Sports
Atletico Madrid, Bilbao In All Spainish Europa Cup Final
Fernando Llorente will hold the key for Spanish side Athletic Bilbao when they meet Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
While much of the focus this season has been on Barcelona and Real Madrid’s utter dominance of La Liga, both Marcelo Bielsa’s Bilbao (10th in La Liga) and Diego Simeone’s Atletico (fifth) have the chance to savour their own taste of European glory at the National Arena in Bucharest.
Athletic, who only field players from the Basque region, have impressed under eccentric Argentine Bielsa this season with their fluid possession-based style likened to that of Barcelona’s.
Key to their set-up is Llorente, who has netted 17 goals in La Liga, 10 of which have come from headers, and he has a further seven in the Europa League.
That could be the key given Atletico have struggled to deal with set pieces at times this season, most recently against Valencia in their semi-final where two goals came from corners.
Simeone knows of Bilbao’s threat at breaking forward and said that would be an area of focus for his side.
“Bilbao are a team who like to go forward, who play very well and they have proved throughout the season they are a very competitive side,” Simeone said.
“Their strength lies in how quickly they look to move the ball once they have regained possession, and their focal point is Llorente.
“We will have to be very careful to deny them spaces.”
Simeone knows Bielsa well having played the latter stages of his international career with Argentina under him from 1998-2004.
“The sides are very evenly matched. I haven’t spoken to Bielsa but I have a great admiration for him,” Simeone admitted during the week.
Atletico’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao will pose a similar threat as Llorente and has had no trouble adjusting to La Liga after his off-season switch from Porto, for whom he scored the winner in last year’s Europe League final.
After being bought for a club record 40 million euros to replace the departing Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan, Falcao has not disappointed bagging 23 goals in La Liga to trail only Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo, as well 10 in the Europa League.
Simeone is likely to make one enforced change with Gabi set to replace the suspended Tiago, who was sent off in the second leg against Valencia, alongside Mario Suarez in central midfield.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
One of the greatest strikers of the past 15 years, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, is among the big names who will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who has scored 89 goals for his country, was not able to inspire his side as they lost 3-2 in Stockholm against Sweden in Tuesday’s play-off final.
Lewandowski, who won the German Bundesliga title on 10 occasions, twice with Borussia Dortmund and then in eight successive seasons with Bayern Munich, before winning La Liga twice with Barca, may have played in his last major international tournament.
Lewandowski captained Poland at the World Cup in 2018, but did not score in Russia as his country came bottom of the group. He had a better tournament four years later in Qatar, scoring twice as Poland reached the last 16 before losing to France.
He netted four times in Group G in 2026 qualifying only for Poland to finish three points behind the Netherlands, before losing to Sweden on Tuesday.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
Another star that will be missing in action at the mundial is Gialuigui Donnarumma of Italy.
Italy lost in the World Cup play-offs for a third successive qualifying tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season since he moved from Paris St-Germain for £26m in September, after helping the French club win the Champions League last season.
Despite being player of the tournament as Italy won the 2020 European Championship, he misses out on a World Cup again after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)
Serhou Guirassy is Fourth in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season
Serhou Guirassy has established himself as one of most prolific strikers playing in Europe, with 62 goals in the German Bundesliga over the past three seasons, while no player scored more than his 13 goals in the Champions League in 2024-25.
But he will not be at the World Cup as his country Guinea went out in the first round of African qualifying, finishing fourth in their group, with only four wins and three draws from their 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Paris St-Germain become European champions last season, scoring in the 5-0 final win over Inter Milan, and he came 12th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
But Georgia had a miserable campaign in World Cup qualifying as they only picked up three points from a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray and Nigeria)
Victor Osimhen has scored 26 goals for club and country this season
Victor Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in 2023 before moving to Galatasaray, where he grabbed 26 goals in 30 games to take them to the Turkish title last season.
Nigeria drew five of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished one point behind winners South Africa, but then had a second chance in the following play-off.
With Osimhen already substituted, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool and Hungary)
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored 12 goals for Liverpool this season
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed this season and scored some stunning long-range goals.
But he will not be at the World Cup after his country let a 2-1 lead slip in their final group game with the Republic of Ireland scoring twice in injury time to clinch a spot in the play-offs and eliminate Hungary.
Female wrestlers in action at Governor Diri Wrestling Classics.
Ondo State wrestlers dominated the women’s events on Day six of the fourth Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa on Monday, claiming gold medals in two of the four women’s freestyle categories.
African champion Khadijat Idris of Ondo State led the charge in the 55kg division, defeating rising talent Mary Ayeloh of Bayelsa State by technical superiority to claim gold. Happiness Soso of Delta State and Augustine Rhoda of Lagos State took bronze medals in the category.
Damola Ojo also flew the Ondo flag proudly in the 76kg event, retaining her title after defeating all opponents in a round-robin format. Nigeria Army wrestler Laide Ojo settled for silver, while Juliet Ogo of Bayelsa State and Mercy Alison of Abia State each claimed bronze.
In the 62kg category, Patience Kakanda of Bayelsa State produced the upset of the day, defeating Nigeria Army’s Precious Tieberi 3-1 in the final to be crowned the new champion. Isioma Abojei of Delta State and Blessing Apah of Dynamite Club won bronze medals.
Rivers State’s Esther Asaolu also retained her title in the 59kg division, overcoming all her opponents in the round-robin format, with Patience Opuene of Bayelsa State finishing as runner-up.
In the men’s events, Solomon Ulabo of Bayelsa State claimed gold in the 79kg category, with Kpum Ayibasisei of Edo State taking silver and Rasheed Saliu of Ondo State and Ebisindei Okorie of Dynamite Club winning bronze. NewLife Ebikeme of Bayelsa State won the 92kg gold, ahead of Perezidei Obaze of Edo State in silver position, while Tobechukwu Udeh of the Nigeria Army and Timilehin Adekanmi of Ondo State claimed bronze medals.
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