Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Qadsiah and the AFC Champions League Elite
Tuesday

The AFC Champions League Elite league-phase draw has set the eight-match schedules for Saudi clubs Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah. Each faces four home and four away fixtures against opposition from the Gulf and Uzbekistan in the West region.

The 2026-27 competition expands its league phase from 24 to 32 clubs, split evenly between West and East regions. The three Saudi teams will face combinations of Al-Ain, Al-Sadd, Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Gharafa, Al-Wasl, Pakhtakor, Neftchi and Al-Shamal.

Lens and Paris Saint-Germain
Sunday

Lens defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 to win the Trophee des Champions despite playing with ten men from the 39th minute. Florian Thauvin scored the decisive first-half goal before Lens survived sustained pressure from the European champions.

Kyllian Antonio’s red card forced Lens to defend almost the entire second half with a numerical disadvantage, but PSG could not equalise. The upset gives Lens the first domestic trophy of the French season only days after PSG won the UEFA Super Cup.

Arsenal and Manchester City
Sunday

Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to win the Community Shield, with Riccardo Calafiori scoring inside 30 seconds before Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard completed a commanding victory over Enzo Maresca’s side.

The Premier League champions dominated both the scoreline and underlying chances, creating 2.19 expected goals to City’s 0.77. The result gives Arsenal another trophy and delivers Maresca a difficult first competitive outing since succeeding Pep Guardiola.

Cameroon Women and Malawi Women
Sunday

Cameroon defeated tournament debutants Malawi 3-0 in Rabat to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. Marie Ngah Manga scored twice and Naomi Eto added another as Cameroon settled the final before half-time.

The triumph ends Cameroon’s run of three previous final defeats and earns the champions $2m in prize money. Malawi’s unexpected campaign still ends with qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup alongside Cameroon, Algeria and host nation Morocco.

Rangers and Celtic
Sunday

Rangers will host Celtic in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals after the last-eight draw paired the Old Firm rivals. The tie will be played across the weekend of 12-13 September and becomes Derek McInnes’ first Old Firm match as Rangers manager.

The cup draw brings McInnes’ first meeting with Celtic forward because their first scheduled league derby was due a week later. Hearts travel to Stenhousemuir, Aberdeen visit Kilmarnock and Ross County host Hibernian in the other quarter-finals.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, La Liga and the AFE
Saturday

Barcelona and Real Madrid will not play during La Liga’s opening weekend after fixtures involving clubs with World Cup semi-finalists were pushed back. The arrangement gives affected players mandatory recovery time following the tournament and creates a staggered first matchweek.

Barcelona now begin their title defence on 23 August and Real Madrid start on 22 August, with their original fixtures moved later in the month. La Liga and the players’ union agreed the adjustment after concerns over mandated rest periods.

Ajax and Shelbourne
Thursday

Ajax have reached the Conference League play-offs after drawing 2-2 away to Shelbourne and advancing 5-3 on aggregate. Julian Brandt and Anton Gaaei scored for the Amsterdam club, which struggled badly during the second half in Dublin.

Shelbourne equalised late through Sean Moore after an earlier goal was ruled out by VAR, but Ajax’s first-leg advantage protected them. Míchel Sánchez’s side will now face Swiss club Sion for a place in the league phase.

Lech Poznan, UEFA and the Faroe Islands
Thursday

UEFA postponed a Europa League qualifying second leg in the Faroe Islands after extreme fog repeatedly disrupted Lech Poznan’s journey. The Polish club eventually landed at Vagar Airport on Thursday afternoon, too late for the match to proceed safely that evening.

UEFA initially pushed kickoff back by more than two hours while Lech attempted to reach Torshavn, then moved the fixture to Friday at 19:00. The disruption followed widespread flight cancellations and another diversion caused by unsafe landing conditions.

Rangers and Jagiellonia Bialystok
Thursday

Rangers have been eliminated from Europa League qualifying after a 1-1 home draw with Jagiellonia Bialystok completed a 3-2 aggregate defeat. Derek McInnes remains without a win through his first four competitive matches as Rangers manager.

Lawrence Shankland briefly levelled the tie from the penalty spot before Nik Prelec equalised for Jagiellonia. Rangers now drop into the Conference League play-offs, increasing pressure on McInnes after another difficult performance and an already damaging start.

Celta Vigo, Osasuna and La Liga
Thursday

Celta Vigo’s La Liga opener against Osasuna has been postponed after a fungal disease left the Balaidos pitch unfit for competitive football. The match, originally scheduled for Sunday, has been rearranged for Thursday, 27 August.

La Liga ordered the postponement following another pitch inspection after hot weather worsened the surface. Osasuna criticised the replacement date, saying both clubs preferred a September slot and accusing the league of poor foresight and professionalism.