Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister looks at his World Cup winner’s medal every day and hopes to be able to add one from the Carabao Cup to his collection.
The Argentina international intends to build a trophy room at his home and while his victory alongside Lionel Messi in Qatar will take pride of place his first silverware for the club he joined in the summer would still mean a lot to him.
“It will be my first final with Liverpool and first opportunity to win something so it is going to be something very special for me and the team,” he said.
View this post on Instagram“I look at it (his World Cup winner’s medal) every single day. That is what it means to me and to the country as well.
“It is the biggest game ever for a football player so it is something that I am really proud of and hopefully next week the Carabao Cup medal can be something I will look at as well.
“My plan is to one day create a little museum at home. I have a replica of the World Cup, the medal and some more trophies – all in a safe place for now – and my plan is to be able to have a place for them where I can always see them.
“When I signed for this club I said I wanted to win trophies, that is what every player wants and that is what I want.
“The World Cup helped me to realise that I really want to win more trophies so it is a big opportunity.”
Mac Allister will come up against former Brighton team-mate Moises Caicedo at Wembley.
The Ecuador international was long-destined for Chelsea but haggling over his transfer fee allowed Liverpool the opportunity to hijack the deal and although their £111million bid was accepted the player held out for a move to Stamford Bridge, which he eventually got for a British record fee of £115m.
As a result Caicedo was booed during last month’s 4-1 defeat at Anfield and while there is no such animosity between the ex-team-mates Mac Allister joked Caicedo’s decision to reject Liverpool was annoying.
“I spoke a little with him. Maybe he hurt me a little bit with what happened in the summer – but is completely fine,” he added.
“It is a personal decision. He is an amazing player and a really good guy and I wish him well.”
Al-Nassr 3-1 Al-Khaleej: Ronaldo nets twice and passes up penalty in cup semi-final
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the scoresheet with two goals as Al-Nassr beat Al-Khaleej 3-1 to reach the final of the King Cup of Champions on Wednesday.
Ronaldo scored either side of half-time as Al-Nassr teed up a final clash with Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, who beat Al-Ittihad 2-1 in the other semi-final on Tuesday.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star took advantage of an error from opposing goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic to open the scoring 17 minutes in, then tapped home at the second attempt to make it a double shortly before the hour mark.
That goal could have made it a hat-trick for the Portugal star, but he passed up the chance to take a first-half penalty after Ivo Rodrigues handled in the area, Sadio Mane instead stepping up to blast his kick into the top corner.
Fawaz Al Terais was on target late on for Al-Khaleej, but that proved a mere consolation in a one-sided affair which saw Al-Nassr rack up 21 shots and 3.78 expected goals (xG), with their opponents managing just nine shots totalling 1.37 xG.
Data Debrief: Ronaldo's mini drought over
Ronaldo was frustrated against Al-Khaleej in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday, but he was back on song against the same opponents on Wednesday to end his mini drought of two games.
While Ronaldo's 43 touches were the fewest of any outfielder to start for Al-Nassr, he managed seven shots, five shots from inside the area and four dribbles – all game-high figures.
Al Ittihad 1-2 Al Hilal: Holders into King's Cup final
Al Hilal overcame Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's red card as Saud Abdulhamid's late goal sealed a 2-1 victory over Al Ittihad in the King's Cup semi-finals.
Without Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad ultimately lacked the firepower to make their numerical advantage count in Tuesday's clash.
Former Lazio midfielder, who joined Al Hilal as part of their spending spree last year, received a straight red card in the 42nd minute.
Al Ittihad's Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah cancelled out Micheal's opener, but Abdulhamid popped up with the winner in the 81st minute.
Al Hilal are 10-time King's Cup winners, having won their 10th title last season.
The Saudi Pro League leaders, who are still without the injured Neymar, will now face either Al Khaleej or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the final at the end of May.
Data Debrief: Malcom in the middle
Al Hilal might be missing their star Brazilian Neymar, but his compatriot Malcom is delivering when it comes to playmaking.
The former Zenit attacker set up both of Al Hilal's goals, creating three chances in total and registering a pass accuracy of 92.6 per cent, better than any of his team-mates.
Former Spain boss Del Bosque to oversee RFEF
Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque will oversee a new committee supervising the RFEF.
Spain, which is due to be one of six host countries for the 2030 World Cup, announced the creation of a special committee until the federation holds elections to replace Luis Rubiales.
That is despite Pedro Rocha having this week been appointed as Rubiales' replacement, though he himself is under investigation amid a corruption probe.
Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023.
The federation's former president was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.
Del Bosque led Spain to three consecutive trophies, winning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while also leading the team to their first World Cup success in 2010.
Prior to his time with the national team, he also won two Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles while in charge of Real Madrid, where he made over 400 appearances as a player.
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