🔮 Happy New Year! OneFootball predicts 2023 in the world of football | OneFootball

Happy New Year!

We’ve gone to the back of the cupboards in the OneFootball office, found our crystal ball, and given it a good polish. Here’s what you can look forward to in 2023 …

Let’s kick off with a fun one, what is your wildest football prediction for 2023?

Alex Mott: Paris Saint-Germain will actually win the Champions League.

Chloe Beresford: After enjoying some down time on his electric bike, I think we will see Neil Warnock return to manage an EFL club somewhere.

Dan Burke: Arsenal will win the Premier League. It still seems a little implausible at the time of writing but I really think they’ve got enough in the tank to do it.

Joel Sanderson-Murray: Chelsea, Liverpool, Inter and Atlético Madrid will all fail to qualify for the Champions League next season from their respective leagues.

Lewis Ambrose: With Liverpool struggling lately and now heading towards new ownership, Jürgen Klopp will decide to leave the club at the end of the season.

Pádraig Whelan: Even after his move to Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t quite finished yet and will make a surprise resurfacing in a top five European league.

Will we have any surprises across Europe’s domestic leagues before the season ends?

AM: Manchester City will eventually win the Premier League but Newcastle will be the side that runs them closest before finishing second.

CB: Although Juventus put a run together before the World Cup break, I think they will struggle in the second half of the season and finish outside of the Champions League places.

DB: Perhaps Napoli ending their 33-year wait for a Scudetto wouldn’t be a major surprise given the start they’ve made to the season, but they’ve been in this position before and I for one am hoping they can hold their nerve this time.

JSM: Not sure if this will be the biggest surprise but, considering the turmoil at the club in recent years and the strength of Real Madrid, Barcelona winning LaLiga would resemble something of a shock and it’s something I see happening.

LA: The Champions League will be without Borussia Dortmund and Atlético Madrid next season, while the Premier League will be without Everton.

PW: Arsenal holding their nerve and lifting a long overdue title would be a huge shock and it is within their capabilities. In Italy, I think defending champions Milan will fall apart in the second half and fail to secure a top four finish.

And who will win the Champions League?

AM: That’ll be PSG.

CB: Assuming Haaland stays fit, then I think it will be Manchester City.

DB: I’ll give my usual answer to this question: Manchester City. One of these years I’ll be right.

JSM: Surely this is Manchester City’s year, right?

LA: Liverpool, clinching a Champions League spot after finishing fifth in the Premier League and sending Klopp off into the sunset.

PW: PSG’s long wait for European glory is coming to an end in 2023.

Alright, enough about trophies. What will be the biggest transfer of 2023?

AM: All the talk has been around Mbappé and Messi leaving PSG but don’t be surprised if Neymar is tempted away from the French capital.

CB: The World Cup will only serve to spin the rumour mill surrounding Jude Bellingham even faster. Wherever he goes, it will be huge news.

DB: Jude Bellingham will surely be on the move in the summer. I hope he joins Manchester City, but I have a feeling he’ll be off to Real Madrid.

JSM: The Harry Kane to Bayern Munich links may have quietened down recently but this is one I could definitely see happening as the England captain goes abroad in search for trophies.

LA: Real Madrid are going to try for Kylian Mbappé again, right?

PW: Lionel Messi will be on the move again this summer and whether it is the MLS, back to Barcelona or a romantic Rosario return, he remains the biggest name in the game.

And the biggest managerial change?

AM: Max Allegri leaves Juventus, Antonio Conte waves goodbye to Tottenham to return, leaving the path clear for Mauricio Pochettino to come back to Spurs.

CB: I’m wondering if Chelsea are having second thoughts about Graham Potter already. Could they wield the axe before the end of the campaign?

DB: Eddie Howe has done a fabulous job at Newcastle so far but I wonder how long it will take before the club outgrows him. I could see Howe out and someone like Thomas Tuchel taking over at St. James’ Park before 2023 is out.

JSM: Diego Simeone’s time at Atlético Madrid will likely come to an end by the end of the season, and it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing if former Spain boss Luis Enrique rocks up at the Wanda Metropolitano.

LA: Antonio Conte will return to Italy, probably with Juventus, allowing Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Luis Enrique to fight over the Spurs job.

PW: One of the biggest jobs in football will be available again when Carlo Ancelotti moves on from Real Madrid after another successful spell in charge.

Do you have a tip for a young player we will all be talking about in 12 months?

AM: Bristol City has quietly become one of the best places for young players in England to develop over the past few years but their leading hope is 19-year-old Alex Scott. He will be in the Premier League this time next year.

CB: Jude Bellingham isn’t the only exciting teenager at Borussia Dortmund. There’s already a lot of talk about 18-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko, who has made 59 total appearances for his club two senior appearances for Germany.

DB: There’s a lot of buzz about 18-year-old Portuguese winger Carlos Borges, who has been tearing it up for Manchester City at academy level. He’ll probably end up at Borussia Dortmund and be worth £100m this time next year.

JSM: There’s a bit of noise about him already (he literally started at the World Cup) but in a time where elite centre-backs are at a minimum Benfica’s 19-year-old defender António Silva could have some big clubs chasing him over the next 12 months.

LA: Atalanta just unearth striker after striker and they’ve another now in Rasmus Højlund. The big Dane has a knack for goals and is one to keep a very close eye on.

PW: Teenager Andreas Schjelderup is the latest young star to fall off Norway’s prestigious production line. A winger with devastating dribbling, he became Nordsjaelland’s youngest ever goalscorer at 16 and is on the radar of many top tier sides.

It’s another World Cup year, by the way. Who will star at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in the summer?

AM: Should she be fit enough to get on the plane, England’s Beth Mead will continue her ascension to greatness and lead the Lionesses to glory.

CB: Having continued her amazing form from the Euros into the WSL season, I think Alessia Russo will shine brightest.

DB: I really like what I’ve seen from USWNT starlet Trinity Rodman so I’m tipping her to do her father Dennis proud in Australia and New Zealand.

JSM: After not having the impact she would’ve liked at the Euros, can see Germany’s Lea Schüller shining.

LA: Hopefully Alexia Putellas is back and fully fit but I think she’ll be outshone by Australian stars Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord as the Matildas are inspired by playing on home soil.

PW: Still just 20 but with so much experience under her belt already, Lena Oberdorf will firmly mark her arrival on the world stage. Katie McCabe can also help Ireland cause a shock or two in a tough group at their first ever World Cup.

Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas claimed the men’s and women’s Ballons d’Or in 2022. In 2023, the awards will go to …

AM: Lionel Messi and Beth Mead.

CB: Kylian Mbappé and Trinity Rodman.

DB: Lionel Messi and Sam Kerr.

JSM: Lionel Messi and Sam Kerr.

LA: Erling Haaland and Lena Oberdorf.

PW: Kylian Mbappé and Sophia Smith.

What are you worried about happening in 2023?

AM: Football will no doubt take all the wrong lessons from this past World Cup and decide that more is a must. We have to start thinking of players’ health but the ever-expanding fixture list is only going to get worse.

CB: If lessons are not learned from the Human Rights issues thrown up by the Qatar World Cup and football continues to be moved more towards the money and further away from the fans.

DB: Can I say Manchester United being taken over by better owners and becoming a proper force to be reckoned with again? Looks like I just did.

JSM: Two of the biggest clubs in Liverpool and Manchester United being up for sale isn’t a co-incidence. Not sure what the future picture looks like there but if their owners are looking to get out of the game, what do they know about what’s coming?

LA: It’s self-indulgent but my beloved Arsenal have us dreaming of a title race. I hope we’re still in the running come April.

PW: The European Super League plans making a return.

And what’s the one thing you cannot wait to see this year?

AM: It’s arguable that England have never had a better group of players than they do now – but look deeper in the club game and there are even more stunning players coming through the ranks. More game time for them means more chance of a trophy.

CB: The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. With the Euros being delayed, we’re going to have to back-to-back major tournaments and if last summer is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat.

DB: The World Cup has been decent but the Champions League is the highest level of football to be found on the planet and I’m looking forward to all the thrills and spills it brings when the knockout stages begin in February.

JSM: The effect the after shocks of the World Cup could have on the domestic leagues. This is uncharted territory, and it’s anyone’s guess what impact it could have – meaning we could be in for some bizarre results.

LA: Whether PSG can have a proper crack at the Champions League, they look more balanced than ever under Christophe Galtier.

PW: If they can hold onto their sizeable lead and get over the line, the partying and scenes of celebration in Napoli if they secure their first Scudetto in over 30 years would be epic.