Lists

Jordi Alba has rubbished comparisons between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, claiming that Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer “has no rival”. Teenage wonderkid Yamal has been thrust into an obvious debate ever since he stepped out of the La Masia academy system. He has become a global superstar in his own right, but there will never be another Messi.

Karim Adeyemi has issued a public apology after it was revealed last week that the Borussia Dortmund attacker was found to be possessing illegal weapons. The news surfaced during the international break, which caused Adeyemi to miss the 6-0 thrashing of Slovakia in their final World Cup qualifying game. Taking to social media, Adeyemi expressed regret over his mistake.

Thibaut Courtois admits that Lamine Yamal “lit a bit of a fire” under the latest Clasico clash between arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Said contest took place at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. Ugly scenes unfolded at the end of a 2-1 victory for the hosts, with teenage wonderkid Yamal attracting plenty of attention during the post-match skirmishes.

Kylian Mbappe’s withdrawal from France’s squad due to ankle inflammation has ignited controversy once again after the Real Madrid star was spotted in Dubai during the international break. Instead of returning to Madrid for medical checks, the forward spent several days at a luxury hotel and visited a local padel club, reopening old debates in France about his absences.

Inter have joined Manchester United in the race for Karim Adeyemi, with the Borussia Dortmund winger leaning toward a move away from Germany next summer. His camp has already held early talks with both clubs, signalling a growing market for the 23-year-old. With contract renewal far from likely and tensions rising at BVB, Adeyemi’s future is now one of Europe’s most intriguing storylines.

Lionel Messi has sent another “we’ll be back” message to Barcelona after being crowned the “most beloved player” in the club’s history. The Argentine superstar has been awarded that honour following a supporter vote. He feels proud to have received such a title, given the calibre of talent that he was up against, and remains determined to head back to Catalunya at some stage.

There's been a lot of talk lately about the Premier League as a product. Is modern football actually boring? Are teams now too reliant on set pieces to score goals? Are the mavericks and the willing protagonists being silenced just to preserve their manager's tactics? Have we gone too far in pursuit of sporting perfection?

At one point during the international break, it appeared as if both Napoli and Atalanta would have new coaches in place for this weekend's meeting between the two sides at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. However, while the Bergamaschi inevitably sacked Ivan Juric the day after their shocking 3-0 defeat at home to Sassuolo, Antonio Conte remains in charge of the Partenopei - which is actually something of a surprise.

Born just outside Marseille to Algerian parents, it was always going to be hard for a footballer as silky as Samir Nasri to avoid comparisons with the great Zinedine Zidane. When he was snapped up by Arsenal in the peak of the 'Wenger-ball' years, it made complete sense. Here was this uber-talented attacking midfielder who could glide past opponents for fun, why wouldn't he be the Gunners' next marquee player?

Neymar issued a public apology after conceding a controversial penalty in a game that has kept Santos in a relegation dogfight. The Brazilian superstar was in action on Wednesday evening against Mirassol. An eventful outing saw him open the scoring inside four minutes, before being responsible for presenting Serie A rivals with an opportunity to level the scores.

FIFA has released its final rankings of 2025, with the U.S. Men’s National Team rising to No. 14 after wins over Paraguay and Uruguay. Mexico dropped to No. 15 following a draw and a defeat, leaving the U.S. as CONCACAF’s highest-ranked side to close the year. Spain remain No. 1, while Brazil returned to the top five.

Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen has reportedly been told he has a chance of becoming Denmark’s first-choice at the 2026 World Cup if he earns more first-team minutes this season. The Red and Whites still have work to do if they are to qualify for next summer’s tournament but it is understood they are already making plans in the event they book a ticket to North America.

Chelsea could hand Lauren James her first start of the season when they face Barcelona in their Women’s Champions League clash, though Sam Kerr will remain unavailable despite her return to action earlier in the campaign. James, who has been slowly building back towards match readiness after an ankle injury, has been named in contention for Thursday night’s heavyweight contest.

Alessia Russo scored two second-half headers as holders Arsenal came back from behind to earn a much-needed 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday. The striker combined with Lionesses team-mates Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead as the Gunners got back on track with their first win since the start of the month.

Ruben Amorim has been told he already has the perfect replacement for an injured Benjamin Sesko in the Manchester United squad. The Red Devils endured an anxious wait after the striker limped off late in the dramatic 2-2 draw against Tottenham, sparking fears of a potentially devastating knee injury for their marquee summer signing. He is now expected to miss around a month of action for Amorim's side.

Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen missed out as Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi won the African Player of the Year award. The Moroccan full-back collected the honour on Wednesday evening, sealing a triumphant year in which he won the treble, including the Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League trophy. The only blemish was PSG’s defeat in the Club World Cup final to Chelsea in New York, where he was forced to settle for a silver medal.

Barcelona reportedly asked star striker Robert Lewandowski to "stop scoring goals" at the end of his first season with Barcelona for a bizarre reason. A newly published biography has thrown the Blaugrana back under the microscope, revealing an extraordinary episode that took place behind the scenes during the closing stretch of the 2022-23 La Liga season.

Manchester United suffered their first Women’s Champions League defeat of the season in a mistake-ridden 5-2 loss at Wolfsburg on Wednesday. The Red Devils have now lost three of their last four games in all competitions after they were put to the sword by She-Wolves striker Lineth Beerensteyn, who scored twice on the night - including a first-half stunner.

The Mexican-American playmaker survived injury, contract issues, and free agency across 13 clubs, and is finally ready to walk away from the game

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is reportedly set to sign a new contract extension with the Gunners that will run until 2030. Talks with the Premier League leaders are now said to be in their "final stages" and Mikel Arteta's side are hopeful the England international will put pen to paper on his new contract at the club before the end of the calendar year.

Between breakout performances and returning stars making noise, the U.S. leave November camp with momentum - and something close to genuine belief. GOAL’s writers unpack the key storylines that emerged.

Cristiano Ronaldo put out a message on social media after attending a White House dinner with Donald Trump. The event was attended by influential figures from global business, technology and sport, and it marked Ronaldo’s first public appearance in the United States since 2016. The black-tie gathering was arranged as part of efforts to strengthen the expanding political and economic relationship between Washington and Riyadh. Ronaldo’s presence alongside the Saudi delegation once again highlighted how prominently the Al-Nassr forward now features in the kingdom’s soft-power and sporting strategies.

Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze has opened up to former team-mate Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of GOAL’s Beast Mode On podcast and lifted the lid on his new life with the Gunners. The England international has explained which Arsenal player has impressed him the most so far and revealed what it's like to work with manager Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal star Eberechi Eze joined Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the Best Mode On Podcast, where he revealed that he preferred watching Chelsea legend Eden Hazard over Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar while he was growing up. Eze, now a central figure in Mikel Arteta’s evolving Arsenal side, said Hazard’s unique blend of flair, freedom and fearlessness left a deep impression on him.

Eberechi Eze opens up on his journey to becoming an Arsenal and England star with former team-mate Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of GOAL’s Beast Mode On podcast.

Xolos, Juárez, Pachuca and Pumas step into the spotlight on Thursday as the Apertura 2025 Play-In round finally unfolds, a mini-bracket that will decide who gets a shot at Tigres and reigning champions Toluca. The format has drawn plenty of criticism, leaving both top seeds staring at nearly 18 days without a competitive minute.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been urged to dig deep once again, with calls growing for Wrexham’s Hollywood hierarchy to make a decisive financial splash in the January transfer window. The Red Dragons arrive at the third international pause of the season in 13th place in the Championship, a mere four points shy of the play-off picture in what has become one of the tightest second-tier campaigns in recent history.

Mexico closed 2025 with another setback - and another chorus of boos - after a 2–1 loss to Paraguay in San Antonio. Following the defeat, Javier Aguirre delivered one of his bluntest critiques yet, questioning both the individual and collective level of his squad. Winless in six straight, the coach acknowledged that Mexico remain well short of where they need to be ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Toni Kroos admits he understands the criticism over his former Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Jr’s behaviour on the pitch, saying the forward’s hot-headed antics can be “annoying”. The Germany icon has weighed in on the conversation surrounding the winger, who issued an apology to Los Blancos’ supporters after reacting angrily to being substituted in last month’s El Clasico with Barcelona.