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The French midfield maestro played his last game for Real Madrid in May 2006…

One of the greatest footballers to have ever graced the game, Zinedine Zidane played his last match in club football on May 7, 2006, for Real Madrid against Villarreal in a La Liga clash.

The match ended in a 3-3 draw with Julio Baptista scoring a brace and Zidane scoring once for the Los Merengues. Madrid finished second on the points table in that season, 12 points behind arch-rivals and champions FC Barcelona.

The French legend finished as the second-highest goalscorer for Real Madrid in that season with nine goals in 28 matches behind Brazilian Ronaldo who scored 14 goals.

Here, we take a look at the teammates who played alongside Zidane in his final match in club football and where are they now?

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  1Iker Casillas – GK

  The second most-capped Real Madrid player (725) after Raul Gonzalez and former club captain, Iker Casillas left the Spanish giants in 2016 and joined FC Porto. He is one of the greatest and most decorated footballers of all time in Real Madrid's history. 

  The World Cup-winning Spanish captain retired from professional football in August 2020 and returned to Real Madrid in December as a deputy to the general director of the Real Madrid Foundation.

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  2Michel Salgado – RB

  Salgado joined Real Madrid in 1999 and played for 10 years at the club. He later moved to Blackburn Rovers where he ended his professional career in 2012. 

  In 2016, Salgado came out of retirement to play in India's Premier Futsal Tournament. He represented Kerala-based franchise Kochi 5s as their marquee player.

  Salgado served as an assistant coach in the Egyptian national team from 2018 to 2019 under head coach Javier Aguirre. In 2019, he joined the Galicia national team as their head coach alongside former Spanish international Francisco Gonzalez.

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  3Sergio Ramos – CB

  Sergio Ramos served Real Madrid for 15 years since 2005 and left the club at the end of the 2020/21 season. After Iker Casillas' departure from the club, Ramos became the club captain in 2015. He is the club's fourth most-capped player of all time with 671 appearances under his belt.

  After ending his association with the La Liga giants, Ramos moved to PSG in 2021.

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  4Alvaro Mejia – CB

  A Real Madrid youth product, Alvaro Meija made his senior professional debut for the club in 2003 and spent four seasons at the club. After leaving the La Liga giants, he played for Murcia, Almeria and Qatar Super League side Al-Shahaniya. He played in Qatar for six seasons from 2014-2020. In the 2019-20 season, Al-Shahaniya got relegated from the top division after which he left the club.

Iconic forwards at Manchester United and Liverpool have claimed a prestigious prize down the years, but who else has topped the goalscoring charts?

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  1992-93 | Teddy Sheringham (22 goals)

  During the inaugural Premier League season, Teddy Sheringham scored the first goal ever to be shown on Sky Sports for Nottingham Forest against Liverpool.

  Sheringham then joined Tottenham a week later before going on to win the Premier League’s first Golden Boot by scoring 22 goals.

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  1993-94 | Andy Cole (34 goals)

  Andy Cole’s debut season in the Premier League with Newcastle left him with a record tally of 34 goals in 40 games.

  That record still stands today, although that did come in a 42-game season and, now it is a 38-match Premier League campaign, it is a total which could stand for a long time.

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  1994-95 | Alan Shearer (34 goals)

  The all-time Premier League top scorer secured his first Golden Boot award in the 1994/95 season when he also won his only Premier League winner's medal with Blackburn.

  Shearer matched Cole's tally of 34 goals from the previous season, although he did make two more appearances than his former England team-mate.

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  1995-96 | Alan Shearer (31 goals)

  The first back-to-back Golden Boot winner, Shearer served up another 31 goals in 1995-96 to the benchmark for a 38-game season.

  That tally was matched twice before being broken by Mohamed Salah in the 2017-18 season as the Egyptian scored 32 goals for Liverpool.

The Real Madrid striker claimed his first Golden Ball in Paris on Monday after a remarkable 2021-22 season for both club and country.

And there you have it – Karim Benzema, Ballon d'Or 2022 winner.If that has come as a shock to you, then where have you been the past 12 months?

Benzema's prize is thoroughly well deserved after a 2021-22 season that saw him cement his status as one of the best centre-forwards of his generation, and a Real Madrid icon.

He won three trophies over the course of the campaign, including a La Liga-Champions League double, while he was also instrumental in France winning the UEFA Nations League.

A leader through both his weight of personality and his on-field performances, Benzema was, in the end, the run-away winner in the Ballon d'Or vote.

But how did he do it? GOAL tells the story of one of the best individual seasons of the past few years…

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  August

  With uncertainty surrounding the Santiago Bernabeu following the slightly surprising summer appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as manager, Madrid needed to get off to a good start, and Benzema helped ensure they did just that.

  He scored twice, including the Blancos' first goal of the campaign, in their season-opening 4-1 win away at Alaves, though they did drop points the following week against Levante.

  Benzema provided two assists in that 3-3 draw, and backed that up by crossing for Dani Carvajal to score the only goal of the game against Real Betis to round out the month.

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  September

  After beginning the month with three goalless games for France, Benzema returned to Madrid having gone five matches without finding the net for club and country.

  He soon put that right, though, netting a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Celta Vigo to kickstart a month that saw him score seven times in six September matches.

  That included a double against Mallorca that helped bring up his 200th league strike for Madrid, while he also provided a clutch of assists that put him on a record-breaking pace in La Liga.

  No player had ever previously had 15 direct goal involvements in the first six games of a Spanish top-flight season, but Benzema was only just getting started.

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  October

  October proved to be a quieter month in front of goal for Benzema in Madrid colours, as he netted just twice in four outings, but it was the month that provided him with his first piece of silverware of the season.

  The striker netted in both the semi-finals and final of the Nations League, against Belgium and Spain respectively, as France came from behind both times to lift the trophy in Italy.

  His partnership with Kylian Mbappe was clearly blossoming at international level, and that left Madrid fans dreaming of what the pair could produce together if paired together in the Spanish capital.

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  November

  To underline just how ridiculous Benzema's 2021-22 season was, November felt like one of his quieter months, and yet he still managed to score eight goals in seven games for club and country.

  That included both goals in a 2-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk and strikes in narrow league victories over Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla at either end of the month.

  He ended November by narrowly missing out on a podium finish in the 2021 Ballon d'Or race, ranking fourth behind Jorginho, Robert Lewandowski and six-time winner Lionel Messi.

Star midfielder Pedri capped a dominant display with the only goal of the game as the Liga leaders extended their advantage over Real Madrid.

Pedri was the star of the show as Barcelona beat Getafe 1-0 to move six points clear at the top of La Liga, for the time being at least.

The visitors proved as physical as expected, treating both Pedri and Gavi to a series of kicks and trips for the majority of the game.

The Blaugrana had few chances, as a result, but took their one gaping opportunity 35 minutes in, when Pedri converted a cross from Raphinha.

Barca also needed some help from Marc Andre ter Stegen, who made two crucial stops to keep Getafe out.

But there could have perhaps been an extra goal or two for Barca, had Franck Kessie and later Ansu Fati showed more composure inside the box.

Still, it was a mostly steady showing, with Pedri and Gavi ensuring that the Blaugrana maintained pole position in the title race…

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  The Winners

  Pedri:

  The young Spaniard gets better to watch with each passing game, and is becoming an increasingly versatile midfielder. Last week, as Barca won the Spanish Super Cup, he was a pure attacking midfielder, getting into advanced positions with a defensive duo behind him. This time out, he was a box-to-box no.8, winning tackles, breaking up play and holding everything together. In a contest that required composure, Pedri was the epitome of cool. It helped, of course, that the 20-year-old also grabbed the winner, meeting Raphinha's cross with a well-timed slide. But his impact here was bigger than the scoreline suggests.

  Sergi Roberto:

  Roberto is an odd fit in this Barca squad. At 30, he's a few years ahead of the young core steadily developing in front of him. He's also not as quick or agile as the kind of advanced full-back Xavi prefers. But he's experienced, reads the game with aplomb, and can always be counted on to put in a shift. With Ronald Araujo rested, and Jules Kounde shifted to centre-back, Roberto filled in at right-back wonderfully. There were one or two scary moments, highlighted by a misjudgment on a Getafe counter-attack that almost saw a goal go in. But it was otherwise a solid 77 minute showing, which is exactly what Barca needed from their veteran.

  Sergio Busquets:

  Seven hundred appearances and counting. Not bad. The captain has now been a first-team regular for over 10 years and he was as reliable as ever on his milestone appearance for the Blaugrana. Busquets touched the ball more than any Barca midfielder, completed 92 per cent of his passes, and made seven recoveries. He seldom dominates games and certainly doesn't have the legs he used to, but in scrappy, testy contests like these, the ageing Spanish midfielder is a real difference-maker. Busquets might not have too many more showings in a Barca kit; a summer exit seems likely. This game, then, was a reminder of what Barca might miss.

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  The Losers

  Jordi Alba:

  Is the left-back slowly being phased out? It certainly seems like it. Alba ceded his starting spot to Alejandro Balde for the second time in three games, and simply wasn't on the same level as his positional rival when he was brought on in the second half. This was by no means a terrible showing from Alba. He was steady in possession, eager to get forward, and lashed one shot on goal. But his athleticism is waning, while Balde looks to be rounding into a more complete full-back. There's something a bit sad about watching a club legend see his playing time reduced, but Alba's days as a guaranteed starter appear numbered.

  Real Madrid:

  There are relatively few home fixtures in which Barca might drop points, but this is usually one of them. Getafe are very difficult to beat. Furthermore, with Robert Lewandowski still suspended and the visitors set up with their usual defensive grit, this was undoubtedly a potential banana skin for the Blaugrana. But they found a way to win, which is a blow for Real Madrid, who will likely have hoped Getafe could have done them a favour ahead of their evening encounter with Athletic Club, particularly with a trip to the Club World Cup round the corner.

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  Barcelona Ratings: Defence

  Marc Andre ter Stegen (7/10):

  Made one crucial save to hold on to a 1-0 lead late in the first half. Did it again in the second, and exercised some clever gamesmanship late on.

  Sergi Roberto (7/10):

  Has made it clear that he wants a new deal, but will likely be a squad player going forward. Still, did well enough here to suggest he can fill in whenever needed.

  Jules Kounde (7/10):

  Impressive in the air, reliable on the ball, and opened up his stride to make a few recovering tackles. One of the best in Europe when he's on it.

  Andreas Christensen (6/10):

  Not the most assured showing, and left Barca vulnerable on the counter once or twice. Removed after 45 minutes with a hamstring issue.

  Alejandro Balde (7/10):

  Preferred to Jordi Alba, a selection choice that may well become common as the season goes on. Relentlessly bombed down the left. Taken off at half-time after a good shift.

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  Midfield

  Gavi (7/10):

  Did all the dirty work in midfield, flying into tackles and causing a sort of controlled chaos. Was solid on the ball, too, and had some lovely moments of link-up play with the front three.

  Sergio Busquets (7/10):

  Celebrated his 700th Barca appearance with a satisfying win. Solid as ever.

  Pedri (8/10):

  Scored the winner, controlled the game, and kept his head despite getting kicked all over the place. The best player on the pitch.

Everything you need to know about multi-talented Portuguese Joao Felix!

Joao Felix Sequeira, commonly known as Joao Felix, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Chelsea (on-loan from Atletico Madrid) and the Portugal national team.

He was born on November 10, 1999, in Viseu, Portugal, and began his professional career with Benfica in 2018.

Felix began his football career at the age of eight, playing for Os Pestinhas, a local team in Viseu. He was soon spotted by scouts from FC Porto and played in their academy for some time, but he ultimately joined the youth academy of Benfica in 2015.

After impressing in the youth teams, Felix made his senior debut for Benfica in August 2018, coming on as a substitute in a league match against Boavista. In his first season at Benfica, he scored 20 goals in all competitions and helped his team win the Primeira Liga title.

His performances earned him the Golden Boy award, and the Liga NOS Breakthrough Player of the Year.

In the summer of 2019, Felix was signed by Atletico Madrid for a transfer fee of €126 million, making him the fourth-most expensive footballer in history. He has since become a key player for the club, helping them win the La Liga title in the 2020-21 season, and winning their player of the season award the next year.

However, in 2022-23, Felix was unable to replicate his performances from the previous campaign and in January joined Chelsea on loan for the rest of the season. His debut did not go according to plan with the forward being sent off after 58 minutes. But he has risen back from his debut nightmare and contributed to Chelsea's defeat of Borussia Dortmund in the Uefa Champions League Round of 16.

Felix has represented Portugal at various youth levels and made his senior debut in June 2019 in the Nations League semi-final against Switzerland. Portugal would go on to win the tournament thus giving Felix his first International trophy. He would later represent them in both the 2020 Euros as well as the 2022 World Cup.

Felix is known for his technical skills, vision, and ability to score goals from distance. He is also an excellent dribbler and has the ability to create chances for his teammates. Despite his young age, he has already established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in world football.

Here are 13 fun facts about Joao Felix you need to know…!

• Runs in the family

  While Felix's both parents are teachers, he isn't the sole football talent in his family. The Chelsea forward's brother Hugo Felix is also a footballer, who like his sibling rose through the ranks of Benfica's prestigious academy.

  While he hasn't yet made his debut for the senior side, Hugo is regarded as one of the most promising players at Benfica at the young age of 19, very similar to his older brother.

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• Early beginnings at Porto

  It will come as a surprise to some, but Felix's entire youth career wasn't focused in the academy of Benfica. In reality, during the dormant stage of his career, the Portuguese forward had joined the youth academy of rivals Porto at the very young age of eight.

  It was only at the age of 15 that he joined Benfica and rapidly rose to the limelight as one of the best prospects in world football.

• Almost quit football

  The Chelsea forward had a tough time during his stay at Porto. At first, it was difficult for him to travel daily up and down from his home to the training ground. As a result, Felix had to move out of his family's house at the young age of 12.

  Despite moving closer to Porto's academy, things didn't get any easier. he was barely getting any play time and had lost confidence in himself. If it weren't for his father's encouragement, we may never have seen the great talent he possesses.

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  The perfect moment

  Felix's first goal was a dream come true for any young athlete making his way through the ranks of Benfica's academy. On 25 August 2018, a week after his senior debut, the young attacker would give his side the lead against Sporting CP in the Lisbon derby.

  In doing so, he also became the youngest scorer in the fixture's history at the age of 18.

Here's where you can watch Colorado Rapids vs St Louis City in MLS on TV or stream live.

Having played their previous two games away from home, the Colorado Rapids will take on St Louis City on Saturday at DSG Park in Commerce City.

The Rapids have gone unbeaten in their previous four domestic matches after salvaging a 2-2 draw against Charlotte FC in their most recent match, while St. Louis handed FC Cincinnati their first loss of the MLS season by convincingly defeating them 5-1, to snap a two-match losing streak.

▶ Watch every MLS match, including the playoffs, here

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Charlotte goalkeeper George Marks can be thanked for Rapids' most recent draw since he mishandled a through-ball in injury time and allowed the Burgundy Boys to equalize, extending Colorado's unbeaten streak to match that of the 2022 season.

The new kids on the block, St Louis City, made a huge statement last weekend by climbing back into first place overall, one point ahead of the defending champions Los Angeles FC, after suffering back-to-back losses before that.

Despite the lack of MLS experience in this group going into their inaugural season, St Louis City has benefited from errors while displaying plenty of cohesion and poise.

The stats for St. Louis this season speak for themselves. This squad has proven they are a legitimate threat by scoring 20 goals, earning 18 points, winning six games, and having a plus +11 goal difference.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch the game on TV and stream live online.

• Colorado Rapids vs St Louis City date & kick-off time

  Game:	Colorado Rapids vs St Louis City
  Date:	April 22, 2023
  Kick-off time:	9:30 pm ET
  Venue:	DSG Park

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• Where to watch Colorado Rapids vs St Louis City on TV & live stream online

  Fans in the United States & across the world can watch MLS with Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	N/A	Apple TV

  • Check out GOAL's soccer on U.S. TV guide

• Team news & squads

  Colorado Rapids team news and squad

  Dantouma Toure, Aboubacar Keita, Moise Bombito and Jack Price will miss the game with long-term injuries. Andreas Maxso and Braian Galvan are doubtful for the game alongside Cole Bassett who left the last game with tightness in his hamstring.

  Colorado Rapids possible XI: Yarbrough; Wilson, Abubakar, Maxso; Rosenberry, Acosta, Ronan, Nicholson; Barrios, Cabral, Max

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Yarbrough, Ilic, Rodriguez
  Defenders	Rosenberry, Wilson, Gersbach, Vallecilla, Anderson, Markanich, Edwards
  Midfielders	Alves, Ronan, Acosta, Bassett, Galvan, Priso-Mbongue
  Forwards	Lewis, Rubio, Barrios, Nicholson, Toure, Yapi, Cabral.

  St Louis City team news and squad

  St. Louis City will have Joakim Nilsson and Njabulo Blom unavailable for selection. Rasmus Alm returns to contention.

  St Louis City possible XI: Burki; Nerwinski, Parker, Hiebert, Nelson; Stroud, Vassilev, Lowen, Ostrak; Klauss, Gioacchini

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Burki, Lundt
  Defenders	Parker, Pidro, Nervenski, Nelson, Watts, Yaro, Hiebert, Alm
  Midfielders	Vassilev, Lowen, Ostrak, Stroud, Perez, Martins, Sneijder, O'Malley, Pompeu
  Forwards	Klauss, Gioacchini, Adeniran, Jackson

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Here's where you can watch Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami in MLS on TV or live stream.

Columbus Crew and Inter Miami square off at Lower.com Field on Saturday evening after both teams clinched hard-fought domestic cup victories in midweek.

The hosts are seeking to return to winning ways in MLS, while the visitors hope to avoid a sixth consecutive league setback.

▶ Watch every MLS match, including the playoffs, here

With a 1-0 victory over Indy Eleven on Wednesday, Columbus Crew advanced to the round of 32 of the US Open Cup.

The lower league opponents appeared to be dragging Wilfried Nancy's team into extra time until Mohamed Farsi broke the tie with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

Prior to that, the Black and Gold were defeated 1-0 by Charlotte FC, dropping them to fifth position in the Eastern Conference.

Inter Miami defeated local rivals Miami FC on penalties in Thursday's US Open Cup match at the Riccardo Silva Stadium.

This followed the Herons' 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo, who currently lie bottom, albeit with a game in hand on the three sides just above them.

Following their first away victory in seven attempts last time out, the visitors will look for consecutive wins against enemy territory for the first time since October.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch the game on TV and how to stream it online.

• Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami date & kick-off time

  Game:	Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami
  Date:	April 29, 2023
  Kick-off time:	7:30 pm ET / 12:30 am BST (Apr 30)
  Venue:	Lower.com Field

  Columbus Crew and Inter Miami face off at the Lower.com Field on the 29th of April. The kickoff for the game is set for 7:30 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 12:30 am BST (Apr 30).

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• Where to watch Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami on TV & how to stream it

  Fans in the United States and across the world can watch the MLS with Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	N/A	Apple TV
  UK	N/A	Apple TV
  India	N/A	Apple TV

  • Check out GOAL's football on UK TV guide
  • Check out GOAL's soccer on U.S. TV guide

• Team news & squads

  Columbus Crew team news and squad

  The injury concerns revolve around Kevin Molino, Eloy Room, Luis Diaz and Josh Williams who will miss the clash.

  Columbus Crew possible XI: Schulte; Vallecilla, Degenek, Moreira; Sands, Zawadzki, Morris, Farsi; Zelarayan, Matan; Ramirez

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Schulte, Bush
  Defenders	Moreira, Quinton, Farsi, Yeboah, Hughes, Zawadzki
  Midfielders	Nagbe, Morris, J. Morris, Medranda, Parente
  Forwards	Matan, Hernandez, Arfsten, Russell-Rowe

  Inter Miami team news and squad

  Inter Miami will be without Robbie Robinson and Leonardo Campana due to calf strains, Edison Azcona with a sore hamstring, and Ian Fray and Noah Allen because of knee injuries.

  Inter Miami possible XI: Callender; Neville, Miller, Sailor, McVey; Mota, Arroyo; Stefanelli, Cremaschi, Taylor; Borgelin

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Callender, Marsman
  Defenders	Negri, McVey, Yedlin, Kryvtsov, Sailor
  Midfielders	Mota, Gregore, Pizarro, Ulloa, Jean, Duke, Cremaschi, Neville, Duke
  Forwards	Martinez, Lassiter

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The midfielder looked destined to make it at Old Trafford, but a lack of first-team games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led to him forging his own path

England's run to the semi-finals of the Under-21 European Championship has been led by many familiar Premier League faces, with Emile Smith-Rowe, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Gibbs-White and Jacob Ramsey grabbing the headlines.

But there has been an equally pivotal contribution from a player who caused a real stir in youth football, yet three years ago decided to leave the country to earn the opportunities that he was lacking but knew he deserved.

Angel Gomes was a thrilling attacking midfielder as a teenager for Manchester United's age-group sides, and made his first-team debut under Jose Mourinho aged 16. But scant opportunities under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led to him look abroad to prove himself, and he has done that after a stellar second campaign with Lille, reinventing himself as a deep-lying playmaker in the mould of Andrea Pirlo and Xavi Hernandez.

And he is thriving in the same role now for England. He has knitted Lee Carlsey's side's play together and dictated their moves from deep, displaying remarkable calmness on the ball even when under immense pressure and an ability to switch the play with long, pinpoint passes.

Watching Gomes glide past opponents with ease while effortlessly bringing the ball out from defence and into midfield, it is difficult not to think that United failed to recognise his talents and did not nurture him as they should have. Here is a player who could have fit right into Erik ten Hag's side, taking on a similar role to Christian Eriksen but without the fitness concerns surrounding the 31-year-old, who struggles to finish matches and who faded badly in the final stretch of last season.

United spent most of last summer trying in vain to convince Frenkie de Jong to come to Old Trafford, but in Gomes they had a gem of their own who they should have been able to nurture into a top talent themselves.

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  Dribbling his way out of trouble

  Gomes started England's opening group stage games against Czech Republic and Israel, as well as the quarter-final against Portugal (he was rested for the third group match against Germany as the Young Lions had already qualified for the knockout stage) and has been sitting deepest of the four midfielders, often playing in between the centre-backs.

  Against Portugal, he received a short pass from goalkeeper James Trafford and was immediately surrounded by two forwards, but calmly shielded the ball before dribbling his way out of trouble. It was a sight to behold for United fans who watched their team panic any time they were asked to play out from the back last season, particularly in the final two months after Lisandro Martinez's injury.

  He also made his share of tackles and interceptions, but was equally comfortable in the opponents' half, offering team-mates passing outlets, taking one touch to control and then spraying a pass downfield or wide to launch an attack.

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  The journey from No.10 to No.6

  Gomes never considered being a No.6 when he was in United's youth teams, when he predominantly played in the No.10 role behind the striker. And he says he enjoys his current role more than trying to finish off attacks, despite his old team-mate and mentor Marcus Rashford recently asking him if he ever gets bored.

  Gomes told : "Marcus was asking, 'do you not find it boring though? You can’t attack.' I said that no, I don’t, but if I had your pace and attributes then I would! One hundred per cent I enjoy it more. I’ve always appreciated players behind me, the deep-lying midfield.

  "Deep down, growing up I was probably more of a No.10. I could play off the left, coming in, and I was tricky. I still have that in my game if I was to do it again. It’s still there. But I’ve also got the maturity as a No.6… I know what the guys further up want, because I’ve played there.

  ‘Me and (England U21 team-mate) James Garner actually played there in the UEFA Youth League for United. But thinking about playing there in a first team? Probably not. Due to styles of play, what coaches want and what coaches think is required to play there."

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  Not about assists and goals

  He may score fewer goals than he did as a teenager, but Gomes understands the game better now while he feels just as important, in both a Lille team that finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season and an England side hoping to win the U21 Euros for the first time in 39 years.

  "I’ve been a key player for the team, I’ve been able to play and impose myself on the majority of the games," Gomes said. "It’s difficult. Whoever watches knows how well I’ve played in games but a lot of people don’t. A lot of people go off who’s scored or assisted. If we win and I play well then that’s great for me.

  "All eyes are on the Premier League and rightly so. That’s the pinnacle, the highest level at the moment. As long as you’re doing well then there’s no reason why you can’t get to where you want to. It’s about being happy within yourself."

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  Destined to make it at United

  The fact Gomes talks about happiness is telling. Even though he is a key player in a strong team in one of Europe's top five leagues and last season swapped shirts with Lionel Messi, it must feel like a step down from United.

  Gomes was supposed to triumph at United and had all the makings of a Red Devils star. The son of journeyman Portuguese footballer Gil Gomes, former United winger Nani is the midfielder's godfather. Carlos Quieroz, Sir Alex Ferguson's trusted assistant manager, is a close family friend.

  Gomes, who was born in London but grew up in Salford, a stone's throw from Old Trafford, joined United's academy aged six. In 2017, aged 16, he won the prestigious Jimmy Murphy Player of the Year award, which has so often been the first step on the path to an exceptional career with United. Previous winners include Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville, Wes Brown and Rashford. Alejandro Garnacho, United's latest youth star, won it in 2022.

  In May 2017, Gomes became the club's youngest debutant since Duncan Edwards when Mourinho brought him off the bench against Crystal Palace for two minutes in the final Premier League game of the season. It raised his profile, but Gomes only got one more opportunity from Mourinho, another two-minute outing against Yeovil Town in the FA Cup in 2018.

  The arrival of Solskjaer as coach offered hope of more opportunities, but Gomes played a grand total of 44 Premier League minutes under the Norwegian across four matches, plus two substitutes appearances in the domestic cups.

  He did make three starts in the Europa League, but once he began to stall on a new contract, he was effectively banished from the first team. His last appearance for United was a 10-minute outing against Norwich City in January 2020, and he played no part in their FA Cup run.

Lionel Messi is targeting treble glory with Inter Miami in 2023, with the Argentine looking to “win the league” after keeping MLS Cup dreams alive.

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• Florida-based outfit already have one trophy
• Are into the final of the U.S. Open Cup
• Clinging to hope of reaching MLS play-offs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine superstar has already inspired his new club to a historic Leagues Cup crown, with the 44th trophy of his record-breaking career captured within weeks of his arrival in the United States. He has since helped to book a place in the final of the U.S. Open Cup.

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  WHAT THEY SAID

  Securing the ultimate prize in MLS will be a little trickier, as Inter Miami remain eight points off the play-off pace, but Messi has shown before that anything is possible when he is involved. He told after registering two assists in a 3-1 win over LAFC: “The group is growing more. I’ve been saying it since the beginning of all of this, we were lucky to get in a tournament and get to a final. Now, we’re going to look to hit the objective of being among the best eight to try and win the league. This is the way. We continue growing and obviously winning provides a lot of confidence.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Inter Miami are now unbeaten in 11 games across all competitions since Messi joined their ranks, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner delighted to see that run extended during a testing trip to California to face the MLS Cup holders. He added: “We had spoken about it before the game, that it would be a good test for us to see where we really are and what we’re capable of. It was a difficult place to play on against a very good rival, the current champions. We walk away with a very important result for what’s coming.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Inter Miami will be back in action next Saturday evening when playing host to Sporting Kansas City. They have nine more MLS fixtures in total, with the challenge being to collect enough points from those contests in order to secure safe passage into the post-season.

Erling Haaland has been “untouchable” for Man City but will struggle to beat “finished article” Lionel Messi to the Ballon d’Or, says Richard Dunne.

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• Norwegian striker helped to land treble
• Argentine icon savoured World Cup glory
• French superstar continues to sparkle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Norwegian striker was a revelation for City last season on the back of his £51 million ($63m) transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Haaland hit 52 goals across all competitions, helping himself to the English top-flight Golden Boot and his club to a historic Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.

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  WHAT THEY SAID

  Those efforts are considered to have Haaland battling it out with 2022 World Cup winner Messi for the title of best player on the planet, with former City captain Dunne – speaking in association with – telling GOAL when asked if the prolific 23-year-old can pip a man with seven Golden Balls to the most prestigious of individual prizes: “From a numbers point of view, he's been untouchable, he's been the difference to Man City. If you look back and think about what they were missing in terms of going on and winning the Champions League, it probably was the natural number nine. I know he didn't score in the later stages of the competition, but he just causes trouble and forces players to mark him, they might even need two of them, he creates spaces in other areas. Whatever the Ballon d’Or is judged on, I obviously think Messi is the more complete footballer, he is the finished article. Haaland has things he needs to improve on, even as good as he is. He could still be better outside the box and getting more involved in games, but if you're looking at out-and-out goal-scorers there is nobody in the world who can touch Haaland.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Whatever happens in 2023, Haaland appears destined to become a superstar of the world game. He is expected to battle it out with Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe for future Ballons d’Or, with Dunne saying of a rivalry that could emulate the one enjoyed by Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: “I hope we can get that rivalry again of two or three top players in the world. I think Haaland is on the road to becoming a superstar. Mbappe needs to settle down somewhere and find a club that suits him, the transfer rumours don't help him. I think the levels he can reach are extremely high and the speed he has is incredible, but sometimes you watch him and wonder if he's happy or interested. Is it a long-term thing at PSG or does he need to move on to another club? When we work that out, I think we might start to see the best of him.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Haaland has already netted seven times through as many appearances for City this season – adding a UEFA Super Cup winners’ medal to his collection – while Mbappe, who spent much of the summer being linked with a transfer to Real Madrid, has netted seven times through just four outings at PSG.