Lists

Eintracht Frankfurt marked their Champions League return with a thumping 5-1 win over Galatasaray, overturning an early Leroy Sane-inspired opener. Jonathan Burkardt struck twice on his debut in the competition, while young starlet Can Uzun and Ansgar Knauff also shone in a pulsating night at Deutsche Bank Park. Coach Dino Toppmoller urged his players to “enjoy” the triumph, calling it a reward for last season’s efforts.

Giorgio Chiellini and Juan Mata have become the latest high-profile names to enter British football ownership, following in the footsteps of Luka Modric and Wrexham’s Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The pair have joined Mercury13’s investment in Bristol City Women, marking a significant new chapter as the legends turn their focus to shaping the future of the game.

Barcelona’s midfield brilliance stole the spotlight in their 2-1 Champions League win over Newcastle, with Pedri and Frenkie de Jong running the show. Jack Grealish labelled the pair “a joy to watch,” while Manchester United legend Paul Scholes called Pedri his “new favourite footballer.” Their dominance set the platform for Marcus Rashford’s decisive brace.

Alexa Melton has sent a "love you" birthday message to Christian Pulisic, with the USMNT star's golf pro girlfriend reflecting on "all our mems". AC Milan forward Pulisic, who welcomes his partner to Italy on a regular basis, has turned 27 and is hoping to enjoy a productive 12 months - in what is a World Cup year - before another personal celebration rolls around.

Jose Mourinho has already been warned of the sack threat he faces at Benfica, with the Portuguese a matter of hours into the two-year contract that he has signed at Estadio da Luz. The enigmatic former Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter boss is aware that he needs to deliver positive results in order to see out a deal through to the summer of 2027.

Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk has fired back at Germany national coach Julian Nagelsmann over his comments about Leroy Sane. The national team boss has said Sane will have to perform beyond his usual expectations to make the squad after he joined the Turkish giants from Bayern Munich. Buruk, though, pointed to the recent loss to Slovakia as proof Germany aren't as good as Nagelsmann believes.

Palmeiras appear to have produced another prodigiously talented teenager. In the past three years alone, the Brazilians have sold four gifted academy graduates to European sides: Endrick, Luis Guilherme, Vitor Reis and Willian Estevao. Luiz Benedetti is almost certain to become the fifth.

David Beckham has entered a new chapter of his post-playing career, launching his own honey-based snack brand in the United States. The Manchester United icon, who discovered a love for beekeeping during the COVID-19 lockdown, has turned his hobby into a full-fledged business called BeeUp. The launch comes as Beckham and his wife Victoria's combined fortune recently surpassed the £500 million ($675m) milestone.

Former Chelsea team-mates Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have transformed their fortunes at AC Milan under Massimiliano Allegri. After being linked with exits, both are now considered key players and could be rewarded with new deals as the club looks to secure their long-term futures at San Siro beyond their current 2027 contracts.

Marcus Rashford marked his first big Champions League night in Barcelona colours with a stunning brace against Newcastle at St. James’ Park. The forward became only the second Englishman to score for Barca in Europe, earning glowing praise from Hansi Flick, Ronald Araujo and Joan Garcia after firing the Catalan giants to a vital 2-1 win.

Before Sir Jim Ratcliffe invested in Manchester United, he tried to buy Chelsea. Although he grew up on a council estate in Failsworth in north Manchester and attended games at Old Trafford with his father as a child, Ratcliife took a liking to Chelsea as an adult while living and working in affluent west London.

There are obviously two ways of looking at Liverpool's 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday evening. On the plus side, they scored another late winner. On the negative side, they needed another late winner.

Erling Haaland is being backed to rise above Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League goal stakes, making more history in the process. The prolific Manchester City striker has become the fastest man to 50 efforts in elite European competition, with Pep Guardiola expecting the Norway international to go on and set a new all-time benchmark.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly held face-to-face talks with Ruben Amorim after flying into Carrington on Thursday amid growing pressure on the Portuguese coach. Though it's been reported the visit was long-planned, the Red Devils' poor form inevitably dominated discussions. United sit 14th in the Premier League and have already been dumped out of the Carabao Cup.

Marcus Rashford admits it has been "difficult" for him to settle quickly at Barcelona, after completing a loan move from Manchester United, but he is up and running on the competitive goal front. That account was opened when netting a stunning brace for the Liga giants in their first fixture of the 2025-26 Champions League campaign away at Newcastle.

Cruz Azul could be ready to entertain offers for Mateusz Bogusz, according to a report from ESPN. The 24-year-old has seen his role reduced since Larcamón’s arrival, though there’s no sign of frustration from the player. The Polish attacker has struggled for minutes under Nicolás Larcamón in the Apertura 2025, where he’s logged just 346 minutes across six matches.

Erling Haaland has become the quickest player to reach 50 Champions League goals, after he scored the opener in Manchester City's 2-0 win over Napoli. The Norwegian reached the tally in just 49 games, easily surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy's previous record. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid marksman reached his half-century in his first 62 appearances in the competition.

The Professional Footballers' Association is reportedly in talks with Chelsea over how they are treating exiled duo Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi. Both the Blues winger and defender tried to secure deadline day exits but in the end they stayed put in the club's 'Bomb Squad'. Now, it is understood the PFA have intervened over how they are being looked after.

Bruno Fernandes was left stunned as Marcus Rashford scored a screamer against Newcastle. The English forward delivered a Champions League masterclass in Barcelona colours, leaving even his Manchester United teammates in awe. The on-loan forward silenced St James’ Park with two goals of pure class as the Spanish champions edged the Magpies in a dramatic European opener.

Barcelona’s return to their spiritual home has been pushed back yet again, with the club confirming that their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 will take place at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuic. The Camp Nou, which has been undergoing a massive €1.5 billion facelift since June 2023, remains off-limits. Hopes of reopening in time for the new campaign have collapsed, leaving the Catalan giants scrambling for alternative venues.

Newcastle United promised so much on their return to the Champions League but Marcus Rashford's moments of magic secured Barcelona a hard-fought 2-1 win. Eddie Howe's team got their tactics spot on for the majority of the contest but the Catalan outfit had that extra bit of quality, despite Anthony Gordon's late consolation strike.

The South Korea captain has brought attacking quality to LAFC, as well as a willingness to be a face for the league

More than a year after FIFA initially sided with Dani Alves, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned that decision and ruled in favor of Pumas UNAM. The Mexican side had pursued the case since May 2024, demanding $5 million in penalties plus reimbursement of $1.125 million in image rights payments.

Marcus Rashford has belatedly arrived at Barcelona - and all it took was a return to England to spark the Manchester United misfit into life, with the forward netting a breathtaking brace in the Blaugrana's 2-1 win over Newcastle at St. James' Park.

Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over 10-man Napoli on Thursday. Despite dominating the ball in the early stages, the visitors quickly became content to sit in a low block, soaking up City pressure before looking to hit on the counter. After a long range effort from Tijani Reijnders stung the gloves of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to stop a Sam Beukema header from a Napoli corner.

The United States, Mexico and Canada - the three 2026 World Cup hosts - had mixed fortunes in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, the first update since July. The USMNT slipped one spot to 16th following a loss to South Korea and a win over Japan. Mexico dropped to 14th, while Canada climbed to 26th after back-to-back victories.

Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on Dusan Vlahovic ahead of his contract expiry as the Catalan side eye him as Robert Lewandowski's potential successor. The Blaugrana are desperate to find a long-term replacement for their Polish goal machine, whose deal runs out next summer, and the Serbian sharpshooter has become an option.

Austin FC and Nashville SC each booked their first U.S. Open Cup Final appearances on a dramatic semifinal night. In St. Paul, CJ Fodrey’s 120th-minute strike gave Austin a 2-1 extra-time win over Minnesota United, while in Nashville, Sam Surridge fired a hat trick to lead the Boys in Gold past Philadelphia Union 3-1 at GEODIS Park.

Bournemouth's renovation of the Vitality Stadium will start before the end of the 2025/26 season, with plans to to almost double their home ground's capacity waiting for final planning permission. The proposed work will see a complete renovation of the South Stand and the filling in of all four corners of the stadium, adding 9,000 extra seats to the 11,379 capacity venue.