GM football fans. It’s Thursday, July. 31 - An initial decision on Man City’s 115 charges case is expected to come in October, Las Vegas will host the 2026 World Cup draw, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURE
Premier League Summer Series: Manchester United vs. Bournemouth, 02:30 BST / 21:30 ET. Bournemouth beat Man United 3-0 at Old Trafford for a second consecutive season last year, extending their winless run to four games in this fixture. The Cherries have also had a perfect run in pre-season, having overcome Hibernian and Bristol City before playing in the Summer Series, and then beating Everton 3-0 in their opening match. Man United, despite winning their opening fixture against West Ham, have been inconsistent, winning two, drawing one, and losing one.
TV Channels: Sky Sports (UK) | Peacock (US) | fuboTV (Canada)
Results…
Premier League Summer Series: West Ham vs. Everton to conclude shortly after publication (Live Updates)
UEFA Champions League qualifiers (See Results)
TOP TALKING POINTS
Man City’s 115 Case Delays
Club executives and senior football figures believe that Manchester City’s 115 alleged charges case could go on until at least October before an initial decision. An outcome was expected last season as the hearing concluded in early December. The charges involve accusations of City breaching financial regulations–dive deeper into the case here.
Many are pointing to the international break between October 4 and 18 as a possible window for the announcement. As both City and the Premier League have the right to appeal the initial decision of the independent commission, a tangible outcome from the case could take much longer. Actual details of the process are still kept behind closed doors, with only those directly involved knowing exactly how it is going.
The uncertainty around the outcome has, insiders believe, delayed proper governance in the league. Clubs are unwilling to push through or suggest any major changes in the running of the league as they believe the outcome of the case could override any new developments.
World Cup Draw in Vegas
Las Vegas is set to host the 2026 Fifa World Cup draw on December 5, marking the second time the Nevada city will stage the tournament’s group-stage ceremony. Reports suggest that Las Vegas was chosen over candidate cities in Canada and Mexico, though Fifa has not yet officially confirmed the date or location.
Las Vegas hosted the World Cup draw in 1993 ahead of the tournament in the following year, the last time it was held in the United States–watch the full draw here. It took place at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, which will be unavailable for the 2026 draw. The Sphere, which boasts a 54,000-square-meter wraparound LED screen, was a potential venue for the draw, but sources say there will be a schedule conflict.
The draw will assign the 48 participating nations into 12 groups of four, marking the first time the men’s tournament will feature 48 teams.
Referee Cam Trials Continue
Football’s lawmakers will continue to trial the use of referee body cameras for broadcast purposes in domestic and international competitions. The International Football Association Board (Ifab) said its board of directors had approved the extension of the trial of the technology following “successful tests” at the 2025 Club World Cup.
Footage from body cameras will be used in the German Bundesliga, alongside stadium announcements. Referees will broadcast all their video-reviewed decisions in top-tier Bundesliga stadiums from the start of the season in August, and in games in the second tier from October 17.
The Premier League is also considering introducing referee body cameras for the upcoming season, and will require Ifab and Fifa’s permission to do so. Jarred Gillett became the first English top-flight referee to wear a body camera when Crystal Palace and Manchester United played in May 2024. The footage was used for promotional purposes—watch here.
POLL
Should football clubs release new kits every other year instead of annually?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are in advanced negotiations over a potential staged takeover of La Liga club Getafe CF (More)
> A closed-door hearing in the case of Crystal Palace vs. Uefa, Nottingham Forest, and Lyon will be held on August 8 (More)
> Manchester United’s Luke Shaw has backed manager Ruben Amorim’s approach to removing the “stragglers” from the squad (More) | Sunderland have completed the signing of former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen for around £17.3m (More)
> Bayern Munich have confirmed the signing of Liverpool’s Luis Diaz with a reported fee of €75m on a four-year contract (More)
Americas
> Brazil women’s team beat Uruguay 5-1 to qualify for the Copa America Femenina final for the fifth consecutive time; they will face Colombia on Monday (More)
> Leagues Cup: CF Montreal caused an upset against Club Leon with a 7-6 penalty shootout win after a 1-1 draw (More); See full results and upcoming fixtures (More)
> USL Championship: Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Miami FC played out a 1-1 draw; additional matches concluding shortly after publication (See Results)
Rest of the World
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think pre-season results are a good indicator of how a team will perform during the season?
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 👍 Yes (7%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (89%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (4%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 J.P.L: “I don't think it necessarily correlates to direct results, but it can highlight systemic issues. If you're a top-flight club and you aren't scoring against 3rd division opponents in friendlies, that's probably going to be a problem in league play.”
🙅♂️ M.B: “Liverpool never won a friendly in 2019 pre-season, but still won the league by 18 points. It's all about building fitness and performance.”
🙅♂️ J.D: “Pre-season matches typically feature youth players that will not see massive minutes during the season, and see managers trying out new formations and strategies that may or may not be used in matches as well. For those who are familiar, it is no different from Summer League in the NBA or pre-season in the NFL, which are just opportunities for practice squad and youth players to get game minutes to see if they can play with the main team during the season.”
✍️ M.R: “Generally not, but for a club with problems (i.e., Hull City), a good run of pre-season results can foster a togetherness and confidence in the squad, which might transpose into better results in the early part of the season than might otherwise have been expected.”
EXTRA TIME
When Drogba helped end civil war in Ivory Coast.
Genoa’s new kit nods to its English roots.
Ex-Liverpool player now plays professional footgolf.
Is Chloe Kelly the first player to score a decisive goal at two major finals?
Messi wears £700k ‘Barbie’ watch on the sidelines.
Grading the big summer signings–updated.
Transfer fees aren’t as important as you think.
Why more British clubs are scouting in Asia.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Who is the only player in history to have been the top assist provider in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Europa League, Champions League, Euro, and World Cup?
Scroll below for the answer.
ON TODAY
Premier League Summer Series
Manchester United vs. Bournemouth (02:30)
*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.
Answer
Mesut Ozil.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
It's good to be leaving with the feeling of a duty fulfilled, and, most of all, to be leaving a champion.
