Football

5:00 AM ET When Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema finally wins his first Ballon d’Or, as he surely must in 2022, I sincerely hope that his first words are… “I have to thank Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior.” Right now, Benzema is playing the most beautiful football of any player in any major league,

6:44 PM ET Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez was annoyed with his team’s lack of determination as their slim LaLiga title hopes were shattered on Monday with a 1-0 defeat to Cadiz at Camp Nou. Lucas Perez scored the only goal of the game after 48 minutes to silence the home crowd

5:34 PM ET Jeff Carlisle Close U.S. soccer correspondent Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Dan Hajducky Close ESPN Hajducky is a reporter/researcher for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men’s soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities.

6:57 AM ET The Premier League season is entering the final stretch and the race for a place in Europe next season is starting to hot up. We take a look at who is in contention to qualify for the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League, and what impact an English team winning

6:00 PM ET What a weekend! With the FA Cup final set (it’ll be Liverpool vs. Chelsea on May 14, ESPN+) and several big clubs needing dramatic heroics to win, Europe’s top leagues did not disappoint. There’s drama in Serie A, another string of big results in the Bundesliga and a late comeback by Real

3:34 PM ET Valentin Castellanos recorded his first-ever four-goal MLS performance to lift New York City FC to a 6-0 victory over visiting Real Salt Lake on Saturday afternoon. The goals were the first four of the season for Castellanos. Castellanos’ second and third goals came from the penalty spot for defending MLS Cup champions

8:03 AM ET Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Xavi Hernandez has said Barcelona‘s players felt like they were “robbed in their own home” after around 30,000 Eintracht Frankfurt fans gained entry to Camp Nou for Thursday’s Europa League quarterfinal. German side Frankfurt won the game 3-2 to set up a semifinal against West Ham United, with

1:53 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent MANCHESTER, England — On the pitch on Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo kept alive Manchester United‘s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League but off it, the 3-2 win over Norwich City was set against a backdrop of more supporter unrest. The day ended with United three points closer to the

1:44 PM ET The debate over which of Liverpool or Manchester City are superior at full strength will continue for some time yet but the Reds are beginning to make an irresistible case for possessing the better squad. Liverpool’s hunt for four major trophies is still alive with a 3-2 FA Cup semifinal win at

2:54 PM ET Madison Shanley spent 14 years as a volunteer anthem singer for the Portland Timbers and Thorns. Kayla Plummer Portland Timbers and Thorns volunteer anthem singer Madison Shanley’s run of 14 years has ended after she opted not to continue in protest over the organization’s handling of multiple allegations of abuse of women by

5:30 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Ralf Rangnick says he has “no regrets” about taking the Manchester United manager’s job. The German heads into Saturday’s Premier League clash with Norwich at Old Trafford having won just three of his last 12 games in charge. It has left United facing the prospect of missing out on a

9:13 AM ET LEIPZIG, Germany — Tyler Adams doesn’t get the whole swapping shirts thing. Whenever he steps out on the pitch and looks at his opposition, his mind is whirring about how he can get the advantage. Names and reputation mean little to him — there’s respect, but not awe. The empty walls of

8:59 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Police were called to Manchester United‘s training ground on Friday after a group of supporters arrived to protest against the club’s owners, the Glazer family. United were forced to lock the front gates at Carrington and divert visitors to a back entrance after a group of around 30 fans carrying

6:03 AM ET In the run-up to last Sunday’s Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp compared the ongoing competition between the two clubs to another famous rivalry. “I think Nadal and Federer enjoyed the rivalry they had,” the Liverpool manager said. “That’s how it is in sport. I wouldn’t say I’m

10:00 AM ET Manchester United considered the credentials of eight different managers before choosing Ajax coach Erik ten Hag to become the fifth permanent appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Sources have told ESPN that Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Julen Lopetegui were alongside Ten Hag on the final four-man shortlist compiled by

6:30 AM ET The Champions League semifinals are set after Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Villarreal made it through following a set of quarterfinal second legs that featured thrills, upsets, brawls and plenty of goals. Julien Laurens, Alex Kirkland and Tom Hamilton give their views on the big questions as just four clubs remain

6:30 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent MADRID — On a night when Atletico Madrid tried everything to make Manchester City lose their heads, Pep Guardiola’s players showed they have the steel as well as the silk to win the Champions League. By the end, it was the home side who lost their cool when Brazilian defender

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