MO SALAH MAKES PFA HISTORY AS ISAK SKIPS CEREMONY AMIDST TRANSFER ROW

 

Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

August 20, 2025

Mohamed Salah, undoubtedly a household name for Liverpool fans, has once again made history by becoming the first-ever player to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award three times.

The Egyptian forward was already part of an elite group of double winners featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry, but now stands alone at the top with three wins.

In the standout 2024/25 Premier League season, Salah was instrumental in Liverpool’s title win, finishing as the league’s top goalscorer with 29 goals and providing 18 assists.

Elsewhere, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the game, the PFA Merit Award was presented to Sir Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes.

Southgate was honoured for his tenure as England manager, leading the team to multiple finals and markedly elevating the national side’s performance.

Quietly but meaningfully, Hayes was recognised for her long-term impact in women’s football, having led Chelsea to sustained success in the WSL and becoming one of the domestic game’s most influential managers before taking up a new role as the Head Coach of the United States Women’s National Team.

Aston Villa’s dynamic midfielder Morgan Rogers took home the PFA Men’s Young Player of the Year award, capping off a breakthrough campaign. His performances marked him as one of the most exciting emerging talents in English football.

Meanwhile, Mariona Caldentey was named Women’s Player of the Year. Olivia Smith — a rising star who will play alongside Caldentey at Arsenal this season after becoming the first £1m transfer in women’s football — clinched Women’s Young Player of the Year.

Liverpool dominated the Premier League Team of the Year selections, with Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch all making the cut.

Also in the team was Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who was prolific in the Magpies’ recent domestic success and proved instrumental in their 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

However, the 25-year-old — who has been linked with a big-money move to Liverpool — took to social media on Tuesday night, openly stating that he was not attending the awards ceremony because “with everything going on, it didn’t feel right to be there”.

In response to Isak’s statement, Newcastle United reiterated that the forward “remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.”

- Adam Ingoe

PARIS OLYMPICS SOCCER DRAW: UNITED STATES WOMEN FACE GERMANY AND AUSTRALIA. MEN MEET FRANCE

AP Photo 

 PARIS (AP) — The United States women’s soccer team will face Germany and Australia at the Paris Olympics when incoming coach Emma Hayes looks to get off to a strong start in the job.

The draws for the men’s and women’s soccer tournaments were held at a ceremony in Saint-Denis on Wednesday.

The record four-time gold-medalist was drawn against fifth-ranked Germany and World Cup semifinalist Australia in Group B. Those teams will be joined by either Morocco or Zambia.

Hayes takes up her role as U.S. coach in May after finishing the season with Chelsea, where she is challenging for a quadruple of trophies in her final year. She has already won 14 major trophies at Chelsea, including six Women's Super League titles.

Twila Kilgore is U.S. interim coach until Hayes can join the team. Kilgore recently led the team to the title in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“The bottom line is we're excited to have a path, to know who we're playing for the most part, to be able to start working on specific game plans,” Kilgore said. “But also just to know the logistical path. There's so much that goes into an Olympics with a short turnaround and congested games.”

The U.S. hasn't won Olympic gold since 2012 and is coming off a disappointing Women's World Cup last year when it suffered its earliest exit from the tournament after being knocked out by Sweden on penalties in the round of 16. It had never finished worse than third at previous World Cups.

Hayes has established herself as a leading coach. She can further add to her record by winning a clean sweep of trophies this season — including the Champions League, which is the one competition she is yet to deliver at Chelsea.

Defending champion Canada was drawn into Group A with host France, Colombia and New Zealand. Before winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Games, Canada won back-to-back bronze medals in London and Brazil.

“We know more than ever that there’s not an easy game in the women’s game, no matter what the ranking is," Canada coach Bev Priestman said. "We know the other routes we could have gone down. Pleased, excited, but taking nothing for granted.”

World Cup winner Spain is in Group C with Japan and Brazil. Nigeria or South Africa will join that group.

AP Photo

The U.S. men’s team will face France at the Paris Games after being drawn in the same group as the host nation for the men’s tournament.

The U.S. is competing at the Games for the first time since Beijing in 2008 and faces a potentially daunting task after being drawn alongside France and Thierry Henry in Group A.

Also in the group are New Zealand and the winner of a playoff between teams from the Asian and the African confederations.

World champion Argentina was drawn in Group B with Morocco, Ukraine and an Asian qualifier.

Spain, runner-up in Tokyo, is in Group C along with Egypt, Dominican Republic and another Asian qualifier.

Group D features Paraguay, Mali and Israel as well as an Asian team.

Men’s Olympic soccer is limited to players under 23, with three roster spots allowed over the age limit.

The soccer tournament begins two days before the Olympic opening ceremony on July 24. The women’s final is Aug. 10, concluding Olympic for the first time.

Soccer will be played in Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Étienne and Lyon.