Manchester United became just the third team to fail to beat Wolves this season as they could only draw 1-1 at home to one of the worst teams in Premier League history. Ruben Amorim paid the price for an ill-advised return to a back three, stripping his team of all the excitement and unpredictability which had helped them beat Newcastle in their previous game.

Chelsea's disappointing recent run of results continued on Tuesday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth in the Premier League. All four goals came during a madcap opening half-hour, with Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez on target for the Blues as they were made to pay for their failure to deal with the Cherries' long throws.

New Year's Eve is almost upon us, meaning 2025 is about to be consigned to the past - but how will it be remembered by the football world? It was certainly an unforgettable year for some players, coaches and clubs. Paris Saint-Germain, for example, finally got their hands on the trophy they craved above all others, the Champions League, thus vindicating a sensible change in recruitment strategy by the club's owners, who went from signing superstars to investing millions in youth.

This is Legacy, GOAL's feature and podcast series following the road to the 2026 World Cup. Every week, we dive into the stories and the legacies that shaped football’s greatest nations. This time we turn to Germany, a nation once famed for producing the world’s deadliest strikers. From Gerd Müller to Miroslav Klose, the No.9 shirt was a symbol of power, precision, and pride. But since 2014, it’s become a question mark, a reflection of a team still searching for its next great finisher, and perhaps, for its own identity.

A lot of leagues and competitions take the festive period off but there was no break for players in England, Italy and Portugal over the weekend, while the action at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco resumed on December 26. The Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Manchester City, both picked up hard-fought wins on Saturday but Aston Villa remain very much in the title race after a massive win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and clubs will once again be scrambling to strengthen for the second half of the season. In the 2025 winter market, £1.2 billion ($1.4bn) was spent across Europe's top leagues and the English Championship, the highest mark in seven years, with Manchester City accounting for £191 million ($256m) of that amount alone.

GOAL takes a look at the biggest transfer news and rumours from around the world

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race got going.