GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 19 - World Cup ticket holders will have priority visa access to the United States, the NSL’s inaugural season proves to be a success, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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UEFA Women’s Champions League (19 Nov): Juventus vs. Lyonnes, 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET. OL had won three of the previous four matches between the two, Juve's only success was a 2-1 home victory in the first leg of their 2021/22 quarter-final. Wolfsburg vs. Manchester United, 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET. Two-time UWCL winners Wolfsburg are sitting just a point adrift of the four automatic quarter-final spots, while Man United are third, having won all three of their matches so far. Arsenal vs. Real Madrid, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Arsenal have struggled for consistency in their 12 competitive matches this season, having recorded five wins, four draws, and three defeats. Meanwhile, Madrid have two wins and one loss in their UWCL campaign so far. See every women’s Champions League league phase fixture here and league standings here.

Results…

President Donald Trump has announced U.S. embassies will prioritise visa appointments for travellers holding 2026 World Cup tickets. Washington will introduce a dedicated scheduling system for visa-interview slots, with matches taking place 11 June to 19 July.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that his administration has sped up visa issuance for people in most countries, with the wait time now 60 days or fewer. He also claimed the World Cup could generate $30bn (£22.8bn) and create 200,000 jobs. Meanwhile, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said the tournament could draw up to 10 million visitors to the U.S. alone.

Colombian travellers applying for US visas are currently waiting around 11 months for an interview appointment, residents in Mexico City wait roughly nine and a half months, and non-Canadian citizens in Toronto wait about 14 months, according to U.S. State Department data. Travellers from many parts of Europe, Japan, and Australia can enter the U.S. visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program.

In related news, Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino agreed that World Cup matches due to be played in the U.S. next year could still be moved on safety grounds at Trump’s request. Trump brought up the possibility of moving matches out of Seattle due to safety concerns under Democratic mayor-elect Katie Wilson.

The Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s first professional football league for women, exceeded its attendance and revenue targets in its inaugural season. More than 275,000 tickets were sold, placing the league's attendance figures in the top five globally, and over three million people tuned in across traditional broadcast channels. The NSL also generated C$30m ($21.4m) in revenue in its first season.

The NSL, which is built by ex-professionals, has set a minimum wage at C$50,000, with an average salary of C$75,000, which is among the highest for a women’s league globally. “With these average salaries, we also have best-in-class player benefits like progressive maternity leave policies and access to mental health support and fertility treatments. We believe all of this helps us recruit and retain a high quality of players,” NSL president Christina Litz told Route One.

Ahead of Saturday’s final, the Canadian government pledged up to C$5.45m for "transformative upgrades” to facilities used by the league. The NSL aims to expand to seven teams, up from six, in 2027 and pursue participation in the Concacaf W Champions Cup.

Watch the NSL Final highlights between AFC Toronto and Vancouver Rise here.

Brazilian international Neymar Jr has reportedly bought Pele’s brand through NR Sports, the company run by his father, Neymar da Silva Santos. According to reports in Brazil, an official agreement worth a reported €15.5m (£14m/$18m) is expected on Wednesday, November 19 to mark the anniversary of Pele's 1,000th career goal.

The Pele brand previously belonged to American company Sport 10 and relied primarily on appearances at events. The deal aims to revitalise Pele’s commercial legacy, which has been underutilised since he died in 2022. The acquisition gives Neymar’s company the right to use Pele’s name and image, license products and projects, and manage historical archives linked to the legendary forward.

Neymar’s relationship with Pele’s legacy has deepened since his return to Santos FC, the club where both stars began their careers. Pele’s family continue to attend Santos matches, and Neymar recently paid to renovate their long-held box at the Vila Belmiro stadium.

> Spain, Scotland, Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland have automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup (More)

> Thomas Tuchel has vowed to contact 60 unselected players to explain why they weren’t selected for the Autumn squad (More)

> Arsenal’s Gabriel could be sidelined for one to two months with an injury sustained during the international break (More) | Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has a £65m release clause that becomes active in January, with Man City, Liverpool, and Spurs interested (More)

> Barcelona have informed Athletic Club that no away supporters will be permitted at Saturday’s La Liga clash at the partially reopened Camp Nou (More)

> Fulham have offered manager Marco Silva a new contract, extending his four-year deal (More) | Norwich hired former Club Brugge, Monaco and Rangers coach Philippe Clement until the summer of 2029 (More)

> Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to have visited the White House on Tuesday, on the same day as the leader of Saudi Arabia; at the time of writing, this has not been confirmed (More)

> United States men’s national team vs. Uruguay in a friendly will conclude shortly after publication (Live Result)

> Jamaica vs. Curacao for World Cup qualification will conclude shortly after publication (Live Result); read our previous write-up on Curacao potentially becoming the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup (More)

> Somalia, ranked 202nd in Fifa’s rankings, beat 90th-ranked Bahrain 2-1 in an international friendly in their first win since 2019 (More)

> Singapore have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in their history after beating Hong Kong 2-1 (More)

Yesterday’s Poll: Is the Camp Nou football's most iconic stadium?

🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🏟️ Yes (25%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅‍♂️ Nope (71%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (4%)

Your punditry takes:

Which Premier League teams will lose most players to Afcon?

McTominay’s bicycle kick in Scotland’s qualifier.

… and the half-way line goal that secured qualification.

The real cost of watching every league in the UK & US.

25 of the best kits of the 21st century.

ESPN releases NWSL general manager survey.

Comparing the Championship’s actual and expected points.

What’s going on with Real Madrid’s Endrick? (video)

Question: Which three Croatians have won the Premier League?

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.

Answer

Dejan Lovren (2019-20 Liverpool), Josko Gvardiol (2023-24 Manchester City) and Mateo Kovacic (2023-24 Manchester City).