This is Legacy, GOAL’s feature and podcast series following the road to the 2026 World Cup. Every week, we dive into the stories and legacies that shaped football’s greatest nations. This time we turn to Brazil, who are facing an identity crisis as they look to avoid the longest gap between global titles in the country's history. From the magic of 2002 to the heartbreaks that followed, it’s the story of a footballing superpower still searching for itself - and for its next star to lift the weight of a nation.
It is reported that senior players at Manchester United felt as though “insecure” Ruben Amorim had lost control of the dressing room prior to his sudden dismissal as Red Devils boss. The Portuguese saw a 14-month reign, across 420 days, brought to a close on January 5. He is considered to have become a “mumbling” shadow of his former self before the axe finally fell.
Ruben Amorim may have delivered dismal results on the pitch for Manchester United, but he remained a fascinating coach to watch due to his tendency for drama whenever he was near a microphone. The Portuguese charmed journalists in his unveiling in November 2024 and from then on his press conferences became appointment viewing as you never knew what he might say.
Manchester United legend Nicky Butt has issued a furious ultimatum to the club's hierarchy, vowing to cancel his season tickets if they appoint Enzo Maresca as the next permanent manager. The 'Class of 92' icon believes the "City-fication" of the club's boardroom has already gone too far and insists he cannot stomach a former rival coach taking charge at Old Trafford following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim.
Petr Cech made a shock return to football when gracing Baller League UK, as he reunited with former Chelsea team-mate John Terry, but the legendary Czech keeper - who is now 43 years of age - was left red-faced when conceding a “goal of the season” contender. Cech was unable to help Terry’s team, the 26ers, secure a top-four finish and a place in the finals.
Brazilian sensation Endrick has opened up about the heart-to-heart conversation with Carlo Ancelotti that led to his January loan move to Lyon. The teenager revealed the Brazil head coach urged him to seek regular minutes elsewhere to aid his development ahead of the 2026 World Cup, while he also explained why the Portuguese connection in France made the Ligue 1 giants the perfect destination.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly "under consideration" as Manchester United search for a caretaker or interim manager to take over from Ruben Amorim, just over four years after he himself was sacked by the Red Devils. Darren Fletcher will lead the team in the immediate short-term, but the club is expected to name someone else in charge for the coming months, before a final permanent appointment is ultimately made ahead of next season.
There's a nostalgic feel to Chelsea's sudden firing of a manager and the mad scramble to bring in a successor midway through a season. The difference on this occasion is they are not a team stacked with world-class players in pursuit of the Premier League title, rather a middling assembly of young starlets with little hope of immediate success.
In an interview with The Business podcast released on October 9, Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe vowed that Ruben Amorim would get "three years to demonstrate he is a great coach", while stressing the need for patience in the club's "long-term plan". Yet here we are, barely three months later, and Amorim has been unceremoniously kicked out of Old Trafford, with United having communicated their belief that "it is the right time to make a change" in order to "give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish".
Leeds appear to have trolled old adversaries Manchester United in the wake of the Red Devils’ decision to sack Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim. His final game at the helm was a Premier League fixture at Elland Road. It is claimed that a meeting with Jason Wilcox ultimately led to his demise, with Leeds taking great pleasure in posting a video on social media of their former winger scoring a goal against Newcastle.
Manchester United players have jumped onto social media channels to thank Ruben Amorim and wish him well for the future after he was sacked in dramatic fashion during an early-morning meeting with club bosses. And while there was clearly lots of warmth towards the exiting manager from most of the squad, there was silence from a few other notable United stars.
Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo is on the cusp of rejoining Barcelona, with the proposed deal now given the 'Here We Go!' tag by transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano. The highly-rated Al-Hilal defender, who spent the 2023-24 season on loan at the Catalan club, has made a return to the Camp Nou his top priority, cutting short a difficult spell in Saudi Arabia.
Manchester City are potentially at risk of being without key defender Josko Gvardiol for the rest of the season following the injury he sustained in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Chelsea. The Croatian defender had to be helped off the pitch in the second half, in the same game as chief centre-back partner Ruben Dias was also unable to continue, while John Stones is still sidelined.
Liverpool fans will have to wait a little longer to see Mohamed Salah back in the famous red jersey after the Egyptian icon scored for his country to extend their stay at the Africa Cup of Nations. Salah was on the scoresheet in the thrilling 3-1 victory over Benin and now face a quarter-final clash on Saturday, with the Reds due to face Premier League leaders Arsenal this week.
GOAL predicts how the the top USWNT players will do abroad in 2026, from Girma, Thompson and Macario at Chelsea to Heaps and Yohannes at Lyon, Tullis-Joyce at United and Fox at Arsenal.
Manchester United are searching for a long-term replacement to Ruben Amorim after sacking their boss, and they are also considering their options for who'll lead the club in the short-term until a permanent manager is found. With Darren Fletcher in charge for now, United are weighing up bringing another club legend back to Old Trafford for the rest of the season.
Martin O'Neill is already back at Celtic on an interim basis until the end of the season, replacing Wilfried Nancy at the helm after the French manager was dismissed just eight games into a two-and-a-half year contract. O'Neill had preceded Nancy at Parkhead, initially holding the fort for an eight-game run when Brendan Rodgers was dismissed in October.
With Liam Rosenior on course to become Chelsea's new manager, following the shock New Year's Day departure of Enzo Maresca, Premier League legend Wayne Rooney has given a resounding endorsement. The retired ex-Manchester United captain knows the Strasbourg boss pretty well already, having been assisted by him during an 18-month spell at Derby County in 2021 and 2022.
LA Galaxy confirmed that Riqui Puig will miss the entire 2026 MLS season after undergoing another successful ACL reconstruction on his left knee. The Spanish midfielder described the setback as one of the hardest moments of his life but remains focused on a full recovery, with the club targeting his return for the start of the 2027 campaign.
Ruben Amorim has been told he will have to shoulder his portion of blame for the failures of his reign in charge as Manchester United boss. Amorim was informed of his sacking by United chiefs on Monday morning and has come in for stiff criticism, including from reporters in his native Portugal, with the focus on his insistence on sticking with his much-maligned 3-4-3 system.
Just hours after he was sacked by Manchester United, Ruben Amorim put on a brave face and shared a few words with photographers after heading out for a wintry walk with his wife Maria Joao Diogo. The Portuguese boss was given the boot following an explosive attack on United hierarchy and came less than 24 hours after another poor performance in the draw with Leeds United.
Ruben Amorim has become the sixth Manchester United manager to be sacked in less than 13 years, with the Portuguese's hugely disappointing tenure coming to an end on Monday in acrimonious circumstances. Amorim lasted less than 14 months in charge at Old Trafford, making his stint the second-shortest of all the coaches to step into the Old Trafford dugout on a permanent basis.
The defender continues to blossom in one of the world's toughest leagues, and his breakout is coming just months before what could be a life-changing tournament
Manchester United have finally put Ruben Amorim out of his misery. On Monday morning, the 20-time champions of England announced that the Portuguese had "departed his role as head coach" and that the decision had been "reluctantly" made to "give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish". Of course, the table doesn't make for particularly poor reading for United.
Ruben Amorim was sacked by Man United on Monday morning following a disappointing draw with Leeds, but it may have been the Portuguese boss's behaviour leading up to it which prompted his untimely exit from the Old Trafford hot seat, rather than results alone. Amorim sensationally fell out with United chiefs and caused tactical confusion within the squad before the decision to relieve him of his duties.
Celtic have wasted little time in sacking manager Wilfried Nancy, just eight games into his time in Glasgow, having been hired in December 2025 as the permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers. Martin O'Neill had served as interim boss following Rodgers' dismissal and was remarkably at the helm for longer than Nancy. The last nail in the Frenchman's coffin was a 3-1 Old Firm defeat to Rangers at Parkhead on Saturday.
Cole Campbell has agreed a six-month loan to Hoffenheim after struggling to establish himself in the first team for Borussia Dortmund, the club announced Monday morning. The deal includes an option to buy for up to $11.7 million should the club opt to make it permanent at the end of the season. Campbell has played just 16 senior minutes this season for the German giants.
Edu Gaspar is reportedly fighting to save his job at Nottingham Forest just months into his lucrative £3 million-a-year contract, with the former Arsenal director coming under intense scrutiny from ruthless owner Evangelos Marinakis. The Brazilian’s position is said to be hanging by a thread following a catastrophic breakdown in relations with former boss Nuno Espirito Santo and a disastrous transfer strategy that has left the club staring down the barrel of relegation.
Sporting KC are nearing an agreement with former Chicago Fire and Young Boys manager Raphael Wicky, according to the Athletic. The Swiss manager, who has previously played and coached in MLS, is set to replace long-time manager Peter Vermes, who parted ways with the club after a winless start to last season. He is the first major appointment from new CSO David Lee.
Manchester City are reportedly mulling over a January move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi as Pep Guardiola sees injury problems mount at the Etihad Stadium. The Blues are considering dipping into the winter transfer market for reinforcements after two more senior stars picked up knocks in a draw with Chelsea that has rocked their Premier League title aspirations.