GM football fans. It’s Monday, Jan. 12 - A record-breaking FA Cup third round, U.S. soccer confirmed how it will allocate World Cup tickets, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURE
FA Cup, Third Round (Jan 12): Liverpool vs. Barnsley, 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET. Liverpool have progressed from 13 of their last 14 FA Cup third round ties, and haven’t been knocked out at this stage against a non-Premier League side since 2009-10, going out against Reading. Barnsley have been eliminated in each of their last six FA Cup ties against Premier League sides, but they have won their last two games at Anfield in all competitions, winning in the Premier League in 1997 and the FA Cup in 2008.
Results…
FA Cup (All Results)
Spanish Supercopa final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 8-1 Wolfsburg (Table)
Serie A: Fiorentina 1-1 AC Milan | Inter Milan 2-2 Napoli (Table)
Scottish Premiership: Dundee 0-1 Hearts | Aberdeen 0-2 Rangers | Celtic 4-0 Dundee United (Table)
TOP TALKING POINTS
FA Cup Records Broken
Non-league Macclesfield, who play in England’s sixth tier, eliminated FA Cup holders Crystal Palace from the competition in a 2-1 victory. In terms of the difference in league places between the two clubs—with Macclesfield ranked five divisions and 117 places below Palace—it was the biggest upset in FA Cup history. Watch the pitch invasion after the final whistle here.
Managerless Manchester United were also knocked out after former striker Danny Welbeck scored the winner in Brighton’s 2–1 victory. Having exited at the first hurdle in both domestic cup competitions, Man United will now play 40 matches this season, their fewest in a completed campaign since 1914–15. Elsewhere, Championship club Wrexham knocked out Premier League side Nottingham Forest 4-3 on penalties after the match ended 3-3 in regular time—watch the highlights here.
This third round also saw 124 goals (4.1 goals per game), which is the most goals scored at this stage of the competition in 69 years. The record stands at 138 in 1926-27, but two matches still remain in this third round.
Tiered Ticket Sales
World Cup tickets for U.S. games will be allocated largely through a tiered membership system, after U.S. Soccer confirmed details of how it will distribute its limited allotment for 2026. The federation controls around 8% of tickets per U.S. men’s national team match and will conduct two weighted ticket draws as part of their “Insiders” programme, with odds weighted in favour of paying members. The development formalises prioritisation for World Cup access towards paying members.
Around 80% of tickets in those lotteries are expected to go to paid Insiders, who spend between $45 and $10,000 per year, with higher tiers receiving more lottery entries. An $85 member gets two entries; a $185 member gets three entries; a $500 member gets four entries; a $1,000 member gets five entries; and a $2,500 member gets six entries. Members who pay $5,000 or $10,000 annually “have the right to purchase tickets and don’t need to enter the lottery.” As of 2023, there were around 300,000 Insiders, meaning the odds of fans in the free tier are slim, while paying fans are slightly better.
Each federation has dealt with ticket allocations slightly differently. England’s FA, for instance, has prioritised “Top Cappers”, fans who have attended the most national team games. While U.S. soccer has allocated the cheapest tickets ($60) to supporters groups, these fans would also have to apply for more expensive tickets to be eligible. Therefore, if they are not selected for the $60 tickets, they will be automatically charged for the higher-priced tickets, which could reach $2,735.
AFCON Semi-Finals Confirmed
Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, and Nigeria have qualified for the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt will play Senegal on Wednesday at 17:00 GMT (12:00 ET), while host Morocco will face Nigeria at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET).
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scored and Egypt eliminated defending champion Ivory Coast to move into the semi-finals after a 3-2 victory. Salah scored his fourth goal of the tournament, and Egypt’s third of the game. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz scored in a fifth consecutive match at Afcon in Morocco’s 2-0 win over Cameroon.
Morocco are 33% favourites to win Afcon, according to Opta’s prediction model. Senegal are second with 24.7%, having been third behind Egypt in the pre-tournament predictions. Nigeria, who have arguably been the most impressive side, are third-favourites with a 22.7% chance. Egypt is fourth with 18.5% having relied on a late goal in the group stage against Zimbabwe to qualify and having been taken to extra-time by Benin in the last 16.
POLL
Does the FA Cup still interest you?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Barcelona have won back-to-back Spanish Supercopa Cup finals after beating Real Madrid 3-2 (Match Report)
> Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has signed an improved five-year deal at the club until June 2031, with his earnings expected to be around £15m a season (£300k a week) (More) | Liverpool’s Conor Bradley has been ruled out for the rest of the season following a knee injury during their match against Arsenal (More)
> AC Milan extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches following their 1-1 draw at Fiorentina (More)
> Ten-man Hearts overcame Dundee 1-0 away to claim a narrow win and restore their lead in the Scottish Premiership title race (More)
> Manchester City Women remain at the top of the Women’s Super League table following a 2-0 win over Everton (More); see all WSL results (More)
Americas
> Toronto FC has made a $18m (£13.4m) bid to sign USMNT striker Josh Sargent from Championship team Norwich City (More)
> NWSL’s Denver Summit FC has acquired Canada Women’s National Team star Janine Sonis from Racing Louisville (More)
> Liga MX reigning champions Toluca began the Apertura season with a 1-0 away win at Monterrey as they seek a third consecutive championship; see all Liga MX opening weekend results (More)
Rest of the World
> Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal will host second-place Al Nassr on Monday (Jan 12) as four points separate the two; see the SPL table (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Friday’s Poll: Do you think club owners/executives are influenced too much by pundits/media?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (65%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (33%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 K: “Pundits’ narratives can pressure boards to manage reputational risk defensively rather than using sporting logic. The 24/7 news cycle and social media amplify narratives that can sway boardroom decision‑making, especially when ownership is image‑sensitive, politically exposed, or clueless about football culture.”
👍 J.B: “Once a narrative is circulating, it is only human for that to influence your decision-making. The media has always shaped perceptions more than people realise.”
🙅♂️ D.P: “If pundits had real influence over boards, they or their former teammates would be running top clubs. But none of them are.”
✍️ L.V: “One would hope owners/executives would focus on the team and not on how the media portrays them. Pundits/media have an opinion that is not the whole narrative of a given situation. Is that the case? Probably not.”
EXTRA TIME
Is Macclesfield beating Crystal Palace the greatest FA Cup upset?
… and breaking down the prize money for the FA Cup.
Alternate angles of Kane’s perfectly placed goal.
Jurgen Klopp on how to communicate with players.
The 4 most important moves of the MLS offseason.
The best shirt designs from the last year.
Inside Exeter’s dressing room for their 10-1 loss to City.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Name the last five players to wear the No. 10 shirt for Arsenal.
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 bought the club from Rightmove after four days of drinking. I can't remember buying it, and look where we are now, it's incredible. I think I've already planned the Ibiza trip with the boys.
Answer
Eberechi Eze. Emile Smith-Rowe. Mesut Ozil. Jack Wilshere. Robin van Persie.
