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JUST IN: Haaland ranked 26th, van Dijk 28th in Ballon d’Or 2025 list

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The build-up to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is officially underway as the organisers began unveiling the rankings on their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday afternoon.

Kicking off the list at 30th place is Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, followed by Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen at 29th, and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in 28th. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice sits at 27th, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland narrowly misses the top 25, landing in 26th place.

The partial list, also shared by football journalist Fabrizio Romano, has already ignited fan debates online, especially surrounding Olise’s placement. The French winger delivered an outstanding 2024–25 season for Bayern, registering 12 goals and 15 assists, making his relatively low ranking a point of contention.

The full top 30 list is expected to be released in stages throughout the day.

The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is set to take place later today in Paris, where the world’s top footballer will be officially crowned.

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Sanwo-Olu Tasks Lagos Sports Trust Fund Board To Look Beyond State’s Funding

The Lagos State Government is spending heavily on sports, but it is never enough in a megacity of over 20 million people.

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Photo : Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday inaugurated the Lagos State Sports Trust Fund board at Lagos House, Marina.

The board is chaired by Enitan Oshodi, with Olaposi Agunbiade as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer. Other members include Olabode Agoro, Adeniyi Adekoya, Gbolahan Onibuje, Jubril Gawat, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, Olayemi Sarumi, Lekan Fatodu, Moshood Ajide, and Ibrahim Adigun.

Sanwo-Olu tasks the board with leveraging members’ networks and expertise to build institutions supporting sports development for present and future generations.

The mandate is straightforward. Use your contacts, skills, and professional background to help fund sports and establish robust institutions in Lagos State,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu urged priority for grassroots programmes and rehabilitation of facilities, noting several government-funded projects required completion and improvement.

I implore you to deploy resources in grassroots and school sports that encourage growth across our divisions,” he added.

The governor said that the trust fund would bridge government and private sector participation in sports development.

“Organisations are willing to support, but reluctant to approach the government directly”, he said.

The board chairman, Oshodi said that the board would create sustainable funding pathways for infrastructure and athlete development.

“The Lagos State Government is spending heavily on sports, but it is never enough in a megacity of over 20 million people.

“We need facilities to support athletes. While the government is trying, the private sector must play a major role,” he said.

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Mexico invests in robotic dogs for 2026 World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with Monterrey among the host cities.

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Photo: Robotic dogs

Mexican authorities have introduced robotic dogs to support police operations during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, highlighting the growing convergence of football, technology, and security investment.

The local council in Guadalupe, part of the Monterrey metropolitan area, invested approximately $145,000 in the robotic units as part of its World Cup security preparations.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with Monterrey among the host cities.

A demonstration video released by the municipality shows one of the robots navigating an abandoned building, climbing stairs and transmitting live footage to officers positioned behind it

In a simulated scenario, the robot confronted an armed suspect and issued instructions via loudspeaker for him to drop his weapon.

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2026 Lagos City Marathon on Saturday

The 42-kilometre race will commence at Ahmadu Bello Way by MRS Filling Station and proceed through the entire Coastal Road, which serves as the finishing point.

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The Lagos State Government has announced traffic diversion plan ahead of the 2026 Lagos City Marathon scheduled for Saturday, February 14.

The government said that the diversion became necessary to ensure smooth conduct of the annual sporting event and to minimise disruption to movement across major routes in the state.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the marathon will feature two races, 42 kilometres and 10 kilometres, which will run simultaneously across designated routes.

He explained that the 42-kilometre race will commence at Ahmadu Bello Way by MRS Filling Station and proceed through the entire Coastal Road, which serves as the finishing point.

He added that the 10-kilometre race will begin at Durosimi Etti in Lekki Phase 1, passing through Ozumba Mbadiwe, Bishop Oluwole, Akin Adesola and terminate at Sanusi Fafunwa.

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