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Losing Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona in the summer of 2022 was a bitter blow for Bayern Munich. The Pole had scored 344 goals in just 375 appearances for the club, after all. Replacing him was never going to be easy, but it ended up taking Bayern more than a year to find a worthy successor, as Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting rather unsurprisingly didn't exactly prove himself up to the task.

Gary Neville thought taking the Valencia job in December 2015 would begin his route to eventually becoming England manager; instead, his four-month stint in Spain drained his confidence, made him ill and put him off coaching for life. Neville's was a shock appointment as the former Manchester United defender took over one of the biggest clubs in La Liga despite having no club coaching experience, little knowledge of Spanish football and no grasp of the language.

When Manchester City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma, most of the reaction focused on his ability, or lack thereof, with the ball at his feet, in sharp contrast to the man he was replacing, Ederson. But nearly three months into his spell with City, the Italian is struggling with a different challenge: the Premier League’s attitude to pushing in the box.

Saturday's 4-0 rout of Athletic Club was a very meaningful match for Barcelona - and not just because it marked the Blaugrana's belated return to Camp Nou. Indeed, the Catalans winning without conceding a goal was arguably of far greater significance than the long-awaited reopening of their beloved home ground, as it was their first clean sheet for nine games in all competitions. Not since the facile 3-0 win over Getafe on September 21 had Barca shut out an opponent.

Messi produced 12 goal involvements in the playoffs already, and Miami’s defensive improvement could be the difference-maker on the road to potentially winning MLS Cup.

Manchester United were deservedly booed off the pitch as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to an Everton side who played the vast majority of the game with 10 men. Idrissa Gueye's bizarre sending off for snapping at his team-mate Michael Keane gave United the perfect advantage but they completely blew it, falling behind to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's stunning long-range hit then failing to react.

GOAL sat down with the Real Salt Lake star to talk personal growth, awards, and why 2026 might be even better than 2025.

Was this Trinity Rodman’s last match for the Spirit - and is Gotham’s quiet confidence about to reshape the league? Here’s what comes next for both finalists after a dramatic NWSL final.

With just under 20 minutes to go in the first Clasico of the current campaign at Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso made a double substitution with his side 2-1 up on Barcelona. Federico Valverde accepted his withdrawal with good grace; Vinicius Jr did not. Five times he incredulously asked "Me?!", to the understandable bewilderment of his manager. "Come on, Vini, damn it!," Alonso pleaded. But there was no calming the winger down.

Arne Slot is not only facing an uphill battle to save Liverpool's season, but also his job. That is a sentence no Liverpool supporter would have imagined reading barely six months on from seeing the Dutchman deliver the club's second Premier League title, and yet it is no exaggeration. The Reds have plummeted to 11th in the table after losing six of their first 12 games in the 2025-26 campaign, which leaves them a whopping 11 points behind early pace-setters Arsenal already.

GOAL brings you the lowdown on how British players are doing away from home, with many footballers now taking their talents abroad in search of prosperity. Despite the riches and the glamour of the Premier League, it's far from the be all and end all. You can still carve out a fantastic career even while out of the intense spotlight of the English media.

While the November international break was one for the ages as teams around the globe kept their World Cup dreams alive in dramatic circumstances, the return of club football marks a magic time in the calendars of many fans, as it means we are now at the beginning of four uninterrupted months of club action. This is when narratives truly take form, with teams able to build momentum and set off on potentially season-defining runs.

Lionel Messi is one step closer to lifting his first MLS Cup after scoring once and assisting three to power Inter Miami past FC Cincinnati in a dominant 4-0 win that booked their place in the Eastern Conference finals. The Argentine was outstanding throughout, while Tadeo Allende added a brace as Miami snapped a three-year winless run at TQL Stadium.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including a return to form for Tillman and Pulisic doing what he does best.

Jude Bellingham scored and assisted but Real Madrid otherwise struggled against a resolute Elche in a disappointing 2-2 draw. Los Blancos will take heart from overturning a deficit, but were admittedly sloppy for long stretches against a side they are expected to beat.

Eberechi Eze's brilliant hat-trick secured Arsenal bragging rights in the north London derby as Mikel Arteta's men romped to a 4-1 win over a sorry Tottenham side on Sunday. Leandro Trossard got the ball rolling for the Gunners before an Eze double either side of half-time put the hosts in control. Richarlison's wonder strike gave Spurs some hope, but another classy finish from Eze ensured Arsenal went six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

When Manchester United meet Everton on Monday it will be exactly one year since Ruben Amorim took charge of his first game against Ipswich Town. It has been a highly eventful and not always happy 12 months featuring explosions of anger, fall-outs with players and many defeats. Many people, including the man himself, thought he might not even end up completing a year in the job.

Phil Foden and Erling Haaland each missed a pair of sitters as Manchester City fell to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United which threatens to derail their Premier League title charge. City's two big-game players froze at St James' Park and Harvey Barnes grabbed the headlines instead, giving Newcastle the lead and then snatching the winner after Ruben Dias' deflected equaliser.

Barcelona enjoyed a successful return to the Camp Nou, as they dispatched Athletic Club 3-0 in their first game at their spiritual home in almost three years. A Ferran Torres brace and goals from Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez gave Hansi Flick's side a comfortable victory. The visitors' job was made harder when Oihan Sanchet was given his marching orders for a horrendous challenge on Lopez.

Liverpool's nightmare defence of their Premier League title took a turn for the worse on Saturday as Nottingham Forest ripped the Reds apart at Anfield. In a game that saw more than one moment of VAR controversy, Forest struck three times, courtesy of efforts from Murillo, Nicolo Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White, to leave a shellshocked Arne Slot potentially fearing for his job.

Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored in either half as Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor. Enzo Maresca’s Blues moved up to second in the table with a performance which saw Andrey Santos shine in place of Moises Caicedo, who was rested ahead of Tuesday’s mouth-watering Champions League clash with Barcelona.

With everything on the line, here's how the Spirit can top the Gotham FC for the 2025 NWSL Championship.

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT just delivered its best camp yet - but the emergence of new standouts has created a real selection dilemma ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

With Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic playing in big games, and others hoping to establish themselves again, it should be a captivating week

The Conference semifinals are set to serve up plenty of drama this weekend, with Inter Miami hoping to stay alive.

Christian Pulisic has delivered in big moments for club and country - and with the Milan derby looming, the USMNT star looks poised for another signature performance.

Barcelona's famed La Masia academy has long been the envy of every other top club in Europe, and for good reason. It has forged dozens of legends over the last 46 years, from Pep Guardiola and Albert Ferrer, to Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and a certain Lionel Messi. Every generation produces multiple superstars, with Lamine Yamal leading the current crop after bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old.

It would have been easy to miss amid all of the excitement generated during arguably the most dramatic international break of all time - but some very big transfer news broke earlier this week. According to the very reliable David Ornstein, Antoine Semenyo has a £65 million ($85m) release clause in his Bournemouth contract that can be triggered during the first two weeks of the winter window.

Following his mid-season arrival at Manchester City, Nico Gonzalez went through the strange experience of being hailed as an oven-ready replacement for Rodri during his first week at the Etihad Stadium, only to then be ignored by Pep Guardiola during the most important stretch of the campaign. Any fears, however, that he would become an expensive flop have since disappeared, with Gonzalez having stepped back in to anchor City's resurgence as they emerge as Arsenal’s main rivals in the Premier League title race.