Catégorie : Sport News

World Cup 2026 is coming, with the UEFA qualifying groups decided on Friday 13 December 2024. Unlucky for some, of course.

The tournament will be held in North America, as Canada, the United States and Mexico put on the first World Cup ever hosted by three separate nations. Mexico will become the first nation to have hosted three, while the US will mark 32 years since they hosted in ’94: it’s Canada’s first go.

In another first for the Greatest Show on Earth, the World Cup will be expanded for this edition to a whopping 48 teams from across the globe. More chance of home nations getting to World Cup 2026, right?

Here’s how this works. The qualifying group stage will feature twelve groups of four or five teams, with the winner of each group automatically qualifying for the World Cup in 2026.

The second-placed teams will advance to the play-offs, along with the four best-ranked group winners from the 2024/25 Nations League, who finished outside of the top two of their World Cup qualifying group. This is designed to give the likes of San Marino a chance.

The play-off nations will be drawn into four paths, playing two rounds of single-match play-offs. The semi-finals will be drawn with the seeded teams hosting, followed by finals, with the home teams drawn. The four path winners will then qualify for the World Cup.

This all means that there will be 16 nations from the UEFA confederation at the World Cup in North America – a third of everyone there.

World Cup qualifying kicks off on March 21 2025 when the next international break rolls around. We won’t know the full line-up for the 2026 competition, however, until March 31 2026.

Is it coming home? 2026 marks 60 years since England first won the World Cup, of course…

The UEFA qualifying groups for World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026: The UEFA qualifying groups

Group A

• Germany/Italy (winning team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Slovakia
• Northern Ireland
• Luxembourg

Group B

• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Slovenia

Group C

• Portugal/Denmark (defeated team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Greece
• Scotland

Group D

• France/Croatia (winner team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Ukraine
• Iceland

Group E

• Spain/Netherlands (winning team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Turkey
• Georgia

Group F

• Portugal/Denmark (winning team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Hungary
• Republic of Ireland

Group G

• Spain/Netherlands (defeated team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Poland
• Finland

Group H

• Austria
• Romania
• Bosnia & Herzegovina

Group I

• Germany/Italy (defeated team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Norway
• Israel

Group J

• Belgium
• Wales
• North Macedonia

Group K

Group L

• France/Croatia (defeated team from Nations League quarter-final)
• Czech Republic
• Montenegro

Pots

Pot 1

1. Spain
2. Netherlands
3. France
4. Croatia
5. Portugal
6. Denmark
7. Italy
8. Germany
9. England
10. Belgium
11. Switzerland
12. Austria

Pot 2

13. Ukraine
14. Sweden
15. Turkey
16. Wales
17. Hungary
18. Serbia
19. Poland
20. Romania
21. Greece
22. Slovakia
23. Czech Republic
24. Norway

Pot 3

25. Scotland
26. Slovenia
27. Republic of Ireland
28. Albania
29. North Macedonia
30. Georgia
31. Finland
32. Iceland
33. Northern Ireland
34. Montenegro
35. Bosnia and Herzegovina
36. Israel

Pot 4

37. Bulgaria
38. Luxembourg
39. Belarus
40. Kosovo
41. Armenia
42. Kazakhstan
43. Azerbaijan
44. Estonia
45. Cyprus
46. Faroe Islands
47. Latvia
48. Lithuania

Pot 5

49. Moldova
50. Malta
51. Andorra
52. Gibraltar
53. Liechtenstein
54. San Marino

Banned from entering

Schedule

The appointment of Frank Lampard put the spotlight on Coventry City in the aftermath of the sacking of Mark Robins.

Sky Blues owner Doug King brought the former Chelsea and Everton manager in to replace Robins in November and Lampard is now three matches into life at the CBS Arena.

Wednesday’s Championship defeat at West Bromwich Albion was Lampard’s first in charge of Coventry, where his record is now a draw, a win and a loss.

Coventry City need their strikers to be fit and firing

Lampard hailed the squad depth he inherited on joining the club and has had to make use of it already as he works towards the tactical approach he hopes will make his team more consistent and drag the Sky Blues up the Championship table.

Coventry had the better volume and quality of chances at the Hawthorns and Lampard remained positive about his available options despite losing 2-0 thanks to a nasty deflection on an Alex Mowatt shot and Karlan Grant’s neat but poorly defended insurance goal late in the game.

Lampard has had to contend with the absence of American international striker Haji Wright, who scored 19 goals last season including three in Coventry’s exhilarating FA Cup run. His nerveless stoppage-time penalty at Wembley completed their heroic recovery from 3-0 down to take Manchester United to extra time in the semi-final.

Wright picked up an ankle ligament injury in Coventry’s draw with Sunderland in November. His physicality and eye for goal have been missed and Lampard told FourFourTwo that while he still believes he inherited a balanced squad, Wright’s absence has been to the Sky Blues’ detriment.

“We’re missing Haji Wright,” he said after Wednesday’s game. “He’s a big player for us and will be a big plus when he comes back, which we hope will be soon.

“I’m happy with the balance of the team and always, when you come in, the first thing is just to improve. What small steps can we take forward each day, each training session, each game? That’s the important thing at the moment.”

Ellis Simms was vital for Coventry last season and in their FA Cup run in particular, but he’s yet to get going under Lampard after shaking off a knock earlier this season. He came off the bench at the Hawthorns as he did in the three matches prior to Lampard’s first win at Millwall last weekend.

With his target man options either out of commission or on the fringes of favour, Lampard has spent his first couple of weeks in charge and his first three games looking at different ways to deploy an attacking unit of four players.

In two out of three matches that’s comprised Jack Rudoni in the hole flanked by Ephron Mason-Clark and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, behind 20-year-old Norman Bassette at centre forward.

The four have combined well in periods of those games and Lampard has liked what he’s seen. But he knows there must be more to come.

“It does take time to understand the attributes of the players,” Lampard told FourFourTwo at the Hawthorns.

“We’ve got two and a half days between games as well, so we’ll have to see what that looks like. But it’s important that we get to that point very quickly of understanding them.

“I’ve understood a lot in two weeks but I’ll understand more over this next period because of the amount of games we’ve got coming.”

Ollie Watkins has been a leading light for Aston Villa since joining from Brentford in 2020, with his form under Unai Emery particularly crucial in their ascent to Champions League football.

The England striker rarely misses a game and last season scored in excess of a goal every other game in all competitions – a strike rate he has come close to matching so far in this Premier League campaign. Watkins ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best strikers in the world right now.

But Villa fans face an anxious wait to see if Watkins is set to be sidelined after he was forced off at half-time in their 3-2 win away to RB Leipzig in midweek.

Is Ollie Watkins fit to face Nottingham Forest?

Emery, who ranked at no.6 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best managers in the world right now, described Watkins’ issue as a ‘small injury’ following that Champions League victory.

But Watkins was set to be assessed on Wednesday to reveal the true extent of the issue before Villa travel to face fifth-placed Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in Saturday’s teatime kick-off.

Emery was pleased at the impact Jhon Duran had from the bench – as he so often does – by putting Villa ahead for the second time in the game. Leverkusen subsequently equalised before Ross Barkley’s effort won it for Villa five minutes from time.

Duran would be the most likely replacement for Watkins if he is unable to play against Forest. The Colombian started and scored in Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Southampton last weekend, with Watkins replacing him from the bench just before the hour.

That was Duran’s first league start of the season, and extended his goalscoring run from the starting line-up after he also netted against Bologna in the Champions League and against Wycombe and Crystal Palace in the League Cup. He has also scored four from the bench in the Premier League.

In FourFourTwo’s view, Duran is a more than reliable deputy to Watkins, and that may be a factor in Emery’s selection decision if the latter would be at any risk of exacerbating the injury by starting on Saturday.

Villa face a particularly tough run of Christmas fixtures, with their trip to Forest followed by hosting Manchester City, a visit to Newcastle, and a home game against Brighton before a midlands derby against Leicester City on January 4.

Emery’s side look to have come out of a poor run of form, claiming back-to-back league wins to rise back up the sixth in the table. They are level on points with Forest and just two behind fourth-placed City.

Arsenal have been without Gabriel over the past three games, with the influential centre-back sidelined by a hamstring injury.

The Brazilian international was forced off late on in the 5-1 win away to Sporting in the Champions League last month and then had to be withdrawn at half time in Arsenal’s 5-2 win at West Ham a few days later.

Gabriel, who ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best centre-backs in the world right now, has been a massive player for Mikel Arteta in the Gunners’ rise back to title contenders with his rock-solid defending and excellent record scoring from set pieces.

Is Gabriel fit enough to play against Everton?

Gabriel was not risked against Monaco in the Champions League in midweek as Arsenal claimed a 3-0 win, but could be in contention to return when Arsenal host Everton on Saturday afternoon, according to the Daily Mail.

Football.London add that Gabriel is not thought to have been in full training with the rest of the Arsenal squad this week but has been working individually in the gym.

They go on to point out that the last time Gabriel was an injury doubt, following his withdrawal against Sporting, he only needed a single training session before being passed fit to start.

Their supposition is that Arsenal may be willing to take a similar stance this time around, such is his importance to Arteta’s side

FourFourTwo would however point out that the game in question was victory at West Ham, where Gabriel did not manage to complete the 90 minutes. Arsenal may therefore wish to take a more cautious stance to make sure he is right – especially ahead of a busy pile-up of festive fixtures.

Arsenal will not have a full week off between games until after the turn of the New Year, and face six games in the space of the next 22 days.

Arteta may give more of an indication as to Gabriel’s standing at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Jan Kiwior has filled in as William Saliba’s partner during Gabriel’s absence with Riccardo Calafiori also sidelined with a groin injury.

In a rain-soaked Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the Rams took home all the points in a tightly-contested slugfest, edging the 49ers, 12-6. The game was a low-scoring affair, with both defenses dominating and offenses struggling to find any rhythm. The 49ers’ offense, in particular, was dismal.

Purdy couldn’t connect with his wideouts, throwing an ugly interception while their run game struggled yet again.

The offensive line failed to protect their QB, with Purdy taking sacks and pressures all night long. However, the result could have been entirely different if Deebo Samuel had caught the ball when the 49ers were gaining momentum.

Shannon Sharpe, during the latest episode of The Nightcap podcast, blamed Deebo for the drop, stating that his failure to catch the ball cost the Niners a possible TD:

“Purdy was spraying the ball over the field. But he did have an opportunity to get a TD and Deebo dropped it. He anticipated the scene and he had his mind on probably scoring a TD and he just flat-out dropped it. Dropped a Touchdown. There is no other way around it.”

Had he caught the ball, it would have been an easy first down—or potentially much more—because he was wide open. Facing a crucial 3rd-and-10 in the third quarter from the 30-yard line, Purdy targeted Deebo at the 20-yard line. Deebo was just a few yards shy of the first down marker, and with the entire left side of the field wide open, he had a clear path toward the end zone.

Unfortunately, the ball slipped through his hands, forcing the 49ers to settle for a field goal on that drive.

Sharpe didn’t hold back, criticizing Deebo Samuel for his recent complaining on social media about not getting enough targets. Sharpe pointed out the irony, calling Samuel’s behavior “foolish” after dropping a potential touchdown following all his complaining.

This was the Niners’ eighth loss of the season. They haven’t had this many losses since 2020 when they finished 6-10 at the bottom of the NFC West, which is where they are likely to finish this season. Their playoff hopes are all but over, with less than a 1% chance of making the postseason.

Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor is the WSL’s longest-serving manager after Emma Hayes’ departure from the Chelsea at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Taylor, 51, has been in charge at the Academy Stadium for over four years, first appointed in May 2020.

He has yet to lead the team to a WSL title, but has enjoyed plenty of success since taking the job. Here’s everything you need to know about the City coach and his career to date

Gareth Taylor: His career so far

Like a few of his fellow WSL managers, Taylor had a distinguished playing career in the men’s professional game before becoming a coach.

Born in Weston-Super-Mare, Taylor’s first pro contract came at a West Country club, with Bristol Rovers offering him a deal. A four-year spell in the early nineties followed, with Taylor then turning out for Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.

Then came his first encounter with Manchester City, the forward signing for the club in November 1998 – with City struggling in Division Two at the time.

Fortunately the Citizens got themselves promoted at Wembley in dramatic fashion via the play-offs, before reaching the Premier League the following year.

Taylor later enjoyed successful spells at Burnley at Nottingham Forest before retiring in 2011 whilst at Wrexham. By that point his coaching career had already begun in earnest, regularly taking charge of Wrexham’s reserve side.

First re-joining City as under-16 coach, Taylor had various youth development roles at the club he played for, before he was offered the women’s job in May 2020 replacing Nick Cushing.

VIDEO How Lauren James Will Change Women’s Football Forever

Within months of his reign, Taylor had City’s first trophy in the bag since the 2017 Women’s FA Cup, winning the 2020 edition of the same tournament after a 3-1 win over Everton at Wembley.

Building an exciting attacking team around the likes of Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh and Caroline Weir, Taylor led City to an impressive second-place finish in 2020-21, with the anticipated next step being s league championship.

But tougher times followed, City lost three of their first four games the following season and were out of the title race immediately, eventually finishing a distant third. Taylor then lost Bronze and Walsh to Barcelona after the pair helped England win Euro 2022 on home soil.

What has followed since has been a steady recovery to get City back to the top of the domestic tree. Taylor’s team flirted with the title in 2023 before back-to-back defeats away at local rivals Liverpool and Manchester United ended their chances.

Last season was arguably Taylor’s best as a manager so far, winning 18 out of City’s 22 league games. Yet on the final day Chelsea were yet again champions. That, coupled with a quarter final FA Cup exit on penalties to Tottenham, means the pressure is starting to grow on Taylor to win some silverware in 2024-25.

Can he deliver? With an attack of England stars Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp, Matilda Mary Fowler and goalscoring phenomenon Bunny Shaw, City and Taylor have a great chance.

Gervonta Davis, one of boxing’s brightest stars and a knockout artist, stunned fans this week with a major announcement: he plans to retire at the end of 2025. What does an early exit mean for his legacy? According to former champion and boxing legend Bernard Hopkins, Davis has already done enough to secure his place in the Hall of Fame.

Hopkins praised Davis for his achievements in the ring, suggesting that even with 12 months left to go, his impact on the sport is undeniable.

Hopkins appeared in an interview with ‘Fight Hub TV’ where the 59-year-old said that while ‘Tank’ might change his mind, he’s one for the ballot as far as he was concerned. 

“I think his legacy will be in his time which he needs to be respected for. Tank did what most of the greats did in their time, accomplish the highest goal that you can accomplish.”

Known as “The Executioner,” Hawkins had an illustrious career spanning nearly three decades, during which time, he became the oldest world champion in boxing history. 

Hawkins also defended his titles a record 20 times as a middleweight by fighting and defeating some of the biggest names in the sport, showcasing incredible skill, endurance, and intelligence in the ring.

The point is, that Hawkins knows a little something about legacy and if he believes Davis has enough of one, then that truly makes him a Hall of Famer.

What did Davis say about his future?

Davis announced plans, surprising fans during a press conference promoting his WBA lightweight championship fight against Lamont Roach in March. Davis didn’t hold back when explaining his decision, expressing frustration with the sport.

“I’m done with it,” he said, emphasizing he was ready to step away for good. 

In an interview with Yahoo! Sport, Davis described his feelings bluntly, calling the sport “trash” and admitting he’s “fed up” with everything surrounding it. His focus now is on making money and living a quieter life out of the spotlight. 

Davis has also expressed that he wants to step away for his family’s sake. He plans to seek therapy to address his anger issues and become a better father to his two daughters, with the goal of leading a more peaceful and humble life.

Combat sports have rarely had a great exit strategy. So, if a fighter can accomplish as much as Davis has in the amount of time he has, there’s no reason for them to stick around and find out if something can go wrong. So, why would he take the risk?

The Newcastle United home kit for 2025/26 is on the horizon, since the Toon have had a season to forget so far. At the time of writing they are mid-table and struggling to hit the heights of the memorable 2022/23 campaign under Eddie Howe that saw them return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

At least this season’s kits are great. We rated the home shirt 22nd out of 60 in the league, and the away kit the very best in 2024/25. If the rumours and “leaks” are to be believed, the Magpies could have a very new look on the pitch next term.

While the immediate concern will be about arresting their recent slump in the Premier League, there may also be some legitimate worries surrounding the images that have emerged of the possible home strip for the 2025-26 season.

Newcastle United home kit for 2025/26 prediction revealed

As covered by FourFourTwo in October, next season’s home shirt could have a very unusual design, influenced by Australian side Brisbane Roar. The new-look style will supposedly be a shepherd’s check pattern, and the mock-up images are not the most aesthetically pleasing.

The shirt has a home-stitched look, almost as if it’s unfinished. There are two predicted images, though, and the second, “improved” version is certainly more palatable, and there is perhaps even a rustic appeal to it.

It is hard to see such a divergence from the typically sleek Newcastle home kits going down particularly well with the club’s fans.

Next season’s shirt will reportedly “feature a unique, classic design inspired by a shepherd’s plaid to represent the club’s black and white origin story”.

While there is a romantic side of the proposed design that might appeal to purists, there appears to be something of a juxtaposition between such a stripped-back, old-fashioned style and the lavish wealth and exuberance of the club’s Saudi Arabian owners.

Of course, Footy Headlines’ prediction is not the final design. If the rumours are true it will almost certainly be developed into something polished and stylish, a combination of the old and the new that would please fans of both generations.

But Adidas, who are designing the kit, will need to be careful that they don’t release a shirt that proves overly divisive.

The 2025/26 Newcastle home kit will be sponsored by Saudi Arabian events company Sela, who signed a multi-year deal with the club in 2023, and is expected to be available to buy in May or June next year.

Jimmy Butler officially began his media day hair-do prank in 2022 when he arrived with ombre faux locs. Last year, he elevated it a notch by showing up as ‘Emo Jimmy’ — with straight hair, and clad in piercings and eyeliner. Butler, however, turned up with no special props this time around.

“I’m here. Normal hair. No shenanigans,” the 35-year-old had said on media day ahead of the 2024-25 season.

While fans were disappointed, the Miami Heat star has more than made up for it by brandishing new hair colors almost every week since then. Through 17 appearances, Jimmy has already displayed four different colors this season.

‘Blonde Jimmy’ was the first look. It lasted for just three games — between the 5th and 9th of November. Notably, the Heat lost all the three games during that stretch. Butler also suffered from an ankle injury, forcing him to miss the next four games.

When he returned, the six-time All-Star was feeling fiery hot in red hair. From the 19th to the 30th of November, the Heat won four of their five games with Jimmy the red-head in the line-up.

At the start of December, against the Toronto Raptors, Butler switched his hairdo again. He appeared up north with his hair colored blue. This lasted from the 2nd to the 9th of December. His team secured a winning record in that period too.

Finally, last night, we saw Jimmy’s fourth hair color of the season. He showed up for the home game against Toronto in bright orange hair. Miami won 114-104.

With a relatively laxed schedule over the next 10 days, we’ll have to wait to know how long Butler maintains his current style. 

Is Butler trying to say something through his hairstyle?

After the game against the Raptors last night, Butler was asked if there was any particular thought process involved in his frequent change of hair color.

“I can change my hair to whatever color I want to, and there is no subliminals in my hair. I’ve just been changing it a lot lately. Orange is the brightest color that they had so that’s what I went with,” the five-time All-Defensive wing explained.

His clarification, however, did not deter fans from finding subliminal messaging in Butler’s choice of colors. Some of the more conspiracy-inclined members of the Heat community suggested that Jimmy’s hair through this season might reflect his preferred trade destinations. 

Shams Charania reported that Pat Riley is officially taking calls for Butler now, and listed a few teams as his ideal landing spots. The Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets were on the ESPN reporter’s list. 

Fans connected Jimmy’s blonde hairdo to the Warriors, his blue hairstyle to the Mavericks, and of course, the red to the Rockets. The recently added orange was associated with another contending Western Conference Team — the Phoenix Suns. 

When the trade deadline drama truly picks up, we can expect less conjecture and more insider reports about where the NBA’s biggest names will end up come February. That could include Butler, hair color notwithstanding. 

In football, it seems that pretty much anything can create hostility between two clubs – and all rivalries have their starting point.

These are some of the more unusual feuds in the game, though, not making a whole lot of sense at first.

We’re here to delve into the backstories, which range from tactically delaying the kick-off to sitting on a red carpet in protest…

Celtic vs Hamburg

Celtic’s fiercest foes are, of course, Rangers – but their fans’ dislike of Hamburg is linked to the Old Firm derby.

Ahead of a 2009 Europa League clash in Germany, Hamburg supporters unveiled an enormous Union Jack tifo along with the Ulster loyalist slogan of ‘No Surrender’ – which drew the ire of Celtic’s fan base, one historically associated with support for Irish republicanism (whereas that of Rangers leans the other way).

Australia vs Uruguay

Australia and Uruguay sit the best part of 10,000 miles apart, but that distance hasn’t diluted the hostility that exists between the countries on the football pitch.

It all began during a series of pre-World Cup friendlies in 1974 which turned violent – to the degree that Australian forward Ray Baartz suffered a stroke after having a neck artery damaged by a borderline assault from Uruguay’s Luis Garisto.

The two nations have met in multiple World Cup qualification play-offs since then, with the Socceroos dramatically winning on penalties in 2006.

Leeds v Millwall

The rivalry between Leeds and Millwall really ramped up during the 2007/08 season, when the sides were both in League One and fans clashed with each other and the police at Elland Road.

A heavily policed fixture since then, hostilities are intensified by the presence of two of England’s most notorious hooligan firms: the Leeds United Service Crew and the Millwall Bushwackers.

Brighton vs Crystal Palace

Brighton and Crystal Palace contest the so-called M23 derby (not that either set of supporters embraces that name…).

Tensions began to simmer as the Seagulls and Eagles met more regularly in the league during the 70s, although the major flashpoint came at the end of a 1976 FA Cup replay – when, after seeing his team lose 1-0, Brighton manager Alan Mullery gestured to Palace fans then purportedly chucked a handful of coins to ground and remarked, ‘That’s all Crystal Palace are worth!’.

Plot twist: Mullery later took charge of Palace.

Coventry vs Sunderland

The inimitable Jimmy Hill did most things in football – including igniting the rivalry between Coventry City and Sunderland.

On the final day of the 1976/77 season, both clubs were trying to avoid relegation from the top flight – and in a bid to give his Sky Blues an edge, Hill, in his capacity as managing director, delayed kick-off at home to fellow survival scrappers Bristol City by 15 minutes, citing crowd congestion.

When news of Sunderland’s 2-0 defeat away to Everton came through, Hill had it put on the big screen at Highfield Road for all to see – enabling Coventry and Bristol City to play out a 2-2 draw that secured mutual safety and relegated Sunderland.

Perth Glory vs Wellington Phoenix

It’s more than 3,000 miles from Perth, on Australia’s west coast, to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand – and the cities’ respective football clubs face off in the Distance Derby.

And this one is a regular occurrence – Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix may be based in different countries, but they play in the same league: the predominantly Australian A-League.

Gillingham vs Swindon

Swindon Town’s main rivals are the relatively local Oxford United, but there’s still a fair bit of needle in their clashes with Gillingham – despite the Gills hailing from well over 100 miles away to the east.

So, how did it all come about? Well, during a 1979 meeting in the old Third Division, hosts Gillingham were 2-0 up when goalscorer Danny Westwood saw red for foul language after reacting to being scythed down in crunching fashion and seeing the perpetrator go unpunished. In response, a Gills fan invaded the pitch and attacked the referee – before Swindon fought back to draw 2-2.

The return fixture two months later culminated in a scrap in the tunnel which led to two Gillingham players appearing in court!

Colchester vs Wycombe

Colchester United and Wycombe Wanderers only met for the first time in 1985, but it didn’t take long for a bitter hatred to develop between the Essex and Buckinghamshire outfits.

That first encounter came in the FA Cup, and Wycombe, then of the Conference (today’s National League) pulled off an upset by beating Fourth Division Colchester 2-0 in the first round.

But things really hotted up during the early 90s, when the pair found themselves vying for promotion to the Football League – with the U’s pipping Wanderers to the Conference title on goal difference in 1992, and Wycombe joining their arch-nemeses in the third tier as champions the following year.

Argentina vs England

The longstanding international rivalry between Argentina and England began in the quarter-finals of the 1966 World Cup – which hosts England, of course, won – and has been rekindled at multiple editions of the tournament since.

Having been sent off for “violence of the tongue”, Argentine captain Antonio Rattin refused to leave the Wembley pitch and had to be escorted away by police – before further showing his disgust at the decision by sitting on the red carpet reserved for the Queen.

Twenty years later, in another quarter-final, with tensions between Argentina and the UK heightened by the 1982 Falklands War, came the next great flashpoint: Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal; then, in 1998, as England lost to Argentina once more, David Beckham was dismissed in disgrace for kicking out at Diego Simeone – only to gain redemption by scoring the Three Lions’ winner from the penalty spot in 2002.

LA Galaxy vs North Carolina FC

With no relegation in MLS, top American clubs rarely face lower-league opposition – but an exception is the US Open Cup.

In 2012 and 2013, multiple MLS champions LA Galaxy crashed out at the hands of second-tier North Carolina FC (then known as the Carolina Railhawks) – so when they were drawn together once more in 2014, the Galaxy were determined to make it third time lucky.

Star man Landon Donovan remarked that they were “sick of losing to Carolina” – and what happened next? The underdogs won again, of course.

Hansa Rostock vs St. Pauli

Hansa Rostock and St. Pauli have rarely played each other at the top level of German football, and this is far from a local rivalry as their respective bases (Rostock and Hamburg) lie more than 150 miles apart.

But the atmosphere around fixtures between these two can get pretty heated, owing to the city of Rostock’s historical links to far-right politics and St. Pauli’s standing as one of the most overtly left-wing clubs in the world.

Bolton vs Tranmere

Bolton Wanderers and Tranmere Rovers supporters haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye since the 1991 Third Division play-off final.

Chris Malkin’s goal was enough to secure victory for Tranmere at Wembley – and that in itself wouldn’t have sparked a feud that endures to this day, but their celebrations in front of the Bolton bench did.

Tranmere also came on top in the 2000 League Cup semi-final between the sides…

Iran vs South Korea

Situated on opposite sides of the world’s largest continent, Iran and South Korea have regularly done battle at the Asian Cup over the years – including in the final of 1972, which Iran won 2-1, and five consecutive quarter-finals from 1996 to 2011.

The countries’ intense encounters are living, breathing proof that geography is no obstacle to rivalry in this game.

Aberdeen vs Rangers

While they’ll never usurp Celtic as Rangers’ foremost enemies, Aberdeen don’t exactly get along with the Old Firm giants.

This rivalry peaked during the 80s, when Aberdeen were a real force under Alex Ferguson and defeated the Gers in successive Scottish Cup finals – the first of them a 4-1 thrashing in 1982.

Everton vs Manchester United

Rival cities since the Industrial Revolution, Liverpool and Manchester do battle in football form through several fixtures – the most notable being Liverpool vs Manchester United.

But a strong rivalry between the blue half of Merseyside, Everton, and United has existed for well over half a century, with a 2005 FA Cup tie marred by significant crowd trouble.

Sheffield United vs West Ham

This one’s a bit one-sided, but Sheffield United’s beef with West Ham is understandable.

After the Hammers avoided Premier League relegation at their expense on the final day of the 2006/07 season, the Blades pushed for a points deduction for the East Londoners – who had breached transfer rules to sign Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, the latter proving to be their saviour.

No such punishment came, but the Yorkshire outfit did get £20m in an out-of-court settlement, so…