Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: August 30, 2026, 6:14 AM ET

Premier League: Spurs' Spiral Deepens

Tottenham's nightmare start to the season continued as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday, leaving them bottom of the table without a point or a goal. Despite spending more than £300m in the summer, boss Roberto De Zerbi insisted he is "not angry" but acknowledged that changing the mentality at the club is his biggest challenge. The defeat was compounded by De Zerbi revealing that Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr have all asked to leave the club. Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher slammed the start as the worst possible, while the player ratings showed Sandro Tonali struggling on his return to north London. Newcastle, meanwhile, proved there's plenty of life after Tonali, with Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa finding the net. The £300m spend has not bought the mentality needed, as De Zerbi noted.

Premier League: Liverpool Held, Hull's Perfect Start

Liverpool's new era under Andoni Iraola has hit an early snag after Victor Munoz's deflected leveller rescued a 2-2 draw for Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Iraola fumed at an electronic board malfunction that he claims delayed his substitutions and led to Forest's penalty, while the team showed the same bad habits that cost Arne Slot his job. Alexander Isak scored his first goal of the season, but questions remain over how Iraola can get the best out of him. Morgan Gibbs-White shone for the visitors in the player ratings. Elsewhere, Hull City continued their fairytale return to the top flight with a second straight win over Coventry, with Liam Millar scoring late. Oli McBurnie had a playful dig at critics, saying "not bad for the worst team in Premier League history" after their perfect start. James Tarkowski's stoppage-time equaliser denied Bournemouth victory, while West Ham remain winless after a 1-1 draw at Watford. The Forest penalty was a key moment in the weekend's action.

Champions League Draw & Transfer News

The Champions League draw threw up some fascinating ties, with Real Madrid set to host Inter Milan in the league phase opener on Sept. 8. The draw was good for Liverpool but bad for Barcelona, according to our analysis. Off the pitch, UEFA has escalated its battle with FIFA by filing criminal charges against president Gianni Infantino. In the transfer market, Manchester City are in talks to sign Cody Gakpo from Liverpool, with the Netherlands forward preferring a move to the Etihad. Liverpool are also continuing talks for Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr. Rafael Leão has arrived in Istanbul ahead of his $52M move to Galatasaray from AC Milan. Aston Villa completed the signing of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, while Al Hilal are closing in on a €65m deal for Gabriel Martinelli. Manchester United have been offered Alexander Sørloth, and Napoli are interested in a loan for Nick Woltemade. Fulham are in talks for Andrei Ratiu, while Nottingham Forest agreed a £22m deal for Daniel Munoz. Hull City agreed a deal for Jean-Matteo Bahoya from Eintracht Frankfurt. The gossip mill also links Jack Grealish with a Sunderland move.

European Football Roundup

Lionel Messi scored four goals as Inter Miami secured a club-record 7-1 victory over CF Montréal. In MLS, 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan made history as the first teenager with goal contributions in four straight matches. At PSG, Luis Enrique praised his team's fighting spirit after scoring two stoppage-time goals to secure a 2-2 draw against Lille. Bayern Munich kicked off their Bundesliga campaign with a 5-1 win over Stuttgart, with Michael Olise on the scoresheet. Cristiano Ronaldo's winner extended Al Nassr's perfect start in the Saudi Pro League. Atlético Madrid cruised to a 3-1 win at Sevilla without Julián Álvarez, while Christian Pulisic remained on the bench as Milan beat Venezia 2-0. José Mourinho backed the Mbappé-Vinícius partnership at Real Madrid but expressed concern over the three-week international break.

EFL Championship Roundup

Charlton Athletic moved top of the Championship with a 1-0 victory over Preston, maintaining their perfect start. Sam Parkin assessed whether they're ready to challenge at the top. Southampton thumped Millwall 5-1 with Cyle Larin scoring twice, while Norwich cruised to a 4-1 win over 10-man Burnley. QPR came from behind to beat Blackburn 2-1, and Lincoln earned their first second-tier win in 65 years against Bolton. Will Lankshear scored twice as Middlesbrough beat West Brom 3-1, while Swansea cruised to a 3-0 win at Derby. Wolves came from behind to beat Stoke 4-1, and Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson was left "shellshocked" after a 2-1 home defeat to Birmingham. For full EFL highlights and results, see our roundup. The EFL live blog captured all the action.

Scottish Football & More

Martin O'Neill criticized Rangers' decision to offer Celtic just 300 tickets for their League Cup tie at Ibrox. Kilmarnock's losing start continued, with boss McCann left "angry and apologetic" after a fourth consecutive defeat. Dundee United confirmed Jim Goodwin was hospitalised on Thursday and will miss their match against Kilmarnock. There were important wins for Celtic, Hearts and Dundee Utd in the latest podcast. Michael Carrick branded claims that Manchester United lack passion as "lazy" after their defeat to Hull. Chris Richards is putting his World Cup heartbreak behind him, and we've ranked the top 10 male players in the world right now. Finally, the tiny German town of Elversberg is defying the odds in their Bundesliga debut.

US Open & Tennis

The US Open is notoriously hard to predict, but our panel has picked their winners and dark horses ahead of the final Grand Slam of 2026. Key questions surround Alcaraz's fitness and Sabalenka's chances of making history. Arthur Fery's hopes of a maiden ATP Tour title were ended by Ignacio Buse at the Winston-Salem Open.

Golf, Cricket, Boxing & Rugby

Viktor Hovland takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the Tour Championship, with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy chasing. The live blog has all the updates. Marco Penge shares the lead heading into a marathon final day at the British Masters. Ruoning Yin leads the FM Championship in Boston as European hopes faded. In cricket, Joe Root's lbw struggles are under scrutiny, while Nasser Hussain called the umpires' decision to abandon play at Lord's "a joke". Dan Lawrence's fifty lifted England to a 357-run lead over Pakistan. Chantelle Cameron called for a three-minute-round rematch against Mikaela Mayer after her unanimous decision win. In rugby, Siya Kolisi marked his return with a try as the Springboks levelled the series with New Zealand with a 33-26 win. Luke Humphries suffered a shock defeat at the Hungarian Darts Trophy, and Wigan Warriors retained the League Leaders' Shield with a 26-20 win over Leeds.

Liverpool's Barcola Pursuit & More

Liverpool's pursuit of Bradley Barcola has dominated headlines, with the club agreeing a £123m deal for the PSG winger. But is he the long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah? Our analysis suggests the €140m deal is a significant investment. Michail Antonio is helping young Ghanaians chase Premier League dreams through his academy. There's plenty of British interest at Deauville on Sunday in the racing world. Arsenal's rivals are scrambling to keep up in the transfer window, with our guide to what every contender needs. And in the Bundesliga, the tiny town of Elversberg continues to defy the odds in their debut season.