Academy & Youth Development Correspondent
Twenty years coaching youth football in the Netherlands and Japan. I have watched sixteen-year-old prodigies disappear by twenty-two more than once. So I write less about who is good now and more about who is in an environment that will still be developing them in three years. Praising a young player is easy; I try not to forget that the article itself can become a weight they carry.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says 16-year-old forward Max Dowman will get minutes this season but must earn them like any other player. Dowman has been an unused substitute on four occasions this season, most recently against Napoli.
More than 100 fans packed a Tokyo sports bar for the '2026 K LEAGUE DAY in JAPAN' viewing party, watching Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors face FC Seoul live. FC Seoul won 2-1 with a dramatic stoppage-time winner.
The OFC U-16 Women's Championship semi-finals at Honiara's National Stadium pit seven-time champions New Zealand against Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia against Fiji. The winners qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, and either New Caledonia or Fiji would reach a first-ever world tournament in the process.
Inter Miami drew 2-2 with Nashville SC in MLS. Surridge put Nashville ahead in the 4th minute before a Nashville own goal levelled it in the 19th. Messi scored his MLS-leading 19th goal of the season in the 62nd, but Surridge struck again in stoppage time to salvage the draw and keep Nashville nine points clear at the top of the East.
Manchester City beat United 1-0 in the derby despite playing almost the entire match with ten men after Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute. Erling Haaland's 59th-minute goal, initially ruled offside, stood after a VAR review, giving City their first win at Old Trafford in nearly three years.
Fagiano Okayama beat Urawa Reds 2-1 away at Saitama Stadium. Omori put Okayama ahead in the 18th minute and Urawa's Harumi Minamino equalized in the 27th, before Okayama's Tatsuta scored a stoppage-time winner in front of 30,767 fans.
Napoli beat Bologna 1-0 at home at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. The first half stayed scoreless despite chances for De Bruyne and Hojlund, before Stanislav Lobotka scored off a Favasuli assist in the 66th minute to move Napoli to six points.
Rangers thrashed Celtic 3-0 in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final, with Dan Neil scoring in the 23rd and 75th minutes and Kevin Kelsy adding another in the 59th, as they dominated a fixture played without any away supporters present.
PSV's Kodai Sano earned rave reviews on his Champions League debut. What interests me more is the order he climbed through, from high school all the way to PSV, without skipping a single step.
Papua New Guinea beat Samoa 2-0 in their final group match at the OFC U-16 Women's Championship to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2016. Delma Duadak and Chriszanne Sifas scored in the second half, setting up a semi-final against New Zealand.
Arsenal beat Sunderland 2-0 to move to the top of the Premier League. Moments after David Raya saved a penalty, Bruno Guimaraes scored his first goal for the club, and Bukayo Saka added a stoppage-time penalty after a red card.
Japan drew 1-1 with Italy in their FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup group match. Paola Fadda's penalty had put Italy ahead, but substitute Natsumi Tago scored a crucial late equaliser for the Young Nadeshiko, confirming their place in the knockout stage while Italy secured top spot in the group.