Lists

Galatasaray advisor and prominent agent George Gardi has dived into the behind-the-scenes developments with regards to the transfer to Leroy Sane to the Turkish heavyweights. The 29-year-old, who left Bayern Munich as a free agent at the end of last season, signed a three-year deal with Galatasaray after the club managed to convince him of his importance in the project.

Former Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has stepped down from the Miss Universe judging panel just days before the event in Thailand amid allegations that the competition is rigged. The ex-France international was named as a judge for the event last month as he swapped the football pitch for the runway, but has now decided to quit the position.

Wayne Rooney has compared Harry Kane’s “incredible evolution” into England’s GOAT with the development that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed at Manchester United. Kane is already his country’s all-time leading goalscorer and appears set to smash records on the appearance front as well. If he could win an international trophy, then it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest.

Timo Werner’s hopes of securing a January move to MLS have suffered a major setback after the New York Red Bulls admitted they were “not 100 percent” convinced about signing him. The Leipzig forward, frozen out in Germany, had targeted a winter switch to the United States but with NYRB shifting their squad profile, his path to MLS has unexpectedly narrowed again.

The squad is missing a few key names, forcing Hayes to continue broadening the player pool ahead of the final two matches of 2025.

Mauricio Pochettino was left fuming after being quizzed on his apparent penchant for rotating the USMNT, with the angry Argentine suggesting that said press conference should be restarted as he is “not the janitor” in North America and stands by every decision that he makes. The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain coach was stunned by the line of questioning after a statement win over Uruguay.

In a new interview, Todd Boehly has taken aim at the English media as the Chelsea co-owner fires back at criticism. The American businessman, along with Mark Walter, Hansjorg Wyss and Clearlake Capital, launched a successful bid to buy the Blues in March 2022. Roman Abramovich had put the club up for sale after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has praised the influence of striker Harry Kane and head coach Vincent Kompany, lauding the English forward as the embodiment of how the team should play. Hoeness also revealed a recent conversation he had with Kompany over dinner, telling the manager that he doesn’t want Bayern’s matches to end because of how enjoyable the team is to watch at the moment.

Italy block the qualification path for Wales and Northern Ireland when it comes to reaching the 2026 World Cup, while the Republic of Ireland will face Czechia in the play-off semi-finals. There are four more places at FIFA’s flagship event up for grabs in the UEFA section, with routes to the United States, Canada and Mexico being mapped out for all of the hopefuls.

AC Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot is set to return from injury for Sunday’s high-stakes derby against Inter. The Frenchman missed nearly a month due to a calf tear but is back in full training ahead of a crucial clash that could shape the Scudetto race. Rabiot’s return promises to restore balance in Milan’s midfield as they aim for a decisive result against city rivals.

Veteran Thomas Muller, who joined Major League Soccer outfit Vancouver Whitecaps just months ago, has given a clear indication of where his future lies, with his contract expiring at the end of this year. The legendary former Bayern Munich attacking midfielder has made a great start to life in North America and is determined to bring unprecedented success at the BC Place.

Arsenal and England star Eberechi Eze has revealed his toughest ever Premier League opponent. Speaking exclusively with Adebayo Akinfenwa on GOAL's Beast Mode On podcast, Eze admitted how difficult it was to play Kevin De Bruyne whenever Crystal Palace faced Manchester City, before their respective summer 2025 moves. The Belgian midfielder is widely considered to be one of the best overseas players to ever grace the English top flight.

Turkey’s national team reported over €300,000 worth of jewellery missing from their dressing room after the 2-2 draw against Spain in Seville, triggering a police investigation. A luxury watch and two rings vanished from La Cartuja before being recovered. At least one arrest has been made as authorities work to uncover how the theft took place.

Manchester United have been warned that a stunning return to Old Trafford for Scott McTominay is unlikely to happen. The Scotland international has been starring for Serie A champions Napoli, earning comparisons to Frank Lampard with his goal scoring exploits, but Wes Brown has told GOAL in an exclusive interview why another transfer agreement with the Red Devils is not in the pipeline.

Karl Etta Eyong has been backed for a potential transfer to Barcelona, with the Cameroonian coach Marc Brys praising the Levante striker’s qualities. Viewed as a possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski, Eyong has impressed in La Liga and is now attracting interest from top European clubs.

Eberechi Eze has revealed his reaction to receiving an England call-up just moments after suffering a serious Achilles injury in training. Speaking exclusively to Adebayo Akinfenwa on GOAL's Beast Mode On podcast, the Arsenal star admitted he was in tears when he saw a message that stated he was part of the initial pool of players that can be selected for international duty.

Arsenal star Eberechi Eze has revealed that Marcus Rashford was the one player who stood out most to him during his first England training session. Speaking exclusively with Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the Beast Mode On Podcast, Eze praised the way the versatile forward strikes and runs with the ball and explained how Thomas Tuchel has England set up to "achieve something incredible" at the World Cup.

Maya Jama is reportedly set to shake up her Love Island schedule in 2026 as she cannot bear to be away from Manchester City star boyfriend Ruben Dias. The TV presenter is due to film the latest All Stars edition of Love Island in the new year, but will not be setting up camp in Cape Town as she intends to jet back to England for regular reunions with Dias.

Lamine Yamal is racing against time as Barcelona build a detailed recovery plan to get him ready for the upcoming Champions League showdown against Chelsea. The 18-year-old has been sidelined by a painful pubalgia issue, forcing him out of Spain duty and limiting his training load. Barca insist they won’t rush him, but optimism is growing after he partially returned to group training this week.

Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke doesn't expect Arsenal to win the Premier League this season. The Gunners hold a four-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table following their 2-2 draw with Sunderland prior to the international break, while Mikel Arteta's men currently sit eight points clear of defending champions Liverpool after the opening 11 games of the season.

Manchester City are being “left in the dark” when it comes to a final ruling in their long-running Financial Fair Play (FFP) saga. With at least 115 charges hanging over the Premier League heavyweights, a verdict was “definitely expected by now”. No decision has been revealed, though, and that is keeping everybody guessing on what could be an explosive outcome.

Manuel Akanji has made his stance clear after a strong start to life in Italy, revealing he hopes Inter activate the €15 million option to sign him permanently from Manchester City. The Swiss defender has played every league minute so far and quickly become a key figure in Cristian Chivu’s backline. His future now hinges on Inter’s season targets and his own consistency, but he wants to stay.

England boss Thomas Tuchel is expected to offer Liam Delap a World Cup lifeline as he plans to discuss what the Chelsea striker needs to do in order to earn a first international call-up. Delap moved to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich for £30m over the summer after the young forward impressed for the relegated Tractor Boys. The Blues beat Manchester United to the signing of the 22-year-old.

Dietmar Hamann says Germany's 6–0 rout of Slovakia on Monday – which secured their place at next year’s World Cup – should not mask the team’s shortcomings. The former Germany, Bayern Munich and Liverpool midfielder argued that Julian Nagelsmann’s side still fall short of their strongest European rivals and therefore should not be considered among the favourites for next year's tournament.

Thibaut Courtois admits that Cristiano Ronaldo has “more of a winning mentality” than current Real Madrid talisman Kylian Mbappe. The Blancos’ free-scoring No.10 is, however, considered to be working on that side of his game. In time, the French forward could go on to enjoy a similar standing at Santiago Bernabeu to that which Portuguese GOAT Ronaldo continues to boast.

Antoine Griezmann has lifted the lid on his behind-the-scenes role in bringing Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid, admitting he repeatedly messaged the striker on Instagram to convince him to leave Manchester City. With Álvarez now thriving in Spain after a record-breaking debut season, Griezmann’s story adds a surprising twist to one of Atleti’s biggest modern transfers.

Dominic Solanke has opened up on his injury hell as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury. The Tottenham striker has been restricted to just three competitive club appearances this season owing to an ankle problem sustained in pre-season. Solanke's last outing for Spurs came from the bench in the 2-0 win at Manchester City back in August.

Jordi Alba has rubbished comparisons between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, claiming that Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer “has no rival”. Teenage wonderkid Yamal has been thrust into an obvious debate ever since he stepped out of the La Masia academy system. He has become a global superstar in his own right, but there will never be another Messi.

Karim Adeyemi has issued a public apology after it was revealed last week that the Borussia Dortmund attacker was found to be possessing illegal weapons. The news surfaced during the international break, which caused Adeyemi to miss the 6-0 thrashing of Slovakia in their final World Cup qualifying game. Taking to social media, Adeyemi expressed regret over his mistake.