League

In the heat of rural Leicestershire, the Samba Stars are chasing their dream.

Head coach Freddie Okyere has just finished a shooting exercise and allows the squad to catch their breath.

The teenagers from the Ghanaian academy, which is backed by former West Ham and Nottingham Forest forward Michail Antonio, have spent two and a half months in England with one goal – impressing clubs and earning a contract.

While scouts do visit west Africa, it is rare for academies to travel to the UK to put their players directly in front of professional clubs.

“The talent the lads have is incredible,” said Antonio.

“We created Samba Stars Academy to give young players in Ghana access to elite coaching, shape them as players and create real avenues into the pro game and show how much talent Ghana has.”

Based in Kumasi while building a new facility in Bompata, just over 100 miles north of Ghana’s capital Accra, the Samba Stars’ tactic has paid off.

Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester City, Charlton, Preston, Barnsley and Peterborough have all taken players on trial this summer.

“The first two or three weeks it hadn’t sunk in, but then they saw the facilities we’d be [using] and the teams we were playing,” said Okyere.

“They want to go and show what they can do. They are hungry, they really want it. I’m hoping there will be so much interest because we have so much talent here.

“With the facilities we will have in Ghana we feel we will be top two, top three [academies]. We hope we can bring the best of Ghana to Europe.”

There are other success stories, with midfielder Listowell Lord Hinneh joining Middlesbrough in February after a trial., external

The 18-year-old has trained with the first team after swapping west Africa for England’s north east.

“When I came in January, it was so cold. Experiencing something like that for the first time was tough,” he told BBC Sport.

“Moving was a big milestone. It just makes me feel the dreams I’ve been having, thinking of trying to find myself in Europe to become a professional footballer.

“I feel the kind of dreams that I want, I’m on the verge. I’m on the way [to] becoming who I wanted to become.”

Hinneh – whose sister Groovy lives in Leeds – met with the Samba Stars squad on their trip, offering advice.

“[I told them] what you’ve been dreaming about the future, it starts from here,” he said.

“Don’t just try, be so passionate. You need to play and enjoy it because you can have the success in whatever you’re doing. You have to just put your heart in it.”

Who: Chelsea vs Brighton
What: English Premier League
Where: Stamford Bridge, London, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, August 30, at 2pm (13:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from 10:00 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream

Chelsea and Brighton will look to build on decent starts to the season, as the Blues welcome the Seagulls to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea began life under new coach Xabi Alonso with a breathless 3-2 victory at West London neighbours Fulham in the Premier League on Monday as their exciting front three of Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all found the net.

They then followed that up with a solid 2-0 win over Luton in the League Cup on Thursday.

But Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton side also came into the game in a buoyant mood after recording back-to-back 4-0 home wins over Aston Villa in their Premier League opener last weekend and against Norwegian side Tromso in a Europa Conference League playoff on Thursday.

Brighton will also fancy their chances against Chelsea, having won their last three league games against the Blues while finding the net three times on each occasion.

Fernandez’s Chelsea future uncertain as Alonso seeks commitment

Alonso said he wants players that “feel a desire” to play for Chelsea after Enzo Fernandez was left out of Thursday’s League Cup win over Luton.

The Argentina midfielder has been linked with a move to Manchester City, but no suitor has yet met Chelsea’s reported 120 million-pound ($162m) valuation of Fernandez.

The 25-year-old came off the bench in the Blues’s 3-2 win over Fulham to give Alonso a winning start to his reign in the Premier League on Monday.

However, the former Real Madrid boss hinted that Fernandez may not be involved against Brighton.

“We need to take everything into consideration: players that are in good moments, players that are not feeling that energy to play. For me, it’s very important that they feel that desire to play and to have good preparation,” said Alonso.

“We talked and we decided that [for Luton] it was better not to be part of the squad. He’s a top player, there’s no doubt about that.”

Alonso happy with squad ‘balance’ amid busy transfer window

Selling Fernandez would ease the pressure on Chelsea to meet financial sustainability regulations after another window of heavy investment in the transfer market.

Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra, Valentin Barco, Pep Chavarria, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda have arrived at Stamford Bridge for combined fees in excess of 300 million pounds ($406m).

Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez is also set to join to replace the error-prone Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper.

There have also been a number of departures from the club in recent days, including strikers Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson.

Alonso, who previously said his bloated squad size needed to be drastically cut, is satisfied with the clear-out.

“We are quite close to the plan that we had. We will see where we finish, if it’s fully executed or there are some things still to be done,” he added.

“But overall the balance of what we have is going to be good. We need to see how the last few days develop.”

Hurzeler warns of Cole Palmer threat

After a poor season, Palmer looked back to his best against Fulham as he thrived while roaming in a free role under Alonso.

During his pre-match news conference, Hurzeler warned his side cannot defend against Palmer on a “one-to-one” basis and must be collectively strong to stop the playmaker and Chelsea’s other talents.

The German coach said he was happy with his own squad as the transfer window is set to close.

“There’s a minor issue with small injuries but I’m not here to complain; I’m here to find solutions together with my team and that’s what we try to do since day one, so yes, I’m happy with the squad,” he said.

He said new signings Jaouen Hadjam and Promise David should be available for the Chelsea game.

I think they are two great players. Two great personalities. They make our squad stronger,” he said.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer has made Chelsea the favourites, with a win probability of 49.6 percent. Brighton were given a 26 percent chance of winning, while a draw was estimated at a 24.4 percent likelihood.

Head-to-head

The two clubs have faced each other 28 times, with Chelsea winning 16 games, Brighton winning 7, and five matches ending as draws.

Brighton have won the last four encounters between the two sides, with Chelsea’s last victory in the tie coming back in September 2024.

Last five encounters:

• April 21, 2026: Brighton 3-0 Chelsea (Premier League)
• September 27, 2025: Chelsea 1-3 Brighton (Premier League)
• February 14, 2025: Brighton 3-0 Chelsea (Premier League)
• February 08, 2025: Brighton 2-1 Chelsea (FA Cup fourth round)
• September 28, 2024: Chelsea 4-2 Brighton (Premier League)

What happened the last time the two clubs met?

Brighton’s Ferdi Kadioglu netted an early opener, and Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck scored in the second half to pile more misery on floundering Chelsea in a 3-0 Premier League victory back in April.

The result saw Brighton climb above their visitors to sixth in the table, with Chelsea in the midst of a dire run of results that would see them miss out on European football this season.

Chelsea’s team news

Marco Palestra remains unavailable with an injury, as is Jordan Henderson, who continues to recover from a broken wrist sustained while celebrating England’s last-16 World Cup win over Mexico.

However, Alonso said he was hopeful that key midfielder Moises Caicedo will be fit enough to face his former club, while Levi Colwill and Geovany Quenda are also in contention to play.

Defender Wesley Fofana returns after serving his suspension for a red card on the final day of last season at Sunderland.

Alonso suggested that the unsettled Enzo Fernandez may not feature as he is being linked with a move to Manchester City.

Predicted starting XI:

Sanchez (goalkeeper); Fofana, Lacroix, Colwill; Gusto, Caicedo, James, Chavarria; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro

Brighton’s team news

Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson are all long-term absentees for Brighton.

Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter are doubts after picking up knocks. If Rutter is unable to feature, then either Charalampos Kostoulas or new loan signing Promise David could start up front.

Predicted starting XI:

Verbruggen (goalkeeper); Kadioglu, Boscagli, Dunk, Vuskovic; Wieffer, Ayari; Gomez, Gross, De Cuyper; Kostoulas

Who: Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest
What: English Premier League
Where: Anfield, Liverpool, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, August 29, at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the buildup from 08:30 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream

Both sides are looking for their first wins of the season, as Liverpool host Forest at Anfield.

Liverpool struggled in their first competitive game under new boss Andoni Iraola, although they battled to come back from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle.

The Reds are still hoping to bolster their rather threadbare squad and are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign French forward Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile, Forest have lost their first two games of the season as they begin a new era under coach Oliver Glasner.

Forest lost both games at home to Leeds – the first a 1-0 defeat in their opening league game last weekend, the second a 2-0 midweek loss in the League Cup.

So both teams will be very eager to find their form at Anfield and get back to winning ways.

Iraola hoping for ‘good news soon’ in transfer market

Liverpool’s new boss said on Thursday it is no secret the club are in the hunt for more wingers after reports that the Reds are edging closer to a deal for Barcola.

Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr as potential recruits to fill the void left by Mohamed Salah’s departure.

“We cannot talk about players that right now are not ours, but it is evident that we are trying to improve or try to fill that position because we don’t have the numbers,” Iraola told a pre-match news conference ahead of his home debut against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

“I hope we have good news soon but we are still not there.”

The arrival of French international Barcola could lead to Cody Gakpo’s exit from Anfield.

The Dutchman, who scored in Iraola’s first match in charge in a 2-2 draw at Newcastle last weekend, is reportedly a target for Manchester City and Tottenham.

“When the market is open, you cannot guarantee anything with anyone. You never know who’s going to arrive,” Iraola added when asked about Gakpo’s future.

“I would like to know how the market finishes but I don’t know what will happen with any of our players. I cannot guarantee anything.”

‘I’m no magician’: Glasner already feeling the heat

The Austrian expressed frustration with the recruitment situation at his new club after their second defeat to Leeds, saying that Forest had “ignored reality” after losing at home to Leeds for the second time in a matter of days.

“The fact is that this team had a relegation battle for nine months. Very turbulent season and it ended with a huge effort to stay in the league, and this is our starting point,” he said.

“It’s really very important not to blame anybody because sometimes I tell them facts and they say, ‘Oh, Glasner is complaining’.

“No, no, no. But [our] best midfielder [Elliot Anderson] leaves the club and now we expect we compete for European places because Oliver Glasner is in. Sorry, this is what I can’t deliver within six weeks.

“I’m no magician, no messiah, just hard work. That is what we have to do.”

Glasner should at least be pleased that Forest broke the club’s transfer record on Thursday to sign the talented, but out-of-favour young striker Liam Delap from Chelsea for a reported 45 million pounds ($61m).

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer has made Liverpool the favourites, with a win probability of 61.1 percent. Forest were given a 18.2 percent chance of winning, while a draw was estimated at a 20.7 percent likelihood.

Head-to-head

They have faced each other 124 times; Liverpool winning 61, Forest 33 and 30 draws.

Last five encounters:

• February 22, 2026: Forest 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
• November 22, 2025: Liverpool 0-3 Forest (Premier League)
• January 14, 2025: Forest 1-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
• September 14, 2024: Liverpool 0-1 Forest (Premier League)
• March 02, 2024: Forest 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

What happened when Liverpool and Forest last played?

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister struck the winner deep into stoppage-time as his side snatched a scarcely-deserved 1-0 win at Forest in the Premier League in February.

After a pedestrian 90 minutes in which they barely managed a shot on target, Mac Allister lit the fuse with a stoppage-time effort that was ruled out for handball before rifling home a rebound in the 97th minute to grab the win.

Liverpool’s team news

The Reds are missing a number of long-term casualties, including forward Hugo Ekitike, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, as well as right-back Conor Bradley and centre-back Giovanni Leoni, who have knee issues.

Defender Joe Gomez remains sidelined due to a muscle injury.

Alexander Isak is again likely to play at centre forward, with Florian Wirtz playing behind him in the number 10 role. Cody Gakpo is set to play on the left wing, despite reported interest from other clubs.

Victor Munoz impressed when he came off the bench against Newcastle, and may start out on the right wing in place of Rio Ngumoha.

Predicted starting XI:

Alisson (goalkeeper); Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Munoz, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

Forest’s team news

Defender Nicolo Savona has been ruled out after a setback in his return from a knee problem, while injured midfielder Ryan Yates is also set to miss out.

Full-back Neco Williams and playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White are both doubts due to knocks, although Forest are hopeful that both key players will be fit in time.

Predicted starting XI:

Sels (goalkeeper); Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, McAtee, Sangare, Netz; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Jesus

Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester:

“It was a fitting occasion for Billy with everything the club did and the atmosphere in the ground.

“I thought the performance was befitting.

“The fans and the people in the crowd who’ve had a sad week, we have a responsibility.”

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters told BBC Radio Humberside:

“I’m really proud of the performance. We had a young side tonight and we didn’t stop fighting until the end. We played against a good team, who were extremely disciplined and give you nothing.

“The inexperience we had in this team tonight, the main thing is that we said we need to fight for everything. We gave them a few things but they did the badge proud.

“I’ve always said players have to earn the jersey, it’s not given to them. It was different circumstances tonight and there were probably three players who could have played but they’ve played a lot of rugby league.”

Wigan: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, O’Neill, Thompson, McDermott, Partington, Ellis.

Interchanges: Walters, Mago, Kerr, O’Connor.

Hull KR: Broadbent; Horne, Gorman, Booth, Kershaw; Mourgue, Charles; Sue, Leyland, Luckley, Martin, Dearlove, Lawton.

Interchanges: Amone, Fishwick, Murphy, Woods.

Referee: Aaron Moore.

Last season’s runners-up, Arsenal, will play the likes of Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Lille in the league phase.

Two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were handed meetings with Barcelona, Manchester City and Aston Villa, among their eight matches in the league phase of this season’s Champions League, when the draw took place on Thursday.

PSG, who beat Arsenal on penalties in Budapest in May to retain the trophy, will play Barcelona, Roma, Turkish champions Galatasaray and Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia at home.

Luis Enrique’s team will travel to England twice to face City and Villa. They beat both teams on the way to winning their first Champions League title in 2025, and also defeated the latter in the UEFA Super Cup in Austria earlier this month.

The French champions will also go to Spain to play Villarreal and Italy to take on a Como side coached by Cesc Fabregas.

“I can’t say anything bad about the Champions League, but I won’t be watching the draw. I will be relaxing and going out on my bike, then we’ll take a look at the menu. But I would sign up for the same result as in the last two years,” Luis Enrique told reporters earlier Thursday.

PSG are aiming to become European champions for a third straight year, something only the Real Madrid of 2016 to 2018 have achieved in the last 50 years.

The first matches in this season’s league phase will be played between Tuesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 10, with the final games in late January. UEFA is expected to announce the full fixture schedule on Saturday.

Last season’s runners-up, Arsenal, the Premier League champions, will notably host Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Lille, as well as Sabah, the club from Azerbaijan who came through four two-legged qualifying ties to reach the league phase for the first time.

The Gunners have a tough list of away ties against Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli and Slavia Prague.

Fenerbahce back, Viking in

Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool will be at home to Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal and Lens, while playing Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Austrian league phase debutants LASK away.

Manchester United, who were not in the first pot of seeds, have home games against Bayern, Roma, RB Leipzig and Sabah, and also a series of difficult away fixtures against Atletico, Sporting of Portugal, Villarreal and Como.

Other notable games include Manchester City visiting Barcelona and Real Madrid entertaining Inter, while last season’s Europa League winners, Villa, must go to Barcelona and play Dortmund at home. Unai Emery’s team will also tackle Istanbul giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

The latter are appearing in the Champions League proper for the first time since 2008/09 after beating Lyon in the playoffs this week.

New names in this season’s competition are Como, who have upset the traditional order in Serie A, and Sabah, while LASK made it to this stage for the first time after a stunning comeback win over Celtic in the playoffs.

Last year’s Norwegian champions Viking, from the city of Stavanger, have reached the Champions League proper for the first time, too, and they have a glamorous fixture schedule that includes Bayern, Atletico, Villa and Napoli.

This is the third season since the introduction of the new format for the Champions League, with 36 teams now all pooled together in one giant league and each playing games against eight different opponents.

This season’s final will be played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on June 5, 2027.

European champions Paris St-Germain will face Premier League duo Manchester City and Aston Villa as well as five-time winners Barcelona in the league phase of this season’s Champions League.

The back-to-back Champions League winners will welcome Barca to Parc des Princes, while they were also handed trips to Villa Park and Manchester in the draw for the league phase.

Premier League champions Arsenal, meanwhile, will host 15-time winners Real Madrid at Emirates Stadium, and have also been handed a trip to Bayern Munich.

Mikel Arteta’s men, who were beaten by PSG on penalties in the final last season, will face Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis, Lille, Napoli, Azerbaijan champions Sabah and Slavia Prague as well.

Enzo Maresca’s City will welcome PSG to Etihad Stadium and travel to Barcelona, where they will have a reunion with Spanish World Cup-winner Rodri, who moved to the Nou Camp in a £65m deal this summer.

City will also be up against another of their former midfielders in Kevin de Bruyne when Napoli visit Manchester, with Sporting, Porto, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens their other opponents.

Europa League winners Villa, returning to the competition after a season away, will host PSG and Dortmund and travel to Barcelona and Galatasaray.

Unai Emery’s side also face Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, Viking and Slavia Prague.

Manchester United, returning after a two-year hiatus, will meet Bayern, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Sporting, Leipzig, Villarreal, Sabah and Como.

Liverpool, meanwhile, host Atletico, Porto, Villarreal and Lens while visiting Inter Milan, Brugge, Fenerbahce and LASK.

The first league-phase matches will be played on Tuesday, 8 September and the last round of games will take place on 27 January 2027, with the exact schedule to be released on Saturday.

This season’s final will be held in Madrid on 5 June.

The Pro Bowl is no more, the NFL announced Wednesday, ending an exhibition of the league’s top players that was held in some form almost every year since 1951.

The game wasn’t played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was the only pause in the postseason event.

The league said 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowl players and honored in Los Angeles after this season. Several flag football events also will take place at that time.

“The Pro Bowl has always been about recognizing the players who distinguish themselves as the very best in the NFL,” league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a statement. “A Pro Bowl selection will return to its original purpose, honoring the best of the best. We want that distinction to carry even greater meaning for the players, their families, their clubs and our fans.”

The Pro Bowl has waned in popularity in recent years. Once a staple in Honolulu, the NFL has moved the event to various cities and even switched from tackle to flag football in 2023.

Azerbaijan side Sabah fight back from 4-2 down on aggregate to beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel 6-4 on aggregate to secure their place in the main draw of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

WATCH MORE: When is the Champions League draw?

Available to UK users only.

European 800m champion Audrey Werro has backed herself to overhaul one of athletics’ oldest and most controversial world records.

Jarmila Kratochvilova, representing the then Czechoslovakia, clocked one minute 53.28 seconds in 1983 and the mark has remained untouched in the 43 years since.

While a systematic doping programme of athletes was in place in the country during her career, Kratochvilova never failed a doping test and has denied cheating., external

Werro, still only 22, ran 1:53.80 in Paris in June, moving up to third in the event’s all-time list and to within half a second of Kratochvilova’s time.

“Things have happened really fast,” said Werro, on the eve of Thursday evening’s Diamond League meeting in Zurich.

“I was not prepared for a world record this year. I just want to focus on running fast and winning some races and I think with this mentality the world record will fall one day. But I don’t know when.”

Werro, a multiple title-winner at youth level, has improved her personal best in each of her last eight seasons and is now consistently within range of the world record.

This year the Swiss has registered three of the 10 fastest times in history.

Manchester City‘s position has shifted following Wednesday’s signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi. They have generated 278.5m euros from sales so far, with the departures of players including Savio, Tijjani Reijnders, Rodri, James Trafford, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake.

Bouaddi’s arrival takes City’s spending to 273.7m euros, leaving them with a positive transfer balance of 4.8m euros.

Further departures could quickly change the picture again. Tottenham have agreed a loan deal to sign Omar Marmoush, with an obligation to make the move permanent for £60m (58m euros) next summer. That fee would therefore count towards City’s 2027-28 transfer income rather than this season’s figures.

Nico Gonzalez is also expected to leave, while Jack Grealish could yet be another departure before the deadline. Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton, who remain interested, although the winger has viewed Enzo Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola as manager as a fresh start at City. His contract runs until June 2027.

A permanent sale of Gonzalez, and possibly Grealish, could still significantly increase City’s 2026-27 income.

Their ability to sell at such a level is particularly significant given the scale of their midfield rebuild. City have already signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for 135m euros. They also remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Football’s biggest club competition returns for the 2026-2027 season as the UEFA Champions League gets under way next month, with the draw for the main round taking place on Thursday.

Back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain are chasing a historic third consecutive title, while European giants Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich will look to dethrone the two-time champions.

The league phase format, now in its third year, will begin in September and run until January. It will be followed by the knockout rounds, with the champions crowned in early June.

Here’s all you need to know about this year’s draw:

When and where is the Champions League draw?

The main round fixtures will be drawn on August 27 at 6pm (17:00 GMT) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

How does Champions League qualifying work?

Of the 36 competing teams, 29 qualified with their rankings in their respective national leagues. The remaining seven spots were up for grabs in a qualifying competition that began earlier this month and will conclude less than 24 hours before the draw.

Bodo/Glimt, LASK and Sabah became the latest teams to book their place in the elite competition, leaving eight teams to battle it out for the last four places on Wednesday.

Which teams have qualified for the Champions League?

• Arsenal
• Aston Villa
• Atletico Madrid
• Barcelona
• Bayern Munich
• Bodo/Glimt
• Borussia Dortmund
• Club Brugge
• Como
• Feyenoord
• Galatasaray
• Inter Milan
• LASK
• RB Leipzig
• Liverpool
• LOSC Lille
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Napoli
• Paris Saint-Germain
• PSV Eindhoven
• RC Lens
• Real Betis
• Real Madrid
• AS Roma
• FC Porto
• Sabah FK
• Shakhtar Donetsk
• Slavia Prague
• Sporting CP
• VfB Stuttgart
• Villarreal

What are the pots for this season?

Under the new format, each team will play fixtures against eight teams – two teams each from Pots 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Four of the eight matches will be at home, and the other four away.

Pot 1: PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid

Pot 2: Aston Villa, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto Club, Brugge PSV, Eindhoven, Real Betis

Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, Bodo/Glimt, (winner of League Path)

Pot 4: Slavia Prague, VFB Stuttgart, LASK, Como, Lens, Sabah, (3 winners of Champions Path)

When are league phase and knockout matches?

The league phase matches are scheduled for:

Matchday 1: September 8-10

Matchday 2: October 13 and 14

Matchday 3: October 20 and 21

Matchday 4: November 3 and 4

Matchday 5: November 24 and 25

Matchday 6: December 8 and 9

Matchday 7: January 19 and 20

Matchday 8: January 27

The knockout phase matches are scheduled for:

Playoffs: February 16, 17 and 23, 24
Round of 16: March 9, 10 and 16, 17
Quarterfinals: April 6, 7 and 13, 14
Semifinals: April 27, 28 and May 4, 5
Final: June 5

When and where is the Champions League final?

The upcoming season’s final will be held at the Estadio Metropolitano, home of Spanish club Atletico Madrid.

How did PSG win last season’s Champions League?

The French side held their nerve in a cagey ⁠⁠final to retain the title by beating ⁠⁠Arsenal 4-3 on penalties as the nail-biting showdown ended 1-1 after extra time.

Arsenal defender Gabriel blasted his spot kick over Matvey Safonov’s crossbar at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, his miss confirming PSG as the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid completed their ⁠⁠three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.

Earlier in August, PSG won the UEFA Super Cup for a second straight year by beating Aston Villa 2-1, thanks to Desire Doue’s second-half goal in the annual curtain-raiser to the European football season.

Doue’s 61st-minute strike after running onto Ousmane Dembele’s pass was initially ruled out for offside, only for the goal to be awarded following a video review, with Matty Cash adjudged to have marginally played him onside.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson. Title winner 1992-93, 93-94, 95-96, 96-97, 98-99, 99-2000, 2000-01, 02-03, 06-07, 07-08, 08-09, 10-11, 12-13.

The first two decades of the Premier League were dominated by one man.

Sir Alex Ferguson won 13 titles and was able to continuously rebuild his side in order to keep Manchester United at the top of English football – from Eric Cantona to the ’99 Treble winners, and later that front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

Even after Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009, and Tevez defected to the other side of Manchester, Ferguson continued winning titles until he retired in 2013.

His record title haul is more than double any manager from any era of men’s English top-flight football, not just the Premier League – Guardiola, Liverpool’s Bob Paisley and George Ramsay for Aston Villa are next on the list on six.

It makes Fergie the undoubted number one.

Cole Palmer scores a goal and provides an assist as Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers also get on the scoresheet to secure Chelsea’s win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. With both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa making their Premier League managerial debuts, the Blues hold on against a spirited Fulham to give Alonso a winning start.

MATCH REPORT: Fulham 2-3 Chelsea

Available to UK users only.

BBC Sport looks back at one of the Premier League’s best ever games as Newcastle, then managed by Kevin Keegan, lost a thriller to Liverpool.

Both clubs will pay tribute to Keegan before their Premier League opener at St James’ Park.

READ MORE: Newcastle & Liverpool plan Keegan tribute at season opener

Available to UK users only.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke reacts to his side’s 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest, sealed by Anton Stach’s free‑kick in the opening game of their 2026-27 Premier League season.

MATCH REPORT: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds United

Available to UK users only.

How the table looks could change drastically by the end of the weekend, with Leeds able to reclaim top spot if they beat York Knights on Sunday, while a third successive Trinity loss has them in danger of dropping to fifth on Saturday if defending champions Hull KR beat Toulouse Olympique.

Both sides had early chances to take the lead, but French was the reason that neither of them managed to open the scoring in the first 10 minutes.

First the Australian wasted a golden opportunity to send Zach Eckersley over with a forward pass, but within two minutes he came up with a stunning try-saving intervention at the other end by holding Max Jowitt up over the line before the full-back was controversially judged to lose the ball in his attempt to touchdown.

Eventually, it was French himself who broke the deadlock, pouncing on a stray Wakefield pass inside his own half before sprinting 65 metres untouched to go in near to the posts.

Two tries in five minutes from Marshall out wide put Warriors in a commanding position before the half-hour mark.

Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell called on Emre Guler for the first time soon after that, with the prop coming off the bench just two days after his move from NRL side St George Illawarra Dragons was brought forward by Trinity.

It was only five days ago that Guler, who had been due to make his Super League move next season, had started for the Dragons in their win against Wests Tigers.

Wakefield threatened to respond a number of times before Hall plucked a searching high ball from Jake Trueman from the sky to dot down for the visitors in the 53rd minute.

Hall very nearly linked up with Jowitt for another Wakefield four-pointer soon after, but the centre was forced into touch by Eckersley as he dished the ball off for the finish.

The game’s definitive moment came in the 65th minute when Field swooped on a knock-on from Mike McMeeken, who was within barging distance of the tryline, allowing the full-back to race away in the other direction to score his 15th Super League try of the season.

Wigan Warriors: Field; Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Marshall; French, Smith; Havard, O’Neill, Thompson, McDermott, Partington, Ellis.

Interchanges: Mago, Kerr, Cartwright, O’Connor.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt; Myers, Scott, Hall, Pratt; Sinfield, Trueman; McMeeken, Lipowicz, Storton, Rodwell, Smoothy, Lolesio.

Interchanges: Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, Smith, Guler.

Referee: Chris Kendall.

The San Diego Padres minor league catching coordinator is in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will remain so “pending removal proceedings,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday in a statement.

Oswaldo Pirela, a former Texas Rangers minor league player, was detained Sunday morning at El Paso International Airport.

Pirela, 34, was flying to Phoenix, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. The Padres’ triple-A affiliate is the El Paso Chihuahuas, and Pirela was with the team during its home game Saturday night against the Salt Lake City Bees, an Angels affiliate.

The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Pirela came to the United States from his native Venezuela in September 2014 and that his permission to remain expired Feb. 10, 2018.

Homeland Security said Pirela was not carrying his work permit at the time he was detained. Pirela’s brother Juan Pirela presented Phoenix multimedia news organization Arizona’s Family with Oswaldo’s work permit, which indicated it was issued in 2024 and is valid until 2029.

“It’s very hard. He’s authorized to work in the United States,” Juan Pirela said. “So, the same department, Homeland Security, issues a work permit but then somehow it’s not enough.”

The Homeland Security statement addressed the issue: “To be clear, work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States.”

“In violation of our nation’s laws, [Pirela] overstayed his welcome. When approached by law enforcement officers, he was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process.

As a roving catching instructor, Pirela is based out of the Padres’ spring-training complex in Peoria, Ariz., and travels to the organization’s minor league affiliates in San Antonio, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Lake Elsinore in addition to El Paso. He spent the 2024 season as bench coach for the Class-A Lake Elsinore Storm and became the organization’s catching coordinator in 2025.

“We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the Padres club said in a statement. “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.”

Pirela was signed by the Rangers at age 17 out of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and played catcher, first base and the outfield from 2009 to 2011 for the team’s Dominican Republic Summer League affiliate.

Last season’s Champions League fairytale side Bodo/Glimt look set to qualify for this year’s edition of the competition after winning 3-1 away at NEC Nijmegen of the Netherlands.

READ MORE: UEFA Champions League on BBC Sport

Available to UK users only.

The Swede set Celtic on their way and Duran’s double did the rest, a gorgeous volley – on the back of hustling and harassing of the LASK defence – and then that sumptuous team goal that rounded it off.

O’Neill said the club has a bargain in Duran and the early signs are that he was an absolute steal at somewhere between £4.5m and £6m, depending on who’s talking.

The Colombian has intelligence and guile but he’s also got the work-ethic that means every bit as much as his other qualities.

In the 72nd minute, Celtic were 3-0 ahead, and yet there the 24-year-old was darting back into defence to help out, tracking LASK men until they were hounded out of possession.

As much as his goals, his lung-busting effort to put in a shift made him a hero of the night for Celtic people. Honesty counts for a lot.

It’s easy to say that Celtic learned their lesson from a year ago and splashed the cash. They spent close to £30m and now they’re getting their reward. It’s never that simple.

Spending is something that Celtic have done a lot of over the years. Spending wisely has been their problem. Splurging money on last-minute loans who, surprisingly, turn out to be duds.

Forking out multiple millions on recent and not so recent failures – from Balikwisha to Barkas – has been the problem. The decision-making has been awful too often.

Duran represents a return to form, a reminder of the days when they found value, mostly under Ange Postecoglou.

We’re too quick to write off players and we can also be too quick to brand them as stars in waiting. You should tread carefully at all times. With Duran we’ll take the plunge – this guy looks special.

Beyond offering a physical distraction, Kasper Hogh was quiet against LASK, but he will score plenty in the weeks and months ahead. At £11m, he, too, looks like money very well spent.

Everyone in the Premier League wants clarity and a speedy resolution in the case against Manchester City which features more than 100 alleged breaches of its financial rules, says Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick.

An independent commission is yet to publish a ruling, more than a year and a half after a disciplinary hearing concluded, and three and a half years since City were first charged.

City have always denied wrongdoing.

When asked if the length of time the process was taking was frustrating Arsenal, Garlick told BBC Sport: “It has gone on for a while.

“Everybody – the league and the teams – would want the clarity around what’s going to happen next.

“But it’s not something that I can control. It’s not something that I can speculate on.

“And I just hope that there is a solution very quickly.”

Garlick’s comments come on the eve of the new season and after Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “I do accept it’s taking longer than expected, and I understand that people want to find out as soon as possible what’s going on, but I simply can’t provide that.”

Describing the case as “hugely complex”, Masters added: “Our rules are very clear – we have to follow the process, and there’s only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion.”

Privately, officials at a host of other Premier League clubs BBC Sport has spoken to in the past 24 hours have also expressed their frustrations, while acknowledging that this is an independent process which is running on its own timetable.

One said the Premier League should be “actively seeking to put in place a better system” to ensure speedier resolutions.

Another made the point that given that the league spent £45m on legal bills during the 2023–24 season on disputes over its financial regulations, there are mounting concerns at the spiralling costs of such a long legal fight.