Soccer

Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen outplayed champions Bayern Munich for a 3-0 victory on Saturday that sent them five points clear at the top of the league and put them firmly in charge of the title race. The hosts, who have never won a Bundesliga title, struck in the 16th minute through Josip Stanisic – on loan

Feb 9, 2024, 09:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The Rheinland prides itself on a fun-loving approach to life most of the time, but especially in the week of Karneval. It so happens that this flamboyant, multi-day festival of outlandish costumes, inebriation and generally forgetting about mundane everyday humdrum, coincides with the highly serious business

ESPN News Services Feb 9, 2024, 03:09 PM ET Open Extended Reactions An Argentina friendly in China next month was canceled on Friday in more fallout from Lionel Messi failing to play in an Inter Miami exhibition match in Hong Kong. World Cup champion Argentina, captained by Messi, last month scheduled a tour of China

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentFeb 9, 2024, 11:29 AM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions Reyna is now in the Premier League until the end of the 2023-24 season, where he should get a chance to find form ahead of the USMNT’s busy summer. Ritchie

Open Extended Reactions The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will announce the introduction of a new blue card on Friday as part of trials of sin bins in professional football, sources have confirmed to ESPN. News of the blue cards was first reported by The Telegraph. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Football’s

Feb 8, 2024, 04:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions So, the January transfer window was a bust. Premier League clubs only spent just over £100 million on new players — a mere 1/8th of 2023’s eye-popping £800m+ outlay. With profit and sustainability rules (PSR) looming large and both Everton and Nottingham Forest charged with breaches,

Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 8, 2024, 09:02 AM ET Close Covers the Pac-12. Joined ESPN in 2014. Attended Washington State University. Open Extended Reactions The Year of Messi is upon us. After last year’s sneak peek into a Major League Soccer season with the greatest player of all time, a full offseason of anticipation

ESPN News Services Feb 7, 2024, 09:37 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The Hong Kong government demanded answers from Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi on Wednesday after the Argentine played in a friendly in Japan just three days after missing a similar exhibition match in its country. Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau

Nick Judd, Transfer writerFeb 7, 2024, 05:37 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Chelsea continued to find solace in the domestic cups after turning in a commanding performance in which goals from Connor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernández secured a comfortable 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday, booking an FA Cup fifth-round tie with

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentFeb 7, 2024, 12:13 PM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma, Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan, and Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith headline the 23-player United States women’s national team roster for the upcoming 2024

Open Extended Reactions Man United has been lucrative for the Glazers, but their off-field profitability has been overshadowed by on-field futility. Illustration by ESPN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — “My money is in this pot and I’m not here to make more — I just want to win.” As a statement of intent, Sir Jim Ratcliffe had turned

Graham Hunter, Spain writerFeb 6, 2024, 09:03 AM ET Close Graham Hunter is a Barcelona-based freelance writer for ESPN.com who specializes in La Liga and the Spanish national team. Open Extended Reactions Following their 1-1 draw in the Madrid derbi, Atlético Madrid should have absolutely no chance of winning LaLiga. By the same token, though,

Open Extended Reactions José Mourinho’s name was sung at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. No, this isn’t a rewind to 2004 or 2014, during his two previous spells as Chelsea manager, but a snapshot of the here-and-now at a club in crisis. The reality is that, should Mauricio Pochettino pay the price for the team’s disastrous

Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FCFeb 5, 2024, 12:53 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Another big weekend in Europe’s top leagues didn’t disappoint when it came to major moments, significant results and plenty to review. In England‘s top-of-the-table clash between Liverpool and Arsenal, it was the Gunners who rose to the occasion and wrapped up

Connor O’Halloran Feb 5, 2024, 06:39 PM ET Open Extended Reactions LONDON — You never know exactly when Manchester City‘s domestic winning run will begin, only that it definitely will begin sometime. It usually starts around this time of year, when the season drifts towards its final third, when the title race starts to narrow

Open Extended Reactions Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct? After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game. – How VAR

Open Extended Reactions LONDON — And then there were three. An afternoon that began with Arsenal facing the prospect of the Premier League leaders disappearing from view ended with a powerful statement of intent suggesting Mikel Arteta’s side can challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the title. They have now beaten both at Emirates Stadium

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentFeb 4, 2024, 12:29 PM ET Open Extended Reactions MANCHESTER, England — Whatever happens to Manchester United between now and the end of the season, manager Erik ten Hag can at least point to the emergence of Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo as positives from an otherwise forgettable campaign. It was