Analysis

On the evening of February 28 in Verona, Romelu Lukaku came off the bench at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi to score a 96th-minute winner for Napoli against Verona with a close-range left-footed finish. It was by no means a beautiful goal - goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo had got a hand on the ball - but it was easily one of the most significant strikes of Lukaku's entire career.

Even when Chelsea were sweeping up trophies for fun during the first two decades of the 21st century, there was still an element of jeopardy to their seasons. Back then, however, that usually revolved around whether or not they would end the year with a piece of silverware to make up for the relative inconsistency of their Premier League campaign.

The Danish sportswear company now makes kits for 26 clubs in North America, and has pushed boundaries with innovative designs for USL teams.

GOAL sat down with Auston Trusty as the Celtic defender continues his push for a USMNT World Cup spot, opening up on the journey, pressure, and belief driving him.

As Enzo Maresca gazed out at the ocean from his infinity pool, he must have been grateful he was no longer managing Chelsea. From defeats at the hands of Newcastle, Everton and Paris Saint-Germain to controversies ranging from 'respecting the ball' to Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez heavily hinting that they would be open to leaving, Stamford Bridge resembles a battlefield when compared to Maresca's recent idyllic getaway in the Maldives.

Much has been made of Arsenal's quadruple charge being dashed and downgraded to a double dream over the last few weeks, but that's still nothing to be sniffed at. The Gunners have an excellent chance of claiming the two top prizes available to them, though they are in danger of limping across the finish line rather than marching over it with the authority of champions.

Mic'd Up: The USMNT are coming off a duo of friendly losses, but Maurice Edu, who was a USMNT regular in his playing days, asserts that hope remains for the World Cup

EXCLUSIVE: Weston McKennie opens up on pressure, form and why, ahead of 2026, he just wants the world to see the real him.

England's qualifying campaign for the 2027 Women's World Cup is officially underway. The Lionesses started it with a 6-1 win over Ukraine on Tuesday and will continue their quest to secure a place in Brazil when hosting Iceland on Saturday. As runners-up in 2023, few would not expect Sarina Wiegman's side to achieve as much, but who the manager will choose to represent the European champions in South America is a little less certain.

On January 9 of last year, the always-reliable David Ornstein reported that Liverpool were closely monitoring Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's situation at Napoli and might make a mid-season move for the winger were he to become available before the close of the winter transfer window. Nobody was in the least bit surprised by the news, given the Premier League club's longstanding interest in Georgian.

Next week, at Wembley Stadium, the two best national teams in European women's football will meet once more as England, winners of the last two European Championship titles, welcome Spain, the reigning world champions. It'll be their sixth competitive encounter in less than four years and it again brings with it huge stakes as the two bid for the one automatic qualification spot from their group for next summer's World Cup. That England could be without their captain, Leah Williamson, then, is a huge blow.

The forward will miss out on this summer's big event, but this is far from the first setback he's had to come back from

The Korean is struggling to score goals, but new manager Marc Dos Santos' more expansive system has unlocked his star man's creative abilities

It was one of those passes that only Trent Alexander-Arnold could play. Liverpool had struggled to break down Tottenham in December 2024, Spurs holding strong for 23 minutes despite waves of pressure. And then, Alexander-Arnold delivered the killer ball. He drifted in from the right wing, created the ideal angle, and whipped a cross in between two centre-backs, right onto Luis Diaz's head.

This is Legacy, GOAL’s feature and podcast 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. This week, we focus on Egypt, travelling across nine decades of footballing triumphs, heartbreaks, miracles, and rebirth; from silent years that tested a nation’s patience, to the unforgettable return in 1990, and the rise of a boy from Nagrig who carried a continent’s dreams on his shoulders: Mohamed Salah.

When Sporting CP signed Viktor Gyokeres, they took quite the gamble on a striker whose only consistent form in front of goal had come outside of the top-flight. Having failed to make the grade at Brighton, Gyokeres had proven to be a menace for Championship defences, scoring 43 goals for Coventry City over the course of two-and-a-half seasons with the Sky Blues.

If recent reports are to be believed, Liverpool have identified Michael Olise as the ideal replacement for the outgoing Mohamed Salah. However, wanting to sign the France forward and actually managing to do so are two very different things altogether. Bayern's bid to sign Florian Wirtz last summer may have been blown out of the water by Liverpool - but they have absolutely no intention of selling Olise to the Reds at the end of the current campaign.