Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×England Team News
Fin Smith skysports.com will start for England in their Six Nations match against Italy on Saturday as Steve Borthwick makes wholesale changes to his team. The England squad is worried about being turned into "political spokespeople" at the World Cup, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association says. Leicester bbc.com have appointed James McCarron from the City Group as their new sporting director as part of a restructure of the club's leadership.
World Cup Build-Up
With just 100 days to go before the World Cup kicks off, ESPN sits down with a who's who of USMNT legends to discuss the national team's hopes in 2026. Japan bbc.com may intervene to buy yen as speculation mounts. The race to become the next president of Barcelona has been whittled down to three candidates, with Joan Laporta facing competition. England bbc.com players are worried about being turned into "political spokespeople" at the World Cup.
Premier League Analysis
In defence of Arsenal - BBC Sport chief football writer Phil Mc Nulty asks is the criticism of the Premier League leaders unfair as they chase four trophies? On the Monday Night Club, Nedum Onuoha breaks down why some people might find Arsenal's set-pieces boring to watch. The Premier League espn.com just isn't as fun as it used to be. But ESPN's Ryan O'Hanlon has figured out a way to fix it, if one coach is brave enough.
Managerial Changes
Aberdeen skysports.com are looking at other options for their managerial vacancy due to the delay in finalising a deal with Eirik Horneland. Exeter City bbc.com have reappointed Matt Taylor as manager on an interim deal until the end of the season. Torquay United bbc.com have appointed Neil Warnock as caretaker manager, with the veteran coach joking "I thought I would have been at Tottenham or Forest."
Player News
Danny Welbeck bbc.com triggers a 12-month extension on his Brighton deal, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2026-27 season. Johnny Russell bbc.com is back at Dundee United, with manager Jim Goodwin sure the veteran striker can have a positive impact. Adama Traore bbc.com "carries enough weight" and only needs to be in the gym to do "prevention work," says West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
International Football
Scotland bbc.com are forced into a change of opponent for their final World Cup warm up as Rangers weigh up impact of high-profile loan signing. Northern Ireland bbc.com midfielder Nadene Caldwell says the squad want to build some momentum into their World Cup qualifiers by getting early points on the board. Pakistan skysports.com players have reportedly each been fined $18,000 for an underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign in which they failed to reach the semi-finals.
Record Chasing
Harry Kane espn.com is chasing Robert Lewandowski's incredible Bundesliga goal tally, while Kylian Mbappé seeks Champions League history. Here's the latest in Europe's record goal and assist tallies. Real Madrid have confirmed that Kylian Mbappé is suffering from a left-knee sprain, saying tests have suggested that the "conservative treatment" the forward is currently undergoing is the best treatment.
Match Results
Getafe espn.com stunned Real Madrid on Satriano's wonder-strike as a stunning first-half strike from Martín Satriano earned Getafe a shock 1-0 win at the Bernabeu. Middlesbrough skysports.com secured a vital win in the promotion race with Targett's brace helping them to victory over Birmingham City. Flamengo bbc.com sacked ex-Chelsea defender Filipe Luis just hours after the club recorded an 8-0 win to reach this weekend's Campeonato Carioca final.
Transfer News
Bruno Fernandes espn.com has shown no signs of wanting to leave Manchester United, while Casemiro has urged the club to sign Bruno Guimarães. Transfer Talk has the latest. Chelsea espn.com co-owner Todd Boehly has revealed that he signed Marc Cucurella in the summer of 2022 because Manchester City had wanted the Spanish left-back first.
Other Football News
Non-league Kettering Town bbc.com are hoping to finally play their first home game of 2026 following a series of postponements caused by a waterlogged pitch. The Premier League's skysports.com biggest clubs have recently published their financial results for the 2024-25 season. Holding, wrestling, battling bbc.com - call it what you will. Corner kicks in the Premier League are becoming dominated by it. Can anything be done?
Women's Football
All you need to know as Melissa Andreatta's Scotland side start their quest to reach the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. England bbc.com celebrate the start of the Lionesses' World Cup journey with a quiz on goalscorers from England's 2021 20-0 win over Latvia.
Off-Pitch Issues
UEFA espn.com have fined Tottenham Hotspur and handed down a suspended ban on travelling fans after the club acknowledged Nazi salutes from a group of supporters. The British Horseracing Authority has announced that Lord Allen has resigned as the ruling body's chair after less than a year in the post.