EFL Cup Kicks Off, Leagues Cup Delivers Goals as Club Football Returns
Domestic competitions ignite and the transfer market buzzes with significant moves as teams prepare for the 2026/27 season.
The story
The post-World Cup football landscape saw immediate action with the Leagues Cup delivering a goal-fest on Thursday. The Portland Timbers secured a dominant 5-2 victory over Club Puebla at Providence Park.
Cole Bassett and Ariel Lassiter were the standout performers, each scoring twice for the Timbers, who found the net four times in the first half alone. David Da Costa also played a pivotal role, contributing a goal and two assists to the offensive display. While Puebla managed to score twice, Portland's relentless attack proved overwhelming, marking an emphatic start to their Leagues Cup campaign.
Yesterday's results
| Match | Score | Key |
|---|---|---|
| New York City FC vs Santos Laguna | 2-0 | Matt Freese's clean sheet secured victory for NYCFC. |
| Austin FC vs Club Tijuana | 2-0 | First-half goals from Joseph Rosales and Jon Gallagher sealed the win for Austin. |
| Chicago Fire vs Necaxa | 2-0 | Chicago's fullbacks Jonathan Dean and Andrew Gutman scored both goals. |
| Cruz Azul vs Philadelphia Union | 1-0 | José Paradela's early goal was enough for Cruz Azul. |
Where it stands
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 now concluded, the focus shifts to the early stages of club football. The Leagues Cup 2026 has begun, with teams like Portland Timbers, New York City FC, Austin FC, Chicago Fire, and Cruz Azul securing opening victories in their respective group stage matches. European domestic leagues are also gearing up, with the EFL Cup having commenced on August 7, and major leagues like the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga set to kick off later in August.
Off the pitch
| Player | From | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pep Chavarria | Rayo Vallecano | Chelsea | €19m + €2m add-ons |
| Cristian Orozco | Fortaleza CEIF | Manchester United | Undisclosed |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | Trabzonspor | Undisclosed (reported £14.5m/season salary) |
| Yan Diomande | RB Leipzig | Real Madrid | £115m |
What we'll be watching
- EFL Cup Round 1 continues (various matches, August 7-9)
- Leagues Cup: Real Salt Lake vs Atlante FC (August 8)
- Pre-season friendly: Liverpool vs Monaco (August 9, Anfield)
- Pre-season friendly: Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund (August 9, Emirates Stadium)
- Pre-season friendly: Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid (August 9, Seoul)
- La Liga season begins (August 15)
- Premier League season begins (August 21)
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.