Soccer

Julien Laurens, CorrespondentFeb 14, 2024, 11:26 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Karim Benzema has been left out of Al Ittihad‘s squad for their AFC Champions League game with Uzbekistani outfit Navbahor on Thursday amid a difficult relationship with his coach Marcelo Gallardo, a source confirmed to ESPN. Gallardo doesn’t consider Benzema fit enough for the

Open Extended Reactions When will Manchester City regret allowing Cole Palmer to join Chelsea: now, in the future or never? It is 192 days since City appeared to have unearthed a gem from their academy, as Palmer came off the bench to curl in an equaliser against Arsenal in August’s Community Shield at Wembley. City

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 13, 2024, 06:21 PM ET Open Extended Reactions COPENHAGEN, Denmark — It’s possible to have good moments against Manchester City. They can even be beaten over 90 minutes as Wolves, Arsenal, and Aston Villa have already proved this season. But beating Pep Guardiola’s team over two games — with one at the

Feb 13, 2024, 11:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Less than two weeks after signing Nigeria‘s Asisat Oshoala, NWSL expansion side Bay FC have completed the transfer of another leading African striker, Zambia‘s Racheal Kundananji. Kundananji, 23, joins on a contract until 2027 with an option to extend through to 2028, from Madrid CFF, where

Graham Hunter, Spain writerFeb 13, 2024, 04:00 AM ET Close Graham Hunter is a Barcelona-based freelance writer for ESPN.com who specializes in La Liga and the Spanish national team. Open Extended Reactions The past few days have added significantly to the overwhelming sense of shock and awe that must have Real Madrid‘s rivals quaking in

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterFeb 12, 2024, 05:55 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Enzo Fernandez scored the game-winner as Chelsea overcame an abysmal first half to beat Crystal

Open Extended Reactions Pep Guardiola is a difficult man to read. The Manchester City manager can often betray a sense of false modesty, suggesting that incredible achievements are beyond his team before watching his players do what he had initially said would be impossible. Last season’s treble success was a prime example of that. Perhaps

Lars Sivertsen Feb 12, 2024, 04:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Man City’s Champions League opponents FC Copenhagen know how to handle Europe’s biggest clubs, including Man United and Barcelona. How do they do it? Sebastian Widmann – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images A little over four months ago, a dejected and disgruntled Manchester United team trudged

Ed Dove & Colin Udoh Feb 11, 2024, 07:59 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Ivory Coast have won the Africa Cup of Nations after a 2-1 victory over Nigeria at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Sunday. Sébastien Haller scored the winning goal for the hosts in the 81st minute with an

Open Extended Reactions LONDON — Redemption is rarely more emphatic than this. It is a familiar trope of Mikel Arteta’s tenure as Arsenal manager to use past disappointments to fuel future successes, and Sunday’s stunning 6-0 win at West Ham United in the Premier League was a devastating statement of how effective that tool can

Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Feb 10, 2024, 04:09 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Girona coach Míchel admitted that his team “aren’t in Real Madrid‘s league” after Madrid thrashed them 4-0 on Saturday in a result which Carlo Ancelotti called a “big blow for the LaLiga title.” Vinícius Júnior opened the scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu

Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 10, 2024, 05:20 PM ET Close Bill Connelly is a staff writer for ESPN.com. Open Extended Reactions In his Friday press conference before the biggest Bayer Leverkusen match in ages, manager Xabi Alonso was told about a quote from Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel earlier in the day. “We’re playing

Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen outplayed champions Bayern Munich for a 3-0 victory on Saturday that sent them five points clear at the top of the league and put them firmly in charge of the title race. The hosts, who have never won a Bundesliga title, struck in the 16th minute through Josip Stanisic – on loan

Feb 9, 2024, 09:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The Rheinland prides itself on a fun-loving approach to life most of the time, but especially in the week of Karneval. It so happens that this flamboyant, multi-day festival of outlandish costumes, inebriation and generally forgetting about mundane everyday humdrum, coincides with the highly serious business

ESPN News Services Feb 9, 2024, 03:09 PM ET Open Extended Reactions An Argentina friendly in China next month was canceled on Friday in more fallout from Lionel Messi failing to play in an Inter Miami exhibition match in Hong Kong. World Cup champion Argentina, captained by Messi, last month scheduled a tour of China

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentFeb 9, 2024, 11:29 AM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions Reyna is now in the Premier League until the end of the 2023-24 season, where he should get a chance to find form ahead of the USMNT’s busy summer. Ritchie

Adriana Garcia Feb 9, 2024, 05:57 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to rub an item of team merchandise on his crotch following Al Nassr‘s 2-0 defeat to rival Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal on Thursday. Items of blue and white Al Hilal merchandise were thrown at Ronaldo as the Al Nassr

Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FCFeb 8, 2024, 10:43 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Those who love transfers and the excitement of Deadline Day “will they, won’t they” wheeling and dealing were distinctly underwhelmed last week, particularly if they were Premier League fans. Take a look at the game’s biggest clubs (as defined by revenue)