Q: Who will win the two legged game between the UAE and Iraq?
@Manamayad via Instagram
This is a tough one. It’s honestly 50:50. For Iraq, this journey has been all about constant change. Seventy-two players have featured across these qualifiers, a figure that captures the instability that’s haunted their run. Coaches have come and gone, systems have shifted, and just when momentum seemed within reach, they stumbled again.
The defeat to Palestine was the real turning point — a loss that shattered confidence and all but ended hopes of direct qualification. Even coach Graham Arnold, never one to mince words, questioned the structure of the final round after Iraq’s draw with Saudi Arabia. He pointed out that “the teams with six days’ rest qualified,” a clear reference to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who both advanced.
Iraq, by contrast, had only three days to recover from their previous match, and it showed — the team looked weary, their rhythm broken, and their attack short of ideas when it mattered most.
The UAE, meanwhile, have suffered a different kind of frustration. In Doha, Khalid Eisa warned of Qatar’s home strength, and his words proved prophetic. Cosmin Olaroiu’s men started brightly but couldn’t convert control into results.
“We controlled the match and put pressure on our opponents,” he said afterward. “Football is sometimes unfair, but we must fight for our chance.” The result was a bitter reminder that in these tight windows, moments matter more than performances.
The second leg will be played in Basra, Iraq, which is advantageous – a place where the fans can turn a match into a siege. The UAE will rely on Olaroiu’s discipline and experience in hopes of overcoming the noise.
Q: Antonio Conte showing he still doesn’t know what to do in Europe. Napoli spanked 6-2?
@Flashski on Instagram
Let’s just say I’m not surprised. For one thing, Napoli are dealing with a lot of important injuries and the absences are keenly felt. They have lost their vertical edge without Rasmus Hojlund and are suffering in defence without the leadership and complimentary skills of Amir Rahmani. Billy Gilmour doesn’t offer what Stanislav Lobotka does and was tasked with doing too much. Napoli are clearly missing the balance and control their best players bring.
Nonetheless, Conte must take accountability for Napoli’s decline this season. Last year he rightly complained that he didn’t have strength in depth and possessed a light squad. This season he continues to mention that nine new players brought in over the summer is a lot. It is a lot but it’s no excuse for the defensive collapse.
Napoli have now conceded 16 goals this season across all competitions. That’s nearly half of the 33 goals they conceded all of last season in Serie A. The midfield is suffering and Gilmour is not a like for like replacement for Lobotka.
As is often the case, Conte gets undone in Europe. PSV played at a higher tempo, pressing, running and Napoli looked like they were playing in slow motion by comparison. Peter Bosz’s teams thrive on chaos and intensity and they overran Juventus in Europe last season.
Napoli suffered the same fate and didn’t look prepared to face this particular opponent. Conte needed to adjust earlier, to stem the flow and reassert control in the middle of the pitch. Injuries explain part of the problem. The rest? That’s on him.
Q: Why is Endrick not playing at Real Madrid? I thought Carlo Ancelotti was to blame but it seems Xabi Alonso is not a fan either?
@HamadNahl via Instagram
I don’t think it’s about being a fan of the player but rather a question of massive competition. Alonso’s front line already features Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Gonzalo Garcia, leaving little room for a 19-year-old still adapting to European football. The No 9 shirt on Endrick’s back might carry symbolism, but it does not guarantee minutes, especially in a side competing on every front.
Alonso has been clear that competition is fierce and that Endrick’s “time will come,” but right now he prefers continuity and experience as his project takes shape.
Ancelotti always believed experience brings leadership but he wasn’t anti-youth as so many have often accused him of being. Considering the lack of leadership at the club now, perhaps Ancelotti was right to have leant on so many older and wiser heads.
Under Alonso, Endrick has yet to play a minute. His injuries haven’t helped and further pushed him down the pecking order.
The long spell on the bench has inevitably sparked speculation of a possible move abroad. Endrick has been linked with Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, all exploring loan deals for January that could offer him regular football. His camp, however, prefer he stays, keeping his head down in hopes he’ll get his chance.
For Brazil, the lack of playing time has consequences. Endrick hasn’t featured for the national team since March, and the longer the wait continues, the harder it becomes to stay in the World Cup frame.
Q: Why was the Villarreal vs Barcelona match in Miami cancelled? After all the publicity it seems embarrassing.
@Nacho_Liber on Instagram
The plan to stage Villarreal v Barcelona at Hard Rock Stadium was meant to mark a new era for Spanish football. Instead, it has become a symbol of how fractured the game’s governance has become.
Officially, organisers cited “uncertainty in Spain” and a lack of time to prepare. Unofficially, it was the sheer level of backlash. Over the weekend, players refused to play for the first 15 seconds of matches in protest at the Miami plan, a coordinated show of defiance. Fans’ associations were furious, Real Madrid led the opposition, and even some managers bristled at being asked to discuss a fixture that might undermine the league’s integrity.
The reaction inside Barcelona summed up the absurdity. Hansi Flick had just finished his press conference when word arrived that the match was off. Hours earlier, Joan Laporta had proudly declared that his team would play in Miami. Within minutes, that certainty evaporated.
Villarreal, one of the clubs directly involved, were furious. In a blistering statement, they said they had been left “deeply displeased” by La Liga’s “poor handling” of the event, accusing the league of failing to confirm even the most basic details — kick-off time, travel plans, logistics — for a game that required moving thousands of fans across continents.
The club revealed it had threatened to withdraw from the project if those issues weren’t resolved, only to be told by phone, minutes before their Champions League match with Manchester City, that the Miami game was off. Moments later, La Liga announced the cancellation publicly. “A complete and utter lack of respect,” Villarreal called it.
For La Liga chief Javier Tebas, it is a public embarrassment. He spent years lobbying to take La Liga overseas, only to have his flagship idea unravel days before tickets went on sale. What was meant to be a statement of ambition, has instead exposed the divisions within Spanish football.
