European Super Football

A shock exit at the World Cup There was a time when Germany were expected to win major football tournaments. Author | Ed Including their years as West Germany, they have lifted the World Cup four times, finished runners-up on another four occasions and won three of the six European Championship finals they have contested. Those days, however, now feel a long way off. The front page of Tuesday's Bild newspaper captured the mood with the headline: "The next German football nightmare", after Germany's World Cup campaign came to a sudden end in the last 32 with a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat by Paraguay following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Watch | A former German footballer responds to their defeat and exit Since winning the World Cup in 2014, Germany have twice failed to progress beyond the group stage and have now been eliminated in the first knockout match they have played at the 2026 tournament. Paraguay began the competition 41st in the FIFA world rankings, compared...

England's first two group matches have presented very different challenges. A thriller against Croatia and a battle against Ghana. Author | Liam C Croatia pressed high, while Ghana defended deep and were content to concede possession, as reflected in England's 78.2% share of the ball. Ghana's experienced coach Carlos Queiroz appeared to take particular satisfaction in pointing out, on several occasions, that England had "no solutions". Tuchel said: "It is difficult to find a way through when someone plays a 4-5-1, sits completely deep and is committed to it, and they celebrated a 0-0 like a win. "So you could see the different approaches, which is fair enough and credit to them. You cannot lose your head about it." A closer look at two very different matches Against Croatia, England's runners in wide areas and through the middle posed a genuine threat. With Ghana sitting back, however, the Three Lions needed a moment of individual brilliance and...

Scotland's attacking questions and defensive resilience leave Group C hopes finely poised. They have three points from a 1-0 win over Haiti and a 1-0 defeat by Morocco. Author | Sean M That tally of points could yet prove enough if they avoid a heavy loss to Brazil on Wednesday, while a draw would leave them on the brink of reaching the last 32. But what have the two matches in Boston revealed before the Tartan Army descends on Miami? In the build-up to the tournament, head coach Steve Clarke switched to a 4-4-2 formation for friendlies against Curacao and Bolivia with encouraging results. Against modest opposition, Scotland scored eight goals across those two games and arrived at the World Cup in confident mood. Clarke persisted with the same shape for the opening match against Haiti, but Scotland managed fewer shots than their opponents and posted a lower expected goals figure (1.05 compared with 1.21). John McGinn's winner arrived via a deflection, while starting forwards La...

It was a remarkable first match for England at the 2026 World Cup Can they keep this brave and attacking style up throughout the tournament? Author | Liam C England supporters spilled out of the magnificent Dallas Stadium into the warm night air buoyed by a sense of exhilaration after Thomas Tuchel's side delivered a powerful statement of intent. Harry Kane had earlier urged his England team-mates to be "free in the mind" and embrace the pressure that comes with a World Cup, and they took him at his word, for better and worse. England's opening 4-2 win over Croatia combined exhilarating attacking football with moments of alarming defensive vulnerability, but the smiles on the faces of supporters leaving this vast arena painted their own picture. This was, whisper it, fun. England have often been difficult to watch in recent years, even when reaching the Euro 2024 final and the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago. Those campaigns brought progress, but rare...

It was a hard-fought win for France against Senegal Senegal famously beat Les Bleus in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup, with the late Papa Bouba Diop scoring the only goal in one of the greatest upsets in the tournament's history. Author | Jack L For long periods, the Lions of Teranga looked capable of producing another memorable result against the two-time champions, whose star-studded attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Michael Olise struggled to find their rhythm before the interval. France managed only three touches inside the Senegal penalty area in the first half, while Mbappe found it difficult to influence proceedings. Didier Deschamps' side emerged with far greater intensity after the break. Doue dragged a shot wide within moments of the restart, while Olise and Mbappe were both denied by Edouard Mendy when sent clean through on goal. However, the former Chelsea goalkeeper could do little to stop Mbappe, 27, from taking centre s...

No Scotland, no party... Scotland's first World Cup since 1998 is proving to be a memorable occasion for their fans and for the people of Boston. Author | Sean M Of all the places the Tartan Army could have chosen as a base for their World Cup adventure, they have ended up in a city famous for driving the English out. Supporters dressed as William Wallace have been mingling with tour guides portraying Paul Revere. Others have been sporting "Boston T Party" T-shirts, with the T standing for Tennent's. Nearby, close to the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Scottish Football Association has transformed a local pub into Scotland House. From exiting the World Cup unbeaten in 1974, to the disappointment of the 1978 campaign, a lone point against Uruguay in 1986, defeat by Costa Rica in 1990 and a heavy loss to Morocco in 1998, Scotland's World Cup history is littered with examples of hopes raised and then dashed. The venue for this Group C match is the Fifa-ren...

One more warm-up match before the tournament starts England head coach Thomas Tuchel's pre-World Cup experimentation must surely come to an end now. Author | Liam C Tuchel's extended assessment of the options at his disposal continued on Saturday, with two entirely different teams taking to the field across each half of a low-key friendly against New Zealand in the sweltering heat of Tampa. The countdown is on to England's opening World Cup fixture against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday 17 June. With the Tampa exercise complete, Tuchel should now be ready to offer a clearer indication of the side he believes can deliver success. It was entirely understandable that he wanted his squad to gain valuable minutes in demanding, energy-sapping conditions. It had been said in the build-up to this pre tournament friendly that utilising the full squad is going to be key.  The consequence of all this squad tinkering, however, was that the 1-0 victory, secured by another Harry Kane goa...

"Pain." The word from Mikel Arteta in his post-match news conference when asked to sum up the Champions League final defeat to Paris St-Germain in Budapest. Author | DJ Today, Arsenal will board an open-top bus parade to celebrate their Premier League title, less than 24 hours after the agony of their Champions League final defeat. The Gunners, who arrived at Saturday's showpiece unbeaten in Europe this season, missed out on the chance to become European Invincibles after losing to Paris St-Germain in a penalty shootout. There is no doubt Arsenal will be hurting, but they will return from Hungary before joining supporters in marking a campaign that has delivered plenty to celebrate. Before the final, Mikel Arteta spoke of using the club's Premier League triumph as a springboard towards even greater achievements and further silverware. Instead, his side fell just short in their pursuit of a first European crown, in what was their first final in the competition since 20...

From sleeping giant to Champions League powerhouse Let 's explore PSG's long road to the top Author | Jack L Back in 2011, Qatar Sports Investments were deep in negotiations to acquire the sleeping giant that was Paris Saint-Germain. PSG had finished 13th in Ligue 1 the previous season and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who was leading talks on behalf of QSI, regularly checked the results amid concerns the club could end up being relegated and become a second division side before the takeover was completed. The Parisians stayed up and the deal went through, though the club bore little resemblance to the European heavyweight recognised today. Should they win this Champions League final against Arsenal, they will become one of only two sides to defend the Champions League in the modern era. Arsenal v PSG Champions League final preview eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/2026/05/arse... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @eurosuperfootball.bsky.social ) 29 May 2026 at 20:56 The jou...

It's been an amazing journey for Aston Villa and their fans Wednesday, 20 May 2026 - a date for the ages for anyone with an affinity for the club Author | Peter Grainger Around 20,000 fans flocked from Birmingham and across the globe, descending on Istanbul to witness a historical night for the club, as European glory was brought back to B6 for the first time since 1982. Emotions in Turkey, and among those watching from afar, were a mixture of euphoria and relief - fans finally had a tangible reason to celebrate after many years and several decades of waiting. Watch | Villa trophy parade posted by ITV News A look at the player who's experienced so much for the club There could scarcely be a more fitting figurehead for Aston Villa’s resurgence than captain John McGinn. Now an established international and one of the Premier League’s most respected captains, McGinn arrived at Villa Park aged 23 in a £3m move sanctioned by Steve Bruce, at a time when the club were still fighting t...

It's been an eventful four years for Casemiro at Old Trafford  The Brazilian midfielder has admitted he will struggle to hold back the tears when his time at Man United comes to an end, after delivering an emotional message to supporters Author | Ryan Thomas He is almost certain to leave United this summer after a spell at the club that has veered between silverware and sustained criticism.  Yet despite the uncertainty surrounding his future for the last couple of years Casemiro said the affection shown by supporters has remained one of the defining experiences of his career. He has recently been in conversation with former United defender Rio Ferdinand Speaking about his connection with the fanbase, the former Real Madrid midfielder described the backing he has received as “special”, admitting he was taken aback by the warmth shown to him from his first days in Manchester. Casemiro arrived at United in 2022 with a formidable reputation after winning five Champions League titl...

It's been a remarkable 12 months for Crystal Palace They never wanted to find themselves in the Conference League. Now they stand one match away from winning it and adding another remarkable chapter to the club’s history. Author |  James Lees On one of the most memorable nights Selhurst Park has witnessed, amid a fierce and deafening atmosphere, the Eagles defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 to complete a 5-2 aggregate victory in the semi-finals. Having already lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2025 at Wembley, Palace’s extraordinary European adventure began in a Swiss courtroom, where they unsuccessfully appealed against their demotion from the Europa League into the third-tier Conference League. Since then, however, Glasner’s side have embraced the competition completely. Their journey has taken them across Norway, Poland, France, the Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Italy, before a return trip to Poland. One final destination now awaits in Germany. Shoul...

It was another bad weekend for Tottenham fans. Their 4-1 derby day defeat against Arsenal means they are deep in relegation trouble. Author | Greg S Igor Tudor’s plain speaking suggested there were no illusions about the scale of the task awaiting him after he replaced the sacked Thomas Frank to take charge of Spurs until the end of the season. If any doubts lingered, they were swiftly dispelled by the manner in which Spurs were brushed aside by Arsenal. Randal Kolo Muani’s bustling equaliser briefly offered hope, but once the hosts fell behind early in the second half the contest was effectively settled. There was no shortage of effort from the home side, yet this depleted squad was outmatched throughout, with the gulf in quality between Spurs and Arsenal starkly exposed. Tudor now heads back to the training ground facing a genuine relegation battle. Spurs sit 16th, four points clear of the bottom three, with little margin for error. This was a bruising introduction for the Croatian a...

What's going wrong at Crystal Palace? Their manager Oliver Glasner has said he feels his squad are being “abandoned completely” by the club’s hierarchy. Author | Ajay Palace manager responded to their current situation after defeat to Sunderland... Video from SkySports More reaction | Eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com youtu.be/q674O2ZsVAI?... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @eurosuperfootball.bsky.social ) 20 January 2026 at 07:06 The 51-year-old Austrian confirmed on Friday that he will leave the Eagles when his contract expires at the end of the season. He insisted at the time that his decision was not linked to Palace’s transfer dealings, despite news breaking the same day that captain Marc Guehi was set to join Manchester City. However, following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, Glasner criticised the decision to allow Guehi to leave and voiced his frustration at the lack of support he has received to replace departing players. Mixed reaction from Palace f...

How many English sides will be in Europe next season? England and Germany are on track to secure the two additional Champions League places available for next season. Author | Josh T Champions League night | City v Leverkusen The competition expanded from 32 to 36 teams at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, prompting UEFA to introduce two extra qualifying spots for the nations with the strongest overall performance across European competitions in the previous season. UEFA determines this through association rankings, which allocate points for wins and draws in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. The two nations with the highest totals are each awarded an extra Champions League berth for the following season. Clubs collect two points for a win and one for a draw across the three competitions, with bonus points awarded for progressing through the rounds. Sides in the Champions League receive greater bonuses than those in the Europa League or Conference League. Po...

Could we see another rule change in football at the highest level? Some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including several from the Premier League, have held talks about allowing six substitutes per game in an effort to ease the growing workload on players. Author | David Sampson Euro 2024 final celebrations Representatives met in Rome last week for the European Clubs’ (EFC) general assembly, where a number of key issues in the modern game were discussed. Although the proposal was not on the formal agenda, informal conversations reportedly centred on the possibility of expanding squads from 25 to 28 players and introducing a sixth substitution. Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest were among the English clubs in attendance. Any change would first need approval from football’s rulemaking body, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), and there is no indication of when, or if, such a move might be implemented. The Premier League initially in...

Title 21 guaranteed for Liverpool? They entered the season as clear favourites to retain the Premier League title, following a comfortable march to their 20th championship last spring Author | William G Arne Slot’s first campaign as head coach saw the team largely unchallenged from Christmas onwards, securing the title with four games to spare and finishing ten points clear at the top. Their response was a summer spending spree unprecedented in European football, totalling £415 million to assemble a remarkable array of talent. The previous British record had been set by Chelsea’s £400 million outlay in 2023, and Liverpool would have spent even more had a deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi not fallen through as the window closed . If Liverpool were already tipped as champions before this investment, title number 21 now seems all but assured. It is early in the season to make such a definitive judgement, but the scale of their recruitment makes it harder than ever to see past...

It has been a terrible start to the season for West Ham United They have lost both of their Premier League matches and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup. Author | Jamie Pugh West Ham v Chelsea In a sense, West Ham's problems date back to the aftermath of that euphoric night in Prague, when the club ended a 43-year wait for a trophy by beating Fiorentina in the Conference League final . Owner David Sullivan announced virtually immediately that Declan Rice would be leaving and Tim Steidten came in as technical director to help reshape the Hammers squad with the £105m received from Arsenal. This didn't quite work out as planned For a start, Steidten and David Moyes were not aligned in their thinking, which eventually resulted in the German being banned from the training ground. West Ham spent the Rice money and more on four signings - all of whom initially flattered, then became either inconsistent or ineffective. When Moyes left in 2024, a move most accepted had to happen, Jul...

It has already been a busy summer at Old Trafford Will the final week and a half of the transfer window see more changes to Manchester United's squad? Author | Josh D Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim underlined his priorities by investing £200m in a new-look attack featuring Matheus Cunha , Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko . The rebuild up front, however, has highlighted issues at the other end of the pitch. Andre Onana continues to look unconvincing, while Altay Bayindir ’s costly mistake against Arsenal has only increased concerns over the goalkeeping position. Gianluigi Donnarumma has been linked with a move to Old Trafford , but questions remain over whether such a major transfer could be concluded before the deadline. READ MORE |  Manchester United news and stories from European Super Football Midfield has also been under consideration. Amorim has shown interest in Brighton ’s Carlos Baleba , but the south coast club remain firm that he will not be leaving. A...

The upcoming EA Sports FC 26 is the latest edition of the popular video game series 'FC' is the direct successor to the now-discontinued FIFA series Author | Josh D Let's explore the history of video games representation of the beautiful game. What was the first football video game? Despite the sport not being as popular in the United States, the first dedicated interpretation of football in video game form was based on the NASL (North American Soccer League) Soccer.  Before Video Games were around, people recreated their favourite football moments with Subbuteo. This type of game has remained its popularity. Ever since the 1940s, millions of fans have adored it and replicated some of their favourite moments from the real world. FIFA, FC and the Ultimate Team revolution The first version of FIFA was called FIFA International Soccer and was released in 1993. The game only featured International teams, and the real player names were not used. FIFA 95 was the first to feat...