Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 3:21 PM ET

UEFA Super Cup Preview

PSG face Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, with the Champions League winners aiming to start their season with silverware. PSG hope to complete a three-peat of European titles, while Unai Emery chases his first Super Cup with Villa. Three Villa stars will miss the match, and PSG were unhappy with their allocated dressing room, eventually securing extra space. The teams met in a memorable Champions League semi-final last season, and much has changed since then. For Villa, midfielder Youri Tielemans — now a Manchester United player — gave his first extended interview on his £35m move, saying he did not expect to leave. Meanwhile, Bradley Barcola has been included in PSG's travelling squad amid persistent links to Liverpool.

Pre-Season Friendlies

Everton breezed past Newcastle 3-1 in a friendly at Murrayfield, giving Matthias Jaissle a hint of the task ahead as Newcastle boss. Arsenal suffered a second straight preseason defeat, losing 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates. Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has said his side lack the energy to sustain his level for 90 minutes after a 3-2 loss to Monaco, prompting questions about whether fans should worry. However, Liverpool's pre-season has also revealed promising signs, including the emergence of teenage defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who can only play friendlies due to Brexit rules. Manchester United face Leeds at Croke Park, but Mason Mount is expected to miss out. Marcus Rashford is set for reintegration at United after loan spells, and opinion is divided on whether that is wise.

Transfer Window Roundup

Fenerbahce confirmed the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Napoli for €6 million. Chelsea completed the signing of Pep Chavarría from Rayo Vallecano for £16m, the ninth new addition at Stamford Bridge. Hull City signed defender Nobel Mendy from Rayo Vallecano for a club record fee. Wrexham have agreed a potential record deal for Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. Crystal Palace re-signed Evann Guessand on loan from Aston Villa. Everton signed Brennan Johnson from Crystal Palace in a swap for Dwight McNeil. Ipswich Town reached an agreement for Paraguay forward Julio Enciso from Strasbourg. Nottingham Forest have signed defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting for £34m. Sheffield United re-signed Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City. West Ham signed winger Manor Solomon from Tottenham on a three-year contract. Coventry City re-signed Gustavo Hamer from Sheffield United on a long-term deal. Sevilla announced a £5.5m move for Robbie Ure from IK Sirius. Crystal Palace are close to signing Anan Khalaili from Union SG. Rangers are reportedly in advanced talks to sign NRL legend Daly Cherry-Evans for a shock move to Super League.

Club News & Manager Updates

Jose Mourinho is back at Real Madrid, aiming to restore former glory, and has criticised Bernardo Silva's fitness. Mikel Arteta is still trying to add players after missing out on Vinícius Jr., with Arsenal reigniting interest in Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa. Arsenal are also reportedly eyeing a move for Jules Koundé. Enzo Maresca, the new Manchester City manager, has spoken about replacing Pep Guardiola, his interest in AI, and a captaincy dilemma. Maresca also wants City to sign Chelsea duo Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto. Barcelona remain optimistic of signing Manchester City's Rodri, while they plan to offer Marc Bernal an improved contract. Barcelona have also rejected a €40m offer from PSG for Ferran Torres. Paul Pogba is expected to have his Monaco contract terminated. Cristiano Ronaldo married long-time partner Georgina Rodríguez in a civil ceremony. Meanwhile, false reports of the wedding sent a huge crowd to another couple's big day. Sanjay Bhandari will leave his role as Kick It Out chair at the end of the season. The PFA has started legal proceedings over the League One salary cap.

International & Women's Football

Lionel Messi paid an emotional tribute to his late father on Instagram, saying he is unsure how much longer he will play. Inter Miami honored their absent captain in a Leagues Cup loss to Monterrey. Olivia Moultrie of the USWNT and Portland Thorns is out for the season with an ACL injury. Mexico beat the United States 2-0 in the Concacaf U20 final after a controversial red card. Nigeria were knocked out of WAFCON in a shock 1-0 loss to Cameroon. Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Malawi all qualified for the 2027 Women's World Cup by reaching the WAFCON semi-finals. Georgia Stanway says Arsenal made her "feel wanted" before her move from Bayern Munich. Jordan Nobbs says promotion with Newcastle would be "job done" in her career. The SWPL player drain is a positive, insists the league's managing director. Chelsea will face Real Sociedad in Women's Champions League qualifying. Diego Forlan has welcomed the possible return of Luis Suárez to the Uruguay squad. Memphis Depay accuses Corinthians of unacceptable behaviour after they decided not to renew his contract.

Other Football News

The Carabao Cup second-round draw sees Chelsea host Luton, Tottenham host Charlton, and Nottingham Forest face Leeds. The Championship play-offs have expanded to six teams this season. A total of 20,000 season tickets have been sold at Birmingham City, where Chris Davies is changing his approach. Scotland's John McGinn is the subject of a podcast asking if he is taken for granted. The collapse of Craig Bellamy's proposed move to Burnley has left Wales in a hard position. La Liga will inspect Celta Vigo's pitch after a fungus outbreak. The South Korean FA has apologized amid a referees scandal. Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari will step down at the end of the season. The Cymru Premier will be shown live by BBC Wales for the next three years. Barcelona will play Montpellier during a solar eclipse, with players advised to keep their eyes on the ball. The Laver Cup will be shown by Sky Sports from London's O2 in September. Lionel Messi paid tribute to his father on Instagram. Rangers chairman Andrew Cavanagh expects up to five more signings and admits failure has seeped through the club. The club is also "playing with fire" over defensive options, says Derek McInnes. Celtic fans are falling in love with Kasper Hogh after his hat-trick. Hearts have at last secured their first win under Wouter Vrancken.

Other Sports Briefs

In golf, Rory McIlroy returns to the PGA Tour for the Fed ExCup Playoffs, targeting a fourth title. Frankie Harris shot a 59 to win the Korn Ferry Tour's Pinnacle Bank Championship. Michael Brennan won the Wyndham Championship to secure his playoff spot. In cricket, England have secured their 2027 World Cup place. The Hundred women's competition saw Nat Sciver-Brunt lead Trent Rockets into the final. In tennis, Rafael Jodar is on course for a record rise into the top 10 after reaching the Canadian Open semis. Arthur Fery feels no added pressure as British No. In boxing, Caroline Dubois is tipped to replace Katie Taylor as the face of women's boxing. Stevie McKenna is locked in on a showdown with Callum Walsh. In F1, McLaren boss Andrea Stella warns rivals about momentum, while Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur outlines areas to improve. Cadillac sacked team principal Graeme Lowdon and replaced him with Marcin Budkowski. In snooker, Ronnie O'Sullivan lost early at the China Open. In darts, Gian van Veen asked for help after his bags were stranded in Paris. Rugby: Alex Coles and Asher Opoku-Fordjour received enhanced England contracts. Bath are in talks to play rugby at Reading's stadium. Joe Root has removed the England Test curfew. In horse racing, unbeaten star Bow Echo retired after a setback. Ffos Las hosts a six-race card on Sky Sports Racing. Lingfield Park features All-Weather action. Windsor sees Badri chase a four-timer. In NFL, the Vikings named Murray as starting QB. In NBA, LeBron James will make his 76ers debut against the Knicks on opening night. In MMA/boxing, Jarrell Miller could receive a WBA title shot. Ruby White wants revenge after a Commonwealth final loss. President Trump warned FIFA against replacing Infantino. UEFA has signed a joint letter slamming Infantino's deception. LaLiga chief Javier Tebas says the Infantino era is over.