Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: September 22, 2026, 2:05 PM ET

Premier League & Transfers

Arsenal have moved to secure their title-winning manager, with Mikel Arteta agreeing a new deal after delivering the Premier League crown. On the transfer front, Liverpool are monitoring Feyenoord right-back Givairo Read, but the Reds face competition from Arsenal and Manchester City for the Dutchman. The same chase features in Tuesday's gossip, where Liverpool's hunt for a new right-back again centers on Read alongside Mauro Coronel. At Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney has weighed in on the future of J.J. Gabriel, saying it would be disappointing to lose the young talent. Matheus Cunha, meanwhile, has urged calm around Manchester United, insisting it is far too early to write off their season despite the early noise.

Manchester United & managerial pressure

The scrutiny at Manchester United shows no sign of easing, with one analysis arguing that Michael Carrick faces an impossible task given the club's transfer failures and a squad that simply is not good enough. Across the city divide, attention turned to the Madrid derby fallout, where Jose Mourinho's referee rants overshadowed Atletico's victory over Real Madrid, raising fresh questions about whether Arsenal can shrug off their own heavy loss.

La Liga & the refereeing row

La Liga president Javier Tebas has dismissed Real Madrid's refereeing conspiracy claims as being from another galaxy, arguing that alleging a conspiracy against the club is absurd. In a separate appearance, Tebas rejected the claims outright, calling the conspiracy talk a smokescreen. Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé, for his part, refused to criticise the referee despite acknowledging mistakes in the derby defeat.

Liverpool: Wirtz, Isak and Mac Allister

Liverpool's attacking investment remains under the microscope. The club spent a then-club record fee on Florian Wirtz, but his low output has prompted debate over whether it is time to give up or whether he is simply a superstar in progress. There was more encouraging news at Bournemouth, where Alexander Isak's winning goal gave Andoni Iraola hope that the expensive forward has finally found form. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has opened up on his future at the club, revealing no firm decision has been made while also touching on Lionel Messi's farewell.

Mbappé, internationals and squad news

Kylian Mbappé has revealed how close he came to joining Liverpool, describing how his mother fell in love with Anfield during the club's attempts to sign him. In Switzerland, Sunderland's Granit Xhaka has lost his squad place after admitting to using fake vaccine documentation. Returning Italy coach Roberto Mancini said he hopes to win back the fans who felt betrayed, while Virgil van Dijk admitted it was a massive decision to continue his international career, crediting Xavi as key to his Netherlands stay. Iran have recalled star striker Sardar Azmoun four months after his World Cup omission.

USMNT & USWNT

With a young United States squad assembled, Sebastian Berhalter and Giovanni Reyna said they are taking on veteran roles to guide the next generation. On the women's side, poor youth-level results have raised alarm that a youth pipeline crisis could threaten the USWNT's long-standing world dominance.

International break & Ireland-Israel controversy

This international window is the longest break ever, and one analysis argues that is actually a good thing for the club calendar. The Republic of Ireland's matches against Israel have become deeply contentious, with neutral venues and no away fans framing the backdrop. The Israel FA has accused Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson of ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, while Irish sportspeople have urged a boycott. BBC Sport has also explained how players withdraw from international squads after five Premier League players pulled out.

Around the Premier League & EFL

Dundee United's Will Ferry has put contract talks on hold, unwilling to decide his future during the international window. Republic of Ireland centre-back John Egan is enjoying a late career resurgence back to the Premier League with Hull. Alejandro Garnacho, who joined Aston Villa on loan from Chelsea, faces a defining season as he struggles for minutes under Unai Emery. BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team has examined who has scored against the most Premier League teams.

Wrexham, Sheffield FC & lower-league stories

Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have bought The Turf pub adjacent to Wrexham's stadium, deepening their ties to the club. At the other end of the heritage scale, a new BBC podcast goes behind the scenes at Sheffield FC, the world's oldest club, as it enters a new era. Celtic, meanwhile, are facing a reckoning after three defeats, with a podcast asking whether it is a manager problem or club problem.

Women's football & youth development

The Women's Super League is facing an alarming homegrown problem as global talent floods the league, with London City Lionesses raising eyebrows by fielding no English players in their starting lineup. In Scotland, Josh McPake has completed a colourful journey from being without a club three years ago to a Scotland call-up.

NWSL & global football

Denver are the big movers in ESPN's NWSL Power Rankings after a 2-1 win over Seattle, though Gotham retain top spot after Matchday. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has proposed an external review of how world football is governed, saying he is open to talks over reform. New data has revealed that fans were shown more than 28 hours of unhealthy food advertising at the World Cup, amounting to a constant bombardment of roughly 65,000 junk food ads.

Odds and ends

Soccer's prematch warmup kits have been ranked in a good, bad and ugly roundup. Former England winger Andros Townsend has described being run over by a pitch roller in Thailand, saying he thought he was done, and in a separate account called the terrifying incident a lucky escape.