3 d. ago Champions League review: PSG’s young guns, Valverde’s discontent and Qarabag shine

There was a compelling clash of heavyweights in Catalonia, some unhappy rumblings at Real and a legend of Azerbaijani football roared• The viewers. Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain was the final many wanted last season. Wednesday’s group-stage meeting showed why. The fixture did not disappoint, even if, with red tape delaying the opening of the renovated Camp Nou, it was played in the less atmospheric Lluís Companys Stadium. Luis Enrique’s young Parisians staged a comeback in Catalonia, thanks to their coach’s expert use of his squad. Senny Mayulu, 19, upstaged Lamine Yamal by scoring the equaliser – Wednesday was the first match this season Yamal had failed to either score or contribute to a goal. Instead, the resurgent Marcus Rashford set up Ferran Torres’s opener for Barça. PSG were shorn of Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the forward line that claimed last season’s crown. No matter: 23-year-old Bradley Barcola stepped up as the senior forward and ravaged H...

Sport

6 d. ago Concerns raised over Lamine Yamal after ‘alarming’ report on player welfare

Global players' union Fifpro believes the workload placed on Yamal could risk his ‘long-term development and well-being’

Sport

9 d. ago Ballon d’Or? Ballon D’oh! more like – English clubs have been shunned with only seven winners in 69 years

BALLON d’Or . . . Ballon D’oh! more like. In English it means Golden Ball and I reckon they have dropped one. Despite decades of European domination, the Premier League has been rewarded with just THREE  — for Rodri last year, Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen. This sounds more like balls to me. Since the Prem’s inception in 1992-93,...

Politics

9 d. ago Tommy Fleetwood's huge age gap with wife mercilessly heckled at Ryder Cup

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood were confirmed as Ryder Cup playing partners on Thursday, with the opening round taking place on Friday at Bethpage Black

Politics

1 week ago Mohamed Salah given clear Ballon d'Or verdict as Liverpool star compared to Arsenal icon

Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah finished fourth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting, with the Egypt international ranking below Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal and Vitinha

Politics

1 week ago La Liga chief weighs in on Ballon d'Or row with Lamine Yamal claim

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal missed out on the first Ballon d’Or of his career as Ousmane Dembele scooped the award in a glitzy ceremony in Paris earlier this month

Politics

1 week ago Lionesses captain Leah Williamson and Miss USA girlfriend stun at Ballon d’Or as fans hail ‘new Posh and Becks’

LEAH WILLIAMSON and her Miss USA girlfriend stunned at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. The Lionesses captain was pictured alongside beau Elle Smith ahead of the awards being dished out. Williamson, 28, shared several snaps of the two of them on her Instagram account. The Arsenal ace and Elle looked loved up as they smiled for...

Politics

1 week ago 'The new Posh and Becks!': Lionesses captain Leah Williamson and Miss USA wow fans with behind

Lionesses captain Leah Williamson and Miss USA, Elle Smith, have shared glamorous behind-the-scenes photos from the Ballon d'Or ceremony. 

Politics

1 week ago Ousmane Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or is a human victory amid the toxic theatre of football | Barney Ronay

The ceremony in Paris was reliably nauseating but the PSG star’s award was born out of hard work and tactical intelligenceEven after a few hours of sober reflection it was still hard to identify exactly which bit of the reliably nauseating 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony was the single most nauseating bit of the reliably nauseating 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony. One thing is certain. We have a powerful shortlist here. The competition is generational. But this is also the elite, the god tier. And as ever there must be a winner.Was it the first nauseating thing at the Théâtre du Châtelet; the crowd of otherwise normal Parisians transformed into fame-zombies, thronged against the barriers four hours before the ceremony, whooping and gawping as bored-looking blokes moved broadcast boxes around, baying at passing female TV presenters, spectating the buildup to an awards do in a state of celebrity delirium? Or was the most nauseating thing the pre-ceremony outrage in the French media, who railed at...

Events

1 week ago Princess Charlene of Monaco, 47, stuns in a showstopping white backless gown during solo appearance at the Ballon D'Or

The royal, 47, who is married to Prince Albert, 67, turned heads at the Theatre du Chatelet for the prestigious football awards ceremony - and even made a reference to her own sporting past.

Politics

1 week ago Chelsea's Cole Palmer sends cryptic Ballon d'Or message after final ranking confirmed

Cole Palmer was the highest-ranked Englishman in the Ballon d'Or standings, but the Chelsea forward has issued a cryptic response to his ranking on social media

Sport

1 week ago Football Daiily | A big night at the Ballon d’Or but are trinkets and stats all that matter?

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Fairness and football are rarely good bedfellows. At the glitzy Golden Ball ceremony in Paris on Monday night, there was further evidence of this as Aitana Bonmatí collected the women’s award for the third year in a row. “I still can’t believe it. Incredible,” cheered the Spain playmaker. “Thank you for this it really could have gone to anyone.” Except it didn’t. You see, France Football has a tendency to overlook more deserving characters by focusing on talent, attitude and output. The Edinburgh comedy award has a rule where no one can take home the bacon twice, allowing others to get their moment in the spotlight, too, and preventing Football Daily’s questionable comedy heroes from collecting it annually. It doesn’t matter that Bonmatí has been a consistent pinnacle of excellence in the game, driving Barcelona to the Liga F title for a sixth straight year and recovering from viral meningitis to play at the Euros. She also had a pe...

Politics

1 week ago Football Daily | A big night at the Ballon d’Or but are trinkets and stats all that matter?

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Fairness and football are rarely good bedfellows. At the glitzy Golden Ball ceremony in Paris on Monday night, there was further evidence of this as Aitana Bonmatí collected the women’s award for the third year in a row. “I still can’t believe it. Incredible,” cheered the Spain playmaker. “Thank you for this it really could have gone to anyone.” Except it didn’t. You see, France Football has a tendency to overlook more deserving characters by focusing on talent, attitude and output. The Edinburgh comedy award has a rule where no one can take home the bacon twice, allowing others to get their moment in the spotlight, too, and preventing Football Daily’s questionable comedy heroes from collecting it annually. It doesn’t matter that Bonmatí has been a consistent pinnacle of excellence in the game, driving Barcelona to the Liga F title for a sixth straight year and recovering from viral meningitis to play at the Euros. She also had a pe...

Politics

1 week ago PSG clean up at the Ballon d’Or while losing to Marseille in Ligue 1

Luis Enrique, Ousmane Dembélé and PSG won awards in Paris but the real action was taking place at the Vélodrome By Get French Football NewsOn a night when Paris Saint-Germain were named the best team in the world, their centre-forward the best player in the world, and their man in the dugout the best manager in the world, they were second best at the Vélodrome, losing a league game in Marseille for the first time in 14 years.The 21st night of September will live long in the memory of the Marseillais. It was the night that an apocalyptic deluge engulfed the city and the wider Var region, bringing the city to a standstill and forcing the postponement of the heavily anticipated classique. The sheer strength of the storm dispelled any notion of a wider anti-PSG conspiracy from the local authorities, who made the decision just hours before kick-off and after Luis Enrique’s side had already arrived in the city. PSG retraced their steps, returning to Paris and then making the trip back dow...

Politics

1 week ago Ballon d’Or 2025 LIVE: Results and latest updates as Ousmane Dembele pips Lamine Yamal to award

PSG star wins race for world football’s biggest individual prize

Events

1 week ago Scott McTominay Ballon d'Or ranking sends Man United transfer warning they can't ignore

Manchester United's former midfielder Scott McTominay capped off his redemption arc on Monday night at the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony

Events

1 week ago 'Something strange has happened here': Lamine Yamal's father blasts Ousmane Dembele Ballon d'Or triumph

Spanish star was beaten to top award by French forward

Politics

1 week ago Lionel Messi sends message to Ousmane Dembele after Ballon d’Or triumph

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi sent congratulations to his former Barcelona teammate after the Frenchman claimed the prestigious prize

Politics

1 week ago From the Queen of Stops to the Queen of Strops! Mary Earps looks VERY tense as she hands rival and teammate Ballon d'Or for best goalkeeper

Armchair body language experts were at the edge of their seats when the goalkeeper award was given out at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday night. 

Politics

1 week ago Lamine Yamal's dad in 'very strange' statement as Ballon d'Or controversy addressed

Lamine Yamal's father has broken his silence on the Ballon d'Or controversy after Barcelona's teenage forward was beaten to the award by PSG ace Ousmane Dembele

Politics