Vinicius Jr. and Bonmati win top prizes at The Best FIFA Awards
Video credit: SNTV
Aside from those two favourites, it should prove to be a fascinating tournament. Germany no longer have legendary forward Alexandra Popp, but their squad is still packed with talent and should be able to welcome back Lena Oberdorf from her devastating knee injury. France, Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands are all looking strong too.
An early dark(ish) horse? For us, it might be Norway. Players like Guro Reiten, Frida Maanum and Elisabeth Terland have had fantastic seasons in the WSL so far and the likes of Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Caroline Graham Hansen and Ada Hegerberg remain some of the best in the world in their positions. The worry will always be whether they can keep opponents out, but with a relatively easy group they should be poised to make a run.
Elsewhere, internationally, we have the delayed WAFCON finally taking place in Morocco as well as the Copa America Femenina in Ecuador. Don’t miss them!
Will women’s game see first £1 million player?
As women’s football grows and more money comes in from increased TV revenue, it stands to reason that the transfer record will keep being broken. The current record belongs to Racheal Kundananji who joined NWSL expansion side Bay FC in February 2024 for a widely reported fee of around $860,000 (£685,000). The deal marked the third time in 18 months that the record had been broken after Keira Walsh’s move to Barcelona and then Mayra Ramirez’s move to Chelsea.
The next barrier is, of course, the £1 million mark (or euros or dollars depending on your preference). There were reports last summer that Arsenal and Chelsea were contemplating breaching that barrier for Walsh (or at least coming close) but nothing came to pass.
‘Perfect execution’ – Rodman finishes electric USA move to open scoring against Zambia
Video credit: Eurosport
It feels inevitable that 2025 might be the year that this fee is paid, be that in pounds, euros or dollars. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Lyon, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are all seriously investing in their clubs and would have the resources to pay that kind of price. Not to mention the number of clubs within the NWSL who will feel the pressure to spend after the impact that someone like Barbra Banda (second-highest transfer of all time) had on 2024 champions Orlando Pride.
Who will that be? Now that’s hard to say. Will a big European club launch audacious bids for Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson or Naomi Girma? What about if one of Barcelona’s big stars chooses to leave? There are certainly options, but nothing concrete, yet.
On the pitch, this season’s Champions League promises to be one of the most intriguing. Not only did Manchester City show that holders Barcelona can be beaten, but there is an argument to be had that the quarter-final field is the strongest it has ever been, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Lyon, Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea vying for glory.
Sonia Bompastor, Head Coach of Chelsea poses for a photograph her Barclays Manager of the Month Award at Chelsea Training Ground on December 06, 2024 in Cobham, England
Image credit: Getty Images
Across the pond, the NWSL continues to only grow and grow, as does the Liga MX Femenil, and we will see an inaugural winner of the CONCACAF Champions League crowned in May. Across the world, the game is taking big steps and, despite various roadblocks along the way, there is just so much to be excited about.
How many of Salah, Trent and VVD will leave?
Liverpool’s men’s team have had an incredible first half of the season and Arne Slot and his players deserve immense credit. As we said above, they look like one of the best teams in Europe, which was not what was expected after Jurgen Klopp stepped aside.
However, it’s hard to talk about Liverpool without talking about the elephant in the room, or rather three elephants. All three of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are currently free to negotiate pre-contracts ahead of their deals at Anfield expiring in the summer. It seems all but certain that Alexander-Arnold will move to Real Madrid to link up with good friend Jude Bellingham, but recent reports have indicated that perhaps the other two could stay after all. If Slot and Liverpool can end up keeping two out of three, it will be a massive victory.
‘Doesn’t worry me’ – Relaxed Slot says he ‘accepts’ Salah’s contract situation
Video credit: SNTV
What happens with Pep and City?
Speaking of big Premier League clubs with headaches to deal with, we come to the defending English champions. Not only are City and their manager Pep Guardiola in their worst run of form in the Spaniard’s time in England, but they also have the looming threat of the Premier League’s case against them, with the verdict due in 2025.
Guardiola has been adamant that he will stay with the club no matter the result, but will the club start to think about other options if he can’t turn things around? It seems crazy that a team would so quickly dispense with the services of one of the greatest managers of all time, but English football is its own special kind of crazy…
Can Forest and other surprise packages keep pace?
And again, speaking of, is there a more surprising story in Europe’s big leagues this season than Nottingham Forest? We can’t think of one. However, we once again do have a few teams who are punching way above their weight, an interesting recent trend. Aside from Forest, we have Bournemouth and Fulham pushing for European football in England, Mainz in fifth in Germany, Atletico pushing for another title in Spain with Mallorca sitting in the European places and Atalanta locked in a title fight in Serie A. Can they all keep the pace? It’s going to be fascinating to find out.
‘We’re building something nice’ – Nuno ‘really happy’ after Forest win at Man Utd
Video credit: SNTV
Can anyone save Man Utd?
Don’t forget about big clubs struggling either. The headline here is, of course, Manchester United, where Ruben Amorim seemingly now realises the true scale of the massive rebuild job he has agreed to. If Amorim cannot save Manchester United, what hope is there for this once great club?
They are not alone, however, with Spurs blowing hot and cold with each passing fixture and a real risk that Everton’s long stay in the top flight might come to an end. On a similar note, in Spain, Valencia’s sad fall from grace might ultimately culminate in relegation, whilst Sevilla are also in trouble. The Bundesliga is going mostly to script but in the 2. Bundesliga there are real worries about Schalke possibly getting relegated to the third tier. In Italy, Roma are only just recovering from a catastrophic start as both they and a stuttering AC Milan will go into the new year with new managers. In addition, former French champions Montpellier currently sit bottom of Ligue 1. It will be interesting to see which of these teams can reverse their fortunes in 2025.
‘A little bit embarrassing’ – Amorim takes responsibility for Man Utd struggles
Video credit: SNTV
Club World Cup
The latest iteration of the Club World Cup sees a revamped tournament with 32 teams in 11 cities across the United States. On the face of it, this feels like a good idea, bringing a larger number of fanbases together in a quieter period in the calendar to try and create the kind of vibe you get in international tournaments.
Of course, the caveat to this is “who cares about the Club World Cup?” and ultimately, that is still a huge question for the most part. Yes, watching South American teams beat their richer European counterparts was always fun, but in reality, very few people have ever cared about this tournament.
Can this new format change that? Well, if it does not, then it is likely nothing will. Hosting it every four years seems simultaneously weird and sensible, but should ultimately mean it matters more. Also, we have some truly huge fanbases represented (which should help) and, of course, a wide selection of great players – including a certain Lionel Messi – for this first edition.
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Publish date : 2025-01-02 00:44:00
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