World Football

Mjallby, a team from a tiny fishing village, are about to become champions of Sweden for the first time.It’s one of the biggest shocks in recent European football history, and defender Tom Pettersson has been telling World Football’s Mani Djazmi how it’s happened.Image: Mjallby's Tom Pettersson against Djurgarden's Haris Radetinac during an Allsvenskan match between Djurgardens IF and Mjallby AIF at Tele2 Arena on May 21, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

The President of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness, tells Mani Djazmi why they have chosen a home game against Israel to donate profits from ticket sales to a charity working in Gaza.Image: Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness looks on prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Japan and Norway at Wellington Regional Stadium on August 05, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Maja Hitij - FIFA via Getty Images)

It’s Champions League romance as Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty face the mighty Real Madrid.Kairat player Damir Kasabulat tells Mani Djazmi what it means just to be in the competition, the reaction when the players discovered that their first home game would be against Real Madrid, and who he might take to London when they play Arsenal.Image: Geovany Quenda of Sporting CP with Damir Kassabulat and Luis Mata of FC Kairat Almaty in action during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and FC Kairat Almaty at Estadio Jose Alvalade. (Photo by David Martins/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Not many football players will be like Christian Burgess. The English defender has a first-class honours degree in history and is making history on the pitch for Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise.He’s captaining the side as they make their Champions League debut this season and Burgess tells World Football’s Mani Djazmi about his path from university to now Champions League football.He shares his disbelief at making his debut in Europe’s premier club competition just a month before his 34th birthday.Burgess shares his own personal view of the situation facing refugees trying to cross the English channel. There are many other opinions and we aim to reflect them all on the BBC World Service and across the BBC.Image: Christian Burgess of Union Saint-Gilloise celebrates after the team's victory during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 match between R. Union Saint-Gilloise and Liverpool FC at Stade Joseph Marien on December 14, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Every season teams across Europe compete for a place in the Uefa Champions League, but who are the clubs from Cyprus, Norway, Belgium and even a team north of the Arctic Circle making their debuts in Europe’s top-tier club competition?Pafos FC of Cyprus, Norway's Bodo/Glimt, Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan and Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise all advanced through the qualifying rounds to make history by reaching the competition’s league phase for the first time.Maz Farookhi is joined by football reporter George Addo to get the views from each of the four sides making their debuts.Image: Jaja (C) of Pafos celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round Second Leg match between Pafos and Crvena Zvezda at Limassol Stadium on August 26, 2025 in Limassol, Cyprus. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

The Fluminense goalkeeper, Fabio, is the new holder of the world record for the number of professional appearances. His former teammate at Cruzeiro, Fabiano, tells Mani Djazmi about Fabio’s dedication and describes him as an inspiration for any player who wants to keep going for as long as possible.We also hear from Fluminense fan Bruno Stefano who was at Fabio’s historic 1,391st appearance.Photo: Fabio of Fluminese during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match between Fluminense FC and Chelsea FC at MetLife Stadium on July 8, 2025 in East Rutherford, United States. (Credit: AMA/Getty Images)

The future of England and Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze has been one of the major talking points of the current transfer window.It had been thought he would join Tottenham, with a deal agreed between the clubs until their biggest rivals in North London, Arsenal, also reached an agreement with Palace.Eze started his youth career with Arsenal, and has been one of Palace’s key players and helped them to win the FA Cup last season.John Bennett is joined by former Tottenham defender Stephen Kelly and Crystal Palace forward Kwesi Appiah as they give their perspectives.PHOTO CREDIT: Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring his sides goal which is later disallowed following a VAR review during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on August 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Ahead of the start of the European leagues, John Bennett brings together our European football experts to preview the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1.Joining John is World Football’s Mani Djazmi, German writer and broadcaster Constantin Eckner, Italian football expert Daniele Verri, Ernest Macia from Radio Catalunya and L’Equipe’s Loic Tanzi.The panel discuss the big clubs and key battles in Europe as well as the teams and players to watch and also share who they think will win the Ballon d'Or.Image: Thomas Muller of FC Bayern Munich celebrates with the Meisterschale trophy after the teams 2-0 victory in the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and Borussia Mönchengladbach at Allianz Arena on May 10, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The Marshall Islands’ claim to sporting fame, according to themselves, has been that they’re the last nation in the world to have a senior national football team.They’ll take to the pitch for their very first 11v11 international match against US Virgin Islands at a tournament in Arkansas - where they'll also be playing against Turks and Caicos.Head coach Lloyd Owers describes the feeling of history being made and tells World Football’s Mani Djazmi about how they’ve reached this point.Image: The squad who will represent the Marshall Islands for the first time in an international fixture. (Credit: Marshall Islands Soccer Federation)

Are Liverpool the team to beat again? Will Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea be their closest challengers? Where will Manchester United finish? Can the three promoted clubs stay up?World Football’s John Bennett is joined by former Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and USA goalkeeper Brad Friedel and former Everton, Fulham, Liverpool and England striker Natasha Dowie to preview the Premier League season.They discuss how teams are looking ahead of the season and also predict their title winners, the promoted team who is most likely to survive and their player to watch.Image: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, lifts the Premier League trophy, as Liverpool are crowned the Champions of the Premier League for the 2024/25 Season, following the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield on May 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)