Lionel Messi was left annoyed at the state of the pitch at the Estadio Monumental de Maturin as Argentina drew 1-1 in Venezuela on Thursday.

Heavy rain in Maturin had initially caused kick-off to be delayed by half an hour, although when the players eventually took to the field it was clear that the ball was holding up in water and bounced very little.

Argentina, who had eight shots to Venezuela's 16, went ahead in the first half through Nicolas Otamendi before Salomon Rondon equalised in the 65th minute.

And Messi did not hold back in expressing his anger at the playing conditions.

"It was very difficult, it makes for very ugly matches," said Messi.

"We could not complete two passes in a row. In the second half we did it on the right a little more, but it is difficult to play like that. Very little is played."

Team-mate Rodrigo De Paul was in agreement with his captain and was another player to vent their frustration after the match.

"In this case, we couldn't play football," he said.

With the ball barely rolling on the pitch, both teams had to resort to changing their tactics to deal with the conditions. That is something Messi believes Argentina did well, but ultimately cost them the game.

"We tied because the field didn't help us do what we wanted, we had to do another game than the one prepared for," he said

"But we were prepared because we fought, won the battles, played with the error of the rival. We couldn't risk much by playing with passes to the back. 

"In the first half we made a couple passes to the back and the water would stop it, and complicated it. We [played] the game we could with the water."

The draw maintains Argentina's position at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group with 19 points after nine matches. Following Colombia's defeat in Bolivia, their lead was extended by a point.

But Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was another who took the side of his captain, explaining that he thought the game should not have gone ahead.

"It did not meet the minimal conditions for a football game," he said.  "You couldn't play.

"We did what we had to do, but the conditions of the playing field were not for a match against two teams of this kind of level."

Lorenzo Pellegrini's red card was the decisive moment in Italy's 2-2 draw with Belgium on Thursday, so says Luciano Spalletti.

Italy dropped points for the first time in Nations League Group A2 despite Andrea Cambiaso and Mateo Retegui handing the Azzurri a two-goal advantage.

But five minutes before the interval, Pellegrini was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Arthur Theate. The Roma midfielder had first been given a yellow by the referee before a VAR review. 

As he left the field, several whistles from the fans were aimed at Pellegrini, who became the first Italy player to receive a straight red card since Domenico Criscito in June 2018.

Maxim De Cuyper reduced the deficit two minutes later before Leandro Trossard sealed a share of the spoils in the second half at the Stadio Olimpico.

And Spalletti said that Pellegrini's sending off was what swung the contest in favour of the visitors, but was pleased with his side's display with a man less.

"The description is that there are episodes that throw away games. You have to be good enough to know how to direct even those episodes," Spalletti said. 

"Sometimes it's not possible like tonight. What is the description of the match is the displeasure of the boys in the locker room for not having won the game.

"It was seen that they were aware that they could make it to another victory and that a bit of bad luck got in the way. This attachment that they showed with sorrow is fundamental.

"The game was also done well with ten men. We stooped a little too low, but it became impossible. At the end of the first half, I was in doubt whether to get back to four.

"Pellegrini, I have to review the episode, but I think it was expulsion.

"He felt a bit frustrated and tried everything because he felt anticipated and if you touch with your studs it's always red.

"Then you concede a goal on a free kick, you take an avoidable goal on a corner kick. Tonight it had to be like this, we paid too dearly for these small mistakes".

Belgium improved following Pellegrini's dismissal, having registered an expected goals (xG) total of 0.19 from their four shots in the first half. 

After the break, the Red Devils produced eight shots, though only one was on target, which proved to be the equaliser as Trossard nipped in front of Gianluigi Donnarumma. 

Belgium head coach Domenico Tedesco acknowledged the difficulties his side faced, not helped by Cambiaso's early goal, which was the first time the Azzurri had scored inside a minute since Emanuele Giaccherini did so against Haiti in 2013. 

"We really struggled, and the red card helped us enormously," Tedesco said.

"We know we can do better, but that quick goal against threw all our plans into disarray.

"In possession we stuck to the plan, but without the ball we were too high. The Italians always had a surplus in midfield. So our pressing did not work.

"It's often even harder to score against 10 Italians. They know how to defend.

"From the moment they dropped back – which happened after the red card – it was harder, but we changed the tactics and it worked."

It is only matchweek four in the Women's Super League but the big games are coming thick and fast.

And Saturday's meeting between Arsenal and reigning champions Chelsea is big, with a capital 'B'.

Arsenal welcome Chelsea to Emirates Stadium for a match that will give fans an early indication of whether the Gunners are really title contenders this season.

It has been an indifferent start to the campaign for Arsenal, who faced last year's runners-up Manchester City on the opening day. That ended in a 2-2 draw, in which Vivianne Miedema netted a first-half equaliser, the first blow inflicted against her former club after a transfer Jonas Eidevall may live to regret.

Arsenal then won a tight game away to Leicester City 1-0 but were held to a draw by struggling Everton.

The Gunners have also played an extra game than their opponents heading into Saturday, as Chelsea's match with Manchester United was cancelled due to its proximity to their Champions League meeting with Real Madrid to their WSL fixture.

Chelsea, who beat Madrid in that aforementioned game, have started like a rocket under new boss Sonia Bompastor, taking maximum points from their opening two WSL matches.

The Blues have scored eight goals in two games, with seven different players scoring. Although it is not quite the same style of play as it was under Emma Hayes, they look well set to continue their domestic dominance.

Chelsea inflicted a 7-0 rout on newcomers Crystal Palace in matchweek two, following on from a tense 1-0 win over Aston Villa. Bompastor is therefore aiming to become the fourth manager to win each of their first three games in the WSL. The previous three are David Parker (2011 with Birmingham City), Rehanne Skinner (2021 with Tottenham) and, coincidentally, Eidevall in 2021.

Both teams have played in Europe this week as they began their group-stage campaigns in the Women's Champions League. While Chelsea edged out Madrid 3-2 in a thriller, Arsenal were humbled 5-2 by Bayern Munich.

Eidevall has been critical of the hectic schedule, feeling the WSL calendar puts English clubs at a disadvantage when they play in European competition. Saturday's game could well be a test of which of these teams have dealt with the demands better.

The heat is on

Arsenal's inability to grind out the wins in crucial games last season left them trailing behind Chelsea and Man City in the run-in and only really playing for third spot. This term, Eidevall has made some changes he thought could improve their chances.

Reinforcements included a Champions League winner with Barcelona, Mariona Caldentey.

However, the World Cup winner is yet to record a league goal contribution this season since her arrival from the Catalan giants, despite leading the way for open-play shot-ending sequences in Arsenal's squad (17).

However, she has registered 1.04 expected assists (xA) – that is the third-highest total in the WSL, behind Man City star Lauren Hemp (1.24) and Liverpool's Marie-Therese Hobinger (1.37).

Indeed, it is again only that duo that can better Caldentey's tally of six chances created.

And despite a poor night for Arsenal in Munich, one of the positives to come from the game was the Spaniard's performance.

Caldentey opened the scoring, had a team-high three shots, and most importantly they all came from inside the box. Despite playing as a forward, a position where it can be hard to see much of the ball, only Leah Williamson (102) and Laia Codina (79) had more touches than her 74 among Arsenal players.

With Caldentey still eyeing her first WSL goal, last season's headline signing Alessia Russo has struggled for form too.

Russo averaged 4.1 shots per 90 last season, but that figure is down to 2.5 this term across her three games. Squandering both big chances that have come her way in the WSL, her expected goals on target (xGoT) of 0.31 compared to her 0.62 expected goals (xG) also shows her finishing has been slightly below par.

However, her rate of touches in the opposition box per 90 is 7.9, up from 7.1 in 2023-24, while she is creating chances on a consistent basis in line with last year, too (1.5 per 90 across both seasons, albeit across a small sample size this season).

This may be the game she sparks into life, as Russo has scored four goals in six WSL appearances against Chelsea, including netting two in two matches against the Blues when she has been playing for the Gunners.

Gunning for goals

The pressure is on Eidevall to find solutions with what is a talented group. 

While Chelsea have been free-scoring in the opening weeks of the season, they have also been clinical. The Blues are the WSL's leading scorers, though they are also the biggest xG overperformers, too, outperforming their 3.9 xG by 4.1 and converting all three of the big chances that have come their way.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have scored just three goals in as many matches. In fact, their 1.4 xG underperformance is the second highest, after Man City's 2.0 (five goals from 7.0 xG). The Gunners have had 47 shots, an average of 15.6 per game, and less than only Villa (48) and Man City (57). Arsenal's shot conversion rate (6.38%) is the fourth-lowest in the WSL, however.

The Gunners must be more ruthless in front of goal. They have had 11 big chances in the WSL this term, yet scored just three of them – that 27.27% big chance conversion rate is higher than only strugglers Everton (0%), West Ham (0%) and Leicester City (20%).

The departure of the WSL's leading all-time goalscorer Miedema angered Arsenal fans at the end of last season, and their lack of potency in front of goal so far has only added to the pressure mounting on Eidevall.

Arsenal may be low in confidence, and some Gunners players endured a difficult game against Bayern, but the same cannot be said for captain Williamson. 

She produced an all-action performance against Bayern and jumped off the page when it comes to many of the headline metrics. She had the best figures of anyone on the pitch for touches (102), accurate passes (77), passes in the final third (24), final third entries (19) and clearances (six), while also playing two key passes.

Frida Maanum has caught the eye, too. She has already netted twice in the WSL, while her 1.04 xG is the highest of any Arsenal player. Her 1.96 xGoT meanwhile, suggests, her finishing has been above what would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances she has taken on.

Only Khadija Shaw (25) has logged more touches in the opposition box than Maanum (18), with the Norwegian level with her former team-mate Miedema.

Bompastor's Va-Va-Voom

There is a different kind of pressure on Bompastor, but she has made a fantastic start to her tenure after replacing the legendary Hayes.

However, she has managed to put her own stamp on this Chelsea side, utilising players in different ways and bringing out the best of the old squad while making smart additions.

One of the standout players so far has been Guru Reiten.

Bompastor has a wealth of attacking talent at her disposal, including Sandy Baltimore, Mayra Ramirez, Lauren James and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, so Reiten has taken on a more central role.

The Norwegian has spent just 2% of her minutes on the wing this season – 47% of her minutes have been spent in an attacking midfield position, but she has mainly been deployed in a central midfield role.

Last season, she spent just 5% of her time as a central midfielder, with 92% of the minutes she clocked up being spent on the left wing, and 3% at left-back. She has been the most prolific player for Chelsea, scoring twice, and is tied for third for goals scored in the league in 2024-25.

Reiten, who scored in Tuesday's win over Madrid, has thrived with the positional switch, and has registered the second-highest xG in Chelsea's squad in the league (0.58), behind James (0.95).

Bompastor will hope goalkeeper Hannah Hampton is fit after she had to pull out of the Madrid game due to illness. Hampton has saved all seven of the shots on target she has faced this season.

Two other goalkeepers - Manchester United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce (5/5 shots saved) and Arsenal's Daphne van Domselaar (4/4 shots saved) also have a 100% save percentage this term in the WSL.

Hampton is the last line of a solid defence. Chelsea's xG against (xGA) of 1.33 suggests they have been somewhat fortunate not to give up at least a goal, but their tally of 18 shots faced is the second-lowest in the league, albeit they have only played twice.

Millie Bright spent most of last season out with injury and her return has been like a new signing in defence. She has won 12 duels across the two WSL matches she has played this term – more than any other Chelsea player. An actual new signing, Lucy Bronze, has also proved an excellent addition. 

Head-to-head

Chelsea won 3-1 the last time they met Arsenal in the WSL, and will be aiming to win back-to-back league matches against the Gunners for the first time since January 2020.

The Blues have won two of the last three WSL meetings between these sides (3-1 in March 2024, 2-0 in May 2023), though Arsenal beat Chelsea 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.

The Gunners also beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Women's League Cup final in March, so there are recent successes to draw on for the hosts.

Eidevall and Bompastor have met twice previously, with both of those games coming in the 2022-23 Champions League group stage: Arsenal beat Lyon 5-1 – inflicting Bompastor's biggest defeat of her managerial career – before losing 1-0 in the return leg.

Eidevall is in desperate need of a result at the Emirates. He has had the beating of Bompastor once before and will need to draw on that experience to find a way past what looks like an unstoppable Chelsea side. If he cannot, then Arsenal's title hopes could already be dwindling before the season has really begun.

Having played a game less than Man City, Chelsea are a point behind the WSL leaders.

The Blues are made the favourites by the Opta supercomputer, which ranks their win probability at 42%. 

Arsenal, on the other hand, came out on top in 32.5% of the model's simulations, so expect a tight encounter, with the draw threat at 25.5%. While they are unbeaten in the WSL this term, it really does feel like Eidevall needs a win to ease some doubts.

Brazil fought back from a goal down to score an 89th-minute winner that completed a 2-1 comeback win over Chile.

The hosts went ahead in the second minute of Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Santiago when a looping header from Eduardo Vargas went past Ederson in goal, although it was an effort that should arguably have been saved.

While Chile had chances to extend their lead and had claims for a penalty in the first half, Brazil equalised in stoppage time through a close-range header from Igor Jesus.

The Selecao controlled much of the second half as they went in search of a winner, and they were able to find it a minute from time. Botafogo winger Luiz Henrique cut in from the right and bent a shot past the goalkeeper to earn his country three points.

It is a victory that moves Brazil up a place to fourth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, while Chile remain second-bottom, seven points behind an automatic qualification spot.

That they were able to get the result without some key players - Alisson, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior are all injured - will have pleased coach Dorival Junior, for whom the result will ease some of the pressure.

Data debrief: Plenty to improve for Brazil

Prior to their victory in Chile, Brazil had been on a run of four defeats in five matches in World Cup qualifying.

This result leaves them three points ahead of eighth-placed Paraguay, who occupy the final elimination slot and beat Brazil 1-0 in the previous matchday.

Although Brazil found a way to win, this was the sixth qualifier in eight that they registered three shots on target or fewer.

Given that they have also conceded the second-most goals (nine) within the top eight, there is clearly still work to do from Dorival to get them performing at a higher level.

France coach Didier Deschamps knows there is still a long way to go for his side, as he conceded the atmosphere around the camp has not been the best.

Les Bleus hammered Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Thursday, with Deschamps fielding a youthful side.

With Antoine Griezmann having retired and Kylian Mbappe out injured, Eduardo Camavinga, Christopher Nkunku, Mattéo Guendouzi and Bradley Barcola were on target in Budapest.

Mbappe's absence has caused a stir in the French press, with the 25-year-old having pulled out of contention for the national team despite returning to fitness to feature in Real Madrid's two matches before the international window.

Referring to that media frenzy, Deschamps said: "It's always good to win. The atmosphere around the squad is not exactly pleasant.

"It's not perfect, we're in a transition period but there are some good things, with players who have qualities and now need to confirm.

"This Nations League should help us with that. We failed against Italy [in a 3-1 defeat], but we played a very good match against Belgium [a 2-0 win]."

Camavinga turned in an impressive performance in the heart of France's midfield, though he was left frustrated with how many times he gave the ball away.

The 21-year-old lost possession nine times, which was fewer than four of his team-mates.

"I had a good performance. I can do better, I lost a lot of balls," he said.

"It's still a good performance. It bodes well for the future.

"To impose myself in the national team? Of course. It was everyone's goal to impose ourselves. We have to play good matches."

France face Belgium in their next Nations League encounter on Monday.

Interim boss Lee Carsley insists the failure of his false-nine experiment in England's 2-1 Nations League defeat to Greece will not have any bearing on his future in the role.

Carsley missed the chance to become the first Three Lions boss to win his first three competitive games at the helm since Fabio Capello on Thursday, as Greece left Wembley with a stunning victory.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored twice – including a dramatic 94th-minute winner – as Greece went top of Nations League Group B2 with their first competitive victory over the Three Lions.

With captain Harry Kane sidelined by injury, England lined up with no recognised striker, with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer interchanging in a fluid system.

England's 12 shots only added up to 0.86 expected goals (xG), with Bellingham's 87th-minute equaliser their only shot on target in the second half.

"We were second best for a lot of tonight, it is disappointing. You are going to get setbacks, and it's important that we respond," Carsley told ITV Sport after the defeat.

Only Anthony Gordon (five) managed more than four touches in the Greece area for England, with Bellingham, Foden and Palmer only recording one shot inside the box between them.

Carsley, who has been placed in interim charge through to the end of next month's final Nations League fixtures, is choosing to view the defeat as part of a learning curve.

"We tried something different and tried to overload the midfield. We tried it for 20 minutes, we experimented, and we're disappointed it didn't come off," he said.

"It's unrealistic to expect too much, and we will have to try again. All the goals were from mistakes, which is disappointing.

"It is definitely an option going forward. When you have someone of Kane's quality, though, it rules it out when he is available. 

"But in the future, you have to have the courage and ability to try things. We tried something different. It doesn't change anything. My remit is to do the three camps."

Argentina dropped points in a second successive CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, as Venezuela held them to a 1-1 draw in Maturin.

The spoils were shared at Estadio Monumental de Maturin, where Salomon Rondon's second-half header cancelled out Nicolas Otamendi's earlier effort.

After heavy rain delayed kick-off, Argentina took the lead in the 13th minute.

Venezuela goalkeeper Rafael Romo failed to properly clear the returning Lionel Messi's free-kick, and Otamendi reacted quickest to poke home from 12 yards out.

The hosts went close to levelling either side of the break. German Pezzella cleared off the line from Rondon, while Geronimo Rulli - deputising for the suspended Emiliano Martinez - kept out Yangel Herrera's powerful header.

However, Venezuela did grab their equaliser in the 65th minute - and subsequently a point - when Rondon rose at the near post to power home from Yeferson Soteldo's cross.

Messi returned to the international scene for the first time since limping off in tears during the Copa America final.

But the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner could not help Argentina get back to winning ways, while he conceded possession the joint-most times (19) by any visiting player.

The conditions certainly affected the flow of the game, and was more to the suiting of Venezuela. Although they had just 40.1% of possession, the hosts outshot their opponents 16-8.

However, they have now failed to win their last five CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers; their longest streak since going six without victory between June and October 2021.

France made it back-to-back wins in the Nations League, with Christopher Nkunku and Bradley Barcola among the scorers as they thrashed Israel 4-1 in Hungary.

Playing at a neutral venue in Budapest's Bozsik Arena, France flew out of the traps as Israel goalkeeper Omri Glazer let Eduardo Camavinga's strike squirm past him in the sixth minute.

Israel did draw level midway through the first half as Omri Gandelman headed Oscar Gloukh's cross home, but they were on terms for less than five minutes as Chelsea forward Nkunku flicked the ball through Ilay Feingold's legs before slotting a low finish into the far corner.

Randal Kolo Muani twice went close to extending France's lead before Matteo Guendouzi gave them breathing space in the 87th minute, rolling a finish beyond Glazer and into the bottom corner.

Didier Deschamps' men added further gloss to the scoreline two minutes later, Guendouzi finding a similar position, but this time opting to pick out Barcola for a curled finish.

The result sees France move onto six points in Group A2, one adrift of Italy – who beat them on matchday one. They face Belgium next time out on Monday.

Data Debrief: New-look Bleus sparkle

With Kylian Mbappe absent due to a niggling injury and Antoine Griezmann retiring from international football, Deschamps fielded a new-look frontline of Nkunku, Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise.

Recording 33 touches in the area to Israel's five, and 15 shots to their opponents' one, France certainly impressed.

Kolo Muani was a particular bright spark despite not getting on the scoresheet, with his four chances created being at least twice as many as any other player (Theo Hernandez laid on two).

Erling Haaland became Norway's all-time leading scorer with a brace in their 3-0 victory over Slovenia.

The Manchester City striker was captaining his first nation for the first time, and marked the occasion in trademark record-breaking fashion.

Haaland broke the deadlock after just seven minutes of the Nations League clash at the Ullevaal Stadium, where Alexander Sorloth doubled the lead seven minutes after the restart.

Sorloth then turned provider just after the hour mark for Haaland, who broke Jorgen Juve's 87-year record with his 34th international goal in just 36 caps.

The result put Norway firmly in charge of Group B3 with seven points, three ahead of Austria and Slovenia, with Kazakhstan propping up the table on one point.

Vangelis Pavlidis' dramatic 94th-minute winner brought Lee Carsley's perfect start to life as interim England coach crashing to a halt, as the Benfica forward netted twice in a stunning 2-1 win at Wembley. 

Pavlidis danced through the Three Lions' static defence to give Greece a shock lead early in the second half, only for Jude Bellingham to fire home a leveller in the 87th minute.

But England struggled to find their groove with captain Harry Kane out injured, and after Greece had three goals disallowed, they could have few complaints when Pavlidis took advantage of a defensive mix-up to score a famous winner deep into stoppage time.

England's willingness to throw men forward allowed Greece plenty of opportunities in the first half, and only a spectacular goal-line clearance from Levi Colwill prevented the visitors from going ahead when Anastasios Bakasetas lobbed Jordan Pickford.

Pickford was then arguably fortunate to win a foul when his missed punch led to Konstantinos Mavropanos nodding the resulting corner in, before Cole Palmer fired off-target from a great position at the other end.

Anthony Gordon headed Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross over shortly before half-time, but Greece continued to threaten and got their reward four minutes after the restart.

Receiving the ball with three white shirts surrounding him in a crowded penalty area, Pavlidis showed great feet to retain possession before slotting his finish beyond Pickford.

Pavlidis was denied a second goal by the offside flag seven minutes from time, and England drew level just four minutes later, with Bellingham's side-footed finish packing too much power for Odysseas Vlachodimos in the Greece goal.

There was to be one final twist, though, as England's hapless defence missed multiple chances to clear their lines in the 94th minute, allowing Pavlidis to take possession and fire into the bottom-left corner to spark wild celebrations among the Greek fans. 

Data Debrief: Wembley woes ancient history for Greece

Prior to Thursday, Greece had never scored at Wembley and had failed to beat England in nine competitive meetings (two draws, seven losses), being shut out on seven occasions.

But they showed no fear on a memorable night in London, beating a team ranked in the world's top five by FIFA for the first time since overcoming France en route to their stunning success at Euro 2004.

While Lee Carsley fell short of becoming the first England boss since Fabio Capello (in October 2008) to win his first three competitive matches in charge, Greece claimed a huge scalp on an emotional night, one day after the tragic death of full-back George Baldock. 

Italy dropped their first points of this Nations League campaign, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium in Rome.

The 10-man Azzurri, who had Lorenzo Pellegrini sent off, were pegged back from 2-0 up at Stadio Olimpico, where Maxim De Cuyper and Leandro Trossard cancelled out earlier efforts from Andrea Cambiaso and Mateo Retegui.

Just 59 seconds had elapsed when Italy broke the deadlock as Federico Dimarco played a one-two with Pellegrini, before his low cross was turned in at the far post by Cambiaso.

It was 2-0 in the 24th minute when Koen Casteeles parried Cambiaso's low drive straight to Retegui, who tapped into an open goal.

However, the Azzurri's momentum was halted after 40 minutes when Pellegrini was shown a straight red card following a VAR review after his late challenge on Arthur Theate.

Belgium quickly took advantage to halve the deficit with a neatly worked free-kick as Youri Tielemans and Trossard combined to tee up De Cuyper, who curled past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

And the comeback was completed just after the hour mark when Wout Faes nodded a deep corner into the six-yard box, where Trossard nipped in ahead of Donnarumma to ensure a share of the spoils.

Data Debrief: Italy's quick start counts for nothing

After back-to-back victories over France and Israel, Italy were quick out of the blocks in their quest to make it three wins from three.

Cambiaso's strike saw the Azzurri score in the opening minute of a match for the first time since June 2013, when Emanuele Giaccherini struck early against Haiti.

However, the pendulum certainly swung away from them following the dismissal of Pellegrini, who became the first Italy player to receive a direct red card since Domenico Criscito against Netherlands in June 2018.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann says football's decision-makers must introduce longer breaks between competitions, with players threatening to strike over the packed schedule. 

Debates over fixture congestion at the elite level have intensified in recent months, with FIFA's decision to organise an expanded Club World Cup a particularly thorny issue.

The inaugural 32-team tournament – which will be held in the United States at the end of the club season – will add another seven matches to some teams' fixture lists, while UEFA has also added two extra matches to the first phase of the Champions League.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri recently talked up the prospect of players taking strike action over a lack of rest time, but Nagelsmann does not envisage the number of games being reduced.

Speaking ahead of Friday's Nations League clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Germany boss called on organisers to look to American sports for inspiration when it comes to recovery times.

"I have often said that I won't complain about the calendar. A lot of matches are financing this sport," Nagelsmann said at his pre-match press conference.

"You have to have a healthy balance. I don't think there will be fewer games in the future. 

"There will be more matches and we should be talking about how to structure the breaks [between competitions]."

Pointing to the way the NBA and NFL manage player workloads, he added: "NBA players play 85 games or so but then have a long break. 

"The NFL has a long break. We don't have that in football. The players just don't get any break."

Ronald Koeman can see "the bar going up in training" as he challenged the Netherlands to build on their momentum against Hungary.

The Oranje, who reached the Euro 2024 semi-finals, have made an unbeaten start to their Nations League Group campaign with four points from their opening two Group A3 matches.

After opening with a 5-2 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Dutch then played out a 2-2 draw with Germany.

Next up for Koeman's side is a trip to the Puskas Arena to face Hungary on Friday, and the head coach wants his players to keep building on the positive aspects of their performances so far.

"I've showed the players what was good and why it was good. The football was good," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

"We always had depth in our game, created many chances and the transitions were very good. I want us to keep that up. The energy was also good, and I saw that this week in training, too.

"I see that the bar is going up in the training. There is a lot of competition for places. We've had quite a few injuries at the back and in midfield, which gives others a chance."

The Netherlands will be the favourites to take all three points, but Koeman is not underestimating the Magyars, who defeated England twice and Germany during the last edition of the Nations League.

"To be honest, I was quite surprised that Hungary had a good chance of reaching the final four," he added.

"They still have many of the same players. I don't understand why their recent results have not been as impressive, but we should not think that we are just easily going to win this."

Cristiano Ronaldo has hailed Rafael Nadal as an "incredible" inspiration to millions around the world after the King of Clay announced he will retire from tennis next month.

Having struggled with injuries throughout the last couple of years, 22-time grand slam champion Nadal confirmed 2024 will be his final year on the ATP Tour on Thursday.

Nadal will call time on his glittering career after November's Davis Cup finals in Malaga, where he will feature for a Spain team also containing four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Only Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (24 each) and Serena Williams (23) have won more grand slam singles titles than Nadal in tennis history (22), with his 14 triumphs at the French Open a record for titles won at a single major.

He posted a video explaining his decision to bow out to his social media channels on Thursday, saying he had been playing with "limitations" for the last two years.

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo was among the first to react to the news, commenting on Nadal's Instagram post: "Rafa, what an incredible race you've had! 

"Your dedication, passion and incredible talent have inspired millions around the world.

"It has been an honour to witness your journey and to be able to call you a friend. Congrats on an amazing career! Enjoy your retirement!"

Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui will be absent for several weeks after undergoing a minor heart procedure.

Mazraoui joined United from Bayern Munich in a deal worth an initial £12.8million (€15m) in August and has quickly established himself as the Red Devils' first-choice right-back.

He has started all seven of their Premier League games this season, with Erik ten Hag's men taking just eight points to record their worst-ever start to a campaign in the competition.

On Monday, he withdrew from Morocco's squad for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Central African Republic, having experienced heart palpitations.

Widespread reports on Thursday then said Mazraoui had successfully undergone a corrective procedure and would return within a few weeks.

Mazraoui was withdrawn at half-time in United's goalless draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, with Harry Maguire also replaced at the interval.

Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are long-term absentees, meanwhile, leaving Ten Hag's men short in defence ahead of their return to action against Brentford on October 19.