5:11 AM ET Adriana Garcia Manchester United‘s Bruno Fernandes has rejected claims that he criticised coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tactics after being substituted in his team’s heavy defeat to Tottenham. Fernandes, who also denied reports he had harsh words with his teammates following the 6-1 loss on Oct. 4, said it was just an attempt
Soccer
2:29 PM ET Harry Maguire’s run of substandard displays stretches back longer than anyone would like and while his 21-month suspended prison sentence for a summer holiday incident in Mykonos overshadowed anything he has done for club and country, the depth of his on-field slump can no longer be hidden. England manager Gareth Southgate rallied
10:56 AM ET Juventus and USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie has tested positive for the coronavirus, the club has announced. McKennie, 22, becomes the second Juventus player to test positive this week, following Cristiano Ronaldo‘s result on Tuesday. Juventus under-23 coach Lamberto Zauli also tested positive on Wednesday. – Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday
2:09 AM ET There were meetings and conflict and bad tempers behind the scenes in the build up to the opening two rounds of South America’s World Cup qualification campaign. Clubs were reluctant to release players for matches played in a part of the world where the coronavirus pandemic has not been brought under control.
4:00 AM ET Sergio Ramos is a freak. It’s impossible to deny that fact. Now, Sergio, if you’re reading this, I mean it in the most complimentary way. Not a hint of denigration or disrespect. But facts are facts. We live in an age when players are gasping for respite, a breather for their tired
9:00 AM ET The recently concluded European transfer window has the potential to be a watershed moment for U.S. players. It wasn’t so much how many players moved, but where they went. Weston McKennie left Schalke 04 to join Italian giants Juventus, and Sergino Dest completed a transfer from Ajax to Barcelona, amid significant interest
2:27 PM ET Jeff Carlisle Close U.S. soccer correspondent Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Austin Lindberg For the second week in a row, Toronto FC is on top of MLS Power Rankings, thanks to a pair of clean sheets and a pair of wins from second- and third-choice
4:10 PM ET Desperate times call for desperate measures, but even as many clubs in English football stare over the precipice at a financial catastrophe, the rescue plan fronted by Liverpool and Manchester United — with the working title “Project Big Picture” — sounds good, but looks to be nothing less than a big cheque
11:48 AM ET To what degree was the 2020 summer transfer window impacted by COVID-19, the subsequent empty stadiums, rebates offered to TV companies, fleeing sponsors and the circa €4.5 billion loss across two seasons predicted by the European Club Association? It depends which numbers you choose to look at and how you read them.
4:18 AM ET Despite the financial downturn across the globe, clubs in Europe’s top five leagues still spent over €4.6 billion in the summer window — a drop of 43% when compared with 2019. And as the economic reality of COVID-19 hits hard in the next few months, free transfers will become even more important.
3:48 PM ET LONDON — England have prioritised defining a clear sense of identity ever since Gareth Southgate took charge in 2016. The 50-year-old’s attempt to deconstruct inhibitions created by past failures and reimagine England as a youthful side unencumbered by history improbably took them to the World Cup semifinals two years ago. Belgium’s visit
4:21 AM ET The messages are still coming through on his phone. Two full days after reaching two milestones in one game against Ukraine — his 100th cap for France, and his 41st and 42nd goals that took him above Michel Platini in the top scorers ranking for the French men’s national team — Olivier
5:02 AM ET Manchester United’s chaotic conclusion to the transfer window dominates this week’s ESPN’s Insider Notebook. PLUS: Mikel Arteta’s growing influence at Arsenal. Jump to: Dortmund baffled by United | Diallo’s journey to Old Trafford | Cavani snubbed Real Madrid and Juventus | Barca fuming with Dembele, Umtiti | Forlan helped United sign Pellestri
9:00 PM ET Associated Press Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email Major League Soccer has postponed three matches in the space of 24 hours due to the escalating number of positive coronavirus tests throughout the competition. MLS originally postponed the match between the Colorado Rapids and the LA Galaxy on Saturday after a Rapids player
12:40 PM ET The October international break is more congested than usual, as the soccer world adjusts to a compressed schedule by squeezing as many as three games into an eight-day sprint before players disperse and return to their clubs. There are travel concerns for all international teams as various players pull out of duty
5:30 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Manchester United‘s Marcus Rashford has been honoured by Queen Elizabeth II with an MBE for his work in helping children receive school meals during the coronavirus pandemic. MBE stands for Member of the Order of the British Empire and is an honour Britain gives its citizens for making a positive
12:22 PM ET The fact that Premier League clubs spent £1.2 billion on transfers this summer may advance the sense that English football is returning to normal, but the reality beneath the surface is very different. The headlines certainly point to a continuation of the madcap money-slinging that has made it the most exciting league
10:32 AM ET FIFA 21 makes a lot of notable gameplay gains that will keep you playing all season, and all year, long. Courtesy of EA Sports With winter fast approaching, there’s no shortage of soccer on TV these days, but Friday marks another notable event on the soccer calendar: the worldwide release of FIFA 21,