Lists

An almost perfect 2025 for Ousmane Dembele was completed on Sunday, as the Paris Saint-Germain forward was crowned 'Best Male Player' at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. This was the latest in a series of personal accolades for the Ballon d'Or winner, who inspired PSG to winning the Champions League for the first time ever last season. Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal also picked up a pair of awards on the night.

Manchester United star Joshua Zirkzee is set to push for an exit from Old Trafford in the upcoming January transfer window despite Ruben Amorim's attempts to block his move to Serie A. The striker has found minutes hard to come by this season, sitting firmly down the Old Trafford pecking order as summer signings Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha have been preferred as the team's No.9 by Amorim.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has suggested that it is only the start for Florian Wirtz at Anfield, after the German scored his first Premier League goal against Wolves on Saturday. Wirtz has had a challenging adaptation period since his £116million ($156.5m) summer arrival and Van Dijk emphasised he is "very happy" for his team-mate, citing his hard work for the team and stating that there is hopefully much more to come from Wirtz in a Reds shirt.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk fumed as the Reds' main weakness was exploited again in their win over Wolves. The club's record summer signing Florian Wirtz finally opened his account in the Premier League on Saturday after 17 matches as the reigning English champions edged out relegation-threatened Wolves 2-1 at Anfield to collect crucial three points in their final game of 2025.

Chelsea's two January transfer priorities have been revealed as the Blues look to strengthen their squad to bridge the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal. The Premier League started the season on a positive note, but their form took a dip towards the end of the year as they managed to win just one match out of their last five outings in the league, including a loss to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo has re-affirmed his ambition to reach a landmark 1000 goals at the 2025 Globe Soccer Awards. The iconic Portuguese forward was in attendance to collect the coveted Best Middle East Player award, pipping the likes of Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Salem Al-Dawsari to the individual accolade after the Al-Nassr striker bagged brace in a 3-0 win over Al-Akhdoud.

Unai Emery insists that his Aston Villa side are not Premier League title contenders despite their record-equalling run of 11 straight wins. Villa came from behind to secure a 2-1 win at Chelsea on Saturday night to keep on the coattails of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Joao Pedro had flicked Reece James' corner past Emiliano Martinez to put the Blues ahead on home turf.

Rasmus Hojlund continued his impressive start to life with Napoli with a brace in Sunday's 2-0 win over Cremonense to remain on the coattails of league leaders AC Milan. The Dane departed Manchester United for the Scudetto winners on loan over the summer having struggled to adapt to the speed and physicality of the Premier League following his move to Old Trafford in 2023.

Kylian Mbappe is backing Africa Cup of Nations hosts Morocco to go the distance in front of their fans at the prestigious competition, according to national team captain Achraf Hakimi. Real Madrid star Mbappe was in attendance for Morocco's 1-1 group stage draw with Mali with the hosts tipped by many to win AFCON for the first time since their initial success in 1976.

Christian Pulisic has broken his silence on if there is any truth behind dating rumours linking the AC Milan and USMNT star with American actress Sydney Sweeney. News broke earlier this week that the former Chelsea winger and Sweeney had struck up a romantic relationship and had been dating for some time, with 27-year-old Pulisic coming forward to give his take on the rumours after helping fire Milan to the top of Serie A on Sunday.

Manchester City made it six league wins on the spin when they travelled to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon. City briefly went top as they claimed a 2-1 victory at the City Ground, with summer signing Rayan Cherki the star performer for Pep Guardiola's side. Cherki was directly involved in both City goals, scoring a sumptuous winner to spark jubilant scenes in the away end.

Antonio Rudiger could return to Chelsea as the Real Madrid star is weighing up a Premier League return. Rudiger's current Los Blancos contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and he has yet to agree to sign on a new extension. The German defender has been tipped with a move away from Santiago Bernabeu next summer as he could also link up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.

Wayne Rooney has expressed his concerns over former club Manchester United ahead of the January transfer window, as the Red Devils continue to pick up positive results in the Premier League without being fully convincing, according to their all-time top goalscorer Rooney. United returned to a top-six place after beating Newcastle United on Boxing Day but might need to add to their squad in January, claims the pundit.

Leeds United forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin completed an impressive Premier League feat that even England captain Harry Kane could not achieve during his time with Tottenham Hotspur, as the English forward scored the all-important equaliser in their 1-1 draw against Sunderland on Sunday. The former Everton star is in sublime form since moving to his new club as he has already scored eight league goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wants to put aside his long-running rivalry with Lionel Messi and play out his career with him at Inter Miami. The two sporting icons are among the greatest footballers to ever play the game but they have often been pitted against one another this century. But as the 40-year-old contemplates life after Al-Nassr, speculation is mounting that he may want to be Messi's team-mate in Major League Soccer in one last hurrah.

Christopher Nkunku pulled off his trademark celebration after finally scoring his first goal in Serie A. The France international left Chelsea for AC Milan over the summer, penning a five-year contract in a deal worth £36m having failed to make an impact in west London. And while Nkunku has taken time to find his groove in Italy, celebrated his first league goal in style on Sunday.

Brenden Aaronson delivered a pinpoint assist for Dominic Calvert-Lewin's equalizer just 47 seconds into the second half as Leeds United continues to battle Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The American midfielder's creative vision helped spark Leeds' response after falling behind in the first half, with the Whites ultimately securing a critical 1-1 draw against the Black Cats.

Real Madrid have reportedly 'rejected' the signing of three big-name stars ahead of the January transfer window, as Los Blancos plan for their future amidst the intense recent pressure placed upon head coach Xabi Alonso. The three players in question all see their contracts expire on June 30, 2026, and so will be free to negotiate with foreign clubs from January 1. Real have often used this tactic to secure top signings, but have reportedly been offered and rejected the trio.

David Moyes says Jack Grealish missed Everton's goalless draw with Burnley due to illness, days after the Manchester City loanee partied with ex-team-mate Kyle Walker in London. The two England internationals were spotted for a pre-Christmas bonanza last weekend, and while Grealish was absent for the trip to Turf Moor, 35-year-old Walker still featured and didn't seem worse for wear.

Christian Pulisic continued his remarkable form for AC Milan, scoring the opening goal in a convincing 3-0 victory over Hellas Verona at San Siro. The American winger's first-half strike helped propel the Rossoneri to the top of the Serie A standings, two points clear of city rivals Inter Milan and extends Milan's unbeaten league run to 17 matches.

Chelsea captain Reece James has revealed who is to blame for Saturday's collapse to Aston Villa, a result that saw the Blues drop out of the the Premier League's top four. The west London side dominated proceedings in the opening 45 minutes and were duly rewarded for their perseverance shortly before the break after James' corner was inadvertently flicked in by Joao Pedro.

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has thanked Paris Saint-Germain and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi for their role in helping Achraf Hakimi return to fitness, as the Atlas Lions captain nears a return for his national side at AFCON after the best part of two months on the sidelines. Hakimi is expected to feature in hosts Morocco's final group game against Zambia on Monday, and Regragui praised 'gentleman' Al-Khelaifi for allowing Hakimi to join up with his national side early to aid his recovery.

Manchester United youngster Ayden Heaven has taken a major step toward defining his international future after deciding against a switch to Ghana, despite World Cup eligibility. The 19-year-old defender is instead focused on representing England at the senior level, a stance that reflects his growing confidence after an impressive run of performances at Old Trafford.

Ian Wright has warned that Arsenal need to start taking their chances of else they run the risk of being leapfrogged by title rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa. The Gunners edged to a 2-1 win over Brighton on Saturday afternoon to return to the top of the Premier League table having briefly dropped to second following City's 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest in the lunchtime kick-off.

Manchester United have reportedly "not stopped discussing" the possibility of signing Brighton star Carlos Baleba despite failing to recruit him earlier this year. The Red Devils spent around £230 million ($310m) on players during the summer transfer window but they balked at the thought of forking out more than £100m ($135m) for Baleba. However, they have not given up on trying to secure his services heading into 2026.

Vinicius Junior’s Real Madrid future is under fresh scrutiny after stalled contract talks left the Brazilian weighing his options, with Saudi Arabia circling. Al-Ittihad sporting director Ramon Planes has now made a bold prediction, insisting it is realistic that elite players like Vinicius could move to the Middle East during their prime years.

Cole Palmer's new girlfriend watched the Chelsea star at Stamford Bridge in their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa. Olivia Holder was at the Blues' home ground on Saturday, in a game where the England international was hooked for the final 20 minutes. This comes days after their incognito date at Winter Wonderland but the Christmas cheer was thin on the ground in west London after this defeat.

Chelsea have launched an internal probe and agreed to cooperate fully with the Premier League after Aston Villa complained that a bottle was thrown towards their bench, with reports suggesting that the projectile was launched from behind the Chelsea dugout. The flashpoint followed the Villains’ dramatic 2-1 comeback win, with CCTV footage now being reviewed to identify the culprit.

Jarrod Bowen thought his wife, Dani Dyer, was 'joking' when she told the West Ham captain she was going to appear on Celebrity SAS, it has been revealed. Dyer signed up for the show having been forced to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing after breaking her ankle during rehearsals back in September and admitted that she agreed to take part to prove herself.