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Cristiano Ronaldo is, as a "big icon who loves hair", being tipped to become the A-list barber that eventually gets to give The United Strand a fresh trim. Red Devils fan Frank Ilett has gone viral after vowing not to cut his locks until Ruben Amorim's side have won five games in a row. They recently ticked three of those boxes, but the wait goes on as various names are offered up as potential cutters of what has become rather wild hair.

When did The United Strand make his pledge?

Ilett made his pledge back in October 2024, with United preparing to pass managerial reins around that time from Dutch coach Erik ten Hag to Portuguese tactician Ten Hag. They rarely looked like stringing together back-to-back victories, never mind five-in-a-row, when stumbling to a 15th-place finish in the 2024-25 campaign.

A slow start was made to the current season, leading to more uncomfortable questions being asked of Amorim and his favoured 3-4-3 system, but United did show signs of life when overcoming Sunderland, Liverpool – at Anfield no less – and Brighton. With Ilett starting to get excited, Nottingham Forest held the Red Devils to a 2-2 draw at the City Ground.

AdvertisementRonaldo the barber: Saha floats interesting idea

The United Strand is back to square one, as his bouffant grows ever larger, with there no end in sight when it comes to a rather questionable challenge. He has, however, become infamous in his own right, with suggestions being made as to who should eventually shear his overgrown locks.

Ex-United striker Louis Saha has joined that debate, with the Frenchman telling : "There is hope (for The United Strand). That's a funny one to be honest. If you have more pressure with fans who are doing stuff like this, I think it's good.

"I can see that there is a need for results and to be serious on that point. The consistency is extremely important so the fans have a point here. I think when you look at over the years, the big icons who love doing the hair, there is no bigger name than Cristiano Ronaldo. He should come and shave his new haircut."

Getty/via @theunitedstrand on Instagram What about Beckham? Another option for The United Strand

Ronaldo’s hair has been big business down the years, while the same could once be said about his fellow iconic former United No.7, Sir David Beckham. The ex-England captain, who is now working with Lionel Messi at MLS side Inter Miami, is another to have seen his name added to the pop-up barber pot.

Former Red Devils winger Nani has told : "If that means that Man Utd is winning, I want him to cut his hair. I believe it's going to happen because of the way we've been playing. I think it’s deserved. Man Utd just need to be very, very disciplined during the next games, staying humble and working hard. It doesn’t need to be 3-0 or 4-0, 1-0 is enough. I think after he cuts his hair then everything will change and we will look forward. I think he’d like a legend to cut his hair and I think David Beckham should do it, he’s had plenty of practice. He'd be perfect!"

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Man Utd fixtures: Cam Red Devils win five on the bounce?

One-time United defender Wes Brown has said of Ilett’s long-running escapade: "I like the banter. It’s funny because the other day my daughter showed me. When you’re thinking of five games on the bounce to win it sounds fairly straightforward. That can be done. That’s what I love about the game. Regardless of the results some fun can come from it. But is he going to get it cut? How long does this go on for? How many teams have done five in a row in the league? Even from last season. It’s probably harder than you think. He might have to get it braided."

United have one more game to take in prior to the November international break, with that contest set to take place at Tottenham on Saturday. Ronaldo has admitted to still keeping an eye on how the Red Devils are faring, claiming that the Premier League giants need a change in “structure” if they are to get themselves back on track and recapture former glories.

The Padres are set for some significant changes this offseason, but those likely won't be coming at the top of the organization.

Despite a disappointing playoff exit in the wild-card round against the Cubs, key pieces of the organization will reportedly remain in place. Kevin Acee of the is reporting that president of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, and manager Mike Shildt are expected to return for the 2026 season.

From Acee's report:

After the Padres fell to the Cubs in three games, there were questions about Preller's future with the franchise. He had the full backing of former owner Peter Seidler, who died in November of 2023, but now that his brother, John Seidler, runs the team, his position seemed far less secure. It appears Preller will continue in his position for the foreseeable future after guiding the Padres to the postseason in four of the last six seasons.

Shildt replaced Bob Melvin as San Diego's manager before the 2024 season, and the team has topped 90 wins and reached the playoffs in each of his first two years in charge. While just making the postseason is no longer the expectation for the franchise, Shildt has done a solid job so far.

Padres Face Major Changes This Offseason

San Diego has several key players likely set to leave this winter. Starting pitcher Dylan Cease, first baseman Luis Arraez, and trade deadline pickup Ryan O'Hearn are all set for free agency. Meanwhile, closer Robert Suarez and starter Michael King can both opt out of their contracts and are widely expected to do so. Lefty Nestor Cortes and utility infielder Jose Iglesias are also free agents.

With so many pieces likely leaving, Preller will have his hands full attempting to build a championship-caliber roster for 2026. Given the team's payroll constraints, there may not be much room to add this offseason.

One thing the Padres don't have to worry about is fan support. San Diego finished second in attendance in 2025, welcoming a record 3,437,201 fans to Petco Park. The team sold out 72 of its 81 home games, which was also a record.

The Padres have a core built around Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Xander Bogaerts, plus 2025 additions Mason Miller and Nick Pivetta. The return of Joe Musgrove from elbow surgery should help as well. There's a solid foundation there.

San Diego's biggest challenge will be adding more punch to its lineup next season. The team ranked 22nd in slugging (.390) and 28th in home runs (152) during the regular season. That lack of pop reared its ugly head against Chicago in the wild-card round, when the top three in the team's lineup, Tatis, Arraez, and Machado, combined to go 4-for-33 (.121) with one home run. The team's offense needs more depth.

With continuity at the top, building for 2026 should be easier.

حقق منتخب فلسطين الفوز على قطر، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الإثنين، في افتتاح مشوارهما ببطولة كأس العرب 2025، بنتيجة هدف دون رد.

وتواجه منتخبا فلسطين وقطر، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى لمواجهات المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر.

وبذلك، يتصدر منتخب فلسطين ترتيب المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العرب بالتساوي مع منتخب سوريا الذي حقق الفوز أيضًا بهدف دون رد على تونس.

بطولة كأس العرب، تقام في قطر، بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا خلال الفترة من الأول من ديسمبر حتى 18 من الشهر نفسه.

طالع | مدرب تونس بعد الهزيمة أمام سوريا في كأس العرب: لعبوا على أخطاءنا ترتيب المجموعة الأولى في كأس العرب بعد انتهاء الجولة الأولى

1- منتخب فلسطين، 3 نقاط.

2- منتخب سوريا، 3 نقاط.

3- منتخب تونس، بدون نقاط.

4- منتخب قطر، بدون نقاط.

It has been a rough few days when it comes to sports fans acting normally when gifted a souvenir from an athlete.

At the U.S. Open, a man was spotted snatching the hat of Kamil Majchrzak out of the hands of a child. While Majchrzak made things right the next day, it was still an odd moment to behold.

On Friday night at LoanDepot Park, that awkward moment got its sequel. After Phillies centerfielder Harrison Bader hit a solo shot to put his team up 5–1 over the Marlins, a mini fracas broke out in the stands.

One Phillies fan hustled to retrieve the ball, nabbed it after a brief moment on the ground, and went back to his seat to give the ball to the young fan he was sitting with, presumably his son. But another fan, whose seat was closer to the initial landing spot of the ball, took issue with the move, and went over to give the fan that got the ball the business. Eventually, the fan who got the ball appeared to say, “fine, okay, whatever sheesh” and gave the ball back.

You can watch the scene unfold below.

On the one hand, we cannot see the moment that the ball was initially possessed, so it is possible that there were some dastardly moves done behind the seats that would offer more clarity to the scene. On the other hand, once a kid has the home run ball, it’s usually best policy to let the kid keep the home run ball.

Thankfully, the Marlins’ stadium staff went out of their way to make things right, hooking up the fan who was briefly without the home run ball with a new ball and a prize pack.

After the game, the Phillies made sure to give the fan an unforgettable moment as well, with Bader coming out to meet the family and offer up a signed bat.

A great gesture by the Phillies, but really a huge shoutout to the Marlins staff for acting in the moment to make sure everyone left the stadium with a happy memory instead of an awkward one. Seeing one team make such a gesture for opposing fans is just a nice reminder that a love of baseball can transcend a particular fandom or rooting interest.

All of that said, please, if you or a loved one happens to be in the stands when a home run ball is hit, or a player offers a fan their hat, or anything of the sort occurs and puts you in a position to possibly nab a souvenir, please just be normal about it.

Six out of eight equity sales have been completed, but Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets still negotiating

Matt Roller30-Jul-2025The ECB insists that external investment in two Hundred teams remains “on track” despite the fact that their deals are yet to be completed.ESPNcricinfo revealed last week that Knighthead Capital’s investment in Birmingham Phoenix had been signed off and five more investors have now completed deals, which were agreed in principle earlier this year. The sales process valued the eight teams at nearly £1 billion collectively, with over £500 million invested in English cricket as a direct result.But two deals have taken far longer than anticipated to complete. The ECB initially gave new investors an eight-week deadline to finalise paperwork, which was later extended after disagreements over the participation agreement, and the deadline for completion has now been extended further for both Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets.Related

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The ECB announced the completion of six deals on Wednesday, with chair Richard Thompson hailing a “seminal moment” for English cricket. The board said in a statement: “The remaining two [deals] are set for formal completion at a later date. They remain on track, in line with the ECB having offered investors the option of completing later.”Invincibles will be run as a joint-venture between Surrey (51%) and Reliance (49%), the Indian conglomerate which owns Mumbai Indians and their affiliated franchises around the world. Surrey declined to comment, but are understood to be very confident that the deal will be completed at the start of October.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Ambani family, which owns Reliance, will attend the fifth England vs India Test at The Oval, but that the visit is unrelated to the timeframe of the deal. One outstanding issue in discussions surrounds the name of the franchise, which could be renamed MI London or MI Oval in line with Reliance’s other franchises outside of India, but branding is not considered a major sticking point.The Rockets’ new investors are Cain International – whose co-founders Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein are part of the consortium that owns Chelsea FC – and private equity firm Ares Management. They will run the franchise as minority partners, with Nottinghamshire – who also declined to comment – retaining a 51% interest.Trent Rockets’ new investors are Cain International and Ares Management•Nathan Stirk/ECB via Getty ImagesBoth investor groups are understood to have taken up the option presented to them by the ECB to complete their deals post-season on October 1, when they will assume operational control of their teams.Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, has previously blamed the deals’ slow progress on the need to consider “what ifs” and new investors wanting “clarity on all sorts of details” before signing. Gould told ESPNcricinfo last month: “I hate to think how many sets of lawyers are in on this, but that’s what they’re paid to do.”The imminent financial windfall will be significant for many counties, not least Yorkshire, who have sold 100% of Northern Superchargers to the Sun Group. “The deal puts the club in a strong financial position, which has been far from the case for many years,” Sanjay Patel, their chief executive, said. “The first priority is clearing our debts.”The new investors will assume operational control from October 1, with the ECB running all eight teams for the 2025 season which runs from August 5-31.

One Rangers player who Danny Rohl does not rate could be on his way out of Ibrox amid interest from the Championship, according to recent reports.

Rohl praises "fantastic" Rangers reaction

After back-to-back draw against Falkirk and Dundee United, Rangers couldn’t afford to drop points again in the Scottish Premiership. They’ve been much improved since Rohl’s arrival, but another day without victory would have sparked all too familiar concerns around Glasgow.

The German and his Rangers team bounced back from those draws in style against Kilmarnock, however. With a brace from Bojan Miovski to accompany Mikey Moore’s effort, the Gers sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Rohl shared his delight at full-time, but also urged Rangers to “develop” their “game management” – telling reporters: “From the first minute tonight, I knew the fans were behind the team. We have to do this together.

“I think looking back through the whole week, It was a good performance on Wednesday from Bojan Miovski. I’m glad Mikey [Moore] is back but in general, it was a whole team performance.

“We have to develop our game management, but tonight it was a fantastic reaction and now we have five wins in seven so this is a good step forward. We have to continue, everyone wants to win against us or take something from us. This is a tough league so we have to put the work in.”

It would be a good time for those at Ibrox to hit top form, given how frantic the festive period is and with the January transfer window now less than a month away from swinging open.

The winter window represents the first chance for Rohl to stamp his mark on his side and rumours have already claimed that he’s after a clinical striker.

Arrivals are unlikely to come without departures, though, and Kieran Dowell is among those who could reportedly be heading for the Ibrox exit door.

Hull City keen to sign Kieran Dowell

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Hull City are now keen to sign Dowell in the January transfer window. The midfielder is yet to feature under Rohl, who quite clearly doesn’t rate him, and now looks destined to leave on loan in just under a month.

It’s been the story of Dowell’s Rangers career, but he must get his move in the January window.

The 28-year-old was offered some hope when Russell Martin arrived instantly jumped to his defence by saying: “And by the way he tries really, really every day, trains like an absolute beast, which I don’t think some people have come to this club and been bought for a lot of money, and I don’t think they have done that.”

Related Not just Miovski: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who lost 86% duels

Danny Rohl should ruthlessly drop this Rangers flop as well as Bojan Miovski this evening.

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Any hope of a Rangers revival has now evaporated, however, with Rohl seemingly ready to bid farewell to the midfield flop who has struggled since arriving in 2023.

Rangers prioritising move to sign "strong" 6ft 4 box-crasher after scouting mission

Eddie Howe has now reportedly told Newcastle United to go and sign a Serie A midfielder who Tyneside scouts have already watched in action.

Eddie Howe delivers Nick Pope verdict after Marseille mistake

It’s been one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle this season. The Magpies defeated Manchester City in an excellent display last weekend, before picking up where they left off to take the lead against Marseille. It looked as though they were finally back on track. But that’s when it all fell apart.

Nick Pope’s moment of madness allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to equalise from wide, before the former Arsenal man was at it again to score what proved to be the eventual winner for the French hosts.

It’s not the first time that Pope has come under fire in a Newcastle shirt this season, but Howe decided to back his shot-stopper in his post-match interview, saying: “I think it’s a concern when we concede goals, regardless of who’s at fault. I think we have to look at everything with a balanced head.

“He (Pope) saved us many times. He made some really good saves against Manchester City just two days ago. That’s the life of a goalkeeper. But I’ll certainly back him.”

With Aaron Ramsdale waiting in the wings, however, it remains to be seen just how many more chances Pope will receive. Up next, Newcastle travel to the Hill Dickinson stadium for the first time to face an Everton side who just defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It’s a game that the Magpies will be desperate to win to at least make it back-to-back victories in the Premier League. Alas, it’s also one that may expose their lack of depth in midfield once again.

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It’s a fairly open secret that Howe’s targeting reinforcements in that area ahead of 2026 and reports are now claiming that he’s told the club to go and sign Serie A star Manu Kone.

Howe tells Newcastle to sign Manu Kone

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Howe has now told Newcastle to sign Kone after sending his scouts to watch the impressive AS Roma midfielder.

The midfielder would instantly add depth to the Magpies’ midfield, but Roma have already reportedly dealt those at St James’ Park a frustrating blow in pursuit of his signature. Unsurprisingly, Roma are keen to keep hold of Kone and have told Newcastle that he is not for sale in 2026.

Whether Newcastle test the waters despite Roma’s stance is the big question. Kone would certainly be worth the chase. The Frenchman was dubbed “composed” by Como scout Ben Mattinson ahead of arriving in Serie A in the summer and could yet be on his way to the Premier League.

As bad as Pope: Howe must drop 4/10 Newcastle dud who made just 14 passes

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo venceu o Fluminense por 2 a 1, no Morumbis, pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão. Igor Vinícius (contra) abriu o placar para a equipe carioca, Bobadilla deixou tudo igual e Arboleda virou para os paulistas. O jogo ficou marcado por uma discussão entre Luciano e Fernando Diniz, em que o técnico acabou expulso.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalpites de HojePalpite: São Paulo x Barcelona SC – Copa Libertadores – 16/5/2024Palpites de Hoje16/05/2024Fora de CampoDaronco é detonado por jornalistas em São Paulo x Fluminense: ‘Adora protagonismo’Fora de Campo13/05/2024Futebol Nacional‘Você é muito burro’: Diniz briga com Luciano e é expulso em São Paulo x Fluminense; vejaFutebol Nacional13/05/2024

➡️ As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

Com o resultado, o São Paulo soma dez pontos e está na quinta posição. Na zona do rebaixamento, o Fluminense é o 17º, com cinco pontos.

➡️ QUAIS SÃO OS PRÓXIMOS JOGOS DO SÃO PAULO E DO FLUMINENSE?

O próximo compromisso do São Paulo será na quinta-feira (16), contra o Barcelona (EQU), pela fase de grupos da Libertadores. O Fluminense recebe o Cerro Porteño (PAR), na mesma data, também pela competição continental.

➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
SÃO PAULO 2 X 1 FLUMINENSE
6ª RODADA – SÉRIE A DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

🗓️ Data e horário: segunda-feira, 13 de maio de 2024, às 20h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Morumbis, em São Paulo (SP);
⚽ Gols: Bobadilla e Arboleda (São Paulo); Igor Vinícius (GC – Fluminense)
🟨 Árbitro: Anderson Daronco (FIFA-RS);
🚩 Assistentes: Lucio Beiersdorf Flor (RS) e Tiago Augusto Kappes Diel (RS);
🖥️ VAR: Pablo Ramon Goncalves Pinheiro (FIFA-RN).

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES:

SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Luis Zubeldía)
Rafael; Igor Vinícius, Arboleda, Alan Franco e Patryck; Bobadilla, Alisson e Nestor; Luciano, Juan e André Silva.

FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Fernando Diniz)
Fábio; Marquinhos, Antônio Carlos, Manoel e Diogo Barbosa; Martinelli, Lima e Alexsande; Keno, Jhon Arias e Kauã Elias.

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FluminenseSão Paulo

أعرب جوليان ناجيلسمان مدرب منتخب ألمانيا عن رأيه بشأن قرعة دور المجموعات لكأس العالم 2026 والتي أجريت مساء أمس الجمعة.

وكانت قرعة كأس العالم قد أسفرت عن وقوع منتخب ألمانيا في المجموعة الخامسة إلى جانب منتخبات كوت ديفوار والإكوادور وكوراساو.

وعلق ناجيلسمان على قرعة كأس العالم في تصريحات نشرتها “Bulinews”: “ليست مجموعة سهلة للغاية لكننا نسعى للفوز فيها، من الجيد أن نواجه تحديات، ليس هناك ثلاث خصوم سهلين، بل علينا العمل بجد والاجتهاد وبذل أقصى جهد ممكن”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ديشامب: وقعنا في أصعب مجموعات كأس العالم.. وأنتظر لقاء مبابي وإيرلينج هالاند

وأكد ناجيلسمان أن منتخب ألمانيا سيتعامل مع كل خصم بجدية، قائلا: “تحليل كوراساو مثير للاهتمام لكننا لن نستخف بهم، كوت ديفوار فريق يمكننا التغلب عليه لكن لا يجب الاستهانة به، الإكوادور منتخب ليس من السهل مواجهته، لديهم ثلاث او أربعة نجوم من الطراز الرفيع”.

وسئل ناجيلسمان عن المكان الذي سيستضيف معسكر منتخب ألمانيا في كأس العالم، فقد تحفظ مدرب المانشافت: “لن نكشف عن أي شيء بعد، لدينا إدارة دؤوبة للغاية ودرست الكثير، لقد سافرت بالفعل وزرت العديد من معسكرات التدريب، سنجد أفضل الظروف ونحن واثقون من قدرتنا على الإعلان عن شئ مميز للغاية”.

As per the revised timings, the matches will begin at 6.30pm local time (8pm IST)

PTI30-Aug-2025

The start time for 18 out of the 19 matches in the upcoming Asia Cup has been pushed back by half an hour from the original schedule due to the extreme heat in the UAE.As per the revised timings, the matches will begin at 6.30pm local time (8pm IST).The tournament, which will be held in the T20 format this time, will run from September 9 to 28 across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”The start time for 18 out of the 19 DP World Asia Cup 2025 matches has been updated. These matches will now begin at 6:30pm local time (Gulf Standard Time),” the Emirates Cricket Board said in a statement on its website.”The Monday, 15 September match between UAE and Oman will start at 4pm local time at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – the only day game of the tournament.”Related

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In the initial schedule announced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) earlier this month, the matches were scheduled to start at 6pm local time.The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the India-Pakistan match on September 14. India will not host or visit Pakistan for bilateral contests, but their athletes and teams can take part in multi-nation events that also involve Pakistan like the upcoming men’s Asia Cup.India will start their campaign against UAE in Dubai on September 10, and the last group stage fixture against Oman will be played in Abu Dhabi on September 19.India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman are in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong form Group B.