GM football fans. It’s Friday, Sept. 26 - UEFA is set to undergo a significant vote, World Cup 2026 mascots have been revealed, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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Premier League MD6: Brentford vs. Manchester United, Saturday 27, 12:30 BST / 7:30 ET. While Brentford are winless in their last three matches, they have won two of their last three top-flight home games against United. They’ve also won six of the last seven Premier League meetings between these sides. Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool, Saturday 27, 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET. Palace will equal the longest unbeaten run in their history if they avoid defeat here (18 games). However, Liverpool have won nine and lost none of their last 10 away league games at Palace. Newcastle vs. Arsenal, Sunday 28, 16:30 BST / 11:30 ET. Eddie Howe’s men have won their last three home games against Arsenal in all competitions without conceding a single goal, but they’ve won just one of their last seven Premier League games. See every Premier League Matchday 6 fixture here.

Results…

UEFA is preparing to hold a vote on whether to suspend Israel’s football federation over the war in Gaza, multiple credible news outlets are reporting. Sources told The Associated Press that a majority of Uefa’s 20-member executive committee are expected to support any vote in favour of suspending the nation from international play. While nothing is confirmed, one European member association said that there is “new, high-level pressure from many nations” to see action.

The office of Israel’s sports and culture minister said it has been working “intensively behind the scenes” to block any suspension. The United States has also signalled opposition, with a State Department spokesperson telling the BBC it would “absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel” from next year’s World Cup.

It’s unclear whether Fifa will support excluding Israel, though its position will likely become clearer after its ruling council’s meeting scheduled next week. The 37-member council includes eight from Uefa. No club or national team in Europe has refused to play Israeli opposition so far. When Russia was banned by Uefa and Fifa after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the decision followed a wave of federations refusing to fulfil fixtures.

FIFA has confirmed Clutch, Maple, and Zayu as the mascots for the 2026 World Cup, with a bald eagle, a moose, and a jaguar representing the three co-hosting nations: The United States, Canada, and Mexico. See the mascots here.

Clutch, a bald eagle midfielder wearing the USMNT’s blue away kit, reflects America’s national bird, formally designated in 1782. Maple, a moose goalkeeper, is dressed in Canada’s red home kit and draws inspiration from Canada’s maple leaf, the country’s national symbol. Zayu, a jaguar striker, represents Mexico, where the animal was revered by ancient civilisations as a symbol of strength and bravery.

The tradition of mascots dates back to England’s 1966 World Cup, which featured World Cup Willie, a lion in a Union Jack shirt. Every tournament since has had at least one mascot, often designed to reflect the host nation’s culture and symbols. Dive deeper into the history of World Cup mascots here.

Liverpool have shut down 145,000 ticket accounts over the past two years as part of a crackdown against touting–or ticket reselling. The club also issued 1,114 lifetime bans last year, up sharply from just 75 the season before. On matchdays, stewards carried out around 400 targeted stops to block entry for flagged accounts.

Arsenal confirmed they cancelled around 74,000 accounts and banned more than 7,000 memberships this season. Despite the widespread problem, police recorded just 12 arrests for touting across the top six divisions of English football last season.

A BBC investigation last week uncovered a thriving black market where Premier League tickets are resold at huge mark-ups, with one tourist paying £2,200 for a ticket with a face value of £87. Many touts use bots or fake identities to buy hundreds of tickets, then resell them on websites based outside the UK. The Premier League has published a list of unauthorised websites–see here.

> Liverpool owners FSG have completed due diligence regarding a takeover of Spanish club Getafe (More) | William Saliba has signed a five-year contract with Arsenal, extending his current contract by three years (More)

> Real Betis’ sporting director believes Antony might be “the most important signing” in the club’s history (More) | Atletico Madrid will host La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday; see all La Liga fixtures (More)

> AC Milan and Inter Milan have agreements with an architectural firm to design a new stadium if the city council approves the sale of the San Siro to the clubs (More)

> Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha will now have to get approval from the club before posting any religious or political content on his social media (More)

> Lionel Messi scored a brace in Inter Miami’s 4-0 MLS win over New York City to send Miami into the post-season play-offs (More) | See every upcoming MLS fixture (More)

> Chicago Stars must beat NWSL Shield winners KC Current on Saturday (Sept 27) to keep their play-off hopes alive; see an NWSL Matchday 22 preview (More)

> Cruz Azul remain undefeated after 10 matches in Liga MX following a 2-2 draw with Queretaro; Toluca close the gap to just two points with a 6-2 win over Monterrey (Table); see upcoming Liga MX fixtures (More)

> New Mexico United move to third in the USL Championship Western Conference after a 2-1 away win at Colorado Springs Switchbacks (More) | See every upcoming USL Championship fixture (More)

> The Afghanistan national women’s team of refugee players has its first official games next month at a four-team tournament in Dubai (More)

Yesterday’s Poll: Should players continue to be yellow-carded for removing their shirts?

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟨 Yes (51%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ 🙅‍♂️ Nope (47%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)

Your punditry takes:

Gianfranco Zola joins the European Ryder Cup team.

The most stylish kits this season.

What makes a good women’s football stadium?

The reason Premier League goals have dipped dramatically.

Are U.S. owners taking over English football?

The Overlap discuss the Ballon d’Or fallout. (podcast)

Question: What do the following players have in common? 

Gonzalo Higuain, Deco, Henrik Larsson, Sergio Ramos, and Carlos Tevez.

Scroll below for the answer.

EFL Championship

La Liga

Bundesliga

*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.

Answer

They’ve played with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.