Liverpool: Klopp could replace Jones by unleashing £50k-p/w "warrior"

Liverpool suffered their first loss of the campaign against high-flying Tottenham Hotspur in a controversial Premier League display last week, but could now respond with a statement victory over Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon.

Jurgen Klopp rued the shambolic officiating that prevented Liverpool from leapfrogging Manchester City into first place, but will now be firmly focussed on capitalising on the Seagulls' own woes, having fallen to a heavy 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend.

Liverpool are juggling several absences but will be confident that their newfound vigour will prove enough to secure three points on the south coast.

What's the latest Liverpool team news?

Following their red cards at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Liverpool will be without both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota, with the latter scoring in midweek against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League.

Talking of absent goalscorers, Cody Gakpo is expected to be sidelined until after the international break having injured his knee against Spurs, scoring before half-time to restore parity.

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.

The Dutchman joins Thiago Alcantara and his young Spanish compatriot Stefan Bajcetic on the sidelines, thinning Klopp's midfield options for the tie at the AMEX Stadium.

That being said, Trent Alexander-Arnold is in contention for his first Premier League start in over a month having recovered from a hamstring injury, which could inject the creativity required to clinch victory.

Why should Liverpool start Wataru Endo?

Another man whose prospective involvement from the start might be prudent in stifling Brighton's threat is Wataru Endo, with the industrious midfielder playing a peripheral role for Liverpool since signing from German side Stuttgart for around £16m in August.

Jones has been making major strides to his game in 2023 and have cemented a regular starting role for himself, but after seeing red in London, the Scouser will need replacing for the next three Premier League matches.

A cool and composed central presence, Endo, aged 30, is not the most technically proficient but can certainly do a job in the middle, and might be the glue needed to allow the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister to flourish.

Ryan Gravenberch has been immense since joining in the summer himself and will be hoping for his first start in the English top-flight, and while he could slot in for, possibly, Mac Allister, Endo might be the man for the job in the holding role later today.

There will be tougher tests to come, but the recent victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup really did showcase Endo's skills and effectiveness against a fluid foe, and with Brighton's ball-playing game among the division's very best, his inclusion as the midfield anchor could be paramount.

Indeed, Albion have completed the fourth-highest number of passes in the league this season (4169), which is higher than Liverpool (3793) and inhibiting the Reds' flow will be something Roberto De Zerbi will indeed be seeking to exploit.

But with Endo's robustness in the centre, this will not come easy for the home side, with the Japan star ranking among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins and the top 15% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.

The £50k-per-week ace has been described as a "proper warrior and leader" by Bundesliga commentator Kevin Thatchard, and bringing his mettle to sink the Seagulls could be the difference-maker for Klopp's side as they push for a return to winning ways.

"Indicated…" – Expert shares what Qatari "sources" believe about Man Utd

Manchester United are never far away from the back pages regarding their off-field developments and Sky Sports expert Kieran Maguire has revealed what sources in Qatar now think about the club.

Man Utd updates: Rashford criticised, Arnau Martinez linked

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, ESPN writer Mark Ogden has criticised Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford and believes that Erik ten Hag may soon need to drop the England international if his form doesn't improve. Ogden stated: "There’s something not right about Rashford. He had a great burst after the World Cup last season and scored in every game for 12, 13 games. But he plays in patches where he doesn’t contribute. It's an issue that Erik ten Hag has to address."

Later on in discussions, Ogden added: "Ten Hag may have to drop him. But the situation is he hasn't got the people in the squad capable of coming in for Rashford. Jadon Sancho looks like he’ll never play again; Hojlund is playing well through the middle, but beyond that what've you got?"

A recent update from 90min on Manchester United's right-back targets has revealed that the Red Devils are interested in Girona defender Arnau Martinez, who they have monitored this term alongside rival suitors Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

On the continent, La Liga superpowers Real Madrid and Barcelona are also keeping tabs, while Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Roma have all scouted the Spain Under-21 international.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea man Ruud Gullit has been critical of Rasmus Hojlund's Manchester United teammates for failing to provide the Danish star with more goalscoring opportunities this season.

As per Premier League Productions, Gullit said: "I still think you have to get your striker on the scoresheet. Because if he gets on the scoresheet he gets confidence, then also the rest are looking for him all the time. They don’t look for him as much. And he’s in areas where you can have a look at him. You see too many players too eager to score themselves, they’re coming inside, they want to hit the target all the time."

Manchester United's last five results – all competitions

Competition

Opponent and result

Venue

Premier League

Sheffield United 1-2 Manchester United

Bramall Lane

Premier League

Manchester United 2-1 Brentford

Old Trafford

Champions League

Manchester United 2-3 Galatasaray

Old Trafford

Premier League

Manchester United 0-1 Crystal Palace

Old Trafford

EFL Cup

Manchester United 3-0 Crystal Palace

Old Trafford

Man Utd takeover news – Sheikh Jassim

Speaking to Football Insider about the latest takeover news at Manchester United, Sky Sports expert Maguire has indicated that relations between Qatar and the Red Devils are now fractured after Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani took his bid off the table completely:

"I’m not surprised that Qatar completely withdrew. Senior sources close to the Sheikh Jassim bid have indicated to me that there was increased frustration towards the conduct of the Glazers. On more than one occasion, they had agreed to increase the bid. They had agreed to some concessions as far as the demands of the Glazers were concerned.

Manchester United's stadium, Old Trafford.

"Yet every time that they felt that they were close to shaking hands on a deal, the terms were changed. In the end, they didn’t want to be taken advantage of. I think there was a huge sense of frustration because the Jassim team had spent huge sums of money employing bankers, a legal team and accountants to come up with an appropriate valuation. All of that money is now being wasted. So I think there’s no good blood between Jassim and the Glazers."

Manchester United now look to be edging toward having 25% of the club taken over by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm Ineos; however, many fans will be left to wonder what life could've been like with enormous financial backing from Qatari businessman Jassim.

Spurs: Hoddle says "matured" Tottenham player is just about to "peak"

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that a star of theirs is playing his "best" ever football at the club and may just be about to hit his very peak.

How good are Tottenham?

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has transformed the Lilywhites since his arrival in June, with his side winning six out of a possible eight of their opening league games while remaining unbeaten. Tottenham's latest victory, a 1-0 away to Luton Town, emphasised the real spirit of this new-look Postecoglou side – in contrast to their rip-roaring, exciting brand of attacking football which has been on full display so far this campaign.

Summer signing Micky van de Ven snatched the only goal of the game, and Spurs were forced to work very hard for the three points after star midfielder Yves Bissouma was shown a red card in the first half.

The north Londoners' solidarity and fighting was praised by Postecoglou after full-time, who drawn attention to the calmness and composure on display at Kenilworth Road.

“Two different halves, I thought we played some great football in the first half. I thought it was as good as we’ve played and we probably should have been two or three up,” Postecoglou said.

“Obviously the red card changes the game but again I thought the lads handled it really well. They stayed calm and composed. In the end just the sheer will and effort of them to make sure we won, not just the starters but the guys coming on, it was a great collective effort. Biss made a mistake. He has been brilliant for us this year. He made a mistake and the good thing is how he reacts to these things."

Spurs next take on London neighbours Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 23, just after England conclude their international break with matches against both Australia and Italy.

James Maddison news

Postecoglou's stars have been lavished with praise for their displays in a Spurs jersey thus far, specifically the likes of Bissouma, van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie and, of course, on-fire midfield ace James Maddison.

The former Leicester City star, who joined in the summer for around £40 million, has gone on to win the hearts of supporters with a series of brilliant displays. His five assists and two goals have helped to guide table-topping Tottenham to the Premier League summit, something which Glenn Hoddle has really noticed. Heaping praise on Maddison, the Spurs legend says he will hit his "peak" very soon and is currently playing his "best" football.

Key passes

Aerial duels

Taking set-pieces

Discipline

Through balls

Long-shots

Direct free-kicks

Dribbling

Crossing

Holding on to the ball

Passing

“I always rated him,” Hoddle told Premier League Productions (09/10/23 at 5:30 pm).

“I felt Tottenham three years should have gone and got him with Harry (Kane) in the team. I always felt that he was ahead of players who were getting ahead of him in the England squad when he was at Leicester. With better players around him, and certainly in that England team, I think you would see the best and that’s coming out of him now. He has matured. He’s got three or four years where he is going to be at his peak.”

Will Paul Pogba ever return for France? Didier Deschamps reveals talks with World Cup winner and sends motivational message following ‘tough’ four-year ban ruling

Didier Deschamps admitted that he has been in touch with Paul Pogba and revealed whether the midfielder has a future with the French national team.

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Pogba handed four-year ban for doping Deschamps lends support to French international Wants him back on pitch as soon as possible GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Pogba, who played a pivotal role in France's World Cup triumph in 2018, is staring at an uncertain future after he was handed a four-year suspension following a failed drug test. With the current verdict, the former Manchester United star is sidelined until the age of 35, posing significant uncertainty regarding his future in professional football.

AdvertisementWHAT DESCHAMPS SAID

Deschamps expressed his empathy for Pogba's predicament and hopes that the player is allowed to get back on the pitch as quickly as possible.

“I’ve spoken to him. Psychologically, it’s hard,” Deschamps told reporters.

“The ruling was tough; he filed an appeal, so there will be another judgment. He is going to defend himself with all his strength. I don’t like to be definite about the future. Above all, I hope he can regain the pleasure of playing on the field and then find the France national team again.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The midfielder has been absent from Juventus training since September 2023 following a precautionary suspension by the Italian anti-doping commission. However, Pogba's legal team remains resolute in their stance as they vehemently deny any deliberate wrongdoing and have pledged to contest the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Rio Mavuba, a former member of the French national team, has claimed that Pogba might have been 'tricked" into taking the banned substance.

Vina fala sobre homenagem para Maradona e exalta resultado fora de casa

MatériaMais Notícias

A segunda-feira termina de maneira mágica para o Ceará. Pela primeira vez em sua história, o Vozão derrotou o Vasco em São Januário e conseguiu amenizar a má fase que rondava o time.

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Um dos destaques da partida foi o meia-atacante Vina, que marcou um gol de pênalti e homenageou Maradona com uma dancinha.

Na saída de campo, o jogador do Vozão comentou sobre a sua comemoração e o respeito pelo ídolo argentino, que faleceu na semana passada.

‘Todos sabem que Maradona foi ídolo, é uma perda grande. Eu, como meia, ele era um dos caras que me inspirava. Procurei fazer a dancinha dele no aquecimento. Era algo que já tinha combinado com meus companheiros de clube e pude ajudar o Ceará a sair com a vitória importantíssima’, declarou ao Premiere.

Com o resultado, o Ceará chegou aos 29 pontos e aparece na 10ª colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro.

خاص | موقف إبراهيم عادل النهائي من ترك معسكر منتخب مصر والعودة لـ بيراميدز

كشف مصدر بـ اتحاد الكرة المصري عن موقف إبراهيم عادل من الاستمرار في معسكر منتخب مصر الأولمبي الحالي استعدادا للمشاركة في أولمبياد باريس 2024.

وكان هاني سعيد المدير الرياضي لنادي بيراميدز قد أكد رغبة بيراميدز في استعادة إبراهيم عادل من معسكر المنتخب من أجل المشاركة مع الفريق في مباراة الأهلي المقبلة بالدوري المصري.

طالع | بيراميدز يوجه طلبًا لمسؤولي منتخب مصر الأولمبي بسبب مباراة الأهلي

بيراميدز سيواجه الأهلي في خضم مؤجلات الجولة الرابعة عشر من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز، مساء يوم الجمعة المقبل على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ”بطولات”: “القرار النهائي أن إبراهيم عادل لن يخرج من معسكر منتخب مصر الأولمبي”.

وتشهد صدارة الدوري المصري منافسة شديدة بين ناديي الأهلي وبيراميدز، إذ يحتل الفريق السماوي الصدارة برصيد 68 نقطة حصدهم من 27 مباراة، ويلاحقه المارد الأحمر صاحب الـ57 نقطة من 23 مباراة.

Darren Bravo, McCullum turn tables on Stars in breathtaking chase

With 85 needed off 30 balls, the duo launched an unsparing assault on the Stars bowlers to help Knight Riders raze the target down with a ball to spare

The Report by Peter Della Penna17-Aug-2018Getty ImagesAfter a dim start to the season, marked by three winless matches on the road, St Lucia Stars’ season had begun to look brighter on Thursday night, after a trio of half-centurions boosted them to a franchise record total. But in the end, history repeated itself, as Trinbago Knight Riders maintained their impressive record over the Stars, who crashed to a stunning five-wicket defeat at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet.David Warner, Rahkeem Cornwall and Kieron Pollard all crossed 50, each in contrasting styles, to take the home side to 212 for 2. And yet, it was far from enough, as Darren Bravo and Brendon McCullum launched a stunning late onslaught with a 137-run fourth-wicket stand. Requiring 85 runs off the last five overs, Knight Riders crossed the line with a ball to spare. The result also meant the Stars’ winless streak has been stretched to 15 games.Family feastThe end of Warner’s horrid run with the bat coincided with the arrival of his wife and younger daughter at St Lucia. With his two favourite girls watching from the stands, Warner looked at ease while compiling an unbeaten 72 off 55 balls. Most of his damage was done in the first 10 overs, beginning with an uppercut off Ali Khan in the third over for the first of his three sixes. Once Andre Fletcher got out in the sixth over, caught at backward point to a mistimed cut off Shannon Gabriel, Warner was content to ride in the slipstream of his subsequent partners.CornwallopAfter sitting out the previous match, Cornwall made an imperious return to the Stars lineup at No. 3. In the very first match of the season, Fawad Ahmed had struck on his first ball after entering in the seventh over. On this occasion, however, he was swatted with disdain over midwicket for six by Cornwall. The big man began the eighth over in the same fashion against Gabriel, swatting him back over his head for a maximum, before dragging him flat through the wind for six over square leg a few balls later.Cornwall clattered his fifth six over long-on to start the 12th over against Dwayne Bravo, at which stage he overtook Warner on the scorecard, and simultaneously brought up the fifty of their partnership, as well as the Stars 100. Cornwall eventually brought up his half-century off 25 balls, before running out of steam in the 15th over, edging behind as he tried to swing a wide delivery from Javon Searles to the leg side. That ended the partnership at 79 but the innings was hardly about to lose any steam.Pollard goes wildAt 130 for 2 in 15 overs, Tom Moody called out on the TV commentary that Stars should target 12 an over for the rest of the way to get to 190. For a team that has struggled to score runs and was bowled out for just 95 when these two sides met in the opening match of the season, the suggestion may have seemed optimistic. But by the end of the innings, hindsight showed Moody’s prediction was actually quite conservative.The Stars third-wicket pair of Warner and Kieron Pollard added 84 unbeaten runs off the final 32 balls of the innings. More than three-quarters of those came off the bat of Pollard, who sped away to the joint-fastest half-century in CPL history, getting there in just 18 balls. He stroked seven sixes in his 65 not out off 23 balls, the brunt of his damage absorbed by Dwayne Bravo, whose wretched form with the ball continued. The Knight Riders captain was once again his team’s most expensive bowler on the night, conceding 50 from four wicketless overs.Bravo leaked 20 to Pollard in the 18th, including two sixes over the leg side. Ali Khan came into the match as the CPL’s leading wicket-taker but with the exception of a searing yorker to Pollard that just missed his off stump in the 17th, the American lacked his usual bite and was clubbed for three more sixes by Pollard in the 19th over that went for 23 runs. Pollard then bludgeoned Bravo for two more maximums in the final over that brought 17 runs and catapulted the Stars to well over 200. And yet, it wasn’t close to being enough.Riders on the stormKnight Riders’ woes during a two-match losing skid were mainly down to a leaky bowling attack, but on this occasion their batsmen managed to bail them out. Cornwall backed up his impressive batting display by striking twice in the Powerplay with his offspin that claimed Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn, to dent the visitors chase early. But Knight Riders clawed back behind a 51-run stand between McCullum and Colin Munro to reach 74 for 3 after 10 overs, just 14 runs behind where Stars were at the same stage.It was at this point that Darren Bravo almost singlehandedly snuffed out the Stars, and how. Entering at the fall of Munro in the 10th over at 71 for 3, the younger Bravo dwarfed Pollard’s finishing kick. At 128 for 3 after 15, having just brought up a fifty partnership with McCullum. Darren channeled his inner Garry Sobers in the 16th by hoisting four consecutive sixes off Pollard to start the over. A two off the fifth ball was followed by another six off the final delivery to complete the most expensive over in CPL history.From there, Darren could not be stopped, romping his way to 94 unbeaten runs off 36 balls, including six fours and ten sixes. Even a brief stutter during an excellent 19th over from Mitchell McClenaghan, who snared two wickets and gave away just two runs, wasn’t enough to shake Darren, who ensured the Stars’ woeful record remained in tact. Denesh Ramdin hammered the final nail with a six – 34th of the match – off the penultimate ball that not only sealed the win but also equalled the record for most sixes in a Twenty20 match.

Celtic’s “incredible to watch” star set for weeks on sidelines with injury

Celtic have been dealt a blow after learning that one of their first-team players has been ruled out of action for several weeks through injury, following a fresh update.

Celtic injury news

At Parkhead, Brendan Rodgers has Liel Abada, Stephen Welsh, Marco Tilio and Maik Nawrocki all out on the sidelines with their own respective problems, but they are about to be joined in the treatment room by another one of their teammates north of the border.

The Hoops secured a respectable 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid on home soil in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, but despite the positive result, there was, unfortunately for the boss, a negative to occur on the night with regards to a squad member having to leave the field earlier than expected.

The Scottish Premiership side’s central midfielder, Reo Hatate, was named in the starting line-up for the midweek encounter under the lights, but was forced off the pitch and replaced by Paulo Bernardo after just seven minutes due to a suspected hamstring injury, which caused immediate concern among staff and supporters alike.

Reo Hatate ruled out through injury

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Rodgers confirmed that Celtic’s Reo Hatate won’t be available for several weeks.

As quoted by Sky Sports, he said: "We don't have a definitive timeline but he will definitely be out for a few weeks. We are just waiting for it to settle down and waiting for the result and we will see where he's at but it looked quite a bad one.

"If you watch the game, the first 35 seconds he has over-stretched and he has felt it early on. It's such a shame for him. It's a different one. He was out with his hamstring last year, it's his other one this time. So we just need to try to get to the bottom of that."

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate.

As per journalist Josh Bunting, Hatate is “incredible to watch” at Celtic, so the fact that he’s set to be out of action for an extended amount of time will come as a huge blow to Rodgers, who won’t have the 25-year-old at his disposal for the foreseeable future.

The Japan international has racked up 31 involvements, 16 assists and 15 goals, in 76 appearances during his time in Glasgow, highlighting how prolific he can be in the final third (Transfermarkt – Hatate statistics), and there’s no doubt that he’s helped to play a huge part in the club’s success in recent seasons.

The Bhoys star has secured four trophies since putting pen to paper in January 2022, including winning the likes of the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup, so he is an integral member of the squad and one whose absence will be missed on the field.

Furthermore, Hatate is a versatile operator having been deployed in eight different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including two roles in defence, everywhere across the midfield and even out wide as a left-winger, so the manager will be hoping to have his talisman back as soon as possible.

India tour headlines New Zealand's packed home summer

Double-header men’s and women’s T20Is will be the main attraction as New Zealand men are set to play five Tests, 11 ODIs and four T20Is from December to March

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2018

Stu Forster/Getty Images

New Zealand are set to play hosts to Asian teams Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh during their 2018-19 home season from December to March. The India tour will be particularly significant given both the men’s and women’s teams will feature in three T20I double-headers in early February after they complete their respective ODI series.New Zealand home summer

Versus Sri Lanka:
1st Test: December 15-19, Wellington
2nd Test: December 26-30, Christchurch
1st ODI: January 3, Mount Maunganui
2nd ODI: January 5, Mount Maunganui
3rd ODI: January 8, Nelson
Only T20: January 11, Auckland
Versus India:
1st ODI: January 23, Napier
2nd ODI: January 26, Mount Maunganui
3rd ODI: January 28, Mount Maunganui
4th ODI: January 31, Hamilton
5th ODI: February 3, Wellington
1st T20: February 6, Wellington
2nd T20: February 8, Auckland
3rd T20: February 10, Hamilton
Versus Bangladesh:
1st ODI: February 13, Napier
2nd ODI: February 16, Christchurch
3rd ODI: February 20, Dunedin
1st Test: February 28-March 4, Hamilton
2nd Test: March 8-12, Wellington
3rd Test: March 16-20, Christchurch

While the men’s teams of India and New Zealand will feature in a five-match ODI series – starting January 23 – that will serve as preparation for the 2019 World Cup, the women’s teams will square off in three ICC Women’s Championship fixtures that helps to identify seven direct qualifiers (excluding the hosts) for the 2021 Women’s World Cup to be held in New Zealand. All six women’s matches will be televised live for the first time in New Zealand history.In a move to align with viewer-friendly timings in India, NZC pushed back the start of all games, barring the second T20I in Auckland on February 8, by one hour as per their agreement with India’s host broadcaster Star Sports. There are restrictions on the number of events that can be held at night at Eden Park because of its proximity to residential areas.While the first and third T20Is will begin at 8pm local time, the Auckland game will start an hour earlier. “NZC would’ve liked to have scheduled more India matches at Eden Park in Auckland but was unable to do so because of restrictions at the venue,” NZC’s chief operating officer Anthony Crummy said. All five ODIs between the men’s teams will start at 3pm local time.New Zealand’s international summer will start with two Tests against Sri Lanka, starting December 15 in Wellington, followed by the Boxing Day Test in Christchurch, before they play three ODIs and a lone T20 in January. Once India’s tour of New Zealand ends with the last T20 on February 10, the hosts will take on Bangladesh for three ODIs, followed by a three-Test series – the first ever between the two sides. This will also be Bangladesh’s first three-Test series since hosting Zimbabwe in 2014. The three Tests will be played in Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.”NZC had hoped to schedule the opening Bangladesh Test at Seddon Park as a Day-Night fixture but could not obtain agreement from the Bangladesh Cricket Board and was forced to revert to the traditional hours-of-play,” an NZC release said.Meanwhile, India will also field an A team that will feature in three four-day fixtures across Mount Maunganui, Hamilton and Whangarei, and three 50-over fixtures, all at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui during the same period.This series is in line with NZC’s increased investment in the ‘A Programme’ as announced in the new NZC-NZCPA (New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association) master agreement earlier in July. The BCCI has in recent times increased the exposure for their A teams through tours to run alongside the senior team’s tour, like in England this summer.

Brilliant news for the NWSL and their CONCACAF rivals! Inaugural W Champions Cup announced as new continental competition

CONCACAF has announced the inaugural launch of the W Champions Cup, featuring 11 sides from the USA, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

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  • New CONCACAF W Champions Cup announced
  • Three NWSL sides to feature, 11 total teams
  • Starts in August 2024
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The competition will be the first-ever tournament to pit North and Central American clubs against each other, with play slated to begin this August.

    Three teams from the NWSL, three from Mexico's Liga MX Femenil and five from other countries around the region make up the field for the competition's debut. The winner of a preliminary round match between Canada and El Salvador's representative will join the other nine sides to make up 10-total teams in two pools of five teams.

    Each team will play four-total group stage games, with two home and two away, from August to October this year. The top two teams from each group, four total, will then qualify for a final-four event to be played in May 2025.

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  • WHAT A FIFA AND CONCACAF REPRESENATIVE SAID

    "Launching the Concacaf W Champions Cup is a very exciting next step on our journey of developing all aspects of women's football in our region," said Concacaf president and FIFA vice president, Victor Montagliani.

    "When we launched our Concacaf W women's football strategy in 2019 we focused on creating an enhanced calendar of national team competitions that benefited all of our Member Associations, and on providing opportunities for women and girls to develop a passion for football at all levels of the sport. We have made significant progress in those areas, albeit with much work more to do, and the growth of leagues and clubs is an important next phase in our strategy.

    "The W Champions Cup will provide a tremendous sporting opportunity for clubs in Concacaf, and we look forward to the first edition commencing in August this year, to crowning a first champion in May 2025, and to delivering an exciting pathway to the new FIFA Women's Club World Cup."

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The format will pit 11 teams annually from the following designations to go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all competition. To qualify, clubs will qualify through their respective domestic leagues based on "sporting merit through criteria which must be proposed by their Member Association and ratified by Concacaf."

    Canada (Women's Premier League) One club in Preliminary Round
    Costa Rica (Liga Promerica) One club in Group Stage
    El Salvador (El Salvador Liga Femenina) One club in Preliminary Round
    Jamaica (JFF Women's League) One club in Group Stage
    Panama (Liga De Futbol Femenino) One club in Group Stage
    United States (NWSL) Three clubs in Group Stage
    Mexico (Liga MX Femenil) Three clubs in Group Stage
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    WHAT NEXT FOR THE CONCACAF W CHAMPIONS CUP?

    The competition is slated to start this August, and it's unknown who has or who will qualify for the 2024/25 edition, but it's an exciting development for the domestic game in North America. For the NWSL in particular, it's an opportunity for some of the world's best to test themselves against new foes in a new competition.

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