Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas is demanding clear sporting guarantees from Barcelona before committing to a new contract. With just three months left on her current deal, the 32-year-old midfielder is evaluating highly lucrative foreign offers. However, her priority remains staying with the Catalan club, provided it presents a compelling, winning project for the future.
When Sydney Schertenleib sat in front of the national media last summer, before playing in her first European Championship for hosts Switzerland at the age of 18, and declared that her "biggest goal" was to win the Ballon d'Or one day, some may have rolled their eyes.
Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Sydney Schertenleib are the winners of NXGN 2026 after coming out on top in GOAL's annual lists of football's top teenagers (players born on or after January 1, 2007). It marks the second straight year that Barca have provided the No.1 player on both lists, following Yamal and Vicky Lopez's triumphs in 2025.
The annual NXGN lists are back for 2026, as GOAL ranks the world's top teenage talents in men's and women's football, crowning winners that will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, Lena Oberdorf and Linda Caicedo in being recognised as the best young footballers on the planet.
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?
Bayern Munich are the most decorated team in the history of Bundesliga with 32 top-flight titles to their name. Their most recent title came in the 2022-23 season, which was their 11th straight league title.
How many teams are in the Bundesliga?
There are 18 teams in the current format of the Bundesliga. Bundesliga, as we know it today, was formed in 1962 with the 1963-64 season being the first-ever season. It began with 16 teams, but was expanded to 18 teams ahead of the 1965-66 season.
Who has made the most Bundesliga appearances ever?
Karl-Heinz 'Charly' Korbel, with 602 appearances to his name, holds the record for making the most appearances in Bundesliga history. The defender achieved this feat with just one club: Eintracht Frankfurt.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the Bundesliga?
Gerd Muller, inarguably the greatest German forward of all-time, is Bundesliga's all-time leading goalscorer with 365 goals to his name in 427 appearances. All his goals came in a Bayern Munich jersey.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Bundesliga?
Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller has registered the most assists in Bundesliga history, with 207 and counting.
Who is the oldest player ever in the Bundesliga and how old was he?
Former German defender Klaus Fitchel is the oldest player ever to play in the Bundesliga. Fitchel was aged 43 years and 184 days when he played for Schalke on the final matchday of the 1987-88 campaign.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Bundesliga and how old was he?
Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko, at 16 years and one day, became the youngest player in Bundesliga history to play in the league, when he came on for Erling Haaland in the 2020-21 season in a game against Hertha Berlin.
Which famous players have played in the Bundesliga?
Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan, Stefan Effenberg, Toni Kroos, Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer, Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rudiger, and Arjen Robben are some of the most famous players to have played in the Bundesliga.
Which famous managers have managed in the Bundesliga?
Xabi Alonso, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jurgen Klopp, Julian Nagelsmann, Jupp Heynckes, Ralf Rangnick, Thomas Tuchel, Otto Rehhagel, Matthias Sammer, and Giovanni Trapattoni are some of the most famous managers to have managed a Bundesliga club.
What is the biggest stadium in the Bundesliga?
Borussia Dortmund's electrifying stadium Signal Iduna Park is the biggest stadium in the Bundesliga with a capacity of 81.365.
Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Bundesliga?
Harry Kane's €95 million move from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich in 2023 is Bundesliga's most expensive transfer of all-time.