Find here all the latest live football news: results from Ligue 1, La Liga, Premier League, and the biggest European and international competitions. Follow the latest transfers, match summaries, standings, and upcoming fixtures. Don’t miss any of today’s football news on Aballou, your site dedicated to football enthusiasts.
Barcelona restarts training after the Christmas break with Pedri and Araujo back in action. Pedri had missed the last two matches due to injury. Barça head into the Catalonia derby against Espanyol with a four-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Aston Villa has filed a formal complaint with the Premier League over a revised schedule that sends them away for a key match against Arsenal. The club, sitting third, questions the logic of a rotated round in the second half of the season as Nottingham Forest looms on Saturday. Villa highlights their strong form, including a 2-1 win at Chelsea, and argues travel and recovery are being compromised. The club’s football operations chief warns against fixture lists being guided by political calculations and calls for a clearer explanation from the league.
Red Bull reshuffles its driver lineup, removing Yuki Tsunoda from the main seat ahead of the 2026 season. Laurent Mekies calls the decision extremely tough but necessary, while Tsunoda steps into a testing and reserve role. Isaq Khajar will join the team as the replacement, with Liam Lawson returning to Red Bull Racing after a rocky start to the season. Mekies emphasizes that Tsunoda will still have chances to return to a full-time seat in the future.
Real Madrid resumes training ahead of the January 4 clash with Betis at the Bernabeu. The session featured a gym-based activation, followed by group drills and tactical work, including crosses and shooting. Several first-team regulars were on the field, while a few injuries kept others sidelined.
Egypt denies rumors that Mohamed Salah rebelled against the coach's benching decision in the Angola match. The defense comes as Egypt advances from Group B after a 0-0 draw, having already secured progress with a win over South Africa. Salah scored in that victory. South Africa also advances; Angola and Zimbabwe finish with two points.
Retired German star Toni Kroos, a Real Madrid legend, reveals the toughest opponent he faced across a career spanning Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. He hints this challenge came from France’s N'Golo Kanté, now with Al-Ittihad. Kroos shared the insight via Fabrizio Romano, saying Kanté felt like two players on the pitch. Kanté is among the world’s elite midfielders, boasting a World Cup win and major European honors with Leicester City and Chelsea.
Gary Lineker argues Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres can raise his Premier League output by studying how top forwards move into space. He highlights Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a model and notes Gyökeres’ current stats in the Premier League and Champions League. Calvert-Lewin is in brilliant form, while Gyökeres still adapts to English football after a big-money move. Lineker believes the improvement is achievable through a simple, probabilistic approach to movement in the box.
Morocco's Osama Tanan delivered another jaw-dropping moment, repeating his iconic midfield strike in the Arab Cup final, this time echoed in the Qatar league. Morocco clinched the Arab Cup after a dramatic 3-2 win over Jordan in Lusail. Later, Tanan added a blistering free-kick for Umm Salal against Al Ahli, sealing a 3-0 victory. The run highlights Tanan's knack for spectacular goals and keeps fans buzzing as the season unfolds.
Egypt's Mustafa Shobier reflects on his AFCON 2025 debut after a goalless draw with Angola. He expresses pride in taking part and notes the challenge of integrating many new players. The performance was not perfect, but he stresses belief in Egypt’s title hopes and readiness for the knockout rounds. Salah Mohsen also shares his happiness to participate and discusses the chances created during the match.
Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan praised the Pharaohs’ performance after a AFCON 2025 group-stage draw with Angola. Egypt leads the group with seven points, following wins over Zimbabwe and South Africa. Hassan notes that critics who doubt the team’s progress exist, but emphasizes the need for continued excellence. The article underscores the strategic rest of key players and the readiness of squad depth for later rounds. A light touch of humor closes the piece as the team eyes the title.
Lazio's head coach Maurizio Sarri underwent heart surgery after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. The operation, performed by Professor Andrea Natale, was successful, and Sarri is expected to resume his duties in the coming days. The club thanked the hospital and Natale’s team for their high level of care. Sarri’s storied coaching career includes Napoli, Chelsea, and Juventus, and he continues with Lazio.
South Africa earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe to secure a place in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16. The match unfolded in Marrakech, closing Group B with SA collecting six points. Zimbabwe equalized after SA went ahead, but Oswin Polis’s late penalty sealed the win for the hosts. Egypt topped the group with seven points, advancing alongside SA.
Ronald Araújo returns to Barcelona’s training after the Christmas break, greeted by fans with warmth as the club resumes its Champions League push. The Uruguayan defender’s comeback follows a recent red card against Chelsea that affected Barcelona’s performance. Fans welcomed him at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, acknowledging his leadership. The club continues to support him as he focuses on his well-being and return to action.
Egypt's AFCON 2025 campaign hits a late snag as Mohand Lashine exits with an injury. The Pharaohs had already secured a last-16 berth with wins over Zimbabwe and South Africa. Lashine started the Angola game after bench duties in the previous fixtures, before being replaced by Mohamed Shahat. Coach Hossam Hassan rotated the squad, resting key stars like Salah and Marmoush to focus on progression.
Chelsea plans a cautious January transfer window, prioritizing the offloading of fringe players over big signings. The objective is to rebalance the squad ahead of the summers of 2026 and 2027. Sterling, Disasi, and T. George are highlighted as potential departures, while Maresca seeks financial and tactical balance. Sky Sports frames the approach as a step toward long-term stability rather than a winter fireworks show.
Prominent agent Jorge Mendes hails Lamine Yamal as a future Ballon d'Or contender. Mendes accepted the Globe Soccer Award for Best Agent in the United Arab Emirates. He argues Yamal's talent will translate into world-class honours with Barcelona in the coming years. Yamal finished runner-up for this year's Ballon d'Or and collected Globe Soccer prizes for Best Young Player in La Liga and Best Striker in the World.
Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan shuffles the Pharaohs for AFCON 2025 against Angola. With qualification already secured, he gives some players their first minutes. Salah Mohsen wears the captain's armband as the oldest starter. The piece lists the lineup and notes Mohsen's leadership since a 2017 friendly against Morocco.
Manchester United has closed the door on Jadon Sancho's return, paving the way for him to leave as a free agent by July 1. Sancho joined United from Dortmund in 2021 on a five-year deal that ends this season. Despite early high hopes, his form dipped, prompting United to rethink his future. He is currently on loan at Aston Villa, with the final decision on his United future now clear.
Celia Rodríguez, head of Espanyol's supporters, ignites the derby with bold remarks about Juan Garcia's return to his former ground. The Espanyol–Barcelona clash in La Liga's 18th round is shaping up to be one of the season's most charged encounters. Garcia's move to Barça and his comeback to Espanyol's stadium have stirred anger among fans, triggering security planning. Expect a match where emotions run as high as the stakes on the pitch.
The Premier League named the Week 18 nominees for Player of the Week. Arsenal maintain the lead with a win over Brighton, while Manchester City close the gap after beating Nottingham Forest. United and Liverpool also secured wins, and Chelsea slipped to defeat. Front-runners Florian Viertz and Ryan Cherky headline the list, joined by Patrick Durgo, Martin Dubravka, Ollie Watkins, and Kevin Shady in a tight race.
