Football

Jeff Kassouf Jul 25, 2024, 06:00 PM ET As fans questioned whether the U.S. women’s national team was ready for the 2024 Olympics after a disastrous World Cup campaign last year, head coach Emma Hayes asked for patience as the team worked through growing pains. The answers came quickly in the USWNT’s opener of the

Lesley Ugochukwu‘s 82nd-minute equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Chelsea against Wrexham on Wednesday in Enzo Maresca’s first game as the Blues new head coach. League One side Wrexham threatened to cause an upset when recovering from falling behind to Christopher Nkunku‘s 35th-minute strike to lead midway through the second half through goals from Luke

France beat the United States 3-0 thanks to a second-half barrage as the teams began group play in the men’s Olympic tournament in Marseille on Wednesday. After a scoreless first half, the floodgates opened when Alexandre Lacazette, one of France’s senior players in the squad, lashed a shot past U.S. keeper Patrick Schulte to make it

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentJul 24, 2024, 09:08 AM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions When it comes to the hiring of a premier international manager, it’s usually a case of “Show me the money.” Hiring top talent requires paying top dollar, and as

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar are just some of the names who come up in the debate over the best soccer players in the 21st century. Then there are upcoming stars such as Kylian Mbappé and players of a different era such as Ronaldinho. Where do they stand? The conversation can be

Sam Borden, ESPN Senior WriterJul 23, 2024, 09:52 AM ET Close Sam Borden is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Open Extended Reactions The USWNT will play in their first major tournament after hiring a new coach, while the men’s side returns to the Olympics after a 16-year wait. (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) The

Jul 23, 2024, 02:24 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said reports linking Kevin De Bruyne with a move away from the club are not right amid speculation the Belgium midfielder may depart for Saudi Arabia. De Bruyne, whose contract expires in 2025, said last month that he is not

Joseph Lowery Jul 22, 2024, 09:34 AM ET Open Extended Reactions It’s Monday, and another week of MLS action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings. Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta

Chris Wright, Toe Poke writerJul 22, 2024, 05:22 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Real Madrid With Kylian Mbappé joining Jude Bellingham and women’s team star Carla Camacho on modeling duty for the occasion, Real Madrid have unfurled their new away kit for the 2024-25 season, while also casually flexing their new-look, extravagantly furnished squad. Resplendent

Jul 22, 2024, 03:53 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The match in the Norwegian top-flight between Rosenborg BK and Lillestrom was suspended on Sunday after fans showed their displeasure with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) by throwing fishcakes on the field. The protests started from kickoff and after a two-minute bombardment of fishcakes, the referee

Wrexham began their preseason tour of North America’s west coast with a credible 1-1 draw against Premier League Bournemouth in Santa Barbara, California, on Saturday. In front of a sell-out crowd at Harder Stadium on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Wrexham took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Bournemouth defender James

Jul 19, 2024, 02:13 PM ET Open Extended Reactions On July 7, 2024, Brazil played Uruguay in the Copa América quarterfinals. Brazil’s 17-year-old centre-forward Endrick was playing in the biggest game of his career to date, two weeks before he would officially sign for Real Madrid. Endrick was wearing the Brazil No. 9 shirt once

Jul 21, 2024, 07:26 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said they are on the front foot in the transfer market thanks to the club’s leadership making quick and decisive moves to secure new players following the signings of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. Since British billionaire and INEOS chairman

Jul 20, 2024, 04:03 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has backed Jadon Sancho to “click” after his return to the club following a public fallout between the pair last season. Sancho made his first appearance for Man United since last August in a preseason friendly against Rangers on Saturday.

Leny Yoro impressed on his debut for Manchester United at Murrayfield. New signing Leny Yoro made his first appearance for Manchester United in their 2-0 preseason win over Rangers on Saturday. The 18-year-old was thrown straight into the starting lineup, just a couple of days after his €62 million ($67.6m) move from Lille. Jadon Sancho

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentJul 19, 2024, 10:58 PM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions AFC Bournemouth and United States men’s national team midfielder Tyler Adams is looking at yet another lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing back surgery, according to the Cherries

Adriana Garcia Jul 19, 2024, 06:25 AM ET Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has said Argentina teammate Enzo Fernández is facing undeserved backlash for the video that shows the Chelsea midfielder singing a discriminatory chant. Fernández apologised this week after he posted a video on Instagram following his team’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the

Jul 19, 2024, 07:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The United States women’s national soccer team is in action at the 2024 Olympic soccer tournament in Paris, the team’s first competitive games with Emma Hayes at the helm as head coach. She takes over following USWNT’s worst finish in World Cup history last year, when