Parshva Shah

Thibaut Courtois has come to the defence of his Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, stating that "it's not always easy when an entire stadium is after" the Brazilian. The Belgian goalkeeper believes that the opponents keep trying to take the Brazilian out of the game, but he has been "improving" by taking a leaf out of the books of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard.

GOAL takes a look at Real Madrid's top 20 goal scorers of all-time...

Legendary former Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has labelled Harry Kane as a striker who is more than just a goal machine, hailing the Englishman for his leadership and innate ability to feel a "sense of responsibility." The duo shared the dressing room between 2023 and 2025, before Muller began a new chapter with MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps.

Thomas Muller ended his 25-year association with Bayern Munich by joining Major League Soccer outfit Vancouver Whitecaps as a free agent over the summer. However, things could have played out a whole lot differently. Indeed, Bayern's all-time record-appearance holder admitted that he could have "imagined a future with Barcelona" had his former coach Hansi Flick called him.

Gianluigi Donnarumma highlighted the major difference between the style of play in Serie A and Premier League. Having spent six years in the Italian top-flight with AC Milan, the Italy national team captain made a summer switch to Manchester City, taking his goalkeeping talents to the English first division. Donnarumma firmly believes that Italian football is "no less than the others."

Arda Guler was full of praise for Kylian Mbappe while describing his relationship with the Real Madrid talisman. The duo's chemistry on the pitch has led to comparisons with former Madrid stars Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Guler adding that Mbappe and him "understand each other perfectly." Real Madrid have won nine games out of 10 this season, thanks to the brilliance of Guler and Mbappe in attack.

Italy cruised to a 3-0 win over Israel in their World Cup qualifying clash on Tuesday, which sees the Azzurri stretch their winning streak to five games. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso was pleased with his side's performance and heaped praise on goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, while also hoping for "God's blessings" as they aim a World Cup play-off spot.

Nico Schlotterbeck has hailed his German national team-mate and fellow centre-back Jonathan Tah as a "better defender" than him and explained why the duo make such a good pairing for Julian Nagelsmann's side. Bayern Munich are reportedly keeping tabs on Schlotterbeck's situation at Borussia Dortmund, where his contract expires in 2027, and could move to unite the pair at club level.

Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona have been joined by Serie A heavyweights Inter in the race to sign Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace star, who will leave the club as a free agent next summer, could arrive at San Siro in January in a surprise transfer exchange, which would see Inter's Yann Bisseck move the other way.

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.

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.

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.

Napoli head coach Antonio Conte is delighted with the performances of Rasmus Hojlund, who is spending the 2025-26 season on loan from Manchester United. According to the Italian, the 22-year-old still has "significant room for improvement", but believes that he "has the potential to be a star" and is proving his quality after scoring four goals in his first six games for the Partenopei.

Inter president Beppe Marotta believes that Luka Modric thriving in Serie A at the age of 40 is not a bad thing, but in fact a "positive advert" for Italian football. Marotta highlighted the financial disparity between clubs in Serie A and those in leagues like the Premier League and La Liga, pointing to Real Madrid's big-money signing of Argentine teenager Franco Mastantuono as a prime example.

GOAL takes a look at Liverpool's top 20 goal scorers of all-time...

Legendary pop singer Madonna was spotted at Stamford Bridge during Chelsea's dramatic last-gasp 2-1 win over rivals Liverpool on Saturday. It is not the first time the Queen of Pop has been in attendance for a Chelsea game, but she will be chuffed to bits to see Estevao Willian score a last-minute winner after it seemed like the two teams would settle for the draw.

Ruben Amorim can breathe a sigh of relief after Manchester United registered a much-needed 2-0 win over the in-form Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. Following the game, Mason Mount, who got himself on the scoresheet along with summer arrival Benjamin Sesko, asserted that the team is fully behind the under-pressure Amorim amid reports that he could face the axe.

Saudi Arabian heavyweights Al-Hilal are prepared to offer Harry Kane a mind-boggling package worth £261 million on a three-year deal, according to Bild. The Bayern Munich superstar has been in rip-roaring form in the first two months of the 2025-26 season, breaking records and scoring goals at will. His future has been a constant subject of speculation, with rumours of a Premier League return.