Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: August 7, 2026, 2:46 PM ET

FIFA Leadership Crisis

The football world remains in turmoil as FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces mounting pressure following his failed plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup. Norway's soccer federation president has called on Infantino to resign, saying there is "no trust" in him now, while Mexico and Argentina have expressed their support for the embattled FIFA president. The Norwegian Football Federation's call comes after Infantino attempted to sell off stakes in the World Cup, a move that has drawn widespread criticism from across the sport.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino, adding to growing pressure on the soccer leader. Portugal great Luís Figo has also joined calls for Infantino to step down over his failed plan to sell the World Cup to private investors. Two senior FIFA executives, including coaching great Arsène Wenger and secretary general Mattias Grafström, have distanced themselves from their boss's failed plan, signaling deep fractures within the organization's leadership.

UEFA's boycott of FIFA tournaments still stands, with the FA now joining them in opposing his re-election next year. The association of European soccer leagues has also called for governance reform of FIFA, adding to the mounting pressure on the president. FIFA has been accused of blackmailing Jordan over World Cup money in return for their support for Infantino to stay on as president, according to a former FIFA vice president. Rivals are reportedly circling in a bid to unseat Infantino as FIFA president following the disastrous plan to bring private equity into the World Cup.

Transfer Market Frenzy

Manchester City have rejected Barcelona's opening offer for Rodri, although various sources have confirmed that talks between the clubs will continue. The initial bid was considered far too low, with the £38m offer from Barcelona being knocked back by the Premier League champions. Rodri has given Barcelona the go-ahead to begin talks with Manchester City as they try to beat Real Madrid to a deal for the midfielder, a source has told ESPN. The Spain captain now faces a huge decision on whether to join Real Madrid or Barcelona, should he decide to leave Manchester City.

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández has emerged as a main candidate to replace Rodri at Manchester City, according to Transfer Talk. Meanwhile, Manchester City remain in talks for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi as they look to bolster their midfield options. Winger Jeremy Doku is the latest Manchester City player to commit his future to the club after signing a new contract until 2031. Enzo Maresca won his first game in charge of Manchester City with a 3-1 win over the K-League All Stars in Seoul.

Vinícius Júnior ended weeks of speculation of a blockbuster move to Arsenal by signing a new six-year Real Madrid contract, ending Arsenal's pursuit of the forward. The Brazilian's decision to stay at Real Madrid raises questions about why the Premier League rarely attracts global superstars at their peak. Arsenal must now look elsewhere in their bid to improve their forward line, with no Morgan Rogers and no Vinicius Junior available this summer.

Mohamed Salah has joined Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor on a free transfer, trading the Premier League for the Turkish side. The Egyptian's departure leaves Liverpool with questions about their attacking options, with time running out in the transfer window for replacements. Liverpool have explored the conditions of a deal for Paris Saint-Germain's teenage winger Ibrahim Mbaye as they look to strengthen their attack.

Arsenal have agreed a £75m fee with Newcastle for their captain Bruno Guimaraes, with the "very emotional" captain wanting to join Arsenal. Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson says the club did not plan to sell Guimaraes, but their captain's desire to leave was clear. Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle says a decision about Bruno Guimaraes' future was already made by the time he first met the club's departing captain.

Liverpool have held preliminary talks with Paris Saint-Germain over the possibility of signing Bradley Barcola, with the France winger potentially becoming their third £100m signing. Liverpool are prepared to make Barcola their third £100m signing, according to BBC Sport analysis of what the winger would bring to Anfield. The Reds have also been linked with a move for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, with reports suggesting they could rival Arsenal in the chase for the England international.

Premier League Club News

Newcastle United have told Manchester United that full-back Lewis Hall is not for sale this summer, after an initial enquiry was rejected. Atletico Madrid are in talks with Tottenham over signing their captain Cristian Romero, who is expected to leave the club this summer. Micky van de Ven is close to agreeing a new five-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur as the club looks to secure their defensive core.

Crystal Palace have completed the signing of Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu following a successful pre-season trial, with the club also considering a move for winger Solly March. The Premier League side are also in advanced talks to sign Real Salt Lake's 19-year-old wing-back Zavier Gozo, a source confirmed to ESPN. Bournemouth have announced the signing of right-back Juanlu Sanchez from Spanish club Sevilla in a deal worth up to £11.1m.

Leeds United have signed goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City in a club-record deal, with the England goalkeeper making the move to Elland Road. Hull City have signed Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis from Olympiacos on a five-year deal for a club-record fee, while the club also signed Norwegian midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl on a five-year contract from Tromso. Millwall have signed Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes on a one-year deal following the end of his contract with Charlton Athletic, and Swansea City have signed free agent Ross Stewart on a three-year deal following the Scotland striker's departure from Southampton.

Wrexham have signed midfielder Ben Whiteman from Preston on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, while Cardiff City have signed Lincoln City midfielder Jack Moylan for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal. Everton have completed the signing of Denmark international Christian Nørgaard from Arsenal, the clubs announced. Birmingham City have signed France youth international Chancelle Effa Effa from Le Havre for £100K.

Pre-Season Friendlies and Match Action

Bayern Munich held off a late fightback from Aston Villa to secure a 2-1 victory in Hong Kong, bringing the pre-season tours of Asia for both sides to a close. Chelsea failed to ramp up their pre-season preparations as Xabi Alonso's side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong thanks to Edon Zhegrova's stunning second-half strike. Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal players were "fuming" after defensive errors saw them fall to a 3-1 preseason defeat to Real Betis in Dublin on Wednesday.

Walsall stunned Bristol City in the Carabao Cup curtain raiser as the competition returned for the 2026/27 season, with every first-round tie available to watch live on Sky Sports. The bulk of the EFL Cup's first round fixtures will take place on a weekend, despite traditionally being a midweek cup competition. David Sullivan is expected to attend Saturday's EFL Cup first-round tie against Portsmouth despite being advised to stay away from home matches at the London Stadium.

The Scottish Premiership returned with a bang, and there is more to look forward to this weekend with goals in every match and plenty of excitement. Derek McInnes says Rangers were "guilty of beating ourselves" as his side conceded cheap goals in the Europa League first-leg defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok. Hearts endured a predictably bruising evening in Lisbon as their hopes of progressing to the Europa League were all but ended by a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Benfica.

NFL and Other Sports

Undrafted rookie quarterback Haynes King ran in on the final play to give the Carolina Panthers a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL preseason. Jahmyr Gibbs is set to become the highest-paid running back in NFL history having agreed to a new three-year deal worth up to $75.7m with the Detroit Lions. Jack Draper has been confirmed for next week's Cincinnati Open despite being left in a flood of tears following defeat at the National Bank Open in Montreal, while Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open due to an ongoing wrist injury, increasing worries over his US Open title defence.

Five years on from winning his biggest title in Indian Wells, Britain's Cameron Norrie has found his form to dump out third seed Alex de Minaur and reach the fourth round of the National Bank Open in Montreal. Winger Harvey Barron scored a first senior hat-trick as Hull FC ended a seven-game losing run with a 32-18 comeback win at St Helens. A Sikandar Raza masterclass inspired MI London to come away with the spoils to jump up to second in the table and condemn London Spirit to an early departure from The Hundred.