39 h. ago From Sehitler to Armstrong: 10 female footballers set for breakthrough in 2026

Today’s newsletter looks at 10 superlative talents who are ready to take the next step in the coming 12 monthsAlara Sehitler, Bayern Munich and Germany (19): Sehitler’s transition into Bayern Munich’s first team has come as little surprise and the creative midfielder has established herself as a strong impact player for José Barcala’s side. She has three Frauen Bundesliga goals this season and sparked Bayern’s comeback against Arsenal in the Champions League. After making her senior debut for Germany in November 2024, she will be looking to establish herself as a regular for their upcoming 2027 World Cup qualifiers.Giulia Galli, Roma and Italy (17): Galli is widely regarded as one of the best young Italian talents to emerge for a long time and became Roma’s youngest player to make her Serie A debut in May 2024, aged 16 and one month. Establishing herself in the senior squad this season, she scored her first club goal in September and has featured in the Champions League. After starr...

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3 w. ago Joey Barton dodges jail after 'racially aggravated' social media outburst

Gobby Joey Barton sensationally dodged jail after sharing warped posts comparing female football pundits to serial killers Fred and Rose West

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3 w. ago Joey Barton avoids jail over offensive social media posts on female football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward

Former Newcastle United and Manchester City star spared immediate prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court

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3 w. ago Joey Barton is SPARED jail after being found guilty of six charges over 'offensive tweets' aimed at Jeremy Vine and female football TV pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward

Joey Barton has been handed a suspended sentence, a two-year restraining order and 200 hours of community service after being found guilty of six charges over 'offensive tweets'.

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3 w. ago Joey Barton avoids jail over social media posts about female football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward

Former Newcastle United and Manchester City star spared immediate prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court

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4 w. ago See how every judge voted in the 100 best female footballers for 2025

We publish the full breakdown of the 104,140 votes cast this year plus a chance to search for any player who has ever received a pointAitana Bonmatí has been voted the best female footballer in the world 2025 by the Guardian’s panel of experts. We asked 127 people in total, including players, coaches and journalists from all over the globe to create our definitive list for the year.We asked the judges to choose 40 names each and rank their selection in order from 1-40, No 1 being their choice of the best player. The No 1 choice of each judge was awarded 40 points, No 2 given 39pts, down to 1pt for their No 40 choice. All the votes were added together to give a raw score. To minimise the influence of outliers in the list, the highest score awarded to a player was then deducted to give a final score. Continue reading...

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