Barcelona Femeni have taken a monumental step towards securing their seventh consecutive Liga F crown following a dominant 3-0 victory over eternal rivals Real Madrid. Goals from Ona Batlle and Alexia Putellas, alongside an unfortunate own goal, highlighted a totally one-sided Clasico that leaves the Catalan giants sitting comfortably at the summit of the league table.
Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas is demanding clear sporting guarantees from Barcelona before committing to a new contract. With just three months left on her current deal, the 32-year-old midfielder is evaluating highly lucrative foreign offers. However, her priority remains staying with the Catalan club, provided it presents a compelling, winning project for the future.
When Sydney Schertenleib sat in front of the national media last summer, before playing in her first European Championship for hosts Switzerland at the age of 18, and declared that her "biggest goal" was to win the Ballon d'Or one day, some may have rolled their eyes.
Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Sydney Schertenleib are the winners of NXGN 2026 after coming out on top in GOAL's annual lists of football's top teenagers (players born on or after January 1, 2007). It marks the second straight year that Barca have provided the No.1 player on both lists, following Yamal and Vicky Lopez's triumphs in 2025.
The annual NXGN lists are back for 2026, as GOAL ranks the world's top teenage talents in men's and women's football, crowning winners that will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, Lena Oberdorf and Linda Caicedo in being recognised as the best young footballers on the planet.
Aitana Bonmati has won each of the last three Ballons d'Or Feminin - but the accolade will go to someone else in 2026. Will it be two-time winner and fellow Barcelona star Alexia Putellas who reasserts herself as the best player in the women's game? Or could there be a new name on the honour roll when the Golden Ball is handed out in Paris in October?
Koln, Arminia Bielefeld, and Bochum hold the record of winning the 2. Bundesliga titles the most number of times with four each to their name. FC St. Pauli won the 2. Bundesliga at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, their first title in Germany's second division.
How many teams are in the 2. Bundesliga?
Currently, there are 18 teams contesting in the 2. Bundesliga. Since its inception in 1974 till 1994, there were two divisions of 20 clubs, with 10 clubs in each division. However, since 1994-95, 18 teams contest for the 2. Bundesliga title in the traditional league format.
Who has made the most 2. Bundesliga appearances ever?
Willi Landgraf, a former German defender, holds the record for making the most 2. Bundesliga appearances. Landgraf appeared in 508 games in the league and played for Rot-Weiss Essen, Homburg, Gutersloh, and Alemannia Aachen.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the 2. Bundesliga?
Simon Terodde, who recently played for Schalke, is the leading goalscorer of all-time in 2. Bundesliga. The lanky German striker scored 177 goals in 311 games and represented Bochum, Schalke, Stuttgart, Hamburger, Union Berlin, and Duisburg.
Who is the oldest player ever in the 2. Bundesliga and how old was he?
Former German goalkeeper Peter Eich is the oldest player to feature in a 2. Bundesliga game, achieving the feat at the age of 44 years and 330 days in May 2006.
Who is the youngest player ever in the 2. Bundesliga and how old was he?
Turkish midfielder Efe-Kaan Sihlaroglu was just 16 years and 142 days old when he made his debut for Karlsruher against Hannover in 2021, thus making him the youngest player ever in the 2. Bundesliga.
Which famous players have played in the 2. Bundesliga?
Rudi Voller, Simon Terodde, Ottmar Hitzfeld, and Niclas Fullkrug are among the most famous players to have played in 2. Bundesliga.
Which famous managers have managed in the 2. Bundesliga?
Friedhelm Funkel, Ralph Hassenhuttl, Ralf Rangnick, and Klaus Augenthaler are among the most renowned managerial names in 2. Bundesliga history.
What is the biggest stadium in the 2. Bundesliga?
Berlin's Olympstadion, which is home to Hertha BSC, is the biggest stadium in 2. Bundesliga with a capacity of 74,475. It is Germany's second-biggest football stadium after Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park.
Who is the most expensive player in the history of the 2. Bundesliga?
Davie Selke is the most expensive 2. Bundesliga signing of all-time. Selke was bought for €8 million from Werden Bremen by RB Leipzig in 2015.