Lists

England and Spain stars dominate FIFA Women's Best XI as Hannah Hampton, Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Alessia Russo have been picked from the reigning European champions' squad. From Spain, Barcelona stars like Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas and Patricia Guijarro were named in the team after the players reached the finals of Women's Champions League and Euro 2025.

Chelsea have blocked Omari Kellyman from playing for loan club Cardiff City against them in their Carabao Cup quarter-final showdown in South Wales. The Bluebirds made a "tentative verbal request" to Chelsea, hoping to have the influential forward available for the match, but the Premier League side declined to provide the necessary written consent.

Leeds United are eyeing a €20m swoop for in-form Sevilla winger Ruben Vargas in the January transfer window. Vargas completed a permanent transfer to the La Liga side in January 2025 on a five-and-a-half-year contract and has slowly established himself as a key member in Matias Almeyda's starting lineup. Leeds are looking to bolster their squad after a poor start to their 2025-26 campaign.

Manchester United are firmly in the race to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65 million ($87.3m) clause which can be activated from January 1st. However, United have stiff competition to secure his signing as rivals such as Manchester City, Tottenham, and Liverpool are also vying for his signature.

Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah has been tipped to make a shock return to Serie A as Reds legend opens up on 'solution' to the Egyptian's transfer saga. After slamming the club and manager Arne Slot publicly for keeping him out of Liverpool's starting lineup following their clash against Leeds, Salah returned to action against Brighton last weekend.

Japanese international defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has officially joined Dutch club Ajax on a short-term contract, seeking to rebuild his career after a challenging period with injuries at Arsenal. The 27-year-old was a free agent after mutually agreeing to terminate his deal with the Gunners in July of this year.

Paris Saint-Germain have been ordered to pay Kylian Mbappe over €60 million in unpaid wages and bonuses, but the legal battle may not be over yet. The French champions have confirmed they will execute the initial judgment while pointedly refusing to rule out a future appeal, insisting they have always acted with "good faith and integrity" throughout the bitter dispute.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has admitted that he is 'unsure' about his squad's 'mentality' amid a miserable run away from home. The Magpies have won just one away Premier League fixture since mid-April and their latest derby loss to Sunderland last weekend further rubbed salt into their wounds. Howe's side now sit 12th in the Premier League table.

English defender Archie Brown faces a humiliating exit from Fenerbahce just months after his high-profile summer switch to the Turkish giants. The 22-year-old famously snubbed a move to AC Milan to join Jose Mourinho’s revolution in Istanbul, but with the Portuguese manager having already departed and new head coach Domenico Tedesco swinging the axe, Brown’s Turkish adventure appears to be over before it truly began.

There was a rare snub for Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and Arsenal's midfield general Declan Rice after the FIFA awards for the best goal of the 'year' were announced in Doha. The 2025 Puskas Award and Marta Award winners were announced where Argentine midfielder Santiago Montiel landed the men's award and Mexican forward Lizbeth Ovalle won the inaugural Marta Award for the best goal in women's football.

The long nightmare is finally over for Romelu Lukaku as the Napoli striker has been named in the squad for the upcoming Supercoppa Italiana clash against AC Milan. The Belgian hitman, who has yet to play a single competitive minute in the 2025-26 campaign, is part of the travelling party heading to Saudi Arabia, signalling a massive boost for Antonio Conte as he looks to secure the first silverware of the season.

England are being advised to drop Jude Bellingham from their starting XI at the 2026 World Cup, with the Real Madrid superstar being informed that Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers currently has “more of an influence” on games. Thomas Tuchel has warned all of those at his disposal that no places in his plans for a shot at global glory next summer are guaranteed.

Former Manchester United starlet Zidane Iqbal has been told he can leave Utrecht in January, with head coach Ron Jans admitting the midfielder's "head wasn't in it" recently. The Iraq international, who was famously banished from the first team earlier this season for a disciplinary "reset", is now set to move on permanently as the Dutch club prioritises academy talents.

Manchester City star Jeremy Doku has been ruled out of the club's Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Brentford and is set to miss the bulk of the festive programme. Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Belgian winger is still recovering from the leg injury that kept him out of City's win at Crystal Palace over the weekend, while also discussing the future of back-up goalkeeper James Trafford ahead of the January window.

Manchester United have been advised to explore a transfer move for USMNT star Christian Pulisic, with the AC Milan talisman being told that he could become one of the most famous American players ever if he moved to Old Trafford. Ex-Red Devils defender Paul Parker has explained to GOAL why a raid on San Siro for a Premier League-proven forward makes sense.

Bayern Munich’s hopes of securing the long-term future of Dayot Upamecano have hit a significant stumbling block, with reports emerging that the French defender’s camp is insisting on a massive salary hike and a release clause that could force the German giants into a difficult corner. As the January transfer window approaches, the 'contract poker' at the Allianz Arena is reaching a fever pitch.

With the 2026 World Cup just a few months away, GOAL looks at the state of the outside backs in the U.S. pool