Football/Soccer 24 Hours

Last updated: September 9, 2026, 2:27 PM ET

Champions League: Haaland, Mbappé, and Mourinho's Madrid

Erling Haaland delivered another statement performance as Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win at Porto. The Norwegian striker scored twice to equal Sergio Agüero's club record for Champions League goals, with teammate Enzo Fernández calling him an "animal." Jamie Carragher believes Haaland will be the greatest goalscorer of all time after his latest double, though the performance raised questions about whether City are overly reliant on their talisman. The 2-0 victory was far from convincing, with pundits noting that Enzo Maresca's side struggled to impress despite securing all three points. The underlying concern is whether City would be in trouble without their prolific No. 9.

Real Madrid edged past Inter Milan 2-1, but Jose Mourinho was candid about his team's shortcomings. The Portuguese boss admitted Vinícius Júnior isn't at his best after the Brazilian was whistled by home fans at the Bernabéu, though he praised the forward's work rate. Mourinho also weighed in on Trent Alexander-Arnold's positioning, insisting the Englishman is not a midfielder despite starting him in that role against Inter. The narrow win highlighted how much work remains for Mourinho if Real are to claim European glory, with questions lingering over whether the Portuguese can prove how special he is after his career nosedived following his 2013 departure from the Spanish capital.

The Mbappé brothers had an eventful night in Europe. Kylian scored for Real Madrid, but his missed penalty in a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis was not retaken, a decision Spain's refereeing body defended. Meanwhile, younger brother Ethan was sent off for Lille after elbowing an opponent in the face. Borussia Dortmund's teenage star Konstantinos Karetsas was hospitalised after slumping to the turf 25 minutes into his Champions League debut. Elsewhere, Ayyoub Bouaddi impressed on his first Manchester City start, with the club convinced they have found a gem in the 18-year-old.

Aston Villa finally found their shooting boots with a thrilling 3-2 win at Club Brugge. Captain John McGinn made history for the club in the victory, which ended their recent scoring drought with a superb attacking display. The win was not straightforward, but Villa's shoot-on-sight approach paid dividends. Napoli face a midfielder shortage ahead of their clash with Arsenal, whose travel plans were significantly delayed by UK air traffic control issues. PSG lead the Champions League Power Rankings heading into matchday one, with the French side eyeing a third successive crown as they rank among Europe's greatest dynasties.

Transfer News and Rumours

Lionel Messi has reached a "preliminary agreement" to become the majority shareholder of Spanish second-division side Eldense, with the club confirming the Argentina great's intent to take over. A source confirmed to ESPN that the Inter Miami forward has agreed to buy his second Spanish club. Manchester United suffered a blow as top target Lewis Hall agreed a new contract with Newcastle United, with the papers reporting the deal as finalised. Manchester City are eyeing a move for World Cup-winning midfielder Álex Baena from Atlético Madrid, according to Transfer Talk. Liverpool are monitoring Germany defender Malick Thiaw, while Fulham want to lock down Calvin Bassey and James Rodriguez is in Serie B talks, per Wednesday's gossip. Rangers target Lewis Ferguson would reportedly cost £15m in January, while Dutch investors have resumed Morton rescue talks, according to the Scottish gossip.

Premier League and Championship

West Ham climbed to the top of the Championship after a 3-2 win at Bolton, with captain Jarrod Bowen scoring twice to power the Hammers to the summit on goal difference. The victory at the Toughsheet Community Stadium was their first ever at the ground, and the club are now ready to leave the past behind after three consecutive wins. Southampton knocked Swansea off the top spot with a 3-1 victory, with Cyle Larin scoring his fifth goal of the season in a statement performance. Ryan Christie scored a hat-trick as Bournemouth swept aside Lincoln 4-0, giving Marco Rose his first win as manager.

Wrexham's wait for a home win continues after a 1-1 draw with winless Burnley, who sit one place off the bottom of the Championship. The 1-1 draw extended Burnley's winless start, while Cardiff's winless run continued after a 1-1 draw with Stoke, securing the visitors their first away point since January. Watford came from behind to beat Preston 2-1, condemning the visitors to their fifth defeat in six league games. Sheffield United returned to winning ways with a clinical 2-1 victory at Blackburn, thanks to a ruthless first-half display. Joe Willock's late goal sent Newcastle into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a scrappy 1-0 win at Millwall, a relieved victory for the Premier League side. The Carabao Cup third round saw Bournemouth, Palace and Newcastle all progress, with West Ham's 3-2 thriller at Bolton among the highlights. The Championship highlights featured Bowen's brace and Southampton's statement win.

Scottish Football and International

Rangers host St Mirren while Celtic travel to Perth to face St Johnstone in Wednesday's Premiership action, with the Ibrox side chasing second place as Celtic set the pace. The Scottish Football Podcast discusses Rangers' striker crisis, Celtic's continued dominance, and St Mirren's ambitions. Cristian Volpato's availability for the Socceroos rests with Football Australia after NSW Police confirmed the World Cup star had tested positive for cocaine on a secondary test.

Golf, Tennis, and Other Sports

Ben Shelton clinched the biggest win of his career as he defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set epic that stretched to 3.33am in New York, reaching the semi-finals of the US Open. Naomi Osaka has hit back at critics of her iconic fashion choices after lighting up the US Open with her statement outfits, declaring "I don't care if you don't like me." The 20th Solheim Cup sees Team Europe host Team USA at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, with latest scores and pairings available. Anna Nordqvist says Charley Hull is "buzzing" to tee it up this week and is pleased to see the Englishwoman embrace her growing role for Team Europe.

Walker Cup winner Stuart Grehan has admitted he felt responsibility to lead Great Britain and Ireland through the tournament as he detailed the trigger behind his side's historic comeback. Steve Borthwick is set to have his England contract extended beyond the 2028 Six Nations, with the extension expected to be confirmed shortly. Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant must "go and play well" for Sale Sharks before earning a spot in England's autumn squad, according to Richard Wigglesworth. Formula 1 has a brand-new track to look forward to this weekend, with expectations that there will be carnage and drivers seriously tested at the Madring circuit. Jumps action from Sedgefield features live on Sky Sports Racing on Wednesday, with Loriko looking to continue his winning run. The Seahawks' Mike Macdonald has turned to the Chicago Bulls as his reference point for Super Bowl glory, while Antoine Griezmann has turned around Orlando's season with eight goal contributions in eight games since joining the Lions, catapulting them into the playoff picture. Washington have leapt to the top of the NWSL Power Rankings after Gotham and San Diego each suffered defeats, making them the new leaders.

Ballon d'Or and Awards

The 2026 Ballon d'Or shortlists are out, with Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé among the leading names on the men's list. The full men's and women's shortlists have been revealed, along with a host city change for the ceremony. A group representing many of Europe's major soccer leagues has accused FIFA of "abusive conduct" in how it runs the international calendar for women's competitions after filing an expanded complaint, with the leagues slamming FIFA over the scheduling.

Other Football News

Fifteen-year-old JJ Gabriel has scored two magnificent goals in two Premier League 2 appearances for Manchester United, raising the question of whether he is ready for his senior debut and potentially becoming the club's youngest ever player. After Messi and Ronaldo proved wingers can do more than cross the ball, there are questions about why Premier League clubs are paying so much for so little production from wide players. SV Elversberg don't like "fairytale" comparisons even though their rise to Germany's top division — including a win over Bayer Leverkusen already this season — feels like a dream, with the club staying true to who they are. There were plenty of big transfer moves in women's soccer this summer, but which players would have been a better fit elsewhere? We look at the transfers we wish we'd seen. A look at where Estevao Willian could feature for Chelsea this season after the reminder of his quality in his cameo against Arsenal. Manchester United face pressure with City next week and European games starting in midweek, raising questions about whether Carrick can afford to rotate before the Manchester derby. England's top order tumbled as Pakistan took four wickets on the first morning at Edgbaston, with the hosts dominating the third Test. Warwickshire ramped up their bid for the Rothesay County Championship Division One title as they rolled Glamorgan for 69 all out in Cardiff.