Soccer

6:30 AM ET The 2022 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner, and while teams are naming their squads and final preparations are underway in Qatar, our thoughts are with equipment managers of all 32 participating teams. They’re packing up and shipping out a colorful collection of kits and training tops — meticulously mapped

3:49 PM ET United States men’s national team defender Chris Richards will miss the upcoming World Cup with injury, he confirmed on Tuesday. Richards, who joined Crystal Palace from Bayern Munich this past summer, hasn’t played since Aug. 27 due to a leg injury. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) “Gutted that this

4:00 AM ET The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is missing some big teams (Italy, Egypt, Nigeria, Colombia) and some big players (Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Victor Osimhen) but that’s what makes this tournament the best in sports. Brazil are looking to win their first World Cup since 2002, while England, Argentina and Germany are

5:16 PM ET Alex KirklandESPN FC MADRID — Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the LaLiga season to Rayo Vallecano, who pulled off a shocking 3-2 upset against the reigning league champions. The loss also sees Barcelona leapfrog Madrid into the top spot of the league table, with all sides having just one more

5:26 AM ET With just one weekend left until the European leagues shut down for the World Cup, there was plenty of drama to discuss across the continent! From Arsenal cementing their Premier League lead with an easy win at Chelsea to Bayern Munich reclaiming top spot in the Bundesliga after beating Hertha Berlin (and

8:00 AM ET Two of the favourites to win the 2022-23 Champions League will crash out at the round of 16 in March after a box office draw paired Bayern Munich with Paris Saint-Germain and gave us a re-run of last season’s final between Real Madrid and Liverpool. 2 Related With the 2022 World Cup

5:09 PM ET It’s officially World Cup month, but before league action pauses ahead of the tournament, there are several storylines to follow across Europe. Arsenal claimed bragging rights over Chelsea, a club icon took a bow at Barcelona, and storm clouds are gathering over Atletico Madrid. ESPN correspondents Julien Laurens, Alex Kirkland, James Tyler,

1:48 PM ET Salah was the star on Sunday and Liverpool couldn’t be happier, with the Egypt international’s two goals proving enough to grab all three points at Tottenham. Marc Atkins/Getty Images Mohamed Salah‘s first-half brace was the difference as Jurgen Klopp’s embattled Liverpool side racked up a 2-1 win at Tottenham in Sunday’s big Premier

7:18 PM ET LOS ANGELES — LAFC won its first-ever MLS Cup title, beating the Philadelphia Union 3-0 on penalty kicks after a thrilling, roller-coaster final at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday finished 3-3 after extra time. Substitute goalkeeper John McCarthy, in just his second appearance for the club, was LAFC’s hero, coming off

11:12 PM ET Cesar Hernandez LOS ANGELES — Not even Hollywood finest could have written the script that played out Saturday in the MLS Cup title win for LAFC. Headlined by leading men such as Carlos Vela, Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale, who are massive stars on their own, LAFC were heavy favorites against the

9:49 AM ET Associated Press Shannon Boxx, a three-time Olympic gold medalist with the United States and member of their 2015 World Cup team, has been appointed vice chair of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s participant safety task force. Maryland State Youth Soccer Association executive director Greg Smith was also picked as a vice chair. –

11:30 AM ET LOS ANGELES — It’s been 19 years since the No. 1 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences met in an MLS Cup, which LAFC and the Philadelphia Union will do on Saturday. MLS has changed an awful lot in that time. In 2003, there were only 10 teams in the league.

4:52 PM ET United States men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter said he’ll analyze the status of his injured players on a “case-by-case basis” ahead of naming his roster for the World Cup that starts later this month. The 26-player roster for Qatar will be named on Wednesday, and Berhalter told ESPN that his pool

7:44 AM ET Associated Press FIFA president Gianni Infantino has urged the 32 nations preparing for the most political World Cup in the modern era to focus on the game in Qatar and avoid handing out lessons in morality. A letter imploring teams to “let football take center stage” was sent by Infantino and FIFA

5:00 AM ET The battle for Jude Bellingham is hotting up, with Liverpool in pole position — ESPN’s Insider Notebook has the latest. Jump to: Real Madrid ready for battle | Barcelona plan more spending | Shakhtar set for MLS fundraising drive | Alonso’s new deal | Prem clubs to help financially struggling fans Liverpool

2:00 PM ET Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has announced that he will retire from football when the Spanish league breaks for the World Cup this month. Pique, 35, says Saturday’s match against Almeria in LaLiga will be his last at Camp Nou for the Catalan club after 14 years in the first team following his

1:18 PM ET The next time the Champions League becomes the dominant topic in soccer, we will be approaching Valentine’s Day. An entire World Cup will have come and gone. We’ll have spent many thousands of words talking about player wear and tear, particularly for players on the four teams that will have played seven

5:00 AM ET The 2022-23 Champions League group stage is all wrapped up, and there was no shortage of drama, goals and chaos. Bayern Munich achieved a perfect record, Tottenham Hotspur narrowly clinched qualification into the knockouts and Club Brugge made it out of the group stage for the first time in their history. Meanwhile,