Carioca Preliminary Overview

The former England and West Ham goalkeeper will be on co-comms for the Champions League final, and he made his predictions clear in an interview with GOAL

Arsenal are understandably keen to see Mikel Arteta agree to an extension of his contract, but could a Premier League and Champions League double lead the Spanish tactician to reassess his options? Domestic dominance has been restored in north London, with a historic European triumph up for grabs, and Ray Parlour has told GOAL what he expects the future to hold for a manager that has already spent six years in his current post.

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders one year on.

Italian icon Andrea Pirlo has leaped into the defense of Mikel Arteta's tactical approach, insisting the Arsenal manager has cultivated a unique identity that goes far beyond simple physical football. As the Gunners prepare for a historic Champions League final showdown against Paris Saint-Germain, the former AC Milan and Juventus midfield maestro dismissed suggestions that the North London side rely too heavily on set-pieces.