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Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson is being backed to win the Golden Boot award at AFCON 2025 after kicking off his campaign with a brace in a 3-0 win over Botswana in Group D on Tuesday. The Chelsea forward, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, was the star of the show as the Lions of Teranga made a victorious start to the tournament in Morocco.

Manchester City have reportedly emerged as Antoine Semenyo's preferred choice ahead of the opening of the January transfer window after Chelsea dropped out of the race to land the Bournemouth star. The Blues have walked away from a potential deal just hours after making an initial enquiry, leaving Man City to battle it out with Liverpool and Manchester United for the attacker's signature.

Liverpool have been told that it wouldn't be worth their time to sign a direct replacement for the injured Alexander Isak during the January transfer window. Isak suffered a fractured leg during Saturday's 2-1 win at Tottenham and is set for an extended period on the sidelines, but the Reds may not look to bring in another striker in his absence.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly splashed out an eye-popping £7 million to buy two properties on a secluded private island off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The 40-year-old Portugal and Al-Nassr superstar has purchased two villas costing approximately £3.5m each at the exclusive Nujuma resort which is located in middle of the Red Sea and is only accessible by seaplane or boat.

Paul Pogba has been described as 'humble' and a 'world-class player' by Monaco team-mate Lamine Camara having made a fine impression since joining the club this summer. The former Manchester United and Juventus star joined the Ligue 1 side after nearly two years out of football following a doping ban, with his initial four-year suspension reduced on appeal.

Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland has sent a message to Mohamed Salah after seeing the Liverpool ace score a late winner for Egypt in their AFCON win over Zimbabwe. The Liverpool forward took to social media after the game and posed with fellow goalscorer and Haaland's Manchester City team-mate Omar Marmoush, bringing a swift response from the striker.

With the 2026 World Cup just months away, GOAL looks at the state of USMNT coaching and infrastructure ahead of next summer.

The Teranga Lions asserted their credentials as tournament favourites with a convincing win over the Zebras. Earlier on, DR Congo continued to shine following their AFCON opening win over their Group D rivals. Just recently, they defeated Nigeria to book a ticket to the intercontinental World Cup qualifiers set to be played in March 2026. Benin's AFCON campaign, a tournament they missed in 2021 and 2023, has suffered a faulty start.

Real Madrid outcast Endrick has sealed a loan transfer to Ligue 1 side Lyon for the rest of the 2025-26 season. The Brazilian youngster moves in search of regular game time after struggling for minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu under Xabi Alonso. Endrick is clearly thrilled to seal the deal, saying "Christmas has come early" after making the move from the Spanish capital.

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank launched a passionate defence of Micky van de Ven after Liverpool boss Arne Slot was critical of the centre-back's challenge that left Alexander Isak with a fractured leg. The Reds beat nine-man Spurs 2-1 on Saturday evening, with Isak opening the scoring for the visitors. However, he was unable to continue after breaking the deadlock due to injury.

Ruben Amorim has been accused of "taking the p*ss" when it comes to his treatment of young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. The 20-year-old has struggled for game time under Amorim and has been linked with a transfer away in a bid to get his career back on track. Former Manchester United wonderkid Ravel Morrison believes Mainoo should feature more and that Amorim is wrong to keep him on the bench.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri is more than receptive to the idea of playing alongside Lionel Messi again in the future. The two were team-mates at Barca for the 2020-21 season before Messi's contract expired and couldn't be renewed due to financial restrictions, leaving on a free transfer for Paris Saint-Germain instead. Ever since his emotional departure, the Argentine has been linked with a return to Catalunya.

Chelsea have become the latest club to express interest in Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo. The forward is also being chased by Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City ahead of the opening of the January transfer window and is expected to leave in a transfer worth £65 million. The Blues have made an initial enquiry for Semenyo as the race for his signature hots up.

The young midfielder made his mark in Qatar this fall, but that is just the beginning for a player with plenty of potential.

Kylian Mbappe has been told that Paris Saint-Germain would not have won the Champions League had he stuck around in France, with it “fantasy” to believe that European success could ever have been savoured with the France international, Lionel Messi and Neymar lining up in the same starting XI. World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf has explained to GOAL why that is the case.

Former Liverpool star John Arne Riise believes that Jurgen Klopp "would love" to take charge of England, and has tipped the German to move into international management. The Champions League-winning coach may have stepped away from the Anfield dugout, but the gravitational pull of his reputation continues to link with a potential return to the touchline.

Ryan Reynolds has been dubbed “the real version of Ted Lasso”, with the Hollywood superstar overseeing “unbelievable” work at Wrexham alongside co-owner Rob Mac. They have funded a remarkable rise for the Red Dragons, while chasing the Premier League dream, and have built a global fan base courtesy of an award-winning documentary series.