OSLO: After just four senior starts and three goals Norway’s Martin Odegaard has become one of hottest properties in world football, with Europe’s elite clubs queueing up to take a look at the 15-year-old Stromsgodset attacking midfielder.
His father Hans Erik Odegaard said the teenager, who has spent time with Manchester United and Bayern Munich, has been the subject of over 30 enquiries from Europe’s top clubs.
“I can’t name the clubs, but almost regardless of who you name, they have been in contact with us,” Odegaard senior told newspaper Verdens Gang.
His son has electrified Norwegian football since making his senior debut in a top-flight match against Aalesund in April, becoming the youngest player in the history of the Tippeligaen.
Odegaard went on to become the youngest scorer in the Norwegian league when he netted the final goal in a 4-1 win over Sarpsborg.
He followed that up with a stunning performance against Sandnes Ulf, scoring one goal and creating two more in a 3-1 victory and prompting comparisons in style with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
With his quick, mazy dribbling and incisive passing, the left-footer’s play bears more than a passing resemblance to the diminutive Argentinian, and the question for Norwegian champions Stromsgodset will be how long they can hold on to him.
Verdens Gang reported that clubs such as Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Juventus, PSG and Ajax have visited Stromsgodset’s Marinelyst home ground to see Odegaard in action.
“We want Martin to develop,” said his 40-year-old father, who has also played professionally in Norway, adding that it would be impossible to visit all the clubs that have been in contact.
“That (development) has been the focus over the years. If you start to think about other things, I think the development comes to a halt,” Odegaard said.
Pique relishing return of ‘angry’ Suarez
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique believes an “angry” Luis Suarez will be desperate to prove himself when he has served out a four-month ban for a biting incident at the World Cup.
Uruguay striker Suarez was given a nine-match international suspension and banned from all football-related activity for four months by FIFA after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil last month.
Barca have since lured him from English Premier League side Liverpool and the 27-year-old could make his debut for the Catalan club in the La Liga “Clasico” against Real Madrid at the end of October.
“I expect that he (Suarez), like anybody who has the possibility of doing their work taken away from them, will be feeling rage,” Pique said at a news conference at Barca’s pre-season training camp in England.
“For the time being he has to wait,” added the Spain defender. “When he returns he will be full of desire to show that he is one of the best forward on the planet.”
Suarez will join Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Brazil forward Neymar in a formidable attack as Barca seek to bounce back from a disappointing 2013-14 season when they failed to win major silverware for the first time in six years.
They have a new coach at the helm in former Barca and Spain midfielder Luis Enrique and begin their La Liga campaign at home to Elche on the weekend of Aug. 23/24.
Neymar aiming to return
Neymar’s injured back is healing well and he is aiming to return to action in a friendly for his club Barcelona on Aug. 18, the Brazil forward said on Thursday.
“I am recovering bit by bit from the injury and I will arrive in Barcelona at 100 percent,” Neymar, who is due back at Barca on Aug. 5, told reporters at a promotional event in Japan.
“I want to have a good season and I would like to help my teammates get good results,” he added.
Barca play Mexican side Leon in the friendly at the Nou Camp on Aug. 18, with the winners awarded a trophy named for the Catalan club’s founder Joan Gamper. They begin their La Liga campaign at home to Elche the following weekend.
Top European clubs eye Norwegian teenager Odegaard
Top European clubs eye Norwegian teenager Odegaard
Ronaldo shines as Portugal rout Poland to reach Nations League last-eight
Portugal join France, Germany, Italy and Spain in the last-eight while Poland’s hopes of going through from Group A1 were ended.
Having struggled to plant a shot on target in the first half, Portugal stepped on the accelerator after the break.
Rafael Leao broke the deadlock in Porto just before the hour mark after starting and finishing the move.
The AC Milan striker raced away and passed to Nuno Mendes whose cross from the left was headed powerfully past Marcin Bulka in the Portugal goal.
Thirteen minutes later, skipper Ronaldo got his name on the scoresheet, converting a penalty after Jakub Kiwior was penalized for a handball in the area.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes made it 3-0 in the 80th minute, scoring after a clever run by Vitinha.
Pedro Neto added the fourth three minutes later after Ronaldo’s fine pass which left the Polish defense stranded.
As Polish spirits sank, Ronaldo added his second and Portugal’s fifth in the 87th minute with a spectacular overhead kick before Dominik Marczuk tucked away a consolation goal for the visitors.
Poland had enjoyed the better chances before falling behind but their potency in front of goal was blunted by the absence of record goal-scorer Robert Lewandowski who was sidelined with a back injury.
Moments before Leao’s goal, Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa pulled off a fine save to deny Marczuk having also been alert to deny Nicola Zalewski in the first half.
Portugal’s best chance in the first 45 minutes had fallen to Ronaldo who fired a close-range effort over the bar from close range.
Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura says he will play next season at age 58
- Miura will turn 58 in February
- He intends to play next season for his fourth-tier Japanese club, Suzuka
TOKYO: Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura is several generations older than his teammates. His contemporaries retired decades ago. Lionel Messi is 37, and Cristiano Ronaldo is 39 — mere youngsters compared to Miura.
Miura will turn 58 in February, and the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported this week that he intends to play next season for his fourth-tier Japanese club, Suzuka. It will be his 40th season playing in professional soccer.
Miura is widely listed as the oldest active professional soccer player.
Miura scored 55 goals in 89 appearances and was a star with Japan’s national team in the 1990s.
He has played professionally in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal. He made his debut in 1986 with Brazilian club Santos, a side made famous by Brazilian star Pelé.
Japan beat Indonesia 4-0 to extend group lead in Asian World Cup qualifying
- Japan tops the group on 13 points with five games remaining in the round.
- Australia, Saudi Arabia and China all have 6 points, followed by Bahrain with five and Indonesia with 3
JAKARTA: Japan defeated Indonesia 4-0 on Friday to move seven points clear at the top of Group C in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Two goals in each half mean the Samurai Blue stays on course for an eighth successive World Cup appearance.
After a bright start from the home team, the 78,000 fans at a sold-out Gelora Bung Karno Stadium were silenced after 35 minutes as Daichi Kamada broke down the left and sent a cross which defender Justin Hubner put into his own net from close range.
Takumi Minamino then scored from inside the area off Kaoru Mitoma’s pass to extend the lead five minutes before the break.
Hidemasa Motira took advantage of an errant pass from Indonesia’s goalkeeper to make it 3-0 early in the second half and Yukinari Sugawara rounded out the scoring in the 69th minute.
Japan tops the group on 13 points with five games remaining in the round. Australia, Saudi Arabia and China all have six points, followed by Bahrain with five and Indonesia with three.
The top two from each of the three groups will be guaranteed a place at the World Cup, with the third- and fourth-place teams progressing to the next stage.
Pogba and Juventus end contract mutually before he returns from doping ban
- The Serie A club never seemed overly enthusiastic about welcoming Pogba back
- “Juventus Football Club and Paul Pogba announce that they have reached a mutual agreement for the termination of their contract as of Nov. 30, 2024,” the Bianconeri said
TURIN, Italy: Paul Pogba will no longer be a Juventus player from next month.
Juventus announced on Friday they came to “a mutual agreement” with Pogba to cancel his contract despite the France World Cup winner having a ban for doping slashed last month.
The Serie A club never seemed overly enthusiastic about welcoming Pogba back after his four-year ban for doping was reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The 31-year-old Pogba, who will be free to resume his career in March 2025, had said he was ready to give up money to play for Juventus again.
“Juventus Football Club and Paul Pogba announce that they have reached a mutual agreement for the termination of their contract as of Nov. 30, 2024,” the Bianconeri said in a brief statement. “The club wish Paul the very best for his professional future.”
Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August last year and the Juventus midfielder was handed the maximum punishment by Italy’s anti-doping court.
But CAS judges cut Pogba’s ban as they acknowledged a lack of intent and said his positive test was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida.
Pogba’s contract with Juventus was set to expire in June 2026.
“My time at Juventus has come to an end. It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special memories together,” Pogba said in a statement.
“I cherish the memories we made. They live on. Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.”
Pogba was the most expensive soccer player in history when he joined Manchester United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($113 million) in 2016.
He starred in France’s World Cup triumph in 2018 and returned to Juventus as a free agent in 2022. But injuries limited him to just eight Serie A appearances in his second spell at the club before his ban last year.
“I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club,” Pogba added.
Ruben Amorim has declared his mission for Man United
- Amorim said on Friday, “I will try to do everything to put this club in the place that it belongs. And I believe a lot that we are going to succeed”
- “We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games”
MANCHESTER, England: Ruben Amorim has told Manchester United fans he will do everything to bring the good times back to the 20-time English champion.
United’s new coach has been charged with ending more than a decade of decline at Old Trafford since former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and their Premier League dominance fizzled out.
Amorim — hired from Sporting Lisbon this month — is embracing the challenge and said on Friday, “I will try to do everything to put this club in the place that it belongs. And I believe a lot that we are going to succeed.”
The 39-year-old Portuguese is the sixth permanent manager/coach since Ferguson retired after winning his 13th league title.
David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag all failed to return United to the summit of English and European soccer in a period when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have dominated domestically.
It is unlikely Amorim will change that after coming in partway through a season in which United made their worst league start since 1986.
“We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games,” Amorim told United’s in-house channel. “But the most important thing for me is identity. So, since day one we will start with our identity.”
Asked what could be expected from his team in the first weeks of his reign, he added: “I want to say beautiful things to you, but I’m really honest. But what I can say is that I think you will see an idea.”
