Ahmed Walid

Football Writer @TheAthleticFC. Views are my own

[Ahmed Walid @Walid_4]

للراحة النفسية للجميع

١- أنا مسؤول عن البكتبه بس و لو حد قرأ المقالة هيعرف أنا كتبت ايه و مكتبتش ايه
٢- مش معني اني ساكت هنا اني متفق علي اي tweet بتتكتب.
٣- الاراء التي تمثلني هي البكتبها أنا في مقالاتي او tweets بتاعتي

شكرا. يوم سعيد

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Thomas Tuchel has three big England World Cup dilemmas to resolve, and just 11 days to do it.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 How to reignite Saka?
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bellingham or Rogers as a No 10?
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rashford or Gordon on the left?

📝 @Conor0Neill_

https://t.co/cOE7ueZwCo

[James Pearce @JamesPearceLFC]

Inside a momentous week for Liverpool
🛑 Meeting on Fri May 29 when Hughes/Edwards recommended sacking Slot & owners signed it off
🛑 Iraola talks with Milan, Palace and Leverkusen but kept options open
🛑 How Hughes secured his services

(Free to read)
https://t.co/UCosR48kSK

[James Horncastle OSI @JamesHorncastle]

Cesc has got it. He gets it. He's got Como into the Champions League. Interview here

https://t.co/iuXTMDqYjx

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

🔎 Front-foot attacking
🔎 Smother opponents high up the field
🔎 Direct passing
🔎 Running, running, running

Andoni Iraola’s high-intensity football was a key factor in his appointment at Liverpool.

But are their squad equipped to play it?

📝 @ThomHarris_

🔗 https://t.co/1TBuT9YogJ

[Michael Cox @Zonal_Marking]

32 teams to 48 teams fundamentally changes the World Cup. Here are the probable ramifications: more rotation, more defensive play in the first two games, Africa the major beneficiary. And other things. ⬇️
https://t.co/XG3EZxRhQF

[Conor O'Neill @Conor0Neill_]

Wrote guides for Group A + F as part of our wider series Featuring:
🇲🇽 Mexico’s marauding wing-backs
🇯🇵Japan’s blend of high pressing and rapid counters
🇰🇷 South Korea’s questionable shift to a back three
🇳🇱 Ronald Koeman’s dull Dutch side

Free-to-read links threaded below

[Anantaajith Raghuraman @anantaajith]

A pleasure contributing to this with the amazing @MarkCarey93 @ThomHarris_ @Conor0Neill_ @LiamTharmeCoach and @Walid_4
All the key tactical info you need before the chaos unfolds next week is here - check it out! 👇

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

The 2026 World Cup is less than a week away, and it’s gigantic.

Three countries, 12 groups, 48 teams, 1,248 players.

To help you get to grips with such a sprawling tournament, The Athletic's data & tactics writers have analysed every group and picked out the stylistic trends and key players you should keep an eye on this summer.

🔗 https://t.co/d0gwLVStcA

[Henry Bushnell @HenryBushnell]

With the World Cup near, I wanted to tell the story of soccer in America.

The best way to do that?

Through the eyes + words of the people + magazine who've chronicled every stage of its growth.

So, a feature, on American soccer and @socceramerica: https://t.co/CsAok5Ky8A

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Brian Cox's fondness for the current Arsenal team may be mistaken for allegiance, but that belongs to Manchester United, a Premier League club steeped in Scottish heritage.

Cox was 11 when eight United players from Sir Matt Busby's team died in 1958 in the Munich air disaster. Two more suffered such terrible injuries that they could not play football again and 15 other passengers were killed.

"I will always be a United fan because United is what affected me as a child," Cox says, his voice softening.

"I remember it so vividly, waiting to hear about Duncan Edwards. I'll never forget those few days. That's what really locked me onto Man United, because all these young men and Edwards, who was the extraordinary player of all time… his range was amazing, he was fit as anything.

"It was his kidneys that finally killed him. Sir Matt Busby nearly died as well, he ended up in hospital. It was a very traumatic thing. As a kid… I remember feeling very empathetic towards Man United.

"It just became my team really from that point on because of what Busby then recreated. They were called the Busby Babes, they were an absolutely amazing team."

@AdamCrafton's interview with Cox is free to read — the full video interview is available to watch in the piece or on The Athletic's YouTube channel.

🔗 https://t.co/pMh5ymTY8R

[Andy Naylor @AndyNaylorBHAFC]

Why Jason Ayto left Brighton after just nine months as sporting director and what it means, with the summer transfer window looming. #BHAFC
(Free to read).
https://t.co/Jh76yJc81q via @NYTimes

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

A cargo ship, a floodlit metal cage, 24 of the world's best players, and Eric Cantona holding court.

Over three breathless, Elvis-soundtracked minutes, Nike's Secret Tournament turned a thousand playground daydreams into reality — or something like it.

It was impossible to wrench your eyes away. Nearly a quarter of a century later, it still is.

Here is an oral history of one of the greatest football adverts of all time, told by those who made it.

📝 @JackLang

Free to read 🆓

https://t.co/n04mUK4Nyo

[Jack Lang @jacklang]

Totti's bad acting, Roberto Carlos breaking the cage with a shot, burnt grass, Seol Ki-hyeon's entourage vs Ronaldinho & a shirt with 'Terry Gilliam made me sit in the corner' printed on it.

The oral history of Nike's Secret Tournament ad

(Free to read)

https://t.co/zyxrQKc1qd

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

▪️ A big summer in store for Premier League players
▪️ Erling Haaland's fearsome goal record
▪️ Experienced Panama vs youthful Ivory Coast
▪️ The six players in their 40s
▪️ And why Crystal Palace are bigger than Real Madrid

@Conor0Neill_ analyses the make-up of the 48 squads heading to the 2026 World Cup.

Free to read 🆓 https://t.co/i74oSs58N9

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Welcome to the first Transfer DealSheet for the 2026 summer window.

In this edition we look at:

▪️ @David_Ornstein’s One To Watch
▪️ Expectation Morgan Rogers will leave Aston Villa
▪️ Bayern Munich and Arsenal interested in Eintracht Frankfurt full-back Nathaniel Brown

Free to read via the link 🆓 https://t.co/TAkt1M2y4C

[Michael Cox @Zonal_Marking]

Good Arsenal gameplan, inevitably more cautious (especially after going ahead early) and they largely defended excellently. But also they just weren’t not technically good enough in attack, especially after the subs, to offer any real goal threat. ⬇️
https://t.co/KdPKjmdIli

[gunnerblog @gunnerblog]

“Go out there, enjoy the moment, trust yourselves and make beautiful memories together.

We love you endlessly.”

On #UCL final day, letters to Arsenal’s stars from their families & friends.❤️

Free on @TheAthleticFC ⬇️

https://t.co/77Ey39J9xo

[Chris Waugh @ChrisDHWaugh]

⚫ Bayern were favourites - but firmly stuck to valuation 🤑
⚪ Why mutually beneficial for all 🤝
🔵 3 reasons Barca so quickly met #NUFC demands 3️⃣
🟣 "Special request" for Flick 👀

🔍 Inside Anthony Gordon's rapid €80m transfer to #FCB - FREE to read: https://t.co/RHrYWw0cRM

[James Horncastle OSI @JamesHorncastle]

Changing a club's DNA is a feat achieved by very few coaches. Luis Enrique did it at PSG. Here's how

https://t.co/RhBrPITQ71

[Jacob Tanswell @J_Tanswell]

Exclusive interview with Morgan Rogers: Relationship with Emery, the watershed Arsenal game, the many minutes played, dealing with extra attention and why he does not play football "to be boring."

"I have qualities to unlock defences. If it was safe to do so, everyone would be able to do it."

Free to read @TheAthleticFC #AVFC

https://t.co/GolpEYzJLH