Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast, broadcast on 29 October 2026, asks whether David Raya was robbed of the Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or. Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon took the award ahead of Raya, whose spectacular season at Arsenal had many expecting him to be recognised. The discussion weighs whether the World Cup should have taken priority in the voting.
The show also examines how Europe has responded to Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win. Maz Farookhi, Guillem Balague and Julien Laurens are joined by German football expert Rafa Honigstein to discuss the reaction across the continent. The panel asks whether Spanish fans are annoyed that the prize did not go to Lamine Yamal, and how Bayern Munich has responded to the result.
Elsewhere in the episode, the team reflects on Real Madrid's El Clasico victory and considers the Milan Derby, with James Horncastle previewing the fixture. The panel also looks at why Kylian Mbappe has had to apologise to China.
The programme closes with a look at Dirk Kuyt's return to Liverpool as interim head coach of Fenerbahce, a reunion that has drawn attention among supporters and pundits alike.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing