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Aston Villa have completed the signing of West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka on a season-long loan deal that includes a conditional obligation to buy.

The 28-year-old DR Congo international joins Unai Emery’s side after Villa and West Ham reached an agreement over the transfer.

The specific conditions attached to the potential permanent move have not been disclosed, although West Ham had previously valued the right-back at around £25 million.

Wan-Bissaka was absent from West Ham’s opening two Championship fixtures of the season as negotiations over his return to the Premier League continued.

He joined West Ham from Manchester United in 2024 on a seven-year contract and made 65 appearances for the club across two seasons. He featured 25 times last season as the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League.

Villa are hoping Wan-Bissaka’s experience will bolster their defence as they prepare for a demanding campaign that includes both Premier League and Champions League football.

The defender made 190 appearances for Manchester United, winning the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

He also started all four of DR Congo’s matches at the 2026 World Cup, where the Leopards reached the round of 32.

Villa’s agreement with West Ham bears similarities to the club’s loan deal for Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott last season. Elliott arrived with a £35 million obligation to buy that was dependent on him making 10 league appearances. However, he made only four appearances before returning to Liverpool this summer.

Wan-Bissaka could make his Aston Villa debut against Brighton on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm BST.

His arrival also adds defensive depth to Emery’s squad as Villa prepare to compete in the Champions League after finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the Europa League last season.

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FIFA has unveiled the match schedule for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, confirming the dates and venues for all 64 matches across eight host cities.

In a post on FIFA’s website on Thursday, the schedule was announced at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, during the live draw for the preliminary phase of the Women’s World Cup 2027 Play-Off Tournament.

Hosts Brazil will open the tournament at the iconic Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, June 24, before playing their remaining group-stage matches at Arena Itaquera in São Paulo on Tuesday, June 29, and the Estádio Nacional in Brasília on Sunday, July 4.

Each of the eight host cities will stage at least seven matches, including a minimum of one knockout fixture.

Brasília, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador will host matches through the Round of 16, while Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza will join Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo as quarter-final venues.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the tournament would provide an opportunity to showcase the growth of women’s football while allowing fans and communities across Brazil to play a central role.

“We can’t wait to witness a new chapter of women’s football history unfold when the world’s best players, coaches, fans and local communities take centre stage in Brazil next year,” Infantino said.

The schedule has been designed to build towards the final in Rio de Janeiro, with São Paulo set to host one semi-final and the bronze-medal match.

The other semi-final and the final will be played at the Maracanã, while FIFA Fan Festivals will take place in the host cities and provide supporters with opportunities to follow the tournament away from the stadiums.

FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer, Dame Sarai Bareman, said the schedule had been developed with sporting fairness and the experience of supporters in mind.

“As we developed the match schedule, we carefully balanced sporting fairness across all 32 teams, considering travel distances, recovery time between matches and the overall competition experience,” Bareman said.

She added that FIFA also wanted fans across Brazil to be able to participate in the tournament and for every host city to play a significant role in the event.

The Maracanã will make history by becoming only the third stadium to host both a men’s FIFA World Cup final and a Women’s World Cup final.

It joins the former Råsunda Stadium in Solna, Sweden, which hosted the 1958 men’s and 1995 women’s finals, and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, United States, which staged the 1994 men’s and 1999 women’s finals.

Aline Pellegrino, former captain of Brazil’s women’s national team and executive director of Legacy and Stakeholder Affairs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, said hosting the tournament was a source of immense pride for the country.

“Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil is a source of immense pride,” Pellegrino said. “Next year, we will see people from across Brazil and around the world come together to celebrate women’s football in a country renowned for its love of the game.”

She said each host city would bring its own character to the tournament and help create an atmosphere capable of inspiring the next generation of players.

The release of the schedule allows supporters to begin planning their trips to Brazil, while host cities, government authorities and other stakeholders continue preparations for the tournament.

FIFA said an updated version of the schedule will be released after the final draw, which is scheduled to take place later this year.

View the match schedule here: https://digitalhub.fifa.com/asset/6b91dd74-c399-46fe-a471-1334da9fc802/fwwc2027_MatchScheduleEN.pdf

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Spain’s World Cup-winning captain signs until 2030 after seven trophy-filled years at Manchester City and says he is ready for a fresh challenge

Spain captain Rodri Hernández, 30, completed his high-profile move from Manchester City to Barcelona on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, signing a contract with the La Liga champions until 2030 and bringing an extended summer transfer saga to an end.

Barcelona confirmed the agreement on Tuesday after reaching a deal with Manchester City on Sunday, with a source from the Premier League club telling AFP that the transfer could rise to €76.5 million, including bonuses.

Rodri arrived in the Catalan capital on Monday to finalise personal terms before being formally unveiled by Barcelona the following day.

The Spain midfielder said he was eager to begin a new chapter after seven decorated years at Manchester City.

“I’m very happy and excited about this new stage in my career,” Rodri said during his unveiling.

“It’s a fresh challenge, a chance to experience new things and feel that excitement again.”

The Rodri Barcelona move concludes one of the most closely watched transfer stories of the summer, with Barcelona making two unsuccessful bids before eventually reaching an agreement with City.

Rodri’s decision also represents a significant career shift.

The former Atlético Madrid and Villarreal midfielder had reportedly been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but ultimately chose their fierce La Liga rivals.

His arrival gives Barcelona one of Europe’s most accomplished central midfielders and adds further experience to a squad seeking domestic success while rebuilding its challenge for the Champions League.

Despite Barcelona’s recent dominance of Spanish football, the club has not won Europe’s premier club competition since 2015, when Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez spearheaded the side to its fifth Champions League triumph.

Rodri made no secret of his ambitions at his new club.

“It’s a pleasure to be at Barca. I’ll give 100 percent of everything I have,” he said.

“I’m here to compete for everything, for big things like the Champions League.”

The midfielder added that Barcelona’s ambition appealed strongly to him.

“I’ve come to a hugely ambitious club that really suits my personality, so I’ll try to help in every way I can to achieve our objectives this season.”

The move comes after a difficult period physically for Rodri, who has dealt with injuries during the past two seasons.

His quality remained evident on the international stage, however, as he played a prominent role in Spain’s successful World Cup campaign in North America last month.

Rodri will also find several familiar faces inside Barcelona’s dressing room. Spain teammates Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Dani Olmo are already established members of the squad, potentially easing his transition into the new environment.

He will also work alongside new arrivals Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, who joined Barcelona during the summer.

Rodri’s relationship with his new manager, Hansi Flick, will be another important element of the move.

The midfielder worked closely with Pep Guardiola during his Manchester City years and became one of the Catalan coach’s most trusted players. Rodri said Flick’s different approach could provide another valuable stage in his development.

“(Flick has) a style that I think is somewhat different from what I’ve experienced before, so it will be enriching and help me grow as a player,” Rodri said.

His departure brings an emotional end to a remarkable Manchester City spell.

Rodri joined City from Atlético Madrid in 2019 and developed into one of the central figures of Guardiola’s successful era at the Etihad Stadium.

During seven seasons, he helped City win 12 major trophies, including four Premier League titles and the club’s first Champions League crown in 2023.

His importance to City’s midfield was underlined by his ability to control matches, dictate tempo and provide decisive moments in major games.

Reflecting on his departure, Rodri expressed pride in what he achieved with the English champions.

“I am leaving the club with a huge sense of pride about what we have achieved and gratitude too for so many amazing memories,” he said in a statement published by Manchester City.

“What we have done together in these years is something both very special and unforgettable.”

For Barcelona, the arrival of a World Cup-winning captain represents an ambitious statement about the club’s intention to compete for the biggest prizes again.

For Rodri, it is an opportunity to experience a different footballing culture, work under Flick and pursue the Champions League trophy that Barcelona have been chasing since 2015.

After years of success in Manchester, the midfielder now begins what could be one of the most significant and exciting chapters of his career in Catalonia.