GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave the comforts of Great Britain in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
This weekend proved to be a mixed bag for the British stars playing away from home, though, with some continuing fine starts to the season while others were brought crashing down to earth after devastating losses. From England's captain breaking yet another record, to his international team-mate flopping on his first start of the campaign, GOAL has got you covered on all the major talking points.
Every Monday, we will be breaking down the winners & losers of the Brits Abroad, so without further ado, let's dive into the latest edition, kicking off with a man who may just be the most deadly footballer in world football right now…
Getty Images SportWINNER: Harry Kane
Can anyone stop Harry Kane? That is a question clubs across the continent are pondering amid the 32-year-old's history-making run in the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign. Kane has hit 15 goals in just eight appearances in all competitions for Bayern, including a brace against Chelsea in the Champions League, and was once again a force of nature in his latest domestic outing.
Bayern romped to a 4-0 Bundesliga victory over Werder Bremen on Friday, with Kane scoring twice and Jonathan Tah and Konrad Laimer also getting in on the act. Kane's first came in the form of a trademark penalty, while his second was just a simple close-range finish, but it feels like he can't miss at the moment, and the way he is defying the ageing process is truly frightening.
Kane has now reached 100 goals in a Bayern shirt after just 104 games, which makes him the quickest player to ever reach a century for any club in Europe's top five leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland both needed an extra match to hit that milestone at Real Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, and the weight of the achievement is not lost on Kane.
"I knew about this record, for sure," he told after the game. "It was hard not to hear about it or see it. Yeah, it's a big one, first of all to reach 100 goals for any club is an amazing achievement. A club like Bayern Munich is extra special. And then to do it in record time, one game less, you're talking about some of the great players – Ronaldo one of the best ever, Haaland on his way to being a great. These are great achievements that I can look back on when I'm a bit older, but for now it's just about enjoying it."
Rumours of a potential return to the Premier League for Kane in 2026 have been ramping up in recent weeks, but why would he leave Allianz Arena? The ex-Tottenham striker is in the best form of his entire career and Bayern appear to have evolved into a more complete team under Vincent Kompany. If Kane keeps this up, a clean sweep of all the major trophies feels like a realistic goal.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham made his first start of the season for Real Madrid on Saturday after recovering from surgery on a persistent shoulder problem, but it was anything but a happy return to action for the 22-year-old midfielder. Real suffered their biggest derby defeat to Atletico in 75 years as they were thrashed 5-2 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, with Xabi Alonso's perfect start shattered in the most devastating way possible.
Real actually led 2-1 heading into first-half stoppage time, as goals from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler cancelled out Robin Le Normand's early opener, but Alexander Sortloth equalised moments before the break, and Atletico carried that momentum into the second 45 minutes. Julian Alvarez hit a quick-fire brace before Antoine Griezmann rounded off the comprehensive victory late on, and Alonso pulled no punches after the final whistle.
"It was a bad game," the Madrid boss told reporters. "We didn't play well collectively, with or without the ball. We weren't at the level we need to be at. We were lacking a gear. This defeat hurts." It's fair to say that Bellingham was one of the main culprits.
The England international lasted 70 minutes before being substituted for Rodrygo, and probably would have been glad for the reprieve. He had no meaningful impact going forward and struggled to keep up with the pace of the game, which is understandable considering his last proper appearance for Los Blancos came at the Club World Cup in July. But it certainly looked like Madrid's reported plan for Bellingham to trim down on muscle prevented him from imposing himself physically against a well-drilled Atletico team.
Real won't panic after one defeat, but they need Bellingham back in top shape and rhythm to avoid further setbacks. We'll likely have a much better read on him after Los Blancos' next two games: a Champions League clash with minnows Kairat on Tuesday, followed by a crucial La Liga encounter against high-flying Villarreal next weekend.
WINNER: Marcus Rashford
Barcelona capitalised on Real's shock defeat by battling to a 2-1 win against Real Sociedad at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday. Alvaro Odriozola put Sociedad in front on the half-hour mark, but goals from Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski completed an impressive comeback for Barca, who dominated possession throughout and racked up 22 shots compared to the visitors' seven.
It was 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal who predictably stole the show when he came on in the 58th minute and almost instantly set up Lewandowski's winner, easily beating his marker before providing the perfect cross for the Polish frontman to head home. The Spain attacker showed no signs of rust after four games out injured, or disappointment after losing the Ballon d'Or to Ousmane Dembele, which is great news for head coach Hansi Flick now that Barca are back at the La Liga summit.
But on his fifth start for Barca, Rashford also put in another impressive shift. The Manchester United loanee posted 62 touches in his 78 minutes on the pitch and two key passes, one of which led to Kounde's goal. Rashford's beautifully flighted corner gave the Frenchman the easy task of nodding into the net and provided Barca with a boost when they needed it most.
The 27-year-old is now up to six goal contributions in just eight appearances this term, more than any other player in the Barca squad. Some United fans, including club legend Paul Scholes, are not too happy about Rashford's sudden resurgence after two years of abject mediocrity at Old Trafford, but it's no great mystery.
He's now playing in a fully functioning team full of world-class talent instead of being tasked with dragging a rotten one up by himself. As Barcelona are seeing now, a happy Rashford is a major asset for any side, and if he continues to show Flick he belongs at the very highest level, a permanent transfer will soon be on the cards.
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Getty ImagesLOSER: Scott McTominay
Just like Rashford, Scott McTominay has also shone since leaving Manchester United, and was the driving force behind Napoli's 2024-25 Serie A title run, but he endured a rare off-day for Antonio Conte's team on Sunday. AC Milan leapfrogged Napoli into first place with a 2-1 victory over the reigning Italian champions, despite playing almost the entire second half with 10 men after a red card to Pervis Estupinan.
Christian Pulisic was the difference-maker on the night, as the USMNT international first teed up Alexis Saelemaekers to put Milan into the lead before doubling their account himself with a brilliant first-time finish. The Rossoneri went in at the interval two goals up and defended valiantly in the second half to secure the three points, with a Kevin De Bruyne penalty proving to be nothing more than a consolation for a Napoli.
Milan successfully neutered all of Napoli's most dangerous players, including McTominay, who struggled to get a foothold in the game as Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot and Youssouf Fofana dominated the midfield battle. The Scot was hauled off 17 minutes from time with a dismal expected goals (xG) tally of 0.03, and won only one of his ground duels in the contest.
"It’s about the whole team needing a little more focus and concentration, because we made life difficult for ourselves at 2-0 down. There’s work to do, because we’ve been conceding too many goals lately," a frustrated Conte later told the media after seeing his side lose their 100 percent record in Serie A this term. McTominay was by no means the only one at fault, but he looked a shadow of the player who scooped the Serie A MVP award last season. Napoli need him to rediscover his mojo quickly if this result is to be a one-off.