FEATURES

The Metropolitano pitch has become a major talking point ahead of Atletico Madrid's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Barcelona. "Honestly, it's not in good condition," Koke admitted after Sunday's home defeat to Real Betis. "We slip, the turf comes up. Clearly, we have to play better, so it's not an excuse, but we're expected to perform at a high level and we need a pitch of that same quality to be able to do so."

Managers often say that the one positive thing about modern football's relentless schedule is you never have too long to stew on a disappointing result. The opposite, however, is now true for Michael Carrick, who has all the time in the world to dissect Manchester United's 1-1 draw at West Ham before his side are in action again.

The club's gold alternate jersey pays homage to Turner, whose music career started in the bars of St. Louis.

Liverpool closed the gap on those above them in the Premier League's top-five race as Virgil van Dijk's header secured a 1-0 win over Sunderland on Wednesday. Arne Slot's side became the first visiting team to win at the Stadium of Light this season while taking advantage of both Chelsea and Manchester United dropping points 24 hours earlier.

Erling Haaland scored his first open-play goal in nearly two months as Manchester City fired another warning to Arsenal in the Premier League title race with a 3-0 win over Fulham. Pep Guardiola's side made sure they built on the momentum of their stunning late comeback win at Liverpool on Sunday and were utterly ruthless, striking three times before half-time.

GOAL sat down with the Columbus Crew star to discuss a life-changing year and the bigger changes that could be on the horizon

Arsenal have one foot in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals after beating OH Leuven 4-0 in Belgium on Wednesday night. Two from Frida Maanum and goals for both Olivia Smith and Alessia Russo got the job done, moving the reigning European champions one big step closer towards a meeting with London rivals Chelsea in the last eight.

GOAL takes a look at which MLS teams did the best, and worst, with their kits this season

Many of the MLS kits for 2026 are bold, but how effective the designs are has divided opinion among the GOAL writers

Thomas Frank is gone! The morning after a terrible night before, Tottenham Hotspur announced that the Dane had been relieved of his duties as head coach - to nobody's great surprise. Tuesday evening's 2-1 loss at home to fellow underperformers Newcastle extended Tottenham's winless run in the Premier League to eight games - a rotten run of results that has seen them plummet to 16th in the standings.

On Sunday at Anfield, Liverpool lost to Manchester City for the second time this season. Arne Slot insisted after the 2-1 defeat that "the improvement" in his side since their demoralising 3-0 drubbing at the Etihad in November was "visible for everyone to see" and there were certainly some positive signs in the second half - but they still suffered a now almost-customary collapse in the closing stages.

There is no shortage of ways to describe Bernardo Silva. A daring dribbler; a sleek passer; a relentless presser; the engine of Manchester City’s field, as well as its brain. But Erling Haaland managed to sum up the City captain's attitude in brilliantly simple terms after master-minding their stunning comeback win against Liverpool: 'Let’s have it!'

Manchester United simply had to act in the January transfer window. The Red Devils had enjoyed a wonderful start to the 2025-26 season, most notably qualifying for the Women's Champions League proper for the first time and then going one further by putting themselves in this month's knockout rounds. But if they wanted to be competitive against Europe's best, and at the sharp end of domestic competitions, they needed more in the squad - and that's the approach United took.

Michael Carrick's perfect start as Manchester United boss skidded to a halt with a 1-1 draw at West Ham but a 96th minute equaliser from Benjamin Sesko ensured his unbeaten run continued. United met their match against Carrick's boyhood club as Nuno Espirito Santo produced a tactical plan which stifled the visitors and Tomas Soucek gave the Hammers the lead in the second half.

Chelsea failed to win a Premier League match under Liam Rosenior for the first time as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Leeds United on Tuesday. The Blues were comfortably the better team for much of the contest and even led by two goals in the second half, but a series of defensive errors saw them throw away a victory which would have massively boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

The young defender is staying grounded as he approaches what is certainly the biggest moment of his young career

MLS returns with a packed schedule and familiar chaos. From stars like Messi, Rodriguez, and Son Heung-Min to the teams you can avoid, here’s who’s actually worth your weekend watch.

The world of football is increasingly influenced by money. Investors from the private equity sector in particular are playing an ever greater role in this. Takeovers of clubs such as AC Milan, Chelsea and Olympique Lyon show that investors see international football as an interesting growth market.

GOAL's Rebel United series focuses on players who prefer to swim against the tide, players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic – an icon who not only disrupted the system, but also subjugated it...

Liverpool fans never fully appreciated Luis Diaz. Indeed, most of them seemed to welcome the Colombian's departure to Bayern Munich last summer, believing that his sale was necessary to accommodate £116 million ($158m) signing Florian Wirtz, with Cody Gakpo still on hand to fill the first-choice role on the left flank.

Tottenham Hotspur sit 16th in the Premier League table. They are only five points clear of the relegation zone. Zero wins from nine domestic games in 2026. Their next match is against north-London neighbours Arsenal, the Premier League champions-elect whom Spurs have beaten just once in their last 10 meetings. And yet, until Wednesday morning, there seemed to be very little alarm around the club that this is a season that could very well end in disaster.

This is Legacy, GOAL’s podcast and feature series to mark the countdown 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 travel to Mexico, the only country to host three World Cups. From Pele’s triumph in 1970 to Diego Maradona’s magic in 1986, and now to the celebration set for 2026, it’s the story of a nation where football is not just played, but lived; a land of goals, history, and unending passion.

GOAL's writers debate Christian Pulisic’s form, Weston McKennie’s rise, and what it all means for Americans Abroad right now.

GOAL continues its Meet the USMNT series by examining Ream's winding path to a late-career surge.

GOAL breaks down the key moments from USWNT players abroad, including Thompson getting back in form.

If Ruben Amorim had stayed in charge of Manchester United, Kobbie Mainoo would be speaking to prospective clubs right now about leaving - if he hadn't departed already. Instead, the homegrown midfielder is thriving under Michael Carrick and looks every bit United’s present as well as its future. With every game he plays, Mainoo is making Amorim’s decision to disregard his talent seem all the more ridiculous.

Just when you thought Manchester City were dropping out of this Premier League title race for good, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland pulled them back in, leaving Liverpool shell-shocked and Arsenal nervously checking over their shoulders. City have never enjoyed playing at Anfield, but Sunday's was a performance like no other, with an outcome not seen since all the way back in 2003.

We still have a title race in England! Manchester City's hopes of winning the Premier League looked to be over after they fell behind to another stunning free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai at Anfield on Sunday, but Pep Guardiola's men produced a sensational fightback to defeat Liverpool 2-1 and close the gap to leaders Arsenal to just six points.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.