Vietnam team waits for FIFA to grant permission for Xuan Son; Coach Mourinho entices superstar Ronaldo to leave Al Nassr

Vietnam team waiting for FIFA to grant license to Xuan Son

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has submitted the case of naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son to the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) and the International Football Federation (FIFA). However, whether Son is eligible to play for the Vietnam national team at the 2024 ASEAN Cup or not is still awaiting answers from the AFF and FIFA.

"Coach Kim Sang-sikhas put Xuan Son's name on the preliminary list. Son's selection to play in the 2024 ASEAN Cup depends on Coach Kim's decision, along with meeting all the requirements set by FIFA. VFF will create favorable conditions to support this," Mr. Tran Anh Tu shared.

In the preliminary list of 50 players preparing forASEAN Cup 2024, Xuan Son was named, but was not called to the squad to go to Korea for training.

The striker born in 1997 obtained Vietnamese nationality in October, after completing the naturalization procedure. Despite having citizenship, Son has not been able to play for the Vietnamese national team.

Mr. Tran Anh Tu affirmed that VFF respects coach Kim's decision to call up players and will not interfere with the Korean strategist's use of personnel.

Coach Mourinho lures superstar Ronaldo to leave Al Nassr

Jose Mourinho wants to bring superstar Ronaldo to Fenerbahce and has made contact with the Portuguese superstar, according to The Sun. Details of a phone call between Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo have been revealed as the legendary coach tries to secure a big-money transfer.

Mourinho was confirmed as Fenerbahce's manager in June, having been sacked by Serie A side Roma five months earlier. The iconic veteran is just one of several members of the Turkish side with roots at English side Manchester United, with former midfielders Fred and Sofyan Amrabat now playing for Fenerbahce.

And now Mourinho is said to be trying to lure superstar Ronaldo, one of United's all-time greats, to his new club, and details of his phone call with the striker have been revealed.

Ronaldo, who turns 40 in February 2025, has hinted that he could retire in "a year or two", but Fenerbahce fans hope he can finish his career in Turkey. Coach Jose Mourinhoare trying to lure superstar Ronaldo to join the club at the end of the season.

Haaland's reaction when Pep stayed at Man City

The Norwegian star is excited as Pep Guardiola extends his contract with Manchester City.

"He's the best coach in the world, we all know that," Haaland told Sky Sports. "He's probably the best that's ever lived. Pep always wants everything to be perfect. What makes him different? It's his desire, the way he wants to develop players and of course the desire to win games."

On November 21, Guardiola signed a new two-year contract, officially tying him to Man City until the summer of 2027. With this new contract, Guardiola will mark a historic decade at the Etihad Stadium, where he built Man City into a formidable force in Europe.

After Guardiola, Man City are also determined to keep Haaland. The Manchester team is preparing a "super contract" worth 100 million pounds for the 24-year-old striker, who has scored 105 goals since joining in 2022.

If he accepts the extension, the new contract could last for another 4-5 years, making him one of the highest paid players in Premier League history.

Thailand announces official competitions at SEA Games 33

According to the Organizing CommitteeSEA Games 33- Thailand 2025, scheduled to take place from December 9 to 20 in 3 cities: Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla. According to the official document signed by Vice President of the SEA Games Sports Federation Chaiyapak Siriwat, the 33rd SEA Games will have 50 events, 105 sub-events with a total of 569 sets of medals.

The competitions at the 33rd SEA Games were announced by host Thailand to be divided into 4 groups:

Group 1A includes athletics and aquatics (swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming), with a total of 93 sets of medals;

Group 1B includes: Archery, badminton, basketball, canoeing & rowing (canoe, rowing, dragon boat), cycling (time trial, road, off-road, BMX), equestrian, fencing, football (soccer, futsal), golf, gymnastics (gymnastics, aerobics, artistic gymnastics), handball, hockey, judo, rugby, sailing, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball (indoor, beach), wrestling (freestyle, classical), skating, ice hockey, modern pentathlon, weightlifting; a total of 26 sports and 269 sets of medals;

Group 2 includes: Baseball and softball, billiards & snooker, boxing, floorball, e-sports, muay, netball, pencak silat, petanque, sepak takraw, squash, bowling, karate, jujitsu, extreme sports (sport climbing, water skiing, skateboarding, jet skiing), wushu, kabaddi, teqball, cricket, kickboxing, bowls, chess (Maruk chess, ASEAN chess, rapid chess), a total of 22 sports and 207 sets of medals;

Group 3 includes: Disco, Tug of War, and Air Sports. This is a performance sport group with 12 sets of medals and is not included in the overall results of the Games.

The 33rd SEA Games will take place in December 2025 in Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla. In the last two SEA Games, Vietnam won the overall first place. At the 32nd SEA Games held in Cambodia, Vietnam ranked first with 136 gold medals, 105 silver medals and 114 bronze medals./.