Vietnam surpasses Thailand in squad value at the U23 Asian Championship; Godin's perspective on Ronaldo and Messi.

Vietnam is far ahead of Thailand in terms of squad value at the U23 Asian Championship.

According to Transfermarkt, the Vietnam U23 team has a squad value of 3.48 million euros (approximately 107.3 billion VND), more than double that of the Thailand U23 team at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship and ranking 10th out of 16 participating teams.

Specifically, the 25 players of the Vietnam U23 team, under the guidance of coach Kim Sang-sik, far surpass the Thailand U23 team – which is valued at only 1.45 million euros, partly due to their inability to field their strongest squad. The three most expensive players of the Vietnam U23 team are Nguyen Dinh Bac, Bui Vi Hao, and Khuat Van Khang, each valued at 300,000 euros.

Across the entire tournament, host nation Saudi Arabia leads in squad value with €12.15 million, followed by Iran, China, South Korea, and Japan. Meanwhile, Syria has the lowest value, at approximately €1.1 million.

Although only for reference and not fully reflecting the actual strength, the fact that Vietnam U23 is superior to Thailand U23 in terms of squad value is still a positive sign, showing the increasingly affirmed position of Vietnamese youth football in the Asian arena.

Fans want MU to sack Amorim.

On the evening of January 4th, the 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road meant MU continued to drop points, while also plunging manager Ruben Amorim into the eye of criticism from the team's fans.

Entering the first match of the new year, MU traveled to Elland Road aiming to bounce back from a disappointing draw against Wolves. However, instead of a fresh start, the "Red Devils" displayed a lackluster, uninspired performance and settled for a 1-1 draw. Matheus Cunha equalized in the second half, after Brenden Aaronson had opened the scoring for Leeds.

What angered the fans wasn't just the result, but also Amorim's team selection. The strategist shocked everyone by fielding six defenders, alongside two defensive midfielders, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.

Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw, and Patrick Dorgu all started, creating a defensive lineup against an opponent not considered superior.

The frustration intensified when Amorim made only one substitution throughout the entire match, despite the deadlock. On social media, a barrage of harsh criticism emerged. One fan wrote: "Six defenders plus Casemiro and Ugarte against Leeds is a crime punishable by dismissal." Another sarcastically remarked: "This is probably the worst Manchester United lineup in history."

Although the draw temporarily lifted MU to fifth place with 31 points, the pressure on Amorim has not lessened. The Old Trafford club continues to drop valuable points, making it difficult for them to break into the top four of the Premier League this season.

Wirtz shines in a crazy match.

In the early hours of January 5th, Florian Wirtz scored, but Liverpool only managed to secure one point after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Fulham in the 20th round of the Premier League.

The home team opened the scoring in the 17th minute through Harry Wilson. In the second half, Liverpool equalized in the 57th minute from a controversial incident involving Wirtz. In the 90+4th minute, Cody Gakpo put "The Kop" ahead 2-1, but Fulham salvaged a point with a spectacular long-range strike from Harrison Reed in the 90+7th minute.

The draw meant Liverpool missed the opportunity to pull ahead in the race for the top four, while Fulham continued to maintain a safe position in the middle of the table.

The 21-year-old striker replicated a historic feat in a Real Madrid shirt.

In the early hours of January 5th, Real Madrid thrashed Betis 5-1 to narrow the gap with league leaders Barcelona to just 4 points.

The highlight of the match at the Bernabeu was Gonzalo Garcia's brilliant hat-trick. The striker, born in 2004, became only the second player to open his goalscoring account for Real Madrid in La Liga with a hat-trick, a feat only achieved by Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the 21st century.

Betis were quickly swept up in Real Madrid's attacking whirlwind. Within the first 10 minutes, Fede Valverde and Vinicius constantly harassed the flanks, forcing the visitors to mostly huddle in defense.

That pressure materialized in the 20th minute, when Gonzalo Garcia rose high to head home a powerful header from Rodrygo's free kick, opening the scoring and marking his first La Liga goal for Real Madrid.

Despite controlling the game with Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni orchestrating the play, Real Madrid still faced considerable difficulties against Betis's numerous defenders, and the first half ended amidst boos from the fans due to a lack of attacking prowess.

The turning point came at the start of the second half. Gonzalo Garcia continued to shine with a superb chest control and finish from a Valverde pass, doubling the lead. Just a few minutes later, Raul Asencio headed in from a corner kick, almost extinguishing any hope for the visitors.

Betis tried to fight back with a consolation goal from Cucho Hernandez after a series of missed opportunities, but all of that only made Real Madrid play even better. In the 82nd minute, Gonzalo Garcia completed his hat-trick with a delicate backheel, before Fran Garcia sealed the 5-1 victory in injury time.

This victory extends Real Madrid's unbeaten home run against Betis to seven matches, while the visitors remain in sixth place and miss the opportunity to close the gap on the leading group.

Godin's perspective on Ronaldo and Messi

Diego Godin, the iconic center-back of Atletico Madrid, believes Lionel Messi is the most difficult opponent to mark in his career, although he still acknowledges the greatness of Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to Godin, Ronaldo is a "goal-scoring machine" in the penalty area, dangerous but still somewhat controllable through tactical discipline. Conversely, Messi is an unsolvable puzzle: dangerous in any space, quick on the move, intelligent in his movements, and always knows how to break down defensive structures.

In their encounters with Barcelona and Real Madrid, both Messi and Ronaldo have been nightmares for Atletico's defense. However, compared to Godin, Messi is even more formidable due to his ability to weave between lines, his sharp assists, and his knack for finishing off opponents himself.

It was precisely that quiet yet distinctly cold demeanor that made Messi the name that haunted Godin the most.