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France Legend Slams Mbappe Over Ballon d’Or Clamour

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Former France international Christophe Dugarry has criticised Kylian Mbappé, labelling the Real Madrid forward’s public pursuit of the 2026 Ballon d’Or as “childish and pathetic.”

 

The 1998 World Cup winner addressed the 27-year-old’s media campaign, condemning his focus on personal accolades over collective achievements.
Dugarry questioned the optics of a national team captain
“To publicly ask for an individual award like that, I find it CHILDISH and PATHETIC,” Dugarry said in a report .

“There’s nothing great about asking for it, especially as captain of your national team.

“Football is becoming more and more individualistic, and far too often it makes me sick. Instead of talking about yourself and individual awards, you should be talking about the team, about sharing success and about the trophies you didn’t win but wanted to win together.”

The criticism arrives after Mbappé declared he deserves to win the award based on his statistical output.

The forward claimed his second successive Pichichi Trophy during the 2025/26 campaign, recording 25 goals in 31 LALIGA appearances. He also finished as the UEFA Champions League top scorer with 15 goals, accumulating 42 total goals across 44 appearances for Real Madrid.

However, Real Madrid finished the club season without a single piece of major silverware under the management of Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa.

At the international level, Mbappé registered 10 goals in seven appearances during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing his second consecutive Golden Boot. France finished the tournament in fourth place following a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff.

Despite the lack of team trophies, Mbappé argued that the Ballon d’Or should prioritise individual excellence. His summer record established him as the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history with 22 total tournament goals, surpassing Lionel Messi.

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Troops Discover, Detonate IED In Borno

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Troops of the Nigerian Army have discovered and safely detonated a pressure-plate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, according to security analyst Zagazola Makama.

 

Makama reported that the incident occurred at about 3:50 pm on September 28, when troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade, Gwoza, discovered the device approximately 400 metres off a road near their location.

The device was identified as a pressure-plate IED and was subsequently handled by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.

According to the report, the EOD team successfully rendered the device safe before detonating it in situ.

The report concluded that the successful disposal of the device prevented a potential threat to troops and other road users in the area.

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Guardiola Reacts To Manchester City Guilty Verdict

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Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has broken his silence following the club’s guilty verdict, releasing a resolute statement of solidarity despite his previous insistence that he would walk away if ownership had lied to him regarding financial irregularities.

 

Guardiola addressed the situation on September 30, releasing a 54-word statement across his official social media platforms.

The comments mark his first public remarks regarding the investigation since the Premier League officially confirmed on September 29 that an independent commission had found the club guilty of 114 financial charges.

The official league announcement followed initial reports that had first broken via The Athletic and Reuters four days earlier, on September 25.

“I want every single Man City fan to know I am here; more than ever,” Guardiola stated. “I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

The timing of Guardiola’s departure from the Etihad Stadium provides a complex backdrop to his current stance.

The manager abruptly resigned from his post in May 2026, concluding a decade-long tenure (2016–2026) that yielded six Premier League titles, alongside the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League.

He was subsequently replaced by former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, whom Guardiola referenced in his statement.

During the earlier stages of the Premier League’s investigation, Guardiola famously declared that he would immediately resign if he discovered the club’s hierarchy had lied to him regarding their financial operations.

Following the formal guilty verdict, rival supporters weaponised his May departure, theorising that the manager resigned precisely because he received advance knowledge of the impending legal outcome.

Despite that narrative and the proven financial breaches during his tenure, Guardiola has publicly backed the institution.

Manchester City now face the sentencing phase of the tribunal process. The independent commission wields absolute disciplinary authority to determine the club’s punishment. The sweeping regulations permit the panel to impose unparalleled sporting sanctions.

These potential consequences range from severe financial penalties and significant points deductions to the retroactive stripping of historical titles or permanent expulsion from the English top flight.

The club has formally indicated its intention to appeal the verdict, describing itself as “disappointed and surprised” by the commission’s opinion and maintaining there is “irrefutable evidence” supporting its position.

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Ronaldo Abandons National Team Camp After Tension With Manager

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Cristiano Ronaldo has officially confirmed his departure from the Portuguese national team camp, releasing a statement that promises to eventually reveal the underlying truth behind his sudden exit.

 

The announcement directly followed a press conference in which national team manager Jorge Jesus dismissed rumours of a rift between the pair.

According to his official release, the 41-year-old forward ultimately finalised his decision after a subsequent meeting with Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proença.

“After the press conference of the national team, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team camp,” Ronaldo stated.

Refusing to elaborate immediately on the specific internal dynamics, he added: “In time, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave the national team, to which I always devoted myself.”

“Now is the time to wish Portugal and all my teammates good luck, without exception,” he concluded.

The tension originated during Portugal’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Norway on September 27.

Jesus opted to leave Ronaldo as an unused substitute at the Ullevaal Stadion. The omission sparked widespread reports of severe friction, which Jesus subsequently attempted to play down during his latest media address by claiming there was never a problem in the first place.

Following his departure from the camp, Ronaldo is now unavailable for Portugal’s upcoming Nations League fixture against Denmark.

This is not the first time Ronaldo’s role as a starter has generated significant managerial friction.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, former head coach Fernando Santos notably benched the captain for the knockout stages.

Ronaldo was left out of the starting lineup for both the 6-1 Round of 16 victory over Switzerland and the subsequent 1-0 Quarter-Final elimination against Morocco, a decision that created similar unrest within the national setup at the time.

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