Football

Michael Olise gives France the lead, but double from Pio Esposito and one from Davide Frattesi secures win for Italy.

Francesco Pio Esposito struck twice to inflict a first defeat on Zinedine Zidane as France’s head coach, while Italy stormed back to win 3-1 at San Siro and top their Nations League group.

Michael Olise profited from a Gianluigi Donnarumma error to put the visitors in front after 10 minutes on Thursday, but Italy hit back through Esposito and Davide Frattesi either side of half-time.

Inter Milan striker Esposito’s second came from the penalty spot after his brother Sebastiano had earlier fired a spot kick wide, while France were twice denied by the woodwork in an entertaining encounter.

The result sent Italy top of Group A1 on 10 points, level with France but above them on head-to-head record, while Belgium are third on nine points after inflicting a fifth straight defeat on rock-bottom Turkiye.

France were without star attackers Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele through injury, but it did not show as they made an electric start in pouring rain in Milan.

Desire Doue hit the side netting and first-time captain Adrien Rabiot tested Donnarumma before Lucas Da Cunha’s rasping half-volley flew narrowly wide.

But the opener was gifted to France when Donnarumma passed the ball straight to Olise, who skipped past a defender before firing home his fifth goal in five Nations League games – a record only bettered by England captain Harry Kane’s seven.

The hosts struck back in the 26th minute with their first chance of the game when Nicolo Cambiaghi drove to the byline and cut back a cross, which Esposito converted with a deft touch.

The goal brought San Siro to life as the older Esposito sibling, Sebastiano, threatened a quickfire comeback two minutes later, forcing a sharp save from Mike Maignan.

Bradley Barcola came closest to a third goal before the break with a curling shot from the edge of the box that struck the foot of the far post.

The end-to-end nature of the game continued in the second half as Rayan Cherki’s rasping strike was tipped onto the post by Donnarumma before Italy charged up the other end and forced Maignan into a point-blank save from Cambiaghi.

Italy had a glorious chance to go in front when Cambiaghi was tripped by Malo Gusto to earn a penalty, but Sebastiano Esposito failed to join his brother on the scoresheet as he hammered his spot kick wide on the hour mark.

The Azzurri did not dwell on the disappointment for long, taking the lead just three minutes later when Frattesi drilled in a shot from a Federico Dimarco cross moments after the Inter Milan wing-back was brought off the bench.

Fellow substitute Antonio Vergara earned the home side another penalty when he was tripped by Dayot Upamecano, and this time Francesco Pio Esposito stepped up to drill a shot into the bottom corner.

The result continued a strong start to Roberto Mancini’s second spell as Italy coach as his side stretched their unbeaten run to four matches and notched their first home win over France since 1962.

Belgium host Italy and Turkiye travel to France in the final round of group games on Sunday.

Elsewhere, captain Harry Kane celebrated his record 126th cap for England with a match-winner from the penalty spot as England beat Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday to qualify for the Nations League last eight.

The 33-year-old followed a script that seemed destined to happen when he stepped up in the 64th minute to put England ahead in front of an 80,400-strong crowd after the hosts had conceded a sloppy equaliser five minutes earlier.

It was the Bayern Munich forward’s 92nd England goal, and there was never any doubt from the moment he placed the ball and sent it straight down the middle as goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic dived to his left.

Kane had started a night of celebration as the centre of attention, handed a commemorative token by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the previous record holder since 1989, when he surpassed Bobby Moore’s 108 caps.

FIFA says its ‘security assessments’ for the 48-team tournament remain unchanged after US Soccer pulled out.

FIFA says the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar will kick off as scheduled on November 19, despite the United States’ decision to withdraw its team from the tournament.

US Soccer withdrew its national team citing safety concerns, but the sport’s global governing body, which is hosting the tournament in Qatar, confirmed on Thursday that its plans remain unchanged.

“The safety and security of all participants and fans remain paramount. As with all FIFA tournaments and events, we are in close contact with the relevant authorities and ‌‌‌‌are looking forward to the tournament kickoff in Qatar,” FIFA told Al Jazeera in a statement hours after the USA’s announcement.

“In recent months, Qatar has successfully hosted several international events,” it added.

Qatar hosted two major international tournaments in the past two weeks.

MotoGP’s Qatar Grand Prix was successfully held on 8 and the FIP Padel World Cup 2026 concluded on the same day.

With a week until the Under-17 World Cup kicks off, FIFA confirmed that its security assessments “remain unchanged” and that no new ⁠⁠⁠⁠developments affecting the security situation around the tournament have occurred.

“FIFA understands that US Soccer’s decision was made in light of the existing US ⁠⁠⁠⁠Level 3 travel advisory,” it said.

In a letter sent to players, the US Soccer Federation ⁠⁠⁠⁠said it was cancelling the team’s pre-tournament camp and its participation in the event “in light of current circumstances”, according to the Reuters news agency.

The US State Department updated its advisory for Qatar last month, urging Americans to reconsider travel because of the risk of armed conflict.

The update referred to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian ‌‌‌‌airports and critical infrastructure.

“The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority,” the US federation’s letter said.

The 48-team Under-17 tournament runs from November 19 to December 13. USA had been due ⁠⁠⁠⁠to open against Montenegro on November 21 before ⁠⁠⁠⁠facing Chile and Algeria in Group J.

Who: England vs Croatia
What: UEFA Nations League, Group A3
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
When: Thursday, November 12 , at 8:45pm (19:45 GMT).
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from 16:45 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream

Harry Kane will lead with a spring in his step and a newly acquired Ballon d’Or trophy on his arm as England host Croatia in a Nations League clash, with a spot in the quarterfinals up for grabs.

The England captain will be man of the hour on Thursday after a prolific few weeks that saw him win the coveted individual honour and he will present the trophy in front of home fans ahead of the match at Wembley Stadium.

Kane, 33, will also become England’s most-capped men’s player, making his 126th appearance. This surpasses the record set in 1990 by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who will be in attendance to mark the occasion.

The Bayern Munich forward is also England’s record scorer with 91 goals.

“Definitely up there with the biggest [achievements of my career],” England captain Kane told reporters at former club Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground on Wednesday after being given a standing ovation when he entered the room.

“It showcases consistency at the highest level and to reach the number of caps I have is a testament to the things I spoke about in my [Ballon d’Or] speech behind the scenes, the dedication, and for sure it is one of the biggest milestones of my career.”

Tuchel said Kane was the “perfect captain and a leader by example” and described his playing style as unique, adding that he is getting smarter with age.

Manager Tuchel also said he has no intention of leaving the England job before the 2028 European Championship regardless of any offers from major clubs.

England eye Nations League quarters

England only need a draw to make it to the quarterfinals having won three and lost one of their four games so far. They sit second with nine points behind leaders Spain with 12 points, and both teams should make it to the last eight.

Croatia are seeking redemption after a 7-0 thrashing from England in their previous encounter last month, followed by a narrower 2-1 defeat to Spain.

The 2018 World Cup runners-up are third in the group, and manager Slaven Bilic emphasised the importance of finishing third to maintain their Nations League A status.

Czechia, meanwhile, have only won once and cannot reach the quarterfinals.

England will travel to Madrid to face world champions Spain on Sunday while Croatia take on Czechia in a home fixture.

Bellingham brothers could feature together

A major talking point for England’s squad selection was the exclusion of midfielder Cole Palmer. But a more captivating storyline is that of Jobe Bellingham finally playing alongside older brother and England star Jude.

The younger Bellingham received his maiden senior call-up after impressing at Borussia Dortmund and England’s under-21 side, which he captains.

Jude had previously said it would be the highlight of his career, while Jobe said it would be an emotional milestone.

“I can’t ignore it, but obviously with Jude being here too, it’s a great, great feeling for the family,” Jobe said.

If he features against Croatia, they will be the 22nd set of brothers to play for England and the first since Gary and Phil Neville in 2007.

What happened in the last England vs Croatia game? 

England ran riot in Rijeka last month to obliterate Croatia 7-0 thanks to a brace each from Kane and Bukayo Saka, while Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers were also on target.

Tuchel’s men took just eight minutes to go ahead with an incisive raid that exposed the talent gap between the sides.

“It was the highest level from everyone and from first to last minute as well,” Tuchel said, summing up his side’s dominance.

What have the coaches said?

Tuchel: “For us, it’s important not to chase the same result … we want to win the match to have a chance to win in Spain, and that’s where our focus is. We expect a reaction from Croatia and we expect to overcome this mental challenge for us to start from scratch.”

Bilic: “I told the players that the way we played against Spain last month is our standard. That is how we want to play, with togetherness, aggression and everything else. Tomorrow we have a chance to show that what happened in Rijeka was just a collective bad day.”

Predictions

The Opta supercomputer heavily favours England, with a win probability of 67.2 percent.

Croatia were assigned a mere 14.8 percent chance, while a draw was estimated at an 18 percent likelihood.

Head-to-head

• Previous matches: 13
• England wins: 8
• Draws: 2
• Croatia wins: 3

Last five encounters

• October 3, 2026: Croatia 0-7 England (Nations League)
• June 17, 2026: England 4-2 Croatia (FIFA World Cup)
• June 13, 2021: England 1-0 Croatia (European Championship)
• November 18, 2018: England 2-1 Croatia (Nations League)
• October 12, 2018: Croatia 0-0 England (Nations League)

England team news

England will be without defenders Ezri Konsa and Djed Spence — both expected to recover for Sunday’s clash against Spain — and Tuchel is looking at James Hill for cover.

Marc Guehi is out with a hip injury and has been replaced by Dan Burn. Jarrad Branthwaite, Jarell Quansah and Ben White could all be in contention at centre-back.

Saka, who scored twice in Rijeka, was not named in the squad because of a quadriceps injury that is set to keep him out for weeks.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended after being booked in both games against Czechia, while Declan Rice, back after missing the last camp, should partner Elliot Anderson in midfield.

Predicted starting XI: Jordan Pickford (goalkeeper), Lewis Hall,  James Hill, Dan Burn, Ben White, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Harry Kane

Croatia team news

Veteran winger Ivan Perisic will miss the match after receiving a red card against Spain.

Josip Sutalo, Marin Pongracic, Andrej Kramaric and Franjo Ivanovic are also unavailable, with Luka Vuskovic and Duje Caleta-Car expected to start against England’s attack.

Luka Sucic has a fever and is almost certain to miss the game, while Kristijan Jakic is reported to be out of both Nations League games with a knee ligament injury.

Predicted starting XI: Dominik Livakovic (goalkeeper), Josko Gvardiol, Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, Josip Stanicic, Ivan Perisic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Martin Baturina, Igor Matanovic, Ante Budimir

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has denied claims Lamine Yamal received “special privileges” after being allowed to join the national team later than the rest of the squad.

The 19-year-old did not travel with Spain for Thursday’s Nations League match against the Czech Republic because of discomfort and inflammation in his right knee following Barcelona’s La Liga victory over Atletico Madrid, remaining in Barcelona to work with the club’s medical staff.

“I decided that, to avoid the trip, it would be better for him to stay at home and continue treatment with his club,” De la Fuente said on Wednesday.

“Lamine [Yamal] doesn’t have any special privileges. We would have done this for any other player.

“What hurts me most is the lying, the lack of rigour, the absence of truthfulness and the fabrication. I can’t stand people who try to deceive you and lie.”

Real Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal is also expected to join up with the squad late while recovering from flu and having just welcome his second child.

Reports in Spanish media suggested Lamine Yamal had been given special treatment because he was not required to report to the national team immediately.

Football does already have restrictions around heading.

The Football Association has phased out deliberate heading in grassroots football matches for children aged 11 and under.

It has also issued guidance recommending limits on heading during training of no more than 10 headers per week at amateur level.

In the professional game in England, clubs have been advised to limit players to 10 “high force” headers a week in training.

Scotland has gone further, banning heading in training on the day before and after matches in the professional game.

However, campaigners such as Dr Judith Gates, founder of Head Safe Football, believe that voluntary guidance is not enough.

“What we are finding is that coaches and parents don’t know of the guidance, or the ban. Or they do not know why it exists,” she told BBC Sport.

“There needs to be greater clarity and greater specific restrictions in order to protect players of today and tomorrow.”

Dr Gates, whose husband the former Middlesbrough player Bill died with CTE, a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated head impacts, accepts that enforcing a legal limit would be challenging.

Arsenal contact Bournemouth about midfielder Alex Scott, Manchester United add two defenders to list of potential targets and Aston Villa weigh up move for Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia.

Arsenal have joined Chelsea and Liverpool in contacting Bournemouth about a move for 23-year-old England midfielder Alex Scott, whose contract runs until summer 2028. (i Sport), external

If Mauricio Pochettino becomes Manchester United manager, US Soccer want former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola to replace him as head coach of the USA men’s team. (Talksport), external

Chelsea, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are monitoring Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 27, with the hopes of completing a move for the Spaniard in January. (Independent), external

However, Zubimendi says he is “happy” in London and surprised by the rumours about his future as he has not contacted anyone about a move. (Marca – in Spanish), external

Liverpool are preparing to offer Trey Nyoni, 19, a new contract as a reward for the England Under-20 midfielder’s performances so far this season. (GiveMeSport), external

Manchester United have added Brentford and Republic of Ireland centre-back Nathan Collins, 25, and Fulham‘s 26-year-old Nigeria international Calvin Bassey to their list of potential defensive targets, which also includes Everton and England defender Jarrad Branthwaite, 24. (Mail – subscription required), external

Bournemouth, Everton and Nottingham Forest are all pursuing a move for Vasco da Gama striker Andres Gomez, 24, with the Brazilian side valuing the forward at about £17m. (ESPN – in Portuguese), external

Brentford are prepared to rebuff all interest from Liverpool in left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, 21. (Football Insider), external

Aston Villa are considering a move for Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia, 22, with Unai Emery a big admirer of the Belgian. (Fussball News via Teamtalk), external

Juventus are targeting a loan move for 25-year-old Manchester City and Algeria left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri in January. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

However, Barcelona are also keen on Ait-Nouri as 23-year-old Spain left-back Alejandro Balde could leave the club in the winter window. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Chelsea and England defender Levi Colwill, 23, is attracting interest from Barcelona but the Blues are insisting he is not for sale. (Football Insider), external

UCLA moves up in the CFP rankings

Undefeated UCLA earned its highest College Football Playoff ranking Tuesday night, ascending to No. 4 in the latest top 25 released Tuesday night.

The Bruins (9-0) are coming off a decisive 34-20 win at Minnesota and moved up four spots.

UCLA will host Illinois on Friday, at Michigan on Nov. 21 and at the Rose Bowl against crosstown rival USC.

The Trojans (7-2) are coming off a bye week and were ranked No. 18, moving up two spots.

USC will play at No. 9 Indiana on Saturday and host Maryland Nov. 21 before what could be an especially high stakes rivalry showdown with UCLA.

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Players union can’t walk away from cap

From Bill Shaikin: In the hours before Game 1 of the World Series, as the Violent Femmes played “Kiss Off” before their hometown fans in Milwaukee, Bruce Meyer talked about getting blown off by baseball’s owners.

He didn’t put it quite that way. But Meyer, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Assn., expressed his frustration that months of collective bargaining over dozens of issues has boiled down to what he sees as one gigantic, inflexible roadblock: “They’ve made clear they’re not willing to talk about anything outside of their cap system.”

The league and its owners are willing to talk about key issues for the union: higher minimum salaries, fewer years to free agency, an end to the qualifying offers that can dampen the market for free agents. But the price would be a salary cap.

The players have made clear they’re not willing to consider the salary cap that owners insist would underpin everything else in what would be a radical new economic system. That could backfire: a wonky provision in labor law could give the owners the option to adopt a salary cap no matter what the players want.

With three weeks left before the collective bargaining agreement expires — and with the owners planning to lock out players immediately thereafter — player representative and former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs called the negotiations“a complete waste of time” and “a charade.” He told the Philadelphia Inquirer the owners continue to present proposals “with the salary cap attached to every single proposal.”

So why wouldn’t the union just walk away from the bargaining table and tell the owners to call when they get serious?

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Brandon Gomes discusses Dodgers’ offseason plans

From Maddie Lee: Standing outside of a packed conference room, half a day into General Managers meetings, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said none of his conversations leading up to or since arriving in Las Vegas had painted a clear picture of how the free agent or trade markets would play out over this month.

The Dodgers are going to take a “business as usual” approach to the offseason, prepared to react whenever those markets reveal themselves. But even if Gomes and president of baseball operations Andrew Freidman aren’t ready to predict how threat of a lockout — expected to go into effect when the current CBA expires on Dec. 1 — will affect their offseason, it will surely color this transaction window.

The Dodgers don’t have any gaping holes to fill this winter, but they still need to fortify their roster if they hope to reclaim their spot at the top of the league.

Their most pressing needs are their bullpen and bench, areas that often draw less fanfare. But the Dodgers also have a track record of splashy offseason moves.

Here are takeaways from Gomes’ media availability Tuesday:

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Rams quiet at trade deadline

From Gary Klein: High-profile trades before the season showed their fans and the rest of the NFL that with Super Bowl LXI to be played at SoFi Stadium, the Rams were unquestionably all in.

But as the league’s trade deadline came and went Tuesday, the injury-ravaged Rams made only one minor move, essentially saying they’ll handle this all internally.

While the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers added veteran receiver Keenan Allen, the Rams — with Davante Adams on injured reserve and Puka Nacua expected to be sidelined for an extended period — brought back receiver Xavier Smith, whom they released in October.

That is a far cry from moves the Rams made in previous Super Bowl seasons. In 2018, they traded for edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. In 2021, they signed free-agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and traded for edge rusher Von Miller.

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Chargers make one deal

From Sam Farmer: The Chargers traded linebacker Daiyan Henley to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, the Chargers announced.

Henley, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, was dealt just before the NFL’s 1 p.m. PST trade deadline. He has been a defensive fixture for the Chargers, who at 0-8 are the NFL’s only winless team.

The Chargers had indicated that they were not planning any dramatic moves at the deadline, such as trading defensive lineman Khalil Mack, injured safety Derwin James Jr. or receiver Ladd McConkey.

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Clippers routed by Suns

Jordan Goodwin scored 18 points in his return from a calf injury, Devin Booker added 17 and the Phoenix Suns cruised past the Clippers 133-110 on Tuesday night.

Phoenix shot 22 of 43 (51%) from three-point range and had seven players score in double digits, including five who came off the bench. Luke Kennard had 14 points, Jalen Green scored 13 and Collin Gillespie added 12 points and eight assists while Khaman Maluach contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Suns had a 17-point halftime lead and pushed the advantage to 91-59 with four minutes left in the third quarter. They have a 3-2 record so far on their season-long, seven-game homestand.

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Clippers box score

NBA standings

USC women win by 61 points

Saniyah Hall and Jazzy Davidson scored 24 points each, JuJu Watkins added 20 and No. 3 USC routed Charleston 105-44 on Tuesday night.

The Trojans (3-0) have scored 100 points or more in each win.

Hall had a 7-0 run of her own in the third quarter, capped by a three-pointer that started on the other end with Davidson’s block and defensive rebound. USC then ran off nine in a row, with Hall scoring four around Davidson’s steal and fast break layin.

Davidson and Watkins combined to score USC’s final eight points and send the Trojans into the fourth leading 86-35. Sitaya Fagan had nine rebounds and Hall had eight as USC controlled the boards, 52-36.

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USC box score

Kings shut out by Nashville

Filip Forsberg scored two goals, Juuse Saros made 30 saves in his 28th career shutout and the Nashville Predators extended their winning streak to five games with a 3-0 victory over the Kings on Tuesday night.

Nils Hoglander had two assists and Adam Wilsby got an empty-net goal in the Predators’ opener of a five-game West Coast trip. Saros finished his first shutout of the season with 13 saves in the third period against the Kings’ improved effort.

Anton Forsberg stopped 27 shots for the Kings, who were shut out for the first time this season. They dropped to 2-3-0 on their seven-game homestand with back-to-back losses.

Kings summary

NHL standings

Former Angels catcher Bob Boone dies

From Steve Henson: Bob Boone, a four-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner who spent much of his career with the Angels, has died, his son Bret announced Tuesday via social media. He was 78. No cause of death was shared.

The sturdy catcher was the middle man in one of the most accomplished three-generation Major League Baseball families. He caught more games than all but two catchers in history.

Boone’s father, Ray, and his sons Aaron and Bret also enjoyed successful playing careers. But Bob’s stood out primarily because he was as durable as a cast-iron skillet, catching 2,225 games in 19 seasons.

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This day in sports history

1911 — Carlisle Indian School of Carlisle, Pa., led by Jim Thorpe, beats nationally ranked Harvard 18-15 before 25,000 in Cambridge, Mass. Thorpe scores all the points for Carlisle, a touchdown, extra point and four field goals.

1939 — Texas Tech and Centenary (La.) play to a 0-0 tie in a torrential downpour in Shreveport, La. There are an NCAA-record 77 punts in the game (39 by Tech and 38 by Centenary).

1944 — The New York Rangers beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 to end their NHL record of 25 straight games without a win (0-21-4) over two seasons.

1978 — Eddie Lee Ivery rushes for 356 yards to lead Georgia Tech to a 42-21 victory over Air Force.

1981 — The Minnesota North Stars score eight goals in the second period of a 15-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

1981 — Dodgers starter Fernando Valenzuela becomes first MLB rookie to win a Cy Young Award; Milwaukee Brewers’ Rollie Fingers takes AL Award.

1995 — Eddie George rushes for a school-record 314 yards in 36 carries and scores three TDs as Ohio State routs Illinois 41-3.

2001 — In his sixth career start, Shaun Alexander has 266 yards rushing in 35 carries and an 88-yard touchdown run as Seattle beats AFC West-leading Oakland 34-27.

2002 — The Oakland Raiders, behind record-setting performances, beat the Denver Broncos 34-10. Rich Gannon completes 21 straight passes and Jerry Rice becomes the first player to score 200 career touchdowns.

2004 — Earl Boykins, at 5-foot-5, becomes the smallest player in NBA history to reach 30 points, scoring a career-high 32 in Denver’s 117-109 victory over Detroit.

2006 — Wake Forest beats Florida State 30-0 to become the first team to shutout the Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium in Bobby Bowden’s 31 seasons as coach.

2007 — Brett Favre joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw for 60,000 yards in a career during the second quarter of Green Bay’s 34-0 win over Minnesota.

2008 — Jockey Julien Leparoux has a record-tying day at Churchill Downs. The 25-year-old Frenchman ties Hall of Famer Pat Day’s track record with seven wins. Day set the record on June 20, 1984.

2011 — Faulkner defeats Union (Ky.) 95-89 in triple overtime to set an NAIA football record. The 184 combined points, smashes the previous mark of 141 set in 1994 when Southwestern (Kan.) defeated Sterling (Kan.) 79-62.

2012 — Antron Brown becomes the first Black champion in any NHRA pro series when he wins the Top Fuel title at the season-ending event.

2012 — Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez catches the 100th TD pass of his career, a 2-yarder from Matt Ryan in the Falcons 31-27 loss at New Orleans. He adds another score on a 6-yard pass and becomes the first tight end with 100 TD receptions.

2013 — Novak Djokovic claims back-to-back ATP World Tour Finals tennis titles with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the final in London, England.

2017 — Lamar Jackson accounts for four touchdowns and 342 yards while establishing an NCAA milestone in beating Virginia 38-21. Jackson, the Heisman Trophy winner, becomes the first player in NCAA history to post two seasons with 1,000 yards rushing and 3,000 yards passing.

2017 — Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski becomes the first men’s Division I basketball coach to win 1,000 games at one school, when his top-ranked Blue Devils beat Utah Valley 99-69.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Abdel-Malek, the captain and goalkeeper of Gaza Sports Club, recently played in the Thousand Martyrs Cup final.

Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Kamal Fares Abdel-Malek has been killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has confirmed.

The PFA said Abdel-Malek, the captain and goalkeeper of Gaza Sports Club, was targeted in Tuesday’s attack on Gaza City’s southern Sabra neighbourhood.

The 20-year-old was the 1,017th person involved in sport to be killed in Gaza in Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave, according to figures provided by the PFA.

Abdel-Malek’s death came five days after he played in the final of the Gaza and Northern Gaza division of the Thousand Martyrs Cup, a tournament named after the more than 1,000 athletes and sports officials killed in the Strip since October 2023.

“Club legend and goalkeeper of the first team Mahmoud Kamal Fares Abdel-Malik was martyred moments ago,” the club wrote in a social media post announcing his death.

Gaza Sports Club finished as runners-up in the final of the tournament that Al Jazeera covered last week.

More than 200 clubs competed, including 146 from the occupied West Bank, 44 from Gaza, and 36 from Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

The tournament kicked off simultaneously in the three locations.

PFA President Jibril Rajoub said the event showed that Palestinians had not lost their “national will”.

“Nor have we lost our belief that sport will remain a symbol of hope and life,” he added.

Abdel-Malek’s death comes days after Israeli forces killed 15-year-old Mohammad Nidal Barbak on Friday, shooting him while he was playing football with his friends in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.

The incident has highlighted FIFA’s inaction towards Israel, despite its multiple breaches of the global football body’s anti-discrimination rules.

In March, the PFA called for the Israeli Football Association (IFA) to receive a ban after a report by FIFA’s disciplinary committee found that the IFA “failed to take meaningful action against Beitar Jerusalem” for “persistent and well-documented racist behaviour”.

“We maintain our right and continue our efforts to ensure that the Israeli Football Association is expelled from all international institutions,” Rajoub, who also heads the Palestine Olympic Committee, said at the time.

On the alleged criminal activity of Israeli sports officials, Rajoub said he was referring to instances of players killed during the three years of genocide in Gaza, and the destruction of many of the territory’s sports facilities.

Israeli attacks have devastated Gaza’s sports infrastructure, destroying stadiums, clubs, sports halls and academies as well as bulldozing several sports facilities, Palestinian sports officials say.

The human losses and destruction have left Palestinian sport in an “existential” crisis, according to Palestinian Sports Media Federation Secretary-General Mustafa Siam.

Israel has destroyed more than 50 of Gaza’s 56 sports clubs and about 20 five-a-side football fields established by the PFA with support from FIFA, he told the Anadolu news agency in August.

At least 74,645 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, while 175,978 have been injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

If Michael Carrick’s departure as head coach of Manchester United is confirmed, Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly the man tasked with turning the fortunes of the Old Trafford club around.

United lie in the Premier League’s relegation zone, one point off the bottom in 18th, after winning just one of their opening 10 matches, that coming against Ipswich in August.

It’s the club’s worst start to a season in 30 years, and the expectations will be high for whoever takes the role, with their first league game coming away at bitter rivals Liverpool on November 22.

Pochettino – whose release from the contract extension he signed as USA head coach has reportedly been arranged while Carrick officially remains in position – would become the eighth permanent man in charge at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in May 2013 after more than 26 years in the job.

Who is Mauricio Pochettino?

The 54-year-old Argentinian was known during his playing career as a no-nonsense central defender, but as a manager he has evolved into one known for attractive, attacking football, with a focus on developing young talent.

He began playing in 1989 with Newell’s Old Boys before a switch to Spain in 1994, joining La Liga side Espanyol, where he played more than 200 league games across a seven-year career and broke into the Argentina squad, winning 20 caps and starting every game in the 2002 World Cup.

He had spells with Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux in France’s Ligue 1 before ending his career with Espanyol, for whom he passed 300 appearances in all competitions.

His first job in management came in January 2009, when he became Espanyol’s third coach of the season and successfully guided the Barcelona-based club away from the threat of relegation and beat city rivals Barcelona at Camp Nou for the first time in 27 years along the way.

He left the club by mutual consent in November 2012 and landed his first job in the Premier League at Southampton two months later, earning plaudits as Saints climbed the table before leading them to an eighth-placed finish in his first full season and the club’s highest points tally since the Premier League’s formation in 1992.

He moved to Tottenham in 2014 and oversaw the most successful run in the club’s recent history, reaching the League Cup final in his first season and finishing in fifth. He also allowed young prospects like Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier the chance to shine – something which has been a focus for the Argentinian during his coaching career, often watching youth games and allowing young prospects to train with first-team set-ups to help their progress.

Spurs recorded their highest league finish since 1990 in 2016 and in 2017 finished second with a club-record 86 points, their highest finish since 1963.

Pochettino guided Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019, overcoming Man City and Ajax in dramatic style along the way before losing 2-0 to Liverpool in the final in Madrid.

He was, however, sacked five months later after a poor start to the Premier League season before becoming head coach of Paris Saint-Germain from January 2021 to July 2022, departing after winning his first league title.

He spent the 2023-24 season in charge of Chelsea but departed two days after guiding the Blues to a sixth-place finish and took over the USA national team in September 2024, guiding the cohosts to the last-16 exit at the hands of Belgium at the 2026 World Cup before extending his contract in August.

Is Pochettino’s style a good fit?

Man United have long been associated with free-flowing attacking football, and Pochettino’s style was always likely to make him a more appealing option for the club’s hierarchy than the more pragmatic approach of another of the potential frontrunners for the job, Antonio Conte.

The Italian’s style is built more around tactical discipline, high work rate and defensive stability with reliance on quick counter-attacks.

Across his coaching career, Pochettino has become known for his attacking style of play, which relies on pressing high to win the ball back, focuses on keeping possession and usually adopts a 4-2-3-1 formation – which might suit the squad he inherits, as it becomes more of a 3-2-5 when building from the back, employing one inverted full-back and allowing the other to provide width in attack.

The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo would likely thrive in his system, but the lack of a top-class No. 9 will be a hindrance, with Benjamin Sesko sidelined through injury and Joshua Zirkzee having struggled to make an impact.

The defence will come under huge scrutiny too; United have conceded 30 goals in their 15 games in all competitions this season and Pochettino’s defence can be exposed on the counterattack with so many men committed forward.

One of the factors which Pochettino is known for is his willingness to integrate young talent into training and match day squads and help establish a club’s identity, particularly at Southampton, where he previously worked with United’s Luke Shaw, and at Tottenham. That is also something United have traditionally been associated with, with Sir Alex Ferguson taking the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville and turning them into global stars. The likes of Shea Lacey might benefit particularly from Pochettino’s tutelage.

Any potential pitfalls?

There might be some. One of Tottenham fans’ main gripes during Pochettino’s largely successful period at the club was that he prioritised league games over cup games, and team selections often reflected that.

United are already out of the League Cup, but a new boss appointed during the international break will face 16 games in 60 days starting with the trip to Anfield, with four Champions League games and an FA Cup third-round tie to fit in around 11 Premier League games which might prove crucial to their season.

Pochettino’s style also places a heavy reliance on fitness, intensity and discipline, something which has been somewhat lacking in large parts of the season so far at the Red Devils.

There were also issues arising from his spell at PSG. He was able to call upon some of the icons of the sport in Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in 2021, but PSG failed to win Ligue 1 for the first time in the past nine seasons, finishing a point behind Lille after losing four games down the stretch. He did win the title the following year, with Lionel Messi added to the ranks, but they failed to make even the quarterfinals of the Champions League or the Coupe de France.

Rui Pinto is ‘in talks’ with UK authorities to help uncover more crime in exchange for police protection, reports say.

Football whistleblower Rui Pinto, whose leaks triggered an investigation into Manchester City’s financial misconduct, has held discussions with authorities in the United Kingdom over a new role in helping uncover financial and sporting crime in the country, reports in British media say.

Pinto’s lawyers have been contacted by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) after he stated he would be willing to assist UK authorities with investigations in exchange for police protection, British newspaper The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

Al Jazeera sought confirmation of Pinto’s reported contact with the authorities, but the SFO did not confirm whether the whistleblower was in talks.

“In line with long-established practice to avoid prejudice to law enforcement activity, we can neither confirm nor deny any investigation into this matter,” the SFO said in an emailed statement to Al Jazeera.

Pinto appeared to confirm the reports of his discussions with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) by reposting an article on his social media account.

The 38-year-old is the founder of the website Football Leaks, which obtained private documents that showed City broke league rules from 2009 to 2018, leading to a probe by the Premier League’s independent commission.

City were found guilty of all but one of 115 charges brought against them over breaches of Premier League financial rules.

Pinto’s lawyer, William Bourdon, who has represented other high-profile whistleblowers including Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, was quoted by the Guardian as saying: “I can confirm that the process is under way.”

Pinto said last month that he feared for his life after being told his witness protection programme would end on October 10 and launched a crowdfunding initiative to help him establish an anonymous new life.

“The Commission responsible for Portugal’s witness protection programme informed me of its decision to terminate my participation in the programme and withdraw my police protection, thereby knowingly placing me in a life-threatening situation,” he wrote in a social media post.

“Given these circumstances, I have no alternative but to relocate, within the next few days, to an undisclosed location for an indefinite period of time, due to the multiple death threats I have received and the serious risk of an assassination attempt against me.

“For this reason, I have just set up a GoFundMe campaign and I am asking for everyone’s support to help me survive this serious situation created by the Portuguese State, which, as I have already stated, has knowingly decided to place my life at risk.”

However, the Portuguese Ministry of Justice said it would extend his protection pending a new hearing, after Pinto’s lawyers challenged the decision.

Reports last month said Pinto had reached out to UK authorities to offer cooperation in ongoing investigations in exchange for security measures being placed around him.

Pinto said at the start of his trial in April 2020 that he was “proud” to be a whistleblower on European football clubs’ big-money dealings.

The former history student and self-taught computer expert faced 90 charges – from unauthorised access to data and violation of correspondence to attempted extortion – in the case heard at Lisbon’s Central Criminal Court.

“I don’t consider myself a hacker. I am a whistleblower,” he said at the time. “The revelations are serious and I’m proud; there’s no shame. I haven’t done anything for money,” added Pinto, who acknowledges releasing 70 million documents on football’s backroom workings.

He was given a four-year suspended sentence in September 2023 for illegally obtaining documents, committing other cybercrimes and attempted extortion. He was later acquitted on 241 separate counts in a second trial in April 2026 after the court ruled the charges were ­­“invalid”.

Pinto has been a protected witness since August 2020 after agreeing to grant Portuguese authorities access to millions of files gathered before his arrest. His first trial in Portugal began a month later.

Guess the footballer in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Once you’re done keep scrolling to beat all three of BBC Sport’s daily quizzes.

Decision by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority reportedly related to ⁠US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines.

Iraq barred a plane carrying Iran’s national football ⁠team from ⁠landing at Basra airport on Tuesday, a decision by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority linked to ⁠sanctions by the United States imposed on Iranian airlines, two Basra airport officials told the Reuters news agency.

The plane returned to Iran and landed ⁠at Abadan airport, and the team will now travel by road to Basra, an Iranian consulate official in Basra said.

The Iranian team was travelling to Iraq to participate in a ‌four-nation tournament in Basra also involving Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.

An Iraqi civil aviation official said Iraq made the decision because it could not risk violating US sanctions on Iranian airlines.

The incident highlights the increasing impact of US sanctions on Iranian aviation operations in Iraq. ⁠

Washington announced sanctions on any global companies doing business with Iranian airlines after September 23, aiming to ground Iran’s entire civil fleet worldwide.

In September, Iraq ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport after the US threatened secondary sanctions against airports and service providers that handle Iranian carriers.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that airports servicing Iranian airlines could face sanctions, including exclusion from the US ‌dollar system.

This warning was part of a broader effort to tighten restrictions on Iran’s transport sector and on ‌foreign ‌entities providing services to sanctioned Iranian airlines.

Intensified sanctions are part of a US bid to squeeze Iran economically as President Donald Trump struggles to end the war that the US and Israel launched on the country in February.

Judy Collins has been taking photos of Van Nuys football players and other teams free of charge during the past 28 years.

Collins, a grandmother whose two sons graduated from Van Nuys, enjoyed helping capture key moments for families for decades until she was informed Friday she could no longer take photographs despite completing an extension application that complied with Los Angeles Unified School District volunteer policies.

Football coach Ken Osario played with one of Collins’ sons years ago at Van Nuys and tried to figure out what was wrong when he noticed Collins was instructed to leave her usual post earlier this season. Osario and the school’s athletic director Dion Coley invited her to apply to be a voluntary coach to satisfy any concerns about her presence on the football sidelines.

She paid $80 and passed a CPR class and $20 for a TB screening. She got finger printed and went through a background check. She originally was going to pay several hundred dollars for a vendor’s license even though she gives away her photos for free, the group decided becoming a voluntary coach would be the quicker way to satisfy LAUSD requirements.

After completing all the paper work, she was told assistant principal in charge of athletics, Martin Tate, had to meet her. Collins said she attempted multiple times to reach the assistant principal via phone or in person at a game. She could not find him.

Collins said she went to the team’s game on Friday and started taking photos when Tate confronted her and asked her to leave the field. Asked why, Collins said Tate told her, “I’m just following the principal’s order.”

The principal is on administrative leave, a point Collins noted to Tate, but it did not change his instruction to leave.

Collins proceeded to walk to the visitor’s side and sat by a bench taking photos until Tate approached her at halftime and asked her to leave.

Los Angeles Unified School District’s communication office did not respond to a request for comment.

Collins said she had never had issues taking photos since she started until this year.

Osario said she is a “very sweet lady who has been supporting Van Nuys for years.”

The Van Nuys athletic director confirmed Collins completed the volunteer coach application and has begun taking photos for Panorama High while she waits to learn whether she’ll be allowed to resume her work at Van Nuys.

UCLA coach Bob Chesney dismisses the soap opera.

Forget about the weekly Associated Press top 25 poll. Forget about the College Football Playoff rankings. Forget about everything until the confetti is swept away after all the conference championship games are played. Forget about all of it until Selection Sunday when your ranking finally counts and determines your bowl fate.

“We don’t watch,” Chesney told reporters when asked about the College Football Playoff rankings after his team’s 34-20 statement win at Minnesota on Saturday.

“I told our guys, don’t worry about watching this four-week drama series. That’s gonna be this show that they’re gonna put out there. That’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to focus on getting the work and being the best that we possibly can be. No way slighted, no way honored. Just totally neutral on whatever they might say. We gotta win our football games.”

Sure, it’s essential that you all do that. Focusing on the process has worked for generations in Westwood.

But the rest of us can ask the obvious question: Why isn’t UCLA ranked higher?

The Bruins moved up from No. 5 to No. 4 in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll Sunday. They were No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings revealed last week and are sure to move up at least a little bit when the next round is revealed Tuesday as others lost and the Bruins tacked on a quality Big Ten road win.

But it’s unlikely to be a leap up and it’s definitely not going to be No. 1, no matter how passionately Bill Plaschke argues that’s where the mighty Bruins belong.

A weak schedule generally has been the excuse for an undefeated Power Four team sitting on the middle to lower end of the top 10 of the polls this late in the season.

The Bruins improved to 9-0 with their win at Minnesota, but their strength of schedule ranks No. 67 nationally, according to ESPN analytics.

But then someone needs to explain Utah.

The Utes, who are led by a first-year coach just like the Bruins, are the only other undefeated team in the country and improved to 9-0 after a 28-20 win over No. 9 BYU on Saturday.

They were ranked No. 3 in the first College Football Playoff rankings without the benefit of that win over the Cougars and moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll with that rivalry victory in hand.

However, that BYU win is a bit of an outlier. The Utes’ strength of schedule ranks No. 81 nationally, according to ESPN analytics, 14 spots below UCLA.

UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho (10) celebrates earn a defensive against Minnesota Saturday in Minneapolis.

(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)

At this point, critics typically cite the eye test. UCLA lost its starting quarterback to a season-ending injury and its offense and defense haven’t performed well at the same time most of this season. The run game looked unbeatable against weaker non-conference opponents and then slowed down significantly against Big Ten defenses. The Bruins didn’t look or feel dominant.

Chesney has noted the coaches have had a lot of mistakes to address after every win this season. And the coaching staff has dialed back on the creativity during some games that seemed to be in hand, but that allowed the Bruins to stun Minnesota with back-to-back 75-yard touchdown passes they never previously saw on tape.

And whether observers choose to believe it, his team has consistently exceeded expectations all season.

UCLA improved to 9-0 against the spread after entering the Minnesota game as a 3.5-point road favorite, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Even the bettors in Las Vegas and around the country are sleeping on the Bruins, but they probably won’t for much longer.

The final reason that fans haven’t packed the Rose Bowl and poll voters have been more skeptical of UCLA’s success than they have of other teams is probably because it’s been a long time since anyone could believe the Bruins were this good.

UCLA football has, during the last 25 years, trained fans and national audiences to expect a bit of a letdown when the calendar turns to November.

The Bruins have never won more than 10 games in a season in school history. The last time UCLA was ranked No. 4 in the AP poll was the 2001 season. The team’s final record that year was 7-4 overall and 4-4 in the Pac-12.

But it is getting harder for cynics to deny this year’s UCLA team is, in fact, for real.

Minnesota was a team that is tough to beat at home, has a record of keeping pace with the top Big Ten teams and embraces an ethos very similar to Chesney’s Bruins. UCLA’s decisive win over the Golden Gophers helped, as did Oregon’s win over Ohio State.

UCLA will be favored to win at home against Illinois on Friday and at Michigan Nov. 21 before what could be a massively important Thanksgiving week rivalry game against No. 20 USC at the Rose Bowl.

Chesney has his team focused on the first task, completing a strong week of practice while preparing to play the Illini. The Bruins are sticking to the same daily routine he has been preaching since January.

And regardless of whether everyone has hopped on the UCLA bandwagon, the Bruins are confident they everyone will eventually catch up.

“I just feel like the whole team is just keeping the belief and the faith that we could beat anybody that we play against,” UCLA linebacker Jalen Woods said.

A secret passing attack

Chesney didn’t want to answer the question.

He was asked about Ty Dieffenbach’s back-to-back 75-yard touchdown passes to Aidan Mizell after a win over Minnesota and responded with a bit of verbal dancing.

“Yeah, just I don’t want to get into it too much, to be honest with you, but there were some things we were doing early that were setting up this next thing that we could do, and that’s ultimately what we felt like we saw, and we were able to attack it just a little bit,” Chesney said.

He added a bit more description, but the coach generally made it clear that his staff saw some things on tape, exploited them on game and absolutely did not want to give away any other hints to future opponents.

The Bruins unveiled a previously dormant passing attack that shredded the Golden Gophers’ secondary and Dieffenbach’s ability to pass the ball is impossible to hide at this point.

He said he connected on deep passes with Mizell during preseason camp and they’ve continued to work on their connection this season, making it pretty natural to pick apart gaps in the Minnesota defense on Saturday.

They both took great pride in delivering daggers that seemed to crush Minnesota’s spirit.

“We hit a lull for a little bit there late in the second quarter and in the start of the second half. So it felt really good to do that and just hit some explosive plays,” Dieffenbach said.

“It felt great. I was tweaking out,” Mizell said. “I don’t really remember the second one, but, yeah, it was an amazing feeling.”

Mizell said Dieffenbach has steadily improved since taking over the starting job and their connection was strong all week in practice.

“He’s more confident, he’s more consistent in practice,” Mizell said. “I feel like how we practice is how we play. And we knew the way we practiced this week it was over with.”

Dodd sets water polo record

UCLA junior Ryder Dodd scored 12 goals during the No. 3 Bruins’ 19-9 win over No. 7 UC San Diego on Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Center, shattering the school and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation single-game goals records.

Dodd previously held a share of the school record with eight goals. The previous conference record was 10.

“Obviously, it felt really good. I think coming off of last weekend where physically and mentally I don’t think I played my best at all,” Dodd said. “Coming off a good week of training, I think that led me to have a good game, but also the teammates doing a good job of pulling each other and pulling the other guys to them, making it really easy on me.”

Bruins on deck

Here is this week’s UCLA athletics schedule. All Times are PST.

Wednesday

Men’s basketball vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Swimming and diving at Trojan Diving Invite, All Day

Women’s volleyball vs. Washington, 11 a.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Arizona, 7:30 p.m.

Friday

Swimming and diving at Trojan Diving Invite, All Day

Cross country at NCAA regional, TBA

Football vs. Illinois, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Swimming and diving at Trojan Diving Invite, All Day

Men’s water polo vs. USC, 1 p.m.

Women’s volleyball vs. Oregon, 2 p.m.

Sunday

Women’s basketball vs. Princeton (National title banner to be raised), 3 p.m.

In case you missed it

UCLA moves up to No. 4 in latest AP top 25 poll; USC climbs to No. 15

Plaschke: Undefeated UCLA proves why it should be ranked No. 1

Bob Chesney’s Bruins keep rolling as No. 8 UCLA earns statement win at Minnesota

Nikola Kusturica shines in No. 22 UCLA’s blowout victory over North Florida

UCLA focuses on winning turnover battle, edge in trenches during key Minnesota matchup

Sienna Betts helps lead No. 11 UCLA women to victory over UC Irvine

UCLA is No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings; USC is No. 20

No. 22 UCLA men open season with big upset of No. 5 Arizona

No. 11 UCLA women begin their NCAA title defense with win over Lehigh

Swanson: Championship blueprint: Why Cori Close’s people-first approach is what college sports needs

UCLA Unlocked: Mick Cronin rebuilt roster with an eye on defense

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Fermin Lopez brace has Barcelona come from behind to win 2-1 at Atletico Madrid to go three points clear in La Liga.

Fermin Lopez scored twice as Barcelona overcame an early deficit at Atletico Madrid to win 2-1 and go three points clear at the top of La Liga.

Barca’s win takes them three points clear of second-placed Real Madrid and five ahead of Atletico, in third, after 12 games.

Giuliano Simeone opened the scoring in the 10th minute for the home side, turning home a close range volley from Julian Alvarez’s cross from the left.

The home side had a series of early chances as they sought to register an eighth straight win, but Fermin swept in an equaliser on the cusp of halftime after a ball broke to him in the box.

Lamine Yamal set up Fermin’s second goal in the 66th minute with an incisive pass, and Lopez fired past Jan Oblak with a first-time finish to silence the Metropolitano and secure a fifth straight away league win over Atleti for the first time.

“It was a very difficult match. The first half was tough, but we managed to come from behind and secure the win,” Barcelona midfielder Lopez told La Liga TV after the match.

“I think we were not being clinical enough. After the goal, we gained more confidence.

“Lamine [Yamal] has been very good. His pass for the second goal was half the goal itself. I’m very happy,” Lopez said.

“We wanted to go into the break as league leaders and get three points. The equaliser lifted a weight off our shoulders, and we had more control.

“We knew at halftime that we had to continue playing the way we finished the first half. I think the team produced an incredible second half, both defensively and offensively. We’re very happy.”

Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara is on Chelsea‘s summer watchlist, Liverpool are prepared to wait to sign loanee Ronald Araujo on a permanent deal and Manchester United could make a huge offer for Nottingham Forest‘s Murillo.

Chelsea, Inter Milan and Al-Hilal have all put Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara on their watchlist following the 26-year-old France international’s return from injury. (Fussball News – in German), external

Both Liverpool and on-loan Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo plan to wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to turn the 27-year-old’s move from Barcelona into a permanent switch for £47m. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Manchester United could be ready to make a huge offer for Nottingham Forest‘s Brazil centre-back Murillo, 24, in the summer. (Football Insider), external

Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham are among a number of sides monitoring 21-year-old French defender Ismaelo Ganiou, who plays for Lens. (Teamtalk), external

Everton are ahead of Sunderland and Coventry City in the race to sign 19-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder Abdoulaye Doumbia from Swedish side BK Hacken. (Football Insider), external

Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea head a list of Premier League clubs monitoring the form of AC Milan’s Belgium centre-back Koni de Winter, 24. (Caught Offside), external

Everton are admirers of Kelvin Yeboah – the 26-year-old son of former Leeds United striker Tony Yeboah – and are interested in completing a deal in January for the former Italy Under-21 forward, who has scored 18 goals in 32 games this season for MLS side Minnesota United. (The Hard Tackle), external

Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been in contact with the representatives of former Barcelona forward Vitor Roque, 21, with the Brazil international valued at £42m by Palmeiras. (Bolavip via Teamtalk), external

Manchester United made an approach for Manchester City defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, 25, in the summer and could make another attempt to sign the Algeria international in January. (Football Insider), external

If Manchester United sack head coach Michael Carrick, 45, then former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, 48, and ex-Germany, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann, 39, remain the top two candidates to replace him. (Manchester Evening News), external

Michael Carrick’s team continues its forgettable season with a 4-4 defeat at Old Trafford in front of angry home fans.

Manchester United pulled off a dramatic late comeback to earn a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in front of their angry home fans amid a torrid time at the Premier League club.

United conceded two goals within the first four minutes of the high-stakes fixture at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday, but fought back with two stoppage-time goals and shared the spoils.

The 13-time Premier League champions remain in the relegation zone in the Premier League table, sitting in 18th place with eight points from 10 games. But their manager Michael Carrick will breathe a sigh of relief after avoiding a fifth loss and will again hope to avoid getting sacked.

Carrick was seconds away from heading into the international break on the back of another devastating defeat that would surely have led to his dismissal.

But United struck twice in the six minutes of additional time through Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu to leave their manager’s future open to question.

He had earned a stay of execution when United’s hierarchy allowed him to remain in charge despite last weekend’s loss at Chelsea.

United responded by ending a nine-match winless run in all competitions as they came from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

But Man United, who have only three wins in 15 games this season, were back in turmoil when they quickly went 2-0 down.

Alysson struck in the first minute with a shot that squirmed under keeper Senne Lammens.

Nicolas Jackson slotted in the second three minutes later after a weak save from Lammens pushed the ball into his path.

Bruno Fernandes got one back with a 16th-minute penalty after Boubacar Kamara fouled Matheus Cunha, before former Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans slammed in United’s 44th-minute equaliser.

Villa’s John McGinn converted a 48th-minute penalty following Diogo Dalot’s clumsy challenge on Alysson.

Leon Goretzka poked in Villa’s fourth from close-range after United’s Leny Yoro headed against his own crossbar in the 53rd minute.

Yet Zirkzee’s stoppage-time finish gave United hope and Dorgu headed their dramatic equaliser in the final seconds after a weak punch from Villa keeper Zion Suzuki.

Carrick wore a bewildered look on his face as he walked down the tunnel with United next in action at Liverpool on November 22.

Chelsea lose at Sunderland

Chelsea arrived at the Stadium of Light hoping to bolster their bid to qualify for the Champions League via a top-four finish.

Instead, they departed red-faced after an embarrassing loss to third-bottom Sunderland, who celebrated a league victory for only the second time this season.

Fifth-placed Chelsea have already been beaten four times in 10 league matches under former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso.

Chelsea were rocked in the 36th minute when Enzo Le Fee converted a penalty after Brian Brobbey was up-ended by Levi Colwill.

“We were not creating enough chances in the final third against the low block. We were not controlling and sustaining the attack there,” Alonso said.

Liverpool back to winning ways

Liverpool got back on track with a 3-1 win at lowly Crystal Palace.

The Reds had been beaten by Arsenal and Fenerbahce before arriving in south London, prompting pointed questions about Andoni Iraola in the former Bournemouth manager’s first season in charge.

But Alexis Mac Allister headed Liverpool in front from Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross after 40 minutes.

Florian Wirtz bagged Liverpool’s second with a composed finish from Bradley Barcola’s cross in the 54th minute.

Alexander Isak finished off Wirtz’s pass in the 89th minute to wrap up fourth-placed Liverpool’s much-needed victory after a two-game losing streak.

“It was an important win for us going into the international break after the week we’ve had,” Iraola said.

Eddie Nketiah’s stoppage-time penalty after a foul by Milos Kerkez was no consolation for Palace.

All hail the JSerra Lions, the best high school flag football team in California and probably in the nation.

The Lions went 28-0 this season, their second straight unbeaten season. They won the Southern Section Open Division championship game on Saturday night with a 40-14 victory over Newport Harbor at Huntington Beach.

Coach Brian Ong wasn’t supposed to have a better team than the unbeaten 2025 squad, but the Lions pulled it off led by quarterback Kate Meier and receiver Tessa Russell, both of whom are only sophomores.

Meier passed for four touchdowns on Saturday. Russell had 12 receptions for 153 yards. No opponent came closer than 13 points all season. Newport Harbor, the No. 2 team in Southern California, lost three times to the Lions.

In other finals, Oxnard won its first Division 1 title with an 18-12 win over Palos Verdes. In Division 2, San Clemente defeated Gahr 35-34 in overtime.

In Division 3, Valencia defeated Quartz Hill 12-7. Valencia’s 11-man football quarterback, Evan McCalister, was on hand to help his father, Cedric, the head coach. Camila Quintero threw three touchdown passes.

Valley Christian won Division 4 with a 33-18 win over West Ranch. Loma Linda defeated Peninsula 33-6 in Division 5. St. Monica, in its inaugural season, won Division 6 with a 39-20 victory over Heritage.

Kozo Tashima believes he has a ’20 to 30 percent’ chance of winning the FIFA presidency election against Infantino.

The latest challenger to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid, Kozo Tashima, believes he has a 20 to 30 percent chance of winning the coveted seat in global football.

Tashima, the honorary president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), said governance is FIFA’s biggest problem as he outlined his platform for next year’s presidential election on Sunday.

“I’ve received many messages saying, ‘Thank you for speaking out’…,” Tashima told Japanese daily Sports Nippon.

Tashima announced on Thursday that he intended to run in the March election, becoming the first Japanese candidate to seek world football’s top job.

The 68-year-old former Japan international has served on the FIFA Council since 2015 and became JFA president the following year before being succeeded by Tsuneyasu Miyamoto in 2024.

“I’ve been contacted by presidents and international department officials from eight countries, including some outside Asia,” he said.

“While I haven’t received any formal endorsements yet, I’m getting a positive response. Since time is short and I don’t want to be held up by incomplete paperwork, I want to secure support from at least six associations.”

Tashima requires nominations from five national associations, a prerequisite for standing in the election.

Candidates have until November 18 to submit nominations for the election, in which Infantino is seeking a fourth term as head of world football’s governing body.

Infantino came under scrutiny in July after an unsuccessful attempt to bring private investors into a new FIFA commercial entity holding rights linked to competitions including the World Cup.

Despite the criticism, Infantino’s candidacy received a significant boost in October when the head of Asian football publicly endorsed him, while support from several FIFA confederations has left him well placed among the organisation’s 211 member associations.

“I’ll keep what’s good and change what’s bad…,” Tashima added. “The biggest problem, however, remains governance…

“Selflessness is my motto… At this stage, I think my chances of winning are about 20 to 30 percent, but as the campaign progresses, I want to raise my confidence to 40 or 50 percent. I truly want to change FIFA.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega was the first candidate to publicly declare his intention to challenge fellow Swiss citizen Infantino last month.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

CITY SECTION

Quarterfinals

OPEN DIVISION

#8 Palisades at #1 Carson

#5 King/Drew at #4 Birmingham

#6 Crenshaw at #3 Cleveland

#7 Dorsey at #2 San Pedro

DIVISION I

#9 L.A. University at #1 Granada Hills Kennedy

#12 Sun Valley Poly at #4 Wilmington Banning

#6 Garfield at #3 Venice

#10 El Camino Real at #2 L.A. Hamilton

DIVISION II

#8 Arleta at #1 Jefferson

#12 Marquez at #4 Franklin

#11 Eagle Rock at #3 San Fernando

#10 Panorama at #2 Sylmar

DIVISION III

#8 Contreras at #1 L.A. Roosevelt

#5 San Fernando Arroyo at #4 Lincoln

#6 Westchester at #3 Van Nuys

#7 L.A. Wilson at #2 South East

SOUTHERN SECTION

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

San Clemente vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College

Orange Lutheran at St. John Bosco

Corona Centennial vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium

Mission Viejo at Sierra Canyon

DIVISION 2

Chaparral at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

San Juan Hills at Rancho Cucamonga

Inglewood at Palos Verdes

Chaminade at Oxnard Pacifica

DIVISION 3

La Serna at San Jacinto

Villa Park at Newport Harbor

Murrieta Valley at Great Oak

Edison at Long Beach Poly

DIVISION 4

Chino Hills at Dana Hills

Downey at Cajon

Cathedral at La Habra

Quartz Hill at Riverside King

DIVISION 5

Muir at Mary Star of the Sea

Moorpark at Aquinas

Charter Oak at Agoura

Temecula Valley at Simi Valley

DIVISION 6

Calabasas at St. Francis

Laguna Beach at Santa Ana Foothill

Summit at Beaumont

Santa Barbara at Baldwin Park

DIVISION 7

St. Monica at Paramount

Desert Christian Academy at La Mirada

Citrus Valley at Oak Park

Millikan at Barstow

DIVISION 8

Segerstrom at Fillmore

El Rancho at Rio Hondo Prep

Santa Monica at Corona Santiago

Bellflower at Rancho Verde

DIVISION 9

West Covina at Ocean View

Fountain Valley at Riverside North

Moreno Valley at Northwood

Compton at San Marino

DIVISION 10

Nogales at Norte Vista

South Hills at Desert Hot Springs

Ontario Christian at Rancho Mirage

Granite Hills at Dos Pueblos

DIVISION 11

Los Amigos at South Torrance

Schurr at Crescenta Valley

Dominguez at Montclair

Viewpoint at Xavier Prep

DIVISION 12

Ontario at Lakeside

Arroyo Valley at Costa Mesa

Artesia at Loara

Big Bear at Carter

DIVISION 13

Rialto at Hacienda Heights Wilson

Irvine University at Montebello

Whittier Christian at Whittier

Anaheim at Fontana

DIVISION 14

Silver Valley at San Gabriel

Compton Centennial at Knight

Bassett at Anza Hamilton

Hoover at Santa Ana Valley

8-MAN

DIVISION 1

California School for the Deaf Riverside at Faith Baptist

Wildomar Cornerstone Christian at Calvary Baptist

Trinity Classical Academy at Chadwick

Thacher at Sage Hill

DIVISION 2

Southlands Christian at Santa Clarita Christian

Lancaster Baptist at Lighthouse Christian

United Christian Academy at Pasadena Poly

Hesperia Christian vs. Laguna Blanca, site TBA

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

8-MAN

Semifinals

#8 TEACH Tech at #5 Stella, 7 p.m.

#3 Animo Robinson at #2 Valley Oaks CES, 7 p.m.