Analysis

First Ruben Amorim came for Marcus Rashford but Manchester United fans did not speak out because they had also questioned his commitment and performances. Then he came for Alejandro Garnacho and still they did not speak out as the winger’s attitude had become unbearable. But then he came for Kobbie Mainoo and there was total uproar, enough to finally push the patient supporters over the edge.

With Christmas approaching, there are still two winless teams in Europe's 'Big 5' leagues. That one of them is Wolves is arguably unsurprising. The Fosun International-owned Premier League club sold two of their best players during the summer and squandered the proceeds on sub-standard signings. However, the fact that Fiorentina have yet to win a single game in Serie A is shocking.

Brazil are short in key areas, while Belgium's golden generation has been and gone - but they're not the only ones who might struggle

Rennes are no strangers to producing some of the best players around, and Mohamed Kader Meite looks primed to become the next elite talent to step off the conveyor belt after the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Eduardo Camavinga. Still just 18, the towering striker is already said to be turning heads across Europe.

For a long time, it has felt like Chelsea's dominance of the Women's Super League would never end. Since the Blues were crowned champions of England for a third time back on June 5, 2020, they have yet to relinquish their crown, spending over 2000 days as the holders of the trophy thanks to six successive triumphs. This season, however, it looks like their incredible run could finally be stopped.

The 2019-20 season was one of pure jubilation for Leeds United as Marcelo Bielsa's side ended the club's 16-year exile from the Premier League in style, storming to the Championship title by 10 points ahead of second-placed West Brom. Leeds earned widespread praise for their free-flowing brand of football along the way, with key players such as Patrick Bamford, Ben White, Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dallas all becoming modern-day icons in the eyes of supporters.

Mic'd Up: The Apple TV analyst breaks down Inter Miami’s MLS Cup win, explains why Messi still decides everything, backs MLS’s move to a fall-spring calendar, and tips LA Galaxy to rebound in 2026.

Pulisic is flying, Pepi keeps scoring, and Balogun is rolling again - while one USMNT midfielder may need a January reset. GOAL dives into Americans Abroad in this week’s Rondo.

In a bombshell seven-and-a-half-minute interview after Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds United last weekend, Mohamed Salah accused the club of throwing him "under the bus" and claimed he no longer has any relationship with head coach Arne Slot. The 'Egyptian King', who has scored 250 goals for Liverpool over the last eight years and was the driving force behind the 2024-25 Premier League title success under Slot, didn't see a single minute of action at Elland Road after being named on the bench for the third game in a row, and decided to go public with his grievances.

Everything was looking rosy for Xabi Alonso after a thumping 4-0 home win over Valencia on November 1, which was Real Madrid's 13th victory out of 14 games across all competitions in the first few months of the season. Los Blancos were top of La Liga by five points ahead of Clasico rivals Barcelona, who they beat 2-1 at the Bernabeu seven days earlier, and they'd racked up nine points out of a possible nine in the Champions League, with Juventus among their victims.

There was good enough reason for everyone at Chelsea to feel positive about their prospects this season as November rolled into December. Enzo Maresca had just led his young side to a seismic 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League, while they held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a credible 1-1 draw days later despite playing much of the match with one fewer player after Moises Caicedo's red card.

GOAL sat down with the American defender to discuss the gut punches, the photos that mean everything to him, and what it means to enjoy life even when it isn’t perfect.

Messi has lifted the trophy, but the real work starts now. Miami have decisions to make, Philadelphia's prodigy Cavan Sullivan is waiting for his chance, and every contender is hunting the right signing before February.

Millie Bright had one of the best seasons of her career in 2024-25. Sporting the captain's armband, the Chelsea star guided the club to an incredible domestic treble in which they didn't lose a single game in the Women's Super League, FA Cup or League Cup, lifting all three trophies and breaking plenty of records along the way. In the last few weeks, though, as the Blues have endured a surprising run of just one win in five games, the former Lionesses defender has found herself on the outside looking in.

As a Real Madrid stalwart who was fiercely loyal to Jose Mourinho, Xabi Alonso did not seem like an obvious signing for Pep Guardiola, and yet the pair got on famously during their two years together at Bayern Munich. Alonso’s experience helped Guardiola win two Bundesliga titles while the veteran player sought to tap into the Catalan’s knowledge as he prepared for his own career on the touchline.

The Argentine deserved his second straight MVP award, but might face more competition for the honor next year - and Miami, too, could feel the heat

Things haven't been easy for Manchester United as of late. The Red Devils went into Sunday's clash with West Ham having lost three of their last four games in all competitions, a run that has seen them fall well behind the pace in the Women's Super League title race and weakened their incredibly strong position in the Champions League, ahead of two very tough final games in the league phase, starting with the hosting of eight-time winners Lyon on Wednesday. The return of Phallon Tullis-Joyce, then, could not have been better timed.

Fifteen years ago, Manchester City were so enamoured with the all-conquering Barcelona that they sought to replicate the same structure. They began by hiring chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain, before eventually landing Pep Guardiola to manage the team. All that was missing was Lionel Messi - though they nearly signed the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner at the very start of the Abu Dhabi-led project by mistake!

It's not every day that this version of Arsenal lose. In fact, Saturday's late 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa was just their second defeat of the 2025-26 season, following on from August's 1-0 loss at Liverpool, a result which hasn't aged well at all in glorious hindsight. There's still, however, a feeling that the Gunners are under increasing pressure to deliver this season more than any before under Mikel Arteta.

The World Cup draw, which is supposed to be a celebration of soccer, instead turned into a tribute to Donald Trump

Inter Miami claimed MLS Cup, but will face an offseason of uncertainty with a number of key players surely on the way out in the coming months.

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.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, headlined by a goals from two strikers and an assist from a player fighting for a role next summer

Lionel Messi finally got his MLS Cup with Inter Miami, but the Herons will face an offseason full of change as they look to defend the trophy

The World Cup draw yielded a number of fascinating groups - and the hype for the 2026 tournament can truly build

The winger, who has been a steady contributor for the MLS Cup hopefuls, talked to GOAL about his impressive season since returning to North America

MLS's dream contest should yield plenty of storylines, and seems finely-poised to be a highly watchable fixture between two well-matched teams

The draw delivered clarity, confidence and a challenge. Now Pochettino and his players know the route - and, inspired by Herb Brooks and the Miracle on Ice, they’re daring to dream big.

This Sunday’s Women’s Super League clash between Brighton and London City Lionesses should have produced an enticing showdown between two of England’s most exciting young strikers, with Euro 2025 hero Michelle Agyemang in the Seagulls’ corner and rising star Isobel Goodwin representing the newly-promoted big spenders.