Football: the main stories of 28.09.2026

Arsenal will spend the rest of the international break waiting on news of their captain's ankle. Martin Odegaard was hurt by a Bernardo Silva challenge during Norway's 2-1 defeat by Portugal. He went to confront Bernardo on the pitch and said afterwards that the tackle "does not belong in football". Reports have not said how serious the injury is, and the Champions League resumes once the break is over. Portugal won without Cristiano Ronaldo, whom Jorge Jesus had left out for the Norway game. One Italian outlet says it was the first time in 18 years that Ronaldo sat on the bench for 90 minutes with his country.

Zinedine Zidane now has two wins in two games as France coach. Michael Olise dribbled through for a late goal that beat Belgium 1-0 in Brussels. Italy lost 2-0 to that same Belgium side, then won 4-1 in Turkey. Roberto Mancini started the Esposito brothers, and it was the first time since 1915 that two brothers had started together for Italy. Germany's week has gone the other way. Sunday's 1-0 home defeat by Greece leaves Jürgen Klopp with 1 point from 2 matches, the worst start any Germany manager has made.

• Lille, Arsenal's next Champions League opponents, will be without Ethan Mbappé for 3 matches after UEFA banned him for an elbow on Natan. He also misses the Galatasaray and Bodø/Glimt games.
• Ezri Konsa and Nico O'Reilly are doubts for England's game against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
• Lionel Messi scored his 76th free-kick goal, but Columbus scored in the 98th minute to beat Inter Miami 2-1. Miami have now gone 5 MLS games without a win.
• Mallorca goalkeeper Iván Cuéllar, 42, is in hospital with a head injury after a structure fell on him in the canteen at the club's training base.
• A day after Aleksander Čeferin said Fifa had damaged trust, Gianni Infantino signalled that more money from Fifa's reserves could go to its members. Europe's top-flight clubs are also set to share half of a Club World Cup fund.
• Montenegro won 3-2 in Yerevan with a late winner.
• Florentino Pérez and Barcelona will face a Madrid court hearing on 25 November over his comments on the Negreira case.
• According to one outlet, Messi is considering retiring at the end of the year.
• An Enner Valencia hat-trick took Boca Juniors past Racing 3-2 in the Copa Argentina quarter-finals.
• Juventus are monitoring Hakan Calhanoglu's contract at Inter.
• Milan, Tottenham and Aston Villa are waiting on Bayern's decision about Kim Min-jae.
• Marca reports that Rodrygo has started working with the ball again and will not return before December.
• Castilla have benched Jorge Cestero until further notice.
• Lamine Yamal said Barcelona are not in the Champions League for a stroll.
• In the WSL, Chelsea beat Arsenal 1-0 and Alexia Putellas starred for London City.
• According to one report, the TAD has upheld the sanctions on Piqué and Andorra.
• Kléberson put Wagner Love and Ronaldo on the same level.
• Arouca's Pablo Gozálbez is using the break to recover from a muscle injury.
• One Portuguese outlet reports that La Liga has hired Sporting's Mafalda Monteiro as brand strategy director.