Soccer

12:25 PM ET World Cup qualifying kicked off across Europe last week and there was plenty of drama involving top national teams as they began on the road to Qatar in 2022. Portugal were furious for Saturday’s draw vs. Serbia, England picked up a couple of tidy victories and Germany showed their best — and

3:47 PM ET U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter has done plenty of experimenting in his time in charge. Forty-three players have made their international debuts since Berhalter took over in Dec. 2018. In Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Northern Ireland, Berhalter engaged in a different kind of experiment, going with a three-man backline. Given

5:00 PM ET Jason Kreis and the United States Under-23s can secure a spot at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics with a win over Honduras in the semifinals of the Olympic Qualifying Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico. The U.S. are looking to qualify for their first Olympic games since 2008, having lost at this same stage to

8:25 AM ET Former Portugal international Fernando Meira has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo‘s decision to walk off the pitch and throw away his captain’s armband and said the it was “unacceptable” behaviour. Ronaldo stormed off the pitch before the final whistle was blown after he was denied a clear winner in a controversial end to Portugal’s

2:35 PM ET United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter says he’ll use Sunday’s friendly against Northern Ireland to look at some new faces. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)– ESPN+ viewers guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more The Americans are coming off 4-1 friendly win over Jamaica

5:50 PM ET Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic became his country’s all-time top scorer on 39 goals from 63 international appearances after he netted in a 2-2 home draw with Portugal in a thrilling 2022 World Cup Group A qualifier on Saturday. – UEFA WC qualifiers on ESPN+: Stream games, replays (U.S. only)– Stream ESPN FC

12:25 PM ET By now, you’ve undoubtedly pored over your club’s 2021 schedule, circling days on the calendar for every rivalry matchup, and if you’re really ambitious (and vaccinated), looking into flights and hotels for that special trip to watch your team in an away venue. It’s an exciting time of year that doesn’t leave

9:39 AM ET Cruyff’s death in 2016 shocked the soccer world, but he lives on through the big clubs, and big coaches, that he inspired and shaped in his image. David Davies/Offside via Getty Images Written underneath the statue of Johan Cruyff outside Barcelona‘s Camp Nou stadium is the phrase “Salid y disfrutad” (“go out and

11:49 AM ET How much will one of the European giants have to pay to sign Erling Haaland when the transfer window opens on July 1? Borussia Dortmund want in the region of €180m for the prolific striker, according to ESPN sources. If Borussia Dortmund keep him another season, then they could lose him for

10:02 AM ET It is a new and exciting problem for a fan of the U.S. men’s national team: how does one keep up with all the promising Americans in Europe? Even the 2002 team that nearly made the World Cup semifinals was only peripherally on the European radar: midfielder Claudio Reyna was at Sunderland,

5:00 AM ET Borussia Dortmund have set their fee for Erling Haaland, while TikTok is proving a nuisance at Barcelona. ESPN’s Insider Notebook has the latest. Jump to: TikTok torment at Barcelona | La Liga’s battle with drones | Bale future unclear despite Madrid claims | Bailly’s fears over Man United defender search | Roma,

6:24 PM ET Such has been the progression of U.S. talent, both domestically and abroad over the last 18 months, that the question facing U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter isn’t so much where players are going to come from, but rather where to put them. As we found out on Thursday, this is

6:06 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Manchester United remain committed to handing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a new contract and the Norwegian’s future does not depend on lifting a trophy this season, sources have told ESPN. United are yet to win any silverware under Solskjaer and saw another chance missed when they were knocked out of the

5:00 AM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent In July 2015, a few hours after Manchester United had comfortably beaten Barcelona 3-1 on their preseason tour of the United States, Louis van Gaal sat in a Santa Clara hotel room and declared it “the year of Luke Shaw.” It has taken longer than he expected, but the Dutchman’s

8:18 PM ET The U.S. and Mexico renew their rivalry, this time at Under-23 level in a CONCACAF Olympic qualifier that will decide where the two countries finish in Group A and will help determine each nation’s semifinal opponent. Both sides have the maximum six points from two games and are assured of a place

7:00 AM ET Alphonso Davies is on course to be one of football’s biggest stars of the decade. At 20, the Canada international is already a Champions League winner with Bayern Munich and rated as one of the best defenders in the world, but it is his backstory, as a child born in a refugee

5:06 AM ET Let’s imagine for the sake of argument that while Erling Haaland is not on the transfer market, his contract is definitely available. He has a queue of suitors and Borussia Dortmund stand to triple their investment a year ahead of the Norway forward’s reported €75 million release clause kicking in, making him

5:00 AM ET The 2021 summer transfer window is likely to follow a similar path to the January one, when clubs were hindered by the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there could still be some big names on the move, even if the days of a €100 million-plus transfer are gone (for now).