Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentDec 19, 2024, 02:00 PM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. MLS announced its full schedule for the 2025 campaign on Thursday, with the regular season set to begin on Feb. 22, including a matchup that sees Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami hosting New…
Dec 19, 2024, 01:00 PM ET Conor Gallagher is enjoying life under Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone. PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images Conor Gallagher has said Atlético Madrid and manager Diego Simeone are a perfect fit for him as they target winning the LaLiga title this season. Gallagher joined Atlético from Chelsea last summer,…
Dec 19, 2024, 12:41 PM ET Saudi Arabia was announced Thursday as an invited guest for the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2025 and 2027, eight days after it was selected to host the 2034 World Cup. The 16-nation Gold Cup, soccer’s championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, will be played next year…
Dec 19, 2024, 11:42 AM ET Kylian Mbappé faced off against Cristiano Ronaldo at the European Championship in July. James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images Kylian Mbappé has said he wishes he could have played with Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s all-time leading scorer. The France international has been a teammate of other football icons…
Dec 19, 2024, 11:29 AM ET The European Leagues said on Thursday they were not consulted by the promoters of the proposed European Super League regarding the relaunch of the breakaway concept as the Unify League. The original European Super League (ESL), backed by 12 of the continent’s biggest clubs, was controversially launched in 2021…
Dec 19, 2024, 09:07 AM ET The passionate, atmospheric Cologne support is impressive to behold but far from unique in a German second division full of fallen giants. Ralf Ibing – firo sportphoto/Getty Images On my Bundesliga travels these past few weeks while jostling at railway station newsagents with Weihnachtsmarktbesucher (Christmas market visitors), I kept catching…
Dec 19, 2024, 09:28 AM ET Mathias Pogba at the hearing in Paris in November. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images Six men, including the brother of France international Paul Pogba, were sentenced to prison terms of between three and eight years on Thursday after being convicted of extortion attempts targeting the footballer, French media reported. In…
Dec 19, 2024, 09:31 AM ET Vitor Pereira has been hired as Wolves’ new boss as they bid to avoid the Premier League drop. Elie Hokayem/Saudi Pro League via Getty Images Wolverhampton Wanderers have hired Vitor Pereira as their new manager following the departure of Gary O’Neil, it was confirmed on Thursday. Pereira, the club’s third…
Dec 19, 2024, 08:55 AM ET Lionel Messi posted a picture with his World Cup trophy on Wednesday, the second anniversary of Argentina’s win. @SC_ESPN Argentina have finished 2024 as the No. 1 men’s team in the world for the second straight year according to FIFA rankings. There were only limited changes in the rankings published…
Rob Dawson, CorrespondentDec 19, 2024, 08:22 AM ET Sir Jim Ratcliffe has increased his shareholding in Manchester United, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings released on Thursday. The British billionaire has paid around £79 million ($99.6m) for another 1.24% of the club. He formally agreed to pay £1.2 billion for a 27.7%…