Inter Miami secured their first MLS Cup crown on Saturday, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium as Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende struck late from a pair of Lionel Messi assists.
A solitary strike from Mohammed Raheel in the opening quarter saw a second-string Indian side defeat three-time champions South Korea 1-0 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Indian football remained in a state of terminal decline after experiencing arguably its darkest phase in a year marked by severe administrative crisis, court hearings, financial issues, absence of domestic leagues, and a steep decline in performance of the senior men's team.
Five-time champions India take on Korea in Azlan Shah Cup opener
Aston Villa secured a 2-1 victory at Basel on Thursday, with goals from Evann Guessand and Youri Tielemans keeping their Europa League campaign on a strong footing.
The Indian senior women's football team suffered a 1-2 defeat against Nepal in their second match of the Tri-Nation International Friendlies at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Monday.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was furious at several decisions during the 2-1 loss at St James' Park and appeared to take out his frustration on a pitch-side TV cameraman after the final whistle.
The early strike set the tone for the remainder of the half as the Indian side dictated the tempo. Bam Khatoon's Sara Didar and Fatemeh Geraeli made some long-range efforts with no luck.
Despite suffering their first defeat in the qualifiers, India are still in contention. The meet group leaders Iran in a do-or-die match on Sunday. Victory in that match will secure India's passage to the AFC Asian Cup for the 10th time in history.
Germany secured a place at next year's World Cup by crushing Slovakia 6-0 in their final qualifier on Monday.
Three first half goals handed Punjab FC a comfortable 3-0 victory over Gokulam Kerala FC in the Group C opener of the Super Cup in Bambolim, Goa, on Monday.
Cash on target as Villa hand Man City their first defeat since August
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is not scheduled to play serious football on the 'G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025'.
Paul Pogba was handed a four-year ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels.
Sunderland extended their strong return to the Premier League on Saturday when they dealt Chelsea a 2-1 home defeat with substitute Chemsdine Talbi curling in a winner deep into stoppage time.
Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez earned Chelsea a 2-0 victory at lowly Burnley on Saturday, a win that moved the Blues within three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo may be missing from action, but that will hardly make things easier for FC Goa, who face an uphill task against Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr in their third Group A fixture of the AFC Champions League Two, in Margao, on Wednesday.
East Bengal, FC Goa, Mumbai City FC and Punjab FC are the semifinalists.
Kerala Blasters FC produced a dominant display to thrash Sporting Club Delhi 3-0 in their second Super Cup Group D fixture and strengthen their semifinals prospects, in Bambolim, on Monday.
India aim to rebuild in inconsequential Dhaka tie vs Bangladesh
Japan staged a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat five-times world champions Brazil 3-2 in a friendly at a sold-out Tokyo Stadium on Tuesday.
West Ham United bounced back from conceding an early goal to beat Newcastle United 3-1 on Sunday.
Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil on Wednesday announced 23 probables for the inconsequential Asian Cup qualifiers match against Bangladesh and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri's name is missing from the list.
Everton enjoyed their first Premier League win at Manchester United for 12 years despite playing virtually the entire game with 10 men.
Liverpool shrugged off the absence of Mohamed Salah as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored an 88th-minute penalty to give them a 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan.
Manchester City seized the opportunity of Arsenal's 2-1 loss at Aston Villa earlier in the day to climb within two points of the leaders.
A late header from new signing Koldo Obieta helped Kerala Blasters FC begin their Super Cup campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 win against a 10-man Rajasthan United FC, in Bambolim, Goa, on Thursday.
With just two points from three games and placed third place in the group, India have no room for error as only the top team can advance.
A summary of Friday's action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifiers.
Norway registered a thumping 4-1 win as Italy, who have missed out on the last two editions of the World Cup, were condemned to the playoffs.
The group winners will qualify for the 12-team final tournament in China next year.
Quoting a source close to the club, the Al-Nassr team will leave for Goa on Monday afternoon without injured Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, in addition to a number of foreign players.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals to ignite their charge on Tuesday.
Portugal were forced to delay punching their World Cup ticket after being held to a 2-2 home draw by Hungary in Tuesday's qualifier
A summary of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland extended his remarkable scoring streak to 12 straight matches as his side recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory at Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Williams, Bharti join camp, signalling new chapter for Indian football
Six months on, AIFF presents replica I-League trophy to Inter Kashi after CAS verdict
Argentina's national team unveiled a revamped 31-man squad on Monday, led by Lionel Messi, for the South American qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador for the 2026 World Cup.
Arsenal's miserly defence has conceded three Premier League goals so far this season and manager Mikel Arteta hopes their fortress-like foundation can finally deliver the silverware that has eluded the North London club for so long.
