VIDEO: Lionel Messi's India tour descends into chaos as angry fans hurl seats & event organiser is DETAINED after Argentine superstar's Kolkata appearance is 'cut short'

The first stop of Lionel Messi's India tour took an unexpected turn as angry fans ripped up seats and hurled objects onto the pitch as chaos descended at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. The unsavoury scenes came due to fan disgruntlement at Messi's brief 20-minute appearance, where they 'could not see his face'. The event organiser has been detained as a result of the incident and an enquiry is ongoing.

  • ANI

    Fans hurl seats in chaotic scenes at Messi's tour in Kolkata

    The first date of Messi’s tour of India ended in chaos as disappointed fans raged against the perceived poor organisation of the event. Seats were ripped up and thrown onto the Salt Lake Stadium pitch, with those in attendance incensed at the limited opportunity they were given to see their idol. Video footage from news agency ANI showed fans who had climbed over a fence to hurl objects onto the field.

    The prime organiser of the event Satadru Dutta has been detained due to mismanagement following the stadium chaos, and chief minister of West Bengal state Mamata Banerjee has ordered a high-level enquiry.

    Messi is in India as part of his 'GOAT Tour 2025', a four-part event where he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament and launch charitable initiatives across dates in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

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  • Circumstances revealed as fan refund touted amidst dramatic events

    According to reports in India and across social media, 2022 World Cup winner Messi walked around the stadium waving to the fans present, but was closely followed by a large group of people who obstructed the view of many fans to the Argentina and Inter Miami icon. Among those present alongside Messi were team-mates Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suarez.

    Reports by Khel Now on X added that Messi was forced to ‘cut short’ the stadium lap as fans booed officials and politicians, and the subsequent events resulted in a security breach. West Bengal DGP Rajiv Kumar said in a statement to the media that fans are expected to be refunded. 

    “The Chief Minister has taken cognisance of the incident,” he said. “It was sheer mismanagement by the organising committee. The organisers are expected to refund the fans. Meanwhile, I request fans to exercise restraint. We have already detained the organiser.”

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  • Chief Minister Banerjee issues apology to Messi as fan anger continues

    Chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote on X about the events: “I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi.

    “I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee … the committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”

    A fan at the stadium told ANI: “Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi … Why did they call us then? We have got a ticket for 12,000 rupees [£100], but we were not even able to see his face.”

    Another present added: “This was a complete fraud. Messi was not shown at all. Only reporters, police, and TMC leaders got to see him. We paid ₹5,000 for tickets, while those who came for free were able to see Messi and leave.”

'I want him to stay' – Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk reveals Mohamed Salah conversation after bombshell interview that threw forward's Anfield future into question

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed that he wants Mohamed Salah to stay at the club despite speculation linking the Egyptian away from Anfield. Salah claimed he'd been "thrown under the bus" by the club following last week's 3-3 draw at Leeds United, during which the forward was an unused substitute. The 33-year-old was then dropped from the squad for the midweek win at Inter Milan.

Getty Images SportSalah returned to Liverpool squad for Brighton win

A late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty was enough for the Reds to claim a 1-0 win at Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Salah was left at home for the trip to Milan following his Elland Road outburst last Saturday, during which he said: "Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame."

Salah returned to the Liverpool squad at the weekend as the Reds claimed a 2-0 victory over Brighton, earning just their third win from their last 11 Premier League matches. A Hugo Ekitike brace was enough to secure all the spoils on home turf at the weekend, while Salah came off the bench following an injury to Joe Gomez to provide the assist for the Frenchman's second to confirm the result against the Seagulls.

This game was Salah's last appearance for Liverpool before he links up with the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations later this month, and could prove his final outing for the Reds with a January exit reportedly on the cards. However, Van Dijk revealed after the Brighton win that he has told Salah that he "wants him to stay" at the club.

Advertisement'I've told him I want him to stay'

When asked whether he has spoken with Salah, the Liverpool skipper said: "Of course I speak to him. I speak about everything with him. Of course I've told him I want him to stay. The rest I'm not going to tell you.

"I wish him all the best and come back hopefully. I have no control over that. He is one of the leaders. I would love to have him around because he is one of the leaders. But obviously the fact is he is going to AFCON. I wish him absolutely all the best. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks, we always are. And then let's see."

Salah suggested that a breakdown in relationship between himself and head coach Arne Slot was one of the reasons the forward has questioned his long-term future at the club. However, Van Dijk believes Slot has dealt with the saga in the right way, adding, "I think he's handled the situation very well. Calm in his own way. It is a very tricky situation.

"There is a lot of noise and pressure from the outside world, obviously and rightly so because we've not been up or close to the standard of last season but we are human beings and everyone reacts in a different way.

"But personally looking at it and the conversations we've had on a daily basis, I think he's handled it very well. He's at a club where it is a together club and that's how it's been before our time at the club and that is something we have to keep going.

"We go through the good times together as a team and fanbase. And when difficult moments arise we also have to stick together. This moment in time is a very good moment to see how everyone responds and the manager did perfectly so far."

Getty Images SportVan Dijk insists Liverpool have to 'stay calm'

Saturday's victory over Brighton ended what's been a testing period for Liverpool. And reflecting on how challenging the week has been for the club, the Reds skipper said: "That is something behind the scenes that we have to deal with but the performances speak for themselves, that we are united and that is the most important thing.

"The mood in the dressing room has always been very good, obviously it can go down in terms of performances if you win or lose but the main thing I see is that we have the willingness to turn this around and the hunger and the energy to do so.

"Obviously it is what happens between the white lines over 95 minutes. We know the season is very long and we want to be consistent. We have to keep going and stay calm."

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Reds hoping to end 2025 on a high

Liverpool's recent upturn in form has eased pressure on Slot, who at one point was destined for the Anfield exit after a run of just four wins from 15 in all competitions. And the Dutch boss will hope to make it three wins on the spin when the defending champions travel to Tottenham next weekend.

The Reds then see out 2025 with the welcome of Premier League basement side Wolves, who came perilously close to securing a result at league leaders Arsenal on Saturday night.

Yankees Designate Former Batting Champ for Assignment After Benching

After seven years, New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu's tenure with the team has come to an abrupt end.

The Yankees designated LeMahieu for assignment in a surprise move Wednesday afternoon, following indications that the team would move him to the bench after the return of infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.

LeMahieu, 36, is slashing .266/.338/.336 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 45 games this season—a solid-if-not-spectacular rebound from a 2024 where he cost his team 1.6 wins above replacement.

New York signed LeMahieu away from the Colorado Rockies in January 2019, and he briefly threatened to become one of the best players in baseball around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. He slashed a sizzling .327/.375/.518 with 102 RBIs in 2019, and nearly won the American League MVP in a 2020 season that saw him hit .364.

LeMahieu added a Gold Glove, the fourth of his career, in 2022.

The Yankees are currently 50-41, and sit 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East division.

From Under-19 World Cup to IPL, Shikhar Dhawan's greatest hits

His penchant for scoring big in big tournaments stood out, especially in ODI cricket

Ashish Pant24-Aug-20241:37

Dhawan’s top 10

Early signs of something special

At the 2004 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Dhawan gave a glimpse of the kind of batter he would turn out to be. He smashed 505 runs, at an average of 84.16 and a strike rate of 93.51, to finish as the highest run-getter in the tournament, clear of second-placed Alastair Cook by more than 100 runs. In seven innings, Dhawan hit three centuries and a fifty, and was named Player of the Tournament for his role in India’s run to the semi-final. Dhawan’s tally was a record for the most runs in a single edition of the U-19 World Cup until South Africa’s Dewald Brevis bettered it by one run in 2022.

A Test debut to remember

Dhawan made his India debut in an ODI in 2010, but it wasn’t until 2013 that he got a proper run in the national side.It started with his Test debut against Australia in March 2013. He admitted being nervous remembering his ODI debut, which was also against Australia, where he fell for a two-ball duck. But there was no sign of nerves as he went about scoring a sparkling century in Mohali.Coming off 85 balls, it remains the fastest century by a Test debutant. He finished on 187, which is the highest score by an India batter on Test debut and the eighth-highest overall.”I wasn’t really playing in a hurry,” he said afterwards. “The fours were coming on their own after the ball hit the bat. I felt my shot selection was good and I played according to how I’d assessed the wicket. I didn’t feel that I rushed things. There was no strategy, I was hitting the ball well, I was middling the ball very nicely and the runs came on their own.”Shikhar Dhawan savours his century on Test debut•BCCI

India’s Champions Trophy hero

Before the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, Dhawan had played five ODIs in two-and-a-half years – all between 2010 and 2011 – and scored 69 runs. That would change soon. He began with back-to-back centuries against South Africa and West Indies. Then came a 48 against Pakistan, 68 against Sri Lanka and 31 off 24 balls against England in the rain-affected final. He finished the tournament with 363 runs in five innings, at an average of 90.75 and a strike rate of 101.39. India won the title.”I’d dreamt of this, I’m really happy with it,” Dhawan said after collecting the player-of-the-tournament award. “The bouncy tracks suit my game. I worked hard in practice and in the warm-up games. It makes it more special because I was out of the side for a few years.”

A List A high

The year 2013 was Dhawan’s through and through. Riding a wave of confidence from his Test and Champions Trophy exploits, Dhawan turned out for India A away against South Africa A, and ran the hosts absolutely ragged in Pretoria.Related

  • 'A guy who punched well above his weight'

  • Shikhar Dhawan, the king of global ODI tournaments

Batting first in a List A game, he smashed 248 off just 150 balls with 30 fours and seven sixes as India A piled on 433 for 3 in 50 overs. When Dhawan was dismissed there were still 32 deliveries left in the innings and Dhawan later admitted “if I had batted till the end, I had a chance to score a triple hundred”.It was an innings that left everyone impressed, from then head coach Lalchand Rajput to the opposition captain Justin Ontong, who described the innings as a “highlights package”.Dhawan’s 248 at the time was the second-highest List A score in the world and currently ranks third for an India batter behind N Jagadeesan’s 277 against Arunachal Pradesh and Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka in an ODI.

India’s go-to man at ICC tournaments

Dhawan soon developed a penchant for big scoring in big tournaments.After the Champions Trophy, he topped the run chart for India at the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy. In the 2019 ODI World Cup, he smashed a century against Australia before being ruled out of the tournament with a fractured thumb. Among those who scored at least 1000 runs in ICC’s ODI tournaments – the World Cup and the Champions Trophy – Dhawan has the highest average: 65.15. In 20 matches, he scored 1238 runs, with six hundreds and four fifties.Not to forget, Dhawan was India’s highest run-getter even at the 2014 and 2018 Asia Cups – talk about saving his best for the big stages.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Prolific in the IPL

Dhawan represented five teams in the IPL: Delhi Capitals (and Delhi Daredevils), Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. He finishes as the second-highest run-getter in IPL history, with 6769 runs in 222 games at 35.25 and a strike rate of 127.14.It took him 167 IPL innings to score his first IPL century, against Chennai Super Kings in 2020, and he quickly added another one in the next game against Punjab Kings, becoming the first to score back-to-back IPL centuries.He also holds the record for the most fours (768) in the IPL and is third on the list for the most 50-plus scores: 53.

Sport jogará próximas partidas com portões fechados por ataque de torcedores contra o Fortaleza

MatériaMais Notícias

A Procuradoria do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) deu entrada com uma medida cautelar para que o Sport atue com portões fechados. Além disso, o clube pode perder a carga de ingressos destinados a torcida visitante, segundo informações do “ge”.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O pedido acontece dias após o ataque dos torcedores do clube da Ilha do Retiro contra o ônibus em que estava o elenco do Fortaleza após o clássico pela Copa do Nordeste. Diversos atletas do Tricolor sofreram ferimentos por conta dos golpes com pedras, bombas e estilhaços de vidro.

Presidente do STJD, José Perdiz deferiu o pedido feito pela Procuradoria. Com isso, o Sport sofre uma punição imediata para o clássico contra o Náutico, que será disputado nos Aflitos. O Rubro-Negro não contará com seus torcedores no setor destinado aos visitantes.

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– A Procuradoria da Justiça Desportiva ingressou com Medida Inominada no STJD do Futebol solicitando que o Sport mande seus futuros jogos com portões fechados e perca a carga de ingressos como visitante. O pedido foi feito depois que torcedores do clube atacaram o ônibus do Fortaleza após o jogo entre as equipes, em partida válida pela Copa do Nordeste. A MI com liminar foi encaminhada para o presidente do STJD do Futebol, José Perdiz de Jesus – diz trecho do texto.

A medida terá validade até o julgamento da futura denúncia que será proposta pela Procuradoria do STJD. Não há informações sobre exclusão do Leão da Copa do Nordeste ou de outras competições em que tem no calendário.

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Slot's "phenomenal" Liverpool talent could take the #7 shirt from Wirtz

Liverpool are back. The latest interminable international break has wrapped up, and Arne Slot will know that his side’s form needs to change, having suffered three successive defeats before the October pause.

But the truth is, the cracks can be traced right through to the start of the campaign. There are many reasons for this, one of which is the heft of Liverpool’s summer spending.

Sure, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz completed bumper moves to Merseyside and are indeed the most expensive players in Premier League history, but it’s understandable that Slot’s new-look side might require a bedding-in period.

But, especially in the case of Wirtz, improvements are needed.

Why the next few weeks are crucial for Wirtz

Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool in July as a legend. Though he’s only 22, the German playmaker spearheaded Xabi Alonso’s invincible, multi-trophy-winning domestic season of 2023/24, and he was crowned the Bundesliga Player of the Year.

A high-profile move to the Premier League always comes with a heavy dose of anxiety, and the silky attacking midfielder has done little to prove Liverpool will receive bang for their buck so far, having failed to notch a goal involvement across eight matches after assisting Hugo Ekitike’s opener in the Community Shield.

Of course, drawing conclusions at this early stage would be reductive, and there is every confidence and expectation that Wirtz will begin firing on all cylinders soon.

But there’s no denying it’s been a slow start, and every passing game will now come weighted with unwanted extra scrutiny.

With the player having taken the no. 7 shirt from Luis Diaz this summer, Wirtz is expected to perform, but there’s already a young wide forward waiting in the wings who might be eyeing that particular shirt already.

The Liverpool talent who could take the #7 shirt

Liverpool have any number of talented young players in their grasp, but none more so than Rio Ngumoha, who has quickly become a household name on Merseyside for his match-winning goal against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in August.

Aged 16 at the time, the electric-paced winger found space and composure in the final embers to seal all three points for the Reds during that highly-charged contest, adding a priceless moment to a career catalogue which is sure to be well-worn by the time he hangs up his boots, many years from now.

Hailed as a “phenomenal talent” by former youth coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, the former Chelsea prospect has featured five times across all competitions so far this season and is so talented that FSG decided against signing a direct Diaz replacement this summer, instead promoting the teenager to a more prominent role.

Wirtz is only 22, but he’s struggling to adapt to the pace and intensity of the Premier League at this present moment.

Ngumoha, however, has already broken his seasonal duck, and given that Isaksson-Hurst continued to stress that he expects to see the forward on the Ballon d’Or list one day, there’s every reason for Liverpool fans to get excited.

And there’s plenty of cause for Wirtz to start looking back over his shoulder at that.

Youngest Scorers in Premier League History

#

Player

Age

1

James Vaughan

16 yrs, 8 months, 27 days

2

James Milner

16 yrs, 11 months, 22 days

3

Wayne Rooney

16 yrs, 11 months, 25 days

4

Rio Ngumoha

16 yrs, 11 months, 26 days

5

Cesc Fabregas

17 yrs, 3 months, 21 days

He’s still so young, and already playing such convincing football, the fleet-footed talent may even end up surpassing Wirtz and taking that shirt from him, should things not work out for the Germany star in the end.

FSG sold "world-class" Liverpool star, now he's outperforming Salah & Isak

Liverpool have lacked balance and fluency in the final third this season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 12, 2025

MLBPA Official Says Players Are Skeptical About Potential Future Salary Cap

Major League Baseball remains the only major North American professional sports league without a salary cap in place. MLB's current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is set to expire in Dec. 2026 and commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly pushing for that to change in the next round of negotiations.

In a recent episode of , MLB Players Association deputy executive director Bruce Meyer said the players hold "the right amount of skepticism" about a potential cap according to a new report from 's Evan Drellich.

“The league and some of the individual owners have made no secret that they would like to see a system that they tried to get for 50 years, which is a salary-cap system,” Meyer said on via .

Drellich's report noted that the skepticism from the players stems from the push for a salary cap coming from Manfred and team ownership groups, who have pitched a cap numerous times in prior negotiations.

“The pitch is like, ‘Hey, this is really good for the players,’” Meyer continued via . “One of the things players immediately seize on is, ‘Well, if this is so good for us, then why are they pushing it so hard? Why do they want it so desperately? Why did the other leagues lock out players to get it?’ Guys immediately understand that the reason they want that system is not because they want to pay players more.”

Reports surfaced in April that MLB officials were considering both a salary cap and floor in the next CBA. The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers have become one of the most dominant teams in baseball in part because there is no limit on how much money they can spend to sign the best players. This has agitated other owners, presumably because they don't have endless cash to put down on massive contract after massive contract.

The MLBPA, understandably, likely doesn't want to put a limit on how much cash can get handed to players. They would be interested in a salary floor—a minimum amount each team must spend annually—but that may only come at the cost of an added cap. We'll see where conversations land when CBA negotiations heat up following this season.

You can watch Meyer's full conversation on below:

Freddie Freeman Immediately Took Himself Out of Dodgers Game After Being Hit By Pitch

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have just gotten another terrible piece of injury news.

During the sixth inning of L.A.'s matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was hit in the left wrist area by an 88 mph sinker from Jose Quintana. He immediately took himself out of the game.

Video is below.

The Dodgers officially called it a "wrist contusion."

We'll see what happens and there's a chance this was precautionary, but the Dodgers have been on the wrong side of injury luck all season. A number of key pitchers have missed significant time, including Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Clayton Kershaw. Meanwhile, Max Muncy has been out for weeks with a knee injury and now Freeman may be hurt.

Here's hoping a Freeman injury isn't certain.

فيديو | حامد حمدان يسجل وفلسطين تخطف تعادلًا مثيرًا من تونس في كأس العرب

حسم التعادل الإيجابي بهدفين لكل فريق مباراة منتخب فلطسين أمام نظيره تونس، والتي جمعتهما اليوم الخميس، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

والتقى منتخب فلسطين مع تونس، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر.

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد نهاية الجولة الأولى وافتتح منتخب تونس أهداف اللقاء في الدقيقة السادسة عشر عن طريق عمر العيوني، قبل أن يحرز فراس شواط الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 51.

وفي الدقيقة 61 قلص حامد حمدان الفارق بتسجيل الهدف الأول لصالح فلسطين في الدقيقة 61 قبل أن يتعادل زيد القنبر في الدقيقة 85 لصالح الفدائي.

ورفع منتخب فلسطين رصيده إلى 4 نقاط في صدارة المجموعة الأولى بينما تونس في المركز الثالث بنقطة واحدة. أهداف مباراة تونس وفلسطين اليوم في كأس العرب

DCL upgrade: Farke must regret binning Leeds dud who was "like Archie Gray"

After the deadline passed at the end of the summer transfer window, Leeds United did not have the attacking depth that Daniel Farke wanted in the squad.

Journalist Graham Smyth noted that the manager revealed that it would be “difficult” for the club to avoid relegation if they did not add to their attacking options, and they did not.

The 49ers left it too late and had no back-up options when a deal for Harry Wilson fell through on deadline day, which meant that they ended the window with Noah Okafor as their only signing out wide.

Okafor, who was signed from AC Milan for £18m, was the only attacking signing who was signed for a transfer fee, as the club did not sign another winger, attacking midfielder, or striker from another club for a fee.

Lucas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were the only two other attacking signings made by the club during the summer transfer window, and both of them arrived on free transfers.

Calvert-Lewin joined on a free transfer from Premier League mainstays Everton in the summer after his contract with the Toffees expired, and Leeds need more from him.

Why Leeds need more from Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The 11-cap England international has played 245 matches in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, for Everton and Leeds combined in his career, which shows that he is a hugely experienced player at the level.

His experience does shine through in his physical output. The towering striker has won 4.7 duels per game and won 42% of his aerial duels in the top-flight, per Sofascore, whilst Joel Piroe, for example, has won 0.5 duels per match and won 20% of his aerial duels.

This shows that he is providing an outlet at the top end of the pitch for Leeds to hit when they are under pressure, which is why Farke is right to continue to select him over Piroe, who is a lightweight out of possession.

However, Calvert-Lewin needs to offer more in front of goal for the West Yorkshire outfit, as his header in the clip above is his only goal for the club to date.

The £100k-per-week centre-forward has missed five ‘big chances’ in five starts in the Premier League, whilst he also missed four ‘big chances’ in the League Cup against Sheffield Wednesday on his debut.

Jean-Philippe Mateta

10

5

Erling Haaland

8

11

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

5

1

Viktor Gyokeres

4

3

Antoine Semenyo

4

6

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin is third in the Premier League for ‘big chances’ missed this season, but he does not boast the goal tally that the players around him in that list have.

Missing chances is not the end of the world for a striker if they are still scoring goals, as Erling Haaland and Jean-Philippe Mateta are doing, but the Leeds striker is not scoring enough goals to make up for his misses.

This is why Farke needs more from the experienced number nine. For all the good work he is doing physically, Calvert-Lewin must step up and provide goals to win points for the team.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The longer his struggles in front of goal continue, the more Leeds may regret how they ended up in a position where Mateo Joseph had to be axed from the squad in the summer.

Per the striker’s comments, Farke told him that he would not be counted on in the Premier League, which led to a loan move to LaLiga outfit Mallorca.

Why Leeds must regret loaning out Mateo Joseph

The Spain U21 international came through the youth ranks at Thorp Arch to score six goals in 73 first-team matches for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, whilst mainly coming off the bench.

Journalist Phil Hay even said that Joseph was “starting to look a little bit like Archie Gray” at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, as the young striker was “becoming a really big impact player off the bench” in the same season that Gray stepped up before his £30m move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Unfortunately, Farke did not have faith that the Spaniard would be able to make the step up to the Premier League, which is why he was sent out on loan to Mallorca.

His form in LaLiga since being sent out on loan may be frustrating for supporters, because his current performance level suggests that he would be an upgrade on Calvert-Lewin at Elland Road.

The Leeds academy graduate has won 47% of his ground duels and 37% of his overall duels across eight appearances in LaLiga, per Sofascore, which shows that he has handled the physicality of one of Europe’s major leagues well.

On top of showing good physicality in his performances, Joseph has also scored two goals in four starts in LaLiga for Mallorca, twice as many goals as Calvert-Lewin has managed in the Premier League.

Appearances

6

8

Starts

5

4

Duels won per game

4.7

2.4

Duel success rate

38%

37%

Goals

1

2

Big chances missed

5

2

Assists

0

1

Penalties won

0

1

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old marksman has scored twice as many goals, provided one more assist, and won one more penalty than the Leeds forward this season.

Meanwhile, Calvert-Lewin has only won a slightly higher percentage of his physical duels, which suggests that Joseph would not be a significant downgrade in that respect.

Therefore, Leeds must regret binning the Spanish forward in the summer, because Farke did not trust him, as he is now outperforming Calvert-Lewin in another major European league.

His return of two goals with only two ‘big chances’ missed suggests that he is the clinical marksman that Leeds are sorely lacking in their team right now, after they failed to score any of the four ‘big chances’ they had against Burnley on Saturday.

Their answer to Saka: Leeds now have "one of England's best prospects"

Leeds United have a teen star in their academy who could emerge as their own Bukayo Saka-type player.

ByDan Emery Oct 15, 2025

Farke and Leeds will now be hoping that Calvert-Lewin can turn his form around and start to show why the club were willing to move Joseph on to go with him as their main number nine.

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