Ticket prices for the USMNT's World Cup opener in LA: – Category 1: $2,735 – Category 2: $1,940 – Category 3: $1,120 Prices for the 2026 World Cup final: – Category 1: $6,730 – Category 2: $4,210 – Category 3: $2,790 More prices and info here @theathletic.com:

In another pop at FIFA for not listening to leagues on fixture congestion, PL boss Richard Masters says domestic leagues are locked in a “struggle” with the governing body for players’ time & fans’ attention. Mentions chaos theory. Gianni Infantino hits back. www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...

The world is round, folks, so when it is evening in America, it’s night time in Europe. www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

There has been a conscious uncoupling between Tottenham Hotspur & their financial advisor Rothschild & Co. This means the club are either a) trying really hard not to look like they’re for sale or b) they’re really not for sale. 🤷 www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

No going back now, Rob Mac. You’ve PSC04-ed it.

Many migrant workers who came to Qatar to build the 2022 WC infrastructure found themselves jobless after the tournament. @josimarfootball.bsky.social reveals how some of them have been recruited by the Russian army, are fighting and die on the Ukrainian front. josimarfootball.com/2025/09/25/t...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before but global players’ union study finds that top football stars are playing too many games, with too much travel & not enough time off. www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Inflation really is getting out of control. £8 for a pint, £106.5m for a Newcastle United share.

In 2019 as the Los Angeles Lakers tried to sign Kawhi Leonard, they were convinced the uncle doing his negotiating either hadn’t heard of any of the NBA’s rules or had just decided they didn’t apply. And the impression he left was not a good one.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump says it will work to keep Israel from being banned from the 2026 men’s World Cup. 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

Former Arsenal academy player Billy Vigar has died at the age of 21 after sustaining a “significant brain injury” during a match.

There were times this summer when “doing a Diarra” looked set to join “on a Bosman” in football’s phrasebook. But when the window shut, no player had used Lassana Diarra’s 2024 ECJ win to get a move. Nobody except Lucas Ribeiro, that is. Who?!? This guy 👇 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/664...

A Israeli academic asked his followers on X which sanction would really convince ordinary Israelis that they are isolated internationally. "Expulsion from football tournaments" was the most popular answer, followed by "ending visa-free travel to Europe"

🛑 No consensus = no vote on PL’s planned PSR replacement 📺 New PL TV deals in Balkans & Vietnam but they’re…down?!? 🇺🇸 Summer Series loss leader 🛜 Relevent eyes FANGS for UEFA rights & a much BETTER draw event 🚀 MCO group pivots to magic beans 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

🛑 No consensus = no vote on PL’s planned PSR replacement 📺 New PL TV deals in Balkans & Vietnam but they’re…down?!? 🇺🇸 Summer Series loss leader 🛜 Relevent eyes FANGS for UEFA rights & a much BETTER draw event 🚀 MCO group pivots to magic beans 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

There were times this summer when “doing a Diarra” looked set to join “on a Bosman” in football’s phrasebook. But when the window shut, no player had used Lassana Diarra’s 2024 ECJ win to get a move. Nobody except Lucas Ribeiro, that is. Who?!? This guy 👇 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/664...

Extraordinary story from @mjslater.bsky.social about a four-club MCO that's pivoting to crypto. Given the size of the clubs and the $300m crypto gamble, four football teams are now just a rounding error on the balance sheet of their owner. What could go wrong? www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

🎙️This one is all about the Arsenal. Top Gunners @david-ornstein.bsky.social & @aakinwo.bsky.social provide the artillery, while @adamcrafton.bsky.social & I snipe from the sidelines. We talk about the Man City game, Arteta’s caution, chasing Liverpool & moving on from Tim Lewis. pod.fo/e/32f47c

"I am hungrier than I was 25 years ago. I feel more alive than ever." Why Benfica are banking on José Mourinho, fuelled by a sense of unfinished business, to conjure a bit of the old devil magic and bring the glory days back to the Estádio da Luz www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

The Enhanced Games are not merely an assault on clean sport, they're part of the Silicon Valley extreme techno libertarian project with its dodgy politics and its obsession with life extension. theuglygame.wordpress.com/2025/06/09/t...

The Premier League has missed relegation battles so much it’s now replaying classic scraps from the past. First up, the 2022 tear-up between Everton & Burnley. Sadly, there’s no watch-along option & we may never know who wins. My money is on the lawyers. www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Our first PL financials for 2024-25 are Manchester United's Record revenues - but rivals catching up. Underlying improvements, but expensive mistakes have their impact. Debt TBC (tomorrow) Initial analysis w/@mjcritchley.bsky.social @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Explaining Everton vs Burnley, the latest legal row involving Premier League clubs. ▪️ Why do Burnley want up to £60m in compensation? ▪️ Why is the case so significant? ▪️ Could it impact on the Manchester City ‘115 charges’ case? 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Manchester United recorded the highest revenues in the club’s history in 2024-25, totalling £666.5m. But they still recorded a loss of £33m last season, making it the sixth straight year in which they have posted a loss. @mjcritchley.bsky.social and @cweatherspoon.bsky.social have the details ⤵️

Ever wanted to attend four Premier League matches in one day? The fixture computer gave Phil Buckingham the chance to do just that on Saturday in London. North, south, east and west were covered - here’s how he got on.

The English Football League (EFL) is considering a plan to add an eliminator round to the Championship play-offs, a move that would extend the number of teams in the play-offs to six. Exclusive story from @mjslater.bsky.social ⬇️ 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

UEFA have delayed a decision on whether to give their approval to the staging of regular-season league matches outside Europe. More from @colinmillar.bsky.social ⤵️

Explaining Chelsea’s 74 FA charges: 🔵 What are they accused of? 🔵 How are Eden Hazard, Willian and Samuel Eto’o involved? 🔵 Why did the club report themselves? 🔵 What punishments could they face? ✍️ @sjohnsonsport.bsky.social 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Armand Duplantis is, by some margin, the greatest athlete to grace the wildest of track and field events. Five years into his professional career, the pole vaulter has achieved everything: 13 world records, five world titles and two Olympic golds. 🔗 theathletic.com/6575839/?sou...

🚨 We’re all National League now, aren’t we?!? EFL in talks to extend Championship play-offs to six teams, adding an eliminator round. It would reduce dead rubbers, increase chances of golden ticket. Needs FA Board approval…& PL doesn’t like it! www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

🚨 We’re all National League now, aren’t we?!? EFL in talks to extend Championship play-offs to six teams, adding an eliminator round. It would reduce dead rubbers, increase chances of golden ticket. Needs FA Board approval…& PL doesn’t like it! www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

🎙️3rd & final part of our Future of Football pod series is on the EFL, the importance of the pyramid, independent regulation, parachute payments, 3 up from NL & a fairer financial distribution. W/ @adamleventhal.bsky.social & EFL chairman Rick Parry pod.fo/e/3283ba

🎙️3rd & final part of our Future of Football pod series is on the EFL, the importance of the pyramid, independent regulation, parachute payments, 3 up from NL & a fairer financial distribution. W/ @adamleventhal.bsky.social & EFL chairman Rick Parry pod.fo/e/3283ba

Lisa Nandy was asked about Sheffield Wednesday during her DCMS select committee appearance. Said she’s “extremely concerned” by Chansiri’s refusal to invest in club or sell it. Strongly hinted regulator will seize club & force a sale if not resolved. From 11:09… www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

Record transfer spend/wage bills, full stadiums, great TV deals…English football is in rude good health, right? “Erm…” says @fairgameuk.bsky.social in its latest report on the financial health & governance of the top six tiers. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

The 49ers-led syndicate of rich folk who own Leeds United had a whip-round this summer to raise £120m for players/home improvements. To persuade everyone to chip in, the 49ers made a 50-slide pitch deck that set out their grand vision. One found its way to me. www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

🎙️Part 2 of our Future of Football 3-parter is on the EPL, which doesn’t appear to have any worries that money can’t solve. We discuss EPL v Everyone, Italian ruins, Turkish barbers etc @adamleventhal.bsky.social @jameshorncastle.bsky.social & Deloitte’s Tim Bridge & Tim Lunn pod.fo/e/327a3a

Our report on yesterday’s score draw in the EPL. Both sides took big swings at each other, landing some, dodging a few. Hard to say who will be most satisfied with the stalemate but they both live to fight another day, which won’t be long. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Obviously (& unambiguously) Spurs are NOT for sale. But, just for fun, here are some answers to questions you might ask if they were for a sale. Entirely redundant, of course, because they’re not for sale. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

NEW FIFA opened applications for 65000 volunteers for 2026 World Cup - & Infantino says tens of thousands of them will come from overseas - BUT …. U.S. state department is still to inform FIFA which visa class that volunteers may apply for www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Are smartphones eroding the experience of watching football? | Football | The Guardian www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The word "magisterial" might be out of soccer broadcasts forever. Legendary linguistic maestro Ray Hudson is calling it a career, writes @richarddeitsch.bsky.social. www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

🎙️Part 1 of 3-part pod series to fill the void left by the end of the transfer season/break in FPL. It’s on FIFA v UEFA, Club World Cup, games abroad, fixture chaos etc @adamleventhal.bsky.social @adamcrafton.bsky.social @ronanevain.bsky.social & @thepfa.bsky.social’s Maheta Molango pod.fo/e/326e95

🎧The Future of Football - three part series on big global club issues from FIFA v UEFA, busy calendar & burnout, matches abroad, PL financial muscle & more P1/3 with: @adamcrafton.bsky.social @mjslater.bsky.social @fanseurope.org's @ronanevain.bsky.social & PFA's Maheta Molango pod.fo/e/326e95

It's season 6 of The Athletic Football Show, and this year is going to look and feel different than ever before. @davehelman.bsky.social is officially joining @qbklass.bsky.social and I for our weekly recap and preview shows, along with hosting Building The Beast w/ Dane Brugler every Wednesday.

The FA's spot-fixing case against Lucas Paqueta was found to be “contradictory” in parts and at times “defying logic”. The verdict, which found the charges not proven, ran to 314 pages and included: ➡️ David Moyes vs. analysts ➡️ Paqueta's mum's salon chat ➡️ Star witness Mark Clattenburg

Daniel Levy was removed as Tottenham Hotspur chairman following an ownership-instigated review. A club statement said Levy had “stepped down” but the decision was taken by the club’s majority shareholders, the Lewis family, marking a seismic change in how Tottenham is run.

Fit & proper wasn’t fit for purpose, so we tried OADT…but that was pretty toothless, too. So, here comes the ODSE regime…an acronym to strike terror into the hearts of rubbish football club owners everywhere. Flunk the test; lose your club! www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

NEWS: Organizers of the Vuelta a Espana were forced to neutralize the finish of stage 11 with three kilometers remaining due to the scale of pro-Palestine protests taking place in Bilbao. More from @jacobwhitehead.bsky.social: theathletic.com/6595115/?sou...

Howard Webb has described the decision to disallow Josh King’s goal for Fulham against Chelsea as a "misjudgement" by the officials. "We should only be taking goals away when the evidence is very clear that’s the only thing we can do." "𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆."