GM football fans. It’s Friday, July. 11 - The Club World Cup final is on Sunday. Italian football has given the green light to play competitive matches abroad, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
UEFA Women’s Euro: Italy vs. Spain, 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET. Spain will aim to secure the top spot in Group A. They’ve been in fine form, having won each of their previous seven matches, scoring at least three goals in six of those wins. While Spain have won by five-goal and four-goal margins in their opening two games, Italy have avoided defeat in three of their last four head-to-head meetings. Portugal vs. Belgium, 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET. Portugal can mathematically qualify if they beat Belgium, despite Italy’s sizeable goal difference advantage over them. Belgium have already been eliminated from the competition after they lost both of their opening two group games. See Women’s Euro group stage standings here.
TV Channels: BBC (UK) | fuboTV / FOX Sports (US) | TSN+ (Canada)
Results…
TOP TALKING POINTS
Club World Cup Final
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain will face each other in the Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on Sunday (July 13) at 15:00 local time (20:00 BST). It will be broadcast on DAZN in the US and Canada, and on Channel 5 or DAZN in the UK. The winner will receive an additional $40m in prize money, taking their total earnings from the competition to around $125m, making it the second-most lucrative club competition in history.
PSG go into the fixtures as 64.4% favourites to win the competition, according to Opta’s prediction model. At the start of the tournament, the model predicted that Luis Enrique’s side were the most likely to win. Despite their tough route to the final, facing Bayern Munich (third favourites) and Real Madrid (fifth favourites), they made it without conceding a goal in the knockout rounds. Should PSG claim victory, they will lift their fifth trophy of the season, including a historic Champions League win.
Yesterday, PSG topped Opta’s ranking as the best men’s team in the world, leapfrogging Liverpool, who have led since November. Chelsea are ranked eighth in the power rankings.
Dive deeper into Chelsea and PSG’s most memorable meetings here.
Italy Approve Match Abroad
The Italian football federation (FIGC) has given the green light for a competitive domestic tie between AC Milan and Como to be played abroad. The match, expected to be hosted in Perth, Australia, would become the first major European domestic fixture played outside its home country.
While Serie A has been keen to stage matches abroad to build its profile, the venue switch stems more from logistical necessity. Milan’s San Siro Stadium will be unavailable on the weekend of the scheduled matchup, February 8-9, as it will be hosting the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Fifa had previously forbidden competitive league matches from being held abroad but has since changed its stance since settling a six-year lawsuit with Relevent Sports, a U.S.-based sports promoter. In May, the UK government said it was prepared to use the football governance bill to prevent the Premier League and EFL from staging competitive matches abroad. Spain’s La Liga, on the other hand, have been exploring playing competitive matches in the United States.
Iconic Cosmos Return
An ownership group bringing a USL club to New Jersey announced the return of the New York Cosmos, the iconic side that once signed both Pele and Franz Beckenbauer. The club will debut in the third-division USL League One in 2026.
After the collapse of the NASL, a direct rival to the USL, and a brief stint in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), the Cosmos have been dormant since 2021. They will now play at Hinchliffe Stadium, a 7,800-seat arena originally built in 1932, located in Paterson, New Jersey. The expansion side will feature a revived variation of the original Cosmos crest–read the history of the club’s kits here.
The Cosmos’ arrival comes as the USL undergoes a transformative shift. In March, its board of directors voted in favour of adopting a promotion and relegation model–a system never implemented across any professional U.S. football league. The system is aimed to be in place by 2028.
POLL
Has the Club World Cup been a success in your view?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Tottenham have triggered Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause (More); the club has also officially signed Mohamed Kudus for £54.5m (More) | Arsenal have signed Christian Noorgard from Brentford in a deal worth £10m, plus £2m add-ons; explore Noorgard’s play style (More)
> Arsenal have had a world-record bid in excess of £1m accepted by Women's Super League rivals Liverpool for forward Olivia Smith (More)
> England face Wales on Sunday (July 13), and a win will mean they advance to the quarter-finals, as the Netherlands and France face each other in group D’s other fixture (More)
Americas
> Lionel Messi has made history, becoming the first MLS player to score multiple times in four consecutive matches in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over New England Revolution (More); watch the record-breaking goal here | See upcoming MLS fixtures (More)
> Denver NWSL expansion franchise will unveil their brand–including the team’s colours, mascot and its name–on Saturday, July 26 (More) | Seattle Reign have signed Mia Fishel from Chelsea on a permanent transfer, and she is now reportedly the highest-paid player in the NWSL (More)
> North Carolina vs. Birmingham Legion kicks off Matchday 19 of the USL Championship on Friday at 7:30 ET; see full schedule (More)
Rest of the World
> Two players have pleaded guilty in betting corruption after they were paid to earn yellow cards during games in Australia’s A-League (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Is Mauricio Pochettino the right coach to lead the USMNT into the 2026 World Cup?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👏 Yes (56%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (40%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (4%)
Your punditry takes:
👏 N.M: “At this point, I'm not sure who else the US could get. If they did switch coaches right now, they wouldn't have too many windows to improve and potentially learn a new system. I'm not really sure if the coach is the biggest problem anymore.”
👏 S.R: “Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter who coaches if a team doesn’t have good players. The USMNT doesn’t have the USA’s best players. It seems that playing in Europe is more important than playing for their country.”
🙅♂️ M.U: “Pochettino doesn't appear to be a great motivator. It's unfortunate that Jurgen Klopp wasn't available/interested at this time, as I believe he would have been the ideal candidate.”
✍️ G.H: “At this point, he is not the right guy. He encourages too much ego, which is a locker room killer. That being said, it is also too late to realistically bring in a new coach, which means he has to be the guy.”
EXTRA TIME
The best pitch design you’ll see all season.
Wrexham unveil 25-26 home kit for return to Championship.
… and Netflix sets date for Brady x Birmingham series. (trailer)
The world’s best teams—ranked.
John Textor breaks down Palace’s situation. (interview)
Delan Rice drops a rice pudding recipe.
The most aggressive set-piece team plays in Minnesota.
Analysis of Arsenal target Viktor Gyokeres.
GAME FACE ON
Question: The Club World Cup final pits Chelsea against PSG. Can you name the four Frenchmen, three Brazilians, and one Englishman who have played for both clubs?
Scroll below for the answer.
ON TODAY
UEFA Women’s Euro 2025
Italy vs. Spain (20:00)
Portugal vs. Belgium (20:00)
*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.
Answer
French players: Claude Makelele, Nicolas Anelka, Lassana Diarra, Christopher Nkunku.
Brazilian players: Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Alex.
English player: Ray Wilkins.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
I always say that a career is a marathon. Success doesn’t only depend on the pitch, but also outside. You have to know how to manage many aspects of life.
