Hansi Flick heaped praise on Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal after he scored a double to help the LaLiga leaders earn a 4-1 victory at Girona on Sunday.
Yamal, who grabbed the spotlight as he helped Spain win their fourth European Championship title in July, scored twice in seven first-half minutes to put them in control.
Dani Olmo and Pedri then secured the win before Cristhian Stuani's consolation and Ferran Torres' late sending-off for a reckless challenge.
Barcelona maintained their unbeaten start to the season, getting their fifth consecutive win at the start of Flick's tenure.
"I'm very happy about Lamine's two goals, he's very young, but he's really incredible, a difference maker at such a young age," Flick told Movistar Plus.
"Having him is key for us not only because of his quality, but he also presses very well high. He combines talent and pressure and that's massive for us. He is outstanding.
"It was a tough game. Girona played well, but we started very well too, and we deserved to win."
Flick's Barcelona top the LaLiga standings with 15 points, four ahead of Real Madrid and Villarreal. Last year's surprise package, Girona, are seventh with seven points.
Barca avenged their two losses to Girona last season, both by a 4-2 result.
It was a dominant performance by the Catalan giants, whose relentless high press was too much for their opponents to handle as they had 20 shots (nine on target), outperforming their 1.82 expected goals.
Now, Barcelona will hope to carry their domestic momentum into the Champions League, where they will face Monaco away on Thursday.
"We have trained very hard for this, and we need to keep going. This last week we have prepared well, but we do it for every game we play because we always want to win, we are in a good moment, and we can't stop," Flick added.
"It won't be easy against Monaco, but we're taking it one game at a time, and we're really excited. We're all looking forward to it."
A'ja Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a season in the Las Vegas Aces' 84-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.
Wilson finished with 29 points and reached the 1,000-point mark on a pull-up jumper with two minutes remaining.
Wilson's latest milestone came just four days after she established the WNBA single-season scoring record, breaking the mark of 939 points set by Jewell Lloyd in 2023.
The Aces have won seven of eight games and own a one-game lead over the Seattle Storm for the No. 4 seed in the play-offs and home-court advantage in that series.
Wilson wasn't the only WNBA star with a memorable performance on Sunday, as Caitlin Clark scored a career-high 35 points in the Indiana Fever's 110-109 win over the Dallas Wings.
Clark also added eight assists and combined with Kelsey Mitchell to hit 12 of Indiana's 16 3-pointers.
Clark has already established a WNBA rookie record with 761 points, and her 329 assists are the most by any player in a single season in league history.
Giving Patrick Mahomes another chance rarely works out well for the opposition.
A pass interference call on the Cincinnati Bengals on a fourth-and-16 with 38 seconds left allowed the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to keep the ball, setting up Mahomes and company to steal a win.
Harrison Butker delivered the winner, kicking a 51-yard field goal as time expired to send the Chiefs to a 26-25 victory over the Bengals on Sunday.
Butker's game-winning kick came four plays after it appeared Kansas City turned the ball over on downs at their own 35-yard line, but Cincinnati safety Daijahn Anthony was called for pass interference, giving the Chiefs a fresh set of downs on the 29-yard penalty.
The game featured five lead changes in the second half, with the Chiefs taking their first lead on Mahomes' one-yard TD pass to offensive tackle Wanya Morris at 8:21 in the third quarter to make the score 17-16.
The Bengals then went back in front 22-17 on a three-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Andrei Iosivas with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.
The game's final touchdown came when Chamarri Conner returned a Burrow fumble 37 yards for a touchdown to put Kansas City ahead 23-22 just 20 seconds into the final period.
Evan McPherson's fourth field goal of the game gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to play, but Cincinnati couldn't hold on and dropped to 0-2 while Kansas City improved to 2-0.
Burrow finished with 258 yards passing, two touchdowns without an interception, while Mahomes completed 18-of-25 passes, but only threw for 151 yards - the second fewest of his career - with two TDs and two picks.
Mahomes had a 44-yard touchdown pass to Rashee Rice, who finished with 75 yards on five receptions.
Isiah Pacheco also had five catches for 21 yards, and rushed for 90 yards on 19 carries.
Kamara has 4 TDs as Saints make statement by demolishing Dallas
Beating a woeful team by 37 points at home in Week 1 was one thing.
Winning by 25 on the road against a reigning division champ in Week 2 is another.
The New Orleans Saints put the rest of the NFL on notice with an impressive 44-19 trouncing of the Dallas Cowboys, with Alvin Kamara scoring four touchdowns.
A week after setting a franchise record by starting the season with points on nine consecutive possessions in last Sunday's 47-10 dismantling of the lowly Carolina Panthers, the Saints scored touchdowns on their first six drives against the Cowboys and were in control all the way as they led 35-16 at half-time.
Derek Carr threw for 243 yards on just 11 completions with two touchdowns - including a 57-yard screen pass to Kamara and a 70-yarder to Rashid Shaheed.
Kamara finished with 115 rushing yards and another 65 yards receiving, while Shaheed led New Orleans with 96 receiving yards on four receptions.
The Saints racked up 432 total yards of offence against Dallas (1-1) and became the first NFL team to score 44 or more points in each of their first two games since the 2009 Saints did it on the way to winning the franchise's only Super Bowl.
Paulson Adebo and Tyrann Mathieu each intercepted Dak Prescott once and the New Orleans defence sacked him three times en route to snapping the Cowboys' home winning streak in the regular season at 16 games.
Buccaneers win at Detroit to avenge play-off loss
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned a measure of revenge, beating the Detroit Lions 20-16 in a play-off rematch.
Baker Mayfield put the Buccaneers (2-0) ahead with a dazzling 11-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter for the game's final score and Tampa Bay's defence stepped up late.
Christian Izien intercepted Jared Goff at the Tampa Bay nine-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, and the Lions (1-1) turned the ball over on downs at the Bucs' six-yard line with 53 seconds remaining and again at their 26 with two seconds to play.
Detroit also had an opportunity late in the first half to score points but couldn't get a play off after Goff completed an eight-yard pass to Amon-ra St. Brown in the middle of the field without a timeout remaining.
The Lions, who ended Tampa Bay's 2023 season with a 31-23 win in the divisional round of the play-offs, outgained the Buccaneers 463-216 in total yards but only scored one touchdown on a David Montgomery one-yard run.
Goff completed 34-of-55 passes for 307 yards but threw a pair of costly interceptions.
Mayfield was 12 of 19 for 185 yards with a 41-yard touchdown to Chris Godwin, who finished with seven catches for 117 yards.
Rodgers gets first win with Jets
Aaron Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the New York Jets beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17.
The four-time league MVP earned his first win with the Jets after his 2023 season ended when he tore his left Achilles tendon on his fourth snap of the year and this year began with a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.
The 40-year-old quarterback threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to a 20-year-old Braelon Allen, making it a score between the NFL's oldest and youngest players. At 20 years and 239 days, Allen is the youngest NFL player to score a scrimmage touchdown since Arnie Herber was the exact same age in 1930.
Allen also scored on a 20-yard run, while Breece Hall rushed for 62 yards and had 52 yards receiving with a 26-yard touchdown reception.
New York took advantage of some sloppy play by the Titans, including another head-scratching decision by Will Levis.
A week after throwing a pick-6 while being sacked in a season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears, Levis tried to shovel a backward pass to Tyjae Spears and Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams ended up recovering the loose ball at the New York 12-yard line.
Fairbairn's big leg, Texans' defence leads way in win over Bears
In a matchup between two of NFL's most highly regarded young quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans got the better of Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, holding on for a 19-13 win.
Stroud threw for 260 yards with Nico Collins on the receiving end of eight of those passes for 135 yards as the Texans improved to 2-0.
The two hooked up for a 28-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, and Houston got the rest of its scoring from kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn.
The kicker with the big leg connected from 47, 53, 56 and 59 yards after drilling field goals from 50, 51 and 51 yards in Houston's 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
Fairbairn is the first player in NFL history to have two games with three field goals of at least 50 yards in his entire career, and he's done it in the first two games of this season.
The Texans' defence harassed Williams all night in his second career start. Houston intercepted this year's No. 1 overall draft pick twice and sacked him seven times.
Williams completed 23-of-37 passes for 174 yards and ran for 44 yards, while running back D'Andre Swift was limited to 18 rushing yards on 14 carries.
The Bears (1-1) finished with just 205 total yards of offence after being held to a mere 148 total yards in their comeback win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1.
Darnold leads surprising Vikings over 49ers
The Minnesota Vikings took out the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, winning 23-17.
Taking over the offence after rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury last month, Sam Darnold helped the Vikings improve to 2-0.
Darnold was 17 of 26 for 268 yards with a pair of touchdowns, including a 97-yarder to Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson finished with 133 yards receiving on four catches, and Ty Chandler rushed for 82 yards on just 10 carries for a Minnesota team that compiled 146 yards on the ground.
Jordan Mason led the 49ers (1-1) with 100 yards rushing and scored on a 10-yard run in his second start in place of All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, who has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least two more games with lower leg injuries.
Brock Purdy completed 28-of-36 passes for 319 yards, but only one throw went for a touchdown - a seven-yarder to tight end Geroge Kittle in the second quarter.
Aaron Judge has once again found his power stroke.
Judge hit his major league-leading 53rd home run to help the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Sunday.
Judge's two-run homer travelled 445 feet and bounced off the glass window of a restaurant beyond the centre field fence at Yankee Stadium.
It marked the slugger's second home run in three games following a career-high 16-game homer-less streak.
Gleyber Torres also homered for the Yankees (87-63), who took three of four games from the Red Sox to open a three-game lead atop the AL East over the second-place Baltimore Orioles.
The Red Sox (75-75), meanwhile, dropped 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the AL's final wild-card spot.
Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run homer off Yankees starter Carlos Rodón for his 31st home run of the season and sixth in the last nine games.
Those were the only runs permitted by Rodón, who yielded six hits over 5 1/3 innings to earn his career-best 15th win.
Phillies top Mets on Realmuto's walk-off single
For the second day in a row the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies rallied late, winning 2-1 on J.T. Realmuto's walk-off single in the ninth inning to hand the New York Mets another discouraging defeat.
The game was scoreless until Tyrone Taylor homered in the top of the eighth inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The Phillies responded with Buddy Kennedy's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth, and won it an inning later on Realmuto's game-ending single off Edwin Díaz with two outs for his sixth career walk-off hit.
Philadelphia (90-59) reached the 90-win mark for the second year in a row by winning the final two games of the three-game series with New York after rallying for a 6-4 victory on Saturday.
Adding to the Mets' woes, All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor left the game in the second inning with back discomfort.
Lindor, who has been instrumental to New York's play-off push, also left Friday's game with low back soreness, and is scheduled to get an MRI on Monday.
In a bit of good news for the Mets (81-68), the Atlanta Braves later lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving New York tied with Atlanta for the NL's final wild card-spot.
Dodgers use seven-run ninth inning to beat Braves
The Los Angeles Dodgers scored seven runs in the ninth inning - all with two outs - to beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2.
Mookie Betts started the ninth-inning outburst with a tiebreaking single and Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run single.
The Dodgers then poured it on with Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman and Max Muncy hitting consecutive home runs.
Los Angeles' big ninth started against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, who had not allowed an earned run since June 16 - a span of 35 1/3 innings.
Shohei Ohtani was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored for the Dodgers (88-61), who own a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League's No. 2 seed.
Matt Olson and Travis d'Arnaud drove in runs for the Braves (81-68), who are tied with the Mets with 13 games remaining.
Canada beat Great Britain to ensure their progress to the Davis Cup Final 8 on Sunday, with Denis Shapovalov beating Dan Evans and Felix Auger Aliassime overcoming Jack Draper.
Canada needed just one point from their final group-stage tie, and Shapovalov did the honours at the first time of asking by beating Evans 6-0 7-5.
Shapovalov won 100% of first-serve points as he dominated an opening set that lasted just 27 minutes, and though Evans came back into the encounter in the second set, a break in the final game sealed the deal for Shapovalov.
With Canada's progress secured, Auger Aliassime then added some gloss by overcoming US Open semi-finalist Draper 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 in a fiercely contested affair.
British pair Neal Skupski and Henry Patten beat Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in the doubles, but it was of little consequence with their elimination already certain.
Argentina joined Canada in qualifying from Group D with a sweep of Finland, while Italy finished top of Group A in Bologna, thanks to the efforts of Flavio Cobolli.
He beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-3 as the Netherlands were forced to settle for second, after Matteo Berrettini had put the defending champions in the driving seat with a 3-6 6-4 6-4 win against Botic van de Zandschulp.
World number one Jannik Sinner was present to support Berrettini, embracing him after he capped his fightback by converting match point.
Australia and Spain had already sealed qualification from Group B prior to Sunday's matches, while the United States and Germany had clinched their progress from Group C.
The Davis Cup Final 8 will take place in Malaga between November 19 and November 24, with Italy hoping to become the first team to defend the title since the Czech Republic in 2013.
Max Verstappen lamented Red Bull's changes that left the RB20 "uncontrollable" at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen could only manage fifth place around the streets of Baku, but remains 59 points ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who finished one place in front.
But the Dutchman was the beneficiary of a collision involving Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz on the penultimate lap of the race.
Verstappen has now gone six grand prix without a pole position and seven without a victory, last winning at the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
The three-time world champion cited issues with his car during qualifying that seemed to carry over into the race, but is confident Red Bull can respond in Singapore next time.
"I think the changes we did to the car were positive, but then you still need of course to do the set-up on the car," Verstappen said.
“I think we were heading in the right direction but then the changes that we made before qualifying tipped it over the edge.
"We paid the price for that in the race unfortunately.”
The Dutchman was able to further detail the difficulties he experienced on track, saying: “My wheels were literally coming off the ground.
“Then of course you lose contact patch with the tarmac which you don’t want.
"That then caused me to slide a lot more, overheat the tyres more and there was no way to drive around it so the pace was just a bit all over the place.
“I had to box and then it was just a bit unfortunate I got stuck behind Alex and Lando.
"I was in that fight, George passed me, and then we actually had good pace, the two of us.
"We were catching the leaders but then as soon as I got close to George again within that window where you have the dirty air, because of the jumping that I’m dealing with I’m sliding already quite a bit.
“And then when I get close to him I’m sliding even more and that just tipped it over the edge where it becomes quite uncontrollable towards the end of the race, which was very difficult again.”
Champions Inter were knocked off the Serie A summit on Sunday as they were forced to come from behind to play out a 1-1 draw with Monza.
Hosts Monza took the lead in the 81st minute through substitute forward Dany Mota, but the Nerazzurri would avoid a surprise defeat to their neighbours as Denzel Dumfries levelled seven minutes later.
Lautaro Martinez should have put the Scudetto holders in front inside the opening 10 minutes, when he received a perfect cross from Federico Dimarco.
His header from the centre of the box, however, sailed slightly over the crossbar before Dimarco and Davide Frattesi spurned chances of their own.
But Monza defended resolutely and they went on to take a shock lead nine minutes from time, Mota nodding home a neat lofted cross from Armando Izzo.
Inter stepped up their efforts after falling behind and defender Dumfries tapped in a low cross from Carlos Augusto with two minutes of the 90 remaining, but the Nerazzurri could not find a winner.
While Inter are still unbeaten, their second draw of the campaign means they sit one point adrift of Napoli at the summit, while Monza stay 15th with three points from four games.
Data Debrief: Stuttering start for Nerazzurri
Inter's start has not exactly been dismal, Simone Inzaghi's men staying unbeaten and only slipping one point behind the pace at the top of Serie A.
However, it is in stark contrast to the starts they have made to recent campaigns.
In fact, this is the first time Inter have failed to win two of their first four matches of a Serie A season since 2020-21, when they drew one and lost one under Antonio Conte.
The silver lining? They went on to capture the title that season.
Luke Littler is eyeing redemption at the World Championship finals later this year after securing his maiden World Series of Darts Finals title in Amsterdam on Sunday.
Littler, who won the Premier League in May, comfortably dispatched Michael Smith 11-4 in the final on Sunday with a 102.21 average after losing the first two legs.
The 17-year-old began the day with a quarter-final triumph over Chris Dobey before turning on the style against home favourite Michael van Gerwen in the semis.
Littler took home the £80,000 prize money but remains behind Dirk van Duijvenbode in the world rankings due to the tournament being an invitational one.
The teenager rose to fame earlier this year with his impressive run at the World Championships, reaching the final but losing to world number one Luke Humphries.
And Littler, who avenged Humphries in the Premier League final, wants to go one better at Alexandra Palace later this year.
"I'm playing well so I will go back home and practice even more. There is no time to sit about, it's a busy winter coming up," Littler said.
"Everyone wants to win everything but I've learned you can't do that. I would like to win another major [title].
"I want the Worlds as anyone else does but another major would mean the world."
Atletico Madrid cruised to a convincing 3-0 home win over LaLiga's bottom side Valencia on Sunday, with Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez scoring their first goals for the club.
Marcos Llorente and Samuel Lino went close in the first half before Atletico took the lead in the 39th minute, new signing Gallagher finishing into the bottom corner after latching onto a delightful pass from Rodrigo De Paul.
Valencia fought hard for an equaliser, with Javi Guerra's long-range effort going wide, but they were unable to prevent Antoine Griezmann from making it 2-0 after Lino's header fell into his path nine minutes after the break.
Another new recruit, Alvarez, put the icing on the cake with his first goal in the Spanish top flight since arriving from Manchester City, when he slotted home Rodrigo Riquelme's cross in the 93rd minute.
Atletico, who are still unbeaten this season, moved into second place, level on 11 points with Real Madrid and four behind leaders Barcelona.
Data Debrief: New boys off the mark
Gallagher's opener made him the third-youngest Englishman to net in LaLiga this century, at the age of 24 years and 222 days.
Only Jude Bellingham (20 years and 44 days) and Mason Greenwood (22 years, seven days), both in 2023, have done so at a younger age.
He wasn't the only new recruit to impress on Sunday, though.
Alvarez's goal made him the 14th Argentinian player to score for Atleti since the turn of the century, with no other foreign nation supplying as many unique goalscorers for Los Colchoneros in that time.
Gary O'Neil is confident Wolves will overachieve again in the Premier League this season despite falling to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday.
Mario Lemina had given the hosts a half-time lead, only for Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes' long-range efforts completing the turnaround for the Magpies.
Wolves have now failed to win any of their opening four league games this term and occupy the final place in the bottom three.
Their single point against Nottingham Forest makes this their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, along with 2003-04, when they were relegated in last place.
O'Neil's side have now also lost six of their last seven league games at Molineux, losing more games on home turf in 2024 than any other team in the top-flight (eight).
But the Wolves head coach, who oversaw a 14th-place finish in his debut campaign at the helm last year, is confident his players will find their groove.
"We have better depth, of course. The run is the run. The team should be judged on what they did for the whole of last season.
"I am sure we will overachieve what many people will expect of us this season.
"Everyone is desperate for our first win. That was close to being our best today.
"We have gone up against a side that have spent an awful lot of money and were in the Champions League.
"There are not a lot of teams that can go against Newcastle and look the most likely to win."
There were positives for O'Neil to take from the defeat, however, most notably the performance of new addition Andre in central midfield.
The Brazilian completed all 40 of his passes against Newcastle, the most on record by a player on their first ever Premier League start without misplacing one (since 2003-04).
"Very good, he's a good player obviously. New system today with the three midfielders in. An awful lot of positives," O'Neil said.
"Of course the only positives that people are interested in is points.
"From my point of view, to have come up with a new structure for the team and for it to look how it did against Newcastle was a big plus for us."
Napoli coach Antonio Conte heaped praise on Romelu Lukaku after he scored and provided two assists in their dominant 4-0 victory at Cagliari on Sunday.
Lukaku was reunited with his former Inter boss Conte, under whom he scored 24 goals as the Nerazzurri won the Scudetto in 2020-21, ahead of Napoli loaning wantaway striker Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray this month.
He has made a flying start to life in Naples, netting in a 2-1 win over Parma ahead of the international break, then getting on the scoresheet again as Cagliari were swatted aside on matchday four.
He also laid on assists for Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, just the third time he has scored and provided multiple assists in a single game in Europe's top five leagues. Two of those instances have come under Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia after Sunday's game, Conte outlined why he was so keen to bring Lukaku in.
"I have always said that I wanted Romelu at Inter, had also requested him at Chelsea before he went to Manchester United, because he is an atypical striker," Conte said.
"He is extremely tall and physically strong, but also very good at sprinting forward. His condition is still nowhere near optimal, but he becomes fundamental for us."
The victory took Napoli top of the table ahead of Inter's trip to Monza later on Sunday, with the Partenopei registering three straight wins after starting with a humiliating 3-0 loss at Verona.
Conte, however, has dismissed suggestions his team are ready to compete for the Scudetto, saying they have plenty more work to do.
"I do feel that at the moment all teams are settling down still, as the transfer window closed late and we are all trying to find our shape," Conte said.
"We need to keep improving on duels all over the field, keeping focused and concentrated, because that is what you require in Serie A.
"We’ve worked hard over the last two and a half months, we’ve got to put on the blinkers and keep pushing forward without looking at anyone else."
Lay’s, a brand that has been bringing people together for generations, is building on its commitment to celebrating soccer fandom by becoming an Official snack of both the FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The exciting new partnership brings together two titans – the world’s favorite chip brand and the world’s biggest and most popular single sporting event for men and women – to spread the joy of the game to millions of fans worldwide. As Official Sponsor, Lay’s, alongside an iconic portfolio of food brands including Doritos®, Cheetos®, Tostitos®, Ruffles®, Quaker® and Gamesa®, will bring fans closer to the game than ever before with exclusive experiences, merchandise, consumer activations and more.
“Partnering with FIFA marks a significant milestone for our business and ambition to embed Lay’s and our extended portfolio of food brands deeper into football culture,” said Jane Wakely, Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer, International Foods – Lay’s. “Football is one of the world's biggest passion points, and this historic partnership allows us to bring the excitement and reach of the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup together with the joy and fun of our iconic brands across the world.”
On announcing the deal, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino said: “We’re delighted to extend this partnership with Lay’s and strengthen our collaboration as we head into a historic period for FIFA and the wider soccer community. After being involved in the last FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’re proud that Lay’s has shared in our trust, vision, and ideas for the development of the global game and has joined us on this journey into the future. Together, we will create special experiences for fans worldwide.”
The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the first edition to feature 48 teams and to be hosted across three countries – United States, Mexico and Canada – while the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ will be held in South America for the first time in 2027. With the two tournaments set to make history, Lay’s is joining the hype by rewarding soccer fans in new and unexpected ways. The brand will break new ground in 2026 by recognizing and rewarding the “Fan of the Match” at every match, spotlighting those in the stands whose passion and energy bring the beautiful game to life, and providing them with one-of-a-kind experiences.
Additionally, Lay’s, and the full portfolio of food brands, will engage fans on a global scale via in-store and digital promotions leading up to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. The brands will also be prominently featured on the pitch during every match through LED stadium display board exposure, press conference backdrops, as well as products sold across concession stands. Going beyond the stadiums, Lay’s and the iconic food portfolio will deliver immersive consumer experiences at FIFA official fan zones across host cities.
Lay’s has established a strong legacy with FIFA and the world of soccer fandom. The brand has led massive culture-defining initiatives, including the No Lay’s, No Game platform, which has created viral moments with soccer mega-stars like David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The legendary duo, earlier this year, stunned an entire stadium of 75,000 cheering fans as they orchestrated an epic hunt for Lay’s. The brand additionally launched the instantly iconic Oh Lay’scampaign which took the traditional “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé” mantra and put a Lay’s twist on it with the help of the G.O.A.T., Lionel Messi.
Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledges Thursday's Champions League meeting with Arsenal will be a difficult challenge for his Atalanta side following a mixed start to their Serie A campaign.
Atalanta sit eighth in the Italian top flight with two wins and two defeats from their first four games of 2024-25, having beaten Fiorentina 3-2 in a thriller on Sunday.
La Dea twice trailed to goals from Lucas Martinez Quarta and Moise Kean, only to fight back for victory with Mateo Retegui, Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman scoring.
Gasperini led Atalanta to Europa League glory last season, and they are preparing to step up to the revamped Champions League, with Arsenal the visitors for their first league-phase match next week.
Gasperini knows the Gunners will provide a huge test, telling DAZN: "It's not just their aerial power, it's the way they run and move the ball. They have fantastic dynamism.
"Arsenal are a great reference point in England, they dominated the Premier League last season along with Manchester City and Liverpool.
"We have never played against them and I think they will be a big test for us because of their intensity, quality and pace.
"We’re not used to teams with those characteristics, this could be a problem for us."
Gasperini also expressed frustration with the recent international break, noting that it had complicated efforts to prepare the team for their European campaign.
"Having the break for international duty was not helpful, as so many of them left again straight away," he said.
"I think first of all this team needs to find solidity, get those mechanisms running smoothly."
Eddie Howe believes Newcastle took a huge step in the right direction as they continued their strong start to the Premier League season with a comeback victory over Wolves.
Mario Lemina had given the visitors a half-time lead, but two goals in five minutes from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes saw the Magpies move up to third in the early-season standings.
Having taken 10 points from their first four games, Newcastle have now made their best start to a Premier League campaign since the 1995-96 season, when they won each of their opening four matches under Kevin Keegan.
Newcastle's powers of recovery have been evident already this season, with the Magpies picking up four points from losing positions so far, with only Manchester City (six) recovering more.
And with rumours of unrest behind the scenes at St. James' Park circulating, Howe acknowledged the magnitude of the triumph as they aim to return to the Champions League places this year.
"Massive win for us. Away from home, we have questions to answer and that is a big step forward for us," Howe said.
"I think we are stepping forward in terms of our performances. I think it was a step in the right direction.
"We can improve in lots of different aspects and that is what we are going to be working on this week. We are a really tight-knit group and we have to remain that way."
But the shift in momentum during the encounter at Molineux came after the break, when Howe made three changes to try and alter his side's fortunes.
Alexander Isak and Sean Longstaff were among those to be replaced, making way for goalscorer Barnes and Sandro Tonali, with the Magpies head coach detailing the reasons behind his decision.
"I wasn't totally satisfied and the lads know they have to perform. We have the ability to make those changes," Howe stated.
"I have to credit the players who came on. Everyone played their part and it is a massive win.
"I got the sense [of urgency] at the start of the half and then there was bit of a lull and Fabian's goal injected confidence.
"It took a moment of real class from Harvey and then we had cramp and all of those battling qualities at the end to get over the line."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
