Chris Burton

The burglary suffered by Maya Jama and Ruben Dias is said to have "spooked" Premier League superstars. Manchester City defender Dias and his Love Island presenter girlfriend saw their Cheshire mansion ransacked while both were out of the house. Top-flight performers in England fear that someone is tipping off those behind a string of high-profile robberies.

Hansi Flick has explained why Lamine Yamal asked to be substituted during Barcelona’s win over Real Mallorca, with the teenage wonderkid registering his 15th goal of the season in that contest. The Blaugrana did not need their talismanic No.10 to complete that fixture as they eased to a 3-0 victory that cemented their standing at the top of La Liga.

Robert Lewandowski has joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive goal club. At 37 years of age, the prolific Polish striker continues to deliver end product for La Liga giants Barcelona. He is not seeing as many minutes as he would like, as his contract runs down, but has extended a remarkable streak in the final third of the field.

Lionel Messi turned the clock back when scoring a stunning solo goal for Inter Miami in their latest pre-season friendly. The Argentine GOAT found himself lining up against Barcelona. He was not reunited with former employers from Camp Nou, but was in action on Ecuadorian soil. The all-time great gave those in the stands what they came for when dancing past defenders and hitting the back of the net.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been discussing his retirement plans, with the Dutch defender being asked about whether he sees himself as a manager or pundit. There is still plenty left for the Premier League title winner to achieve before the day comes for boots to be hung up for the final time. He wants to continue inspiring the next generation across the present and future.

Lionel Messi has made history by becoming a back-to-back MVP award winner in the United States, with Rob Earnshaw telling GOAL why everybody in MLS is powerless to prevent the Argentine GOAT from scooping that prize every year. The Inter Miami superstar is considered to be an “extraordinary” talent that will continue to defy all sporting and physical logic.

Manchester United stars are determined to keep their winning run going, allowing super-fan The United Strand to get a long-awaited haircut. Frank Ilett has vowed not to trim his locks until the Red Devils win five games in a row. Michael Carrick has overseen a run of three successive victories, with those inside the Old Trafford camp eager to bring a viral challenge to a close.

Caoimhin Kelleher has sought to defend Liverpool from their critics in 2025-26, with the current campaign not “important from a football aspect” following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. The Reds have had a lot to cope with on and off the field, with a man that walked away from Anfield ahead of the current campaign eager to point out why his former team-mates deserve to be cut some slack.

Jamie Carragher believes that Pep Guardiola could be playing out his “last dance” in 2025-26. The Catalan coach is tied to a contract at Manchester City through to the summer of 2027, but there have been suggestions that said deal could be terminated 12 months earlier than that proposed end date. Carragher admits that Guardiola will walk away as one of the greats, with an emotional farewell to the Premier League potentially on the cards.

Karim Benzema became caught up in an angry exchange with a journalist following his stunning debut for Al-Hilal. The veteran French striker has sparked remarkable scenes in the Saudi Pro League - with Cristiano Ronaldo going on strike - after completing a free transfer. Benzema has refuted suggestions that he left Al-Ittihad without saying goodbye to his former team-mates.

Former Nottingham Forest striker Rob Earnshaw has explained to GOAL why the sight of Evangelos Marinakis on the pitch and in the tunnel at the City Ground is a good thing. The Greek billionaire, who continues to make plenty of headlines in the Premier League and across Europe, has been compared to another eccentric owner that once embraced “craziness” at Cardiff City.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s strike action at Al-Nassr has been branded “bizarre”, with Premier League legend Alan Shearer questioning how the Portuguese superstar can justify his behaviour while earning “over £400,000 a day”. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has taken to ruling himself out of contention for selection in Saudi Pro League fixtures, leading to inevitable transfer speculation being generated.

Christian Fuchs, a member of Leicester’s Premier League title-winning squad from 2015-16, has revealed that he tried to talk Foxes legend Jamie Vardy into joining him in the fourth tier of English football. Fuchs is currently calling the shots at Newport County, having stepped into management, and asked questions of whether Vardy was up for another battle against the odds.

Cristiano Ronaldo has received a public warning from the Saudi Pro League after taking personal grievances too far and going on strike. The Portuguese superstar, unhappy at the way transfer funds are distributed in the Middle East, sat out Al-Nassr’s last fixture after making himself unavailable. He has, as transfer talk rages, been reminded how things work in Saudi Arabia.

Wayne Rooney’s son Kai has reportedly been offered a new contract by Manchester United that would be worth £50,000-a-year. The talented teenager has stepped up into the Red Devils’ Under-18 side this season, allowing him to grace FA Youth Cup competition. He is considered to have impressed in a “very strong” team, and will be rewarded accordingly.

Kevin-Prince Boateng has revealed that he “had to lie” about his love for Cristiano Ronaldo in order to become a team-mate of Lionel Messi at Barcelona. The former Ghana international completed a shock move to Camp Nou in 2019. After sealing that switch, it was made clear to him that he was not to speak in glowing terms about CR7 or Clasico rivals Real Madrid.

Wrexham are being tipped to achieve promotion to the Premier League and consolidate a standing among the elite, with former Wales international Rob Earnshaw explaining to GOAL why a meteoric rise from the Red Dragons can be completed. He has also informed Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac how they will need to go about top-flight transfer business.

Lamine Yamal finished as runner-up in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote and the Barcelona wonderkid insists that winning a Golden Ball is not something that he gives much thought to. The talented teenager would prefer to focus on collective trophy targets at Camp Nou, rather than individual accolades, with there still plenty for him to try and achieve in 2026.