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Goal.com
James Westwood - author - image

James Westwood

Assistant Editor

Bio: I have been an assistant editor, features writer, and live match reporter for GOAL since 2022, primarily covering my beloved Man Utd and the rest of the traditional 'big six' Premier League clubs. As a failed Cambridge trialist turned journalist, I aim to provide football fans with informative, unbiased, and thought-provoking content that sparks a wider debate, incorporating extensive research into the evolution of the modern game. Have developed a reputation for outlandish opinions, but the truth is, like Rafa Benitez, I deal only in "facts".

My Football Story: I didn't properly fall in love with football until I was eight, when my dad took me to see Luton vs York. The smell of pies and cigarette smoke outside Kenilworth Road was strangely intoxicating, and the deafening sound of the fans cheering at kick-off gave me the biggest adrenaline rush of my young life. The match itself was short on quality, with Luton grinding out a 2-1 win, but once I'd had my first taste of the 'beautiful game', there was no going back (though I stuck to supporting Man Utd instead of my local team, which has come back to haunt me).

Areas of Expertise: 

• All things Man Utd

• Premier League and Champions League coverage

• Player analysis & transfer insights

• Tactical breakdowns

Favourite Footballing Memory: 'On a free from PSG, he cost us f*cking zero!' - Endlessly repeating Zlatan Ibrahimovic's terrace chant while watching the 'Swedish hero' fire United to the Carabao Cup trophy at Wembley in 2017.

My All-Time XI: 4-4-2, diamond midfield - Peter Schmeichel; Dani Alves, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand, Paolo Maldini; Roy Keane, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney; Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo Nazario

Articles by James Westwood
  1. Bargain Spence sale is more baffling business from Spurs

    For some football fans, the summer is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most - and that's not just because it's filled by a World Cup every four years! Rather, it's because the end of the season means only one thing: It's time for transfers! The 2026 window is once again proving to be busy, with some huge names making big-money moves before deadline day on September 1.

  1. Alvarez is perfect for Barca! Arsenal should avoid transfer war

    No one could ever accuse Julian Alvarez of not knowing exactly what he wants. It was a surprise when he decided to push for a move away from Manchester City in 2024, after winning a pair of Premier League titles and the Champions League in his first two seasons at the club, but the Argentine forward had grown tired of being in the shadow of Norwegian terminator Erling Haaland.

  2. Mythical Messi deserves a ninth Ballon d'Or

    When Lionel Messi was pushed onto his weaker foot by Nico O'Reilly and Djed Spence on the right side of the box in the 92nd minute of stoppage time, England fans held their breath in unison. The Three Lions had four of their tallest players hovering around the six-yard area, and the Argentina captain needed a perfect delivery to reach Lautaro Martinez at the back post (his only realistic target) - but as we all know, Messi can conjure up perfection at any moment.

  3. Queiroz explains heated Bellingham exchange

    Carlos Queiroz has explained his heated exchange with Jude Bellingham during Ghana's 0-0 draw with England at the 2026 World Cup. Bellingham was seen being pulled away from the Ghana boss as tensions threatened to spill over at half-time, though Thomas Tuchel later denied that England's opponents had "got under their skin".

  4. Gianni shouldn't have bothered! CR7 falls flat for Portugal

    Portugal were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by minnows DR Congo in their first World Cup group game, with a Yoane Wissa effort cancelling out Joao Neves' opener. Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure up front, while Bernardo Silva also had an afternoon to forget as Roberto Martinez's side failed to live up to their billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

  5. Biggest stars who failed to qualify for World Cup 2026

    We are now just hours away from the start of the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with all 48 teams having made their way to North America with dreams of glory driving them. All of the pre-qualifying favourites made it safely through, including Spain, Brazil, England, France and defending champions Argentina.

  6. CR7's trophy drought is FINALLY over! Al-Nassr clinch Saudi Pro League title

    Cristiano Ronaldo has finally ended his five-year trophy drought, with Al-Nassr claiming the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League title after a 4-1 win over Damac on Thursday night. Goals from ex-Liverpool winger Sadio Mane and Bayern Munich legend Kingsley Coman put Al-Nassr in control before a stunning Ronaldo brace sealed the win for Jorge Jesus' side, who finished top of the table by two points ahead of arch-rivals Al-Hilal.

  7. LEGACY: How England 'losers' blew 2002 World Cup hopes

    This is Legacy, GOAL’s feature and podcast series counting down to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. This week, we explore what England must learn from their failure to claim glory in 2002, and why Thomas Tuchel’s task ahead is not about tactics, but about belief, identity, and courage on the biggest stage.