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Sweden has a proud modern history of producing elite strikers, from Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. If the hype is to be believed, then 16-year-old Kevin Filling is the latest sensation off that conveyor belt of talent, and the AIK prospect is already being linked with a transfer to one of the Premier League's big hitters.

Filling's senior career is truly still only in its infancy, but following his eye-catching debut in the summer, the teenager is already in the headlines – finding himself linked with English giants Manchester United, among others.

INEOS have already demonstrated their ruthlessness in pursuit of the best young talent around, snaring another Scandinavian wonderkid in Chido Obi from Arsenal as well as Malian midfielder Sekou Kone since taking control of football operations at Old Trafford in late 2023. Whether another deal for a prodigious teenager is on the cards remains to be seen, with some other big names supposedly in the running while United's name is often used in the press for agents to gain leverage. What's clear, though, is that Swedish football has another huge talent on its hands…

Where it all began

Eligible to represent both Sweden and Senegal through his parents, Filling was born in the Swedish city of Vasteras – about 100 kilometres west of capital Stockholm – in November 2008. His football journey began at Vasteras-based IK Franke, but aged 11 he stepped up to bigger local club Vasteras SK, who ply their trade in the second tier. Interestingly, that is also where ex-United defender Victor Lindelof came through the ranks.

It was there that Filling caught the attention of Stockholm's biggest club, AIK, and he joined their academy ahead of the 2023 season at 14. He made swift progress through the age grades, earning game time with the Under-16s and U17s, ultimately netting 10 times in 14 games in 2023. He continued on that upward trajectory the following year, netting 12 times in 26 games as a fully-fledged member of the U17s squad.

He was promoted to the U19s earlier in 2025, and after a brief loan at third-tier partner club Enkopings SK, where he netted once in just three appearances, the 16-year-old was deemed ready for an opportunity by his parent side.

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

In late June 2025, the teenager was given a huge vote of confidence by manager Mikkjal Thomassen as, out of nowhere, he started the Allsvenskan clash against AIK's fierce inter-city rivals IFK Goteborg.

That roll of the dice paid off handsomely, as Filling scored a debut goal to more or less wrap up an eventual 3-0 victory just before the break. Curving his run to stay onside like a seasoned veteran, the youngster latched on to a cute through-ball and found himself in on goal. Keeping his cool, he rolled the ball under the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to spark wild scenes in the stands. Filling was later taken off to a standing ovation from the home section of the Strawberry Arena.

Explaining the big selection call afterwards, Thomassen said: "He (Filling) started because he trained enormously well. He has convinced me." On whether it was a risk, he added: "It's not about daring. I picked the best team today. It was a 16-year-old and a guy who turned 18 last week. We lined up with the strongest team we had.

"We don't take into account what age they are. Kevin brings quality and energy. We are very impressed by him."

How it's going

The very next day, AIK announced that young Filling had signed a his first professional contract to keep him at the club until June 2028.

"It feels completely unreal to sign my first contract with AIK," he effused. "It is a dream come true to be able to step up to the men's team at the age of 16 and now I look forward to continuing my development in order to achieve my next dream in the future, which is to win the Swedish Championship gold medal with AIK."

However, Filling's goal-scoring exploits on his debut unfortunately did not spark an immediate breakthrough, as it emerged that the teenager had suffered a knee injury. That problem would keep him out for two months, and he has since been eased back into action – starting just one out of eight matches since late August, albeit he will still be happy with that level of game time at his age.

He has, though, bagged his second senior goal for AIK in another euphoric moment, rising highest to head home a 96th-minute winner against Stockholm rivals IF Brommapojkarna. "This is the best there is, this is how football should be," he told afterwards with his arms spread wide in a refreshingly enthusiastic interview. "A chance, a goal, it's enough."

At international level, Filling already forms part of Sweden's U18s squad and recently netted a brace against Wales in a friendly. He had already represented the U15s, U16s and U17s, and seems destined to make his senior bow in the not-too-distant future.

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GettyBiggest strengths

Filling's two senior goals are a reflection of the attributes he is already exhibiting at such a young age. The first against Goteborg showed his speed and fearlessness, as he raced clear of the defence but stayed composed when one on one with the goalkeeper and coolly finished; the second demonstrated his aerial ability, as he already stands at an imposing 6'1" despite having many more years to grow. Indeed, he was clearly up for the physical battle on his debut as he engaged in plenty of duels. He has the versatility to play out wide, too, often operating in the left channel and cutting inside.

"Kevin was one of the first academy players I noticed when I came to the club, and since then his development has been very positive," AIK's head of scouting and recruitment Fredrik Wisur Hansen said when Filling's contract was announced. "With his pace, intensity and natural aggression, he is a perfect fit for the football we want to play."

It seems at this early stage that he has the mentality required to make it to the very top, too. Thomassen revealed after the striker's goal against Goteborg: "(He is) Very ambitious. I had to call him in from the last training session. He stood half an hour after we finished training and practiced finishing. He has taken enormous responsibility for his own development and it has gone quickly forward."

The Dodgers are off to the World Series for the second year in a row after they completed a sweep of the Brewers in the National League Championship Series Friday thanks to Shohei Ohtani's historic performance.

Before the 2024 season, the two-way superstar signed a monster 10-year, $700 million contract to join the Dodgers, which was the biggest contract in Major League Baseball history until Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets last offseason. L.A.'s $350 million payroll for this season leads the MLB, highlighted by big deals for their star core of Mookie Betts, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Freddie Freeman.

They made another star acquisition over the offseason, winning the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes to land the Japanese pitcher who has had an incredible postseason out of the bullpen. Clearly, the Dodgers aren't afraid to spend to remain atop baseball's mountaintop. Even though their massive spending brings out plenty of critics, manager Dave Roberts couldn't seem to care less, as he perfectly noted while celebrating their NLCS victory Friday evening.

"I'll tell you before this season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball," Roberts said into the microphone on the podium. "Let's get four more wins and really ruin baseball, let's go."

The defending champions now await the winner of the ALCS between the Mariners and Blue Jays in the World Series. We'll see if either smaller market team is able to take down the big spenders, which is undoubtedly a tall task with Ohtani putting up performances never seen before. The Dodgers have made it to the World Series in five of the past nine years, now in only their second year of Ohtani in Dodger blue.

A dynasty could be budding and the franchise will continue to do whatever it takes to remain as baseball's standard.

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Após o golaço de Luiz Henrique pelo Botafogo, os torcedores foram à loucura com o lance. Os internautas aproveitaram para provocar o rival e apelidaram o atacante de “caçador de urubu”. Confira abaixo.

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After the success of Harry Amass on loan, Sheffield Wednesday have now reportedly set their sights on signing Gabriele Biancheri and Victor Musa from Manchester United in January.

The Owls are slowly but surely solving the problems left behind by Dejphon Chansiri and now have plenty of reason to be optimistic after clearing debts owed on deals for Yan Valery and Ike Ugbo.

According to The Star’s Alex Miller, with those debts cleared, Sheffield Wednesday’s FIFA transfer restriction has been lifted and they’ll be in a position to sign players at long last in January. What’s more, those at Hillsborough are still waiting for a verdict from the EFL on lifting their ban on signing free agents in what would be a major boost.

Whilst Championship safety remains a mere fantasy after their 12-point deduction, Sheffield Wednesday at least have the chance to drag their rivals down with them after the international break, given that Sheffield United sit as low as 22nd as things stand.

Victory over their rivals in the Steel City derby would take the Owls within two points of reaching the positives again and manager Henrik Pedersen, who is already looking forward to the game – telling reporters: “Oh I am looking forward.

“You can see from the players, from the fans, the energy is good. We are together with a lot of hope for the future and when we see the boys at Southampton, they don’t work hard enough for the three goals, but away at Southampton there were so many good things.”

Off the pitch, meanwhile, the manager will have the chance to welcome some much-needed reinforcements in January, which could start with two more Man United gems.

Sheffield Wednesday targeting Musa and Biancheri

According to transfer reporter Graeme Bailey, Sheffield Wednesday are now targeting Victor Musa and Gabriele Biancheri at Man United following the success of Amass’ loan deal this season. The left-back has started all 11 of Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship games and even scored his first goal for the club against Southampton last time out.

Now turning back to Old Trafford, the Owls could land two more impressive talents. Both 19-year-old strikers, Biancheri has scored four goals in seven Premier League 2 games so far this season and has enjoyed a better season than Musa, who is yet to score.

As a result of his recent rise, it’s Biancheri who has earned the most praise with Canada boss Jesse Marsch telling reporters after inviting the forward to join the country’s training camp in June: “He’s a dynamic player. He’s very good around the goal. You can see he’s an intelligent player.

“He’s a version of Jonathan David. He’s not exactly the same player but he’s a striker that can play up on the backline and is also good at coming underneath and connecting plays and being part of the build-up phase.”

Sheffield Wednesday takeover latest

There were funky lines drawn on the practice pitches, a serious focus on the sweep shot, and an army of net bowlers on the job to help the batters

Alagappan Muthu30-Oct-2024There was something new at the India nets on Wednesday. They had commandeered four pitches on the square at the Wankhede Stadium. Two for fast bowling. Two for spin bowling. On each of them, two lines had been drawn, extending perpendicularly outward from the batting crease, one from the base of off stump and another from the base of leg stump. They hadn’t been there in Pune.These lines came in particularly handy when Washington Sundar got down to sweep the ball and Ravindra Jadeja appealed for lbw. Washington kept his front foot where it had been when he played the shot and it did seem fairly adjacent to off stump. Rishabh Pant found them beneficial, too. He could identify balls that weren’t in line with the stumps easier and as soon as he saw one, he went on the attack.India are in an almost unprecedented situation – having to prevent a home series whitewash, which has only happened once before, against South Africa in 1999-2000. And it reflected in the work they have been putting in to prepare for the Mumbai Test. It even showed in the work they had put in. The Mumbai Cricket Association, reportedly responding to a request from the team management, had trucked in 35 net bowlers. Many of them looked like school children, teenagers.Related

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An offspinner struck Sarfaraz Khan’s pad while he was defending on the front foot, but according to umpire Gautam Gambhir, the impact could have been outside the line of off stump. Sarfaraz erased that memory with a full-blooded sweep shot in front of square leg against a left-arm spinner next ball. There was a whole bunch of left-arm spinners, actually. Mitchell Santner couldn’t hope for a more heartfelt compliment.A lot of India’s wickets, in Pune in particular, were the result of batters being stuck on the crease. One reason for that might be the level of uncertainty that pitch helped in creating. One ball turned. Another from the same spot went straight on. Others scooted through really low. And with New Zealand making sure they targeted the stumps as often as possible, at times it didn’t feel like there were a lot of options for run-making.”You need to understand when certain balls are turning, certain balls are going straight, it tends to play with your mind,” Abhishek Nayar, India’s assistant coach, said on Wednesday. “So, at that point, it’s really important for a batter to then try and understand how the ball is coming out of the hand, which balls are undercutting [which have an increased chance of skidding through], which balls are overspinning [which are more likely to grip and turn]. I think that’s where you need to focus a little harder [on the bowler’s release].

“We all understand the sport and we all understand we’re going to go out there we’re going to win most times, lose some times. And the losing may be emphasised, but we know it’s part of the team. So, we just go out smiling and give our best all the time”Abhishek Nayar

“That’s the cricketing, technical side of it. But when that tends to happen, a lot of times it’s not so much about the batter who’s playing it, but it’s about the atmosphere outside because sometimes it can be intimidating when you see a ball turning and [another] going straight on. But I think, overall, everyone’s equipped [to deal] with that. You’ve gone through that in your career. When you play domestic cricket, you play on black-soil pitches. You’ve seen that. But, like I said, sometimes the conditions and the position that you are in, the form that you are in, can get the better of you. But the exact science to it is focusing more on the release points. That’s it.”The other thing that batters tend to do on pitches with variable turn is to deny the bowler easy access to good-length areas. Visiting teams turn to the sweep shot to accomplish this. New Zealand, for example, attempted 73 of them in Pune for the cost of three wickets. India typically prefer to combat spin by using their feet, either charging out to the pitch of the ball, or shifting back to exploit the depth of the crease. They played 37 sweeps in Pune, even though they have been encouraged to do so.Rohit Sharma addressed their reluctance to use the shot in the aftermath of the defeat in the second Test. “That’s one thing that we wanted to do as a team, try and play the sweep and reverse sweep because when you do those kinds of things, they have to take one extra man from the front and put it behind, and that allows you to then play straighter and hit those gaps. That is what New Zealand did.”2:06

Manjrekar: Rohit should be wary of using T20 tactics in Tests

Devon Conway and Tom Latham, in particular, are excellent sweepers. They spend a great deal of time practicing that shot, which in turn enables them to see the risk associated with it differently. Even in Pune, where the lack of bounce was a significant deterrent to the shot. There was a Test in Delhi where Australia tried to get out of trouble by sweeping at everything but the ball kept scooting under the bat and crashing into the stumps. So going cross-bat doesn’t always work, but there is perhaps merit in having it as an option.India’s batters focused on that at training in Mumbai, with Yashasvi Jaiswal in particular taking every opportunity to get down on one knee. He went through virtually every variation of the shot, and its offshoot, the scoop, as well. Virat Kohli attempted to reverse Kuldeep Yadav early into his stint and nailed it. He went conventional against Jadeja who spotted it soon enough to shorten the length and get so much kick off these red-soil pitches that it hit the batter on the chest. There’s the other advantage India might gain if their batters are willing to go unconventional. The bowlers will have a better idea of how to deal with it in a match situation (not that they don’t already, of course).Axar Patel saw Washington shaping up for a sweep and looped the ball wider outside off stump. Kuldeep, with his wristspin, was able to get the ball to dip sharply enough that the sweep became problematic. R Ashwin pulled his length back and didn’t provide the room to pull off the sweep. That then forced the batters to adopt other means. Stepping out of the crease was a popular choice. The Wankhede pitch will test both teams. It looked dry. It lacked grass. Ajaz Patel said it is definitely going to turn, just a matter of when. But one saving grace might be that here, the batters will be able to trust the bounce.It’s true, there was some fun and games at the training session too•Getty ImagesIndia began their training on Wednesday with a huge huddle. That’s fairly normal, although this one did seem to go on forever. Then they had a smaller huddle and that seemed to go on forever too. It was around this time that the army of net bowlers descended on the pitches, measuring their run-ups with tape. (Jaiswal, a local boy, seemed to recognise a couple of them, he went and hugged them right at the end.) The team management had given the players a small break but they appear to have made the training sessions in Mumbai mandatory and Wednesday’s had a feeling of leaving no stone unturned, starting with the lines drawn on the pitch to reflect balls with an increased chance of hitting the stumps, to the effort every batter put in to try and avoid being caught on the crease. India haven’t always had to work this hard in a home series but they aren’t letting it get them down.”I think when India lost the [ODI] World Cup in India, that was a low point in Indian cricket for everyone, for the fans, for the players,” Nayar said, “In the same breath, a couple of months later, they were [T20I] world champions. So, I always feel sometimes low point in a cricketer’s, you know, I forgot the word, but through what a cricketer goes. And then coming back is always a great journey. That’s how stories are made. That’s how legacies are created.”So, hopefully, we can be part of creating something as special as that in the future. But the atmosphere is great. Still a lot of jokes and bubbly cricketers in the dressing room. And as you watch, you’ll see our sessions filled with fun and nothing’s changed. We all understand the sport and we all understand we’re going to go out there we’re going to win most times, lose some times. And the losing may be emphasised, but we know it’s part of the team. So, we just go out smiling and give our best all the time.”

George Springer's dramatic three-run home run in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night will never be forgotten by Blue Jays fans, and rightfully so. It proved to be the difference in the game and pushed Toronto into the World Series for the first time since 1993.

The Blue Jays were trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh when Springer came up to the plate with two runners on base. Tensions were off the charts at Rogers Centre, with the sold-out crowd knowing that they could be witnessing a pivotal moment in the team's season with one of their most clutch hitters at the plate.

Springer didn't disappoint as he crushed a 1-0 pitch well over the wall in left field that sent the place into hysterics.

This view of the dramatic home run with just the sound in the stadium is too good:

Here are some more awesome looks at Springer's home run

This is another great crowd-only angle of the blast:

Here is Springer's complete at-bat with just the crowd noise.

This view from right field is cinema, too:

Here's what it looked like on the Fox broadcast:

What's next for the Blue Jays

Springer's home run proved to be the difference in Toronto's 4-3 win. Now the Blue Jays will face a powerful Dodgers team in what should be a very fun World Series. Game 1 is Friday night in Toronto, which will give Blue Jays fans a few days to recover from what was an emotional Game 7 on Monday night.

The Blue Jays' last trip to the World Series ended in dramatic fashion with Joe Carter hitting a walk-off home run in Game 6 to beat the Phillies. That was their second straight title as they beat the Braves, 4-2, in 1992.

Get your popcorn ready, because it feels like this World Series should be a lot of fun.

كشفت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الخميس، عن حقيقة إصابة إدواردو كامافينجا، نجم ريال مدريد، وذلك خلال مباراة الفريق ضد أتلتيك بلباو بالدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

ريال مدريد نجح في تحقيق الانتصار على حساب أتلتيك بلباو بثلاثية نظيفة، ضمن الجولة الـ15 من الدوري الإسباني على ملعب سان ماميس.

وبالرغم من هذا الانتصار إلا أن ريال مدريد تلقى ضربة موجعة بين صفوفه، وذلك بعدما أصيب كامافينجا، وكذلك ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد.

وخرج الثنائي من أرض الملعب أمس وهما متأثرين بإصاباتهما، حيث فاز ريال مريد بثلاثة أهداف مقابل لا شيء.

طالع.. عاجل | ريال مدريد يعلن تشخيص إصابة أرنولد.. ومدة الغياب

وأكدت إذاعة “كادينا كوبيه”، أن إدواردو كامافينجا، يعاني من التواء خفيف في الكاحل، لكن الإصابة ليست خطيرة وقد يلعب ضد سيلتا فيجو.

وأضافت أن إصابة كامافينجا الحالية ليست خطيرة على الإطلاق وبإمكانه اللعب ضد سيلتا فيجو الأسبوع المقبل بالدوري الإسباني.

وكان ريال مدريد قد تلقى ضربة موجعة أخرى بين صفوفه، بعدما خرج ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد مصابًا، ليعود فالفيردي إلى مركز الظهير الأيمن مرة أخرى.

ويغيب أرنولد بحسب التقارير لمدة تصل إلى 8 أسابيع، أي حوالي شهرين ولن يتمكن الظهير الأيمن خلالها من اللعب مع ريال مدريد.

Homegrown allrounder has had limited opportunities this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2025Paul Coughlin, the Durham allrounder, has agreed a move to Lancashire ahead of the 2026 season.Coughlin, 32, came through Durham’s academy before moving to Nottinghamshire in 2017, where he won England Lions recognition. After an injury-plagued two-year spell, he returned to the northeast and was part of the side that won promotion back to Division One of the County Championship in 2023.However, he has only made five first-team appearances this season and Durham announced on Sunday that he would be leaving at the end of his contract.”I’m thrilled to be making the move to Lancashire,” Coughlin said. “It’s a club with a great history and big ambitions, and I’m really looking forward to getting started with a new chapter in my career.”The chance to commit to Lancashire for the future and be part of what they’re looking to achieve here is something that I’m hugely excited about.”I know Keaton Jennings and Michael Jones very well from our time at Durham together and it will be great to link-up with both again at Lancashire and meet the rest of the lads.”Lancashire have endured a difficult summer, with Dale Benkenstein leaving his role as head coach and Keaton Jennings giving up the four-day captaincy as hopes of Championship promotion were dashed. They reached T20 Blast Finals Day but a depleted side fell at the first hurdle, beaten by eventual champions Somerset.Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, said: “We are delighted to have secured Paul’s services as we continue to strengthen our squad ahead of the 2026 season. This move represents an exciting new challenge for Paul, who has already demonstrated his ability to perform at the highest level. We believe that a fresh environment will provide the platform for him to return to his very best.”Paul’s all-round qualities will add significant depth and versatility across both red-ball and white-ball formats, and we look forward to welcoming him to Emirates Old Trafford in the winter.”

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are also in the West Zone squad

Edited PTI copy01-Aug-2025India and Mumbai allrounder Shardul Thakur has been named the West Zone captain for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, starting on August 28.The 15-member squad includes India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and middle-order batters Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer. A total of seven Mumbai players have been named in the team.Ruturaj Gaikwad is among the 15, while Saurashtra’s Harvik Desai and Maharashtra’s Saurabh Nawale are the wicketkeepers.There was no place for Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane in the West Zone squad.Earlier in the week, South Zone had also named their squad with Tilak Verma as captain. East Zone have also named their squad, to be led by Ishan Kishan, with Mohammed Shami in the mix.The six-team Duleep Trophy is returning to the zonal format, with squads picked by the zonal selectors, and the tournament will start the 2025-26 domestic season. Last season, the tournament had four teams – India A, B, C and D – that were picked by the national selectors.South Zone were the winners when the Duleep Trophy was held in the zonal format in 2023-24.West Zone squadShardul Thakur (capt, Mumbai), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Aarya Desai (Gujarat), Harvik Desai (wk, Saurashtra), Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai), Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra), Jaymeet Patel (Gujarat), Manan Hingrajia (Gujarat), Saurabh Nawale (wk, Gujarat), Shams Mulani (Mumbai), Tanush Kotian (Mumbai), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (Saurashtra), Tushar Deshpande (Mumbai), Arzan Nagwaswala (Gujarat)

MatériaMais Notícias

O Cruzeiro negocia a contratação do meia Thiago Mendes, que está no Al-Rayyan, do Qatar. Segundo o “ge”, o volante vê a possibilidade de voltar ao Brasil com 32 anos de forma positiva.

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➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Novo CEO da Raposa, Alexandre Mattos está à frente das negociações pela contratação do jogador. O clube não vê a negociação de forma simples por conta do interesse de outras equipes pelo atleta.

Além disso, o Cruzeiro precisaria comprar Thiago Mendes em definitivo, uma vez que o meia tem apenas mais um ano de contrato com o Al-Rayyan. No entanto, não há informações sobre tempo de contrato que os mineiros estariam dispostos a oferecer.

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Revelado pelo Goiás, o volante se destacou com o Esmeraldino e foi contratado pelo São Paulo em 2015. Após dois anos no Tricolor, o atleta se transferiu para o Lille e, posteriormente, foi para o Lyon.

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