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Promising signs for the future after first glimpse of England’s new quicks

Cameron Ponsonby17-Mar-2022England’s new generation of Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher have known each other for years. Playing their junior cricket for rival counties Lancashire and Yorkshire, they encountered each other regularly, with one scorecard from an Under-14 game in 2011 reading Fisher 31 (64) b Mahmood.Eleven years later, they made their debuts together as England players – and almost before they had had time to sample the nerves of their first stint in the field, Fisher was in the thick of the action, with the eventful figures of 0.2-0-4-1.A Test debut at 24 would be a fast rise to the top for most. But Fisher made his professional debut as a 15-year-old in 2013. He’s been playing professional cricket for the last nine years of his life. In that context, his debut switches from being one of a youngster breezing through to the top and instead becomes a long-awaited one.What’s more, that doesn’t speak of the pressure that accompanies a debut at 15. Whether you like it or not, from that moment on you’re anointed as a future England player. And failure to reach that level will result in murmurs of wasted potential and a place in the pub-quiz annals of the Yorkshire Dales. Alongside the joy, pride, nerves and excitement that Fisher must have felt when he was told of his impending Test debut, you can only imagine a fair element of relief was involved as well. “I’ve done it.”When Fisher took his wicket – luring John Campbell in the channel outside off, one ball after being steered through third man for four – he did so with an explosion of joy before a sustained release of emotion as he pointed to the sky in memory of his dad, who died shortly before he made his professional debut nine years ago.Speaking on TalkSPORT 2, Darren Gough mentioned how impressed he’d been with Fisher’s maturity, having spent time together at Yorkshire through Gough’s role as Interim Managing Director. He spoke of Fisher’s clear abilities with the ball but mostly of his abilities as a leader who is able to mix confidence with empathy. Fisher may only be 24, but he’s already a seasoned professional who has been through more than most.”Everyone has something which means something to them,” Ben Stokes said at the close, after making his own gesture to his father following his second-day hundred. “It’s great to see someone like Fish – he’s had a difficult lot of years since his debut at 15 with injuries. To watching a young lad make his debut, bowl well and get his first Test wicket is quite special.”Matt Fisher and Saqib Mahmood made their England Test debuts•Getty ImagesA penny, however, for Mahmood’s thoughts when that wicket fell. Joy mixed with a tinge of envy, perhaps? After all, his debut was the one that had been trumpeted in advance, following the decisions to leave out both Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood. Fisher’s opportunity only arose on the morning of the match, when Craig Overton also pulled out with illness.Mahmood’s debut has hardly been diluted because of starting alongside Fisher but he does lose the intangible benefit of being the newest kid on the block. The two are different bowlers, one new-ball and one old-, but nevertheless, they’ve been dragged into a shootout whereas previously Mahmood’s rival bowler was unarmed and out of the team.Mahmood, however, proved with the excitement that he generated in the ODI series against Pakistan last summer that he’s unlikely to stay in the shadows for long. His action is 50% Brett Lee and 50% Shoaib Akthar, but his beard is 100% Brad Pitt. To watch Mahmood bowl is exciting. A bowler like Glenn McGrath would impress you over time with relentless accuracy, and a steady realisation that this is what elite performance looks like. But with Mahmood it takes just one ball. What is this? And where can I get more?Related

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His first wicket failed to arrive on Thursday evening but it’s surely only a matter of when and not if. Four overs of good pace were delivered in which he conceded just three runs. Mahmood is the fastest bowler in the team, now that Wood is out of action, and though he failed to breach 140kph in his opening gambit, there was at least one occasion when the ball seemed to gather pace through to Ben Foakes behind the stumps, in a way that has not often been seen over the past two days.”He came in and hit the wicket really hard,” Stokes said of Mahmood. “He got a few balls to go off the deck and going through a bit, considering what it was like on day one. I don’t want to eat my words here but I can’t see [the pitch] getting any better. I think the spinner is in the game and the seamers felt in the game the whole way, so it’ll be an exciting day tomorrow.””Seeing two lads get presented their caps, and being lucky enough to present one of them – I gave Saqqy his cap – there’s a lot of great things that can happen and memories that you can create playing international cricket,” Stokes added.”Seeing the excitement on Fisher’s face even when he got his cap, his smile was ear to ear for 15 minutes – and then obviously you could see how excited he was when he got his wicket today. It means a lot for him and a lot of other people – family and friends, everyone that has supported him.”After a somewhat false dawn for England’s new era in Antigua, circumstances have conspired to unleash the “good young bowling talent” that Andrew Strauss, the interim managing director, had referred to before the series began. And to judge by this most fleeting of first glimpses, it looks likely to be a fun one.

Their form since the 2018 tournament has been horrid, but on their day there is the talent to shine

Deivarayan Muthu20-Feb-2020OverviewWest Indies stormed to the title in 2016 in India and then progressed to the semi-finals at home in 2018, but their fortunes have turned for the worse since. So much so that, among the ten teams that will turn out at this World Cup, they have the second-worst win-loss ratio (0.4) since the 2018 edition. Only Sri Lanka, who have suffered nine successive losses, have fared worse than West Indies during this period.West Indies’ drastic fall coincided with an injury to their star allrounder Deandra Dottin, who had featured in a mere three T20Is out of 15 in their lead-up to the World Cup. Dottin, though, is fit again, as is experienced seamer Shakera Selman, who had recently returned from her own injury in the T20Is against India in November last year. Shamilla Connell, who could potentially take the new ball along with Selman, has also regained full fitness. Much like the men’s side, the women’s team is getting the band back together in a bid to reclaim the title down under. Dottin’s return, in particular, spruces up the batting line-up that was prone to collapses during their 5-0 whitewash at the hands of India at home. At the Providence, West Indies had suffered the ignominy of dawdling to 59 for 9 – their lowest-ever T20I total.Can West Indies shake off that hangover and fire in unison as they did in 2016?SquadStafanie Taylor (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Lee-Ann Kirby, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed (vice-capt), Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman (coach: Gus Logie)Group fixturesFebruary 22: West Indies v Thailand, WACA
February 26: West Indies v Pakistan, Canberra
March 1: West Indies v England, Sydney Showground
March 3: West Indies v South Africa, Sydney ShowgroundT20 World Cup historyWest Indies have been among the most consistent sides in the T20 World Cup since their first-round exit in 2009. They’ve made it to the knockouts – or beyond – in the past five editions, having won it in 2016. In 2018, an awful batting meltdown against eventual champions Australia cost them the semi-final at home.Form guideWest Indies will want to look away from their section. They went down 5-0 to India and have won just four out of 15 T20Is since the last World Cup. And three of those four wins had come against Ireland, who are ranked 10th in the shortest format.Key playersDeandra Dottin can be destructive both with the bat and ball and it will be mighty difficult to stop her if she gets on a roll. The boundaries in Australia may be bigger for other players, but not so much for Dottin. But, does she still that power-hitting in her after undergoing a corrective shoulder surgery? Dottin had even told the Cricket West Indies website that she had “felt like giving up” during the rehab. Apart from Dottin and Hayley Matthews, Stafanie Taylor is the only other West Indies player with WBBL experience. The West Indies captain has had stints at Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder, making 1074 runs in 56 innings at an average of 26.19 and strike rate of 101.41. She was also in fine form in the ODIs at home against India and with Dottin just easing her way back into the set-up, West Indies will bank on Taylor to shoulder greater responsibility with the bat.What would be a success at the tournament?On current form, it’s quite hard to imagine West Indies making the semi-finals once again, let alone reclaiming the crown. But, count them out at your own peril. If Dottin gets cracking, and the others can rally around her, West Indies can make things happen.

Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 94 helped Perth reach their target of 165 with seven wickets to spare

AAP06-Dec-2025Beth Mooney has led Perth Scorchers back into the WBBL finals, executing the perfect chase against Brisbane Heat and ending Melbourne Renegades’ title defence in the process.Needing 165 for victory in a must-win game at the WACA on Saturday, Mooney hit an unbeaten 94 from 61 to help Perth reach the target with seven wickets and four balls to spare. The victory ensured the Scorchers would have a home final, knocked the Renegades out of the top four and handed the Heat the first winless season in WBBL history.With one game to play in the season, Hobart are guaranteed top spot and hosting rights for next Saturday night’s final at Ninja Stadium. Perth and the Melbourne Stars are also locked into finals spots, with the winner of the Sydney Sixers and Adelaide at North Sydney Oval on Sunday morning to join them.The WBBL’s finals system has third and fourth face off in eliminator on Tuesday, before the winner of that plays against second on Thursday for a spot in the final.The Stars could have wrapped up second spot on Saturday morning had they beaten the Sydney Thunder at Junction Oval, only for them to be well beaten. Instead Perth are now in second, and will stay there if the Strikers beat the Sixers on Sunday.Facing a tricky chase after Georgia Redmayne’s 57 helped the Heat to 164 for 7, Mooney took control of the game at the WACA. Australia’s veteran opener regularly picked balls up off her pads and hit them over the legside to the rope, hitting 12 boundaries in a near-flawless knock. The Scorchers’ chase threatened to wobble late when Maddy Darke (24) and Sophie Devine (13) fell, but Mooney held her nerve and Freya Kemp’s late hitting saw Perth home.The leading run-scorer in WBBL history, Mooney now has scores of 105, 75 and 94* for the season and will enter the finals as one of the league’s most dangerous players.

This season is shaping up to be one of Arsenal’s best in a very, very long time.

Now, there is still a lot of football to be played, but going into the third international break of the campaign, Mikel Arteta has his side top of the Premier League and with four wins from four in the Champions League.

What makes it all the more impressive is the fact that, aside from the defence, there is a real sense that the team aren’t even operating at their best.

Moreover, the club have a significant number of injured players set to return in the coming weeks, which will massively bolster the squad, although it might also make it clear that a certain player appreciated by Thierry Henry needs to be moved on.

Arsenal's injury crisis

Now, Arsenal supporters will be the first to admit that the team just weren’t good enough to win the league last season.

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However, a significant reason why the side was lacklustre on the domestic front was the absurd number of injuries Arteta has to deal with.

Understandably, the club sought to avoid a similar situation this year by signing eight first-team quality players in the summer, rather than spending record sums on individual players.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea

Eberechi Eze

Palace

Viktor Gyokeres

Sporting

Piero Hincapie

Leverkusen

Noni Madueke

Chelsea

Cristhian Mosquera

Valencia

Christian Norgaard

Brentford

Martin Zubimendi

Sociedad

It’s an approach that has already paid off multiple times this season, as even though it hasn’t been discussed as much, the squad has once again dealt with a barrage of injuries this season.

Noni Madueke was able to cover for Bukayo Saka; Cristhian Mosquera covered for Gabriel Mahgaelese; Eberechi Eze stood in for Martin Odegaard, and Viktor Gyokeres was thrown into the deep end in place of the injured Kai Havertz.

However, the dam can only hold out for so long, and over the last few weeks, the injury list has grown too significant, with Mikel Merino once again starting up top for two matches in a row.

In all, Arsenal were without six first-team players for the draw against Sunderland, and all six of them were attacking players, which helps explain why the bench looked so short on options and why the manager brought on only Mosquera.

The good news is that most of them will be back in contention after the international break, and all should be available to play by the new year.

However, that means the squad could become quite bloated in attack, and so it might be time to sell someone Henry was once very complimentary about.

The Arsenal star who should be sold

With Gyokeres and Madueke being summer signings and Havertz clearly a firm favourite of Arteta, it feels like, of all the injured players, it’s £45m man, Gabriel Jesus, who should be moved on.

Now, that is no indictment of the player himself, as at his best, the former Manchester City star was almost unplayable and capable of things that no other Arsenal attacker could even think of doing.

That’s not hyperbole either, as following a particularly impressive showing against Seville, the legendary Henry said he “would have loved to play with him” due to his close control and ability to create for others.

However, that was over two years ago, and it’s been over three years since he was at his utterly incredible best.

Since then, there have been flashes of that sensational ability, but every time he seems to build up any steam, he goes down with another injury.

Since the start of his Arsenal career in the 22/23 season, the Brazilian international has been injured seven times, which has seen him spend a grand total of 559 days on the sidelines and miss 90 games for club and country.

It doesn’t really matter how talented a player is; if they are that unreliable, then they are not an asset to a club.

24/25

370 days

56

23/24

89 days

17

22/23

100 days

17

20/21

60 days

14

19/20

34 days

5

18/19

26 days

6

17/18

76 days

13

16/17

68 days

15

Moreover, it’s not like the 28-year-old is on a modest wage; he’s currently earning a whopping £265k-per-week, which makes him the second-highest earner at the club.

Ultimately, Jesus is undeniably an excellent footballer, but he’s just never available when the club need him and considering he has such an enormous wage, it might be time to sell him in the winter, or at the end of the season.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 12, 2025

New Zealand thrive on green-tinged pitch before the weather has the final say

Andrew Miller18-Oct-2025England 153 for 6 (Curran 49*, Bracewell 1-10) vs New Zealand – match abandonedIt turns out there’s a reason New Zealand don’t often host international cricket in October. A truly glorious sunset over Christchurch gave way to dankness and mizzle after dark, as persistent rain wrecked a well-poised contest at Hagley Oval and sent a capacity crowd home unfulfilled.The home fans could at least be content that their own players had had the better of the 20 overs that were possible. New Zealand’s six bowlers claimed a wicket apiece, as England’s aggressive batters struggled to cope with the early-season movement of a green-tinged pitch.Only Sam Curran, with a gritty if fortunate 49 not out from 35 balls, resisted for any length of time. His 19-run take-down of Jacob Duffy’s final over hoisted England past the venue’s par score of 150, to set up what should have been a compelling fight to the finish. That will now have to wait until these teams reconvene at the same place on Monday.Runs at a premiumBoth captains had been eager to get first use of the conditions, and sure enough, the die was cast for an uncomfortable evening for batters when Phil Salt – usually England’s banker for a flying start – fell in the second over for 3, caught at short third off Jacob Duffy having failed to middle any of his four deliveries.That brought Jacob Bethell to the middle at No. 3, to begin his long and public audition for a similar role in the Ashes. Suffice to say, he didn’t quite enhance his claims on this showing. Three air-shots in five dot-balls gave way to back-to-back boundaries, including a firm swipe for six down the ground. But then he climbed across Matt Henry’s short ball, and top-edged a steepler back to the bowler for 15 from 13.England emerged from the Powerplay with some impetus at 44 for 2, thanks to Jos Buttler’s old-school nous and eye for a scoring opportunity. But, having reached 18 from his first ten balls, he lost momentum along with the strike, adding just five more from his last nine, which were stretched across five fallow mid-innings overs.Initially this didn’t seem to matter, with Harry Brook greeting Jimmy Neesham’s seamers with two sixes in his first three balls. But Neesham hit back with a cutter that flicked off the captain’s pads to bowl him for 20 from 14, whereupon Tom Banton struggled to get started in his unfamiliar mid-innings role.He made it to 9 from eight balls at the ten-over drinks break, then slapped his first ball of the resumption to long-on, as Mitchell Santner got his reward for a typically unrelenting spell. When Buttler followed one over later, caught at mid-off as he too failed to hit the spin of Michael Bracewell off his length, England were in peril at 81 for 5.Jacob Duffy struck early to remove Phil Salt•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesCurran the cat claws a totalJordan Cox and Sam Curran were integral to Oval Invincibles’ latest Hundred triumph, but usually through front-footed onslaughts from No. 3 and 4 respectively. This rearguard from No. 6 and 7 required rather different skillsets – and, as it turned out, a fair dollop of luck.A timely rain-break in the 17th over offered England a chance to regroup, which Cox seemed to seize when he slapped Kyle Jamieson’s first ball of the resumption through the covers for four. But Jamieson hit back immediately, getting a length ball to stick in the pitch as Cox’s timing deserted him. Notwithstanding his fifty against Ireland in his previous outing, this 16 from 18 marked another missed opportunity for a player who – for a variety of reasons – can’t quite grasp his chances in the England set-up.Curran has also been on the outside looking in since Brendon McCullum took over as head coach, but his time would appear to have come, and even the fates seem to agree. Invaluable though his innings was, he was the beneficiary of two badly dropped catches – on 14, as Duffy spilled a steepler in his followthrough, and on 26, as Tim Robinson misjudged a pull to deep midwicket off Henry.He had a further life five balls later, when Jamieson pinned him on the knee-roll as he lined up a ramp. A speculative review showed it had pitched outside leg, by which stage he was already most of the way off the pitch.But he did the needful as the overs ran out, scampering the twos as New Zealand set their men back in the deep, before a final-over six and two fours hauled England to a total that might well have proved sufficient had the weather permitted a defence. On that, however, we’ll never know.

Tottenham Hotspur have been something of a mixed bag this season, but at least the Londoners are well set for a prolonged period of success, having recruited a range of exciting young talents over the past few years.

While there are many teenage talents waiting in the wings, Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou before him have succeeded in integrating youth, with the average age of Tottenham’s starting 11 in the Premier League this season 25.2, as opposed to a 27-year-old average during the 2022/23 campaign.

Who could be a better purveyor of this new focus than Micky van de Ven? The 24-year-old has increasingly become a talismanic force for the Lilywhites.

How Van de Ven is becoming the main man at Spurs

Van de Ven isn’t quite a spring chicken, having racked up 51 Premier League appearances, but he’s still well before his prime as a centre-back, and he’s still emerging as a superstar for Tottenham.

The Dutch defender has been described as “world-class” by journalist Sonny Snelling, with his remarkable blend of athletic power and position-bending pace making him a force to be reckoned with.

It is crucial that Tottenham keep him in their ranks over the coming years, with few players more influential than him in the Premier League. It would be difficult for Spurs to sign an even better star to strengthen their backline, after all. Certainly, it would be difficult to find someone capable of mimicking the former Wolfsburg player’s dynamic skills.

Of course, Tottenham’s prudence and promotion of their academy talent has seen them land such a player already.

Spurs have signed a bigger talent than Van de Ven

Van de Ven is a unique profile, but then Tottenham have also signed a singular talent in Luka Vuskovic, with the 18-year-old bearing the skillset to become one of the Premier League’s finest.

Hailed as a “freak talent” and a “freak athlete” for his physical profile by analyst Ben Mattinson, Vuskovic is currently plying his trade out on loan in Germany with Hamburger SV, with Spurs having wrapped up a deal for the youngster in 2023, yet to integrate him into the senior set-up.

While there is much work still to be done, the Croatian prospect has only increased the hype across his first few months in the Bundesliga, having established himself as a core part of Hamburg’s defence, who are 13th after ten matches.

Looking at how the teenager compares with Van de Ven this season, it’s easy to see why there is so much chatter around his name. You might even say Van de Ven is being outperformed by the younger man.

Translation from the Bundesliga to the Premier League can prove a hard task, but Vuskovic certainly has what it takes, and his physical attributes are only going to develop further over the coming years.

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

8 (8)

Goals

3

1

Assists

0

0

Clean sheets

3

2

Touches*

69.9

82.5

Accurate passes*

54.6 (92%)

53.0 (86%)

Chances created*

0.2

0.8

Dribbles*

0.3

0.3

Recoveries*

3.7

4.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

1.6

Clearances*

3.4

9.8

Duels (won)*

3.1 (53%)

8.9 (72%)

With this in mind, we might consider the 6 foot 4 teenager to have what it takes to become Tottenham’s leader at the rear, ahead of Van de Ven, ahead of Cristian Romero.

In fact, WhoScored believe that Vuskovic’s performances have been so impressive that he gets into the European Team of the Season so far, higher-rated, in fact, than Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes beside him.

Not just a warrior at the back, in the words of U23 scout Antonio Mango, much like Van de Ven, he is “turning into a goal machine” having netted seven goals on loan at Belgian side KVC Westerlo in 2024/25.

Though Vuskovic still has some developing to do, there’s no question that he’s a potential superstar, and if he does come to partner the Dutchman down the line, he might even outstrip him.

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ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2025

In the strange, paranormal world known as hitting, in which lucky socks or a borrowed bat are believed to carry superpowers, there is one five-letter unwelcome interloper who might as well be known as He Who Will Not be Named. Hitters do not even like to use the word “slump,” no less acknowledge such an enemy exists, such are its negative forces.

“I’m not in a slump,” premier hardball sensei Yogi Berra once said. “I just ain’t hitting.”

At its worst, though, a slump is unmistakable, even if it is unspeakable. For Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, it has grown as large as the man itself. It cannot be ignored.

One of the great sluggers of this generation cannot get out of his own way. He is taking strikes and swinging at balls. He is late on fastballs and early on breaking pitches. He has struck out 19 times in 11 games this postseason while batting .150.

Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday was a new low. Judge struck out swinging three times on pitches out of the zone, only the 16th time he had done so in his career. The Yankees again could not survive without some positive energy from their captain, losing 4–2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers to fall in the series two games to none.

Judge never did speak the word “slump” after the game, as he parried different versions of the question: He didn’t have to speak it. Accountable as he was, Judge gave away one of the root causes of his slump by how many times he used the same two words, with emphasis added:

“I’ve definitely got to step up. I got to do my job.”

“Especially with Gleyber [Torres] and what Juan [Soto] did at the top of the lineup, I've got to back them up.”

“They're going to keep getting on base. I've got to drive them in or move them over.”

“My boys are going to keep picking me up, but I’ve got to step up and pick them up, too.”

“It’s plain and simple. I got to start swinging at strikes.”

“Got to.” It’s the telltale admission of a hitter pressing. Judge knows how important he is to the Yankees. He knows at age 32 that he has waited his professional career to have this opportunity of playing in the World Series. And worse, he knows this October slump spans years. He is stringing together a legacy of empty postseason at-bats that is only getting harder to turn around.

In 55 postseason games, Judge is a career .199 hitter who is striking out 34% of his plate appearances, which is pretty much the regular season career of Mike Zunino. Judge has whiffed 85 times—12 more than anybody else in postseason history through 55 games (next closest is Cody Bellinger, 73).

James Rodríguez is reportedly set to leave Club León at the end of the Apertura 2025, as his contract expires in December and neither side intends to renew. With only six months remaining before the 2026 World Cup, the former Real Madrid star will have to find a new destination and could either stay in Liga MX or make the move to MLS.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  An imminent goodbye

  According to Mediotiempo, Rodríguez’s time with Club León will come to an end once the Apertura 2025 concludes. The Colombian joined La Fiera last semester on a one-year deal, originally drawn by the chance to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. However, León’s participation was canceled after FIFA disqualified them for violating ownership regulations, leaving James without that international showcase.

  Since then, things haven’t gone as expected. León were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Clausura 2025, and in the current Apertura campaign, they sit second-to-last (17th place) in the table. Rodríguez has gradually lost prominence within the team, scoring just three goals in 12 matches this season and five across 32 total appearances with the club.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ambriz won’t stand in James’ way

  While the arrival of head coach Ignacio Ambriz briefly raised hopes, results failed to improve, with defeats to Toluca, Santos, and Atlas, and only a draw against Pumas in recent weeks. The report suggests that both the club and the player see separation as the best solution moving forward.

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  MLS clubs keeping an eye on the Colombian

  The same outlet reported that several major Liga MX teams are monitoring the 33-year-old’s situation, while MLS sides have also expressed interest in signing the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner once his contract expires in December.

  With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, Rodríguez now faces a pivotal decision about the next chapter of his career – one that could determine his final act in top-level football.

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  What comes next for Club León?

  León will close the Apertura 2025 regular season with two challenging fixtures – first visiting América on Matchday 16 and then hosting Puebla on Matchday 17 – as the club looks to finish the campaign on a positive note.