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Friday, 30 October 2026Lagos · LondonUpdated 06:44 GMT

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Reported

Ronaldo's 2007-08 season voted greatest in Ballon d'Or history

Cristiano Ronaldo, in red, playing for Portugal
Photo: Dagur Brynjólfsson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Cristiano Ronaldo has received a special 'Ballon d'Or of All Time' honour after fans voted his 2007-08 season at Manchester United the greatest in the history of the award.

What happened

The prize was reportedly presented by France Football, the magazine that runs the Ballon d'Or, after a month-long public online vote. The result was reported on Thursday, 29 October 2026. Lionel Messi's 2012 season finished second, while Ronaldo's own 2017 season came third.

The winning season

In 2007-08, Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions and helped Manchester United win both the Premier League and the Champions League. That season earned him his first Ballon d'Or, the start of a long rivalry with Messi that saw the two players dominate the award for more than a decade.

What Ronaldo said

The Portuguese star thanked fans around the world on social media, saying football belongs to the fans and that the award belongs to them too.

How fans reacted

The result reignited the endless debate between supporters of Ronaldo and Messi. Ronaldo's fans celebrated the win as proof of his greatness, while Messi supporters pointed out that the Argentine has won more Ballon d'Or titles in total. The honour comes days after England captain Harry Kane won this year's Ballon d'Or.

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SportReported
A football on a grass pitch
Stock image: Peter Glaser baraida / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Oliseh says Mikel snubbed him as Super Eagles coach and NFF warned him about three stars

Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has reportedly said that John Mikel Obi failed to turn up for a meeting he travelled to London to hold, calling it one of the biggest insults of his time in charge. He also claimed the NFF told him not to invite Mikel, Vincent Enyeama and Emmanuel Emenike.

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Former Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh has reopened old wounds from his time in charge of the national team, reportedly describing a snub by John Mikel Obi as one of the biggest insults he suffered in the job.

What he said

Speaking on a podcast, in comments reported on Thursday, 29 October 2026, Oliseh is said to have explained that he paid for his own trip from Belgium to the United Kingdom to meet Mikel and Victor Moses at a bar in central London, together with his assistant coach. According to Oliseh, Moses came and gave honest feedback about problems in the squad, which he said he respected, but Mikel did not turn up and did not reply to his WhatsApp message.

The NFF warning

Oliseh also reportedly said that when he took the job, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) told him to stop inviting Mikel, goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and striker Emmanuel Emenike, describing the three as troublesome for the federation. He said he now regrets not following that advice. The NFF has not commented on his account, and Mikel has not publicly responded.

Background

Oliseh, a former Super Eagles captain, coached the national team from 2015 until he resigned in 2016. His spell was marked by public disputes with players and officials. Enyeama retired from international football during that period after a falling-out with the coach. Mikel, who captained Nigeria and won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, has since become a popular podcaster and pundit.

How fans reacted

Fans were divided, with some saying the former coach should let the past go and others saying his account helps explain the tension in the team at the time.

SportReported
Victor Osimhen in a Nigeria jersey
Photo: Fédération Guinéenne Football / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Osimhen closes in on Galatasaray's record for goals by a foreign player

Victor Osimhen now has 68 goals for Galatasaray after his derby brace against Fenerbahçe, leaving him third on the club's list of top foreign scorers. Mauro Icardi holds the record with 77 goals.

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Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is moving quickly up Galatasaray's list of all-time foreign goalscorers, and the club record is now within reach.

Where he stands

Osimhen's two goals in Monday's 2-1 derby win over Fenerbahçe took his tally for the Istanbul club to 68, according to reports on Thursday, 29 October 2026. That puts him third among foreign players in the club's history. Romanian great Gheorghe Hagi is second with 72 goals, while Argentine striker Mauro Icardi holds the record with 77, just nine more than Osimhen.

His form this season

The 27-year-old has reportedly scored nine goals and provided three assists in nine appearances in all competitions this season under coach Okan Buruk. His derby double was celebrated widely by Galatasaray fans and by Nigerians on social media.

Background

Osimhen first joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli and became a fan favourite after a prolific first season that helped the club win the Turkish league title. He later completed a permanent move. The former African Footballer of the Year remains Nigeria's main attacking threat, and his form will be closely watched by Super Eagles fans.

What happens next

At his current rate, Osimhen could pass Hagi within weeks, and could challenge Icardi's record before the end of the season.

SportReported
Vincent Kompany waving to fans
Photo: Mike Serigrapher / Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany discharged from hospital after collapse

Vincent Kompany has left hospital after collapsing at Bayern Munich's training ground. The club says he suffered meningeal irritation and will rest and take medication, with no date set for his return to the touchline.

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Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, days after he collapsed at the club's training ground. The club said he will now rest at home before returning to work.

What happened

Kompany collapsed on Friday while watching a second-team training session. Bayern later said the cause was meningeal irritation, an inflammation of the membranes around the brain. Earlier that week he had skipped media duties before the Champions League match against Arsenal because of a viral infection, although he was in the dugout for the 2-2 draw.

What the club said

Sporting director Max Eberl described the discharge as the best possible news for everyone at the club. He said Kompany would rest and take medication and expressed confidence that the coach would return at full strength. Assistant coach Aaron Danks confirmed that Kompany would only return after receiving medical clearance and said there was no fixed timescale. In his absence, the coaching staff led the team to a 6-1 win over Magdeburg in the German Cup.

Background

Kompany, a former Manchester City captain and Belgium international, took charge of Bayern in 2024 after spells as manager of Anderlecht and Burnley. He led the club back to the Bundesliga title in his first season and remains popular with players and fans.

How fans reacted

Messages of support poured in from around football after news of the collapse broke, with former teammates and rival clubs wishing him a full recovery. Fans welcomed the update on Wednesday but urged the club not to rush him back.

World & WestReported
Sir Patrick Stewart
Photo: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Star Trek and X-Men actor Sir Patrick Stewart dies at 86

Sir Patrick Stewart, famous as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 86. His spokesperson said he died on Wednesday after living with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.

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Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor who became a global star as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, has reportedly died at the age of 86. He passed away on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at his home in Los Angeles.

What was announced

His spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, shared a statement on Instagram on Thursday saying the actor died from Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, in the care of his wife, Sunny, and surrounded by family and friends. The family described his final stage as a short and moving journey and said his grace would be remembered.

His life and career

Stewart was born in Mirfield in Yorkshire, England, and began his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Over six decades he worked on stage, in film and on television. He reached millions of viewers as Captain Picard and later as Professor Charles Xavier, the leader of the mutants in the X-Men films. Despite his screen fame, he spent much of his career in the theatre, playing roles such as Macbeth and Claudius, and performing his own one-man version of A Christmas Carol. With his close friend Sir Ian McKellen, he starred in West End and Broadway productions of Waiting for Godot and No Man's Land, swapping roles between them.

Why it matters

Stewart was one of the few actors equally admired by Shakespeare lovers and science fiction fans. He returned to the role of Picard in a later television series and was knighted for services to drama. Fans around the world, including in Nigeria, shared clips of his most famous scenes as news of his death spread.

What happens next

Details of funeral arrangements have not been announced. Tributes from colleagues are expected in the coming days.