Ryan O’HanlonApr 24, 2026, 03:41 AM ET Close Ryan O’Hanlon is a staff writer for ESPN.com. He’s also the author of “Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game’s Analytics Revolution.” Multiple Authors At the start of this month, Arsenal had a nine-point lead over Manchester City atop the Premier League table. And just like that, it’s

Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi has said that Italy should not be given a second chance to participate in the FIFA World Cup, writes Politico. Abodi said on the 23rd of April that giving Italy a second chance to participate in the World Cup is inappropriate and must be won. The Italian was responding to

With Blank and Double Gameweeks continuing to shape the Fantasy Premier League season’s run-in, the Free Hit chip is about to become one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. Blank Gameweek 34 is the biggest blank of the 2025-26 FPL campaign and, naturally, is going to be a very popular time for the

FC Barcelona have confirmed that Lamine Yamal, who was forced off on Wednesday against Celta Vigo, is suffering from a left hamstring injury. The club has nevertheless stated that his participation in the World Cup is not in doubt. In La Liga, Rayo Vallecano defeated Espanyol Barcelona (1-0) thanks to a goal from Sergio Camello

Welcome to week 34 of The Athletic’s Premier League predictions challenge, where we have now entered squeaky-bum time. Are you aware of that expression? Thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson — and with a little help from a small group of journalists, which included my now colleague Daniel Taylor and me — it has been listed in

Although Johan Manzambi is among PSG’s targets, the transfer will not be finalized immediately. Before accepting his transfer this summer, Freiburg is waiting to see its midfielder shine with Switzerland during the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Luis Enrique has already set the tone. Criticized for his refusal to expand the squad, the Paris Saint-Germain

Gameweek 33 of the 2025–26 Premier League season ranked among the best so far, especially if you forget that Monday night’s clash at Selhurst Park ever happened. On the weekend when Manchester City capitalized on their growing momentum by beating the Premier League leaders, Aston Villa played out a seven-goal thriller with Sunderland and Tottenham

Still very critical of what is done in France, Javier Tebas clearly mocked the weak economic level of the Ligue 1 championship. With a stray shot at Olympique de Marseille in passing. After years of criticizing PSG, Javier Tebas has not calmed down. The man who is still the president of the Spanish League took

The sand is slipping through the hourglass as the 2025–26 Premier League campaign draws to a tantalizing conclusion. Much is still to be decided between now and the final bout of fixtures in May, including the division’s champions come the end of a fiercely competitive race to the summit. History suggests the trophy’s destination could

1 Forest aim to stifle Black Cats’ personality Maybe it is a case of fourth time lucky for Nottingham Forest. Certainly Vítor Pereira – manager No 4 in the most chaotic of seasons – is doing something right. The Europa League semi-finalists are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games and will arrive at

STUTTGART, Germany, April 23 (Reuters) – German ⁠Cup holders VfB Stuttgart are back in the final after a late extra-time ⁠goal from Tiago Tomas earned the hosts a 2-1 win over Freiburg on ‌Thursday to set up a decider with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Stuttgart came from behind to force the extra period and with

Tiago Tomas’ stunning 119th-minute back-heel sent Stuttgart to a German Cup final meeting with Bayern Munich after a 2-1 extra-time home win over Freiburg on Thursday. Last-gasp Tomas stunner sends Stuttgart into German Cup final Maximilian Eggestein’s first-half opener had Freiburg on track for a second German Cup final but Deniz Undav levelled things up

Members of the transfer team at Barcelona this week held a round of talks with their counterparts at La Liga rivals Real Sociedad. This came with a view to gathering information on the situation of La Real starlet Jon Martín. Advertisement Defender Martín is for his part in the midst of something of a breakout

Real Madrid could close gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to six points on Friday, three weeks shy of a Clasico meeting. Who: Real Betis vs Real MadridWhat: Spanish La LigaWhere: Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla in Seville, SpainWhen: Friday at 9pm (20:00 GMT)How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport

With the strong possibility that Real Madrid will finish the season without winning any trophies, Alvaro Arbeloa’s future as head coach appears all but decided. Jose Mourinho has emerged as one of the reported candidates to replace him, and that option gained traction after Kylian Mbappe liked a social media post related to the topic.

Kylian Mbappe has once again emerged as the leading scorer for Real Madrid during the 2025-26 season, even as the club struggles through a disappointing, almost trophyless campaign. Despite the team’s collective failure, the striker received a public vote of confidence from French teammate Paul Pogba, who believes Mbappe is just getting started after surpassing