The latest round of action across Europe's elite leagues saw Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Porto maintain their winning starts to the 2025-26 season. However, while everyone expects Bayern to run away with the Bundesliga, Barca are hot on the heels of Madrid in La Liga, while Porto are presently processing the news that the most famous manager in the club's history has just taken charge of their hated rivals Benfica.
Say what you will about the merits of the Ballon d'Or, but last year's ceremony was undeniably dramatic. The event organisers, France Football, have always insisted that "no player or club knows who has won the Ballon d'Or" before the victor is announced on stage - but Real Madrid refused to even turn up after learning hours in advance that Rodri had beaten Vinicius Jr to the men's prize.
If you thought the days of the Ballon d'Or generating headlines were over after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's era of dominance came to an end, then think again. After one of the most closely-fought races for a number of years, Rodri came out on top in 2024, beating Vinicius Jr into second place as Real Madrid dramatically boycotted the ceremony in Paris in protest at their star player missing out.
Marseille's crunch clash with Paris Saint-Germain has been rescheduled for the same night as the Ballon d'Or ceremony after this weekend's Ligue 1 game was postponed due to heavy rainfall. PSG's Ousmane Dembele is one of the favourites to lift this year's Golden Ball but due to this fixture change, the France international may not be able to attend the prestigious event.
The Classique clash between French giants Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain has been called off and postponed due to heavy rainfall. The much-awaited Ligue 1 fixture, featuring top stars like Mason Greenwood and Ousmane Dembele, was supposed to be held at the Velodrome on Sunday evening, but it has now been postponed to a later date due to severe weather conditions.
Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi expects Mason Greenwood to become a "complete" footballer like the "greatest players in Europe". The Italian has pushed the forward hard since arriving at the French side last summer and it is clear he has high hopes for him. The head coach also wants him to learn from the likes of elite players such as Kylian Mbappe and Raphinha.
U.S. legend Tony Meola voiced concern over Yunus Musah’s recent form, calling it part of a troubling decline dating back to his final year at AC Milan. Meola urged the midfielder to change course, regain confidence and aim to develop on his potential. Musah struggled mightily in Atlanta's 4-0 defeat by PSG in a midweek Champions League match.
Manchester United legend Bryan Robson believes Paul Pogba struggled at Old Trafford because he “forgot about football” and cared more about his social media presence. The midfielder joined the Red Devils from Juventus for a then-world record fee of £89 million (€105m/$120m) in 2016 but found it difficult to live up to the fanfare which surrounded his eye-catching return to the Theatre of Dreams.
Mason Greenwood’s stunning form at Marseille has convinced Roberto De Zerbi that the forward can become one of Europe’s very best. After a 21-goal debut Ligue 1 campaign, Greenwood has already added goals and assists this season, including an eye-catching display against Real Madrid. Now, all eyes turn to his test against Paris Saint-Germain.
Strasbourg president Marc Keller has come out swinging after furious supporters turned on him and club captain Emanuel Emegha in the wake of the striker’s confirmed transfer to Chelsea. The fallout reached boiling point when fan groups unfurled hostile banners aimed at both men, sparking a fiery response from Keller during an emergency press conference on Thursday.
Luis Enrique has discovered a new tactical perspective by watching Paris Saint-Germain matches from the stands, first against Lens and then in the Champions League win over Atalanta. The Spaniard adopted the change after taking inspiration from rugby coaches and argues the vantage point offers clearer insights. However, he insists he will ditch this approach and not “play with fire” in Sunday’s heated clash with Marseille.
Monaco's Champions League journey began in chaos after their flight to Bruges descended into scenes straight out of a comedy sketch. With the air conditioning system completely out, Paul Pogba's teammates were forced to take off their clothes and sit in nothing but underwear as the cabin transformed into a sweltering sauna.
Samuel Umtiti has officially retired at just 31, bringing an end to a career that promised so much but was derailed by chronic knee injuries. The 2018 World Cup winner enjoyed highs with Lyon, Barcelona and France, but is now ready to take on a new challenge. Umtiti revealed his "ultimate goal" is to move into coaching, saying he has already started preparing for life on the touchline.
Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia shed light on the departure of Adrien Rabiot, who joined Serie A giants AC Milan, following the Frenchman's brawl with ex-teammate Jonathan Rowe. Benatia expressed his regret over the midfielder's exit, revealing that he tried to build the bridges again, but also pointed fingers at the player's family for complicating things further.
Manchester United minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is expected to put Ligue 1 club Nice up for sale at a price of around €200 million (£174m/$237m). An official announcement is expected from INEOS shortly, as Ratcliffe is said to finally be ready to give up his stake with the French team that he originally acquired back in 2019 for approximately £89 million (€100 million).
Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos has thrown his full support behind new goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, who replaces Gianluigi Donnarumma following his move to Manchester City. The Brazilian defender hailed the 23-year-old’s personality, quick adaptation and potential to reach the pinnacle of the game as PSG prepare to begin their Champions League title defence against Atalanta.
Luis Enrique believes Paris Saint-Germain's first-ever Champions League triumph has lifted a weight off the squad, insisting it will be “easier” to win again this season. The Spaniard hailed his players for breaking through mental barriers last term, as Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi powered the club to a historic treble.
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Luis Campos has poured cold water on suggestions that Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal should win the Ballon d’Or, insisting the award has “no discussion” and must go to Ousmane Dembele. Yamal enjoyed an extraordinary season with Barcelona, but Campos highlighted Dembele’s treble-winning heroics with PSG as decisive.
Paris Saint-Germain director Luis Campos has revealed that Neymar was given a shock farewell back in the summer of 2023 by the head coach Luis Enrique. The Parisians were set to embark on a new project under the Spaniard, which would focus on utilising youth prospects rather than spend lumpsums on star players.
Kylian Mbappe received a Lionel Messi reality check from Leonardo Balerdi ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Marseille. Balerdi believes that Argentina team-mate Messi "will be the best player in the world until he retires", though he does admit Kylian Mbappe is among the top players in the game right now.
A Paris Saint-Germain figurehead has appeared to aim a subtle dig at former goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma following his summer move to Manchester City. PSG football advisor Luis Campos has suggested that the Italian's salary demands were beyond their wage "policy" and that nobody is bigger than the club.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia narrowly avoided a serious injury during Paris Saint-Germain's 2-0 win over Lens, sustaining a calf issue that forced him off the pitch. Initial tests indicate no major damage, and he is expected to be fit for PSG's Champions League match against Atalanta. This comes as a relief to Luis Enrique, who's already contending with injuries to Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.
Ousmane Dembele's representatives have denied being part of a bizarre PR storm after a journalist revealed a "confidential" offer to secretly promote the Paris Saint-Germain attacker's Ballon d'Or chances online. The agency behind the offer has since blamed a "curious" 18-year-old intern and insisted that it was simply an exploratory email.
Tottenham sent scouts to watch Monaco play Auxerre in Ligue 1 this weekend, as they continue to run the rule over attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche. The club were linked with a summer swoop to sign the 23-year-old and appear to be keeping a watching brief on the young forward. During the summer, Spurs signed Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.
Marseille president Pablo Longoria has opened up about the departure of key midfielder Adrien Rabiot after his dressing room bust-up with England international Jonathan Rowe. Longoria says Rabiot's exit was not pre-determined and the club have been left with a void after his transfer to AC Milan. However, the Marseille president claims the club needed to act to maintain the spirit of discipline.
GOAL runs through the best and worst of British players plying their trade on foreign soil. Now more than ever, British players are finding that the grass can be greener elsewhere. The lure of the Premier League remains grand, but it's not the be-all and end-all. In fact, some of the home nations' biggest stars have decided to take their talents abroad to the mainland continent and beyond.
Chelsea's newest signing, Emanuel Emegha, was left "devastated" at the weekend as Strasbourg fans appeared to turn on the striker after his switch to Stamford Bridge was confirmed. Emegha is the club's captain but, as he collected his Player of the Month award before his side faced Le Havre, supporters booed him, before unveiling a provocative banner.
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