10:08 PM ET Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has backed interim boss Ralf Rangnick to do a good job at the Premier League club but said the German needs time to bed in his ideas and improve the team’s performances. Rangnick was appointed until the end of the season following the sacking of Ole Gunnar
Soccer
6:11 PM ET Alex Kirkland Sam Marsden Wednesday’s Supercopa de Espana clash between Clasico rivals didn’t disappoint, as Real Madrid hung on to defeat Barcelona 3-2 in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Saudi Arabia. (Stream highlights here: U.S. only.) After Barca twice battled back from a goal down to take the game to extra
12:33 PM ET There was a moment in December when, for the first time in two years, Daryl Dike got a moment to reflect. After two years of nonstop soccer, he had earned one. From scoring for Virginia in the NCAA finals against Georgetown in December 2019, to going fifth in the MLS SuperDraft in
3:19 PM ET This week is all about the Supercopa de Espana — stream LIVE on ESPN+ — as four of LaLiga’s biggest teams head to Saudi Arabia to battle for the trophy. (Oh, and we’ve got a “bonus Clasico” as Real Madrid battle old rivals Barcelona on Wednesday: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+.) So how
10:00 AM ET It has been only a few weeks since Xavi commented that “there’s an abysmal gap” between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Frankly, it’ll be quite the surprise if Los Blancos don’t underline the truth of his words in the Supercopa de Espana semifinal on Wednesday (stream LIVE, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+) by handing
8:45 AM ET Tor-Kristian Karlsen While most headlines are focused on the futures of Borussia Dortmund‘s Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain‘s Kylian Mbappe, it’s Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic — Serie A’s top scorer this season with 16 goals — who has emerged as the most coveted player of the January transfer window. Always a player
8:00 AM ET Philippe Coutinho has the chance to relaunch his career in the Premier League with his loan move to Aston Villa following another disappointing season at Barcelona in which the third-most expensive transfer of all-time — €160 million from Liverpool in 2018 — started just five games in all competitions and failed to
6:01 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent MANCHESTER, England — There was an FA Cup shock at Old Trafford on Monday night as Manchester United somehow managed to cling on against Aston Villa to scrape through their third round tie with a 1-0 win. Steven Gerrard’s side had two goals ruled out, one after a lengthy VAR
12:14 PM ET Another weekend of European club soccer is in the books, and with it, plenty to talk about! There was Serie A drama between AS Roma and Juventus, LaLiga intrigue as Valencia complained about Real Madrid‘s (well-earned) 4-1 win, and FA Cup magic galore as Arsenal lost to a lower-league opponent. (Tottenham, Liverpool
4:01 PM ET NOTTINGHAM, England — The FA Cup was Mikel Arteta’s making as a manager. Now he has to prove it doesn’t matter. Arsenal‘s abject 1-0 third-round exit to Nottingham Forest on Sunday was precisely the sort of performance he had hoped to consign to history, riddled with indifference and lacking the focus their
5:10 PM ET Dani Alves made history as Barcelona’s oldest-ever player when he started, and contributed in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Granada. Fran Santiago/Getty Images Despite the Premier League taking a break, the European soccer weekend was far from boring, with talking points galore from the FA Cup third round, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and
12:11 PM ET Arsenal have been drawn against holders Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round, should they beat Nottingham Forest at City Ground on Sunday. (stream select games on ESPN+ in the U.S.). Meanwhile, Manchester United will face Middlesbrough if Ralf Rangnick’s side can find a way past Aston Villa in their third-round
9:38 PM ET Paraguay youth international Sebastian Ferreira is nearing a move to Houston. CARLA CARNIEL / POOL / AFP The Houston Dynamo are closing in on a deal for Libertad and Paraguay youth international striker Carlos Sebastian Ferreira Vidal, sources have confirmed to ESPN. Telemundo’s Roberto Rojas was among the first to report the news.
12:43 PM ET Newcastle United suffered a humiliating 1-0 home defeat by third-tier Cambridge United on a day of FA Cup shocks in the third round (stream all games LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.) Premier League strugglers Newcastle flexed their new financial muscle by signing England full-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid on Friday
9:05 AM ET Lorenzo Insigne will join Major League Soccer side Toronto FC. Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images Toronto FC will sign Lorenzo Insigne from Serie A side Napoli in the summer, the Major League Soccer club said on Saturday. Insigne has signed a four-year deal and will be added to the squad’s roster as
4:56 AM ET The FA Cup third round begins on Friday with Swindon Town hosting Manchester City — (stream all games LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.) — and as England‘s biggest teams enter the competition, it means we’ll get a good look at the next generation of young stars set to break through. The
9:46 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Ralf Rangnick has said there are “unhappy” players at Manchester United but has urged the squad to be professional as they look to bounce back from the demoralising defeat to Wolves. Rangnick said the bloated squad he inherited from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has led to some players being left out
8:30 AM ET In footballing terms, Kylian Mbappe is a phenomenon. The same goes for Robert Lewandowski. Thomas Delaney stands a chance of helping Sevilla to their first LaLiga title since 1946 while his Denmark teammate, Simon Kjaer, deservedly received a special commendation at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. A young French World Cup winner,