at them as Marciano defied Stephen O’Donnell and Kieran Tierney with a couple of routine saves.
      In fact it took a late stop from Marshall to prevent Eyal Golasa adding a second for Israel.
      And if Scotland repeat this showing at Wembley next year, Marshall will surely need to dig out his super-hero cape once again!

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