Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: August 3, 2026, 2:31 PM ET

USMNT and NWSL News

Mauricio Pochettino signed a new contract to continue as manager of the U.S. men's national team, U.S. Soccer announced Monday morning. The new deal will keep Pochettino at the helm through the 2030 World Cup. Washington's loss to San Diego saw the Spirit surrender the No. 1 spot on ESPN's NWSL Power Rankings, with Utah laying claim to best in the league. Inter Miami has not expressed interest in signing Colombian national team midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero, club sources confirmed to ESPN.

Premier League and European Transfers

Xabi Alonso said that the "scar" he suffered from his short tenure at Real Madrid has healed, allowing him to fully focus on taking Chelsea into the new Premier League season. Como has agreed to a deal worth more than £30m to sign Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah. Chelsea confirmed the signing of England midfielder Jordan Henderson. Argentina international Valentín Barco has joined Chelsea from Strasbourg, the London club have announced. Arsenal manager Arteta refused to give anything away about his club's reported pursuit of Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior but said he expects more moves before the end of the summer transfer window. Arsenal has rolled out their new third kit for the 2026-27 season, but observers might think they have seen it before. Arsenal's opening bid for Bruno Guimaraes has been rejected by Newcastle. Manchester City is preparing a surprise move for Chelsea winger Pedro Neto. Tottenham has made an approach for Victor Osimhen. Tottenham are interested in signing Cody Gakpo from Liverpool this summer. Newcastle United has signed goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek from Braga in a deal worth £25.7m.

Club and Player Updates

Wrexham concluded their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in Philadelphia. Crystal Palace signed Tottenham defender Molly Bartrip for an undisclosed fee. With a month to go before the start of the Women's Super League season, Manchester United are without a manager and have a thin squad. Just a month out from their opening Women's Super League fixture, Manchester United find themselves without a head coach after Marc Skinner departed on Monday morning. Bosnia Herzegovina captain Edin Dzeko, has signed a one-year contract extension at newly promoted Bundesliga side Schalke. Non-league Flixton FC has set the record straight after former Man Utd winger Jadon Sancho was seen training with the club. Los Angeles Galaxy's general manager Will Kuntz says Casemiro told the club he "only wanted to play for them" amid investigations into his transfer to Inter Miami. Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto states his squad is looking to the future and is not scarred by the past few seasons of struggle at Molineux. With significant departures on and off the field, new Motherwell boss Alfred Johansson appeared to have a daunting task on his hands this season, but he has started in fine style. Martin O'Neill tips Callum McGregor as a future Celtic manager as the midfielder commits his future to the club while Steven Gerrard reveals the reasons why he did not return as Rangers boss. Martin O'Neill vowed to "drive forward together" and "not rest on past success," so a full season with the Northern Irishman at the helm could be transformative.

European Competitions and FIFA Matters

Celtic will play Austrian champions LASK for a place in the league phase of the Champions League, while Brighton will face CFR Cluj or Tromso in the Conference League play-off round. Celtic will play against Austrian champions LASK in the Champions League play-off round as four other Scottish sides discover potential Europa League and Conference League opponents. The Football Association is set to withdraw support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The English Football Association is set to write to Fifa president Gianni Infantino withdrawing its support amid the fallout from his scrapped plans to sell off stakes in Fifa competitions to private investors. Real Madrid has praised UEFA for helping protect football "at a decisive moment" after FIFA abandoned plans to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has gambled unsuccessfully on questionable ideas before, but his World Cup plans were ham-fisted and delusional from both a business and political perspective. Pressure is building on Fifa president Gianni Infantino, but if he goes, the question of who might replace him as Fifa president arises.

Other Football News

Marcus Rashford's future at Manchester United remains up in the air. Premier League clubs have already spent more than £1bn in the transfer window, but are expected to only get busier. Mikel Arteta tried to convince Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior to join Arsenal. At Arsenal, there is an excitement about whether Vinicius Jr could sign this summer. "Why go searching for a midfielder when you've got Mason Mount at home?" is a question being posed regarding Manchester United's transfer targets. Liverpool conclude their pre-season US tour with a 4-2 defeat against Leeds, having held a two-goal half-time lead in Chicago. Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead in spectacular fashion as Leeds won the final match of both teams' United States tour 4-2. Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo hails new manager Enzo Maresca's style of play as "music to my ears" after showcasing early signs of his role under the Italian. Long before the EAFC video game franchise nestled itself at the epicenter of soccer culture, FIFA International Soccer was an unexpected bestseller.

Scottish Premiership and Other Leagues

Welsh Fire turned the form table on its head to defeat The Hundred table-toppers Southern Brave in a last-ball thriller in Cardiff. Newly-promoted St Johnstone block out summer "noise" to thrill fans with a goal-laden win over Kilmarnock on the Premiership opening weekend. Watch Sportscene from McDiarmid Park as St Johnstone and Kilmarnock play out a seven-goal thriller in the Scottish Premiership. Late drama goals and big talking points have been the hallmarks of week one in the Premiership.

Tennis and Golf

Jessica Pegula holds a one-set lead over Alexandra Eala in a rain-affected DC Open final that saw play suspended until Monday. Emma Raducanu's stress fracture will force her to miss the US Open. Donald Trump taunted opponents after announcing he had won the Senior and Super Senior Men's Club Championship at his Bedminster golf course in New Jersey.

Other Sports News

USA cricketer Akhilesh Reddy has been banned from all cricket for eight years by the ICC after being found guilty of three counts of breaking anti-corruption rules by a tribunal. Scottish Rugby announced the departure of women's head coach Sione Fukofuka due to personal reasons after eight months in charge. Having been linked with a move to the Premier League, Zion Suzuki is set for a switch to European champions Paris Saint-German instead. With Formula 1's summer break upon us, the sport's 'silly season' of speculation around - and possible movement in - the driver market is officially under way. Leona Maguire has been included among Team Europe's captain's picks for next month's Solheim Cup, with Anna Nordqvist adding three more rookies to her line-up. Anna Nordqvist revealed "difficult conversations" with players missing out on the Solheim Cup. Information regarding where and when the next Solheim Cup will take place, how the scoring system works, and which players can qualify is available for the 2026 edition. Etinosa Oliha says Aaron McKenna cannot offer "anything new" in their world title fight and has vowed to inflict a punishing defeat on the Irishman. We have a full day of action on Monday with Flat action from Ripon and Windsor, live on Sky Sports Racing.