GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Oct. 15 - The independent football regulator is introducing a licensing system for English clubs, MLS faces criticism for using AI-generated content, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
UEFA Women’s Champions League: Roma vs. Barcelona, 20:00 BST / 12:45 ET. Barcelona have racked up 44 goals across their opening eight competitive matches this season, and they’ve also recorded six clean sheets. Roma have been in inconsistent form, winning four and losing two of their last six matches in all competitions. Chelsea vs. Paris FC, 20:00 BST / 12:45 ET. Chelsea have started the season well, recording four consecutive WSL victories before a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. When Paris FC faced Chelsea in the 2023-24 group stage, they lost 4-1 away and 4-0 at home. OL Lyonnes vs. St. Polten, 17:45 BST / 12:45 ET. St. Polten were beaten 6-0 at home by Atleti on Matchday 1, making OL, who won 2-1 at holders Arsenal, a formidable task. See every Women’s Champions League fixture here.
Results…
UEFA World Cup qualifiers: Spain 4-0 Bulgaria | Turkey 4-1 Georgia | Portugal 2-2 Hungary | Rep. of Ireland 1-0 Armenia | Estonia 1-1 Moldova | Italy 3-0 Israel | Andorra 1-3 Serbia | Latvia 0-5 England
Friendlies: Colombia vs. Canada, USMNT vs. Australia, and Mexico vs. Ecuador to conclude shortly after publication (More)
TOP TALKING POINTS
International Break Ends
The October international break has concluded, with the next round of World Cup qualifiers scheduled for 13–18 November 2025. This will be the final year under the current calendar structure, as Fifa introduces a compact three-week international window across October and November next year—read more here.
England became the first European nation to qualify for next year’s World Cup, doing so with two matches to spare—read the match report here. Portugal were held to a 2–2 draw with Hungary after conceding late, delaying their qualification. Meanwhile, there were also wins for Spain, Turkiye, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, and Serbia as the qualification picture sharpened ahead of November’s final fixtures.
Elsewhere, 24 teams from other confederations have already secured qualification for the tournament. Bolivia and New Caledonia are among six nations confirmed for the inter-confederation play-off qualifiers. See every team that has qualified for the tournament so far here.
First Licensing Regime
The new Independent Football Regulator (IFR) will introduce English football’s first-ever licensing system. From the 2027–28 season, all 116 clubs across the top five divisions will be required to hold a licence to compete, with applications for provisional licences opening next season.
Clubs will be granted a licence only once they demonstrate sound financial planning, effective supporter engagement, and compliance with corporate governance standards. Approval will also depend on clubs consulting fans over issues such as business priorities, heritage, and ticket pricing. While supporters’ views must be considered, they will not hold veto power.
If a club cannot demonstrate the soundness of their plans, the regulator will have the power to force them to take steps to more efficiently manage their day-to-day spending, increase cash reserves, control costs or reduce debt.
MLS AI Backlash
Major League Soccer has faced criticism for using generative AI to create live match reports on its website. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), a user shared how the MLS used AI to summarise highlights of the Saturday match between Inter Miami and Atlanta United. The screenshots showed that the article was “Created by MLS Generative AI” and that “Content has not been reviewed by editorial staff.”
“Not only does the language feel dead, but it’s funny that the staff doesn’t even review the article,” said the author of the post. MLS reporter Tom Bogert also pointed out that the Orlando City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps report was AI-generated. “This sucks. A lot,” Bogert wrote, “I got invaluable development working there. As did countless others.”
Last year, ESPN began publishing AI-generated recaps of women’s football games, with humans reviewing each recap for “quality and accuracy.” The stories were criticised for being bland and lacking key context for readers, such as Alex Morgan playing the final game of her career when North Carolina Courage played San Diego Wave.
Dive deeper into the pros and cons of using AI for match reports here.
POLL
Following the international break, are you confident with your nation going into next year’s World Cup?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Cristiano Ronaldo's brace for Portugal has made him the all-time goalscorer in Fifa World Cup qualifying history with 41 goals (More)
> Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is not expected to return from a knee injury until after the November international break (More) | Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded guilty to making an indecent image of a child (More)
> Como have said playing a league match against AC Milan in Australia is about "ensuring survival" for Serie A (More)
> Graham Potter is open to taking charge of the Swedish national team following Jon Dahl Tomasson’s sacking (More)
Americas
> The World Cup Group-Stage draw will take place on Friday, December 5, at 18:00 CET (More)
> Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan will retire after the 2025 MLS season (More); see his retirement video (Watch)
> Charleston Battery beat Colorado Springs Switchbacks 5-0 in their reorganised USL Championship match (More); see the conference standings (More)
Rest of the World
> South Africa have qualified for the 2026 World Cup after their 3-0 win over Rwanda (More); see the African qualification standings (More) | The Confederation of African Football’s general secretary has been accused of creating a toxic culture of fear (More)
> Qatar beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 to secure an automatic spot at next year’s World Cup finals (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think international breaks disrupt domestic league momentum?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🐌 Disrupts momentum (78%)
🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⏩ It's fine (19%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
🐌 R.M: “Yes, we need to minimise the impact of the international breaks and number of matches, particularly in non-World Cup qualifying years. Euros, African Nations, and Concacaf should figure out what works and limits player wear and tear for their respective tournaments. The World Cup is different.”
⏩ D.P.W: “We know the formula, and it's been like this for many seasons now. I do not know of any other option.”
✍️ J.M: “I think it depends. It is really frustrating when your team are on a good run of form and suddenly the international break comes along and disrupts the flow. However, if your team has had a bit of a bad run or have been hit with a number of injuries, then the break can be a great reset and a chance for players to get back to full health.”
Routers, before you dive into Extra Time, we have a question to make it even better. If you have a moment, please complete this short survey—or simply hit reply on this email and tell us which topics you like to see most in the Extra Time section. Survey here.
EXTRA TIME
Ranking the best teams in Europe right now.
The story of the dictator who used football for control.
How EPL teams’ starts compare to last season.
Which teams have clinched an NWSL play-off spot so far.
The five smallest countries to reach the World Cup.
Barcelona launch Ed Sheeran shirt for Clasico.
Premier League players you have forgotten played for these clubs.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Which clubs had the following front-of-shirt sponsors?
T-Mobile
Pirelli
Dr. Martens
Jeep
Reebok
Scroll below for the answer.
ON TODAY
Women’s Champions League
OL Lyonnes vs. St. Polten (17:45)
Valerenga vs. Wolfsburg (17:45)
Chelsea vs. Paris FC (20:00)
OH Leuven vs. Twente (20:00)
Roma vs. Barcelona (20:00)
*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.
Answer
Bayern Munich. Inter Milan. West Ham. Juventus. Bolton Wanderers. See these iconic shirt sponsors here.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
One player who excites me when he touches the ball is Lamine Yamal. Against Inter last year in the Champions League at San Siro, he did it all on his own.
