Lionel Messi and co kick off in Atlanta at 3pm ET/8pm BST Explainer: all your Club World Cup questions answered Questions or comments? Email Alexander here 4 min: Messi involved again, this time latching on to a bouncing ball in midfield, slotting a through ball for Suárez that has just a bit too much on it, allowing Ramos to gather it easily. 2 min: A chance! Already! Lionel Messi finds a spot in the right half-space, and lofts a perfect diagonal ball over the backline to Luis Suárez. Suarez’s attempt is saved, and he is later called offside. An early statement from Miami. Continue reading...

Gp H: Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal (G García 34; Neves 41pen) Federico Valverde’s 92nd-minute penalty saved Xabi Alonso said in the buildup he was going to “ignite” his players at this Club World Cup, that Real Madrid were ready to rock’n’roll. In the event this was something more downbeat in Miami, 90 minutes of pub-rock, at times even a meandering shoe-gaze as a well-drilled Al-Hilal kept the new-era Madrid at arm’s length. Madrid had a chance to win it at the death, but Federico Valverde missed a dubiously awarded 92nd-minute penalty. A 1-1 draw felt fair at the end of a Group H opener that flickered but never caught fire. Continue reading...

Fran Kirby's international career epitomised what resilience, combined with serious talent, can accomplish but the time is right to retire, writes Emma Sanders.

Australia 4-1 Argentina; Van Egmond and Heyman complete rout Incoming coach Joe Montemurro watches win in Canberra The first time Tom Sermanni coached the Matildas in Canberra, three decades ago, the match took place not at GIO Stadium but at an unassuming training field next door. A warm-up encounter ahead of the 1995 Women’s World Cup, the Matildas put four unanswered goals past New Zealand in front of a handful of spectators. It warranted three paragraphs deep in the sports section of the local newspaper; the report described the win as a “great result” for Sermanni. Thirty years later, in his 151st and final game as Matildas boss, at the end of his third stint at the helm of the national team, it was another great result: a 4-1 friendly victory over Argentina on a chilly Monday night. A brace by Amy Sayer and second-half strikes from Emily Van Egmond and local hero Michelle Heyman were enough to see off a valiant Argentine effort. Continue reading...

Updates as the Matildas send off Tom Sermanni at GIO Stadium Kick off time in Canberra is 7.30pm AEST Any thoughts? Get in touch on email or on Bluesky @martinpegan Kieran Pender is braving the elements in an outdoor press box at GIO Stadium and all set to report on the historic game between the Matildas and Argentina. Thanks for taking one for the team, Kieran! The crowd is building at Canberra Stadium for what will be a record-breaking encounter between the Matildas and Argentina – the best-attended women’s sporting event in Canberra history, after tickets were sold out. The crowd will have to battle frigid Canberra conditions; Canberra Stadium is a notoriously cold venue, and the temperature is already in the single digits – dropping fast. FA seems to have hit on the right outcome by appointing Montemurro. But unfortunately, the process that landed them here was anything but well executed – with potential flow-on effects for his tenure. By the time their new coach takes up his position, the Matildas will have logged five camps under Sermanni and played 13 games – crucial contact hours Montemurro won’t get. The interim coach has done his best to blood new talent and prepare for the Asian Cup during this time, but the nature of his stop-gap role placed limitations on what he could do. Continue reading...

Midfield fulcrum was not rated by the Argentinian maestro or Wolves but was central to Champions League triumph “Not only are you bad, but you’re hurting me.” The words, there, or so it was claimed, of Lionel Messi; and however you spin it, a fairly tough six-month performance review from the greatest player of all time and your own footballing idol. Back in February 2023 Vitinha was very quick to deny that any such training ground altercation had taken place between himself and Messi, whatever the reports in the French football press at the time (another version of that conversation has Messi saying: “Do you see? This is why you’re shit.”). Continue reading...

Spanish coach Luis Enrique has transformed Paris Saint-Germain from an assortment of overpriced soloists to one of the most cohesive and tactically disciplined sides in Europe, stripped of the likes of Neymar, Messi and Mbappé. Victory against Inter Milan on Saturday would see him join a select group of two-club Champions League winners.

Spanish coach Luis Enrique has transformed Paris Saint-Germain from an assortment of overpriced soloists to one of the most cohesive and tactically disciplined sides in Europe, stripped of the likes of Neymar, Messi and Mbappé. Victory against Inter Milan on Saturday would see him join a select group of two-club Champions League winners.

Australia beats Argentina 2-0 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne Kaitlyn Torpey also scores with miss-kicked cross It felt rather appropriate, all things considered, that Tom Sermanni marked his 150th in charge of the Matildas by making Kahli Johnson the 237th player to represent Australia. Because while the 2010 Asian Cup may have provided the 70-year-old with his crowning achievement, his is a more than three-decade legacy built upon the stories and achievements of those who he has given an opportunity. So many of the pathways that are found in the women’s game in Australia wouldn’t exist without his guidance, and of the current golden generation alone, the likes of Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Katrina Gorry were all given intentional debuts under his charge. Continue reading...

Updates from the Matildas’ match at Marvel Stadium Kick-off in Melbourne is 8pm AEST Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email Argentina XI: What do we know about debutant Kahli Johnson? Sermanni says she’s a bit of an old-fashioned player – robust, competitive, well rounded. It’s not only her first cap it’s also her first senior call-up (she has been in the young Matildas ranks). Continue reading...

Al-Nassr consider move for Colombian winger Díaz Núñez also linked with switch to Saudi Pro League The Liverpool forward Luis Díaz is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, with Al-Nassr considering a move for the Colombia international. Díaz has two years remaining on his contract and is yet to enter talks on an extension. There has been no approach to Liverpool by Al-Nassr so far but Saudi interest in the 28-year-old is longstanding and, with Cristiano Ronaldo a possible departure before the Club World Cup, the club are likely to be in the market for another big name. Continue reading...

Whiplash decision on Thursday comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial steps down A court in Argentina has declared a mistrial in the case of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona, the latest dramatic twist in a trial that has captivated the nation and the soccer world for more than two months. The whiplash decision on Thursday comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down over criticism surrounding her participation in a forthcoming documentary about the case. Continue reading...

Plus: actual champions in finals, No 10s between the sticks and European silverware bagged amid league stinkers Mail us with your questions and answers “Leyton Orient’s Charlie Kelman was four yards offside when he scored against Stockport in the League One playoff semi-finals,” begins Jessica Hibbert. “What’s the furthest a player has been indisputably offside before going on to score?” In the spirit of Annie Hall, let’s get Jeff Astle out the way so that we can relax and digest our offside goals better. His infamous tap-in at Elland Road in April 1971 isn’t relevant here because Jessica asked specifically about goal scorers who were offside. In that case the controversy – “And Leeds will go mad! And they’ve every right to go mad!” – was about the position of Colin Suggett and whether he was interfering with play. Roberto Baggio (Italy 2-1 England, 1990, although he probably should have had a penalty seconds earlier, and don’t get us started on Nicola Berti’s disallowed goal in the same game) Carlos Tevez (Argentina 3-1 Mexico, 2010) Continue reading...

New Seleção springs surprise with Casemiro recall and sets sights on reviving Vinícius Júnior’s international career One of the best coaches in history working with the best national team in the world. This is how Carlo Ancelotti was introduced as new head coach of the Brazil national team. Despite having worked for the biggest clubs in the world, the Italian did not hide his joy at the new challenge of leading the Seleção in their hunt for a sixth World Cup title. “It is an honour to lead the best national team in the world. I have a great mission, so that Brazil can be champions again. I have always had a very special connection with Brazil. The reception yesterday was incredible,” Ancelotti said. Continue reading...