Champions League news

The Christmas period is upon us, which means we are somehow already more or less at the midway point of the 2025-26 football season. As many of Europe's leading leagues pause for the winter break, it's time to take stock and reflect on four scintillating months of action. It's also the opportune moment to assess those players who completed transfers across the continent in the summer, now that they have a decent sample size of games under their belts.

With the halfway stage of the season upon us, the time has come to shine a spotlight on the players who have made the biggest impact across Europe's major leagues. But first, let's run through the lay of the land.

Kylian Mbappe has been told that Paris Saint-Germain would not have won the Champions League had he stuck around in France, with it “fantasy” to believe that European success could ever have been savoured with the France international, Lionel Messi and Neymar lining up in the same starting XI. World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf has explained to GOAL why that is the case.

GOAL U.S. writers take a look at some of the biggest storylines in European soccer, including Mo Salah's future, Vinicius Jr's exit rumors, and the Premier League title race

GOAL's Front Three are going back for a new lesson, this time for Football School. Their strict teacher, Juwon (aka Mr Janos), puts his pupils' ball knowledge to the test. But who will come top of the class and who will fail? 🤔

Former Paris Saint-Germain No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plays for Manchester City, has been named the 2025 Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, with Lionesses star Hannah Hampton bagging the Women's prize. Donnarumma and Hampton were both part of treble-winning sides last season, while the latter also played a key role in England's successful European Championship defence.

Enzo Maresca has been urged to stay "quiet" if he wants to avoid being sacked after appearing to criticise the Chelsea board following Saturday's 2-0 victory over Everton. The Italian head coach described the build-up to the Premier League fixture as his "worst 48 hours" at the club, raising plenty of questions over who the comment was aimed at.

Sports presenter Laura Woods has revealed how she was left terrified and anxious after being targeted by a 'relentless' stalker. She suffered for three years before the perpetrator was eventually handed a 14-month jail term and a restraining order banning her from going near Woods' home. Woods has opened up on her ordeal in a candid interview and explained the impact it has had on her life.

Aurelio De Laurentiis has launched a passionate defence of Jose Mourinho following Napoli's Champions League defeat to Benfica. The Napoli president slammed critics who believe the Portuguese tactician is 'finished', claiming that European football culture seeks to 'bury' winners out of envy, whereas they would be celebrated as icons in the United States.

Bernardo Silva has warned Manchester City stars that they face being "killed", in a sporting sense, if they fail to win trophies in 2025-26. Under Pep Guardiola, the Blues have grown accustomed to collecting major silverware. They missed out on the grandest of prizes last season and are aware that more tough decisions will be made if they come up short again.

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has hit out at the refereeing decision that cost his side dearly against Liverpool in the Champions League. The Argentine striker labelled the late penalty award for holding as an "injustice" and insisted that football would become unplayable if every shirt pull resulted in a spot-kick, while also reaffirming his desire to win everything this season.

Bayern Munich legends Oliver Kahn and Dietmar Hamann have delivered a damning verdict on Xabi Alonso’s tumultuous start at Real Madrid. Kahn argues the Spaniard’s tactical obsession clashes with the club’s DNA, while Hamann claims the squad are now 'untrainable' after Vinicius Jr was allowed to undermine the manager’s authority.

Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham has been defended by Ruud Gullit, who claims the 22-year-old is the best player Los Blancos have, and that he is the 'victim' of a lack of industry by his team-mates. Bellingham cut a frustrated figure at full-time as Real were defeated 2-1 at home by Manchester City in the Champions League, but former Ballon d'Or winner Gullit has hit back at renewed criticism of the Englishman's attitude.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac has publicly backed Nico Schlotterbeck after the defender launched a scathing attack on his teammates following their disappointing Champions League draw against Bodo/Glimt. The manager admitted the collapse was "completely unnecessary" and insisted the centre-back had every right to voice his frustration.

Gabriel Jesus is "happy" after making a return from his devastating ACL injury during Arsenal's victory over Club Brugge in Belgium. The Gunners had plenty to celebrate as they registered a sixth consecutive Champions League win, got another clean sheet and put in a performance that instilled hope among the fans.

Noni Madueke has sent a stern warning to Arsenal's Champions League and Premier League rivals as the Gunners maintained their perfect European record with a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge. The forward stole the show with a devastating double, becoming the first player in the club’s history to score his first three goals in the Champions League. It is a rare feat that has vaulted him into the spotlight at a time when Mikel Arteta’s side are chasing silverware on multiple fronts.

Everything was looking rosy for Xabi Alonso after a thumping 4-0 home win over Valencia on November 1, which was Real Madrid's 13th victory out of 14 games across all competitions in the first few months of the season. Los Blancos were top of La Liga by five points ahead of Clasico rivals Barcelona, who they beat 2-1 at the Bernabeu seven days earlier, and they'd racked up nine points out of a possible nine in the Champions League, with Juventus among their victims.