Football

7:02 AM ET Chelsea have attempted to secure an advantage in the race to sign Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig by arranging for the striker to undergo medical tests ahead of a proposed move, sources have told ESPN. Nkunku, 24, has attracted interest from several top clubs, including Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

3:32 AM ET Think the Frenkie de Jong saga is over at Man United? Think again. ESPN’s Insider Notebook has the latest. Jump to: Barcelona … in Real Madrid white? | Lukaku, Potter set for Chelsea talks | Ronaldo no longer a poster boy | English football’s big decision amid fixture crisis | Man City’s

3:32 PM ET Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus said he feels “free” playing under Mikel Arteta and that he decided to leave Manchester City this summer because he needed a change after five years at the Etihad Stadium under Pep Guardiola. Jesus joined Arsenal from City for an initial £45 million this summer after failing to

1:32 PM ET On Sunday, after his Iran side defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a friendly, Sardar Azmoun took to Instagram and wrote: “Because of the restrictive laws placed on us in the national team I am not supposed to speak out… I know I risk being sent home, but I can’t take it anymore! You

3:45 AM ET Tor-Kristian Karlsen Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is one of the stars of the future. Alex Pantling/Getty Images Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is one of the names on everyone’s lips when considering who the best young player in world football is. (He came 4th on ESPN’s 39 U21 list from April.) 2

10:48 AM ET The countdown is on to the start of the World Cup in Qatar, with the host nation kicking it all off on Nov. 20 when they take on Ecuador. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.) All 32 finalists are making their closing plans for the tournament, hoping that star

1:03 PM ET With two final friendlies before the World Cup starts in November, the United States men’s national team turned in a lesson in how to inspire pessimism. A disjointed 2-0 loss to Japan preceded a dull 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia, leaving the team utterly momentumless 55 days before they kick off against

5:00 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent No one at Manchester City is panicking about Pep Guardiola’s future as manager of the Premier League champions — but there’s an acceptance that it won’t be long before the questions start again. Guardiola, 51, is out of contract in the summer and, without fresh terms being agreed, he could

4:00 AM ET The “butterfly effect” which Barcelona president Joan Laporta imagined when he mortgaged chunks of the club’s future so he could immediately invest a couple of hundred million euros in transfer fees and wages, was that of an isolated, unattractive footballing larva transforming into a beautiful, colourful, much-admired creature. However, the impact which

3:52 PM ET The United States was held to a goalless draw by Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain, on Tuesday in its final warm-up game ahead of the start of the World Cup in November. The result completes a disappointing final buildup to the tournament in Qatar for Gregg Berhalter’s side, having lost 2-0 to

4:43 PM ET England rallied from two goals down to take the lead momentarily before drawing 3-3 with Germany in a thrilling UEFA Nations League group stage finale at Wembley Stadium on Monday night. Second-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kai Havertz looked to have Germany on their way to victory, but Luke Shaw and

Sep 25, 2022 MURCIA, Spain — When the U.S. men’s national team takes the field against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, it will mark 43 days until manager Gregg Berhalter names his 26-player roster for the 2022 World Cup. For the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams — assuming they’re healthy — their

12:46 PM ET MURCIA, Spain — U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter said Chelsea‘s Christian Pulisic and FC Groningen forward Ricardo Pepi will both start in Tuesday’s friendly against Saudi Arabia. Neither player featured in last Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Japan. Pulisic sat out the match due to a knock picked up in training,

5:00 AM ET Gareth Southgate knows his job as England manager is on the line. Despite the apparent security of a contract that runs until the end of 2024 and a track record of reaching the 2018 World Cup semifinal and Euro 2020 final, a run of five games without a win and relegation from

7:00 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Cristiano Ronaldo says he’s not going anywhere — not yet anyway. The 37-year-old Manchester United forward will be with Portugal in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November, but beyond that, he’s also got his sights set on the next European Championship, set to be held in Germany

11:30 AM ET Cesar Hernandez PASADENA, Calif. — For a little over 80 minutes on Saturday night against Peru, it looked as if a dark period for Mexico‘s men’s national team would extend one game further as they approach the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Before kicking off the weekend’s friendly at the Rose Bowl, Mexico

Sep 24, 2022 Wael Jabir The 2022 FIFA World Cup is not only unique because it kicks off in the Northern Hemisphere winter for the first time in the competition’s 92 years of existence, but also because it will take place in an Arabic speaking country for the first time. So it’s a good time

9:55 AM ET Leon Imber The north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur has smashed the Women’s Super League (WSL) attendance record at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. A record crowd of 47,367 turned out to watch Arsenal thrash Spurs 4-0 thanks to a Vivianne Miedema brace and goals from Beth Mead and Rafaelle.