GM football fans. It’s Thursday, June. 19 - Premier League fixtures have been released for next season, Fifa claims to have sold over 1.5 million Club World Cup tickets, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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Club World Cup: Inter Miami vs. Porto, 20:00 / 15:00. Both sides drew 0-0 in their first match against Al Ahly and Palmeiras, respectively, and a win for either side will see them have one foot in the knockout stage. Inter Miami are in better form overall heading into this one, as they are unbeaten in four matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, Porto are winless in two games, failing to score in either. Seattle Sounders vs. Atletico Madrid, 23:00 / 18:00. Both sides came away empty-handed from their opening games, meaning neither can afford another loss on matchday two. Atletico striker Julian Alvarez’s €100m market value makes him worth more than double the entire roster of the Seattle Sounders, valued at around €48.15m.

TV Channels: Channel 5 or DAZN (UK) | DAZN (US) | DAZN (Canada)

Results…

The 2025-26 Premier League fixtures have been released, with reigning champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, 15 August to kick off the season. The standout fixture of Matchday 1 is Manchester United vs. Arsenal. See all the fixtures here.

Man United and Arsenal have the toughest first five fixtures, according to Opta’s fixture difficulty rating–see the full list here. In their opening fixtures, Ruben Amorim’s side will play three of last season’s top four: Arsenal (H), Manchester City (A), and Chelsea (H). At the other end, Aston Villa are projected to have the easiest first five matches based on the strength of their opponents, despite playing only one newly promoted side—Sunderland (A).

Across the first 10 games, however, Liverpool are projected to face the toughest run. The Reds will meet Newcastle (A), Arsenal (H), Chelsea (A), Manchester United (H), Brentford (A), and Aston Villa (H), among others. Wolves, who had the toughest start last season, are now predicted to have the easiest.

Notably, the Premier League has changed the traditional Boxing Day schedule. No team is expected to play twice within 48 hours, a shift aimed at reducing player workload.

The president and the entire board of the Turkish Football Federation’s (TFF) disciplinary committee have resigned after leaked WhatsApp messages revealed plans to target Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce.

Screenshots posted online show the committee president writing: “Mourinho is being given too much leeway. If this continues, he’ll pay the price for it next year.” The message referred to Mourinho’s criticism of Turkish referees after a draw against Galatasaray in February. He was later handed a four-match ban and a £35,194 fine for making “derogatory and offensive” remarks.

Fenerbahce have released an official statement in response to the messages, claiming that the TFF have “violated the principle of impartiality.” The club has repeatedly voiced frustration over what it sees as inconsistent and politically motivated disciplinary rulings.

Fifa claims that fans from over 130 countries have purchased nearly 1.5 million tickets for the Club World Cup. Sources also say the governing body has spent over $50m on marketing (paywalled) to promote the newly expanded tournament.

According to FIFA, over 340,000 fans have attended matches so far. However, only two matches account for the bulk of that number: 80,000 attended Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid, and 60,000 saw Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly. In contrast, fewer than 23,000 fans watched Chelsea vs. LAFC at Atlanta’s 71,000-capacity stadium, and only 3,412 attended Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns.

Yesterday’s matches only saw Real Madrid’s tie against Al Hilal sending fans to the back of the ticketing queue. Tickets remained available in every block for Manchester City’s match against Wydad AC, and the majority of public blocks for Juventus’ tie against Al Ain were available too.

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> Miami FC vs Charleston Battery & Birmingham Legion vs Sacramento Republic face off in the USL Championship; results conclude shortly after publication (See Results)

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Yesterday’s Poll: Should leagues adjust their calendars to help teams participating in summer tournaments? 

🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 📆 Yes... (31%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅‍♂️ Nope... (66%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other... (3%)

Your punditry takes:

First-ever 8-second goalkeeper rule enforcement.

Who decides the Premier League fixtures?

Why Arsenal’s tough Prem start could define their season.

Has a striker scored more goals for their country than club?

The 59-year-old still playing professionally.

Spurs owner talks on Ange Postecoglou's sacking.

What does Alonso need to do to rebuild Real Madrid? (analysis)

Reijnders’ picks Drake for Man City initiation song.

Question: Five players have registered more than 100 assists in total in the Premier League, but who are the only two to have reached a century for a single club?

Scroll below for the answer.

Club World Cup

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

Answer

Ryan Giggs (162 for Manchester United) and Kevin De Bruyne (118 for Manchester City). Credit: Opta.

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