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Pure excitement has been the theme of this Premier League season. Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are locked in a three-way title race while practically the rest of the division is competing for a European place. Indeed, the table is so crowded it feels more like the Championship than the top-flight, with back-to-back wins being all it takes to propel teams from 15th to the top five.

The 2026 World Cup will offer plenty of chances for some legends to be born, but will also be a platform on which big stars might burn out.

The 1996 winners endured tough opposition from the Palancas Negras in Marrakesh to get maximum points. South Africa had not beaten their fellow COSAFA rivals in the last five games across all competitons but that changed when it mattered most as Hugo Broos' men hope to go all the way in the ongoing edition.

South Africa kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a hard‑fought 2-1 victory over the Palancas Negras in their Group B opener on Monday, December 22. The contest at Stade de Marrakech was fiercely competitive, marked by physical battles and determined challenges, as both sides sought to impose themselves and set the tone for the journey ahead in the tournament.

With the 2026 World Cup just months away, GOAL looks at the state of the strikers vying for spots next summer.

GOAL reviews the top USWNT Abroad performances as Girma helped Chelsea get a big Champions League win, and Yohannes and Tullis-Joyce impressed over the weekend.

After spending big and making several signings at the beginning of the current season, one feels the Soweto giants aren’t a million miles away from becoming solid challengers for the Premier Soccer League title. And that was evident when they started the campaign like a house on fire, putting together a solid run that saw them mentioned among the early contenders.

Manchester United are a better footballing side under Ruben Amorim, that is undeniable. They move the ball far quicker and with a purpose that was largely lacking under the Portuguese manager's bumbling predecessor Erik ten Hag, whose poor decision-making set the club back years. Fans are getting proper entertainment in exchange for their money and time again, which means Amorim has hit the minimum requirement 13 months into his reign.

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.

It's that time of year where leagues around Europe begin to wind down for their winter breaks. Some countries allow their top-flight teams an extended period off around Christmas, while others will only be missing from the schedules for a week or so. All the while, the Premier League will continue throughout the festive period as the title race continues to hot up.

GOAL reviews the weekend’s top Americans Abroad performances as Pepi keeps scoring and McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Brenden Aaronson impress.

All preparations have been done, and now it’s time for the games to begin. Hugo Broos’ charges have done everything to get ready for the AFCON opener, and now all that is left is for the players to deliver on the pitch. After spending the last few days fine-tuning their preparations in Morocco, they kick-start their campaign with a clash against Angola at the Grand Stade de Marrakech today.

Manchester United saw festive cheer sapped by an injury to Bruno Fernandes during their visit to Aston Villa, with a Morgan Rogers brace firing the hosts to a 2-1 win and 10th consecutive victory in all competitions. Matheus Cunha was handed a gift late in the first-half, as he found the target, but defensive frailties ensured that the Red Devils left the West Midlands with nothing to show for their efforts.

Arsenal regained top spot in the Premier League courtesy of a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickson Stadium. The slender win was decided in the first-half after Viktor Gyokeres fired home from the penalty spot after Jake O’Brien handled in the box. Everton had two massive penalty appeals turned away in the second-half, but the Gunners held on for the three points.

Jude Bellingham scored the opener and Kylian Mbappe added a second from the spot as Real Madrid cruised to a 2-0 win over 10-man Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancos weren't always spellbinding, but they turned in a composed performance to pick up another league win and put pressure on Barcelona at the top of the table.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak both scored in a crazy clash at Tottenham which ended 2-1 to Liverpool and with the hosts playing with just nine men. There were worrying signs for the Reds after Isak had to be substituted straight after scoring the opener and Thomas Frank’s side saw Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero sent off.

After making only four signings at the start of the 2025/26 season, Fawaaz Basadien, Tsiki Ntsabeleng on loan from FC Dallas, Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho, one feels Masandawana are still searching for the perfect balance to sustain their dominance. The Brazilians remain strong contenders, but the Premier Soccer League CAF Champions League demands more depth and fresh energy.

Another sensational performance from Erling Haaland sent Manchester City to the top of the Premier League courtesy of a dominant 3-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland bagged two goals to take his tally to 19 in the league this season and also laid on the assist for Tijjani Reijnders in a comfortable win which moves them a point ahead of the Gunners.

Reece James's world-class free-kick paved the way to an unlikely 2-2 comeback draw for Chelsea after a horror first half at Newcastle United. A brace inside the opening 20 minutes from Nick Woltemade put the Magpies in control but a much-improved second half salvaged the Blues a point. Captain James led by example with his stunner before Joao Pedro ensured a thrilling game ended in a stalemate on Saturday.

In Europe, much of the build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has unfortunately - but inevitably - focused on which clubs will be most affected by the tournament's scheduling slap-bang in the middle of the season. As an incredibly prestigious tournament that rarely fails to deliver a barely-believable amount of drama, the AFCON deserves so much better.

Jadon Sancho might be more of a basketball man than baseball but ever since he joined Aston Villa he has been on his third strike. He flopped terribly at Manchester United even before blowing his career up over a petty dispute with Erik ten Hag. He then failed to convince on loan at Chelsea, who backed out of an agreed deal to sign him. Now he is a periphery squad member for Villa.

Bethany England remembers vividly the first time she won the League Cup. There were just five minutes remaining when Leah Williamson levelled the scores for Arsenal at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, putting the 2020 final on the brink of extra time. But then, basically on the goal line at the other end, England popped up with the stoppage time winner for Chelsea, as Emma Hayes’ Blues filled a frustrating gap in an otherwise bulging trophy cabinet.

GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including Richards taking on Aaronson and what the French Cup could mean for Ligue 1's USMNT quartet.

With the 2026 World Cup just months away, GOAL looks at the state of the attacking players vying for spots next summer.

The Buccaneers’ Christmas wishlist indicates to just some fine-tuning rather than a major overhaul as they head into the January player transfer window. While the Soweto giants look well stocked in all departments, they are still expected to into the market to add extra quality and depth. This is driven by the fact that they remain in the hunt for the PSL title and the Nedbank Cup.

With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in.

After Chelsea's hard-fought Carabao Cup win in Cardiff on Tuesday, Enzo Maresca went to applaud the travelling support. They responded by singing the Italian's name. At most clubs, there would be nothing remotely remarkable about a pretty perfunctory display of mutual affection between a fan base and a trophy-winning manager. Chelsea are not most clubs, though.

The life of a professional footballer is a dream for most people. You get paid handsomely to play the most popular sport in the world. The fame and notoriety are to die for. Yet even this high of highs isn't enough to completely satisfy the one percent who actually make it to the top of the game, and Nicklas Bendtner is walking, talking proof of that.

Selected first overall by D.C. United in Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft, the imposing center back joined GOAL Convo to explain why a rebuild doesn’t intimidate him.