MatériaMais Notícias

A Data Fifa é o período reservado para as seleções nacionais disputarem partidas oficiais e amistosas. Durante as datas, os clubes são obrigados a ceder seus jogadores às respectivas seleções.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloJoia do São Paulo vai para EuropaSão Paulo06/09/2023Futebol NacionalCoritiba acerta a contratação do atacante Jesé Rodriguez, ex Real MadridFutebol Nacional06/09/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras apresenta valores e estabelece prazo para resposta de Roberto PereyraPalmeiras06/09/2023

A parada, que foi criada em 2002, tem como intuito acabar com a briga sobre os clubes liberarem seus atletas para os selecionados nacionais em meio a seus compromissos oficiais.

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A partir de 2023, pela primeira vez na história, o Campeonato Brasileiro sofrerá paralisações em todos os períodos de Data Fifa previstos para a atual temporada.

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Além dos jogos não serem realizados nestas datas, os clubes que tiverem jogadores convocados terão um intervalo mínimo de 48 horas entre o fim dos compromissos internacionais e suas partidas.

DATAS FIFA TEMPORADA 2023

> 20 a 28 de março – Amistosos
> 12 a 20 de junho – Amistosos
> 4 a 12 de setembro – Eliminatórias
> 9 a 17 de outubro – Eliminatórias
> 13 a 21 de novembro – Eliminatórias

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Tudo sobre

Data FIFALancepedia

Qualifier 2 started two hours late due to rain in Ahmedabad

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-20252:26

Moody on how PBKS can prepare for Bumrah

Innings High-intent innings from Suryakumar Yadav (44 off 26), Tilak Varma (44 off 29) and Naman Dhir (37 off 18) gave Mumbai Indians a total of 203 for 6 against Punjab Kings with a spot in the final on the line. Qualifier 2 started two hours late due to rain in Ahmedabad.The innings was filled with punches and counter punches. PBKS landed the first one, using Marcus Stoinis, who had bowled only four balls in the powerplay this season, to get rid of Rohit Sharma early. But Jonny Bairstow kept attacking. He helped ensure 43 runs were taken through overs three, five and six. PBKS rallied from there, getting rid of Bairstow immediately after the powerplay. Suryakumar had a quiet start – 3 off 6 – but as soon as he hit his first boundary – a swept six off Yuzvendra Chahal – he looked in the zone. Prior to today’s game, his strike rate against the PBKS legspinner in the IPL was 117. Here, he went at 206. With 717 runs this season, Suryakumar claimed a world record – the highest aggregate by a non-opener in any T20 league, surpassing AB de Villiers’ record (687) in IPL 2016.Once again, PBKS found a way back, dismissing Suryakumar – Chahal having the last laugh – and Tilak in the space of three deliveries. But Dhir played a lovely cameo at the end, taking down Arshdeep Singh in the death to lift MI to a strong score on a pitch that looked like it was a little tacky. Slower balls had grip. PBKS bowled 27 of them to pick up two wickets. Kyle Jamieson changed his pace once every 2.67 deliveries on average and finished with figures of 4-0-30-1.

Glasgow Rangers have not been good enough defensively, in the Scottish Premiership or in Europe, since Russell Martin took the job on in the summer.

The Light Blues have conceded six goals in six games in the league, gave up 3.79 xG to Genk in the Europa League, and lost 9-1 to Club Brugge on aggregate in the Champions League play-off.

This shows that the Scottish giants have coughed up far too many chances for opposition teams across all competitions, and that something has to change if the head coach wants to turn the season around and achieve success and, hopefully, trophies.

Livingston’s goal against the Ibrox giants in the 2-1 win for Martin’s team on Sunday, their first win of the season in the League, was another example of sloppy defending in the box by the Gers.

Whilst it was an excellent delivery into the box, John Souttar got caught under the flight of the ball and was not close enough to Mo Sylla to put him off his header, which allowed the forward to score.

The club’s struggles in the defensive third this season suggest that Martin needs to unearth his own version of Connor Goldson, who was pivotal to the success of the last Gers team that won the league.

Why Rangers need to find their next Connor Goldson

The Light Blues need to find their next version of the impressive centre-back at Ibrox because their defence has been questionable since his incredible form in the 2020/21 campaign.

Steven Gerrard led the Ibrox giants to the title in that season and his team was built on solid foundations with the former Brighton & Hove Albion brute at the heart of the defence.

As you can see in the table above, Rangers had an unbelievable defensive record with the English titan at the back in that season, conceding just 13 goals in 38 matches.

Goldson, playing as the right-sided centre-back, was an incredibly dominant central defender in that campaign, winning 68% of his ground duels and 72% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore.

His dominance at the back for the Scottish giants helped the team to remain solid and hard to break down, which was one of the main reasons why they won the title that season.

The Gers need their next dominant and reliable centre-back to lead the backline, as Goldson did in their last title success, and they may have their next version of the giant in the making, but it is not Derek Cornelius.

The Rangers star who is the next Connor Goldson in the making

Rangers swooped to sign Cornelius on loan from Marseille in the summer transfer window, and he showed some promising signs against Livingston by winning four of his seven duels, per Sofascore.

It was his defensive partner, Souttar, who was to blame for the goal that was conceded, as evidenced in the earlier clip, whilst the loanee made five clearances, two interceptions, and one tackle.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, the Canada international lost 67% of his duels against Genk in the Europa League and is a left-sided centre-back, which means that he is unlikely to be the next Goldson from a physical or positional perspective.

The lesser-seen Emmanuel Fernandez, however, may have the potential to eventually develop into being the club’s new version of Goldson, as a towering and physical presence in the right-sided centre-back position.

Rangers signed the English starlet from Peterborough United, in a deal that was described as a “blockbuster” move by Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, but he has only played two matches in all competitions to date.

Fernandez’s only appearance in the Premiership to date came in the 1-1 draw with St Mirren in August. There were positives and negatives to take from his performance alongside John Souttar in that match.

As you can see in the table above, the physical qualities that the 23-year-old star displayed in that draw with St Mirren were particularly impressive, especially when you consider that Souttar has lost the majority of his ground duels this season.

These statistics suggest that the towering English youngster has the physical profile to replicate Goldson’s dominant defending, which Souttar has been unable to do in the Premiership so far this term.

However, Fernandez did leave a little bit to be desired with his use of the ball, failing to complete a single long pass, and looked a bit too relaxed in possession against the Saints, which may be why that is his only appearance in the league to date.

At the age of 23, the youngster still has plenty of time left to make a success of his career at Ibrox. He may not be playing at the moment, but his defensive and physical numbers against St Mirren show that he has the potential to be a dominant defender for the Gers.

With Cornelius coming in on the left side of the defence, where Leon Balogun used to partner Goldson, Fernandez could compete with Souttar to start in the right-sided centre-back role as the Gers look to find solutions to their faltering defence this season.

The defence has not been good enough under Martin, that much is obvious, and the summer signing from Peterborough has shown some signs that he could be the dominant defender that they need.

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2

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Therefore, the right-sided defender could be the next Goldson in the making at Ibrox if Martin is able to help him take the next step in his development to be a regular starter for the Light Blues in the future.

It is now down to Fernandez to show the manager, whenever he is given a chance to prove his quality on the pitch, that he can be relied upon as a regular starter to solve the club’s defensive issues this season.

Tottenham Hotspur’s spending in the transfer market has certainly had an effect on their success, with such additions helping them claim Europa League glory in 2024/25.

The board have backed numerous managers in their quest for success in recent seasons, with Ange Postecoglou managing to put it all together and end the 17-year trophy drought.

However, such a responsibility now falls to Thomas Frank, but the Dane has matched such expectations, as seen by his early form in charge of the Lilywhites.

His side has only lost one of their first nine games across all competitions in 2025/26, even remaining unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League after their first two encounters.

Despite spending over £100m during his first window in charge, the foundations were already laid before his arrival, with one summer in particular enabling the recent success.

The impact of Spurs’ additions from the summer of 2024

During the summer of 2024, Spurs forked out a fee in the region of £40m to land youngster Archie Gray from Leeds United, with such a deal unexpectedly being a superb deal in the short-term.

At just 19, he has bags of time to reach the next level in his career, but he was catapulted into the limelight last season as a result of the injury crisis in North London.

He made 46 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25, many of which came at centre-back, with the teenager thriving despite operating in an unfamiliar position.

Alongside Gray, the hierarchy even forked out a club-record £65m fee for the signature of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth to try and improve the options within the final third.

The 28-year-old ended his debut year with 16 goals across all competitions, often popping up in key moments – certainly playing a key role in their European triumph.

However, despite the big money being spent by the board, it was one of the cheaper additions from such a period that has arguably made the biggest impact on the side.

The Spurs star whose value has risen 440%

Whilst their lack of success in the Premier League has been non-existent over the last couple of years, it has enabled a memorable experience to be achieved in Europe.

The sheer volume of games across last season gave numerous players to stake their claim for regular starting roles, as seen by the numbers produced by the likes of Gray.

As previously mentioned, the injury setbacks saw square pegs often used in round holes, with the Englishman being trusted to operate within the back four.

However, it allowed Swedish star Lucas Bergvall to take advantage and often appear at the heart of the side, despite only joining as a youth prospect a few months prior.

The board paid just £8.5m for his signature from homeland club Djurgarden, with very few supporters having any idea who he was before his transfer to North London.

It’s safe to say the youngster has already exceeded all expectations over recent times, subsequently racking up 55 appearances across all competitions in the last 12 months.

Frank’s arrival has allowed the midfielder to continue his progression, featuring in every one of the club’s games since the Dane took charge during the off-season.

Bergvall, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, has even had an impressive impact in the final third, scoring two goals – with the latter coming in the triumph over West Ham United.

As a result of his recent form, he’s seen his value soar to unthinkable heights – once again showcasing the excellent work done by the hierarchy in recent times.

Lucas Bergvall – PL stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

6

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

84%

Dribble success

70%

Tackles won

2.2

Duels won

5.2

Recoveries made

3.9

Shots taken

1.3

Stats via FotMob

He’s now valued at a staggering £46m by FootballTransfers, a figure that has seen a 440% increase on the fee paid for his services just over 12 months ago.

Such a deal is evidence that risks do pay off in the transfer market, with such a deal saving the club millions in their attempts for added glory in the years to come.

Bergvall has been a phenomenal addition to date, with the best still to come for the youngster who has bags of time to build on his remarkable start to life in England.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Erick, atualmente no Ceará e futuro reforço do São Paulo para 2024, compartilhou uma foto nas redes sociais acompanhando o duelo entre o Tricolor e o Flamengo pela final da Copa do Brasil, no Maracanã.

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O jogador postou a foto em seu story no Instagram. No registro, está em um hotel acompanhando o duelo. O atacante deve chegar ao clube apenas em janeiro de 2024. O vínculo do jogador com o Vozão se encerra no fim deste ano e, por isso, assinou um pré-contrato com o Tricolor para a próxima temporada.

Erick foi umpedido do próprio Dorival Júnior, que trabalhou com o jogador no Ceará em 2022. Na visão da comissão técnica, o jogador seria a opção ideal para suprir a ausência de um atacante de velocidade, capaz de quebrar linhas de marcação com o drible.

+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades

As tratativas com o atleta estavam acontecendo desde julho. Assim, a expectativa é que tudo seja concretizado pensando na temporada que vem.

Veja a foto postada por Erick nas redes sociais:

Dom Sibley continued Surrey’s dominance at Utilita Bowl in the Men’s Vitality Blast with a crushing 70 against Hampshire Hawks.Former England Test opener Sibley’s breezy 46-ball knock provided the backbone for his side’s commanding victory on the south coast – Surrey’s sixth straight T20 win on the ground.Opening partner Will Jacks and Sam Curran whacked quick-fire runs to back Sibley up as Surrey reached 193. Despite short explosive cameos from South African duo Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, two wickets apiece for the returning Reece Topley, Chris Jordan and Mitchell Santner, and 3 for 18 for Nathan Smith, gave the visitors a one-sided win.Having been put into bat, Jacks and Sibley seemed to amass runs without massive swings of the bat, with Sibley’s two sixes over midwicket anomalies in a 59-run powerplay.Jacks’ sweet timing had brought him 41 in a blink-of-an-eye 24 balls but Benny Howell’s introduction began a squeeze. Howell and Liam Dawson stopped the flow of runs with their off-pace deliveries, with Howell getting Jacks slapping to point and Jason Roy run out via a one-motion dive by James Vince.Sibley continued to turn over the strike, along with the odd boundary, as he found a tempo and stuck to it, reaching his ninth T20 fifty in 32 balls.He eventually fell for an impressive 70, but that only began the Surrey fireworks – with 51 runs coming from the last four overs. Sam Curran baseball-swatted Chris Wood and then swivelled James Fuller for sixes, and when he was out his brother Tom fired an outrageous six over extra cover.In the second half of the innings, Surrey only allowed 10 dot balls, with power-hitting interspersing smart running.In Hampshire’s reply, Pretorius almost monopolised the strike in the first three-and-a-half overs, but when he hit the ball, it stayed hit. His third-ball wristy flick off his pads cleared the ropes with ease, before one of three fours cannoned off the non-striker’s stumps and into the padding in next to no time.But Jacks stopped him in his tracks, when a reverse sweep went wrong, before Vince – who had only faced eight balls in 4.5 overs – spliced to mid-on.Toby Albert was caught behind by a tumbling Laurie Evans, but Brevis blew some life back into the innings with a six straight into a cameraman and then an audacious back-foot hammer for another maximum. But scoreboard pressure saw more and more desperate rash shots, and each seemed to be paired with a catch.Brevis, Joe Weatherley, Fuller, Dawson, Howell, and John Turner all took to the sky, while Wood was castled.

Looking to spend big once again, Liverpool are reportedly going head-to-head with Paris Saint-Germain to sign an £80m talent who’s been compared to the French club’s own young superstar Desire Doue.

Liverpool international round-up

For a set of players that entered the international break off the back of three straight defeats in all competitions, Liverpool’s stars have enjoyed an impressive couple of weeks away with their nations.

Just last night, Dominik Szoboszlai found himself in the right place at the perfect time to tap home a last-gasp equaliser for Hungary against Portugal. Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister also found the back of the net for Argentina, and Cody Gakpo has also been in free-scoring form for the Netherlands.

In fact, almost every Liverpool star has enjoyed at least one moment to savour for their nations during the break. Virgil van Dijk found the back of the net, Giorgi Mamardashvili saved a penalty for Georgia and Mohamed Salah scored as Egypt qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

Those moments should act as the perfect antidote to Liverpool’s recent form as they prepare to welcome rivals Manchester United to Anfield this weekend. It’s a game that the Reds must win as they look to regain some composure in the early days of their Premier League title defence.

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The international break may have also allowed Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards to plan ahead. They already smashed Liverpool’s transfer record twice in the summer to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, but are now going head-to-head with PSG to sign an £80m star.

Liverpool racing PSG to sign Rogers

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now racing PSG to sign Morgan Rogers, who Aston Villa value at as much as £80m ahead of next summer.

Whilst the England international still has five years left on his current deal, those at Villa Park still have plenty of PSR concerns to think about and may not have any choice but to accept a big-money offer if it arrives.

For a player of Rogers’ talent, that £80m fee could prove to be worth every penny for Liverpool, who have lacked a missing piece to their title-defending puzzle so far this season.

Compared to PSG star Doue for his unpredictability, dribbling and directness, Rogers has every chance of reaching the same level as the Frenchman with a move to Anfield.

Whether Unai Emery is keen to let his star man go is another question, however. Described as “excellent” by England boss Thomas Tuchel, Rogers is vital to any ambitions that those in the Midlands have already set their sights on.

Tahir, 46, was retained by Amazon Warriors, while TKR recruited the Pakistan pair of Amir and Tariq

Deivarayan Muthu18-Jun-2025St Lucia Kings, the defending champions of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), have signed IPL winner Tim David as their first-round pick at the draft for the 2025 season. Kings, however, will be without Faf du Plessis, who had led them to their maiden title last year, prioritising the Hundred over the CPL this season.Du Plessis will instead play for Southern Brave in the Hundred, whose signing was the result of his involvement with Delhi Capitals in the IPL. The Capitals’ co-owners GMR Group are finalising their deal to buy Southern Brave, having taken over at host county Hampshire last year.Moeen Ali, who had announced his international retirement in September last year, has opted to skip the Hundred for the CPL, where he was re-signed as a seventh-round pick by Guyana Amazon Warriors. Imran Tahir, 46, was retained by Amazon Warriors as their first pick.Related

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Four-time CPL champions Trinbago Knight Riders recruited the Pakistan pair of Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq. While this will be offspinner Tariq’s maiden CPL stint – he plays for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL – Amir is a familiar name in the CPL, having turned out for Barbados Royals, Jamaica Tallawahs, Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the past.As for the Falcons, they snapped up Imad Wasim as their first pick and Shakib Al Hasan as their second pick. Shakib holds the record for the best figures in an innings in the CPL – he had claimed 4-1-6-6 for the Barbados franchise back in 2013.Rashid Khan will miss the CPL once again, but other spinners contribute to a fairly significant Afghanistan presence in the league. Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, who was picked by Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 auction and is currently in fine form for Derbyshire in the T20 Blast, will join Naveen-ul-Haq at Falcons.Left-arm wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil moved from TKR to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman will return to Barbados Royals. When Royals made the final in CPL 2022, Mujeeb had collected ten wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.11. Seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai will join Mujeeb at Royals.Bevon Jacobs, the big-hitting New Zealand batter, will link up with Falcons for his first CPL gig after having stints with Mumbai Indians in the IPL and MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20. Glenn Phillips, who first made his name as a franchise player at the CPL before establishing himself as an allrounder for New Zealand, will join Amazon Warriors. Wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert will stay with Kings while Colin Munro will return to TKR.Imran Tahir, 46, was retained by Guyana Amazon Warriors•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesMunro, who was signed as an eighth-round pick, has previously enjoyed success with TKR – he is still their highest run-getter with 2178 runs in 72 innings at a strike rate of 129.56. Munro, 38, has retired from international cricket but continues to be active in franchise leagues around the world. Darren Bravo, the second-highest scorer for TKR behind Munro in the CPL, will also return to the franchise and will reunite with his brother Dwayne Bravo, who is set to take over as head coach.Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell were all retained by TKR as expected.Allrounder Matthew Forde, who recently equalled AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest ODI fifty, was retained by Kings while fast bowler Shamar Joseph was retained by Amazon Warriors.Incentive for emerging playersIn CPL 2025, each franchise must play at least one player from the Breakout League, a new tournament that was held to identify emerging talent from the region, in every game. This also gives the franchise the option of picking five overseas players in their XI to go with their ‘breakout’ player.The last three rounds in the draft – 15, 16 and 17 – were all reserved for emerging players from the Breakout League.Reigning champions Kings brought back St Lucian Ackeem Auguste as one of their breakout players. After winning the CPL title with Kings, Auguste visited India to train at the Chennai Super Kings academy and his recent form for West Indies Academy is also encouraging.Having captained Trinidad & Tobago Legions to the 2025 West Indies Breakout League T20 title, Joshua da Silva will now link up with his home franchise, TKR, in the CPL.Jyd Goolie, a former Under-19 World Cup winner who recently earned a call-up to the senior squad, was picked by Patriots as a player from the Breakout League.CPL 2025 squadsSt Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder (traded), Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Corbin Bosch, Waqar Salamkheil, Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze (traded), Mohammad Nawaz, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Ashmead Nedd, Jeremiah Louis, Jyd Goolie, Navin Bidaisee, Leniko BoucherAntigua & Barbuda Falcons: Imad Wasim, Shakib Al Hasan, Fabian Allen, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Justin Greaves, Bevon Jacobs, Jayden Seales, AM Ghazanfar, Rahkeem Cornwall (traded), Odean Smith, Jewel Andrew, Shamar Springer, Amir Jangoo, Karima Gore, Kevin Wickham, Joshua JamesBarbados Royals: Rovman Powell, Brandon King (traded), Sherfane Rutherford (traded), Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Jomel Warrican, Kadeem Alleyne, Shaqkere Parris, Kofi James, Nyeem Young, Rivaldo Clarke, Zishan Motara, Johann Layne, Ramon SimmondsTrinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Alex Hales, Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Amir, Colin Munro, Usman Tariq, Ali Khan, Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Terrance Hinds, McKenny Clarke, Joshua Da Silva, Nathan EdwardGuyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Shai Hope, Glenn Phillips, Gudakesh Motie, Moeen Ali, Shamar Joseph, Keemo Paul, Dwaine Pretorius, Shamarh Brooks, Kemol Savory, Hassan Khan, Jediah Blades, Kevlon Anderson, Quentin Sampson, Riyad LatifSaint Lucia Kings: Tim David, Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Tim Seifert, Roston Chase, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Delano Potgieter, Matthew Forde, Aaron Jones, Khary Pierre, Javelle Glen, Micah McKenzie, Shadrack Descarte, Johann Jeremiah, Keon Gaston, Ackeem Auguste

MLS NEXT Pro announced North Texas SC forward Sam Sarver has been named the 2025 MVP after a breakout campaign that saw the 22-year-old captain rewrite his club’s scoring history and finish near the top of the league’s charts. Sarver’s award caps a season in which he finished as the runner-up in the Golden Boot race and earned a spot on the league’s Best XI.

MLS Next ProLeading North Texas SC to playoff berth

Sarver's historic campaign included numerous milestones that rewrote the North Texas SC record books. The Chesterland, Ohio native became the first player in club history to score four goals in a single match and delivered the club's first MLS NEXT Pro hat trick on Decision Day, nearly catching Chicago Fire FC II's Jason Shokalook (20 goals) for the Golden Boot. Sarver set the club's single-season scoring record with 19 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 16 shared by Bernard Kamungo and Ronaldo Damus.

AdvertisementMLS Next ProExcellence earns first team contract

The forward's dominant performances earned him MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek honors twice (Matchweeks 19 and 30) and August's Player of the Month award. Sarver started 24 of his 25 appearances, logging 2,023 minutes while finishing tied for second in total goal contributions (23) across the league.

His offensive prowess was highlighted by a league-leading 40 shots on target and 72 total scoring attempts. These consistent performances ultimately earned Sarver a first-team contract with FC Dallas in July 2025, making him the 37th player to feature for both clubs.

Elite company

By earning Best XI honors, Sarver becomes the fourth player in North Texas SC history to receive this recognition, joining Bernard Kamungo (2022), Nico Gordon (2024), and Michael Collodi (2024). His achievement adds to the club's impressive legacy of individual awards across multiple leagues.

During North Texas SC's time in USL League One, Arturo Rodriguez was named League MVP, Young Player of the Year, and Assist Champion in 2019, while Eric Quill earned Coach of the Year honors that same season.

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ImagnQuick transition to MLS

Sarver's impact extended beyond MLS NEXT Pro as he seamlessly transitioned to FC Dallas's first team following his July contract signing. The forward made an immediate impression, earning a penalty kick that helped seal a 2-0 victory over St. Louis CITY SC in his second MLS appearance on July 19. Sarver recorded assists in consecutive matches against LA Galaxy and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in October.

After fielding a group of teenagers in their Champions League clash against Ajax earlier this week, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is now seemingly set to hand a 15-year-old youth player his senior debut. Resting most of their first-team stars in the European clash, Maresca banked on the youth and they did not disappoint the coach as the Blues registered a thumping 5-1 win over the Dutch giants.

• The new kid on the block

  Per The Sun, 15-year-old Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli is being considered for his Stamford Bridge debut by manager Maresca. The wonderkid is widely considered as the best player in the world in his age category and has already attracted interest from several top clubs across Europe. So high is the hype around Nicoll-Jazuli that he is being tipped to become the next Jude Bellingham because of the striking similarities between the Real Madrid star and the youngster's playing style.

  The report adds that Chelsea head coach Maresca is known to be an admirer of the youngster and the Italian recently invited the player to train with the first team ahead of their Champions League fixture against Ajax. Nicoll-Jazuli does not turn 16 until January but Maresca is already planning to hand him his senior debut in the near future. The midfielder has already represented England at the U-17 level, although he is just 15 at the moment.  

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'He will be the next big thing'

  Hyping the young Blue, a source told : "You have to keep an eye on Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, he will be the next big thing to come out of Cobham and plays like Jude Bellingham. You only have to see him play once to realise he’s a different kind of talent. The manager is so impressed with him that he plans to hand him his first-team debut soon."

• Chelsea youth created Champions League history

  The Blues, like many other Premier League clubs, are amid a hectic fixture crunch which prompted Maresca to rest a host of first team stars and field a bunch of young players to take on Ajax in the Champions League this week. The youngsters repaid the faith shown by their manager as the English giants marched to a thumping 5-1 over the Eredivisie side. In the process, Chelsea also scripted a Champions League record as they became the first team ever in the competition to have three different teenagers – Marc Guiu (19), Estevao Willian (18), and Tyrique George (19) – on the scoresheet in the same match. 

  The head coach also handed a European debut to Reggie Walsh, who, at just 17, became the youngest player in Chelsea’s Champions League history and the second youngest Englishman to ever play in the competition after Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. Overall, ten Chelsea players aged 21 or younger featured in the match, a staggering testament to the club’s youth-driven strategy.

  After the game, Maresca had heaped praise on his young guns, as he said: "It's the strategy of the club. We have so many young players. I think already last season we were the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, so this season we continue in the same way. I work with them every day, I know what they can do. I know also that we're going to have moments where we struggle a little bit more, for sure. But I think the good thing about them is that they want to learn, they want to improve and I think it's good."

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  Nicoll-Jazuli better than Arsenal's Dowman?

  Arsenal recently proved that age is just a number as Mikel Arteta handed their wonderkid Max Dowman his senior debut against Leeds United in the Premier League before he turned 16. The Sun report further adds that the Blues consider Nicoll-Jazuli even more talented than Dowman. The youngster's passing is crisp, his vision is outstanding and his eye for the goal makes him a complete package. The teenager recently became the youngest Chelsea player to start in a UEFA Youth League match.

  Maresca's men will be back in action on Saturday as they host Sunderland in a crucial Premier League fixture.