A year ago, Karim Coulibaly hadn't even made his first-team debut for Werder Bremen. Fast-forward 12 months, though, and the centre-back could be on course for a record-breaking transfer away from the Bundesliga side at the age of 18. The Germany youth international has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Weserstadion, putting some of Europe's top clubs on notice, and Werder are seemingly prepared to cash-in already.
Tensions have finally boiled over at Real Madrid, resulting in team-mates literally coming to blows. There has been a sense all season that things have been a little bit fraught behind the scenes. This is more or less how it goes for Los Blancos, especially in those rare seasons where they fail to bank silverware. Rumours emerge of discontent, the local press goes mad - but rarely do the rumours turn into anything tangible.
Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez have a lot in common. They're two tenacious but technically gifted midfielders who played pivotal roles in Argentina winning the 2022 World Cup. They also presently play for big Premier League teams, but both have been repeatedly linked with Real Madrid. Up until last summer, such speculation made an awful lot of sense.
Over the last few weeks, as Manchester City have been chasing down their first Women's Super League title in 10 years, things have become nervy on and off the pitch. Dropped points had threatened to let Arsenal back in the title race, until the Gunners' own midweek slip-up at Brighton ended that suspense. Still, though any concerns around the destiny of the WSL trophy have now been put to bed, City fans can still worry themselves over the future of their star striker, Khadija Shaw.
Borussia Dortmund are set to sign Joane Gadou from FC Red Bull Salzburg for the new season. Who is this 19-year-old centre-back who is costing BVB as much as Erling Haaland once did?
Former USWNT captain and center back Becky Sauerbrunn spoke with Soccer Girl about her career, life as a new mom and her journey to becoming a broadcaster and podcast host.
Curacao became the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup, and their historic achievement has offered a moment of unity for an island long shaped by racial tension.
Fran Kirby's achievements throughout her career to date make for remarkable reading. Part of the Lionesses side which beat Germany in the European Championship final at Wembley back in 2022, the 32-year-old also lifted 16 major honours during her incredible nine-year stay at Chelsea, with individual accolades galore coming in and amongst all of that. She was there for England's first major title and Chelsea's first major title; now, in Brighton colours, Kirby will hope she can help another ambitious side hit new heights.
Paris Saint-Germain endured an agonising wait before finally lifting the European Cup, but 12 months after winning their first, they've got a glorious chance to collect their second after edging out Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate in an absorbing semi-final tie. Wednesday's second leg at the Allianz Arena may not have been anywhere near as chaotic as last week's nine-goal thriller at Parc des Princes, but Luis Enrique was just as enthused by his side's performance.
FC Bayern's defeat in the second leg against Paris Saint-Germain was not caused by conceding too many goals, but by their record-breaking attack failing to deliver. It marked an unexpected end to a memorable clash with PSG.
Paris Saint-Germain are one step away from retaining their Champions League crown after holding Bayern Munich to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their semi-final to triumph 6-5 on aggregate. After last week's nine-goal thriller at Parc des Princes, neutrals all across the globe were hoping to witness another all-time classic between two teams blessed with fantastic forward lines.
Bayern Munich's hopes of reaching the Champions League final were ended on Wednesday as they drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain on the night, leading to them losing their semi-final 6-5 on aggregate. The defending champions scored early and defended doggedly, meaning Harry Kane's late equaliser counted for nothing in the end.
For the first time in 10 years, Manchester City are Women’s Super League champions. The crowning moment may not have been what the runaway leaders expected, with Arsenal’s draw at Brighton on Wednesday night confirming their triumph without them even needing to take to the field. But it won’t taste any less sweet for a City side that has endured five second-placed finishes since their last title triumph in 2016.
Arsenal's slim chances of pipping Manchester City to the Women's Super League title ended on Wednesday as the Gunners' 1-1 draw at Brighton saw the Cityzens crowned champions for the first time in 10 years. Coming off the back of some demanding Champions League exploits, Renee Slegers rotated for the trip south, but that was no excuse for the dropped points, with the Seagulls' own much-changed cast thriving to play yet another surprisingly prominent role in the WSL title race.
From Landon Donovan’s Algeria heroics to Tim Howard’s unforgettable stand against Belgium, GOAL picks the USMNT stars who have defined America’s World Cup history.
In Munich, Benjamin Pavard was an undisputed key player. After a turbulent spell at Inter, the Frenchman has now ended up at Marseille. His future is more uncertain than ever.
The clock is ticking down to a potentially tenure-defining decision for Thomas Tuchel, who will be putting the final touches to his England squad for the 2026 World Cup. However, there is still time for those on the fringes to make a late push into the manager's thinking as the season enters his final weeks. Some, though, stand a much better chance than others.
Arsenal are through to the Champions League final after a 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates on Tuesday. It wasn't pretty - it rarely is when Arsenal are involved. Mikel Arteta's men specialise in ugly wins. but there was unquestionably something beautiful about Bukayo Saka scoring the goal that decided a tedious tie 2-1 in the Gunners' favour.
In the 44th minute of Bayern Munich's Bundesliga clash with St. Pauli on November 29, Luis Diaz ended up prone in the penalty area. However, while the winger had lost his balance, he'd not lost control of the ball - and somehow managed to flick it up off the floor and into the path of Joshua Kimmich to score. It was an extraordinary piece of skill - but Bayern boss Vincent Kompany wasn't in the least bit surprised by it.
Lionel Messi remains the MLS MVP favorite if he plays enough minutes, but Sam Surridge, Hany Mukhtar, Timo Werner and others are building real cases of their own.
Atletico Madrid once again came up short in the Champions League as they suffered a 1-0 loss at Arsenal on Tuesday that meant they succumbed to a 2-1 aggregate defeat in their semi-final tie. Diego Simeone's side mustered just two shots on target in north London as their hopes of facing either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30 went up in smoke.
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal reached their first Champions League final in 20 years by defeating Atletico Madrid 1-0 in a tight and tense encounter on Tuesday to progress 2-1 on aggregate. The semi-final tie had been left perfectly poised after Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez had exchanged penalties at the Metropolitano last week, and there was once again little to choose between two attritional teams in the return clash at the Emirates.
Tim Weah has always been more than a footballer. He sat down with GOAL to discuss art, identity, storytelling and the role he hopes to play at a home World Cup.
The mood at Eintracht Frankfurt is gloomy, despite the club still being in contention for European football. Manager Albert Riera has divided the squad in record time, and the underlying issues run even deeper.
Most of FC Bayern's top players have carried a far heavier workload this season than their Paris Saint-Germain counterparts—yet you'd never guess it. Quite the opposite, in fact!