GM football fans. It’s Monday, Nov. 10 - FIFA’s political neutrality has been questioned, the UK’s culture secretary apologises for breaking rules in appointing the chair of the football regulator, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY RESULTS
Premier League: Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool. Pep Guardiola took charge of his 1,000th game, with his side’s win against Liverpool being the 716th victory of his coaching career. The win also ended City’s four-game winless run in the league against the Reds. Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal. Sunderland are the first side to score twice against Arsenal across any competition this season. They’ve also scored more 90th-minute goals than any other side in the current Premier League campaign (5). Tottenham 2-2 Manchester United. United are unbeaten in each of their last five Premier League games, their first time since February 2024. See the Premier League table here.
More results…
Premier League: Villa 4-0 Bournemouth | Brentford 3-1 Newcastle | Palace 0-0 Brighton | Forest 3-1 Leeds | Everton 2-0 Fulham | West Ham 3-2 Burnley | Chelsea 3-0 Wolves
La Liga: Celta Vigo 2-4 Barcelona | Rayo 0-0 Real Madrid (Table)
Bundesliga: Union Berlin 2-2 Bayern Munich | Leverkusen 6-0 Heidenheim (Table)
Serie A: Inter 2-0 Lazio | Bologna 2-0 Napoli | Roma 2-0 Udinese | Parma 2-2 AC Milan | Juventus 0-0 (Table)
TOP TALKING POINTS
FIFA’s Neutrality Questioned
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been accused (paywall) of breaching the organisation’s neutrality rules after appearing to endorse U.S. President Donald Trump’s political agenda. Miguel Maduro, former chair of Fifa’s governance committee (2016–17), said Infantino made remarks that were a “clear violation” of Fifa’s commitment to political neutrality.
Speaking at the American Business Forum last week, an event also attended by President Trump, Infantino said, “We should all support what he’s doing because I think it’s looking good.” He added, “I’m really lucky. I have a great relationship with President Trump, where I consider him a really close friend.”
Maduro argued that Infantino’s comments went beyond diplomatic recognition, amounting to an endorsement of Trump’s political programme. While there has been no indication of an investigation, a breach of Fifa’s statutes could trigger an Ethics Committee investigation, which is empowered to examine and sanction potential violations of Fifa’s Code of Ethics. This ranges from a warning to a ban on taking part in any football-related activity.
Independent Regulator Controversy
The UK culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has apologised for breaking rules by failing to declare she had received donations from David Kogan, the man she later appointed as the chair of England’s new football regulator. Last week, a report found Kogan had made two separate donations of £1,450 to Nandy when she was running to be Labour leader in 2020.
Nandy claims she only became aware of the donations in the days immediately preceding Kogan's appearance before the select committee for his pre-appointment hearing. Kogan’s donation was well below the declaration threshold. She has since updated her public register of interests, though the report concluded the action came too late, arguing she should have verified whether she was a recipient before confirming his appointment.
The report found two other breaches of the public appointments code. It argues that Kogan’s political conflict of interest wasn’t discussed during his interview with the independent selection panel, and the select committee did not mention his “political activity” when he was announced as the preferred candidate.
MLS Cup Charge
Lionel Messi scored two and assisted two as Inter Miami beat Nashville SC 4-0 in Game 3 to reach the MLS Cup semi-final for the first time. Messi finished the best-of-three series with five goals and three assists, meaning he was involved in all eight of Miami’s goals across the tie. The 38-year-old also reached 400 career assists.
FC Cincinnati are also advancing to the Eastern Conference semi-final following their 2-1 win over Columbus Crew. Meanwhile, Minnesota booked their spot in the Western Conference semi-final, playing either San Diego or Portland—the match will conclude shortly after publication (live result).
Overall, Philadelphia, FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami, and New York City FC progress to the Eastern Conference semi-final. Vancouver Whitecaps, LAFC, Minnesota, and either San Diego or Portland Timbers advance in the Western Conference. Fixture dates will be confirmed after the final match concludes. See the bracket here.
POLL
Do you think this is the most competitive Premier League season ever?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Former Luton manager Rob Edwards is set to be appointed as Wolves head coach as Middlesbrough agree a £2m compensation fee (More)
> Frank Lampard’s Coventry City remain top of the Championship, with only one loss in 15 league matches, following their 1-0 away win at third-place Stoke City (Match Report); see Championship results (More) and standings (More)
> Roma are now top of the Serie A table following a 2-0 win over Udinese, as second-placed AC Milan threw away a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Parma (More)
> Union Berlin has ended Bayern Munich’s 16-game winning streak with a 2-2 draw in the Bundesliga (More)
> Ireland's football federation voted to submit a motion to Uefa to ban Israel from competitions organised by the European governing body (More)
Americas
> Top-seeded Kansas City Current have been eliminated from the NWSL play-offs after being beaten by No. 8-seed Gotham FC 2-1 with a 121st-minute winner (More) | Portland clinched the final spot in the NWSL semi-final following a 1-0 win over San Diego Wave after regulation (More)
> The Canadian Premier League final between Ottawa and Cavalry will conclude shortly after publication (Live Result)
> Just three points separate first (Toluca) and fourth (Club America) in Liga MX after 17 matches; see Liga MX standings (More) and results (More)
> FC Tulsa, New Mexico United and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC have advanced to USL Championship Conference Finals for the first time in club history (More)
Rest of the World
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Friday’s Poll: Should clubs hold minute silences for non-football-related events?
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 👍 Yes (32%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (64%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 E.L: “I think it shows a broader sensibility and world ethos to acknowledge what's happening in the world. Football should never occur in a vacuum.”
🙅♂️ D.B: “Not only should they not hold silences for unrelated events, but the pageantry of any normal league game should be done away with. Topping the list: no national anthems unless it’s a true championship game or later-stage World Cup match.”
✍️ D.J: “It depends on the nature of the event. A natural disaster that claims lots of lives in the place where the match is taking place would, for example, be an appropriate occasion to hold a minute's silence. Other events that aren't related to the venue or either team seem not to be appropriate, however.”
EXTRA TIME
The story behind Adidas’ 2026 World Cup kits.
You won’t believe the snow in the Canadian Premier League final.
Why can Channel Islands players play for England?
Updated Premier League projections.
… and BBC’s Premier League team of the week.
MLS releases the 2025 Best XI.
Szoboszai gives a tactical breakdown of his role at Liverpool. (video)
Barcelona unveil new-look Camp Nou stadium. (w/ photos)
GAME FACE ON
Question: What do the following teams have in common?
Benfica, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille.
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
Well, Clive, it's all about the two Ms - movement and positioning.
Answer
They all finished second in their domestic league last season (2024-25).
