Messi's international farewell, Ronaldo's public rift, Premier League moves and Kane's century target

Two legends of the game reached dramatically different points in their international careers in the same week: Lionel Messi ended his Argentina career with a goal in Buenos Aires, while Cristiano Ronaldo left Portugal's training camp after his dispute with manager Jorge Jesus became public. At the same time, the Premier League transfer market continued to heat up, Arsenal moved on both contract renewals and signings, and Harry Kane turned his attention to 100 international goals.

Messi's farewell at home

Argentina great Lionel Messi enjoyed a tribute from the crowd in Buenos Aires as his international career ended with a goal against Benin. The emotional farewell marked the end of a World Cup winner's time with the Argentina national team. Messi and Ronaldo have long been considered two of the greatest players in football history, and the closing chapters of their careers took different shapes on the same day: one left to applause at home, while the other became the focus of debate because of a conflict with his national team coach.^[1]

Ronaldo breaks with Jorge Jesus

Ronaldo did not play in Portugal's Nations League match against Norway and then left the national team camp. After learning he would not start against Denmark, he posted a statement of nearly 2,000 words on social media, accusing manager Jorge Jesus of twice going back on his word and calling his conduct an 'absolute breach of trust'. In the statement, Ronaldo apologised to fans and team-mates and accepted that the consequences of leaving camp should be 'evaluated and punished', but he denied that he had played his last match for Portugal, saying there 'will be one or more farewell matches'. Jesus said the national team door remains open to Ronaldo, but Portuguese journalist Jose Delgado believes it will be very difficult for the two sides to go back.^[1]

Contrasts and fallout in European football

The BBC Radio 5 Live Euro Leagues podcast, broadcast on 7 October 2026, discussed the contrasting week for Messi and Ronaldo. The show also covered Zinedine Zidane's start as France coach, how Spain have evolved since winning the World Cup, Virgil van Dijk reaching 100 caps, and whether Pep Guardiola is already planning a return to the Etihad. The episode was hosted by John Bennett, with guests Julien Laurens and Guillem Ballague.^[3]

Premier League transfers: left-back and midfield battles

In transfer rumours, Manchester United are expected to face serious competition from Liverpool for 24-year-old Bournemouth left-back Adrien Truffert, with the France international valued at about £60m. Newcastle United are seen as favourites to sign 23-year-old Lyon midfielder Tyler Morton, potentially beating Nottingham Forest. Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are all monitoring 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah. In addition, 19-year-old Brazil and Athletico Paranaense defender Arthur Dias is being tracked by Barcelona after Tottenham previously made an £18m bid.^[2]

Arsenal's dual track: renewals and signings

Arsenal have been busy building their squad. Captain Martin Odegaard is expected to sign a new long-term contract, just like manager Mikel Arteta, while Declan Rice is also close to extending his deal.^[2][4] The Gunners are also ready to try again in January to sign 26-year-old Atletico Madrid and Argentina striker Julian Alvarez, who is seriously considering a move to north London.^[2] Arsenal's official podcast released a special episode on Arteta's new contract, showing that the club is building a long-term plan around the manager.^[6]

Kane equals cap record and targets 100 goals

England captain Harry Kane said he could reach 100 international goals after equalling his country's record of 125 appearances. Kane's achievement drew praise from team-mates Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham. For a striker already in the later stages of his career, continuing to rewrite England's scoring record is not only a personal goal but could also shape the Three Lions' attacking structure at future major tournaments.^[5]

Other transfer news

Among other rumours, former Real Madrid full-back Dani Carvajal remains a free agent after his move to Getafe collapsed, and the 34-year-old needs to find his next club. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are both interested in Tottenham youngster Luca Williams-Barnett, who made his Spurs debut at 16.^[2]

Shared trends and what to watch

From Messi's farewell to Ronaldo's public rift, the two legends have reached different endpoints in their international careers, while Portugal's dressing-room trust issues have been pushed into the foreground. In the Premier League, Arsenal are moving forward on both core renewals and a striker pursuit, while Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle and others compete over left-backs and midfielders. Kane's 100-goal target and the movement of young players together form the storylines to watch in the coming months.^[1][2][3][5]