With 22 goals and 12 assists in 22 matches, Lionel Messi sits atop the MLS scoring chart, tied with LAFC’s Denis Bouanga. Despite injuries that sidelined him for several games, Messi is enjoying his best season since arriving in the league. On Tuesday, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano highlighted just how vital Messi is to the club.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is crossing his fingers that Erling Haaland will bounce back in time for the weekend after the striker hobbled out of Sunday’s bruising 1-1 draw with Arsenal due to injury. The Norwegian powerhouse shocked fans at the Emirates when he signalled to the bench after 76 minutes, complaining of sharp pain in his back. Guardiola had little choice but to hook off his star man, raising alarm bells just days before another relentless run of fixtures.
Former D.C. United and Atlanta United player Mateusz Klich has delivered a scathing assessment of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami while highlighting several other Major League Soccer clubs as more appealing destinations. The Polish international spent two years in MLS between 2023 to 2025 before leaving for Polish club Cracovia.
Harry Kane's return to Tottenham is reportedly not as 'fanciful' as many would believe despite being happy at Bayern Munich. The 32-year-old is said to have a £56.7 million release clause that could come into effect at the end of the season. And there are 'fears' in Germany that the England international could leave the Bundesliga giants in 2026.
Kyle Walker went out for an expensive dinner with Phil Foden and his other former team-mates ahead of Burnley's trip to Manchester City. The full-back joined a table of City stars at Fenix, a high-end Greek restaurant. Walker, who left City for Turf Moor this summer, is back in Manchester to face his former team on the pitch in the Premier League on Saturday.
Lennart Karl has faced his first significant criticism after making his maiden Bundesliga start for Bayern Munich. The 17-year-old wonderkid's performance in Die Roten's 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim last Saturday raised a few eyebrows, particularly from former Bayern winger Mario Basler, who was not fully satisfied by Karl's outing as a starter under Vincent Kompany.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso was effusive in his praise for left-back Alvaro Carreras, who was one of the four players to join Los Blancos over the summer. Arriving from Benfica, Carreras' impressive start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu has left his manager "pleasantly surprised", with the former Bayer Leverkusen head coach labelling the 22-year-old a "very complete" player.
Antony sealed a permanent switch to Real Betis after a mixed spell at Manchester United, with Manuel Pellegrini confident the winger will rediscover his best form. The Brazilian thrived on loan last season and, despite a slow start to this campaign, his manager insists he will be “happy in every way” as Betis look to revive their season.
Sam Surridge admits that it feels “surreal” to be involved in an MLS Golden Boot battle with Argentine GOAT Lionel Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is maintaining remarkable individual standards at Inter Miami, but former Nottingham Forest striker Surridge is keeping pace with the South American superstar when it comes to prolific strike rates in 2025.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has issued a mature statement after losing out to Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele in the Ballon d'Or race on Monday. The teenage attacker had a stellar 2024-25 campaign with Barca, but Dembele was ultimately crowned the best player on the planet after leading PSG to the treble.
USMNT star Malik Tillman admits that he has to “do more” on the back of his €35 million (£31m/$41m) transfer to Bayer Leverkusen. The 23-year-old midfielder has opened his goal account for new employers, with his best position being explained, but acknowledges the need to deliver end product after being acquired by Bundesliga giants to provide a creative spark.
Manchester United have been urged to bring in former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate to "restructure the whole place" as pressure mounts on Ruben Amorim. United finished 15th in the Premier League under Amorim last season and he has only overseen two wins out of five at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
Former Real Madrid footballer Alvaro Benito provided his thoughts on the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony, which saw Ousmane Dembele being crowned as the best player in the world, ahead of rival Lamine Yamal. While Benito admitted that the PSG forward deserved the award, he was unhappy about where Pedri finished in the rankings and was brutally critical of the journalists who vote.
Lionel Messi is in line for more Ballon d’Or recognition after seeing Inter Miami nominated for a new award. Paris Saint-Germain superstar Ousmane Dembele walked away with the Golden Ball in 2025, with the one-time Barcelona team-mate of Argentine icon Messi being named the best player on the planet. Several other prestigious prizes have been handed out.
Neymar has taken a clear swipe at France Football while raging over Raphinha's final Ballon d'Or position. The Brazil and Barcelona winger finished fifth in the final vote, while Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele scooped the main prize ahead of second placed Lamine Yamal. Raphinha played a key role for Barca alongside Yamal as they won three domestic titles last season.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca fears Liverpool may be “impossible to catch” after seeing the Reds invest £446 million ($603m) during the summer transfer window of 2025. Arne Slot’s side were already reigning Premier League champions and a faultless start has been made to the new season as domestic rivals worry about how to stage their own title challenges.
West Ham have reportedly made a call on Graham Potter's potential sacking amid links with former Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Slaven Bilic. The Hammers are sitting in the Premier League relegation zone after a nightmare start to the new season and have also exited the Carabao Cup after a second round defeat to Wolves.
Emmanuel Adebayor has warned Mikel Arteta that a benched star at Arsenal could “spoil the whole training ground” if the Gunners boss does not take a leaf out of Arsene Wenger’s managerial playbook. Gabriel Martinelli is among those having to make peace with a spot among the substitutes in north London, and the Brazilian may not accept that role for long.
When Marcus Rashford was unveiled as a new Barcelona signing in August, he kept coming back to one word: discipline. For a player who had missed training after going on a drunken night out in Belfast a year ago and been forced out of Manchester United by Ruben Amorim for his lack of application, it was an intriguing theme for him to draw upon.
Jose Mourinho claims to be in a “negative” wage position at Benfica, with the Portuguese tactician saying he would “earn more” if he stayed at home and enjoyed time with his family. The ‘Special One’ has chosen not to do that, with the 62-year-old heading back to where it all began for him in a managerial capacity after taking the reins for a second time at Lisbon giants.
Former Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici has been handed a 18-month suspended jail sentence as part of a plea bargain deal. Paratici was involved in the infamous Juventus "Plusvalenza" scandal, where a group of Bianconeri officials, including Czech legend Pavel Nedved, were found guilty of misleading Serie A chiefs.
Paul Scholes claims that Marcus Rashford “quit on Manchester United” and has branded the England international’s attitude a “disgrace”. A product of the Red Devils’ famed academy system spent time on loan at Aston Villa last season, having slipped out of favour under Ruben Amorim, before linking up with La Liga giants Barcelona for the 2025-26 campaign.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has asked a “what are you doing with this girl” question of the Gunners after seeing USWNT star Jenna Nighswonger exiled from Renee Slegers’ plans. The United States international moved to north London in January but has seen limited game time across her spell in England, with the 24-year-old defender failing to make WSL matchday squads.
Noni Madueke is reportedly facing a lengthy spell out after suffering a knee injury during Arsenal's Premier League clash against Manchester City on Sunday. Madueke was replaced by a returning Bukayo Saka at the break after sustaining the knock in the first half, with Arsenal eventually grinding out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates.
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