Raphinha's brace sent Barcelona seven points clear at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Osasuna. Hansi Flick's team were toothless in front of goal for long periods but the former Leeds United star came up trumps just when his team needed him in the second half. The result widened the gap to rivals Real Madrid, with Xabi Alonso under increasing pressure to keep his job.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has claimed he has just endured the "worst 48 hours" since he moved to Stamford Bridge in the wake of Saturday's Premier League win over Everton. Goals from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto saw the Blues take all three points and move back into fourth place in the table, but Maresca raised eyebrows afterwards with a bizarre post-match rant.
Cole Palmer has downplayed talk of him being back to his best despite scoring in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton. The 23-year-old scored his first goal in three months as the Blues climbed to fourth in the Premier League table. And although the England international seems to finally be injury-free, he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot shared his thoughts on talisman Mohamed Salah after Saturday's 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton at Anfield. Slot started with Salah on the bench but turned to the forward in the first half after defender Joe Gomez was forced off injured. Salah went on to pick up an assist in the game in what was his final appearance for the Reds before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
Lionel Messi finally got to play in front of Indian fans after his India tour took a chaotic turn in Kolkata. The fans at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium were left fuming with the Argentina legend's brief 20-minute appearance as they ripped up seats and hurled objects onto the pitch. Messi, however, finally got to play in front of his fans in India during his second stop in Hyderabad.
Mikel Arteta has called for patience with Arsenal teenager Ethan Nwaneri amid the playmaker's lack of game time this season. The 18-year-old had been hailed as the Gunners' brightest academy talent in recent years but this term, he is struggling for first-team minutes. But Arteta has stressed that it is important for the youngster to bide his time at Emirates Stadium.
Liverpool star Florian Wirtz was felled by a high tackle from Brighton's Diego Gomez at the end of the first half of Saturday's 2-0 Premier League win for the Reds at Anfield. The challenge angered many Liverpool fans, who felt Gomez should have seen red, but the Premier League have confirmed why only a booking was handed out to the Paraguay international.
Oliver Rathbone stole the limelight after coming on as a late substitute as Wrexham held Watford to an exciting 2-2 draw at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday. The Red Dragons scored but they soon gave up on the lead as Watford went ahead just before the break. Phil Parkinson's decision to put Rathbone on the pitch late in the game, however, proved to be a masterclass as his team walked away with a point.
The 2025 MLS Cup delivered record-breaking viewership on Dec. 6, drawing a combined 4.6 million viewers across platforms and setting new benchmarks for fan engagement. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF capped the night by winning their first MLS Cup title with a 3–1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium.
Hugo Ekitike scored twice as Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday. Mohamed Salah also made an impact after coming off the bench to replace the injured Joe Gomez. The Egypt international, who is facing an uncertain future at the club, bagged an assist for Arne Slot's side in what was his final game for the club before he joins up with his country's AFCON squad.
Cole Palmer scored his first Chelsea goal since September as the returning star helped his side beat Everton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. Amid an injury-hit season, the Blues talisman opened the scoring before the excellent Malo Gusto doubled the hosts' advantage. The Toffees barely laid a glove on Enzo Maresca's team as they claimed their first victory in five matches in all competitions.
Juventus have finally responded to reports of an attempted takeover of the club after cryptocurrency firm, Tether submitted a binding proposal to buy a controlling stake in the Serie A side. Tether proposed to acquire the current owner, Exor’s 65.4 per cent shareholding at a price of €2.66 per share and later intended to launch a public tender for the remaining shares at the same valuation.
Manchester United urged to snub Adam Wharton & Elliot Anderson in favour of signing USMNT star Tyler Adams to end their transfer search for a new midfielder. Ruben Amorim is desperate to make a quality signing in his engine room, and the club is expected to back him in the winter market to get on board a midfielder.
Mohamed Salah was named on the bench yet again by Liverpool manager Arne Slot for Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton at Anfield. The Egypt international has been recalled to the squad, after being left out against Inter in the Champions League in midweek following his critical comments, and was needed in the first half after Joe Gomez picked up an injury.
Arsenal captain Leah Williamson returned to action for the first time in four months following a knee injury. The 28-year-old sustained the issue during the Lionesses' Euro 2025 final triumph over Spain and has not featured since then. However, she is back playing after coming off the bench in the Gunners' 3-1 Women's Super League win at Everton on Saturday.
Former Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has revealed the circumstances behind the "rift" which developed between Kylian Mbappe and Neymar during the latter stages of their time together at the Parisian giants. The pair, signed as the world's two most expensive players ever and amongst the biggest stars in the game at the time, shared a close friendship at first but saw issues between them grow over their period at the club.
Neymar's contract renewal with boyhood club Santos is set to be delayed, according to reports, as the Brazil superstar prepares for knee surgery. The 33-year-old is set to hold off on signing his extension until after the surgery has been completed, with the procedure expected to take place before Christmas. Neymar played through pain to ensure Santos avoided relegation from Brazil's Serie A, but will complete the knee procedure to keep his World Cup hopes alive.
Arsenal and Lionesses star Leah Williamson jetted off to New York to spend time with her model girlfriend, Elle Smith, ahead of her injury return. The pair soft-launched their relationship earlier in the year on Instagram, and since then, many heart-warming posts have been shared, giving the fans a glimpse of their private lives.
Alessia Russo marked her 100th Women's Super League appearance in style with a goal and an impressive showing as Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners over Everton on Saturday at Goodison Park. Katie McCabe and Olivia Smith were also on target in a dominant win for the Gunners, who received another boost as Lionesses star Leah Williamson made her long-awaited return from injury late on in the game.
Sports presenter Laura Woods has revealed how she was left terrified and anxious after being targeted by a 'relentless' stalker. She suffered for three years before the perpetrator was eventually handed a 14-month jail term and a restraining order banning her from going near Woods' home. Woods has opened up on her ordeal in a candid interview and explained the impact it has had on her life.
Injury has not prevented Arsenal star Gabriel from getting involved in drama off the pitch, as the defender was seen embroiled in a furious bust-up during a six-a-side friendly in south London on Tuesday night. While the altercation was not physical and Gabriel was not playing in the game, he was seen running over to get involved in the incident following a 'horror' challenge during the match between supporters of Brazilian club Botafogo.
The first stop of Lionel Messi's India tour took an unexpected turn as angry fans ripped up seats and hurled objects onto the pitch as chaos descended at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. The unsavoury scenes came due to fan disgruntlement at Messi's brief 20-minute appearance, where they 'could not see his face'. The event organiser has been detained as a result of the incident and an enquiry is ongoing.
Manchester United have racked up an eye-watering record debt, but their finances show a positive outcome from the proceeds of Antony and Alejandro Garnacho's sales. The club's total debt has climbed to a record £1.29 billion ($1.72b), driven by fresh borrowing and the long-standing legacy of leveraged ownership. Yet beneath the headline figure sits a more nuanced picture, one shaped by aggressive cost-cutting, a rare operating profit, and timely player sales that have softened the blow.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has lauded Marcus Rashford’s professionalism and attitude after the England forward found himself starting fewer matches following the return of Raphinha to full fitness. Despite a dip in minutes, Flick insists the 28-year-old has been "perfect" behind the scenes, offering a model response to competition within a title-chasing squad.
Cole Palmer is still enduring pain and is not yet capable of playing three matches a week for Chelsea, head coach Enzo Maresca has revealed, as he provided an update on the Blues talisman's fitness after his return to action earlier this month. Palmer had been out since late September but returned off the bench in the defeat to Leeds United, starting against Bournemouth last weekend but then being rested for the Champions League in midweek.
Chelsea have reportedly moved ahead of Newcastle in the transfer race for AZ Alkmaar's 'Dutch Pedri' Kees Smit. The 19-year-old, valued at around £25 million ($33m), has attracted attention from across the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United also tracking his progress in the Netherlands. However, it is the Blues who are said to be in pole position as it stands.
Cristiano Ronaldo could soon become a part of one of the biggest film franchises of the modern era, as Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel confirmed on social media that a role has been written for CR7 in the next instalment of the American movie series. Portugal and Al-Nassr superstar Ronaldo, 40, is nearing the end of his playing career and previously announced in April of this year that he was launching his own film studio alongside Matthew Vaughn.
Tether, a cryptocurrency firm, has submitted a binding proposal to buy a controlling stake in Juventus, potentially ending more than a century of ownership by the Agnelli family. The offer, lodged with Exor, the Agnelli family’s holding company, values Juventus at approximately €1.1 billion (£966m/$1.29bn). Tether has proposed to acquire Exor’s 65.4 per cent shareholding at a price of €2.66 per share and later intends to launch a public tender for the remaining shares at the same valuation.
With Christmas approaching, there are still two winless teams in Europe's 'Big 5' leagues. That one of them is Wolves is arguably unsurprising. The Fosun International-owned Premier League club sold two of their best players during the summer and squandered the proceeds on sub-standard signings. However, the fact that Fiorentina have yet to win a single game in Serie A is shocking.
FIFA said Friday that it received five million ticket requests in the first 24 hours of the third phase of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, underscoring what the governing body described as “extraordinary” global demand despite mounting backlash from supporter groups over ticket prices.