3:02 PM ET The French camp was full of joy and vitality until the sad news of Deschamps’ father broke on Tuesday. From here, it’s all business as their Nations League defense begins. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images Up to that point, everything was going perfectly well. Didier Deschamps had welcomed 23 very happy France players
Month: June 2022
Jun 1, 2022 The third edition of the UEFA Nations League begins in June 2022. Here’s a guide for all you need to know about the competition. JUMP TO: Format | Groups | Fixtures | Final Four | Promotion/Relegation | Euro 2024 qualifying What is the UEFA Nations League? It is a competition between the
10:26 AM ET European soccer is in the strangest of places right now. The richest league (the Premier League, duh) and the richest clubs continue to distance themselves financially from their peers, leading to less parity and what feels like more predictability; meanwhile, the Super League saga of a year ago served as a reminder
12:25 PM ET Twenty years have passed since South America last won a World Cup. The evidence from the continent’s recent set of qualifiers is that Brazil and Argentina are shaping up to be strong contenders in Qatar, and this impression has been emphatically confirmed by their first warm-up meetings with opponents from other regions.
7:33 AM ET Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Real Madrid have signed Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer. The Germany international, 29, has agreed a four-year contract at the Bernabeu, and will join when his deal at the Premier League club expires on June 30. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)–
9:55 AM ET Neymar scored twice to give Brazil the win. Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Neymar scored a pair of penalties as Brazil cruised to a 5-1 win over fellow World Cup qualifiers South Korea at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday. The Paris Saint-Germain striker scored either side of half-time in a comfortable win
9:23 PM ET The United States cruised past Morocco with an impressive 3-0 friendly win at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Wednesday night, with the team playing the first of four June matches serving as tuneups for the World Cup in November. First-half goals from Brenden Aaronson and Timothy Weah set the U.S. on its
4:58 AM ET Manchester United have announced that Juan Mata will leave when his contract expires in June. Mata, 34, follows Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard in leaving United. The pair announced their departures from Old Trafford on Wednesday. – Stream LIVE games and replays on ESPN+ (U.S. only)– Dawson: The mammoth task facing Ten
2:34 AM ET Scotland captain Andy Robertson rued his side’s limp display in Wednesday’s World Cup playoff against Ukraine and apologised to fans after the defeat in Glasgow ended their hopes of a first appearance at the tournament in 24 years. Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk saw Ukraine win 3-1 in
2:29 AM ET Associated Press Benjamin Mendy is due to go on trial on July 25. PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy will stand trial accused of eight counts of rape after being charged with an additional offence. The latest allegation of rape relates to a new complainant and could only be
10:26 AM ET Alan Pardew has left CSKA Sofia after joining the club in April. Photo by Laurens Lindhout/Soccrates/Getty Images Alan Pardew has left his managerial and technical director role at CSKA Sofia in protest after his Black players were racially abused by the club’s own supporters. Pardew and Alex Dyer, the club’s first Black assistant
5:07 PM ET Argentina marked the revival of the Cup of Champions in style as they outclassed Italy 3-0 in a heavyweight clash billed as the “Finalissima” at a raucous Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. First-half goals by Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria put the south American champions in complete control against an Italy side
10:53 AM ET Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron and government members said they are “sad and sorry” for 2,700 Liverpool fans who had a ticket but couldn’t get into the stadium amid disorder and chaos at the Champions League final in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where Liverpool lost to Real Madrid 1-0. The
5:50 PM ET GLASGOW, Scotland — Ukraine are 90 minutes away from the World Cup. For a country that is fighting for its very existence following Russia’s invasion in February, to even think about the insignificance of qualifying for a football tournament is difficult to comprehend, but Ukraine’s 3-1 win against Scotland in their World
1:18 PM ET Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne were on Wednesday named among the six nominees for the English Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Player of the Year award. De Bruyne is the current holder of the award, having won it the last two seasons, while Ronaldo won the
4:38 PM ET Ukraine‘s World Cup dream remains very much alive after they beat Scotland 3-1 in their playoff semifinal at Hampden Park on Wednesday to set up a winner-take-all clash with Wales for a spot in Qatar. Playing their first official game since Russia’s invasion of the country in February, Ukraine put in a
2:26 PM ET The Seattle Sounders made history for MLS by winning the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League. Getty Images CONCACAF has unveiled the qualification criteria for the confederation’s expanded Champions League starting in 2024, with MLS clubs set to be able to compete for up to nine spots in the competition. The new CCL, first announced
9:00 AM ET Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Gareth Bale has thanked Real Madrid for helping him “create moments that will live forever” in an open letter confirming that he is leaving the club after nine years in Spain. Bale, 32 — who has featured in just seven Madrid games, starting four of them, in an
4:38 AM ET U.S. investment firm RedBird Capital Partners has agreed a $1.3 billion deal to buy Italian champions AC Milan and are aiming to challenge the elite of the European game again. Under the terms of the deal, owners Elliott, the U.S. private equity group, will retain a minority investment and seats on the
9:22 AM ET LIVERMORE, Calif. and MESA, Ariz. — As Julio Benitez sits in a hotel conference room during Real Salt Lake‘s preseason preparations in February, his hand is pressed against his chest, in the shape of a claw. It’s as if he’s searching for a piece of his heart that is no longer there,