Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: August 9, 2026, 9:14 PM ET

Mourinho's Revelation

In a new documentary, Jose Mourinho revealed he signed a contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, only to tearfully return to Chelsea instead. The BBC report notes that David Moyes ultimately took over at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Mourinho, now at Real Madrid, criticized summer signing Bernardo Silva for his fitness levels, saying he returned for preseason out of shape. Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo laughed off false wedding reports that caused fan chaos in Funchal.

Women's World Cup Qualifiers

Nigeria suffered their worst-ever WAFCON performance, losing 1-0 to Cameroon in Sunday's quarterfinal in Casablanca. The result means an African quartet — Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Malawi — all qualified for the 2027 Women's World Cup by reaching the semifinals. Algeria reached the World Cup for the first time after goals from Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham overturned Ines Konan's opener for Ivory Coast.

Transfer Market

Aston Villa are interested in a loan move for Endrick, while Harry Kane is expected to extend his Bayern Munich deal. Lucas Digne completed his move from Aston Villa to PSG for £8.5m. Ferran Torres has told Barcelona he wants to join Paris Saint-Germain after agreeing personal terms. Fulham agreed a deal worth up to £30m for Shea Charles from Southampton. Sevilla are close to signing Scotland Under-21 striker Robbie Ure from IK Sirius for £7.9m. Manchester United and Arsenal are chasing Club Brugge full-back Seys. Manchester United are also working on a deal to sign Leicester teenager Louis Page. Everton and Crystal Palace are in talks about a swap deal involving Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson. Hearts agreed a £1.7m deal to sell winger Alexandros Kyziridis to a Turkish club. Rangers rejected an offer for striker Youssef Chermiti, with manager Derek McInnes confirming it did not meet the club's valuation. Celtic reportedly face opposition from Burnley and Malaga for Greg Taylor of PAOK. Transfer Talk reports that Tottenham captain Cristian Romero is open to joining Arsenal, while Arsenal and Man Utd both want Inter's Pio Esposito.

Preseason Friendlies

Arsenal slipped to a second straight preseason defeat, losing 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta's side conceded "poor goals," according to reports, and the defending concern was highlighted after Dortmund won the Emirates Cup. Liverpool threw away another 2-0 lead as Monaco came from behind to win 3-2 in Andoni Iraola's first game at Anfield. Iraola admitted his side "cannot sustain the level we want" after the second such collapse. Team news for the match was also covered. In other friendlies, Bournemouth's Alex Scott and Real Betis' Antony were sent off after a confrontation during a 2-2 draw in Seville. Newcastle beat 10-man Valencia 2-1 in Matthias Jaissle's first game in charge, with Yoane Wissa scoring twice. Man City vs Atletico Madrid team news was also published.

Scottish Premiership & Others

Kasper Hogh silenced his critics with a first-half hat-trick as Celtic thrashed Kilmarnock 5-1 at Rugby Park. The record signing earned rave reviews. Hearts secured their first win under Wouter Vrancken, beating Dundee United 4-0 with three summer signings on target. Statistics suggested the early losses hid hidden potential. Hibernian netted an injury-time winner to beat Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox, leaving Derek McInnes still winless. McInnes insisted his side "aren't as bad as people think" after the Hibs loss. Motherwell signed off for their Conference League qualifier with a goalless draw against Falkirk.

Club Updates

Marcus Rashford is set to rejoin Manchester United at their preseason camp in Ireland. Enzo Maresca expects Rodri to be back with Manchester City next week amid speculation over his future. Xabi Alonso's Chelsea pre-season campaign offered insights into bonding and building. Trent Alexander-Arnold faces a defining second season at Real Madrid as he looks to prove his worth under Jose Mourinho. Vinícius Júnior ended weeks of speculation by signing a new six-year Real Madrid contract. A report examines which elite clubs, including Arsenal and Liverpool, are struggling with World Cup burnout.

Off the Pitch

LaLiga president Javier Tebas claimed Gianni Infantino is "destroying the very essence" of football, declaring the Infantino era is over. FIFA hit back at what it called a concerted effort to undermine the world governing body and its president. Inter Miami paid tribute to absent captain Lionel Messi in Saturday's Leagues Cup loss to Monterrey, following the death of his father Jorge. Jorge Messi died at 68 in Rosario. Brazilian top-flight club Coritiba wore the name of English fan Jonny Butcher on their shirts to raise awareness of motor neurone disease. Former Everton defender Seamus Coleman has been training with Killybegs but a GAA return is unlikely. Arbroath FC held a silence for nine-year-old Minnie Merriman, whose family was "overwhelmed" by the gesture. Alexia Putellas' arrival at London City Lionesses was the biggest transfer in WSL history. BBC Sport also rounded up new kits for the coming season.