GM football fans. It’s Monday, Sept. 8 - English football’s regulator is set to make its first mark, Messi hints that the 2026 World Cup will be his last, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
TOP TALKING POINTS
Rogue Owners Test Revamped
The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has announced a new owners’ test that could see rogue owners across England's top five divisions forced to sell their clubs. Traditionally, leagues could stop individuals from buying clubs, but found it difficult to remove them once in place. Under the new proposals, the IFR would be able to appoint third parties to run a club temporarily or force its sale.
The proposal, which still needs to be ratified, will assess the “honesty, integrity and financial soundness” of individuals seeking to own or run a football club. If an existing owner does not meet requirements, the IFR could impose financial penalties, issue public censures, or force divestment.
The EFL is expected to scrap its existing test and leave regulation to the IFR, which, as a statutory body, can access records beyond the reach of football authorities. However, the Premier League wants to retain its Owners’ and Directors’ Test, which has been criticised for allowing controversial owners to acquire clubs in recent years.
PSG Confront French FA
Paris Saint-Germain are unhappy with French head coach Didier Deschamps for playing Ousmane Dembele in Friday’s match against Ukraine, despite the forward having a “serious” hamstring injury. Dembele, who is a strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or, will now be sidelined for six weeks, while teammate Desire Doue will miss four weeks after also being injured in the game.
PSG has now written to the French football federation demanding a better working relationship between club and country. The club wants a more “transparent and collaborative medical coordination protocol” with the club to prevent this from happening in future. The reigning Champions League say that they provided the national team with medical information concerning workloads and the injury risk to its players. They argue that Dechamps, who accepted that they received the medical reports, overlooked the advice.
Dembele will now miss the first Champions League match against Atalanta, the second one away at Barcelona, and potentially the trip to Bayer Leverkusen. In Ligue 1, he will be absent for the Classique against Marseille, along with several other fixtures.
Messi’s Last World Cup
Lionel Messi has admitted that the 2026 World Cup will likely be his last, though he has not made a final decision. Speaking after Argentina’s 3-0 win over Venezuela, Messi said: “I don’t think I’ll play another [World Cup]. Because of my age, the most logical thing is that I won’t make it.” The qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup will begin in 2027, when he is 40. Read the rest of Messi’s post-match interview here.
Messi, Argentina’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player, made his debut at the 2006 World Cup aged 18. He is one of five players to have scored at men’s World Cups in three different decades: Uwe Seeler (1950s–70s), Pele (1950s–70s), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (1990s–2010s), Cristiano Ronaldo (2000s–2020s), and Messi (2000s–2020s).
Already qualified, the World Cup champions extended their tally to 38 points and will remain at the top of the South American qualifying standings regardless of what happens in the last round on Tuesday. See the fixtures here.
POLL
Do you think clubs deserve more power when it comes to international call-ups?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 139th and 140th international goals as Portugal beat Armenia 5-0 in their World Cup qualifier (More); see Ronaldo’s wonder goal from the stands (Watch) | Mikel Merino scored a hat-trick in Spain’s 6-0 rout of Turkey (More) | See all European World Cup qualifier results (More)
> Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has agreed to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on a season-long loan (More)
> Olivia Smith, the first £1m female footballer, marked her debut with a goal in Arsenal’s 4-1 win over London City Lionesses (More); see all WSL results (More)
> A crowd of more than 57,000 spectators set an attendance record for a German women’s league game when Bayern Munich hosted Bayer Leverkusen (More)
Americas
> The United States men’s national team lost 2-0 to South Korea in a friendly, which means Mauricio Pochettino’s side has lost seven of their last eight matches against opposition ranked in the top 30 (More)
> Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez has been handed a six-match MLS suspension for spitting at a Seattle Sounders' staff member (More); See all MLS results (More)
> Alex Morgan believes the NWSL can still attract top talent despite the league’s salary cap (More) | Kansas City Current secured their ninth away win with their 2-0 victory over Bay FC, marking a new single-season league record (More)
> USL Championship Eastern Conference leaders Louisville City FC beat Rhode Island 1-0, confirming that an Eastern Conference quarter-final will take place in Louisville (More); see all USL Championship fixtures (More)
Rest of the World
> Morocco became the first African country to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a 5-0 win over Niger (More) | Nigeria revived their hopes of automatic qualification with a 1-0 win over Rwanda (More)
> Former A-League champions Western United apologised to players and staff after the club was placed into hibernation due to their ongoing financial issues (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Friday’s Poll: Is dynamic pricing fair for fans buying World Cup tickets?
🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 👍 Yes (14%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (84%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
🙅♂️ J.P: “Dynamic pricing in general is just a thinly veiled way for companies to charge whatever prices they want. Tickets should be set at tiered prices which would increase as the tournament progresses, or else you could end paying multiple times more for a group stage match that ends up 0-0 than you would for a quarter final, which is a 5 goal thriller with ET and penalties.”
🙅♂️ J.M: “Completely unfair. Some might buy early at a higher price, only to see prices drop later due to a lack of demand. The prices should be fixed at a reasonable level.”
✍️ F.M: “It is understandable that there are certain profit expectations that can be met. The dynamic pricing does shift profits (from higher ticket sales) from resellers to FIFA (I think). The focus should be on ensuring certain tickets and areas are affordable. Most importantly, why can't we adopt a model similar to several clubs at every level in England, where children can get discounted tickets so the love of the game can continue?”
EXTRA TIME
Peter Crouch walks out as a mascot.
Six free agents who could still be shrewd signings.
… and the best-value deals from the window.
The best warm-up kits in Europe.
Which players lead the Premier League’s stats so far?
The history (and evolution) of football formations.
GAME FACE ON
Question: In 2015-16, David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, and who else were New York City FC’s ‘designated players’?
Scroll below for the answer.
ON TODAY
UEFA World Cup Qualifiers
Kosovo vs. Sweden (19:45)
Switzerland vs. Slovenia (19:45)
Belarus vs. Scotland (19:45)
Greece vs. Denmark (19:45)
Israel vs. Italy (19:45)
Croatia vs. Montenegro (19:45)
Gibraltar vs. Faroe Islands (19:45)
*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.
Answer
Frank Lampard.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
I still eat burgers and pizzas after matches. I will always eat them. I will never stop.
