Related items

• Ancelotti influence key for Endrick development, say Dida and Cafu

  Carlo Ancelotti's player management can turn Real Madrid's Endrick into a "great player", according to Brazil's World Cup winners Dida and Cafu. 

  Endrick arrived in the Spanish capital from Palmeiras in July in a deal reportedly worth €60million, signing a six-year deal with the 15-time Champions League winners.

  The 17-year-old has scored two goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season, though he has only featured for 107 minutes across those games. 

  But Ancelotti has shown his faith in young players during his tenure with Los Blancos, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo all developing under his stewardship. 

  Cafu, who made 119 appearances for Milan under Ancelotti, believes Endrick has the right man to guide him through the early stages of his promising career. 

  "Ancelotti is a great coach, and he is really good at developing young players," Cafu told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

  "He's really good at managing them, he understands them and knows when it's the right time for them to play or when they need to stay on the bench.

  "For someone like him he will be like a father who will give the right advice."

  It was a sentiment echoed by Cafu's former Milan team-mate Dida, who hopes he can become an important player for Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

  "We all know Carlo [Ancelotti], he knows how to manage all the champions," Dida added. 

  "He knows how to make these kids grow even if they are already in an important team.

  "And that is certainly something very nice for [Endrick], we hope he does well because he is a Brazilian who will surely do well with the [Brazil] national team.

  "I hope that our national team always works with this type of players and we hope that Carlo, as always, does his job."

  Endrick was picked for the Brazil national team for the first time in November 2023, becoming the youngest male player to secure a senior call-up since Ronaldo Nazario in 1994.

  He netted his first goal for his national side in a 1-0 win over England at Wembley back in March this year, scoring again three days later in an entertaining draw with Spain.

  Endrick was also part of Dorival Junior's squad for the Copa America.

  After three substitute appearances in the group stage, he made his first start for Brazil, replacing Vinícius who was suspended for their quarter-final against Uruguay. 

  However, he struggled during the contest, completing just one pass during the match, from kick-off, as they crashed out on penalties to Marcelo Bielsa's side. 

  Though showing only glimpses of what he can become, Cafu believes the sky is the limit for Endrick. 

  "Endrick can become a great player. He's young and has enormous potential and can grow a lot," Cafu concluded. "With Ancelotti as a manager, I'm sure he can become a top player."

• Kempes backs Messi to lead Argentina's 2026 World Cup charge

  Lionel Messi remains in control of his 2026 World Cup destiny with fitness no issue due to the lesser demands of playing in MLS.

  That was the message from former Argentina international Mario Kempes, who expects Lionel Scaloni's superstar attacker to be physically capable of featuring in FIFA's next tournament.

  Doubts remain as to whether Messi will make it to the tournament hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, where he will hope to play aged 39.

  The former Barcelona star is already playing in the USA's domestic competition, though, and Kempes believes that could have a significant influence on him featuring at the World Cup.

  "I think Messi will arrive in good shape and fresh, because the MLS is not really very demanding, even though he demands himself," Kempes told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

  "I think he will arrive in good shape, but first we have to wait for the qualifiers and see how he feels because he is the one who will decide if he is in condition to come in and contribute everything he knows."

  The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner suffered an unfortunate ankle injury in the 2024 Copa America final but has since returned to the international fold.

  Messi missed several MLS matches for Miami, with that absence allowing him to recover in time for Thursday's 1-1 qualifying draw with Venezuela.

  Such management of fitness issues could be key for Argentina's Messi-led hopes at the next World Cup, where he will hope to add to his 13 goals at the tournament.

  Only Gerd Muller (14), Ronaldo Nazario (15) and Miroslav Klose (16) have managed more strikes at the World Cup, with Messi out for further history if he makes the 2026 edition.

  Having scored seven goals en route to Argentina's 2022 success, Messi will have no doubts of adding to his impressive tally, though Kempes urged caution for expecting him to be available.

  "You never know what can happen because there is still a long way to go," Kempes, who appeared 43 times for Argentina, added.

  With or without Messi, Kempes has been impressed with Scaloni's work in transforming Argentina's fortunes, winning two Copa titles as well as FIFA's top prize.

  "Scaloni has already surprised us all when he takes over the national team and changes all the players except for [Nicolas] Otamendi, [Angel] Di Maria and Messi," Kempes continued. 

  "I think he has made a generational change that has not been noticed, because he mixed the players who were already there with the new ones.

  "And the new ones have been very well received and have that winning mentality that led Argentina to win two Copa Americas and a World Cup."

  Argentina wrap up their October internationals when they host Bolivia on Wednesday, aiming to extend their three-point lead at the top of their qualifying group.

• Antonelli relishing 'big seat' opportunity left by Hamilton at Mercedes

  Kimi Antonelli is relishing the opportunity of filling the "big seat" left by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula One season. 

  Antontelli was officially confirmed as Hamilton's successor in August and will race alongside George Russell next year for the German-based team. 

  In obtaining a seat on the grid for the upcoming season, the 18-year-old will be the first Italian driver in the competition since Antonio Giovinazzi raced for Alfa Romeo in 2021. 

  Antonelli sits sixth in the drivers' championship standings in Formula Two, winning at Silverstone and the Hungaroring in July for Prema Racing. 

  He then made his debut in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes, and after setting the fastest time on his first lap, crashed out on his second time around the Monza track. 

  That raised questions about Mercedes' decision to replace the experience of Hamilton with the youth of Antonelli, though the latter is focused on enjoying the ride in F1. 

  "Well, for sure, I'm taking a big seat," Antonelli told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy. 

  "Obviously, I don't feel like I'm replacing him because he's been such a big figure, and he still is a big figure in the sport.

  "So yeah, of course, it's an important seat, the one I'm taking, but I just see that I will take a Mercedes seat for next year, and I'm just going to enjoy the ride."

  Throughout his career, Antonelli has been supported by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who offered some guidance to the teenager following a tough qualifying session at Silverstone – a weekend in which he went on to take his debut victory in F2.

  "Well, I feel I'm very lucky to be with him. I will consider him like a second father for me," Antonelli added.

  "He's always been there in the difficult moments and, of course, in the great moments.

  "He's such a great supporter, and I'm really happy because next year, of course, is going to be a big year for me.

  "I have a lot of things to learn and to have his support, but also the support of the whole team is going to be really important, and I'm really looking forward to that."

  Antonelli will line up alongside Russell, who came through the ranks in F2 before joining Williams in 2019, and the youngster believes he can learn a lot from his soon-to-be team-mate.

  "I haven't talked much with him because, obviously, he's very busy, he has a really tight schedule even during weekends, so I don't really want to bother him as well, but he's a really good driver, really fast, and I'm happy to have him next year because I can learn a lot from him," Antonelli said.

  "I can learn especially on race pace because he has had good races as well, he's really good at managing the tyres, he also has speed and quality, so he's a pretty complete driver.

  "It's good because next year I can learn a lot from him, and yeah, he just gave me a few pieces of advice but not much because, as I said before, he's pretty busy, and I don't really want to bother him."