Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 9:22 AM ET

Transfer Market

Youri Tielemans has completed his £35m dream move to Manchester United from Aston Villa, admitting he did not expect the transfer to happen this summer. The Belgium international described his switch as "third time lucky" after previous failed attempts. Manchester City have completed the signing of Argentina goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli from Marseille, who will serve as Gianluigi Donnarumma's new understudy. In a potential record deal, Wrexham have signed Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, with sources telling ESPN the deal could eventually break the club's transfer record. Chelsea completed the signing of Pep Chavarría from Rayo Vallecano in a £16m deal, with the left-back—dubbed the 'King of Duels'—becoming the ninth new addition at Stamford Bridge. Ipswich Town have agreed a fee for Paraguay forward Julio Enciso from Strasbourg. Ferran Torres has been given permission to miss Barcelona training to finalise his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, as confirmed by a source to ESPN. Meanwhile, Barcelona remain optimistic of signing Manchester City midfielder Rodri, while they also plan to offer Marc Bernal an improved contract. Sheffield United have re-signed Kalvin Phillips on a season-long loan from Manchester City, and Coventry City have re-signed midfielder Gustavo Hamer from Sheffield United on a long-term deal.

Player & Team News

Mason Mount is expected to miss Manchester United's pre-season friendly against Leeds at Croke Park, though Lisandro Martínez has joined up with the squad in Ireland after his extended World Cup break. Portland Thorns and USWNT midfielder Olivia Moultrie has been ruled out for the rest of the 2026 season with an ACL injury. Rangers striker Youssef Chermiti will be out for a significant period after suffering an ACL injury. Barcelona forward Roony Bardghji has torn his ACL, scuppering plans for him to be transferred this summer. CF Montréal has signed Chilean international forward Alexis Sánchez to a Designated Player contract. James McClean remains a Derry City player, according to interim manager Mark Connolly, despite speculation over his future. Paul Pogba is expected to leave Monaco amid talks over a possible contract termination. Memphis Depay has accused Corinthians of "unacceptable behaviour" after the Brazilian club decided against renewing his contract.

League & Competition Analysis

The 2026-27 EFL season is back, featuring Championship play-off changes, new managers, and star players. A deeper look at how the three relegated sides—West Ham, Burnley and Wolves—will navigate the Championship this season reveals significant challenges. Birmingham City has sold over 20,000 season tickets for the forthcoming Championship campaign, with 14,000 more on a waiting list, as manager Chris Davies changes his tactical approach. The 2026-27 Premier League season is fast approaching, with the new kits ranked from Elvis tributes to retro classics. ESPN has identified one U21 player to watch from each Premier League team, from a potential youngest ever Man United player to Brighton's next big thing.

Match Results & Previews

The UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg sees Paris Saint-Germain aiming for a three-peat in the Champions League as they face Aston Villa. Unai Emery chases his first Super Cup with Villa, though three Villa stars will not play against PSG due to selection issues. PSG were unhappy with their dressing room allocation at Red Bull Arena and secured an extra room. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia returns for PSG in the Super Cup, reminding everyone he was the best player in Europe last season. In The Hundred, Manchester Super Giants routed Sun Risers Leeds to move to the cusp of the men's eliminator. In the women's competition, SunRisers Leeds beat Manchester to set up an eliminator with Southern Brave. Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar is on course to break the record for the fastest rise into the top 10 of men's tennis after winning at the Canadian Open.

Club & League Governance

Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari will step down from his role at the end of the 2026-27 season. The Community Shield debate continues over whether it is considered a major trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo has married his long-time partner Georgina Rodríguez in Portugal after playing his last World Cup. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says women's footballers should not be penalised by a potential boycott of the Under-20 Women's World Cup. Floodlights will be on throughout games in The Hundred on Wednesday due to the solar eclipse. The collapse of Craig Bellamy's proposed move to Burnley has put Wales in a "hard position," according to Nathan Blake.

Analysis & Features

ESPN has ranked the top 30 men's soccer club managers in Europe, featuring Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, and Luis Enrique. Liverpool's potential investment by a group including Jeff Bezos would not markedly change spending power but might sit uneasily with fans. Former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is vying with a consortium including Spurs' owners to buy NBA Europe's London team. Pep Guardiola came "close" to taking the Italy head coach job, even scribbling lineups on paper during talks, according to Paolo Maldini. An Ask Me Anything team explains how transfer add-ons work, while another explains why some clubs choose not to disclose transfer fees. A podcast examines whether Scotland take John McGinn for granted, tracing his rise from St Mirren to European Super Cup finalist.

Other News

Jeremy Doku says he is not against the journalist who criticised his plan to leave the Belgium camp during the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child. Chelsea have made a new enquiry about signing Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly. Inter Milan are in talks with Tottenham over the sale of Djed Spence. Rangers are in talks with Brentford over a loan return for left-back Jayden Meghoma. Georgia Stanway explains how Arsenal made her "feel wanted" before her move from Bayern Munich. NRL legend Daly Cherry-Evans is reportedly in advanced talks to sign for Hull FC. F1 president Stefano Domenicali says drivers can have their opinion on regulations criticism. The Laver Cup will be broadcast by Sky Sports from London's O2 arena. All significant signings and departures in August 2026 are tracked.