Balde has played 12 minutes for Barcelona and may reconsider his future in January amid European interest. Rodri says he believes Manchester City are innocent, despite reports claiming the club was found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged Premier League financial-rule breaches.
Pau Cubarsí said Lamine Yamal deserves the Ballon d’Or and that he was surprised Pedri and Raphinha missed the final nominee list. Samuel Eto’o also backed Yamal for the 2026 award. Yamal said football is “mechanised,” while players such as him and Pedri have a “special spark”; he also said he is becoming more professional and performs better when happier.
Raphinha was given Brazil’s No. 10 shirt for friendlies against Australia and India during the international break. Bayern Munich are reportedly interested in signing Dani Olmo in January, but the Barcelona player is unaware of the German club’s interest.
