James Westwood

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.

The incredible story of Leicester City's 2015-16 Premier League title triumph is perhaps the most well-known of the past decade. Claudio Ranieri guided a team of 5000-1 outsiders, which had been assembled on a shoestring budget, to glory in his first season at the King Power Stadium. No one could argue that Leicester were not the best side in the country either; they finished 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, losing only three of their 38 games.

Arne Slot is not only facing an uphill battle to save Liverpool's season, but also his job. That is a sentence no Liverpool supporter would have imagined reading barely six months on from seeing the Dutchman deliver the club's second Premier League title, and yet it is no exaggeration. The Reds have plummeted to 11th in the table after losing six of their first 12 games in the 2025-26 campaign, which leaves them a whopping 11 points behind early pace-setters Arsenal already.

Barcelona's famed La Masia academy has long been the envy of every other top club in Europe, and for good reason. It has forged dozens of legends over the last 46 years, from Pep Guardiola and Albert Ferrer, to Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and a certain Lionel Messi. Every generation produces multiple superstars, with Lamine Yamal leading the current crop after bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old.

We are now less than seven months out from the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the group-stage draw set to take place in Washington DC on December 5. Forty-two participating nations are locked in, with four teams from the UEFA play-offs and two intercontinental winners set to complete the line up in March. All of the so-called elite countries will be there, from holders Argentina and arch-rivals Brazil, to Euro 2024 winners Spain and France.

In an interview with Time Magazine published at the end of July, Erling Haaland claimed that Norway would only have a 0.5 percent chance of winning the 2026 World Cup. He added: “If we would qualify for the World Cup, it would be like another big nation winning it. It would be the biggest party ever. Scenes in Oslo would be incredible.” That party is now underway, with Norway having booked their spot at the tournament for the first time in 28 years after thumping 4-1 wins over Estonia and Italy during the November international break.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their home comforts 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.

The Red Devils look set to take a huge gamble on the Netherlands international, who finds himself at a career crossroads

There are some huge names being linked with football's 'impossible job', but who stands out as the best fit for the Three Lions?

The new Premier League champions have pulled off a major coup by landing the Germany international, who can take them to an even higher level

Wrexham have been told to "work their team around" a former Man Utd star if they can convince the free agent to complete a "brave" summer transfer.

GOAL runs through the best and worst of British players plying their trade on foreign soil. Now more than ever, British players are finding that the grass can be greener elsewhere. The lure of the Premier League remains grand, but it's not the be-all and end-all. In fact, some of the home nations' biggest stars have decided to take their talents abroad to the mainland continent and beyond.

Eintracht Frankfurt have earned a sterling reputation for developing players from the promising bracket to top-class and selling them on for significant profit in recent years, particularly in attacking positions. The German club made around €208 million (£181m/$242m) by transferring Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller and Randal Kolo Muani to AC Milan, West Ham and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, and boosted that total by another €170m (£148/$198) last season when two more talismanic performers caught the eye of Europe's elite.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave the comforts of the United Kingdom 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.

Vasco da Gama sensation Rayan Vitor is already into the third season of his senior career, despite only turning 19 on August 3, which is not a normal occurrence in the Brazilian Serie A, or indeed any other top league in the world. Rayan's star has also risen rapidly despite Vasco facing one of the most turbulent periods in their history, with financial uncertainty undermining the team's efforts since key figures from U.S. investment firm 777 Partners were removed from the board in May 2024.

Nottingham Forest's surge towards the Premier League's top four was the most inspiring story of the 2024-25 campaign, and though a late collapse ultimately led to Nuno Espirito Santo's side finishing seventh, it was still the club's best top-flight performance in 30 years. The party mood at the City Ground was reignited three months later too, as Forest were promoted from the Conference League to the Europa League after Crystal Palace were controversially punished for breaching UEFA's multi-club ownership rules.

FIFA is rolling out a brand new VAR challenge initiative that gives managers the power to use purple and blue cards during matches to request a decision review from the referee, but it threatens to lead to even more frustrating delays. The cards are currently being tested at the 2025 Under-20 World Cup in Chile and in other smaller-scale tournaments and leagues.

Brazil endured their worst qualification campaign ever for the 2026 World Cup, finishing fifth in the CONMEBOL standings on just 28 points from 18 matches. The Selecao lost home and away to arch-rivals Argentina, with a 4-1 drubbing at the Estadio Monumental ultimately costing Dorival Junior his job as manager, and they were also handily beaten by Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay and Bolivia. But hope for the 2026 finals remains high, with Carlo Ancelotti now holding the reins for the most successful national team in history.