The summer holidays are over, and that can mean only one thing: A new football season of fresh faces, old rivalries, and a 10-month race to finish top of the class. Be it Spain’s La Liga or France’s Ligue 1, the German Bundesliga or the English Premier League, there are narratives aplenty to keep an eye on as football’s biggest stars return to domestic battle. And with Asian and European qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 26TM also taking place throughout the season, the on-field drama will be non-stop.
The road to ‘26’ starts now
FIFA World Cup 26 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will feature an expanded roster of 48 countries, with Asia being allocated eight direct qualification spots and a ninth Asian team advancing to an inter-confederation playoff. With Rounds 3 of Asian qualifying taking place over the next 10 months and the first round of European qualifying kicking-off next March, there will be some huge international games to catch this season.
Whether it is Asian Cup winners Qatar welcoming the UAE to Doha this Thursday, Japan hosting Palestine on the same night, or Europe’s ‘big four’ of Germany, France, Spain and Italy starting out on their journey to the global showpiece next spring, beIN SPORTS has the rights to every match live – including all 104 Asian qualifiers, 74 of which feature Arab countries.
Madrid’s new Galacticos chase back-to-back titles
Domestically, Real Madrid are seeking back-to-back top-flight titles in Spain for the first time since 2008. Carlo Ancelotti’s side coasted to a 36th league title last year, losing just once all season and finishing 10 points clear of eternal rivals Barcelona.
This year, with Madrid’s new superstar French striker Kylian Mbappé promising to light up the Spanish league, a new generation of Galacticos are expected to be the team to catch once again.
Barça fired coach Xavi in May and the impact of new manager Hansi Flick remains to be seen. The arrival of Spanish starlet Dani Olmo at Camp Nou bodes well, while Atletico have added Argentine Julian Alvarez. The first El Clasico of the season takes place 27 October in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Like all 306 Spanish top-flight matches, the tie can be watched live and exclusive across the MENA region on beIN SPORTS.
Guardiola and City seek a famous five
Pep Guardiola’s swashbuckling Manchester City are hunting for a fifth consecutive Premier League title after pipping Arsenal to the championship last season for an unprecedented four-in-a-row.
While Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have retained their core and added stylish Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, City have added Brazilian winger Savio but lost Alvarez who finished last season with 20 goal contributions.
Liverpool and Chelsea are both hoping to avoid transitional seasons under new managers Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca, while the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United, and Aston Villa are all looking to push on. Such is the league’s competitiveness that even in the first month of the season, beIN subscribers can watch monumental matches such as Chelsea versus City, Man Utd hosting Liverpool, and Arsenal visiting Spurs.
PSG hope strength in depth can prove 13 to be lucky
Paris Saint-Germain may have lost star striker Mbappé to Spain, but the Parisian giants will remain outright favourites for the Ligue 1 crown – especially having added strength in depth. Joao Neves, Willian Pacho, and Desire Doue have all made the move to the Parc des Princes as Luis Enriqué’s side look to secure a record 13th league title.
Unlucky or not, in France the No.13 is considered by some to be a good omen – though rivals of the Paris giants will be hoping otherwise. Olympique Lyonnais have bolstered their attack with the purchase of Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze who shone at the recent European Championships, while Marseille are hoping new manager Roberto De Zerbi can provide an instant impact after quitting his role at Brighton.
The two sides face-off on 22 September, while PSG face Marseille in Le Classique on 27 October.
Bundesliga’s young
managers prepare for battle
By all accounts, Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed an unprecedented year in what was Spanish coach Xabi Alonso’s first full season in charge. The team went undefeated for the entire Bundesliga to claim a first-ever top-flight. They also won the DFB-Pokal Cup and reached the final of the Europa League – which delivered their only defeat in 52 games.
Bayern Munich, having watched their run of 11 consecutive league titles end, unsurprisingly reacted: First they replaced coach Thomas Tuchel with 38-year-old Vincent Kompany, then they backed him aggressively in the transfer market, spending big on Michael Olise, Joao Palhinha and Hiroki Ito. The two young managers face off for the first time on 28 September at the Allianz Arena. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, Champions League finalists in 2023-24, can also never be discounted.
beIN – the home of sports
In celebration of a narrative-rich new season, beIN SPORTS is offering new subscribers discounted access to its comprehensive sports portfolio, including FIFA World Cup 26TM qualifiers from Asia and Europe and all of Europe’s elite football competitions: La Liga, the Bundesliga, England’s Premier League and Football League pyramid, and France’s Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
With beIN also broadcasting US Open tennis, the second half of the Formula One calendar, padel, rugby, and much more in the next five months alone, the network is indisputably the home of sports in the Middle East and North Africa.
New subscribers who sign up for beIN’s PREMIUM package for 12 months before 30 September 2024 can get 25% off, while those who take a six-month subscription access a 15% discount.
All new beIN subscribers to any package get a free beIN set-top box.All subscribers who connect their set-top box can also access the broadcaster’s beIN ON DEMAND platform, where all its sports content and a wide range of other programming can be watched as and when the viewer prefers, and often in Arabic, English, or French.
To benefit from these limited time offers, visit bein.com/champions24 and use promo code CHAMPIONS24.beIN SPORTS launches special offers to enjoy FIFA
World Cup 26 qualifiers from Asia and Europe, as well
as Spain’s La Liga, the English Premier League, France’s Ligue 1, German Bundesliga, and much more.