Parshva Shah

Kylian Mbappe has broken his silence on his relationship with Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, claiming that the media outlets are responsible for the speculation about the duo not getting along. The Frenchman believes that publications "sell a lot of papers" by spreading false narratives about their dynamic, adding that he has absolutely no issues with Vini Jr.

Vinicius Junior has publicly apologised to Brazilian presenter and influencer Virginia Fonseca, who disclosed that the duo stopped seeing each other after she found intimate conversations between the Real Madrid superstar and other women. Vinicius admitted that he was "careless and let her down", although he did add that they weren't officially a couple yet.

Although Sandro Tonali has found his "balance" in the Premier League with Newcastle, the Italy international is not ruling out a return to Serie A in his homeland. An AC Milan fan since childhood, the midfielder spent four seasons in the Italian top-flight, playing for a year with Brescia before having a three-year spell with the Rossoneri. He joined the Magpies in a then-record deal in 2023.

Kylian Mbappe, who needs just six goals to become his country's all-time top scorer, believes he "can score against anyone" ahead of France's World Cup qualifying clash against Azerbaijan on Friday. His participation in the game, however, remains uncertain, with the Frenchman picking up a minor ankle sprain in Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Villarreal in La Liga last weekend.

Wojciech Szczesny has advised his team-mate and Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen against following his example amid his difficult situation at the club. The Polish goalkeeper expressed sympathy for the situation Ter Stegen finds himself in following Joan Garcia's arrival, stating that being benched for an entire season at Juventus forced him to retire from the sport in 2024. However, Szczesny feels the German still has a lot to give to the sport.

President Joan Laporta hailed Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal as a "genius" and accepted the fact that the 18-year-old can be prone to making mistakes due to the superstardom he has achieved. Yamal, who has been criticised for his lifestyle at times, was defended by Laporta, who added that the attacker is "already more mature than other boys his age."

Wojciech Szczesny has warned his Barcelona team-mates of tasting failure if they do not manage to keep their egos aside this season. The veteran goalkeeper, who started in back-to-back defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla before the international break, has urged his team-mates to stay humble and work just as hard for every title this season.

Mario Balotelli has been his using his time away from the pitch to give back to the community, as the former Manchester City and Liverpool forward recently completed a six-month community service program in Brescia, Italy. Balotelli revealed that the experience of volunteering for children allowed him "to get to know myself better and improve as a person."

Gennaro Gattuso addressed his decision of not selecting young midfielder Samuele Ricci in Italy's squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers, citing his lack of regular playing time at AC Milan as the reason. The Italy head coach, however, urged the 24-year-old to "watch" and learn from the iconic ex-Real Madrid midfielder, who has made an immediate impact since arriving at the San Siro.

Stuttgart midfielder Chema Andres has drawn comparisons to Rodri following his impressive start in Germany, with rumours now stating that Real Madrid are considering re-signing him next summer. While the former Real Madrid youngster is "privileged" to be compared to the Manchester City midfielder, he is not particularly a big fan of the comparisons.

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is hoping he is not the man between the posts when the Catalan giants take on Real Madrid in the highly-anticipated Clasico later this month. Instead, the veteran shot stopper hopes that the injured Joan Garcia is fit in time for the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu as he talked up the world-class potential of the summer signing.

Former France international Jerome Rothen was scathing in his criticism of the French Football Federation (FFF) for their handling of Bradley Barcola's injury ahead of the World Cup qualifiers. A feud has erupted between the FFF and Paris Saint-Germain following the winger's injury, resulting in further tension in the wake of similar cases with Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.

Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund has hailed Vincent Kompany as the "perfect coach" for the reigning Bundesliga champions and explained why the team has enjoyed a terrific start to the 2025-26 season. The Bavarian giants have been in impeccable form, winning 10 games out of 10 and scoring goals for fun despite early fears that the squad didn't have enough depth.

Kingsley Coman has once again been called up by France boss Didier Deschamps for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches this month after the winger left Bayern Munich in the summer to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr. The 29-year-old has defended the coach's decision to keep him in the squad, claiming he is just as good as he was when called up as an injury replacement in September.

Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso revealed the details of his phone call with former World Cup-winning team-mate Fabio Cannavaro, who was appointed as the new head coach of the Uzbekistan national team earlier this week. The former midfielder had a cheeky dig at the Ballon d'Or winner for taking over a side that has already qualified for the World Cup while the Azzurri are "stuck in the trenches" in the battle to secure a place.

Luka Modric has been hailed as "an inspiration" and "a true example for everyone" by his AC Milan midfield partner Adrien Rabiot. The Croatian midfielder, who joined as a free agent after spending 13 years at Real Madrid, has had a phenomenal start to life at the San Siro, with the Rossoneri emerging as early contenders to win the Serie A this season.

Ronald Koeman has outlined his plans for the Netherlands’ upcoming World Cup qualifier against minnows Malta. The former Barcelona head coach confirmed that Memphis Depay, the Oranje’s all-time leading scorer, will not be in contention to start after arriving late to the national team’s training camp. The ex-Manchester United forward reported that his passport was stolen while in Brazil, causing a delay in his travel.

Ivan Rakitic has revealed the "biggest regret of his career" is the decision to pass up the chance to team up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. The former Croatian midfielder, who enjoyed successful spells with Sevilla and Barcelona during the era when the Portuguese icon was starring for Real Madrid, says Ronaldo personally called him in 2019 in an attempt to lure him to Italy – an offer he ultimately had to decline.