Good morning football fans. It’s Thursday, April. 30 - Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been handed a four-year ban, Fifa could force teams to play one homegrown player in U21 matches at all times, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
UEFA Europa League semi-finals (April 30): Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa, 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET. Forest are unbeaten in their last four home games against Villa, all in the Premier League. However, Villa have won 11 Europa League matches this season, with only three other teams in history winning more in a single season. Sporting Braga vs. Freiburg, 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET. Freiburg have made the semi-finals of a European competition for the very first time, but have done so in style, scoring 11 goals in their last three Europa League matches. Meanwhile, Braga have been clinical this campaign, with a conversion rate of 17.4%, the joint-best in the competition alongside FC Midtjylland.
Results…
Champions League: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal (Match Report)
Women’s Super League: Arsenal 7-0 Leicester (Table)
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TOP TALKING POINTS
FIFA Weighs Youth Rule
Clubs could be required to have at least one homegrown under-21 player on the pitch at all times, under proposals being considered by Fifa. The measure is aimed at strengthening youth development and could reshape squad strategy across domestic and international competitions. It is also a move to shift youth development away from a best practice and toward a mandatory competitive requirement.
Among Premier League sides, Manchester City will be the least affected, as 30 of their 33 matches this season have featured an under-21 English player in their starting team. Newcastle (23 matches), Crystal Palace (21), and Manchester United (20) will also be less affected than other teams. Elsewhere, Aston Villa, Burnley, Brentford, and Leeds United have not had a single English under-21 player start any of their league matches this season, while Arsenal and Liverpool have included such a player just twice.
A Fifa statement read: “The Fifa Council unanimously approved a consultation process with all relevant stakeholders for a regulatory obligation that senior club teams are obliged to always have at least one homegrown player from the U20 or U21 category on the field of play.” The proposal is expected to be reviewed by the Fifa Council within the next year.
Four-Year Ban Confirmed
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has reportedly been handed a four-year ban by the FA after he tested positive for a banned substance in 2024, the maximum ban for doping by English football’s governing body. The Ukraine international, who joined Chelsea for an initial €70m (£65m; $88m), has not played for nearly 18 months after an “adverse finding in a routine urine test” led to his suspension. Mudryk denies knowingly using any banned substances or breaking any rules, but the substance found in his tests is thought to have been meldonium, which can increase respiratory capacity and stamina.
The 25-year-old has taken the case to sport’s highest court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), to appeal against the drug ban. "Cas confirms it has received an appeal by Mykhailo Mudryk against the FA, filed on 25 February 2026," the Switzerland-based court told BBC Sport. "The parties are currently exchanging written submissions, and a hearing is yet to be scheduled."
Shakhtar Donetsk, who sold the winger to Chelsea, will lose out on €30m (£25.9m; $35m) worth of bonuses if Mudryk does not play again for the Blues, according to Serhii Palkin, the club’s chief executive. Palkin said a day before Mudryk’s ban that he expected the winger would return to playing football soon.
World Cup Record Prize Fund
FIFA has increased the 2026 World Cup fund by $112m, taking the total payout to a record $871m. Fifa claimed, in a statement, that the decision was made “given the commercial success of Fifa’s flagship men’s tournament”, and denied that it was a reaction to some federations complaining about the costs of participating in the tournament.
The increased prize money means each federation will receive an additional $2m, bringing the minimum to $12.5m. Teams are then rewarded based on merit, with the winner earning an extra $50m and the runners-up earning $33m. See the prize money for every finishing position here.
In another potentially major win for the federations, Fifa is reportedly set to secure a last-minute state tax exemption for all 48 qualifiers. Route One reported earlier this week that, despite Fifa being classified as a tax-exempt organisation in the US, it had failed to secure an exemption for this tournament. This was a concern for some competing nations, which would be forced to pay state and federal taxes. Although exemption for state taxes has not been guaranteed, The Guardian claims Fifa has been assured that it is likely to be granted after months of lobbying.
POLL
Following the semi-final first legs, what do you think the Champions League final will be?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Crystal Palace travel to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Uefa Conference League semi-finals on Thursday (April 30) (More) | Liverpool expect Mohamed Salah to return from injury before the end of the season (More)
> Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi will miss the return leg of the Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich because of a right thigh injury (More)
> Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe is a doubt for the El Clasico against Barcelona next month because of a hamstring injury (More) | Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada has been banned for 13 matches after he punched a Huesca player in the face (More)
> Chelsea Women captain Millie Bright has retired from football with immediate effect after 12 years, 314 appearances, and 20 trophies (More)
> Toulouse head coach Carles Martinez Novell is leaving the French club at the end of the Ligue 1 season (More)
Americas
> LAFC vs Toluca in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final first leg will conclude shortly after publication; see live result (More) | Nashville lost 1-0 to Tigres in the corresponding fixture (More)
> FOX Sports has announced its list of match broadcasters for the 2026 World Cup (More)
> The White House has said that no one is more deserving than U.S. President Donald Trump in receiving Fifa’s Peace Prize, following renewed criticism of the award (More)
> Several NWSL fixtures, including league leaders San Diego Wave’s away match against Portland Thorns, will conclude shortly after publication; see live results and upcoming fixtures (More)
Rest of the World
> Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 970th career goal in Al Nassr’s 2-0 win over Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League (Watch); see the Saudi Pro League table (More)
> An exiled Afghan women’s refugee team has been granted eligibility for international competitions (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Would Jose Mourinho be a good appointment for Real Madrid?
🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ 👍 Yes (43%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (54%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 R.S: “He knows every little detail about the beautiful game. He belongs at a top club. That’s where he earns his keep.”
🙅♂️ M: “There is no doubt that in his heyday, Mourinho was ‘the special one’, but the game has moved on, the elite world-class players won’t put up with his use of the press to diminish and insult, and what has he done since he left Chelsea but fought with owners and players across Europe. A terrible move if Real Madrid went that route, he doesn't garner the respect that, say, Carlo Ancelotti does, and once he loses the dressing room, it is all over yet again”
🙅♂️ D.J: “He's not been a top coach for around a decade, and he'll be just another big ego in a dressing room full of big egos. A disaster waiting to happen.”
EXTRA TIME
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Coventry will wear the Worst Kit of All Time in their final game.
The World Cup kits for pets.
Remembering football’s latest title-winning goals.
New angles of Luis Diaz’s goal against PSG.
Why Rayo Vallecano's European run is the miracle of the season.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Who is the all-time top scorer for the Spanish national team?
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.
We’re a month away from deciding what Mikel Arteta is. In a lot of people’s eyes, he’ll either be a genius or he’ll be a fraud.
Answer
David Villa.
