Football

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a goal against Ecuador in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying victory. Getty Images Lionel Messi‘s second-half goal gave Argentina a 1-0 home win over Ecuador on Thursday to get their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign off on the right foot. World champions Argentina were dominant in possession, but frustrated in attack

Chris Jones, ESPN Senior WriterSep 7, 2023, 10:39 AM ET Close Chris Jones is a feature writer for ESPN The Magazine. He is also a Writer at Large for Esquire. Lionel Messi played in front of a friendly crowd in Los Angeles on Sunday as Inter Miami beat LAFC 3-1. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Watching your

Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondentSep 6, 2023, 09:53 AM ET Spain‘s Jenni Hermoso has accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault for kissing her on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final, the country’s prosecutors’ office said on Wednesday. Sources close to the Spain forward, who plays her club football for Mexican side

Chris Wright, Toe Poke writerSep 6, 2023, 05:30 AM ET With average transfer fees escalating and €100 million-plus deals increasingly common, the financial spotlight is shining brightly on soccer teams around the world. But which clubs have done well and which have failed? Helpfully, the CIES Football Observatory have conducted a study that can explain

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentSep 6, 2023, 09:44 AM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Gregg Berhalter led the USMNT to a round-of-16 exit at the 2022 World Cup, but he says now he wants to bring the U.S. team to its highest finish at the 2026

Associated Press Sep 5, 2023, 07:32 PM ET A damaged tail rotor was to blame for a helicopter crash that killed the owner of English soccer club Leicester City and four others in 2018, an accident inquiry revealed Wednesday. The Leonardo AW169 helicopter took off from the center of the field after a Premier League

Maher Mezahi Sep 5, 2023, 09:11 AM ET Although the European transfer window closed on Friday, Saudi Pro League clubs have until Thursday to register new signings. While Saudi Arabia’s “big four” of Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli have concluded the bulk of their business, the asymmetry in the football calendar

Wael Jabir Sep 1, 2023, 08:07 AM ET The big story of this summer transfer window has been the rise of the Saudi Pro League as a hot destination looking to attract the biggest stars in European football, and with the Saudis, bankrolled by the $620 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF), taking the market by

Liverpool have made their position on Mohamed Salah absolutely clear. No amount of money from Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad will persuade them to offload their star forward — a stance that held firm when an offer worth up to £150 million was received on transfer deadline day. Jurgen Klopp doubled down on the

European soccer delivered plenty of drama again this weekend, leaving us a lot to talk about heading into the two-week international break. In the biggest game, Arsenal shrugged off Manchester United with two late goals — and several controversial moments — though neither team really looked good. In Spain, Jude Bellingham‘s rude form continued for

Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct? After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game. – How VAR decisions have affected

Facundo Farias, Jordi Alba and Leonardo Campana scored goals, Lionel Messi had two assists and Inter Miami CF increased its unbeaten run to a club record 11 matches with a 3-1 victory over LAFC on Sunday. Drake Callender made five saves as Miami improved to 10-0-1 across all competitions since Messi’s first match with the

Adam Brown Sep 2, 2023, 11:30 AM ET Liverpool secured their third consecutive win in the Premier League on Sunday as they enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield. The Reds got off to the perfect start in the third minute when Dominik Szoboszlai attacked a ball that was cleared into a dangerous

Dominik Szoboszlai scored his first goal for Liverpool and Mohamed Salah netted his seventh in seven games against Aston Villa as the hosts eased to a 3-0 Premier League victory at Anfield on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp’s side, who have won 10 of their last 12 matches against Villa, climbed to third in the table on

Sep 1, 2023, 06:06 PM ET It took almost the entirety of two transfer windows, but Morocco‘s midfield star Sofyan Amrabat has finally got his big post-World Cup transfer. Amrabat has joined Manchester United on loan from Fiorentina, ending an agonising summer of waiting for a player who has spent the summer either not training,

Sep 2, 2023, 05:41 PM ET European club football is back, providing another weekend of more last-minute winners, upsets and lots of goals. The Premier League, LaLiga, the Bundesliga, and Serie A all had matchups worth diving into. We start with Friday, when Borussia Dortmund squandered a 2-0 lead, while Romelu Lukaku‘s Roma debut was

Sep 2, 2023, 08:13 AM ET Premier League clubs spent a record £2.36 billion ($2.97bn) on new players in the transfer window that closed on Friday, according to analysis from Deloitte. The summer window, which was open from June 14 to Sept. 1, exceeded last year’s record £1.92bn, with the top-flight clubs spending £255 million

Sep 2, 2023, 03:00 AM ET The summer transfer window has been incredible, as the top clubs around Europe spent millions — nay, billions — to try to strengthen their sides. Editor’s Picks 2 Related According to Transfermarkt, clubs across the English Premier League spent a colossal €2.79 billion during the window — the most