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When Marcus Rashford first attempted to speak Spanish, Lamine Yamal fell over laughing. It came during the Manchester United loanee's first training session in Catalunya - or, at least, the first one made public - and after chasing shadows in a rondo, Rashford said something pretty much unintelligible to the Ballon d'Or favourite. Contrast that, then, with the first impression made by Barca's latest English arrival, Anthony Gordon, whose almost fluent Spanish shocked those tuning in for his introductory press conference.

Ella Toone's last involvement in an England shirt was a memorable one. At Wembley, in front of almost 75,000 fans, the Manchester United star racked up a trio of assists, and added a goal of her own, in an 8-0 thrashing of China as the Lionesses paraded their European Championship trophy across the nation. Now, for the first time in 2026, she is back with her country and is primed to provide a timely boost ahead of Friday's blockbuster clash with Spain.

GOAL takes a look at the big storylines and takeaways from camp in the latest installment of the USMNT notebook.

It's September 13, 2024, and Mauricio Pochettino is all smiles. Dressed in a blue suit with a big U.S. Soccer pin on the lapel, Pochettino is being introduced to the wild world of American soccer for the very first time. Flanked by his new bosses, Pochettino seems determined to make the right first impression; in America, first impressions are generally best made by being bold.

Aitana Bonmati has won each of the last three Ballons d'Or Feminin - but the accolade will go to someone else in 2026. Will it be two-time winner and fellow Barcelona star Alexia Putellas who reasserts herself as the best player in the women's game? Or could there be a new name on the honour roll when the Golden Ball is handed out in Paris in October?

'Golden Generation'. Football has Adam Crozier, the former chief of the Football Association, to blame for the term, after he famously dubbed the England team as such following their 5-1 battering of Germany in a World Cup qualifier in Munich. It was a remarkable performance, but also a potentially catastrophic turn of phrase.

It's officially transfer season. Europe's biggest competitions have concluded, new champions have been crowned and now attention turns to who will be on the move ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, with there plenty of big names in the women's game set for summer switches in what promises to be an entertaining and exciting few months.

This is Legacy, GOAL’s podcast and feature series that is counting down to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. This week, we revisit the matches that shaped Morocco's identity, the coaches and players who carried the hope of a nation, and the moment that proved nothing is impossible when a country decides to dream together.

A Basque coach appeared to be the ideal candidate for Bayer Leverkusen's managerial role, but Liverpool FC have now inserted themselves into the equation. In just three years, Andoni Iraola has established himself as the most sought-after name in the coaching market. How did he achieve this?

With the World Cup now just around the corner, memories of the last tournament in the USA are coming to mind. From a German perspective, these are not happy memories.

Javier Aguirre’s Mexico roster mixes history, trust, and risk, with Guillermo Ochoa chasing a sixth World Cup and German Berterame left out despite a late push.

A big 3-2 win over Senegal showed that the USMNT might just be ready for bigger games - and are prepared for the World Cup.

Despite the convincing 4-0 win over Finland, Germany still lacks tactical discipline at times. Julian Nagelsmann is right to trust his young players, and his instincts are sound. Here are three takeaways from the penultimate friendly before the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The World Cup has given many players the platform to shine brightly - and then fizzle out. GOAL looks at some of the best.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni included Lionel Messi in his 2026 World Cup squad on Thursday, even though his captain isn't "fully fit". Of course, neither revelation was particularly surprising. Messi was widely expected to be a part of his the Albiceleste's title defence - just as it was always unlikely that he'd been in optimal physical condition.

The 2025-26 European season is over, and it ended just as the 2024-25 did 12 months earlier, with Paris Saint-Germain lifting the European Cup at the end of the Champions League final. Saturday's win over Arsenal in Budapest was a much tighter affair than their thrashing of Inter in Munich, but was greeted with no less joy by the French giants and their supporters as they clinched a double having already won Ligue 1.

While discontent over exorbitant World Cup ticket prices is growing worldwide, 14,000 fans in Mexico will watch the opening match for free. This perk stems from an investment made 60 years ago—and it has weathered recent opposition.

Two goals, one assist – Deniz Undav is making a strong case for a place in the World Cup starting line-up and presenting the national coach with a pleasant selection headache.

What a season it has been for European women's football. The Champions League campaign was certainly a memorable one, with some thrilling ties throughout the knockout stages and an enthralling introduction to the league phase format, with stars aplenty shining on the biggest stage before Barcelona beat Lyon in the final.

And there we have it. The 2025-26 European football season is in the books, capped by Paris Saint-Germain beating Arsenal in the Champions League final to defend their continental crown. Soon the past nine months or so will become distant memories, such is the speed at which the footballing world moves on, especially when major tournaments on the horizon.

When Thomas Tuchel was hired as the new England manager in October 2024, he was given a simple brief: Win the 2026 World Cup. Some 20 months on and the tournament now looms large, while confirmation of the Three Lions' squad has crystallised the daunting task at hand for the German tactician as they arrive in North America.

In the age of PSR and UEFA's financial regulations, the free agent market has probably never been more significant as clubs look to pick up a potentially key player without having to spend a penny. We're now into June, and there are a whole host of big names who will be out of contract at the end of the month - undoubtedly sparking a scramble for their signatures in the coming weeks.

The World Cup has had no shortage of iconic moments across nearly 100 years of history. Every four years, billions of fans congregate to watch a tournament that has provided more drama, heartbreak and joy than any other event in sporting history. Football's grandest stage, the World Cup has always offered a platform for legends to be born, but it has also seen reputations destroyed and the downfall of so many famous faces.

GOAL breaks down who stood out and who has work to do after the U.S. win

Canada face Uzbekistan and Republic of Ireland in their final pre-World Cup friendlies, with Jesse Marsch managing injury concerns after Marcelo Flores’ heartbreaking setback and searching for goals from Jonathan David and Cyle Larin.

Christian Pulisic looked back to his best, Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun impressed, and the USMNT offered real reason for World Cup optimism against Senegal.

Khadija Shaw and Alex Greenwood starred as new Women's Super League champions Manchester City did the double on Sunday, thanks to a 4-0 win over Brighton in the FA Cup final. It took Andree Jeglertz's side some time to get going in the capital but once they did, they wasted little time, with two goals in the latter stages of the first half putting City into a commanding position that they never let slip.

The European club season drew to a dramatic conclusion on Saturday, with Paris Saint-Germain defeating Arsenal on penalties to retain their Champions League crown. Not since Real Madrid nearly a decade ago had anyone successfully defended the title, making his a truly momentous night for Luis Enrique's men. However, defeat shouldn't take any of the shine off Arsenal's historic campaign, with the Gunners having won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.

The Champions League final. It's the biggest match on the club calendar in football, always featuring historic clubs and so often the best players on the planet at that moment. Sometimes, it lives up to expectation in the most extraordinary fashion. Sometimes, sadly, it just doesn't. Either way, there is usually drama, as was the case in Saturday's final as Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal on penalties.