The central defender, 21, is showing maturity beyond his years - and surpassing every expectation for club and country

Zidane has lived a charmed life as a player and a coach. Now France wants him to show that effortless brilliance leading its national team

City said the club are "innocent of the accusations" in a statement released shortly after the Premier League's announcement.

This may look like a victory for the Premier League but it has come at a cost that cannot be fully calculated

City were charged by the Premier League in February 2023.

City were charged by the Premier League in February 2023.

Whatever the tendency in some quarters to laugh at him, English football could do with producing a few more like Rosenior

The Real Madrid full-back is in the England squad for the first time since June 2025 and has plenty to prove to Thomas Tuchel

It has not been an easy fortnight for Teesside, an area which has long experience of being talked down. But the football club offers hope

The Athletic's experts have taken a look at the window and answered a series of key questions about it

The man who had delivered some of his country's greatest football memories realised he simply had nothing left to give

The club survived exile from its own stadium, going into administration and relegation to the fourth tier before its recent renaissance

Mikel Arteta has talked of looking his players in the eyes to see whether they have the hunger for success. We will soon find out if they do

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund made bold statements about the future and achieved early success, but the project has started to drift

England have won one World Cup. The story of what happened to the medals afterwards is complex

The end for Howe can only prompt sadness. There is no jubilation. He is not despised or berated by the vast majority of Newcastle supporters

In a World Cup that was so often illuminated by the game’s biggest stars, the greatest glory was claimed by its strongest collective

There are good footballers, great footballers and then there is Lionel Messi, the teenage wunderkind illuminating the World Cup age 39

Paul the Octopus predicted eight games out of eight correctly during the 2010 World Cup. But the story is not that simple...

The inside story of the campaign which promised so much before ending in familiar, agonising fashion

England vs Argentina is just a game. It is also a rivalry built around emotions, tensions, controversies and bitter feuds

Paul the Octopus predicted eight games out of eight correctly during the 2010 World Cup. But the story is not that simple...

Norway's talismanic striker could not prevent his side exiting the tournament but he leaves some golden memories

All you need to know about today's World Cup games and the key talking points from day 30

The Athletic's writers look back at some of the early World Cup memories that kindled their love for the global tournament

Egypt awoke the beast in Lionel Messi. The rest was World Cup history...

Football's greatest prize eluded him but Ronaldo's impact on the sport cannot be disputed

Before the Club World Cup, The Athletic has spoken to dozens of people to gain a clearer picture of the most powerful man in football

For 30 minutes, it looked as though Algeria and Austria were happy to play for a convenient draw - then came a wild period of added time

Are England too predictable too often when faced with a resilient, well-organised defence? It seemed that way against Ghana

Watching the two greatest footballers of the modern era playing on the biggest stage in the twilight of their careers was irresistible

Room's 15 saves against Ecuador is the stuff of dreams, as is the journey to this point for him and Curacao

Players and staff explain how it all went so wrong for England at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa

Analysis of England's opening World Cup game against Croatia

Can Thomas Tuchel take England one step further in North America this summer?

If this, finally, surely, is to be his last World Cup - Messi is not going to go quietly. It's a privilege to still be watching him

The great France midfielder on the shock of losing to Senegal in 2002 and his evolving relationship with his own sense of identity

The great France midfielder on the shock of losing to Senegal in 2002 and his evolving relationship with his own sense of identity

The World Cup winner discusses his choice of France's front six and identifies what today's team need to emulate the sides of 1998 and 2018

It is 24 years since the South Americans last won this tournament but, under their Italian coach, they aspire to end that lengthy drought

In terms of global impact, socially, culturally and economically, nothing comes close to the World Cup

YouTube video by The Athletic FC

Nobody could have foreseen the difficulties Slot faced in his second season. The future now looks so much more complicated

The head coach's departure was confirmed on Saturday.

We have reached the final day of the season, so who will finish top? And what will happen on matchday 38?

Some view him as a 'genius', others diminish his achievements by calling him a 'chequebook manager'. But there can be no doubting his impact

Some view him as a 'genius', others diminish his achievements by calling him a 'chequebook manager'. But there can be no doubting his impact

The beauty at Arsenal lies in the tale of their rebirth – something that looks set to continue in a post-Guardiola Premier League landscape

Andy Morrison captained Manchester City as they came back from their lowest ebb - and is now in his own battle with Ramsay Hunt syndrome