The date and venue for the 2026 World Cup have been announced.
FIFA announced on Friday that the draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The 48 teams will know their groups and opponents for next year’s World Cup.
The World Cup will have 12 groups of 4 teams and will take place between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
Giovani Lo Celso scored for Real Betis in their 1-0 win againat Alavés.
Lo Celso got his first goal of the new season for Real Betis in their win. It was a cross into the penalty area as a header hit the Alavés defender and fell to the Argentine who scored from close range.
Valentín Gómez also played his first match for his new club, coming on as a substitute for Real Betis. Ezequiel Ávila was an unused substitute.
Enzo Fernández scored for Chelsea in their 5-1 win against West Ham United.
Fernández got his first goal of the new Premier League season, scoring for Chelsea in their win. With Chelsea leading 2-1, it was a pass from Estêvão which found Enzo and he scored from close range to give Chelsea the 3-1 lead.
Aarón Anselmino was not on the bench for Chelsea while Guido Rodríguez was on the bench for Weat Ham as an unused substitute.
The 2025 Copa Libertadores quarterfinals are set, and Argentina will have strong representation with four clubs still in the race for South America’s most prestigious trophy. River Plate joined Vélez Sarsfield, Racing Club, and Estudiantes de La Plata in the final eight after defeating Libertad of Paraguay on penalties at the Monumental.
River’s dramatic 3-1 shootout win completed the list of quarterfinalists, which also includes Brazil’s Flamengo Palmeiras and São Paulo, and Ecuador’s Liga de Quito. This ensures Argentina has half of the remaining spots in the competition.
One of the standout ties will be an all-Argentine clash between Racing and Vélez. The first leg will be played in Liniers, with the return fixture at the Cilindro in Avellaneda. Security officials are evaluating the possibility of allowing visiting fans, though recent crowd incidents in continental competitions have raised concerns.
Estudiantes face a difficult challenge against Flamengo, starting in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã before hosting the return leg in La Plata. River, meanwhile, take on Palmeiras, the only team to finish the group stage with a perfect 18 points. The first leg will be at the Monumental, while the decisive match will be played in São Paulo.
Matches will be played September 16–18 (first legs) and September 23–25 (second legs).
Lionel Messi will miss Inter Miami’s match against D.C. United on Saturday.
Messi did not take part in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win in the Leagues Cup against Tigres on Wednesday due to fitness issues and he will miss Saturday’s game. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano stated on Friday that Messi will miss the game. Here is what he had to say:
“Messi will rest on Saturday because of the trip and the importance of Wednesday’s match.”
Inter Miami will play Orlando SC on Wednesday in the semi finals of the Leagues Cup.