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The bond between former teammates Lucas Paqueta and Vinicius Junior remains unbreakable, and the current Flamengo midfielder has made no secret of his desire to see the Real Madrid superstar back at the Maracana. Following the latest instance of alleged racial abuse directed at Vinicius during last week's Champions League clash against Benfica, Paqueta has publicly offered his "total support" to his close friend. While the winger continues to battle prejudice in Europe, his former partner in crime believes the time is approaching for them to fulfil a long-standing pact to dominate South American football together once again.

The curtain appears to be falling on Antoine Griezmann's second act at Atletico Madrid, as speculation regarding a move to Major League Soccer reaches a fever pitch. Despite being in a rich vein of form for the Colchoneros, the French World Cup winner is increasingly expected to call time on his career in the Spanish capital at the end of the current campaign. While his existing contract at the Metropolitano is technically valid until 2027, there is a growing sense within the club and the wider footballing world that his departure this summer is becoming an inevitability.

The controversy surrounding Benfica starlet Gianluca Prestianni continues to cast a dark shadow over the Portuguese giants following last week's heated Champions League encounter with Real Madrid. While the football world has been incensed by the alleged incident, the suspect’s teammates at the Estadio da Luz have remained largely tight-lipped while the legal process unfolds. However, that silence has finally been broken by Belgian international Dodi Lukebakio, who has provided a candid and stern assessment of the situation currently engulfing the Argentine youngster.

Andre Onana reportedly wants to return to Manchester United and fight for the No.1 spot at the club once his loan deal with Trabzonspor expires at the end of the season. The goalkeeper was shipped out on loan after an error-prone time with the Red Devils and is facing an uncertain future. United have since brought in Belgian shot-stopper Senne Lammens, who has impressed between the sticks at Old Trafford.

The anticipation surrounding Neymar’s return to the Brazil setup has reached a fever pitch following Santos' recent exit from the Campeonato Paulista. Despite the heavy scrutiny on the No. 10’s performance during the disappointing loss to Novorizontino, it appears that the result has not altered the long-term blueprint held by the national team’s coaching staff. Carlo Ancelotti is looking towards the future, and for now, that future does not involve a rushed recall for the country's all-time leading goalscorer.

Viktor Gyokeres appears to be finally silencing the doubters at the Emirates Stadium, but his recent scoring spree comes with a price tag for the Arsenal hierarchy. The Swedish marksman was the undisputed star of the show during Sunday's derby match, netting a clinical brace as Mikel Arteta’s side dismantled Tottenham Hotspur 4-1. While the Gunners celebrate a dominant victory over their rivals, accountants in Lisbon are also rubbing their hands in anticipation of a looming financial boost.

Lionesses captain Leah Williamson has warned that she would "never" rule out the potential of strike action in order to get a message across regarding players' concerns over the football schedule. It's been a hot topic in women's and men's football in recent years, one the Arsenal star herself has not shied away from discussing, and she has made her feelings clear about the issue again this week.

Jack Grealish has defended Raheem Sterling after the winger came in for criticism online in the wake of his debut for Feyenoord. Sterling completed a free transfer to the Eredivisie club on February 12 in a bid to get his career back on track after being frozen out at Chelsea. His first competitive appearance in over nine months came in a 2-1 win over Telstar.

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire's retrial for assaulting a police officer and attempted bribery has been rescheduled for March 4 but could be postponed yet again. Maguire was originally arrested in 2020 during a family holiday to Mykonos and handed a 21-month suspended sentence. The conviction was automatically quashed under appeal and there is speculation now it may never get to court.

After all that followed it, it may have been forgotten just how good Vinicius Jr's goal to beat Benfica was last week. The Brazil winger has a fine catalogue for Real Madrid, but this was surely among the best. Vinicius cut inside before using the outline of a defender to shape his shot into the top corner. It was a truly wonderful moment of individual expression - one that absolutely should be celebrated.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) confirmed it's reassessing plans for its upcoming trip to Mexico after recent security alerts issued across multiple regions of the country. Portugal are scheduled to face the Mexico on March 28 as part of the reopening festivities for Estadio Banorte, formerly Estadio Azteca.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in exploring a move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White in the summer transfer window. The Red Devils could look to trigger the £60 million release clause in the England international's contract, which he signed after a transfer saga involving Tottenham Hotspur.

Bodo/Glimt are into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in their history after causing another European upset, eliminating last season's finalists Inter at the knockout round play-off stage 5-2 on aggregate. The Norwegian side led 3-1 from the first leg last week but still had to plenty of work to do at San Siro. However, a gift from Inter defender Manuel Akanji, on loan from Manchester City, helped Bodo into the next phase of the competition with a 2-1 win in Italy.

Newcastle eased into the last 16 of the Champions League as they ran out 3-2 winners over Qarabag on Tuesday to secure a 9-3 aggregate win in their play-off encounter. Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Sven Botman got the on the scoresheet for Eddie Howe's men, who will now face Chelsea or Barcelona in the next round.

Wrexham held off a second-half comeback from Portsmouth to secure a 2-1 win on Tuesday night and retain their place in the Championship play-offs. Headers from Sam Smith and Max Cleworth had given the Red Dragons a firm advantage at the Racecourse Ground, but Zak Swanson's deflected strike caused some nervousness in the home ground. However, Phil Parkinson's side kept their cool to see out the win.

Jamie Carragher has compared Viktor Gyokeres to Alan Shearer in a remarkable U-turn from his previous comments about the Arsenal striker. The Sky Sports pundit had previously hit out at the Sweden international, claiming he isn't as good as some of Mikel Arteta's other options, but Gyokeres' brace in the north London derby on Sunday appears to have changed the former Liverpool defender's mind.

FIFA is monitoring the security situation in Mexico after incidents reported across multiple states in recent hours, according to ESPN. The governing body of world football asked for internal reports detailing the developments, particularly in Guadalajara, Jalisco — one of the host cities for the World Cup and a venue set to stage matches in the intercontinental playoff tournament.

Mic'd Up: The lead commentator for Fox Sports has backed the U.S. to make it to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup - and insists that anything else would be a slight disappointment on home soil.

The agent of John Heitinga, Thomas Frank's former assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur, has criticised the north London club's haphazard thinking after Igor Tudor was given the top job until the end of the season. Spurs are in disarray and fears of relegation only continued to grow with the dismal 4-1 defeat to local rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Johnny Cardoso made sure his first Atletico Madrid goal was an important one as he helped lead his side to a Champions League win on Tuesday. Cardoso's go-ahead goal gave his side the lead, helping them to a win in the second leg of Atleti's clash with Club Brugge.

Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League play-off with Benfica after succumbing to a knee injury in training. Los Blancos host the Portuguese giants at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, with Alvaro Arbeloa's men leading 1-0 from the first leg in Lisbon.

The audio between the referee and video assistant referee during Manchester City's disallowed goal at Liverpool earlier this month has been released. Rayan Cherki thought he had scored to make it 3-1 and cap a memorable victory for the Cityzens, but a scuffle between Dominik Szoboszlai and Erling Haaland saw the goal chalked off and the Hungarian dismissed.

GOAL breaks down the big move and what it means for all of those involved.

Michael Carrick's son was nearly removed by Everton stadium security while waiting for his dad after Manchester United's 1-0 victory on Monday night. The Red Devils secured a late win thanks to Benjamin Sesko's strike at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but Carrick's son Jacey was approached by a guard who asked to see his credentials while waiting for his father.

Chelsea legend John Terry has admitted he wanted to be named the first-team's caretaker manager after the sacking of Enzo Maresca last month, but was overlooked in favour of academy colleague Calum McFarlane. Terry is a consultant for the Blues' Under-18 and Under-21 sides and is close with McFarlane, who instead took charge of two senior games before Liam Rosenior's arrival.

Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni is expected to claim he used homophobic language against Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior after allegedly being called a 'dwarf' by the Brazilian. The first leg of last week's knockout round play-off in the Champions League was marred by claims of racist abuse against the Argentine, whose defence is likely to be rejected.

Matheus Cunha has highlighted Michael Carrick's role in Manchester United's win at Arsenal last month and claimed he 'will never forget' how his side brushed off conceding twice to become the first team this season to beat the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium. The Brazilian scored the decisive goal in the 3-2 win by curling into the top corner in the 87th minute.

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has heaped praise on Kylian Mbappe, describing the Frenchman as a "game-changer" ahead of Tuesday's pivotal Champions League showdown with Benfica. Despite lingering concerns over a knee injury that has hampered the forward since December, Arbeloa was quick to dismiss any doubts regarding the player's fitness or his suitability in a central role.

Former Manchester United forward Antony appeared to collapse in tears after missing a late chance in Real Betis' recent draw with Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. The Brazilian winger, who never established himself at Old Trafford after a £86 million transfer from Dutch giants Ajax, was consoled by his team-mates and the club's sporting director as the full-time whistle blew to signal the end of a 1-1 draw.