Gianluigi Donnarumma was one of just a number of Italy players reduced to tears by Tuesday's World Cup play-off loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina - but the penalty shootout defeat in Zenica hit the goalkeeper harder than most. This wasn't the first time he'd been involved in a failed attempt to qualify - it was the third. Despite his devastation, though, Donnarumma remained defiant.

England's final two games on home soil before the 2026 World Cup were supposed to give Thomas Tuchel's men the perfect send-off for North America. However, instead of being waved off with flowers, the Three Lions left the Wembley pitch to the sound of boos following their 1-0 defeat to Japan on Tuesday, which followed their uninspiring draw against Uruguay four days earlier.

Kylian Mbappe was only 19 when he turned the 2018 World Cup into his personal announcement to the world - breaking French records and matching feats last seen in Pele’s era, all while powering Les Bleus to a title that felt like the beginning of something historic. For the latest edition of Icons, GOAL's podcast and feature series that revisits the last 10 World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament vividly back to life, we look back on how Mbappe ran the show in Russia for France...

Arsenal's Women's Champions League title defence remains well and truly on track after the Gunners withstood Chelsea's attempts at a comeback on Wednesday, falling to a narrow and late 1-0 defeat to win 3-2 on aggregate. It felt like the Blues had to start fast and score early to stand any chance of overcoming the deficit, and so once Arsenal had prevented them from doing exactly that, progression to the semi-finals rarely looked in doubt.

The road to the 2026 World Cup is almost over for England. The next time the Three Lions convene, they will do so for two pre-tournament friendlies in the United States, against Costa Rica and New Zealand, before kicking-off their tournament against Croatia on June 17. They will do so as one of the favourites to go all the way, with the pressure on Thomas Tuchel and his players to finally end 60 years of hurt.

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 March international break, as the final six qualifiers were confirmed for this summer's festival of football in North America.

Former Chelsea and England star Joe Cole is the latest guest on the Beast Mode On Podcast, where he discusses his journey from coming through the ranks as a talented teenager at West Ham to representing his country at the World Cup. The former Liverpool midfielder opens up on his struggles at Anfield, reveals the truth behind his Stamford Bridge exit and has his say on big names including Eden Hazard, Jose Mourinho and Ronaldinho.

Manchester United's Women's Champions League adventure came to a dramatic end on Wednesday, as Bayern Munich staged a late comeback to beat the Red Devils 2-1 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate. Marc Skinner's side started well in Germany and took a deserved early lead through Melvine Malard, but a defensive approach to the second half proved extremely costly as United succumbed to two late goals that sent the German champions through to the semi-finals, where they will likely face Barcelona.