Barcelona and Atlético Madrid’s rivalry just got another twist, with Barça fined €602 over the Julián Álvarez saga and reportedly planning to appeal. The rivalry between Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético is getting fiercer, even off the pitch. It makes La Liga more interesting, but constant cheating and refereeing allegations damage the league’s reputation. But appealing over €602? Is it really about the money, or is this rivalry running deeper than that?

Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or could help Bayern Munich keep Michael Olise. It proves that staying at Bayern can lead to football’s biggest individual honour. Bayern prioritising Kane may also have limited Olise’s recognition, because pushing both could split votes and attention, as seen with Vinícius and Bellingham in 2024. Now Bayern can use Kane’s win to convince Olise that he can become their next Ballon d’Or winner.

Arsenal are maturing into an elite side under Mikel Arteta, and it’s becoming obvious. They no longer play like a team desperate to win. They play like a team that KNOWS they’re better than their opponents and uses that superiority to control games. Everton are difficult, frustrating opponents, yet Arsenal made a 2-0 win look routine. That’s what elite teams do: they make difficult games look easy. As a Manchester United fan, I’m genuinely jealous.

As a Manchester United fan, I'm genuinely worried about what Andoni Iraola is building at Liverpool. People are judging Liverpool through last season's struggles instead of recognising their steady progress. I've watched most of their games, and they're getting better. The project is nowhere near its final destination, but the signs are promising. They still need a defensive midfielder, more defensive depth and a long-term successor to Alisson. Their attack is already decent and should improve further when Ekitike returns. Look at how Bournemouth struggled to maintain their level after Iraola left. He repeatedly lost key players yet kept building a competitive team. Liverpool have a proper manager, and if they back him with the right signings, they could become serious Premier League and Champions League contenders again.

Manchester United giving Michael Carrick more time as manager tells you everything about the incompetence at this club. I’ve lost all faith and interest in this project. The UK fans will keep filling Old Trafford and putting money into the owners’ pockets. At this point, I’m done stressing. I’ll just sit back and watch the movie.

Hansi Flick needs to start demanding more defenders from Barcelona’s board before he becomes the scapegoat for their failures. Barcelona spent the summer chasing Julián Álvarez despite Atlético’s stance, instead of using that money to strengthen their defence. Gerard Martín playing through injury and the absences of Eric García and Koundé already expose their lack of depth. Imagine more defenders getting injured. A club the size of Barcelona should never be this short of defensive options. Flick needs reinforcements, or he’ll take the blame for the board’s failures.

Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or is deserved, but why is Michael Olise not in the top three? Olise was better than Kane in the Bundesliga, matched him in the Champions League and outperformed him at the World Cup. If Kane is winning for consistency, why is Olise so far behind him? Make it make sense.

Starting from the next Ballon d’Or, they need to create separate ceremonies for men and women. Why is Alexia’s speech taking so long? It’s nearly midnight and I’m still awake waiting for the actual Ballon d’Or winner. If we’re all about feminism, surely a separate women’s Ballon d’Or ceremony makes sense.

Harry Kane used to be the symbol of failure in football, a laughing stock despite his individual excellence. Now, he is the best footballer in the world, and there is valid evidence to back it up. He is the latest Ballon d’Or winner, and it is thoroughly deserved.

Arsenal are victims of poor PR. Two of the best centre-backs in the world finish behind Vinícius and Ferran Torres, while David Raya loses Best Goalkeeper to Unai Simón, who was good for eight World Cup games. Arsenal can achieve everything and still get zero Ballon d’Or recognition.