Top games to watch this midweek
Monday
Barracas Central vs Arsenal (Argentine Primera Divison)
Unión Santa Fe vs San Lorenzo (Argentine Primera Divison)
LDU Quito vs Guayaquil City (LigaPro)
Wednesday
Envigado vs América de Cali (Categoría Primera A)
Deportivo Cali vs Santa Fe (Categoría Primera A)
América vs Tigres UANL (Liga MX Femenil)
Thursday
France vs Ireland (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Netherlands vs Greece (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Poland vs Faroe Islands (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Serbia vs Hungary (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Denmark vs San Marino (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Paraguay vs Peru (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Colombia vs Venezuela (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Argentina vs Ecuador (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Panama vs Martinique (CONCACAF Nations League)
Guatemala vs El Salvador (CONCACAF Nations League)
Austria vs Moldova (Friendly)
Wales vs Korea Republic (Friendly)
What are this midweek's must-watch games?
France vs Ireland live this Thursday at 2:45 p.m. ET on ViX, Fox Sports 2, FOX Sports App, Foxsports.com, and fuboTV
The 2024 UEFA Euro qualifiers are back, with France, one of the favorites for next year's tournament, taking to the field on Thursday in an interesting showdown with Ireland. The two-time FIFA World Cup winners top their group with four wins out of four and will look to maintain their perfect record when they host the Boys in Green. Meanwhile, the visitors will look to get revenge after losing at home to Deschamps' men mainly due to Mike Maignan's late heroics in goal. Evan Ferguson will be one to watch following his impressive hat-trick for Brighton over the weekend. Don't miss this clash!
Netherlands vs Greece live this Thursday at 2:45 p.m. ET on ViX and fuboTV
The other fixture from this 2024 UEFA Euro qualifying group also makes our list as the Netherlands look to get some steam under their campaign. So far, the Oranje are behind France, Greece, and Ireland in the table but have played only twice while the others have three or four games under their belt. Nonetheless, form is not on the Netherlands side, having won only once since their 2022 FIFA World Cup exit — a 3-0 win over Gibraltar. As a result, manager Ronald Koeman could be sacked and a negative result against Greece could be the final nail in his coffin.
Biggest stories
Details behind Ten Hag and Sancho rift revealed as Man Utd duo criticize one another publicly after Arsenal defeat
Not only did Manchester United suffer a gutting defeat away to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, but things quickly got uglier following the full-time whistle after Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho had a public spat.
The Red Devils traveled to the Emirates Stadium with the aim of ending their horrible away record against their big-six rivals. However, despite a valiant performance from Ten Hag's men, late goals by Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus condemned them to a 3-1 loss.
And during his post-match interview, the upset Dutch manager was asked about Jadon Sancho, who, despite the injuries to the likes of Mason Mount, Raphael Varane, and Luke Shaw, did not even make the squad.
The former Ajax boss then surprised everyone by admitting that the Englishman was fit but was purposely left at home due to his poor attitude and performance in training. This did not go down well with the Manchester United fans as Jadon is yet another marquee signing failing to prove his worth at Old Trafford.
Things then took another twist when Sancho took to social media to hit back at Ten Hag and his comments. Posting on X (formerly known as Twitter), the former Dortmund playmaker wrote:
"Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue.
"I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into, I have been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair! All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team.
"I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!"
The Daily Mail have now offered some insight as to what is going on behind the scenes between the two. According to the British news outlet, those close to Sancho believe the 23-year-old is being mistreated by the Dutch manager.
Despite impressing during the preseason, the English starlet has not started a single game this season and has been restricted to a few minutes off the bench. Furthermore, Ten Hag has been accused of handing out preferential treatment to others, with his mega-money signing Antony starting all four games so far despite his abysmal displays.
Despite all of this, insiders at Manchester United believe Ten Hag was true to his words — he believes Sancho has a lot more to give than what he is currently showing. The two are set to sit down for talks to clear the air.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, need to regroup as a team as well after losing two of their first four fixtures. The club currently enters the international break in 11th and faces Brighton and Bayern Munich in their next two games once the league resumes.
Huge blow for Arsenal: The extent of Thomas Partey's injury and the duration of his absence revealed
Thomas Partey, a player who has been plagued with injuries since arriving at Arsenal from Atletico Madrid, could miss a number of key games after picking up yet another knock.
Ahead of the game against Manchester United, which the Gunners won 3-1, rumors regarding an injury to the Ghanaian star began doing the rounds on social media.
Come the Emirates Stadium showdown with the Red Devils, Mikel Arteta admitted that the 30-year-old has been sidelined and will be out for a number of weeks due to a groin injury. However, while the Spaniard remained tight-lipped on the issue for the most part, a report from the Daily Mail has uncovered the details behind this latest blow.
According to the British news outlet, the Ghanaian has undergone tests and the issue is a combination of a groin and thigh problem. The player picked this up on Thursday, which was Deadline Day, yet the North London giants opted against signing someone for cover.
The reason: Arsenal expect Partey to be back in October — he could return after the October international break, to be precise. However, this is still a six-week absence at the very least and would see the midfielder miss a number of crucial games.
The Gunners will be without their ace, who played at right-back in the club's first three Premier League games of the season, for their first two UEFA Champions League games against PSV and Lens. Additionally, Arteta will be without Thomas for the trip to Everton after the current international break, the North London Derby on September 24, the Carabao Cup showdown against Brentford on September 26, and the clash with Manchester City on October 8.
Furthermore, due to Partey's history with injuries, this issue could take longer than six weeks and Arsenal's medical team will not hesitate to elongate his rehabilitation to avoid a setback. As a result, the midfielder could also miss the trip to Chelsea on October 21.
Regardless, Arsenal's unwillingness to sign cover despite having known the player was injured on Deadline Day shows that they are comfortable with their options. Against Manchester United, Arteta started with a midfield three of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard and won the game.
And while the aforementioned German ace did not impress, Mikel has Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny, Emile Smith Rowe, and Fabio Vieira to call upon if he wishes to take Havertz out of the lineup.
The Gunners were not great against Manchester United but came away with the three points nonetheless thanks to goals from Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Jesus. This result saw them return to winning ways just before the September international break, having drawn 2-2 at home to 10-man Fulham in the game before. The North London giants are thus fifth in the table, level on points with West Ham, Liverpool, and Tottenham but behind on goal difference.
Bellingham equals Cristiano's record with 95th-minute winning goal in Real Madrid vs Getafe
Jude Bellingham continues to make waves in La Liga!
The highly-rated Englishman has taken to life in Spain like a duck to water, scoring four goals and assisting another in his first three La Liga games for new club Real Madrid.
And on Matchday 4, the former Dortmund sensation was the hero once again as he secured Los Blancos' winner in a crucial victory over Getafe.
Ancelotti's men hosted Geta Azulones just before the international break and found themselves one-nil down at home after conceding to their former attacker Borja Mayoral in the 11th minute.
Joselu grabbed the equalizer for the hosts early on in the second half but several of Real Madrid's attempts to take the lead were thwarted by the visitors. However, Bellingham stepped up in the dying minutes of the game and won his side the three points in stoppage time.
While Rodrygo deserves tremendous credit for this goal, it was Bellingham's smart movement that ultimately sealed the three points, with the Three Lions sensation rolling the ball into the back of the net after the Getafe goalkeeper spilled a shot from the aforementioned Brazilian attacker.
And with that, Jude reached an outstanding feat. The midfielder has now scored in each of his first four La Liga games for the Spanish giants, and to put this achievement into perspective, this is something only Cristiano Ronaldo has pulled off before for Real Madrid.
And with that, Los Merengues maintained their perfect start to the campaign and will enter the international break top of the table.
Neymar slams PSG and praises Leo Messi in fiery interview
The exits of Lionel Messi and Neymar from PSG did not take place on the best possible terms for both players, but Neymar decided to add fuel to that fire in a heated interview with Globo Esporte.
The South American ace did not hold back from criticizing the French side for their poor treatment of both Messi and himself, stating how disappointed he was for how PSG parted ways with them, especially after writing successful pages with the club but failing to bring the UEFA Champions League title to their trophy case.
"We went there to give our best, to become champions, and to make history. That's why we decided to play together again. We wanted to make history with PSG, but we just were not able to do it," Neymar said.
The Brazilian attacker took time to step up for his former teammate, who was harshly criticized by a portion of PSG's fanbase during the final weeks of his stay with the club.
"Messi did not deserve to leave PSG under the circumstances he did. Those of us who know him are aware of what he does and who he is. He is a guy that comes to train, he fights for the entire game. If he loses, he goes home really upset, and from my point of view, I believe he was mistreated by fans during his final days there," Neymar added.
Before the interview concluded, Neymar did not hold back when speaking his mind on how things ended for both of them, especially after what Messi accomplished for club and country.
"He touched the sky with Argentina, and he won everything in the past couple of years, but while in Paris, he was living in hell. It was like living in hell, for both of us," Neymar concluded.
The South American star is yet to make his debut with his new club after spending the last seven months recovering from an ankle injury.
Paris Saint-Germain seal last-gasp deal to hire Randal Kolo Muani
Even if they took too long to do so, PSG managed to give their coach and one of the strikers the team needed to go all the way.
Just as the transfer deadline was coming to a close, the French side sealed a deal to lure Randal Kolo Muani to the club on a permanent deal. The striker will join the Ligue 1 outfit for the next five seasons after all dealings came to an end with German club Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 24-year-old footballer completed the transfer after an impressive season with the German Eagles, where he scored 23 goals in 46 apps for Die Adler across all competitions.
The club did not waste any time to share the news with their supporters on social media.
Reports close to the clubs revealed that the deal between Eintracht Frankfurt and PSG will see Les Parisiens paying their German counterpart over $97M for his services between the official transfer and add-ons.
Kolo Muani has become the 12th signing for PSG in what turned out to be a busy window for the French club, who saw Hugo Ekitike, Milan Skriniar, Marco, Asensio, Manuel Ugarte, Lee Kang-in, Lucas Hernández, Cher Ndour, Arnau Tenas, Goncalo Ramos, Ousmané Dembelé, and Bradley Barcola being signed by the club, in a bid to win their first-ever continental title.
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Ramos apologizes to Sevilla fans as center-back returns to boyhood club
He could have earned a ton of money if he had chosen to join a Saudi Arabian side, but Sergio Ramos has decided to honor his roots in what could be his final adventure with a top-caliber team.
The center-back, who became a free agent following the end of his deal with PSG, has been confirmed as the new defender for Los Rojiblancos. Ramos will join Los Hispalenses on a one-year deal.
The club and the footballer decided to share the news to the world with a video posted on social media. The player did not hesitate to apologize to Sevilla's supporters due to their intense relationship while he played for Real Madrid, which included insults being traded by fans and the center-back himself whenever he visited Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.
In his first spell with the team from Andalucía, Ramos played 49 games and scored three goals for the white and red side. He then decided to join Real Madrid, where he became an iconic presence in defense and one of the most successful defenders in club history. Now, Ramos joins a struggling Sevilla side, who are currently ranked 20th in La Liga with one game in hand.
Grealish, Alexander-Arnold ruled out of England duty by injury
Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold were forced to withdraw from the England squad for upcoming games against Ukraine and Scotland due to injury on Monday.
Grealish missed Manchester City's 5-1 win over Fulham on Saturday, while Alexander-Arnold was forced off with a hamstring problem after starring on Sunday in Liverpool's 3-0 victory over Aston Villa.
"The pair reported to St. George's Park on Monday but have since withdrawn from the Three Lions squad following checks on injuries sustained prior to camp," the English Football Association said in a statement.
England face Ukraine in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday in a Euro 2024 qualifier before taking on Scotland in a friendly to mark the 150th anniversary of the first fixture between the nations on September 12th in Glasgow.
No player has been added to Gareth Southgate's squad.
The Three Lions are well on course to qualify for Euro 2024 after taking maximum points from their first four qualifiers.
Spurs just getting started says Postecoglou after Son routs Burnley
Ange Postecoglou insisted Tottenham are only just getting started after Son Heung-min's hat-trick inspired a 5-2 demolition of Burnley on Saturday.
Postecoglou's side bounced back after their disappointing midweek League Cup exit at Fulham to record a third successive Premier League victory.
Lyle Foster's fourth-minute opener for Burnley could have sparked another Tottenham flop, but the north Londoners hit back in style thanks to Son's lethal finishing.
The South Korea forward equalised in the 16th minute before Cristian Romero and James Maddison scored to put Tottenham in charge.
Son netted twice in four minutes just after the hour for his first hat-trick since September 17 last year.
"We're still building and there's a lot to be done. It's about putting all the pieces together."
