Lists

Harry Kane remains an almost unstoppable force for Bayern Munich, with remarkable individual standards being maintained by the prolific striker. The England captain scored another stunning goal for the German title holders as they crushed Wolfsburg 8-1 last time out. That effort took him to 20 league goals for the season and saw a Bundesliga record matched that has stood for almost 60 years.

The toxic atmosphere engulfing Manchester United reached a new nadir on Sunday as director of football Jason Wilcox was subjected to a barrage of boos and abuse from furious supporters upon his arrival at Old Trafford, foreshadowing a disastrous afternoon that saw the Red Devils crash out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle for the first time in over a decade.

Lucas Paqueta asked not to be selected by West Ham in their FA Cup clash with Queens Park Rangers and is reportedly pushing for a transfer away from the Premier League club. The Brazilian playmaker is said to still be feeling "disillusioned" after the spot-betting scandal that dominated two years of his life, and he is now ready to leave England and head home.

Manchester City are pushing to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi immediately, opting not to wait for his contract to expire in the summer. Pep Guardiola’s side have opened talks and are ready to meet the £35 million valuation to fend off heavy interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid. The champions are moving quickly to capitalise on the defender’s situation following a chaotic weekend for the Eagles.

Vinicius Junior’s moment of magic for Real Madrid in their Super Cup clash with Clasico rivals Barcelona counted for little in the grand scheme of things, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat, but it did see him match a notable record. The Brazilian forward now sits level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Ferenc Puskas when it comes to goal contributions in major finals.

Manchester United’s turbulent season has taken yet another dramatic twist with the sacking of Ruben Amorim, a decision that has inadvertently handed a massive lifeline to Kobbie Mainoo just as the midfielder appeared destined for a January exit. As the dust settles on Amorim’s departure, club legend Dwight Yorke has issued a stark warning to the young midfielder, urging him to reject any potential loan moves and prove his worth at Old Trafford.

Arne Slot has vowed that he will not be making the same mistake twice at Liverpool, with the Reds boss taking valuable lessons from an FA Cup giant-killing in 2025. Some 12 months ago, the then-runaway Premier League leaders suffered a humbling third-round defeat to Plymouth - who were bottom of the Championship at the time. They are now preparing to face Barnsley in 2026 and will avoid any sweeping changes.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

Real Madrid’s stance when it comes to the future of under-fire manager Xabi Alonso has been revealed. The World Cup-winning former Los Blancos midfielder only returned to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2025 as he succeeded legendary Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. He has endured a baptism of fire in the Spanish capital, leading to inevitable sack speculation being generated.

Arsenal have confirmed that club legend Per Mertesacker will step down as academy manager at the end of the current campaign. The former captain, who has overseen the club's youth development for eight years since retiring in 2018, leaves a lasting legacy and will assist with a seamless transition before departing to explore new challenges elsewhere.

On the weekend that the Bundesliga returned after its winter hiatus and two of Serie A's top three met in a crucial clash in the fight for the Scudetto, much of Europe was focused on cup competitions of varying degrees of importance. England and France played host to the latest rounds of their domestic tournaments while Spain and Turkey followed France's lead from earlier in the week in crowning their Super Cup champions.

Manchester United wonderkid Shea Lacey has apologised for the petulant red card that he picked up in an FA Cup clash with Brighton. The talented teenager feels as though he "let everybody down" when being dismissed towards the end of a forgettable 2-1 defeat for the Red Devils that has seen them hit a 111-year low. Lacey picked up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes.

Joan Laporta has launched a scathing critique of Kylian Mbappe following the Real Madrid star's controversial refusal to engage in a guard of honour after the Spanish Super Cup final. The Barcelona president branded the Frenchman's decision to urge his team-mates to leave the pitch as "surprising" and lacking in sportsmanship, suggesting the dramatic 3-2 defeat in Saudi Arabia left Los Blancos "really upset" as they came to terms with their rivals' superiority.

Manchester United legend Nani delivered his trademark celebration after finding the back of the net during a Baller League UK appearance. The former Portugal international, who once played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for club and country, was back in England for an outing in six-a-side competition. He showed that he has lost none of his finishing ability, or acrobatic prowess.

Marcus Rashford has poured cold water on speculation linking him with a shock return to Manchester United following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, insisting his focus remains firmly on winning more silverware with Barcelona. The England international, who lifted his first trophy for the Catalan giants on Sunday night, admitted he "hopes not" to see his time in Spain cut short as he revels in a "perfect" new lease of life.

Lamine Yamal chose to brutally snub Real Madrid’s players when Barcelona lined up for a guard of honour at the end of their Spanish Super Cup win over Clasico rivals. The Blaugrana prevailed 3-2 in a thrilling encounter that was staged in Saudi Arabia, with Hansi Flick’s side getting their hands on major silverware. Yamal was reluctant to give any credit to Los Blancos at the final whistle.

Endrick admits to having his “smile back” after enjoying a dream debut for Lyon. The Brazil international, who joined Real Madrid as a teenage wonderkid in 2024, has endured a tough time of late. Regular game time proved hard to come by with La Liga giants, leading to a loan move being sanctioned at the start of 2026. Endrick made his Lyon bow in style when opening his goal account in a cup clash with Lille.

Real Madrid’s misery in Saudi Arabia was compounded by a moment of viral humiliation for Arda Guler, who was left red-faced after a furious attempt to kick a water bottle backfired spectacularly following the 3-2 Supercopa de Espana defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona. The Turkish playmaker, who had endured a difficult cameo off the bench, became the subject of social media ridicule as footage emerged of him slipping and landing on his back while his opponents celebrated their trophy triumph.

Danny Welbeck has joked that revealing the secrets behind his incredible longevity might attract the attention of "drug testers" after he returned to haunt Manchester United once again. The 35-year-old striker rolled back the years to score a stunner as Brighton dumped his former club out of the FA Cup, sparking fresh talk of a shock England World Cup recall.

Manchester United are reportedly ready to snub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and appoint an alternative former fan favourite as their interim boss. A successor is being sought to Ruben Amorim following the Red Devils’ decision to part with the Portuguese on January 5. Solskjaer has held talks regarding an emotional return, but Michael Carrick is also in the frame.

Manchester United suffered more humiliation on the back of their FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton, with it being revealed that Bruno Fernandes’ X account was hacked. The Portuguese playmaker, who is club captain at Old Trafford, played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 loss to the Seagulls. Bizarre posts appeared on one of his social channels a few hours later, including an anti-INEOS message, but he was not responsible for their sharing.

Kylian Mbappe has been accused of ensuring that Real Madrid did not give Clasico rivals Barcelona a guard of honour after seeing Los Blancos suffer an agonising 3-2 defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final. It is customary for the runners-up in that contest to pay homage to the victors, but Mbappe - who returned to action after injury in Saudi Arabia - waved his team-mates away from arch-enemies.

Toronto FC have reportedly submitted an $18 million bid for USMNT striker Josh Sargent, but Norwich manager Philippe Clement has insisted the forward is not for sale amid growing MLS interest. Sargent missed the Canaries’ FA Cup match this weekend after informing the club he was focused on a potential transfer, with Clement saying there would be consequences.

Michael Olise and Luis Diaz have been compared to legendary Bayern Munich duo Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery after both wingers sparkled in their side’s 8-1 demolition of Wolfsburg on Sunday evening. The pair conjured up six goal involvements between them as Vincent Kompany’s side enjoyed a dream return to Bundesliga action following the recent winter break.

A furious Antonio Conte screamed in the face of the fourth official after being sent off in the second half of Napoli's top-of-the-table Serie A clash against Inter at San Siro on Sunday. The Napoli boss kicked a spare ball up the pitch in anger after seeing his side concede a late penalty, and was then shown a red card, but that only exacerbated his foul mood, with club officials eventually intervening to usher him down the tunnel. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Scott McTominay grabbing both goals for the visitors.

Barcelona claimed a record-extending 16th Spanish Super Cup title by defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in the second Clasico of the season in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Raphinha scored twice and Robert Lewandowski also found the back of the net as Hansi Flick's side remained dominant over their bitter rivals by securing a fifth victory in their last six meetings with Xabi Alonso's side.

Real Madrid were outclassed by Barcelona in a baffling Spanish Super Cup final, looking a step behind their arch-rivals in a 3-2 loss that will surely increase the pressure on Xabi Alonso. There were mishaps from Rodrygo at the front and errors from Raul Asencio at the back as a glum Blancos side could neither cope defensively or get anything going in an attacking sense.

Vinicius Junior scored an amazing solo goal for Real Madrid in their Supercopa de Espana final clash with Barcelona, snapping a long barren spell in the process. The Brazilian winger had not scored since October 10 heading into the Saudi showpiece, but showed he still has the magic in his boots with a wonderful run and finish against Real's arch-rivals. It wasn't enough to give his team the edge heading in at the break, though, as the Spanish giants shared four goals between them in a crazy first 45 minutes.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including concern over Pepi after an injury and Folarin Balogun getting on the scoresheet.