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World Cup winners Spain set up to dominate for a decade

  1. World Cup winners + losers GFXGetty/GOAL
    Winners & LosersWorld Cup

    Biggest winners and losers of the 2026 World Cup

    The 2026 World Cup came to a close in New Jersey on Sunday as Spain were deservedly crowned champions after a dour 1-0 win over 10-man Argentina in one of the worst finals in the tournament history. La Roja substitute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of a game that was essentially attack versus defence even before Enzo Fernandez got himself stupidly sent off for a second yellow card in the final minute of normal time.

  2. Lionel Messi Argentina GFXGOAL
    AnalysisArgentina

    Messi & Argentina: How he built a belated, beautiful bond

    There is a sense that we are awaiting the inevitable after Argentina were downed by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The tears rolling down Lionel Messi's face after the full-time whistle in New Jersey suggested he may well be about to call time on his glittering international career, having powered his country through the tournament in North America at the age of 39.

  4. 2026 World Cup TOTT GFXGOAL
    OpinionWorld Cup

    Mbappe, Rodri & GOAL's Team of the 2026 World Cup

    After five weeks, a record 104 matches played and 308 goals scored, the 2026 World Cup is officially over. From a purely footballing perspective, FIFA's biggest tournament of all time did not disappoint, with 48 teams doing battle across three host countries and the vast expanse of North America. And when 46 of those nations had been whittled away, only the top two ranked teams on the planet remained: Spain and Argentina.

  5. Ballon d'Or Power Rankings GFXGetty/GOAL
    Power rankingsBallon d'Or

    BDO Power Rankings: Has Yamal done enough to usurp Kane?

    With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably 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 now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders again in 2026.

  6. WL GFXGOAL
    Winners & LosersWorld Cup

    Sorry Leo - Argentina's anti-football didn't deserve any glory

    At the end of a gruelling battle of footballing philosophies, Spain are world champions once again. It was control vs chaos in the 2026 World Cup final as Luis de la Fuente's pass masters came up against the holders and experts in the dark arts, Argentina. Ultimately, after 120 minutes of bruising action, La Roja (and football) would prevail 1-0, leaving Lionel Messi disconsolate.

  7. England player ratings WCGetty
    OpinionEngland

    Rating every England player's World Cup performance

    England at least managed to put a bit of shine on their World Cup campaign. The highly-entertaining, 6-4 win over France in Saturday's bronze-medal match didn't change the fact that they collapsed in the semi-final against Argentina three days earlier, but it did at least save a little bit of face.

  8. Morgan Rogers Chelsea GFXGetty/GOAL
    OpinionChelsea

    Ā£117m?! Chelsea have enormously overpaid for Rogers

    For some football fans, the summer is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most - and that's not just because it's filled by a World Cup every four years! Rather, it's because the end of the season means only one thing: It's time for transfers! The 2026 window is once again proving to be busy, with some huge names making big-money moves before deadline day on September 1.

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Team summaries

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Manchester UnitedManchester United

Man Utd's busy summer continues with Lisandro Martinez facing a fitness scare after limping off in the World Cup final, while midfield reinforcements remain a priority.

LiverpoolLiverpool

Liverpool are rebuilding under Andoni Iraola, with Szoboszlai closing in on a new deal and the club mourning the death of legend Kevin Keegan.

ArsenalArsenal

Arsenal are reshaping their squad after winning the Premier League title, with Bruno Guimaraes transfer talks opened and a William Saliba injury scare adding concern.

ChelseaChelsea

Chelsea have agreed a record Ā£117m deal for Morgan Rogers, with Xabi Alonso reshaping the squad as Garnacho nears the exit.

Manchester CityManchester City

Manchester City enter the 2026-27 season without Pep Guardiola, with Enzo Maresca taking charge and transfer activity already reshaping the squad.

Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur

Spurs are reshaping their squad this summer, closing in on a Ā£65m move for Savinho while rejecting bids for Lucas Bergvall and losing Luka Vuskovic to Brighton.

BarcelonaBarcelona

Frenkie de Jong faces up to six months out with a serious knee injury, casting a shadow over Barcelona's pre-season as the club pushes to sign Karim Adeyemi and Aymeric Laporte.

Real MadridReal Madrid

Real Madrid are closing in on Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise as Jose Mourinho begins pre-season, while Vinicius Junior's contract talks hit a stumbling block.

NXGN 2026

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Video

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    šŸŽ„ | Man City confirm Maresca appointment

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  3. No Era Penal MUNDIAL GFXMUNDIAL
    CULTUREMUNDIAL

    šŸŽ„ | No Era Penal - a MUNDIAL film

    MUNDIAL release No Era Penal, a film celebrating the magic and passion of Mexican football fandom. Taking the infamous 'No Era Penal' (It wasn't a penalty) saying from the 2014 World Cup as a starting point, the film delves deep into Mexico's love for the game, the World Cup, and its elusive mission to reach La Quinto Partido, the fifth game of the World Cup. Featuring RaĆŗl JimĆ©nez, Miguel Herrera, Rey Mysterio and more, it's a wild, wild ride!

  4. Jose Mourinho Beast Mode On Podcast
    ExclusiveJ. Mourinho

    šŸŽ„ | EXCLUSIVE: JosĆ© Mourinho on Madrid return, Messi & more

    New Real Madrid head coach JosƩ Mourinho joins Adebayo Akinfenwa on the Beast Mode On Podcast as he exclusively discusses his sensational return to the Liga giants, the World Cup and whether England can finally end 60 years of hurt, and some of the joyous, and panful, experiences he's had in management to date. Mourinho also chats openly about his time at Tottenham, and the controversial nature of his sacking just days before the League Cup final, among many other intriguing topics in a must-see episode of the award-winning podcast.

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    Former West Ham and Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand joins Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the Beast Mode On Podcast. The 41-year-old discusses his journey through professional football and the experiences that shaped him both on and off the pitch. From coming through the ranks with the Hammers and establishing himself in the Premier League, Ferdinand reflects on the highs and challenges of life at the highest level of the game.

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Queens of football šŸ‘‘

  5. Misa Rodriguez Real Madrid Women 2025-26Getty Images
    Arsenal WomenWSL

    Arsenal to sign Spain goalkeeper Misa after Real Madrid exit

    Arsenal are being heavily linked with a move for Spain international shot-stopper Misa Rodriguez following her departure from Real Madrid. The Gunnersā€™ goalkeeping department is already well-stocked, thanks to Daphne van Domselaar and Anneke Borbe, but it appears it is going to be strengthened even further with the addition of the highly-rated 26-year-old.

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Superstars of the future

  1. Felicia Schroder NXGN GFXGetty/GOAL
    Real Madrid FemeninoFelicia Schroeder

    Why Madrid broke women's world record to sign Swedish teen

    Khadija Shaw is one of the best centre-forwards in the women's game, if not the best. Winner of three successive Women's Super League Golden Boots, and scorer of more goals than any other player in Europe's top five leagues since her move to Manchester City in 2021, it's no wonder that Chelsea were trying to bring her to west London as her contract neared its expiry this summer. But as it became apparent that the Blues were going to miss out on Shaw, it says a lot about Felicia Schroder that the Swedish teenager was next on their wish list.

  4. NXGN Eduardo Conceicao GFXGOAL
    PalmeirasE. Conceicao

    Why City, Barca & more want Palmeiras' next teenage star

    At Palmeiras, Endrick, Estevao, Luis Gulherme, Vitor Reis and Luighi became known as 'The Billion Generation' - a reference to the colossal amount of money four prodigiously gifted players were expected to generate for the Brazil club. However, it now feels as if another name should be added to that illustrious list of outstanding academy products, that of Eduardo Conceicao.

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Betting

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