MLS has unveiled its 2026 regular-season schedule, which opens Feb. 21 with St. Louis CITY SC hosting Charlotte FC and later features Inter Miami’s debut at Miami Freedom Park on April 4. The league will pause from late May to mid-July for the FIFA World Cup before returning with marquee rivalry matches. Opening Day will feature a full slate of 15 matches over the MLS is Back Weekend.
GettySon vs. Messi on opening weekend
Lionel Messi, Son Heung-Min, and Thomas Muller will begin their 2026 MLS campaigns on opening day. Son and LAFC will face Messi’s Inter Miami CF at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 21, while Müller and Vancouver Whitecaps FC open their home slate the same day against Real Salt Lake at BC Place. Both fixtures rank among the marquee matchups of the MLS is Back weekend.
AdvertisementInter MiamiFreedom Park awaits
The inaugural match at Miami Freedom Park will see Inter Miami CF host Austin FC in the first game at the club’s new 25,000-seat stadium. The venue replaces DRV PNK Stadium as Miami’s permanent home and features upgraded facilities, expanded hospitality areas, and a downtown-adjacent location. The April 4 opener is one of the key dates on the 2026 MLS schedule.
Miami Freedom Park is also the first of three new MLS stadiums set to open in consecutive years, followed by NYCFC’s Etihad Park in 2027 and Chicago Fire FC’s new downtown stadium in 2028.
2026 MLS season to pause for the World Cup
MLS will pause league play from May 25 through July 16 to accommodate the FIFA World Cup 2026, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This break allows MLS players participating in the tournament, as well as fans and venues, to focus on the World Cup experience. Five MLS stadiums will serve as World Cup venues, with additional sites acting as national team base camps.
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Broadcast distribution
All 510 regular-season fixtures in 2026 will stream on Apple TV in more than 100 countries, with no local blackouts, as MLS integrates its package into Apple’s main service rather than a separate Season Pass. Select matches will continue to air on linear partners in the U.S. – including a slate of games on the FOX family of networks – while TSN and RDS will carry select Canadian broadcasts. The change positions Apple TV as the single global home for live MLS coverage next season.
Fanning, Bancroft and Cartwright all made half-centuries in WA’s 298 for 9 before the quicks cleaned up SA for 232, with Harvey making 76 in the losing chase
AAP24-Sep-2025
Joel Paris starred with the ball taking 5 for 42•Getty Images
Western Australia opener Sam Fanning has top-scored before teammate Joel Paris claimed five wickets in a 66-run one-day win against South Australia in Adelaide.Fanning’s 75 from 91 balls and half-centuries from Cameron Bancroft (63) and Hilton Cartwright (55) steered WA to 298 for 9 from 50 overs on Wednesday.SA were bowled out for 232 from 44.3 overs in reply at Karen Rolton Oval with the left-arm seamer Paris taking a career best 5 for 42 to claim player of the match honours.SA’s defence of the Dean Jones Trophy is in early strife with consecutive losses, while WA banked their first win from two outings. WA, led by Paris and 19-year-old quick Albert Esterhuysen (3-42), who was on debut, prevailed after weathering an early onslaught from SA’s Mackenzie Harvey (76 from 65 balls).The aggressive opener struck 11 fours and one six after the early loss of his partner Jake Fraser-McGurk, who smacked three fours but was dismissed for 14 from 10 balls.SA’s top order failed to fire with second-gamer Harry Manenti (39 from 49 balls), Jake Lehmann (33 from 42) and acting captain Jason Sangha (18 from 24) unable to cash in on promising starts.Cameron Bancroft and Sam Fanning posted half-centuries•Getty Images
Earlier, WA openers Fanning and Joel Curtis made a brisk start with an 86-run partnership in less than 13 overs. The stand was broken when Curtis (44 from 33 balls) edged to wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen from the bowling of Manenti (1-51).Fanning and Bancroft combined for a 92-run partnership, taking the visitors to a position of power at 174 for 1 in the 29th over.But the dismissal of Fanning, who struck three sixes and four fours from 91 balls, allowed SA to stifle momentum as WA lost 4 for 49 in the next 10 overs. Sam Whiteman, Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar all fell cheaply.And when Bancroft was out lbw to legspinner Lloyd Pope, WA were 223 for 5 in the 38th over and could only muster 75 more runs from the next dozen overs.Pope finished with 2 for 51 from 10 overs, Hanno Jacobs took 2 for 61 from nine on debut for SA while pacer Jordan Buckingham was the pick of the bowlers with a miserly 2 for 33 from 10 overs.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot cut a defiant figure in his post-match interview following Liverpool's 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier today. The Dutchman insisted the "solution is not that far away" for the Reds, despite admitting the mood in the camp is low after the champions fell to their sixth league loss of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.
Liverpool fall to another defeat against Nottingham Forest
Slot's insistence his side are able to turn this around will be of scant comfort to the Liverpool fans after another woeful display. The Reds fell behind to another set piece goal, as Murillo powered home a left-footed shot in the 33rd minute after the hosts failed to clear their lines from a corner. The opener was not without controversy however, as Dan Ndoye was adjudged not to have interfered with Alisson's line of sight while in an offside position. That will add additional insult to injury for Liverpool, just weeks after Virgil Van Dijk's header was chalked off in their 3-0 loss to Manchester City, when Andy Robertson was ruled to have influenced Gianluigi Donarumma's ability to play the ball.
There was some respite for the hosts a few minutes later, as Igor Jesus was deemed to have handled the ball in the buildup to his disallowed effort, despite replays apparently showing the ball never struck the Brazilian's hand.
Liverpool failed to capitalise on that let-off, falling further behind to Niccolo Savona's strike in the opening minute of the second half. Their misery was compounded by Morgan Gibbs-White's 78th minute goal.
Despite yet another brutal loss, Slot suggested a resolution was within touching distance for a talented side that has badly lost its way in recent months.
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Slot's message
Speaking after the game, Slot said: "The first half hour, I think the players did what I was hoping for. Played with energy and created chances to go a goal up. The set piece changed the momentum and the goal. I tried to make a couple of changes and adjustments but they didn't work out the way I wanted. It's always my responsibility."
When asked if his players are low on cofidence, the Premier League winning manager said: "I don't feel this, or I don't see this. After we go 1-0, we struggled. I tried to pump them up and give them the information to start the second half well. Immediately, they go 2-0 up. The players kept trying, I can't blame them for that. They blocked every shot we had.
"The solution is not that far away. We created chances in every and it's not as if we give away 10 chances. That will not go on forever but we have to look at ourselves and what we can do better when we concede a goal. Two games in a row, we haven't scored."
However, Slot did admit the players are in low spirits: "It should be like this. No matter what kind of form you're in when you're losing at home 3-0 and the run of form we've been in. Champions League is coming up and the players we have available have to find their energy to go again.
"It doesn't happen a lot at Anfield that we lose 3-0. I told the players afterwards the fans were singing after the final whistle. I don't think it's strange that you go home if you're 3-0 down."
Are Liverpool about to turn a corner?
There are problems all over the pitch for Slot's side. Alexander Isak logged just 15 touches in 67 minutes of action on Saturday. Our writer awarded the embattled Swede a paltry 2/10 grade for his performance. His fellow attackers have failed to produce this term, with Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike all either struggling for form or out through injury.
Virgil Van Dijk used his post match media opportunity to lambast the Reds' defensive record. Liverpool have conceded nine goals from dead balls in the league this term, something which prompted the club captain to lament his side's propensity for giving up "easy goals".
Struggling to score, and failing to keep the opposition out, it's hard to square Slot's comments with the reality of Liverpool's current predicament.
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Is Slot at risk of the sack?
Just five months ago, Slot was lifting the Premier League title in a scarcely believable debut season in English football. Now, he finds himself managing a crisis-ridden club amid inquisitions about his position going forward.
If the solutions are not far away, then the Reds desperately need to put a run of improved performances together. They host PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday, before travelling to east London to take on West Ham on November 30.
West Ham are braced for an all-important January transfer window that may well define Nuno Espírito Santo’s first season in charge, with David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board poised to back their new manager.
Following back-to-back Premier League wins and the first time they’ve won two straight home games since 2024, things are finally starting to click into gear for Nuno.
The Portuguese tinkered heavily with his first West Ham starting line-ups before finally discovering a winning formula against both Newcastle and Burnley, with Nuno naming an unchanged side for both matches as the east Londoners secured vital victories.
However, West Ham reportedly have no intention of resting on their laurels, and credible reports suggest that Nuno has been told they have a transfer budget to spend in the winter (Sky Sports).
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
West Ham 3-2 Burnley
Niclas Füllkrug’s damning injury record and lacklustre spell at the London Stadium is paving the way for him to leave in January, and it is believed that West Ham are actively targeting a striker to potentially replace the German.
While Callum Wilson has done well in West Ham’s last two games, even getting on the scoresheet against Burnley, Nuno won’t be too comfortable relying on the 33-year-old given his own torrid fitness record.
West Ham also want a new defender, and potentially a midfielder if they can manage it (Sky Sports), but it is worth noting that they won’t have a bottomless pit of cash for January either, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The potential sales of Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse could be crucial when it comes to raising funds, with all three players linked to the West Ham exit door and seemingly not part of Nuno’s long-term plans.
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in an interview with Hammers News, they could also make the surprise decision to sell another squad member who’s only just arrived.
West Ham now ready to sell summer signing Mads Hermansen
Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen swapped Leicester for the London Stadium in a £20 million deal last summer, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal in August, but the Dane has since lost his place in the starting eleven to Alphonse Areola.
He started West Ham’s first four games of the season, conceding 11 league goals in total, with Areola seizing the number one spot back and West Ham now pondering a shock January call.
According to Bailey, West Ham are ready to cash in on Hermansen if the opportunity arises, but could also send him out on loan to get minutes elsewhere before returning.
If the 25-year-old were to leave permanently already, it would mark one of the shortest stints of any new West Ham player in recent memory, but would it be the right move?
Hermansen’s had just four games to showcase his worth in a turbulent side who seem likely to be battling relegation, and the shot-stopper is still very young in goalkeeping years. His prime is still to come, and goalkeeping coaches like Casper Ankergren have revered the former Leicester star as a serious talent between the sticks.
كشف جود بيلينجهام، لاعب نادي ريال مدريد، تفاصيل تعافيه من إصابته التي كان يعاني منها على مستوى الكتف، وذلك طوال الموسم الماضي.
بيلينجهام أصيب في كتفه خلال الموسم الماضي، قبل أن يتحامل على نفسه ويكمل الموسم ويقوم بإجراء العملية الجراحية خلال صيف العام الحالي، ومن ثم عاد للعب مع الميرنجي قبل شهرين من الآن.
وأكد في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة البرنابيو ديجيتال، أنه عانى من الوحدة خلال فترة تعافيه من الإصابة، موضحًا أن أيام تعافيه مرت سريعًا وأصبح بخير الآن.
وقال بيلينجهام: “مرت الأيام سريعًا ولكن كانت هناك أيام عديدة قضيتها وحدي أعمل بجد، وبصراحة كانت مملة للغاية، لقد عدت أسرع مما توقع الناس، لم أكن أتوقع أبدًا أن الأمر سيستغرق ثلاثة أو أربعة أشهر، كنت دائمًا واثقًا من أنني سأعود في وقت أقرب”.
أقرأ أيضًا .. كروس يختار أصعب خصم واجهه في مسيرته
وأضاف بيلينجهام في حديثه: “بمجرد عودتي للفريق واستئنافي للتواصل الجسدي مرت الأسابيع القليلة الماضية سريعًا، أشعر أنني بخير وواثق على أرض الملعب”.
وأوضح الدولي الإنجليزي: ”كان علي أن أتدرب على حصيرة رياضية وأتعلم كيفية السقوط والتدحرج مجددًا، وأحرص على عدم وضع كتفي في أوضاع قد تسبب خلعًا، كانت احتمالات حدوث ذلك أقل من 1%، لكن الأمر كله كان يتعلق بعدم الشعور بأي ألم، إنه أمر ممل نوعًا ما فأنت في الأساس تتعلم كيفية السقوط مجددًا كطفل صغير”.
كما وجه بيلينجهام رسالة إلى جماهير ريال مدريد وزملائه في الفريق قائلاً: “يعني الكثير أن تسمع الناس يقولون إنهم يفتقدونك وأن زملاءك في الفريق يفتقدون اللعب معك، وأن الجهاز الفني يفتقد تدريبك، حتى أن المشجعين في المدرجات يرونك على الشاشة الكبيرة ويسمعون التصفيق، إنه لأمر مؤثر أن تعرف أن الكثير من الناس يدعمونك”.
واختتم بيلينجهام حديثه قائلاً: “من السهل أن تصبح تسيطر عليك مشاعر سلبية عندما تصاب خاصة عندما لا تستطيع تذكير الناس بما تفعله، كان ذلك الدعم بمثابة التذكير الذي كنت أحتاجه بمدى حب الناس لي في مدريد وهو الشيء الوحيد المهم حقًا”.
Glasgow Rangers were hit with a big blow during the summer transfer window when Hamza Igamane moved on from Ibrox to sign for Ligue 1 outfit Lille.
The French side swooped in to sign the Morocco international for a fee of £10.4m, thanks to a release clause in his contract, after he spent just one full season in Glasgow.
Igamane showcased his quality on a regular basis in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown in the graphic above, and that is why it was such a blow for the Scottish Premiership giants to lose him in the summer.
The right-footed centre-forward arrived at Ibrox in the summer of 2023 as a 21-year-old and inexperienced striker, and Philippe Clement provided him with the chance to play regular football and develop.
Igamane, as evidenced by his goal tally last season, took advantage of the chances that Clement, and later, Barry Ferguson, offered him on the pitch, which earned the striker his big-money move to Lille.
Unfortunately, replacing the Moroccan centre-forward has proven to be a task too difficult for Kevin Thelwell, as the club’s current striker options have struggled this season.
Ranking the first-team striker options at Rangers
Rangers swooped to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, the most they have paid for a player since the £12m move for Tore Andre Flo in 2000, and agreed a deal worth up to £4.2m to bring Bojan Miovski in from Girona.
On top of signing Chermiti and Miovski to make up for the departures of Igamane and Cyriel Dessers, the Light Blues decided to keep hold of Brazilian forward Danilo, leaving Russell Martin with three centre-forward options.
Danny Rohl has inherited those three options and it still remains to be seen which of those three is his preferred option. Danilo has started four games, Chermiti has started three games, and Miovski has started three games across the manager’s six games in all competitions.
The Brazilian striker has been the most effective option, so far, with a return of two goals in three Scottish Premiership appearances under the German tactician, whilst Miovski is yet to score for him and Chermiti has scored once.
Highest xG for Rangers in 25/26 Premiership
Player
xG
Goals
xG differential
James Tavernier
2.9
4
+1.1
Bojan Miovski
2.16
1
-1.16
Thelo Aasgaard
1.63
1
-0.63
Djeidi Gassama
1.43
1
-0.43
Nicolas Raskin
1.07
1
-0.07
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, only Miovski ranks within the top five players with the highest xG in the Premiership this season, and he has underperformed his xG by 1.16 goals.
It is hard, therefore, to rank the Macedonia international any higher than bottom of the pile because he has had enough chances in front of goal to have more than one league strike to his name.
Chermiti ranks in second place, as he also has one Premiership goal but has only started one match, and that leaves Danilo in first place, with three goals and one assist in all competitions, per Sofascore.
The fact that the former Feyenoord ace can be considered the best striker option at the club with three goals to his name in November, though, shows that the club have failed to replace Igamane’s influence in the final third.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
It is, therefore, unfortunate that there is a former Rangers academy graduate, who left the club for nothing, currently shining and looking like he would have been their next Igamane at Ibrox.
The former Rangers star who could have been their next Hamza Igamane
Robbie Ure, per Transfermarkt, left Glasgow on a free transfer to sign for Anderlecht’s academy in the summer of 2023 at the age of 19, after only making three appearances for the first-team.
The then-teenage Scottish centre-forward scored one goal in three games for the senior side. After his first senior goal, against Queen of the South, teammate Scott Arfield described the striker as “magic” in their post-game interview.
Ure had scored 17 goals in 37 B team matches and five goals in ten Youth League games at academy level, per Transfermarkt, but was not given more than three appearances for the first-team, despite scoring in one of them.
The Scotland U21 international went on to score 12 goals in 38 games for Anderlecht’s Futures team in 18 months in Belgium, before sealing a move to Swedish side Sirius to play regular first-team football.
Since his move to Sweden, Ure has made a name for himself with a return of 11 goals and four assists in 28 starts in the Allsvenskan in the 2025 campaign for Sirius, per FotMob.
2025 Allsvenskan
Robbie Ure
Percentile rank vs STs
xG
10.54
Top 9%
xG on target
11.13
Top 9%
Goals
11
Top 11%
Chances created
44
Top 1%
Assists
4
Top 11%
Touches in the opposition’s box
116
Top 9%
Duels won
157
Top 7%
Duel success rate
43.5%
Top 30%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the former Rangers marskman ranks incredibly highly among forwards in the division for scoring goals, creating chances, and winning duels.
This shows that he has been outstanding technically and physically at first-team level in Sweden. Now, if Rangers were linked with a promising 21-year-old striker with his statistics this season, supporters would surely be excited by the prospect of that signing.
The Gers already had him on their books, though, and did not give him enough opportunities to shine at senior level before he decided to move on at the end of his contract in 2023.
Rangers just lost an incredibly exciting and talented young goalscorer, in Igamane, and they could have had their next version of the Moroccan if they had kept hold of Ure and given him chances to impress at Ibrox.
He scored goals at youth level at Ibrox, he scored in one of his three senior outings for the club, he scored goals for Anderlech’s academy, and now the youngster is scoring goals regularly at first-team level in Sweden.
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Rangers, therefore, already had their next Igamane in the making at the club, but they were unable to convince him not to walk away for nothing in 2023, which they will surely regret in hindsight.
O técnico Thiago Carpini ainda não sabe se poderá contar James Rodríguez e Lucas Moura para o confronto do São Paulo contra o Palmeiras, pela Supercopa do Brasil, no domingo (4).
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Lucas cumpriu cronograma individualizado de atividades durante o treino do Tricolor nesta sexta-feira (2), no CT da Barra Funda. O camisa 7 foi substituído com dores na coxa na vitória sobre o Corinthians, e é dúvida para a decisão. O atleta deve viajar com a deleção para Belo Horizonte, e a comissão técnica avaliará se o jogador terá condições para iniciar entre os titulares ou ser opção no banco de reservas.
O São Paulo não forneceu atualizações sobre James Rodríguez, e o colombiano segue realizando cronograma individual de controle de carga. O camisa 55 tem presença incerta para o clássico contra o Palmeiras. O clube também não forneceu atualizações sobre Igor Vinícius, que deve ser desfalque para o Choque-Rei.
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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão
Sem Lucas, o técnico Thiago Carpini esboçou a escalação titular do São Paulo, que faz o último treino no sábado (3), antes de embarcar para Belo Horizonte.
Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli picked up five wickets between them, but couldn’t stop India A from hunting 412 down
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2025KL Rahul, who had retired when on 74 on the third evening, returned to the middle on the fourth morning at the fall of nightwatcher Manav Suthar’s wicket. Rahul batted till the job for his team was completed, ending unbeaten on 176 as India A hunted down 412 to beat Australia A by five wickets and take the two-match unofficial Test series 1-0 after the first match was drawn.By Rahul’s side when he walked out was B Sai Sudharsan, past the half-century mark at that stage, and then, Dhruv Jurel. Rahul and Sai Sudharsan added 78 runs in the morning, with Rahul first and then his partner getting to a century. Once Sai Sudharsan fell for 100, Rahul and Jurel added 115 in quick time as their stand required just under 19 overs.Those partnerships, between members of the senior India Test side, was too much to handle for the Australians, whose bowling attack boasted the experience of just eight Tests between them – seven for Todd Murphy, and one for Cooper Connolly. Murphy lived up to his status, adding the wicket of Suthar to the two he had on the third evening – N Jagadeesan and Devdutt Padikkal, both part of India’s Test squad for the games against West Indies next month. Corey Rocchiccioli, tipped to make the Test team in the not-too-distant future, removed Sai Sudharsan and Jurel.Corey Rocchiccioli picked up the wickets of B Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel•Tanuj/ Ekana Cricket StadiumBut those were the rare lapses on the part of the Indian batters, who started the day on 169 for 2, still 243 runs behind the target, with eight wickets in hand. Sai Sudharsan did the early scoring, not allowing Australia A from snatching the initiative away, and once Rahul came in, it became one-way traffic. After Sai Sudharsan became Rocchiccioli’s first victim, Jurel walked out and got going immediately. Rahul, though, was slower only in comparison. Jurel hit five fours and three sixes in his knock of 56 in 66 balls, going at a strike rate of 84.85, before falling with India A just 30 runs away from the target.Rahul, already past 150 by then, finished the job in the company of Nitish Kumar Reddy, hitting 16 fours and four sixes in his 210-ball innings. He finished with a strike rate of 83.81, underscoring the dominance of the Indian batters when the game was in the balance after a below-par show in the first innings. Reddy, meanwhile, hit three boundaries, and scored 16* at better than a run a ball.Australia were left to rue missed opportunities after they failed to defend 411. “I think that at the start of the day, anytime you’re defending over 400 in these conditions, you’re pretty confident that you can apply enough pressure,” Murphy said after the end of the game. “I think we stuck at it really well. We did create a lot of chances and probably just off the back of our homework, we let ourselves down a little bit by not taking them.”But I thought we applied ourselves pretty well out there. It was a tough grind. Rahul and Sudharsan batted really well, but I thought we stuck at it pretty well and it’s rid of a couple of missed opportunities.”Murphy also said that adapting to the Indian conditions was difficult. “I think the biggest challenge for us was probably dealing with the heat and the humidity,” he said. “Bloody, tough work and even personally just trying to figure out different ways to hold the ball when your hands were slippery with so much sweat. It was a big challenge for me and I think of fronting up day in, day out and still trying to put really good performances on the board.”The action between India A and Australia A now moves from Lucknow to Kanpur, in roughly the same part of India, for the three-match one-day series, with the first game to be played on September 30.
So far in the Asia Cup, things have gone roughly as expected. India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have all registered comfortable victories, and Pakistan have also avoided an early banana peel. But Saturday brings up a more even clash. Over the last few years, T20 matches between these teams have sometimes been explosive, but although the heat of the rivalry has died down a little, it is also clear that these are well-matched teams in this format. Over the last 10 years, Sri Lanka have won eight of their 16 encounters, and Bangladesh eight.Related
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More recently Bangladesh have had the better run, winning 2-1 in Sri Lanka in July, having also beaten Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup last year in Dallas. In those matches, Bangladesh’s bowlers tended to strike early, and find wickets regularly. Sri Lanka hope their batting order is in a better place now. But it was less than two weeks ago that they collapsed to 80 all out against Zimbabwe.Bangladesh also have the advantage of having played a match at this venue already. Their crushing of Hong Kong on Thursday was a largely complete performance, with the seamers getting wickets and the top order unfussily taking the team home in a modest chase. There were also wickets for legspinner Rishad Hossain, who was excellent against Sri Lanka in their most recent series, going at only 5.47 an over in his 12 overs across three matches.This being the group of death – Afghanistan are the other top-10 team vying for a Super Four spot – whichever team loses here will ride a treacherous road to qualification.Wanindu Hasaranga is set to return after missing the tour of Zimbabwe with a hamstring injury•AFP/Getty Images
Form guide
Bangladesh: WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first) Sri Lanka: WLWLL
In the spotlight: Litton Das and Pathum Nissanka
Bangladesh captain Litton Das needs 56 more runs to become Bangladesh’s most prolific T20I batter. He is clearly one of Bangladesh’s key T20I batters at the moment, having hit 476 runs this year at a strike rate of 137.17. He also top-scored for Bangladesh in that series in Sri Lanka. Given his experience, he is the Bangladesh batter that will worry Sri Lanka’s bowlers the most.Pathum Nissanka is having a fine T20I year himself, having made 230 runs at a strike rate of 147.43 in 2025. That Sri Lanka have been a significantly improved team in the powerplay is down partly to Nissanka’s improvements. He has opened up new parts of his game, and has become particularly severe on errors of length. In Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka lost the only match in which he didn’t get to 30.
Pitch and conditions
The Abu Dhabi pitch tends to be batting-friendly, though occasionally it will have something for the slower bowlers as well. Rain is not forecast on Saturday.2:05
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Bangladesh will likely keep the same XI that beat Hong Kong. That means they will likely play three frontline seamers.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Pervez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said Wanindu Hasaranga should be available to play on Saturday, after Hasaranga had missed the Zimbabwe series with a hamstring injury. He also suggested Sri Lanka could go in with three frontline seam options. If fit, Dushmantha Chameers seems a certainty, with Asalanka stating that Nuwan Thushara would also play. Binura Fernando may just have the edge over Matheesha Pathirana for the last spot.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Binura Fernando, 11 Nuwan Thushara.
Stats and trivia
Pathum Nissanka needs 50 more runs to complete a tally of 2000 in T20Is. He has played only 67 innings, which means he has eight innings in which to get those 50 runs and become the fastest Sri Lanka men’s batter to the milestone. Kusal Perera got there in his 76th innings.
Litton Das has not been dismissed for less than 50 in his last four T20I innings, making 54*, 18*, 73, and 59, against Netherlands and Hong Kong.
Even just in Asia Cups, these teams’ record is pretty even. Bangladesh won the first T20I Asia Cup match between them, in Mirpur in 2016. Sri Lanka won the next one, in Dubai in 2022.
Quotes
“It’s more of a rivalry for the fans. For us as players it’s just good challenging competition.” Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka on the rivalry between these teams
Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in the transfer market in the last few months has been a huge success, with the board completing deals for numerous top-level talents.
Thomas Frank will no doubt have been hoping the hierarchy would have given him the opportunity to improve the options at his disposal ahead of his debut campaign in North London.
The biggest deal came in the form of Mohammed Kudus, with the winger costing a total of £55m from Premier League rivals West Ham United – a fee that already looks to be a bargain.
He’s already registered four assists in his first two league outings for the Lilywhites, with the Ghanaian currently the joint highest goal creator in the entire division.
However, with January rapidly approaching, the Dane will no doubt be eying up further deals to help his side be competitive in England’s top-flight and in the closing stages of the Champions League group stage.
Spurs’ hunt for added attacking reinforcements in January
Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been named as just one Premier League club currently in the race to sign Brentford forward Kevin Schade in January.
The German has caught the eye of Frank once more, after the 51-year-old previously signed the attacker during his stint in charge at the GTEC Community Stadium.
It’s been reported that the Lilywhites are already working on a winter deal for the 23-year-old, with a fee in the region of £48m mooted for his signature at present.
However, he’s not the only forward-minded player on their radar, with the hierarchy also currently considering a move to sign Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo.
The latest report from one Spanish outlet states that the board see the Japanese international as a priority target for the upcoming window, with a £52m price tag, the ballpark figure right now.
It also states that the 24-year-old is keen on a switch to the Premier League in the coming months, seeing such an opportunity as a chance to take his career to the next level.
Why Spurs’ £52m target would be a huge upgrade on Johnson
Spurs haven’t been alien to a big-money attacking signing, as seen by Kudus’ arrival in the summer, but Brennan Johnson is another player who falls into such a category.
The Welsh international cost a staggering £47.5m back in the summer of 2023, joining the Lilywhites from Nottingham Forest in an attempt to improve the right-wing position.
His time in North London over recent years has certainly been topsy-turvy, with numerous highs often being overshadowed by various moments to forget for the 24-year-old.
He’s previously been subject to vile online abuse from his own supporters on social media, but it’s safe to say he proved all of them wrong with his Europa League-winning goal last season.
Frank’s arrival gave the winger the chance to build on his success in 2024/25, but it’s been a couple of months to forget for Johnson, as he’s dropped down the pecking order – whilst being sent off in Kudus’ absence against FC Copenhagen.
It could be about to get a whole lot worse for the forward should Kubo arrive, with the Japanese star certainly pushing last campaign’s top-goalscorer down the order further.
He may be an unknown quantity to many, but when comparing his stats to those of Johnson from 2025/26, they highlight how much of an upgrade he would be on the current winger.
Games played
9
10
Goals & assists
1
2
Progressive carries
3.8
2.3
Progressive passes
2.9
1.4
Pass accuracy
72%
66%
Key passes per 90
1.8
0.7
Take-ons completed
33%
25%
Carries into final third
1.6
0.7
Crosses completed
3.7
3.5
Kubo, who’s been labelled “world-class” by former Barcelona star Xavi, has completed more progressive carries and passes per 90 – numbers which showcase his desire to get balls into dangerous areas whenever possible.
He’s also completed more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst notching more key passes per 90 – which could allow him to add a more creative presence to Frank’s first-team squad.
Other tallies, such as more take-ons completed and more carries into the final third per 9,0 reaffirm his ability with the ball at his feet, which could take some of the responsibility off Kudus in the process.
£52m would be yet another huge statement of intent from the board after the summer deal to land the Ghanaian, but it showcases the ambition they do have to take the Lilywhites to the next level.
As for Johnson, such a deal would all but end his career in North London, with the board desperately needing to offload him to avoid losing a small fortune on their investment.
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