Wind the film back to the end of January. Estêvão, with four brief substitute appearances under his belt, was a promise and a possibility for Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad. Neymar, meanwhile, was a certainty. The one-time boy prince was returning to Santos, where the story started, and his old club was going to give him a platform to round off the narrative with one final attempt at World Cup glory.
Strasbourg's ultras - four supporter groups with a combined membership of 1,539 - believe the multi-club model compromises traditional club values. Keller previously said the ultras had "crossed the line" by targeting captain and star striker Emanuel Emegha with a banner describing him a "BlueCo's pawn" during a match with Le Havre earlier in the season. That followed the announcement that Emegha would join Chelsea in July 2026.
Roma were not expected to win the Serie A title, but they are on fire at the moment, having picked up 27 points from 12 matches, two points ahead of second-placed AC Milan. Roma will take on FC Midtjylland at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening before facing Napoli this weekend. Gian Piero Gasperini's side beat Cremonese 3-1 away from home in Serie A last weekend, which came after a 2-0 victory over Udinese in Rome in the league.
Bohemians are considering kicking off the 2026 League of Ireland season with another Aviva Stadium Dublin derby with St Patrick's Athletic emerging as the most likely opposition if the Gypsies opt to press ahead with the plan.
West Ham United are reportedly interested in a potential transfer move for AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez, and could try offering Jean-Clair Todibo as part of the deal. Gimenez's agent Rafaela Pimenta is said to have received some approaches from clubs in England, and it seems West Ham are one to watch in particular. According to Sport Witness, citing reports from Tuttosport and Milan Live,
Crystal Palace are reportedly showing an interest in a potential transfer move for Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock this January. The 26-year-old started brightly when he first joined the Magpies from Arsenal, but he's now fallen down the pecking order in Eddie Howe's squad, and that's put his future in some doubt. It seems Newcastle could now be prepared to let Willock go as long as they look to recoup the 21m they paid for him, according to the Telegraph.
It is TRUE: Ibrahima Konate wants his future sorted shortly. Konate knows that Liverpool would like to sell him if he's not prepared to sign a new contract, so he has to decide now. Bayern have said they're interested, so it could be difficult for them if the Frenchman decides to sign a new contract at Liverpool. That's because they're already set to lose another option in Marc Guehi, who is very close, at the moment, to signing for Liverpool.
College football has the shortest regular season around but remains capable of endless plot twists. A mere 13 weeks from Week 1, Florida State and Penn State are 5-6, Clemson is 6-5, Kelly is out of a job, Franklin has found a new one and, because of another couple of late-game failures, Miami is again just on the outside of the College Football Playoff looking in (while Notre Dame is again safe).
FourFourTwo's Dating Game takes a page out of the Wordle playbook: all you have to do is enter your four-digit number guess, and the system will instantly give you feedback by lighting up the digits. Correct numbers in the correct position will shine bright in green, letting you know you're one step closer to victory: those that are in the wrong position will light up orange, while the rest will stay greyed out.
I had quite a good chance to score and then they were the better team, says Kindvall. But maybe if we had got the first goal, maybe we had a chance. We were very good when we didn't have the ball ourselves. We had good organisation in the defence. And Forest were very good without the ball as well. It was more difficult for us to play against a team who were more like our team. We played the English way.
A train ride south from the Amsterdam base that has become a home for an Irish footballer, they have the French Paradox, where, despite having a diet laden with fatty foods and fine wine, the population of France are generally healthy. There was something close to the Dutch paradox here in Alkmaar, not far from Amsterdam.
The qualities that made Karen Carney an unstoppable winger on the football pitch her speed and attack, and the sheer relentlessness of both are more of a hindrance in the ballroom, for some of the dances at least. As the emerging star of this year's Strictly Come Dancing, she has had to learn to slow down, stand up straighter, to be softer, and it's taken a lot of hard work.
Xabi Alonso said Real Madrid's 4-3 Champions League win at Olympiacos on Wednesday was "important to change the dynamic" after three games without a victory left the team, and the coach, under pressure. Kylian Mbappé scored four goals -- including a seven-minute hat trick -- and Vinícius Júnior provided two assists, to put Madrid on 12 points and consolidate their place in the top eight.
Between juicy home fixtures, underpriced differentials and a few players with minutes about to spike, there's a real opportunity to jump ahead of the template. Whether you're on a free-hit chip, wildcard or even triple captain, these five picks all offer that sweet spot of short‑term upside and solid underlying numbers, whether you're chasing in mini-leagues or protecting a strong rank. From explosive attackers with great xG to budget enablers, these are the transfers that can genuinely move the needle for your team this week.
Then a controversial report emerged. United's owners, COH, had supposedly contacted Sheffield Wednesday's administrators to make an enquiry. It's an explosive story, leaving everyone to wonder if COH were checking in on a potential merger plan. Some form of comment was necessary from a group who have not done a single press conference since taking over. A club address emerged a day later.
