Spain Brush Aside Croatia in Nations League, England Down Czechs

Football - UEFA Nations League - Group A3 - Spain v Croatia - Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain - September 29, 2026 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)
Football - UEFA Nations League - Group A3 - Spain v Croatia - Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain - September 29, 2026 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)
TT

Spain Brush Aside Croatia in Nations League, England Down Czechs

Football - UEFA Nations League - Group A3 - Spain v Croatia - Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain - September 29, 2026 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)
Football - UEFA Nations League - Group A3 - Spain v Croatia - Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain - September 29, 2026 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)

Lamine Yamal netted a brace as world champions Spain continued their winning start to the UEFA Nations League with a 4-1 success in Seville against Croatia on Tuesday, while Harry Kane scored as England won in the Czech Republic.

The match at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan was Spain's first home outing since lifting the World Cup in New York in July.

La Roja captain Rodri was handed the trophy by 2010 winner and Sevilla legend Jesus Navas, before presenting it to the ecstatic crowd.

"We were very excited to bring the trophy here," Yamal said.

"To be able to win the game and bring it home is great."

Spain's supporters did not have long to wait before their side provided further excitement in Andalusia as Yamal fired them into the lead inside 75 seconds.

Dion Beljo nodded in Ivan Perisic's cross to briefly level the scores shortly before the half-hour, but Atletico defender Marc Pubill popped up at the other end three minutes later to head in a Yamal center and restore the hosts' lead.

After also scoring early in Spain's 3-2 win at Wembley against England last week to kickstart their Nations League campaign, Yamal brought his tally in the 2026/27 edition of the tournament to three as he put Spain two clear of Croatia in the 63rd minute with a precise finish at Dominik Livakovic's near post.

"Lamine is keen to keep developing and show the world the sort of footballer he is," Luis de la Fuente said of the 19-year-old star.

"We've enjoyed his magic in the service of the team. In the future, he'll be much more recognized for what he does and for his contribution to the team's play," the coach added of Yamal, who is among the frontrunners for the Ballon d'Or.

Nico Williams then put gloss on the result for Spain with a crisp step-over and finish with one minute remaining on the clock.

With two wins from two, Spain lead Group A3 on six points, while Croatia sit third on three points, behind second-placed England on goal difference.

Harry Kane (L) of England celebrates with teammate Anthony Gordon after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Nations League match between Czechia and England in Prague, Czechia, 29 September 2026. (EPA)

- 'Deserved victory' -

In Prague, Thomas Tuchel's England got their first win of the group with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Czech Republic thanks to second-half goals from Anthony Gordon and Kane.

The home team kept England at bay in the first half at the Fortuna Arena despite being a man down after Pavel Sulc was sent off for a high challenge on Elliot Anderson in the 23rd minute.

"We played very professional, second half we stepped up... Deserved victory," Tuchel told ITV.

"Strange to get an early red card, not the best for the team and spectators. It's an awkward one but we kept going, got a win and that's what counts."

Barcelona winger Gordon broke the deadlock shortly after the break with a header from a cross served by Trent Alexander-Arnold, who made his first England start in almost two years.

It was Gordon's third goal in three games for England, including one against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final defeat and another against Spain.

Kane, who also scored against Spain, gave England breathing space in the 69th minute, smashing the ball past Czech 'keeper Matej Kovar after it fell to him inside the box.

England will travel to Rijeka to take on Croatia on Saturday, while Spain welcome the Czechs to Oviedo.

"The next match is important for us against a direct opponent and we want to win," Tuchel said to the BBC.

Elsewhere, Scotland paid for an early red card at Hampden Park against Switzerland as the visitors ran out 3-0 winners in Group B1.

Slovenia sit second in that pool after downing North Macedonia 2-0 in Ljubljana.



Man City Guilty of Using ‘Sham’ Deals to Distort Finances, Premier League Says

Champions League branding at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Feyenoord in Manchester, Britain, 26 November 2024. (EPA)
Champions League branding at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Feyenoord in Manchester, Britain, 26 November 2024. (EPA)
TT

Man City Guilty of Using ‘Sham’ Deals to Distort Finances, Premier League Says

Champions League branding at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Feyenoord in Manchester, Britain, 26 November 2024. (EPA)
Champions League branding at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Manchester City and Feyenoord in Manchester, Britain, 26 November 2024. (EPA)

Manchester City used "sham" commercial contracts as part of schemes to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million over nearly a decade, the Premier League said on Tuesday after an independent commission ruled the club guilty of serious breaches of financial rules.

The commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the league's financial rules over nine seasons, between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 campaigns, as well as three of four charges concerning their failure to cooperate with the investigation.

The club, which denies wrongdoing, said in a statement it would appeal "on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe".

No sanction has yet been imposed, leaving unresolved the potential consequences for a club that has dominated English football over the past decade.

A significant punishment could affect past and future title races, European qualification and the distribution of tens of millions of pounds in prize money. The case has also raised wider questions about financial governance, competitive integrity and the Premier League's ability to hold its most powerful clubs to account.

'SHAM CONTRACTS'

An independent commission found that City arranged “sham” contracts that misrepresented the true agreements with several commercial partners and ‌relied on similar ‌agreements with others to inflate their revenue and reduce costs artificially, the league said.

It found that several ‌sponsors were ⁠required to pay ⁠only part of the fees recorded in the relevant agreements, with the balance supplied by the club's owner Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG).

The commission also identified arrangements funded by ADUG that allowed City to record lower operating expenses.

The schemes inflated City’s revenue and reduced their costs, creating the appearance that the club complied with financial regulations, the league said.

The report also found that a number of the club's witnesses presented false evidence at the hearing, which ran for 42 days, and some knowingly misled the commission.

The commission concluded that City would have breached both the Premier League’s and UEFA's spending limits “by a very substantial amount” had the agreements been reported accurately.

“The core decision... details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade," said Richard Masters, the chief executive of ⁠the Premier League.

Masters described the case and decision as “the most significant in Premier League history” but said key ‌elements remained unresolved, most notably the sanction to be imposed.

"Now we have the Commission’s decision, we ‌are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans,” he said.

CITY TO APPEAL

City said they were ‌disappointed and surprised by the commission's opinion.

"The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable ‌evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case," the club said.

"Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."

The club has until Friday to lodge an appeal. When asked by Reuters whether an appeal by City would automatically suspend any sanction, a league representative said they could not "get into the process" due to confidentiality.

'A SINGLE FALSE ACCUSATION'

City chief ‌executive Ferran Soriano addressed staff in a video in which he rejected the allegations and accused the commission of supporting the league's "conspiracy theory".

"The whole Premier League case against us is based on a single false ⁠accusation, that the owner's personal money was ⁠somehow and secretly put into the club via some sponsors from" abroad, Soriano said.

"This is just not true. Irrefutable evidence has been provided to the Premier League commission that shows it could not happen and that it did not happen."

The announcement came near the end of the European Football Clubs general assembly in Copenhagen, leaving representatives of English clubs checking their phones during the closing minutes.

Representatives of Arsenal and Nottingham Forest declined to comment when approached. A Manchester United representative also declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

EFC Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi reserved judgment on the case and praised Soriano's work as an EFC board member.

"His knowledge, you know, throughout his career is fantastic. That’s why I think they did a lot of positive things also," Al-Khelaifi said.

'LET ROUND TWO BEGIN'

British sports minister Lisa Nandy said the league's report was "incredibly stark" and called for a swift and fair conclusion to the case.

"This is not only causing a lot of concern for Manchester City fans. It's also obviously causing a lot of concern for all fans of Premier League football," she told the BBC.

"Premier League is one of our crown jewels. We need to see the investigation concluded swiftly and fairly, but swiftly particularly because we need to uphold the integrity of the game."

Yasin Patel, a barrister specializing in sports law at London's Church Court Chambers, said he expected City to fight "with all their legal might."

"Round one was to the Premier League, let round two begin," he added.


AFC Unveils 'Khuzama' as Official Ball for Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027

The ball's name draws on the wild lavender plant found across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - SPA
The ball's name draws on the wild lavender plant found across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - SPA
TT

AFC Unveils 'Khuzama' as Official Ball for Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027

The ball's name draws on the wild lavender plant found across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - SPA
The ball's name draws on the wild lavender plant found across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - SPA

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has unveiled the official match ball for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, named "Khuzama," in partnership with Kelme, to mark the 100-day countdown to the tournament scheduled for January 7 to February 5, 2027.

The ball's name draws on the wild lavender plant found across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while its purple color reflects hospitality and welcome.

The design features geometric patterns inspired by "The Portal" element of the tournament's official identity, derived from traditional Najdi architectural doorways, in shades of deep purple, green, and sand, SPA reported.

Designed to meet match performance requirements, the ball incorporates contrasting purple and white panels to enhance visibility for players, referees, and fans in daylight and under floodlights.

Saudi Arabia will host the AFC Asian Cup for the first time, with 24 teams competing across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar.


100 Days to Go Until AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027

100 Days to Go Until AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027
TT

100 Days to Go Until AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027

100 Days to Go Until AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027

The Local Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 has affirmed Saudi Arabia's readiness to host the tournament as the 100-day countdown begins ahead of the competition's opening on January 7, 2027. The tournament will mark the first edition of the AFC Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia.

The committee said preparations have entered the operational phase, with organizational work continuing in the host cities and stadiums ahead of welcoming 24 national teams competing for the tournament title, SPA reported.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa expressed his appreciation to the Saudi leadership and government, the Local Organizing Committee, and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) for their efforts to host what will be the largest edition in the history of the AFC Asian Cup.

He said the 100-day milestone reflects the Kingdom's progress according to plan toward delivering an unprecedented edition to the highest standards, from the quality of its stadiums and facilities to providing an outstanding experience for fans. Al Khalifa also expressed confidence that all preparations would be completed to the highest standards by January, ensuring Saudi Arabia is fully ready to host the continental football event.

CEO of the Local Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Mai AlHelabi affirmed that all preparations are progressing in tandem as the countdown begins.

“Work to prepare the eight stadiums is proceeding according to plan, while more than 50 entities are working as one team to provide an outstanding experience for fans from the moment they arrive until their departure from Saudi Arabia, reflecting the essence of Saudi hospitality,” AlHelabi said.

She added that the scale of preparations reflects Saudi Arabia's ambitions for the tournament, as well as its capabilities and resources in organizing major sporting events. These capabilities are currently on display in Jeddah, where the Kingdom is hosting the 27th Gulf Cup, “Khaleeji Arabian Dyar 27,” marking another milestone in its record of hosting major football events.

A series of initiatives and events will continue in the run-up to the tournament. These include a film highlighting key milestones in preparations 100 days ahead of the competition, the unveiling of the official mascot, the launch of the tournament's official audio identity, and several other initiatives.