Analysis

Xabi Alonso is gone, but Real Madrid’s deeper problems remain. Did the club fail its coach - and can anyone truly manage this team?

While Arne Slot seems to think that Liverpool's starting line-up is stronger without Mohamed Salah, the winger has been conspicuous by his absence in recent weeks, with the Reds struggling to score goals without their talisman. It's clear that they need their Egyptian King back at Anfield as quickly as possible. Salah, though, is desperate to extend his stay at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Indeed, he's not even attempting to hide just how much the tournament means to him.

This is Legacy, GOAL’s podcast and feature series tracking the countdown to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. Today we look back at France '98; from the heartbreaks of Seville and Bulgaria to the night Zinedine Zidane lifted the trophy in Paris, this is the story of how France broke its curse and forged a winning identity that still defines Les Bleus today.

The final image of Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid manager - and one that tells the story of his time in charge at the Bernabeu - was of someone else telling him what to do. After Sunday's Supercopa de Espana loss to Barcelona, Alonso gestured to his players that they should give a guard of honour to their victorious opponents as they went to collect the trophy. Kylian Mbappe, though, was having none of it, and insisted his team-mates follow his lead. They did just that - and so too did Alonso.

GOAL grades MLS coaching hires, from Michael Bradley’s Red Bulls promotion to Raphael Wicky's rebuilding job in Kansas City and Henrik Rydstrom tasked with replacing Wilfried Nancy.

The Mexican international was lauded as a top signing for the expansion franchise, but the club now face a massive task to move him on

Aaronson is producing the best stretch of his career at Leeds - and forcing a rethink of his USMNT role as the World Cup approaches.

With MLS preseason approaching, GOAL U.S. writers debate the league’s biggest offseason winners - and whether Josh Sargent should make the move to Toronto FC.

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.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including concern over Pepi after an injury and Folarin Balogun getting on the scoresheet.

As London City Lionesses prepared for their first season in the Women's Super League, the excitement and anticipation was palpable. Fuelled by the finances of billionaire owner Michele Kang, the independent club from the capital made a serious splash in the summer transfer window, with a deadline-day, world-record deal for France midfielder Grace Geyoro acting as the exclamation point. But despite such heavy investment, with half a season gone, things haven't panned out exactly as Kang and her staff would've liked.

Mic'd Up: The former West Ham and Newcastle shot-stopper talked pressure of management ahead of an FA Cup slate, and why it was fair to let Wilfried Nancy go at Celtic

Liam Rosenior was always guaranteed a baptism of fire when he was named as Enzo Maresca's replacement at Chelsea given his complete lack of experience in the Premier League, let alone at one of the division's elite clubs. But even so, the task at hand is unenviable has he arrives to a brimming in-tray in his Cobham office. The Blues' season feels as though it is on a knife edge as the new head coach takes the reins.

GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including some marquee matchups in England's top cup competition

When Antoine Semenyo was asked to describe his style just after signing for Manchester City from Bournemouth, he used four adjectives. "Quick", "powerful" and "strong" are words you would use to describe most Premier League forwards but the last one summed up why City have paid £65 million ($87m) to bring him to the club in the middle of the season: "Clinical".

Arsenal have had their fair share of success stories over the years when it comes to the women's side of the academy. Leah Williamson, England's two-time European Championship-winning captain, and Lotte Wubben-Moy, also part of those triumphs with the Lionesses, are two of the most high-profiles examples of players who have progressed through the youth set-up and become key members of the first team - and they will not be the last.

We have been waiting for some time to see how Nike would react to the juggernaut that is adidas' Predator revival campaign, and the American sportswear behemoth is finally set to deliver a serious on-pitch response following the relaunch of cultural phenomenon Total90 as a streetwear silo in 2025. With the new year upon us, the iconic Nike Tiempo has been revamped for the modern creator-in-chief.