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Mane, Salah & AFCON's biggest winners and losers

  1. Why Chelsea need to spend £60m to sign Jacquet

    Chelsea are on the hunt for a new central defender to lead their backline. This ought to have been a top priority after Antonio Rudiger left for a free to Real Madrid in 2022, and it was a need only exacerbated when Thiago Silva returned to Fluminense two years later. Yet it is a priority they have continued to neglect until now, as the man who they want to fill that void at the back is Jeremy Jacquet.

  2. Brits Abroad: Fans turn on Jude as Kane takes title step

    GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

  3. World Cup Power Rankings: AFCON champs Senegal surge

    There really is nothing like the World Cup. Even just qualifying generates a level of nationwide excitement that the club game simply cannot match, which is why we witnessed truly joyous scenes all across the globe during the November international break, as 14 more countries booked their seat at next summer's festival of football in North America.

  4. Yamal's magic goes to waste as Barca suffer shock defeat

    Lamine Yamal was again the star of the show for Barcelona at the Anoeta on Sunday night but it was all for nothing as the La Liga leaders fell to a 2-1 loss at Real Sociedad. The Barca teen shone down the right but was unable to inspire the Blaugrana to victory, with Hansi Flick's men now just a point clear of arch rivals Real Madrid at the summit.

  5. What was Amorim thinking?! Free Bruno key to United revival

    The words, "It's Carrick, you know, it's hard to believe it's not Scholes" reverberated around Old Trafford during Manchester United's stunning 2-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday, and watching the Red Devils tear into their local rivals with gusto while putting the ball in the net five times, it was hard to believe that Ruben Amorim was in charge of this team for so long but never got them to play like this.

  6. How Burna Boy is spotlighting African culture ahead of AFCON final

    Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy is shouldering the responsibility of championing African culture and heritage by launching a landmark new campaign ahead of Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco. The initiative comprises music, fashion, sport, film and storytelling, aiming to assert ownership of African narratives. To mark the occasion, Burna Boy has dropped a new music video featuring a host of influential figures from the football world.

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Transfer news and done deals 🤝

  1. Grealish to snub Everton? Man City man tipped for MLS move

    Jack Grealish has been told he would be "perfect" in Major League Soccer despite impressing on loan at Everton. The winger's career looked to be on the decline as he struggled for game time at Manchester City but he has looked rejuvenated this season at the Toffees. Amid speculation over whether or not he will join David Moyes' side permanently, the England international has been backed to head to North America.

  2. Klopp rules out management return amid Real Madrid links

    Jurgen Klopp says he "doesn't expect" to change his mind and go back into management amid links with Real Madrid. The German hasn't been in the dugout since leaving Liverpool in 2024, and despite showing no signs of returning to coaching, the managerial links keep coming. Now, Red Bull's global head of football has addressed his future, and whether or not he considers himself "world class".

  3. McClean reveals only regret after leaving 'Disney FC'

    James McClean has revealed his only regret after bidding farewell to Wrexham. The veteran Irishman has returned to his roots at Derry City, with the enigmatic 36-year-old seeing his contract terminated. He is happy to be heading home, but thoroughly enjoyed his time working with “incredible” Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney during a history-making era for “Disney FC”.

Video

  1. Watch as Rosenior reveals 'wash your hands' meeting with Chelsea stars

    Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has revealed that he held a meeting with the club's playing staff to instruct them to properly wash their hands. Speaking during a press conference ahead of the Blues' Premier League clash with London rivals Brentford, the ex-Strasbourg boss explained how he's trying to contain a virus that threatens to rip through his first-team squad

This is the Premier League

  1. EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal youngster talks Saka, Arteta & more

    “He’s a joke,” says Arsenal youngster Charles Sagoe Jr when asked to describe what it’s like working with Bukayo Saka. “What you see on the TV is how he's applying himself every day in training. It’s very inspiring.” And when it comes to inspirational figures, there are few better around for Sagoe Jr to learn from and work alongside than Saka.

  2. Frank's Spurs hit with another blow as star set for surgery

    Tottenham have confirmed that defender Ben Davies is set to undergo surgery after fracturing his ankle in his side's 2-1 loss to West Ham. Pressure is mounting on Spurs boss Thomas Frank after a damaging home defeat to the relegation-threatened Hammers at the weekend. To make matters worse, Wales international Davies picked up the injury in the derby defeat and now he faces a lengthy lay-off.

  3. City complete £20m move for Guehi

    Marc Guehi has officially signed for Manchester City after completing a £20m ($27m) move from Crystal Palace. The England defender has penned a contract with City until 2031 and immediately boosts the team's injury-ravaged defence, with Pep Guardiola's side having lost Josko Gvardiol for the rest of the season while also missing Ruben Dias and John Stones.

  4. Ex-England striker was left in 'foetal position' after team-mates' snus prank

    Former West Ham and England striker Carlton Cole has lifted the lid on a hilarious but painful dressing room prank that left him writhing in agony on a bathroom floor. The cult hero revealed how mischievous international team-mates tricked him into trying 'snus' for the first time, assuring him it would "settle him down" before the nicotine pouch caused a severe physical reaction that had the rest of the squad "laughing their heads off".

Queens of football 👑

  1. Como star Lehmann in talks over sensational WSL return

    Alisha Lehmann has been linked with a return to the Women's Super League, just over 18 months after she left for Italy. The Swiss international ended a three-year stint at Aston Villa in mid-2024 before signing for Juventus with then-boyfriend Douglas Luiz. Last summer, she made the switch to Como after struggling for game time, and now Lehmann could be coming back to English football.

  2. FA Cup cruise for holders Chelsea as Kerr bags a brace

    Defending champions Chelsea opened up their Women’s FA Cup campaign with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday. The free-scoring Blues booked their place in the fifth round thanks to a brace from Sam Kerr and goals from Millie Bright, Guro Reiten and Alyssa Thompson, with Sonia Bompastor's side a class above their WSL 2 opponents at Kingsmeadow.

Superstars of the future

  1. Why Man Utd & more want Hertha's teenage Kroos regen

    Hertha Berlin fans haven't had much to cheer about in recent years. Their decade-long stay in the Bundesliga ended after the team slumped to an 18th-placed finish in the 2022-23 season, just four years on from Lars Windhorst's €224 million minority takeover that came with the billionaire's promise to build a "true ‘big-city club’, like those in London or Madrid."

  2. Red Bull's best post-Haaland star on Liverpool & City's radar

    With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in.

  3. Why Chelsea & Man Utd are tracking Rennes' towering teen

    Rennes are no strangers to producing some of the best players around, and Mohamed Kader Meite looks primed to become the next elite talent to step off the conveyor belt after the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Eduardo Camavinga. Still just 18, the towering striker is already said to be turning heads across Europe.

The Chaaaaaampions 🎶

  1. Mbappe defends Vinicius Jr & Bellingham from brutal boos

    Kylian Mbappe has sought to defend Real Madrid team-mates Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham from the brutal boos that have come their way. Restless natives at the Bernabeu took to jeering their own players during a La Liga clash with Levante, with certain individuals considered to have contributed to club legend Xabi Alonso losing his job as manager.

  2. Will Tottenham sack Frank? Spurs stance revealed

    Thomas Frank remains under intense pressure at Tottenham, but the Dane is reportedly set to remain at the helm for a Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. Disgruntled supporters have aired their frustration at recent performances, leading to uncomfortable questions being asked of the man in the dugout, but Spurs bosses have no immediate plans to pull the trigger.

MUNDIAL

Hall of Fame

  1. Hall of fame Roberto Carlos

    Hall of Fame: Roberto Carlos - the greatest full-back in history

    Modernising the role of a full-back 30 years ago, Roberto Carlos undoubtedly set the benchmark. A tactical genius and a physical specimen, the Real Madrid and Brazil legend won countless trophies at club and international level, contributing bucket loads of goals and assists. No one in the past, present or future can ever claim to be his equal - he was that good.

  2. Hall of Fame: Why Beckham is such an underrated player

    One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

  3. Hall of Fame: Romario - Brazil's penalty-box panther

    Romario moved around the penalty area with the stealthy gait and sly gaze of a panther, ready to suddenly accelerate as soon as the ball came his way, to disorient the opposing defenders with a couple of feints, to pounce on the ball, which inevitably ended up at his feet, as if magnetised, and finish with an unstoppable shot of pure technique or power, or alternatively serve up a perfect assist for one of his team-mates. He was a Hall of Fame striker if ever there was one.

Rebel United

  1. Mario Basler

    Rebel United: Bayern icon who got drunk before the UCL final

    Teddy Sheringham. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. "Football, bloody hell!" The 1999 Champions League final is one of the greatest dramas in the history of Bayern Munich. The German giants led for a long time in Barcelona before Manchester United snatched the trophy they thought was theirs in stoppage time. But according to one member of the Bayern team, he actually won that final. "Actually, I'm a Champions League winner," claims the latest member of GOAL's Rebel United, Mario Basler.

  2. George Best

    Rebel United: George Best - Man Utd's 'fifth Beatle'

    In 1969, at the age of 23, George Best wanted to focus solely on the essentials. Just football, just his job. So he turned his back on his two other great passions, alcohol and women. His sobering conclusion: "It was the worst 20 minutes of my life." A Manchester United legend, that quote sums up Bet's rebellious attitude towards football, and life in general.

  3. Rebel United: Mekhloufi's sacrifice for Algerian independence

    "La France, c'est vous." Translated as 'France, is you', that was what French president Charles de Gaulle told footballer Rachid Mekhloufi in 1968. Mekhloufi had just led his Saint-Etienne side to the double, and the reward was an audience with the most powerful man in the country. For Mekhloufi, this sentence brought things full circle. Now he was both Algerian and French; 10 years earlier, he had - in a sense - been neither.

Hidden Gems FC

  1. Hidden Gems FC: Roefs' rise to Premier League star

    Robin Roefs' story reads like a fairy tale. The 22-year-old goalkeeper is only in his second season as a first-choice shot-stopper, and yet he is already considered one of the better No.1s in the Premier League. A place in the Netherlands' starting line-up at the World Cup is now not out of the question for the latest of GOAL's Hidden Gems.

  2. Hidden Gems FC: The rise of N'Golo Kante

    On September 15, 2018, N'Golo Kante walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch, satisfied. As was often the case, the Frenchman had just covered every blade of grass over the course of the 90 minutes. And, as was so often the case, he was not one of the major speaking points at full-time. Not right away, at least.

  3. Hidden Gems FC: Drogba, Toni & football's top 10 late bloomers

    Anyone that manages to carve out a career for themselves in professional football is ridiculously talented. The standard at the highest level is just so high that it is simply impossible to 'fake it 'til you make it'. However, not everyone is as prodigiously gifted as Lionel Messi or Lamine Yamal. Your average player will require some time to get to grips with the rigours of the elite game.