Mo Salah, AFCON, and Ballon d’Or bias

Jamie Carragher’s criticism of AFCON reflects a common bias among European fans as the tournament’s viewership and influence prove it plays a significant role in the game, writes DYLAN JOHNSON.

Ten Hag: ‘Modern footballers struggle with criticism’

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says modern footballers find it tough to deal with criticism and that his generation had “much thicker skin”.

Mbappe to miss Real Madrid Copa clash against Real Sociedad

Real Madrid left Kylian Mbappe out of their squad to face Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Wednesday owing to a dental problem.

Amorim: Man United must avoid recruitment mistakes of the past

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes avoiding the kind of expensive mistakes the club has made in the transfer market is the key to halting the English giants’ decline.

Carlo: Madrid doing well despite ‘absurd, unsustainable’ schedule

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday his team were doing a good job given their packed fixture list, describing the football calendar as “absurd” and “unsustainable”.

Chelsea climb to fourth after routing Saints

Christopher Nkunku and Pedro Neto starred as Chelsea climbed to fourth place in the Premier League with a 4-0 rout of woeful Southampton on Tuesday.

Stellenbosch sweep aside Magesi in first encounter

Stellenbosch FC have leapt over Kaizer Chiefs, TS Galaxy and AmaZulu to claim fifth spot on the Betway Premiership log after defeating Magesi FC 2-1 at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Tuesday night.

Atletico hold Barca in crazy eight-goal Copa del Rey semi

Atletico Madrid conceded a two-goal lead then fought back from two down to draw 4-4 with Barcelona in a wild Copa del Rey semi-final first leg thriller on Tuesday.

Guardiola: De Bruyne will be ‘honest’ over Man City future

Pep Guardiola insists Kevin De Bruyne will be completely honest with himself when he makes a decision over his Manchester City future.

USA needs travel reforms to cope with World Cup and Olympics

The United States needs to make significant changes to air travel to cope with the increase in visitors expected for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympic, according to a new report.