Soccer

ESPN News Services Mar 1, 2024, 06:12 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique said it was “my decision” to substitute Kylian Mbappé at half-time during his team’s 0-0 draw at Monaco on Friday. It was the second game in a row that Mbappé has been withdrawn early by Enrique, after being

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentMar 1, 2024, 12:29 PM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the format for the 2023-2024 U.S. Open Cup on Friday, confirming that only eight out of a possible 26 MLS teams will have their

Adriana Garcia Mar 1, 2024, 05:54 AM ET Open Extended Reactions LaLiga president Javier Tebas has said Barcelona can solve most of their financial problems by selling “two or three of their top-class players.” Barça recently had their annual spending limit cut by €66 million ($71m) by LaLiga, going from €270m to €204m. – Stream

Julien Laurens, CorrespondentFeb 29, 2024, 07:21 AM ET France and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned for four years for a doping offence, sources have told ESPN and the Associated Press. Pogba was provisionally suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in September after testing positive for testosterone — a banned substance. Italian

Jeff Kassouf Feb 29, 2024, 09:07 AM ET Open Extended Reactions USWNT players huddle during their loss to Mexico in the Concacaf W Gold Cup on Monday. That loss exposed a long-standing lack of chemistry, creativity and problem-solving. Harry How/Getty Images for USSF The U.S. women’s national soccer team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico on Monday felt

Feb 28, 2024, 02:22 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Great rivals Manchester United and Liverpool could be set for blockbuster FA Cup quarterfinal clash, if they can make it through their fifth-round matchups on Wednesday. The two heavyweights were paired with each other in Wednesday’s draw, but first Manchester United will have to beat Nottingham

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 28, 2024, 06:05 PM ET Open Extended Reactions NOTTINGHAM, England — Mark Robins is etched in Manchester United history as the player who saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s managerial job with an FA Cup winner at Nottingham Forest nearly 35 years ago. Erik ten Hag can only hope that Casemiro is famous for

Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FCFeb 28, 2024, 09:33 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Salah is one of a handful of bonafide stars in the Premier League, but it’s not stopped it being an absolute juggernaut of a league. John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images You hear it again and again. Sports is entertainment, entertainment is

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 28, 2024, 04:33 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Saudi Pro League (SPL) teams are targeting a number of Premier League stars ahead of the summer transfer window, a source has told ESPN. Established players like Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Raphaël Varane, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and

ESPN News Services Feb 27, 2024, 06:54 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Erling Haaland sent a warning to Manchester City‘s rivals after scoring five goals in their 6-2 FA Cup rout of Luton Town on Tuesday, saying he was back to his best and that “we’re ready to attack.” Haaland had scored only three goals

Jeff Kassouf Feb 27, 2024, 09:45 AM ET Open Extended Reactions For the 2024 NWSL season, Nike took over the kit design process for the league’s 14 teams and, for the first time ever, is releasing all new primary and secondary kits for every team in the league in a single season. Courtesy of Nike/NWSL For

Cesar Hernandez Feb 27, 2024, 03:35 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Interim United States women’s national team coach Twila Kilgore stated that her side face “no easy games anymore” after a stunning 2-0 loss to rival Mexico in a Concacaf W Gold Cup group-stage clash on Monday. “It just shows how far the game is

Open Extended Reactions Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct? After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game. – How VAR

Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FCFeb 26, 2024, 12:03 PM ET Open Extended Reactions What a weekend! European soccer was the gift that kept giving over a thrilling two-day span in which title hopes were boosted, the Carabao Cup was won (by Liverpool, over Chelsea), Luka Modric turned back the clock with a vital goal

On Sunday night, the LA Galaxy pulled off a feat few teams in MLS have been able to: They kept Lionel Messi largely quiet for most of the night. With the Galaxy looking to be on the way to a season-opening win over Inter Miami CF at Dignity Health Park in Carson, California, Messi popped

Open Extended Reactions LONDON — Jurgen Klopp is still on course for a magical farewell tour as Liverpool manager and he can thank the club’s next generation for getting his injury-hit side over the line in Sunday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup final win against Chelsea. Virgil van Dijk‘s 118th-minute goal — a header from a Kostas

Feb 25, 2024, 10:05 AM ET Bordeaux forward Alberth Elis has undergone surgery after sustaining a serious head injury during a Ligue 2 match against Guingamp, his club said on Sunday. The 28-year-old Honduras international collided with Guingamp defender Donatien Gomis just 40 seconds into the game at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux on Saturday, after

Rampant Arsenal remained hot on the heels of the top two in the title battle with an emphatic 4-1 victory over a struggling Newcastle United side in the Premier League on Saturday. An own goal by Sven Botman and a simple Kai Havertz finish put Arsenal 2-0 up at the break before Bukayo Saka and