Fifa's fake cup criteria

GM football fans. Route One here, and we’re covering an update on Newcastle’s leaked WhatsApps, Fifa shoehorns Messi into the Club World Cup and much more. Enjoy Route One? Share us with a friend on WhatsApp with this link.

TONIGHT’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STATS

Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund (20:00 UK). Dortmund have visited the Bernabeu seven times without ever managing a win. But Real Madrid are coming off of their first loss in the competition since May 2023 after losing 1 – 0 to Lille. Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk (20:00 UK). Arsenal haven’t lost a home group game in the UCL since September 2015, while Shakhtar are one of only four teams yet to score in the competition this season. Aston Villa vs Bologna (20:00 UK). Victory for Villa will see Unai Emery pick up his 25th win in the UCL, becoming the fifth Spanish manager to do so in the competition after Pep Guardiola, Rafael Benitez, Vicente del Bosque and Luis Enrique.

Plus…

• Premier League results: Nottingham Forest 1 — 0 Crystal Palace (Premier League table)

• New Premier League winter ball revealed (More) w/ images

• Jose Mourinho angered by questions after Fenerbahce draw (More)

• Hacked Juventus account announces transfer of Real Madrid’s Arda Guler (More)

• Belgian footballer loses fingers after trying to remove fireworks thrown on the pitch by his own fans (More) / in Dutch

• Liverpool ask for fan feedback on ticketing operations (More)

SAUDI TAKEOVER REVIEW

Premier League will not review Saudi Newcastle deal despite Bin Salman involvement claims

The Premier League will not review the legality of Newcastle United’s takeover by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund despite reports of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s involvement in the deal. Other sources suggest MPs will reexamine the takeover but this is highly unlikely.

This comes after leaked WhatsApp messages, seen by The Telegraph, suggested that the buyout hinged on the approval of Bin Salman (previous write-up here). It’s understood that the League remains convinced there is, and has always been, a clear separation between the Saudi state and those in charge of Newcastle.

Meanwhile, Premier League clubs will meet today to discuss the outcome of Manchester City’s associated-party transaction (APT) ruling. A full breakdown of the case can be found here. Clubs will debate where shareholder loans sit within the APT rules after the arbitration panel ruled its current application was unlawful.

POLL

HEAD START

✍️ Van Dijk in talks about new contract. Virgil van Dijk, 33, has said that he’s opened talks with Liverpool about signing a new deal. The Dutchman has been with the club since January 2018 and his current contract runs out at the end of the season. Uncertainty remains surrounding the futures of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contracts also run out at the end of the season.

🕵️ Dortmund will not train in Spain to avoid ‘spies’. Borussia Dortmund will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu for tonight’s Champions League game. Head coach Nuri Sahin has opted not to train at Real Madrid’s stadium, fearing there will be ‘spies’ watching the session. The German side will instead have their last session in Dortmund before flying out at a later time than usual to the Spanish capital.

💰 American rapper could buy Tranmere. Rihanna’s boyfriend and world-renowned rapper, ASAP Rocky, is in line to complete the purchase of League Two side Tranmere Rovers. If the deal goes ahead, Rocky will be part of an investment group that will purchase 80 per cent of the club for around £15mn. The rapper plans to follow in Wrexham’s footsteps and produce a documentary about his journey owning the club. Short history of Tranmere here.

MESSI CHERRY-PICKED BY FIFA

Fifa shoehorn Lionel Messi into Club World Cup, deliberately keeping qualification criteria vague

Inter Miami, the team that Lionel Messi plays for, have qualified for next summer’s expanded Club World Cup. Instead of handing the place to the winner of the MLS Cup — which will conclude on December 7 — Fifa has opted to award the spot to the winner of the Supporters’ Shield. While some argue that the Supporters’ Shield is a better measure of a team’s consistent quality, the MLS Cup is still viewed as the most prestigious award.

Miami have been given a relatively easy pathway to qualification. They’ve become the 31st club to reach the Club World Cup and the only side to qualify via a domestic league. Every other team has qualified through continent-wide competitions.

The world governing body is desperate to attract a big broadcast deal and some major American sponsors for the tournament, and Messi’s presence would go a long way in achieving that. Critics of the Club World Cup believe that Fifa were deliberately vague about the criteria for MLS qualification for the tournament as a way of ensuring that Messi and Miami would feature.

AROUND THE FOOTBALL WORLD

Top Five European Leagues

> Jude Bellingham is reportedly frustrated with his form at Real Madrid, especially with his new deeper role on the pitch. Reports say the Englishman feels that he’s being overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe (More) / in Spanish

> Bayer Leverkusen are preparing for Xabi Alonso’s departure next summer, with Manchester City and Real Madrid interested in the Spaniard (More) / in German

> Juventus couple Douglas Luiz and Alisha Lehmann have £416,000 worth of watches and jewellery stolen at their home in Turin (More)

Rest of the World

> Future Chelsea star Estevao Willian breaks Neymar’s record for the U-17 with the most G/A in a single edition of the Brasileirão, with 18 goal contributions this season (More)

> Former AS Roma defender Kostas Manolas scored five goals on debut for Greek fourth-tier club Pannaxiakos (More)

Women’s Football

> A group of 100 professional women’s footballers have sent a letter to Fifa urging them to end its partnership with oil and gas conglomerate Saudi Aramco, and to partner with sponsors whose “values align with gender equality” (More)

> Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor has called for the introduction of goal-line technology in women’s football. This comes after her side conceded a controversial goal during their 5 – 2 win over Spurs on Sunday (More)

ROUTER’S VOICE

Yesterday, we asked you: Which Champions League game are you looking forward to most tomorrow?

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🔥 Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund (43%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🤩 Aston Villa vs Bologna (24%)

🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 😤 Arsenal vs Shakhtar (19%)

 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️  👀 PSG vs PSV (7%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (write in!) (7%)

Your punditry takes:

• 🔥 P.F: “Last year’s final, only this time with a weakened Madrid side.”

• 🤩 S.P: “Up the Villa! Will be in attendance and I can’t wait. After we slayed the European giants, I’m confident we can take on any side.”

• 😤 J.M: “Arsenal fan. Keen to see us get a good result after the disaster against Bournemouth at the weekend!”

EXTRA TIME

The five best stats from Matchday 8.

Messi collabs with Bad Bunny for new F50 boots. / w images

David James booed for saving 11-year-old Liverpool fan’s penalty. / via X

Luciano Spalletti’s shirt collection is unmatched.

Best trios in Europe’s top five leagues.

Legends friendly match in Seoul highlights.

A game of English cap or no cap?

GAME FACE ON

Question: Southampton have gone 21 games without a win in the Premier League, the fourth-worst run in history. But which team holds the record for the most games without a win? 

Clue: They haven’t been back in the Premier League since.

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

Champions League league stage

• AC Milan vs Club Brugge (17:45)

• Monaco vs Red Star (17:45)

• Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk (20:00)

• Aston Villa vs Bologna (20:00)

• Girona vs Slovan (20:00)

• Juventus vs Stuttgart (20:00)

• PSG vs PSV (20:00)

• Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund (20:00)

• Sturm vs Sporting (20:00)

Championship

• Cardiff vs Portsmouth (19:45)

• Leeds vs Watford (19:45)

• Oxford vs Derby (19:45)

• Preston vs Norwich (19:45)

• Sheff Wed vs Swansea (19:45)

• Stoke vs Bristol City (19:45)

• QPR vs Convetry (20:00)

*All times UK. EST -5. PST -8. CET +1. CST +8. JST +9.

Answer

Derby County. Their 32-game winless run in the 2007-08 season was the worst seen in the Premier League. Their 11 points and one victory remain the smallest totals ever in the English top flight, and their 29 losses is also a competition record.