There is always a scramble to secure Lionel Messi’s shirt whenever he takes to the field for Inter Miami or Argentina, with the South American GOAT facing plenty of requests. Alan Cantero was the lucky recipient of an iconic No.10 jersey following Messi’s first outing of 2026. The Alianza Lima striker broke down in tears after landing a prized momento at the end of a friendly fixture.
Xabi Alonso has reportedly received a “first call” from Liverpool, with his interest in a future managerial role on Merseyside being sounded out. The World Cup winner is available at present after seeing a testing spell in charge of Real Madrid cut short after seven months. Arne Slot continues to oversee events at Anfield for now, but questions are being asked of his future.
The girlfriend of West Ham star Aaron Wan-Bissaka could face jail time after allegedly causing "serious injury by dangerous driving". Essex Police have confirmed that April Francis is set to appear in court after officers were called to Brentwood in light of a pedestrian being knocked over by a car. The force say the victim has suffered "life-changing injuries" and now a court date has been set.
Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor has conceded her side are unlikely to win the Women's Super League this season after defeat to Arsenal left them six points behind leaders Manchester City having played a game more. The Blues were beaten for the second time in their last three home games.
Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has revealed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer congratulated him on pipping him to the position earlier this month. The former Middlesbrough manager got the nod over the Norwegian following the sacking of head coach Ruben Amorim. As the Red Devils prepare to face Arsenal, Carrick has opened up on his relationship with Solskjaer.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was pleased with his side's attacking initiative during their stunning 3-2 win at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. The Red Dragons trailed 2-1 heading into stoppage time at the end of the second half, but managed to take all three points from their visit to Loftus Road with two incredibly late goals.
Ethan Nwaneri scored on his Marseille debut a day after joining from Arsenal on loan for the rest of the season. After struggling for game time under Mikel Arteta this term, the French giants snapped up the 18-year-old for the rest of the campaign. And he didn't waste time making his mark for Roberto De Zerbi's team, with the attacking midfielder scoring in a 3-1 win over Lens in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
A dominant second half carried the USWNT past Paraguay, with Trinity Rodman and Ally Sentnor shining - even as first-half issues linger for Emma Hayes' side.
Inter Miami endured a rough start to 2026, falling 3-0 in their preseason opener to Alianza Lima during Noche Blanquiazul in Peru. Paolo Guerrero led the way with a first-half brace, while Lionel Messi and company struggled to create clear chances in a disappointing night that set an early warning tone for the MLS side.
The U.S. Women's National Team started slow, but went on to defeat Paraguay 6-0 with goals from Ally Sentnor, Trinity Rodman, Reilyn Turner, Emma Sears, and an own goal situation. The USWNT have now scored 23 goals against Paraguay in the last three meetings.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will return to action in April with a three-game series against longtime rival Japan during the FIFA window. The matches will be played April 11 at PayPal Park in San Jose, April 14 at Lumen Field in Seattle, and April 17 at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, providing the USWNT with a high-level test against one of the world’s top teams.
Van Dijk slams refereeing and calls out VAR after mistake costs Liverpool as the Reds lost 3-2 in dramatic fashion. The Netherlands international believes he was fouled and blames the referee and VAR technology for not awarding a free-kick just before Amine Adli scored the winner.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, approximately 200 furious Benfica fans stormed the club's training ground in Seixal on Saturday morning to protest a string of disappointing results. The disgruntled supporters confronted manager Jose Mourinho, as well as star defender Nicolas Otamendi and technical director Simao Sabrosa, demanding answers for the team's poor progress this season.
Kylian Mbappe scored two and Real Madrid were solid defensively in a relatively uneventful 2-0 win over Villarreal. Los Blancos were far from brilliant, but they were effective, and grabbed two second-half goals to secure a victory that sent them top of La Liga for at least 24 hours, ahead of rivals Barcelona playing Oviedo on Sunday afternoon, with the chance to put themselves back at the summit.
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to 13th-place Augsburg, their first league loss of the season and there was a spiteful sting in tail from their opponents, who took to social media to crow about their stunning victory. The victory narrowed Bayern’s lead at the top of the table as Harry Kane drew a rare blank, but was also in Augsburg media department’s targets.
Virgil van Dijk attracted criticism after being at fault as Bournemouth opened the scoring during Liverpool's trip to the south coast on Saturday night. The Reds captain failed to clear a long ball into his team's penalty area, allowing Alex Scott to cross for Evanilson to put the Cherries ahead. The Dutchman has made some uncharacteristic errors during a difficult season for Arne Slot's side so far and this latest mistake brought him further under the microscope.
Liverpool's defensive frailties were their undoing once again after Arne Slot's side lost with the last kick of the match, beaten 3-2 in dramatic fashion by Bournemouth at a rain-soaked Vitality Stadium. The Red were behind midway through the first-half after captain Virgil van Dijk failed to deal with a long pass into the box and the hosts' lead was doubled moments later. The Reds battled back into the match, but were sunk in the last second as Amine Adli stabbed the ball home to send the Cherries fans delirious.
Thomas Frank was hit by chants of "sacked in the morning" from Tottenham fans after the Danish manager's side dropped more points in the Premier League in a 2-2 draw with Burnley. The former Brentford boss has been under immense pressure after a string of poor domestic performances throughout the 2025-26 season, despite sitting in the top eight of the Champions League. Spurs have only managed 28 points from 23 league games and have a seriously tough run of fixtures coming up in February.
Chelsea are among a number of Premier League clubs closely monitoring Paris Saint-Germain's teenage winger Ibrahim Mbaye, following his eye-catching performances at the recent Africa Cup of Nations. The 18-year-old has emerged as one of Europe's most exciting prospects, but PSG are determined to retain their rising star and are reportedly working on a new contract.
Trinity Rodman became the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world by staying in the NWSL. GOAL breaks down what that decision means - and the challenges that came with it.
Pep Guardiola went on an extraordinary tirade against Premier League referees after Manchester City were denied a penalty against Wolves due to an official overruling VAR. City earned a comfortable 2-0 win thanks to goals from Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo but Guardiola's mood changed when asked about referee Farai Hallam opting against giving his side a spot-kick in the first half.
Granit Xhaka was involved in an argument with a West Ham United supporter during Sunderland's 3-1 defeat at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Black Cats captain was ruled out of the fixture due to an ankle injury and was sat among his team-mates while the row with the Hammers fan occurred. A break in play allowed referee Thomas Bramall to pause the game and put an end to the incident.
Liam Rosenior has given an update on suspended Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk and says he hopes to speak with the Ukrainian soon. The 25-year-old has not played competitively since November 2024, having been charged with a violation of the English FA's anti-doping rules in June 2025 following a failed drug test. Mudryk's career has been stuck in limbo ever since having been placed under an indefinite provisional ban, which could eventually be upgraded to a four-year suspension.
Wrexham scored two goals deep into time added on to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-2 in a chaotic finish to the clash at Loftus Road. The Hoops looked good for the three points until goals from Josh Windass and Oliver Rathbone sealed a stunning comeback win for Phil Parkinson’s side who move up into sixth place in the Championship table and into the play-off spots.
Manchester City strolled to their first Premier League victory of 2026 as Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo fired Pep Guardiola's side to a 2-0 win at home to Wolves. Erling Haaland was the most eye-catching absentee from the starting XI as Guardiola made six changes from the side who were battered 3-1 by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, while Marc Guehi made an impressive debut.
Bayern Munich fell to a shock Bundesliga defeat on Saturday afternoon as they were beaten 2-1 by relegation-threatened Augsburg. Hiroki Ito had headed the German giants into a first-half lead, but Bayern were sloppy throughout the contest and fell behind after goals from Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo. Vincent Kompany's side could now see their lead at the top of table cut down if nearest challengers Borussia Dortmund beat Union Berlin.
Football fans and TV lovers were treated to the sight of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry sitting alongside superstar actor Jason Sudeikis, creator and star of the hit show Ted Lasso, at Stamford Bridge for the highly anticipated Women's Super League clash between Chelsea Women and Arsenal Women. The celebrity duo watched on as the visiting Gunners secured a crucial 2-0 victory over their London rivals.