Ritabrata Banerjee

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola took full blame for the club's Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen after a "first time in my life" selection gamble. City failed to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday as Guardiola paid the price for making 10 changes to his starting lineup.

Santos have been dealt a huge blow, as Neymar has been ruled out for the rest of the year with a knee injury. Santos, who are languishing in the Brazilian Serie A relegation zone, will miss their star forward at a very crucial juncture in the season. Neymar's return to his boyhood club has not gone to plan because the 33-year-old has been constantly rocked by injuries throughout the year.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been slammed by Graeme Souness for showing a "lack of appetite". The Reds legend also pinpointed the first warning sign in Salah's game in the club's Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace in August. After consistently delivering for the past eight years and playing a key role in Liverpool's title-winning seasons, Salah seems to be finally slowing down and his decline has coincided with an alarming dip in form from Arne Slot's side.

Lionel Messi reportedly reached a complete agreement to rejoin Barcelona in 2023 and an official contract was drafted to welcome back their greatest legend, but the move never materialised. Messi left his boyhood club in 2021 as a free agent after spending almost two decades there. He then completed a high-profile free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent two years before heading to Inter Miami in the United States.

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt appeared to question manager Ruben Amorim's tactics after the Red Devils' embarrassing loss to 10-man Everton on Monday. The defeat ended a five-game unbeaten streak for United in the Premier League and sent them tumbling to 10th in the table, 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, and De Ligt pulled no punches after the final whistle.

Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda delivered an honest update on Neymar's latest injury setback after the forward's withdrawal from the Brazilian Serie A clash with Internacional. Neymar had just returned from a hamstring injury and was slowly settling in to playing again for Santos again, but a fresh knock forced him back onto the sidelines for Monday's game.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez have reportedly finalised a wedding venue that holds a special meaning for the Al-Nassr and Portugal superstar. The couple got engaged in August this year after Ronaldo proposed to his long-term girlfriend. They plan to tie the knot next summer, following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.

Gary Neville singled out one "ambling" Manchester United player for criticism in a furious outburst during his former club's disappointing 1-0 home defeat to a 10-man Everton side. The United flops were deservedly booed off the pitch at full-time after their five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end.

Ex-Everton star Yannick Bolasie has hit out at Gary Neville's punditry, claiming the Manchester United legend "thinks he’s the second coming of Pep Guardiola". Neville was on Sky Sports commentary during the Premier League clash between the Toffees and the Red Devils as Ruben Amorim's side suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss against 10 men.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has backed Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian to emulate Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal but warned against comparisons ahead of the Champions League showdown between the European giants. Although his minutes have been carefully managed and he is not yet a guaranteed starter, Estevao has made an impressive start to life at Stamford Bridge, making five goal contributions already.

Tottenham are finally looking to "fill the void" left by club legend Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich as they target a new striker. Kane left his boyhood club in the summer of 2023 in search of a new challenge as he joined the Bundesliga giants for a record fee. The England international has enjoyed a purple patch since moving to Germany and also won his maiden trophy of his career when Bayern lifted the Bundesliga title in 2025.

Lionel Messi's former World Cup-winning Argentina team-mate, Alejandro Gomez, has finally returned to action for an Italian second-tier club after serving a two-year doping ban. Gomez, who was part of Argentina's triumph in Qatar three years ago, has not touched a football since October 2023 after testing positive for a banned substance. He last played for Monza in Serie A.

Como and Switzerland star Alisha Lehmann named a Chelsea star as the toughest-ever opponent she has contested against, while also revealing whether she would rather win the World Cup with the Switzerland national team or the Ballon d'Or. Lehmann left Aston Villa for Italy to join Juventus in the summer of 2024 after spending six years in England and joined Como in the summer.

Lionel Messi made MLS Cup playoffs history with a dominant individual display as Inter Miami thrashed FC Cincinnati 4-0 to progress to the Eastern Conference finals. The World Cup-winning Argentina legend was involved in every goal, contributing one of his own and three assists for his team to leave the David Beckham-owned club just two games away from winning their first-ever MLS Cup.

An angry Leeds United fan who tried to confront manager Daniel Farke following the defeat to Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday has been arrested. The incident occurred midway through the Premier League clash, as Unai Emery's side came back from behind to beat the hosts 2-1. With the loss, the Whites now sit in the relegation zone with 11 points from 12 matches.

The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Local Organising Committee (LOC) has unveiled popular Arab literary character Juha as the official mascot for the prestigious Arab competition taking place from December 1-18 in Qatar. Juha, also known as 'the common man’s philosopher', embodies traditional Arab folklore. Qatar are hosting the competition for the second time in a row and 16 teams, from two confederations, will compete.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte played down talk of leaving after the club president made a controversial 'taking the team back' social media post following their win over Atalanta on Saturday. Conte reaffirmed his commitment to the club he had led to a title win only six months back. With the 3-1 victory over Atalanta, Napoli have climbed back to second position in Serie A.

Former Inter and Belgium defender Zinho Vanheusden has announced his retirement from professional football aged just 26, with the centre-back releasing a heartbreaking statement confirming his surprise decision. Vanheusden plied his trade in Italy, Belgium and Netherlands before heading to Spain this summer as he signed for third-tier club Marbella, but has now called time on his career.