Author: admin

Mauricio Pochettino’s first major test as coach of the men’s national team ended in disaster Thursday when Cecilio Waterman scored deep into stoppage time to give Panama a 1-0 victory in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals before a tiny crowd at SoFi Stadium, where the Americans will play two of their three group-play matches in next year’s 2026 World Cup.

The game marked the second time in seven games under Pochettino that the U.S. was held scoreless and the second time in less than a year that Panama has beaten the U.S. in a tournament. The Central Americans beat the U.S. 2-1 in last summer’s Copa América, a result that hastened former coach Gregg Berhalter’s firing.

Panama will play the winner of Thursday’s second semifinal between Mexico and Canada for the Nations League title on Sunday. The U.S., winner of the three previous Nations League tournaments, will play for third place against the loser

Panama took a defensive posture from the start, playing with a five-man back line and crowding the midfield with four more, generating what little offense it produced on the counterattack.
And while that well-organized defense frustrated the U.S. for long stretches, the Americans still managed three dangerous chances in the first half, with Josh Sargent striking Panamanian defender Edgardo Fariña with a right-footed shot that caromed off the post in the 19th minute; Weston McKennie sending a header into the midsection of goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera a minute later; and Sargent losing a goal on a shot from the center of the box that beat Mosquera in the 24th minute because Tim Weah was offside.

The game opened up a bit early in the second half with the best chance by either team coming in the 82nd minute when second-half substitute Patrick Agyemang beat the defense into the box with only Mosquera to beat. But the keeper came up big, pushing the right-footed shot away for his third save.

Four minutes later Agyemang was back, played into the box by Christian Pulisic. But the Charlotte FC striker got his feet tangled trying to get off a shot and chipped his try onto the top of the net.
That set the stage for Waterman’s winner. The winger, who plays club soccer in Chile, took a pass from Adalberto Carrasquilla in the box on the right wing and set a low shot across the front of the goal and in at the far post. The shot was Panama’s first on target and U.S. keeper Matt Turner didn’t get a hand on it.

Thursday’s semifinal doubleheader was as much a test for the temporary grass laid over SoFi’s synthetic Matrix Turf as it was for the four national teams.
FIFA requires World Cup games to be played on natural surfaces and eight of the 16 stadiums that will be used in next year’s tournament have artificial fields. Those venues will have to install grass for the World Cup.

SoFi’s 70-by-110-meter field, grown at a sod farm in Washington state, was laid down in strips earlier this month and was used for the first time Thursday. The surface will remain in place for Sunday’s Nations League final and the third-place game as well as for a women’s friendly between the U.S. and Brazil next month.

Otto Benedict, the stadium’s senior vice president for facility and campus operations and the person overseeing the project, will study the field’s performance with help from FIFA to ensure the surface will hold up under the strain of eight World Cup games in 28 days.
“We are taking readings almost every single hour, if not more than that. We have systems in here that are looking at the ambient temperatures, the ambient moisture,” Benedict said of the multimillion-dollar process.
“It’s a learning opportunity. We want to put on the best possible event with the best possible pitch.”

City hosted Chelsea in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals in the second of four meetings between the two sides in a 12 day period.
Chelsea have been formidable this season and lifted the League Cup trophy on Saturday after a 2-1 victory over City. Consequently, City were out for revenge tonight and they were successful in this mission.
The hosts handed Chelsea their first loss of the season and will now carry a valuable and unexpected 2-0 lead into the second leg of their Champions League tie. Many believed that Chelsea would prevail on all four of the clashes between the two teams. However, City stepped up to the challenge and put in a brilliant performance to use the odds.

Here are five things we learned:

Miedema makes the difference:
Vivianne Miedema was the match-winner tonight. The Women’s Super League’s all-time leading goalscorer, Miedema also boasts an impressive Champions League goalscoring record. After tonight, the Dutch international has scored 31 goals in just 35 Champions League matches. She started amongst the substitutes tonight but made a huge impact after coming on at half-time. The forward was in the right place at the right time to fire the hosts ahead on the hour mark. Then she doubled City’s lead with a top class finish in the 88th minute, guiding City to a massive victory.
Chelsea’s unbeaten season over
After 31 matches without defeat, Chelsea have finally been bested. The Blues’ impressive streak without losing matched the record for the longest unbeaten run of any WSL side ever. However, they could not extend their invincible streak tonight as they suffered their first defeat since May. Their dressing room will not be used to the feeling of losing but Chelsea will have to bounce back quickly. They are entering a season-defining period and cannot let this knock them down.

City overcome injury troubles:
City have struggled this season and key injuries have continually hampered their form. They were dealt another injury blow this week, as star striker Bunny Shaw was ruled out of tonight’s Champions League tie. However, City were able to overcome their absences to produce a memorable performance and victory. It will provide a huge boost to their confidence and belief for the final months of the season.
Bompastor defeated
Sonia Bompastor has been in dreamland since she took charge of Chelsea in the summer. The French coach had big shoes to fill after Emma Hayes left the role but she has delivered so far. Bompastor’s Chelsea had been almost perfect before tonight, winning every game part from two draws, but now we will finally see how Bompastor reacts to defeat. The tie is far from over but she will need to find solutions if her side are to overcome the two goal deficit in the second leg.

Cushing off the mark:
The result is equally important to City’s boss as it is to their players. It is Nick Cushing’s first victory since he took interim charge of the side last week. Gareth Taylor was sacked ahead of the League Cup final that City lost to Chelsea last Saturday. Cushing started his tenure with the unenviable task of facing the best team in the country four times in a row. Despite this, now he has secured victory over Chelsea, Cushing has proven to everybody that he is still capable.

Mauricio Pochettino predicts the United States can dominate soccer and Donald Trump will put pressure on him to deliver at next year’s World Cup.
The U.S. men’s national team coach believes it is only a matter of time before America leads the way in the world’s most popular sport.

“I think we can dominate soccer, football, maybe in 10 or 15 years´ time, or maybe less: five, six, seven years. The potential is massive,” Pochettino told English media. “In five or 10 years, for sure we can be No1 in the world.”

Pochettino was hired last September to succeed Gregg Berhalter as coach and lead the country into the 2026 World Cup, which it co-hosts with Canada and Mexico.
Notably, the 53-year-old Argentinian, stopped short of saying his team could produce a shock victory at next year’s tournament, but he believes with Trump as president, much will be expected of his team.
“For us, the pressure is going to be there because we are a host,” he said. “In sport, in everything that Americans are involved in, they want to win. The players know it´s going to be massive pressure and now our president (Trump) likes to put pressure on, but it´s welcome. That means we are going to feel the adrenaline we need to feel. We are ready to deliver.”

Pochettino might welcome that pressure, but he was uneasy with FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s response when, on a recent White House visit, Trump asked him if the U.S. could win the World Cup.
“Gianni said yes, but I was disappointed with this answer,” he said. “He should say: `You need to ask your great coach, Pochettino.´ Because for sure, he can give a better opinion.”

The race towards a place in next year’s FIFA World Cup enters a crucial stage as of Monday, 17 March when the African qualifiers resume across the continent.
The global showpiece will for the first time have a guaranteed 9 representatives and possibly a tenth in the newly expanded version set to take place in the United States between 11 June – 19 July 2026.
With four rounds of matches already played, Match Day 5 of the qualifiers has lined up some appetising encounters, as the race to a top finish that guarantees qualification gradually takes shape.
The action officially gets underway in Group E on Monday, 16 March when third placed Tanzania play host to Congo who are yet to register a point in their past three matches.

Four exciting fixtures take place on Wednesday, 19 March with Liberia taking on top of the table Tunisia in Group H.
Cameroon will be looking at extending their lead in Group D when they take on bottom of the table Eswatini, while Central Africa Republic look to climb up the group when they take on third placed Madagascar.
Thursday, 20 March sees a total of nine mouth-watering encounters taking place across the continent. Some of the marquee fixtures to look out for on include Zimbabwe playing host to Benin, Malawi welcoming the Brave Warriors of Namibia who have had an impressive start so far, as well as Cape Verde taking on Mauritius.
Later on in the evening, Libya will be home to Angola in the tightly contested Group D, while the Eagles of Mali travel to Comoros to conclude Thursday’s fixtures.

Match Day 5 of the qualifiers concludes on Friday, 21 March with a total of 13 fixtures taking place.
With three draws and a loss to their campaign, the Super Eagles will be looking at securing their first win when they take on top of the table Rwanda in Group C. South Africa play host to Lesotho in the same group, as they eye a vital victory that could see them top the group should the result in the Nigeria and Rwanda match go their way.
In other exciting fixture to look out for, Group A leaders Egypt have a tough assignment travel to Ethiopia who are desperate for a win following three draws and a loss.
African champions, Cote d’Ivoire who lead Group F by a narrow point ahead of Gabon face third placed Burundi are also within reach of a top spot.
The Lions of Teranga will be aiming at nothing short of a victory to possibly go top of Group B ahead of Sudan when they face each other in what promises to be an explosive top of the table encounter on Friday.

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Fixtures – Match Day 5:
Monday, 17 March
16h00 GMT: Tanzania vs Congo
Wednesday, 19 March
16h00 GMT: Liberia vs Tunisia
16h00 GMT: Eswatini vs Cameroon
16h00 GMT: Central African Republic vs Madagascar
16h00 GMT: Mozambique vs Uganda
16h00 GMT: Malawi vs Namibia

16h00 GMT: Zimbabwe vs Benin
16h00 GMT: Cape Verde vs Mauritius
16h00 GMT: Sierra Leone vs Guinea-Bissau
Thursday, 20 March
19h00 GMT: Libya vs Angola
19h00 GMT: Gabon vs Seychelles
19h00 GMT: Gambia vs Kenya

19h00 GMT: Comoros vs Mali

Friday, 21 March
13h00 GMT: Equatorial Guinea vs Sao Tomé and Principe
13h00 GMT: Botswana vs Algeria
16h00 GMT: Rwanda vs Nigeria
16h00 GMT: Burkina Faso vs Djibouti
16h00 GMT: DR Congo vs South Sudan
16h00 GMT: South Africa vs Lesotho
16h00 GMT: Togo vs Mauritania
19h00 GMT: Ghana vs Chad
19h00 GMT: Burundi vs Cote d’Ivoire
19h00 GMT: Sudan vs Senegal
21h00 GMT: Guinea vs Somalia
21h00 GMT: Ethiopia vs Egypt
21h00 GMT: Niger vs Morocco

Source (Fixtures were gotten from CAF)

The coaches of the four teams playing for the CONCACAF Nations League title this week think soccer should remain separate from the geopolitical events currently roiling relations among their nations.

Speaking two days before the tournament’s semifinal matches at SoFi Stadium, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and Canada counterpart Jesse Marsch on Tuesday downplayed the political impact on the latest major international sporting competition to be staged amid President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policies, including his tariff war with Mexico and Canada.
“I think we can’t mix political things with sport,” Pochettino said. “It’s not because I don’t want to talk. I have my ideas. But I represent the federation, and I (don’t) want to talk about politics.”

The U.S. faces Panama in the first Nations League semifinal match on Thursday before Canada takes on Mexico in the nightcap. The championship match is Sunday night.
“I’m not going to get political right now,” said Marsch, a Wisconsin native. “I think I’ve made my statements clear and known. I will say that I do think from watching the 4 Nations in hockey, you can see that the climate for sports in North America has been elevated for national teams. I’m really hopeful that this tournament can be the best reflections of our societies, in that we don’t have to waste time booing anthems and getting caught up in politics, and we can just focus on the players and the teams and supporting the love of the game, and then whatever your nationality is, that you can support your team all the way.”

That political tension was a recurring theme last month in hockey’s 4 Nations Face-Off, where Montreal fans loudly booed the U.S. national anthem. The Canadian team furiously rallied to win the title amid nationalist fervor from both North American powers.

Marsch already spoke extensively last month about the tensions between his home country and Canada.
At a news conference to promote this week’s games, Marsch called for the U.S. to “lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being a 51st state,” calling it “unsettling and frankly insulting.”
“As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies,” Marsch added.
Marsch said last month that he expected the geopolitical tensions to fuel his team with national pride. He didn’t go that far Tuesday, but acknowledged he had exchanged thoughts with Jon Cooper, Canada’s coach at the 4 Nations and two-time Stanley Cup winner.

Pochettino, the famed Argentine coach, took over the U.S. program only six months ago after stints at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He called it “a big mistake” to put politics at the forefront of sports.
“People are not waiting for us to talk in this way,” Pochettino said. “It doesn’t mean I don’t have my values and my vision of the situation.”
Thomas Christiansen, the coach of Panama’s national team since 2020, is from Denmark, where boycotts of American products are strong and growing amid Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, a Danish territory.
Two weeks ago, Panama reacted with outrage after Trump claimed the U.S. was “reclaiming” the Panama Canal because an American company bought controlling interest in a Chinese company that operates the canal’s ports.
Yet Christiansen said he won’t be using anything from the precarious political world to inspire his team when it faces the favored U.S. squad.

Japan can become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this week while Son Heung-min will try to forget his Tottenham woes by firing South Korea to the finals.
Asian nations play two rounds of games, on Thursday and Tuesday, as qualifying for the enlarged 48-team tournament in North America approaches the business end in the region.
Japan will seal their spot with three qualifying matches to go if, as expected, they beat Bahrain at home in Saitama on Thursday.
Even if they stumble, it looks only a matter of time until they secure a place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as they have another home match against Saudi Arabia next week.
Hajime Moriyasu’s side are nine points clear of Australia at the top of Group C, having won five and drawn one of their six games in this phase of qualifying, scoring 22 goals and conceding twice.

Moriyasu named a full-strength squad led by Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, but said there were plenty of other players who deserved call-ups.
“There are a lot of players who are showing what they can do in the J.League and in Europe and wouldn’t look out of place in this squad,” he said.
There are three groups in the third Asian qualifying round for 2026, with the top two in each going straight to the World Cup.
Japan are sitting pretty on 16 points with four matches to play but the five-way battle to qualify second from the group could go to the wire.
Australia have seven points, while Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China all have six.
The Socceroos, who are without several players through injury, on Thursday host an Indonesia side in Sydney led for the first time by Barcelona and Dutch great Patrick Kluivert.

Indonesia have leaned heavily on the Netherlands as they look to reach the World Cup for the first time since the Asian nation gained independence from the Dutch in 1945.
Indonesia have recruited a dozen players born in the Netherlands and in January added Kluivert as coach, with Jordi Cruyff also coming in as technical adviser.
South Korea are well on their way and will seal their spot at the 2026 World Cup with home wins over Oman and Jordan.
The 32-year-old forward Son has struggled for fitness and form in the Premier League this season, scoring seven times for Spurs, with the London club languishing in the bottom half of the table.
But the skipper continues to be South Korea’s talisman, with 51 goals in 131 appearances.
“There are many discussions regarding his recent form, including his goal tally,” said coach Hong Myung-bo. “However, we must not forget everything he has accomplished so far.”

South Korea have been dealt a blow with the loss of Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae to an Achilles tendon injury.
South Korea top Group B with 14 points with Iraq, who are likely to clinch second place, on 11. Jordan are third on nine points.
Iraq next face Kuwait and Palestine, the bottom two in the group.
Iran lead the way in Group A with 16 points from six games, ahead of Uzbekistan on 13 and the United Arab Emirates on 10.
Qatar, who won the Asian Cup on home soil 13 months ago, are fourth on seven points.
Even if they finish outside the top two, their World Cup hopes will not be over.
The teams that finish third and fourth in the three groups go through to a further round of qualifying.

The knockout stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League are here, and there are some blockbuster fixtures to come.
Barcelona are the current holders of the competition, having overcome Lyon in the final last season, and they are undoubtedly among the favourites once again. All three English clubs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, have reached the quarter-finals, with two set to face each other in the next round.

Both of Germany’s top clubs, Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, have progressed, while eight-time winners Lyon also made it through the group stage and will be determined to win their first title since 2022.

Katikaa  predicts the outcome of the quarter-final ties and who will progress into the last four…

Real Madrid vs Arsenal

The first tie will see Women’s Super League giants Arsenal take on Real Madrid. The Spanish club’s best run in the competition came in 2022 when they reached the quarter-finals, while Arsenal lifted the trophy in 2007 and were semi-finalists as recently as the 2022/23 campaign.
After a poor start to the season under Jonas Eidevall, the Gunners have been in strong form since Renee Slegers took charge in October. They topped their group in the Champions League and have also turned their domestic campaign around.

Real Madrid remain second in Liga F behind Barcelona, but they proved their quality in the group stage with narrow defeats to Chelsea. This will be a closely contested tie, but over two legs, Arsenal should have enough to progress.

Predicted tie winner: Arsenal

Bayern Munich vs Lyon

Next up, eight-time winners Lyon will face Bayern Munich in the last eight. After falling to Barcelona in last season’s final in Bilbao, Lyon are back with a point to prove.
The French club’s status as the best team in women’s football has been challenged in recent years by Barcelona’s rapid rise, but they will be determined to reclaim their crown. Bayern’s best finish in the competition was the semi-finals in 2020/21. Yet they have fail to go beyond the quarter-finals in two of the last three seasons, and did not make it out of the group stage last term.

The Frauen-Bundesliga title race is extremely tight, with Eintracht Frankfurt just three points behind Bayern, forcing them to balance their priorities. Lyon, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in Division 1 Feminine and have a more comfortable lead, allowing them to focus fully on the Champions League, which should be enough to see them through.

Predicted tie winner: Lyon

Wolfsburg vs Barcelona

The draw could not be much tougher for Wolfsburg as they prepare to face Barcelona, who have won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles. The German side were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Barcelona in the 2023 final, a defeat that will still be fresh in the minds of their players.

There is no denying that Wolfsburg are the underdogs in this tie, but they are embracing that status with open arms. The pressure is firmly on Barcelona, as most expect them to progress.
That being said, Barcelona have not looked as invincible this season, suffering defeat to Manchester City in the group stage and losing once in Liga F. That offers Wolfsburg a glimmer of hope, but over two legs, the Spanish side should have enough to get over the line.

Predicted tie winner: Barcelona

Manchester City vs Chelsea

The most mouth-watering tie of all is between English giants Chelsea and Manchester City. For Chelsea, this season feels like the perfect opportunity to go all the way in Europe and make up for their 2021 final defeat to Barcelona.

Under new manager Sonia Bompastor, who has experience winning this competition with Lyon, the London club look like a different force this season. They strengthened significantly, adding Lucy Bronze in the summer and Keira Walsh in January, both of whom lifted the trophy with Barcelona in 2023 and 2024. The arrival of Naomi Girma, arguably the best defender in the world, also gives them an extra edge as they enter the latter stages of the competition.
City, on the other hand, have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals, and their drop-off in the WSL title race suggests they are struggling to compete on all fronts. March will see these two sides face off four times across multiple competitions, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this tie.

That unpredictable dynamic makes this one of the hardest quarter-finals to call, but if you had to back one team, Chelsea’s greater experience in Europe just gives them the edge.

Predicted tie winner: Chelsea

Lionel Messi will sit out Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay and Brazil over the next eight days due to an adductor injury. The 37-year-old Inter Miami star was not included in the 25-man squad announced on Monday by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. The news came as a surprise because Messi, who had missed three league games in a row earlier this month due to an unspecified leg muscle strain, returned to action last week and scored in back-to-back victories against Cavalier FC in Jamaica last Thursday and Atlanta United on Sunday.

He came off the bench in Jamaica and played the full 90 minutes against Atlanta. But Inter Miami announced early Monday evening that Messi felt discomfort in his thigh area during Miami’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United

According to a team release: Messi underwent an MRI Monday morning to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region, which he experienced during Sunday night’s match against Atlanta United. The examination’s findings confirmed the presence of a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle. His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition.

Miami coach Javier Mascherano gave no indication in the post-game interview in Atlanta Sunday night that Messi was injured. He praised Messi, saying of his first-half goal: “That was a goal that only he could have scored, the best player in the history of the sport. There is nothing else to say. He is a player who has the ability to produce the most beautiful goals one can ever see.”

Argentina, which sits in first place in South American World Cup qualifying, will face second-placed Uruguay on the road Friday and host fifth-placed Brazil four days later in Buenos Aires. Inter Miami returns to MLS action Mar. 29 at home against Philadelphia Union. Miami is in first place in the Eastern Conference and Philadelphia is second.

Manchester United today confirmed its Season Ticket prices for the 2025/26 men’s team campaign, including a price freeze for under-16s.

All other Season Tickets will increase by around five per cent, which is an average of £2.50 per game.

The under-16 price freeze reflects the club’s commitment to preserving access to Old Trafford for our next generation of fans, following consultation with the Fans’ Advisory Board.

The increase for other categories aims to strike a balance between keeping tickets affordable for fans and keeping the club financially sustainable.

Omar Berrada, chief executive of Manchester United, said: “We appreciate the loyal and patient support of our fans, and particularly our Season-Ticket holders who represent the core of our match-going support base. We understand the importance of their backing for the team and have worked hard to come up with a pricing package that is fair and reasonable.

In addition to the Season-Ticket pricing change, the following adjustments will also be made for the 2025/26 campaign:

– Introduction of game categorisation for match-by-match tickets (not applicable to Season-Ticket holders). More details on pricing and which games are in which category will be issued before the release of Premier League fixtures. For the avoidance of doubt, concessions will continue to apply to these tickets.
– The late listing of tickets for re-sale greatly impacts the ability for our Members to purchase tickets for the game. From next season, when fans wish to sell their ticket back to the club at late notice (within 14 days of the game), there will be a fee of £10 deducted from their refund. There is no fee for reselling prior to 14 days and the forwarding and donating to the MU Foundation options will remain unchanged.

– Minimum usage of a Season Ticket (which includes forwarding, donating to MU Foundation or reselling to the club) will increase by one game to a minimum of 16 out of 19 Premier League games.
– The age at which our ‘senior’ discount (25% off) is applied will now track the state pension age. This is currently 66 years old.

– All fans aged 66 or over will now receive a 25% discount (removing the inconsistency with some who previously received a 50% discount).

– Some of the general admission tickets directly adjacent to the home and away dugouts will be converted to hospitality seats, reflecting the high value of this unique location. We appreciate the disruption this will cause those fans who currently sit there and we will be contacting them individually to ensure a suitable alternative seat is found.

Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs are also on the cards in a week where all the European big guns are in action.
AFP Sport looks at five talking points ahead of the action:

Spain title defence gets serious

Spain face the Netherlands on Thursday in the Nations League quarter-final, with Luis de la Fuente’s side looking to win their third-straight title after success in the 2023 edition of the competition and their stunning European Championship victory last year.
Euro 2024 break-out stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, as well as Dani Olmo and Alvaro Morata are in the squad which will play a two-legged tie against the Dutch with a semi-final berth awaiting the winners.
Denmark take on Portugal and France face Croatia in the last eight as well for this first edition of the expanded Nations League final phase.

Battle of the hosts

Germany and Italy clash in the other quarter-final, with the winner not only advancing to the last four but also confirming their status as hosts of the Nations League finals.
Germany travel to Euro 2020 winners Italy for the first leg at Milan’s San Siro on Thursday, before the reverse fixture takes place three days later in the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
The four-team final tournament begins with the semi-finals on June 4-5. The final is scheduled for June 8.

Tuchel debut

England begin their journey to reach the 2026 World Cup with a new manager at the helm following the appointment of former Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel

The German will be under no illusions that his reign will ultimately be judged by success in major tournaments as England seek to win their first silverware since the 1966 World Cup.
“Exciting and a bit surreal,” Tuchel said last Friday of becoming the first German to lead England.
“It’s a big honour and I’m very proud of it. I’m very well aware of it, I will make sure that I earn my rights to be in this place.”
Tuchel will make his debut next Friday when Albania travel to Wembley, before Latvia visit London on March 24.

Start of the end for Deschamps

One coach whose achievements Tuchel will doubtless be desperate to replicate is outgoing France coach Didier Deschamps, who announced in January he would be stepping down from his role after the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The captain of France’s first World Cup-winning side in 1998 took over as coach in 2012 and masterminded his country’s second triumph in football’s biggest tournament six years later.
“All good things come to an end, and you also need to know when to stop,” Deschamps said in January.
“It has been 12 years, and it will have been 14, which is fine. I have done my time, and I still have time left.”

Fittingly, Deschamps will begin the end of his reign as France boss against Croatia in the Nations League quarter-finals — the same side he defeated in the 2018 World Cup final.

Courtois returns from wilderness

Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois was included in the Belgium squad on Friday for the first time since going into self-imposed exile following a dispute with then coach Domenico Tedesco in summer 2023.
But following the appointment of Rudi Garcia as Belgium boss in January, the 32-year-old opened himself up to a return from the international wilderness.
Ahead of Courtois’ inclusion, Koen Casteels — Belgium’s No 1 in his absence — announced he was “no longer available for the national team” and stated that other squad members were also not best pleased with the Madrid man’s expected return.
Belgium will defend their place in League A in a two-legged tie against Ukraine.

Manchester United loanee Antony played a key role again as Real Betis came from behind to defeat Leganes in La Liga lunchtime on Sunday. The Brazilian forward continued his fine form with an assist for their winning goal in the chaotic comeback win.

Antony set up Cucho Hernandez for the late winner when he embarked on a mazy run after a poor Leganes corner and picked out the striker with a smart ball. It means he has nine goal contributions in 11 matches for Betis, more than he managed since the start of the 2023-24 season at United.

His impressive form has raised the question about his long-term future at the club, though United still intend to sell him permanently at the end of the season after he was allowed to leave on loan in the January transfer window. Here is everything you need to know:

Manchester United eye permanent Antony sale

Antony left Manchester United for Real Betis in a loan deal that does not include the option to make it permanent at the end of the season. It could prove to be a masterstroke. United could have insisted on a fixed fee for Antony to complete a summer move but instead demanded Betis pay a minimum 84% of his current salary demands.

In order not to make a loss on the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules, United would need to sell Antony for £32.52 million this summer. It still looks a little too high for a side to pay, but his impressive form at Betis should see them raise closer to that figure than they would have done if a fixed fee was included in the loan deal.

United might be better off sending him out on another loan move at the end of the season, either with the option or obligation for a permanent sale, given the figure they’d need to sell him for would be lower in a year.

Speaking over the weekend, Antony said his form in Spain was partly down to the positive impact the climate had on his wellbeing. “The city has also played a lot, which is better [than Manchester] and good here,” he told Spanish TV. “I am very happy here with it. And the sun here helps a lot. You’re every day at noon, awake, listening to yourself, I go to sleep smiling and that’s the most important thing for me.”

Enzo Maresca believes there is ‘no big difference’ between Chelsea and Arsenal despite the Blues suffering a setback to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League at Emirates Stadium.

Makeshift striker Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the game in an uneventful afternoon, with both teams missing key attacking players.
Cole Palmer will need a scan on a muscular issue, Maresca revealed post match while suggesting the gap between the two London club’s isn’t very big at all.
Asked whether there maybe a lack of belief from Chelsea in big games, Maresca responded: “If the results say that. What I can say between the first game against Arsenal and today’s game, to be honest, I don’t see a big difference between us and them.
“This means we are, for me, since I arrived, I have the feeling we are on the right path and we are very close. We need just that step forward to compete in these kind of games. That step comes finishing in the top four, top five, Champions League spot.
“First of all we are going to try and win games away. At the moment, we are winning games at home and we are going to try and do the same away.
“At the beginning of the season, we were winning games away and struggled at home. Now it’s the other side. We are there, for sure, we need to improve away but overall I think we are good.”

And on Palmer’s issue, Maresca explained: “We don’t wish players injured but in Cole’s case, in this moment, it will give him some rest physically and mentally. It could be good.
“He needs a scan and the scan is planned for tomorrow. It’s not just about one player. When I say we cannot rely on Cole, it’s correct to say because you cannot rely on one player. It’s about the team and don’t give too much pressure on Cole.”