📝Bio: Soham has been living and breathing football stories for almost a decade, carving his path as a news and SEO writer with an instinct for the big moments. Armed with an MA (Honours) in Sports Journalism from Symbiosis International University, he knew early on that his future wouldn’t be on the pitch but behind the pen, shaping narratives about the game he adores. He joined GOAL in 2017 and has since made his mark covering the Indian Super League, I-League, and the Indian national team. Based in Kolkata, where football is a religion, he grew up watching Bhaichung Bhutia scoring goals for fun in India, before falling head over heels for Real Madrid, a club that now dictates the rhythm of his everyday life.⚽My Football Story: It all began back in 2002. A cricket bat in hand, ready to step out, but then the skies opened up. The rain kept me indoors, and that twist of fate led me to the sofa, beside my father, who had a football match on TV. Little did I know at the time but it was the World Cup final: Brazil vs Germany. Forget the goals – what grabbed my imagination was Ronaldo’s haircut and his iconic celebration. From there, cricket slowly faded and football fever took over. By my teenage years, I was sneaking out of bed at 1am to watch the Champions League - fair to say I was hooked for life.
🎯Areas of Expertise:
Social media-specific content
Premier League, Champions League, European & Indian football coverage
Tactical analysis on the Indian national team
World Cup & European Championship tournaments
🌟Favourite Footballing Memory: The day Mohun Bagan demolished East Bengal 5-3 in the Kolkata Derby, with Chidi Edeh scoring four - a moment when the city turned maroon and green. But nothing beats the spine-tingling sight of Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute header in Lisbon, the goal that crowned Real Madrid’s La Decima and etched itself into footballing history.📝My All-Time XI: Iker Casillas; Phillip Lahm, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Claude Makélélé, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane; Cristiano Ronaldo, Raúl, Lionel Messi.
Morgan Gibbs-White has extended his contract with Nottingham Forest until 2028. The 25-year-old, who has become a central figure in the team’s resurgence, was tied to the club until 2027, but Forest were always eager to extend that commitment further., despite Tottenham triggering his £60 million ($81m) release clause.
Arsenal are reportedly stepping up their pursuit of Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze after almost sealing a deal for Viktor Gyokeres. Having spent the past two months working to bring Gyokeres to North London, Arsenal are now ready to turn their full attention to bolstering their midfield by targeting Eze, who has emerged as one of their top priorities in the summer.
Everton have reportedly stolen a march on rivals Liverpool and Bayern Munich as they close in on Lyon wonderkid Malick Fofana. The Merseyside club has submitted an official bid and entered direct negotiations with the French club, while also engaging in advanced discussions with the 20-year-old’s representatives, as revealed by Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea appear to be edging closer to securing the services of Dutch playmaker Xavi Simons, with advanced discussions underway between the Blues and German outfit RB Leipzig, as reported by Fabrizio Romano. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has emerged as a priority target for the Premier League side, who are reportedly confident of finalising the transfer before the summer window shuts.
Arsenal’s hunt for a top-tier striker has finally concluded with the imminent arrival of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP. The deal, which could reach a staggering £63.5 million, represents one of Arsenal's biggest investments in recent years as Mikel Arteta strengthens his frontline for the 2025/26 season.
Matheus Cunha has confidently brushed off suggestions that he is feeling the heat following his high-profile move to Manchester United, asserting that the responsibility of helping restore the club to its former heights is not a burden but a privilege. After arriving at Old Trafford in a £62.5 million deal, the Brazilian forward was swiftly joined by Bryan Mbeumo, who arrived from Brentford for a reported £71 million.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta provided an injury update on Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber after the defensive pair missed the Gunners' pre-season win over AC Milan. Bukayo Saka's second-half goal sealed the victory in the friendly fixture as the North London side continue to fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming Premier League season.
Wrexham have secured the services of veteran midfielder Josh Windass on a contract that will keep him at the Racecourse Ground through the end of the 2027-28 campaign. The 31-year-old arrives as a free agent after parting ways with Sheffield Wednesday last week, ending a four-year association with the Yorkshire club. Josh is the son of Hull City legend Dean Windass.
Kevin De Bruyne’s much-anticipated first appearance for Napoli ended in disappointment as the reigning Serie A titleholders suffered an unexpected 2-0 defeat to third-division club Arezzo in a pre-season friendly. The Belgian midfielder, who recently joined from Manchester City, was handed a starting role by manager Antonio Conte, but the night didn’t unfold as planned for the star-studded Italian side.
Alexander Isak's future at Newcastle United remains up in the air as he was left out of the squad for their pre-season friendly against Celtic at Parkhead. Manager Eddie Howe confirmed that the Swedish striker was deliberately withdrawn from the matchday squad as speculation around a potential move to Liverpool continues to gather pace.
Kylian Mbappe has unexpectedly found himself embroiled in legal scrutiny after it was revealed that he donated over €180,000 from his FIFA World Cup bonus to a group of police officers. The Real Madrid forward reportedly transferred the significant amount to five officers from France’s riot police unit who were assigned to protect the national team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson is burning the midnight oil Down Under as the Red Dragons are working aggressively behind the scenes to build a super-squad ahead of plying their trade in the Championship. Currently on tour in Oceania, the Welsh side have already made headlines with their pre-season outings, but the more significant action may be happening off the pitch, particularly in hotel rooms, meeting rooms and late-night phone calls.
Noni Madueke penned a heartfelt farewell message to Chelsea as his transfer to London rivals Arsenal is set to be completed. The England international is preparing to trade Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium as he looks to reignite his career after an inconsistent spell with the Blues.
The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-finals have set the stage for a thrilling encounter as England are set to lock horns with a formidable Sweden side on Thursday evening in Zurich. And the Lionesses, captained by Leah Williamson, know they will be facing one of the most consistent and dangerous teams in football.
Crystal Palace supporters have erupted in anger following UEFA’s contentious decision to remove the club from next season’s Europa League. The ruling, announced on Friday, sparked outrage as Palace, who qualified by winning the FA Cup, were downgraded to the UEFA Europa Conference League instead. This comes in the wake of Lyon’s reinstatement in Ligue 1 after initially facing relegation due to financial issues.
After playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph, Cole Palmer has used his time off to reconnect with his heritage as he travelled to the island of St Kitts in the Caribbean. The island is the birthplace of his grandfather, Sterry Palmer, and it marks the Chelsea star’s first-ever trip to the country.
Roy Hodgson made headlines earlier this month, not for his tactical insights or football coaching, but for a viral photo from the prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament. The 77-year-old was seated in the exclusive Royal Box at the All England Club, enjoying day three of the Grand Slam sat near to music star Olivia Rodrigo.
Paris Saint-Germain delivered a blistering first-half performance to seize control of their Club World Cup semi-final clash against Real Madrid, racing into a 3-0 lead within the opening 30 minutes at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday evening. Luis Enrique's side came out firing in front of a packed crowd, exposing a disorganised Madrid backline to score three unanswered goals in what was the most chaotic opening half of the Xabi Alonso era.
Chelsea legend Thiago Silva, who returned to Fluminense this summer after four remarkable years in London, was recognised in heartfelt fashion by his former club following the Club World Cup semi-final clash. The Premier League outfit progressed to the final riding on the brilliance of Joao Pedro who dazzled with a pair of exceptional goals, one in each half, to seal the victory.