Footage of a 9-year-old Lionel Messi doing kick-ups on the El Coloso pitch. The crowd chants "Marado, Marado", already comparing him to Maradona. Messi's "Machine of 87" team had won the 1996 Copa de la Amistad in Peru & were presented to the fans. (📽️ Matías Sauro YouTube)

Up next at #footycon25, we’re looking closer to home with quite a detour as @modernlepra.bsky.social talks through his fascinating journey of exploring Irish roots in Argentine football.

I can't believe more hasn't been made of ITV replacing Andy Townsend with Andros Townsend. It's like some sort of case of mistaken nepotism where HR thought he was following in his father's footsteps but then by the time they realised they were not related, it was too late

Bound for Bilbao #COYS

With the dust starting to settle on a first league title for the Newell's Women (no, they haven't decided to be known as Newell's Old Girls), I looked at their journey from the team's formation in 2018 to the Clásico win on Friday which sealed victory. newellscarajo.com/clasico-glor...

We got very lucky there. The Palace goal that was ruled out for offside was another mind-boggling use of VAR 🤔 Mateta standing in his own half when receiving the ball but his arm was apparently in the Spurs half even though Spence seems to be playing him on anyways

Pope Francis was famously a San Lorenzo fan. Alianza Lima of Peru are now claiming Pope Leo as one of their own after an unverified image of a Facebook account in his name using their badge as a cover photo was found.

There's a clear quality gulf between mid/lower Premier League teams and their non-title chasing equivalents in Europe. While the top PL clubs are competitive with the other top teams in mainland Europe, there seems to be a big disparity below that level in CL/Europa/Conf League

The first-half of the Superclásico has been highly entertaining so far. River 2-1 Boca with Driussi restoring the home side's lead just before half-time after Merentiel had equalised. Mastantuono's stunning opener will be remembered for years to come.

Alexis Mac Allister is the 11th Argentinian to win the Premier League. His first trophy in football was the Primera Nacional (Argentina's second division) with Argentinos Juniors in 2017. His manager that season was one of the other 11 PL winners— Gabriel Heinze.

Keylor Navas has played 13 games for Newell's Old Boys and is already appearing in images of Newell's legends like Bielsa, Messi and Maradona. In fairness, his short spell so far has been utterly ridiculous. He's been Man of the Match for the last 3 consecutive games.

No Scandinavian club had reached a European semi-final since Brondby in 1991. Now Bodø/Glimt and Djurgården have done it within minutes of each other. Bodø/Glimt are the story of the season.

I'm buzzing that Spurs won but Bodø/Glimt is the story of this year's Europa League 😱 We're off to the Arctic Circle for the semi-final! ❄️

Ange survives. What a strange, strange season. Up the Spurs.

Arsenal are the only semi-finalist who are not currently top of their domestic league. For all the talk about the new format, it feels like the first season of the new Champions League has been a success; the bar has been raised.

Real Madrid won the Champions League last season thanks to Joselu and you're telling me they replaced him with Mbappe and are now going out in the QFs?

Carlo Ancelotti in that first half

Spurs have conceded 3 goals against Wolves directly from individual mistakes. A sure sign of the current atmosphere within the team, trying to show up for a head coach who checked out months ago.

😁🙌🏻 = the group of school kids who see me in an Argentina shirt with number 10 on the front and collectively start shouting "Messi!" 😨😤🤔 = The look on their faces when I run past and they see ORTEGA 10 on the back 🧒🏻🗣️ "Teacher, who's Ortega?"

¡Newell's Carajo! ❤️🖤 On Sunday, I have a *very* special episode on the Kentish roots of Argentinian side, @newellsoldboys.bsky.social I have four guests, including a descendent of Isaac Newell Sub wherever you get your podcasts! #skystorians 📸 @modernlepra.bsky.social

#LUFC fan Ash who went to the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa with us last night to see #Newells win against Boca has vlogged his experience and it's now on his YouTube channel! Watch it here to get a taste of what it feels like as a #Leeds fan to visit Newell's. www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8bb...

Argentina's thrashing of Brazil last night may be the symbolic start of the post-Messi era. 4 different goalscorers, all under 26 years old, 3 of them were playing in the domestic league a few years ago. Scaloni has a group of players who can potentially dominate without Leo

"I'm going to kill him" 20-year-old Boca Juniors defender Lautaro Di Lollo when asked about facing Harry Kane at the FIFA Club World Cup later this year 😂

It's the 'Clásico Rosarino' tonight as Newell's Old Boys take on Rosario Central Listen to my chat with @modernlepra.bsky.social for the history behind arguably the world's most underrated derby Stay tuned for a podcast about Newell's soon... 📸 Jamie Ralph outsidewrite.co.uk/podcast-el-c...

🚨 Medical Report: New centre-back Luca Sosa has suffered a right knee sprain with a bone bruise at the top of the tibia. He will begin recovery with physiotherapy, with a reassessment planned soon. #Newells

Holiday read 🇦🇷 @hylland.bsky.social

"My great-grandfather was Irish. His name was Cooper. When he came to Argentina, he got rid of the double O as it was difficult for the locals to say and our surname became Cúper" Famous Argentinian manager Héctor Cúper in conversation with Juan Pablo Varsky on a recent podcast.

You have to wonder what Daniel Levy is playing at if he doesn't sack Ange Postecoglou ASAP. He's disposed of other coaches for much less. Spurs won't win another league game this season until he goes. Players are nervy, clueless, scared & are no longer playing for him.

The first 15 minutes watching Spurs in this #NLD is an unwelcome throwback to all the nights I spent suffering watching Stephen Kenny's Ireland.

I'd have said that it sounded like someone was cheating on Football Manager.

Nottingham Forest are becoming more like Leicester 15/16 as every game passes. Chris Wood has turned into a perfect clone of Vardy from that season where he finishes every chance he gets a sniff at. The atmosphere at the City Ground mirroring the King Power from that year too

How do you explain a team that beats the best team in England on Wednesday and then can't beat the lowest team in the FA Cup a few days later?

Are there any articles or studies on the number of top pro footballers whose parents were also pros? It seems to be a trend in emerging talent at the moment. Even just at Spurs: Bergvall (mother player for Djurgardens!) Kinsky Gray Then you add in Haaland, Ferguson, etc.

That’ll do 👍🏻 Superb debut by Kinsky, Bergvall at the centre of everything. Now hope we hear further good news about Bentancur. #COYS

Cherry on top with that goal 🚀

I think the Carabao Cup ordered their VAR from Wish

Bergvall has been showing glimpses in the last few games of being a scarily good prospect for Spurs. Lots of the raw material to be a top midfielder.

Pretty sedate match at the Tottenham Stadium since Bentancur went off with what looked like a serious injury. Hope we hear good news soon. #CarabaoCup

I bet he didn't have a cup semi-final against Liverpool on his 2025 Bingo Card after his last game... ...a 1-0 defeat to Teplice (fourth from bottom in the Czech First League) on 15th December.

Nottingham Forest now have the exact same number of points (40) as Leicester City did at this point of the 2015/16 Premier League season. Just saying.

Marcelo Bielsa watching Sam Dalby score twice for Leeds United U23s against Coventry in 2018. He promoted him into the first team pre-season squad after. This week, Dalby scored the winner in the Dundee derby in Scotland and is the current top scorer in the Scottish Premiership.

If you followed the 2018 Copa Sudamericana, you would have seen the future captains of #MUFC + #NUFC, who face off tonight in the #PremierLeague. Lisandro Martínez played at RB when Defensa y Justicia were knocked out by Junior FC, who were then beaten finalists vs Bruno Guimarães Athletico-PR.

In Argentina, they advertise Premier League games with images of the most recognisable players to fans there... So of course Kalvin Phillips is front and centre for Ipswich v Chelsea on ESPN. Bielsa's boy!

The last 3 permanent Tottenham managers are all 2nd in their domestic league with their current clubs: 🇮🇹 Antonio Conte - Napoli (2nd in Serie A) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Nuno Espírito Santo - Nottingham Forest (2nd in PL) 🇹🇷 José Mourinho - Fenerbache (2nd in Süper Lig)

The second coming

What's Rayan Aït-Nouri worth? Himself and Antonee Robinson have been the best LBs in the PL this season. You'd imagine they'll both be playing at bigger clubs soon.

Argentina are world champions, mullets and moustaches are back in fashion, England's captain plays in Germany, Ipswich are in the relegation zone & Liverpool and Nottingham Forest are the two best teams in England. It's just like 1978. Everything eventually comes around again

Trying my best to feel like I'm there. #COYS

Loving my presents this year. #COYS

At risk of relegation a year ago, Vélez Sarsfield became champions of Argentina for the first time since 2013 last night. One to watch for the future is 21-year-old centre-back Valentín Gómez; he won't be in Argentina for much longer based on his performances this season.