Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: August 27, 2026, 9:18 AM ET

Premier League & Transfer Window

The transfer window is hurtling toward its Sept. 1 deadline with blockbuster deals dominating the headlines. Liverpool have an agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain to sign forward Bradley Barcola for a package worth £120m, a figure confirmed by multiple sources as the Reds close on the French international. The £120m deal would add to doubts surrounding Cody Gakpo's Anfield future, while Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage has said he expects Ismaila Sarr to stay despite Liverpool making an approach for the winger. The daily papers are filled with fresh speculation as deadline day approaches.

Nottingham Forest have completed a club-record £50m deal for Chelsea striker Liam Delap, a move that sees the Blues make a huge profit on the player they sold. BBC Sport examines what went wrong for Delap at Stamford Bridge and how he could bounce back at the City Ground. Elsewhere, West Ham have accepted a £40m Brentford bid for Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf, while Chelsea are in talks to sign 18-year-old Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor for £34.3m. The gossip columns also link Al-Hilal with a £50m move for Ollie Watkins, Sunderland with a loan offer for Jack Grealish, and Chelsea with Bournemouth's Alex Scott.

Manchester City are reportedly confident they will sign Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández, while Tottenham have agreed a season-long loan deal with City for forward Omar Marmoush with an obligation to buy for £60m ($82m) next year. Arsenal and City are set to battle for Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye, while Barcelona and Manchester United will hold talks over a Balde deal. Julián Álvarez's future remains unresolved, with the transfer saga seeing him linked to Barcelona and Arsenal, while the Euro Leagues podcast debates whether he's Arsenal-bound. With the window closing, there are still 10 players who could spark intense speculation. A Premier League club could also break the record for transfer income in a single window, with Aston Villa, City and Newcastle closing in on Monaco's mark.

Carabao Cup & Domestic Action

The Carabao Cup second round delivered drama and upsets. Harvey Barnes struck twice for Newcastle as they survived a scare against West Brom to win 3-2, with new signing Nico Gonzalez given a rapturous welcome before the match following his £52m arrival from Manchester City — a player described as "the one we wanted." Thierno Barry scored a hat trick and set up another as Everton cruised past Preston 4-0 at Deepdale, while Bradford beat Burnley 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw at Valley Parade.

Sávio stole the show on his Tottenham debut, grabbing a goal and assist as Spurs thrashed Charlton 5-1 to reach the third round, with Jamie Redknapp saying the Brazilian lit up the place. However, boss Roberto De Zerbi has set a 10-12 goal target for the winger after his dream start. The third round draw has thrown up a Liverpool vs Spurs clash, while the quickfire double that put Spurs ahead was a sign of things to come.

European Football & Champions League

The Champions League league phase draw pots have been confirmed ahead of Thursday's draw, with the format explained in detail. There's a quirk that means Liverpool are not allowed to host Real Madrid in the league phase, while the Europa League draw and Conference League draw pots have also been set for Friday. Adidas has unveiled its match balls for the league phases, and the iconic 'star ball' design could soon be replaced.

Kylian Mbappé silenced his critics with an incredible hat trick as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-1, with José Mourinho celebrating his Bernabeu return in style. Barcelona have canceled a tribute to their World Cup-winning players amid fan tension, while coach Hansi Flick says Alejandro Balde must improve to stay at the club. Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted at halftime by Ange Postecoglou but watched 10-man Al Nassr turn a two-goal deficit into a 4-3 win. In the Bundesliga, Benjamin Weber — the ex-Chelsea analyst now leading Augsburg — joked about telling Mason Mount to play the pass for Kai Havertz's Champions League winner.

Celtic have failed again in Champions League qualifying — the sixth failure in eight years — while Hearts pulled off a stunning penalty shoot-out victory away to Rapid Vienna, with Beau Reus the hero after Tomas Magnusson's red card. Wouter Vrancken believes his side are getting their rewards after early season setbacks, and the Scottish football podcast asks whether Rangers, Motherwell or Hibs can also qualify. Rangers are close to signing Kim Min-su from Girona while Nicolas Raskin could be on his way out, and the gossip links them with Venezuela striker Kelsy.

Women's Football

Chelsea's new signings proved they remain a UWCL threat despite a lack of preseason, kicking off their season with a win over Real Sociedad. Lauren James is letting her guard down, saying "it looks like I don't care, but I'm so passionate" as she comes out of her shell. Arsenal's focus is crystal clear this season as they look to right the wrongs of past WSL title challenges and end a six-year drought. Spain forward Esther Gonzalez has attracted backlash after signing for Saudi Women's Premier League side Al Qadsiah.

Premier League Analysis & Predictions

The first week of the Premier League is over, and ESPN's experts are ready to overreact to what it tells us about Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and the rest. Bukayo Saka could be getting back to top form at Arsenal after struggling for consistency. The weekend predictions suggest another loss against a promotion side may send Manchester United into crisis, with Wrexham vs Birmingham also in focus. Paul Merson assesses Aston Villa's dreadful start following their heavy defeat at Brighton, questioning whether it's "disgusting" if Watkins refused to play. Russell Martin's reputation is on the line as he tries to halt Leicester's downward spiral, while Cole Palmer says this is the best he has felt "in ages" under Xabi Alonso at Chelsea. The 72+ EFL Podcast discusses outfield players in goal and Leicester's problems.

Cricket, Tennis, Golf & Other Sports

Rain delayed the start of England's second Test vs Pakistan at Lord's, with the full scorecard available as play gets underway. The US Open men's title appears up for grabs with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic joined by a host of contenders as Sinner's injury throws the field wide open. Czech duo Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik defeated Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli to win the US Open mixed doubles championship and scoop the $1m grand prize. Serena and Venus Williams will play together in the 2026 US Open women's doubles after being given a wild card.

The PGA Tour has confirmed its 2027 FedExCup schedule, running from January to August with a new event and big changes. Luke Donald expects "new faces" for Team Europe as the Ryder Cup race begins, insisting a threepeat will be "very challenging." Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist has announced a shock retirement from professional golf after this week's FM Championship.

In F1, Mercedes could be left "hanging on" to win this year's titles after appearing to front-load the development of their 2026 car, according to Sky Sports F1's Bernie Collins. The FIA has confirmed that Mercedes have been granted engine upgrades despite protestations from rival teams. Luke Humphries beat Brendan Dolan in the final to win his third Players Championship title of the season, denying Luke Littler a historic clean sweep. There's a free stream of Chantelle Cameron vs Mikaela Mayer workouts ahead of their world title fight, and racing action from Ffos Las, Lingfield Park, Newton Abbot and Southwell.

Transfers & Other Moves

Ipswich Town are closing in on the signing of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder and World Cup-winner Exequiel Palacios. Crystal Palace have attempted to hijack Aston Villa's move for Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, while Coventry City have signed Jamaica centre-back Ethan Pinnock from Brentford for around £6m. Newport County have completed their 11th signing of the summer as midfielder Matt Dibley-Dias arrives on loan from Fulham. Chelsea are considering a late move for Emi Martinez from Aston Villa, while Sunderland are exploring a potential deal for Jack Grealish.

Ander Herrera has represented some of the world's biggest clubs, but now he is back home playing for free in Spain's third tier with Zaragoza. 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" with Atlanta United. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha made his debut for Colo-Colo during Wednesday's Copa Chile match. Manchester City's new signing Allan Elias — nicknamed "Mini Balotelli" as a kid — overcame tragedy to thrive, and the Palmeiras product attacks and defends down the flank all game, which is what made him so attractive to City. The Mastantuono and Estêvão transfers offer lessons for South America's future stars, while Zavier Gozo has already left MLS for the Premier League at age 19 — so who are the next under-21 American prospects destined for Europe?

Ebbsfleet United say they have settled an outstanding tax debt despite having their suspension from the National League extended. UEFA is set to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances Gianni Infantino's failed World Cup sell-off plan will not be revived, but will still push to remove Infantino.