It has been nothing short of a meteoric ascent for Yan Diomande. Over the past 17 months, he has made his professional debut for Leganes, joined RB Leipzig for €20 million, competed in the Africa Cup of Nations, won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award, and now joined one of the biggest clubs in the world: Real Madrid.

This summer, Diomande made his presence felt on the biggest stage, delivering a Man of the Match display in a win over Ecuador at the World Cup. He assisted Ivory Coast's opening goal against Curacao, too, as the African nation qualified for the World Cup knockouts for the firrst time in their history.

For most people around the world, the 2026 World Cup was the first time they'd caught a glimpse of Diomande's potential. But as far as Todd Eason is concerned, Diomande's talent has been on display ever since he first landed in the USA four years ago.

"[In terms of the best players that I've coached], I think Diomande is by far the highest," Eason stated in an exclusive FourFourTwo interview. "I've never had the opportunity to see a player of this level, let alone work with. He was at an extremely high level when he came to us at 15 years old, and it was a real joy to have that opportunity to work with him for a while.

"As Diomande got acclimated to the country, you could really see that he was starting to take off and get comfortable, and then the talent just kept coming out of him," Eason, who worked as DME Academy's Director of Soccer from 2021 to 2024, added. "He's probably the most talented player I've worked with, and I still don't think we've seen everything that he's capable of doing."

When he was 9 years old, Diomande left home and moved over 100km away and joined Académie Inter Foot Sud Comoé, where he finally started playing with a pair of cleats. Six years later, he left the Ivory Coast and embarked on a solo, one-way journey to Florida, where he joined DME Academy in Daytona Beach.

Despite a language barrier and homesickness, Diomande emerged as an attacking talisman for DME and affiliate side AS Frenzi, leading them to the 2023 United Premier Soccer League title and claiming the Playoff Golden Boot and MVP. However, he wasn't able to earn a professional contract, with Orlando City and several other European sides overlooking him.

Diomande returned to his hometown of Abidjan after his student visa expired, but it wasn't long before he was on the move again, playing for Leganes' reserves in the Spanish fifth tier before making his first-team debut at Real Madrid on March 29, 2025. After just 10 appearances for relegated Leganes, Diomande was sold to RB Leipzig for €20m, where he scored 13 and registered 10 assists in 36 appearances last season.

It has taken just one year for Leipzig to make a six-fold return on their investment, with Real Madrid spending a club-record €125m plus €15m in potential bonuses, signing him to a contract through 2033. With Rodrygo still to return from an ACL tear, all signs point to Diomande beating the likes of Brahim Díaz, Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler and Endrick for the starting spot on the right side of Real's attack.

"It's going to be a scary thing once he's in his prime," Eason said. "I don't know what that looks like, whether it's achieving certain accolades like winning the Champions League or getting Man of the Match awards.

"Those are the measurements of his ceiling to some degree, but I just think he's a sponge and continues to learn more about the game and put himself in situations where he's going to be successful. I'm excited to see what he continues to evolve into. It’s hard to say what his ceiling is, but he's going to be on the team that is going to be demanding that ceiling.

"When he was with me, we would play games, and luckily, my team was solid enough that it wasn't all Diomande, but it was a good portion of it," Eason added, now General Manager of USL Championship side Miami FC. "But he would play the game and do whatever he had to to be successful in that game, and I had the task of finding opponents that would challenge my team more."

"As we did that, we were going from playing little regional youth club teams to MLS Academy teams to college teams, and Diomande was still excelling against all of those teams. He was the best player on the field every time he played here, so we needed to start playing against professional teams. That's when we started playing MLS Next Pro teams and winning those games. It's like, 'Holy cow, for a high school team to be beating pro clubs, and it's because of Dio...what is his ceiling?"

Is Yan Diomande a good signing for Real Madrid? Tell us in the comments

Erling Haaland has been a record-breaker throughout his incredible career - and now it's official.

The Manchester City star is the proud owner of four Guinness World Records certificates after he was rewarded for his feats for club and country.

Haaland has been prolific wherever he has played and is currently on 162 goals in 198 games for City, while he is also Norway's all-time top goalscorer, finding the net 62 times in just 55 matches.

The numbers behind Erling Haaland's four Guinness World Records

Haaland's long list of individual achievements include three Premier League Golden Boots in four seasons, the European Golden Shoe in 2022/23, and six successive Norwegian Footballer of the Year awards.

The 26-year-old's goals have fired City to six major trophies since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in summer 2022, including the Treble in 2022/23, while he also scored seven times in just five matches at World Cup 2026 to help Norway reach the quarter-finals.

Haaland now has four more prizes to cram onto his mantelpiece after he was awarded the Guinness World Records certificates at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the new season.

His first award was for the most goals scored in a Champions League match, having struck five times in a 7-0 thrashing of RB Leipzig in the last 16 in March 2023.

Haaland shares that record with Lionel Messi, who scored the same number in Barcelona's 7-1 mauling of Bayer Leverkusen in March 2012, and Shakhtar Donetsk's Luiz Adriano, who equalled the feat in a 7-0 thrashing of BATE Borisov in October 2014.

The forward's next prize recognised his international exploits, as he received a certificate for scoring the most goals in the Nations League.

His tally of 19 is four clear of the next highest scorers - Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Haaland was also awarded a certificate for scoring the most goals in a Premier League season, having struck 36 times in his debut campaign in 2022/23 - surpassing even Andy Cole and Alan Shearer's shared record across 42 games in 1993/94, when the duo each found the net 34 times for Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers respectively.

The City superstar's final record was for being the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals, with his strike against Fulham last December bringing up the milestone in only 111 games - beating Shearer's mark by 13 matches.

Haaland, who features on the cover of the Guinness World Records Football Edition 2027, is set to begin what he hopes will be another record-breaking season on Sunday, when City face Arsenal in the Community Shield.

The battle of the World Cup sell-off plot may be over but the war is only just beginning.

FIFA’s embarrassing climbdown over the landgrab hatched by its president Gianni Infantino to auction off stakes in its various competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors unified football in outright condemnation of the brazen proposal.

None were more forthright in shooting down the plans than UEFA, who wrote to their former Secretary General to warn that they were ‘actively considering legal action’ against him for the money-spinning scheme despite it being swiftly aborted.

UEFA ready to wage war on FIFA over World Cup sell-off

But that was potentially only the tip of the iceberg for punitive action from the House of European Football, which also committed to a unanimous boycott of all FIFA tournaments if the controversial carve-up by present governance pressed ahead - a stance which has been firmly upheld.

UEFA must take a degree of accountability for Infantino’s scheme. It was, after all, from their Nyon headquarters where the powerbroker which the Swiss-Italian became was allowed to build his stock before ascending to power, 167 miles northeast, at the global game's Geneva base over a decade ago.

He is to them what Anakin Skywalker became to the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars; starting out as their once great future hope before defecting to the footballing dark side.

Contempt for Infantino runs deep among his erstwhile employers, whose president Aleksander Ceferin led an eight-person walkout at last year’s FIFA Congress in Paraguay after a three-hour delay caused by its figurehead prioritising schmoozing with world leaders, including American president Donald Trump, in the Middle East.

That affront inflamed relations between the eminent organisations of international football, but tensions had existed long before the botched ploy to allow Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared, and myriad shadowy investors to get rich off the World Cup’s legacy. Infantino’s 2016 defection saw FIFA aggressively manoeuvre itself to outstrip the Champions League as the highest-grossing tournament.

It also lit a spark in Ceferin to actively push his organisation to become the antithesis of FIFA while also trying to steal the thunder of his former colleague turned adversary where possible. The latest example saw UEFA assign refereeing duties for this month's Super Cup to Omar Artan, the Somali official who was denied entry to the World Cup by the Trump administration.

Another such effort saw the governing body reportedly planning to join forces with the International Champions Cup, a pre-season exhibition series involving some of Europe’s biggest clubs, to roll out a Champions League-style tournament in summer 2021 to overshadow the launch of the expanded Club World Cup before Covid put paid to the rival initiative.

Infantino’s attempted revenge manifested itself in engaging in discussions to rebrand the European Super League under FIFA’s umbrellamere months before the controversial breakaway that threatened to destroy the integrity of the Champions League was unleashed and rapidly disintegrated amid widespread backlash.

When the short-lived concept was rolled out by 12 of the continent’s biggest teams, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi replaced Juventus supremo Andrea Agnelli as head of the European Club Association – now European Football Clubs. Such a move would previously have been chided by Ceferin’s administration, given the murky connotations associated with state ownership in elite-level football.

But Al-Khelafi was embraced with open arms at a time of genuine conflict and has even been touted as a possible UEFA-endorsed rival to Infantino in next year’s FIFA elections, despite the Qatar Football Association already ruling out backing any candidate to run against the incumbent.

Worse, however, could still follow for the 56-year-old if the World Cup’s prestige remains diminished by a summer of controversy which stretched beyond his ill-fated FIFA Forward Enterprise. It recently emerged that the blueprint for an alternative tournament under a working title of the Global Nations League have been locked away in the UEFA vault for the best part of a decade and support for the eight-team format already garnered early support from both CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.

Infantino’s gluttony has derailed his bid to kill the golden goose of international football but Ceferin would not hesitate in firing the bullet that strips him of all power. If he succeeds, the accusations of a ‘UEFA Mafia’ regularly aired by supporters will no longer be without foundation.

Chelsea have been many things throughout their history but they haven’t once been accused of shyness.

Love them or hate them, Chelsea do things however they want and without apology. The results can be a mixed bag.

They’re the only club outside Manchester with five titles in the Premier League era and more, much more than this, they did it their way. Equally, it’s now 10 seasons since the Blues won the league and that barely tells the story of the intervening years.

Chelsea have invested in expensive potential

Chelsea have veered from basket case to brilliant and back again, winning trophies almost in spite of influential individuals with no business having as much say as they did.

If pendulous progress is The New Chelsea Way, freshly appointed manager Xabi Alonso could be about to oversee a lurch for the better.

They remain under the watchful eye of UEFA and financial regulations demand that a club with no natural restraint finds ways to avoid the need to rein itself in, but their summer transfer business in totality is giving off a whiff of promise.

Even as some of the completed transfers appear surprising on paper, the sum of the parts is surely stronger than what came before. Suddenly, a club that was engulfed in utter bedlam just a few months ago has a team capable of putting things right.

There’s no escaping the financial outlay but Alonso will look around the Chelsea dressing room at Fulham at the start of the season and find proven players who warrant the investment.

Morgan Rogers arrived from Aston Villa for a British record transfer fee of £117 million. He might be a player with a low floor by elite standards but Rogers can and will win matches on his own at the very highest level.

If Rogers was an ostentatious purchase, defender Maxence Lacroix should be a solid bet. Chelsea reportedly paid Crystal Palace more than £52 million for the France centre-back but he’s a known quantity.

The deal to bring in Geovany Quenda was done long before Alonso arrived but Atalanta right-back Marco Palestra, now a senior international with Italy, is another shrewd addition with the better part of 15 years of football ahead of him. 22-year-old Valentin Barco has since followed.

Big brothers

At 26, Lacroix is the oldest by far of Chelsea’s major new signings. At least, he would have been the oldest if it weren’t for a phenomenally Chelsea jerk in the other direction.

Apparently concerned about a lack of experience and leadership, the Blues opted against spending big money to load the temporal middle ground and simply went full-bore at raising the average age with a couple of golden oldies.

There’s nothing clever about acquiring 36-year-old Jordan Henderson and 35-year-old Danny Welbeck beyond having the wherewithal to decide they’re needed.

Henderson offers grit, experience and the authority to demand the highest standards from Chelsea’s younger players. He won’t have expected to be rolling into Stamford Bridge three years after leaving Liverpool but it took a single season at Brentford to convince Alonso of his worth.

Before walking the well-worn path from Brighton & Hove Albion, Welbeck produced the season of his career. He’d never scored more goals in a single Premier League campaign and made more appearances in 2025-26 than ever before.

After reaching double figures in back-to-back Premier League seasons – the first and second times in his career – Welbeck is a convincing depth and rotation option for a manager who’d rather run with Joao Pedro and the veteran than wait for a version of Liam Delap that might never blossom.

Why Chelsea’s transfer strategy is going to pay off

By hook or by crook, the Blues have assembled a squad that can stabilise from the root and mount a serious challenge at the top end of the Premier League when they need it most. Missing out on the Champions League again doesn’t bear thinking about.

The ‘can’ has usually been true; in FourFourTwo’s opinion, that they ‘will’ feels more compelling this time around.

Alonso has a team with ability and balance. There’s some depth. There are goals. There’s drive and creativity and match impact. It doesn’t much matter whether Chelsea ever looked beyond one signing to identify the next.

They’ve bounced from one profile to the next in the transfer market but the West Londoners aren’t operating in the dark without a torch. By hiring former Villa set piece architect Austin MacPhee, Chelsea signalled their intent to win in the fine margins.

Alonso has a plan and they’ll be deploying it in what looks like a positive context.

The teams above them last season must all contend with European football this term and Chelsea, one way or another and for the first time in a long time, appear to have married heft to wits in their summer recruitment.

Merely eight months ago, Mohamed Salah was benched for three consecutive matches by struggling Liverpool manager Arne Slot.

The response from the Egyptian was vicious: a scathing assessment of Slot's management, and veiled accusations towards the Reds' hierarchy, claiming the prerogative was to see him escorted for financial gain out of the back door.

Salah believed then, and later backed it up, that he had far more left to give to the game. With his move to Trabzonspor confirmed, those media antics should be called out exactly as they now appear – farcical, disappointing, and an insult to his most ardent fans.

Mohamed Salah has betrayed himself and his supporters with this decision, but the Egyptian can still achieve redemption

The truth is, Salah was right. Being benched was a statement, and the Liverpool hierarchy were almost certainly devising ways to send him packing, and free up their wage bill from his astronomical salary.

But his choice to move to the Super Lig, a competition that would do well to make it into the world's top ten highest-quality leagues, is no less than a stab in the back to those long-time supporters that adamantly defended him in light of that unfair treatment.

Salah ended the 2025/26 season with 29 goal contributions across the Premier League, Champions League, Africa Cup of Nations, and the World Cup.

He appeared in just 41 games for Liverpool, reaching 22 involvements in at least ten less matches played than any season barring 2023/24, another injury-ridden campaign for Salah, since the turn of the decade.

He enjoyed his most prolific Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Egypt, and spearheaded his nation to their first-ever World Cup win, and a victory in the knock-outs vs Australia, with seven contributions across both major tournaments.

But even his most optimistic supporters would surely concede that the decision to move to Turkey reeks of a man who has seemingly given up.

In a summer when similarly aged departing Premier League legends have opted to lower their salary demands to remain at the top level, including free agents Bernardo Silva and John Stones, both leaving the team that Salah rivalled for nearly a decade, this decision should disappoint followers of his extraordinary career deeply.

FourFourTwo understands that the Egyptian, now the highest paid player in Europe after tax, turned down lower salary offers from multiple clubs in the Serie A. Even Salah's most vocal critic, Jamie Carragher, acknowledged that Turkey is ‘a level too low' for the Liverpool icon, and confessed that he expected to see him back in Italy.

FourFourTwo also understands that two factors were particularly vital in Salah's decision: his wife, Magi, was enticed by Turkey as a location for their family to live in, and, naturally, the size of his enormous pay packet played a significant role, which links back to his financially strained upbringing in Nagrig.

The Salah family purchased a sea-view villa for $10 million in Bodrum, Turkey, over a year ago, which initially signalled that they believed the country was as an attractive place to reside.

The Egyptian escaped impoverished, isolated conditions from his rural farming village roots to become one of the greatest players in history, and, as a result, Salah views salary as a crucial measurement of his worth and success.

Despite these motivations, the collective disapproval of this decision globally is entirely rightful, and becomes far more intense when narrowed down solely to Egyptian supporters.

In that corner of the world, the response is fuelled by love – Salah is the greatest African footballer in history, and he, virtually single-handedly, put their nation on the sporting map.

But to see the Liverpool icon choose money over glory feels like both the disappointing conclusion to an era they hoped would never end, and a deep betrayal, because he appears to have pulled the plug prematurely.

For those fans, the ones who believed Salah's words when he told the press last December that he is still one of the finest players in the world, and watched him excel for the Egyptian national team throughout 2026, it is as sad as it is rage-inducing.

Luckily for the 34-year-old, he can indeed redeem himself. But he has placed a ludicrous burden on his shoulders, perhaps the most ever in his career, to pull off a feat he has been unable to get over the line since his debut.

That is to win the Africa Cup of Nations for Egypt, the most successful footballing nation in the competition's history, who have never won the tournament since Salah made his international debut.

Of course, Salah is far from responsible for that. In fact, the 34-year-old is the primary reason that Egypt did not fade into obscurity after the Port Said disaster stalled footballing development in the country, back in 2012.

The riot tragically caused the deaths of 74 people, and injuries to over 500 others, and shut down domestic football in Egypt for two years.

As a result, the national team was greatly affected, and Salah's talent was integral in them still making it to two AFCON finals in 2017 and 2021, and the third and fourth World Cups in Egypt's history.

To redeem himself in the eyes of those who rightfully feel that Salah has abandoned his competitive edge at an age far too early (the Egyptian, one of football's fittest athletes, confessed to Gary Neville in 2025 that he will still be playing at 40), winning Africa's greatest international prize is a must.

During his Premier League playing days, it became truth among fans that the tournament, if held mid-season, would inevitably lead Salah to suffer an underwhelming end to the campaign, due to the overwhelming demands of Africa Cup of Nations football.

This was clearly evident in 2021/22, when the now 34-year-old was, by a considerable stretch, the best player in the world from August to December, contributing to 21 goals in 15 straight Premier League games.

During the January tournament, he registered involvements in 75% of Egypt's goals en-route to the final vs Senegal, which Salah's side lost, and played four consecutive matches that went to 120 minutes.

Upon his return to Liverpool, Salah's output dropped, as the mental and physical load of carrying his domestic and international sides finally took its toll.

In Turkey? That problem no longer exists, not even at 34, with Salah being able to enjoy the lessened physical impacts of a far, far less competitive league than the English top-flight.

And with Egypt almost prevailing against eventual finalists Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, in which Salah delivered a stunning assist for his country's second of the game, which was controversially disallowed, expectations were already high ahead of the 2027 tournament.

The Liverpool legend will have two chances back-to-back, first in 2027, during the summer tournament hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, then again in 2028.

After that, the Africa Cup of Nations will be held every four years, meaning Salah's next opportunity would be in 2032. That is, for obvious reasons, entirely unfeasible.

In the Super Lig, Salah's clearest shot at Turkish football immortality is taking Trabzonspor to Europa League glory, if the team even makes it beyond the qualifying phases.

However, long-time fans of the Egyptian will likely not care even if he breaks Messi's 91-goal calendar year haul in Turkey. A better ending to his career could have came still on Merseyside, continuing to break Premier League records as a rotational player.

Perhaps most sickeningly of all for those supporters, this choice has effectively vindicated the most dishonest of narratives surrounding Salah, even emanating from within the Liverpool fanbase, that rushed to proclaim him as 'finished' after one sub-par season.

Salah still has plenty left in the tank, even if his transfer priorities appear to disagree with his, often warranted, arrogant antics.

He can cement his legacy in finely carved stone with the Africa Cup of Nations victory which has eluded him for his entire career, but Egyptians will no longer accept excuses if he doesn't find the means to prevail.

For a player who impossibly escaped the most arduous of childhood circumstances and became arguably the greatest player in Premier League history, it feels bizarrely apt that he'd place such extraordinary pressure on himself to deliver at the tail end of his journey.

And somehow, because it's always somehow with Mohamed Salah, isn't it obvious he will do it?

The campaign highlights the broadcaster's schedule that is set to feature more than 700 live matches across major domestic and European competitions.

Titled 'LEVELS', the campaign focuses on a 60-second advert narrated by actor Matt Smith.

The multi-platform promo showcases the breadth of TNT Sports' prominent broadcast talent such as Laura Woods, Ally McCoist, Steven Gerrard, and Karen Carney.

TNT Sports are raring to go for 2026/27

Active players including Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Manchester United’s Ella Toone and Matheus Cunha, and Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo also feature in the ad.

Created in collaboration with creative agency Brothers and Sisters, the campaign officially launches on Friday, August 7 across TV, cinema, radio, digital, and social media channels.

The upcoming season showcases TNT Sports' extensive rights portfolio, spanning the Premier League, Emirates FA Cup, Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, and selected fixtures from Italy’s Serie A.

All coverage will be streamed on Warner Bros Discovery's new UK streaming platform, HBO Max.

TNT Sports’ live match broadcasting for the 2026/27 campaign begins on Wednesday, August 12.

The UEFA Super Cup fixture between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League champions Aston Villa will be broadcast live on the relevant channels.

Coverage continues on Sunday, August 16 with the FA Community Shield fixture between Premier League champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

A new era is underway at Anfield again. After Arne Slot's two-year reign was ended following a miserable campaign with 19 defeats in all competitions, Andoni Iraola has been charged with reinstalling the attacking identity demanded by Reds fans.

Iraola's Bournemouth certainly displayed that quality. The Basque manager delivered an aggressive, progressive style, utilising quick, direct wingers, a high defensive line and pressing in attack.

Did somebody say “Jurgen Klopp”? Kopites are hoping for Klopp-like football, having grown frustrated by Slot's slow build-up and passive play. Iraola's message to Liverpool fans upon arrival was upbeat, capturing the imagination: “I can only say I want to become one of you; to earn the right to belong.” That's been enough to restore optimism after a difficult year.

It's the dawn of a new era at Liverpool, and Andoni Iraola must restore a lost hope

However, they will be a different proposition with the departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate – a key trio not just on the pitch, but around the club.

New leaders need to step up, because nine players from the title-winning squad of a little over a year ago have already left.

Nobody expects a title challenge in Iraola's maiden season, but a return to more attractive football and clear signs of an identity will be needed, and fast.

The lack of a trophy on his managerial CV, or experience coaching in European competition, are both concerns.

The Coach

Andoni Iraola is only the 22nd Liverpool manager in 134 years, which shows that it was no easy decision to part ways with Slot so soon. But Iraola offers the exciting football that fans missed, while his Basque roots mean he can understand the city's outsider mentality.

Key Player

Virgil van Dijk is 35 now, yet he played every league minute in 2025-26, then went to the World Cup. With Giovanni Leoni (19) and inexperienced new signing Jeremy Jacquet (21) alongside him, and Ibrahima Konate gone, the Dutchman's experience will be vital.

Last Season's Results

PREMIER LEAGUE: 5th

FA CUP: Quarter-final

LEAGUE CUP: Fourth Round

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Quarter-final

Top Scorer

Hugo Ekitike was Liverpool's top goalscorer last year, with 17 strikes in all competitions.

That figure is a stark drop-off from the 30-40 goal campaigns produced by Salah from 2017-2024.

Ekitike is sidelined with injury until likely 2027, and whoever the Reds' top scorer is this year will surely have to produce a haul that exceeds that of the Frenchman in 2025-26.

Lessons From Last Year

There are many: using the squad better, getting the most of Florian Wirtz in a settled role, fewer ready excuses such as an inability to defend long throws and set pieces.

Arguably, the biggest lesson Iraola can take from Slot's reign is using the power of Anfield. Liverpool made slow starts too often under the Dutchman, reflected in their conceding first in 14 league games last season.

They lacked attacking impetus, which sapped the energy of the crowd, and the two couldn't thrive off each other. “For me,” says Iraola, “football is about emotions – about passion.” Those inside Anfield would agree.

Most Likely To...

Be involved in a 5-4 thriller. Think Klopp's first campaign, when the German's glasses were lost in the celebrations at Norwich. Iraola's first year could be as entertaining.

Least Likely To...

Shut up shop defending set pieces. Liverpool (20) and Bournemouth (18) had the worst record for goals against from dead-ball situations in the Premier League last season.

View From The Stands

Words by: JACK LUSBY @LusbyJack

Last season was deeply overshadowed by an unbelievable tragedy. Diogo Jota's death had a lasting impact on not only his team-mates, but the coach and his staff.

The big talking point is the decision to sack Arne Slot. Even with the serious mitigating factors, it was necessary – his decline had begun with the side's shocking display in the 2025 Carabao Cup Final.

This season will be different because Andoni Iraola has breathed new life into the support.

I won't be happy unless proper, attacking football returns to Anfield. You'd be surprised how many struggled to sit through Liverpool games last year.

Our key player will be Virgil van Dijk. World class. Look out for 19-year-old centre-back Giovanni Leoni. After nine months out, it's easy to forget his immense talent. He tore his ACL on debut and was still man of the match.

Fans think our owners are OK. FSG get plenty wrong but they usually rectify it eventually.

The departing player I'm saddest about is Andy Robertson or Mo Salah. Both should still be at the club – and would be, had things changed sooner.

A social media account to follow is the academy (@LFCAcademyX). There's a wealth of talent coming through or being signed.

Our biggest grudge match will be against Arsenal. They're the most unlikeable champions in a long, long time. Those games will be attacking football vs anti-football.

We'll finish 3rd.

Fixtures

AUGUST

23 Newcastle (A)

29 Nott'm Forest (H)

SEPTEMBER

5 Ipswich (A)

12 Fulham (H)

19 Bournemouth (A)

OCTOBER

10 Man City (H)

17 Brentford (A)

24 Brighton (H)

31 Arsenal (H)

NOVEMBER

7 Crystal Palace (A)

21 Man United (H)

28 Everton (A)

DECEMBER

2 Sunderland (H)

5 Chelsea (A)

12 Leeds (H)

19 Tottenham (H)

26 Hull City (A)

30 Aston Villa (A)

JANUARY

2 Coventry (H)

6 Sunderland (A)

16 Crystal Palace (H)

23 Man United (A)

30 Everton (H)

FEBRUARY

6 Arsenal (A)

10 Coventry (A)

20 Hull City (H)

27 Tottenham (A)

MARCH

3 Aston Villa (H)

13 Ipswich (H)

20 Fulham (A)

APRIL

10 Newcastle (H)

17 Nott'm Forest (A)

24 Leeds (A)

MAY

1 Chelsea (H)

8 Man City (A)

15 Brentford (H)

23 Brighton (A)

30 Bournemouth (H)

Title Odds

Liverpool to win the Premier League title odds: 11/2

FFT Verdict

FourFourTwo verdict: Liverpool to finish 3rd.

Life without Salah could benefit the collective, if handled correctly. Iraola's methods suit most of the Reds' squad, fitness depending, although bungeeing back to the title is likely too much to ask.

This feature was written in June as part of FourFourTwo magazine's legendary Season Preview issue which can be ordered here.

Real Madrid clearly do not subscribe to football’s adage about never going back.

Second honeymoons are a common occurrence for Real Madrid, with 13 of the 52 managers appointed as either interim or permanent hires in the club’s 116-year history afforded returns, some multiple times. Nearly half of that figure, including the likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, did so across the previous three decades alone.

Such romanticism is particularly on brand for a club nicknamed ‘La Casa Blanca’ with a familiar face back in the Bernabeu’s dugout considered more of a hallmark than a habit.

A third 'do-over' for the Special One

Jose Mourinho is the latest beneficiary of a homecoming in the Spanish capital, 13 years after his original spell ended in acrimony. Attempting to finish what he started is a recurring pattern in the Portuguese’s coaching career, with Madrid becoming the third club he has managed more than once after do-over spells with Benfica and Chelsea.

Still, it was a move which raised eyebrows, just months since clashing with his former employers over the alleged racist abuse of Vinicius Junior by Gianluca Prestianni in the second leg of February’s tempestuous Champions League knockout round play-off tie.

Even before that controversy, little love had been lost during Mourinho’s near decade-and-a-half away. His Bernabeu afterlife became a source of derision as much as intrigue. In 2018, fresh from Manchester United’s Champions League exit to Sevilla, Madrid-based daily sports newspaper MARCA likened him to ‘a washed-up rock star, one of those guys who goes around holiday hotels for pensioners, playing old hits on an organ with the base and percussion playing on a tape recorder’. As similes go, there have been fewer more damning for the now sexagenarian ‘Special One’.

Los Blancos witnessed the beginning of his villain arc and, arguably, its most volatile state in a three-year period where just one LaLiga title and a Copa del Rey constituted major silverware. Unlike the redux periods of Ancelotti and Zidane, president Florentino Perez staked a successful re-election campaign on lightning not striking twice with the two-time European champion’s second coming as he is again tasked with halting Barcelona’s latest period of domestic dominance.

But the signs already appear ominous. The Catalans cantered to last season’s title with an eight-point cushion which would have reached double figures had Hansi Flick’s side not taken their foot off the gas in two of the final three games after seeing off their arch-rivals in the latest El Clasico meeting. Confidence remains high that they can secure further bragging rights against Madrid with the teams all-square on 106 victories apiece in their regular contests while Barca could soon equal, and even overtake, their foes’ previously unparalleled haul of 105 major honours after moving to within two with their 29th title success.

Mourinho, meanwhile, inherits a squad devoid of confidence and discipline as evidenced by the unedifying end of Xabi Alonso’s brief tenure and a stumble to the finish line with his interim replacement Alvaro Arbeloa. The advancement of Father Time also has done little to dim his abrasive tendencies which reared an ugly head in his first spell. High-profile fallouts with Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos pockmarked the end of that tenure as he openly lampooned Perez’s vision for a team of ‘Zidanes y Pavones’, mixing stars such as Zidane with homegrown talents like Paco Pavon. In one fractious press conference, he savaged youngster Pedro Leon – one of Pavon’s successors as inferior to both ‘Zizou’ and Diego Maradona.

Hindsight suggests that Mourinho would have done well to endear himself to a more impressionable crop of players instead of an already powerful dressing room clique. A cursory glance at Madrid’s early summer business follows a similar theme to that dynamic with Bernardo Silva, newly minted World Cup winner Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate among the strong personalities that Mourinho will need to bring on side at their Valdebebas training base. There is also the small matter of ingratiating himself with Vinicius after suggesting he had provoked the racist abuse he routinely suffers, even if the imminent arrival of Yan Diomande has seemingly put the writing on the wall for the Brazilian’s long-term future.

He is, at least, hoping a break from some old habits will avoid past mistakes. Mourinho has already turned down a formal media unveiling, which previously guaranteed a box-office entrance and soundbites aplenty. Shunning the flashbulbs has seen him instead working diligently on the training pitches with the club’s less established players while their household teammates were toiling at the World Cup earlier this summer.

The only utterances that Madridistas have heard from their new manager came in the form of a bite-sized social media clip on the club’s official channels during which he insisted ‘Words aren’t enough, because this feels like a mission. This isn’t about me or whether I win, more or less. I’m here to help everybody become better.’

Mourinho knows that Madrid will be his last big job in elite-level management, having only attracted offers from Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica after his last spell in the Premier League ended in all-too-familiar fashion five years ago. Failure is not an option but he is likely to have little choice with the deck already stacked against him.

Over to you, Enzo. For the first time in a decade, Manchester City kick off a season without Pep Guardiola in charge.

The Catalan delivered 20 trophies in 10 years – a preposterous return – but will be remembered as much for the sumptuous football that his teams consistently produced. Large boots to fill indeed.

Thankfully for City, Enzo Maresca is a snug fit, following two spells working on Pep's coaching staff.

Can Enzo Maresca bring this side back to top-flight glory?

The Italian was even credited with suggesting some of City's most influential tactical tweaks while he was Guardiola's assistant, such as John Stones' move into midfield in 2022-23's treble-winning season.

More importantly, Maresca has first-hand experience of lifting silverware with a Premier League giant. In a generally successful 18-month stint managing Chelsea, he won the 2025 UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, despite myriad off-field issues.

At City he inherits a far more stable squad, loaded not just with elite talent but potential: Nico O'Reilly, Abdukodir Khusanov and Rayan Cherki are 21 or 22, while £116m arrival Elliot Anderson is 23. The experience of Bernardo Silva and Stones is gone, though.

It's testament to the standards Guardiola set that last term's domestic cup double felt like an underwhelming goodbye, with the league surrendered to Arsenal. Maresca's task is to return City to the summit of English football.

The Coach

Back in 1998, Enzo Maresca joined West Bromwich Albion as a teenage midfielder who had “no grasp of the English language”. Decades later, he has won trophies as a manager with Leicester and Chelsea. But following Guardiola's long reign is a very different challenge.

Key Player

Erling Haaland has 162 goals in just 198 Manchester City appearances, and may be the most feared centre-forward in world football these days. The Norwegian is a force of nature, combining elite finishing with no shortage of aggression, strength, pace and personality.

Last Season's Results

PREMIER LEAGUE: 2nd

FA CUP: Winners

LEAGUE CUP: Winners

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Last 16

Top Scorer

Erling Haaland bagged 38 goals in all competitions last year, and won the Premier League Golden Boot.

Since he joined the league, only the recently departed Mohamed Salah has taken a Golden Boot off of the Norwegian.

Lessons From Last Year

As the cliche goes, Premier League titles aren't won before Christmas, but they can be lost. Four defeats in City's first 12 games – including to Spurs for the 10th time under Guardiola (how?) – allowed Arsenal to open up an insurmountable lead.

Pep's pupils came alive in the spring, going unbeaten in 15 up to the final day, but it wasn't enough.

Slow starts and stellar recoveries were a theme of Guardiola's latter years at the Etihad. But without the wizardry of Kevin De Bruyne, who seemed to enjoy springtime more than anyone, they fell short. A strong start would help Maresca.

Most Likely To...

Try to avoid their team-mates' holiday slideshows: Phil Foden and Gianluigi Donnarumma. The duo were rare City players who didn't go to the World Cup – the club had more representatives than any other, with a total of 17.

Least Likely To...

Discover the verdict of the 115 charges of alleged FFP breaches, despite the independent hearing concluding in December 2024.

View From The Stands

Words by: LLOYD SCRAGG @lloyd_scragg

Last season was more than respectable, in the end. Winning two trophies and taking the title race to the final week wouldn't have been foreseeable in late January. And at least Arsenal winning it before the final day allowed us to give Pep, John Stones and Bernardo Silva a send-off.

This season will be different because we'll never have it as good again – but, with a new squad, we're much better placed for the succession than Manchester United were after Alex Ferguson.

Our key player will be Rodri. We're not the same team without him.

The active player I'd love to have back is Morgan Rogers.

The one change I'd make at our club would be to introduce new season tickets – not flexi-tickets – for fans on the waiting list, and to get rid of the draconian 10-match ‘personal attendance' rule for season ticket holders. Sadly, many Blues lost their STs last season due to difficult personal circumstances.

Look out for 18-year-old Ryan McAidoo, a tricky winger with a low centre of gravity. He scored on debut in the FA Cup and can make a claim on the pre-season tour, with so many players missing it.

The pantomime villain will be Howard Webb, if he can't get a hold of the Premier League's fixation on set pieces. Most fans are on the same page: the prominence of the ‘meat wall' in the opposition box, and the timewasting that ensues, is tragic.

We'll finish 2nd.

Fixtures

AUGUST

23 Bournemouth (H)

29 Crystal Palace (A)

SEPTEMBER

5 Coventry (H)

12 Man United (A)

19 Sunderland (H)

OCTOBER

10 Liverpool (A)

17 Ipswich (H)

24 Aston Villa (A)

31 Brighton (H)

NOVEMBER

7 Nott'm Forest (A)

21 Fulham (H)

28 Arsenal (A)

DECEMBER

2 Leeds (H)

5 Brentford (A)

12 Chelsea (H)

19 Hull City (H)

26 Newcastle (A)

30 Everton (A)

JANUARY

2 Tottenham (H)

6 Leeds (A)

16 Nott'm Forest (H)

23 Brighton (A)

30 Arsenal (H)

FEBRUARY

6 Fulham (A)

10 Tottenham (A)

20 Newcastle (H)

27 Hull City (A)

MARCH

3 Everton (H)

13 Coventry (A)

20 Man United (H)

APRIL

10 Bournemouth (A)

17 Crystal Palace (H)

24 Chelsea (A)

MAY

1 Brentford (H)

8 Liverpool (H)

15 Ipswich (A)

23 Aston Villa (H)

30 Sunderland (A)

Title Odds

Manchester City to win the Premier League title odds: 3/1

FFT Verdict

FourFourTwo verdict: Manchester City to finish 2nd.

Fears over the reality of a post-Pep landscape are offset by a squad with next to no holes in it. Some tactical funkiness might make for a sluggish start before a rampant recovery – a fitting tribute.

This feature was written in June as part of FourFourTwo magazine's legendary Season Preview issue which can be ordered here.

Unless you were a local resident with a gaggle of Gooners on your doorstep in the early hours, May 2026 was the N5 postcode's most magical month in just about two entire decades.

Not even a Champions League final defeat on penalties to PSG could dampen spirits too much – that's the level of hangover in play from Arsenal finally winning back the Premier League title.

It has significantly altered the landscape for the club, though. To quote Fever Pitch – a novel and film about a previous Arsenal title drought ending – the clouds have parted. Mikel Arteta is no longer the protege, his side no longer the challengers. The longest-serving boss in England's top four divisions is under a very different pressure to go and win it all over again, while new managers have been installed at every other so-called ‘Big Six' outfit since last year's opening weekend. Arsenal are now the ones to beat.

Can the Gunners retain their Premier League title? FourFourTwo's 2026-27 Arsenal season preview

Fortunately, David Raya behind William Saliba and Gabriel is the hardest brick wall in the division. And, while signings are inevitable, the returns of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz from injury might prove more decisive than a flashy new purchase.

The target couldn't be clearer. Arteta's next challenge is one that even George Graham and Arsene Wenger couldn't achieve: to retain a league title. Could these street parties become an annual thing?

The Coach

For years, Mikel Arteta asked fans to trust the process – now he's essentially untouchable in the Emirates hotseat. Having ended Arsenal's title drought, he has finally stepped out from Pep Guardiola's shadow, so can he establish a dynasty with his mentor out of the way?

Key Player

As Arteta's tactical evolution shifted from technicality to physicality, Declan Rice leapt above Bukayo Saka as the face of the club. The 27-year-old is the complete midfielder – a picture of consistency, and the skipper-in-waiting should Martin Odegaard ever leave.

Last season's results

PREMIER LEAGUE: Winners

FA CUP: Quarter-final (Lost to Southampton: 2-1)

LEAGUE CUP: Runners-up (Lost to Manchester City: 2-0)

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Runners-up (Lost to PSG: 1-1, 4-3 Penalties}

Top Scorer

Viktor Gyokeres bagged 21 goals for Arsenal in all competitions last year, after signing from Sporting Lisbon in the summer.

The Sweden international almost won the European Golden Boot in the Portuguese top-flight, in spite of the league's lower coefficient, then adapted well to the Premier League.

His 20+ goal haul is more likely than not to improve should Arteta continue to place faith in the bagsman.

Lessons From Last Year

Chill out. Arsenal's run-in consisted of ever-nervier 1-0s over mid-table sides, as Arteta's trauma-plagued warriors clung onto slender leads out of desperation not to throw them away.

Compare that to the Champions League, where they played with fewer expectations and blitzed their way to the final. Arsenal might express themselves more now they've broken the duck.

Most Likely To...

Court unlikely fans in the US. Anne Hathaway is a very public Leandro Trossard fan, Reese Witherspoon referenced Riccardo Calafiori on The One Show last year, and New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has name-dropped Pascal Cygan, which sounds like a punchline to something rather than a fact.

Least Likely To...

Ignore the media noise. Gary Neville has questioned Arteta's process plenty over the years, so it was a kind gesture for the Basque boss to present him with an Arsenal shirt signed “to our biggest supporter” at the end of last season. Touché… or touchy.

View From The Stands

Words by: TIM STILLMAN - @Stillberto

Last season was a grind, but also one of the best seasons that I've ever experienced, with the most beautiful ending.

This season will be different because Arsenal have tossed the monkey from their back, so it should no longer feel as though we're snipping the wires of a time bomb in every single game.

The big talking point is how we can tune up the attack a little – 71 goals is a low tally for a champion.

Our key player will be Bukayo Saka, if he's fit.

The best thing about matchdays at our ground is singing The Angel before kick-off. Arsenal always lacked an anthem and this one really works. It came about organically and unexpectedly, like all the best things in life.

Our biggest grudge match will be against Spurs, after their heroic relegation survival.

The opposition player I'd love here is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The PSG winger is the best player in the position where we most need an upgrade.

The active player I'd love to have back is the 2022 version of Gabriel Jesus. Arsenal would have won the title earlier had his knees not gone to heaven so soon after he joined the club.

This season will be different because Arsenal have tossed the monkey from their back, so it should no longer feel as though we're snipping the wires of a time bomb in every single game.

A social media account to follow is Poorly Drawn Arsenal – check him out.

The fans' opinion of the gaffer is that now Pep has gone, he's the best in the division by a distance. If he left, he should be replaced by Luis Enrique.

We'll finish in 1st place again (ole ole).

Fixtures

AUGUST

21 Coventry (H)

29 Aston Villa (A)

SEPTEMBER

5 Chelsea (H)

12 Sunderland (A)

19 Brighton (A)

OCTOBER

10 Leeds (H)

17 Nott'm Forest (A)

24 Everton (H)

31 Liverpool (A)

NOVEMBER

7 Hull City (H)

21 Newcastle (A)

28 Man City (H)

DECEMBER

2 Brentford (A)

5 Tottenham (A)

12 Bournemouth (H)

19 Man United (H)

26 Crystal Palace (A)

30 Fulham (A)

JANUARY

2 Ipswich (H)

6 Brentford (H)

16 Hull City (A)

23 Newcastle (H)

30 Man City (A)

FEBRUARY

6 Liverpool (H)

10 Ipswich (A)

20 Fulham (H)

27 Man United (A)

MARCH

3 Crystal Palace (H)

13 Chelsea (A)

20 Sunderland (H)

APRIL

10 Coventry (A)

17 Aston Villa (H)

24 Bournemouth (A)

MAY

1 Tottenham (H)

8 Leeds (A)

15 Nott'm Forest (H)

23 Everton (A)

30 Brighton (H)

Title Odds

Arsenal to win the 2026/27 Premier League title odds: 13/10

FFT Verdict

FourFourTwo verdict: Arsenal to finish 1st.

Defending a title is harder than winning it, but Arsenal will benefit from being under far less pressure this year. They have depth, nous, individual quality and coaching continuity – plus those set pieces.

With Arsenal the only London club to finish in the Premier League's top five, Champions League games in the capital looked to be scarce on the ground next season.

While the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham have been semi-regulars in Europe’s leading club competition in years gone by, that pair could only muster finishes of 10th and 17th respectively, as both missed out on European qualification completely.

While Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi will be plotting a return to Europe, football fans in London may well have another option if they want to go and watch Champions League football in the upcoming campaign.

Shakhtar set for London Champions League games

That’s because Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who have had to play their European ties abroad since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are set to play their ‘home’ 2026/27 Champions League fixtures in London.

Following recent negotiations, the club’s boss Arda Turan confirmed on Sunday that his side will be heading to England to fulfil their home fixtures.

“It looks like we'll be playing our European matches in London for now,” he said following his side’s pre-season friendly draw against Bursaspor. “We really wanted to come to Turkey, but UEFA's conditions are putting a lot of pressure on us.

“Otherwise, playing in front of the fans in Bursa, Göztepe, Eskişehir has always been magnificent. We're expecting everyone in London too.”

Where Shakhtar will be playing has not yet been finalised, with the club approaching Chelsea, Fulham and Brentford about the possibility of using their respective stadiums earlier this month, as per The Athletic.

All three of those clubs missed out on European football this season, so their grounds will be available, and it would provide the chosen side with an extra revenue stream, as the Ukrainian team, who have qualified for the competition’s group stage, will pay them a fee.

Shakhtar have played their recent home European matches in Germany, Slovenia and Poland since the war broke out four years ago. Domestically, they have lived a nomadic existence since 2014, when Russian troops annexed Crimea, meaning they were unable to play at the Donbas Arena.

Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge is more than used to hosting European matches, having qualified for various UEFA competitions on a regular basis for the past 30 years.

Fulham’s Craven Cottage has undergone significant renovations in recent years, with the club having enjoyed three European campaigns since 2000.

The newest stadium on Shakhtar’s shortlist is Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, which opened in 2020. While the Bees have not yet qualified for Europe, the ground hosted matches at the women’s European Championship in 2022 and has also held a number of international matches.

World Cup star Roberto 'Pico' Lopes was one of the stories of the tournament and his fairytale summer shows no sign of slowing down after his return to club football.

Cape Verde won plaudits around the globe for their performances in Group H and against 2022 winners Argentina in the round of 32. The Blue Sharks lost 3-2 but took the champions to extra time in one of the games of the tournament.

The group stage got off to a sensational start with a famous 0-0 draw with former world champions and now 2026 finalists Spain. Goalkeeper Vozinha earned the headlines but central defender Lopes was his last line of protection.

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Pico Lopes is already back in action for Shamrock Rovers

Lopes famously followed an unusual path to the World Cup. Born and raised in Dublin, the 34-year-old defender was contacted on LinkedIn and invited to play for Cape Verde, which he did for the first time eight years ago.

If starting there and ending up playing directly against eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi in a World Cup knock-out match weren't remarkable enough, Lopes has performed heroics back in the Republic of Ireland.

Lopes captains Shamrock Rovers, the Dublin team that won the League of Ireland Premier Division in 2025 and are seven points clear of Bohemians in the paused 2026 season.

Their latest title win earned them a place in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. Rovers played their second leg on Tuesday, and the outcome at Tallaght Stadium was yet another piece of history achieved by their skipper just weeks after he left his country's first World Cup.

The Hoops lost the first leg 2-0 against Maltese side Floriana last week. Lopes wasn't available to play so soon after his return from the World Cup, and the result left the LoI team with a mountain to climb.

"No League of Ireland team had ever overturned a two-goal, first-leg deficit in a European tie and the Hoops had left themselves with work to do after a sloppy 2-0 defeat in Malta last week," reported RTE Sport after the second leg, which Rovers won 5-1 to clinch the tie with goals to spare.

"But with captain Pico Lopes back in the side after his World Cup adventure with Cape Verde, there was no mistaking Rovers' determination to atone for that setback and they hounded Floriana from start to finish."

There's no more rest for Lopes or Rovers. They're straight into the second qualifying round against Armenian team Ararat. Their seeding and the defeat of Floriana put them on the champions path, offering the best possible route to the Champions League proper.

The New Saints of Wales were knocked out by Azerbaijani side Sabah in the first qualifying round on Tuesday. Northern Ireland's Larne beat Tre Fiori from San Marino over two legs.

Of the 23 World Cups up to and including World Cup 2022, 17 have been played since the dawn of the European Cup.

The European Cup, now the Champions League, has been played every year since 1955. The 1954 World Cup in Switzerland didn't have an overlapping European club champion but the next 17 World Cups did. We want you to name them.

There are 17 teams to name in all and you can have 8 minutes to tick off each one. Let us know your time below if you get the lot.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has a veritable barrage of World Cup quizzes, courtesy of Kwizly. We have a starting line-up quiz to start with: Can you name Scotland's starting line-up from their last World Cup finals fixture at World Cup 1998?

The World Cup will be played in the United States for the second time this year, 32 years after the first. We want you to name 20 of the biggest stars of World Cup 1994. We'll give you their pictures and all we want is their names.

With World Cup 2026 almost here, we also want you to name the most successful club from each of the 48 nations that qualified for World Cup 2026 and every nation to have played in any other World Cup but not qualified for this one.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 61 is a challenge more suited to puzzlers. There are clues on EURO goalscorers, German stadiums and football terminology. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

As you might imagine, a lot of work has gone into FourFourTwo's Top 100 footballers of all-time list over the years. It's a labour of love that needs regular attention.

The standard of the modern game gets nudged higher every passing year, and that means new candidates for a coveted spot in our Top 100 list to be considered.

Any player with presence in this list is rubbing shoulders with the greatest humans to ever kick a football. It will be given a fresh review after the 2026 World Cup, but for the time being, it's set in stone, and that's given us the opportunity to have some fun and test you, our readers.

Create the Ultimate 4-4-2 formation

Above we've arranged all 100 players that feature in our list into their positions: GK, DEF, MID and ST. Pick your line-up, and it will generate a percentage score.

The higher your individual picks rank in our top 100 list, the higher your percentage.

Can you score 100? No cheating!

Lionel Messi will face England for the first time ever in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

The 39-year-old has a storied international career, playing 205 times for Argentina, with not a single one of them coming against the Three Lions. If Argentina lose on Wednesday, it's highly likely England will be the nation who end the great man's international career.

He has, however, played against English teams several times in the Champions League during his time at Barcelona and PSG, and quite frankly has an absurd record against some of the Premier League’s best.

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Arsenal

• Games: 6
• Wins: 4
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 1
• Goals: 9
• Assists: 1

Lionel Messi has played against Arsenal six times in the Champions League.

Across those games he has scored nine times, including one four goal haul in the 2009/10 quarter-finals.

He was only on the losing side once in 2011, winning four of his clashes with the Gunners and drawing one.

Chelsea

• Games: 10
• Wins: 2
• Draws: 6
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 3
• Assists: 3

Arsenal’s London rivals are one of Messi’s least favourite English clubs to face. Across 10 games, he only won twice, his first game against them in 2006 and his last game against them in 2018. Whilst he did not lose much, he drew six of the 10 games.

The game in 2018 was a last 16 clash in the Champions League, with the first leg at Stamford Bridge being the first time that he had scored against the Blues in his career.

Of course Messi was on the pitch for Fernando Torres’ famous goal which coincided with the birth of Gary Neville’s “ooooohhhh”’s.

Liverpool

• Games: 4
• Wins: 2
• Draws: 0
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 0

Messi will have some of his best footballing memories, and some his worst against Liverpool.

When they faced off in the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final, Messi scored a brace in the first leg, with his second being a stunning free-kick that brought up his 600th career goal.

However, the return leg saw Liverpool overturn the three goal deficit and advance to the final in Madrid, with Messi being involved in several altercations with Andy Robertson throughout the match.

Manchester City

• Games: 8
• Wins: 6
• Draws: 0
• Losses: 2
• Goals: 7
• Assists: 2

Messi first played Man City in 2014 in the knockout stage of the Champions League, where he scored home and away.

In 2017, the first time he faced off against Pep Guardiola, he scored a hat-trick as Barcelona ran out 4-0 winners.

Then in 2021, he scored his first PSG goal against Man City in a group game at the Parc des Prince.

Manchester United

• Games: 6
• Wins: 4
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 1
• Goals: 4
• Assists: 0

Perhaps one of Messi's most memorable performances was against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final.

At the home of English football, he ran the show from minute one, making a very good defender in Rio Ferdinand look very average.

He had also done so in Rome in 2009, where he scored what is probably his most famous header to help Barcelona win the Champions League.

Tottenham

• Games: 2
• Wins: 1
• Draws: 1
• Losses: 0
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 0

When Messi faced Tottenham for the first time, they were playing out of Wembley Stadium while they waited for their new stadium to be built.

Of course he had previous there, with a stunning performance in the 2011 Champions League final against Man United, but he once again made the home of English football his own with a fine display, capped off with two goals.

When Tottenham visited the Camp Nou, they held out for a draw, which was enough to send them through second in the group.

Which members of the current England squad have played against Messi?

Several members of England’s squad have played against Messi during his career.

John Stones has played against him the most, making four appearances for Man City against Messi.

Harry Kane played in both games as Tottenham faced Barcelona in the group stages of the 2018/19 Champions League.

Marcus Rashford played for Manchester United as they took on Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the competition that year.

Jordan Henderson was Liverpool captain the night they overturned the 4-0 deficit in the semi-finals.

Then in 2023 whilst on loan at Rennes, Djed Spence featured in a famous away win against PSG. Spence himself only played 78 minutes before being subbed off. He played at right-back behind Desire Doue, who now plays, and stars in PSG’s attack.

Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Youri Tielemans.

The Red Devils are back in the Champions League after a two year absence and are looking to bolster their squad in order to keep up with the demands of European football.

Veteran midfielder Casemiro left at the end of the season following the expiry of his contract, and Michael Carrick has made it a number one priority to fill the void he will leave.

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Manchester United close in on deal to sign Tielemans

Casemiro played 35 games for Manchester United last season, scoring some incredibly important goals as they returned to the Champions League.

The lack of any European football and early cup exits meant a slightly smaller squad could be managed for injuries easier, but a return to Europe’s premier competition means reinforcements are needed.

The first of those reinforcements seems to be coming in the shape of Tielemans.

The Belgian international was captain of his country for the 2026 World Cup and was an integral part of the Aston Villa team who finished just behind Man United in fourth last season as well as winning the Europa League.

Reliable transfer journalist David Ornstein has confirmed that the Red Devils are in talks with the 29-year-old midfielder, who is keen on the move to Old Trafford.

Man United will trigger his £35 million release clause, making the transfer relatively straight forward to complete.

Tielemans' arrival will follow that of Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, with a deal being agreed last week to take the Brazilian to the north west of England.

Although he struggled with some injury problems last season, Tielemans scored Aston Villa’s opening goal in their 3-0 win in the Europa League final with a fine volley from a well worked set-piece.

In FourFourTwo’s view, this is a good move for all parties involved. Manchester United will be getting a player with huge amounts of experience, whilst Aston Villa can cash in on an asset and help ease some financial problems they may have.

Transfermarkt currently value Tielemans at €30 million. If he joins he will likely join up in latter stages of Man United’s pre-season, likely facing Atletico Madrid or PSG in August.

Arsenal are looking to reinforce their title winning squad with the signing of Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.

Former Manchester City striker Alvarez has been subject to significant interest over the last year, with the Premier League champions the latest to try and lure him from the Spanish capital.

The Gunners ended their 22-year title drought last season after three consecutive second place finishes but the striker position remains one of the only in their team that is yet to be nailed down by one name.

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Arsenal pushing to sign Alvarez ahead of pre-season

The Gunners signed Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon last summer, but he struggled in his first season at the Emirates, and was dropped for the Champions League final against PSG in favour of Kai Havertz.

Havertz spent much of the season injured and is not a natural striker, so Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy are looking to bolster their attacking options as they look to go back-to-back ahead of the new season.

Now, The Independent are reporting that Arsenal are making a serious play to sign Julian Alvarez before the start of pre-season.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have previously held interest, and the latter even saw a €150 million bid rejected before the World Cup.

The report by Miguel Delaney claims that Alvarez has long been Arteta’s primary attacking target, but with the deal seemingly difficult to make, they have looked elsewhere, including PSG’s Bradley Barcola.

However, interest from the two Spanish giants seems to have regressed and Arsenal now believe a deal may be possible, although the player does wish to remain in Spain.

One major sticking point for the deal may be the price tag. Arsenal have previously stated they don’t wish to bid above £90 million, whereas Atletico don’t want to sell, and if they did would want in the region of north of £100 million. It remains to be seen if either side will compromise significantly.

Alvarez is currently on international duty in the United States with Argentina, and he finally opened his account for the 2026 World Cup with a stunning effort against Switzerland in the quarter-finals which effectively won La Albiceleste the tie and sent them to the last four for the second tournament in a row.

The report also claims that the Gunners believe they can also sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, and in FourFourTwo’s view, signing both would prove a huge statement of intent for their ambitions for the coming season.

According to Transfermarkt Alvarez is currently worth €100 million. He will next be in action in the World Cup semi-final against England on Wednesday, 15 July.

It's official - Manchester United are finally pulling back the curtain.

In Sir Alex Ferguson's heyday, camera crews were forbidden from getting near Manchester United's inner sanctum but that is all about to change next season.

Old Trafford chiefs have confirmed that Amazon Prime will be allowed to film behind-the-scenes footage for their latest 'All or Nothing' series that airs in summer 2027.

Manchester United confirm Amazon documentary plans

Starting this summer, camera crews will capture the inner workings of life for the Red Devils as Michael Carrick prepares to take charge as the club's permanent manager.

Viewers are set to be given a never-before-seen glimpse of the Manchester United changing room and the club's day-to-day operations at their longstanding Carrington training base.

"Now is the right time to open our doors, so that for the first time our fans around the world can see behind the scenes of a club which means so much to so many people," said the club's chief communications officer Toby Craig in a statement.

“This documentary will showcase Manchester United’s unique people, ambition and culture; from the iconic atmosphere at Old Trafford to the work that goes on behind the scenes every day at Carrington.

"We will share some of the stories of this historic club both with our fans and new audiences around the world as we compete at the highest level, both domestically and in the Champions League.”

United are set to be the fourth Premier League club to agree to an Amazon 'All or Nothing' series in a growing trend of feature-length documentaries by various teams.

Here are five which we think you should watch.

All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur (2020)

A textbook example of being in the right place at the right time, Tottenham opened their doors to Amazon's crews in the 2019/20 season at a time of genuine flux.

The polarising decision to replace Mauricio Pochettino with Jose Mourinho midway through the campaign proved to be the makings of a box-office documentary.

Real Madrid's returning manager was captured delivering a very on-brand 'Special One' speech to his new charges in which he declared that 'good guys never win'.

Other highlights included Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris's half-time skirmish and Mourinho's tough-love pep talk with Dele Alli in attempts to stir a fire in the playmaker.

An unflinching account of how Spurs adjusted to the new normal at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic made this series compelling viewing for more than just football.

Being: Liverpool (2012)

History has come full-circle at Liverpool this summer as a bright young manager is tasked with restoring one of English football's most successful clubs to past glories.

Fortunately for Andoni Iraola, his every move will not be recorded for posterity as was the case when Brendan Rodgers succeeded Kenny Dalglish in the summer of 2012.

Rodgers still didn't help himself with toe-curling antics including telling the squad he had written the names of three players who would let them down in sealed envelopes.

He also tore a strip off rising star Raheem Sterling in a training session while middle-aged CEO Ian Ayre made crude jokes and rode through the city on a Harley-Davidson.

The Anfield faithful still laugh and cringe in equal measure nearly 15 years later.

Welcome to Wrexham (2022)

When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney pledged to take Wrexham from the National League to the Premier League, fans could have been forgiven for their scepticism.

However the Hollywood stars have stayed true to their word with three consecutive promotions and narrowly missed out on a fourth in last season's Championship.

The transformation of football's third-oldest professional club is shown from multiple angles, including the people of North Wales who stood by it through the hardest times.

No topic is off limits when examining difficult subjects that transcend the game and provide contrast to the success of the Red Dragons' remarkable surge up the pyramid.

Already in its fifth season and green-lit for a further three, if there is a better feel-good football documentary than 'Welcome to Wrexham', then we're yet to see it.

All or Nothing: Manchester City (2018)

Pep Guardiola has recently called time on his Manchester City tenure, but this was a revealing framing of his reign and one of the 21st century's most dominant teams.

In a season where he celebrated the first of six Premier League titles and made history as 100-point champions, the Catalan was captured with his guard firmly down.

Guardiola's emotional team talks, including a vocal reprimand of his players at the interval of their FA Cup exit to Wigan, showed the person behind the tactical genius.

Beyond his tactical instructions, the first-hand footage of City's team bus being attacked before a Champions League clash at Anfield is uncomfortable viewing.

The collective support offered to David Silva when his son Mateo was born extremely premature also dispelled suggestions that the Etihad Stadium lacked a human touch.

All or Nothing: Arsenal (2022)

Hindsight proves there was method in Mikel Arteta's perceived madness but at a time when Arsenal were perennial bridesmaids, his techniques became meme material.

From blasting 'You'll Never Walk Alone' through speakers in training to delivering a team talk while holding lightbulb, the Spaniard's tactics opened him up to ridicule.

But the Gunners are having the last laugh now after ending a 22-year wait to be crowned English champions and reaching the Champions League final last season.

The series drills beyond the fortunes of Arteta's side with Bukayo Saka's revival after his Euro 2020 heartache and the Hale End production line both afforded special focus.

A detailed look at Arsenal Women's own title bid also feeds into the one-club mentality fostered in north London which helps make this a well-rounded documentary.

Crysencio Summerville is set to be a man in demand after West Ham's relegation.

The end of West Ham's eight-year stay in the Premier League has opened the door for a number of high-profile departures as they prepare for life back in the second tier.

Summerville is among the names tipped to depart the London Stadium and already has a growing list of suitors after his senior international call-up for the Netherlands.

West Ham's Crysencio Summerville drawing major interest

Clubs competing in next season's Champions League have already emerged as viable destinations with Aston Villa and AS Roma both credited with interest in Summerville.

However the 24-year-old could be in line for an even bigger move with Paris Saint-Germain now preparing to rival the pair for his signature in the summer window.

Reports in France claim the reigning European champions are preparing to take advantage of West Ham's perilous financial situation with an audacious double swoop.

The Londoners will need to free up £100 million in player sales as a result of losing their top flight status to avoid breaching Premier League and EFL financial fair play rules.

Les Parisiens are said to be targeting a combined €130 million deal for Summerville and teammate Mateus Fernandes as part of their latest squad evolution plans.

The ex-Leeds man's explosiveness is seen as a key driver in PSG's pursuit of him which is only set to be magnified by his exploits at the World Cup for his homeland.

Despite the Hammers' relegation campaign, he was named in Ronald Koeman's 26-man squad for the tournament and has repaid his manager's faith almost instantly.

Summerville scored his first international goal during his country's Group F opener with Japan, netting a left-footed strike that restored the Oranje's 2-1 lead in Arlington.

Although Koeman's side were level-pegged during the closing stages, his display at Dallas Stadium has put clubs on alert and will only drive up those potential options.

If PSG are determined to get their man, they may need to move very quickly.

Anfield will prepare this summer for a new era with the ex-Bournemouth boss at the helm, following Arne Slot’s sacking.

Liverpool have chosen Andoni Iraola as the man to lead them forward, and his appointment has provided loanee Harvey Elliott with a major boost ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

The Spaniard, currently short on attacking depth, would surely have looked to the Englishman regardless, but his recent comments have amplified that possibility.

Andoni Iraola reveals opinion on Liverpool squad

The ex-Cherries man has inherited a squad still largely composed of its Premier League title-winning players from the 2024/25 season, however, the departures of icons Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah pose a significant issue.

Particularly the latter, whose attacking prowess may be the greatest of any individual in Premier League history, causing problems for the Reds’ offense.

Harvey Elliott, who embarked on loan to Aston Villa for the 2025/26 campaign, will return to Liverpool this summer, and Iraola’s self-confessed verdict on his squad paints a positive picture for the 23-year-old.

Speaking in his first interview as Reds boss, the Spaniard said: “"We've analysed Liverpool a lot. Possible weaknesses, the strengths… I think we have a very good squad, [but] there is still work to do.

"For me, and I will tell them, [they] are all new signings. For me, you are all new signings and I think we have a lot of quality in our squad, and [I'm] really looking forward to working with them,” continued the Basque manager.

For Elliott, this comment on all Liverpool players being akin to new signings will stick in his mind for the entire summer ahead of the Reds’ upcoming season.

After enduring a demoralising individual season with Aston Villa on loan, despite Europa League glory, the 23-year-old will surely play a part in Liverpool’s attacking depth next season, particularly with the extended loss of Hugo Ekitike to injury.

Elliott played little over 500 minutes under Unai Emery last season, scoring just one goal in 11 appearances — a stark drop-off from his 2000+ minutes played under Jurgen Klopp in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

Arne Slot, who led Liverpool last season to one of the lowest points tallies capable of achieving Champions League qualification ever, did not place much faith in the Englishman.

Elliott played just 867 minutes in the 2024/25 season, signalling a possible end to his Reds career, with the Dutchman’s tenure previously sowing seeds of doubt for his Anfield future.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal prevailed at the fourth time of asking in this year’s Premier League title race, pipping Manchester City to English top-flight glory.

Arsenal, who also strung together a remarkable Champions League run before losing in the final, now face tough decisions ahead of the 2026/27 season, aiming to produce another historic campaign.

One such decision is perhaps nearer than others, with the Gunners having received interest from enquiring Champions League royalty regarding one of their standout players.

Real Madrid aim to raid Arsenal this summer

Real Madrid, with returning boss Jose Mourinho at the helm, are looking to secure top-level signings this summer, with the possibility of a third successive trophyless season looming.

The La Liga giants have already picked the pockets of one Premier League club for their defender, Liverpool and Ibrahima Konate, and they’re hoping to do the same to Arsenal.

According to reports from Sport Witness and Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, the Gunners will face a significant pursuit for the Italy international this summer.

The former stated that Mourinho’s highest priority targets are Calafiori and Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol, with the Gunners man likely easier to obtain.

Di Marzio revealed further details: that Real Madrid have already called to register interest in the Italy international, to which Arsenal answered.

Valued by Transfermarkt at over £45 million, and having played upwards of 2000 minutes for Mikel Arteta this season en route to a historic Premier League title, Arsenal face a tough decision regarding Calafiori’s future.

While Di Marzio made no comment in reference to Arsenal’s willingness, or unwillingness, to sell, Real Madrid’s allure to Premier League defenders has been made clear over the last two seasons, and Calafiori's previous stint playing under Mourinho at Roma could also play a role.

Dean Huijsen was swayed to leave Bournemouth for the Spanish giants, despite an array of attractive offers in England awaiting him, and Ibrahima Konate rejected a contract extension with Liverpool to join ex-Reds defender Trent Alexander-Arnold in La Liga, who departed at the height of Liverpool's top-flight success.

Years prior, Antonio Rudiger traded in Chelsea for Real Madrid, starting in the Champions League final the following season.

While Arsenal appear likely to continue competing, making Calafiori’s decision less clear-cut than the aforementioned pair, history has proven that this isn’t always the case.

Konate won the Premier League just a season prior to his impending move, finishing fourth in 2025/26, and Rudiger won the Champions League the season before his Madrid move, enduring a quarter-final exit to his future La Liga side in the following campaign.

If the Italian wants to leave, there’s scarcely a club with stronger pull in world football than Los Blancos – for now, Arsenal are left with the first of what will surely be a summer of tough transfer decisions, to ensure their next campaign lives up to the heights set by its preceding one.

England are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup this year, and if they are to bring glory home, Harry Kane will be at the heart of it.

The striker is in the form of his life. He’s just had the best scoring season of his career and finished as the leading goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues, racking up 36 on his way to the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. Thanks to numbers like that and adding more silverware to his name, he’s also a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or – not awarded to an Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001.

That’s the Three Lions’ captain. Heading into this World Cup, they have the most consistent striker in world football leading the team at his absolute peak.

It’s often not appreciated just how good Kane truly is. Perhaps his relentlessness in scoring stratospheric numbers at this high level has left fans numb to his impact. This summer, Thomas Tuchel needs to make the most of having the 32-year-old at the pinnacle of his powers.

The England goalscoring record of 49 was held for decades by Sir Bobby Charlton before Wayne Rooney broke it. Kane has smashed past that and is on 78 goals ahead of the pre-tournament friendlies.

He’s so reliable, and what England have this summer is Kane arriving in North America in incredible form off the back of another title-winning season in Germany.

His move to Bavaria has been to the benefit of England. Kane has improved and taken his game to the next level. Some of that will have to do with the phenomenal cast around him, but England also have outstanding players. Kane needs to deliver in the big games this summer, and in this form, there’s no reason to think he won’t.

In my opinion, he has been the best player in Europe this season and continued to grow into more than just a goalscorer or playmaker – he’s so important to all aspects of the game, and in all areas of the pitch. He has the ability to pop up and link play, start off attacks and, of course, finish them. All England’s talisman needs is one moment and he’s lethal in front of goal.

This season, Kane became the first Englishman to score at least 50 goals in all competitions for a top division side since Aston Villa’s Tom Waring in 1931. No English player has scored more in a Champions League season than Kane’s 14 this term.

As well as his staggering numbers and undeniable quality on the pitch, he has a natural leadership style. There are many ways to captain a side and everything that entails, and Kane’s impact cannot be underestimated. In the form he’s in, that status becomes elevated even further.

Since England’s last tournament, he has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles – that feeling of winning silverware regularly will only breed an even greater hunger for him to now do it with his country.

England have many reasons to be positive and are in a good place heading to the World Cup. After being runners up in the previous two European Championships and falling at the quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago, they’ll be expected to go deep into this tournament. They have excellent foundations built up by Gareth Southgate, a talented squad with some world-class players, and an elite manager in Thomas Tuchel who knows how to win major trophies. Add Europe’s most in-form striker and England should be confident.

Kane staying fit is vital to England’s hopes as it’s evident that without him, they’re a completely different team. They need to make the most of all these aspects aligning at the right time. Will Kane, who turns 33 just after the tournament ends, have another two or even four years at this peak level? Can he sustain this level of consistency up until the next Euros or World Cup? It feels like England need to strike while Kane is hot if they are to get their hands on the biggest prize in world football.

They have an exceptional squad, so it’s not unusual to hear other big names being mentioned as the key men for the Three Lions given that Tuchel has such an array of star talent, but over the next couple of months, Kane will not be ignored in that conversation.

If England do win the World Cup come July, they will have a special No.9 to thank for it.

Pep Guardiola’s Etihad Stadium reign came to an end at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season, which saw the Spaniard lift the FA and Carabao Cups one final time.

Manchester City have seemingly turned to ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as the candidate deemed most suitable to follow in the legendary Guardiola’s footsteps.

But before his official Cityzen coronation, the Manchester club are embroiled in more legal drama: this time, subject to compensation claims from Maresca’s previous London employers.

Chelsea hold up Maresca to Manchester City deal

Maresca left Stamford Bridge in January of this year, replaced by Liam Rosenior, who also exited the club months later.

The Italian, who oversaw a turbulent 2025 for Chelsea, departed with three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract, leading to a financial dispute.

That is directed towards Manchester City, Maresca’s next employers, with the request for compensation causing a hold-up in his announcement as the club's next manager.

Chelsea have apparently refused to sign off on a contractual release for the Italian, making it impossible for Maresca to become Guardiola’s successor in Manchester, as things stand.

That refusal will only happen should Manchester City be unable to meet their financial demands, which was disputed initially due to being a seven-figure.

Manchester City fans will be relieved to know that the deal being brokered between the club’s respective legal teams is edging closer to an agreement.

According to a report from Sky Sports, Manchester City are hopeful that an adequate compensation package and deal will be brokered by the week’s end.

As a result, the Cityzens expect to formally announce Maresca as the club’s next manager once an agreement has been reached, likely this weekend.

It is expected that Chelsea will refuse to settle without receiving the largest possible payout from Manchester City, with all cards firmly held by the West London club.

The Italian has large shoes to fill: with Guardiola’s haul extending to six Premier League titles, one Champions League trophy, and too many domestic cups to count.

Guardiola's successor has been in recent talks with the man himself, as well as discussions with the club regarding summer transfer activity.

Maresca’s first games at the helm of Manchester City will be during the club’s Far East Asia pre-season tour, ahead of the ex-Chelsea man’s debut Etihad campaign.

The Real Madrid home kit for the 2026/27 season is out - and it’s a beauty.

There’s a lot more colour present in the latest Real Madrid kit: from its sweeping red-pink stripes along the arms and down the shoulders, to its emerald green cuffs and collars - this is a shirt for the ages.

While details on the centre of the shirt have remained largely identical to past iterations of the Real Madrid kit, Adidas’ latest outing strays from its typical gold, black and blue colouring.

The Real Madrid home kit is something different, but beautiful

Blue was a featured colour on the 2021/22 Real Madrid home kit — the shirt in which Karim Benzema won the Ballon D’or and led Los Blancos to their 14th Champions League trophy.

Adidas’ latest kit design brings something similarly fresh to a tired Real Madrid colour-way that, while iconic and prestigious, was quickly becoming old in an increasingly stale series of successive releases.

Adidas’ latest kit design brings something fresh to a Real Madrid colourway that, while iconic and prestigious, was quickly becoming old in an increasingly stale series of successive releases.

Los Blancos are aiming to make a return to major trophy-winning ways in the 2026/27 campaign, after two consecutive trophyless seasons.

Their latest shirt feels like a design that will be beloved in the years to come, provided Real Madrid don’t falter for a third successive season in their La Liga and Champions League pursuits.

The colour shift surely reflects the rejuvenated feeling that Real Madrid are hoping to impart upon their supporters next season, with Los Blancos royalty returning in Jose Mourinho.

While the noticeable absence of gold and black prevents this Adidas kit from appearing retro in design — harkening back to the days of Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese manager in partnership — there’s a certain freshness about the latest Real Madrid home shirt.

The kit symbolises a club in transition, not entering a ‘new era’, as evidenced by Mourinho’s comeback, but a return to past glory, translated through a refreshing colourway that Los Blancos fans can surely see stamping its mark on the club’s history.

There’s also something distinctly fashionable about this latest Adidas drop, perhaps aiming to align itself with the aesthetic sensibilities of current players Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, both featured in the product photoshoot and known for their clear styles.

What do you think? Leave your comments below…

Michael Carrick’s side will undergo a drastic transformation this summer, aiming to add reinforcements across all areas of the pitch.

Manchester United, now set to sign Brazilian midfielder Ederson to replace their outgoing veteran Casemiro of the same nationality, are in the market for a significant rebuild.

The Red Devils ended the 2025/26 Premier League season in third which represented a dramatic improvement upon the previous campaign’s 15th-placed finish and Europa League final loss.

Ederson contract details revealed as Red Devils secure £35 million signing

Michael Carrick’s men achieved an additional 29 points in their latest campaign, playing an entirely domestic fixture list after failing to achieve European football last time out.

With a return to the Champions League awaiting them next season, the Red Devils are widely reported to have secured the services of Atalanta midfielder Ederson for a fee of £35 million, expected to rise to almost £40m in future add-ons.

The three-time capped Brazil midfielder has reportedly agreed a four-year deal at Manchester United, with the option to extend his Old Trafford stay by 12 months.

Ederson will become the club’s first signing since the announcement of Carrick as permanent manager, with more midfield moves expected throughout the summer window.

Midfield has long been a priority for Manchester United, with the departure of reinvigorated veteran Casemiro expected to be a major loss.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the Red Devils’ additional midfield signing plans, with Manuel Ugarte also set to exit Manchester.

“And don’t forget that this is just the first one for Manchester United. They will do many other things on the market,” clarified Romano.

Ederson was not named in Brazil’s 26-man squad, meaning he has a summer of prolonged rest to prepare for Premier League action.

The Atalanta midfielder started in 26 of the Serie A side’s 38 league fixtures last season, aiding his team to UEFA Conference League qualification.

He is the first of up to three midfield acquisitions for Manchester United ahead of their 2026/27 top-flight campaign, with Mateus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson both being pursued intensely by the Red Devils.

Mikel Arteta’s men are set to beat vast competition to the signing of England’s most sought after wonderkid.

Arsenal, winners of the 2025/26 Premier League title and runners-up in the 2026 Champions League, are aiming to develop the squad that ended their 22-year-long title drought.

It now appears that they have beaten eight rival sides to secure the services of an exciting youth talent — looking to make his Premier League mark.

Arsenal 'enter talks' to sign Jeremy Monga

The 16-year-old has experienced the English top-flight before, becoming, at the time, the second youngest player to ever feature in Premier League action.

Jeremy Monga, now the third youngest behind two Arsenal talents in Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri, faced a season of League One football after Leicester City’s shock relegation — but not anymore.

According to a report from Ben Jacobs, Arsenal are now in talks to sign Monga, with Leicester sources revealing that eight other clubs have enquired about the 16-year-old.

Manchester United and Manchester City are two such teams that have been linked with the youth talent across 2026, with other top European sides also in the mix.

The English youngster, who recorded three goal involvements in just over 1000 minutes for the Foxes this season, is widely considered to be one of the nation’s brightest talents.

Monga is expected to cost in excess of £10 million, and it is possible that a tribunal will determine his exact fee in the event of him exiting an already sunk Leicester ship.

A transfer for this price would likely set an English third-division record, with the Foxes set to undergo a significant summer of change.

Monga’s professional contract with Leicester will be activated on his 17th birthday - July 10 - however, his future at the club, now in a position they never expected, is all but confirmed.

The 16-year-old is known for his directness on the ball, versatility and remarkable dribbling qualities, playing alongside Dowman - who featured in FourFourTwo's 'The Boy's A Bit Special' series - at England youth team level.

Monga received high praise from then manager Ruud van Nistelrooy during his Premier League debut against Newcastle in April 2025.

The youngster, who played 17 minutes in a 3-0 loss, was praised for his “glimpses of quality at such a young age” by the Dutchman — memorably wearing a sponsor-less shirt to comply with gambling laws.

Should they secure his signature, the Gunners wouldn't just fill a flank position in need of depth, but also complete the three youngest Premier League debutants trio.

Arne Slot was sacked by Liverpool last weekend after overseeing one of the lowest points tallies to achieve Champions League qualification in modern top-flight history.

Andoni Iraola, ex-Athletic Bilbao player turned ‘Rock n Roll’ football manager, remains in pole position to take the reins at Liverpool.

The Spaniard, who led Bournemouth to European football qualification in the 2025/26 season, will be bringing members of his coaching staff with him to Anfield, but who are they?

Andoni Iraola’s assistants at Liverpool

According to a report from Ben Jacobs, the Spaniard is set to bring two members of his coaching staff with him to Anfield ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The first is Tommy Elphick, former professional player at Brighton, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and more, who was one of Iraola’s assistant coaches at the Cherries.

Last week, the 38-year-old rejected the opportunity to manage Bristol City, opting instead to remain faithful to the Spaniard, whose Anfield arrival is all but confirmed.

Elphick began his coaching career with the Bournemouth development squad in late 2021, after retiring from professional football just a month prior.

The 38-year-old was promoted to the first team environment during the 2022/23 season, working with head coach Gary O’Neil.

His ventures this season, working alongside Iraola to secure a Cherries sixth-place finish, prompted his former team-mate, Matt Tubbs, to describe Elphick’s hand as “one of the strongest going” to BBC Radio Solent after news broke of his Bristol City rejection.

Liverpool will be the beneficiary of that decision, as well as the arrival of another first-team Bournemouth assistant coach, Shaun Cooper.

The 42-year-old, also an ex-professional who spent much of his playing days with the Cherries, was promoted alongside Elphick in 2022/23 after the sacking of Scott Parker.

Ironically, the pair’s coaching careers could come full-circle, with Parker’s departure being the direct result of a 9-0 Anfield loss — now set to become Iraola’s assistants at Liverpool.

Bournemouth almost spoiled Arsenal’s Premier League title push this season, with a 2-1 victory away at the Emirates in early March.

Years prior, they did spoil Arsenal's title march, beating the Gunners 2-0 at home during the 2023/24 season in which Mikel Arteta’s men finished second.

Again, ironically, the Cherries prevailed on the day with set piece brilliance — which Arsenal relied heavily on in their Premier League title win this year — with Ryan Christie bagging from an ingenious corner routine.

The move was genius: a quick pass along the ground to an incoming runner, flicked back to an edge-of-the-box Christie, who lashed the ball into the top left corner.

Bournemouth inflicted Arsenal’s first away defeat of 2024 with that strike, followed later by a dagger penalty from Justin Kluivert, with Cooper being described as responsible for the set piece from the goalscorer Christie.

Liverpool fans will rest easy this summer in the knowledge that they aren’t just gaining a manager known for his heavy-metal football, which a recently departed Mohamed Salah begged to see back at the club, but two of the finest assistant coaches around.

Pep Guardiola departed from Manchester City after a decade at the helm, leading his men to six Premier League titles, an elusive Champions League trophy and domestic cup success.

Enzo Maresca’s appointment as Manchester City manager is now imminent, with private talks having taken place between the Italian and Guardiola.

The Cityzens, who won both the FA and Carabao Cup in 2025/26, narrowly lost out on a swan song Premier League victory for the Spaniard, to ex-colleague Mikel Arteta of Arsenal.

Maresca and Guardiola in discussions over Manchester City squad

According to The Athletic, it is understood that Maresca and his Spanish predecessor have been in talks regarding the current Manchester City squad.

Long-time Cityzen veterans Bernardo Silva and John Stones also departed from the Etihad at the previous season’s conclusion, making Maresca’s start to Manchester City life difficult.

However, transfer activity does not appear to be a strict priority for the Italian, with his primary aim being to connect with the current players and impart his philosophy.

Building on Guardiola’s pre-existing structures in Manchester is also of importance to Maresca, likely the motivation for their contact ahead of the Cityzens’ next campaign.

The club’s director of football, Hugo Viana, will oversee Manchester City’s recruitment and sales, with a right-back, central midfielder and winger topping the transfer priority list.

If Maresca is to be involved significantly in any transfer business, it will be in locating an adequate replacement for Silva, with Elliot Anderson being the club’s main target.

In terms of outgoings, Nico Gonzalez remains the most likely for an Etihad exit, however, Tijani Reijnders, Nathan Ake, James Trafford, Josko Gvardiol, Savinho and Omar Marmoush make up a longer list of potential departures.

The club’s financial situation, as ever, is considered healthy, and the no-fee losses of Silva and Stones are not expected to play a role in their transfer activity this summer.

There is potential for deals to be put in place akin to the signing of John Stones replacement Marc Guehi, who joined six months in advance of the veteran’s exit.

Maresca’s initial games as Man City boss are expected to be during the club’s pre-season tour of the Far East. It is not expected to include many senior players, however, the club’s transfer activity will offer the Italian assurances prior to his first fixtures.

The Gunners lost 4-3 on penalties in Europe's most prestigious final, after a 1-1 stalemate played out in regular and extra time.

Arsenal’s playing style against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final has since been slammed by ex-England international Gary Lineker, alongside Sir Alex Ferguson and PSG midfielder Joao Neves.

Mikel Arteta’s men, victors of the 2025/26 Premier League title, created just 0.51xG in 120 minutes against PSG from a total seven shots, including Kai Havertz’s sixth minute strike.

‘Football won’ says Gary Lineker

Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson slammed Arsenal in the aftermath of Sunday’s final with a text message sent to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

According to Ben Jacobs, the ex-Manchester United boss’ message read: “You were the team that played football,” — likely in reference to PSG’s dominant ball possession and superior attack.

The French champions recorded 75% possession to Arsenal’s 25%, and created triple the Gunners’ Opta-defined Big Chances (3-1), as well as triple their shots (21-7).

Gary Lineker joined Sir Alex Ferguson in that view while speaking on his Rest is Football podcast, branding PSG’s win “a victory for positive football.”

He said: “As a fan with no skin in the game, I think Arsenal had to play that way because they wouldn’t have beaten PSG any other way, but at the same time, I think football won.

“As a complete neutral I would say it’s a victory for positive football over negative football,” continued the ex-Tottenham striker.

Lineker praised Arsenal’s “brilliant” defending, before offering a cruel breakdown of the many areas in which PSG excelled over Mikel Arteta’s men.

“Football is entertainment and you want to see teams that are really positive, creative and have the best players and play wonderful football… in terms of how football should be played, the best team won,” said the ex-England international.

PSG midfielder Joao Neves, who played every available minute in the Champions League final, also chimed in after his side’s victory to criticise Arsenal’s playing style.

“I think we deserved this title. I saw only one team on the pitch, to be honest,” said the 21-year-old.

Arne Slot exited Liverpool last weekend, after a disappointing follow-up season to the Reds’ 2024/25 Premier League title-winning campaign.

Andoni Iraola, who recently parted ways with Bournemouth, is now tipped to be the man who will step in as Liverpool manager and improve upon their fourth-placed finish in the season just gone.

Anfield also witnessed the departures of club legends Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, and one of their finest modern day centre-backs in Ibrahima Konate, so what will Iraola’s immediate response be?

Task #1: Activate Florian Wirtz

While the wording may make the process seem mechanical, it will be anything but for Iraola during his first season as Liverpool manager.

Wirtz, one of Liverpool’s all-time record signings, endured a miserably disappointing debut season on Anfield, not solely for his on-ball action and physicality, but also his mentality.

Jurgen Klopp famously sowed the seeds that transported Liverpool supporters from doubters to believers, creating a squad of ‘mentality monsters’ that never said die.

Nobody embodied that way of thinking, that way of performing, better than the two men who left Liverpool in late May, Salah and Robertson, and it’s now time that Wirtz adopted their mentality.

The German needs to be higher up the pitch, operating in central areas, and providing the passes that his striker, another record signing in Alexander Isak, has every right to expect.

But first, Wirtz needs to rediscover a belief that he seemingly lost under Slot: the belief that he is one of the world’s best players and can play like so.

Maybe the long shadow of Salah's will cast a dark cloud over Liverpool’s forward options in the years to come, but if Iraola can instil that confidence in a supremely struggling Wirtz, he could be the Reds’ game-changer in the Egyptian’s absence.

Task #2: Phase out the deadwood

This one is less so in Iraola’s hands, as it remains to be seen to what extent he will be involved in Liverpool’s transfer business, or if the Reds’ owners spend freely again.

But if the ex-Bournemouth man can get his way, he needs immediate reinforcements in the midfield, backline, frontline — everywhere on the pitch, to phase out the deadwood.

Barring a shock return to form for Alexis Mac Allister at the World Cup, the Argentine’s drop-off in 2025/26 was shocking enough to warrant an Anfield exit or rotational role.

Similarly, Cody Gakpo appears to have stretched his limited talents as far as they could go for the Reds and, with no Salah left to hold his hand, a departure or bench option is also required.

When the opening sequence to Rocky III rolled in 1982, its starry-eyed audience witnessed Rocky Balboa become a “civilised” man, while his opponent, Clubber Lang, trained in squalor, not luxury — and out of survival, not complacency.

That is the hunger that Liverpool require within the heart of anyone who dons the red shirt, and Iraola must question whether those Premier League and World Cup-winning players, “civilised” after their successes, are the future backbone of a club that must enter every campaign as though they’ve never won a football match in their lives.

Experience is needed in this squad, but never in the absence of that desire, and there are far too many players present in this Liverpool side that are running dangerously close to having lost it.

Task #3: Replace Salah ‘in the aggregate’

Iraola’s most impossible task, but one that, if he can achieve it, is crucial to his success as Liverpool manager, is replacing Mohamed Salah ‘in the aggregate’.

The Reds’ owners have priors in this department — the team who coined the phrase with the Oakland A’s ‘Moneyball’ system caught the attention of Liverpool owner John W. Henry as it occurred.

Also owner of MLB team the Boston Red Sox, Henry attempted to scout Billy Bean, who saw potential in an ‘in the aggregate’ approach to sporting success then realised it in Oakland, by replacing a player’s output not through an individual, but through a collective.

Mohamed Salahs don’t grow on trees, and it’s more likely than not that Liverpool will never see a player of his calibre at Anfield ever again.

But what Iraola can do is extract enough value from the assets he does have, and perhaps gain more in the summer, to replace his legendary numbers ‘in the aggregate’.

Salah, who FourFourTwo proclaimed the greatest Premier League player ever last month, did the reverse in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign last season, replacing the output of his 2019/20 winning collective through individual statistics.

Liverpool’s front five during their 99-point title-winning season recorded 102 Premier League goal involvements between them, with Salah registering 29 and Sadio Mane tallying 25.

In the Reds’ 2024/25 title-winning campaign, in the absence of Mane and Roberto Firmino, Salah upped that number to a record-breaking 47, but the front five’s output still reached 101 involvements.

If their two Premier League victories are anything to go off, Iraola must find a way to extract over 100 goal contributions from his five highest-output players next season, and that is possible.

With another 20+ goal campaign from Isak, and a sprinkle of assists, and the Wirtz explosion that everyone has been waiting on, Liverpool would be halfway there.

Whilst not yet on Salah’s level in a Liverpool shirt, he does possess enough to reach that magic number, and lucrative summer business could make an ‘in the aggregate’ dream his reality.

Throw in a hopefully returning Hugo Ekitike to chip in further down the line as the Premier League’s version of the NBA’s ‘sixth man’, and Iraola could be in business.

FourFourTwo met Arsenal star Eberechi Eze two days after winning the Premier League title: the feeling still fresh; the lethargy of the euphoria still lingering. He wasn't even looking forward to the battle of Budapest, but the party at the Palace.

After half a decade at Selhurst Park – followed by the dramatic Arsenal transfer, scoring against Crystal Palace, then a hat-trick in the North London Derby – to finish the story back where he began felt particularly fitting.

“Scripted,” as Eze suggested. And it certainly felt so.

Coincidence and destiny sit either side of a tightrope, after all. It can be argued, for sure, that in a world of infinite possibilities – and potentially in this one reality of infinite parallel worlds – that quirks like Ebere Eze's first season at Arsenal are simply that: a neat footnote that ultimately has little bearing, just as it was Bournemouth's no.22, Junior Kroupi, ended 22 years of hurt for the Gunners, or that “Puskas” roughly translates to “gun”; that Arsenal would dump Antoine Griezmann out of a European semi-final and ruin his farewell, just as he did the same to Arsene Wenger eight years prior, or that after West Ham United effectively ended Arsenal's title pursuit last season and proved a consistent thorn in the side of Declan Rice's new employers, a nervy 1-0 victory against the Hammers would effectively be the final major hurdle en route to the title.

Just as you can't choose your destiny, you can't pick and choose parts of a script either. If some things are written, theory dictates that surely all things are written. If Eze was meant to win the title at Selhurst Park – if Arsenal were meant to end the title drought in the manner that they did – then Budapest was surely meant to happen.

For so long, this team were labelled as bottlers – on the page, on many, many screens, and in stands up and down our fair isle. Their own individual nadirs shaped each Arsenal player.

This was a team built from the broken. William Saliba has never spoken publicly about losing a parent while living in a foreign country. Watching him claim crosses, you'd never know either that David Raya suffered a horror injury in 2018 in which his nose was described as “hanging off” his face.

Raya played non-league football after arriving in England aged 16, later claiming the weekends to be the hardest for him, as he missed his parents. Ben White played deep in the Football League after being released by Southampton, while Gabriel Martinelli was passed up on by bigger clubs while in the Brazilian fourth tier. Declan Rice was released by boyhood Chelsea. Eze, himself, from Arsenal, before rebuilding his life in League One, and suffering a ruptured Achilles before the homecoming.

Jurrien Timber tore an ACL 50 minutes into his debut for the club he'd always dreamed of representing. Riccardo Calafiori suffered a knee injury so severe that doctors compared it to a motorcycle accident. He had no right to ever play top-level football: yet he recovered, left home to develop at Basel and became a rock for his country. Gabriel, likewise, turned the heartbreak of missing out on the 2022 World Cup squad by becoming Brazil's most indispensable defender four years later.

Most famously, Bukayo Saka stood on top of the world at Wembley Stadium, and fell. Let's not sugarcoat it: the racist backlash was one of the most disgusting episodes in England's modern sporting history. He never cowered. He had the bravery to stand on the spot again, to grab both his boyhood club and his nation by the scruff of the neck.

They are led by a man who was told he wasn't good enough for Barcelona, his dream club. He forged a career, finding a home and a no.8 shirt elsewhere. On the eve of playing his first international cap, he tore his ACL. He never got to play for his country. And one day, he'd make Martin Odegaard his captain: a boy who was told he wasn't good enough for Real Madrid, before forging a career, finding a home and a no.8 shirt elsewhere.

Chelsea beat Arsenal in Arteta's first home game. COVID-19 hit. Manchester City tore them apart. Eighth place beckoned. A terrible run in the winter of 2020 followed behind closed doors. Unai Emery beat them in the Europa League semi-finals. Eighth again. No Europe.

Third-round FA Cup exits. Bullied by Brentford. Bottom of the league. The Aubameyang fallout. Suckerpunched by Spurs for fourth. Newcastle away, twice. Sporting in the Europa League. City ‘little bro-ing’ them. Aston Villa away, then at home. West Ham at home, twice. That Rice red card. That Lewis-Skelly red card. The injury crises. The “Be humble” game. The “it's not done” game. A Carabao Cup final loss in between, and another FA Cup capitulation to boot.

The lows have defined Arsenal almost as much as the highs in six years of Arteta's reign: to call them bottlers after all that – after all they've each been through – and to see their progress all the while, is banter, sure, but not wholly fair. Budapest was not to be the destiny but another marker on the journey.

2006's Champions League final defeat felt like the end of an era. This one does not. Dennis Bergkamp retired after Paris in the springtime, while Robert Pires' final Arsenal appearance lasted less than 20 minutes, the Frenchman devastatingly sacrificed after Jens Lehmann's red card. Goalscorer Sol Campbell left that summer, as did Ashley Cole; Freddie Ljungberg and Thierry Henry both had one more season in them. A whole spine of that team was ripped out within 18 months: yet 20 years later, on a blue moon in the last weekend of May, their counterparts are just getting started. Saliba, Rice, Timber, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Saka, Odegaard, Eze and Havertz are all the right side of 28.

And they won the title with the very obvious feeling that there was more to give. Arteta's men are flawed champions. They have clear weaknesses to address, having squeezed opponents all season rather than steamrolling them.

Arsenal banished two domestic decades of ever-increasingly louder demons. They went an entire European campaign unbeaten up until a penalty shootout, without conceding in open play.

They kept the best team in the world – the best frontline on Earth – quiet for two hours. They didn't even give the satisfaction to Matvei Safonov of a hero moment: Paris Saint-Germain didn't save a penalty in the Puskas. Arsenal missed both of theirs. The operation was very much a success: the patient merely died on the table.

And yet Arteta will stand before the group at the start of next season and tell them they can go one better. As they have done every year: eighth, eighth, fifth, second, second, second, first, in the league. Quarter-finals, semi-finals, final, in Europe.

Chelsea needed a few deep runs before they won it; City did, too. The lesson of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp was that if you hang around long enough at the top, you'll have your time: Arsenal have already experienced that with a trophy this season, and now is the time to exercise similar patience in Europe.

Even as he trudged away from Parisian celebrations, Ebere Eze looked inconsolable after missing his spot-kick. That's clearly not the ending he imagined to the dream first season: but he's right about the football gods, the sporting scriptwriters or, if you'd rather, coincidence and the ability for elite athletes to raise themselves from their knees.

Maybe Arsenal were meant to lose in Budapest. Maybe Eze was meant to miss. Maybe there are better things to come. The chapter is over; the story is not.

The Champions League final is no different: every stadium in the world has the odd solo seat away from the group.

So competition sponsors Heineken decided to remind one fan sitting in a solitary seat away from the rest of the Puskas Arena during Saturday's final that, as per their latest campaign slogan, fans really do have more friends.

When Forest Robinson won a competition courtesy of The Padded Seat to watch Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal on penalties, he certainly wasn't banking on Xavi Hernandez turning up to greet him.

Xavi: “This shows the power football has to connect people who may only have met because of the match”

In one of the most extraordinary competition twists that FourFourTwo have seen for a while, Heineken located the most isolated viewing spot from the Puskas for poor Forest to sit along… but not for long.

As if by magic, Xavi appeared to greet the competition winner, before the pair were whisked off to the Skybox for the best seats in the house.

“As a player, some of my best memories in football came from sharing big moments with teammates and fans,” Xavi said.

“The Champions League Final is the biggest stage in club football, and you never know who the game might bring you together with along the way. It was special to help Heineken turn Forest’s seat into an experience they will never forget, and to show the power football has to connect people who may only have met because of the match.”

Yeah, we're really hoping the pair remain mates.

In the end, PSG triumphed over Arsenal on penalties, with the French giants retaining their trophy – with Xavi actually present at the Gunners' last Champions League final defeat two decades ago as part of the Barcelona contingent that night.

“A few years ago, I went to a game with friends, but we were split up in the stadium and I found myself sitting alone among supporters of another team,” Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken, said.

“What could have felt like an isolated experience became one of the best I have ever had in a stadium, because I was completely swept up in the passion, humour and energy of the fans around me.”

With a final attendance of just over 67,000, a memorable moment began with just a solo seat: fans really do have more friends than they think…

Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic has told FourFourTwo about what it was like facing Fernando Torres.

With Manchester United and Liverpool squaring off for the biggest prizes in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the rivalry stepped up a notch, as Vidic faced Torres in numerous battles – with the Serbian and the Spaniard's rivalry defining an era of the Premier League.

Vidic was speaking to FourFourTwo ahead of the Champions League final, courtesy of Heineken – whose Fans Have More Friends campaign gets the average supporter closer to the action and connected with their fellow supporters to bring the atmosphere.

Nemanja Vidic: 'I'm not saying I kept Fernando Torres quiet…'

“I think sometimes the media will create different opinions about different things,” Vidic now tells FourFourTwo about the rivalry with Torres.

“I think Torres was a fantastic player, but I never feared playing against him. Liverpool was always the derby match, and the only thing people can say is, ‘Yeah, you had a few red cards against Liverpool.’

“But I think two or three of them were in the last minutes of the game, the 89th minute, so to be fair, it's not something that affected the outcome of the match. If you look at the games played against Torres, I think he scored a few goals, but if you look at the total games he played, it was not that many.”

Interestingly, Vidic now says that there were other players who gave him more trouble than the Liverpool star.

“Liverpool vs United is the game fans have to talk about and the media has to create narratives around, which I like,” the centre-back continues. “In certain times I get maybe more praise than actually I should; this is life.

“But I think overall there are players that I found more difficult playing against – Drogba, Aguero I would say as well, and of course Messi. Those are the players where you find yourself thinking, ‘Oh, OK.’

“Torres was fantastic; for one or two years he played fantastically for Liverpool. He was amazing and he lifted Liverpool a lot.”

Looking back on that fixture, too, Vidic says that the early kick-offs were particularly tough against the Reds.

“Yeah, it's great to watch that game, Liverpool, especially going to Anfield,” he says, ”That's a tough game, especially playing at 12:30.

“I always find it difficult playing those games. At 12:30 you're still sleeping!”

Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic has revealed his greatest friends in football.

The iconic Serbian defender named two former Manchester United team-mates among his closest mates in the game, along with a colleague from Inter Milan.

Vidic was speaking to FourFourTwo ahead of the Champions League final, courtesy of Heineken – whose Fans Have More Friends campaign gets the average supporter closer to the action and connected with their fellow supporters to bring the atmosphere.

Nemanja Vidic: 'You want to trust your partner - and Rio Ferdinand is a great friend'

“Obviously, from Inter, where I played, Samir Handanovic, the goalkeeper, we are still good friends and actually our families get on well together as well,” Vidic began.

“And Rio [Ferdinand], always, you know. Even if you don't see each other for a long time, when you see each other, it's great to catch up with each other, to talk about the game, to enjoy football.

“We didn't have time to enjoy it when we were football players because we were travelling, preparing for games, under a lot of tension and pressure to perform well.”

“Berba, too, I'm close with – so yeah, there are quite a few players. I'm in touch with some Serbian guys too.”

Vidic and Ferdinand famously formed the base of the Red Devils' defence the last time that United won the Champions League – and now, the Serbian says that it was integral to their relationship that the pair had a closeness off the pitch.

“I think it's very important to have a good spirit in the team in general, but especially if you play at the back,” he explains. “You want to trust your partner, you know?

“I obviously played with him for nine years and we worked on our relationship on the pitch and off the pitch to understand each other. I think I've talked about that many times, but definitely, I believe that it is very important.

“The way that Rio plays and the way I play complement each other. We are kind of different, but we understand each other – what I will do in certain situations, what he will do, and that's it. To understand your friend, that's friendship.”

Kasper Schmeichel is sitting on the balcony at the Leicester City Performance Centre, looking out wistfully at the inviting pitches where he once trained. “People talk about my drive. I never saw it as drive. I saw it as love. Because I love playing football. It is the best feeling in the world. I'm looking at this pitch here now, and I'm itching to be on that pitch.”

But he can’t. A shoulder injury has sadly forced the Celtic keeper’s retirement at 39. He looks away from the pitches and inside. Leicester’s boys of 2016 are gathering—his old teammates, those he shared the 5,000-1 fairytale with. They’re back for a charity fundraiser at the King Power today.

Schmeichel can’t get involved on the field, but he can with all the reminiscing and revelry. He's understandably in a reflective mood, thinking back to the love of the game that drove him through difficult times, the trophies won, and the friendships and memories made. It’s his first visit back to Seagrave since leaving Leicester four years ago.

Band of brothers

“It's very strange in some ways because it genuinely feels like yesterday. There's all the staff behind the scenes here, it's great to see everyone again. I've missed them. This club will always be special to me.”

Leicester’s 2015-16 champions will always be special, not only locally and nationally but around the world, and for all time. They were a band of brothers, mates as well as teammates.

“It was a great time! It really was! At the old Belvoir Drive training ground, there were these big ice baths and hot baths, and you could hide in them. You'd see people coming in, and lads would be hiding in these baths with rolled-up socks, two pairs of wet socks bunched up, wet and heavy, and just launch them. And they hurt! I had a couple of direct hits! I also got hit a few times! It was a fun time. You were going out to battle with your brothers on the pitch, but off the pitch, we had a great time.”

Jamie Vardy summed the spirit up. “Vards always jokes we were the best pub team in the world. That's pretty accurate! The whole point of that team was a collective. With each person, there'll be a story - rejection, someone telling them they weren't good enough, being forced out of a club. There were lots of subplots that gave everyone that edge, that gave everyone that fire that ‘this is going to happen for me’. And when you put those things into a dressing room, throw those into the fire, that fire becomes big and we smell blood straight away.” They went for the big beasts of the Premier League and won. I ask whether 2016 will ever be repeated. “Potentially! The great thing about sport is the hope. Any underdog story is a great story. Because of the Premier League, ours is a very, very big underdog story, and it gave hope to many people that sport is still a very competitive thing. It's not just about finance.”

It's about persistence, too. Schmeichel needed time to develop. His first club, Manchester City, where his father Peter spent a season, sent him off on loan to Darlington, Bury, and Falkirk. Sven-Goran Eriksson then gave the young keeper a chance at the start of 07/08. “I played the first seven games, four clean sheets, and then it was taken away from me, and I had to restart.” He dropped back into the EFL, this time down to the Championship on loan at Cardiff City and Coventry City. “Having had that taste of Premier League football, I’m getting back there, no matter what. I am going to show to myself that all the hours, all the sacrifices, if you do them, it will happen. That was always my driving force, my love of playing football. I was going to make damn sure that when I got that chance again, I was 100% ready. I'd spend the hours studying goalkeeping. I'd spend the hours on the pitch. The one thing I'm probably happiest about in my career, when I look back now, is that I can say I gave everything I had.”

Schmeichel memorably gave everything in that epic 5,000-1 season, keeping 15 clean sheets in the 38 games, as Leicester upset the odds and the established order. “When I look back, what can I compare it to? Greece winning Euro 2004? Maybe. Denmark 92?” His father played in that Danish side that won Euro 92, having been invited in late following Yugoslavia’s disqualification. “92 was the reason that I never thought anything was impossible. That was instilled in me from five years old. Denmark can win the Euros. And instilled into me from six: why couldn't I win the Premier League?” He’d seen Peter win it with Manchester United in 1993, eventually winning it five times in the 1990s.

Kasper was invited back to his old school in Copenhagen, in 2013, to talk about his career. “I was sitting, writing my notes, getting ready to do it, and I read it for my dad. He said, ‘you've always said this thing about you want to win the Premier League, and you're going to win the Premier League. But have you ever actually said it publicly? Have you ever actually dared to put your head on the chopping block and actually just say it?’ And I hadn't. So I thought, ‘OK! Right!’ I found a picture of me with the trophy from when my dad won it. And I put it up on the big screen, and in front of the people at the school, I said, ‘Right, the next time I come here, I will have won this.’ That was nerve-wracking to say. I'm really putting myself under pressure, I can’t come back if I don’t win it. But when my dad said it to me, it made me think actually, if I really do believe it, I do need to put it out there and put that pressure on myself to say, ‘this has to happen’.”

The fairytale happened in May 2016 and, the following November, Leicester played away at FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. “We had the trophy with us because we planned after the game that I was going to bring the trophy back to school. But I broke my hand in the game. And I had to travel back in and have surgery.” But the story reflected his drive. That culture of seizing responsibility defined that Leicester side. “Culture is the single most important thing in a football club. I listened to a podcast on the way here with Mikel Arteta talking about culture, having just won the Premier League. The essence of a successful club is building that culture. Having that core dressing room and support staff around, that builds that culture. That is the key ingredient to having success.” It’s a bond.

He looks through the window again. "There's a lot of these lads I haven't seen for years, Nathan Dyer, Christian Fuchs. There is a WhatsApp group. We all keep in contact through that. And once you see people, you're straight back into how it always was. That bond will never change, whether it's 10, 20, or 30 years. Football promotes feelings. Being on the pitch, that adrenaline does something to you. People are in a heightened state of emotion. You spend so much time together.” And the bond intensifies. “Sometimes, one of you will make a transfer, you won't see each other for four years and then when you see each other again, it's like you haven't been away.”

In pre-season, Celtic played Riyad Mahrez’s Al Ahli in a tournament hosted by Como. “Straight away, me and Riyad find each other and are chatting away, taking pictures and sending it to the group. We did something together that will forever bond us. Riyad! What a guy, love him. As a player, wow! Magician! One of the best I've ever played with, one of the best I've ever seen.” Mahrez arrived in January 2014 for £560,000 from Le Havre and was immediately thrown into training at Belvoir Drive. “We’re looking at him physically, and thinking, ‘Oh, he's walking out here next to Wes (Morgan). What's going to happen when Wes tackles him?’ Riyad started juggling the ball in the warm-up, and we were like, ‘OK, this boy’s got something!’ Then you see him in possession, and he starts chopping, sending people the wrong way, and I’m like, ‘Oh, OK, this guy's got something, but we've seen this before’. But every year he stepped it up and up and became one of the best wingers I've ever seen.”

Mahrez was snapped up by Manchester City for £60m in 2018. “I was so happy for him that he got to work with Pep (Guardiola) because the only thing me and Riyad ever disagreed on was his defensive work! It didn't exist when he played here! He was lucky he had Simmo behind him.” Danny Simpson, the tenacious right-back. “Simmo did the work for him. But when he went to City, he learned the defensive side as well. So now he’s not just the top player going forward. He's the top player going back, and he's working really hard. So now he genuinely is one of the best players in the world.”

N’Golo Kante can also claim such an accolade, although he would be too humble to. “N’Golo probably owned three sets of clothes and just rotated them,” Schmeichel recalls of the modest, brilliant, defensive French midfielder. “He came in every morning with a big smile on his face, very polite, shook everyone's hand, didn't say a lot. Riyad and him sat next to each other. Riyad spoke to him. N’Golo never really spoke. He'd sit there, smile, put his boots on, go out and be the best player on the pitch and go home. You wouldn't hear him being out or doing anything else. He'd come in again and do the same. He’s had an incredible career. I don't think there's anybody that's ever done that role as well as him, not in my time, at least. I know people talk about (Claude) Makelele. N’Golo’s won the World Cup, won the Champions League, and he's the most polite human you'll ever meet.”

From Kante to Vardy, Leicester’s band of brothers had a range of characters. “Vards very quickly understood that he couldn't train like he played. That would cost too much. I know he has this persona of Skittles and vodka, but he’s extremely professional. He’ll hate me saying that because it goes against the narrative! He was very, very good at managing himself, managing his body, knowing when he needed to peak. He knew when not to train, and I say this as a compliment. He would listen to himself, know how he was feeling, and ‘if I'm playing Saturday at 3 o'clock, I need to peak at that time’. So on a Wednesday or Thursday, he’ll go, ‘I'll go in the pool today. I'll do massage.’ He’s very, very astute and that is why he's still playing at 39.”

Schmeichel looks out again at the pristine pitches of Seagrave, 14 of them full-sized. He thinks of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester’s late benefactor, whose name and images adorn the training ground. Vichai’s ideas and largesse underpinned the training centre project, which opened in 2020. Tragically, Vichai passed away in that horrendous helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium in 2018. “There's a massive sculpture (of Vichai), pictures, and his name is on the building. He never got to see it, which is such a shame. But it's his legacy. I was sat with Sean St Ledger, a good friend of mine, and we were saying, what a privilege it is to actually come to work here.”

He thinks of Vichai, the man and the chairman. “In this world, a lot of things are measured by the amount in your bank account. When you become as successful and as wealthy as that (Vichai), it's very easy to lose your footing. No one's ever going to say ‘no’ to you. It takes a special determination and personality to stay grounded as he did, and be very personal with people, to actually walk around the stadium, and Belvoir Drive, taking time to speak to people and showing them the respect they deserve for whatever role they're playing in the organisation.”

On that terrible night of October 27, 2018, Schmeichel ran towards the burning helicopter. “I sometimes look back and think I've got kids myself, that's reckless to do. You don't know what's going to happen running over to that. I wasn't the only one. Jay the security guard was right behind me. He was the one that pulled me away. I think most people would have done the same. Unfortunately, it was very clear quite quickly that nobody could survive that.”

Schmeichel and his Leicester teammates showed their character in the days that followed. They helped the families, the staff, and the city in mourning. “It's very easy to look united when things are going well but when bad stuff happens, that is when true character does show. It didn't surprise me, because I knew the character within the dressing room. As hard as the period was, and as terrible as it was, and how much we wish it hadn't happened, one of my favourite photos is when we played Cardiff away in the next game. I was adamant that when we did the minute silence, I wanted everybody on the pitch, all the staff, everyone. There's a picture taken from the Cardiff end, looking down on us, there's 11 of them (Cardiff players), 50 of us plus our fans in the background. I vividly remember standing there with Mike Stowell (goalkeeping coach). Demarai Gray was holding on to me. He could feel I was about to go. I looked up and looked at their 11 players and I thought ‘there's no way we're not winning today’. That photo is one of my favourite photos because it embodied the culture of this club, and the reason that we had the success through the years.” The bond.

He loves his sport’s power to bond disparate groups. “Football is special because it has the ability to unite people regardless of where they come from, what they believe in, how they grew up, what they have, what they don't have. It has the ability to unite, to inspire, to create everlasting memories. Having grown up in England, they still talk about '66. In Denmark, we still talk about '92. All these years after. Football evokes passions and emotions that not many things in this world can. You can be on opposing sides politically, opposing sides in all sorts of things, but you can also support the same football team. Once that whistle goes, we're all together. It's the same when Denmark play, we’re all Denmark fans. Or when England play, you're all England fans. It doesn't matter what's going on in our lives. For that time, we are all united. We want our team to win. Football can be an escape for people. It can provide so much joy."

"Football has a responsibility to take care of people," he continues. "We have the Foxes Foundation here. Celtic have the Celtic Foundation. Denmark, too. Footballers have a responsibility to buy into these things. As a young player, you don’t really understand, maybe until the day you have kids, and your own kids become fans, and you see what an autograph means. You see what a picture means. That’s what football does. People will queue up for hours, spend their money on shirts and season tickets, spend money on travel, just to watch their team.” That love.

Schmeichel is understandably in a contemplative mood. He announced his retirement on Wednesday after 935 games for clubs and country. So how was he feeling? “Just trying to get used to it. Pre-season is probably when it really hits, the fact that you're not going back and playing. It's strange because it's been out of my control. The surgeon says that it’s not going to be able to be fixed to play at the level that I want to play. I thought with this 10-year anniversary, OK, it's a nice way to finish it off. The decision has been taken for me. It's definitely not how I wanted it, my career's finished. But I've had some time to reflect. I've been lucky enough to experience a lot of things, play over 900 games, be part of the teams I've been part of, win the trophies I have.”

The injury was not through wear and tear. “It was a specific injury, it happened in the Stuttgart game,” Celtic’s keeper recalls of the February 19 Europa League tie. He played three days later, against Hibs. “It was actually fine and it was right at the end, I felt that I need to get this checked. It was pretty damaged.” He consulted experts while also supporting Celtic in a rollercoaster end to the Scottish season. “The conversation with the doctors became more not about actually playing again but about quality of life. I'm one operation into potentially three more. They'll fix it gradually. I still have probably 60% range of motion of what I did. I can play with the kids in the garden as long as there's no contact, nothing goes near my shoulder. I've played tennis, I've played padel with obviously my other arm. So I'm still reasonably mobile. But once the bigger surgery starts, then I'm going to have to be very, very careful and make sure that it heals properly to give myself the best chance of having a comfortable life without any impediment. Being able to lift your kids, lift your dog."

“It's been really strange in the sense of I've still been under contract at Celtic and I've been in and around the team while going to see the experts. I played 39 games this season. We were going for a Double, which we ended up getting. I was still very much trying to be a part of that, even though you can't be. Martin (O’Neill) was great. He knows me. He knows I tried everything to see if I could get back from this. Sometimes the body makes the decisions that the heart can't read.” Did all the Celtic fans fully understand why their best keeper was missing? “Whether they knew the truth or not, people will inevitably make their own minds up. I know the truth. Martin knows the truth. I gave everything for Celtic. I wanted desperately to win trophies for Celtic. And ultimately, we did, and I look back on my time at Celtic with nothing but great memories. It's a club that got under my skin very, very quickly. It's just a special club. It's the whole intensity of it, how much it means, the responsibility you feel being a Celtic player. When you live in Glasgow, it's all anyone talks about. There are Celtic fans everywhere around the world. You have to win every single game and not just win it, win it well. I just love that.”

He thinks of the journey into Celtic Park, one he will never make as a player again. “It's everything about the place, driving up to the stadium, this monumental stadium, you see the (Jock Stein) statue, you walk in, all the pictures, all the history of the club everywhere. You go in the dressing room and it's got a lovely blend of refurbs but still a lot of the old school stuff there. You walk through the tunnel, there's all the plaques and all the names, and then being on the pitch and the noise. It's deafening. It's just the passion. All of it just grips you. In terms of actual intensity, I'd struggle to find anywhere louder. One of my favourite things always was Champions League games, when the song (the CL anthem) starts, then this massive roar. I always used to love when we lined up to look at the opposition. See their faces. They're like, ‘wow, this is incredible’. Any opposition player you may have known from the national team or somewhere else and you're talking after the game, in the tunnel, in the changing room areas, they're all like, ‘wow, this is immense’.”

He wishes that the final whistle on his career had blown in a game, rather than in a consultant’s room. “Every footballer dreams he will bow out on the pitch. That's what I would have liked: to be able to say thank you, to show my appreciation for the support and the love I received through the years. But it was more important to finish the year with the trophy. And we did finish with two, and that was, for me, the most satisfying part through a lot of adversity. That we got over the line in the end was massive.”

And so to the next stage. Pundit? Coach? Sports director? “The honest answer is, for the first time in my life, I actually don't know. That can be really scary and also really exciting. I flip between both (emotions). Football will without question be at the heart of it. I'm going to try a lot of things. I'm starting the Director of Football course.” Management? “I wouldn't rule it out at all. I love being out there. I really have enjoyed some of the coaching and the punditry. I'd love to run a club. I'd love to own a club, but I think that's going to be difficult.”

He has more time to devote to his family. “I have three kids. I have a wife. I've been away and missed a lot. So just getting a chance to spend some time with them. This little period, particularly after the first operation, you're not in the best frame of mind and in pain. But the last few weeks, it’s been nice being home, being able to collect them from school. Being there on birthdays — I've missed so many birthdays. But I also think it's important to teach kids that if you want to reach your dreams, there are sacrifices, there is a cost to everything. I've been lucky enough to live a dream, and football doesn't last forever. There's a long life after playing where I can be there. Football has given me and my family opportunities, experiences and advantages that people could only dream of. If you love something, if you want to be elite, there are going to be some drawbacks. But I don’t see sacrifice.”

Just intense, enduring love for the game Kasper Schmeichel serves so well.

Watch the Champions League Final 2026 today as Arsenal aim to lift the trophy for the first time against holders Paris Saint-Germain, with FourFourTwo bringing you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The Gunners have already enjoyed a season to remember after ending their 22-year wait to win the Premier League, but clinching Europe's top domestic prize would make 2025/26 arguably the greatest campaign in their history.

Standing in their way are holders PSG, who will bid to follow up their maiden Champions League title last season by retaining their crown - thereby securing their status among the all-time greats.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal in the Champions League Final 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Champions League Final 2026 for free

Yes! You can watch the Champions League Final for free in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Turkey:

• Australia: 9Now (English commentary)
• Austria: ZDF
• Belgium: RTBF Auvio
• Germany: ZDF
• Ireland: RTE Player (English Commentary)
• Switzerland: RSI / SRF
• Turkey: TRT1 via Tabii

‼️ Outside your usual country? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream from anywhere in the world.

▶︎ Read More: Why isn't Champions League Final 2026 free in the UK?

Watch Champions League Final 2026 from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss the Champions League Final. The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

FourFourTwo’s tech-obsessed office-mates over at Tom's Guide know everything there is to know about VPNs, and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Champions League Final 2026 in the UK

PSG vs Arsenal will be shown exclusively live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK and subscribers can also stream the game on the HBO Max platform.

How to watch Champions League Final 2026 in the US

Viewers in the United States can watch Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal on CBS and its streaming service Paramount+.

How to watch Champions League Final 2026 in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch the Champions League Final live through 9Now and on Stan Sport.

You will need an account for 9Now and an Australian postcode (E.g. 2000).

How to watch Champions League Final 2026 in Canada

DAZN will broadcast the Champions League final in Canada with access available via Fubo.

Champions League Final Preview

After years of taunts about bridesmaids, bottles, and broken dreams, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have finally proved their critics wrong. Since winning the FA Cup in 2020, the Spaniard's first season as manager, the Gunners had been perpetual nearly-men, but no longer.

A cathartic first Premier League title in 22 years laid the ghosts of past disappointments to rest, and now Arteta's side can complete a campaign that might even trump the Invincibles of 2004 if they claim the club's maiden Champions League crown.

The Gunners' reliance on set-pieces and defensive resilience could prove vital against a Paris Saint-Germain side built on attacking flair, with their nine clean sheets in this season's competition comfortably the most of any club.

Having sealed the Premier League title 11 days ago, Arsenal have had plenty of time to concentrate on their biggest Champions League game since they reached their only previous final back in 2006. A victory would not only be momentous for the Gunners, but it would also complete an English clean sweep after Aston Villa and Crystal Palace lifted the Europa League and Conference League respectively.

SEE ALSO How to watch the Champions League in 2025/26

There is arguably no tougher test Arsenal could face in Budapest than PSG, the free-scoring holders who clinched their first Champions League title in style with a 5-0 thumping of Inter Milan 12 months ago.

Blessed with the attacking talents of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Désiré Doué, and more, Luis Enrique's men have scored a whopping 43 goals in 16 games in this competition, including five in their thrill-a-minute 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their semi-final.

PSG wrapped up their fifth successive French title on May 13, so they have had even longer to prepare than Arsenal, while the comparative freshness of their stars, with the Gunners' starting XI having collectively played almost 7,000 minutes more than their counterparts this season, could give them an edge.

If they triumph, the Parisians will follow Real Madrid as only the second club in the Champions League era to win the competition in back-to-back years, while Enrique will surely stand among the greats, having also lifted the trophy with Barcelona in 2015.

Champions League Final: Team News

PSG XI: Safonov; Nuno Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, Hakimi; João Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Doué, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia.

Arsenal XI: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.

Champions League: Road to the Final 2026

FourFourTwo's prediction

Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Arsenal

The Gunners should have the resilience to make it a cagey final, but will PSG's attacking firepower prove too much?

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Signing three of the planet’s best attackers for a run at the Champions League sounds like the stuff of Football Manager, but for Mauricio Pochettino, that was the reality during his stint at Paris Saint-Germain.

The French side’s frontline of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe was - on paper, at least - one of the most potent attacking tridents to ever be placed together, but the reality of the situation was something different.

Under Pochettino, PSG were not able to get over their Champions League hump despite this lavish outlay. With the Argentine now preparing for the World Cup as USA boss, he has opened up on the balancing act he faced during his time in the French capital.

Pochettino on the challenges of his Mbappe-Messi-Neymar frontline

“You have to look at the management of expectations,” Pochettino explains to FourFourTwo. “Messi plus Neymar plus Mbappe made everyone anticipate an enhanced version of all three, but you need a structure behind them.

“Those players were born to be number one, not to share the assists, penalties, goals and headlines. Managing that isn’t easy."

Pochettino was appointed as PSG boss in January 2021 and would spend two-and-a-half years in charge of the club, winning the 2021/22 Ligue 1 title, plus the 2021 Coupe de France.

And while he was unable to steer the side to the Champions League title, he enjoyed the challenge of coaching three of the world’s best attackers.

“Coaching them was a pleasure,” he continues. “The thing is that they were all special, and having to divide that spotlight required humility. They did it. They behaved brilliantly and knew how to share space and the stage, privately and publicly.

“But as a staff, we suffered because after every game, the praise wasn’t always shared equally. That touches on a player’s ego. Without ego, none of them would have become what they are.

“Ego isn’t a negative trait. Without it, you don’t survive. You can’t become number one without that touch of selfishness. In their case, it meant combining three different moments in their careers – Mbappe needed a high tempo with space and verticality, Messi needed time to manage the play, and Neymar was a blend of everything but suffered numerous injuries.

“Bringing that together twice a week was complicated.”

One criticism aimed at PSG’s superstar attack was their work off the ball, but Pochettino insists that he never asked the trio to press more.

“That conversation never took place – it would have been inappropriate,” he insists. “You can’t have Messi, Mbappe and Neymar and demand they press like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola. They’re different profiles.”

Arsenal star and New Balance athlete Eberechi Eze has been speaking to FourFourTwo exclusively ahead of the Champions League final.

Eze has enjoyed a phenomenal first season back at his boyhood club, winning the Premier League at Arsenal and getting called up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad for World Cup 2026.

But with the midfielder famously into chess – and having squared off against grandmaster Magnus Carlsen for a game courtesy of a New Balance campaign – we asked him which of his team-mates would have the skills to move from the pitch to the board.

Eberechi Eze exclusive: 'Bukayo Saka would make a great chess player'

“It was very cool playing against Magnus Carlsen,” Eze says now. “Obviously, I had one real game with him off-camera, which was over so quick. I thought I would put up a better fight, but when you realise the type of level that these guys are playing at, it's actually not even close, it's not even comparable.

“I learned a lot, though. He gave me some good tips that I'm using to kill my friends!”

Chess isn't widely played at Arsenal's base in London Colney, but the England international has nominated Bukayo Saka as having the best potential of any of his team-mates to become a chess master.

“I think if he took the time to actually practice, Bukayo would be tough because he's intelligent and competitive,” Eze tells us.

“Noni Madueke as well, but I think B more: he's got that type of temperament to play chess. He’s quite methodical when he's on the pitch, he's a good decision-maker. I reckon he'd be good.”

Eze tells us now that working with New Balance simply “felt like a new opportunity”, and with the brand focusing on community campaigns, Eze's pathway of working his way up the lower leagues to becoming a Premier League champion feels particularly apt for the collaboration.

“Yeah, I'd say it's very fitting with my story, my journey, where I've come from,” the Gunners star says.

“I just think that we were very aligned from the start. From the picture that they had of me, the plans they had, it was clear it was gonna be a fit that would work and something that would be long-lasting as well.

“Yeah, it's been a special journey for sure.”

The season will come to a close with the Champions League final on Saturday, May 30, live and direct from Budapest.

Defending champions PSG will be looking to hold onto the famous trophy as they take on Arsenal, who are playing in just their second Champions League final and have never been crowned champions of Europe before.

Here's who you can expect to see among the presenters, pundits and commentators on the night

Who are the presenters, commentators and pundits on TNT Sport for the Champions League final?

Who are the commentators and pundits for PSG vs Arsenal?

Laura Woods is at the helm as TNT's main presenter for the evening, and will be joined in the studio by a trio of decorated former England stars.

Former Arsenal favourite Martin Keown will be there to represent the Gunners, with the centre-back's accolades at Highbury including lifting the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.

Steven Gerrard is no stranger to success in this competition having skippered Liverpool to their sensational 2005 Champions League league victory.

Rounding out the pundits is Owen Hargreaves, who collected winners' medals with Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

Darren Fletcher will be the lead commentator for the occasion, joined on co-comms by Rangers icon Ally McCoist.

French football expert and ESPN journalist Julien Laurens has told FourFourTwo why the Champions League final will be closer than a lot of people think.

Holders Paris Saint-Germain won last year's showpiece 5-0 in Munich to pick up their first trophy, with newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal standing in their way in Saturday's final.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Laurens said that he believes Mikel Arteta has been given a blueprint of how to beat the Parisiens by a match played earlier on in the competition, and the match in Budapest will be an intriguing battle where possession will be key.

“Everybody saying Arsenal or PSG are huge favourites is wrong,” says Julien Laurens

“I think they are the two best teams in Europe right now: Bayern Munich could have been there, but Arsenal beat Bayern, and PSG knocked them out,” Laurens says. “For me, this is the toughest opponent possible in the final for PSG.

“You look at Bayern, or before that, Liverpool and Chelsea: those teams are attacking sides, right? They play open. They're very good at attacking, so they will put you under pressure, but you also know that there will be space for you, and you can play your game if you're PSG, especially at home.

“Over one game, Arsenal will be far closer to what Monaco did to PSG when Monaco played PSG in the playoffs, which are the two most difficult matches that PSG have had in the Champions League this season in the knockout stages.

“Arsenal are like Monaco – and Monaco are not as good as Arsenal – but in what they do, there are similarities in terms of controlling the tempo of the game, being very aggressive, very much on you, and very physical, but within a defensive structure mindset. Bayern are a physical attacking side, whereas Arsenal are a physical, controlling, defensive structure team, and that's difficult to play against, even with Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Neves, or Vitinha.

I'm wondering if Luis Enrique sees this and thinks, ‘You know what, Arsenal would rather not have the ball against us than have the ball, for sure.’ Despite what Mikel Arteta might say about wanting to control the ball, I don't think that's true, not against a team like PSG. So why don't PSG leave them the ball a bit more?”

With PSG huge favourites heading into the final, Laurens says that he thinks that the game will be closer than many expect – and that the Gunners' recent Premier League triumph has lifted some of the pressure from Arteta's side.

“I think it's going to be fascinating and much tighter than a lot of people say: everybody saying Arsenal or PSG are huge favourites is wrong,” he says. “I also think that Arsenal winning the Premier League title takes a massive weight off their shoulders, and that will give them an advantage in the final.

“I'm not saying the final is a bonus, but at the start of this season, the main objective for Arsenal was to win the Premier League. If they win the Champions League and do this incredible Double, it will be amazing, and they have a chance. It's 50/50, maybe 55/45 for PSG because they're the holders.

“I also think that playing in that final last year is a massive psychological advantage for PSG. There are a lot of boys in the Arsenal team who have never played in a final like this before – Saka played in the Euros final, but in terms of the Champions League, apart from Kai Havertz, this is it.

“That's an advantage for PSG, but I think it's a good thing for Arsenal that they've already won the league before the last game of the season.”

Saturday's Champions League final comes with one certainty: the winning side will be adding the trophy to their collection as part of a league and continental double.

The feat is difficult enough that in 70 years of the European Cup and Champions League, only 17 different clubs have managed to get their hands on that trophy in the same season they also won their domestic league title.

There's a few that have done it more than once, of course. Here's the complete run-down of the list that Arsenal are trying to join and PSG are trying to go back-to-back on.

One-time league and European title double winners

1. Benfica (1961)
2. Celtic (1967)*
3. Hamburger SV (1983)
4. Steaua Bucharest (1986)
5. PSV (1988*)
6. Red Star (1991)
7. Milan (1994)
8. Porto (2004)
9. Manchester City (2023*)
10. Paris Saint-Germain (2025*)
    
    *as part of a treble

There's no shame at all, then, in being part of this section of double winners. Celtic, in particular, hold the distinction of becoming European football's first treble winners back in 1966/67.

Both of the most recent additions were treble winners, with Manchester City pulling it off in 2023 and PSG doing likewise two years later.

Arsenal would become just the fourth English side to do the European and domestic double if they can see off PSG.

Two-time league and European title double winners

11. Inter (1965, 2010*)
12. Liverpool (1977, 1984)
13. Manchester United (1999*, 2008)

For 22 years, Liverpool had the claim of being the only English side to have done this particular double - and they had done it twice.

Manchester United joined the party with their treble win in 1999, with Sir Alex Ferguson doing it again nine years later.

It was a much longer wait for Inter - the longest gap of any two-time winners, in fact, with some 45 years passing between Helenio Herrera's Grande Inter and Jose Mourinho's treble winners.

Three-time league and European double winners

14. Ajax (1972*, 1973, 1995)

A special mention needs to go to Ajax, who are one of just two sides to have done the double in back-to-back years...though PSG could yet make that three.

That came in 1972 and 1973, when Johan Cruyff and co dominated Europe, with their first double actually being a treble.

Then there's Louis van Gaal's side of 1994/95, who went unbeaten in both the league and Champions League - the only side ever to do so.

Four-time league and European title double winners

15. Bayern Munich (1974, 2001, 2013*, 2020*)

The first and most recent German side to pull off the feat, unsurprisingly, are Bayern Munich.

We are honestly at a loss for anything particularly interesting to say about that, because...yeah, that feels about right to us.

Take it as a compliment, Bayern fans.

Five-time league and European title double winners

16. Real Madrid (1957, 1958, 2017, 2022, 2024)
17. Barcelona (1992, 2006, 2009*, 2011, 2015*)

There's another indicator of just how difficult the double is for you: 15-time winners Real Madrid have just five doubles to their name.

Not to take anything away from Real, but that serves to make Barcelona's decade-long dominance even more remarkable, with two doubles and two trebles delivered between 2006 and 2015. Even more ridiculous: every single one of Barca's European triumphs has came as part of a double.

Credit Real, then, for catching up to Barcelona so quickly. Having been 5-2 down on bragging rights in 2015, they have got themselves back level with a further three doubles in the past ten years.

There's yet more English opposition in the way for the European champions as they aim to retain their crown in Budapest on Saturday.

Paris Saint-Germain will play in the Champions League final for the second season in a row and have become used to seeing off Premier League opponents in those runs to the final two.

Luis Enrique's French champions knocked Arsenal out in last season's semi-final but the Gunners, now league champions too, stand in their way of back-to back final wins in Hungary.

Is Achraf Hakimi available for the Champions League final?

Attacking right-back Achraf Hakimi has been key to PSG's success. The 27-year-old scored the last goal of last season's semi-final against Arsenal and the first of PSG's emphatic final victory over Inter Milan.

Both his club and international managerMohamed Ouahbi have been keeping a close eye on the progress of the Morocco captain, who has been out with a hamstring injury with the Champions League final and World Cup 2026 drawing ever nearer.

Hakimi picked up the injury in the first leg of PSG's bonkers Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, missing the second leg as well as the Parisians' last four games in Ligue 1.

PSG in particular have been boosted by the latest update on the eve of the Champions League final against Arsenal at Puskas Arena.

"Although PSG haven’t confirmed that Hakimi will definitely be fit to play, he resumed group training on Tuesday and has been named in the squad for the game," reports AS.

"Hakimi’s presence would be a huge boost for PSG, given his impact at both ends of the field.

"Although nominally a full-back, the Madrid-born star is a key attacking outlet for Luis Enrique’s team, often popping up in positions other right-backs wouldn’t even dream of venturing into."

Having missed three of the last four group stage fixtures, Hakimi had played in all of PSG's Champions League knock-out fixtures before the extraordinary 5-4 at the Allianz Arena last month.

Ousmane Dembele is expected to be fit after a minor injury of his own in advance of the Champions League final, which will not be broadcast free-to-air in the United Kingdom for the first time since its rebrand in 1992.

"We have made all three UEFA finals this year available from just £4.99, the price for a month-long subscription to HBO Max that also includes the great entertainment on the service. This represents exceptional value for fans to watch the conclusion of the competitions," said TNT Sports.

The North London club, crowned Premier League victors last week for their 2025/26 English top-flight campaign, still have work to do this season.

Arsenal will play their first Champions League final since 2006 against holders Paris Saint-Germain this weekend.

Arsenal have never won Europe’s most prestigious club tournament, having lost the previous final 2-1 to Barcelona, and they could be without a key figure in their pursuit of the trophy this weekend.

Will Andrea Berta receive a stadium ban for the Champions League final?

Their clash against PSG is also a grudge match of sorts for Mikel Arteta’s men, having faced off against the Ligue 1 champions last year en route to PSG’s eventual victory.

The French side prevailed in the Champions League semi-finals by an aggregate score of 3-1, with goals from Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi and Fabian Ruiz across the two games.

Arsenal won their last semi-final clash against Atletico Madrid by an aggregate score of 2-1, however, sporting director Andrea Berta appeared to butt heads with Diego Simeone in the fixture’s second leg.

Arsenal prevailed 1-0, with the event capped by a Berta and Simeone fight on the touchline, in which the Atletico Madrid boss left his technical area to push the Gunners director.

Berta attempted to get the referee’s attention, pleading him to blow the whistle as Arsenal were winding down the clock in a tense 1-0 victory.

This behaviour caught Simeone’s eye, who stormed over and appeared to push Berta, leading to the two men requiring separation.

Team staff intervened quickly, meaning the altercation did not physically escalate, however, Berta could be seen yelling and waving his arms animatedly in Simeone’s direction while being backed away.

As a result, this behaviour is highly unlikely to meet the threshold for a stadium ban, meaning the Gunners favourite will be present to see his side face off against PSG.

Stadium bans are exceedingly rare for team staff, with one notable exception being Jose Mourinho, who received one in 2015 for an abusive rant directed at referee Jon Moss.

Unless Berta’s words are revealed to be similarly abusive, or Simeone makes an official complaint, then the Italian director will be in Budapest to hopefully see his team lift the Champions League trophy, which has continually evaded the Gunners.

Jose Mourinho may never have been more Jose Mourinho than when his side successfully held off Pep Guardiola's brilliant Barcelona in the 2010 Champions League semi-final second leg.

Inter had claimed a 3-1 lead in the first leg but were reduced to ten men just 28 minutes into the return trip to the Nou Camp.

The away goals rule meant a 2-0 victory for Barcelona would have put them through, but Inter stood their ground magnificently and limited a star-studded Barca to just a single goal... or a single legitimate goal, anyway.

Inter, of course, went on to lift the trophy by beating Bayern Munich.

Our question for you is... how many of Inter's starting line-up from that game in Barcelona can you name? And how quickly can you do it?

Remember, you can sign into Kwizly for a clue, too. Just press the 'hint' button and we'll give you the first letter of the next name you're looking for.

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Just tested your knowledge of Inter Milan? Why not continue your exploration of Milanese football by seeing if you can name whether a selection of players featured for AC Milan, Inter Milan, both, or neither?

If your interests extend beyond Italy, why not challenge yourself to name every Ballon d'Or top-three finisher from 2007 to 2023, excluding the legendary duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? For a focus on English football heritage, see if you can name every club to have ever won an English league title.

If you enjoy testing your knowledge of big transfer deals, why not try to name Barcelona's 40 most expensive players of all time? Or, for a Premier League focus, see if you can name the 50 overseas players with the most appearances in the competition's history?

Finally, for a deep dive into German football, why not aim for a perfect score in our big quiz on German footballers? Good luck!

The ex-England international played just one game for Manchester City under the Spaniard, before a series of loan moves saw him bounce around.

Joe Hart has now revealed his lasting impression of Pep Guardiola, and whether he holds a grudge over being pushed out of Manchester City.

The Spaniard, who managed his last game for the Cityzens on Sunday, previously revealed to Sky Sports that he had one regret he’d “hid deep inside for many years.”

Joe Hart reveals opinion on Pep and 'grudge' stance

The 55-year-old revealed: “I didn’t give Joe Hart a chance to be with me, to prove himself [and] how good a keeper he was. And I should have done.

You know, life is sometimes — I have to take decisions, and sometimes I am not fair enough,” confessed Guardiola.

Hart, a three-peat Golden Glove winner from 2010 to 2013, previously revealed in an Instagram Live in 2020 that he felt as though Pep was pushing him out of the club.

“Pep was making it very clear that I had to leave Manchester City. [The fans] made it very clear that it wasn’t their decision that I was leaving,” said the ex-England international.

Hart’s first and final game under Guardiola came in a Champions League qualifier, in which the goalkeeper had an opportunity to say goodbye to his adoring fans before loan moves to Torino, West Ham, then a permanent transfer to Burnley.

In light of Guardiola’s recent comments, Hart offered kind words for his ex-coach, stating plainly that he doesn’t hold grudges.

“I don't hold grudges. I gave my reasons, he gave his and he's the one with power. I liked him before, I like him now,” said the Manchester City legend.

“He’s a superb manager”, Hart continued. “I felt like I was good enough to certainly be given a chance, but that is football, that is life.

“I didn’t expect [Pep’s comments]. It meant more to me than I expected… my world kept spinning [after I left Manchester City] — I’ve had some amazing opportunities.

Hart concluded by expressing his gratitude for the Cityzens, then confessed he was excited to shake Guardiola’s hand and thank him for his service to their club.

Alisson Becker may have played his final Anfield game last Sunday, during the Reds’ 1-1 draw with Brentford.

Liverpool, who saw off icons Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson in the same game, have struggled to keep Alisson away from the allure of Serie A giants Juventus, since tentative links emerged earlier this year.

The Brazilian shot-stopper, two-time Golden Glove winner and Premier League champion, endured an injury-ridden season, with Giorgi Mamardashvili stepping up in his absence throughout Liverpool’s 2025/26 campaign.

Liverpool have now asked Alisson directly to stay

The Georgian deputy, once perceived as an ideal Alisson successor, struggled to impress in the many opportunities he received this latest top-flight season.

Mamardashvili kept just two clean sheets in 10 Premier League games for Liverpool, conceding 18 goals in that time, as the Reds marched to the lowest points tally for Champions League qualification in a 38-game Premier League season ever.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have reportedly told Alisson, who FourFourTwo proclaimed the best in Premier League history, directly that they want him at the club heading into the 2026/27 season.

Romano said: “Liverpool told Alisson ‘we want you to stay, we want you to be our goalkeeper, we believe in you.’”

“Now it’s on Alisson. He was tempted by Juventus, for sure, but Alisson was probably considering an exit only in case Liverpool said ‘okay, you can go.’”

“He never wanted to break his relationship or legacy with Liverpool as a [club] legend. So that’s (Alisson leaving despite Liverpool still wanting him) never been the case,” he continued.

Alisson, who was offered a multi-year deal by Juventus in April and even agreed personal terms with the Italian giants, now appears set to remain on Merseyside barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Juventus failed to secure Champions League football in the 2025/26 Serie A campaign, falling on the final day to Torino in a 2-2 draw.

Cesc Fabregas’ Como secured the final Champions League spot following a 4-1 victory against Cremonese, with Roma, Napoli and Inter Milan in positions one through three.

If Liverpool’s prized shot-stopper still wants to leave Anfield, perhaps the prospect of playing Europa League football at the tail-end of his career could keep him a Red instead.

Liverpool saw off two departing legends in Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson on Sunday in their final Premier League match of the season against Brentford, which ended 1-1.

Liverpool now reportedly face a huge threat in their race to secure the signature of Mo Salah’s prospective successor, with a far better-performing European giant firmly in the mix.

Salah ended his Liverpool career with one last flourish on Saturday, finding Curtis Jones for the first goal of the afternoon and topping the Reds’ charts for most Premier League assists.

Liverpool will rival PSG for the signature of Yan Diomande

Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig, long-rumoured to be Liverpool’s successor to Salah, is being pursued by current Champions League holders and finalists PSG.

PSG have knocked Liverpool out of the competition in consecutive seasons, winning their latest quarter-final clash by an aggregate score of 4-0.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 19-year-old is at the top of PSG’s summer shortlist, with firm enough interest to leave the decision in Diomande’s hands.

Romano said: “Get ready because Liverpool want him, PSG want him, player and Leipzig will dictate the conditions.

“Let me start by telling you that Yan Diomande is absolutely in the shortlist, on top of their shortlist at Paris Saint-Germain and at Liverpool.

“The player is considering his options… in terms of project, in terms of contract, in terms of development, in terms of manager, so, there will be conversations with Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain to decide the best option possible,” he continued.

The 19-year-old, who has recorded 21 goal involvements in 36 games this season, is also considering a Leipzig stay, with the German side preparing a lucrative offer.

This would include a salary raise for another season until 2027, offering Diomande more time to make the optimal decision, with a release clause also included in the contract.

The Leipzig star, who featured in FourFourTwo’s ‘The Boy’s A Bit Special’ series, topped the Bundesliga’s dribbling charts in 2025/26 by a remarkable distance.

The 19-year-old averaged 3.6 successful dribbles per game at a 60% completion rate, with Antonio Nusa on 2.2 and 53% in second, and Michael Olise on 2.0 and 47% in third.

Leipzig secured Champions League football for the 2026/27 season, offering Diomande the opportunity to showcase his talents on the brightest of stages should he choose to remain in Germany for a further year.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2018/19 season was one of the most emotionally charged campaigns in the club’s recent history.

With Mauricio Pochettino having established his team as a top-four side and the club gearing up to move into their new stadium, Spurs would find themselves deep inside a Champions League run as the season reached its business end.

Following a last-16 stroll past Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham faced a domestic opponent in the quarter-finals when they took on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, before a semi-final against Ajax and another all-English affair in the final against Liverpool.

Pochettino on Tottenham’s Champions League run

For Pochettino, Lucas Moura’s hat-trick goal against Ajax remains one of his best moments in football, but he is quick to acknowledge how his side got there.

“That [match against Ajax] was one of the greatest nights of my career, but without the previous tie against City, we wouldn’t have even got to that semi-final,” Pochettino tells FourFourTwo.

“We won the first leg 1-0 at home to City, in a game where Hugo Lloris saved a penalty from Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane injured his ankle.

“Guardiola had described Tottenham as “Harry Kane’s team”, which didn’t sit well with us because it seemed to diminish the work of the group.

“So playing the second leg at the Etihad without Kane and eliminating City carried enormous value for us.”

In Kane’s absence, Son Heung-min bagged a brace and Fernando Llorente scored what proved to be the decisive goal as Spurs’ 4-3 defeat on the night meant they progressed on away goals.

Once Ajax had been dealt with - again on away goals - Liverpool awaited in the final, with Jurgen Klopp’s side fresh from another dramatic tie, where the Reds came back from a 3-0 first-leg deficit to knock out Barcelona.

A second-minute Mohamed Salah penalty was bookended by a late Divock Origi strike, as Pochettino’s dream of claiming Spurs’ first European crown were dashed.

“We can’t regret anything,” Pochettino says as he looks back at the final in Madrid. “We played the way we did because we believed it was the best approach. After that, there are factors you can’t control.

“That handball by Moussa Sissoko wouldn’t be given as a penalty today, and it changed the script of the match because it put us at a disadvantage very early on.”

In time, Mohamed Salah will get the flowers he has so consistently been denied throughout his extraordinary, one-of-a-kind Premier League career with Liverpool.

And not the usual flowers: “I think Mohamed Salah will go down as one of Liverpool’s best ever players”, or, “Mohamed Salah gets into a Premier League all-time XI.”

We're talking about rightful recognition as not just a Liverpool legend – not “one of” in a list of almost always inferior players – but as the greatest to ever grace the English top-flight.

Mohamed Salah is the greatest the Premier League has ever seen

It's difficult to understand why Mohamed Salah’s name has seemingly been gatekept from wiggling its way into debates regarding the best-ever Premier League player.

On one hand, there’s the seemingly impenetrable fortress of nostalgia blocking any recent top-flight talents from breaking onto the list; on the other, there’s a bizarrely persistent emphasis on ‘aesthetics’ as a defining factor that eliminates Salah from the debate.

Let’s run it down. No player in Premier League history has as many PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards (three) as Mohamed Salah. No player has won more Golden Boots (four) than Salah.

No player has more non-penalty goals (31) in a single 38-game season, or as many goal involvements (47) in a single 38-game season, with both of those records coming in separate campaigns.

No player has more open-play assists (18) in a single season and, for such a historic goal-scorer, the Egyptian has taken home the Playmaker Award come the season’s end twice.

No player in football history – except for Lionel Messi – has won the Golden Boot and the Playmaker Award, being the league's greatest scorer and creator, in the same season twice… and Salah.

Not even Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez or Neymar could do it once, while doing it twice is almost incomprehensible.

Let’s continue. No player has won more points via their goal contributions in a single season than Mohamed Salah, who did so en route to an elusive Premier League title that his club had failed to win in front of fans for 35 years.

Across his first eight seasons for Liverpool in the Premier League, the Egyptian averaged 34 goal contributions per top-flight campaign. For reference, only two players in that eight-year window recorded more than 34 involvements – Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, who achieved a higher number once each.

For eight seasons, during which the Egyptian won the Premier League twice, Carabao Cup twice, FA Cup, Super Cup, Club World Cup as Player of the Tournament, and brought Liverpool to Champions League glory, Salah’s average top-flight haul outperformed the very best seasons from England’s two scariest strikers.

Statistically, there is nobody that close to Salah. Thierry Henry’s claim comes nearest – a slightly higher scorer on average than the Egyptian – but falls short when you see the disparity that exists between their assist totals.

Despite being a joint-holder of the Premier League assist record, Henry failed to record over 10 assists in six of his eight top-flight seasons, while Salah failed to do so in just two.

If we compare a single season of Mohamed Salah’s prime, his debut 2017/18 campaign, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon D’or season in 2007/08, the results are not what so many football fans would have you believe.

Salah scored more Premier League goals, tallied more Premier League assists, scored more Champions League goals and tallied more Champions League assists.

Both players made it to the biggest European final, and en route, Salah scored more knock-out goals and recorded more knock-out assists than the Portuguese icon.

But here's the kicker. For such a remarkable player to watch in Ronaldo, compared to the often described as ‘stiff' and 'robotic’ Salah, the Portuguese star completed just ten more dribbles than him across both competitions: 126 for Ronaldo to 116 for Salah.

And while some would argue comparing the statistics of a ‘striker’ in Salah to a ‘midfielder’ in Ronaldo isn’t fair, the Manchester United man scored twice the number of goals in the six-yard box as Salah, and took four times more penalties.

In fact, during 'midfielder' Ronaldo’s prime years in the Premier League, 2006 to 2009, he averaged almost six shots taken per 90 minutes, compared to 'striker' Salah’s less than 4 shots per 90 during his Liverpool career.

So, what is the difference between that version of Salah and that version of Ronaldo if not solely the team they had around them?

Because when Salah fails to be disproven statistically, the argument suddenly becomes about team trophies. Strangely, the same argument is not pitted against Thierry Henry's claim, who won the same number of Premier League titles as the Egyptian and was unable to take Arsenal to the European perch, unlike Salah.

If you point out the flawed logic in using team trophies to decide a player's greatness, because surely that would make Ryan Giggs the all-time best, then the back-up argument emerges.

“But Ronaldo won the Ballon D’or!” – which is just as odd, because we fail to see such passion for Michael Owen being the best Premier League striker ever. Perhaps those same fans would take significant offence to suggesting Rodri is a greater midfielder than Xavi, Iniesta, or Lampard and Gerrard.

They say that records are made to be broken, but it remains very likely that, in our lifetimes, some of Mohamed Salah’s records will be immortal. In time, Premier League fans will begin to wonder why those records cannot be broken.

It feels unlikely that we will see a player equal or top Salah's three PFA POTY victories any time soon, considering that nobody in the award's 60-year history could do so before the Egyptian arrived in this league.

Just as the NBA's MVP award was recently re-named after Michael Jordan, who won a still unbeaten five trophies, how long will it be before the PFA should consider naming their award after Salah?