Wolfsburg have completed the signing of veteran Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen on a free transfer. Eriksen, who had been without a club since leaving Premier League side Manchester United at the end of last season, has signed a two-year contract with the Wolves. “VfL Wolfsburg is my first club in the Bundesliga – I’m really looking forward to this new adventure,” said the 33-year-old.  “I’m convinced we can achieve something together at Wolfsburg. The talks with the club bosses went very well. I immediately sensed that Paul Simonis has a clear vision for the team and for me personally. The fact that there are several familiar faces in the squad from the Danish national team makes VfL a particularly attractive proposition for me.” “We’re really pleased that this opportunity has arisen for us at short notice,” said Wolfsburg sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz. “In Christian Eriksen, we’re getting a player who has seen and experienced everything at the highest level. His enormous experience, his quality on the pitch and his personality will be a valuable boost to our young players in particular. “We’ve deliberately made structural changes this summer and signed several talented youngsters with great potential. Christian will complement our experienced captain, Max Arnold, perfectly. He’s a true leader who can make a difference on and off the pitch.” He signed for Manchester United in July 2022 after a six-month spell at Brentford, registering eight goals and 19 assists in 107 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions. Eriksen could be in line for his Wolfsburg debut when Paul Simonis’ team welcome Cologne to the Volkswagen Arena this Saturday. Source: bundesliga

West Ham have re-signed goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski until the end of the season. The 40-year-old former Poland international was released by the club in June when his contract ended, after originally joining from Swansea in the summer of 2018. He made 216 appearances in his first spell at West Ham and was part of the squad which won the Europa Conference League in 2023. “I’m really happy to be back because this club obviously means a lot to me,” Fabianski said. “I will be, for sure, a player who is always putting the team above my personal goals. I think maybe people see me as a good person to be around, a good person to have in the team in terms of what I bring and so it’s not only about me, it’s about the team. “I’m here to support, to keep the standards high. I have huge experience as well, so I think it can be useful.” He added: “I’ll continue to work the way I’ve always been doing, which is always hopefully at a good level but, at the same time, I understand that my role is completely different.” West Ham signed Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen for about £20m in August and he has started their three Premier League games this season, losing two and winning one. “We are really pleased to have Lukasz back with the group,” said West Ham manager Graham Potter. “Regardless of him being here previously, the main factor is that he is still a top goalkeeper and a top professional, and the perfect choice for the role we needed to fill.” Source: bbc

Manchester City have confirmed that Omar Marmoush will miss Sunday’s derby against Manchester United after sustaining a knee injury whilst on international duty with Egypt. Pep Guardiola’s side confirmed in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that Marmoush will not be available for the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium. Vity releaased a statement saying; ‘The City striker suffered the injury in the early stages of Egypt’s World Cup qualifying match with Burkina Faso on Tuesday evening. ‘Initial results on a scan performed in Egypt indicate he will not be available for the Manchester derby on Sunday, and he will now return to Manchester for more assessment and to begin his rehabilitation.  Continue reading ‘Everyone at City wishes Omar a speedy recovery.’ Source: msn

Colombia’s Luis Suarez scored his first four international goals in an exhilarating 6-3 away victory against Venezuela in the final CONMEBOL qualifier, with his match-winning display ending the home nation’s hopes of a maiden World Cup appearance.Despite losing 3-0 to Argentina on Thursday, Venezuela entered the final matchday of qualifying in pole position to beat Bolivia to the inter-confederation play-off spot. A fervent but nervous crowd in Maturín were treated to an electric start, which produced three goals inside 12 minutes, including Telasco Segovia’s third-minute opener. The Inter Miami midfielder latched onto Salomon Rondon’s neat layoff, before he worked the ball onto his right foot to blast an unstoppable strike out of Kevin Mier’s reach. Unfortunately for the hosts, their jubilation soon turned to frustration when Yerry Mina powered a header home from James Rodriguez’s corner to net his first international goal since June 2021. However, the mood almost instantly changed again when Colombia goalkeeper Kevin Mier handed the lead back to La Vinotinto. Mier fumbled a driven shot at his post, allowing the alert Josef Martinez to squeeze the ball over the line. Buoyed by his close-range effort, Martinez nearly conjured up a special goal when he sent his ambitious bicycle kick looping against the crossbar. From nearly doubling their advantage, the hosts soon lost their lead for the second time, as Luis Suarez prodded in his first international goal from Luis Diaz’s inviting knockdown on the stroke of HT. That proved to be an appetizer to what Suárez had in store for Venezuela in the second period, racking up three goals inside the space of 17 destructive minutes. The Sporting CP forward gave Colombia the lead for the first time in the contest when he shimmied inside onto his right to drill a low shot past Rafael Romo. Suarez delivered another driven strike to seal his hat-trick after racing onto Diaz’s perfectly-weighted through ball, before he steered home his fourth from close range to stretch the visitors’ lead. Rondon soon reduced that advantage, only for Jhon Cordoba to slot the ball through Romo’s legs to quash any hopes of a fightback. The heavy defeat, combined with Bolivia’s surprise win over Brazil, ensured Venezuela dropped out of the play-off spot, ending their World Cup dreams. As for Nestor Lorenzo, his charges will be satisfied with a third-place finish. Source: flashscore

The Bolivia national team pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the South American Qualifiers by beating Brazil 1-0 at 4,150 meters of altitude in El Alto, a result that secured seventh place in the table and with it, a spot in the intercontinental playoff for the 2026 World Cup. With this triumph, La Verde eliminated Venezuela and kept alive the dream of returning to a World Cup after more than three decades. The key moment came in first-half stoppage time, when Miguel Terceros converted a penalty that proved enough to seal the win. That goal ignited euphoria in the stadium and was a direct blow to the Seleção, who failed to respond in the second half despite their greater technical resources. Bolivia’s defensive discipline was crucial to holding on to the result at altitude, a historically difficult setting for opponents. With this victory, Bolivia finished with 20 points, overtaking Venezuela, who were thrashed by Colombia and lost their chance to reach the playoff. The setback in El Alto left Brazil in fifth place with 28 points, tied with Colombia (third), Uruguay (fourth), and Paraguay (sixth), but with a performance well below expectations. The defeat highlighted the Seleção’s struggles in this qualifying phase, where, despite having a star-studded squad, they failed to impose their superiority in decisive matches. Meanwhile, Bolivia celebrated in style after posting a 37% success rate throughout qualifying, which now gives them the chance to compete in March’s intercontinental playoff. There, they will face teams from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Concacaf in pursuit of one of the final tickets to the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. La Verde now clings to the hope of writing a new historic chapter, while Brazil must regroup to recover the solidity needed to regain its continental dominance. Source: beinsports

Argentina finished 2026 World Cup qualifying with just 10 men on the field and 1-0 defeat in Ecuador on Tuesday, with the reigning World Cup champions already guaranteed top spot in CONMEBOL. Nicolas Otamendi was sent off in the 31st minute for the denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity,  Enner Valencia scored from the penalty spot (in the 13th minute of first-half stoppage time) to clinch a 2nd-place finish for Ecuador (9 points behind Argentina). Ecuador went down to 10 themselves in the 51st minute when Moises Caicedo stomped on Nicolas Gonzalez to earn a straight red card after having already been booked earlier in the game. The result will cost Argentina a significant FIFA record to Spain. Following the conclusion of the September international break, Spain will overtake Argentina at the top of the FIFA world rankings. The ranking system assigns points to every national team based on results from recent matches, with weight given to the type of competition in which those results occurred. Argentina had held the top spot in the FIFA rankings since April 2023. That run was largely fueled by their triumph at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as well as previous titles at the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 Finalissima. Their Copa America 2024 win and a strong run through the 2026 qualifiers only solidified their place. However, despite their consistent performances in recent years, Scaloni’s team could not remain at the top any longer. The loss to Ecuador marked the end of Argentina’s reign although even a win on Tuesday may not have been enough to hold off Spain. That’s because Argentina will no longer have any official matches in 2025, having completed their run in the World Cup qualifiers. During the October and November international breaks, they will play friendlies, which carry fewer ranking points giving Spain the opportunity to gain ground and pull ahead. Source: msn, worldsoccertalk

Portugal put themselves in the driving seat in FIFA World Cup qualifying (WCQ) Group F after coming from behind to beat Hungary 3-2 in Budapest, strengthening their chances of making an appearance at a seventh consecutive World Cup. Fresh off UEFA Nations League success and in much stronger form than their opponents, Portugal had a certain swagger about their early play, but they failed to make the most of their openings and found themselves behind with 20 minutes gone. Zsolt Nagy was released down the left-hand side and planted his cross perfectly on the head of Barnabas Varga, who directed it in off the post. Portugal’s endeavour couldn’t be faulted, but their luck didn’t improve even as they started to hit the target. Cristiano Ronaldo was particularly aggrieved when his close-range effort was somehow deflected wide by Hungary stopper Balazs Toth, a fate which also befell Joao Neves’ attempt just moments later. But the visitors did finally find a breakthrough, and headed into the tunnel in better spirits thanks to a fortunate touch from Joao Cancelo, which Bernardo Silva controlled in space and booted into the top corner from just a few yards out. Portugal continued to apply pressure after the restart, and duly – and deservedly – completed the turnaround in the 58th minute. Loic Nego looked unlucky to give away a penalty when the ball ricocheted off his arm in the area, but Ronaldo had no second thoughts in burying it into the bottom left from 12 yards, making him the all-time leading goalscorer in WCQs. Now trailing, the hosts were much improved, and remarkably found themselves level again when Nego’s cross bounced awkwardly for the Portugal defence and was nodded in again by Varga. But the Puskas Arena’s jubilation was cut short less than two minutes later when the visitors responded to deal the final blow, as Bernardo Silva laid off Cancelo to sweep in from the edge of the area. With just one point from two games, chances of Hungary guaranteeing a spot in a first World Cup since 1986 through the group stage are looking slim, but they will be confident of beating Armenia and the Republic of Ireland to the playoff spot. Portugal already look like strong contenders to qualify and will have high hopes of hosting the tournament as title holders in 2030. Source: tribalfootball

England delivered the finest performance of head coach Thomas Tuchel’s reign as they took a giant stride towards World Cup qualification by outclassing Serbia in Belgrade. In a game regarded as the toughest test Tuchel has faced since taking charge, England were superb from the start, this win meaning they now need five points from their final three games to reach next summer’s showpiece. England took 33 minutes to make their domination count, the goal coming from the most familiar source as captain Harry Kane headed home Declan Rice’s corner for his 74th goal in 109 internationals. Arsenal’s Noni Madueke scored his first England goal two minutes later with a pacy run and fine finish past Serbia goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, a moment which had Tuchel pumping his fists in delight in the technical area. The game was stopped shortly after because Serbia fans were shining lasers at England’s Ezri Konsa. The defender responded by ending any hope of a Serbia recovery seven minutes after the break when he scored at the far post, also his first England goal. Serbia’s plight worsened when their captain, Nottingham Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic, was sent off for a poor challenge on Kane, which left the striker requiring treatment. The punishment was instant as Marc Guehi got on the end of the resulting free-kick from Rice to add England’s fourth goal with 15 minutes left. It got even better for England in the final minute when substitute Marcus Rashford scored from the spot after Ollie Watkins was fouled by Strahinja Erakovic. It completed Tuchel’s most satisfying night since he succeeded Gareth Southgate, the platform now solidly assembled for England to make a smooth passage to the World Cup. Source: bbc

The Free State Toyota Stadium was electric as South Africa and Nigeria played out a gripping 1-1 draw in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualification Group C clash. The Round 8 encounter, a pivotal moment in the race for the 2026 World Cup, saw both teams trade blows in a tightly contested match that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle. The match kicked off with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana asserting early dominance, controlling 52% of possession and piling pressure on Nigeria’s defense. The Super Eagles suffered an early setback when defender Ola Aina was forced off in the 10th minute due to injury, with Bright Osayi-Samuel stepping in as his replacement. Tensions flared in the 18th minute when Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman and South Africa’s Siyabonga Ngezana were both booked after a heated clash. South Africa’s persistence paid off in the 25th minute when an own goal by Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, handed Bafana Bafana the lead. Under intense pressure from South Africa’s attacking play, Troost-Ekong inadvertently directed the ball into his own net, sparking wild celebrations among the home crowd. Nigeria, however, showed resilience. Just before halftime, in the 44th minute, Calvin Bassey rose highest to head in an equalizer, assisted by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. Although, controversially attributed the goal as an own goal by South Africa’s Ngezana, but the strike was enough to level the score at 1-1, setting the stage for a pulsating second half. The second half saw Nigeria’s coach, Eric Chelle, make bold moves, substituting Tolu Arokodare for Cyriel Dessers and Bruno Onyemaechi for Troost-Ekong at the break. The Super Eagles came out with renewed vigor, dominating possession and creating several chances. In the 49th minute, Arokodare nearly put Nigeria ahead, but his effort from a tight angle skipped just wide of the post with no teammates able to connect. South Africa responded with their own attacking intent, probing Nigeria’s penalty area around the 59th minute but failing to convert their possession into clear-cut chances. Both teams registered three shots on target in the first half, and the second half saw similar profligacy, with neither side able to find the decisive goal despite intense end-to-end action. The draw leaves South Africa atop Group C with 16 points, maintaining their strong position to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria, sitting third with 10 points, face an uphill battle to claim the group’s top spot. A win was crucial for the Super Eagles to keep their automatic qualification hopes alive, but the result means they must now win their final two qualifiers and hope for stumbles from South Africa or potential point deductions due to earlier eligibility disputes in the group. For South Africa, they remain in pole position, the draw keeps the race for the top spot competitive.

Nottingham Forest have announced that Ange Postecoglou will be their new head coach. Postecoglou, who was sacked at the end of last season, replaces Nuno Espirito Santo after the Portuguese coach was relieved of his duties on Tuesday morning. The former Spurs boss led the north London club to their first trophy in 17 years after they won the Europa League in May, but a 17th-place finish in the Premier League saw Postecoglou be replaced by Thomas Frank. Postecoglou also won league titles with Brisbane Roar and Yokohama F. Marinos, while also leading Celtic to a domestic double and treble in successive seasons. After also receiving a nomination for the FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2023, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is excited about Postecoglou’s arrival. “We are bringing a coach to the club who has a proven and consistent record of winning trophies,” Marinakis told the club website. “His experience of coaching teams at the highest level, along with his desire to build something special with us at Forest, makes him a fantastic person to help us on our journey and achieve consistently all our ambitions. “After gaining promotion to the Premier League, then building consistently season after season to secure European football, we now must take the right step to compete with the very best and challenge for trophies. “Ange has the credentials and the track-record to do this, and we are excited he is joining us on our ambitious journey.” Postecoglou is expected to get started immediately at Forest, taking to the touchline when the Tricky Tees face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. He will have to wait until September 27 for his first match at the City Ground, with away fixtures against Swansea in the EFL Cup, Burnley in the league and Real Betis in the Europa League on the schedule after Arsenal. Source: outlook