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The 19-year-old has already shone at the World Cup, with there set to be a huge bidding war this summer to lure him away from Borussia Dortmund

When England needed someone to break Iran’s stubborn resistance on Monday, it was Jude Bellingham who popped up with the crucial moment of magic.

That it was the 19-year-old who opened the floodgates in the 6-2 victory should not have come as a surprise to anyone, given the incredible heights he has already hit in his short career with Borussia Dortmund.

But the goal, along with his superb performance, was just another reminder of the incredible quality and potential that the former Birmingham City starlet possesses.

Bellingham will be out to replicate his heroics on Friday when England meet the United States in their second group-stage game, looking to make it two wins from two in Qatar.

Clubs from across Europe will once again have their focus aimed directly on the teenager as they prepare for what is expected to be a fierce transfer battle for the midfielder this summer.

And GOAL has taken a look at which clubs could be in the running for Bellingham at the end of the season, and where he could potentially make the biggest impact…

Getty ImagesLiverpool

It seems like Bellingham has been linked with a transfer to Liverpool ever since he first made his move to Dortmund from Birmingham.

The Reds are big admirers of the midfielder, and with both Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara the wrong side of 30, there is a clear spot in the starting XI waiting for him at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp rarely strays far from his tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation, and while there is a huge emphasis on physicality and tactical discipline, we've seen with Thiago (and to a lesser extent Harvey Elliott) a bit of a shift towards looking at a more technical, creative midfield. 

So someone like Bellingham would be perfect in that regard as Klopp looks to reshape what is an ageing area of his team.

The big question mark over Bellingham and Liverpool is whether the Reds would have the financial ability to compete against other top clubs for the England star.

Would they potentially spend over £100 million on a single player at a time when owners FSG are exploring ways of selling the club? It just feels doubtful, especially if they fail to secure qualification to the Champions League next season.

It’s something you could never rule out, however, as the Reds have shown in the past they will spend big to sign a player they believe will really make a difference, with the capture of Virgil van Dijk a clear example of that.

AdvertisementGetty Images Manchester City 

City certainly wouldn’t have any issue meeting Dortmund’s financial demands when it comes to Bellingham, and having signed Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji from the Bundesliga outfit last summer, the two clubs have a decent relationship.

Pep Guardiola has not hidden his admiration for Bellingham in the past, having hailed him as the "whole package" earlier in the season after City met Dortmund in the Champions League.

And so the Premier League champions have to be considered one of the front runners when it comes to potentially signing the England star, especially when you look at their current midfield.

Bernardo Silva continues to be a star for City, but he has been open to joining Barcelona for the past couple of seasons. If the Catalan giants finally pay up this summer, then Bellingham would be the ideal replacement. 

City will also have to start pondering the unthinkable soon and start looking for a long-term Kevin De Bruyne successor, who will be 32 by the start of next season.

So when you put all that together, Bellingham and City feels like a good fit.

GettyManchester United

United are rebuilding and they certainly need a new poster boy after ditching Cristiano Ronaldo.

Whatever happens at Old Trafford and the potential sale of the club in the near future, you know United will be able to compete financially, such is their immense commercial firepower.

But whether Bellingham would want to move to a club that is just starting a rebuild is unclear.

This next move for the midfielder feels like a big one. He will have his pick of the top clubs in the world, so it feels unlikely he would opt for a team who might not be ready to compete for the biggest trophies.

But United can never be ruled out due to their vast resources, and for all the upheaval they have gone through in recent years, they are still a huge club that can sway a player’s thinking.

There is also an obvious opening for Bellingham in United’s midfield, which has been an area where improvements have been needed for some time now.

United are known admirers for Bellingham and it feels certain that they will be in the running for him if he does become available. It just feels, however, they will be behind some of their rivals in the race.

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GettyChelsea 

There were question marks over whether Chelsea would be able to maintain their spending power following Todd Boehly’s American led takeover earlier in the year, but those were quickly put to bed when the Blues splashed out more than £270 million during a record-breaking summer transfer window.

They have shown, then, that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the market and they do hold an interest in Bellingham.

And with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante’s contracts due to expire at the end of the season and Denis Zakaria expected to return to Juventus following his loan spell at Stamford Bridge, midfield reinforcements will be needed.

Chelsea are at the start of another rebuild under Graham Potter and there is a clear need to freshen up an ageing squad with some top young talent, especially in the centre of the pitch.

So Bellingham would be perfect for them, and given the way the west London club operated in the summer market, you would expect they will push very hard to try and win the race for the England star.

This disappointment means the European champions will not qualify for the Olympics, though a free year does give the coach a chance to fix some issues

Margins don't get much finer than those that denied England a place in the Women's Nations League finals, and thus killed their Olympic dream, on Tuesday night. There were three minutes between the Lucy Bronze header that seemed to have given the Lionesses top spot in Group A and the late Netherlands goal, some 700 miles away, that ensured the Dutch progressed to the next stage of the competition instead.

It was a dramatic finale to a group stage that has been very up and down for Sarina Wiegman's side. After the game in Scotland, which saw England thrash their neighbours 6-0, Beth Mead admitted that the team had "let ourselves down maybe earlier on in the competition", with defeats to the Netherlands and Belgium ultimately costing them, rather than the inability to get a seventh goal in Glasgow.

It means that the Lionesses won't compete in the Nations League finals in February and, as a result, cannot secure a place for Great Britain in the Olympic women's football tournament next year, either. In a sport with far too many ACL injuries and a severely imbalanced calendar, a summer off has some benefits, but the reigning European champions, a team that reached the World Cup final earlier this year, will see it as a missed opportunity to win a major title.

There is plenty for Wiegman to ponder, then, with the extra breathing space she will get before England's next big tournament comes around, at the European Championship in 2025. What, though, did she learn from her side's final international camp of 2023? GOAL picks out the winners and losers from the Lionesses' final games of the year…

GettyLOSER: Sarina Wiegman

For a long time, it felt like Wiegman had the Midas touch. Everything she touched seemed to turn to gold. After leading the Netherlands to victory at a home Euros and then to a World Cup final two years later, she repeated the trick on both counts with England. It took her 31 games, even, to taste defeat as head coach of the Lionesses.

However, the last few months have seen questions raised of the Dutchwoman and her work. She temporarily fixed issues during the World Cup in the summer with a change of formation, but in this Nations League campaign, many of those problems reared their ugly heads and contributed to what is ultimately a failure, to not qualify for the finals or get Team GB into the Olympics.

At the end of the day, everything falls on the coach and that means, in this case, it falls on Wiegman. This is the biggest disappointment that she has tasted on this stage – but she is still one of the best coaches on the planet. It is a setback, but it will be fascinating to see how she goes about bouncing back from it across 2024, a year where there will be so much more room to tinker and try things given the lack of a major tournament.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWINNER: Beth Mead

The ultimate outcome of this international window for England was a hugely devastating one, but there were also a lot of positives in a week that saw them overturn a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat the Netherlands before they then thrashed Scotland 6-0. One of the biggest ones was the return of Beth Mead from a cruel ACL injury.

Back in the squad for the first time since last November, the Arsenal star came off the bench at the break in that first fixture at Wembley on Friday night and helped change the game, so much so that the Lionesses emerged 3-2 winners against all the odds to keep their Nations League finals hopes alive. Then, in Glasgow, she made her first England start in over a year and marked it with her first goal for her country in 15 months.

Mead's world-class talent gave the Lionesses a real boost during this window, and Wiegman will be delighted to have her back in the long-term, as she looks to get this team firing on all cylinders again.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Alessia Russo

England needed to score a lot of goals in this camp. Ideally, against the Netherlands, they wanted to win by a two-goal margin to give themselves a better chance of progressing when they met Scotland on Tuesday. After going 2-0 down in the game, they were happy enough to come away still alive, having scored three second-half goals to comeback from the brink. Four days later, they knew they needed to have their shooting boots on again to thrash their neighbours in Glasgow to top the group. For both challenges, Alessia Russo was benched.

This is a player who has been almost immovable as England's No.9 since Ellen White retired after the Euros in 2022. Despite Rachel Daly's Golden Boot-winning Women's Super League season last term, Wiegman kept faith in Russo, and it certainly paid off during the World Cup, at which the 24-year-old scored so many important goals en route to the final.

However, when the Lionesses were in need of goals in this window, Wiegman changed things up, playing Manchester City winger Lauren Hemp as a centre-forward for both games.

Russo has long kept her place in the team because of how much her all-round play contributes to the team performance – but she is not the most clinical forward at Wiegman's disposal. She is a very talented player, but there are members of this squad that are more ruthless than her in front of goal. Perhaps trying to figure out what her best role is in this team while still having a clinical feel to the attack is one of the things for Wiegman to ponder.

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GettyLOSER: Rachel Daly

Daly, meanwhile, saw just four minutes of action in this international window, brought on for the very final stages of the 3-2 win over the Netherlands. If you had said that Russo would be benched for these games, most would have assumed that Daly – who has netted on nine occasions already this season despite Aston Villa's struggles – would have taken her place. However, her involvement was extremely limited, which was a surprise given the goals England needed to score.

Once again, it raises questions of how the Lionesses get the best out of the 32-year-old. Throughout her international career, under different coaches, Daly has been played out of position and rarely given the chance to shine as the prolific No.9 she is. Wiegman started to give her more opportunities in her preferred position last season, which was a no-brainer given her form, but she still ended the World Cup playing as a wing-back.

In Daly, England have a ruthless forward, someone who presses with incredible energy and has fantastic poaching instincts in the box – but she isn't used in the way she should be. Again, figuring out what to do with her should be on Wiegman's agenda for the New Year.

United States international Chris Richards may be about to change position for club and country, with the natural defender being moved up the field.

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American forged reputation at centre-halfSlotted into midfield against West HamHappy to play wherever he is requiredWHAT HAPPENED?

The 23-year-old has forged his reputation as a centre-half, allowing him to spend time with FC Dallas, Bayern Munich and Crystal Palace. He has earned 14 caps for the USMNT in a defensive berth, but is being nudged into midfield by Eagles boss Roy Hodgson and put in a Man of the Match performance during a 1-1 Premier League draw with West Ham.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT RICHARDS SAID

Richards has told Palace’s of filling an expected role – in what was just his sixth start in the English top-flight: “I wasn’t expecting it, but I just want to be on the pitch – so whatever it takes! It was something! It was a bit more defensive than anything, so I enjoyed that aspect, but I just liked being on the pitch and getting a point. There’s a bit of similarity [to centre-back]. I’m just not used to the ball going over my head like that, so that was something that took a bit of getting used to, but I enjoyed it. I was kind of surprised to play it, but I feel like I did pretty well.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Richards was deployed in midfield after seeing Jeffrey Schlupp withdrawn from the Palace squad due to personal reasons. He completed the second-most tackles (five), interceptions (two) and clearances (four) of any player on the pitch and said on social media of being recognised as the Eagles’ star performer: “Proud to be voted yalls man of the match yesterday. Let’s get the 3 points on Wednesday.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RICHARDS?

Hodgson said of seeing Richards thrive in an unfamiliar position: “He must be very pleased with his performance as a central midfield player, albeit that he is, by trade, more of a centre-half.” The Alabama native will be hoping to retain his starting berth for back-to-back home dates against Bournemouth and Liverpool.

MS Dhoni and India have been fined for maintaining slow over-rate during the Oval Test

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2014MS Dhoni and India have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the Oval Test. Dhoni has been fined 60% of his match fee, and the rest of his team 30%, after they were ruled to be three overs short when time allowances were taken into consideration. If Dhoni is found guilty of another such offence in Tests over the next 12 months, he will receive a one-match suspension.The ICC code of conduct stipulates that the team’s captain should be fined 10% of his match fee for every over the side fails to bowl, double what other players in the XI lose.Dhoni has got into trouble for over-rate breaches playing away from home in the past. During the 2012 tour of Australia, he was suspended from taking part in the fourth Test in Adelaide due to a slow over-rate in the previous Test in Perth. He had been on notice after India were found short in Barbados in June-July 2011. He had also been docked 60% of his match fee after the Cape Town Test against South Africa in 2011.India bowled 116.3 overs – 95 of them by seamers – in 535 minutes in the Oval Test during which England went on to score 486 runs, which was enough for them to register an innings and 244 runs win.

Shaun Marsh joined the list of Australia’s walking wounded at training in Melbourne on Wednesday, after he was struck on the left hand while facing Josh Hazlewood

Brydon Coverdale24-Dec-2014Shaun Marsh joined the list of Australia’s walking wounded at training in Melbourne on Wednesday. As Shane Watson returned to the crease after being struck on the helmet on Tuesday, David Warner tested out his sore thumb for the first time, and Ryan Harris continued to bowl in his recovery from a quadriceps injury, Marsh was struck on the left hand while facing Josh Hazlewood.He immediately removed his glove and was checked by team doctor Peter Brukner, before heading indoors for further assessment. Marsh returned to the nets at the MCG later in Australia’s training session and faced throw-downs from batting coach Michael di Venuto, but it was still another injury worry for Australia only two days before the Boxing Day Test.Watson was hit on the helmet by a James Pattinson bouncer during Tuesday’s training session and on Wednesday, he started tentatively by facing a bowling machine in the MCG’s indoor nets, before heading outside to face net bowlers – not Australia’s Test fast men. Warner said it was understandable that Watson was shaken by the blow to the head, given the recent death of Phillip Hughes.”He’s a little bit shaken up yesterday and better for it today,” Warner said. “He went out there today and practised as well as I’ve seen him hit the ball. So it’s one of those things that us batsmen, we always go in there not expecting to be hit on the helmet and it probably shook him up a lot more than he would have anticipated.”And he was close to Hughesy and he was one of those guys that was on the field as well, so it brought back a bit of a memory for him and he got back on the horse and trained again today which was fantastic.”It was also an important net session for Warner, who was hit on the left thumb during Australia’s second innings at the Gabba and had not batted at training since then. Warner began by facing throw-downs from di Venuto and was often pulling his left hand off the bat handle as he played his shots, but he warmed into the session and was later slogging the net bowlers around.”It was okay, it was a bit sore when it hit the splice or the toe of the bat; that’s to be expected, but I feel good and I’m ready to go,” Warner said. “I tried to have a dip at the spinners to see if I could actually hit the ball as hard as I can, and it did feel real sore but I had to try and grind it out and get through that pain and I was able to do that.”Warner said he would field at mid-off rather than his usual position of gully in an effort to protect his thumb. He is far from the only Australian entering the match with an injury concern. Harris missed the Gabba Test due to a quadriceps strain but is expected to play at the MCG after bowling well in the nets over the past two days.Harris is likely to replace Mitchell Starc, who was also bowling in the nets on Wednesday after hobbling away from training on Tuesday when he was hit on the knee while batting. Allrounder Mitchell Marsh batted in the nets on Wednesday as he continues to travel with the team, although he is not officially part of the squad for Boxing Day due to his hamstring injury.

Kolkata Knight Riders opener Robin Uthappa has said the “batting chemistry” he shares with his partner Gautam Gambhir has helped their productivity in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2016Kolkata Knight Riders opener Robin Uthappa has said the “batting chemistry” he shares with his partner Gautam Gambhir has helped their productivity in the IPL. Gambhir and Uthappa shared a 92-run opening stand in Knight Riders’ eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. While Uthappa made a 34-ball 38, Gambhir was unbeaten on 90 off 60 deliveries in the chase.”The batting chemistry between us is really good. Like today, in the initial part of the innings, Gauti was taking some time and then I went on the offensive for a little bit. Then I got hit and Gauti took over from there,” Uthappa told . “That is where all the understanding and the complementing each other factor comes into the picture – in situations like that. When I found it difficult to grip the bat, Gambhir took the onus upon himself and I played second fiddle where I was just rotating the strike to give him a lot more of the strike during the course of the innings. He did what was required of him – to take the onus on himself.”With 1094 runs in 27 innings, Uthappa and Gambhir have the second-highest aggregate for an opening pair in the IPL, after Chennai Super Kings’ M Vijay and Michael Hussey. In Knight Riders’ title-winning campaign in 2014, Uthappa and Gambhir had two century and three half-century stands and ended the season with second-highest aggregate – 490 runs in 11 innings. Uthappa was bought by Knight Riders in the 2014 auction and has opened with Gambhir in all but five matches since.”It helps to have a stable opening combination throughout the tournament,” Uthappa said. “I think we kind of cracked it in the first year when I joined KKR. Once we got that figured, it became a very formidable opening partnership.”I think myself and Gautam complement each other beautifully and we have a great understanding between each other. We understand the importance of rotating strike and backing each other. We know exactly what to say to each other when we are batting in the middle, during the course of the innings.”Uthappa also said the off-field relationship he shared with Gambhir helped their on-field performance: “We have played a lot of cricket together. We do open a lot together so there is a great understanding, and over the years we have gotten along really well. It has also got to do a lot with the kind of relationship we share off the field, which has always been great with him. I do believe when you spend so much time with each other, and you have been opening consistently over a period of time, you tend to find your space and stay within that. You also help each other out.”Knight Riders’ win over Sunrisers in Hyderabad was their first of six successive matches away from home, and Uthappa hoped they could build on the success. They now have two wins from three games this season.”Winning games away from home matters a lot. We are playing six on the bounce outside our home ground, so it is important for us to start well,” Uthappa said. “We are very happy with the way we played this game. I truly believe that we will be really successful if, more often than not, we play to our potential.”

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes joked he wasn't impressed by Alejandro Garnacho's wondergoal against Everton, which earned him Man of the Match.

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Garnacho scores screamer vs EvertonBut Fernandes unimpressedJoked Argentine didn't deserve MOTMWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentina starlet scored a Puskas winner-worthy bicycle kick in the opening stages of Sunday's Premier League fixture. Garnacho rose acrobatically to scissor home Diogo Dalot's overhit cross, before a Marcus Rashford penalty and a customary Anthony Martial strike sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Toffees. The goal earned the young forward MOTM courtesy of – although captain Fernandes didn't quite see it that way.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT FERNANDES SAID

Asked about his thoughts on Garnacho's wonderstrike, the Portugal midfielder joked: "Ah, so-so! I'll give him a good note just for the goal. But that's because he knows I have big expectations for him. He's not a great player yet, but he has a big future ahead. We expect a lot from him. He knows that, even more from me – I'll always be behind him asking for more. Amazing goal though."

Fernandes also offered a sly dig when asked to present the Argentine with the MOTM award, adding: "I don't think he deserves but okay…"

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Garnacho's strike is only his first Premier League goal of the season after an inconsistent start, as both manager Erik ten Hag and United supporters will hope this can kickstart a solid run of form in the first team. It certainly set the tone for what turned out to be a comfortable victory at Goodison Park, though, as Ten Hag's side proved they could stand firm against a virulent atmosphere and win despite multiple injury setbacks.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

Both Fernandes and Garnacho will hope to feature when the Red Devils travel to Galatasary on Wednesday in what is a crunch match for their Champions League aspirations. Both teams sit outside the automatic qualification spots in Group A – United in rock bottom – meaning Ten Hag's side need nothing less than three points if they are to stay in the hunt for a place in the knock-outs.

Mikel Arteta's side were well beaten at the London Stadium as they fell to their first domestic defeat of the season

Arsenal slumped to a miserable 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Wednesday night as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup in tame fashion. Mikel Arteta made six changes from the team that saw off Sheffield United 5-0 at the weekend, but his fringe players were unable to make any sort of impact during a hugely disappointing evening in east London.

The visitors probably just about shaded the first half, but went into the break a goal behind after Ben White headed into his own net. Arteta's side were abject after the interval, however, as strikes from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen saw the Hammers stretch their advantage.

Substitute Martin Odegaard did pull a goal back for Arsenal in stoppage-time, but but by then the damage had been done.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the London Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Aaron Ramsdale (4/10):

Unlucky with the own goal as he was clearly having his shirt pulled. Looked edgy with the ball at his feet and West Ham tried to target that. Made a good save to deny Bowen early in the second half, but should have done better with the third goal despite the deflection.

Ben White (5/10):

Got his near post header all wrong as he gifted West Ham the lead with an own goal.

Gabriel Magalhaes (5/10):

Could have done better with the second goal in terms of trying to block the shot. Turned his back a bit for fear of handling the ball.

Jakub Kiwior (6/10):

Started the game well and was always looking to defend on the front foot. Had a good battle with Bowen.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (3/10):

Not at his best. Switched off in the passage of play that led to the corner that saw West Ham go in front. Defensively he still looks suspect, which showed on the second goal as well.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Jorginho (4/10):

It always looked like he might find himself a bit isolated in this starting XI. Got caught on the ball a few times, with very little support. Looked very sluggish. No surprise when he was replaced early in the second half.

Fabio Vieira (3/10):

Disappointing. He would have been hoping to make an impression having been handed a rare start, but had no real impact on the game. It just passed him by completely.

Kai Havertz (4/10):

Actually started the game well and looked hungry to make his mark. Went close with an early header which was saved, but faded as the match wore on. Another lacklustre display.

Getty ImagesAttack

Leandro Trossard (4/10):

Couldn't get into areas that could really hurt West Ham. Was often getting the ball wide out on the touchline and couldn't really impact the game like Arsenal would have wanted.

Eddie Nketiah (4/10):

Couldn't repeat his heroics from the weekend. Sent one header wide in the first half and scooped another effort over just before half-time. Barely touched the ball after half-time.

Reiss Nelson (6/10):

Probably the brightest of the three Arsenal attackers who started the game. His trickery caused West Ham some problems and he saw a couple of shots blocked.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Declan Rice (5/10):

Was the pantomime villain on his return to the London Stadium. Brought on at 2-0 and could do little to turn things round.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (5/10):

Brought on to replace the struggling Zinchenko. Looks a certainty to start at Newcastle on Saturday now.

Bukayo Saka (5/10):

Felt like a risky decision to send him on at 3-0 down. Did nothing to alter the trajectory of the contest.

Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):

Similar to Saka. The game was done when he was introduced. Would have been better to give him the night off completely.

Martin Odegaard (6/10):

On for the final 10 minutes and scored a consolation in stoppage-time.

Mikel Arteta (3/10):

Made plenty of changes as expected and they didn't work out. Midfield always looked a bit lightweight at that's how it proved. Felt like a strange decision to risk Saka and Martinelli when the game was already over at 3-0.

ESPNcricinfo previews the latest round of matches in the T20 Blast as a bunched field heads towards the final straight

Freddie Wilde10-Jul-2015North GroupWorcestershire v Birmingham, New Road, Worcester, 5.30Second-placed Worcestershire host top-of-the-table Birmingham in what promises to be a hard-fought, high-quality match. With 16 points, defending champions Birmingham are the most successful team in the country this year, while only Kent in the South Group can match Worcestershire’s tally of 14 points. Both teams should qualify comfortably for the quarter-finals but a win in this match would all but confirm it and both will also be keen to guarantee a home quarter-final. History favours the defending champions with Birmingham having won five of the last six matches between the two teams.Leicestershire v Lancashire, Grace Road, Leicester, 5.30Leicestershire are in sixth place and Lancashire are in fourth but both teams are level on ten points in a very tight North Group. Indeed, given their proximity in the league table, this match could prove to be pivotal for both teams.Leicestershire and Lancashire have both had inconsistent seasons. Leicestershire were arguably playing some of the best cricket in the country when they registered three convincing wins in four matches; Lancashire’s victories, by contrast, have generally been tighter, but they have a formidable record against Leicestershire having gone unbeaten in the last eight matches, with six wins and two ties.James Faulkner is set to return to Lancashire’s squad following his drink-driving charge after he was involved in a collision in a Manchester suburb while Leicestershire will miss Kevin and Niall O’Brien who are playing in the World T20 Qualifiers for Ireland and seamer Rob Taylor who is playing for Scotland.Yorkshire v Durham, Headingley, Leeds, 7.00Durham, who are fifth, have had one of the more bizarre campaigns this season, and have not won twice consecutively since their opening two matches. Five of their matches have been either won or lost by less than 20 runs; fine margins define the position they find themselves in now. They have an opportunity against a struggling Yorkshire to turn themselves into serious contenders for a quarter-final place.Yorkshire promised to give T20 greater importance to the NatWest T20 Blast this season, but such emphasis has not translated into results and they will need a miracle to qualify for the quarter finals, having registered just three wins in nine matches so far. They do welcome back Liam Plunkett from injury and have included Adil Rashid in their 14-man squad after he was released by England. Youngsters Ben Coad, Ryan Gibson and Josh Shaw have all been included and could make their senior T20 debuts.Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire, Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire, 6.30Derbyshire’s quarter-final chances are over with them having won just three times in 11 matches. Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, are not much better placed, having won four from 10 and none consecutively. The addition of Peter Moores to the coaching staff brought no miraculous change in fortunes last week. However, sitting in seventh place, they are just two points off the quarter-final places. “We’ve backed ourselves into a corner where we need to win all four,” said Nottinghamshire head coach Mick Newell. “If we do that, I’m pretty sure we’ll get through, but we have no room for manoeuvre.”Can Steve Finn pump up ailing Middlesex?•Getty ImagesSouth GroupHampshire v Surrey, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 7.00This crucial match in the South Group brings together Hampshire who have lost three in a row and Surrey who have won three in a row. Only a fortnight ago Hampshire were seemingly well on course for a quarter-final place alongside Essex at the top of the table while Surrey were languishing right at the very bottom. Two weeks on and how things have changed.Hampshire are seeking their sixth consecutive appearance at Finals Day and began the season strongly, but close observers noted cracks appearing in their tried and tested formula. Seam bowling in particular has been a problem.Surrey’s season turned around following a stunning comeback victory away to Glamorgan on an inauspicious cold Friday night in Cardiff. They will be without Gary Wilson who is playing for Ireland in the World T20 Qualifiers, while Matt Dunn is ruled out with a side injury. Hampshire, who have won their last six home matches against Surrey, have named an unchanged squad from last week’s match against Glamorgan.Sussex v Glamorgan, The County Ground, Hove, 7.00Sussex in second and Glamorgan in fourth are in strong positions in the South Group and are both just a win away from top spot. However, with just two matches left after this fixture they will recognise the importance of a win over a quarter-final rival.Sussex’s defeat against leaders Kent last week ended their streak of four consecutive victories and they will be keen to recapture their form against Glamorgan, who have included Michael Hogan in their squad.”We’ve tended to play better away than at home in T20 so far this season,” said Glamorgan head coach Toby Radford. “So we’re looking forward to the game at Hove off the back of two good wins on the road against Somerset and Hampshire.”Kent v Somerset, The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence, Canterbury, 7.00Although Somerset are languishing in eighth place in the South Group they are only three points off Essex in third and still have a chance to make a late push for a quarter-final spot.”Every game is important,” said head coach Matt Maynard. “We have to look to try and win all four of our remaining matches to make sure that we qualify for the quarter finals. To do that we need to get out of the powerplay with the ball and with the bat because that has cost us big time. If we can get out of those first six overs in good shape we tend to win the matches. We have had a chat about it and we have put a system in place.”Somerset will have their work cut out against Kent who are have surprised many onlookers with their strong form this season, winning seven of their ten matches so far despite not signing an overseas player. Kent have made one change to their squad from their victory against Sussex last week, with Calum Haggett replacing the injured Ivan Thomas.Middlesex v Essex, Old Deer Park, Richmond, 5.30Middlesex won two matches in Game Week 2, but either side of that have not managed a victory and have now lost seven in a row. With four points from ten matches their quarter-final chances are all but over. With two top-four sides, Sussex and Glamorgan, in opposition, third placed Essex will sense an opportunity to move one step closer to the quarter-finals against a struggling team.Essex have turned their season around excellently having lost three of their first four matches and head coach Paul Grayson is thrilled with the progress. “If someone had said seven or eight games ago that we could have a chance of finishing in the top-four, we would definitely have taken that,” he said.Liam Dawson, on loan from Hampshire, is expected to make his T20 debut for Essex while Tom Westley has been included in their squad after recovering from injury. Middlesex welcome back international pace duo Steven Finn, released by England, and Mitchell McClenaghan, back from injury.

The 2018 World Cup in Russia kicks off in just three months time, but who else has claimed the most famous trophy in world football?

20Uruguay | 1930Played in front of almost 70,000 spectators, the 1930 World Cup final was contested by the two 1928 Olympic finalists, Uruguay and Argentina, in Montevideo. Despite trailing 2-1 at half time, it would be Uruguay who lifted the Jules Rimet following a 4-2 victory in what remains as one of the most pulsating finals on the world stage.Advertisement19Italy | 1934Like Uruguay four years earlier, Italy went into the final of the World Cup on home soil and were forced to turn the game around after falling behind. In 1934, Czechoslovakia returned to Rome to lock horns with the hosts having beaten Germany 3-1 in the semi-final in the same ground, the Stadio Nazionale, and took a second-half lead through Antonin Puc. The Italians would strike late in the game, however, and go on to win the game in extra time through an Angelo Schiavio goal.18Italy | 1938

Reigning champions Italy entered the 1938 France World Cup amongst the favourites to claim the trophy and picked up an opening victory against Norway on their road to the final. They would then dump hosts France out of the competition before beating Brazil in the semi-finals, ahead of their showdown against Hungary in Paris. Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola scored twice each to deliver a second World Cup trophy for Italy under manager Vittorio Pozzo with a 4-2 result.

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17Uruguay | 1950

Unlike previous World Cups, the 1950 winner was determined by a final group stage, with the usual knockout stage replaced by a round-robin format between the four remaining teams. Brazil were one point ahead of Uruguay going into the match in Rio and needed only to avoid defeat to claim the title of world champions, but would go on to lose 2-1. The scorer of the winning goal, Alcides Ghiggia, was the last surviving player from the game, passing away exactly 65 years after the final in 2015 at the age of 88.