Lionesses captain Leah Williamson has warned that she would "never" rule out the potential of strike action in order to get a message across regarding players' concerns over the football schedule. It's been a hot topic in women's and men's football in recent years, one the Arsenal star herself has not shied away from discussing, and she has made her feelings clear about the issue again this week.
Jack Grealish has defended Raheem Sterling after the winger came in for criticism online in the wake of his debut for Feyenoord. Sterling completed a free transfer to the Eredivisie club on February 12 in a bid to get his career back on track after being frozen out at Chelsea. His first competitive appearance in over nine months came in a 2-1 win over Telstar.
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire's retrial for assaulting a police officer and attempted bribery has been rescheduled for March 4 but could be postponed yet again. Maguire was originally arrested in 2020 during a family holiday to Mykonos and handed a 21-month suspended sentence. The conviction was automatically quashed under appeal and there is speculation now it may never get to court.
After all that followed it, it may have been forgotten just how good Vinicius Jr's goal to beat Benfica was last week. The Brazil winger has a fine catalogue for Real Madrid, but this was surely among the best. Vinicius cut inside before using the outline of a defender to shape his shot into the top corner. It was a truly wonderful moment of individual expression - one that absolutely should be celebrated.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) confirmed it's reassessing plans for its upcoming trip to Mexico after recent security alerts issued across multiple regions of the country. Portugal are scheduled to face the Mexico on March 28 as part of the reopening festivities for Estadio Banorte, formerly Estadio Azteca.
Manchester United are reportedly interested in exploring a move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White in the summer transfer window. The Red Devils could look to trigger the £60 million release clause in the England international's contract, which he signed after a transfer saga involving Tottenham Hotspur.
Bodo/Glimt are into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in their history after causing another European upset, eliminating last season's finalists Inter at the knockout round play-off stage 5-2 on aggregate. The Norwegian side led 3-1 from the first leg last week but still had to plenty of work to do at San Siro. However, a gift from Inter defender Manuel Akanji, on loan from Manchester City, helped Bodo into the next phase of the competition with a 2-1 win in Italy.
Newcastle eased into the last 16 of the Champions League as they ran out 3-2 winners over Qarabag on Tuesday to secure a 9-3 aggregate win in their play-off encounter. Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Sven Botman got the on the scoresheet for Eddie Howe's men, who will now face Chelsea or Barcelona in the next round.
Wrexham held off a second-half comeback from Portsmouth to secure a 2-1 win on Tuesday night and retain their place in the Championship play-offs. Headers from Sam Smith and Max Cleworth had given the Red Dragons a firm advantage at the Racecourse Ground, but Zak Swanson's deflected strike caused some nervousness in the home ground. However, Phil Parkinson's side kept their cool to see out the win.
Jamie Carragher has compared Viktor Gyokeres to Alan Shearer in a remarkable U-turn from his previous comments about the Arsenal striker. The Sky Sports pundit had previously hit out at the Sweden international, claiming he isn't as good as some of Mikel Arteta's other options, but Gyokeres' brace in the north London derby on Sunday appears to have changed the former Liverpool defender's mind.
FIFA is monitoring the security situation in Mexico after incidents reported across multiple states in recent hours, according to ESPN. The governing body of world football asked for internal reports detailing the developments, particularly in Guadalajara, Jalisco — one of the host cities for the World Cup and a venue set to stage matches in the intercontinental playoff tournament.
The agent of John Heitinga, Thomas Frank's former assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur, has criticised the north London club's haphazard thinking after Igor Tudor was given the top job until the end of the season. Spurs are in disarray and fears of relegation only continued to grow with the dismal 4-1 defeat to local rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Johnny Cardoso made sure his first Atletico Madrid goal was an important one as he helped lead his side to a Champions League win on Tuesday. Cardoso's go-ahead goal gave his side the lead, helping them to a win in the second leg of Atleti's clash with Club Brugge.
Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League play-off with Benfica after succumbing to a knee injury in training. Los Blancos host the Portuguese giants at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, with Alvaro Arbeloa's men leading 1-0 from the first leg in Lisbon.
The audio between the referee and video assistant referee during Manchester City's disallowed goal at Liverpool earlier this month has been released. Rayan Cherki thought he had scored to make it 3-1 and cap a memorable victory for the Cityzens, but a scuffle between Dominik Szoboszlai and Erling Haaland saw the goal chalked off and the Hungarian dismissed.
Michael Carrick's son was nearly removed by Everton stadium security while waiting for his dad after Manchester United's 1-0 victory on Monday night. The Red Devils secured a late win thanks to Benjamin Sesko's strike at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but Carrick's son Jacey was approached by a guard who asked to see his credentials while waiting for his father.
Chelsea legend John Terry has admitted he wanted to be named the first-team's caretaker manager after the sacking of Enzo Maresca last month, but was overlooked in favour of academy colleague Calum McFarlane. Terry is a consultant for the Blues' Under-18 and Under-21 sides and is close with McFarlane, who instead took charge of two senior games before Liam Rosenior's arrival.
Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni is expected to claim he used homophobic language against Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior after allegedly being called a 'dwarf' by the Brazilian. The first leg of last week's knockout round play-off in the Champions League was marred by claims of racist abuse against the Argentine, whose defence is likely to be rejected.
Matheus Cunha has highlighted Michael Carrick's role in Manchester United's win at Arsenal last month and claimed he 'will never forget' how his side brushed off conceding twice to become the first team this season to beat the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium. The Brazilian scored the decisive goal in the 3-2 win by curling into the top corner in the 87th minute.
Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has heaped praise on Kylian Mbappe, describing the Frenchman as a "game-changer" ahead of Tuesday's pivotal Champions League showdown with Benfica. Despite lingering concerns over a knee injury that has hampered the forward since December, Arbeloa was quick to dismiss any doubts regarding the player's fitness or his suitability in a central role.
Former Manchester United forward Antony appeared to collapse in tears after missing a late chance in Real Betis' recent draw with Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. The Brazilian winger, who never established himself at Old Trafford after a £86 million transfer from Dutch giants Ajax, was consoled by his team-mates and the club's sporting director as the full-time whistle blew to signal the end of a 1-1 draw.
Juventus are moving swiftly to secure its long-term future under Luciano Spalletti. Despite a period of mixed results on the pitch, the hierarchy in Turin has seen enough to double down on the former Italy national team head coach. The message coming out of the Allianz Stadium is clear: Spalletti is the man to lead the Bianconeri restoration, and he is about to be rewarded with more than just a piece of paper. The tactician is currently locked into a deal that runs until the end of June, but the club are eager to rub out any uncertainty regarding his position before the current campaign reaches its climax.
Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has thrown down the gauntlet to UEFA, demanding that European football’s governing body takes decisive action following the alleged racial abuse of Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian superstar was reportedly targeted by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni during last week’s Champions League play-off first leg, a match that was halted for ten minutes after the incident. Ahead of the return leg at the Bernabeu, Arbeloa insisted that the time for empty gestures has passed and called for a meaningful investigation into the clash.
Manchester United's 1-0 win at Everton was the perfect showcase for the recruitment team. The goal was the work of the three summer signings: started by Matheus Cunha, packaged by Bryan Mbeumo and clinically dispatched by Benjamin Sesko. The lead was then protected by the man who is proving to be United's best signing of the last year and looks like their best hire for many years: Senne Lammens.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has called for a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, insisting that homophobia should be treated with the same severity as racism. The Belgian shot-stopper made the comments in the wake of a controversial Champions League clash against Benfica, where Gianluca Prestianni was hit with a provisional suspension for allegedly directing a discriminatory slur at Vinicius Jr. during Madrid's 1-0 win in Lisbon. While the initial accusations centered on a racial slur, reports have suggested the abuse may have been homophobic in nature, prompting Courtois to state that both are equally "deplorable" and have no place in the modern game.
Mohamed Salah has been accused of behaving “like a big baby” during his Premier League goal drought at Liverpool by ex-England boss Sam Allardyce. The Egyptian superstar was benched by Arne Slot earlier in the season amid struggles for form. He has returned to favour since aiming an explosive blast at the Reds, but continues to find end product in the final third hard to come by.
Xabi Alonso’s tenure at Real Madrid may have ended prematurely this year, but former team-mate Sami Khedira is adamant that the Spaniard’s story at the Santiago Bernabeu is far from over. The Basque tactician, who achieved legendary status after leading Bayer Leverkusen to a historic domestic double in 2024, was forced to pack his bags in the Spanish capital after just half a season in charge. However, the legacy he left behind in Germany and his tactical acumen continue to fuel talk of an eventual blockbuster return to the dugout of the 15-time European champions.
Juventus are preparing for a massive shake-up between the sticks this summer after losing faith in Michele Di Gregorio. The Bianconeri are reportedly scouring the Premier League for a high-profile replacement, with Liverpool’s Alisson Becker emerging as a shock target alongside Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario. While Di Gregorio arrived from Monza with high expectations, a nightmare run of form has left the Old Lady’s hierarchy convinced that a world-class upgrade is required to restore the club's traditional defensive solidity.
USMNT star Ricardo Pepi continues to see a move to Fulham speculated on, having missed out on a switch to Craven Cottage during the winter transfer window of 2026. The United States international could see a deal pushed through in the summer, with former Cottagers striker Bobby Zamora telling GOAL what a “fantastic” debut season in English football for the 23-year-old frontman would look like.
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