Football/Soccer 8 Hours

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 6:15 PM ET

Pre-Season Friendlies

Real Madrid beat Deportivo La Coruña 1-0 on Wednesday, with Brahim Díaz scoring just before halftime. Manchester United edged Leeds United 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Dublin; Marcus Rashford did not feature. Everton cruised past Newcastle 3-1 at Murrayfield, handing new Magpies boss Matthias Jaissle a tough lesson. Arsenal were held 1-1 by Como, with Myles Lewis‑Skelly scoring amid transfer speculation and Bruno Guimarães making his debut. Guimarães made his debut in the match. Lewis‑Skelly also impressed. Guimarães was on the bench initially but came on. Newcastle’s performance raised concerns.

UEFA Super Cup

Paris Saint‑Germain won their second straight Super Cup by beating Aston Villa 2‑1, with Désiré Doué scoring the decisive goal. Doué’s second‑half strike silenced the “Madjo‑mania” around Villa’s new signing. Another report confirmed the result.

Transfer Window: Major Moves

Chelsea have set a Friday deadline for offers of £120m for Enzo Fernández, with Manchester City told to bid by 5pm. Chelsea also have other stars potentially for sale. Atlético Madrid agreed a £34.2m fee with Tottenham for captain Cristian Romero. Romero’s move is a major coup for Diego Simeone. Fenerbahce signed Romelu Lukaku from Napoli for €6m. Manchester City added goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli from Marseille as understudy to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Celtic signed winger Haissem Hassan from Real Oviedo on a four‑year deal.

Transfer Window: Other Deals and Rumors

Chelsea also completed the signing of left‑back Pep Chavarría from Rayo Vallecano. Hull City broke their club record to sign defender Nobel Mendy from Rayo Vallecano. Crystal Palace had a verbal bid for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara rejected. Arsenal reignited interest in Aston Villa centre‑back Ezri Konsa. ESPN reports that Maresca wants Manchester City to sign Chelsea duo Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto. Atlético Madrid held talks with Julián Álvarez after he requested a transfer. Bruno Fernandes remains at the centre of attention at Manchester United.

International Football

The Netherlands appointed Barcelona legend Xavi Hernández as national team coach through the 2030 World Cup. Malawi reached the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final thanks to the Chawinga sisters – Tabitha and Temwa shared three goals in a 3‑1 semi‑final win over Algeria. Youri Tielemans said FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card inspired Belgium’s World Cup win over the USA.

NWSL & MLS

Chicago Stars fired head coach Martin Sjögren with the team last in the NWSL. Chucky Lozano joined the LA Galaxy, described as a “perfect fit” after his San Diego exit.

Other Football News

Lionel Messi paid tribute to his late father Jorge on Instagram. BBC Sport looked back at Messi’s iconic moments as he contemplates retirement. Jose Mourinho is back at Real Madrid – can he restore former glory? Barcelona played Montpellier during a solar eclipse, with advice to keep eyes on the ball. South America is lukewarm about its limited role in the 2030 World Cup. ESPN ranked the 30 best men’s club managers in Europe.

Cricket – The Hundred

MI London saw their title defence end despite beating bottom‑placed Birmingham Phoenix. The Phoenix avoided the wooden spoon in the women’s competition thanks to Ellyse Perry’s half‑century.

Other Sports – Eclipse, Golf, Snooker, F1

Spectators at Edgbaston and other UK venues witnessed Wednesday’s partial solar eclipse. Rory McIlroy returns to the PGA Tour for the Fed ExCup Playoffs this week. Ronnie O’Sullivan lost 6‑4 to Noppon Saengkham in the China Open second round, continuing a poor start to the season. Cadillac sacked team principal Graeme Lowdon and replaced him with Marcin Budkowski in a “planned leadership transition” ahead of their 2026 F1 entry.

Chelsea Business Update

Chelsea have been the Premier League’s top spenders this summer, and attention now turns to sales – the club has a list of players who could leave and their price tags.