England news

Manchester City hoped, and may even have expected that a midfielder called Nico would transform their fortunes during the second half of last season. The man that has become key to Pep Guardiola’s side’s mid-season surge and made them contenders to pull off the quadruple is not, however, the gangly Nico Gonzalez, who was recruited from Porto for £50 million last January, but rather academy graduate Nico O’Reilly, who cost nothing at all.

Anthony Gordon's 2025-26 Champions League campaign is the greatest by any English scorer for an English club in the competition's history. That's a fact. With his four-goal haul for Newcastle in last week's 6-1 hammering of Qarabag, he broke the record for most goals scored by an Englishman for a Premier League side in a single Champions League season, taking his tally to 10 from nine games. Not even Alan Shearer managed such a number in those famous black-and-white stripes.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has revealed the gruesome injuries that he suffered when taking a heavy blow to the face during AC Milan’s Serie A clash with Parma. The England international midfielder has undergone surgery to fix a broken jaw. The former Chelsea star is now nursing serious swelling on his face, while also missing a number of teeth.

Raheem Sterling has made his first competitive appearance in nine months, having left Chelsea and completed a shock move to Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord. The 31-year-old forward is pleased to be back on the pitch and will take things slowly for the remainder of the season. That means no thought has been given to a potential England recall in this World Cup year.

England are blessed with right-back options heading towards the 2026 World Cup, with a history-making former Three Lions star that once filled that position telling GOAL who he would favour in a bid for global glory. Viv Anderson has also explained who he would “discard”, with Thomas Tuchel facing some tough selection decisions ahead of major tournament action.

World Cup chiefs have been given a four-week deadline to resolve a stadium funding row which could see both England and Scotland have matches moved if the matter is not resolved. The stadium in question is the Gillette Stadium just outside Boston, with local Foxborough authorities setting the deadline to receive a £6million ($8m) payment to cover manpower and infrastructure costs at the 66,000-capacity stadium.

Football fans across the United Kingdom have received a major boost ahead of the 2026 World Cup after the government confirmed a significant relaxation of licensing laws. Pubs in England and Wales will be permitted to extend their operating hours for knockout matches. This legislative victory ensures supporters can stay at their locals into the early hours as the tournament unfolds across North America.

There has been heated debate over who should play back-up to Harry Kane for England at the World Cup this summer, but in truth the answer is becoming increasingly obvious. There is only one striker who can hold a candle to the Three Lions captain this season, and it is one who is operating out of sight and out of mind in Saudi Arabia, where he has eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo.

Eberechi Eze was meant to be Arsenal's X-factor this season, a player who could break the mould and deliver moments of magic for a regimented team in need of that extra attacking spark. The Gunners sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table, but they are still missing that fluidity in the final third, and Eze has seldom proven the answer to the questions over their potency from open play.

Jude Bellingham has handed England a pre-World Cup selection headache, with it reported that the Real Madrid superstar’s hamstring injury is worse than first feared. It is being suggested that the 22-year-old midfielder will sit out the Three Lions’ final camp before Thomas Tuchel settles on his 26-man squad for a shot at global glory in North America this summer.

Pep Guardiola has told Phil Foden to just relax amid his latest slump in form, but that is easier said than done, given his place in the Manchester City line-up is less certain than ever while his status in the England squad also at risk. Foden appeared to have put last season's struggles behind him towards the end of 2025, but he now appears to be suffering another dip at the worst possible time.

Wayne Rooney has outlined how Thomas Tuchel’s new England contract, which is due to take him through to the summer of 2028, will impact international stars such as Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden. The former Three Lions captain believes that the demanding German tactician is now less likely to make contentious decisions in his World Cup squad selection.

Ivan Toney has sent a World Cup message to England manager Thomas Tuchel, reminding the German tactician that he is still “hungry” for goals and international recognition after leaving the Premier League for a stint in the Saudi Pro League. The former Brentford striker has been competing with Portuguese GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo for Golden Boot honours in the Middle East.