Opinion

Football's most prestigious individual award should go to the world's best player in any given year, but that is not always the case...

The 28-year-old was front and centre of his club and country's triumphs last season, and the incredible role he plays has rightly been acknowledged

GOAL runs through every edition of the Golden Ball since 2000, outlining which players were most worthy winners - and who was robbed

With the Dutchman having been finally put out of his misery on Monday, GOAL assesses his possible successors in the Old Trafford dugout...

The Dutchman has finally got his marching orders, but the long delay has already threatened to derail the Red Devils' season

The France captain's honeymoon period at Santiago Bernabeu is well and truly over after a nightmare display against Barcelona

The Dutch coach didn't spend transfer funds wisely during his time at Old Trafford, but who stands out as the worst buy of his turbulent tenure?

The ex-Ajax boss has been fired and leaves after his side were embarrassed on a number of occasions over the past two-and-a-half years

The forward should be acknowledged as the best on the planet following an immense campaign at Santiago Bernabeu

The England star's campaign ended in heartbreak, but he needs to be recognised for a historic season

The Uruguayan impressed in the Champions League midweek, but still desperately needs to show that he can deliver on a regular basis

The Frenchman has been among the goals in the Spanish capital, but Los Blancos' brilliant Brazilian will be their main threat in El Clasico

The Sounders have MLS's best defense and a leading star in Jordan Morris, so why aren't more people talking about them as Cup contenders?

GOAL runs through the most outstanding players to ply their trade in Spain's top flight since the turn of the year 2000

The Brazilian continued his red-hot form by putting Bayern Munich to the sword in the Champions League, and Los Blancos could be his next victims

The two giants of Spanish football meet at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday in one of their most eagerly-anticipated clashes for years

Mikel Arteta's side welcome the league-leaders to the Emirates on Sunday in what already feels like a huge title showdown

The Portuguese and the Dutchman have both won trophies, but how do they compare with the other managers to have occupied the Old Trafford dugout?

GOAL rates all the Reds on show at the Red Bull Arena as Arne Slot's side showcased their invaluable strength in depth

So many great players have helped Germany's most successful club stay at the top in the past quarter-century, but how many will go down as legends?

The Blues fell to a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, and their mercurial No.20 merely skirted round the fringes of the contest

The Danish hitman struck his first Premier League goal of the season to down Brentford, and if he stays fit he can take the next step at Old Trafford

From Euro stars such as Messi and Beckham to U.S. heroes such as Donovan and Dempsey, each had unique impact on MLS

An inconceivable run of three red cards in eight Premier League games already this season is threatening to derail the Gunners' pursuit of glory

GOAL runs through the most outstanding players to have plied their trade for Les Parisiens since the turn of the year 2000

The Reds presently top the table but they're now facing a rotten run of fixtures that will define their campaign

GOAL attempts the impossible by ranking the finest footballers to grace the English top flight since 2000

Revoking the legendary manager's role is another demonstration of the minority owner's lack of regard for the people who built the club

The German has a track record of achieving almost instantaneous success but not long before leaving his role in acrimony