The Guardian

Group stage to involve two groups of eight teams Change resembles model of Uefa Champions League Concacaf on Thursday announced changes to the format of the Gold Cup, the confederation’s regional championship. The move is aimed at “delivering more meaningful matches and matchups between top-ranked teams”, Concacaf said in a statement. Once the primary focus of teams in the region, the 35-year-old…

⚽ Europa League updates, kicking off from 5.45pm GMT ⚽ Live scores | Europa League table | And email Simon Also today: Read Jeff Rueter’s Champions League review and Barry Glendenning in Football Daily on the might of Como Harry Kane turns his Ballon d’Or into actual gold, or at least a very lucrative new contract 53 red cards in one game! Inevitably, it’s in Brazil Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! A consistent criticism levelled at Como is that they are simply not “Italian” enough to be a bona fide Serie A club. Bankrolled by an Indonesian ciggy manufacturer, their president has helpfully likened their multi-hubbed business model to that of the Walt Disney Company. In Cesc Fàbregas they have a Spanish coach and their starting XI against L…

Australia are preparing for their clash with England under a cloud with RA claiming the players’ union’s proposals ‘threaten the future of the game’ An increasingly ugly pay dispute is threatening to unravel Australian rugby a year from a home World Cup, as the Wallabies prepare for four Nations Championship matches crucial for reversing fortunes smashed by two heavy Bledisloe Cup defeats. The Wa…

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain flexed their muscles, Manchester United fought back and an unlikely star stole the show for AEK Athens Still without the recovering Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich are among the favorites to win the Champions League, which would be their first European title since 2019-20. René Marić’s side produced a dominant display at the Metropolitano, playing Atlético Mad…

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Lars Sivertsen and Jonathan Liew as Liverpool lose for the first time in the Champions League this season and Manchester City and Arsenal escape with narrow wins Continue reading...

There is no doubt his international career was an incredible one, but it would have been greater still if he had not lingered on the stage so long Nothing, perhaps, is quite so difficult for an elite sportsman as timing their exit. It’s not easy for any person in any job to weigh the hope of having more to give with the desire not to linger beyond their usefulness, but it’s perhaps particularly h…

What used to be a time to reset is now a time to rehire, and Michael Carrick is not the only Premier League manager looking over his shoulder Perhaps the most telling moment of Manchester United’s comeback against Roma was at the final whistle. The camera focused on Michael Carrick, who shook the hand of Gian Piero Gasperini before looking around trying to remember what you’re meant to do after a…

New tournament is designed to provide a context that was apparently lacking in the legendary clashes of the past It was a loose kick, tumbling aimlessly end over end into the All Blacks’ half. Their wing Billy Wallace gathered it and sprinted into midfield, through a gap and on into the Welsh half, only their full-back ahead of him now, and with his teammate Bob Deans in the corner of his eye, co…

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Lars Sivertsen and Jonathan Liew as Liverpool lose for the first time in the Champions League this season and Manchester City and Arsenal escape with narrow wins Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email . On the podcast today: defeat for Liverpool in Turkey with Dirk Kuyt’s Fenerbache winning by the odd goal in five. Man…

Tom Curry injured during training on Wednesday Brother Ben has not played for England since 2025 Tom Curry has emerged as a major doubt for England’s autumn opener against Australia on Sunday, handing Steve Borthwick a huge blow before a crucial November campaign, with twin brother Ben leading the race to start at openside flanker. It is understood that Tom Curry sustained his latest injury durin…

22-year-old also has eight blocks in Spurs win Frenchman scores decisive free-throw in victory Victor Wembanyama set a career high with 24 rebounds, then sank the winning free throw with 24.2 seconds left to ⁠cap his career-best 52-point performance as the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Dallas Mavericks 112-111 for their sixth straight victory. The Spurs home crowd hailed Wembanyama with MVP cha…

The 18-year-old on being thrown in at the deep end with the first team, playing with her idols and replacing a legend The next move on the chess board could not have been clearer for Barcelona and their coach, Pere Romeu: a new queen has broken into the Blaugrana midfield. Clara Serrajordi has made substantial moves already: she made her first-team debut at the age of 17, started ahead of Aitana …

IOC open to dialogue and Fifa wants input from others Fifa concerned about fixture congestion and workload Fifa wants the International Olympic Committee to restrict the women’s Olympic football tournament to under 23s owing to concerns over fixture congestion and the workload of senior players. The eligibility criteria for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles has been set, with qualification tournam…

Tashima says he brings ‘honest, sound, upright attitude’ ‘What Fifa ⁠needs now are these values,’ he adds The Japan Football Association president, Kozo Tashima, ⁠has said he will run for the ⁠Fifa ​presidency in March. Gianni Infantino, ⁠who is seeking re-election, has faced opposition since his failed ⁠move in July to bring ​private investors into ‌a new ‌Fifa commercial entity holding rights l…