AS Monaco have officially completed the permanent signing of Ansu Fati from Barcelona. The Ligue 1 side have activated their €11 million (£9m/$13m) purchase option following the 23-year-old's impressive loan spell. Fati, who once took on Lionel Messi's iconic number 10 shirt in Catalonia, has signed a four-year contract to remain in the Principality until June 2030.
The Netherlands are reeling from a historic World Cup disaster following their penalty shootout defeat to Morocco in the round of 32. Now, former Oranje star Ronald de Boer has predicted a massive overhaul for the national team, suggesting both captain Virgil van Dijk and manager Ronald Koeman are nearing the end of their international careers.
France manager Didier Deschamps has insisted he is not concerned by William Saliba's ongoing back injury ahead of their World Cup round of 32 clash against Sweden. The Arsenal defender admitted he is not playing at 100 per cent and has been forced to skip training sessions to manage the issue, but Deschamps believes the centre-back remains fully prepared to anchor Les Bleus' defence in New York.
Lionel Messi has proven he is a superhero on the pitch for decades, but the legendary Argentine has now taken things a step further by appearing alongside Tom Holland in a viral crossover. The Inter Miami star features in a hilarious new teaser for the upcoming Marvel blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The Netherlands have been dumped out of the 2026 World Cup in brutal fashion after a dramatic 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Morocco following a 1-1 draw. Former Dutch international Pierre van Hooijdonk blasted Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville for their 'idiotic' penalty run-ups, admitting their high-stakes failures made him feel completely sick to his stomach.
Rafael van der Vaart has launched a blistering critique of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong following the Netherlands' dramatic World Cup exit against Morocco. The former Oranje midfielder was left utterly baffled by Ronald Koeman's tactical decisions in Monterrey, arguing that the manager's system completely isolated and nullified De Jong.
Jude Bellingham has revealed he would love to play James Bond once his football career comes to an end. The England star, who has impressed at the 2026 World Cup, admitted he is a huge fan of the iconic spy franchise and even joked that he could one day land the starring role.
Dietmar Hamann launched a fierce attack on Julian Nagelsmann after Germany's shock 2026 World Cup exit, accusing the head coach of failing to build team unity and neglecting player scouting. The former Germany international also questioned the coach's commitment as pressure continues to grow on the national team boss.
Wayne Rooney has publicly pleaded with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane to reject a potential move to Barcelona in favour of a blockbuster return to England with Manchester United. The legendary forward believes his former international team-mate should focus on conquering the Premier League rather than pursuing another European domestic title.
Joshua Kimmich accepted full responsibility after Germany's World Cup campaign ended with a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the last 32. The defender admitted his side never reached their best level during the tournament and insisted the players alone were to blame for another disappointing exit.
Barcelona have confirmed that Salma Paralluelo, scorer of two goals in the Champions League final win over Lyon last month, is leaving the club. The European champions had been trying to negotiate a new deal with the Spain international but an agreement has not been reached, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Lyon all among those interested in securing her services on a free transfer.
Marcus Rashford is set to be integrated back into the Manchester United first-team squad ahead of the upcoming pre-season schedule. Club chiefs have ruled out sanctioning another temporary departure for the forward following his recent stint abroad, with all parties now showing a clear willingness to revive his career at Old Trafford.
Mexico face Ecuador with a place in the World Cup Round of 16 on the line as Álvaro Fidalgo, Julián Quiñones and Gilberto Mora headline GOAL's five keys.
Yan Diomande has openly challenged RB Leipzig's transfer stance by declaring his firm expectation to leave the Bundesliga side this summer amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain. The teenage winger went public with his desire to depart just hours after club officials strongly reiterated that their prized asset would not be sold under any circumstances during the current window.
Germany crashed out of the World Cup after a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Julian Nagelsmann was left furious by the decision to disallow Jonathan Tah's extra-time goal, branding the VAR intervention a "scandal" before becoming frustrated during a post-match television interview.
Since lifting the 2014 World Cup, Germany have endured a nightmare run at the biggest football tournament on the planet. They embarrassingly exited the competition at the group stage in both 2018 and 2022, and while they made it into the knockouts this time around in 2026, they still failed to reach the last 16 after falling on penalties to Paraguay on a chastening Monday afternoon in Boston.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has pulled no punches in his assessment of Ronald Koeman following the Netherlands' dramatic World Cup elimination at the hands of Morocco. The legendary striker accused his former Ajax manager of completely betraying the nation's traditional footballing philosophy by adopting a defensive setup that ultimately backfired in Monterrey.
Jurgen Klinsmann has branded Germany's World Cup exit to Paraguay a "disgrace" and called for a complete review of the German Football Association (DFB). The former Germany striker believes everyone involved must accept responsibility after another disappointing international campaign.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has raised eyebrows by claiming the team's "gameplan worked" despite their dramatic World Cup round-of-32 exit against Morocco. The veteran defender played down criticism of his country's deeply conservative performance that ultimately backfired in a painful penalty shootout.
Matheus Cunha hit back at Japan forward Kento Shiogai after Brazil's dramatic World Cup round of 32 victory. Shiogai had questioned Brazil's status among football's elite before kick-off, but Cunha responded after the final whistle by reminding him of the Selecao's unmatched World Cup record.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has responded to speculation linking him with the Germany manager role after the national team's World Cup round of 32 defeat to Paraguay. The 59-year-old insisted it was not the time to discuss replacing Julian Nagelsmann, while launching a scathing critique of the team and demanding systemic grassroots reform.
Kai Havertz apologised to Germany supporters after missing a penalty in a dramatic World Cup shootout defeat to Paraguay. The Arsenal forward had rescued his side with an equaliser in normal time, but Die Mannschaft's World Cup campaign ended after a tense 4-3 penalty defeat.
Jude Bellingham had a pretty good excuse to cut his interview with ITV off slightly early. There he was, on the pitch in New Jersey, waxing lyrical about Harry Kane's impact for England when, in the background, voices started to swell up from one end of the stadium, signing 'Hey Jude' in unison.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo led an emotional training ground tribute to assistant coach Ricardo Carvalho following the sudden passing of his father, Manuel Ribeiro de Carvalho. The tight-knit Seleccao squad formed a poignant huddle at their Florida base to support the former Chelsea defender before his departure from their World Cup camp.
Neymar took aim at German economist Joachim Klement after Brazil beat Japan 2-1 to reach the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Klement's prediction model had tipped Japan to produce a shock victory, but the Brazil forward wasted little time reminding him of the outcome with a playful post on social media.
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