Preview

We experienced our penultimate UEFA Champions League draw Thursday before the 2024-25 competition throws the 'Swiss model' at us, so we've got to enjoy the concept of a Champions League group of death while we still can.

The draw has gifted us some tantalizing matchups like PSG vs. Juventus, Milan vs. Chelsea, Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona, Liverpool vs. Ajax and Real Madrid vs. Celtic, and don't forget the tournament starts earlier this year (Matchday 1 is Sep. 6-7) because of the World Cup. Let's get down to business.

Leeds United are flying high after a fine start to the Premier League season but manager Jesse Marsch has told his squad to keep their feet on the ground and maintain their momentum if they are to stay in the top four.

Leeds convincingly beat Chelsea 3-0 last weekend to move up to third — two points behind leaders Arsenal — a position they will have to get used to after narrowly escaping relegation last season following Marsch's arrival in March.

They also beat Yorkshire neighbors Barnsley 3-1 on Wednesday to move into the third round of the League Cup.

The Champions League draw 2022-23 date is set for Thursday, Aug. 25, and we now know the 32 qualified teams that'll be drawn into eight groups of four. The group stage draw takes place in Istanbul, Turkey (also the location of the final) at 12 p.m. ET with English-language coverage provided by CBS Sports on Paramount+ and Spanish on Univision and TUDN. 

It's worth mentioning that the group stage will be contracted over an eight-week period this fall because of the start of the 2022 World Cup on Nov. 21.

A congratulations is in order to the people of Harrison, New Jersey, who'll likely be counted among the last to have witnessed one of the final live performances of Lionel Messi in an Argentina jersey.

This here is Week 3 of our keeping track of Americans abroad in these power rankings that aren't really power rankings, and I declare this edition a collector's issue. That's right, fire up the printer, make sure you've got the necessary ink levels and print this whole webpage out for posterity.

This was the week the USMNT made a strong claim to be retroactively awarded the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup after beating Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road.  

With nine successive Serie A titles followed by two campaigns where Champions League qualification seemed a shallow silver lining, Juventus’ fall from grace has been clear to see in recent years. This summer has seen several big names depart Turin, and the Bianconeri will be hard-pressed to find adequate replacements in order to once again fight for the Scudetto.

Like a severed pig's head flying through the air and landing near the corner flag, a Netflix documentary surrounding Luis Figo's infamous transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid is dramatically arriving Thursday, Aug. 25.

Titled "El Caso Figo" ("The Figo Affair"), the documentary promises in-depth testimonies from Figo, Pep Guardiola, former Barça president Joan Gaspart and — the man making a supremely dramatic entrance in the final 10 seconds of the trailer — Florentino Pérez himself.