The striker who replaced Nguyen Xuan Son was outstanding; MU achieved record revenue.

The striker who replaced Nguyen Xuan Son was excellent.

At Thien Truong Stadium, the fervent atmosphere energized the reigning V.League champions. Coach Vu Hong Viet fielded a team with 10 foreign players, retaining only Hoang Anh as a domestic player, demonstrating high determination against the team that finished 4th in the Thai League last season.

Right from the first half, Nam Dinh dominated the game and capitalized on their advantage in the 35th minute. Mahmoud Eid broke down the right wing and delivered an accurate cross to Caio Cesar, who unleashed a diagonal shot to beat goalkeeper Ratchaburi, opening the scoring at 1-0.

In the second half, Brenner took the lead – replacing Nguyen Xuan Son from the second half of last season's V.League. In the 52nd minute, from a throw-in, Percy Tau delivered a perfect cross for Brenner to unleash a powerful shot, doubling the lead. Just 5 minutes later, the Brazilian striker continued to demonstrate his excellent opportunism, turning and firing a diagonal shot to make it 3-0.

Ratchaburi's efforts only resulted in a consolation goal in the 60th minute, when Tana capitalized on a scramble in the Nam Dinh penalty area to score a goal. Goalkeeper Caique Santos, despite diving at full stretch, was unable to stop it.

The 3-1 victory against Ratchaburi not only gave Nam Dinh FC a favorable start in the AFC Champions League Two, but also confirmed Brenner as a worthy replacement for Nguyen Xuan Son. The Brazilian striker is proving that he can absolutely become the driving force in the attack, helping the Nam Dinh team continue to pursue their dream of reaching continental competition.

MU achieves record revenue.

On the evening of September 17th, MU announced record revenue of £665.5 million, despite suffering a loss of £33 million in their worst Premier League season in history.

In the 2024/25 season, MU finished in a dismal 15th place, their lowest ever in the Premier League. However, the Old Trafford club still recorded their highest revenue ever, reaching £665.5 million.

Just six months ago, Sir Jim Ratcliffe warned the club could run out of money before the end of 2025. However, a restructuring plan involving the cutting of over 300 staff members has helped the Red Devils significantly reduce operating costs.

MU believes these figures reflect effective cost-saving measures, despite considerable criticism. MU also recorded record revenue from match days and commercial activities, particularly thanks to their sponsorship deal with Snapdragon.

Furthermore, the club's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) reached its highest level in Europe since the Covid-19 pandemic, at £182.5 million. EBITDA is a key industry indicator for assessing business performance.

However, these figures only cover up to the end of June and do not include the significant impact from the 2025 summer transfer window, when the "Red Devils" will spend around £200 million to sign Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and Senne Lammens.

The player wage bill at Old Trafford decreased by £51.5 million to £313.2 million, thanks to Manchester United's absence from the Champions League (resulting in performance-based pay cuts) and the departure of several high-earning players.

Manchester United's historic debt, a legacy from the Glazer family's takeover 20 years ago, remains at $650 million, although it has actually decreased from £511 million to £471.9 million due to the change in the value of the pound against the dollar.

Manchester United spent £36.6 million on "special expenses," including restructuring the club and paying compensation for the contract of manager Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff. The club's operating costs totaled £733.6 million, a decrease of £34.9 million compared to the previous year.

Other operating expenses for MU increased by £21 million to £170.4 million, due to the shift to a new e-commerce model this year.

Vinicius Jr posted a cryptic message after being left out of the Real Madrid squad.

Vinicius Jr recently drew attention on social media after being benched by coach Xabi Alonso in Real Madrid's opening Champions League match.

On Tuesday night at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid began their European Cup campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Marseille. Alonso surprisingly fielded an attacking trio of Franco Mastantuono, Arda Guler, and Rodrygo, while Kylian Mbappe continued as the lone striker. This left Vinicius, who had started in the win against Real Sociedad last weekend, on the bench.

Vinicius came on in the second half with the score at 1-1 and nearly scored the winning goal, before Mbappe sealed the victory for Real. However, after the match, the Brazilian star attracted attention by posting a black and white photo on his Instagram Story of himself shirtless leaving the pitch, accompanied by the song "Principles of a Champion".

It's unclear whether this message was aimed at Real Madrid fans or coach Alonso, but it has fueled speculation about Vinicius's future.

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In recent seasons, he has been consistently linked with a move away from Bernabeu. Last summer, talkSPORT revealed that Saudi Arabia considered submitting a record-breaking €350 million (£304 million) offer to sign the Brazilian player. This plan even included a massive salary of around €1 billion (£867 million) over five years.

It remains unclear whether Saudi Arabian clubs are still interested in Vinicius, whose contract runs until 2027, as he hasn't had a particularly explosive start to the new season.

Vinicius Jr could return to the starting lineup when Real Madrid host Espanyol in La Liga this coming Saturday.

The risk of Spain refusing to participate in the 2026 World Cup.

Patxi Lopez, spokesman for the Socialist Workers' Party, stated that the national team could boycott the 2026 World Cup if Israel qualifies.

He stressed that Spain would “assess the situation at the appropriate time,” adding that a sporting boycott could “open the eyes” of the international community to what Israel has done in Gaza.

This move comes just days after La Vuelta, Spain's biggest cycling race, was severely disrupted by pro-Palestinian protests.

The final stage in Madrid ended abruptly 3 km from the finish line due to safety concerns, with no rider declared the winner. The Israel-Premier Tech team became the target of protests, with thousands of demonstrators blocking the road, waving flags, and painting graffiti in protest. Many riders expressed disappointment, including Carlos Verona, Tom Pidcock, and champion Jonas Vingegaard.

Israel hasn't participated in the World Cup since 1970, but still has a chance to qualify through the European play-offs. If they succeed, a diplomatic and sporting crisis could erupt, potentially leading Spain and other nations to boycott the World Cup.

FIFA has long maintained a firm stance against government interference in football. If Spain were to actually take action, the Spanish national team risks facing severe penalties, possibly even exclusion from international tournaments.