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Vinicius Junior’s dramatic decline in the Ballon d’Or rankings has raised eyebrows, with the Real Madrid star slipping all the way down to 16th in 2025, just a year after finishing runner-up to Rodri. The Brazilian had vowed to come back stronger following last year’s controversy, but his fall from grace has coincided with Real Madrid’s ongoing rift with UEFA and the awards ceremony.

Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has finished ahead of big names such as Arsenal's Declan Rice, Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings. The Scotland international is ranked in 18th place after a stellar season that saw him score 12 Serie A goals and help deliver the Scudetto for Napoli.

Barcelona have spent more than two seasons away from Camp Nou due to a renovation project that has been beset by delays, but a phased re-opening of the iconic venue is getting closer to becoming reality. The Blaugrana await permission from the city council, with Joan Laporta claiming that everything else is now in place for the team's return.

Paris Saint-Germain and France star Ousmane Dembele is heading to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday night in a custom-made tuxedo. The 28-year-old attacker is the red-hot favourite to land the prestigious prize after a stellar season that brought four trophies for his club side but faces competition from Barcelona and Spain teenager Lamine Yamal.

Gary Neville has branded Arsenal a 'one-trick pony' under Mikel Arteta, questioning whether the Gunners truly believe they can win the Premier League. The Manchester United legend criticised Arsenal’s reliance on set pieces following their 1-1 draw with Manchester City, warning that without greater attacking spark, their title push could ultimately fall short.

Ferran Torres has managed 31 goals and assists for Barcelona since the start of last season and is considered a valuable member of Hansi Flick's squad. But the former Manchester City star's long-term future remains up in the air due to the lack of any progress or a proactive approach to extend his contract beyond its current expiry.

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

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Jose Mourinho has moved quickly to cool tensions with Porto fans after sparking anger with his unveiling comments at Benfica. The 62-year-old Portuguese coach, who began his career with the Lisbon giants in 2000, stressed that his return is not about 'waging war' on Porto or Sporting, despite admitting he expects a frosty reception when Benfica visit the Dragao in October.

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has undergone a dramatic body transformation after undergoing surgery to cure a troublesome shoulder problem. The England international has been asked to slim down and reduce muscle mass by the Spanish giants in a bid to become sharper, quicker and more agile in the new La Liga season with Xabi Alonso’s side.

Paul Pogba was seen praising Monaco debutant Ansu Fati after the forward came off the bench to score twice and inspire a 5-2 comeback win against Metz in Ligue 1. The French midfielder told Fati he had foreseen his impact as a super sub, with the attacker joking that Pogba must have magical powers.

Xabi Alonso insists he's not making a “big deal” after growing speculation over Vinicius Jr’s substitution appearances. Real Madrid are on a good run in La Liga, but questions loom over player rotation as Alonso maintains a team-first approach, saying he wants all players to feel comfortable and that what matters most is the results and collective spirit.

La Liga giants Real Madrid are expected to boycott the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday for the second year in a row. Los Blancos famously failed to attend in 2024 after learning that star man Vinicius Jr had been pipped to the prestigious Golden Ball by Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri. Tensions between Real Madrid and UEFA still linger in the wake of the snub as the club feel they have been unfairly treated.

With the Ballon d'Or ceremony just hours away, a former winner has given his verdict on the two frontrunners. He revealed his vote would go to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal for his "unpredictable" style, but concedes that Ousmane Dembele's Champions League triumph with Paris Saint-Germain might "tip the scales" in his favour.

After an outstanding recent run of form for England and Barcelona, Marcus Rashford was brought crashing back down to earth by Hansi Flick at the weekend. The Barcelona coach imposes strict standards for the players in his squad to adhere to at all times and there are absolutely no exceptions to those rules.

After two weeks of conservative physical therapy, Barcelona have decided that Gavi will undergo a minor arthroscopic procedure to return to the pitch as soon as possible. The medical examination will be performed under the supervision of the club's medical staff. This comes after Fermin Lopez also suffered an injury in Barca's La Liga fixture against Getafe, which has now sidelined for a couple of weeks.

AC Milan will be without star forward Rafael Leao for their Coppa Italia clash with Lecce as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury. Coach Massimiliano Allegri has ruled him out of Tuesday's game but has now targeted this weekend's crucial Serie A fixture against Napoli for his potential return.

Former Manchester United star Christian Eriksen believes that public criticism from club legends such as Gary Neville and Roy Keane is not helping the Red Devils. Ruben Amorim's side have endured another tough start to the Premier League season and the Denmark international feels more realistic expectations are needed from pundits and former players.

AC Milan forward Rafael Leao revealed he was close to signing for his boyhood dream club Benfica, but the move fell through after the club failed to keep their promise of sending a van to pick him up for training. The setback left Leao in tears and ultimately led him to join Benfica’s arch-rivals Sporting CP, where he would go on to make his senior debut before eventually leaving Portugal.

After throwing away victory against Arsenal left Manchester City ninth in the Premier League table with seven points from five games, Pep Guardiola defended his team's poor early season form. But the Spaniard's claims that his players are already "incredibly tired" did not sit well with ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane.

Harry Kane admits that an NFL crossover remains “in the back of my mind”, but says a move into American football remains “a long way away”. The prolific Bayern Munich and England striker has never hidden the fact that he would like to test himself as a placekicker. There is, however, plenty left for him to achieve in his sport of choice before considering any switch into another.

Fermin Lopez left the field looking visibly distraught after Barcelona's league win against Getafe. The midfielder dropped to the pitch, holding his groin and the back of his leg, before leaving the field as coach Hansi Flick hugged him. The club have now received the test results, and the 20-year-old is slated to be sidelined for around three weeks.

Gary Neville has ranked Manchester City's new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma above Arsenal's David Raya and compared the Italian with former Manchester stars Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar. Neville labelled the former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper an "absolute animal" after watching him shine in City's 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.

Harry Kane could win the Ballon d'Or at Bayern Munich if he leads them to Champions League glory, according to the club legend Lothar Matthaus. The German icon explained that he is most impressed by the striker's "playmaker" assists, not just his goals, and urged him to finish his career in the Bundesliga.

AC Milan’s offer of a new contract remains on the table ready for Christian Pulisic to sign, but the Serie A giants have “no meetings scheduled” with the USMNT star. The United States international was expected to have committed his future to the Rossoneri by now, but the relevant paperwork remains incomplete and discussions regarding fresh terms have ground to a halt.

Bernardo Silva has claimed that Arsenal had an "unfair advantage" over Manchester City during their Premier League clash at the Emirates on Sunday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after Gabriel Martinelli's dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser cancelled out Erling Haaland's early goal in the first half, with the Gunners extending their unbeaten run against City to six matches.

AC Milan legend Demetrio Albertini has praised midfielder Luka Modric, saying he brings calmness to the team and is helping his team-mates perform at their best. Albertini also compared Modric to former Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo, noting that both players reinvented themselves with age to meet the needs of their teams.

The terms of a “secret” release clause in Harry Kane’s contract at Bayern Munich have been revealed, with it possible that the former Tottenham striker could return to the Premier League in 2026. In order for that to happen, two key conditions must be met - with any suitors in English football likely to be keeping a close eye on events in Germany.

Ruben Amorim insisted that Manchester United are his "only club" while reacting to Jose Mourinho's appointment at Benfica. Mourinho has signed a two-year contract with Benfica after being sacked by Fenerbahce right at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.