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Endrick admits to having his “smile back” after enjoying a dream debut for Lyon. The Brazil international, who joined Real Madrid as a teenage wonderkid in 2024, has endured a tough time of late. Regular game time proved hard to come by with La Liga giants, leading to a loan move being sanctioned at the start of 2026. Endrick made his Lyon bow in style when opening his goal account in a cup clash with Lille.

Real Madrid’s misery in Saudi Arabia was compounded by a moment of viral humiliation for Arda Guler, who was left red-faced after a furious attempt to kick a water bottle backfired spectacularly following the 3-2 Supercopa de Espana defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona. The Turkish playmaker, who had endured a difficult cameo off the bench, became the subject of social media ridicule as footage emerged of him slipping and landing on his back while his opponents celebrated their trophy triumph.

Danny Welbeck has joked that revealing the secrets behind his incredible longevity might attract the attention of "drug testers" after he returned to haunt Manchester United once again. The 35-year-old striker rolled back the years to score a stunner as Brighton dumped his former club out of the FA Cup, sparking fresh talk of a shock England World Cup recall.

Manchester United are reportedly ready to snub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and appoint an alternative former fan favourite as their interim boss. A successor is being sought to Ruben Amorim following the Red Devils’ decision to part with the Portuguese on January 5. Solskjaer has held talks regarding an emotional return, but Michael Carrick is also in the frame.

Manchester United suffered more humiliation on the back of their FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton, with it being revealed that Bruno Fernandes’ X account was hacked. The Portuguese playmaker, who is club captain at Old Trafford, played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 loss to the Seagulls. Bizarre posts appeared on one of his social channels a few hours later, including an anti-INEOS message, but he was not responsible for their sharing.

As debate on who should take over Bafana Bafana when Broos' era comes to an end rages, some names have been suggested. From the experienced Pitso Mosimane to the emerging Rhulani Mokwena and Broos' current assistant, Helman Mkhalele, pundits have been analysing who is the best-suited tactician to handle the national side.

Kylian Mbappe has been accused of ensuring that Real Madrid did not give Clasico rivals Barcelona a guard of honour after seeing Los Blancos suffer an agonising 3-2 defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final. It is customary for the runners-up in that contest to pay homage to the victors, but Mbappe - who returned to action after injury in Saudi Arabia - waved his team-mates away from arch-enemies.

Toronto FC have reportedly submitted an $18 million bid for USMNT striker Josh Sargent, but Norwich manager Philippe Clement has insisted the forward is not for sale amid growing MLS interest. Sargent missed the Canaries’ FA Cup match this weekend after informing the club he was focused on a potential transfer, with Clement saying there would be consequences.

Michael Olise and Luis Diaz have been compared to legendary Bayern Munich duo Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery after both wingers sparkled in their side’s 8-1 demolition of Wolfsburg on Sunday evening. The pair conjured up six goal involvements between them as Vincent Kompany’s side enjoyed a dream return to Bundesliga action following the recent winter break.

A furious Antonio Conte screamed in the face of the fourth official after being sent off in the second half of Napoli's top-of-the-table Serie A clash against Inter at San Siro on Sunday. The Napoli boss kicked a spare ball up the pitch in anger after seeing his side concede a late penalty, and was then shown a red card, but that only exacerbated his foul mood, with club officials eventually intervening to usher him down the tunnel. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Scott McTominay grabbing both goals for the visitors.

Barcelona claimed a record-extending 16th Spanish Super Cup title by defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in the second Clasico of the season in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Raphinha scored twice and Robert Lewandowski also found the back of the net as Hansi Flick's side remained dominant over their bitter rivals by securing a fifth victory in their last six meetings with Xabi Alonso's side.

Real Madrid were outclassed by Barcelona in a baffling Spanish Super Cup final, looking a step behind their arch-rivals in a 3-2 loss that will surely increase the pressure on Xabi Alonso. There were mishaps from Rodrygo at the front and errors from Raul Asencio at the back as a glum Blancos side could neither cope defensively or get anything going in an attacking sense.

Vinicius Junior scored an amazing solo goal for Real Madrid in their Supercopa de Espana final clash with Barcelona, snapping a long barren spell in the process. The Brazilian winger had not scored since October 10 heading into the Saudi showpiece, but showed he still has the magic in his boots with a wonderful run and finish against Real's arch-rivals. It wasn't enough to give his team the edge heading in at the break, though, as the Spanish giants shared four goals between them in a crazy first 45 minutes.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including concern over Pepi after an injury and Folarin Balogun getting on the scoresheet.

Darren Fletcher has hinted he will not be given the Manchester United job for the remainder of the season after his side were dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round by Brighton. The former United midfielder has failed to win either of his games since being named interim boss following Ruben Amorim's sacking on Monday, having overseen a 2-2 draw at relegation-threatened Burnley on Wednesday.

Manchester United triggered an extraordinary 111-year low after they were beaten by a Danny Welbeck-inspired Brighton and Hove Albion in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday evening. The ex-Red Devils striker came back to haunt his former paymasters, who were reduced to ten men late on when academy graduate Shea Lacey was sent off at Old Trafford.

After what has been regarded as Bafana's poor performance in Morocco, South Africans have been left wondering whether their team is developing or regressing. Now, as the focus shifts to the 2026 World Cup finals, Bafana's supporters have been cautioned.

The former Royal AM owner, Shawn Mkhize, has wasted no time in making her presence felt at Highlanders, embarking on a South African shopping spree as the club moves swiftly in the January transfer window. In a bid to inject fresh energy and depth into the squad, the club has secured the services of several players, signalling a clear intent to strengthen their ranks and sharpen their competitiveness for the remainder of the season.

The forward had moved to Portugal in search of more game time, but that ambition was not achieved. Last season, he faced the same challenge at the Pretoria giants, and he could face the same problem upon returning. Downs have beefed up their attacking department with the signing of Monnapule Saleng, and that means there will be even stiffer competition for playtime.

The PSL January transfer window is officially open, with clubs busy beefing up their squads ahead of the second half of the season. The Buccaneers and Masandawana have already announced new signings, while Amakhosi are yet to rope in any fresh acquisitions. It remains to be seen whether the Glamour Boys will bring in new faces before the transfer period closes.

Manchester United wonderkid Shea Lacey picked up the first red card of his career in petulant circumstances as the Red Devils suffered more frustration against Brighton in the FA Cup. Old Trafford was left stunned by another abject performance from a star-studded cast, with teenage winger Lacey compounding their misery when he was dismissed in the final minute of the 90.

Bayern Munich enjoyed a perfect return to the Bundesliga as they crushed Wolfsburg 8-1 at the Allianz Arena on Sunday evening. Michael Olise scored two and set up another, with Luis Diaz, Raphael Guerreiro, Harry Kane and Leon Goretzka also finding the back of the net, as Vincent Kompany's side sparkled in their first match back following the winter break.

Ryan Reynolds was once again spotted picking grass from the Racecourse Ground pitch prior to Wrexham claiming a Premier League scalp in the 2025-26 FA Cup. The Red Dragons prevailed on penalties at the end of an epic third-round clash with Nottingham Forest, and one of their Hollywood co-owners made sure that he had a memento to take back to the United States.

Danny Welbeck haunted Manchester United yet again as Brighton became only the third team in 43 years to knock the Red Devils out of the FA Cup in the third round. Welbeck played his part in the Seagulls taking the lead at Old Trafford and then doubled their advantage with a second-half piledriver.

Mohamed Salah has reached an international goal milestone quicker than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Liverpool superstar is currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt. He has helped to fire them into the semi-finals of that competition. During a last-eight showdown with the Ivory Coast, Salah found the target and reached 100 goal contributions for his country.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son Maximilian is reportedly in talks to leave AC Milan and join another one of his father’s former clubs. Ibrahimovic Snr was widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, representing a host of Europe’s biggest clubs including Milan, Inter and Juventus in Serie A, as well as Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and La Liga champions Barcelona.

The right-sided player has attracted the interest of Premier Soccer League heavyweights after a sensational performance for TS Galaxy. Now, a twist in the player's future has emerged, as it has now been revealed that Amakhosi have contacted his camp for a possible deal. Given the profile of the player, the race to sign Dithejane is expected to be a battle between the top clubs in the country.

West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos had to be stretchered from the field after suffering a worrying head injury in the Hammers’ FA Cup third-round clash with Queens Park Rangers. The former Arsenal centre-half formed part of a nasty collision late in the first half, leading to him requiring lengthy treatment on the field and urgent medical attention off it.

Kaizer Chiefs still have an opportunity to end the season with a treble, as the PSL title, Nedbank Cup and CAF Confederation Cup are all still within reach. Interestingly, the Soweto giants could also just as easily finish the campaign empty-handed if results do not go their way in the coming months. Their fate largely rests in the hands of the co-coaches entrusted with leading the team following the departure of Nasreddine Nabi.