Official FIFA Club World Cup squad lists announced

The 13th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup is just around the corner and the official squad lists for six of the seven clubs set to compete at Japan 2016 have now been confirmed.

The only side missing is that of the host nation, who will be represented by the J-League champions. On Saturday 3 December the second leg of the final between Urawa Red Diamonds and Kashima Antlers will be played, with the former going into the fixture with a 1-0 advantage.

The other six teams have already published their official 23-man squad lists.

Despite losing some of the members of their triumphant Copa Libertadores side, Atletico Nacional will still travel to Japan with a strong team. That includes goalkeeper Franco Armani, who did not concede a single goal during the group stage of that tournament; captain Alexis Henriquez, the only Colombian player to have won the Libertadores twice, having done so the first time with Once Caldas; and striker Miguel Borja. Nevertheless, Los Verdolagas will head to Japan affected by the Chapecoense tragedy, which struck as the Brazilian team were flying to Medellin to play Atletico in the Copa Sudamericana final.

UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid, who will play their first match in Yokohama on Thursday 15 December, return to the competition with 13 of the players who lifted the title at Morocco 2014, where they beat San Lorenzo in the final. Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Keylor Navas will all participate, but the biggest absence will be Gareth Bale, who recently underwent surgery on his right ankle in London. The good news is that Germany's Toni Kroos has recovered from injury in time to be included. Only five players have ever won a hat-trick of Club World Cups, and both the FIFA World Cup™ winner Kroos and Ronaldo will be eager to join that exclusive club.

Auckland City, who will appear at the tournament for an eighth time, arrive with 14 of the players who represented the club at last year's edition. One name to stand out on their list is the unexpected return of Ivan Vicelich. The legendary Navy Blue player, who was not at the 2015 showdown, had originally decided to end his lengthy playing career after sustaining an injury at the start of the season, but after Yousif Al-Khalisy was ruled out Vicelich took the No15 shirt. The veteran will thus be available for Ramon Tribulietx as part of both the playing and coaching staff, simultaneously fulfilling his present and future roles in the team.

Club America, making their third tilt at the Club World Cup, have 16 players with experience at the tournament - more than any other side – and will be out for revenge following their disappointing exit last year. Paul Aguilar is definitely absent as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament tear in his right knee, but internationals Moises Munoz and Oribe Peralta will feature, alongside ambitious newcomers such as Silvio Romero.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will go into the competition in excellent form and full of confidence after recently being crowned Asian champions. Chief among the star names in their squad are veteran striker Lee Donggook and Brazilian duo Leonardo and Edu.

The standout name in the ensemble of African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who kick off their opening match on 11 December in Osaka, is Khama Billiat. Another player to keep an eye on is Tiyani Mabunda, as well as Colombia's Leonardo Castro and the only actual Brazilian in the side nicknamed The Brazilians: Ricardo Nascimento.

The stage is very nearly set. While the only thing missing is the name of the last participating team, the hosts, a star-studded line-up is taking shape and an exciting tournament is guaranteed.

Medical aid and equipment offers further legacy for PNG

There have been numerous off-field benefits for Papua New Guinea as a result of hosting the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, but the medical legacy programme is among the most important.

FIFA has provided USD $250,000 of financial support to the Papua New Guinea 2016 Local Organising Committee for the provision of medical services and additional medical equipment throughout the tournament.

In practical terms, that has meant an increased the level of preparation, equipment for the touchline medical teams, as well as the medical points for the VIP’s and in the player’s medical rooms throughout the tournament.

Other than equipment, FIFA financial support has also paid for ambulance services, hospital services, and the renovation of the Emergency Department of the Port Moresby General Hospital.

Crucially, the equipment available during the tournament will then be distributed to the regional football associations, and public hospitals, some of which are reachable only by plane or boat. This will help improve the medical care of football players, in particular the management of emergencies such as sudden cardiac arrest, and thus will provide a lasting and tangible legacy in the medical field for Papua New Guinea.

“This life-saving equipment will have a resounding effect on communities across the nation, and I am so pleased that football and this tournament will be leaving a lasting impression in Papua New Guinea," said David Chung, President of the Papua New Guinea Football Association.

Ueno ensures dominant Japan earn third

Japan secured third place at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with a dominant display against USA, though it took a lone Mami Ueno goal three minutes from full time to secure the victory.

Japan quickly settled into their rhythm increasing their grip on possession as the first half wore on, which at one stage reached a massive 67 per cent.

Captain Yuka Momiki and fellow forward Yui Hasegawa were in sparkling form and their combination play was a highlight, though Japan invariably found themselves facing a packed defence in and around the penalty area.

It took 20 minutes for the first opportunity as Momiki released a delightful short pass for Rin Sumida, but her shot from an angle was well-saved by Casey Murphy.

Japan ramped up the pressure in the dying minutes of the half, with Hasegawa forcing Murphy into a sharp save.

Then it was dynamic midfielder Hina Sugita who showed her style with a stylish dribble past a few defenders only for her shot to be deflected wide. Momiki then fired on goal, with her shot also deflected but needing a save from Murphy.

USA finally has some brief moments of joy in attack after the interval, with several counter-attacks offering promise.

Japan top-scorer Ueno, who came on at half-time, struck a fierce shot into the side-netting as Japan edged closer. Momiki then clipped the crossbar with a well-worked short corner as Japan continued to do everything but score.

However, USA’s hopes increased the longer the match went scoreless, and Jessie Scarpa bundled a header onto the roof of the net.

Momiki, needing just one goal to move top in the adidas Golden Boot race, found a yard of space in the penalty area but pushed her shot wide with ten minutes remaining.

The No18 finally delivered with three minutes remaining as her spectacular looped effort drifted inside the far post from a 45 degree angle.

El Clasico: When stars collide

There are few sporting contests that carry quite the same passion as a Real Madrid-Barcelona clash. Their meetings regularly captivate millions of fans, not only in their homeland but across the footballing world. 

As the big day approaches, countless Spaniards, including many who would ordinarily be immune from the charms of the beautiful game, get swept along by the fervour of the big event and don the colours of their favourites.

Over the last decade, with the Galactico era in Madrid and the dominance of European club football by Barça, a number of world champions have faced off. These star names include Roberto Carlos, Fabio Cannavaro and Zinedine Zidane for Los Blancos as well as Ronaldinho and some of the stars of Spain’s FIFA World Cup-winning side of 2010: Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique.

However, it is not just in recent times that the teams have had such a glittering array of stars at their disposal. Down the years some of the greatest players ever to grace the sport have taken the field for the big two, including Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Santillana, Hugo Sanchez, Emilio Butragueno and Michel for Madrid, and among others Ladislao Kubala, Luis Suarez, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Hristo Stoichkov, Ronald Koeman, Rivaldo and Romario for the Blaugrana.

Side swappers
And there is another even more exclusive list of players worth mentioning, those who took the brave decision to take the Puente Aereo (the route connecting Barcelona and Madrid) and swap clubs. Di Stefano, Bernd Schuster, Michael Laudrup, Luis Enrique, Luis Figo and Ronaldo are just some of the stars who broke the hearts and invoked the wrath of their former supporters, for whom changing allegiances is an act of unforgivable treason.

Real Madrid-Barcelona games have produced more than their share of anecdotes, amazing results, legendary performances and enmity ever since the pair first crossed swords in 1902, a match the Catalan side won 3-1. The first league meeting came in 1928, when the Merengues inflicted a painful defeat on the Blaugrana in their own back yard.

Six years after their 1928 encounter, Real Madrid trounced the Cules 8-2 in a 1935 league match in the capital, although Barcelona, led by Hungarian Ladislau Kubala, would exact a measure of revenge by walloping their foes 7-2 in front of their home fans in 1950. 

The Di Stefano derby
In 1953 the two sides were in confrontation again, this time in a battle to secure the services of Alfredo Di Stefano. One month after the dispute was settled in favour of the capital side, the legendary Argentine they called the Blonde Arrow began a love affair with the fans of the Bernabeu by scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of the old enemy.

Twenty years on in 1974, with Dutchman Rinus Michels at the helm and his compatriot Johan Cruyff at his mercurial best, it was the turn of the Blaugrana to post a 5-0 scoreline, and at the Bernabeu for good measure. Two decades later Cruyff, by then Barça coach, presided over another 5-0 drubbing, as his Dream Team lorded it over their rivals at the Camp Nou, with Romario running Francisco Buyo ragged and scoring an exquisite hat-trick.

Barely 12 months later at the Bernabeu and the shoe would be on the other foot. This time it was the visiting keeper Carles Busquets (father of Sergio) who had his goal breached five times, with a hat-trick form Chile's Ivan Zamorano doing most the damage. The game was also notable for the presence in the victorious Madrid side of Michael Laudrup, a player who just a year earlier had played for Barça in their famous 5-0 at the Camp Nou.

A decade down the road, fans of the Merengues were certainly made to suffer at the hands of their greatest rivals. Not only did they have to watch as their sworn enemies claimed both the Spanish and UEFA Champions League titles, but they felt honour bound to stand and applaud an inspired Ronaldinho after his two wonder-goals helped Barça to a 3-0 win at their stadium.

After the Brazilian’s departure, it was the turn of Lionel Messi to take the famous BarçaNo10 shirt. The little Argentinian scored his first Clasico goals in March 2007, grabbing a Camp Nou hat-trick in a pulsating 3-3 draw. Cristiano Ronaldo, his Madrid-based rival, has had his own say in this fixture in the past, scoring an extra-time headed winner in the 2011 Copa Del Rey final.

Saddened world to fall silent for Chapecoense

In response to Monday’s air tragedy that struck Brazilian team Associação Chapecoense de Futebol, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has called for a minute’s silence before every football match this weekend.

All players around the world are also asked to wear black armbands in memory of the tragic loss of life.

On 28 November, 19 players and staff from Chape were on their way from Brazil to Colombia to compete in the final of the Copa Sudamericana and were among the 71 who died when their plane crashed.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who earlier this week described the event as a “very, very sad day for football”, will be at the collective funeral at the stadium in Chapeco today, along with other notable figures including Brazil's national team coach, Tite.

Nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards revealed

Who will be The Best? FIFA has today announced the final contenders for The Best FIFA Football Awards™. The winners will be crowned in Zurich on 9 January 2017.

The three nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2016, in alphabetical order, are: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (France/Atletico Madrid) and Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona). Meanwhile, Melanie Behringer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash) and Marta (Brazil/FC Rosengård) are in the running for The Best FIFA Women’s Player 2016.

The candidates for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2016 and The Best FIFA Women’s Coach 2016 have also been announced. In alphabetical order, the contenders are: Claudio Ranieri (Italy/Leicester City), Fernando Santos (Portugal/Portuguese national team)and Zinedine Zidane (France/Real Madrid) for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2016 award, and Jill Ellis (USA/US national team), Silvia Neid (Germany/German national team) and Pia Sundhage (Sweden/Swedish national team) for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach 2016 award.

The winners of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2016 will be determined through a combined voting process, in which 50 per cent of the decision is based on the votes of captains and head coaches from national teams all around the globe. The other 50 per cent is split between an online public ballot of football fans, and submissions from a selected group of media representatives from all around the world.

The voting procedure for each of the awards has been supervised and monitored by the independent observer PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland.

In addition, the three nominees for The FIFA Puskás Award 2016 for the “most beautiful goal of the season” have also been announced. The three goals still in the race are Marlone (Brazil/Corinthians), Daniuska Rodriguez (Venezuela/Venezuelan under-17 women's national team) and Mohd Faiz Subri (Malaysia/Penang). The public voting on FIFA.com for this category will close on 9 January 2017.

Ueno ensures dominant Japan earn third

Japan secured third place at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with a dominant display against USA, though it took a lone Mami Ueno goal three minutes from full time to secure the victory.

Japan quickly settled into their rhythm increasing their grip on possession as the first half wore on, which at one stage reached a massive 67 per cent.

Captain Yuka Momiki and fellow forward Yui Hasegawa were in sparkling form and their combination play was a highlight, though Japan invariably found themselves facing a packed defence in and around the penalty area.

It took 20 minutes for the first opportunity as Momiki released a delightful short pass for Rin Sumida, but her shot from an angle was well-saved by Casey Murphy.

Japan ramped up the pressure in the dying minutes of the half, with Hasegawa forcing Murphy into a sharp save.

Then it was dynamic midfielder Hina Sugita who showed her style with a stylish dribble past a few defenders only for her shot to be deflected wide. Momiki then fired on goal, with her shot also deflected but needing a save from Murphy.

USA finally has some brief moments of joy in attack after the interval, with several counter-attacks offering promise.

Japan top-scorer Ueno, who came on at half-time, struck a fierce shot into the side-netting as Japan edged closer. Momiki then clipped the crossbar with a well-worked short corner as Japan continued to do everything but score.

However, USA’s hopes increased the longer the match went scoreless, and Jessie Scarpa bundled a header onto the roof of the net.

Momiki, needing just one goal to move top in the adidas Golden Boot race, found a yard of space in the penalty area but pushed her shot wide with ten minutes remaining.

The No18 finally delivered with three minutes remaining as her spectacular looped effort drifted inside the far post from a 45 degree angle.

Live Your Goals Player of the Match: Hina Sugita (Japan)