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Jose Mourinho may have reunited with Benfica, 25 years after resigning from his first senior managerial gig, but the two-year contract the former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter and Manchester United boss has signed at the Estadio da Luz is not necessarily all that it may seem. Both he and his new club aren't ready to fully commit to each other just yet.

Gabriel Martinelli’s fiancee Isabella Rousso predicted the Arsenal winger’s late goal against Manchester City when sending a motivational pre-match text to her partner. Brazil international Martinelli started a crunch Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium among the substitutes, but stepped off the bench to score a dramatic equaliser in a thrilling 1-1 draw.

A furious Unai Emery slammed his "lazy" Aston Villa players after they blew a lead against 10-man Sunderland on Sunday. Following their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light, Villa are languishing down in 18th in the Premier League table with only three points from their opening five games.

Vinicius Junior has been warned that his attitude is “not healthy”, with the Real Madrid superstar reacting angrily to being substituted during the Blancos’ 2-0 win over Espanyol. The Brazil international was replaced in the 77th minute of that contest and did not take kindly to seeing his number held up. Jorge Valdano has discussed another show of petulance.

The Kansas City Current have become the fastest team to win the NWSL Shield after extending their winning streak to 14 matches. The Current beat Seattle Reign FC 2-0 on Saturday to secure the title with five games to spare in the 2025 season. This was the club's first major trophy since being formed in 2020.

Hugo Ekitike claims to feel no pressure from his £79 million ($107m) transfer fee at Liverpool, with the French forward saying “I don’t care” when asked about the price tag hanging around his neck. The 23-year-old has made a bright start to life at Anfield and remains convinced that he made the right choice in joining the reigning Premier League champions.

Monaco forward Ansu Fati netted a brace after coming off the bench in their weekend clash against Metz. On loan from Barcelona, the 21-year-old struck just a minute after his introduction before adding a second to complete a comeback victory. Fati said the performance was a major confidence boost for both himself and the team following their midweek Champions League defeat to Club Brugge.

Pep Guardiola has joked that Manchester City are now a “transition team”, with the demanding Catalan coach reacting to a battling draw at Arsenal that saw the Blues post the lowest possession stats of his 10-year tenure. Guardiola admits that he needs to get “spirit” back in his team after seeing them make a slow start to the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Wayne Rooney has revealed how playing a "brilliant" game on PlayStation played a "massive part" in Manchester United's success under Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney helped United win 10 trophies in the latter stages of the glorious Ferguson era, including five Premier League titles and one Champions League.

The latest round of action across Europe's elite leagues saw Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Porto maintain their winning starts to the 2025-26 season. However, while everyone expects Bayern to run away with the Bundesliga, Barca are hot on the heels of Madrid in La Liga, while Porto are presently processing the news that the most famous manager in the club's history has just taken charge of their hated rivals Benfica.

Benfica have released behind-the-scenes footage from Jose Mourinho’s first game back at the club, with the outspoken Portuguese delivering an X-rated team talk to his players before heading into action against AVS Futebol SAD. The ‘Special One’ is back where it all began for him, having returned to his homeland, and has clearly lost none of his passion for his game.

Tottenham players have been assigned small three-digit numbers, which are printed on the back of their shirts. The numbers are unique to each player and they have been sporting them since 2023. After finishing 17th in the Premier League in a dismal 2024-25 campaign, Spurs have made a strong start to the new season, sitting third in the table after five matches.

The Manchester United fan refusing to cut his hair until Ruben Amorim’s side win five games in a row was branded an “attention-seeking c***” during an angry exchange with another Red Devils supporter at Old Trafford. Frank Ilett was in attendance to watch a much-needed victory over Chelsea, but his presence ruffled a few feathers behind the scenes as he attracted some unwanted attention.

Barcelona legend Ronaldinho will reportedly give out the 2025 Ballon d'Or in Paris on Monday night as Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal vie for football's most prestigious individual award. Dembele is being tipped as the favourite to win the Golden Ball after playing a key role in Paris Saint-Germain's historic treble success last season.

Say what you will about the merits of the Ballon d'Or, but last year's ceremony was undeniably dramatic. The event organisers, France Football, have always insisted that "no player or club knows who has won the Ballon d'Or" before the victor is announced on stage - but Real Madrid refused to even turn up after learning hours in advance that Rodri had beaten Vinicius Jr to the men's prize.

If the voting process for the Ballon d'Or were truly fair, Lionel Messi would have 14 Golden Balls to his name instead of eight. The Barcelona legend was by far the best footballer in the world between 2008 and 2021, but had to concede defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo five times, and Luka Modric once, as the Real Madrid duo were rewarded for spearheading their team's unprecedented success in the Champions League.

Harry Kane broke another Bundesliga record when scoring two penalties in Bayern Munich’s crushing victory over Hoffenheim. England captain Kane netted a hat-trick in that contest - his second of the 2025-26 campaign - with a couple of efforts coming from the spot. The prolific frontman has never missed from 12 yards in the German top-flight - with 17 strikes converted.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been told that goalkeepers will want to let in his 1,000th goal, allowing them to join the Portuguese GOAT in the history books. CR7 continues to chase down that personal landmark, with ex-Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen suggesting that the Al-Nassr superstar will be ready to hang up his boots and retire once another record has been broken.

If you thought the days of the Ballon d'Or generating headlines were over after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's era of dominance came to an end, then think again. After one of the most closely-fought races for a number of years, Rodri came out on top in 2024, beating Vinicius Jr into second place as Real Madrid dramatically boycotted the ceremony in Paris in protest at their star player missing out.

In the last few years, it's seemed relatively easy to predict the winner of the Ballon d'Or Feminin. In 2025, though, it feels incredibly tricky, especially after England's win over Spain in the European Championship final.

Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres after another quiet outing in a big game, as the Gunners bagged a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates. The £64 million summer signing failed to register a single shot or create any real danger against Pep Guardiola's side, leaving frustrated fans questioning his impact.

Ferran Torres showed he can deliver when Robert Lewandowski doesn't and Barcelona's midweek Champions League hero Marcus Rashford continued his good form as Getafe were put to the sword. Torres' brace and Dani Olmo's strike, from Rashford's assist, ensured that the Blaugrana kept the pressure on bitter rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with a 3-0 win.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that Mohamed Salah and four other senior stars will sit out Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round tie against Southampton. The Reds edged Everton 2-1 in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, making it five wins on the bounce in all competitions. But Slot says heavy rotation is coming, with his most-used players to receive a much-needed rest.

Wrexham's official Instagram account poked fun at Hollywood star Hugh Jackman after Norwich City fans unfurled a tifo of the Wolverine actor as a result of him previously admitting he is a fan of the Canaries. Following the Welsh team's 3-2 win at Carrow Road in the Championship on Saturday, the Red Dragons have gently ribbed the Australian on social media.

Arsenal were dealt a scare during their 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday as Noni Madueke, their most dangerous attacker in the first half, was substituted at the break. Mikel Arteta revealed after the game that the winger, who has impressed in recent weeks while deputising for Bukayo Saka, suffered an injury that prevented him from playing on into the second half.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Pulisic's third goal in four Milan matches

Pep Guardiola set a career-worst statistic in Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates. Erling Haaland's first-half goal looked like it would secure the visitors all three points but Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time equaliser ensured it was honours even on Sunday. As a result, the ex-Barcelona boss reached a new personal low as a manager.

Sergio Busquets is reportedly set to call time on his legendary career at the end of Inter Miami’s 2025 Major League Soccer campaign. The 37-year-old midfielder, who has lifted 32 trophies with Barcelona and earned 143 Spain caps, has decided to hang up his boots two years after following Lionel Messi to Inter Miami.

Former MLS forward and current CBS Sports analyst Mike Grella praised Christian Pulisic's impact at AC Milan, suggesting that the USMNT star’s success at one of Europe's most storied clubs represents a milestone for soccer development in the U.S. Grella said Pulisic, who scored twice Saturday for Milan, has changed perceptions of American players in Europe.