… The former Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Madrid midfielder will hope to steer Chelsea back into Champions League contention after they have failed to qualify three times in the last four years. …
… Champions League-bound Real Betis were awarded a penalty minutes later after Barcelona’s Gavi brought down Isco, and the ex-Real Madrid midfielder converted from the spot. …
… Amorim felt Casemiro – a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid – did not have the physical capabilities to be effective in the Premier League. …
Mohamed Salah says Liverpool must return to being a “heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear” after “crumbling” to a defeat at Aston Villa, which left their Champions League hopes in the balance. …
… Champions League qualification is already out of reach, while a place in the Europa League looks unlikely with the club currently ninth in the Premier League with two games left and probably needing at least a seventh-placed finish. …
… Carrick has overseen a vast improvement at Old Trafford since replacing Ruben Amorim, who was sacked in January, and has successfully led the club to Champions League qualification. …
… They exited this season’s Champions League in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, while their campaign has been marred by fan unrest, with a run-in against star forward Kylian Mbappe’s perceived lack of effort. …
… Former United midfielder Carrick, 44, has been viewed as the favourite for the job since securing qualification for next season’s Champions League during a successful period as caretaker head coach. …
… His performances have arguably been more impactful in the Champions League. PSG is aiming for a second straight title after beating Bayern Munich in the semifinals, with Dembélé’s early goal in the return leg earning PSG a 1-1 draw and putting it through 6-5 on aggregate. …
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to give Ivory Coast a 1-0 win over Ecuador in their World Cup opener in Philadelphia. The victory marks Ivory Coast's return to the World Cup after 12 years and gives them a chance to qualify from Group E.
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to give Ivory Coast a 1-0 win over Ecuador in their World Cup opener in Philadelphia. The victory marks Ivory Coast's return to the World Cup after 12 years and gives them a chance to qualify from Group E.
Croatia qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a comfortable qualifying campaign and will field one of the tournament's oldest squads, with roughly half or more of starters in their 30s, including 40-year-old captain Luka Modric. Manager Zlatko Dalic plans to deploy a back-four formation as the primary setup, with the Manchester City duo of Gvardiol and Kovacic key to the team's strategy.
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was refused entry to the US and barred from World Cup duty by American authorities, has been selected by UEFA to officiate the August 12 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said his team are not among the leading title contenders for the World Cup due to not winning the tournament since 1966, though he believes they are in good shape and can compete for the trophy at the June 11 to July 19 tournament.
Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise scored three goals in France's 3-1 World Cup warm-up win over Northern Ireland, prompting coach Didier Deschamps to praise his form and confidence ahead of the tournament.
France coach Didier Deschamps praised Bayern Munich's Michael Olise after he scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 World Cup warm-up victory over Northern Ireland, backing him to make an impact at the tournament. William Saliba returned from injury as France prepare for their World Cup opener against Senegal on June 16.
Real Madrid offered Atletico Madrid 150 million euros for striker Julian Alvarez, but the club rejected the bid, citing the player's 500 million euro release clause.
As a co-host, Canada enter the World Cup with high expectations despite never winning a previous tournament match. Under coach Jesse Marsch, appointed in May 2024, Canada has lost just one of 15 matches since March 2025, including victories over Colombia, Ecuador, Ukraine and twice over the USA, with the team employing a 4-4-2 formation focused on pressing and pace in wide positions.
Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as head coach on a two-year contract following Arne Slot's departure. The former Bournemouth manager, 43, takes over after the Reds finished the Premier League season with 60 points and qualified for next season's Champions League.
Pep Guardiola stepped down as Manchester City manager after a decade, having threatened to quit "100 times" in the past but this time "actually meant it," according to chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. Guardiola led City to 17 major trophies including six Premier League titles and a Champions League victory before departing with one year remaining on his contract.
Former England international James Milner has retired after a 24-year Premier League career at age 40, leaving Brighton after three seasons. The versatile forward holds the record for most Premier League appearances and won three league titles and the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019.
Mason Greenwood, currently at Marseille, is the top transfer target for both presidential candidates at Turkish club Fenerbahce. Marseille's sporting director said the club was willing to listen to offers for the 24-year-old forward, who has three years remaining on his contract and scored 16 goals in Ligue 1 this season.
Former England international James Milner has retired at age 40 after 24 years in the Premier League, during which he broke the record for most Premier League appearances, won three league titles and the 2019 Champions League with Liverpool, and earned 61 caps for England.
Arne Slot was dismissed as Liverpool head coach on Saturday after the club finished fifth in the league this season, 25 points behind Arsenal, despite winning the Premier League title in his first campaign. In an emotional letter, the Dutchman said he leaves Liverpool "exactly where it belongs: among Europe's elite" and expressed confidence in the club's future, with the club set to open talks with former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.
FIFA referees' chief Pierluigi Collina revealed that players will be prevented from going to the technical area to consult coaches when goalkeepers are injured at the 2026 World Cup. IFAB has also approved a request to change VAR protocol to review attacking fouls occurring before the ball is in play.
After PSG won the Champions League final against Arsenal, clashes between football fans and police across France injured 219 people, including 57 police officers. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, 780 people were arrested, with more than 450 in custody, and violence disrupted transport services in Paris.
Paris St-Germain beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Champions League final in Budapest, becoming only the second club to win back-to-back titles and the first since Real Madrid's three-peat from 2016 to 2018. Since the start of last season, Luis Enrique's team have won eight of the ten trophies available to them.
Antonio Conte has announced he will leave Napoli this summer, 12 months after winning the Serie A title in his first season. Napoli finished second this season, 11 points behind Inter Milan, and failed to reach the Champions League knockout phase.
Andoni Iraola has left Bournemouth after three years in charge, with the club finishing sixth in the Premier League to qualify for the Europa League. Iraola took over when Bournemouth were 15th in 2022-23 and elevated them to a club record 57 points, though they fell short of Champions League qualification.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes broke the Premier League single-season assist record and scored as Michael Carrick's United won at Brighton. Brighton finished eighth and secured a place in the Uefa Conference League, their second European campaign in history, after being overtaken by Sunderland but staying ahead of Brentford.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been named Premier League player of the season after creating 132 chances and equalling the record for assists with 20 in a single season. The Portugal midfielder scored eight goals in 37 games as United finished third and qualified for the Champions League.
Michael Carrick has been appointed Manchester United's permanent manager on a two-year contract after interim success, securing Champions League qualification with 11 wins from 16 matches and leading United to third place in the Premier League.
UEFA has proposed a revamp of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup and 2032 European Championship using a Champions League-style format with 36 top-ranked teams in three groups of 12, designed to reduce mismatches between strongest and weakest teams. A decision on the proposal is expected in September.
UEFA will split World Cup qualifying into two tiers starting with the 2030 tournament: the top 36 nations, ranked by the 2028 Nations League, will compete in League 1 with three 12-team groups, while the remaining 18 nations will play separately in League 2. The new format aims to eliminate uncompetitive matchups and give lower-ranked teams better qualification chances, with all teams now playing six qualifying matches instead of the varying six or eight under previous rules.
Aston Villa defeated Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final in Istanbul, claiming their first European trophy in 44 years. Manager Unai Emery claimed his fifth Europa League title as Villa dominated the match with goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia, and Morgan Rogers.
Dani Carvajal, 34, will depart Real Madrid at the end of the season when his contract expires in June, ending a 23-year association with the club spanning two spells. The Madrid-born right-back, who has made 450 appearances and won 27 titles including six Champions League titles, is departing after recent serious knee injuries.
Forward Ousmane Dembele was substituted as a precautionary measure during PSG's 2-1 defeat to Paris FC on Sunday due to a muscle strain in his right calf and will receive treatment over the next few days ahead of the Champions League final on 30 May.
Enzo Maresca is expected to replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager for the 2026-27 season following Guardiola's departure after this Sunday's final game. The former Chelsea head coach, who previously worked under Guardiola during City's 2022-23 treble-winning campaign, has been identified as the leading contender, with talks at an advanced stage.
Manchester City is preparing for Pep Guardiola's exit at the end of the season, with sources telling BBC Sport the managerial great is expected to leave Etihad Stadium. Enzo Maresca, a former Chelsea manager who worked under Guardiola at City, is the front-runner to replace him.
Ousmane Dembele was withdrawn as a precaution during PSG's 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat to Paris FC on Sunday due to a muscle strain in his right calf, and will receive treatment over the next few days. The 29-year-old forward faces upcoming Champions League and World Cup commitments.