British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is close to acquiring a significant stake in Manchester United which would see his INEOS team have “sporting influence” at Old Trafford, sources have told ESPN. A source with knowledge of the process has told ESPN that Ratcliffe was “more savvy in his deal execution” than rival bidder Sheikh Jassim, a Qatari billionaire who withdrew his interest in buying United on Saturday after failing to…
England midfielder Jordan Henderson has reaffirmed his dedication to playing for his country after captaining the side in a 1-0 friendly win over Australia on Friday despite his disappointment at being booed by home fans when substituted. Henderson was named skipper with Harry Kane rested and the 33-year-old, who has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, played for 62 minutes before being taken off at Wembley. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga,…
It was a big moment when Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez stepped up to take a penalty in the closing stages of Thursday’s World Cup qualifier away to Colombia. Uruguay were losing 2-1 — the same scoreline by which they went down in the previous round, away to Ecuador, meaning they were in danger of a second consecutive defeat. And as the clock ticked down on the third match of the campaign,…
Six games, six wins, 13 goals scored, one conceded. France became one of the first teams to qualify for Euro 2024, along with Belgium and Portugal, on Friday night with two games left, and Kylian Mbappé is showing he’s made to be captain. It was another controlled and efficient performance from Didier Deschamps’ France as they won 2-1 against Netherlands in Amsterdam. The Dutch were missing Frenkie de Jong and…
Poland invited some of their fans who had made the trip for the team’s 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifier victory over Faroe Islands to fly home with the team after bad weather delayed flights out of the country. Among the supporters was Andrzej Bobowski, known as “the king of Polish fans,” who has attended the last 12 World Cup tournaments but could easily have been stranded and missed Poland’s game with…
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world in 2023, earning more than the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar during the past 12 months, according to Forbes. Ronaldo, who Forbes also ranks as the highest-paid athlete of any sport, topped the list with expected total earnings of $260 million. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The Portugal forward’s contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, who…
FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote to the Israel and Palestine football federations Friday, offering his condolences for the “horrendous violence” over the past week in a conflict that has taken over 2,700 lives and injured thousands more. In the letter first reported by Sky News, Infantino and world football’s governing body called for “the immediate end of hostilities and for the immediate relief of the suffering of the people of…
St. Louis City SC head coach Bradley Carnell started his playing career as a teenager at Bidvest Wits FC in Johannesburg, South Africa. One weekend, he and the rest of “The Clever Boys” won an away match thanks to a late penalty kick. The fans of the opposing team, upset with the result, stormed the field, bloodlust in their eyes. “They got the referee,” Carnell told ESPN. “They put him…
MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Even today, it still comes up. Even after a quarter-century in the gritty, muddy trench warfare that is football’s transfer system. Even after working side-by-side with the late Mino Raiola, one of the most famous and influential agents out there. Even after representing the likes of Pavel Nedved, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marco Verratti, Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland and others — a multinational galaxy of stars, from Ballon…
Wayne Rooney has said that “ambitious” Birmingham City minority owner Tom Brady is “fully involved” in the club’s efforts to gain promotion to the Premier League after the former England forward was appointed as the team’s new coach on Wednesday. Rooney, 37, left his previous role as D.C. United’s coach after their elimination from MLS playoff contention on Saturday and signed a 3½ year deal to become the new Birmingham…