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Until Sunday, the 12 teams in playoff position at the All-Star break were the same 12 teams holding playoff spots with one week to play. No more. The Reds leapfrogged the sagging Mets, and the molten-hot Guardians can replace the Tigers as soon as Tuesday. You want chaos? This is your week, when baseball becomes a high-stakes, minute-by-minute sprint.

The third wild card is proving its intention: inject sizzle back into September. And don’t worry about a watered-down playoff field. The six No. 6 seeds in three years of the 12-team format have won between 84 and 89 games with an average of 86.9 wins. We again should see the last two teams qualify in that range.

How crazy is the tournament? In the three seasons with six playoff teams in each league, the No. 6 seeds (32–26) have won as many postseason games as the No. 1 seeds (32–22). Just get in, baby.

Wild card spots are not all that’s at stake this week. We’ve got playoff seedings, major awards and MLB records also up for grabs. Here’s your guide to what’s on the line in Chaos Week:

The collapse of the Mets

They no longer control their playoff fate now that the Reds, who hold the tiebreaker over the Mets, caught them for the third wild card.

Since Aug. 19 the Mets are 13–18, including 3–8 against the Marlins and Nationals. But this is not just a late fade. From 45–24 in their first 69 games to 35–52 in their next 87, the Mets have been a bad team longer than they’ve been a good team.

They have used more pitchers than any team in history, received the fourth fewest innings from starters, lost more games out of the bullpen than any playoff contender, walked far too many batters, not once rallied to win after trailing after eight innings and whiffed on trade deadline acquisitions Cedric Mullins and Ryan Helsley, who had been in one organization for a decade before they were dropped into the heat of a New York pennant race.

This week the Mets play three games at Wrigley Field against the Cubs (where they see pitchers Cade Horton, Matt Boyd and Shota Imanaga) and three games in Miami against the Marlins, while asking three kids in their rotation to save their season.

The Reds have three at home against Pittsburgh (including one start by Paul Skenes) and finish with three at Milwaukee against the Brewers. Cincinnati has the edge because of its starting pitching. It also has the tiebreaker advantage over Arizona, which still lurks in the wild card race.

The Tigers in freefall

Detroit takes a six-game losing streak into Cleveland for a huge series against the Guardians that starts Tuesday, then goes to Fenway to finish against the Red Sox, another team hanging on by its fingernails. The Tigers are in a 7–18 freefall in which their 11.5-game AL Central lead has shrunk to one.

The length of the season has exposed the flaws of the Tigers. They strike out too much, their bullpen has the worst strikeout rate in baseball and they are a 46–54 team when anybody other than Tarik Skubal or Casey Mize starts.

American League musical chairs

The Tigers (85–71), Red Sox (85–71), Guardians (84–72) and Astros (84–72) are separated by one game with six to play and three spots up for grabs. One spot will go to either Detroit or Cleveland as the AL Central winner (Cleveland wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with one more win). That leaves three teams for two wild card spots. Here is the skinny on the race:

Tigers: The good news is by finishing against Cleveland and Boston they don’t need help. Their fate is smack in front of them. But that schedule—finishing on the road against two contenders—is also the bad news, especially after Detroit hit .182 against the Guardians while getting swept in three games last week. The Tigers are in trouble, especially if they lose with Skubal on the mound Tuesday in Cleveland.

Red Sox: They are 3–10 against Toronto and Detroit, their opponents this week. They see veteran pitchers Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber in Toronto. Holding tiebreakers against Cleveland and Houston and with head-to-head games with Detroit, Boston still has a good chance of getting in.

Guardians: Manager Stephen Vogt went to a six-man rotation to survive 17 games in 17 days. It worked, not just to keep his starters fresh, but also because pitching coach Carl Willis had them throw two bullpen sessions in between starts to dial in mechanics and pitch shaping. Cleveland is 16–5 with a 2.32 ERA this month. Cleveland is the only one of these four bubble teams to finish all this week at home. If they take two of three from Detroit, the Guardians will be in first place (by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker) and control their fate entering a series against Texas.

Astros: This is the bubble team in the most trouble, if only because they lose the tiebreakers to the Tigers, Red Sox and Guardians and they don’t have Yordan Alvarez (ankle) in the lineup. The Astros are 12–16 in August and September without Alvarez. They need to go at least 4–2 on the road against the Athletics and Angels.

Bayern Munich were forced to come from behind to beat Sporting CP 3-1 at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday in the Champions League. A Joshua Kimmich own goal gave the visitors a shock lead in the game but the hosts hit back through Serge Gnabry. Teenage superstar Lennart Karl then sealed another impressive performance by firing Bayern ahead before Jonathan Tah wrapped up another European win for Vincent Kompany's side.

Karl the star as Bayern come from behind

Bayern thought they had broken the deadlock just minutes into the encounter. Karl controlled the ball and swept home a fine finish from just inside the penalty area, but the goal was chalked off as Gnabry had strayed fractionally offside. The hosts went on to have the better chances of the opening 45 minutes but couldn’t find a way past goalkeeper Rui Silva. Harry Kane was denied by the post, while Karl went even closer just before half-time after a jinking run but saw his effort palmed away by Silva.

Those misses proved to be costly as Sporting stunned the Allianz Arena at the start of the second half. A quick break down the left flank saw Joao Simoes beat Tah and fire a ball across goal. A lunging Kimmich tried to block the shot but succeeded only in diverting the ball past Bayern stopper Manuel Neuer to hand the visitors a shock lead.

Bayern hit back within 10 minutes courtesy of some criminal defending by the visitors. A corner in from the right by Michael Olise found Gnabry completed unmarked at the far post and left with the simple task of hooking the ball home to make it 1-1.

Four minutes later, Bayern were in front and it was no surprise to see the irrepressible Karl netting. The 17-year-old ran onto a ball in the box, cushioned it perfectly on his left foot before lashing home with his right to put Bayern in front for the first time in the game.

Sporting's resistance was broken and Bayern went on to seal the win through Tah. Kimmich went some way to making amends for his earlier own goal by pinging a ball from deep into the penalty area for Olise to head back into the danger area. His header found an unmarked Tah with all the time in the world to poke home Bayern's third to seal the win.

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Karl enhanced his growing reputation with another stellar performance and a vital goal to ensure Bayern took all three points. Even with Harry Kane on the pitch, Karl looked Bayern's most likely source of a goal against Sporting and it was no surprise to see him pop up with the goal that put Bayern 2-1 up. Karl also wrote his name in the history books with his latest strike, as he becomes the youngest player in Champions League history to score in three consecutive games at 17 years and 290 days.

The big loser

Kimmich had an evening to forget against Sporting. A poor moment saw the 30-year-old inadvertently hand the visitors the lead as he put through his own net in the first half. Kimmich's frustrations then boiled over in the second half when a brief brawl erupted between both sets of players after Bayern had equalised. The Germany star was booked for his part in the proceedings to compound a less than impressive showing from the veteran.

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The day-long elections, which included physical votes and e-ballots, was held in a hotel in Dhaka on Monday

Mohammad Isam06-Oct-2025

Aminul Islam has been re-elected as the BCB president at the board election on Monday. He will serve a four-year term, after having been in the same role for the last four months. Faruque Ahmed, the former president who Aminul had replaced in May, and Shakhawat Hossain, will be the vice-presidents.The day-long election, which included physical votes and e-ballots, was held in a hotel in Dhaka. A total of 23 directors were elected and two government representatives were announced later to form the 25-member body. The election commission said 115 votes were cast out of the 156 eligible voters.The election process is two-fold. The voters, called councillors, elect 23 board directors in three separate categories. Aminul was one of ten directors elected from the first category, which includes only the divisions and districts of the country. The second category is the all-powerful Dhaka clubs who elect the majority of 12 directors. The third category includes representatives from different institutions, former cricketers, captains, and several other organisations.The election commission announced the names of the board directors at 6.30pm, before the new 25-member body held an election among themselves to choose the president and two vice-presidents. Aminul, Faruque and Shakhawat were elected unopposed in these posts.Three former captains are now in the board of directors, including Aminul, Faruque and Khaled Mashud. Former Bangladesh cricketer Abdur Razzak was nominated from the Khulna sub-category unopposed, becoming a board director. He had left his job as a senior men’s selector recently.While the voting was held without major incident on Monday, the election commission representatives made allegations of “intimidations”. The build-up to the election, too, had several controversies. Tamim Iqbal, the former Bangladesh captain, had withdrawn from the race after complaining of interference, when BCB chief Aminul issued a letter asking for fresh nominations for the elections’ first category. The letter was cleared by the country’s courts the day before the elections.After he was confirmed as the new president, Aminul said he wanted to continue in this role after “falling in love with Bangladesh cricket’s development”. When he was elected on May 30, Aminul had said that his short-term role would be like a “quick T20 innings”.Aminul played 13 Tests and 39 ODIs, and led the side during their maiden World Cup appearance in 1999.Category 1 directors: Aminul Islam, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, Asif Akbar, Abdur Razzak, Julfiker Ali Khan, Mukhlesur Rahman, Hasanuzzaman, Rahat Shams, Shakhawat HossainCategory 2 directors: Ishtiaque Sadeque, Adnan Rahman, Fayazur Rahman, Abul Bashar, Amzad Hossain, Shanian Taneem, Mukhsedul Kamal, Nazmul Islam, Faruque Ahmed, Manjur Alam, Mehrab Alam Chowdhury, Iftekhar RahmanCategory 3 director: Khaled MashudGovernment representative directors: M Ishfaq Ahsan, Yasir Mohammad Faisal Ashique

Bangladesh succumbed to the pressure of a high-stakes game, losing their way in a chase of only 136

Deivarayan Muthu25-Sep-20253:15

Why do Bangladesh struggle in pressure situations?

It has taken more than 40 years but we finally have it: an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final. Pakistan scrapped their way into the title clash after defending 135 against Bangladesh in Dubai.After Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in three powerplay overs, Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws, finding sharp turn and grip. After bagging his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup, Saim Ayub produced a double-strike and ensured Bangladesh’s batting spiralled out of control.It was one of those bizarre games where the team that hit more sixes ended up losing. Pakistan had managed just five sixes and Bangladesh had matched that tally by the tenth over of the chase. They eventually finished with seven sixes but as they searched for more on a pitch that perhaps wasn’t conducive to that style, they kept holing out.Pakistan’s batters had suffered a similar meltdown earlier in the day, but Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz did enough to drag them to 135 on a used surface, a total that at the end of the day was enough by 11 runs.Pakistan’s go-slowTaskin Ahmed, rested for Wednesday’s game against India, hit the ground running by dismissing the in-form Sahibzada Farhan for 4. He became the third Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to 100 T20I wickets.In the next over, offspinner Mahedi Hasan had Ayub flapping a catch to mid-on for a three-ball duck – his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup and ninth in 45 T20I innings. Only Umar Akmal (ten in 79 T20I innings) has bagged more for Pakistan.Fakhar Zaman was also going nowhere, managing only 12 off 18 balls in a powerplay that saw Pakistan score only 27. Only Hong Kong had scored fewer runs in a powerplay in this Asia Cup.After taking the catches of Farhan and Ayub, wristspinner Rishad Hossain dismissed Fakhar (13 off 20 balls) and Hussain Talat (3 off 7) in successive overs. When Mustafizur had captain Salman Agha inside-edging behind with his trademark offcutter, Pakistan were 49 for 5 in the 11th over.2:24

Aaron: Pakistan found right ‘mixture of calm and emotion’

Haris, Nawaz bail Pakistan outThe first six of Pakistan’s innings came in the 13th over when Afridi launched Tanzim Hasan Sakib into the top tier over midwicket. In the next over, he hit Taskin for another six before miscuing a full-toss to the keeper. After being dropped on 1 and 3, Afridi got to 19 off 13 balls.Nawaz could have been dismissed on 0 had Parvez Hossain not dropped a regulation catch. He went on to make 25 off 15 balls. Haris also played his part, taking on both Rishad and Mustafizur during his 31 off 23 balls. Pakistan crashed 80 runs in their last eight overs.Bangladesh fade away in chaseWhile Afridi was on the money with the new ball at one end – his powerplay figures read 3-0-11-2, including a customary first-over strike – Bangladesh went after the bowlers at the other end. When Faheem Ashraf erred too full, Saif Hassan pounded him over mid-on for six. In the next over, he picked Haris Rauf away for a six and a four. In his next over, however, Rauf bounced back to draw a leading edge from Saif, which was grasped by Ayub at point.Nurul Hasan then started with a first-ball six, though off a top edge, but Bangladesh couldn’t sustain their hitting and kept finding the boundary riders. Shamim Hossain, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 off 25 balls, was their only batter to pass 20.Bangladesh’s slim hopes faded away when Afridi returned with the old ball and had Shamim caught by Talat, who was not needed with the ball on the day. Bangladesh were missing their regular captain and key batter Litton Das who was on the sidelines for a second successive game with a side strain. Jaker Ali, the stand-in captain, was among a long list of batters who holed out while attempting to clear the boundary.Pakistan had an injury scare when Rauf collapsed in his follow-through in the 18th over, but he continued to bowl, finishing off his spell, and locked in an India-Pakistan final on Sunday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed another injury doubt ahead of their looming derby clash at home to Tottenham, following the now-confirmed news that star defender Gabriel Magalhaes is set for weeks on the sidelines.

The Gunners welcome Spurs to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday brimming with confidence, as Arteta’s side look to extend their remarkable recent dominance over their fiercest rivals and strengthen their grip atop the Premier League summit.

Arsenal enter the 198th North London derby in commanding form despite a late setback at Sunderland ending their 10-match winning streak. They sit four points clear at the top of the table, and history suggests they’re well-positioned to maintain that advantage.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal have won five of their last six Premier League encounters with Spurs, including three consecutive victories – their longest winning run against Tottenham since the late 80s (The Analyst).

Home advantage has proven decisive in this fixture. Indeed, Arsenal have lost just one of their last 32 home Premier League derbies against Tottenham, winning 19 and drawing 12, with that solitary defeat coming in November 2010 (The Analyst).

The Emirates has become a fortress against their arch rivals, with Arsenal having scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Spurs, netting at least twice in the previous eight meetings.

However, Arsenal have had numerous injury doubts to contend with, as they have for most of this season.

Gabriel is now reportedly set for at least a month on the sidelines after injuring his thigh on international duty with Brazil, with Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus have all been missing recently.

Riccardo Calafiori could miss Tottenham as Arsenal dealt another injury doubt

As well as this, star left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far according to Ray Parlour, was nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy.

After checks this week, Fabrizio Romano stated that Calafiori is ready to play with no injuries, just ‘overload’, so Arteta’s latest update actually comes as quite a surprising twist.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, via football.london, Arteta says that Calafiori has been unavailable, and they’ll have to wait and see if he can take part against Spurs, pending another Saturday training session.

With Gabriel already ruled out, losing Calafiori would strip Arsenal of their two most versatile defensive options in one fell swoop.

If the former Bologna star is ruled out, Myles Lewis-Skelly is poised to return at left-back, with one of Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie replacing Gabriel. Calafiori’s been in exceptional form this term, so much so that Lewis-Skelly, one of Hale End’s latest rising stars, has barely got a look-in despite his excellent end to 24/25.

The 23-year-old would be a sore miss for Arteta, who is now facing a real selection headache ahead of one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the year.

Fan of the Philadelphia Phillies didn't have much patience on Sunday.

It didn't take long for Phillies fans to jump on their team during Game 2 of the NLDS against the New York Mets. After their team fell behind 2-0 early, Philadelphia's fans began booing their own players after they went scoreless in the first four innings. The boos were not subtle and came on every at-bat.

Nick Castellanos seemed to get it the worst.

Say what you want, but it appeared to work. The Mets were up 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth when Bryce Harper launched a two-run home run and Castellanos followed that up with a solo shot to tie the game at 3-3.

The Phillies led 1-0 for most of Game 1, but a five-run eighth inning rally helped the Mets take the lead for good in a 6-2 victory. Game 2 is still up for grabs.

South Africa 278 for 6 (Brits 101, Wolvaardt 75, Fletcher 3-53) beat West Indies 121 (Claxton 43, Alleyne 32, Klaas 4-25) by 166 runs (DLS method)A commanding opening stand of 184 led by Tazmin Brits’ century, later followed by Masabata Klaas’ four-wicket haul gave South Africa a series win with a comprehensive 166-run victory in the decider as they beat West Indies by DLS method in Cave Hill. Klaas took three wickets in her first two overs, which left West Indies reeling on 40 for 6 in pursuit of their revised target of 288, and the hosts were eventually bundled for 121 in the rain-affected match.West Indies had little to feel good about their toss decision to bowl first. They could not get a wicket for 26.1 overs and the opening stand between Brits and the captain Laura Wolvaardt was South Africa’s tied-fifth-highest in WODI history and came at a run-rate of more than seven.

WI duo guilty of Level 1 offence

Pep Guardiola has named the one player that he'd "love" to have back at Manchester City. City have previously shown a ruthless streak when it comes to cashing on players who no longer wish to play for the club, notably Leroy Sane who left the Premier League side for Bayern Munich in 2020. However, Guardiola has revealed that one "performing unbelievably" he'd welcome back.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Striker left City last summer

  Julian Alvarez left Manchester City for Atletico Madrid last summer having become frustrated at a lack of regular game time for the Premier League powerhouse. The 25-year-old started 31 league games in his final season at the Etihad Stadium, but a bulk of those came as a result of absences to either Erling Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne.

  With both fit, Alvarez was often dropped to the bench despite scoring 11 goals and providing nine assists in the 2023/24 campaign. As such, the 2022 World Cup winner pushed to leave with Atletico winning the race to secure his services.

  While City were keen to retain the forward, they were willing to sanction his exit and the striker shone in his debut campaign with Atletico. While Aleti finished the league season in third, Alvarez still scored 17 times and laid on a further four assists.

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• 'I'd love to have him'

  And Alvarez has started the season strongly, scoring six times in his opening eight league outings though Atletico have made a sub-par start to the campaign, winning only three times. However, Alvarez's performances for the Spanish side have not gone unnoticed, with Guardiola admitting he's one he'd "love" to have back at the Etihad.

  Ahead of City's game against Everton, Guardiola said: "Julian had to compete with Erling (Haaland), which was something extraordinary for us.

  "Julian Alvarez is top. That's why now he's at one of the best clubs in the world, Atleti, playing for a top class manager, players, performing unbelievably. Maybe I'd love to have him… but I understand why he left."

  Alvarez wasn't the only player who left City recently as Aymeric Laporte departed for Al-Nassr in 2023, another who was keen on more playing time under Guardiola, who added: "The Treble year, do you remember the players I left on the bench? Aymeric Laporte, an incredible central defender and a regular for the national team, Julian and others who I would love to have now, but they wanted to play more and left."

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  Did Man City replace Alvarez?

  City were caught short in attack when Alvarez left last summer as the Premier League powerhouse failed to sign a replacement for the Argentina international. The Manchester side only spent on winger Savinho from Girona and re-signed Ilkay Gundogan following his Barcelona release.

  However, after a disappointing start to the season, which wasn't helped by the absence of midfielder Rodri, City splashed the cash back in January, signing Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Nico Gonzalez and, crucially, Omar Marmoush, the Egyptian joining from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt to replace Alvarez.

  Marmoush scored seven league goals following his move to City though has endured an injury-hit start to the Premier League season having made just two league starts, though he made the bench for Saturday's game against Everton.

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• Atletico looking to get back on track

  Atletico will look to get their season back on track when they face Osasuna on Saturday night. While Diego Simeone's side have lost just one league game this season, they returned to league duties eight points behind league leaders Real Madrid, who they demolished at home 5-2 last month.

  Alvarez is expected to lead the charge for Atleti, who are without the suspended Clement Lenglet for this must-win meeting in the capital. And the former City hitman is looking to add to his six league goals of the season when Osasuna make the trip to the capital.

  However, Alvarez has scored in just three of his eight appearances in 2025/26 having bagged a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano and a brace in the Madrid Derby triumph at the end of September.

  Alvarez also drew a blank over the international break as he failed to score in Argentina's 1-0 win over Venezuela in Miami. Lionel Messi sat out the narrow victory but played the full 90 as the world champions eased to a 6-0 win over Puerto Rico, a match Alvarez watched from the sidelines while Lautaro Martinez bagged a brace from the bench.

خسر الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول بثلاثية نظيفة أمام كريستال بالاس في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات كأس كاراباو.

واستضاف ملعب “آنفيلد” المباراة بين ليفربول وكريستال بالاس مساء اليوم، الأربعاء، في إطار منافسات كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية المحترفة.

وتعتبر هذه أول بطولة يخسرها ليفربول هذا الموسم ليستمر مسلسل الهزائم المتتالية التي يعيشها الفريق على مدار الفترة الماضية.

وتعد تلك المباراة الثالثة التي يخسرها ليفربول هذا الموسم أمام كريستال بالاس، إذ خسر بطولة الدرع الخيرية بركلات الترجيح، كما انهزم بثنائية مقابل هدف في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وضرب آرني سلوت رقمًا سلبيًا مع ليفربول إذ لم يحقق الفريق الفوز سوى مرة واحدة في آخر 7 مباريات خاضها الريدز بجميع المسابقات.

اقرأ أيضًا | هاسلبانك: محمد صلاح متذمر ولم يعد النجم الأول في ليفربول

ويغيب النجم المصري محمد صلاح عن تشكيل ليفربول، كما لا يتواجد على مقاعد البدلاء، رفقة عدة نجوم مثل فيرجيل فان دايك قائد الفريق.

وسجل السنغالي سار هدف كريستال بلاس الأول بعد ارتباك دفاعي في منطقة جزاء ليسدد الكرة في مرمى الحارس وودمان، في الدقيقة 41.

كما سجل اللاعب ذاته الهدف الثاني لصالح كريستال بالاس في الدقيقة 45 بعد انفراد تام بمرمى ليفربول.

وسجل اللاعب ييريمي بينو الهدف الثالث لصالح كريستال بالاس في الدقيقة 88 من عمر وأحداث اللقاء.

وشهد اللقاء حالة طرد في الدقيقة 79، إذ أشهر حكم اللقاء البطاقة الحمراء للاعب ليفربول أمارا ناللو.

ليفربول لم يسدد سوى 7 تسديدات على مرمى كريستال بالاس منهم تسديدة واحدة فقط بين القائمين والعارضة، أما الأخير فسدد 12 تسديدة منهم 8 تسديدات على الحارس وودمان. أهداف مباراة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس اليوم في كأس كاراباو

From selling cookies on the streets of Moreno to wearing Argentina’s iconic sky-blue and white, 21-year-old Lautaro Rivero’s journey reads like a football fairy tale. Once a street vendor helping his family make ends meet, the River Plate defender has now been called up to Lionel Scaloni’s senior squad and is eyeing a spot at the 2026 World Cup.

Lautaro Rivero's journey from streets to stadiums

Argentina’s latest national team squad has turned heads, not just for its tactical mix, but for the emotional story behind Rivero.

The 21-year-old centre-back, once a street vendor selling alfajores, a traditional South American cookies, to support his family, now stands on the brink of an international debut. Born and raised in Moreno, a suburb of Buenos Aires, Rivero grew up in a modest home alongside five siblings. His footballing dream began on the dusty pitches of local club Los Halcones, just blocks away from his home.

Football became his escape and his purpose. “We are very humble and hardworking. My biggest wish is to see my family doing well,” Rivero said in an interview with River Plate in 2022. “Thanks to them, I’m here, fighting every day.”

AdvertisementAFPA rising star at River Plate

At just 14, Rivero’s potential was spotted by River Plate scouts, who brought him into their academy, a turning point that changed his life. Originally a left midfielder, his natural left foot prompted a move to centre-back position, where he quickly became a leader, even captaining several youth sides. By 2021, he earned promotion to the reserve team and, two years later, signed his first professional contract with River Plate.

In 2024, his consistency and composure caught the eye of former first-team boss Martin Demichelis, who included him in River’s Copa Libertadores squad. Yet, breaking into a star-studded lineup proved challenging. Seeking regular minutes, Rivero was loaned out to Central Cordoba, where he thrived. His standout moment came in a historic 2-1 victory over Flamengo at the Maracanã, where he dominated defensively, a performance that brought him under the league's spotlight.

Rivero's breakthrough season and national call-up

Rivero’s rise didn’t stop there. In just one season with Central Cordoba, he made 30 appearances, scored two goals, and provided one assist, playing every minute of their Copa Libertadores campaign. His calm under pressure and sharp positional sense made him one of the most promising defenders in Argentina.

Recognising his growth, River Plate activated their buy-back clause this summer, bringing him back for the upcoming Club World Cup. His performances also drew the attention of Argentina coach Scaloni, who has now handed Rivero his first senior call-up for the upcoming friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico on October 10 and October 13 respectively.

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Getty Images SportRivero eyes 2026 World Cup spot with Albiceleste

Still only 21, his rapid rise has positioned him as one of the brightest young defenders in South America. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Rivero is determined to cement his place in Scaloni’s evolving squad. River Plate fans are equally excited, viewing him as part of the club’s new generation of homegrown leaders.