9:00 AM ET Benitez won his first game of the new Premier League season as Everton boss and while some fans might never fully come around to him as manager, he’s determined to excel in a demanding job. Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Rafael Benitez has never been the type to take the easy option for the sake
Football
6:45 AM ET Bayern Munich have released their new third kit for the 2021-22 season, and while it will be worn on their travels, it’s most definitely a slice of home for the Bundesliga giants. 2 Related This is because Bayern’s new jersey is a love letter to Bavaria, the southeastern region of Germany from
4:03 AM ET The summer transfer window is into its final month for the major European leagues, which means the biggest clubs are looking to make a splash in the market before the new season begins. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here. TOP STORY: PSG’s Ronaldo-Messi plot must wait
6:09 AM ET Roma have signed Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham for €40 million, it was announced on Tuesday. The 23-year-old has signed a five-year contract with Jose Mourinho’s side. Abraham finished the 2020-21 season as Chelsea’s joint top scorer with 12 goals but saw relatively limited playing time after Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard. –
1:31 PM ET Kyle Bonagura Close ESPN Staff Writer Covers the Pac-12. Joined ESPN in 2014. Attended Washington State University. Austin Lindberg Another week of Gustavo Bou match winners, another week of victory for the New England Revolution, and another week on top of Major League Soccer for Bruce Arena & Co. Don’t look now,
9:17 AM ET Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Thibaut Courtois has signed a new contract at Real Madrid that will keep the goalkeeper at the club until June 2026. A new deal for Courtois was one of the club’s top priorities, sources told ESPN, with both parties displaying a “fantastic” attitude during negotiations. – ESPN+ viewers’
2:37 PM ET What a weekend in European soccer! Three of the top five leagues (English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga) kicked off their 2021-22 campaigns, and the games didn’t disappoint. Manchester City‘s title defense got off to a rocky (but predictable) start against Tottenham, Barcelona began their post-Lionel Messi era with a big
11:22 AM ET Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Carli Lloyd officially announced her retirement from the U.S. women’s national team on Monday, putting an end to a storied career as the second-most-capped player in world soccer history with 128 international goals and two Olympic gold medals. She will retire from international play after the USWNT
8:24 AM ET Alex KirklandESPN FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that the club’s debt now totals €1.35 billion — while defending his management from criticism by predecessor Jose Maria Bartomeu, describing an open letter published by Bartomeu last week as “full of lies.” Laporta — who took over at Barca in March after
8:50 AM ET Lindsay du Plessis Mara Gomez, the first transgender footballer to play in Argentina’s professional women’s league, has joined Estudiantes de La Plata for the new season, leaving Villa San Carlos, the club that first gave her a pro contract. Gomez, 24, made history in December 2020 when she made her debut in