Xuan Son is about to catch up with the Indonesian legend at the ASEAN Cup; Thailand team is at risk of losing another pillar when facing Vietnam again
Thailand team is at risk of losing another key player when playing against Vietnam again; PSG offers Salah a record salary; Xuan Son is about to catch up with the Indonesian legend at the ASEAN Cup... are notable sports news in the past 24 hours.
Thailand team at risk of losing another key player when rematching Vietnam
On the afternoon of January 3, in a series of photos of the Thai team preparing to return home, midfielder Akarapong Pumwisat appeared at the airport with a rather cheerful face, but had to use crutches to move. This made Thai fans worried about the condition of the player born in 1995 after the first leg of the semi-final againstVietnam team.
In the 44th minute of the match, Akarapong suffered a serious injury after trying to block a strong shot from Xuan Son. The player landed poorly, apparently spraining his ankle and had to leave the field on a stretcher. A few minutes earlier, he had also been lying on the field in pain after Thanh Chung's clearance went straight to his face during a dispute.
According to information from the Thai National Team, Akarapong will have an MRI scan to check the extent of the injury.
However, with the current images, the possibility of Akarapong participating in the second leg of the finalASEAN Cup 2024, taking place on the evening of January 5 at Rajamangala Stadium is very low.
In this year's tournament, Akarapong Pumwisat is an important factor in coach Masatada Ishii's squad, having played 6/7 matches and scored 2 goals. His absence will be a big loss for the "War Elephants", especially when the Thai team has lost striker Teerasak Poeiphimai due to injury, and the other two pillars, Suphanat and Supachok, are still not in the best physical condition.
The second leg of the final between Thailand and Vietnam promises to be a big challenge for coach Masatada Ishii and his players, in the context that Thailand is currently leading 2-1 against the Vietnamese team.
PSG offers Salah a record salary
PSG are negotiating Mohamed Salah on a free transfer, with the promise of a record salary.
PSG officials and coach Luis Enrique see Mohamed Salah as the most important target to build the squad for the 2025/26 season.
Salah's contract with Liverpool expires at the end of this season and he has no intention of renewing. Since January 1, according to FIFA regulations, PSG are free to approach the Egyptian striker.
PSG understand that recruiting Salah is not easy. The Liverpool star also received attractive financial offers from Saudi Arabia.
To convince Salah to come to Paris on a free transfer this summer, PSG promised a salary of 500,000 Euros per week.
This salary far exceeds Salah's current income at Liverpool, about 422,000 Euros per week (equivalent to 350,000 Pounds/week).
If Salah agrees to sign for PSG, he will earn more than any other Premier League star, with the record currently held by Man City's Kevin de Bruyne (£400,000/week).
Ranked last, Messi missed a historic opportunity
Lionel Messi ranked last in the "King of America" vote, an award given to the best player of the year playing in leagues in the Americas.
2024 can be considered a successful year for Messi as he continues to prove his class at both club and national team level. Leo won the 2024 MLS Player of the Year award, while helping Inter Miami win the Supporters' Shield for the first time in the club's history.
However, that was not enough for the Argentine star to receive the "King of America" award - a prestigious title for the best player of the year in American tournaments. This is an award that Messi has never won in his career.
If he had won the award, Messi would have become the first MLS player in history to receive the honor, but unfortunately, that did not happen. With a huge collection of individual awards, including a record 8 Ballons d'Or, not being able to add the "King of America" must have motivated Messi to try harder next year.
In this year's election, Messi received only 14 votes, finishing last among the candidates along with Penarol's Leonardo Fernandez Lopez. The victory belonged to Botafogo midfielder Luis Enrique Andre with 128 out of 244 votes.
Xuan Son is about to catch up with the Indonesian legend at the ASEAN Cup
Xuan Son has the opportunity to equal the achievements of the region's top legendary striker, Bambang Pamungkas (Indonesia).
With 2 goals scored in the first leg final against Thailand on the evening of January 2 at Viet Tri Stadium, Xuan Son has 7 goals at the ASEAN Cup 2024, leading the list of top scorers. Xuan Son's scoring record helps him equal the number of goals scored by former Indonesian striker Ilham Jaya Kesuma in 2004. Ilham, who played for Persita Tangerang and Sriwijaya FC, was named the top scorer at the ASEAN (AFF) Cup 2004 with 7 goals.
In addition, Xuan Son also has the opportunity to equal the record of another Indonesian legend in the Southeast Asian playground. With 7 goals, the Brazilian striker is currently following the achievement of former striker Bepe Bambang Pamungkas.
At the 2002 AFF Cup, Bambang won the Golden Boot award with a total of 8 goals. Bambang is also the Indonesian striker who scored the most goals in an ASEAN Cup.
Xuan Son can completely catch up, even surpass this achievement of the Indonesian legend, when the Vietnamese team still has the second leg of the final match in Thailand on January 5./.