Four of the Champions League’s top-performing clubs could headline a new annual preseason tournament in the United States, sources told Rob Harris of The Associated Press.
The mini-tournament would reportedly run as an appetizer to the Champions League each season and feature the four teams that finish atop the competition’s new 36-team standings.
Starting in 2024, the Champions League will take on a new format, with 36 teams competing in a single league rather than groups of four. Teams will play eight games home and away to determine their standing in the table. The top eight sides qualify directly for the round of 16, while the teams from ninth to 24th compete in two-legged playoffs for a berth in the knockout stage.
The preseason tournament could replace the International Champions Cup, which serves as a top destination for clubs on tour during the offseason. Relevant Sports, which runs the ICC, has an existing partnership with UEFA to sell Champions League broadcasting rights from 2024 to 2027.
UEFA is also discussing changes to the Super Cup, which pits the reigning Champions League and Europa League champions against each other in a one-off match every August. If UEFA proceeds with the preseason event, the Europa League and Europa Conference League winners could play in the Super Cup instead.
The hugely successful FIFA video game series, which dates back to 1993’s release of FIFA International Soccer, is set to end when the Women’s World Cup concludes in August 2023.
FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, and EA Sports, its biggest commercial partner, failed to reach an agreement to extend a partnership that’s drawn 150 million players. Part of the separation was due to FIFA demanding at least double the annual $150-million fee it gets from the video game developer and publisher, according to The New York Times’ Tariq Panja.
The new name for the series is “EA Sports FC.”
“If (FIFA) is not No. 1, it’s certainly in the top three game franchises of all time,” Gareth Sutcliffe, a senior analyst specializing in the video games sector at Enders Analysis, told Panja. “And the reason for that is there are so many releases. Every year, they change the number on the box, put a new player on the front, and it’s pretty much the same under the hood.”
Top leagues across the globe have since confirmed they’ll be part of EA Sports FC. EA Sports retains the rights to use the sport’s biggest clubs and stars because of separate licensing deals with organizations like UEFA and numerous competitions and clubs. However, FIFA-controlled tournaments, such as the World Cup, will be off-limits.
We’re In The Club Learn More July 2023#EASPORTSFC pic.twitter.com/IuMWgIlpGb
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 10, 2022
Sales of the video game series surpassed $20 billion over the past two decades. FIFA is now expected to try to find a new digital partner to address the huge financial deficit its break from EA Sports will cause. It’d be limited in what’s available in any game it makes because EA Sports FC boasts exclusive access to the Champions League, Premier League, and other huge soccer competitions.
“If you’re breaking a relationship that goes back over 20 years, there will be consequences,” Sutcliffe said. “EA will continue to motor on: They have got all the technological smarts, the creative implementation of an absolutely fantastic football game – and it really is fantastic. But what do FIFA have? Their name. And then what?”
FIFA’s name arguably lacks the prestige it had when it last signed a deal with EA Sports 10 years ago. The body is still reeling from a major corruption scandal in 2015, and its popularity has also suffered due to strong criticism of some of its proposals, such as hosting the World Cup every two years.
FIFA said it would launch a “number of new non-simulation games (that) are already under production” prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which begins in November.
“I can assure you that the only authentic, real game that has the FIFA name will be the best one available for gamers and football fans,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino added.
MIAMI — Former New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams running back Sony Michel has signed with the Miami Dolphins, the team announced Tuesday.
The deal is for one year and worth $2.1 million, a league source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday.
Michel, 27, will be the third running back to sign with Miami this offseason, joining Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds. The Dolphins already have Myles Gaskin on their roster, and they tendered Salvon Ahmed as well.
The Dolphins could use a boost to their rushing offense after finishing 30th in rushing yards in 2021. They also finished with the third-fewest average yards before contact and the seventh-fewest average yards after contact in the league.
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Miami has spent a majority of its resources this offseason on improving its offense under first-year coach Mike McDaniel, including signing offensive tackle Terron Armstead and trading for wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
In five seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ run game coordinator, McDaniel’s offenses ran for the 11th-most yards in the league. Last season, McDaniel’s first as offensive coordinator, the 49ers were seventh in the league in rushing and fifth in attempts.
Michel rushed for 845 yards and scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) for the Super Bowl champion Rams last season.
They acquired him from the Patriots in August for fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2022 draft. He filled a major need for the Rams after Cam Akers tore an Achilles tendon before training camp.
Michel played sparingly until he moved into the starting lineup in December following an injury to Darrell Henderson Jr. Michel rushed for more than 100 yards twice that month and had another game in which he had 92 yards rushing. Michel’s role in the postseason diminished as Akers returned from his injury to reclaim his starting role.
The Patriots selected Michel with the 31st overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Georgia. They had declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract last May.
In three seasons with the Patriots, he rushed for 2,292 yards and 14 touchdowns.
This will be a homecoming of sorts for Michel, who was a five-star running back at American Heritage School, roughly 20 miles from Hard Rock Stadium.
Manchester City are on the brink of being crowned winners of the Erling Haaland sweepstakes.
It’s understood that an agreement for the 21-year-old to join City from Borussia Dortmund is considered a “done deal,” according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
An official announcement should be made this week, Ornstein adds.
Haaland has agreed to terms on a five-year contract that’ll earn him £375,000 a week, according to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano. Negotiations started after the Norwegian striker apparently instructed his representatives to move ahead with plans to complete his transfer to Manchester City last month.
It’s now believed Borussia Dortmund are expecting to hear from City in the coming days that they’re ready to pay the release clause in Haaland’s contract, which is believed to be worth €75 million, per Ornstein.
Haaland’s arrival at City will conclude the club’s search for a prolific No. 9 to fill the void left by club icon Sergio Aguero.
Signing Haaland may also end speculation over Manchester City’s interest in Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane. City reportedly pursued Kane last summer before the English star committed to staying with Spurs for at least one more season.
Haaland has evolved into one of football’s brightest young stars since he initially caught the sport’s eye while with Red Bull Salzburg. He went on to flourish at Borussia Dortmund, scoring 85 goals in 88 appearances after arriving in 2020.
With Real Madrid out of the running to sign Haaland this summer, they’ll likely shift their focus to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.
