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?
Manchester United and Liverpool both have 20 top-flight league titles to their name, and are the most successful sides in English history for league wins. With Liverpool securing their second Premier League in the 2024-25 season, they've won two in the Premier League era and 18 prior to its creation. By contrast, Manchester United have won 13 Premier League titles and seven before the league's inception, last winning a Premier League title at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
How many teams are in the Premier League?
The Premier League in its current format has 20 teams. The first-ever season of the Premier League era in 1992-93 featured 22 teams, which was then reduced to 20 teams ahead of the 1995-96 season.
Who has made the most Premier League appearances ever?
Garath Barry leads the way with 653 appearances for four different clubs: Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion. James Milner is second with 637, winning PL titles with both Manchester City and Liverpool. He is still playing with Brighton, so could surpass Barry if he carries on. Third is Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, with 632 appearances.
Who is the all-time Premier League top goal scorer?
Jimmy Greaves, widely regarded as the most prolific English goalscorer ever, but Alan Shearer is the Premier League's top scorer of all time, with 260 goals across a famed career for both Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Premier League?
Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history. Giggs spent his entire career at Old Trafford, making 672 appearances and registering 162 assists between 1991 and 2014.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Premier League and how old was he?
Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri is the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League. Nwaneri was just 15 days and 181 days old when he made his debut for the Gunners against Brentford in the 2022-23 season.
Which famous players have played in the Premier League?
Stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona, Steven Gerrard, Dennis Bergkamp, Didier Drogba and Mohamed Salah (still playing) have all featured in the Premier League era.
Which famous managers have managed in the Premier League?
Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp, and Arsene Wenger are among the most famous managers to have taken charge of a Premier League club.
What is the biggest stadium in the Premier League?
Manchester United's Old Trafford is the biggest stadium in the league with a capacity of 74,310.