… While the 27-year-old has scored 85 goals in 100 appearances since moving to the Bernabeu, the Spaniards are set for a second successive season without lifting the La Liga title or Champions League. …
Kobbie Mainoo celebrated his new contract by scoring the winner that swept Manchester United back into the Champions League as they clinched a five-goal thriller against Liverpool at Old Trafford. …
… Having made five changes to his starting line-up, Arteta was also able to take off Saka at half-time and rest other key players as focus moved to Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second-leg tie against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. …
… However, Howe – who ended Newcastle‘s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy by winning the Carabao Cup last season, and qualified for the Champions League in 2025 and 2023 – has also felt the support of those above him this week. …
… One of the most bizarre aspects of Amorim’s tenure was that it robbed United of not only a homegrown player but one of a limited number capable of being part of a team that could deliver enough positive results to get them into the Champions League. …
… The issue of players covering their mouths became high profile in February when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni raised his shirt while speaking to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during a Champions League game. …
Defending champions Paris St Germain battled past visitors Bayern Munich 5-4 in a pulsating Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday that had a record number of goals at this stage of the competition. …
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is set to leave the club with immediate effect after becoming frustrated with the club's transfer business this summer, which saw key players including Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, and potentially Bruno Guimaraes departing. Howe's final match was a 4-1 pre-season loss to Bristol City, ending his tenure which began in November 2021 and saw him win the 2025 Carabao Cup and achieve Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is set to leave the club with immediate effect after becoming frustrated with the club's transfer business this summer, which saw key players including Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, and potentially Bruno Guimaraes departing. Howe's final match was a 4-1 pre-season loss to Bristol City, ending his tenure which began in November 2021 and saw him win the 2025 Carabao Cup and achieve Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025.
Jurrien Timber has travelled from Arsenal's Spain training camp to London for a groin check as part of his ongoing rehabilitation. Sources indicate the visit is routine and not due to a setback; Timber is expected to return to Spain to rejoin the squad.
FIFA announced plans to sell off stakes in its football competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors associated with US President Donald Trump, which Infantino characterizes as democratisation of football but which has met criticism from fans, politicians and regional governing bodies. The plan would distribute $40m in funding to FIFA member associations, with a deadline of 19 September for federations to accept in order to access an initial $20m.
Arsenal have signed 24-year-old Greece forward Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge on a long-term contract for £34m. Tzolis scored 43 goals and provided 45 assists in 108 appearances for Club Brugge before joining the Premier League champions.
AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric, 40, has signed a one-year contract extension with the Italian club after joining on a one-year deal last summer following 13 years at Real Madrid. Modric scored two goals in 37 appearances for Milan last season as they finished fifth in Serie A.
Italian Football Federation president Giovanni Malago confirmed talks have been held with Pep Guardiola about becoming Italy head coach, and that financial exceptions could be made for his salary. Italy has been without a head coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April following the country's failure to qualify for the World Cup.
William Saliba will miss an extended period after suffering a back injury at the World Cup with France. The 25-year-old required specialist review and will undergo a managed recovery programme rather than surgery.
Bodø/Glimt and Union Saint-Gilloise, two low-budget European clubs, were drawn to face each other in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, with the first leg in Brussels on August 4 or 5 and the second leg at Bodø/Glimt's Aspmyra Stadium on August 11. The winner advances to the qualifying playoffs round with a place in the 36-team main phase at stake.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin did not attend the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in protest against FIFA decisions, citing issues including US President Donald Trump's intervention in a suspension case and other changes driven by FIFA president Gianni Infantino such as extended half-time shows and a proposed 64-team World Cup format.
Ghanaian defender Terry Yegbe played the full match as Lech Poznan defeated Gornik Zabrze 3–1 in the Polish Super Cup final on Thursday, securing his first trophy with the club in his debut game.
Ghanaian defender Terry Yegbe played the full match as Lech Poznan defeated Gornik Zabrze 3–1 in the Polish Super Cup final, securing his first trophy with the club in his debut appearance.
A shirt worn by Pele during the 1958 World Cup final sold for $4.9m at Sotheby's in New York, making it the second most valuable football jersey ever sold after Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup shirt.
Belgium international Leandro Trossard will move permanently from Arsenal to Turkish club Besiktas, with the 31-year-old forward heading to Istanbul for a medical. The forward scored 36 goals in 174 appearances for Arsenal after joining from Brighton in January 2023.
Arsenal have agreed to sell Belgium forward Leandro Trossard to Turkish club Besiktas for about £17m, with the 31-year-old given permission to undergo a medical in Istanbul. Trossard, who joined Arsenal from Brighton in January 2023, scored 36 goals and registered 34 assists in 174 appearances for the Gunners.
Manchester United have completed the signing of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa on a five-year deal after meeting his £35m release clause. The 29-year-old midfielder, who recently helped Belgium reach the World Cup quarter-finals, will wear the number 18 shirt.
Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3) and England (4) have all reached the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup for the first time. FIFA's draw change separated the top four teams into different quadrants to prevent them meeting before the semi-finals, requiring each to win their group.
Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for a deal worth up to £100 million, with an initial fee of £92.5 million, setting a club transfer record. The move marks the second-largest fee ever received by Newcastle for a player in the club's history.
Jürgen Klopp confirmed discussions with the German Football Association about becoming the national team coach following Julian Nagelsmann's departure after Germany's penalty loss to Paraguay in the World Cup round of 32. Klopp, who left Liverpool in 2024 and took a role with Red Bull, said the timing to return to management was "better than it's ever been."
UEFA will not use the red card law for mouth-covering in confrontations across its competitions, despite approving the rule change. The decision comes after the Benfica-Real Madrid incident in February, where Gianluca Prestianni was banned for homophobic conduct, though UEFA referees may still show yellow cards if warranted.
AC Milan have signed Paris St-Germain striker Goncalo Ramos for a reported club record transfer fee of about £60m. The 25-year-old Portugal forward has agreed a contract until 2031 after scoring 45 goals in three seasons at PSG.
Liverpool's £69m plus add-ons bid for 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande was rejected this month; Diomande would prefer to join PSG, while RB Leipzig seek about £129m and are willing to offer him an improved contract to retain him for another season.
Midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, has joined Real Madrid on a two-year contract after leaving Manchester City following a nine-year spell. Silva becomes Real's second summer signing as a free transfer.
Bukayo Saka, carrying an Achilles injury since March, says he is "ready to go" for England's World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, though manager Thomas Tuchel has indicated it is "very unlikely" Saka would "start and finish" all World Cup matches.
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.