SportsHOT TAKE OR NOT

Ballon d'Or winner joins Liverpool stars praising Barcola

Barcola scored a hat-trick against LASK on Wednesday, and the praise came from Liverpool teammates and a Ballon d'Or winner; football's group chat is now public.

On air: Vera Bullock, Gloria Vance and Dr. Nina Byte on Best of BBN
Published 4:45 AM ET, Thursday, October 15, 2026

Photo: Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

▶ As it aired · Sports

Watch it as it aired: Vera Bullock, Gloria Vance and Dr. Nina Byte on this story, from Best of BBN at 4:45 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Yahoo Sports's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bradley Barcola — Photo: Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

First reported by Yahoo Sports: “‘My favourite’ – Ballon d’Or winner joins Liverpool stars in lauding Bradley Barcola on Instagram”.
Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 4:45 AM ET on Best of BBN, by Vera Bullock, Gloria Vance and Dr. Nina Byte.
Topics: Liverpool.
BBN covered this story before: Barcola hat-trick headlines a busy night in sport (October 14).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Yahoo Sports‘My favourite’ – Ballon d’Or winner joins Liverpool stars in lauding Bradley Barcola on Instagram

What BBN said about it

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorYahoo Sports says a Ballon d'Or winner joined Liverpool stars praising Bradley Barcola on Instagram after his hat-trick against LASK on Wednesday.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorGloria, your take, and the thermometer is ready.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorA rival club's trophy winner praising a Liverpool player in public is how it starts.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorI have watched ambassadors do exactly this before a defection, and it always begins with a compliment.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorHot. Scheming is always hot.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentMine is that nobody has ever meant a comment on Instagram. Three goals, and the praise is a single emoji typed by someone's social media manager.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorNot. A heart from a trophy winner is a gift, Nina.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentA gift with a timestamp.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorMy final take is the hottest. This is a growth opportunity for everyone, and I want comment sections to decide transfers.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThey already do, Vera. They just don't invoice.

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