The signs that Vinicius Jr's relationship with Xabi Alonso's wasn't going to run smoothly were there almost immediately. Had Trent Alexander-Arnold not suffered an injury the day before Real Madrid's Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, the new Blancos boss was planning to bench his Brazilian winger, preferring instead to hand homegrown forward Gonzalo Garcia a start up front alongside Kylian Mbappe.
Jonathan David delivered a dramatic winner in the 90+1 minute to give Juventus a 3-2 victory over Bodo/Glimt in their Champions League group-stage clash. After Kenan Yildiz’s effort was pushed aside by goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, David reacted quickest to slot home the rebound, scoring his second goal for Juventus and his first since late August to secure a crucial result for the Italian side.
U.S. international Weston McKennie scored a pivotal goal to put Juventus 2-1 ahead in their fifth Champions League group-stage match against Bodo/Glimt, completing a rapid response after conceding early. McKennie met a precise Fabio Miretti cross with a well-placed header, shifting momentum firmly back in Juve’s favor.
Liverpool's season crashed to a new, depressing low with a 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest at the weekend. The defending champions currently sit 11th in the Premier League table following a sixth defeat in seven matches and now boss Arne Slot has come in for a huge amount of stick over comments after the damaging loss at Anfield.
In an interview with Andrés Cantor for Futbol de Primera, Mauricio Pochettino discusses the work behind the USMNT’s recent turnaround - and calls out coaches who have criticized his approach.
Diego Simeone has openly admitted that he wants to manage Inter once he leaves Atletico Madrid, insisting his long-held ambition to take over the Nerazzurri "will happen one day." The Rojiblancos boss made the revelation ahead of Atleti's Champions League clash with Inter, fuelling speculation over his future as pressure rises in Madrid and admiration grows in Milan.
Estevao Willian spoke with the excitement of a Brazilian teenager living out his dream, after the 18-year-old Chelsea winger scored the goal of the night as the Blues put Barcelona to the sword in a statement 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. Speaking of this being the best moment of his young career thus far, Estevao spoke of how grateful he is for such a night and emphasised his connection with Chelsea fans since his arrival at the club.
Chelsea star Estevao Willian has put himself in esteemed company after bagging a sensational goal in the 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona on Tuesday night. The Brazilian wonderkid shared the stage with his Spanish counterpart, Lamine Yamal, and came out on top in a match that was completely dominated by the hosts in another Stamford Bridge classic.
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia has insisted that Tottenham "attack and defend well" and warned that Paris Saint-Germain face a "difficult match" in the Champions League, but his comments have sparked backlash on social media. With Spurs battered against Arsenal on Sunday and PSG pushing for a top-eight finish, fans are stunned by the Georgian winger’s assessment ahead of the high-stakes clash.
Newcastle squandered a wonderful opportunity to all-but seal their route to the Champions League knockout stages after a quick-fire double from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sunk the Magpies 2-1 in Marseille. In-form Harvey Barnes opened the scoring in the sixth minute, but a dreadful error from Nick Pope just seconds into the second-half allowed Aubameyang to turn the game in the hosts' favour.
Barcelona were comprehensively beaten at Stamford Bridge as the Blaugrana hardly put up a fight on the way to a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League. Hansi Flick's side went down to 10 men in the first half after Ronald Araujo was dismissed after picking up two bookings, and had the ball in their net six times as Chelsea attacked against their infamous high line at will.
Pep Guardiola marked his 100th match in the Champions League with Manchester City by dishonouring the competition with an arrogant team selection and got what he deserved: a 2-0 defeat to a streetwise and slick Bayer Leverkusen. The three-time winner of Europe's top competition made 10 changes to his line-up, including leaving out Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Ruben Dias.
Chelsea's fine form under Enzo Maresca continued with a blockbuster win over Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Blues turned on the style against their Spanish rivals, coming away 3-0 winners, thanks to an own goal from Jules Kounde, a wonderful Estevao strike and Liam Delap's first goal at Stamford Bridge. But the Premier League side could have had six or seven, such was their dominance under the lights in the capital.
Son Heung-min is set for a long-awaited emotional return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as reports in South Korea reveal Spurs are preparing a tribute-packed December homecoming. With his first Major League Soccer season at LAFC wrapped up and his regret over not saying a proper goodbye still lingering, the club are now working on a ceremony, half-time honour, special gift and private visit to Hotspur Way.
The Apertura 2025 Liguilla is officially set, and once again the Play-In delivered more noise than impact. For the third straight year, the top eight teams from the regular-season table advanced, reaffirming criticism of a format that never allowed ninth or 10th place to break through. With Liga MX preparing to scrap the Play-In in 2026, attention now shifts fully to the quarterfinals and Toluca’s bid for back-to-back titles.
The blockbuster showdown between Arsenal and Bayern Munich has brought out the softer side of the respective managers with a love-in ahead of the crunch Champions League showdown at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta and Vincent Kompany worked together at Manchester City, but the friendship will be put on hold as both look to extend their perfect starts Europe this season.
Paul Scholes has admitted that he has been forced to use Manchester United touts in order to secure Old Trafford tickets for matchdays, as claims emerge that the Red Devils have frozen out legends such as fellow Premier League title winner Nicky Butt. The pair have revealed their experiences in dealing with the club in recent years, claiming that the club is "different" from the years when they were playing under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Real Madrid’s turbulent dressing-room divide has been laid bare as reports in Spain reveal which players have aligned themselves with Vinicius Jr amid his escalating conflict with manager Xabi Alonso — and which stars, including Kylian Mbappe, have publicly and privately backed the under-pressure coach. With results slipping and tensions rising, Los Blancos now find themselves battling a crisis.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits he was "upset" after his side failed to score from a set piece in their 4-1 north London derby win against Tottenham on Sunday. The Gunners dominated their arch rivals at the Emirates, scoring all four of their goals from open play, something the Premier League leaders have been criticised for failing to do so far this season.
Life at Bayern Munich couldn’t be going much better for England captain Harry Kane, who has heaped praise on boss Vincent Kompany for his no-nonsense management style and believes he is now playing and enjoying his football better than ever before. Kane has also highlighted how life is very different to what he left behind at Tottenham.
The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Women's League Cup have been announced, with all of the Women's Super League's top-four sides still in the competition. The draw offered good news for all of the quartet, who avoided each other in the last eight, but some intriguing semi-final clashes could lie in wait. The quarter-finals will take place between December 19-21, with the semis taking place a month later on 21-22 January.
Manchester City fans joked that Pep Guardiola had named a starting line-up more befitting of a Carabao Cup tie than a Champions League match as the manager made 10 changes for his side's clash with Bayer Leverkusen. Erling Haaland was among those dropped for the game against the Bundesliga side, three days after City fell to a 2-1 defeat by Newcastle in the Premier League.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s reduced punishment for his red card against the Republic of Ireland has sparked fury across social media, with fans accusing FIFA of "bending the rules" to ensure the Portugal captain is available for the first games of the World Cup. The decision to convert what many expected to be a multi-match violent conduct ban into a one-game ban with two games suspended has ignited a fierce debate.
Elche head coach Eder Sarabia has still not gotten over the 2-2 draw against Real Madrid at the weekend, which saw Xabi Alonso's men come back twice from behind. Los Blancos equalised just three minutes from the end of normal time thanks to Jude Bellingham, but controversy erupted during and after the game as the Elche players and manager blasted the officials for what they believed to be an incorrect decision.
England could avoid facing France until the World Cup final and any of the top-four ranked teams until the semi-final stage, after it was confirmed that FIFA are set to implement a Wimbledon-style seeding system to the 2026 World Cup draw. Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions will find out their opponents in the group stage on December 5, and the new draw system aims to give the best possible opportunity for a heavyweight clash in the final of the tournament next summer.
U.S. international Trinity Rodman said she is still weighing her next move as her contract with the Washington Spirit nears its end, noting that emotions and timing are shaping a decision she hasn’t made yet. Her deal expired after Sunday’s NWSL final against Gotham FC, officially making her a free agent and leaving her at a potential career crossroads.
Juventus have reportedly joined the race for Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, as the young Red Devils star continues to attract interest from Serie A amidst the stagnation of his Old Trafford career. The 20-year-old has frequently been linked with Napoli and Juve are now said to be 'monitoring' Mainoo, whom they see as the next Paul Pogba if they can convince Mainoo to swap Manchester for Turin.
GOAL’s writers found no shortage of drama in the Conference semis, highlighted by Messi’s Miami rolling on and Son Heung-min’s LAFC crashing out in dramatic fashion.