GM football fans. It’s Monday, Nov. 17 - Portugal and Norway join three other UEFA nations in qualifying for the World Cup, MLS has confirmed major changes to its league structure, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
UEFA World Cup Qualifiers (Nov 17): Germany vs. Slovakia, 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET. These sides are involved in a straight shootout for top spot in Group A, with a win or draw securing qualification for Germany, while a victory would allow Slovakia to snatch top spot. Netherlands vs. Lithuania, 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET. The Netherlands are three points clear of their group and can secure automatic qualification. Ronald Koeman’s side have gone a year without suffering a defeat in any competition–excluding a penalty-shootout loss to Spain in the Nations League. Czech Republic vs. Gibraltar, 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET. Czechia is looking to consolidate their play-off position, while the away side remain rooted to the bottom of the table without a single point, having lost all seven matches in the qualifiers so far. See every UEFA World Cup qualifying fixture here.
Results…
World Cup qualifiers: Albania 0-2 England | Azerbaijan 1-3 France | Ukraine 2-0 Iceland | Hungary 2-3 Rep. Ireland | Portugal 9-1 Armenia | Israel 4-1 Moldova | Italy 1-4 Norway | Serbia 2-1 Latvia (Group Standings)
Women’s Super League: Villa 1-3 London City | Brighton 4-1 Leicester | Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea | West Ham 3-1 Everton | Spurs 1-1 Arsenal (Table)
TOP TALKING POINTS
World Cup Qualification
Portugal and Norway have joined England, France, and Croatia as the latest European nations to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup. England, the first European team to qualify, completed their campaign with a perfect record — eight wins from eight, 22 goals scored, and none conceded. There are seven automatic qualification spots still available for European nations.
Meanwhile, Italy, Albania, Czechia, the Republic of Ireland, and Ukraine have all earned play-off spots in the 16-team format. The semi-finals will be played on 26 March 2026, followed by the finals on 31 March, where the final four European teams will qualify for the tournament.
On Monday (Nov 17), two more nations will qualify automatically. In Group A, Germany vs. Slovakia is the decisive fixture, with both sides level on 12 points, though Germany lead on goal difference. Elsewhere, the Netherlands have effectively sealed qualification with a three-point advantage and a +19 goal difference, compared to Poland’s +6.
See every nation that has already qualified for the tournament so far here.
EPL Salary Cap Controversy
The three biggest player agencies in English football have threatened (paywall) to sue the Premier League if they vote on Friday to introduce a new salary cap. This comes a week after the Professional Footballers’ Association said it would also launch legal action on behalf of players it represents.
The three agencies, which represent hundreds of players including Cole Palmer and Jack Grealish, sent a letter arguing that a salary cap would breach section two of the Competition Act 1998 and constitute an abuse of the Premier League’s dominant position. The letter also claims it would be unlawful to artificially cap spending on players, coaching staff, transfer fees, and agents—known as the squad cost ratio (SCR) rules, limiting clubs on spending no more than 85% of their football-related revenues.
The Premier League says the proposal aims to maintain competitive balance and ensure clubs operate sustainably. A league insider reportedly said the agencies had refused to engage in formal discussions, which the agencies deny, and noted that no such legal challenge was made when Uefa introduced SCR rules for clubs in European competitions.
Major MLS Changes Confirmed
MLS has voted to change its calendar to align with the European football season, with campaigns beginning in late summer and ending in spring. The change, set for 2027, marks one of the league’s most significant structural shifts in its 30-year history. To bridge the transition, a short “sprint season” of about 14 matches will run from mid-February to May 2027.
MLS’s current off-season overlaps with Europe’s mid-season, limiting the league’s ability to attract players and negotiate transfers. The new calendar moves MLS Cup matches to a period clear of competition from other major sports, including the NFL, NBA, and NHL, and avoids clashes with Fifa’s international window.
The league will also adopt a new single-table format, replacing the current Eastern and Western conferences. The 30 teams will be split into five six-team divisions, with each division operating as part of the unified league table. Teams will play each of their division rivals twice (home and away) and every other team in the league once, maintaining the league’s current 34-game regular season.
Separately, MLS matches will no longer be placed behind a separate Apple TV paywall starting in 2026.
POLL
Do you think MLS’s changes will strengthen or weaken the league?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Arsenal’s Gabriel picked up a groin injury in Brazil’s friendly win over Senegal, though the recovery period is unknown (More); Riccardo Calafiori is expected to be available from next week despite his early withdrawal from the Italy camp due to injury (More)
> Ireland have advanced to the World Cup qualifying play-offs following a 3-2 win over Hungary, including a 90+6’ winner from hat-trick scorer Troy Parrott (More); watch the last-minute winner with Irish commentary (Watch)
> Chelsea women drop points again in a 1-1 draw away at Liverpool (Match Report); it’s their 34th game unbeaten, breaking the WSL record (More) | Manchester City sit at the top of the table, three points clear of Chelsea (Table)
> A non-league match was abandoned after sexist abuse was allegedly aimed at a female referee (More)
Americas
> Vancouver Rise has become the first team to win the Northern Super League title with a 2-1 win over AFC Toronto (More) | The Canadian government pledged up to $5.45m Canadian to help grow the women’s professional soccer league (More)
> United States men’s national team beat Paraguay in a 2-1 victory in a friendly; Gio Reyna scored within five minutes on his return (More) | Watch Christian Pulisic’s interview with Kate Scott on USMNT World Cup pressure (Watch)
> Washington Spirit advanced to the NWSL championship game after their 2-0 win over Portland Thorns (More) | The NWSL semi-final between Orlando Pride and Gotham FC will conclude shortly after publication (Live Result)
> Curacao are one point away from becoming the smallest-ever country to qualify for a World Cup following a 7-0 win over Bermuda; they need one point against Jamaica on Wednesday (More)
Rest of the World
> DR Congo have beaten Nigeria in the CAF World Cup qualifiers play-off final 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw; DR Congo will play in the intercontinental play-offs in March (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Thursday’s Poll: Should host nations automatically qualify for major tournaments?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (64%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (33%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 A.M.R: “If there’s no host in the tournament, one can expect only the top countries to host the World Cup. No country is going to throw millions of $$ at hosting a tournament that their own squad might not even play in.”
👍 M.M: “How could you even consider not letting the home nation play on its own soil in a major event? A single game, perhaps, like done for the Champions League or Nations League finals. But a tournament? The home side has to be given a slot. The bigger issue is when multiple nations host the tournament together, and now multiple slots are automatically qualified.”
🙅♂️ K.C: “While I do think it promotes inclusivity within the World Cup, countries should have to work towards achieving a spot in such a worldwide competition. Host nations have the responsibility of spreading their culture at the tournament itself, but the teams that participate should still be able to have an equal chance of qualifying.”
✍️ K.D: “When it was just one or two nations hosting, it made sense to have them auto-qualify. Now that hosting has begun incorporating 3+, they should have to work to qualify. Either by having the country hosting the most games get the auto or by having a separate qualification process for the host countries that don't get in via the normal process.”
EXTRA TIME
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The best Sunday League team in the world.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Rank the following Premier League venues from oldest to newest.
St James’ Park.
Stamford Bridge.
Anfield.
Molineux.
Craven Cottage.
Turf Moor.
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.
I could score 100 goals this season, but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, you’re probably not going to win the Ballon d’Or.
Answer
Stamford Bridge (1877 Chelsea), Turf Moor (1883 Burnley), Anfield Stadium (1884 Liverpool), Molineux (1889 Wolverhampton Wanderers), St James’ Park (1892 Newcastle United) and Craven Cottage (1896 Fulham).
