Results of a 252-player vote in the Bundesliga has revealed the best attackers, goalkeepers and defenders, and Virgil van Dijk has finished lower than expected.Going back two or three years, and the Dutchman would be the undisputed choice as the best defender in the game.A serious ACL injury and a tough 2022-23 season have questioned that position, and many even feel he has fallen from grace.Perhaps not being helped out by his struggling Liverpool teammates, the 31-year-old would admit that he has been below his own standards in the past 12 months.The centre-back only ranks as the fourth-highest rated defender, in the opinions of the Bundesliga players, with only 6% of the vote.This data comes via Kicker.

A mascot has gone viral for his incredibly wholesome reaction to meeting Chelsea and Real Madrid stars ahead of the two teams' Champions League quarter-final second leg. Plenty has been made of footballers and their interactions with mascots of late.Arsenal's players were slammed for allegedly failing to acknowledge a young girl waiting for them prior to their match against West Ham on Sunday. READ MORE: Arenal players slammed for treatment of young female mascotAnd while the girl's father has since brushed off any complaints, some still believe that Mikel Arteta's side should have afforded the mascot more attention. However, in this case, the delight on the young mascot's face was clear for all to see.

Liverpool went into their Champions League last 16 first leg clash against Real Madrid high on confidence.The Reds have endured a poor season but they have found some form in recent weeks.And Liverpool raced out of the blocks at Anfield on Tuesday evening as they enjoyed an incredible opening 15 minutes.The Reds took the lead in the fourth minute courtesy of Darwin Nunez's brilliance.The Uruguayan striker produced an incredible flicked finish to give his side the lead.Read more: Darwin Nunez scores outrageous goal for Liverpool vs Real MadridLiverpool doubled their lead 10 minutes later after a complete howler from Thibaut Courtois.The ball was played back to the Belgian goalkeeper and it looked as if he would clear the ball up-field.But Courtois let the ball run away from him and allowed Mohamed Salah to tap the ball into the net.It was a horrific error form Courtois and you can view it below...

FIFPRO has revealed the shortlists for the men's and women's Team of the Year, and they're absolutely stacked with talent. In total, 26 players have been nominated in the men's category, while 23 stars have made the cut on the women's side. Fans will be able to find out who makes each respective FIFA 'World XI' on February 27th but in the meantime, we've taken it upon ourselves to decide who we think deserves to be honoured. It's bad news for Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland fans, with both missing out on our men's team, in favour of some who have been that little bit more outstanding. Ultimately, while it was mightily tough to decide both teams, here's a look at the two XIs we've selected – see if you agree.

The Champions League returns in February and there are some blockbuster ties.Paris Saint-Germain did not lose a game in their group but still finished second behind Benfica.They have been drawn to play German giants Bayern Munich in the last 16.Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea will also face off in what promises to be a closely contested tie.But arguably the tie of the round sees Real Madrid face Liverpool in a replay of the 2022 Champions League final.Los Blancos got the better of Liverpool in Paris last year and it will no doubt be another fascinating encounter between the two European giants.PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 28: Luka Modric of Real Madrid is challenged by Luis Diaz of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League final match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Stade de France on May 28, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Leandro Trossard has officially completed his £27 million move to Arsenal.After falling out with manager Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton & Hove Albion, the Belgium international was eager for a January switch.Arsenal could have waited until the summer when Trossard's contract expired, but instead opted to swoop now after missing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk - who instead joined Chelsea.On paper, it looks a smart piece of business by Arsenal and an acquisition that could boost their chances of winning the Premier League title.

Morocco took a giant step towards qualifying for the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup with a famous win over Belgium on Sunday afternoon.Understandably, many football fans feared for the Moroccans as soon as they were drawn in the same group as Belgium and Croatia - who formed half of the final four in 2018 - at Qatar 2022.However, despite the north African nation having to face down both European giants in their opening two games, they remarkably find themselves in partial control of Group F on four points.

Thibaut Courtois finished in seventh place as France Football revealed the full rankings for the 2022 Ballon d'Or nominees on Monday night.At a glitzy gala in Paris where Karim Benzema took home the main male prize, Courtois ultimately finished comfortably behind the lead contenders for the most revered individual prize in world football.The Real Madrid shot-stopper had to sit behind Sadio Mane, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe as his teammate took the applause.

Thibaut Courtois isn't exactly an adored figure amongst Atletico Madrid fans.At least, not these days, that is, because the Belgian shot-stopper was indeed a huge hit across a three-year loan spell at the club between 2011 and 2014 that ultimately launched his career into the stratosphere.The Chelsea loanee bagged back-to-back Ricardo Zamora Trophies between the sticks for Los Rojiblancos as well as winning the La Liga title and reaching a Champions League final.

The 23 best players on FIFA 23 have been revealed by EA Sports.The latest edition of the game will be released on September 30.Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both been given downgrades after not being at their best in the 2021/22 season.Despite seeing his rating drop to 91, Messi shares the top rating alongside four others players, including Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two greatest footballers to have ever played the game.We're not going to get into an argument over who is better right now but it's clear the two superstars aren't at the peak of their powers these days.Ronaldo, 37, was unable to win a trophy during a wretched season for Manchester United despite scoring 24 goals in all competitions.Meanwhile, Messi only managed 11 goals in his debut season for Paris Saint-Germain - his worst return since the 2005/06 campaign.That's why neither were in contention for the No.1 spot when Marca named the 100 best players of the 21/22 season earlier this week.Ronaldo was ranked at No.21, while Messi had to settle for No.26.On the back of the rankings, Marca have created an XI of the best players in the 2021/2 campaign based on the votes of the 71 members of the jury.Ronaldo and Messi don't feature.Instead, the XI is dominated by Champions League finalists Real Madrid and Liverpool as well as a few from Premier League champions, Manchester City.Check out the XI below:

Thibaut Courtois dropped a performance of legendary proportions during the Champions League final this year.Real Madrid's road to their 14th European Cup was paved with glorious individual displays from the likes of Luka Modric, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and more during times where they looked distinctly second best.And when Los Blancos were wheezing and floundering through the early exchanges at the Stade de France last season, it was Courtois' turn to put on a masterclass for the ages to keep Liverpool at bay.

Real Madrid were crowned champions of Europe for a record-breaking 14th time after defeating Liverpool in the 2021-22 Champions League final.Liverpool were looking to complete a cup treble after missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City last weekend, but it’s the Spanish giants who lift club football’s most prestigious trophy yet again.Vinicius Jr scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half to leave Liverpool and their supporters heartbroken, while Thibaut Courtois was unbeatable in the Madrid goal.On a night that should have only been remembered for events on the pitch, though, there were chaotic scenes before kick-off outside the stadium prior to kick-off, which was delayed for 36 minutes.Fans were filmed being tear gassed and pepper sprayed as the situation became dangerous and very scary for all those involved.

Is Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois currently the world’s best goalkeeper?The Belgium international, 29, has been outstanding for Los Blancos over the past couple of seasons and played a key role in his side’s Spanish Super Cup final victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening.Goals either side of half-time from Luka Modric and Karim Benzema put Madrid 2-0 ahead in Riyadh, but Athletic were awarded a penalty in the 87th minute and defender Eder Militao was shown a straight red card for blocking Raul Garcia’s goal-bound header with his hand.Garcia had the opportunity to set up a grandstand finish; however, the veteran midfielder was denied from the spot by a truly outstanding save by Courtois.The 6ft 7in shot-stopper pointed to his left before springing down to his right.He stuck out his long left leg while diving, reacting to Garcia’s decision to go down the middle, and somehow made the save.

Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Barcelona on Wednesday night wasn't short of thrills and spills.The Blaugrana fought back twice to push their rivals all the way to extra time in the Supercopa de España semi-finals, before Federico Valverde eventually bagged a winner on the counterattack.Both Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema had given Real the lead in regulation time, but responses from Luuk de Jong and Ansu Fati ensured that we enjoyed a five-goal thriller in Saudi Arabia.

Midway through Lionel Messi’s final season at Barcelona, 160 goalkeepers were sent a total of 644 bottles of Budweiser beer between them.Each bottle represented one of Messi’s 644 goals for Barcelona.Why was that particular number significant? Messi scored his 644th Barça goal against Real Valladolid, breaking Pele’s long-standing record for most goals scored for a single club in the process.To celebrate Messi’s achievement, Budweiser sent personalised bottles of beer to every goalkeeper that the legendary Argentine forward had scored against up until that point.The bottles all featured a specific number alongside an image of Messi celebrating.Each bottle was accompanied by the following message: “This feat is made even more extraordinary given they were scored against the best keepers in the world. We know of no other competitors more worthy of celebrating. Kings aren't made overnight.”

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has criticised football's governing bodies, accusing them of prioritising money over player welfare after the UEFA Nations League came to an end.The Real Madrid shot-stopper hit out at authorities in a scathing assessment of the current football calendar following Belgium's 2-1 defeat to Italy in Sunday's third-place play-off.Courtois, 29, described the match as "pointless" in the build-up, and doubled down on his comments afterwards.Belgium were without Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard due to muscle fatigue while Italy also made changes to their starting line-up.

Anthony Martial was one of numerous top-level players who were excluded from France's squad for Euro 2020.

Italy vs Belgium might as well have been a basketball game.

Italy and Belgium met in Munich on Friday evening in their Euro 2020 quarter-final clash.The game promised to be a cracker and the first-half delivered.Both sides had chances to break the deadlock but it was Italy who took the lead just after the half-an-hour mark.Nicolò Barella showed some great feet inside the box to evade a trio of Belgian defenders before rifling the ball past Thibaut Courtois.The goal was so good that Ciro Immobile went through a miraculous recovery.The Italian striker was writhing around on the floor in 'pain' after going down inside the box.But, when Barella found the net, the Lazio striker was quickly up to his feet to join the celebrations.

Belgium defeated Portugal 1-0 in their Euro 2020 last 16 clash on Sunday evening.The only goal of the game was scored by Thorgan Hazard, who lashed a long-range effort past Rui Patricio just before half-time.Cristiano Ronaldo went into the game hoping to add to the five goals he scored in the group stages.But he cut a frustrated figure throughout as he failed to find a way past Thibaut Courtois.The Belgium goalkeeper even managed to make Ronaldo look silly in the build-up to Hazard's goal.[gmsStartingEleven url="https://givemesport.starting11.co.uk/2019-11-11/"]Courtois had the ball at his feet and was being rapidly closed down by the 36-year-old.It looked as if the Real Madrid stopper would boot the ball up the pitch.But, just as Ronaldo jumped to block the clearance, Courtois knocked the ball in front of him and coolly passed the ball out from the back.He was given 'Skill of the Day' by the Euro 2020 official Twitter account and you can watch the moment below.

Portugal's Euro 2020 journey came to a frustrating end in Seville last Sunday.Cristiano Ronaldo's team were defeated 1-0 by Belgium in the Spanish heat, Thorgan Hazard grabbing the only goal of an enthralling last-16 encounter.The second half of the game in the Estadio de la Cartuja was an absolute classic, with Portugal trying and ultimately failing to find an equaliser.There were chances galore towards the end of proceedings. Raphael Guerreiro hit the post and substitute Joao Felix fired a shot agonisingly wide in the final seconds of stoppage-time.For Portugal, it's a shame that none of the team's major goalscoring chances fell to Ronaldo. The Juventus man - who is the current top scorer at Euro 2020 with five goals - was kept relatively quiet all night.Belgium vs Portugal Match Reaction | The Football Terrace

Portugal will not defend their status as European champions this summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo might have played his final ever game at a European Championships.

England will enter their Euro 2020 clash against Germany on Tuesday night with penalties in the back of their minds.