Underdogs

Champions Real Madrid suffered a shock 1-0 loss at Mallorca in LaLiga on Sunday thanks to a bizarre own goal by defender Nacho early in the first half.

Nacho left his teammates stunned as he tried to clear a cross in the 13th minute and headed the ball high over his own goalkeeper and into the net.

Nacho own goal vs. Mallorca

Vedat Muriqi with the perfect looping header to put Mallorca ahead of Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/K0D1TrUm9S

Al Ahly defeated Auckland City FC 3-0 in the opening game of the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday in Morocco. With the way the bracket is designed, Al Ahly advance to the second round where they will face the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12:30 p.m. ET.

The winner of Saturday's game faces Real Madrid in the semifinal.

Al Ahly’s victory against the semi-professional club from Oceania was comfortable. This is the eighth time the Egyptian club have participated in the Club World Cup. They’ve advanced to the semifinals in the previous two tournaments.

Non-league Wrexham could face a dream tie at home to eight-time winners Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fifth round if they can get past Sheffield United in a replay, while Manchester City will travel to Championship (second-tier) side Bristol City.

Wrexham, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with visiting Sheffield United on Sunday. The National League (fifth-tier) leaders were only denied a famous victory over the Championship side by a 95th-minute equalizer, forcing a replay scheduled for next month.

RABAT - Real Madrid are favorites for a record-extending fifth success at the Club World Cup, and in the process keeping up European dominance over South America in the annual tournament, which kicks off in Morocco on Wednesday.

Real, who won previously in 2014 and then three successive tournaments from 2016 to 2018, are on course for a showdown with Flamengo of Brazil in the final but both must play a semifinal match first before they can set up an intriguing decider in Rabat on Feb. 11.

Wrexham's magical run in the FA Cup isn't over yet after the fifth-tier side almost stunned a Sheffield United team that's targeting a return to the Premier League before settling for a bonkers 3-3 draw on Sunday, forcing a fourth round replay at Bramall Lane.

With Manchester City and Arsenal playing their fixture Friday, this felt like the weekend's biggest cup match: It was a sellout crowd of over 10,000 at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground, Ryan Reynolds was in attendance and so was the BBC team with Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker.  

BRIGHTON, England - Holders Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup after losing 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round on Sunday as Kaoru Mitoma struck the winning goal in stoppage time.

Harvey Elliott put Liverpool ahead, Lewis Dunk equalized before halftime and the score stayed at 1-1 until Mitoma found the net in the 92nd minute with a fine finish.

The18 knows a Puskás goal contender when we saw one. Afterall, we did write about all 11 nominations from 2022 before they were actually nominated. It’s only three weeks into 2023 but we have our first goal of the year contender with this amazing Joshua Kimmich goal vs. Köln (Cologne).

When the USWNT plays New Zealand in a friendly Tuesday night at Sky Stadium in Wellington, they'll do so in front of a record crowd that foreshadows how the Americans will become the locals' second-favorite team once the World Cup kicks off in July.

Over 10,000 people are expected for tonight's friendly, the first of a two-game series between the Stars and Stripes and Football Ferns with the second match scheduled Friday at Eden Park in Auckland.