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The Athletic spoke to Senegal fans who will have to pay a bond of up to $15,000 to get a visa to attend games in the U.S. this summer

The U.S. manager bemoaned his side's 90-minute effort against Belgium. Will the players' response meet the challenge?

There was even a senior call-up in August 2023 for games against Cyprus and ironically England, before Anderson withdrew through injury.

There are many teams in Premier League history that gained fame for their defense, and the reason they achieved this is, of course, a defensive line that functions perfectly. #premierleague #defensiveline #best #terry #ferreira #carvalho #gallas #chelsea #teambus #bankofsport

On the banks of the River Mersey at Bramley-Moore Dock, Steve Clarke is less than three months out from a World Cup yet finds himself having to steer Scotland's ship through choppy waters.

Romanian football has experienced a major decline in the 21st century, but they had many stars who left their mark on world football, especially in the 80s and 90s. #romania #football #legend #hagi #popescu #chivu #dobrin #mutu #teambus #bankofsport

The expansion of this summer’s 48-team tournament mean Tuesday’s games will be the best we see until the round of 16 Sign up for Soccer with Jonathan Wilson here Live in a World Cup host city? Tell us your stories There is always a slightly odd rhythm to the World Cup. The final round of qualifying games is almost invariably more exciting than the early games at the tournament itself, and now with 32 teams making it through the group stage and into the knockout rounds, that is likely to be even more true for the 2026 edition. Those final qualifiers in November were thrilling and meaningful – Troy Parrott’s hat-trick! Scotland scoring two absurdly good goals in the same game! DR Congo beating Nigeria on penalties as bottles rained down from the stands! Honduras failing to score against Costa Rica! – and Tuesday will be too as 12 teams battle for the six remaining slots. But for those not involved in World Cup playoffs, there is an unsatisfying phoniness to the friendlies they must play instead, with experimental line-ups and weary players going through glorified training exercises. While it’s never good to be letting in five goals, neither the USA nor Ghana should be too concerned about the defeats to Belgium or Austria.

Igor Tudor has left Tottenham Hotspur, after just one win from seven games in charge. They’re now pursuing Roberto De Zerbi to replace him. So, can he save them from relegation? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: James Horncastle & Dan Kilpatrick Executive Producers: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke & Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these words, you can sense how much playing for United and our fans means to the forward.

Liverpool’s Next Midfield Evolution: Nyoni Emerging as Endo’s Heir Liverpool’s midfield has undergone a steady recalibration in recent seasons, but the next phase may already be unfolding in plain sight. Trey Nyoni, still only 18, is beginning to look less like a prospect and more like a solution. His emergence comes at a time when […] The post Liverpool urged to give more opportunities to young midfielder appeared first on anfieldindex.com.

The Reds forward is set to get another run-out at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Turkey one win away from ending 24 years of World Cup hurt The National

Try The Athletic for FREE for 30 days: https://theathletic.com/tifofootball 📗 Tifo's new book, "How to Watch Football" is now available internationally: https://linktr.ee/tifobook When FIFA officially recognised Africa as a footballing confederation, it only allocated the continent one qualifying slot for the 1958 World Cup, to be shared with Asia. It would take 22 years and the creation of the Africa Cup of Nations before a World Cup slot was guaranteed to Africa alone. This is the story of how Africa had to fight the system for its place at the World Cup. This is the fifteenth in a series, written by Jonathan Wilson, exploring the entire history of football. Illustrated by Philippe Fenner. Join the Tifo Discord Server - https://discord.gg/6nMGtSyyNM Follow Tifo Football by The Athletic: Facebook: http://facebook.com/TifoFootball Instagram: http://instagram.com/TifoFootball_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tifofootball_ X: https://x.com/TifoFootball_ Listen to the Tifo Football podcast: The Athletic UK: http://bit.ly/TifoPodChannel Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TifoFootPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06QIGhqK31Qw1UvfHzRIDA YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OHj085qILmy-O2-yZqFIcuM&si=1tSREkvPh3Gps5NR Watch more Tifo: Tifo Football Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OHj085qILmy-O2-yZqFIcuM&si=1tSREkvPh3Gps5NR Tifo Sports by The Athletic: https://www.youtube.com/@TifoSports About Tifo Football by The Athletic: Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game. We know there’s an appetite for thoughtful, intelligent content. For stuff that makes the complicated simple. We provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more. Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football with depth and insight. Founded in 2017 and became a part of The Athletic in 2020. For business inquiries, reach out to [email protected]. Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com Music provided by APM Music #Football #Soccer #History

Katie Smith is joined by football correspondents Sami Mokbel and John Murray, as well as former Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel, as Igor Tudor leaves Tottenham Hotspur after just 44 days in charge. Brad Friedel tells the panel that Daniel Levy is the best owner he's ever played under, so what is the root of the problem for Spurs? Who is capable of keeping them in the Premier League? And how much worse would things get, if they were relegated? Plus, Tottenham fan Emma Nottage wades in on what she thinks the club need to do next. TIMECODES: 3'05 Sami Mokbel and John Murray 11'20 Brad Friedel 26'10 Emma Nottage

Tottenham Hotspur have parted ways with Igor Tudor after just 44 days. Spurs must avoid Roberto De Zerbi if they want to stay up. The post Igor Tudor Sacked: Spurs Must Avoid Disastrous De Zerbi Appointment appeared first on Attacking Football.

A defeat to France, Raphinha sent home injured for five weeks, Vini Jr doubtful, and a stadium full of supporters calling for an absent Neymar. This was supposed to be Brazil’s final tune-up before the World Cup. It turned… The post Injuries, Controversy and Neymar Chants: How Ancelotti’s Brazil Became a World Cup Crisis in Real Time first appeared on FootballTalk.org.

Minnows have all but sewn up the Swiss Super League title with seven games to go having been favourites to go down The FC Thun heroes do not hide their amusement and amazement when speaking about what has been an incredible season. They giggle when asked if they could possibly have expected such a scenario. They know that the situation is surreal and illogical. The words “incredible” and “unbelievable” are used frequently. When Thun were promoted in May to the Swiss Super League, they were predicted to struggle. The Berner Zeitung journalist Adrian Horn says: “A lot of pundits identified them as No 1 relegation candidates. Expectations were very low, and fans thought that avoiding relegation would be a major success.”

Rasmus Højlund is back among the goals at Napoli while Jakub Kiwior has helped make Porto solid in defence and Largie Ramazani has given Valencia a creative spark The Dane, like many others, struggled under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford and was packed off to Naples. He scored on his debut, a 3-1 win over Fiorentina, and has been consistent since, netting 10 goals in 26 games for Serie A’s third-placed team. “Now it’s portrayed as if I’m back and just doing really well,” Højlund, who cost United £72m when they signed him from Atalanta in August 2023, said to Denmark’s TV2 last week. “But inside myself my thoughts are in a completely different place. I’m self-critical. I still want to be even better, more involved in the games and score more goals, but it’s fun to observe how the image of me is constantly changing.”

Top 10 Bafana Surprise Call-Ups Under Broos Soccer Laduma

No-one knew what to expect at football's first official penalty shootout - and no-one wanted to go down in history as the first to miss.

The players lined ⁠up holding pink and purple bags with ribbons on them — a reference to the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh School ​which Tehran says killed ‌more than 175 people including children and teachers on the first day of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes

The United captain has dragged his club into the Premier League’s top three on the back of brilliant individual moments. With eight goals and 16 assists, he has won the Red Devils games even when they have been outplayed. If he can secure United’s Champions League spot and break the Premier League’s assists record, he will have had an all-timer of a season

Como are no longer a novelty story. Under Cesc Fàbregas, they are quickly becoming one of the most impressive and coherent sides in Serie A, and their 5-0 victory over Pisa only reinforced that growing belief. There is a clarity to everything Como do. Their structure is obvious, their patterns of play are well drilled, […] The post Cesc Fabregas And Como Close In On Champions League Qualification appeared first on World Football Index.

We caught up with Head Coach Dom to discuss Preseason, YCC and Season 2026

With England and Scotland already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, Wales and Northern Ireland both face European qualifiers in March.

Every time you open social media and listen to the noise of the 2025-26 Premier League season, you will often hear cries of "worst season ever." Even Arne Slot called the league "boring". I beg to differ. This feels like a season that will come down to the final day, and still have plenty to play for in the remaining fixtures. But before the final run-in, I wanted to cast my Premier League Team of the season for 2025-26.

Chelsea’s recent squad overhaul has generated considerable scrutiny within the football community. Stakeholders question how such rapid transformation…

Ben Symes sat down with three generations of Irish travelling supporters, the McGlinchey family, who have been supporting the Republic of Ireland across the globe for decades, and hope to get to see another world cup! The Irish National Team on Off The Ball with Cadbury Dairy Milk | #PaintMarchGreen

After nine years and more than 250 goals, Mohamed Salah is set to leave Liverpool. The Egyptian King has helped fire the Reds to Champions League & Premier League glory. So how much of a loss will he be, and can Liverpool replace him? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Oli Kay, Mark Carey Featuring: John Gibbons Executive Producers: Guy Clarke & Adey Moorhead Producers: Mike Stavrou & Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every club needs a blueprint. INEOS arrived at Old Trafford with a mandate to clear out bloated contracts like Raphaël Varane, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Cristiano... The post I Am Worried About Bruno Fernandes’ Contract appeared first on Attacking Football.

The discourse around Arsenal this season has become interesting to watch from afar as a neutral in the title race. As a Manchester United fan,... The post Why Do Premier League Fans Always Need A Team To Hate? Arsenal Edition appeared first on Attacking Football.

Kelly Cates is joined by Stephen Warnock, Ian Dennis and John Gibbons to react to the news that Mohammed Salah will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years at the club. They reflect on his time at Anfield, his impact on the Premier League, and his incredible goalscoring record. We’re in the England camp to hear from Adam Wharton and James Garner with Ian and John Murray at St George’s Park, and in the Wales camp as Chris Wathan speaks to Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow ahead of their World Cup playoff against Bosnia Herzegovina. Plus, we focus on the task ahead of Northern Ireland in their playoff away in Italy. TIMECODES: 00:13 – Reaction to Salah’s Liverpool exit 18:37 – St George’s Park with John Murray and Ian Dennis 21:29 – Adam Wharton Interview 31:04 – James Garner Interview 33:09 – Lee Carsley Interview 38:42 – Ethan Ampadu Interview 42:44 – Karl Darlow Interview 47:50 – Italy v Northern Ireland Preview

In his newly released memoir, Galaxy great Landon Donovan recounts his troubled relationship with his father and how he overcame crippling depression.

We put the new IDA boots to the test ⚽️ Safe to say they passed. #IDASports #IDAHelia #SoccerGirl

On Monday's Football Daily, Phil Egan brings you news from the Irish camp, plus a look back at yesterday's action in the EFL Cup final and the Premier League. Republic of Ireland report a full squad fitness ahead of their crucial World Cup playoff against Czechia in Prague. Assistant coach John O'Shea provides a positive update as preparations ramp up. Key players including Caoimhin Kelleher, Nathan Collins and Seamus Coleman have all arrived in camp. Extensive Off The Ball coverage planned, with live commentary and fan content from Prague. Drogheda United remove Joanna Byrne as co-chair following a breakdown in trust with owners Trivela Group. Benjamin Boycott steps in as sole chairperson while the club searches for replacements. Manchester City win their 9th EFL Cup with a 2–0 victory over Arsenal at Wembley. Nico O'Reilly scores both goals in a standout performance. Manager Pep Guardiola hails the club’s strength after another trophy win. Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal to use the defeat as motivation for remaining competitions. Tottenham Hotspur slide closer to relegation after a 3–0 loss to Nottingham Forest. Forest boost survival hopes and continue strong form under Vitor Pereira. Sunderland complete a dramatic league double over Newcastle United with a last-minute derby win. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe calls the defeat worse than their heavy loss to FC Barcelona. Harvey Barnes set for an England recall after strong form, rejecting interest from Scotland. Racism incident mars the derby, with Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida receiving support after alleged abuse. Aston Villa beat West Ham United to move into the top four. Trent Alexander-Arnold dropped by Real Madrid for lateness, while missing out on England selection. Celtic fall to defeat against Dundee United, leaving them off the title pace. Pop star Chappell Roan apologises after an incident involving Jorginho’s daughter and her security team. Listen to live coverage of the Republic of Ireland’s crucial Word Cup Qualifier Play-off with Stephen Doyle and Stuey Byrne from this Thursday at 7 o’clock on Off The Ball on Newstalk and the GoLoud App. Eoin Sheahan will be broadcasting live from the stadium ahead of kick-off at 7-45pm, where he will be joined by a range of special guests. Become a member and sign up at offtheball.com/join

Arsenal's Alessia Russo has excelled as a number nine and a number 10 this season, but where is she most effective?

Women’s football requires determination and resilience, and launching a senior team into the fiercely competitive SWFL is not without its challenges. These include making sure players and sponsors feel visible and valued, especially when results are going against you. Scottish Women’s Football’s Club and Competitions co-ordinator Gareth Gorman visited Govan recently ahead of Benburb’s home […] The post Life in the SWFL is built on strong foundations: building a team to last appeared first on Scottish Women's Football.

For the first time, Nike-sponsored teams will be wearing kits made from recycled textile waste

Midfielder’s presence more than doubles team’s chances of winning as they strengthen their grip on qualification for the Champions League

The World Cup is just a few months away, and Thomas Tuchel already seems to have a clear idea of both his squad and how he wants England to play. His teams are built on energy, physicality, and discipline — players who stick to their roles and execute a system, rather than drift and freelance. That’s where things get interesting. Because as much as I understand what Tuchel wants, I don’t agree with all of it. This isn’t a prediction of who will go to the World Cup. This is the squad I think should go — the one that gives England the best chance of winning the tournament, not just controlling matches.

Ansan's new faces have brought a mix of international flair and optimism to Ansan following the club's dismal 2025 campaign. It has been a mixed start so far for the Greeners with a first opening win for over half a decade, but poor home form has continued. Nevertheless, Lee Moon-sik's attacking style has brought with it a lot of optimism for the season ahead. So, how have two of those new faces settled to life so far in the K League? Tim Hartzell Hartzell arrives in Ansan off the back of winning the Superettan (Swedish second division) title with Västerås SK. Making 20 appearances, the towering the centre back also showed his goal threat by pitching in some match winning assists as his side clinched the title by a single point. Joining Ansan off the back of such a poor season last year, Hartzell reflects that he saw the results but there have been a lot of changes. In fact it was discussions with coach Choi Moon-sik that set the tone for that was to be expected, with a focussed and exciting plan for the season. Indeed the whole mood around the Wa Stadium seems different this season, with Tim stating there is "a very good mood in the team." Of course arriving in a new country is always a challenge, in particular as Hartzell's career has been spent in Scandinavia. However, the support has been great, especially from Felipe de Paula who works as the team translator at Ansan. Felipe himself has K League 2 experience, scoring 5 times in a stint at Goyang Zaicro in 2017. Tim also notes the role of his agents, as well as the wider Ansan staff in ensuring that the transition to Korea was a smooth one. In addition, Hartzell could also call upon friends in the league itself. Of note, he played with Bucheon midfielder Kazuki Takahashi at Swedish side AFC Eskilstuna. Kazuki assured Tim that he would have a good experience in Korea, offering positive advice with it being “a very good league.” This is echoed by other players and Tim’s own experiences with the K2 so far, noting that it is different from playing in Sweden and Denmark but it is “a high-quality league.” One of the big differences with Scandinavia is the Korean summer, and Hartzell notes that he has heard a lot about it, but he is prepared and even looking forward to it! Of course, the challenge for Ansan in the K2 is a difficult one and Tim reflects pragmatically that the goal is to: “Stay humble and keep working hard.” [READ: Kazuki Takahashi on the 2025 Play-off promotion chase] Tim Hartzell clears the lines against Busan I'Park Machop Chol Born in Khartoum but raised in the US, Machop has played at Wake Forest academy, as did former Greener Burno Lapa, and was picked up for Atlanta United, scoring in the MLS against Toronto and New England. His football journey has also taken him to Lithuania with Zalgiris, and he has been called up 4 times by the South Sudanese team. Machop managed his first goal in front of the home fans against Busan, reflecting that it “It felt good.” Indeed, the humble and pragmatic approach espoused by Hartzell is reflected in Machop who analysed his performance: “[I] Had some opportunities I wish I could have capitalised on but overall, a good feeling, but I just wish we’d have got a result today." His target for the season is to just focus on "helping the team and getting positive results." Following defeat to Busan Machop noted that of course the team is down but “there’s many points to be happy about we played well in certain moments and also got some things that we can learn from as well.” Can Ansan push on this season? Machop thinks so, the team does not like to lose and “there’s a lot of hunger in this group.” [READ: Bruno Lapa on the K League 2] Machop Chol celebrates his first goal for Ansan with the home fans

Loyalty Cost Me Chelsea, Admits Benni McCarthy Soccer Laduma

The former FA women’s technical director, now chief executive of Bay Collective, on investment, infrastructure and the long-term growth of the women’s game

In this issue With some of the biggest managerial jobs becoming available over the coming months, in this issue we’ve diverted our attention away from the pitch and to the dugouts. As well as profiling some of the most exciting up-and-coming coaching talents from around the world, we also sent Josh Butler to meet a […]

Chelsea have been fined more than £10m and handed a suspended transfer ban for making secret payments in relation to transfers. So does the punishment fit the crime? And what precedent does this for future cases such as the 115 charges Manchester City face? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Matt Slater and Simon Johnson Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Guy Clarke and Paul Iliffe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Cole charts the rise of Igor Thiago, from the lower reaches of Brazilian football to the top of the Premier League scoring charts – and now possibly the World Cup This article first appeared in the March 2026 issue of World Soccer Brentford specialise in succession planning. The ability to spot and refine raw talent, […]

Juventus, Torino and visiting Turin during Italy’s decade of political violence This piece was written by John Irving for issue 40 I spent 1975-76, the third year of my Italian degree course at Edinburgh University, perfecting the language in Italy, in Turin to be precise. I lived in an apartment in Corso Sebastopoli, just up […] The post The Years of Lead appeared first on The Blizzard.

Mbokazi Earns Top Five Ranking After Promising MLS Start Soccer Laduma

Get ⁠exclusive xOG merch⁠ now! Join Patreon and ⁠use the code "XOGNEW1"⁠ to get 50% off an annual membership! After months of rumors, speculation, and journalistic teases, Catarina Macario has finally made the move to the NWSL, joining her hometown San Diego Wave for a record-breaking five-year, $8 million contract. How does she help the Wave? What is still left to be done for San Diego to remain a contender? The guys ponder it all. Plus, Eric shares his wild weekend hitting three NWSL games in three days, including the Boston Legacy's inaugural home opener at a cold and windy Gillette Stadium. Like & subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page and watch the first volume of our Anatomy of series! Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Did we make an own goal? E-mail us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eli Elbogen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.