Erling Haaland
January 2026
City beat Newcastle comfortably to reach the final vs Arsenal, but some fans targeted Haaland after he started on the bench and remains on a poor scoring run (one goal in eight games). City protected a 2-0 first-leg advantage, then extended the tie with a Marmoush brace and a Reijnders goal. Haaland came on in the second half but did not score.
Antony
January 2026
Antony scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Feyenoord as Betis finished fourth in the league phase and reached the last 16, with his European output highlighted against elite peers. He opened scoring with a curled strike and later crossed for Ezzalzouli; Opta stat cited says Antony has 14 European goal involvements for Betis (eight goals, six assists), level with Kane in the same span and three behind Mbappe.
Liam Rosenior
January 2026
Joe Cole praised Rosenior’s early Chelsea spell after a 3-2 Champions League win at Napoli that secured a top-eight league-phase finish and automatic last-16 qualification. Cole pointed to results and a visible shift in mindset since Maresca’s exit, arguing winning in Naples and a strong short-term run validates the appointment despite initial skepticism about experience.
Anatoliy Trubin
January 2026
Benfica beat Real Madrid 4-2, with goalkeeper Trubin scoring a last-gasp header to secure a Champions League playoff spot as Madrid finished ninth and must play a February playoff. Benfica needed a win to stay in the top 24; Mourinho sent Trubin up for a late set-piece, he headed in, and Madrid ended with two late red cards as Benfica’s late swing decided qualification over rivals elsewhere.
Harry Kane
January 2026
Bayern beat Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 to secure automatic Champions League last-16 qualification, with Kane scoring twice. Kim was sent off, and Kane later missed a hat-trick when his second penalty struck the crossbar in the closing stages. Kane headed in from an Olise corner, then converted a penalty after being fouled. Despite playing with ten, Bayern controlled possession and limited danger. The Sudkurve was empty because tickets were cancelled after UEFA punished pyrotechnics from prior matches.
Sadio Mane
January 2026
Mane explained why he persuaded Senegal players and staff to return to the pitch after they began walking off in protest over a disputed penalty decision. A penalty for Morocco sparked walkout attempts led by Thiaw, but Mane stayed, spoke with officials, and called teammates back; Diaz then missed the spot kick, and both Mane and Thiaw later said emotions ran high but football must be respected.
Mohamed Salah
January 2026
Egypt were knocked out by Senegal in the AFCON semi-final, but Salah is still not expected back immediately because Egypt must play Nigeria in the third-place playoff. Mane scored late to decide the semi-final. Egypt can release players early, but the expectation is Salah remains with the squad until the playoff is completed.
Mohamed Salah
January 2026
Salah reached 100 goal contributions for Egypt (65 goals, 35 assists) after scoring in a 3-2 win over Ivory Coast to send Egypt into the AFCON semi-finals. He scored in the 52nd minute, taking him to 100 contributions in 111 games, quicker than Messi (122) and Ronaldo (136), but behind Pelé (77) and Neymar (94).
Noussair Mazraoui and Bryan Mbeumo
January 2026
Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0, ending Mbeumo’s tournament and extending Mazraoui’s run to at least the semi-finals. Brahim Diaz scored first from close range after a corner sequence, then Ismael Saibari finished low into the corner after a free-kick fell kindly. United regain Mbeumo quickly, while Mazraoui remains away for at least another week.
