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Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has been named “Golden Ball” winner by CIES Football Observatory, with Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe claiming the runner-up spot. There is no place in the top five for Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele despite the World Cup-winning France international being favourite to land the coveted Ballon d’Or in 2025.

Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella has showered praise on two of his best players - Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz and Inter playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu. He called Yildiz "a complete player" after his breakthrough at club level, and described Calhanoglu as "extraordinary" after the midfielder reclaimed a "fundamental" role at Inter. Montella’s backing comes as both men carry big club responsibilities and Turkey look ahead to World Cup qualifying tests.

Jose Mourinho may have reunited with Benfica, 25 years after resigning from his first senior managerial gig, but the two-year contract the former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter and Manchester United boss has signed at the Estadio da Luz is not necessarily all that it may seem. Both he and his new club aren't ready to fully commit to each other just yet.

Gabriel Martinelli’s fiancee Isabella Rousso predicted the Arsenal winger’s late goal against Manchester City when sending a motivational pre-match text to her partner. Brazil international Martinelli started a crunch Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium among the substitutes, but stepped off the bench to score a dramatic equaliser in a thrilling 1-1 draw.

A furious Unai Emery slammed his "lazy" Aston Villa players after they blew a lead against 10-man Sunderland on Sunday. Following their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light, Villa are languishing down in 18th in the Premier League table with only three points from their opening five games.

Vinicius Junior has been warned that his attitude is “not healthy”, with the Real Madrid superstar reacting angrily to being substituted during the Blancos’ 2-0 win over Espanyol. The Brazil international was replaced in the 77th minute of that contest and did not take kindly to seeing his number held up. Jorge Valdano has discussed another show of petulance.

Bayern Munich's stunning appointment of Pep Guardiola in 2013 was a "masterpiece of discretion," according to former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. He has now revealed how the deal was kept secret even from the club's sporting director and was finalised when Uli Hoeness flew to New York to get the contract signed.

The Kansas City Current have become the quickest team ever to win the National Women's Soccer League Shield after extending their winning streak to 14 matches. The Current beat Seattle Reign FC 2-0 to secure the title with five games to spare in the 2025 season. This was the club's first major trophy since being formed in 2020.

Robert Lewandowski asked to leave Bayern Munich "every year" as he grew frustrated with the lack of Champions League success with the German club, according to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. The former Bayern CEO reveals, Lewandowski's desire to win the European crown had him itching for a move away, before the club finally delivered on his objective.

Hugo Ekitike claims to feel no pressure from his £79 million ($107m) transfer fee at Liverpool, with the French forward saying “I don’t care” when asked about the price tag hanging around his neck. The 23-year-old has made a bright start to life at Anfield and remains convinced that he made the right choice in joining the reigning Premier League champions.

Monaco forward Ansu Fati netted a brace after coming off the bench in their weekend clash against Metz. On loan from Barcelona, the 21-year-old struck just a minute after his introduction before adding a second to complete a comeback victory. Fati said the performance was a major confidence boost for both himself and the team following their midweek Champions League defeat to Club Brugge.

Inter's 20-year-old striker Pio Esposito earned a standing ovation and high praise from coach Cristian Chivu after a crucial 2-1 win over Sassuolo. Chivu hailed the academy product's maturity and versatility, stating he "can do a bit of everything" as the youngster makes a strong claim for a regular first-team place.

Karim Adeyemi's powerful strike in the early moments of the game against Wolfsburg sealed the win for Borussia Dortmund. Head coach Niko Kovac says the German forward took his advice to "work backwards" and aptly implemented it. The 23-year-old fired a powerful shot from outside the box, catching goalkeeper Kamil Grabara off-guard to score the only goal in the game.

Pep Guardiola has joked that Manchester City are now a “transition team”, with the demanding Catalan coach reacting to a battling draw at Arsenal that saw the Blues post the lowest possession stats of his 10-year tenure. Guardiola admits that he needs to get “spirit” back in his team after seeing them make a slow start to the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Wayne Rooney has revealed how playing a "brilliant" game on PlayStation played a "massive part" in Manchester United's success under Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney helped United win 10 trophies in the latter stages of the glorious Ferguson era, including five Premier League titles and one Champions League.

The latest round of action across Europe's elite leagues saw Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Porto maintain their winning starts to the 2025-26 season. However, while everyone expects Bayern to run away with the Bundesliga, Barca are hot on the heels of Madrid in La Liga, while Porto are presently processing the news that the most famous manager in the club's history has just taken charge of their hated rivals Benfica.

Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck praised manager Niko Kovac’s decision switch to a back three, calling it a key factor behind the team’s recent good run of results. Making his return from injury, the German defender said he feels something positive is building and suggested Dortmund can mount a serious title challenge against Bayern Munich.

Benfica have released behind-the-scenes footage from Jose Mourinho’s first game back at the club, with the outspoken Portuguese delivering an X-rated team talk to his players before heading into action against AVS Futebol SAD. The ‘Special One’ is back where it all began for him, having returned to his homeland, and has clearly lost none of his passion for his game.

Tottenham players have been assigned small three-digit numbers, which are printed on the back of their shirts. The numbers are unique to each player and they have been sporting them since 2023. After finishing 17th in the Premier League in a dismal 2024-25 campaign, Spurs have made a strong start to the new season, sitting third in the table after five matches.

Karim Adeyemi scored the winner in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 victory against Wolfsburg, but it was his act of fair play that earned him public praise from referee Daniel Siebert. The official lauded the forward for stopping a clear attacking opportunity to allow an opponent to receive treatment, calling it a rare moment of sportsmanship in professional football.

Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez was in visible pain as he lay down after the final whistle of his side's 3-0 win against Getafe on Sunday, prompting the medical team to check on him. Lopez was seen holding his leg and left the pitch crying as coach Hansi Flick consoled him. The club confirmed they are soon going to conduct tests.

The Manchester United fan refusing to cut his hair until Ruben Amorim’s side win five games in a row was branded an “attention-seeking c***” during an angry exchange with another Red Devils supporter at Old Trafford. Frank Ilett was in attendance to watch a much-needed victory over Chelsea, but his presence ruffled a few feathers behind the scenes as he attracted some unwanted attention.

Arsenal and Manchester City played out a dramatic 1-1 draw on Sunday, with the two Premier League rivals unable to be separated through 98 or so minutes. Erling Haaland had given the visitors an early lead, before Pep Guardiola remarkably decided to park the bus to try and sneak the win. Those efforts went up in smoke in added time as Gabriel Martinelli scored to clinch a point for the Gunners.

Barcelona legend Ronaldinho will reportedly give out the 2025 Ballon d'Or in Paris on Monday night as Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal vie for football's most prestigious individual award. Dembele is being tipped as the favourite to win the Golden Ball after playing a key role in Paris Saint-Germain's historic treble success last season.

Say what you will about the merits of the Ballon d'Or, but last year's ceremony was undeniably dramatic. The event organisers, France Football, have always insisted that "no player or club knows who has won the Ballon d'Or" before the victor is announced on stage - but Real Madrid refused to even turn up after learning hours in advance that Rodri had beaten Vinicius Jr to the men's prize.

If the voting process for the Ballon d'Or were truly fair, Lionel Messi would have 14 Golden Balls to his name instead of eight. The Barcelona legend was by far the best footballer in the world between 2008 and 2021, but had to concede defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo five times, and Luka Modric once, as the Real Madrid duo were rewarded for spearheading their team's unprecedented success in the Champions League.

Harry Kane broke another Bundesliga record when scoring two penalties in Bayern Munich’s crushing victory over Hoffenheim. England captain Kane netted a hat-trick in that contest - his second of the 2025-26 campaign - with a couple of efforts coming from the spot. The prolific frontman has never missed from 12 yards in the German top-flight - with 17 strikes converted.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been told that goalkeepers will want to let in his 1,000th goal, allowing them to join the Portuguese GOAT in the history books. CR7 continues to chase down that personal landmark, with ex-Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen suggesting that the Al-Nassr superstar will be ready to hang up his boots and retire once another record has been broken.

If you thought the days of the Ballon d'Or generating headlines were over after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's era of dominance came to an end, then think again. After one of the most closely-fought races for a number of years, Rodri came out on top in 2024, beating Vinicius Jr into second place as Real Madrid dramatically boycotted the ceremony in Paris in protest at their star player missing out.