He’s long been intrigued by that kind of future—one not unlike David Beckham’s. Like Bale, Beckham was the face of his national team and could have chosen any post-playing path before becoming a co-owner of MLS side Inter Miami among other ventures. Did that influence him? “I think so,” Bale says. He followed how many...

Christian Fuchs has quit as Newport County manager after just seven months in charge of the League Two side. The former Austria international, who won the Premier League with Leicester City, took over in November following the dismissal of David Hughes. Fuchs leaves only eight weeks after guiding Newport to safety on the final day...

Many fans are questioning how United will manage servicing its existing debt, with some suggesting annual repayments could rise to around £50m after a refinancing last month added another $125m (£93.4m) to the total owed. With transfer fees and top-tier wages continuing to soar, some supporters fear a new stadium could negatively affect performances on...

Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps says she isn’t sure she’s ready for the spotlight again after signing for the London City Lionesses. The 33-year-old returns to the Women’s Super League after two seasons with Paris St-Germain and a self-described step back from “the craziness of England,” as she put it in a BBC interview last...

Conspiracy talk and claims of bias do real harm, fueling abuse toward referees and making an already tough job even harder. After Argentina’s 3-2 last-16 win over Egypt, Pierluigi Collina, who leads World Cup officiating, publicly backed his officials, stressing their honesty and independence. Egypt had alleged that referee Francois Letexier and his team intentionally...

In 1892, a local newspaper first mentioned a Pachuca football side, noting it had been reorganised after a “schism”. There was a split between people in Pachuca and the so‑called “mountain men” from Real del Monte. Reading that made me laugh—it felt very Cornish; they do enjoy a good schism. They were urged to pull...

Middlesbrough have completed the signing of Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old USA international scored 20 goals in 167 appearances for the MLS side. He could make his first appearance for Kim Hellberg’s team in the Carabao Cup first round against Wrexham on Friday, 7 August....

For 14 seasons, Putellas was Barcelona’s standout star, helping the club collect an extraordinary 38 major honours, including 10 league titles and four Champions Leagues. Her peak came in 2021 and 2022 with back-to-back Ballon d’Or wins, before an ACL injury on the eve of Euro 2022 halted her momentum. She returned to lift the...

Matthias Jaissle has emerged as the unexpected front-runner to replace Eddie Howe as Newcastle’s head coach, bringing with him an impressive recent track record. Howe, 48, is set to depart St James’ Park after nearly five years in charge. Appointed in November 2021 following Steve Bruce, he guided the Magpies to their first domestic silverware...