&lt;p&gt;Mike Tomlin and the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-steelers&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; are not happy with the way the NFL has handled DK Metcalf’s situation, according to a report by Gerry Dulac. The two-game suspension for the wide receiver after he attempted to hit a fan in Detroit could be the key factor that derails their playoff hopes.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The Steelers remain upset that the NFL and the Detroit Lions did not alert them before the game about the incident between Metcalf and the same fan a year earlier when Metcalf was with the Seattle Seahawks. Had they done so, additional procedures could have been put in place, by the league, Lions or Steelers, to prevent what ultimately recurred. It probably did not sit well with them either, that Metcalf’s appeals hearing was handled by a one-time division rival in former Browns coach Chris Palmer, who was appointed by the league.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/aaron-rodgers&quot;&gt;Aaron Rodgers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; was unable to count on his best weapon in the last game against the Cleveland Browns and, as a result, had to rely heavily on Marquez Valdes-Scantling in clutch moments. Undoubtedly, Metcalf’s presence could have changed the outcome of that matchup, and perhaps the Steelers would already have the AFC North title secured.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;What did DK Metcalf do to get suspended?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;DK Metcalf was suspended after television cameras caught him throwing a punch at a Detroit Lions fan. All of this happened after the two exchanged words on the sideline during the Steelers’ game at Ford Field in Week 16.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        


&lt;h2&gt;Why is DK Metcalf suspended?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;DK Metcalf was suspended for violating the NFL’s code of conduct. Although the wide receiver attempted to appeal the punishment, his request was unsuccessful. The player was suspended for two games and also lost more than $555,000 in salary.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/aaron-rodgers-sends-clear-message-to-nfl-as-steelers-qb-complains-about-referees-after-loss-against-browns&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Mike Tomlin and Steelers are very upset with NFL after key decision might cost Pittsburgh a spot in the playoffs

Mike Tomlin sends clear message to Aaron Rodgers and Steelers after loss against Browns in NFL Week 17

NFL News: Mike Tomlin confirms Steelers could lose Aaron Rodgers key teammate due to injury for game against Ravens

Steelers are reportedly very upset with NFL after controversial decision might cost Pittsburgh a spot in the playoffs - Bolavip US

Mike Tomlin and Steelers are reportedly very upset with NFL after controversial decision

Mike Tomlin and Steelers are reportedly very upset with NFL after controversial decision might cost Pittsburgh a spot in the playoffs

miniaturas

&lt;p&gt;The divisional showdown between the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cleveland-browns&quot;&gt;Cleveland Browns&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and the &lt;strong&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/strong&gt; this past weekend ended with a big victory for the team led by &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/shedeur-sanders&quot;&gt;Shedeur Sanders&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Years of &lt;strong&gt;NFL&lt;/strong&gt; experience prompted both &lt;strong&gt;Mike Tomlin&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Aaron Rodgers&lt;/strong&gt; to share their thoughts on what happened after the game.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Talent recognizes talent, as the saying goes in this sport. For that reason, Sanders received praise from both Steelers leaders, who, after the game, approached No. 12 to congratulate him on his performance.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Good job man,”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/aaron-rodgers&quot;&gt;Rodgers&lt;/a&gt; congratulated Shedeur. &lt;em&gt;“I’m proud of you. Happy for you man.”&lt;/em&gt; Despite taking a tough loss that puts their playoff hopes in jeopardy, Tomlin also acknowledged the effort of his opponent: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Good job young man, stay up. You know it”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/shedeur-sanders-explains-why-browns-win-vs-mike-tomlin-aaron-rodgers-steelers-felt-bittersweet&quot;&gt;Sanders admitted he felt bittersweet&lt;/a&gt; due to the low scoring during the game, there’s no doubt that his talent &lt;strong&gt;led the Browns to a big victory in a matchup neither team ever wants to lose.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554175_shedeur-sanders-aaron-rodgers_cf372b27.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Aaron Rodgers Shedeur Sanders&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-554242&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns and Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Sanders wants to be the QB1 next season&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Shedeur &lt;strong&gt;Sanders is determined to secure the starting role next season&lt;/strong&gt;, despite recording 1,289 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 20.2 QBR through seven games, before Week 18.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/mike-tomlin-aaron-rodgers-blamed-by-shedeur-sanders-star-teammate-for-steelers-loss-to-browns&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;While he showed flashes of potential in a recent upset win over the Steelers, he got &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/shedeur-sanders-gets-important-reminder-in-pursuit-of-browns-2026-qb-job-after-win-vs-steelers&quot;&gt;an important reminder in pursuit of the Browns 2026 QB job&lt;/a&gt; from Kevin Stefanski, who emphasized that the young signal-caller must improve his decision-making and consistency to lead the franchise long-term.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Tomlin on the hot seat after Browns loss&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The stakes for the Pittsburgh Steelers have reached a boiling point as they head into a &lt;strong&gt;winner-take-all Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens&lt;/strong&gt;. Despite &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mike-tomlin&quot;&gt;Mike Tomlin&lt;/a&gt; securing his 19th consecutive non-losing season, reports suggest that a loss and a subsequent failure to make the playoffs &lt;strong&gt;could mark the end of his historic tenure. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With NFL insiders indicating that the veteran coach might choose to walk away or seek a new challenge if the season ends in disappointment, the national conversation is firmly centered on &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/nfl-insider-sheds-light-on-mike-tomlin-and-john-harbaughs-futures-depending-on-steelers-vs-ravens-result&quot;&gt;Tomlin’s future depending on the Steelers vs Ravens result.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;A defeat would not only hand the AFC North title to Baltimore but could also force a total organizational reset in &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-steelers&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh&lt;/a&gt; after nearly a decade without a postseason victory.&lt;/p&gt;

Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers’ message to Shedeur Sanders after Steelers’ unexpected loss to Browns

Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers' message to Shedeur Sanders after Steelers' unexpected loss to Browns - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;Jerry Jones and the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dallas-cowboys&quot;&gt;Dallas Cowboys&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; will reach three decades without winning a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/super-bowl&quot;&gt;Super Bowl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. After being the most successful franchise in NFL history, the controversial owner has watched teams like the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-steelers&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and the New England Patriots take that title away from them with six Vince Lombardi trophies each.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;After Troy Aikman’s retirement, the Cowboys wasted some strong years of Tony Romo, and the same thing is happening with &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dak-prescott&quot;&gt;Dak Prescott&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. For example, in the 2025 season, a high-powered offense was unable to take the next step because the defense was one of the worst in the league.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Now, despite Brian Schottenheimer having a positive first year as head coach, the reality is that the Cowboys could finish with a losing record. Because of this, Jones has begun making drastic changes to shake up the roster.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Who did the Cowboys just release?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Dallas Cowboys released Trevon Diggs in a move that has surprised the entire NFL. Although the cornerback has dealt with many injuries over the past two seasons, almost no one expected Jerry Jones to be ready to make this decision.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        


&lt;h2&gt;Are the Cowboys eliminated from NFL playoffs?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Yes. The Dallas Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoffs because, with a 7-8-1 record, they can no longer catch the Eagles (11-5) to win the NFC East, nor can they surpass the Packers (9-6-1) in the race for the No. 7 seed.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/nfl-news-micah-parsons-reveals-contract-negotiation-details-with-jerry-jones-and-agent-david-mulugheta-after-trade-between-cowboys-and-packers&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Jerry Jones has made shocking decision to release Dak Prescott key teammate after Dallas Cowboys missed playoffs

Jerry Jones and Cowboys lose Dak Prescott’s key teammate for rest of the season

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Jerry Jones has made shocking decision to release Dak Prescott key teammate after Cowboys missed playoffs - Bolavip US

Jerry Jones has made shocking decision to release Dak Prescott key teammate

NFL News: Jerry Jones has made shocking decision to release Dak Prescott key teammate after Cowboys missed playoffs

&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mike-tomlin&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mike Tomlin&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;John Harbaugh&lt;/strong&gt; find themselves at a crossroads between postseason glory and an uncertain offseason as the 2025 &lt;strong&gt;NFL&lt;/strong&gt; regular season reaches its climax. The &lt;strong&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/strong&gt; are set to host the &lt;strong&gt;Baltimore Ravens&lt;/strong&gt; at Acrisure Stadium in a Week 18 clash that carries implications far beyond the AFC North standings.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The stakes for the Sunday night finale are absolute: it is a “&lt;strong&gt;win-or-go-home&lt;/strong&gt;” scenario for both franchises. The victor will clinch the &lt;strong&gt;AFC North division title&lt;/strong&gt; and secure a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Conversely, the loser will be eliminated from postseason contention entirely, forced to wait until next year for another opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to ESPN &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl&quot;&gt;NFL&lt;/a&gt; insider &lt;em&gt;Adam Schefter&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;the outcome of this game could also define the long-term coaching futures for both organizations&lt;/strong&gt;. During a recent appearance on &lt;em&gt;The Pat McAfee Show&lt;/em&gt;, Schefter suggested that the loser of this high-stakes matchup may face a significant shift in leadership.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;I think where it’s interesting is that Sunday night game &lt;strong&gt;because somebody’s going to lose that game&lt;/strong&gt;, and when somebody loses that game — we heard the Steelers fans chanting to fire Mike Tomlin earlier in the year,”&lt;/em&gt; Schefter said. &lt;em&gt;“We heard Ravens fans say there should be conversations about John Harbaugh after the season — &lt;strong&gt;somebody, one of those two teams, is going to come up short&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554043_mike-tomlin-harbaugh_cdea9074.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-554052&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;John Harbaugh shakes hands with Mike Tomlin. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While Schefter’s comments are speculative and tied to the game’s outcome, they reflect the mounting pressure both tenured coaches face. He suggested that the high stakes of the 2025 season could lead to an unexpected “&lt;em&gt;wide range of outcomes&lt;/em&gt;,” noting that in the NFL, “&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;every year there’s things that happens that never just goes the way that people think&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;“.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Coaches may hold the keys to their own exit&lt;/h2&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/nfl-news-mike-tomlin-confirms-steelers-could-lose-aaron-rodgers-key-teammate-due-to-injury-for-game-against-ravens&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;In a follow-up to his analysis of the high-stakes &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-steelers&quot;&gt;Steelers&lt;/a&gt;-Ravens finale, Schefter indicated that the ultimate decision regarding these coaching futures &lt;strong&gt;may rest with the men themselves&lt;/strong&gt;. Rather than a standard firing, Schefter suggested that a loss in Week 18 could prompt either Mike Tomlin or John Harbaugh to voluntarily walk away from the sidelines.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I also think that these coaches, Mike Tomlin and &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/john-harbaugh&quot;&gt;John Harbaugh&lt;/a&gt;… they will have a big say&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;,” Schefter explained. “&lt;em&gt;I think these guys will go in and say, ‘Okay, you know what? It’s been a great run.’ One of them may say, ‘Might be time to go try something else,’ whether that’s TV or another job somewhere else. Those things are possible”.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Both Tomlin and Harbaugh have steered their respective franchises for nearly two decades—Tomlin for 19 seasons in Pittsburgh and Harbaugh for 18 in &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/baltimore-ravens&quot;&gt;Baltimore&lt;/a&gt;—achieving rare levels of stability and success. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, as both teams struggle to meet championship expectations and find themselves on the playoff bubble, the pressure has intensified. For these two icons, &lt;strong&gt;Sunday Night Football may not just be about a division title; it could be the final chapter&lt;/strong&gt; of their historic runs if they decide it’s time for a change of scenery.&lt;/p&gt;

NFL insider sheds light on Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh’s futures depending on Steelers vs Ravens result

Aaron Rodgers sends warning to Ravens about Steelers before Week 18 game for AFC North title and to clinch a spot in NFL playoffs

Steelers insider reveals if Mike Tomlin could be fired with a loss to Ravens

NFL insider sheds light on Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh's futures depending on Steelers vs Ravens result - Bolavip US

NFL insider sheds light on Tomlin and Harbaugh's futures after Steelers vs Ravens

destacadas

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mike Tomlin&lt;/strong&gt; may be one of the few &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl&quot;&gt;NFL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; coaches to remain with the same team for so many years, even with highly successful results. However, his tenure with the &lt;strong&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/strong&gt; could be seriously jeopardized if they fail to beat the &lt;strong&gt;Baltimore Ravens&lt;/strong&gt; in Week 18.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Since arriving in Steel City back in 2007, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/mike-tomlin&quot;&gt;Tomlin&lt;/a&gt; has led his team to 12 postseason appearances. &lt;strong&gt;A stumble&lt;/strong&gt; next weekend against a divisional rival with the same aspirations, &lt;strong&gt;could eliminate the Steelers from playoff contention.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Adam Schefter, in a recent appearance on &lt;em&gt;The Pat McAfee Show&lt;/em&gt;, revealed that if the Pittsburgh Steelers fail to beat the Ravens next Sunday, it’s &lt;em&gt;“in the realm of possibility”&lt;/em&gt; that &lt;strong&gt;Mike Tomlin could leave the team after this season.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Could Mike Tomlin be fired?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;There’s been a lot of speculation about what could happen with Tomlin starting next week, with the outcome of the game against the Ravens being crucial for his future. Brian Batko of the &lt;em&gt;Pittsburgh Post-Gazette&lt;/em&gt; believes that &lt;strong&gt;Art Rooney II would not rule out the possibility of firing him&lt;/strong&gt; if the team fails to secure a playoff spot.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251230_BUS_553751_mike-tomlin-6_d3956daf.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh Steelers&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-546674&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Three things I will never predict when it comes to the Steelers until I see it with my own eyes: a losing season, a playoff win, Art Rooney II firing Mike Tomlin,”&lt;/em&gt; the insider said. &lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/mike-tomlin-sends-clear-message-to-myles-garrett-on-steelers-allegedly-keeping-him-away&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“HOWEVER … 19 seasons in, &lt;strong&gt;I imagine he considers it on some level each year&lt;/strong&gt;, whether he’d admit it or not. And the negativity that would come with losing these last two games to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2022, with a rookie QB and Matt Canada, and now having a future Hall of Famer at QB and a real OC? &lt;strong&gt;I wouldn’t be stunned if he decides enough is enough.&lt;/strong&gt;“&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Pittsburgh’s final test&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;It all comes down to this for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Boasting a 9–7 record, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/aaron-rodgers&quot;&gt;Aaron Rodgers&lt;/a&gt; and his teammates face a high-stakes, &lt;strong&gt;“winner-take-all” showdown against the Baltimore Ravens. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The scenario is simple: &lt;strong&gt;a victory at home secures the AFC North title and a trip to the playoffs&lt;/strong&gt;, but a loss means they are officially out. With the season on the line, the Steelers must shake off last week’s upset and deliver a legacy-defining performance to keep their &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/super-bowl&quot;&gt;Super Bowl&lt;/a&gt; dreams alive.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;A successful career with the Steelers&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Mike Tomlin has solidified his legacy as &lt;strong&gt;one of the most consistent and successful head coaches in NFL history&lt;/strong&gt; during his storied tenure with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/pittsburgh-steelers&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Since taking the reins in 2007, &lt;strong&gt;he has famously never recorded a losing season&lt;/strong&gt;, a testament to his elite leadership and ability to keep his team competitive regardless of roster turnover. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With two Super Bowl appearances, &lt;strong&gt;a Super Bowl XLIII championship&lt;/strong&gt;, and numerous AFC North titles, Tomlin’s steady hand and “next man up” philosophy have defined nearly two decades of Steelers excellence.&lt;/p&gt;

Steelers insider reveals if Mike Tomlin could be fired with a loss to Ravens - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/arizona-diamondbacks&quot;&gt;Arizona Diamondbacks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; remain engaged in discussions regarding a trade involving All-Star second baseman &lt;strong&gt;Ketel Marte&lt;/strong&gt;, but time is running short on how long those talks will continue. General manager &lt;strong&gt;Mike Hazen&lt;/strong&gt; indicated that the situation won’t linger indefinitely as the team looks to focus on its offseason plans.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We’re very likely to put an end to this shortly,&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;” Hazen said on Tuesday, according to &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/mike-hazen-timeline-potential-ketel-marte-trade&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;MLB.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;. While the timeline is not precise, Hazen emphasized that the D-backs need to concentrate on other roster needs.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;I haven’t figured that out yet&lt;/em&gt;,” Hazen said of the exact timeline. “&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But this isn’t going to continue to linger. We need to focus our offseason&lt;/strong&gt;. Again, my gut this whole time was that [a trade of Marte] wasn’t going to happen, and I think it seems likely that that’s the case and we want to focus on other things we need to do.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Arizona still working to improve pitching staff&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Diamondbacks have already made moves to bolster their pitching rotation. On the first day of the Winter Meetings, &lt;strong&gt;right-hander Michael Soroka&lt;/strong&gt; was signed to a one-year, $7.5 million deal with performance bonuses that can raise the total to $9.5 million. Shortly after, &lt;strong&gt;Merrill Kelly&lt;/strong&gt; returned to Arizona on a two-year, $40 million contract.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554085_marte-ketel_79c94d8c.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-554124&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws to first base. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Despite these additions, Hazen noted that work is not finished. Arizona aims to strengthen the bullpen, particularly with co-closers &lt;strong&gt;A.J. Puk&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Justin Martinez&lt;/strong&gt; unavailable for the early months due to recovery from second Tommy John surgeries. &lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/tatsuya-imai-breaks-silence-on-mlb-status-with-candid-admission-as-deadline-nears-amid-ny-mets-phillies-cubs-interest&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Offensive reinforcements could influence Marte’s future&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Diamondbacks are also targeting improvements to their offense&lt;/strong&gt;, specifically looking for a right-handed-hitting first baseman or designated hitter. Wrapping up the Marte trade talks would help provide direction for these moves.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;6955261ce2d53b59fb2f0747&quot; data-title=&quot;Do you think the Diamondbacks will trade Ketel Marte this offseason?&quot; data-options=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;We’re going to need to start focusing on our position-player group at some point a little more specifically&lt;/em&gt;,&lt;/strong&gt;” Hazen said. “&lt;em&gt;That’s the other reason to finalize what we’re doing with other players, so we have a little more direction on what we can do and what it might look like.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        

        

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D-backs GM Mike Hazen provides key update on All-Star Ketel Marte trade talks - Bolavip US

D-backs GM Hazen provides key update on All-Star Marte trade talks

&lt;p&gt;In the offseason, teams are diligently working to enhance their rosters, particularly by securing free agents in MLB. The &lt;strong&gt;Cincinnati Reds&lt;/strong&gt;, however, have extended their search internationally, reaching out to Japan to sign a former &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/philadelphia-phillies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Philadelphia Phillies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; player for two years.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to &lt;em&gt;MLB insider&lt;/em&gt; Francys Romero, &lt;strong&gt;the Reds have signed right-handed pitcher Yunior Marte to a minor-league deal.&lt;/strong&gt; Romero shared on X that &lt;em&gt;“the Reds have agreed to terms with free-agent RHP Yunior Marte on a minor-league contract,”&lt;/em&gt; marking the return of the Dominican player to the U.S.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;After spending last season with Japan’s Chunichi Dragons, &lt;strong&gt;Marte is poised to return stateside, though initially in the minor leagues.&lt;/strong&gt; This move is strategic as the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cincinnati-reds&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Reds&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; navigate their options to bolster their roster ahead of the trade deadline.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Marte’s time with the Phillies was challenging, as his performance did not meet expectations during his two seasons. In 2023,&lt;strong&gt; he recorded an ERA above 5.00 over 40 games, with a WHIP of 1.627 and a strikeout rate of 8.7 per nine innings.&lt;/strong&gt; He now has an opportunity to rejuvenate his career in the upcoming season, particularly if he makes it back to the majors.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554110_Yunior-Marte-pitching_c6d42cc8.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Yunior Marte pitching&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-554216&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Yunior Marte #43 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers a pitch.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Marte’s performance in Japan&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Despite struggling with the Phillies, Marte seemed to find his form in Japan. He achieved a remarkable 1.95 ERA, which marked a career high in his four years of professional play. Additionally, &lt;strong&gt;Marte recorded 25 strikeouts in 35 appearances for the Chunichi Dragons. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/mlb-rumors-ny-yankees-phillies-and-ny-mets-confront-surprise-contender-in-imai-pursuit&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;Notably, he posted a 0.00 BB/9 in Japanese minor league games, &lt;strong&gt;a feat that undoubtedly caught the Reds’ attention&lt;/strong&gt;, leading to his invitation to their spring training camp.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With Marte’s addition, the Reds are banking on his potential to impact their roster positively. As they strive for success, securing high-caliber talent &lt;strong&gt;will be crucial for the Reds to make a significant impact in the 2026 &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt; season.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;695537a2e2d53b59fb2f074a&quot; data-title=&quot;Can Marte play in the majors next year and help the Reds?&quot; data-options=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

MLB Rumors: Reds reportedly sign former Phillies player who spent last season in Japan

MLB Rumors: Reds reportedly sign former Phillies player who spent last season in Japan - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-yankees&quot;&gt;New York Yankees&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; are reportedly focused on retaining&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cody-bellinger&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Cody Bellinger&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, who impressed in his first season after being traded from the Chicago Cubs. Former &lt;strong&gt;New York Mets&lt;/strong&gt; general manager &lt;strong&gt;Jim Duquette&lt;/strong&gt; shared a surprising perspective on Bellinger’s future with the team, noting his combination of power and consistency has made him a key component of the Bronx lineup.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Bellinger posted a &lt;strong&gt;5.1 WAR in 2025, hitting 29 home runs and driving in 98 runs&lt;/strong&gt;—his highest totals since winning NL MVP in 2019. His ability to complement &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/aaron-judge&quot;&gt;Aaron Judge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; in the batting order has made him a prime target for the Yankees this offseason.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Former &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-mets&quot;&gt;Mets&lt;/a&gt; GM &lt;strong&gt;Duquette&lt;/strong&gt; offered a strong prediction regarding Bellinger’s future. &lt;em&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;I think he’s getting six years. I still think the Yankees…will be the final suitor on him,&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/em&gt; Duquette said, noting that other teams may express interest but the Yankees remain the logical landing spot.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;He was such a good fit, obviously, mostly hitting behind&amp;nbsp;(Aaron) Judge. It doesn’t hurt that Judge had&amp;nbsp;another MVP season&lt;/strong&gt;. Whether Bellinger gets a lot of credit, some credit, no credit, however you want to term it. I mean, he had an over 5 WAR, according to baseball reference, 5 WAR season. That’s a hell of a year right there,”&lt;/em&gt; Duquette added.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554139_Yankees-players-celebrating_3be44fe5.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Yankees&apos; players celebrating&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-440850&quot; sizes=&quot;(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Cody Bellinger #35 celebrates with Aaron Judge #99 of the Yankees. Evan Bernstein/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Bellinger’s value to the Yankees&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Bellinger’s performance in 2025 established him as one of the top free-agent bats. Analysts estimate a six-year contract worth around &lt;strong&gt;$30 million&lt;/strong&gt; per season, though agent &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb/yankees-rumors-scott-boras-reported-asking-price-for-cody-bellinger-revealed?mrfhud=true&quot;&gt;Scott Boras’ asking price for Cody Bellinger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; has reportedly come into focus.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/tatsuya-imai-kazuma-okamoto-reportedly-meet-with-mlb-clubs-in-los-angeles-amid-ny-mets-blue-jays-interest-as-deadlines-near&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Backup plans&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If the Yankees fail to re-sign Bellinger, options like &lt;strong&gt;Kyle Tucker&lt;/strong&gt;—who could command a massive &lt;strong&gt;10-year, $400 million&lt;/strong&gt; contract—or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb/mlb-rumors-ny-yankees-join-ny-mets-in-battle-for-former-phillies-player-as-plan-b-to-cody-bellinger&quot;&gt;Former Philadelphia Phillies Austin Hays from the Cincinnati Reds could fill the void&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Both players offer power potential, though Hays is a more cost-efficient option.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;695529bce2d53b59fb2f0748&quot; data-title=&quot;Will Cody Bellinger re-sign with the Yankees?&quot; data-options=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Mets&lt;/strong&gt; are also looking for a slugging outfielder, raising the stakes in the Bronx-Queens rivalry. Should Bellinger remain unsigned by year’s end, the Yankees may turn to Judge, &lt;strong&gt;Trent Grisham&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Jasson Dominguez&lt;/strong&gt;, and top prospect &lt;strong&gt;Spencer Jones&lt;/strong&gt; to anchor the outfield for 2026.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        

Former NY Mets GM drops surprising NY Yankees–Cody Bellinger prediction

JT Realmuto could leave Phillies, join NL West contender amid MLB free-agent uncertainty

Former NY Mets GM drops surprising NY Yankees–Cody Bellinger prediction - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;2026 MLB season&lt;/strong&gt; is slowly heating up, and many teams are dreaming of making it to the World Series. One squad building strong momentum is &lt;strong&gt;Tyler Soderstrom&lt;/strong&gt;’s &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/oakland-athletics&quot;&gt;Oakland Athletics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, who have added veteran experience with the acquisition of &lt;strong&gt;Jeff McNeil&lt;/strong&gt; from the &lt;strong&gt;New York Mets.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;This duo promises big things, &lt;strong&gt;although the left fielder prefers to stay cautious with expectations&lt;/strong&gt;. For now, overcoming last season’s disappointment—when they missed the playoffs—remains a top priority. Soderstrom knows that McNeil can make a significant impact in this new chapter.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I don’t love expectations,”&lt;/em&gt; he said said in the interview with Townsend, via the &lt;em&gt;Athletics on YouTube. “I think you should expect us to go out and hit. &lt;strong&gt;I mean, we’re going to hit. That’s a given. We’re gonna hit for power.&lt;/strong&gt; We’re gonna drive guys in. Me speaking from the offensive side of it, our lineup is gonna be great.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“We just added (Jeff) McNeil, batting champion. I’ve actually got to know Jeff a little bit… We’ve had a couple golf outings. &lt;strong&gt;Jeff’s a great guy. Super excited to have him in our lineup&lt;/strong&gt;.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554121_tyler-soderstrom_7df660f0.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Tyler Soderstrom&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-554123&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Tyler Soderstrom #21 of the Athletics.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How much can McNeil contribute to the A’s?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Following his trade from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-mets&quot;&gt;New York Mets&lt;/a&gt; in December 2025, &lt;strong&gt;Jeff McNeil is poised to bring veteran stability and defensive flexibility to the Athletics&lt;/strong&gt;‘ lineup starting next season. &lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/ny-mets-make-key-move-with-sights-on-the-future-after-trade-with-athletics&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;Over his eight-year tenure in Queens, McNeil established himself as a premier contact hitter, &lt;strong&gt;highlighted by his 2022 campaign where he won the NL Batting Title with a .326 average and earned a Silver Slugger Award. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Even in a fluctuating 2025 season where he hit .243 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs, his ability to put the ball in play and maintain a career .284 batting average suggests he will be a vital asset for an Oakland team looking to bolster its young core with proven major league experience.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;The excitement of moving to Las Vegas&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While the A’s remain in West Sacramento for now, everyone’s focus is already on what’s ahead: &lt;strong&gt;the move to Las Vegas&lt;/strong&gt;. Although the official confirmation and the relocation set for 2028 are still pending, Soderstrom expressed excitement about the upcoming chapter.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“That means a lot,”&lt;/em&gt; he said. &lt;em&gt;“Getting to tour that site today was, I mean, pretty much the only thing a free agent would need to come and see. I mean, you got the whole Las Vegas strip in the background, the stadium’s going to be amazing. It’s super special… &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I think everyone’s gonna want to be here. So I think the fact that we’re building now, we have a great core of players now…&lt;strong&gt; Super exciting. We’re looking forward to the next steps, coming to Vegas.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

MLB News: Tyler Soderstrom turns heads with major admission on former NY Mets’ Jeff McNeil joining the A’s

MLB News: Tyler Soderstrom turns heads with major admission on former NY Mets’ Jeff McNeil joining the A’s - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;With their &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; posting windows rapidly closing, &lt;strong&gt;Tatsuya Imai&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Kazuma Okamoto&lt;/strong&gt; have entered a critical stretch in their pursuit of big-league deals. Both Japanese stars are now meeting face-to-face with interested clubs as the clock winds down on their negotiations.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;New York Mets&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/toronto-blue-jays&quot;&gt;Toronto Blue Jays&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;among the teams that have reportedly shown interest in recent weeks as decisions draw near for both players.Their market has intensified as clubs look to finalize roster moves before the posting deadlines expire.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to a report by Brian Murphy of &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mlb.com/news/tatsuya-imai-kazuma-okamoto-meeting-mlb-teams&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;MLB.com,&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; negotiations have entered a decisive phase for &lt;strong&gt;Tatsuya Imai&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Kazuma Okamoto&lt;/strong&gt;. With their posting deadlines just days away, a source cited by &lt;em&gt;MLB.com&lt;/em&gt;’s Mark Feinsand noted that &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“both players are holding meetings in Los Angeles this week with interested teams&lt;/strong&gt;,”&lt;/em&gt; signaling intensified discussions as time winds down. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Imai’s posting window closes &lt;strong&gt;Friday at 5 p.m. ET&lt;/strong&gt;, while Okamoto’s expires &lt;strong&gt;Sunday&lt;/strong&gt; at the same time. If either player fails to reach an agreement by the deadline, they would return to their respective &lt;strong&gt;Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)&lt;/strong&gt; teams for the upcoming season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554072_okamoto_a5f195f2.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-554076&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Kazuma Okamoto with Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic semifinals. Megan Briggs/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Imai draws late MLB attention&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The 27-year-old right-hander has generated steady interest throughout the offseason, with teams such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-mets&quot;&gt;New York Mets&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Philadelphia Phillies&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;Chicago Cubs&lt;/strong&gt; all linked to him, though any meaningful connection with the &lt;strong&gt;New York Yankees&lt;/strong&gt; has been downplayed.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/tatsuya-imai-breaks-silence-on-mlb-status-with-candid-admission-as-deadline-nears-amid-ny-mets-phillies-cubs-interest&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;It was previously reported that the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb/mlb-rumors-ny-yankees-phillies-and-ny-mets-confront-surprise-contender-in-imai-pursuit&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chicago White Sox had emerged as surprise contenders&lt;/strong&gt; in the pursuit of Imai&lt;/a&gt;, but Feinsand later clarified that Chicago remains a longshot despite recently signing fellow Japanese star &lt;strong&gt;Munetaka Murakami&lt;/strong&gt;. As talks continue in Los Angeles, Imai’s camp appears focused on evaluating formal offers rather than general interest.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Okamoto explores options after dominant NPB run&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Okamoto, 29, is also approaching a pivotal moment in his posting window, with several teams monitoring his availability. The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/toronto-blue-jays&quot;&gt;Blue Jays&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Padres&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Angels&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Pirates&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;Red Sox&lt;/strong&gt; have all been linked to the corner infielder at various points this offseason.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;6954f923e2d53b59fb2f0746&quot; data-title=&quot;Will both Japanese stars sign with MLB teams before their posting deadlines?&quot; data-options=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;From 2018 through 2023, Okamoto delivered &lt;strong&gt;six consecutive 30-homer seasons&lt;/strong&gt;, reinforcing his reputation as one of Japan’s most reliable power hitters. As meetings continue in Los Angeles, both players remain in limbo — with only days left before their &lt;strong&gt;MLB&lt;/strong&gt; futures are decided.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        

Tatsuya Imai, Kazuma Okamoto reportedly meet with MLB clubs in Los Angeles amid NY Mets, Blue Jays interest as deadlines near

Tatsuya Imai, Kazuma Okamoto reportedly meet with MLB clubs in Los Angeles amid NY Mets, Blue Jays interest as deadlines near - Bolavip US

Imai, Okamoto meet with MLB clubs in LA amid NY Mets, Blue Jays interest as deadlines near

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/afcon&quot;&gt;AFCON&lt;/a&gt; &lt;strong&gt;2025&lt;/strong&gt; group stage reaches its conclusion this Wednesday, December 31, with a final slate of four matches. Highlighting the schedule is a critical Group F showdown between &lt;strong&gt;Ivory Coast&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Gabon&lt;/strong&gt;, where the defending champions are well-positioned to advance to the knockout rounds.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While the final standings for Group F are still being decided, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/ivory-coast&quot;&gt;Ivory Coast&lt;/a&gt; effectively have one foot in the next round. The &lt;em&gt;Elephants&lt;/em&gt; currently sit atop of the standings with &lt;strong&gt;4 points&lt;/strong&gt;, meaning a single point today would guarantee their progression. Even with a loss, the reigning champions would likely advance as one of the four &lt;strong&gt;best third-placed&lt;/strong&gt; teams in the tournament.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;In contrast, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/gabon&quot;&gt;Gabon&lt;/a&gt; face a much steeper climb. Led by star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the &lt;em&gt;Panthers&lt;/em&gt; have failed to record a point in their first two matches. Their only path to the Round of 16 requires a victory today, combined with a favorable result in the simultaneous matchup between &lt;strong&gt;Cameroon and Mozambique&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As the group stage draws to a close, the race for the best third-place slots remains tight. Currently, &lt;strong&gt;Tanzania, Benin&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Sudan&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;Mozambique&lt;/strong&gt; are the frontrunners for those final four tickets to the elimination rounds, but with one matchday left, the landscape of the tournament could change dramatically by the final whistle.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-embed__wrapper&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-width=&quot;500&quot; data-dnt=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;fr&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;🚨 𝘑𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘋𝘌 𝘔𝘈𝘛𝘊𝘏&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;🇬🇦 🆚 🇨🇮&lt;br&gt;🏟️𝘎𝑟𝘢𝑛𝘥 𝘴𝑡𝘢𝑑𝘦 𝘥𝑒 𝑀𝘢𝑟𝘳𝑎𝘬𝑒𝘤ℎ&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦̀𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘦́𝘭𝘦́𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 💪🏾🇨🇮&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;⌚️ 20𝘏00 𝘎𝘔𝘛+1 (𝘩𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦)&lt;br&gt;🇨🇮 19𝘏00 𝘎𝘔𝘛&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/hashtag/TotalEnergiesAFCON2025?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;#TotalEnergiesAFCON2025&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/2VeXP9JjRx&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/2VeXP9JjRx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮🐘 (@FIFCI_tweet) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/FIFCI_tweet/status/2006349395235877019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 31, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;script async=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot; charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;What happens if Ivory Coast win vs Gabon?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If Ivory Coast defeat Gabon in the final group stage match, the team led by Emerse Fae will automatically secure its place in the &lt;strong&gt;knockout rounds&lt;/strong&gt;. The result of the match will determine their path forward in the tournament bracket. &lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/ivory-coast-vs-cameroon-live-afcon-2025-matchday-2&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;Should the Elephants finish as the runner-up in Group F, they are slated for a high-stakes meeting with &lt;strong&gt;South Africa&lt;/strong&gt; in the next round. However, if they clinch the top spot in the group, they will instead face the second-place team from Group E, which is expected to be either &lt;strong&gt;Burkina Faso&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;Sudan&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;What happens if Ivory Coast and Gabon tie?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Should today’s match end in a draw, &lt;strong&gt;Ivory Coast would officially secure their passage to the Round of 16&lt;/strong&gt;. With 5 total points, the defending champions would be guaranteed a top-two finish in Group F, regardless of the outcome between Cameroon and Mozambique. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;What happens if Ivory Coast lose vs Gabon?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;A victory for Gabon tonight is the only way Aubameyang and his squad can keep their slim hopes of a knockout stage berth alive. However, their fate is not in their own hands; a &lt;strong&gt;win or even a draw for Mozambique&lt;/strong&gt; against Cameroon would officially &lt;strong&gt;eliminate Gabon from the tournament&lt;/strong&gt;, regardless of their own result.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Ivory Coast enter the match with significantly less pressure, as they have already guaranteed their place in the Round of 16. However, a loss could still sting, as it might drop them to third place in the group standings. This would only happen &lt;strong&gt;if Mozambique defeat Cameroon&lt;/strong&gt; and the &lt;em&gt;Indomitable Lions&lt;/em&gt; maintain a &lt;strong&gt;superior goal difference&lt;/strong&gt; over the Ivorians.&lt;/p&gt;

Ivory Coast Seek Round of 16 Qualification in AFCON Group Finale Against Gabon

What happens if Ivory Coast win, tie or lose vs Gabon today in AFCON 2025 group stage finale?

What happens if Ivory Coast win, tie or lose vs Gabon today in AFCON 2025 group stage finale? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;With the &lt;strong&gt;2026 &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/world-cup&quot;&gt;World Cup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; just months away, &lt;strong&gt;FIFA&lt;/strong&gt; President &lt;strong&gt;Gianni Infantino&lt;/strong&gt; has confirmed that a massive overhaul of the offside law is officially on the table. Addressing the World Sport Summit in Dubai, Infantino acknowledged that FIFA is seriously considering a proposal spearheaded by &lt;strong&gt;Arsene Wenger&lt;/strong&gt;, the organization’s Chief of Global Football Development.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Specifically, the Wenger’s proposal stipulates that an attacking player &lt;strong&gt;is considered onside&lt;/strong&gt; as long as any part of their body capable of legally scoring a goal is in line with the penultimate defender. This would apply even if the rest of the attacker’s body has already moved past the defensive line.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Under this new interpretation, an offside offense would only be flagged if there is &lt;strong&gt;total separation between the attacker and the defender&lt;/strong&gt;. By requiring “clear daylight” between the two players, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/fifa&quot;&gt;FIFA&lt;/a&gt; aims to eliminate the ongoing controversies surrounding goals disallowed by the width of a shoulder or a knee. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If implemented, this shift would provide a significant advantage to offensive play, theoretically increasing scoring and reducing the frequent VAR stoppages that currently plague the game.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251231_BUS_554066_wenger_c2ae9dbf.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-554067&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Arsene Wenger, the FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Infantino discusses the ‘Wenger Law’&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;During his presentation &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/gianni-infantino&quot;&gt;Infantino&lt;/a&gt; framed the potential adoption of the “Wenger Law” as the next logical step in soccer technological evolution. Reflecting on the introduction of Video Assistant Referees, Infantino noted that the goal has always been to ensure fairness.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/lionel-messis-argentina-have-date-and-venue-confirmed-for-finalissima-vs-spain-before-2026-world-cup&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Years ago, &lt;strong&gt;we introduced VAR to make soccer fairer&lt;/strong&gt;, to give the referee the opportunity to correct an error that millions of people, at home or even in the stadium, might have seen,&lt;/em&gt;” Infantino explained. He emphasized that the system is not static but rather an ongoing project. “&lt;em&gt;We continue to improve VAR with increasingly advanced technology to help referees make the right decision&lt;/em&gt;“.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“We continue to examine the rules, asking ourselves how we can make the game more offensive, more attractive&lt;/em&gt;,” Infantino added. “&lt;em&gt;Consider the offside rule, which has evolved over the years and requires the attacker to be behind the defender or in line with him: &lt;strong&gt;perhaps in the future, he will have to be completely ahead to be offside&lt;/strong&gt;“.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Infantino also addressed one of the most common criticisms of modern officiating: the length of time it takes to reach a decision. Beyond changing the rules of the game, FIFA is looking for ways to keep the clock moving.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“We are also evaluating measures to avoid time-wasting&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;,” he cautioned. “&lt;em&gt;It is important for the game to flow smoothly, so interruptions must be minimized”&lt;/em&gt;. This aligns with recent trials of the “eight-second rule” for goalkeepers and more efficient VAR communication aimed at protecting the pace of the game.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Will the new offside rule be implemented for the 2026 World Cup?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As of now, Infantino has only confirmed that the new offside law &lt;strong&gt;is being discussed internally at FIFA&lt;/strong&gt;. Like any major change to the rules of the game, the proposal must be formally approved by the &lt;strong&gt;International Football Association Board&lt;/strong&gt; (IFAB)—the body composed of FIFA and the four historic British associations (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland).&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If the rule receives a “green light” from the board, FIFA will then have to decide the timing of the rollout. While the goal is to revolutionize the sport, the governing body must weigh whether to implement such a massive change just months before the 2026 World Cup or wait until the start of the 2026-27 domestic season.&lt;/p&gt;

FIFA President Gianni Infantino Discusses Review of Radical Offside Rule Change Ahead of 2026 World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino discusses potential offside rule revolution ahead of 2026 World Cup

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino discusses potential offside rule revolution ahead of 2026 World Cup - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;Even at 40 years old, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cristiano-ronaldo&quot;&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; remains a lethal force in front of the net, a fact he reinforced by &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/video-cristiano-ronaldo-scores-to-give-al-nassr-a-2-1-lead-vs-al-ettifaq-in-the-saudi-pro-league&quot;&gt;scoring for Al Nassr in their final match of 2025 against Al Ettifaq&lt;/a&gt;. However, for the first time in years, the Portuguese legend finished a calendar year without recording a single hat trick, sparking immediate comparisons to &lt;strong&gt;Lionel Messi’s&lt;/strong&gt; 2025 campaign.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While Ronaldo was unable to find the net three times in a single match this year breaking a &lt;strong&gt;15-year streak&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi&quot;&gt;Messi&lt;/a&gt;’s lone hat trick of 2025&lt;/strong&gt; came on October 18 during a 5-2 dismantling of Nashville SC. That performance helped the Argentine secure the MLS Golden Boot and paved the way for Inter Miami’s historic postseason run.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Despite 2025 not being a standout year individually for Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese forward &lt;strong&gt;has recorded more hat tricks since his arrival&lt;/strong&gt; in the Middle East compared to the Argentine’s tenure in the United States. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Al Nassr captain has registered &lt;strong&gt;six hat tricks&lt;/strong&gt; since joining the Saudi club in late 2022. In contrast, Messi has only managed to score three goals in a single match on &lt;strong&gt;two different occasions&lt;/strong&gt; with Inter Miami since arriving in Fort Lauderdale in mid-2023.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251230_BUS_553989_ronaldo-al-wehda_d8d34602.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-553990&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a hat trick against Al Wehda. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, Inter Miami’s captain finished the year better individually, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-vs-cristiano-ronaldo-who-scored-more-goals-in-2025&quot;&gt;as he scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo during 2025&lt;/a&gt;. The Argentine ended the year as the world’s sixth-highest scorer with &lt;strong&gt;46 goals&lt;/strong&gt;, while the Portuguese finished in ninth place with &lt;strong&gt;41 goals&lt;/strong&gt; across all competitions.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How did both players finish 2025?&lt;/h2&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/not-messis-argentina-toni-kroos-names-ronaldos-portugal-among-2026-world-cup-favorites&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;While their individual statistics remained impressive, the collective results for both stars followed different paths this year. Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to secure a league title in Saudi Arabia, an achievement that has eluded him since his arrival, but he did find success on the international stage by leading &lt;strong&gt;Portugal to a UEFA Nations League title&lt;/strong&gt; following a victory over Spain.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;In contrast, Messi capped off his year with an &lt;strong&gt;MLS Cup title&lt;/strong&gt;, leading Inter Miami to the first such trophy in franchise history. The Argentine served as a cornerstone of the championship run, claiming the &lt;strong&gt;MLS Golden Boot&lt;/strong&gt; and the regular-season &lt;strong&gt;MVP award&lt;/strong&gt;. In doing so, he became the only player in league history to win the MVP in back-to-back seasons.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Looking ahead to 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo will focus on reaching the &lt;strong&gt;1,000-goal milestone&lt;/strong&gt;—currently sitting &lt;strong&gt;43 goals away&lt;/strong&gt;—while preparing for what will likely be his final opportunity to win the World Cup with Portugal. Meanwhile, Messi will look to defend &lt;strong&gt;Argentina’s World Cup title&lt;/strong&gt; while attempting to close the gap on Ronaldo as the second-highest scorer in the history of the sport.&lt;/p&gt;

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Cristiano Ronaldo finishes 2025 with no hat tricks: How many did Lionel Messi score this year? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;Another calendar year is in the books, and while &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lionel Messi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/strong&gt; may no longer be competing in Europe’s top five leagues, their clinical nature in front of the net hasn’t faded. Both superstars remained the focal points of &lt;strong&gt;Inter Miami&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Al Nassr&lt;/strong&gt; in 2025, continuing to rack up eye-popping numbers.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Despite his season ending earlier than his rival’s, &lt;strong&gt;Lionel Messi finished 2025 as the more prolific scorer of the two&lt;/strong&gt;. The Inter Miami captain capped off his year on December 6 by lifting the MLS Cup after a – victory over Thomas Muller’s Vancouver Whitecaps.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Messi finished the calendar year with a remarkable &lt;strong&gt;46 goals&lt;/strong&gt; across all competitions for club and country. His 2025 campaign solidified his status as the primary challenger to &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cristiano-ronaldo&quot;&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/a&gt;’s career record, bringing his total career tally to &lt;strong&gt;896 official goals.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, competed until the final days of 2025 in Saudi Arabia. After &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-scores-goal-no-955-to-put-al-nassr-ahead-vs-al-akhdoud&quot;&gt;netting a brace for Al Nassr against Al Akhdoud&lt;/a&gt; late in the month, the Portuguese legend added one more to his tally in his final appearance of the year against &lt;strong&gt;Al Ettifaq&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251230_BUS_553969_ronaldo-etiffaq_fefc00c2.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-553977&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his last goal of 2025. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Ronaldo finished 2025 with &lt;strong&gt;41 goals&lt;/strong&gt;, a total that allowed him to maintain his lead as the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer this season with &lt;strong&gt;13 strikes&lt;/strong&gt;. His career total now stands at &lt;strong&gt;957 goals&lt;/strong&gt; and is only 43 goals left to reach the historic 1,000-goal mark. The milestone feels like an inevitability if he maintains his current scoring rate in 2026.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;The global leaderboard&lt;/h2&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/cristiano-ronaldos-portugal-face-concerning-situation-with-key-player-ahead-of-2026-world-cup&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;While both legends managed to convert a significant number of goals this year, their figures do not come close to those of &lt;strong&gt;Kylian Mbappe&lt;/strong&gt;. With 66 goals scored across all competitions, the Frenchman will finish 2025 as the top scorer in the sport.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-columns&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-column&quot; style=&quot;flex-basis:100%&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-columns&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-column&quot; style=&quot;flex-basis:100%&quot;&gt;
&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-table&quot;&gt;&lt;table&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Player&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Goals&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Kylian Mbappe&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;66&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Harry Kane&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;60&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Erling Haaland&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;57&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Kevin Hernandez&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;48&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Victor Osimhen&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;46&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lionel Messi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;46&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Vangelis Pavlidis&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;45&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Guilherme Bissoli&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;44&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;41&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;Jorge Rivera&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot; data-align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;40&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

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&lt;p&gt;With the &lt;strong&gt;2026 World Cup&lt;/strong&gt; looming, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cristiano-ronaldo&quot;&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;strong&gt;Portugal&lt;/strong&gt; national team are facing a significant concern regarding one of their most versatile starters.  &lt;strong&gt;Joao Cancelo&lt;/strong&gt;, a pillar of the Portuguese defense, has reportedly been told he is no longer in &lt;strong&gt;Al Hilal’s&lt;/strong&gt; plans, leaving his match fitness in doubt just months before the tournament.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to reports from &lt;em&gt;Diario Sport&lt;/em&gt; and several Saudi outlets, Al Hilal head coach &lt;strong&gt;Simone Inzaghi&lt;/strong&gt;—who took over the Saudi giants earlier this year—does not intend to register Cancelo for the second half of the season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Cancelo’s 2025-26 campaign has been derailed by a recurring hamstring injury suffered during an AFC Champions League Elite match. The injury limited him to just &lt;strong&gt;six appearances&lt;/strong&gt; this season, and in his absence, Inzaghi has pivoted to other options.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With the high-profile additions of &lt;strong&gt;Darwin Nuñez&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Theo Hernandez&lt;/strong&gt; to the squad, Al Hilal have reached their limit for foreign players. Consequently, Cancelo has become the “odd man out,” with the club prioritizing Saudi international Hamad Al Yami at right-back.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251230_BUS_553769_Joao-Cancelo_0e7c41cc.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Joao Cancelo&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-427061&quot; sizes=&quot;(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Joao Cancelo of Al Hilal during a FIFA Club World Cup 2025 game. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Cancelo seeking immediate exit to secure World Cup roster spot&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;For Joao Cancelo, the objective is clear: he must secure consistent playing time to regain his form and ensure his place &lt;strong&gt;in Roberto Martinez’s plans for the 2026 &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/world-cup&quot;&gt;World Cup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/lionel-messis-argentina-cristiano-ronaldos-portugal-unchanged-in-last-fifa-world-ranking-update-of-2025&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;His representative, Jorge Mendes, is actively working to find a new destination as the January transfer window approaches. Several major European clubs have emerged as potential landing spots according to reports from &lt;em&gt;Diario Sport&lt;/em&gt; and other international outlets.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to reports from Diario Sport, the Portuguese international’s status has attracted interest from various clubs worldwide with a possible return to &lt;strong&gt;Barcelona&lt;/strong&gt; or moves to the &lt;strong&gt;Italian&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Portuguese&lt;/strong&gt; leagues appearing as viable options for the right-back. Additionally, the report indicates that certain &lt;strong&gt;Premier League&lt;/strong&gt; clubs are also interested in adding Cancelo to their ranks.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;The battle for Portugal’s right-back spot&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Cancelo has firmly established himself as a key figure in Roberto Martinez’s squad, maintaining his status despite missing the 2025 UEFA Nations League Final Four in June due to injury. His importance to the team was evident throughout the year; in the four international matches where he was healthy, &lt;strong&gt;he was a fixture in the starting lineup.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, during his injury-forced absence, Martinez found reliable alternatives in &lt;strong&gt;Diogo Dalot&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Nelson Semedo&lt;/strong&gt;. Both defenders stepped in to provide solid performances on the right flank, proving that the position is far from uncontested.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Adding to the competition is PSG star &lt;strong&gt;Joao Neves.&lt;/strong&gt; Although primarily a midfielder, Neves proved his versatility by starting at right-back in high-stakes moments, most notably during the Nations League Final against Spain. His ability to adapt to the role provides Martinez with a tactical wildcard, further intensifying the race for a starting spot as &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/portugal&quot;&gt;Portugal&lt;/a&gt; look toward the 2026 World Cup.&lt;/p&gt;

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