Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Champions League Drama
Bodø/Glimt espn.com stunned Inter Milan with a 2-1 win at San Siro, advancing 5-2 on aggregate in a historic upset. Alexander Sørloth espn.com scored a hat trick as Atlético Madrid crushed Club Brugge 4-1 to reach the last. Johnny Cardoso espn.com called his Champions League debut "perfect" after scoring in Atlético's victory. Kylian Mbappé espn.com missed Real Madrid's squad for their playoff against Benfica due to a knee injury.
Scottish Football
Barry Ferguson bbc.com backs Rangers to beat Celtic in Sunday's Old Firm derby, believing the title race will "go to the wire." Hearts skysports.com head coach Derek Mc Innes revealed Sir Alex Ferguson is "rooting" for his side in the Scottish Premiership title race. Hearts bbc.com face injury setbacks with Stuart Findlay out for six weeks and Eduardo Ageu ruled out for the season. Celtic bbc.com failed in their appeal against Auston Trusty's red card, while St Mirren's Richard King had his dismissal overturned.
Transfer Market Moves
Philippe Coutinho espn.com is weighing an MLS move or retirement at, sources told ESPN. Manchester United bbc.com ruled out signing Victor Osimhen partly due to Africa Cup of Nations commitments, according to Benni Mc Carthy. Manchester United espn.com and Manchester City bbc.com are targeting Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson. West Brom skysports.com sacked Eric Ramsay after just 44 days as head coach.
Women's Football
The Republic of Ireland will host Israel in a Nations League match at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on October 4th. England bbc.com will play Ukraine in a Women's World Cup qualifier at Everton's stadium in June. Leah Williamson skysports.com suggested players could strike over scheduling concerns if player welfare isn't addressed.
International Concerns
FIFA expressed "full confidence" Mexico can host World Cup matches despite recent unrest. Portugal espn.com is monitoring the situation in Mexico ahead of their March friendly. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre espn.com confirmed everyone will be "safe" for the Iceland friendly in Querétaro. US officials warned of "catastrophic" security consequences if World Cup host cities don't receive frozen federal funding.
MLS and North America
MLS espn.com has hired a search firm to lead the recruitment drive for Don Garber's potential successor, whose contract expires in 2027. Vancouver Whitecaps espn.com signed MLS Defender of the Year Tristan Blackmon to a contract extension through 2029-30. Chucky Lozano espn.com was supposed to be San Diego FC's face but his playing future remains unclear.
English Football
Sheffield Wednesday skysports.com saw a consortium withdraw from their takeover process. John Terry bbc.com expressed frustration at being overlooked for Chelsea's caretaker role. Chelsea bbc.com and West Ham were fined for a "mass confrontation" between players in January. Multi-club owners Mercury13 bbc.com saw co-founder Victoire Cogevina Reynal depart five months after taking over Bristol City Women.
Other Developments
Lionel Messi espn.com "deeply regrets" not learning English, wishing he'd applied himself more in studies. Katie Taylor skysports.com announced plans to retire after a summer fight in Dublin. Ross Smith skysports.com won his seventh Players Championship title with an 8-2 victory over Chris Dobey, who hit a nine-darter. Wrexham espn.com continued their promotion push with a 2-1 win over Portsmouth.