Cian O'Sullivan

📅 On this day, 16 years ago, the most classic Chris Kamara moment in punditry history.

@JamesMurphyTips Troy Parrott > Lewandowski

I reckon this is now the Best XI of players not going to the World Cup, now that the teams are confirmed. How far would this side get at the actual tournament?

This has been bothering me for sometime, and I feel like I need to get it off my chest. The World Cup is meant to be football’s moment to unite the world, but right now, it feels like the opposite.I am sadly old enough to remember the 1966 World Cup, when England played West Germany in the final only two decades after the end of World War II. That game, at least to me as a young lad, felt like it was helping the healing process of a conflict where millions of lives were lost… So as this summer approaches, on one side FIFA continues to push pricing models that put the tournament further out of reach for the very fans who built the game. The soul of football isn’t in corporate sponsorship packages, it’s in the stands, in the communities, in the people who live it every day. On the other, the current stance of the United States government is making that sense of welcome far less certain. When visa access becomes more difficult, when the tone towards parts of the world feels more closed than open, it sends a message, intended or not, about who this World Cup is really for. That really matters. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to attend five World Cups, and each of those were hosted by countries that made you feel welcome and invited you to enjoy the beautiful game in the most amazing manner. Mexico 1986, Italia 90, USA 94, France 98, Germany 2006…all amazing, and those countries greeted you with open arms, and were proud to welcome in the world to enjoy the game at its highest level But you can’t call it the world’s game while quietly narrowing who gets to be part of it. At a time when football could be a rare force for unity in a world that so badly needs it, we’re allowing it to become more exclusive, more controlled, and more divided. This tournament has the chance to be a bridge, like it was in 1966…Instead, it risks becoming a symbol of the very barriers the game is supposed to break down. That’s a profound missed opportunity, and I’m saddened we here in United States are struggling to replicate the welcome and open arms we showed back in 1994. I sincerely hope my fears are misplaced, and that everything will be spectacular, but I can’t help feeling we are on a path towards scoring a huge own goal…

30 - Arsenal took 30 minutes and 51 seconds to restart play against Brighton last night, their highest total in a Premier League match this season. Delayed.

He is the singer Jon Bon Jovi, this picture is not a montage, his personal fortune is $410 million, and he washes trays and dishes in his chain of restaurants ( Soul Kitchen in Newark, New Jersey ) created by him for the homeless, where they eat for free forever ! These are influencers 🌎 A true idol ❤️

Just a lad from Liverpool. #war #JohnLennon #Israel #Iran #russiaukrainewar

Incredible

A billionaire worth £17,000,000,000 who moved to Monaco to dodge £4,000,000,000 in tax is now blaming immigrants for Britain’s problems. If parasitic billionaires like Jim Ratcliffe paid what they owe — and politicians weren’t in their pockets — our NHS, schools and public services wouldn’t be on their knees. It is textbook divide and rule. The real enemy of the working class travels by private jet, not migrant dinghy.

Kelleher:

@PaulSenior1 Ha, try living here mate, shit show every day

Dublin traffic is no joke and I’m saying this as somebody who lives off the Sheikh Zayed Road 😫

🚨 Correspondence seen by Telegraph Sport shows Ryan Giggs was lined up as an inaugural Hall of Fame inductee alongside Alan Shearer before facing trial for domestic abuse. @Tom_Morgs has more ⬇️ telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/…

@donalwhelan1 @johngibbonsblog I think he's referring to the tragic events, not Diaz

@johngibbonsblog People keep saying he wanted to go, they had to let him go in the summer. Come on, just look at the love there from the fan base. A new contract on bigger money with a buy out clause next summer was the right move

Look how amazing that looks. I hope one day I can look back on this day with joy

@itvfootball Pep Lijnders long lost twin?

Paul Mullin scored five times in 26 appearances for Wigan Athletic but was omitted from each of the club's past four matchday squads. Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson confirmed the 31-year-old will return to the club this week.

INEOS kept on a manager they had no faith in, openly canvassing Europe for his successor but then armed him with £200m to spend on players he wanted, and changed the backroom staff before sacking him anyway. They axed a sporting director, whose way of working was well established, because he did not fit in with how they wanted him to work. He warned them about selecting a head coach attached to a fixed style of play, which didn’t suit the squad and how expensive it would be to build a quality 3-4-3. They didn’t listen, insisted they believed wholeheartedly in Ruben Amorim’s approach, but then wouldn’t fully back it in the transfer market and asked him to change the tactical principles that attracted them to him. Some “best in class” decision-making…

I've seen Ronaldo's list and you're first name on there Kev - Zinedine Kilbane!

Shaqiri's second-half double at the Kop end ⚽️✨ 16/12/18 🗓️

@RobGutmann Not implying that's you I hasten to add !

@RobGutmann No one takes Merse too seriously, he's the modern day Rodney Marsh, only there to rile up those who are even stupider than him...

Oh ffs. No one. Not one single LFC supporter doesn’t think Mo Salah isn’t the greatest. We all adore him. The reactions of the past few days to his conduct have zero to do with this.

@JTPHealy Ordered. Absolutely love your photos Joe. As a 50+ year old who grew up in Cork, but now exiled in Dublin, your work evokes great memories for me.

A last minute gift for anyone fascinated by Cork's unique history. This book is a journey back in time, capturing the Cork many remember with affection. It is available at Vibes & Scribes, Bookstation, Leaf & Bower, Carrigaline Bookshop and online at .. buythebook.ie/product/cork-i…

@robbohuyton Seems to a prerequisite for any top job in FIFA

What a helmet Infantino is.