Match

Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the season for Monaco as the U.S. men's national team star made his mark in a 5-3 win over Nantes on Wednesday. The goal continues Balogun's strong run of form for the striker, which was headlined by two goals in his last two starts for Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT.

Bruno Fernandes' importance to Manchester United has been laid bare in two statistics revealed by Opta. The Red Devils' captain has been at the heart of his team's recent revival which has seen them overcome a rocky start to the season by winning their last three matches to climb up to sixth in the Premier League table, level on points with Manchester City and above champions Liverpool.

The Beer Cup is edging closer to the deciding match and the remaining four teams now know who they will meet. The Buccaneers, Richards Bay, Golden Arrows and Marumo Arrows complete the list of teams that are still in contention to lift this piece of silverware.

The diminutive midfielder struck twice and combined well with his former Pirates teammate in one of his goals as Bahlabane ba Ntwa romped to a 4-0 victory over the Maroons in a Beer Cup quarter-final match at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium on Wednesday. It was a rain-drenched evening as the Cape Winelands side suffered their biggest defeat of the season.

Despite Mexico’s recent struggles on the field, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) remains confident in Javier Aguirre’s leadership as El Tri prepares for the 2026 World Cup. The veteran coach, who took over to stabilize a team in transition, has faced mounting criticism following a series of underwhelming results.

Alan Pulido, the 34-year-old forward who has featured in only five matches for Chivas during the Apertura 2025, will not be renewed by the Red and Whites’ front office, according to reports. The former Sporting Kansas City striker is expected to seek a new club in Liga MX. He has yet to score in seven appearances this year.

The senior national team will be competing with the best in Africa and in the world at large over the next year. In late December, South Africa will be chasing the continental crown in Morocco before facing the best in the prestigious global competition to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Buccaneers' faithful feel their team is ready to dominate the South African football scene owing to the quality within their squad and reaching yet another cup semi final this week. However, they have been advised things might not go as anticipated since the Sea Robbers are still working on their combinations and players who can deliver consistently.

The 32-year-old has been excellent in North Arica, where he is turning out for Red Castle, who made his move from Mamelodi Sundowns permanent. He has, however, been overlooked by the South Africa technical team ahead of the forthcoming international break, where they will play friendly games in preparation for the 2025 AFCON finals.

The tendency of players moving from either side of Soweto is not new, as some notable players have done so. Recently, Paseka Mako and Thabiso Monyane made such moves after they were released by the Sea Robbers.

The South African League Cup will have new kings after the defending champions were eliminated by the Sea Robbers. Although Bucs are seen as favourites, the Soweto giants are not immune to the surprising results and upsets always associated with domestic competitions.

The tactician has revealed what disappointed him during their match against Magesi and warns that it should not happen again. The theatrics that caught his attention happened just days after Bucs were left heartbroken after elimination from the CAF Champions League.

In the battle of North Wales versus South Wales, Wrexham fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, with the latter advancing to the quarter-finals. A 71st-minute strike from former Manchester United defender Will Fish made the difference in the end, after Red Dragons substitute Kieffer Moore had earlier cancelled out Yousef Salech's opener for the Bluebirds.

James Rodríguez is reportedly set to leave Club León at the end of the Apertura 2025, as his contract expires in December and neither side intends to renew. With only six months remaining before the 2026 World Cup, the former Real Madrid star will have to find a new destination and could either stay in Liga MX or make the move to MLS.

Karim Benzema starred with a goal as reigning champions Al-Ittihad reached the quarter-final of the Saudi King's Cup of Champions after edging out Pro League leaders Al-Nassr 2-1 on Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Joao Felix had a night to forget as they failed to deliver in front of the goal despite dominating proceedings for the majority of the game with an extra player on the pitch.

The Buccaneers came into the match hoping for nothing but a win to push them to the next phase of the annual competition after a disappointing weekend that saw them get knocked out of the CAF Champions League by St Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The victory against Dikwena Tsa Meetse was all the Soweto giants needed.

Masandawana are often accused of ‘killing the competition’ by hoovering up the best talent their money can buy. However, highlighted by Cardoso, the latest batch of new signings like Fawaaz Basadien, Katlego ‘Tsiki’ Ntsabeleng, and Asekho Tiwani are still to prove themselves worthy at the reigning champions.

Despite fighting hard to reach the next stage of the continental competition, their coaches' tactical ability has been questioned. Although they are yet to know their group stage rivals, the Glamour Boys' prospects of doing better have been questioned.

Orlando Pirates will welcome defending champions Magesi FC to Orlando Stadium, with plenty on the line for the Soweto giants. The Buccaneers are eager to restore faith among their supporters after falling short in the CAF Champions League preliminary round — a thrilling 3(4)-3(5) encounter against FC Saint Eloi Lupopo that dashed their continental aspirations. Now, with their focus back on domestic fronts, the Sea Robbers will be determined to chase silverware through the Premier Soccer League and the Carling Black Label Cup, aiming to remind fans that their hunger for success remains as fierce as ever.

Even before they played and eliminated AS Simba in the CAF Confederation Cup, Amakhosi were already dealing with a number of injured players. Now their key forward could miss the next game, as the Soweto giants target a return to winning ways in the Premier Soccer League.

Although they showed strong character and a spirited fight, the Sea Robbers were eliminated from the continental competition. After their continental campaign ended, even after coming so close last season, it means Bucs will only be chasing domestic titles in 2025-26.

Real Madrid may have gone five points clear in La Liga after edging Barcelona in El Clasico, but Vinicius Junior’s latest antics have somewhat overshadowed the triumph. The Brazilian winger’s furious reaction to being substituted by Xabi Alonso has sparked controversy, with former France international Christophe Dugarry slamming him for “whining all the time” and “insulting” his coach.

Grimsby Town have had another cheeky pop at Manchester United two months after their historic victory over the Red Devils in the Carabao Cup. The League Two side take on Brentford on Tuesday aiming to reach the quarter-finals and coach David Artell believes the Bees will make for much tougher opponents than United, who they knocked out in the second round back in August.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim risked losing his job by sticking to his principles before the club’s upturn in form, according to ex-Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand. The Old Trafford club are in great spirits after securing consecutive Premier League victories against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton, easing the pressure on the Portuguese manager.

Real Madrid have confirmed that captain Dani Carvajal will be sidelined for up to three months after sustaining a right knee injury during Sunday’s fiery Clasico against Barcelona. The 33-year-old defender, who was involved in a heated post-match confrontation with Lamine Yamal, will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair the damage, the club announced on Monday.

The 73-year-old Belgian is hopeful of guiding South Africa to continental glory after guiding the national team to bronze in the 2021 edition that was staged in Ivory Coast. He is, however, unhappy with the managers of the domestic competitions, who he feels have refused to accord the national team much-needed support for them to prevail in Morocco.

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano could be nearing a return for San Diego FC after missing recent matches due to an internal issue. The Mexican international was left out of the squad for Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup Playoffs opener, marking his second consecutive absence. Head coach Mikey Varas indicated that Lozano may be available for the second game of the best-of-three series, provided his progress continues smoothly throughout the week.

Former Arsenal and Wales international Aaron Ramsey is enduring a difficult period in Mexico after the abduction of his dog during a short family trip. The incident has kept him out of Pumas’ recent matches, with Ramsey and his family sharing emotional posts expressing their distress. With no timeline yet for his return, his future in the Auriazul shirt remains uncertain.

Only one Premier League match is likely to be staged on 26 December this season, with the beloved tradition of watching football on Boxing Day set to be all but abandoned. While the dates and times of the Christmas fixtures are still to be finalised, a new report indicates the English top flight are being forced into a difficult position over the long-standing tradition.