Soccer

2:29 PM ET Harry Maguire’s run of substandard displays stretches back longer than anyone would like and while his 21-month suspended prison sentence for a summer holiday incident in Mykonos overshadowed anything he has done for club and country, the depth of his on-field slump can no longer be hidden. England manager Gareth Southgate rallied

10:56 AM ET Juventus and USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie has tested positive for the coronavirus, the club has announced. McKennie, 22, becomes the second Juventus player to test positive this week, following Cristiano Ronaldo‘s result on Tuesday. Juventus under-23 coach Lamberto Zauli also tested positive on Wednesday. – Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday

2:09 AM ET There were meetings and conflict and bad tempers behind the scenes in the build up to the opening two rounds of South America’s World Cup qualification campaign. Clubs were reluctant to release players for matches played in a part of the world where the coronavirus pandemic has not been brought under control.

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10:23 AM ET Cristiano Ronaldo has left the Portugal national team after testing positive for the coronavirus. Portugal confirmed in a statement that Ronaldo is in isolation and not showing symptoms. The statement added that following Ronaldo’s test, the remaining players in the Portugal squad underwent new tests on Tuesday which came back negative. Ronaldo

4:10 PM ET Desperate times call for desperate measures, but even as many clubs in English football stare over the precipice at a financial catastrophe, the rescue plan fronted by Liverpool and Manchester United — with the working title “Project Big Picture” — sounds good, but looks to be nothing less than a big cheque

2:27 PM ET Jeff Carlisle Close U.S. soccer correspondent Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Austin Lindberg For the second week in a row, Toronto FC is on top of MLS Power Rankings, thanks to a pair of clean sheets and a pair of wins from second- and third-choice

4:18 AM ET Despite the financial downturn across the globe, clubs in Europe’s top five leagues still spent over €4.6 billion in the summer window — a drop of 43% when compared with 2019. And as the economic reality of COVID-19 hits hard in the next few months, free transfers will become even more important.

11:22 PM ET Patrick Mullins‘ first goal of the season gave Toronto FC a 1-0 road victory over FC Cincinnati on Sunday. Toronto clinched a playoff spot with the victory and extended its lead atop the MLS standings. Toronto FC is on a five-game winning streak and is 6-0-1 over their last seven games. FC

3:48 PM ET LONDON — England have prioritised defining a clear sense of identity ever since Gareth Southgate took charge in 2016. The 50-year-old’s attempt to deconstruct inhibitions created by past failures and reimagine England as a youthful side unencumbered by history improbably took them to the World Cup semifinals two years ago. Belgium’s visit

4:21 AM ET The messages are still coming through on his phone. Two full days after reaching two milestones in one game against Ukraine — his 100th cap for France, and his 41st and 42nd goals that took him above Michel Platini in the top scorers ranking for the French men’s national team — Olivier

9:00 PM ET Associated Press Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email Major League Soccer has postponed three matches in the space of 24 hours due to the escalating number of positive coronavirus tests throughout the competition. MLS originally postponed the match between the Colorado Rapids and the LA Galaxy on Saturday after a Rapids player

10:34 AM ET Manchester United‘s new signing Edinson Cavani has said it was a conversation with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that convinced him to join the club. United made a deadline day swoop for the striker who joined the club on a two-year deal after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in March. –

12:40 PM ET The October international break is more congested than usual, as the soccer world adjusts to a compressed schedule by squeezing as many as three games into an eight-day sprint before players disperse and return to their clubs. There are travel concerns for all international teams as various players pull out of duty

12:22 PM ET The fact that Premier League clubs spent £1.2 billion on transfers this summer may advance the sense that English football is returning to normal, but the reality beneath the surface is very different. The headlines certainly point to a continuation of the madcap money-slinging that has made it the most exciting league

10:32 AM ET FIFA 21 makes a lot of notable gameplay gains that will keep you playing all season, and all year, long. Courtesy of EA Sports With winter fast approaching, there’s no shortage of soccer on TV these days, but Friday marks another notable event on the soccer calendar: the worldwide release of FIFA 21,

5:02 AM ET Manchester United’s chaotic conclusion to the transfer window dominates this week’s ESPN’s Insider Notebook. PLUS: Mikel Arteta’s growing influence at Arsenal. Jump to: Dortmund baffled by United | Diallo’s journey to Old Trafford | Cavani snubbed Real Madrid and Juventus | Barca fuming with Dembele, Umtiti | Forlan helped United sign Pellestri

10:45 PM ET Argentina got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to the perfect start on Thursday when Lionel Messi‘s penalty gave them a 1-0 win over Ecuador at home. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only) The Argentine FA piped fan noise around the empty Bombonera stadium and the chants of “Messi!