Chelsea have completed the signing of World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano 'Dibu' Martinez from Aston Villa on a three-year deal, strengthening their squad ahead of the new season.
Bukayo Saka's second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory for Arsenal against Aston Villa, marking their second consecutive win in the Premier League season.
Brazil came from behind to beat Japan 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, recording their first knockout victory after trailing at half-time since 1978 as Casemiro made history and Gabriel Martinelli struck a dramatic late winner.
Sweden and Japan played out a 1-1 draw in their World Cup Group F match, with Anthony Elanga scoring for Sweden and Daizen Maeda for Japan. The result ensures both teams progress to the knockout rounds, with Japan finishing second and Sweden securing a spot as one of the best third-placed teams.
Japan's Yuto Nagatomo made history by becoming the first Asian player to feature in five FIFA World Cups during Japan's 1-1 draw against Sweden. This achievement places him among an elite group of players globally. The draw secured both Japan and Sweden's advancement to the Round of 32 in the 2026 tournament.
Japan showed their battling qualities to eke out a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their World Cup Group F opener on Sunday, as Hajime Moriyasu's side backed up their desire to make an impact at the tournament with a gritty display.
Carlo Ancelotti has spent weeks warning that grit and resilience would decide a long, complicated World Cup. On this evidence, Brazil have been listening -- even if, for much of the match against Japan, they seemed determined to test the theory to destruction.
Five-times champions Brazil came back strongly from a one goal deficit to beat Japan 2-1 in their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash at the Houston Stadium on Monday.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
IMAGES from matches played across European leagues on Saturday
Robert Lewandowski smashed home a rebound to earn Barcelona a 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao in an absorbing LaLiga clash on Saturday.
Villarreal fought back to shock Barcelona 3-2 on Sunday, handing the LaLiga champions their first league defeat since late December.
All the action from football matches played in Europe on Wednesday
Both sides will be high on confidence with an aim to come out all guns blazing.
