Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: August 26, 2026, 2:36 AM ET

Premier League & Title Defense

Arsenal's quest to defend their Premier League crown will be significantly harder than their breakthrough campaign, with former title winners warning that repeating at the top is a far more demanding challenge than getting there in the first place. The first matchweek of the new season is complete, and the early overreactions suggest Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all have questions to answer. Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester United exposed familiar frailties despite the new coaching regime, and analysts say the Reds have a long road back to genuine title contention. The Premier League's nine new managerial appointments had mixed debuts, with Phil McNulty assessing who impressed and who has significant work to do. A controversial late penalty rescued Liverpool against United, and our resident VAR expert breaks down whether the decision was correct. The title race is already shaping up to be a grueling test of squad depth for all contenders.

Transfer Window — Final Week

The transfer window closes in seven days, and clubs are scrambling to address remaining needs. Manchester United completed a £70m move for Brighton's Carlos Baleba, part of a £155m midfield overhaul that now raises questions about whether they'll pursue a left-back before the deadline. United are also monitoring Alejandro Balde at Barcelona, while midfielder Éderson insists he doesn't know why his proposed move to Old Trafford fell through. Manchester City are set for a late move for Enzo Fernandez, with Chelsea already identifying a replacement as they finalize a £50m club-record deal to sell Liam Delap to Nottingham Forest — a transfer confirmed by multiple sources. Tottenham confirmed the £85m signing of winger Sávio from Manchester City, with the Brazilian changing his name to Savio upon completing the move. Liverpool are holding further talks with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola. Aston Villa have made a "serious" approach for AC Milan's Rafael Leao and are also targeting Jean-Philippe Mateta and Nicolas Jackson. The biggest saga remains Julián Álvarez, with the Atlético Madrid forward facing a backlash from fans over his desire to leave; Arsenal are ready to move if the door opens, and the champions of Spain and England both want him. BBC Sport breaks down what each Premier League club still needs before the window shuts.

Champions League & European Competition

Celtic suffered a stunning Champions League play-off collapse, throwing away a 4-0 aggregate lead as LASK overturned the deficit to win 5-4 after extra time, sending the Scottish champions crashing into the Europa League. The Austrian side's remarkable four-goal rally stunned Celtic, whose manager and players apologized to fans for the catastrophic second-leg performance. LASK held a minute's silence for the 65-year-old Celtic supporter who died during the first leg in Glasgow. Elsewhere, Bodo/Glimt are back for a second Champions League campaign, joined by debutants Sabah of Azerbaijan and LASK. Gab Marcotti's Monday Musings return, with Liverpool and Manchester United still looking "half-baked" and Mourinho securing a vintage ugly win. Besiktas have slammed a "disgraceful" refereeing performance after Leandro Trossard was slapped in the face with no punishment. Celtic's readiness for the Champions League has now come under even sharper scrutiny following their collapse.

Carabao Cup Round-Up

The Carabao Cup second round produced dramatic results across the board. Cardiff City's Noah Anyadike, aged, became the youngest player in EFL Cup history after starting their second-round defeat against Norwich City. Leeds United registered a second win at Nottingham Forest in three days to book their spot in the third round. Callum Wilson scored six minutes into his full debut and captain Nathan Collins converted two headers as Brentford routed Birmingham 6-1. Marcelino Nunez scored a sensational goal from the halfway line to help Ipswich claim a hard-fought 3-1 win over Leicester. Premier League new boys Coventry survived a scare at League One Plymouth before easing through 4-2 at Home Park. Teenager Josh Ayala scored twice on his full professional debut as West Ham came from behind to thrash Southampton 4-1. Hull followed up their 2-0 win over Manchester United on Saturday by knocking Stoke out on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Prize money in the competition is explained by BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

Domestic & International Football News

Bruno Fernandes has been crowned the men's PFA Players' Player of the Year for the 2025/26 season, while Manchester City's Bunny Shaw won the women's award for a second time. Sir Kenny Dalglish and Karen Carney won the PFA's merit awards for 2026. Ashley Cole has left his role as England Under-21 coach after five years. The Irish Football Association says it is "time for change" at FIFA and will not vote for president Gianni Infantino's re-election, joining a growing chorus of criticism from current and former professionals who say "change is necessary." Samuel Eto'o has backed Infantino's plan to sell part of the World Cup to private investors. Christopher Nkunku returned on loan to RB Leipzig from Milan, where he had the most prolific seasons of his career. Xavi Hernandez said he was unfazed at being third choice for the Netherlands job as he was unveiled in his new role. Ethiopia has submitted a bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations despite lacking enough approved stadiums. Crystal Palace's white home kit for this season is explained. Leeds and Rangers co-owner Jed York was arrested in Ohio and pleaded no contest to misdemeanour charges. Boreham Wood forward Abdul Abdulmalik says he is "capable of reaching the top" after the National League side rejected a £1.5m offer from Djurgarden. Aston Villa's mounting injury crisis has left Unai Emery with a threadbare squad ahead of their clash with Arsenal.

MLS & NWSL

Inter Miami are officially in a slump, slipping off the pace in the latest MLS Power Rankings, with questions mounting over whether the team can recover. New Atlanta United striker Breel Embolo said people in Europe are "shocked" at his decision to move to MLS, but he's excited about "a new start in my life." In the NWSL, NJ/NY Gotham FC remain No. 1 despite a disappointing 0-0 draw with Angel City, while the Orlando Pride snapped their losing streak with a win over the Washington Spirit. NWSL star Temwa Chawinga says individual accolades like MVPs and Golden Boots are no longer enough — she wants a league title. Amanda Vandervort will leave her position as USL Super League president "to pursue other opportunities."

Women's Football

Chelsea are going through a "transitional moment" as they rebuild for WSL and Champions League success, with the club targeting both domestic and European glory. Chelsea, PSG and Wolfsburg are each one two-legged defeat from being dumped out of the Women's Champions League before it's even begun, a potential shock that would reshape the competition. Tottenham enjoyed a successful first season under manager Martin Ho and are planning to break into the WSL's elite after a superb transfer window. The FA has approved a divisive proposal for WSL academy sides to play in tier three of the football pyramid from the 2027-28 season.

Other Sports Briefs

New Zealand fought back from an 18-point deficit in the second half to beat the British & Irish Lions 41-35 at Ellis Park, avoiding a shock defeat. The star pairing of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz reached the US Open mixed doubles quarter-finals before being beaten by fourth seeds Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. Luke Littler's bid to qualify for the Players Championship Finals and claim a historic clean sweep of PDC major titles in 2026 suffered a blow with a quarter-final exit. Iconic rugby league player Sir Billy Boston has died aged. The NRL is planning an exception to its rules to allow Jai Arrow to reach the 100-game milestone for South Sydney after retiring due to a motor neurone disease diagnosis. Hearts have emerged as favourites for a Faroese teenage winger in Scottish transfer gossip. Celtic face competition for a midfield target.