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As anticipation builds for the season’s first Clasico, Barcelona’s young defensive prodigy Pau Cubarsi has claimed that Kylian Mbappe is “harder to stop” than Jude Bellingham, praising the Frenchman’s blistering pace and lethal finishing. With Real Madrid sitting top of the table with 21 points and Barca just two behind, the Santiago Bernabeu clash promises to be a defining early chapter in La Liga's title race.

Saudi sports promoter Turki Al-Sheikh, who has helped to bring major boxing events to the Middle East, has sensationally claimed that Manchester United are up for sale once more and are “finalising a deal” that will see the club passed on to new owners. The Red Devils were involved in a protracted takeover saga throughout 2023 that ended when Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group acquired a 25 per cent stake in the club and took control of football operations at Old Trafford.

Thomas Tuchel has explained why England will be “underdogs” at the 2026 World Cup. The Three Lions have made faultless progress towards that competition, with maximum points being taken from five qualification fixtures. They have enough talent at their disposal to be considered serious contenders for a global crown, but Tuchel has sought to rein in pre-tournament expectations.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong voiced his dissatisfaction with the plan to host their upcoming La Liga fixture against Villarreal in the United States. The Dutch midfielder believes that it is unfair to make the players travel so far for a match in order to boost the commercial profile of Spanish clubs and La Liga.

Mario Balotelli has been his using his time away from the pitch to give back to the community, as the former Manchester City and Liverpool forward recently completed a six-month community service program in Brescia, Italy. Balotelli revealed that the experience of volunteering for children allowed him "to get to know myself better and improve as a person."

William Saliba explained his decision to sign a new Arsenal contract and snub Real Madrid despite "lacking trophies" with the Gunners. The French defender could have chased the bright lights of Madrid. He could have swapped north London for the glamour of the Santiago Bernabeu. But when Los Blancos came knocking, Arsenal’s defensive powerhouse slammed the door shut; and he has no regrets.

Cremonese head coach Davide Nicola remains unwavering in his trust in "fighter" Jamie Vardy as the striker prepares for his first start since joining the Serie A club in the summer. He came off the bench as Inter claimed a dominant 4-1 victory last week, but his coach was positive about his impact and feels he makes the team more threatening even though he is yet to find the net across two substitute appearances.

Perhaps now more than at any other point in the modern history of football, the subject of stadia is increasingly dominant. Manchester United are trying to completely rebuild Old Trafford to the cost of £2 billion ($2.7bn). Spurs are six years into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium experience and at last have a trophy to put in their new cabinet. Chelsea's dispute over land in west London continues to cast a shadow over the future and suitability of Stamford Bridge. Newcastle's Saudi owners are still deciding whether they should expand St James' Park or make use of the space on the adjacent land to start from scratch.

Gary Lineker never thought we'd see another player like Lionel Messi - until Lamine Yamal came along. "Just watching him, he makes it look so easy to beat a player. He goes past them almost as if they're invisible, like they're not there," the ex-England international enthused on the 'Stick to Football' podcast the morning after Barcelona's thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter on April 30.

Jamie Gittens has been offered advice by Florent Malouda on how to win over Chelsea fans after making a slow start to life in the Premier League. The £55 million ($75m) winger, brought in from Borussia Dortmund in the summer to electrify Enzo Maresca’s frontline, has found himself under intense scrutiny as he struggles to find his feet in the English top flight. However, Malouda put his weight behind the forward and believes that it is just a matter of time before Gittens gets rolling.

The likes of Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer, who saw fitness concerns rule them out of the latest England squad, have been handed a World Cup warning by Thomas Tuchel. The Three Lions boss claims he is prepared to leave the most talented players at his disposal out of a bid for global glory in 2026 as “the team” is more important than any individual.

Premier League fans, particularly those of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion, were left disappointed this week when Harry Kane declared that he has no plans to come home as he is enjoying life with Bayern Munich so much. And why would he? He is primed to add another Bundesliga title to his maiden trophy won last year after firing Bayern to an explosive start to the season.

Former U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola has questioned why Borussia Mönchengladbach right back Joe Scally was left out of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the USMNT’s October friendlies. While Meola understands Yunus Musah’s absence, he suggested that, in his view, Scally’s omission may involve factors beyond on-field performance or tactical fit.

UEFA is reportedly preparing a major shake-up of its broadcast deals that could see streaming giants such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon bid for exclusive global rights to one Champions League match per round starting in 2027. The new “global first-pick” package is expected to generate around $5.9 billion (£4.3 billion) per season.

The atmosphere in Mexico’s camp is at an all-time high ahead of their October friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador, two South American sides already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Chivas and El Tri goalkeeper Raúl Rangel said that there’s a strong sense of unity and chemistry within Javier Aguirre’s squad as the team gears up.

La Liga announced plans for an unprecedented regular-season match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona on Dec. 20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Pending final approval, the groundbreaking event would represent the first time a major European league stages an official match with points at stake outside its home country.

Italian goalkeeper Lamberto Boranga became the country's oldest-ever football player at the age of 82 as he made his debut for seventh-tier USD Trevana. Boranga, who started his professional career more than six decades ago in 1961, briefly played with former Real Madrid and current Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, when the 66-year-old was plying his trade for Parma.

Manchester United are set to appoint Ameesh Manek as their new director of football operations. Manek joins United from Brentford and his primary responsibility will be overseeing the daily operations at United's Carrington training ground. This encompasses areas such as travel, security, training facilities, staff management, and infrastructure for both the men's and women's teams.

A match between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, according to the Associated Press. The friendly was set to be played on Oct. 13 at Soldier Field but will be moved to Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Rodrygo has opened up on his "difficult" absence from the Brazil national team amid his battle to earn Xabi Alonso's trust at Real Madrid. After missing the last two international windows, Rodrygo is finally back in the national team setup after receiving a call-up from his former coach Carlo Ancelotti for the friendlies in October against Asian giants South Korea and Japan.

Portugal legend Pepe has heaped praise on his former manager Jose Mourinho following his return to management with Benfica. The pair worked together at Real Madrid in what was, at times, a fractious relationship. But Pepe is delighted to see Mourinho back in his homeland, after he took his place in the dugout at the Estadio da Luz.

Sports science is a point of emphasis for MLS clubs, and it is helping teams overcome the rigors of a hectic season

It was by no means a classic but Manchester United will certainly never forget the events of Wednesday night, as the Red Devils beat Valerenga 1-0 to secure their first-ever win in the Women's Champions League proper. While their formal European journey might not have started with the sort of glamour fixture many would associate the competition with, it was one that felt important to emerge from with all three points given some of the challenges ahead and United did exactly that, thanks to a first-half penalty from captain Maya Le Tissier.

Jose Mourinho has piled the pressure on Roberto Martinez as the Benfica boss insisted that Portugal must aim to win the World Cup next year. The Selecao boast one of the best squads in Europe with players like Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva in midfield and an attack spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal are also fresh from winning the Nations League this year.

Chelsea fans will be relieved to hear their talismanic forward Cole Palmer faces weeks, not months, on the touchline as he recovers from a groin injury. But fears persist Palmer may need surgery to avoid the injury becoming chronic and hampering him for the long-term, with England manager Thomas Tuchel admitting his concern after the player missed out on another of his squads.

With only three FIFA international windows remaining before the World Cup in June, Carlos Acevedo has a prime opportunity to stake his claim for Mexico’s final roster. The Santos Laguna goalkeeper joins Luis Ángel Malagón, Raúl Rangel, Guillermo Ochoa, and Carlos Moreno in competing to impress head coach Javier Aguirre.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been backed to keep playing "at least into his mid-40s" by former Premier League rival and England star Joe Cole, who claimed the Portugal legend is "defying medical science". At 40, Ronaldo is still scoring for fun at both club and international level. He has kicked off the 2025-26 campaign on a high, having scored five goals in six matches across all competitions for Al-Nassr.

Liverpool may have to wait weeks before they begin to see the best of their record signing Alexander Isak following his protracted move from Newcastle. The disappointing projection has been blamed on that drawn-out transfer which saw Isak sidelined while the two clubs negotiated for almost two months, meaning he missed pre-season and was left well short of match sharpness.

AUSTIN, Texas - Antonee Robinson acknowledged that he's not quite at 100 percent, but he is ready to contribute to the U.S. men's national team in his first camp in nearly a year. Robinson rejoined the team this week for matches against Ecuador and Australia, where he could appear for the USMNT for the first time in 2025 after undergoing knee surgery in May.