FEATURES

  1. BDO Power Rankings: World Cup or bust for Mbappe after UCL exit

    With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders one year on.

  2. Chelsea's new transfer strategy: 14 PL-proven potential targets

    After years of attempting to stockpile some of the best young talent around, it seems Chelsea are finally set for a dramatic shift in their transfer strategy as they struggle to keep pace with their rivals both domestically and abroad. With the Blues out of the Champions League and lagging behind in the gruelling chase for a top-five Premier League finish, the hierarchy is ready to change tack.

  3. Madrid count cost of Camavinga red but Diaz is a Bayern bargain

    What a game! What a tie, in fact! Bayern Munich's Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid had a bit of everything: great goals, goalkeeping gaffes and incredibly controversial calls. The net result was the kind of engrossing encounter that makes a mockery of Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis' claim that we need to change the game to make it more appealing to young people.

  4. How Messi completed football at the 2022 World Cup

    In the winter of 2022, under the lights of Lusail, Lionel Messi finally realised the dream he'd carried with him his entire life. After years of unrelenting pressure, bitter heartbreak and agonising near-misses, Argentina’s captain rose above expectation on football’s grandest stage to deliver his country the perfect ending - and to fulfill his own destiny. Welcome to the latest episode of Icons - a GOAL podcast that revisits the last 10 World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament vividly back to life.

  5. Bayern's Ballon d'Or trio inspire epic comeback win over Real

    Bayern Munich ended a run of four consecutive Champions League knockout stage losses to Real Madrid in the most thrilling fashion on Wednesday night, with the Bavarians scoring two stunning goals in the closing stages of an epic quarter-final clash to beat los Blancos 4-3 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate. Unsurprisingly, Vincent Kompany's fantastic forward-line played a starring role in the victory.

  1. Arsenal Sporting CP 2025-26 Champions League

    Gyokeres disappoints as Arsenal sneak into UCL semis

    Arsenal set up a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid with a 0-0 home draw against Sporting CP enough to seal a 1-0 aggregate victory over the Portuguese champions. Kai Havertz's late strike in Lisbon last week proved to be the difference in the tie, with both sides struggling to make much of an impact during a scrappy return encounter at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

  2. Camavinga's ridiculous red sends Madrid crashing out of UCL

    A moment of madness from Eduardo Camavinga saw Real Madrid's remontada hopes dashed in a 6-4 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Frenchman picked up a late red card to blow a tight game wide open. Bayern capitalised with a pair of late goals to win 4-3 on the night and Los Blancos were sent home with a whole host of regrets after a chaotic encounter.

  3. Arbeloa needs a miracle in Munich to keep his job

    Is this really the best you can do, Florentino Perez? When Real Madrid sacked Xabi Alonso after less than five months on the job, there figured to be, at least, some sort of succession plan. If Alonso, who was so hyped, so early, was to walk away, then it only made sense that Los Blancos, power that they are, would have someone tailor-made to walk into the role.

  4. Slot's finished but Dembele's back on the Ballon d'Or trail

    Paris Saint-Germain knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League for the second consecutive season at Anfield on Tuesday evening. Unsurprisingly, Ousmane Dembele proved decisive once again. Just over a year after scoring the only goal of the second leg of the two teams' last-16 tie, which eventually led to PSG progressing on penalties, the winger returned to Merseyside to score twice in a 2-0 win that earned the defending champions a comprehensive 4-0 win on aggregate.

  5. Arteta is letting Arsenal fans down with failed gimmicks

    It's that time of year for Arsenal again. When the calendar rolls into April, the world sees what their team is really made of. Unfortunately for the Gunners, a familiar pattern is appearing before our eyes. Saturday's defeat at home to Bournemouth was eerily reminiscent of other losses at this stage of previous seasons.

  6. Arne Slot gets it all wrong again as Liverpool lose to PSG

    Liverpool's hopes of salvaging a shocking season were washed away on a miserable night on Merseyside on Tuesday evening, as an Ousmane Dembele double earned Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 win at Anfield that saw Luis Enrique's men progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League 4-0 on aggregate. As with the first leg at the Parc des Princes, Arne Slot got his starting line-up all wrong, with the Reds boss sensationally deciding to hand Alexander Isak his first start since recovering from a broken leg earlier this month.

  7. Lionesses get another vital win over Spain as Hemp delivers

    Lauren Hemp's early strike gave England yet another win over Spain on Tuesday night, the Lionesses emerging 1-0 victors in their first meeting with La Roja since last summer's European Championship final. England were winners on that occasion, on penalties, and they came out on top again here as their third victory in their last four encounters with the world champions gave them a notable advantage in a cut-throat World Cup qualifying group.

  8. Real Madrid risk mediocrity with Mbappe-centric approach

    From an individual perspective, Kylian Mbappe's free transfer to Real Madrid in 2024 has been a roaring success. The insatiable French forward has hit a staggering 83 goals across his first 97 appearances for Los Blancos, including 39 across all competitions in the current campaign - a total bettered only by Bayern Munich's Harry Kane among all the players in Europe's top five leagues.

  9. The fall and rise of Spanish football

    This is Legacy, GOAL’s podcast following the countdown to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. In this week's episode, we look at how Spain went from defining an era to questioning its very place in the global game. We revisit the brilliance of the golden generation, the abrupt collapse after Brazil 2014, and the struggle of the teams that followed. And we turn to the present: a new coach, new mindset, and a wave of young talent led by Lamine Yamal, the prodigy many believe could carry Spain towards redemption in 2026. This is the journey of a team trying to rediscover itself - and the uncertainty, promise and pressure that comes with chasing a second star.

  10. Time for Slot to be brave! Liverpool must let Ngumoha loose on PSG

    Liverpool are still alive in this season's Champions League. Nobody quite knows how, of course. Arne Slot's side were played off the pitch by Paris Saint-Germain last week but managed to escape from the Parc des Princes with a 2-0 defeat that Jamie Carragher acknowledged actually felt like a "great result" for the visitors, given the chasm in cohesion and confidence between the two teams.