Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: September 15, 2026, 10:05 PM ET

Premier League & Carabao Cup

Arsenal's teenage sensation Max Dowman equalled a record held by Wayne Rooney, becoming only the second 16-year-old to score in the Carabao Cup. The prodigy netted twice against Ipswich Town, though Mikel Arteta urged caution over the youngster's development. Arteta later insisted that Dowman must earn his minutes this season despite his breakout performance. In live Carabao Cup action, Dowman and Madueke gave Arsenal a two-goal lead at Ipswich.

Liverpool edged Tottenham 3-1 in their Carabao Cup third-round tie, with Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning strike sealing the win. Alexis Mac Allister had fired Liverpool in front against Spurs before Szoboszlai's decisive contribution. Richarlison was left out of Tottenham's squad entirely and posted a crying emoji on social media in response to Roberto De Zerbi's decision. Liverpool's Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo remain match-winners for the club despite a bumpy 2025-26 campaign, underlining their importance to the squad.

Fulham reached the Carabao Cup fourth round by edging West Ham 3-2 in a five-goal London derby thriller. West Ham had briefly levelled through Bowen in the live cup tie before Fulham sealed the victory. Peterborough advanced past Barnsley on penalties after a six-goal thriller, reaching the fourth round for the first time in their history. Lincoln City won 1-0 at Bristol City to haunt old boss Skubala, with Draper scoring the decisive goal against his former club.

Brentford overcame Reading to reach the Carabao Cup fourth round, but head coach Keith Andrews was left frustrated by VAR decisions, saying officials should "let them ref the games and be humans". The Premier League title race narrowed as Arsenal and Manchester City separated themselves from the pack, prompting questions about whether the title race is already confirmed. Leeds United sit third in the Premier League, with Daniel Farke having turned the team around dramatically this season. Southampton's "Brampton bagsman" Cyle Larin is taking the Championship by storm with his scintillating goalscoring form.

Middlesbrough missed the chance to go top of the Championship after a 2-2 draw with Millwall. Millwall had led at the Riverside before Boro battled back for a point. In a separate Championship fixture, Lincoln were ahead at Bristol City as part of live coverage on Sky. Championship highlights from Middlesbrough's draw with Millwall and Bristol City's defeat to Lincoln were available for review.

Manchester United Crisis

Manchester United's week went from bad to worse with defeats on and off the pitch, protests from supporters, and derby drama compounding the unrest. Wonderkid JJ Gabriel, has asked to leave the club, sources confirmed, with Manchester City reportedly monitoring the situation. The highly-rated forward is on the brink of leaving Old Trafford, and United reportedly fear a City swoop for the teenager. Contract talks between United and Bruno Fernandes have stalled significantly, adding further uncertainty at the club. Newspapers reported that United are fearful of Man City convincing Gabriel to switch across Manchester.

VAR Controversy & Officiating

Erling Haaland's goal in the Manchester derby proved that VAR's quest for perfection is doomed to fail, as the system continues to generate controversy. Pro Ref chief Howard Webb admitted VAR had "tunnel vision" on Haaland, which led to Enzo Fernandez being missed as offside for a Manchester City goal. Webb also backed Phil Foden's red card in the derby as justified, though he noted Bruno Fernandes escaped a yellow for a "petulant" kick. The VAR official from the Manchester derby was stood down from duty after making an "error of judgement" in awarding City a goal.

International Football & Retirement News

Lionel Messi, despite announcing his international retirement, was included in Argentina's squad for an October 6 farewell friendly. James Rodríguez announced his retirement from Colombia's national team after a 15-year international career. New Inter Miami head coach Cristian "Kily" González said he feels blessed to take charge of the club and work with Messi. Philippe Coutinho credited Neymar as key to his Santos transfer, with the midfielder joining the Brazilian side for the rest of the season.

Coutinho has joined Neymar at Santos until the end of the season, arriving from his previous club. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill insists his squad is picked only on merit, not eligibility rules, though he admitted the current eligibility framework is "not particularly fair". Teenagers Ceadach O'Neill and Braiden Graham retained their places in the Northern Ireland squad for the Nations League. Wales manager Craig Bellamy handed a first call-up to Cardiff City forward Cian Ashford as Rodon missed out through injury for the Nations League fixtures.

Scotland Squad & Managerial Pressure

Sebastien Pocognoli's first Scotland squad has created serious intrigue, with the new manager making bold selections ahead of the Nations League. Oli McBurnie and seven uncapped players were included in Pocognoli's maiden squad. Sevilla striker Robbie Ure and Brondby's Luis Binks are among five newcomers handed call-ups by the new Scotland boss. A podcast examined who would make Pocognoli's first squad and who would miss out as Scotland's new era begins.

Hibernian head coach David Gray says he will continue until told otherwise, but questions persist over whether he has lost the supporters after another defeat. Pressure continues to mount on Gray following Hibernian's latest Scottish Premiership loss. Celtic and Scotland legend Danny McGrain, described as "Scotland's greatest-ever full-back," has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, his former club confirmed.

European & World Football

José Mourinho said Real Madrid "risked everything" with his attacking substitutions in their win over Elche. Cristiano Ronaldo suffered his heaviest loss with Al Nassr as the Saudi side were routed 4-0 in the Asian Champions League. Barcelona midfielder Rodri revealed he called Mourinho this summer after choosing Barcelona over Real Madrid. The Munich Football Arena and Barcelona's Spotify Camp Nou will host the 2028 and 2029 Champions League finals respectively.

Barcelona are monitoring Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, while Nick Woltemade could be on the move, according to Wednesday's gossip column. Real Salt Lake and USMNT midfielder Diego Luna is expected to be sidelined for months with a knee injury. Inter Miami midfielder Alexander Shaw has been contacted by Colombia after previously playing for the U.S. U20 side, with the source indicating Colombia is targeting the dual national. Cavan Sullivan recorded his first two-goal game in MLS and added an assist as Philadelphia Union crushed San Diego.

Bolivian first-division club Guabirá's coach said sport has been "tainted" after death threats were directed at his goalkeeper, Juan Manuel. Mexico's National Antitrust Commission has launched an investigation into promotion and relegation in Mexican soccer. Bayern Munich's floral Oktoberfest kit for 2026-27 has been revealed as their wildest yet, with the Bundesliga giants going all out on the special jersey design.

Transfer News & Managerial Matters

Former Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma is on the verge of joining Ajax on a free transfer. Aris Thessaloniki reportedly still hope to sign John Souttar amid a contract dispute, according to Scottish gossip. Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde could depart during the winter window, with several clubs monitoring his situation. Craig Bellamy says he was "comfortable" turning down Burnley and remains committed to managing Wales. Enzo Maresca seemingly took on football's impossible job in the summer when replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but has impressed early.

ESPN's Hot Seat Index ranked which Premier League managers are most likely to be fired first across all 20 teams. Thomas Tuchel regrets not eating Azteca Stadium turf after England's win over Mexico at the iconic venue. Andoni Iraola faces a demanding schedule test at Liverpool, with questions over whether his pressing game will work at Anfield.

Cricket

Harry Brook and Jos Buttler went berserk again as England thrashed Sri Lanka by 119 runs in the first T20 international at Southampton, with Brook smashing a 42-ball century. Ben Stokes no longer plays for England, but he still rated Brook as more talented than Kevin Pietersen in a bold statement. England faced Sri Lanka in the first T20 with Donald making his debut as part of live coverage. The full scorecard from the first T20 international at Southampton was available, showing England's dominant performance.

Ben Stokes made a half-century for Durham as Surrey battled for Division One survival in the County Championship, with Surrey skittled for just 115. The former England captain's fifty helped Durham end their opening day in a strong position.

Other Sports

Tiger Woods has shared footage of himself back on the range hitting balls for the first time since his car accident, marking a significant step in his recovery. Rory McIlroy is unconcerned about new criteria for PGA Tour qualification and DP World Tour membership changes. Jon Rahm believes LIV Golf schedule changes can allow the DP World Tour to "gain some strength" as the golf landscape continues to evolve.

Nico Rosberg believes George Russell will be driven by a similar level of motivation as he deals with "painful" losses to Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warned Antonelli that he must remain wary of championship risks despite holding an 81-point lead in the standings. Patrick Mahomes made a winning return as the Chiefs stormed past the Broncos 31-10, with Kenneth Walker III running for 173 yards and scoring two touchdowns on debut.

Luke Littler says he needs "crucial days off" as he chases history ahead of the World Series Finals, with the world No 1 asserting he has earned the right to pick and choose his schedule. Amy Hunt fears Sydney Sweeney's controversial betting advert could become a "barrier" and reiterated the need for role models in sport. England head coach Brian McDermott confirmed George Williams will captain the Rugby League World Cup squad. Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity face a rematch for a semi-final spot after meeting in the final round of the regular season.

Governance & Hosting

Over a dozen top current and former women's soccer players, including Alex Morgan and Marta, have signed a letter to FIFA seeking changes to the U20 Women's World Cup. Nairobi has secured the 2029 World Athletics Championships, beating London to bring the event to Africa for the first time. Cardiff will host the 2029 women's Champions League final, with UEFA confirming a number of host appointments for upcoming finals. England Golf has reignited its push to bring the Solheim Cup to England and is seeking government support for a 2030 bid.

Scotland fans will be allowed to buy alcohol at upcoming games following a successful trial earlier in the year. The Premier League's rules on yellow card suspensions were explained, detailing what happens when players receive too many bookings. BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team explained why there are nine Europa League matches on Wednesday in the new league phase format.

Legal & Discipline

Raheem Sterling has admitted to dangerous driving after crashing his Lamborghini into motorway barriers in May. The former England winger pleaded guilty to the charge following the incident. Conor Benn could "skip the queue" for a middleweight world title shot if he returns to action at 160 pounds, according to promoter Bentley. Lamine Yamal declared that he and Kylian Mbappé are the best players in the world, but insisted the Ballon d'Or should be his. San Diego Wave placed USWNT forward Catarina Macario on the NWSL's season-ending injury list, ruling her out for the remainder of the campaign.