Switzerland defeated Kosovo 4-0 in the World Cup - Qualification Europe. The fixture is part of the Group Stage - 5 stage in the 2024 season. The match was played at St. Jakob-Park in Basel. S. Marciniak officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Switzerland vs Kosovo meeting in World Cup - Qualification Europe with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Switzerland and Kosovo. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World Cup - Qualification EuropeRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Switzerland defeated Kosovo 4-0 in the World Cup - Qualification Europe. The fixture is part of the Group Stage - 5 stage in the 2024 season. The match was played at St. Jakob-Park in Basel. S. Marciniak officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Switzerland vs Kosovo meeting in World Cup - Qualification Europe with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Switzerland and Kosovo. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World Cup - Qualification EuropeRecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Leeds United forward Noah Okafor played his first minutes of pre-season against Manchester United on Wednesday. Okafor said it was "amazing to be back with the team on the pitch." Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, he said: "I was really happy to be back and now we just have to keep building, working and looking forward day by day."
Aston Villa face PSG in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final, where they'll be without Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa for the season's first final. Aston Villa will be without both Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG, with manager Unai Emery confirming the pair — along with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez — are out of the starting lineup. Speaking at Villa’s pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Emery explained the decision directly: “They are not here – Konsa, Watkins and Martínez because they finished their season on 19th July and I gave them four weeks to rest, it’s completely necessary. They are not here tomorrow”. The trio are missing not because of injury, but because they were given time off after extending their seasons deep into the 2026 World Cup. Both Watkins and Konsa went as far as the third-place match with England, while Martínez played all the way to the final, where Argentina fell to Spain. The Villa boss acknowledged the absences will be felt on the pitch, but pointed out that PSG face a similar situation with their own World Cup contingent. “Of course, if they were here, maybe we could have more chances. But, at the same time, I think PSG are going to be in the same situation like us,” Emery said. Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup — IT’S MATCHDAY 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KX4DtXjlaf— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 12, 2026 Emery turns to the group that trained through preseason Beyond the rest-related absences, Aston Villa also has a handful of players sidelined through actual injury. Leon Bailey is out with a muscular issue, while Chrislain Manzambi and André Onana are both dealing with knee problems. With so many absences, the Spaniard coach plans to rely on the group that’s been training together over the past month, including several younger players who have featured throughout preseason. “Tomorrow we are preparing this game with the players we started, even some young players, four weeks ago. And tomorrow I expect to compete and try to face them with our capacity and our possibilities as well to beat them,” he added.
RB Leipzig has reached a full agreement with Hoffenheim for Fisnik Asllani, according to Florian Plettenberg. The 23-year-old striker is expected to undergo his medical in Salzburg before signing a contract with Leipzig running until 2031. Plettenberg reports that Leipzig will pay around €25 million for the Kosovo international. Asllani had already arrived in Salzburg […] The post Fisnik Asllani set for RB Leipzig move after €25 million agreement appeared first on SoccerNews.
The IFAB acknowledged there was an error in Breel Embolo's sending-off during the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal clash between Switzerland and Argentina. Seventeen days after Argentina‘s 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, the International Football Association Board has admitted there was an error in the red card shown to Breel Embolo during that match. The Swiss forward was sent off in the 72nd minute after a VAR review resulted in a second yellow card for simulation, a decision that shifted the momentum of the game. The sequence began when referee Joao Pinheiro had booked Leandro Paredes, believing he had committed a foul on the Swiss forward. The play was reviewed under the “mistaken identity” concept, but upon noticing how blatant the simulation was, the Portuguese official showed Embolo the second yellow card, something that, according to the governing body of the Laws of the Game, was mistaken. In a circular published on Tuesday, the governing body clarified that a yellow card, when it isn’t already a second yellow, can only be reviewed to correct the identity of the offending player, explaining the offense itself cannot be reviewed or altered once the identity has been fixed. Referee Joao Pinheiro shows a red card to Breel Embolo #7 of Switzerland. (Getty Images) That distinction is what made Embolo’s dismissal improper: the process was designed to fix who gets the card in case of booking someone who didn’t commit the foul, not to reclassify the type of infraction that led to it. A similar situation happened earlier at the World Cup A practically identical sequence played out earlier in the tournament, during the group stage clash between the United States and Paraguay. American defender Tim Ream was originally booked for a foul on Miguel Almiron, and VAR intervened to review the play. Just as with Paredes and Embolo, the review corrected the identity of the offending player, Ream’s card was rescinded, and Almiron was booked instead for simulation. It’s the same mechanism the IFAB has now flagged as improperly applied in the Embolo case, underscoring that the issue wasn’t isolated to a single match.
Portuguese giants Benfica begin their Europa League qualifying journey on Thursday, traveling to Switzerland to face St Gallen at the Sitterstadion. Despite the World Cup only just finishing, European clubs are already back in competitive action, and this tie marks the first leg of the second qualifying round. Verdict: Away win Best odds: 2/5 Bookmaker: […] The post Prediction: St. Gallen vs Benfica appeared first on SoccerNews.
Despite entering as one of the favorites, Croatia were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the Round of 16. Following this, Luka Modrić has reportedly decided to retire from the national team. However, he appears set to continue his professional career for one more season with AC Milan. Croatia have been one of the most impressive national teams in recent years, reaching a World Cup final and finishing third at Qatar 2022. However, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the 2026 edition. Following this, Luka Modrić has reportedly decided to retire from the national team, bringing a golden era to an end. In addition, he appears determined to extend his contract with AC Milan. According to Andrea Ramazzotti, via La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luka Modrić has decided to end his international career with Croatia. He has decided to announce it at the beginning of October 2026, after the match against Spain in the UEFA Nations League. With this, he establishes as one of the greatest legends of the national team, writing his name alongside Davor Šuker and Zvonimir Boban. Despite his international retirement, Modrić has reached an agreement to extend his contract with AC Milan for one more season, joining the club’s tour in Australia, reports Andrea Ramazzotti. With this, Ruben Amorim keeps the central figure of his midfield, as he had already expressed his desire to continue working with him. However, the head coach has already made it clear that he may not play every match. Luka Modrić has proven to be a truly outstanding player at 41 years old. At the 2026 World Cup, he started all four matches Croatia played. Not only was he key in his national team’s two victories, but he also provided an assist. Despite his age, he remains in excellent physical condition, making his presence at AC Milan a guaranteed reinforcement for the 2026-27 season in the rebuild of the roster. Luka Modric of AC Milan. Modric may be key to unlocking Ricci and Jashari at AC Milan Luka Modrić was a key figure for AC Milan in the most recent season. Under Massimiliano Allegri, he played 2,864 minutes across 37 matches. As a result, he was the team’s oldest player to record the most minutes played. Amid the reconstruction under Ruben Amorim, the Croatian veteran could be key to helping develop Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari at the Rossoneri. During the 2025-26 season, Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari had very little prominence, as they raised serious doubts in several aspects of their game. With this in mind, Luka Modrić can serve as a mentor to both players, helping provide them with more tools to make a greater impact. In addition, they would once again have the opportunity to gradually take on more responsibility, allowing for a slow transition.
Aston Villa have signed Joao Gomes from Wolves for £38m - a second deal for a central midfielder in four days. The Brazil international joins for an initial £34m with £4m in add-ons, after three years and 130 appearances during his time at Molineux. Villa completed a club record deal worth more than £50m for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi on Friday after beating Newcastle to the Switzerland international.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
Leeds United forward Noah Okafor played his first minutes of pre-season against Manchester United on Wednesday. Okafor said it was "amazing to be back with the team on the pitch." Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, he said: "I was really happy to be back and now we just have to keep building, working and looking forward day by day."
Aston Villa face PSG in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final, where they'll be without Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa for the season's first final. Aston Villa will be without both Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG, with manager Unai Emery confirming the pair — along with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez — are out of the starting lineup. Speaking at Villa’s pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Emery explained the decision directly: “They are not here – Konsa, Watkins and Martínez because they finished their season on 19th July and I gave them four weeks to rest, it’s completely necessary. They are not here tomorrow”. The trio are missing not because of injury, but because they were given time off after extending their seasons deep into the 2026 World Cup. Both Watkins and Konsa went as far as the third-place match with England, while Martínez played all the way to the final, where Argentina fell to Spain. The Villa boss acknowledged the absences will be felt on the pitch, but pointed out that PSG face a similar situation with their own World Cup contingent. “Of course, if they were here, maybe we could have more chances. But, at the same time, I think PSG are going to be in the same situation like us,” Emery said. Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup — IT’S MATCHDAY 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KX4DtXjlaf— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 12, 2026 Emery turns to the group that trained through preseason Beyond the rest-related absences, Aston Villa also has a handful of players sidelined through actual injury. Leon Bailey is out with a muscular issue, while Chrislain Manzambi and André Onana are both dealing with knee problems. With so many absences, the Spaniard coach plans to rely on the group that’s been training together over the past month, including several younger players who have featured throughout preseason. “Tomorrow we are preparing this game with the players we started, even some young players, four weeks ago. And tomorrow I expect to compete and try to face them with our capacity and our possibilities as well to beat them,” he added.
RB Leipzig has reached a full agreement with Hoffenheim for Fisnik Asllani, according to Florian Plettenberg. The 23-year-old striker is expected to undergo his medical in Salzburg before signing a contract with Leipzig running until 2031. Plettenberg reports that Leipzig will pay around €25 million for the Kosovo international. Asllani had already arrived in Salzburg […] The post Fisnik Asllani set for RB Leipzig move after €25 million agreement appeared first on SoccerNews.
The IFAB acknowledged there was an error in Breel Embolo's sending-off during the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal clash between Switzerland and Argentina. Seventeen days after Argentina‘s 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, the International Football Association Board has admitted there was an error in the red card shown to Breel Embolo during that match. The Swiss forward was sent off in the 72nd minute after a VAR review resulted in a second yellow card for simulation, a decision that shifted the momentum of the game. The sequence began when referee Joao Pinheiro had booked Leandro Paredes, believing he had committed a foul on the Swiss forward. The play was reviewed under the “mistaken identity” concept, but upon noticing how blatant the simulation was, the Portuguese official showed Embolo the second yellow card, something that, according to the governing body of the Laws of the Game, was mistaken. In a circular published on Tuesday, the governing body clarified that a yellow card, when it isn’t already a second yellow, can only be reviewed to correct the identity of the offending player, explaining the offense itself cannot be reviewed or altered once the identity has been fixed. Referee Joao Pinheiro shows a red card to Breel Embolo #7 of Switzerland. (Getty Images) That distinction is what made Embolo’s dismissal improper: the process was designed to fix who gets the card in case of booking someone who didn’t commit the foul, not to reclassify the type of infraction that led to it. A similar situation happened earlier at the World Cup A practically identical sequence played out earlier in the tournament, during the group stage clash between the United States and Paraguay. American defender Tim Ream was originally booked for a foul on Miguel Almiron, and VAR intervened to review the play. Just as with Paredes and Embolo, the review corrected the identity of the offending player, Ream’s card was rescinded, and Almiron was booked instead for simulation. It’s the same mechanism the IFAB has now flagged as improperly applied in the Embolo case, underscoring that the issue wasn’t isolated to a single match.
Portuguese giants Benfica begin their Europa League qualifying journey on Thursday, traveling to Switzerland to face St Gallen at the Sitterstadion. Despite the World Cup only just finishing, European clubs are already back in competitive action, and this tie marks the first leg of the second qualifying round. Verdict: Away win Best odds: 2/5 Bookmaker: […] The post Prediction: St. Gallen vs Benfica appeared first on SoccerNews.
Despite entering as one of the favorites, Croatia were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the Round of 16. Following this, Luka Modrić has reportedly decided to retire from the national team. However, he appears set to continue his professional career for one more season with AC Milan. Croatia have been one of the most impressive national teams in recent years, reaching a World Cup final and finishing third at Qatar 2022. However, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the 2026 edition. Following this, Luka Modrić has reportedly decided to retire from the national team, bringing a golden era to an end. In addition, he appears determined to extend his contract with AC Milan. According to Andrea Ramazzotti, via La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luka Modrić has decided to end his international career with Croatia. He has decided to announce it at the beginning of October 2026, after the match against Spain in the UEFA Nations League. With this, he establishes as one of the greatest legends of the national team, writing his name alongside Davor Šuker and Zvonimir Boban. Despite his international retirement, Modrić has reached an agreement to extend his contract with AC Milan for one more season, joining the club’s tour in Australia, reports Andrea Ramazzotti. With this, Ruben Amorim keeps the central figure of his midfield, as he had already expressed his desire to continue working with him. However, the head coach has already made it clear that he may not play every match. Luka Modrić has proven to be a truly outstanding player at 41 years old. At the 2026 World Cup, he started all four matches Croatia played. Not only was he key in his national team’s two victories, but he also provided an assist. Despite his age, he remains in excellent physical condition, making his presence at AC Milan a guaranteed reinforcement for the 2026-27 season in the rebuild of the roster. Luka Modric of AC Milan. Modric may be key to unlocking Ricci and Jashari at AC Milan Luka Modrić was a key figure for AC Milan in the most recent season. Under Massimiliano Allegri, he played 2,864 minutes across 37 matches. As a result, he was the team’s oldest player to record the most minutes played. Amid the reconstruction under Ruben Amorim, the Croatian veteran could be key to helping develop Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari at the Rossoneri. During the 2025-26 season, Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari had very little prominence, as they raised serious doubts in several aspects of their game. With this in mind, Luka Modrić can serve as a mentor to both players, helping provide them with more tools to make a greater impact. In addition, they would once again have the opportunity to gradually take on more responsibility, allowing for a slow transition.
Aston Villa have signed Joao Gomes from Wolves for £38m - a second deal for a central midfielder in four days. The Brazil international joins for an initial £34m with £4m in add-ons, after three years and 130 appearances during his time at Molineux. Villa completed a club record deal worth more than £50m for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi on Friday after beating Newcastle to the Switzerland international.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
