Soham Mukherjee

Top bosses of the Portuguese football federation have reportedly begun assembling an urgent appeal to FIFA in an attempt to cut down Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-match suspension, a punishment that currently threatens to rule the 40-year-old out of the opening fixtures of what would be his sixth World Cup next summer. He was dismissed during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday after he was shown a straight red card after VAR adjudged that he had elbowed Irish defender Dara O’Shea.

Chelsea have been handed a sizeable boost after Jamie Gittens received medical clearance to remain with England’s Under-21 squad, easing concerns that the winger had suffered a serious setback during Friday’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland. The £48.5 million summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund had the alarm bells ringing at Stamford Bridge when he hobbled off midway through the second half at St. Andrew’s.

Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz admitted he would love to make a switch to Manchester United despite playing for their Premier League rivals. The 29-year-old has been nothing short of transformative since arriving at Selhurst Park from Genk in January 2024. His first full season in England saw him score six goals and provide eight assists in all competitions. It was a level of productivity that caught the attention of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and several elite clubs across the continent.

Ex-Everton and Real Madrid player Royston Drenthe is in an "intensive rehabilitation process" as he recovers from a stroke that he suffered in October. The 38-year-old was hospitalised last month and has since entered a crucial phase of his recovery.

Arsenal star Leandro Trossard's former coach can hardly believe his "evolution" as he often "sulked" at Genk. With Gabriel Martinelli sidelined by a groin problem, the Belgian has seized the left flank with such conviction that his spot now feels untouchable. Inside the club, the coaching staff routinely describes him as a level-headed individual, who can block outside criticism and work by keeping his head down.

Germany survived an unsettling evening in Luxembourg as a Nick Woltemade brace proved decisive in a match that will raise far more questions than it answers for Julian Nagelsmann. A 2-0 win was ultimately enough to keep Germany on track in their qualifying campaign for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, but the performance itself was scattered, lethargic and lacking cohesion.

Newcastle are ready to put up a fight with Real Madrid as the Magpies eye AZ Alkmaar wonderkid Kees Smit. The 19-year-old is already being viewed as one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Netherlands in recent years and has attracted attention from many of Europe’s elite. However, Newcastle believe they can push themselves into contention for his signature.

Danny Welbeck has been backed to mentor Benjamin Sesko as the forward is sensationally linked with a return to Manchester United. The striker might be approaching his 35th birthday, but he has been backed to retrace his steps to the Old Trafford dressing room, where he will find a struggling 22-year-old Slovenian desperate to find his feet in the English top-flight.

Chelsea star Axel Disasi, who was long relegated to the club’s infamous "bomb squad", was reportedly spotted training with the first team despite Enzo Maresca repeatedly insisting there is "no way back" for the French defender. The 27-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, has been frozen out since the summer. But fresh images from Cobham appear to show Disasi back among the first team players as he was spotted sprinting after Liam Delap in a drill, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Luis Rubiales was pelted by eggs during his own book launch on Thursday, which is titled "Matar a Rubiales" (Killing Rubiales). Rubiales’ attempt to relaunch his public image descended into complete chaos as he confirmed afterwards it was his own uncle who turned up and hurled eggs at the former Royal Spanish Football Federation president in front of cameras.

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Arsenal star Declan Rice are among the 11 nominees for the FIFA 2025 Puskas Award. The global honour recognising the most breathtaking goal of the year kicked off on Thursday as FIFA revealed the shortlists for both the men’s and women’s prizes. The award, named after Real Madrid icon Ferenc Puskas, recognises the finest goal scored between 11 August 2024 and 2 August 2025, and this year’s competition is stacked with elite talent.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has moved swiftly to shut down claims that he urged Endrick to leave Real Madrid in the upcoming transfer window, insisting he never told the young striker that a loan move was necessary to secure a place with the Selecao at the 2026 World Cup. The 19-year-old sensation is on the brink of sealing a January loan switch to Lyon as Los Blancos have reportedly thrashed out a deal with the Ligue 1 outfit.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has finally lifted the lid on an "unlucky" reason for Jadon Sancho's struggles as they began long before supporters ever saw him misfire on the pitch. It is the first time that the former manager has publicly disclosed the details of his early sufferings, as Sancho, who was billed to become the next big thing at United, faded to the fringes after a slow and painful unravelling.

Manchester United remain unbeaten in their last five Premier League games under Ruben Amorim, but the Red Devils have been told they are no better by a former Chelsea star who has delivered a savage verdict on their resurgence. The Portuguese coach marked his one-year anniversary at Old Trafford this month, but not everyone is celebrating, as former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has poured cold water on United’s apparent revival, insisting that, despite the recent upturn in results, the ship is still not in steady waters.

Lionel Messi was stunned to find 20,000 fans pack the Elche stands to watch him train with Argentina. It was meant to be a simple training session ahead of the Albiceleste's friendly against Angola, but it turned into a football festival unlike anything the Spanish city had ever seen. The Inter Miami star was also handed a special Elche shirt with his name and number on the back to commemorate the occasion.

Neymar has been reportedly offered an escape route from Santos as a Brazilian club is looking to beat Lionel Messi's Inter Miami to unite him with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea legend Thiago Silva. The 32-year-old’s time at Santos appears to be winding down, and potential suitors are already lining up for the former Barcelona forward's signature.

Ross Barkley has revealed his struggles with alcohol and also opened up on Frank Lampard's punishment after a night out before a match during his Chelsea stint. He was once tipped to be English football’s next big superstar as he showed promise in his early days that drew comparisons to the greats. However, he never quite reached his potential, and behind the scenes, he was battling problems with drinking.

Cristiano Ronaldo has surprisingly called on Irish fans to boo him as the Portugal superstar is ready for a hostile reception during the World Cup qualifying clash in Dublin. The talismanic forward has never shied away from pressure, and this time, he was asking for it as Portugal gear up to seal World Cup qualification against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.