This summer, Manchester City and Chelsea will have two transfer windows in the Premier League to allow them to sign players for the Club World Cup.
In a special window between June 1 and June 10, clubs in the English top flight will now be able to hire and retain players.
Any national association with teams competing in the new expanded Club World Cup, which kicks off in the United States on June 14, is eligible to register for the exceptional registration period that was approved by FIFA in October.
With a $1 billion prize pot on offer to the 32 teams competing, the winners of the competition could win up to $125 million in prize money.
Due to winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023, respectively, Chelsea and City are England’s two representatives.
READ MORE: Alexander-Arnold’s Choice Between Dream Madrid Move and Lasting Liverpool Legacy
Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool could be signed from Real Madrid sooner than expected, with the England international reportedly close to joining the European champions on a free transfer when his deal expires on June 30.
The Premier League window will be closed again from June 11 to June 15 and reopen on June 16 through Monday, September 1. Due to FIFA regulations, the window can only be closed for a maximum of 12 weeks.
Following allegations that a national team goalkeeper had assisted in the rigging of an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Kenya on Thursday began a match-fixing investigation.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) acknowledged that it was aware of online videos that featured goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, which raised concerns about match-related potential manipulation.
The Kenya football board stated in a statement that FIFA upholds the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation in collaboration with FIFA, CAF, and other relevant authorities.
READ MORE:  , Mbappe, and Vinicius Among Real Madrid Stars Under Investigation by the UEFA Conduct Commission.
We reaffirm our zero tolerance for match-tasting and are committed to keeping our competition’s credibility afloat.
An unnamed man is reportedly speaking with Matasi about a plan to fix a match in exchange for money in the secretly filmed online amateur video that was seen by AFP.
In a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Yaounde in October, the former AFC Leopards and Tusker goalkeeper, who also played for Ethiopian side Coffee Sports Club, participated in Kenya’s 4-1 defeat to former African champions Cameroon.
Kenya’s chances of making it to the Moroccan finals were thwarted by the defeat, which also resulted in Engin Firat resigning as coach.
Matasi did not play in the recent World Cup qualifiers against Gabon and Gambia because of the new coach’s suspension, Benni McCarthy.
In recent years, Kenyan football has experienced the dark side of match-fixing errors, with 14 players and two coaches being suspended by the FKF in January 2023 as a result of a tip-off about cheating in the national league.
FIFA banned four Kenyan-based players from playing in league games in February 2020, one of whom was permanently banned for life.
Following the same scandal, five Kenyan referees received additional suspensions.
Independent think tank the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis warned that match-fixing had spread to all levels of Kenyan football, from grassroots competitions to professional leagues.
In a report from January 2024, the organization stated that “This has left a trail of disillusionment among fans and undermined the integrity of football.”
Regarding whether a local hero can leave Merseyside without leaving behind a lasting legacy, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s proposed move from Liverpool to Real Madrid has divided opinion.
Alexander-Arnold, a six-year-old, signed for the Reds 20 years ago and has since won a record-scorching number of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup titles.
A mural emblazoned with the phrase “I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has just come true” adorns the player’s status and stands just metres from the team’s Anfield stadium.
However, the choice he makes in the upcoming weeks regarding his future will affect how he will be remembered in his hometown for years to come.
Madrid will not have to pay a transfer fee for a right-back who has broken Premier League records for creative output when Alexander-Arnold’s contract expires at the end of the season.
The 26-year-old’s key priorities are discussed in this interview with AFP Sport before a career-defining call.
Madrid’s compelling argument
Real Madrid players celebrate their victory following the second leg of the Champions League’s 16th-round game between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid FC at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on March 12, 2025. (Photo by Thomas COEX/AFP)
Liverpool are by far the most successful English club in the history of the competition, taunting their Premier League rivals with their six European Cup victories.
Madrid, however, have won six of their past 11 titles, including six in the European Cup or Champions League.
Alexander-Arnold would join a cast that includes Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior along with his close friend and England colleague Jude Bellingham on a weekly basis in addition to the lifestyle advantages a switch to the Spanish sunshine offers.
Alexander-Arnold could become the first full-back to receive the Ballon d’Or as a result of the spotlight at Santiago Bernabeu, which is currently in its most advanced condition.
Alexander-Arnold stated earlier this season to Sky Sports, “I believe I can (win it).” You can only say, “I gave it everything I got,” when you retire in the morning.
It doesn’t matter how many medals you win or how many trophies you win. What you give to the game determines whether you succeed at it or not.
Alexander-Arnold is in a strong position to earn millions from a signing-on bonus without having to pay a sizable transfer fee because he has kept his contract low.
And he can refute any contention that staying at Anfield offers little benefit.
By the time Alexander-Arnold’s current deal expires, Liverpool will be a two-time English champion along with six other significant trophies. The Premier League is currently 12 points clear of Liverpool.
Steve McManaman, who also signed for Real Madrid on a free transfer in 1999, told the BBC, “His legacy, I hope, is one of an outstanding homegrown footballer who’s done incredibly well for this club.”
Alexander-Arnold’s Choice Between a Long-Lasting Liverpool Legacy or a Dream Madrid Move
Follow Gerrard’s example, then?  ,
Steven Gerrard, the English Premier League coach for Aston Villa and Chelsea, reacts on October 16, 2022, at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England. (Photo by Ben Stansall/AFP)
McManaman’s four years in the Spanish capital included two Champions League victories and two La Liga victories, but he is being used as a defense for Alexander-Arnold’s decision to stay.
It’s about how he is perceived and his legacy at Liverpool. Do you prefer to look like McManaman or Steven Gerrard? Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, a one-club legend, criticized Alexander-Arnold’s choice.
“He (McManaman) attended Real Madrid and won cups, but he is not adored. If (Alexander-Arnold) stays, he will be remembered as one of the club’s best players, not far behind Gerrard.
Alexander-Arnold would become Virgil van Dijk’s natural heir because he is already the club’s vice-captain.
He is a member of a team that regularly competes at the top of the Premier League and Champions League, in contrast to Gerrard, McManaman, and Michael Owen, who left Liverpool for Madrid in 2004.
Alexander-Arnold could become a front-runner for future trophy victories as a local legend if he stays.
Liverpool are just the latest to realize just how difficult it is to resist the attraction of Madrid.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were named as a suspect in the UEFA investigation after their Champions League semifinal defeat to Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
Before their quarter-final first leg match against Arsenal on April 8, Madrid’s two superstar forwards, defender Antonio Rudiger, and midfielder Dani Ceballos, could face possible punishment.
The European football governing body announced in a statement that “a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players.
Alexander-Arnold’s Choice Between a Long-Lasting Liverpool Legacy or a Dream Madrid Move
Real Madrid players’ performances following the win may be subject to scrutiny from UEFA, according to Spanish media reports.
An AFP request for comment was not immediately received by Real Madrid and UEFA.
After drawing 2-2 on aggregate, record 15-time champions and current holders Madrid defeated their rivals on penalties at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium on March 12.
After Atletico’s Julian Alvarez received a penalty that was controversially disallowed during the shoot-out for allegedly touching the ball twice, the night drew controversy.
Despite the team’s continuing efforts to qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup by defeating North Korea 2-1, the United Arab Emirates football association fired coach Paulo Bento on Wednesday.
The UAE Football Association announced that Paulo Bento, the national team’s head coach, and his coaching staff would be fired.
A replacement is anticipated to be named soon to lead the team in official competitions like Group A 2026, it continued.
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His replacement will lead the team in the World Cup qualifiers’ two matches against second-placed Kyrgyzstan on June 5 and second-placed Uzbekistan on June 10 in the final match.
Their hopes of making it to the finals would rekindle if they defeated Uzbekistan.
The Uzbeks, who are seeking their first-ever quadrennial showpiece appearance, are four points clear of them.
Bento, 55, was hired in July 2023, but he has overseen a number of inconsistent results in the qualifiers, including a 2-0 defeat to Iran on Thursday in Tehran.
After his team’s eighth-minute injury time victory over North Korea on Tuesday, the former Portugal and South Korea coach faced further criticism.
Iran qualified on Tuesday, ranking third overall with 13 points, while the UAE are third.
The top two teams advance to the next round of qualifying, with third and fourth places awarded to the top three Asian teams.
After drawing 2-2 with Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Tehran, Iranians became the second Asian team to qualify for the next-year World Cup.
Iran, the second-highest ranked AFC team in the standings, only needed a point to beat Japan in the finals against the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Mehdi Taremi scored in Mehdi Taremi’s second of the match seven minutes from time to seal the point for Group A leaders at the Azadi Stadium, which was followed by up-and-coming Uzbekistan.
Khojimat Erkinov, a goalkeeper for Uzbekistan, opened the scoring on 16 minutes, before Taremi, the opener for Inter Milan, scored his first goal of the night shortly after half-time.
Abbosbek Fayzullaev restored Uzbekistan’s lead after just one minute of silence.
Once more, Taremi’s finish over goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov in the late period proved to be the catalyst for his team’s revival and ultimately earn them a spot in North America.
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Fourth successive World Cup will be played by Iran.
Uzbekistan will continue to prepare for its first final appearance.
A win in June against third-placed Qatar or Qatar, who is second overall, will suffice, even though they could move up a spot sooner.
Later on Tuesday, the UAE, who are tied with Qatar by ten points, will face the bottom-ranked North Korea. Uzbekistan will advance to the finals if the UAE loses.
The top two teams advance through the qualifying round, with third and fourth places awarded to third and fourth overall in Asia.
Australia defeated China 2-0 earlier on Tuesday to increase their chances of being automatically qualified, but Saudi Arabia held on to lead Group C with a goalless draw in Japan.
South Korea, led by Son Heung-min, are still the top and favorites to advance in Asian Group B, but Jordan’s 1-1 defeat at home for the second consecutive match kept them at bay.
With two games left, the Socceroos were second in Group C, three points ahead of Saudi Arabia, who had a much better goal difference, thanks to Australia’s victory. Japan will undoubtedly come out on top.
The race for the second-straight qualification spot is on the verge of a knife-edge as Australia hosts Japan and travels to Saudi Arabia for their final qualifiers in June. China’s bottom spot is six points, but third or fourth place would allow them to advance to the next qualifying round.
With a 1-0 victory over Bahrain, Indonesia moved into fourth place with nine points.
Ole Romeny’s second goal in as many games earned Netherlands legend Patrick Kluivert his first victory as manager since taking over.
After recording the same result last week against Oman, South Korea and second-placed Jordan drew 1-1 in Suwon.
With two victories to go, South Korea would have qualified for the final two games.
They need four points to be certain of progressing in their final home game against Kuwait in June, which will require them to do without relying on other outcomes.
If they defeat Palestine in Amman in the later round of negotiations, Iraq can leapfrog them and close the gap by one point to the top of Group B. Despite being three points behind South Korea, Jordan is still three points behind.
