Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: August 29, 2026, 10:24 PM ET

Premier League Weekend

Tottenham's nightmare start compounded on Saturday as Newcastle secured a 2-0 victory in north London. After spending more than £300m in the summer, Spurs find themselves bottom of the table, and Roberto De Zerbi admitted changing the mentality at the club is his biggest challenge. Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa both struck as the rejuvenated duo condemned Spurs to a second straight defeat without a goal. De Zerbi remains optimistic despite the dire start, but Jamie Carragher says it "couldn't have gone any worse." Player ratings show Sandro Tonali struggled on his return to face his former club, while Lewis Miley was praised for his "big presence." Elsewhere, Liverpool had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at Anfield, rescued by a Victor Muñoz deflected leveller after Forest's penalty had put them ahead. Forest boss Andoni Iraola fumed at a board fault which he claimed delayed his substitutions before the spot-kick, and the draw means Iraola's wait for a first win continues. The result keeps last season's bad habits alive for Liverpool under the new manager.

Champions League Draw & Governance

Real Madrid will begin their Champions League title defense with a home match against Inter Milan on 8 September in the opening round of the league phase. The reactions to the draw have been mixed: it was arguably good for Liverpool but bad for Barcelona, with several must-see fixtures on the horizon. Beyond the draw itself, UEFA escalated its dispute with FIFA president Gianni Infantino by filing criminal charges against him, flexing its muscles in a bitter battle that shows no sign of ending.

Premier League Transfers

The transfer window remains open and clubs are scrambling. Liverpool are closing in on a £123m deal for PSG forward Bradley Barcola, a move that raises doubts over Cody Gakpo's future at Anfield. The PSG man has been identified as a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, though the €140m outlay is significant. Manchester City were also in talks for Gakpo , though the Netherlands forward is reportedly prioritising a move to the Etihad. Tottenham coach Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr have all asked to leave the club. Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Alexander Sørloth from Atlético, while Fulham are in talks for Andrei Ratiu from Rayo. Hull have also agreed a deal with Eintracht Frankfurt for winger Jean-Matteo Bahoya, and Forest have agreed a £22m deal for Daniel Muñoz from Crystal Palace.

Soccer Analysis

Michael Carrick at Manchester United has branded claims that his side lacked drive in a recent defeat as lazy analysis while ESPN has ranked the top 10 male players in the world right now, with some potential surprise placements. José Mourinho believes the connection between the super quality of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior will help Real Madrid lift trophies, and he has also voiced concerns about the three-week international break for key players.

Soccer Across Europe

Atlético Madrid cruised to a 3-1 win in Seville without Julián Álvarez, with an impressive brace from Baena. Paris Saint-Germain staged yet another late comeback, scoring twice in stoppage time to draw 2-2 with Lille, and Luis Enrique hailed that fighting spirit as their hallmark. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner as Al Nassr beat Al Taawoun 2-1 to maintain a perfect start in Saudi Arabia. Bayern Munich hit five in a 5-1 win over Stuttgart, with Michael Olise scoring in their Bundesliga opener. Rafael Leão has arrived in Istanbul ahead of his Galatasaray move from AC Milan, while Milan's perfect start continued with a 2-0 win over Venezia, though Christian Pulisic was an unused substitute.

Championship

Charlton Athletic moved top of the Championship after beating Preston 1-0 to maintain a perfect start. Hull, predicted by some to struggle, sit top of the table after two wins from two, and the club's striker responded to critics with a playful dig at "the worst team in history." They won 1-0 at the CBS, extending Coventry's 25-year wait for a PL win, a win sealed by Liam Millar's late goal. Wolves came from behind to beat Stoke 4-1 in the best form of the weekend, while Southampton's Cyle Larin scored twice in a 5-1 thumping of Millwall, with Tonda Eckert praising him as the best in the league. Norwich recovered from a sluggish start to record an emphatic 4-1 win over 10-man Burnley. Cardiff came from behind to beat Blackburn, earning a QPR win, and Lincoln beat Bolton 1-0 for their first second-tier win in 65 years with a goal from Ben House. Swansea's convincing 3-0 win at Derby saw goals from Opoku, Ji-sung and Ronald, while Wigan retained the League Leaders' Shield with a 26-20 win over Leeds. Middlesbrough's Will Lankshear scored twice in a 3-1 win over West Brom, making it six goals in five games since his summer move from Spurs. Wrexham lost 2-1 to Birmingham, with boss Phil Parkinson "shellshocked", and the BBC's Sam Parkin has his EFL takeaways from a week that features a perfect start for Charlton. Frank Lampard said his management style sits between the two of José Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. West Ham are still without a win after a 1-1 draw at Watford in front of their biggest crowd in six years, with Nuno's side held despite a strong display. Bolton's unbeaten streak ended with their loss to Lincoln, but Burnley aimed for answers after that defeat.

Scottish Football

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said he would ideally rather the club had no supporters at Ibrox than, so vocal was the ticket allocation for next month's League Cup quarter-final at the stadium. Kilmarnock boss said he is angry and apologetic at their losing start to the Premiership. Jim Goodwin will be missing from the Dundee United dugout after being admitted to hospital, with his assistant to take over against Kilmarnock.

Cricket

England extended their lead over Pakistan to 357 at Lord's on a rain-affected day three, with Dan Lawrence's impressive half-century and play later abandoned amid sunshine, which angered Nasser Hussain. Day 3 ended early, but the match continues after Joe Root's dismissals, and there are questions over LBW struggles that have threatened his form.

Rugby & More

Siya Kolisi marked his return with a try as South Africa defeated New Zealand 33-26 in Cape Town to level the series. Lando Norris has extended his McLaren contract, keeping the world champion until 2030. Wigan retained their League Leaders' Shield with a 26-20 win over Leeds on Saturday.

Golf, Darts, Tennis & More

In golf, Penge co-leads the British Masters heading into a marathon final day, with McKibbin chasing, while the Tour Championship blog is live with a shared lead. Luke Humphries was a shock second-round loser at the Hungarian Darts Trophy in a 6-3 result. In tennis, Arthur Fery's hopes fell short in the Winston-Salem Open final with Ignacio Buse the winner in that match.

Boxing/Racing & Other Sports

The fight between Mayer and Cameron features a heated weigh-in with split security afterward. A classic piece of sporting history about Tom Finney's iconic image that still resonates 70 years on can be found here, and a snooker club wall's viral mural of Ronnie O'Sullivan has had scaffolding returned. Elsewhere, racing brings check from Windsor, Chepstow and Saratoga.

MLS & Off-Pitch

The MLS's Leagues Cup implosion now leaves a lingering direction for the league: its a made-for-tournament that revealed the distance in progress needed. Man City's new AI-designed third kit for 2026-27 was selected from more than 80,000 submitted and scored from Elliott's design. Craig Kirby, a 50-year-old amateur, captured viral attention in his final season, proving that age no barrier.

Transfers Round-up

Al Hilal are closing in on Gabriel Martinelli in a deal worth up to €65m ($76m) and Aston Villa have signed striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for £65m. Napoli are interested in Nick Woltemade while others target Jack Grealish and Matias Fernandez-Pardo, as seen in Sunday's gossip column round-up.

Bundesliga

The tiny town of Elversberg, population just 13,000 and no train station, are set to make their historic Bundesliga debut.