Neal 🇦🇺
@NealGardner_
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I tweet about football! | *Thoroughly* typo-prone | Business: [email protected]
Joined February 2016
Going to make myself available to do way more football content this year, be it longer form articles or media related stuff. Exciting times (hopefully…).
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Two Copa America’s, a World Cup, and just 8 losses in 84 matches… WTF?!?!
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I usually air my strongest non-footballing opinions elsewhere, but this is the biggest platform I have, and some things just need to be said. Rarely am I left speechless, but I find myself struggling to even begin, because no collection of words could even begin to capture the.
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Three different generations of ballers, dominating together. A 17-year-old, a 27-year-old, and a soon to be 37-year-old. Do people understand how remarkable this is?.
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When a player’s taken the decision to retire, the least you can do is let him announce it himself. This leaking culture has gone way too far, this just doesn’t sit right with me.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Thiago Alcantara has decided to retire from professional football. Former Barça, Bayern, Liverpool and Spain player has made his decision. Thiago’s passion and love for the game continues as he’s ready for new chapter in football after few months planning for it.
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It is CRIMINAL that these three games are on at the same time.
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A 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi held a high-line to perfection against Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr at the Bernabeu. We have NEVER seen anything like this — don’t let it go unnoticed, please. He’s almost as big of an anomaly as Lamine.
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Has this bloke always been a Barça fan or something? 😂.
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Huh… a 9 month ban for this is CRAZY. What am I missing, here?!.
Lyon Manager Paulo Fonseca has been given a 9-month touchline ban for this… 😳.
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Old mate, your club literally runs a weekly show with the sole purpose of crying about referees….
🚨 Courtois on Julian Alvarez’s penalty: “We all know UEFA sees it clearly. I’m so tired of this victimhood with referees, of always crying about things like this”.
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I guess this proves he could, in fact, do it on a cold windy night in Stoke….
⭐️🇦🇷 First goal in 2025 for Leo Messi on first official game with Inter Miami against Kansas City. Despite -17°, Leo scores his 851th career goal.
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Spain’s run in to the final vs England’s run in to the final…
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Literally every stage of this man’s career has been underrated. He’s consistently overlooked and out of the headlines, despite performing at an extremely high level for the best part of two decades and winning *everything* the sport has to offer.
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So… Messi got a public apology from Canelo without even saying a word. Lol.
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SERIOUS conversations need to be had about Griezmann. Over a decade at the top, and he’s still going strong. This is an all-timer by every definition.
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First the decision to rest him for the US trip, now this… . Since when has my club started acting responsible?!.
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18 games in, Juve are still undefeated in Serie A, but they’ve drawn 11 bloody games!!!. Erm…
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“When I was 16 years old”…
🗣️ Endrick: “When I was 16, I was on social media a lot. And you keep comparing players, comparing me to Vitor Roque, Pelé. You’re crazy, man. Pelé is Pelé.”
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This fella inadvertently started the standing ovations….
Speed reacts to Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d’Or. At this point we are fully living in a simulation .
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It’s rare to see someone as accomplished as Ronaldo so incredibly insecure and desperate for public validation. You literally have nothing to prove, why go out of your way to sound moronic? . I don’t get it.
🚨🇸🇦 Cristiano Ronaldo: “Saudi League is better than Ligue 1, of course. France only has PSG. The rest are finished”. “Try to sprint in 38, 39, 40 degree weather and see…”.
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How detached from reality do you have to be to put Suarez in this list?.
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I think Alisson, Courtois and Oblak are quite comfortably the three outstanding goalkeepers of this generation. No one else really comes close, IMO . (I’m counting Neuer as the generation prior, even though he’s so good there’s been overlap).
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Just seeing all the European Lad stuff, no words. As if the trolling, abuses, and toxicity wasn’t bad enough, you’ve now got people committing legitimate felonies all for FOOTBALL TWITTER. Leaking not only someone’s private info, but also their families… how low can you go?.
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What makes this Spanish side so special is that they represent Spanish football in its truest essence. Not the biggest names, hardly any PR, just a bunch of absolute ballers and elite technicians. For me, it’s still the most enjoyable and relatable rendition of the game.
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Can’t remember the last time Arsenal lost a game where their fans just accepted defeat without going on about how there’s this huge conspiracy against them. Every. Single. Time.
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So… I just found something that blew my mind. Messi’s best CL campaign: 14 goals, 5 assists . Raphinha in the CL thus far: 11 goals, 5 assists*. WHAT?!?!?
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This man just put in THE most significant individual performance I’ve seen from a Barça GK possibly in my lifetime — we’ll be talking about this for years. Wojciech Szczęsny, you are officially an FC Barcelona hero.
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Today marks Lamine Yamal’s 30th (!!!) conservative start since DECEMBER.
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Three Clasico wins in a row, two finals, everything from downright beatings to heartbreaking comebacks — we’ve truly given Madrid the full spectrum of pain this season. Hansi Flick has changed our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
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One of the most dominant footballers on the planet, and Jude Bellingham….
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My footballing hot-take is that no one has a greater monopoly over being the best ever in their position than Busquets at DM. He’s light years clear as the DM king.
Stop that Busquets.
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The age difference between Lamine Yamal and *Thiago Messi* (5 years), is exactly the same as the age difference between Lamine Yamal and his current flank partner: Nico Williams. Let that sink in.
🚨🎙️| Thiago Messi: "I would like to play with Lamine Yamal one day" 😍
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HOW IS PEDRI GETTING THE STADIUM TO CHANT HIS NAME IN DORTMUND??? 😭😭😭😭.
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Spain’s run in to the final: . •Croatia .•Italy .•Albania .•Georgia .•Germany .•France . 6/6 wins, 13 goals scored, 3 conceded — no pens needed. You cannot name a better tournament run, utter insanity.
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To do this in the same week is CRAZY, it’s beyond anything even my wildest dreams.
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The missed penalty will grab the headlines, but this is comfortably Messi’s best performance of the tournament.
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Barça since Szczęsny’s become our number 1: . 13 games .10 wins.0 defeats.7 clean sheets
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I was wrong about this years CL format, it’s awful. UEFA sold it as bigger games and more jeopardy, but that’s just not the case, at least in terms of the latter. Side’s like City can win 3/8 of their games, and STILL relatively comfortably make the K/Os. It’s a cake walk.
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That Messi-Lamine jersey swap pic’s going to melt my bloody heart.
🚨 BREAKING: Argentina vs Spain, Finalissima have been made official between the parties (AFA, RFEF) in the meeting tonight. "More details on the organisation of the match will be announced in due course, says UEFA."
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Lautaro Martinez this season:. •42 goals + assists in 53 appearances. •Serie A winner/Top Scorer .•Copa America winner/Top Scorer .•Winning goal in the Copa America final. There’s no reason this man shouldn’t be a legitimate Ballon d’Or contender.
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This Bumrah fella’s now haunting us with the bat, too?! I hate this game….
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Nah, this can’t be incompetence. It can’t be. There’s no excuse.
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Possibly no Balde for Barça, possibly no Thuram for Inter, both muscle injuries… . This is EXACTLY what I was talking about in my previous tweet.
🚨🇫🇷 Inter striker Marcus Thuram has suffered a muscle injury as he’ll be assessed for the upcoming games.
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Madrid’s next two CL fixtures are Liverpool and Atalanta away….
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Spain’s CB pairing for the next decade and more is Pau Cubarsi (17) and Dean Huijsen (19), good lord….
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Casually coming into management as one of the GOATS, proceeding to win 3/4 CL titles, then riding into the sunset and never looking back has got to be one of the most baller moves in sporting history. Zidane is just *very* cool, isn’t he?.
🚨🇫🇷 Zinedine Zidane has gone 1,306 days without managing a team. ⁉️. Man United, Juventus, PSG & Bayern have knocked on his door several times in recent years. But Zidane always answers the same: "No, thank you.", reports @marca. ⛔️
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Messi’s career arc for Argentina has truly been poetic. Phase 1: He carried this side on his back, only to be heartbroken time and time again. Phase 2: He carried this side, but this time with an excellent supporting cast - leading them to ultimate glory. Phase 3: His body
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Oooh…
🚨🎙️| Flick: "A full lineup of La Masia? We've actually talked about it, but we haven't decided yet. It might be an option, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow and decide then." #fcblive 👀
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No one deserves their hero moment more than this man. No rest or respite, just consistent reliability every single week — now he finally has that holy grail etched in history.
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HOW MANY??? . This is getting utterly, utterly ridiculous. Haven’t seen numbers like these since Messi, lol.
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Today, we’re watching Dembele and Yamal side by side. And today, it’s clear how monumentally we upgraded. La Masia, you are unrivalled.
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WE’VE ONLY GONE AND BLOODY DONE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Down a man, in a European KO AWAY, with over 80 minutes to play(!!!) — not only did we score a goal and win, we kept a bloody clean sheet. INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I haven’t been so proud of this squad in YEARS. 💙❤️.
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I’ve wanted to do that to Atleti so badly man, can’t express how good this feels, but somehow, I’m sure EVERY Barça fan knows exactly what I’m talking about.
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Argentina’s midfield is levels above Brazil, both technically and physically. It’s a mismatch.
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Messi just did that to the defender of the tournament, btw. I was lost for words about a decade ago, now I’m practically paralysed. Ridiculous.
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That 55m for Jules Kounde was an absolute bargain, man. Came in as the best CB in La Liga, got forced to adapt to playing at RB, and still ended up becoming the best RB in the league. That’s just what world class ballers do. 🤷♂️
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Remember when all people had against Messi was his International legacy? Ah, we laugh! 😂.
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You know we’ve gone astronomically clear when the most surprising part of the night isn’t a 4-0 CL Quarter-Final victory, but rather an Ansu Fati appearance 😂.
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Raphinha in ‘big’ games this season:. •Hat-trick vs Bayern .•G+A in the Clasico .•Goal vs Dortmund .•Brace + assist in the second Clasico .•Brace + winner vs Benfica.•Winner vs Benfica again .•2 assists vs Atalanta .•2 assists vs Atleti . Mind-bogglingly clutch.
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I’m so confused, how is this even possible lol? . Was a 19-year-old Messi just turning up to meet random toddlers 😂.
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Things I’ve learnt today: we CANNOT let our CL games go to pens lol.
Kounde also missed his Penalty😂😂.Hansi Flick should take notes
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Now THIS is a proper bus parade.
The parade is approaching its end and the SCENES are absolutely STUNNING! 🔥
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If it wasn’t for Szczęsny’s mistakes, we would’ve finished first and been on the other side of the bracket… . A misunderstood genius, IMO.
We’ve literally got the easiest path to the final possible. Can’t mess it up.
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I think he’s going to do it, man. Argentina win this final, and Messi calls it a day, bowing down with two successive Copa America’s and a World Cup. There’s truly no better way to end it, pushing that 2026 World Cup just doesn’t make sense.
Leo Messi: "I am aware that these are the last battles, and I am enjoying them to the fullest.” @DSportsRadio ❤️🥲
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Not saying Isak hasn’t developed nicely, but scoring goals in Spain is harder than scoring goals in England. This makes sense.
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That last minute extra time save by Emi Martinez should go down as one of the most clutch saves of all time, and he followed it by saving two pens in the shoot-out. Argentina wouldn’t be here without him!.
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Spain is the only place where insulting a ref or making an arbitrary gesture is treated with more seriousness than a literal career-ending tackle.
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We wouldn’t we where we are without these two, never forget their contributions because it’s been absolutely vital. From outcasts to hero’s.
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Oh baby…
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Modric, at 39, looks considerably better physically than KDB. Kinda wild.
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OF COURSE HE JUST HAPPENS TO BE WITH CASILLAS 😂😂😂.
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Please call me out if I’m blinding myself with bias, but how is this not a foul, especially when it directly leads to a goal? . Martin was in full control of the ball, nothing but contact would make him take a fall like that.
🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
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Guess who he dribbled past for the goal, this is too bloody perfect 😂
🚨🎙| Rabiot: "We'll try to get Lamine Yamal out of his comfort zone. If he wants to play the final, he'll have to do more than what he has done so far." #fcblive 🇪🇸🇫🇷
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We just battered Bayern Munich with two 17-year-olds, Inaki Pena, a DM in his first pro season, and with both our starting CBs absent. Let that sink in. Just because we’re flying doesn’t mean this is normal.
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Hate-watching Madrid this season has changed my life. Forever grateful, Carlo. 🙌.
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We dogwalked Madrid at the Bernabeu with two 17-year-olds and 8 La Masia players on the pitch. Oh how I’ve missed this!!!!!.
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WTF ARE WE WATCHING????!?!!!. I’m absolutely speechless man, Raphinha’s putting in the best individual performance I’ve seen from a Barça player since Messi.
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Ferran Torres is on the verge of dropping a 30G/A season (currently 26), as a bloody substitute!!! . Do people realise how wild that is?
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This has nothing to do with allegiance, Madrid’s behaviour tonight has been utterly classless — never seen anything like it. Boycotting the event, players publicly talking about internal politics and touting dubious conspiracy theories — you’d think the club is run by FT trolls.
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I still don’t think people realise how ridiculously good Pedri is.
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You know when you see a picture and recognise that it’s INSTANTLY iconic? Yeah, this is one of those times.
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Nah, he’s actually the GOAT, I’ve NEVER seen a keeper dominate pens like this in my life. A literal cheat code.
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MLS have apparently got a dedicated camera focusing ONLY on Messi… . My God, these Americans know how to market 😂.
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Vile racism with almost 100k likes and counting, this app is beyond a cesspit. No words.
🤯🇧🇷 Vinicius jr no se queda atrás y le responde a LAMINE YAMAL.
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Messi’s entire international legacy was, quite literally, brought down to winning the bloody World Cup. Respectfully, NO ONE has had more pressure on their shoulders. No one.
🇧🇷🎙️| Thiago Silva Interview . “Neymar is very strong mentally. I’ve watched Messi's interviews. If Messi had all the weight & pressures throughout his career like Neymar, Messi would have stopped. The pressure on him is too much, sometimes it’s exhausting."
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