Rob McElhenney's wife Kaitlin Olson jokingly claims 'Welcome to Wrexham' Emmy award is now hers as Red Dragons co-owner responds with Paul Mullin animation

Kaitlin Olson sparked some social media banter after cheekily claiming husband Rob McElhenney's Emmy award for 'Welcome to Wrexham' as her own.

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Welcome to Wrexham scores Emmy successOlson claims gong for her 'vision board'McElhenney responds with Mullin animationGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

With a sparkling new Emmy award for sitting proudly on the mantelpiece at Olson and McElhenney's Hollywood home, the actress took to social media to jokingly post that she was going to add it to her 'mood board'.

Her husband playfully reposted her claim, inventively adding an animation of striker Paul Mullin applauding to the story.

AdvertisementWHAT KAITLIN OLSON SAID

Olson posted to Instagram: "Rob McElhenney brought me home a trinket for my vision board," alongside a close up of the award.

McElhenney shot back, replying and adding in the Dragon's talismanic forward clapping along with a dancing Emmy award graphic.

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The first series of the popular documentary scooped five Emmys from six nominations at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday. Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds accepted the awards dressed as his best-known character Deadpool from the Marvel series.

The awards mark Hollywood recognition for the documentary that has won many fans for its tender takes on the lives of Wrexham fans and staff.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WELCOME TO WREXHAM?

Already commissioned for a third series, the documentary goes from strength to strength charting what owners and fans hope is a successful return to the Football League and a second-consecutive promotion. Wrexham are sitting in the League Two automatic promotion places after 25 games, with a home fixture against AFC Wimbledon up next on Saturday.

RANKED: Man Utd's best – and worst- seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement

United have had a decade to forget since the legendary Scot walked away from the dugout – but how do their seasons since rank?

It has been 10 years since Sir Alex Ferguson rocked football and announced he was retiring as Manchester United manager, just weeks after leading his team to a 13th Premier League title.

To many fans, Ferguson was the only United manager they had known, and he had brought them so many happy memories, knocking Liverpool off their perch and establishing the Red Devils as the top force in English football.

He also won the Champions League twice, completing an incredible treble in 1999 and a double in 2008, in addition to five FA Cups, four League Cups and a Cup Winners' Cup.

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It has been a long decade since the great man's departure. United have cycled through eight managers and failed to lift the league title since, or even come close to winning it.

To make matters worse, their decline has coincided with Manchester City dominating English football and Liverpool's resurgence.

But there is a tangible feeling that United are on their way back under Erik ten Hag, who has won the Carabao Cup, the club's first trophy since 2017, and led United to the FA Cup final. The team are also on track to return to the Champions League.

But where does this season rank among the 10 campaigns United have had since Ferguson called time on his glorious reign? And which was the most painful season of all?

GOAL ranks every Manchester United season since Ferguson's departure…

Getty Images10Ronaldo's dream return becomes a nightmare (21-22)

The worst season of the post-Ferguson era began so well. With fans back at Old Trafford after almost 18 months away, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side thrashed old enemies Leeds United 5-1 with a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick.

A few weeks later, the club announced Cristiano Ronaldo's shock return, smashing social media records before the Portuguese enjoyed a dream second debut against Newcastle, scoring twice in a euphoric atmosphere.

Ronaldo inspired thrilling comebacks against Villarreal, West Ham and Atalanta, but the wheels started to come off in October, when United were hammered 4-2 by Leicester City and then 5-0 at home to Liverpool.

The 2-0 defeat by Manchester City was arguably more demoralising, and Solskjaer's death knell was signed by a 4-1 thrashing at Watford.

Michael Carrick avoided defeat in his three-game caretaker spell in charge before Ralf Rangnick was hired as interim manager.

Much optimism about the German's tactical influence on the modern game soon gave way to more doom and gloom as United won just three of their final 14 matches.

They exited the Champions League and FA Cup limply, suffered more humiliating defeats to Liverpool, Man City, Brighton, Everton and Crystal Palace, and ended the season with their lowest-ever points total in 30 Premier League seasons.

AdvertisementGetty9Moyes drinks from the poisoned chalice (13-14)

"Your job is to stand by the new manager," Ferguson told United fans in his last appearance at Old Trafford, looking out at a banner of David Moyes reading 'The Chosen One'.

Supporters could have no idea at the time just how much they would need to stand by the new man, who lost three of his first six Premier League games.

Moyes soon found that a decade overachieving at Everton was scant preparation for the demands of United, and serial winners such as Rio Ferdinand and Robin van Persie did not appreciate his coaching methods.

The fear factor United had enjoyed under Ferguson vanished in a flash, and the likes of West Brom, Newcastle and Everton enjoyed their first ever wins at Old Trafford in the Premier League era.

A club-record signing in Juan Mata and the unearthing of Adnan Januzaj could not stop the rot and Moyes, who had been handed a six-year contract in 2013, was sacked after only nine months in charge following a limp defeat at his former home, Goodison Park.

Ryan Giggs stepped in as caretaker manager for the remainder of the campaign as United finished seventh, missing out on European football for the first and only time since 1989.

Getty Images8Mourinho sacked & Solskjaer's honeymoon ends (18-19)

Insiders could tell that something rotten was in the air at United in the summer of 2018 and that discontent was brewing.

Jose Mourinho had failed to land a new centre-back and had fallen out with record signing Paul Pogba again.

United then lost two of their first three games, with Mourinho lashing out at journalists after the 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham with his infamous 'respect, respect, respect' tirade.

His departure seemed inevitable, and was sealed after a disheartening defeat at Liverpool.

No one expected much from Solskjaer as a caretaker manager, but United went on an incredible run of 10 wins out of 11 under the much-loved former striker, and the 'Ole's at the wheel' chant was born.

The highlight was the stunning Champions League comeback in Paris, which led to Solskjaer's interim role becoming permanent.

But that was also when the honeymoon ended. Of their 12 matches after knocking out PSG, United lost eight while winning just two, suffering quarter-final defeats to Wolves and Barcelona in the cups and finishing sixth in the table, missing out on Champions League qualification.

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Getty7Van Gaal's reward for a trophy win? The sack (15-16)

There was plenty of promise heading into Louis van Gaal's second campaign after a strong finish to his first, and United spent big on exciting summer arrivals such as Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Anthony Martial.

David de Gea even ended up staying after a botched deadline-day move to Real Madrid.

There was huge excitement when Martial scored on his debut against Liverpool in an impressive start to the season, but a reality check came in the form of a crushing 3-0 defeat by Arsenal.

A series of drab results followed, including goalless draws against Crystal Palace and West Ham, before a shocking run of three consecutive losses to minnows Bournemouth, Norwich City and Stoke City.

United were also eliminated from the Champions League after being handed what looked to be a simple group containing Wolfsburg, CSKA Moscow and PSV.

Overall, there was a feeling that Van Gaal's possession-based football was out of date and excruciatingly dull, and the team ultimately failed to qualify for the Champions League after throwing away the lead to lose at West Ham in the final match at Upton Park.

There were some green shoots, such as Marcus Rashford's stunning emergence from the academy with braces against Midtjylland and Arsenal, plus away wins at Liverpool and Man City.

And there was the FA Cup run, the trophy sealed by Jesse Lingard's brilliant extra-time volley to beat Palace.

But even that moment of joy was quickly extinguished by the news that Van Gaal was about to be sacked to make way for Mourinho.

Spain Women's World Cup 2023 squad: Who's in & who's out?

Details about the Spain squad for Women's World Cup 2023.

Spain are one of the strongest teams at the 2023 Women's World Cup, with Alexia Putellas, one of the best footballers in the world, set to be joined by a number of other talented players at football's biggest stage.

Following their protest against the federation, a number of Spanish players have settled their differences to unite for the national team and will be seen in action at the World Cup. Some, however, remain unavailable.

Spain are a well-rounded team with a lot of talent. They were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Women's Euros but have only lost one out of their 11 games since. In the 2023 World Cup qualifiers, they had a 100 per cent win record and finished top of the group, eight points above second-placed Scotland.

Who made it to Spain Women's World Cup squad? GOAL takes a look.

Getty ImagesGOALKEEPERS

Real Madrid's fan-favourite Maria Isabel "Misa" Rodriguez Rivero is set to be the first-choice goalkeeper for Spain at the World Cup. She started 28 out of 30 league games for Madrid during the 2022-23 season and impressed in goal.

While Cata Coll and Enith Salon will act as back-ups in case Maria is unable to take the field, Real Sociedad's Elene Lete has been left out after earlier being included in the preliminary squad.

Spain will be without Sandra Panos who is one of the 15 players who had protested against the federation. Of the 15, three players have been called up to the squad but the experienced keeper is not one of them.

Name Club

Misa RodriguezReal MadridCata CollBarcelonaEnith SalonValenciaAdvertisement@WEURO2022DEFENDERS

With Mapi Leon making herself unavailable for the World Cup squad, Irene Paredes and Ivana Andres are set to be the centre-backs for Spain. Paredes has plenty of experience in her role and Andres is set to be a capable replacement for Leon in the squad.

Ona Batlle, another of the 15 players who have returned, and Olga Carmona are capable full-backs and will be expected to feature in the starting line-up. The back-up options are talented and it will be interesting who makes a claim in the back-four.

Name Club

Ivana AndresReal MadridOna BatlleBarcelonaOlga CarmonaReal MadridLaia CodinaBarcelonaRocio GalvezReal MadridOihane HernandezAthletic ClubIrene ParedesBarcelonaGetty ImagesMIDFIELDERS

With over 100 caps and incredible talent at her disposal, Alexia Putellas is the star of the Spain squad. Putellas was sidelined for 10 months due to an injury and will hope to make a grand return he on the international stage. She has played seven matches and scored a goal for Barcelona since coming back in April.

Aitana Bonmati and one of Teresa Abelleira or Claudia Zornoza will look to join Putellas in the midfield and the trio should be able to create chances for their forwards on the biggest stage.

This is also where the majority of the cut down has taken place from the preliminary squad, with only six of the initially named 10 making the cut with Irene Guerrero and Maria Perez completing the list of midfielders.

Name Club

Teresa AbelleiraReal MadridAitana BonmatiBarcelonaIrene GuerreroAtletico MadridMaria PerezBarcelonaAlexia PutellasBarcelonaClaudia ZornozaReal MadridENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Crédito: GettyFORWARDS

Spain's Jennifer Hermoso is part of the squad and will be an important player in the starting lineup at the World Cup fixtures. Having made 97 appearances for Spain, only behind Alexia Putellas, she is the team's all-time top-scorer and is two goals short of hitting the 50-goal mark.

Spain have a talented pool to choose from, with both Alba Redondo and Esther Gonzalez set to compete for a spot in the final third alongside the likes of Hermoso. Redondo is the league's top scorer with 27 goals whereas Gonzalez impressed in the qualifiers with 10 goals from six matches.

Name Club

Mariona CaldenteyBarcelonaAthenea del CastilloReal MadridEsther GonzalezReal MadridJennifer HermosoPachucaAlba RedondoLevanteEva NavarroAtletico MadridSalma ParallueloBarcelona

Cost the team? England star Mary Earps still vital to Lionesses and one of the world's best despite recent errors and tearful Wembley apology

The 'keeper was distraught after conceding against the Netherlands, but Sarina Wiegman was right to dismiss the comments from her No.1

At Wembley on Friday night, there was a stark contrast between the reactions to the full-time whistle in the stands and on the pitch. While England fans celebrated after a 3-2 comeback win against the Netherlands, the Lionesses were downbeat, knowing that the one-goal margin hadn’t aided them much in their quest to top their Women’s Nations League group. But there was another level of emotion on the face of star goalkeeper Mary Earps.

Had England won by a two-goal margin, it would’ve made their chances of reaching the next stage of this competition a little bit more straight-forward. That thought was clearly on the mind of their shot-stopper as she broke down in tears on the Wembley turf, despite attempts to console her from Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman and former Manchester United team-mate Alessia Russo.

"I'm just sorry that my performance has cost the team tonight,” Earps told , expressing huge disappointment at her inability to keep out the Netherlands’ second goal of the night. “That will haunt me for a long time. I've really let the team down today. I'm really gutted, really, really gutted. It could've been a really special night at Wembley. The team were unbelievable. The girls were phenomenal. I'm a competitor and when it isn't good enough, it isn't good enough. I can only apologise to my team-mates."

Wiegman was having none of it, completely dismissing the idea that Earps was at fault for the result in her post-match press conference. After all, there are plenty of reasons why England find themselves needing to win by a significant margin in Tuesday’s clash with Scotland in order to reach the next round of the Nations League, thus keeping Great Britain’s chances of having a team in the women’s football tournament at next summer’s Olympics alive. There was plenty more that happened in the 90 minutes at Wembley that meant it finished 3-2, too.

And, moreover, Earps has saved this England team plenty of times before and will do again and again. She might not have been faultless in recent months but she is still, by far, one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

GettyNear-perfect

For around two years, it felt like Earps was near-perfect. When Wiegman took over as England boss in September 2021, she brought the Manchester United star back into the Lionesses’ squad for the first time since late 2019 and made her No.1.

Immediately, it was evident that she took a lot of confidence from the belief bestowed in her by the Dutchwoman. Throughout the 2021-22 season, into the European Championships in England that summer, then across the 2022-23 season and into this year’s Women’s World Cup, Earps was absolutely outstanding.

In the early parts of her career, it was clear that she had talent, with her catching the eye especially in spells with Bristol and Reading, so much so that she was signed by two-time European champions Wolfsburg in the summer of 2018.

However, it has been the impressive ironing out of errors that has helped take her game to the next level. That combined with her ability to make truly outstanding saves, the improvements in her distribution and the way she commands her area allowed her to play key roles in England’s Euros success in 2022, United’s unlikely title challenge last season and the Lionesses’ run to the World Cup final earlier this year.

Unsurprisingly, it’s all resulted in individual recognition, most notably the Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper award, the Women's World Cup's Golden Glove and the accolade of being England's Women's Player of the Year. She is the hot favourite to win the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year later this month, too.

AdvertisementGettyOnly human

But the fact remains that Earps is human, and the last few months have been a reminder of that. Having performed at the highest of levels almost solidly for around two years, the England star has struggled for consistency since the World Cup ended in August, for club and country.

In the Lionesses’ September international break, she was fantastic. In United’s Champions League qualifier with Paris Saint-Germain, her decisions were questionable. In England’s first game against Belgium in October, she shone. In the rematch, she faltered. In the Manchester Derby, she was in the headlines for the wrong reasons. In United's next outing, she made a crucial save in a narrow win.

But every player goes through ups and downs, and this is probably the first time in two years that Earps has neared a tricky spell of form, one that has still been peppered with some outstanding saves and performances despite a few errors.

Getty ImagesStruggles

Why have mistakes started to creep in now, then? Well, Earps spoke candidly in September about how difficult it was for her to be “heavily scrutinised” in the wake of transfer links to Arsenal. It would hardly be a surprise if that affected her in the early stages of the season.

“It's been tough to be honest,” she told . “It's been a tough few weeks for me personally. I have tried to keep my head down and get on with things, but it's been hard to see how I've been portrayed at times, having your body language and your facial expressions heavily scrutinised. I care deeply about Manchester United as a club and all I have ever tried to do is give my absolute best.”

There’s also the fact that she has set incredibly high standards for herself, so a few errors and a bit of inconsistency in this spell stands out even more when compared to the outstanding heights she has hit over the last two years.

Among it all, that Earps is England’s only capped goalkeeper currently playing regular football – with both Hannah Hampton and Ellie Roebuck yet to see a minute of action for club or country this season, while Sandy MacIver has switched allegations to Scotland – doesn’t look all that good. While the quality of training sessions with the Lionesses will be sky high, being kept on your toes never does anyone any harm.

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GettyUnder the microscope

Team performances should be taken into account, too. The Lionesses, for starters, haven’t been at their best since the World Cup – nor, really, during it, despite a run to the final. There are a lot of reasons for that.

United, meanwhile, haven’t come out of the blocks at the start of this new season quite like they did last year, with a lot of summer changes contributing to the fact that they are already seven points off the pace at the top of the WSL.

All of it means that any errors, from anyone, come under the microscope a little bit more, as they’re suddenly more likely to be decisive in games because neither team is performing as convincingly as before.

“We'll always owe to Mary, right? Because she's a goalkeeper that is world-class and she'll make saves, but also, that's her job and she does it very, very well,” United boss Marc Skinner said earlier this season. “We'll always look to that, but I also look to her to do that because she's this level of goalkeeper. I suppose she doesn’t get as much credit as maybe she deserves for that because we expect it, because she's that level.”

In the same press conference, Skinner stated plainly that “even as good as Mary is, she can't stop everything.” Earps is excellent at what she does, but a team can’t always rely on her to do it. As Wiegman said after her goalkeeper’s distraught interview at Wembley on Friday, you win as a team and you lose as a team. Everyone makes errors along the way, but perhaps those from a goalkeeper come under the microscope a lot more.

Hazard leads Premier League Team of the Week after helping Chelsea to Champions League

The Belgium international may not have found the net, but he was nevertheless pivotal in the victory that sealed a top-four spot for the Blues

Getty1Eden Hazard | ChelseaThe Belgian provided the assist for two of Chelsea's three goals in their win against Watford, which clinched a spot in next year's Champions League. AdvertisementGetty Images2Marko Arnautovic | West HamArnautovic netted a brace from two shots on target against Southampton.Getty3Ryan Fraser | BournemouthFraser created nine chances against Spurs, more than twice as many as any of his Bournemouth team-mates.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty4Morgan Schneiderlin | EvertonSchneiderlin made eight tackles and nine recoveries of possession against Burnley; both the most of any Everton player.

Liverpool dealt major injury blow! Jurgen Klopp provides worrying Joel Matip update after defender forced off during Fulham victory

Jurgen Klopp confirmed bad news for Liverpool that defender Joel Matip will be out for a long period of time after sustaining a knee injury.

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Matip went off injured in Fulham gameReds defender still to be fully assessedExpected to be out of action for long timeWHAT HAPPENED?

The centre-back was taken off in the second half of his side's 4-3 win against Fulham with an apparent injury. Klopp said after the game that the injury looked a bad one and confirmed again on Tuesday that the defender's condition does not have a positive outlook.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT KLOPP SAID

Klopp told reporters: "I don’t know exactly [how long he will be out] but it doesn’t look good, that’s something we can say. The scan is not done yet so we don't know exactly but it is not great. From the first minute it was clear. I spoke to him and said: 'Ah no, that is not good'. But how long [he will be injured for], we don't know."

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The loss of Matip comes as a big blow to the Reds, who are already without the likes of Alisson, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Andy Robertson. Alisson and Jota are closer to returning to action, Klopp said, adding: "Diogo was running yesterday (Monday) outside, on his birthday and everything is going in the right direction but no-one told me he will be back in team training. It will be some time. Obviously Alisson is closer but not for tomorrow, definitely."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Klopp called on Ibrahima Konate to take Matip's place against Fulham on Sunday and it could be the Frenchman who gets the nod to start when they take on Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday. For now, though, it will be speculative in the buildup to the contest.

Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Ex-Barcelona & Portugal star Deco delivers diplomatic ‘ideal world’ answer in GOAT debate

Former Barcelona and Portugal star Deco has delivered a diplomatic answer when asked to pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Deco played alongside both legendsReluctant to pick between themWould like to see icons in the same teamWHAT HAPPENED?

The ex-Blaugrana star forms part of an exclusive club when it comes to two of the greatest players to have ever played the game. Deco has worked alongside both, at domestic and international level, so is well placed to pass judgement on who can be considered the best.

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Deco, who is now sporting director at Barca, is reluctant to be dragged into that long-running debate as there are obvious cases to be argued for either side. He would prefer to see people enjoy the Argentine and Portuguese legends for what they are – iconic showmen that have thrilled audiences across the globe.

WHAT DECO SAID ABOUT MESSI & RONALDO

Deco told when asked for his input in the Messi versus Ronaldo argument: “Come on! They’re two different players. Cristiano was a pure winger in those early days – he used to get the ball and only think about dribbling past his opponents. He grew a lot as a player, becoming the competitive beast we’ve seen for so long. He has always been keen to develop in every way possible. Messi has always been a natural talent. He has adapted his game over time, but his way of moving has always been the same, so it’s hard to choose between one and the other. The ideal world would be to have both in my team – with them, you just pass them the ball and the rest is done!”

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & RONALDO?

It appears unlikely that Messi and Ronaldo will ever grace the same side – certainly in competitive action – as they are approaching the end of remarkable playing careers. Messi is now in the United States with MLS side Inter Miami, while Ronaldo is showing no sign of slowing down in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr at 39 years of age.

Revealed Morocco XI: Boufal starts against Egypt in Afcon quarter-final

The Atlas Lions and the Pharaohs face off to decide the winner for a place in the last four

Sofiane Boufal is among Morocco's starters against Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Sunday.

Backpagepix.Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou

The 30-year-old custodian will be looking for a third clean sheet after featuring in all of Morocco's games up to this point.

AdvertisementBackpagepix.Left-back: Adam Masina

Masina, who carries one yellow card so far, has featured in each game for the Atlas Lions and continues to keep his position in the first team.

Backpagepix.Centre-back: Nayef Aguerd

The FUS Rabat star has been deployed at the heart of the defence and will be tasked with keeping Mohamed Salah and his teammates at bay.

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Backpagepix.Centre-back: Romain Saiss

Together with Aguerd, Saiss will have the huge task of putting the Egyptian attackers under check in a potentially explosive game.

Where’s Hulk? Heartbreaking pet dog decision Lionel Messi & Antonela Roccuzzo had to make when moving to Inter Miami

Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo are enjoying life in the United States, but pet dog Hulk has not joined them at Inter Miami.

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Argentine superstar now in the United StatesEmbracing a new challenge in AmericaFamily pet being looked after in BarcelonaWHAT HAPPENED?

The Messi clan welcomed a new addition to their family back in 2016 when acquiring a Bordeaux Mastiff puppy. The giant breed – which can grow up to 27 inches tall and weigh 110 pounds – are larger than life characters in their own right, with Messi saying of Hulk when introducing him to the world: “New member of my family. Thanks, love, for this beautiful gift.”

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Messi and Roccuzzo have been unable to take Hulk with them to Florida, with Migue Granados revealing on of the response that he got when asking the Argentine icon where his canine companion is: “I asked him where that bull was and he told me, ‘He's in Barcelona, Hulk is there. He is a little old. So, we had to leave him in the house we have there in Barcelona’.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Messi is said to have told Granados that Hulk is “on the verge” of having to be put to sleep – with Bordeaux Mastiff’s only having a life expectancy of between five and eight years. The adorable dog is currently being looked after by staff at Messi’s luxurious home in Castelldefels – a Barcelona suburb some 12 miles away from Camp Nou.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Messi and his family – with sons Thiago. Mateo and Ciro alongside him in Miami – would understandably like to visit Hulk more often, having been able to reach Catalunya easily when based in France at Paris Saint-Germain, but they are now over 4,600 miles away on the American east coast.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema & the football stars who moved to the Saudi Pro League

A list of every famous footballer to have graced the Saudi Pro League over the years.

The Saudi Pro League has taken the football world by storm with their transfer activity since 2023, attracting some of the biggest names in the sport and propping themselves up as potential rivals for Europe in being the main destination for talented players.

It all started when former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo completed a shock move to Al Nassr in January of 2023, and suddenly millions shifted their eyes to the Saudi Pro League.

The Saudi Pro League clubs haven't stopped since signing the Portuguese legend and continue to surprise the world with the signings of the likes of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, etc. However, before these players, Saudi Arabia was still attracting legends of the sport.

Here GOAL takes you through every famous player to have played in the Saudi Pro League.

GettyCristiano Ronaldo | Al Nassr | 2023-present

The transfer which in all likelihood put Saudi Pro League on world football's map. Some are still shocked that Ronaldo left Europe to join Al Nassr after being released by Manchester United following a dispute with the club's administration.

It did not take Ronaldo too long to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia, with the former Manchester United winger having scored 14 goals in 16 appearances, nearly winning Al Nassr the title despite only playing half a season with them.

Advertisement@Alhilal_FCNeymar | Al Hilal | 2023-present

Neymar joined Al-Hilal after six seasons at Paris Saint-Germain. The divisive winger managed to feature in just one Champions League final after leaving Barcelona in 2017. In his 173 appearances, the 32-year-old scored 118 times and formed a deadly duo with French superstar Kylian Mbappe.

He was one third of the legendary Barcelona attacking trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, helping the Blaugrana win a second treble in 2015/16 season.

The former Barcelona man broke the transfer record when he joined PSG in 2017 and has joined Al-Hilal on a lucrative deal for two years.

GettyKarim Benzema | Al Ittihad | 2023-present

Much like his former teammate Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr, ex-Real Madrid forward Benzema's move to Al Ittihad in the summer of 2023 took many by surprise.

Most spectators and experts had expected Real Madrid's all-time 2nd highest top scorer to remain with Los Blancos for another year, however, Benzema decided not to renew his contract beyond 2023 after being convinced by Al Ittihad about their project.

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Getty ImagesAleksandar Mitrovic | Al-Hilal | 2023-present

Serbia's all-time top goalscorer, Aleksandar Mitrovic, is on his way to join the likes of Neymar, Ruben Neves and fellow countryman, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic at Al-Hilal. The 28-year-old holds the record for most goals scored in an English league season with his 43 goals in 46 appearances during the 2021-22 season with Fulham.

The former Newcastle United striker helped Serbia win the U19 European Championship in 2013 and won the golden player award for his performances. He has won the golden boot twice with Fulham in the Championship.

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