Lists

Minnesota United have named Cam Knowles as their new head coach, opting for continuity as Eric Ramsay prepares to return to Europe to take over West Brom. With preseason set to begin, the Loons moved quickly to reward a trusted figure within the club and maintain stability after a successful MLS campaign. Knowles has been in MLS for two decades as a player and coach.

Macclesfield FC will welcome the Premier League's Brentford to their Moss Rose home in the next round of the 2025-26 FA Cup after the fourth round draw handed the non-league side another glamorous tie against top flight opposition. The Silkmen sensationally beat holders Crystal Palace in the third round to complete one of the greatest FA Cup shocks of all-time.

Macclesfield boss John Rooney is hoping to upset more Premier League opposition after dumping FA Cup holders Crystal Palace out of the competition. The non-league side produced arguably the biggest upset in FA Cup history with their 2-1 win over Oliver Glasner's team at the weekend. The National League North club are 117 places below the Eagles but were more than a match for them, and now Wayne Rooney's brother wants another eye-catching tie in the fourth round.

Real Madrid have announced the departure of manager Xabi Alonso following their Spanish Super Cup final loss to rivals Barcelona. Speculation has not gone away about the ex-midfielder's position at Los Blancos, with reports suggesting the 44-year-old is not an entirely popular figure among the dressing room. Now, Madrid state Alonso has left by "mutual consent".

Manchester United are tipped to name Michael Carrick as the club's new interim manager by Wednesday, having spent recent days weighing up who to appoint to lead the team until the end of the season in the wake of Ruben Amorim's sacking. Fellow ex-players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Darren Fletcher were also under consideration but now seem to have missed out.

With MLS preseason approaching, GOAL U.S. writers debate the league’s biggest offseason winners - and whether Josh Sargent should make the move to Toronto FC.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has issued a public apology to Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and club president Florentino Perez following a heated touchline altercation during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, admitting his behaviour "was not appropriate" while stopping short of asking for forgiveness.

Joao Cancelo has been spotted arriving in Barcelona ahead of a loan move from Al Hilal. The Portugal international spent the 2023-24 season with the Catalan outfit after falling out of favour at Manchester City. More than two years later, the experienced full-back is temporarily pausing his time in the Middle East to head back to the defending La Liga champions.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has formally opened disciplinary proceedings following a series of ugly incidents that marred the quarter-final stages of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Officials have confirmed that investigations are underway regarding "unacceptable behaviour" from players and staff during the high-profile clashes involving the hosts, Cameroon, Algeria and Nigeria.

Eddie Howe has taken aim at a rule change allowing Manchester City’s £65 million signing Antoine Semenyo to face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. The forward played for Bournemouth earlier in the tournament, but new regulations have scrapped ‘cup-tied’ rules. It leaves Howe rueing his luck as he battles a severe defensive injury crisis ahead of the semi-final first leg at St James' Park.

Harry Kane remains an almost unstoppable force for Bayern Munich, with remarkable individual standards being maintained by the prolific striker. The England captain scored another stunning goal for the German title holders as they crushed Wolfsburg 8-1 last time out. That effort took him to 20 league goals for the season and saw a Bundesliga record matched that has stood for almost 60 years.

The toxic atmosphere engulfing Manchester United reached a new nadir on Sunday as director of football Jason Wilcox was subjected to a barrage of boos and abuse from furious supporters upon his arrival at Old Trafford, foreshadowing a disastrous afternoon that saw the Red Devils crash out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle for the first time in over a decade.

Lucas Paqueta asked not to be selected by West Ham in their FA Cup clash with Queens Park Rangers and is reportedly pushing for a transfer away from the Premier League club. The Brazilian playmaker is said to still be feeling "disillusioned" after the spot-betting scandal that dominated two years of his life, and he is now ready to leave England and head home.

Manchester City are pushing to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi immediately, opting not to wait for his contract to expire in the summer. Pep Guardiola’s side have opened talks and are ready to meet the £35 million valuation to fend off heavy interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid. The champions are moving quickly to capitalise on the defender’s situation following a chaotic weekend for the Eagles.

Vinicius Junior’s moment of magic for Real Madrid in their Super Cup clash with Clasico rivals Barcelona counted for little in the grand scheme of things, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat, but it did see him match a notable record. The Brazilian forward now sits level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Ferenc Puskas when it comes to goal contributions in major finals.

Manchester United’s turbulent season has taken yet another dramatic twist with the sacking of Ruben Amorim, a decision that has inadvertently handed a massive lifeline to Kobbie Mainoo just as the midfielder appeared destined for a January exit. As the dust settles on Amorim’s departure, club legend Dwight Yorke has issued a stark warning to the young midfielder, urging him to reject any potential loan moves and prove his worth at Old Trafford.

Arne Slot has vowed that he will not be making the same mistake twice at Liverpool, with the Reds boss taking valuable lessons from an FA Cup giant-killing in 2025. Some 12 months ago, the then-runaway Premier League leaders suffered a humbling third-round defeat to Plymouth - who were bottom of the Championship at the time. They are now preparing to face Barnsley in 2026 and will avoid any sweeping changes.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

Real Madrid’s stance when it comes to the future of under-fire manager Xabi Alonso has been revealed. The World Cup-winning former Los Blancos midfielder only returned to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2025 as he succeeded legendary Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. He has endured a baptism of fire in the Spanish capital, leading to inevitable sack speculation being generated.

Arsenal have confirmed that club legend Per Mertesacker will step down as academy manager at the end of the current campaign. The former captain, who has overseen the club's youth development for eight years since retiring in 2018, leaves a lasting legacy and will assist with a seamless transition before departing to explore new challenges elsewhere.

On the weekend that the Bundesliga returned after its winter hiatus and two of Serie A's top three met in a crucial clash in the fight for the Scudetto, much of Europe was focused on cup competitions of varying degrees of importance. England and France played host to the latest rounds of their domestic tournaments while Spain and Turkey followed France's lead from earlier in the week in crowning their Super Cup champions.

Manchester United wonderkid Shea Lacey has apologised for the petulant red card that he picked up in an FA Cup clash with Brighton. The talented teenager feels as though he "let everybody down" when being dismissed towards the end of a forgettable 2-1 defeat for the Red Devils that has seen them hit a 111-year low. Lacey picked up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes.

Joan Laporta has launched a scathing critique of Kylian Mbappe following the Real Madrid star's controversial refusal to engage in a guard of honour after the Spanish Super Cup final. The Barcelona president branded the Frenchman's decision to urge his team-mates to leave the pitch as "surprising" and lacking in sportsmanship, suggesting the dramatic 3-2 defeat in Saudi Arabia left Los Blancos "really upset" as they came to terms with their rivals' superiority.

Manchester United legend Nani delivered his trademark celebration after finding the back of the net during a Baller League UK appearance. The former Portugal international, who once played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for club and country, was back in England for an outing in six-a-side competition. He showed that he has lost none of his finishing ability, or acrobatic prowess.

Marcus Rashford has poured cold water on speculation linking him with a shock return to Manchester United following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, insisting his focus remains firmly on winning more silverware with Barcelona. The England international, who lifted his first trophy for the Catalan giants on Sunday night, admitted he "hopes not" to see his time in Spain cut short as he revels in a "perfect" new lease of life.

Lamine Yamal chose to brutally snub Real Madrid’s players when Barcelona lined up for a guard of honour at the end of their Spanish Super Cup win over Clasico rivals. The Blaugrana prevailed 3-2 in a thrilling encounter that was staged in Saudi Arabia, with Hansi Flick’s side getting their hands on major silverware. Yamal was reluctant to give any credit to Los Blancos at the final whistle.

Endrick admits to having his “smile back” after enjoying a dream debut for Lyon. The Brazil international, who joined Real Madrid as a teenage wonderkid in 2024, has endured a tough time of late. Regular game time proved hard to come by with La Liga giants, leading to a loan move being sanctioned at the start of 2026. Endrick made his Lyon bow in style when opening his goal account in a cup clash with Lille.

Real Madrid’s misery in Saudi Arabia was compounded by a moment of viral humiliation for Arda Guler, who was left red-faced after a furious attempt to kick a water bottle backfired spectacularly following the 3-2 Supercopa de Espana defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona. The Turkish playmaker, who had endured a difficult cameo off the bench, became the subject of social media ridicule as footage emerged of him slipping and landing on his back while his opponents celebrated their trophy triumph.

Danny Welbeck has joked that revealing the secrets behind his incredible longevity might attract the attention of "drug testers" after he returned to haunt Manchester United once again. The 35-year-old striker rolled back the years to score a stunner as Brighton dumped his former club out of the FA Cup, sparking fresh talk of a shock England World Cup recall.