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A stunning brace from Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga's header helped Real Madrid pick up a crucial 3-0 win over Athletic Club on Wednesday. Pressure had been building on manager Xabi Alonso, but his players turned up at San Mames, with Trent Alexander-Arnold picking up his first assist of the season.

Mic’d Up: The former USMNT midfielder breaks down the team’s revival, Pochettino’s culture reset and what he expects from next summer’s World Cup.

England's incredibly memorable 2025 is now in the books after the Lionesses closed out their 'homecoming' series on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Ghana. Sarina Wiegman's side have been taking their European Championship trophy around the country over the last couple of months, showing off the silverware while entertaining the fans who celebrated its return home as excitedly as the players themselves. They've certainly done the latter as of late, bouncing back from defeat to Brazil to finish the year with three successive wins.

Not a single Real Madrid player spoke to the media on Sunday night. They don't have to, of course, but after Los Blancos drew 1-1 with struggling Girona, every single squad member walked through the mixed zone without acknowledging the awaiting press. It was emblematic of a shift at the club, the good vibes within this great institution falling apart.

Not since David and Victoria Beckham began their relationship in the late 1990s had there been a football couple as high profile as Gerard Pique and Shakira when they got together in 2010. Defender Pique was a key cog in Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Barcelona side of the late noughties and early 2010s, while Shakira had been a global pop sensation since the release of hit single 'Hips Don't Lie' in 2005. This was the kind of story the tabloids thrive off - and even more so when it goes badly wrong.

Several players showed up for the pair of friendlies vs. Italy, led by Cat Macario's three goals, Jaedyn Shaw's first goal on the year, and a two-game shutout from Claudia Dickey.

With FA president Gilbert Martina - once a fish farm investor and health-care CEO - at the helm, Curacao have risen fast. GOAL explores how a near-impossible dream came true.

Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 at the Camp Nou on Tuesday evening, as they came from behind, and shrugged off a missed Robert Lewandowski penalty, to record a vital three points. Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres all found the net, after Alex Baena had fired Atletico into an early lead.

Erling Haaland brought up a century of Premier League goals and Phil Foden continued his impressive scoring streak in a hugely entertaining 5-4 win for Manchester City over Fulham. But Pep Guardiola's side will be hugely concerned about his side's defending as they conceded three goals and almost threw away a victory for the second time in four days.

Lucia Kendall's fairytale goal helped the Lionesses see off Ghana on Tuesday night, with one of England's most exciting young prospects scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win and doing so at St Mary's Stadium, home of the Southampton side she represented for 10 memorable years. It was with the Saints that Kendall broke into senior football and when she made her international debut in October, she became the club's first ever Lioness, so it was fitting that she would find the back of the net on her return to a special venue.

GOAL takes a look at which American players are playing the best heading into the final weeks of 2025.

Brentford have a remarkable record when it comes to replacing their star players. Over the last six years, the Bees have continued to progress despite seeing the likes of Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma, Neal Maupay, David Raya and Ivan Toney all move on, thanks to the meticulous work of the club's recruitment department. Their latest success story is Brazilian powerhouse Igor Thiago, who has emerged as a genuine rival to Erling Haaland for the Premier League's Golden Boot during the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.

'Baby Lukaku'. That is the nickname, coined by Romelu Lukaku's former team-mate Kevin Mirallas, that Belgian journalists love to use when they write about Promise David. It's easy to see why, too, with the Union Saint-Gilloise striker one of European football's most unsung talents, a true Hidden Gem.

It's hard to overstate the degree to which Chloe Kelly captured the attention of a nation this past summer. Her pivotal performances in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the 2025 European Championship helped drive England on to a second successive continental crown while also catapulting her name into the limelight like never before, even surpassing the levels achieved after her extra-time goal won Euro 2022. Yet, fans tuning into the Women's Super League this season hoping to see Kelly's magic in action for Arsenal, will have been disappointed.

Pep Guardiola once described Tottenham as 'the Harry Kane team', but amid Manchester City's ridiculous reliance on their own superstar striker this season, it has been suggested that his side could be renamed 'the Erling Haaland team'. But after Phil Foden pulled off a miraculous escape act against Leeds United on Saturday, a fairer description might be 'the Haaland AND Foden team'.

Cat Macario shined, Jaedyn Shaw delivered a statement, and Emma Hayes couldn’t stop smiling as the USWNT capped 2025 with another dominant win over Italy.

Cat Macario and Jaedyn Shaw put on a show to help secure a win in the USWNT's final match of 2025.