A.J. Hinch Had Message for Tigers Fans After Enduring Recent Slump

The Tigers can feel good as they near the final month of the 2025 MLB season. After sweeping the Astros this week and winning eight of their last 10 games, they seem to have come out of the slump they hit midway through the year.

Detroit was one of the hottest teams at the start of the season, but cooled off toward the All-Star break when they lost four games going into the break followed by eight of their first nine games after the Midsummer Classic.

That slump naturally brought out concerns from Tigers fans who initially thought their team was on track to contend for their first World Series title in over 40 years. Those worries don't bother manager A.J. Hinch though.

"I think we should just thank them for being passionate enough to care," Hinch said, via 97.1 The Ticket.

The Tigers not only have seemingly emerged from their slump, but regained their lead in the American League Central. Detroit holds a 9.5-game lead over the Royals and a 10.5-game lead over the Guardians, as well as the best record in the league. Hinch knows they can't slow down, but is glad to have the passion from Detroit as they head down the final stretch of the season.

"We’re still going to run the race, we still have a lot of games left, we’re still going to play our game, but I love the emotions that come with sports and respect them for loving us," said Hinch. "I don’t fault people for caring or being super passionate. That’s the kind of city that we want (to play in). But don’t forget to love on us a little bit when things are bad."

The Tigers have given reason for their fans to feel excited again, but they'll need to build off their momentum to keep them feeling confident as the postseason approaches.

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi makes history, becomes first to win back-to-back MLS MVPs after record-breaking season

Lionel Messi has been named Landon Donovan MLS MVP for the second straight season. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner produced 48 goal contributions – the second-highest total in league history – and carried Inter Miami to third place in the Eastern Conference. He is the first player to win the award in back-to-back years.

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    An all-time season…

    Messi capped his season by winning MLS Cup last weekend, delivering two assists and earning MLS Cup MVP as Inter Miami lifted the first league title in club history. That performance was the final chapter of a dominant year in which Messi also collected his second straight Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, becoming the first player in league history to win it in back-to-back seasons.

    Across the 2025 regular season, Messi produced 48 goal contributions (29 goals and 19 assists) in 28 matches, the second-highest total ever recorded, and averaged 1.78 goal involvements per 90 minutes, a mark only surpassed by his own 2.18 from 2024. He also became just the second player in league history to lead MLS in both goals and assists in the same season, matching Sebastian Giovinco’s 2015 feat.

    Messi set multiple league records during the campaign. He became the first MLS player to record 10 multi-goal games in one season and generated at least three goal contributions in nine different matches. He also scored multiple goals in five consecutive games from late May through mid-July, the longest multi-goal streak in MLS history.

    His dominance translated directly into awards. Along with MLS Cup MVP and MLS MVP, Messi won the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals, earned three MLS Player of the Month honors, and was recognized six times as MLS Player of the Matchday. Over his MLS career, he now has two MVP awards, two Best XI selections, two All-Star selections, a Golden Boot, 12 Player of the Matchday honors, and five Player of the Month awards.

    Messi’s season resulted in a landslide MVP vote. He secured 70.43 percent of the total ballot, finishing comfortably ahead of Anders Dreyer, with Denis Bouanga, Evander, and Sam Surridge rounding out the top five.

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    The full MVP vote

    Name Media Vote Player Vote Club Vote Total Vote
    Lionel Messi – Inter Miami CF 83.05% 55.17% 73.08% 70.43%
    Anders Dreyer – San Diego FC 6.78% 18.97% 7.69% 11.15%
    Denis Bouanga – LAFC 3.39% 6.90% 11.54% 7.27%
    Evander – FC Cincinnati 2.26% 12.07% 0.00% 4.78%
    Sam Surridge – Nashville SC 1.69% 1.72% 3.85% 2.42%
  • Getty Images Sport

    In historic company

    Messi is only the second player in league history to win the award twice and the first to do so in back-to-back seasons. The only other two-time winner is former Kansas City Wizards midfielder Preki, who collected MVP honors in 1997 and 2003. Preki now serves as an assistant coach for the Seattle Sounders, the team that defeated Miami in the Leagues Cup final in August.

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    Converting it into team success

    Despite Messi’s brilliance, Miami’s season was anything but smooth. They were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup by Vancouver, lost to Seattle in the Leagues Cup final, and failed to defend their Supporters’ Shield title. But after navigating those setbacks, the Herons found form at the right time, surged through the postseason and ultimately won the first MLS Cup in club history.

'Chaotic creativity' – Vincent Kompany hails Bayern Munich star Luis Diaz after last-gasp goal in St. Pauli win

Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany hailed Luis Diaz’s “chaotic creativity” after the winger helped his side return to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over St. Pauli on Saturday afternoon. The Colombia international scored deep into stoppage time as the German giants successfully put their midweek loss at Arsenal in the Champions League to bed.

  • Diaz's late heroics inspire Bayern to victory over St. Pauli

    With the scoreline 1-1 heading into stoppage time at the Allianz Arena, Bayern looked on course to drop points against strugglers St. Pauli. The visitors took the lead after just six minutes when Burnley loanee Andreas Hountondji stunned the home supporters, before Diaz kick started his heroics with an incredible assist.

    The former Liverpool forward was on the ground when he somehow managed to flick the ball back to defender Raphael Guerreiro, who fired home to restore parity for Kompany’s men. And then after three minutes of additional time in the second half, Diaz headed home what looked to be the winner for Bayern, only for substitute Nicolas Jackson to make it 3-1 on 90+7.

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    Colombia forward missed Arsenal defeat following UEFA ban

    The victory saw Bayern bounce back from their 3-1 loss against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday. Tasting defeat for the first time in Europe’s elite club competition this season, the Bundesliga heavyweights fell to goals from Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli after youngster Lennart Karl scored in the first half.

    Diaz was absent from Bayern’s trip to north London after being handed a three-game UEFA ban following a poor challenge on Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi on 4 November. The 28-year-old will also miss the Bavarians’ next two Champions League games against Portuguese side Sporting CP and Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise on 9 December and 21 January respectively.

  • Bayern boss Kompany waxes lyrical over Diaz's superb assist

    But after inspiring Bayern to an all-important victory which saw them move eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, manager Kompany was full of praise for Diaz after the game.

    Describing Diaz’s remarkable assist for Guerreiro’s equaliser, Kompany said: “Lucho has got a kind of 'chaotic creativity'. He can always do something in chaos.

    “As a [former] defender, I always found it uncomfortable to play against such players because you never know whether you have the ball under control or he has it. He kept his head up while on the ground and played a great pass. He did the exact same move in training yesterday. That's a quality of his.”

    And hailing Bayern’s collective grit, Kompany added: “Such hard-fought wins are part of a season. That gives us confidence in the future that we can win in such situations. Compliments to the boys that they kept going and believed in themselves. We need that over the course of the season.”

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    Bundesliga giants' director of sport issues Kane update

    One player who did not find the back of the net against St. Pauli was Harry Kane, who has forged a brilliant relationship with Diaz in 2025-26. England captain Kane has scored 24 goals in just 20 games in all competitions for Bayern this season, while ex-Porto man Diaz has netted 12 times so far.

    However, while he was unable to add to his goal tally on Saturday, Kane was a topic of discussion after the game as Bayern director of sport Max Eberl issued a cryptic update on the striker’s future.

    When asked whether Bayern have entered into contract renewal discussions with Kane, whose current terms expire in 2027, Eberl told : “Harry knows exactly what he wants and we have plans for him. We would like to continue. We can very, very well imagine that, but we will basically discuss everything with Harry.”

    And when pressed on the future of defender Dayot Upamecano, whose contract expires next summer, Eberl added: “We definitely want it [a renewal]. I think we've communicated that clearly enough. I believe he feels very, very comfortable here.”

Zaracho elogia manutenção do elenco do Atlético-MG

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Zaracho avaliou bem a decisão da diretoria do Atlético-MG quanto as manutenções para 2024. O argentino é um dos maiks antigos em todo o elenco, e está indo para a sua quinta temporada junto ao Galo.

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O Atlético-MG apostou em poucos reforços para 2024, buscando fortalecer posições específicas. Até o momento, o único jogador anunciado foi Gustavo Scarpa. Zaracho elogiou a decisão da diretoria, e também a permanência de Felipão como técnico da equipe.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– É muito importante, porque a gente se conhece, conhece o Felipão, é fundamental começar de uma boa maneira. Temos que trabalhar – comentou o argentino.

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Um dos principais objetivo de Zaracho para a temporada é se manter constante e sem lesões. Em 2023, o meia sofreu com uma séria lesão no tornozelo ao início do ano, e três problemas no músculo posterior da coxa direita entre julho e dezembro. Nos últimos dois anos, o argentino ficou fora de 17 jogos.

– Estou feliz de voltar. Estava com vontade de retornar e de fazer uma grande pré-temporada, de cumprir objetivos novos que vamos colocar – afirmou Zaracho sobre o retorno aos campos.

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➡️ Atlético-MG tem interesse em atacante do futebol francês, diz site

Zaracho atuou pelo Galo 44 vezes, sendo 34 como titular. O argentino já balançou as redes três vezes, e deu duas assistências.

Tudo sobre

Atlético-MGZaracho

Vasco acerta renovação de titular importante na reta final do Brasileirão

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco anunciou, nesta quinta-feira (21), a renovação do zagueiro Maicon para a temporada de 2024. O jogador foi crucial na reta final do Campeonato Brasileiro e deve ser importante para a sequência do trabalho de Ramón Díaz no ano que vem.

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O experiente zagueiro tem passagem na Europa e chegou ao Cruzmaltino em junho de 2023. A liderança e qualidade técnica do camisa 4 foram peças chave para a recuperação do time.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Vasco

➡️ Figueiredo quer ficar no Vasco em 2024 e despista sobre sondagens

O Vasco está acertando o elenco para o ano de 2024 e agora o comissão técnica já pode contar com a presença de Maicon no planejamento. O Gigante da Colina ainda trabalha em busca de contratações e outras renovações para construir um time competitivo para os próximos torneios.

قبل انطلاق كأس العالم.. ترامب يستضيف كريستيانو رونالدو في البيت الأبيض

يستضيف الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترامب، النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو في البيت الأبيض اليوم الثلاثاء، قبل أشهر قليلة من انطلاق منافسات كأس العالم 2026.

وتستضيف الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك، منافسات بطولة كأس العالم 2026، والتي تنطلق في شهر يونيو المقبل.

وبحسب ما ورد في صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، من المرجح أن يتم مناقشة إقامة مباراة ودية بين البرتغال والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية قبل كأس العالم.

ويشير التقرير إلى أن ثلاثة مسؤولين في البيت الأبيض أكدوا زيارة رونالدو المخطط لها في نفس اليوم الذي يلتقي فيه ترامب بولي العهد السعودي الأمير محمد بن سلمان، ومن غير المعروف بعد ما إذا كانت هذه الاجتماعات مرتبطة ببعضها البعض، كون البرتغالي لاعبًا في صفوف النصر السعودي.

اقرأ أيضًا | خلاف سياسي يهدد كأس العالم 2026: إنفانتينو في موقف حرج بسبب ترامب

وتأتي زيارة رونالدو للبيت الأبيض، بعد تصريحاته في مقابلة مع بيرس مورجان، أعلن خلالها رغبته في لقاء ترامب.

وصرح رونالدو: “إذا كان العالم ينعم بالسلام، فهذا هو هدفنا، إنه من الأشخاص القادرين على تغيير العالم أو المساعدة في تغييره، وهذا هو هدفي الرئيسي، لقاء ترامب والتحدث عن السلام العالمي، إذا استطعت تحقيق ذلك، فهو شخص أود حقًا الجلوس معه”.

وحسمت البرتغال تأهلها لكأس العالم 2026، بعدما تصدرت مجموعتها في مرحلة التصفيات الأوروبية المؤهلة للمونديال، وحققت فوزًا عريضًا بنتيجة 9-1 أمام أرمينيا في الجولة الأخيرة.

Three Lancashire centurions put victory quest on the table

Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon and Ashton Turner all scored tons against Kent

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 24-Jun-2025Centuries by Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon and Ashton Turner on debut have given Lancashire a chance of defeating Kent on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship match at Blackpool and thereby securing their first red-ball victory of the season.Replying to the visitors’ 374, Lancashire were 639 for 9 at the close after a day in which their batters savaged Daniel Bell-Drummond’s attack.Wells made 152, Bohannon 124 and Turner a career-best 154 on a day when their county amassed the highest total in matches between the sides.Lancashire will go into the final day with a lead of 265 and the decision facing stand-in skipper James Anderson is whether to declare overnight or club a few more runs before trying to force a win on a docile surface. The latter seems unlikely.In a first session slightly curtailed by a light shower, Lancashire added 105 runs in 30.5 overs for the loss of nightwatcher Tom Bailey, who had made 25 untroubled runs before he was lbw on the front foot to Joey Evison.Otherwise, the highlight of the morning was Wells reaching his third first-class century for Lancashire against Kent when he reverse-swept Jack Leaning to the third boundary. The Red Rose opener had faced 195 balls and hit twelve fours and a six.However, the first session proved to be merely the prelude to an even more severe assault on the Kent bowling in the next two sessions. After taking 24 balls to get off the mark, Josh Bohannon reached his fifty off a further 78 deliveries with an on-drive off Evison. In the next over Wells lost the ball when he walloped Matt Parkinson for a six over the wall at the South End to bring up his own 150.Next ball, however, the former Lancashire leg-spinner applied to balm to his wounded pride when Wells tried to repeat his previous stroke and was well caught by Wes Agar at long off for 152. That dismissal ended the opener’s enterprising 136-run stand with Bohannon and it left his side still 71 runs shy of Kent’s first innings total.Despite having made his runs in a minute short of six hours during which he hit 17 fours and three sixes, Wells’ dejection at his dismissal clearly suggested he thought he had missed a big opportunity to make an even bigger contribution. The cricket that followed supported that judgement.Ashton Turner joined Bohannon and the pair put on a further 174 runs either side of tea, with Turner making an immediate impact in his first innings for Lancashire, reaching his hundred off 117 balls with six fours and four sixes.Bohannon had earlier reached his century off 191 balls with a square cut off his old team mate Parkinson, having hit nine fours and three sixes but he was eventually caught by Agar off Jack Leaning’s off-spin for 124, having hit ten fours and four sixes in his 210-ball innings.Late in the day, Matty Hurst was bowled for 21 by Evison, who took his third wicket and finished with 3 for 61 from 21 overs on a day when he had plainly been the pick of the Kent attack.Eight overs before the close Turner was caught at long off by Leaning off Parkinson and Michael Jones fell to the same combination for 41, leaving the leg-spinner with figures 3 for 188 from 35 overs. Jaydn Denly took two late wickets.The problem now for Anderson and his bowlers is that this Stanley Park pitch still looks very flat and it will take all of Anderson’s wiles and a shrewd rotation of his bowlers to take ten wickets in one day, given that only 19 have fallen in the first three, five of today’s dismissed batsmen perishing to catches in the deep.

West Ham failed to consider hiring free agent boss with 12 trophies instead of Nuno

West Ham United have replaced Graham Potter with Nuno Espírito Santo after agreeing a deal with the ex-Nottingham Forest boss earlier this week, but there was another intriguing option on the free agent market they ultimately failed to consider.

West Ham appoint Nuno Espírito Santo on a multi-year contract

Chairman David Sullivan had been in favour of appointing ex-manager Slaven Bilic on an interim basis until the end of the season (Pete O’Rourke), and the Croatian was even planning his coaching staff in the event he was chosen for the Hammers hot seat (ExWHUemployee).

However, despite some concerns surrounding the finances of a deal for Nuno (Sport Boom), the Portuguese has now won the West Ham job race and took charge of his first training session on Saturday afternoon — just hours after the club announced Potter’s departure.

He’s also put pen to paper on a multi-year contract, showing West Ham’s faith in the tactician.

The arrival of Nuno comes after his fairytale 2024/2025 season at Forest, where he transformed the Tricky Trees from relegation contenders to Europa League participants in under two years.

This culminated in Evangelos Marinakis handing the 51-year-old a new three-year contract in June, but a tense public fallout with the Forest chief meant that Nuno was forced to wave goodbye to the City Ground much sooner than he anticipated.

Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League

Win percentage

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Forest’s loss was West Ham’s gain, and there are many reasons why Nuno could end up being a very smart appointment.

Under Nuno, Forest became a lot more robust defensively and adopted a clear counter-attacking style, all whilst fixing their set-piece issues — which is something West Ham have been a real victim of this season.

Having conceded 7 of their 13 Premier League goals so far from corners, Nuno’s arrival could work wonders to solve this very concerning problem, and the fact he was a free agent meant the east Londoners didn’t have to pay a compensation fee.

Out of the fellow free agents linked with a move to the London Stadium — a list including Bilic, Gary O’Neil, Michael Carrick and Sean Dyche — Nuno’s name was clearly the most appealing, both internally and outside Rush Green.

However, Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board failed to consider one name — Sergio Conceicao.

West Ham missed out on appointing Sergio Conceicao

The 50-year-old left AC Milan at the end of June and is still a free agent now, meaning he was potentially up for grabs.

According to some reports, Conceicao privately expressed a preference to join West Ham last year, back when he was mentioned as one of the candidates to succeed Julen Lopetegui, and was regularly linked before the club went for Potter.

It begs the question, why didn’t West Ham consider him this time around?

Conceicao has 12 major trophies to his name after a glittering career abroad, including an Italian Super Cup triumph from his time at Milan, with the Portuguese also winning 11 pieces of silverware during his famed FC Porto era.

The coach, who once drew comparisons to José Mourinho, won three Primeira Liga titles with Porto and the 21/22 Manager of the Year award. Ultimately, his failure to qualify for Europe with Milan last season, combined with losing the Coppa Italia final to Bologna, cost him his job.

Nevertheless, he was definitely an option worth looking at, and Conceicao has attracted praise for his fast and aggressive style — which embodies the ‘West Ham way’ far more than Nuno’s pragmatic approach.

West Ham did have more candidates like Conceicao available to them, but perhaps the major worry of relegation among shareholders motivated the club into making a swift, and perhaps trigger-happy, decision.

Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and more: The 10 fastest players on EA Sports FC 26

EA Sports FC 26 is released later this month, amid much excitement, so we’ve shared the 10 fastest players on the game, from Kylian Mbappe to Vinicius Junior.The much-anticipated game gets its worldwide release on September 26th, as football fans across the globe look to show off their gaming expertise.The question is: who are the fastest players on the game? And is their place fully merited? Here are the top 10…

10

Ousmane Dembele

Speed: 91

It has been quite a 12 months or so for Ousmane Dembele, who has not only won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, but is also the favourite to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or later this year.

The Frenchman is known for his quick feet and end product, but his blistering pace arguably stands out more than anything, hence him sneaking his way into the 10 fastest players on EA Sports FC 26.Dembele gets a 91 rating for speed – something most of us can only dream of!

9

Sophia Wilson

Speed: 92

The first female entry on the list is Portland Thorns FC forward Sophia Wilson, who is renowned for the pace she is able to generate in attacking areas.

The 25-year-old is a key player for the USA at international level, scoring 24 goals in 58 caps, with her speed helping her get into great positions and take down her opponents.

Wilson is one of four players here to get a 92 pace rating.

8

Victor Osimhen

Speed: 92

Galatasaray's VictorOsimhenreacts

One of the most dominant strikers in the world on his day, Victor Osimhen has been a nightmare for defenders to face in recent years, not least during an unstoppable period in Serie A for Napoli.

Not only does the Nigerian possess power and stature leading the line, but his speed is the cherry on top, allowing him to make runs in behind before finishing in deadly fashion.

Osimhen may not always look like one of the fastest players around, but when he gets going and reaches full pace, he is a sight to behold.

7

Achraf Hakimi

Speed: 92

Is there a better right-back in the world at the moment than Achraf Hakimi? It would take a bold person to claim that anyone is better.

The Algerian has matured into a wonderful player for PSG, playing such an important role in his side’s Champions League success last season, providing scintillating pace from deep.

Hakimi’s pace is also a valuable asset to have at the other end of the pitch, allowing him to thwart danger if he is out of position, and he is the seventh-fastest player on EA Sports FC 26.

6

Kadidiatou Diani

Speed: 92

Kadidiatou Diani is next up, with the Lyon attacker one of the fastest players in the women’s game and topping the scoring charts in the Champions League in 2023/24.

Now 30 years of age, there don’t appear to be too many signs of her pace dwindling in her autumn years, and she places at a highly impressive sixth on the list of quickest players.

5

Nico Williams

Speed: 93

Athletic Bilbao'sNicoWilliams

Lamine Yamal may take the limelight as Spain’s star winger in the current game, but Nico Williams is a fantastic player in his own right, not to mention a speedier option than Barcelona’s teenage superstar.

The Athletic Bilbao wide man has a devilish combination of lightning pace and strength in wide areas, allowing him to give even the best full-backs in Europe a tough assignment, and he is a joy to watch at his best.

Williams edges his way into the top five here, outlining just how quick he is.

4

Melchie Dumornay

Speed: 93

Lyon midfielder Melchie Dumornay is rated here as the fastest player in the women’s game, notching a 93 rating for pace, which is the same as Williams.

The 20-cap and 20-goal Haiti international was named the Champions League Young Player of the Season in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, and it is going to be fascinating to see how her career pans out.

The unstoppable pace that Dumornay has in her locker is such a great weapon to have.

3

Nuno Mendes

Speed: 95

If Hakimi was impressive for PSG on the right flank, Nuno Mendes may have been even better at left-back for the reigning European champions.

Surely the world’s best player in his position currently, the Portuguese has been given a speed rating of 95, which seems entirely fair when you watch him in the flesh.

The pace that Mendes can provide on the overlap is a great foil for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, allowing the Georgian to cut inside from the left wing, and at just 23 years of age, there will be so many more years of seeing him flying down the left-hand side.

2

Vinicius Junior

Speed: 95

Vinicius Junior is one of the best attacking players of his generation, possessing Brazilian flair and a relentless flow of goals and assists from his favoured left-sided role.

The Real Madrid icon can be unplayable on his day, proving capable of cutting inside and also hitting the byline, and a lot of that is due to the incredible speed that he has in his armoury.

Vinicius is deemed to be the second-fastest player on EA Sports FC 26, getting a 95 rating to put him on the same level as Mendes. So who comes in at No.1?

1

Kylian Mbappe

Speed: 97

France's KylianMbappereacts

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kylian Mbappe is still seen as the fastest player in the world – in fact, there aren’t many footballers in history who can lay claim to being as quick as him.

The World Cup and Champions League-winning Frenchman is arguably the world’s best player currently, but for all his inch-perfect finish and cleverly-timed runs, it is his speed that most associate him with.

Mbappe in full flight almost feels like you’re watching peak Usain Bolt, with the 26-year-old’s giant strides allowing him to pull clear of opponents and so often find the back of the net.

He is a worthy choice as the fastest player.

The 10 fastest players on EA Sports FC 26

Pace rating

1. Kylian Mbappe

97

2. Vinicius Junior

95

3. Nuno Mendes

95

4. Melchie Dumornay

93

5. Nico Williams

93

6. Kadidiatou Diani

92

7. Achraf Hakimi

92

8. Victor Osimhen

92

9. Sophia Wilson

92

10. Ousmane Dembele

91

Tottenham make approach for different Brazilian to Savinho amid loan chance

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has faced mounting criticism in the aftermath of their botched deal for Eberechi Eze, and talks for Man City winger Savinho haven’t exactly been plain sailing either.

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Eze ultimately chose a move to boyhood club Arsenal ahead of Spurs, despite agreeing personal terms with the latter, when Mikel Arteta’s side swooped in at the last second and offered him a chance of returning to N5.

Tottenham also had a verbal agreement with Palace over the finances of a deal for Eze, but as the old saying goes – a signing is never done until all the contracts are signed.

Arsenal’s dramatic late hijack leaves Thomas Frank still without a star number 10 to replace the injured James Maddison, nor does the Dane have an heir to club legend Son Heung-min out wide.

Just under two weeks ago, Tottenham entered talks for both Eze and Savinho in separate deals, prompting huge excitement among the fanbase, but there is the possibility that Frank ends up with neither.

Eze is completely off the table, but in Savinho’s case, the north Londoners are not giving up, despite City blocking the deal as things stand.

Reports from Brazil earlier this week claimed that Tottenham are vowing to go all out for Savinho behind-the-scenes after losing out on Eze, and his agents are in London right now attempting to facilitate a deal (Globo Esporte).

Spurs could even submit a club-record £69 million bid for the Brazil international, but Pep Guardiola has previously insisted that he wants him at Eastlands for “many years” amid Levy’s interest.

Savinho is out injured right now, funnily enough, but an alternative to the 21-year-old could be Real Madrid star Rodrygo – if Spurs can’t agree a deal for the City man.

Tottenham make approach for Rodrygo amid chance of Real Madrid loan deal

Frank and Guardiola are poised to come head-to-head this weekend, and it gives club officials a chance to hold further talks over Savinho, as widely reported elsewhere.

However, City appear to be making this very difficult, and Rodrygo’s pool of suitors is running low.

The 24-year-old Brazil star, who bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, has struggled for starts under new manager Xabi Alonso, and Defensa Central have claimed that Real could sanction a loan-to-buy deal as Tottenham take note.

Now, Mundo Deportivo, relayed by Sport Witness, have an update on the story – reporting that Tottenham are the only side to have approached Real over signing Rodrygo – and his potential exit remains a ‘live’ possibility heading into the final stretch of this summer.

Jude Bellingham called the ex-Santos star their most “underrated” and “gifted” player this year, and if a deal is there to be had, it is certainly one worth considering.

Rodrygo would be the statement signing that Tottenham are crying out for after a very testing window, and one that could seriously lift spirits around N17.

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