Top European Leagues: Where they Stand

Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
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Top European Leagues: Where they Stand

Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File

Europe's top leagues are nearing the end of the season, with titles, places in Europe and safety from relegation up for grabs.

English Premier League

Title: Reigning champions Manchester City need three wins from their final four matches to be sure of holding off second-placed Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's side sit one point clear with a game in hand as they chase a fifth title in six seasons.

Europe: Newcastle and Manchester United occupy the two final Champions League places but have in-form Liverpool in hot pursuit. Jurgen Klopp's men are one point behind Man United and three adrift of the Magpies, but have played a game more. Tottenham, Brighton, Aston Villa and Brentford are fighting for the other European spots, said AFP.

Relegation: Bottom club Southampton are eight points from safety with three games left, but the next four clubs are separated by only three points. Two of Leeds, Leicester, Everton and Nottingham Forest will likely join the Saints in going down.

Spanish La Liga

Title: Barcelona can secure a first La Liga title since 2019 with four games to spare if they beat local rivals Espanyol on Sunday.

Europe: Second-placed Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have all but wrapped up places in next season's Champions League. Real Sociedad appear poised to join them, holding a seven-point lead over fifth-placed Villarreal with only five games remaining. There are just three points between seventh-placed Girona and 11th-placed Sevilla in the fight to reach the Europa Conference League.

Relegation: Elche have already been relegated. Second-bottom Espanyol are three points from safety, with six-time champions Valencia only out of the bottom three on head-to-head record ahead of Getafe. Real Valladolid, Cadiz and Almeria are all also in trouble.

Italian Serie A

Title: Napoli have already clinched their first Scudetto since 1990.

Europe: AC Milan sit two points behind fourth-placed city rivals Inter Milan with four matches left. Third-placed Lazio and second-placed Juventus, who could yet have a points deduction reinstated, can also still be caught in the race for the Champions League. Atalanta and Roma are both five points behind Inter.

Relegation: Sampdoria have already been relegated. Cremonese are six points from survival, with Spezia three behind 17th-placed Verona.

German Bundesliga

Title: Bayern Munich are just one point clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund heading into the last three matches of the season. The Bavarian giants are bidding for an 11th straight title

Europe: RB Leipzig sit third, one point ahead of fourth-placed Union Berlin and fifth-placed Freiburg. Bayer Leverkusen are two points clear of Wolfsburg in the fight to qualify for the Conference League.

Relegation: Hertha Berlin sit bottom, but only three points off the relegation play-off spot, occupied by Stuttgart. Bochum are 17th, behind Stuttgart on goal difference. A run of three wins in four games has taken Schalke two points away from the drop zone.

French Ligue 1

Title: Paris Saint-Germain appear set to win a record 11th Ligue 1 title despite a poor season. PSG sit six points clear of Lens with four games left.

Europe: Second-placed Lens are two points ahead of Marseille in the battle for automatic Champions League qualification. Fourth-placed Monaco appear likely to reach the Europa League, six points behind OM and five clear of fifth-placed Lille.

Relegation: Angers have been relegated. Four teams will go down in total as Ligue 1 changes from 20 to 18 clubs next season. Ajaccio and Troyes look destined for the drop, with one of Nantes, Auxerre, Brest and Strasbourg to join them.

Portuguese Primeira Liga

Title: Benfica are four points clear of title rivals Porto with three games to play.

Europe: Braga, five points behind Porto and four above fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon, are well-placed to secure a place in Champions League qualifying.

Relegation: The bottom three of Santa Clara, Pacos de Ferreira and Maritimo are all at least five points from guaranteed safety, fighting each other to go into the relegation play-off.

Dutch Eredivisie

Title: Feyenoord will lift their first title since 2017 and just their second this century with victory over Go Ahead Eagles this weekend. The Rotterdam giants are eight points ahead of PSV Eindhoven with three matches left.

Europe: PSV are five points ahead of Ajax in the race for the second Champions League spot. This season's Conference League semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar are just two points behind Ajax, chasing Europa League qualification.

Relegation: Cambuur and Groningen have been relegated. Excelsior, Emmen, Voldendam and Vitesse Arnhem are trying to avoid a relegation play-off.



Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
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Saudi National Team Coach: We Aim to Conclude Our Participation in the Best Possible Manner

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA
Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions - SPA

Saudi national team head coach Hervé Renard affirmed during a pre-match press conference ahead of the team’s encounter with the UAE that the squad aims to conclude its participation in the tournament in the best possible manner. He noted that reaching this stage was not the desired objective, but focus and readiness remain essential requirements.

Renard explained that preparations for the match against Jordan were solid and that statistics reflected the Saudi team’s superiority in terms of possession and presence in the opponent’s half, as well as prior understanding of the opponent’s strategy, SPA reported.

However, he said that failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities prevented goals, while Jordan’s team succeeded in converting its chances.

He stated that exiting the semifinals is a difficult challenge for everyone, emphasizing the need to maintain professionalism and prepare well to secure victory in tomorrow’s match. He noted that the team delivered strong performances in previous matches, but effectiveness in front of goal remains a decisive factor that must be further developed in the next phase.

Renard stressed the importance of players being actively involved in domestic competitions, emphasizing that preparation for the World Cup requires higher readiness and a more competitive level to present the image expected on the global stage.

Saudi national team player Abdulrahman Al-Aboud said the ambition had been to win the title, but that was not achieved, noting the players’ readiness to compete for third place against the UAE national team.


Carlos Alcaraz Ends 7-year Partnership with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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Carlos Alcaraz Ends 7-year Partnership with Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Carlos Alcaraz reacts after winning the first set against Joao Fonseca during the Miami Tennis Invitational tournament, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz is parting ways with his longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz announced their decision to end a seven-year partnership on Wednesday in a message on his social networks, The AP news reported.

With Ferrero, Alcaraz has claimed six Grand Slam titles __ two French Open titles, two Wimbledon crowns and two US Opens.

“After more than seven years together, Juanki and I have decided to bring our chapter together as coach and player to an end,” Alacaraz wrote. Thank you for turning childhood dreams into reality. We started this journey when I was barely a kid, and throughout all this time you’ve accompanied me on an incredible journey, on and off the court. I’ve enjoyed every single step with you immensely."


FIFA Launches $60 Ticket Tier amid Criticism of 2026 World Cup Pricing 

13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
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FIFA Launches $60 Ticket Tier amid Criticism of 2026 World Cup Pricing 

13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)
13 December 2024, Switzerland, Zurich: The FIFA logo is seen on the façade of FIFA headquarters before the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (dpa)

FIFA introduced on Tuesday a small number of $60 "Supporter Entry Tier" tickets, aiming to make next year's World Cup more affordable for fans of qualified teams.

Football's governing body said that the discounted tickets would cover all 104 matches of the tournament, including the final.

The cheaper tickets will make up 10% of Participating Member Associations' (PMAs) allocations.

The PMAs, which represent competing national teams and manage dedicated fan ticket programs, will handle the ticket allocation process.

They will also define their own criteria to prioritize tickets for "loyal fans" closely connected to their national teams.

"In total, half of each PMA's ticket allocation will fall within the most affordable categories: 40% under the Supporter Value Tier and 10% under the new Supporter Entry Tier," FIFA said in a statement.

"The remaining allocation will be split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier," it added.

Fans who apply through PMA ticketing programs and whose teams fail to progress to the knockout stage will have administrative fees waived for refund requests.

The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of ticket pricing ahead of the 2026 tournament, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Last week, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) accused FIFA of imposing "extortionate" ticket prices that could prevent average fans from attending the event.

'STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION'

FSE director Ronan Evain told Reuters on Tuesday that while the new pricing was a step in the right direction, it was "clearly not sufficient".

He noted that following a team to the final would cost $480 under category four, but jumps to $6,900 for category three, meaning one fan "sitting in the same section" as another could pay 15 times more.

Evain also said there was a lack of transparency around ticket distribution.

"FIFA doesn't provide any guidelines or obligations for the PMAs. They have the freedom to choose how they distribute the tickets," he said.

According to the BBC, this will mean about 400 of the cheaper tickets will be available for England and Scotland in their group games, yet Evain said that most PMAs don't disclose the number of tickets.

FIFA said in its statement on Tuesday that PMAs were requested to ensure that these cheaper tickets were "specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams".

Evain also raised concerns about accessibility for fans with disabilities. "The cheapest they can get all the way to the final is $7,000 and they also must pay full price for companion seats, meaning that following a team to the final could cost $14,000," he said.

Reuters has put Evain's points to FIFA for comment.

Despite the backlash, FIFA reported strong interest in the sale's third phase draw, which began on December 11 and will remain open until January 13, driven by the release of match schedules, venues and kick-off times.