Jon Rahm wants the PGA and DP World tours to collaborate in making a decision on the inclusion of LIV Golf players at this year's Ryder Cup.
A number of high-profile players have left both tours for LIV Golf since the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit's inception last year.
Henrik Stenson was stripped of the Europe captaincy in July after making the switch, with Ryder Cup veterans like Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood among those in danger of being ruled ineligible, while the United States have ruled out the selection of LIV players.
Speaking ahead of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Rahm said it would not be smart to have a situation at the Ryder Cup – which takes place in Rome in September – where one team calls up LIV Golf players and the other does not.
"Listen, there's some people that are going to have to make some tough choices," he said. "I hope the PGA of America and European Tour make a decision together. I don't think it would be smart to have one team allowing LIV players and one not to.
"And besides that, even if they decide not to on that side, I think it's going to give an opportunity for a lot of great young players to show up and have the chance in Europe, right? It's just going to be an opportunity for all of them. We saw a younger United States team last Ryder Cup and they did what they did [beating Europe 19-9 in 2021].
"I'm hoping these younger guys who have grown up watching the Ryder Cup and seeing their idols do what they do, let's say, it energises the team a little bit in any manner and we show up there to win."
Rahm also joked about the "chaos" around the LIV Golf breakaway, saying: "I've had two kids in 15 months, so compared to that, I don't know if what's happened around golf is as comparable."
He insists it has not changed his perception of his fellow professionals, though, adding: "I didn't feel a difference in any of the majors last year. If somebody has a problem with LIV players, they're just not going to deal with them and that's about it.
"In my mind, like I've said it before, I respect their choice and the ones I was friends with before I'm still going to be friends with, right? It doesn't change the way I'm going to operate with them."
Rahm, a big football fan, was also asked for his opinion on the recent World Cup final that saw Argentina and Lionel Messi beat France on penalties after an exciting 3-3 draw in Qatar, which also featured Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick for Les Bleus.
"That final was incredible," he said. "I think I took more inspiration from Mbappe. He put the team on his back and tied a final that they had no business tying, let's be honest.
"And Messi, I mean, I've been watching Messi play for so long that it's amazing that he can still surprise a lot of people. When the debate of greatest of all time is up in the air, he does what he did and carried Argentina to a World Cup final.
"It's not my business to decide who is the best or who is not because I never saw [Diego] Maradona play, but he's made a pretty good argument.
"I don't know if I'll see a final this good ever again in my lifetime. I hope I do, but I doubt it. The only way this could have been better if it was Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo facing off and they each had a hat trick and things like that. Kylian being the next closest thing, because he's clearly the future of this sport."
'We have the players' - Tuchel confident of talent in England squad
Thomas Tuchel believes England have the players and the talent to go far in the 2026 World Cup.
The German will officially take charge of the Three Lions from January 1 but was present at the qualifying draw which took place at UEFA headquarters in Zurich on Friday.
Tuchel is tasked with reaching the World Cup for an eighth consecutive edition, with England reaching the semi-finals and quarter-finals in the previous two under Gareth Southgate.
Asked if he felt he had the players available to win the competition, should they qualify, Tuchel told Sky Sports: "I knew this before and watching the matches, we have the players, the talent and the characteristics to go far. But now, first of all, we have to prove it in the qualifiers.
"It gets closer and closer, the gaps between the big nations and the smaller nations. It closes every tournament.
"It's more difficult to win your games, so we have to show full respect and show our top level from March when it starts."
One of those players is striker Harry Kane, who came under criticism following Euro 2024, in which he scored just three goals, earning him a share of the Golden Boot, amid underwhelming performances on their run to the final.
Kane was a regular fixture for Tuchel after joining Bayern Munich last August and scored 44 goals in all competitions under the 51-year-old, who says the striker will remain as captain.
"There's no need at the moment to look at other options. It's like for Harry, for everyone else as well," he said.
"I admire him, for his quality, for his leadership, for his character. The players decide in the end if they play, or they don't play. It's always like that.
"I'm happy to have this group of players, including Harry, big personalities and quality. The job now is to find and build the best group that people are excited to watch us, that they feel inspired watching this team."
England will face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in Group K in a bid to reach the tournament held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and have never lost against any of those four sides.
"I have huge respect for Serbia and Albania. They can always surprise," Tuchel added.
"They have a strong history of football, of technical football, of emotional crowd and emotional players and emotional groups. They have famous ex-players as coaches so we should be very aware of that.
"England never played Latvia, so this is a new experience for all of us, and then we have Andorra, where we are huge favourites, but we have to qualify. This is the most important thing.
"This is where all the focus goes. There cannot be any other approach than taking it seriously, take it with respect and make it happen before we can dream the dream."
England face Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in World Cup qualifying
Thomas Tuchel’s England have been placed in Group K alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel officially takes charge of the Three Lions on January 1, and was in attendance for the draw which took place at the UEFA headquarters in Zurich on Friday.
England were in pot one with the top seeds, so they avoided European champions Spain, 2022 World Cup finalists France, as well as Germany and Italy.
The Three Lions do, however, face a reunion with Serbia, who they beat 1-0 in their opening game of Euro 2024, but will have confidence of progressing from their group.
England have never lost against the four sides placed alongside them in Group K, and will be hopeful of qualifying for the World Cup for an eighth consecutive edition.
Elsewhere, Craig Bellamy's Wales were drawn in Group J, where they will face Belgium, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.
Scotland were put in Group C with the Nations League quarter-final losers of Portugal against Denmark, Greece and Belarus.
Northern Ireland were placed in Group A, alongside the Nations League quarter-final winners of Germany versus Italy, Slovakia and Luxembourg.
The games will be played across five international breaks between March and November 2025.
The top team from each of the 12 groups qualifies automatically for the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The second-placed teams going into the play-offs, with a total of 16 European teams hopeful of qualifying for the tournament.
World Cup qualifying draw in full:
Group A: Germany or Italy (winner), Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg.
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo.
Group C: Portugal or Denmark (loser), Greece, Scotland, Belarus.
Group D: France or Croatia (winner), Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan.
Group E: Spain or Netherlands (winner), Turkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria.
Group F: Portugal or Denmark (winner), Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia.
Group G: Spain or Netherlands (loser), Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta.
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino.
Group I: Germany or Italy (loser), Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova.
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra.
Group L: France or Croatia (loser), Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar.
Mbappe to miss Real Madrid's trip to Rayo Vallecano, Camavinga returns
Kylian Mbappe will miss Real Madrid's LaLiga clash with Rayo Vallecano this weekend, but Eduardo Camavinga is fit enough to return, Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday.
After becoming the ninth player to reach 50 Champions League goals in Madrid's 3-2 victory over Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday, Mbappe was forced off with a thigh injury in the 36th minute.
The Frenchman was replaced by Rodrygo in midweek, and Ancelotti confirmed that Mbappe had not recovered in time, but was confident the issue was nothing serious.
Camavinga, meanwhile, picked up his injury during their 2-0 defeat away to Liverpool in November, but has stepped up his recovery and ready to feature for Los Blancos.
"Kylian is not serious, he won't be here tomorrow, but he will travel to Qatar [for Wednesday's FIFA Intercontinental Cup final] and there, we will assess the risk. Camavinga is fine, he's available for tomorrow," said Ancelotti.
"In the last few breaks he's been here, resting, working... you don't know. Fortunately he will only be out for a short period, and he won't lose what he has achieved in recent times."
Mbappe is Real Madrid's leading scorer with nine league goals in 15 matches so far, although the club trail leaders Barcelona by two points in LaLiga.
Having lost 2-1 at Athletic Bilbao in the league, they bounced back with a 3-0 win at Girona, followed by a Champions League victory over Atalanta in midweek.
Ancelotti acknowledged that the victory over Atalanta, who lead Serie A, could be a big moment in their season, with their passage to the knockout rounds not yet being secure.
"We pulled off a tough night. There was a lot of commitment, attitude. Collective work. It was a complete match that adds optimism, of course," he said.
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