Football

Ian Darke, ESPN.com writerFeb 19, 2024, 11:05 AM ET Close Darke, who called games for the network during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, is ESPN lead soccer voice in the United States. He has covered the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League since 1982, and has one of the world’s most

Cesar Hernandez Feb 19, 2024, 11:02 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The USWNT, led by interim coach Twila Kilgore, will be hoping for immediate redemption at the Gold Cup following World Cup disappointment, but the field is crowded and competitive. Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF An invaluable chance for redemption is within reach for North

Rodrigo Faez Julien Laurens Feb 19, 2024, 05:51 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Real Madrid are in talks with Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé over signing on a free transfer this summer and are optimistic about concluding a deal soon, sources have told ESPN. ESPN reported on Feb. 15 that Mbappé has informed PSG that

Open Extended Reactions Manchester United won their fifth straight match across all competitions by beating Luton Town on Sunday. Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images LUTON, England — Manchester United found a way to beat Luton Town 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday but their resurgent bid for UEFA Champions League qualification will surely only

Champions Bayern Munich crashed to a 3-2 loss at VfL Bochum on Sunday for a third straight defeat in all competitions that saw them drop eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern, who had Dayot Upamecano sent off for the second consecutive match after his dismissal in Wednesday’s Champions League loss to Lazio, earned

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 17, 2024, 04:19 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Pep Guardiola has insisted Erling Haaland was not to blame for Manchester City dropping points against Chelsea despite having nine shots without scoring. City and Chelsea drew 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday to slip behind Liverpool and Arsenal — who both won

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 17, 2024, 04:13 PM ET Open Extended Reactions MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City and Chelsea played out an entertaining, and at times chaotic, 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and afterwards both teams were able to take both positives and negatives. City showed the occasional vulnerability of their high defensive

Open Extended Reactions When will Manchester City regret allowing Cole Palmer to join Chelsea: now, in the future or never? It is 192 days since City appeared to have unearthed a gem from their academy, as Palmer came off the bench to curl in an equaliser against Arsenal in August’s Community Shield at Wembley. City

Feb 16, 2024, 07:28 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Jurgen Klopp has lauded Xabi Alonso, one of the frontrunners to replace him at Liverpool, as the “standout” manager of the new generation of coaches. From the moment Klopp announced last month that he would step down as Liverpool boss at the end of this season,

Charlotte Gibson, ESPNFeb 16, 2024, 12:55 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Nike has signed 13-year-old soccer phenom McKenna “Mak” Whitham to a name, image and likeness deal. Whitham becomes the youngest women’s soccer player and youngest athlete in any sport to sign an NIL deal with Nike. “It means everything to me,” Whitham told ESPN.

Open Extended Reactions Mikel Arteta has said he believes Arsenal should be targeting the world’s best players including Kylian Mbappé, but admitted the France international appears destined to join Real Madrid. ESPN reported on Thursday that Mbappé has informed Paris Saint-Germain of his intention to leave the club when his contract expires at the end

Julien Laurens, CorrespondentFeb 15, 2024, 11:55 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Kylian Mbappé has told Paris Saint-Germain he intends to leave the club when his contract expires this summer, sources told ESPN, paving the way for a move to Real Madrid. ESPN reported on Feb. 3 that Mbappé decided to join Madrid this summer —

Jon Arnold Feb 15, 2024, 11:57 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Compared to the summer of 2023, which saw Lionel Messi don the pink jersey of Inter Miami — and what may be coming this summer as MLS continues to be a player in the international transfer market — the 2024 winter transfer window in

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 15, 2024, 08:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Nicky Butt, head of Manchester United‘s academy between 2016 and 2019, would often use midfielder Scott McTominay as an example for young players hoping to carve out a career at the club. Butt would say that McTominay’s progress is a case of “character with

Megan Swanick Feb 14, 2024, 09:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The 29th season of MLS kicks off in little more than a week with a Feb. 21 meeting between Real Salt Lake and Inter Miami CF. As a new soccer season dawns, the 29 teams open the new year with a clean slate, but

Ciro Immobile scored a 69th-minute penalty to earn hosts Lazio a 1-0 victory over 10-man Bayern Munich on Wednesday in their Champions League round of 16 first-leg clash. Immobile converted his spot-kick after Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano‘s clumsy challenge on Gustav Isaksen for which the France international was sent off with a straight red card.

Associated Press Feb 14, 2024, 06:43 AM ET A Dutch court convicted former Netherlands winger Quincy Promes of complicity in cocaine smuggling and sentenced him in his absence Wednesday to six years in prison. Amsterdam District Court ruled that the 32-year-old Promes, who plays for Spartak Moscow, was involved in the import and export of

Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Feb 13, 2024, 06:35 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Brahim Díaz praised his “world-class” teammate Jude Bellingham after scoring in Real Madrid‘s 1-0 Champions League round-of-16 first leg win at RB Leipzig on Tuesday and imitating the injured midfielder’s famous arms-outstretched goal celebration. Díaz put Madrid ahead in the 48th minute