Phil Foden's situation is critical ahead of the World Cup, as Arsenal advance in the Women's Champions League and Chelsea report record losses.
Phil Foden could be at risk of not making England's World Cup squad, as suggested by manager Thomas Tuchel. Defending champions Arsenal reached the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League at the expense of Chelsea, while Manchester United were eliminated. Tuchel admits Foden's presence in the England squad is not guaranteed. The 25-year-old was the only player to start in recent friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, but has struggled to make an impact. This comes after a period in which the striker got little game time with Manchester City. "He tried everything," said England manager Tuchel. “I would say he was excellent in training camp, but he has difficulty proving it on the pitch.”
Arsenal came close to defending their Women's Champions League title with a 3-2 aggregate win over Chelsea, despite losing their second quarter-final match 1-0. The Blues will have to rue their missed opportunities at Stamford Bridge after Sjoeke Nusken's late goal was not enough to turn the tide of the match. Nusken came close to scoring on two occasions early on, while Alyssa Thompson threatened and Sam Kerr was denied by a fine save from Daphne van Domselaar. Arsenal saw Stina Blackstenius' header disallowed for offside, but Chelsea continued to push with Veerle Buurman hitting the post and Van Domselaar deflecting another Nusken header onto the woodwork. Nusken finally scored in injury time but it was too late and Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor was sent off as tensions rose. Manchester United were also eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich, which condemned the Red Devils to a 5-3 aggregate defeat. Last week's first leg at Old Trafford saw Bayern win 3-2, but early in Wednesday's second match in Munich, Melvine Malard equalized for Manchester United. However, a more assured performance in the second half saw Bayern take the lead, with Glodis Viggosdottir and Linda Dallmann scoring in the final 10 minutes to secure the German team's place in the semi-finals. Chelsea announced a record pre-tax loss of £262.4 million for the year ending 30 June 2025. The loss was attributed by the club to higher operating costs compared to the 2023-24 season and surpassed the previous highest pre-tax loss recorded by Manchester City in the 2010-11 season. The news came on the same day as the Football Association revealed that the Blues had spent significantly more on agent fees – £65.1 million – than any other English club this season. Aston Villa were the second-biggest team in spending, with £38.4m, while clubs in England's top flight spent a total of £460.3m. The two remaining matches of the Women's Champions League quarterfinals are nearing completion, with Barcelona starting their second match against Real Madrid with a 6-2 lead and Wolfsburg taking a 1-0 lead to Lyon. There is also action in the EFL with Wigan facing Leyton Orient in a relegation battle and Cambridge seeking promotion, taking on Swindon in League Two.
Uruguay is preparing for the 2026 World Cup with ambitions of reaching the quarter-finals, despite internal difficulties and the controversial situation of Luis Suárez.
West Ham have announced that Fabiański and Traoré will leave the club, while Disasi returns to Chelsea after his loan.
Arsenal are targeting Aston Villa striker Morgan Rogers to strengthen their squad but Villa have set a high price of £80 million, reflecting the current inflated transfer market and their lack of pressure to sell.