KARIM BENZEMA NETS DEBUT HAT TRICK AS AL HILAL CRUSH AL OKHDOOD 6-0
Karim Benzema ruined Cristiano Ronaldo’s birthday with a debut hat trick for Al Hilal, while the Al Nassr captain went on strike.
Karim Benzema made quite an entrance for Al Hilal, scoring a stunning hat trick on his debut and rubbing a little salt in Cristiano Ronaldo’s wounds. All this went down, of all days, on Ronaldo’s birthday. Benzema didn’t waste a second after arriving from Al Ittihad—he just got right to work, helping Al Hilal crush Al Okhdood 6-0. Salem Al Dawsari chipped in with two goals, and Malcom added another. Just like that, the new front three looked like they’d been playing together for years.
Getting Benzema to Al Hilal wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. The Saudi Ministry of Sports and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) blocked the transfer at first, but the move finally happened right before the deadline. Apparently, Ronaldo wasn’t thrilled. Reports say the Al Nassr captain felt PIF left his club hanging while boosting their rivals. He was so upset, he refused to play for Al Nassr on Monday in protest.
Now, Ronaldo’s back at training, but it looks like he’s sitting out Friday’s game against Al Ittihad. The Saudi Pro League tried to cool things down, putting out a statement reminding everyone that no player is bigger than the club.
Meanwhile, Benzema showed everyone why Al Hilal worked so hard to get him. He opened the scoring with a slick back-heel after just 31 minutes, then bagged two more in the second half—a smooth side-footed finish on the hour and a quick close-range strike four minutes later for the hat trick.
The win puts Al Hilal three points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League. Al Ahli are in second, with Ronaldo’s Al Nassr another point back, though they’ve played one game less.
One more thing: Ivan Toney found the net again for Al Ahli in their 2-0 win over Al Hazem, stretching his lead in the golden boot race with 19 goals. Ronaldo’s got 17. The race is definitely heating up.
ITALY RECORDS FIRST SQUAD CHANGE OF PLAY-OFFS AS CAMBIAGHI REPLACES FEDERICO CHIESA
Gennaro Gattuso calls up Nicolò Cambiaghi to replace Federico Chiesa as Italy face Northern Ireland on Thursday.
Federico Chiesa just dropped out of the Italy squad, days after finally getting his first call-up in almost two years. Gennaro Gattuso picked him for Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, and possibly another match with Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina after that, depending on how things go.
But after joining up with the team, it looks like Chiesa won’t be playing for the Azzurri. He’s barely started for Liverpool this season, just five times, with only one in the Premier League. He’s struggled with the physical demands at Liverpool and hasn't been able to put in the minutes he used to.
The Italian FA put out a statement: "Federico Chiesa was assessed on arrival at the Federal Technical Centre and deemed unavailable for the next two matches. In agreement with his club, he has left the squad. Bologna winger Nicolò Cambiaghi has been called up as his replacement."
Earlier this year, Chiesa admitted the jump from Serie A to the Premier League was tough on him, and he told Gattuso he wouldn’t return to the Italy squad until he felt "100 per cent". Gattuso backed him up: "I must respect what the player tells me. I often talk to him. We have to respect the decisions and problems that each of us has.”
He hasn't played for Italy since joining Liverpool, with his last appearance for the national team at Euro 2024. Chiesa has 51 senior caps, and from 2018 to 2024, he was a fixture in the squad. He was huge for Italy during their Euro 2020 win, starting all seven games and scoring two big goals in the knockouts.
Italy, meanwhile, is aiming for a spot in its first World Cup since 2014. They’ll face Northern Ireland next, who just called up Liverpool youngster Kieran Morrison for his first senior cap. Italy finished second in qualifying behind Norway, and Gattuso took over from Luciano Spalletti midway through. Premier League names like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Riccardo Calafiori, and Sandro Tonali are all in the squad for these critical play-off matches.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
