Manchester United made a nightmare start to the new season as promoted Hull confounded their many doubters by securing a shock 2-0 victory on their Premier League return on Saturday.
Sergej Jakirovic's play-off winners were written off by nearly every pundit before a ball was kicked, with former England international Joe Cole saying an immediate Championship return is certain, causing anger among the home fans.
Such naysayers will have been rubbing their eyes in disbelief on Saturday lunchtime as the unfancied Tigers roared to a remarkable, and thoroughly deserved, opening weekend win courtesy of a pair of first half set pieces.
Semi Ajayi opened the scoring after United failed to deal with a corner and Michael Carrick's men were again found wanting when Regan Slater sent in a free-kick for debutant ***** el Mendy to nod home.
The Red Devils boss, handed the permanent job in May, warned of a challenging start in East Yorkshire but he could not have foreseen such a meek display from his side months after finishing third.

#saturday #start #hull #sergej

Manchester United faced off against Hull City at the MKM Stadium earlier today as they hoped to secure a good result on the road in the Premier League. The Red Devils made a slow start to the game and conceded the opening goal in the 17th minute when Semi Ajayi found the back of the net. ****** el Mendy doubled his team's lead in the 38th minute as Man United went into the half-time break 2-0 down on the scoreline.
Michael Carrick's men failed to mount a comeback in the second 45 minutes and crashed to a poor 2-0 loss away from home.
Let's take a look at how each Manchester United player fared during the clash against Hull City.
He made a couple of solid saves at the back but won't be pleased after conceding twice in the first half.
RB; Noussair Mazraoui – 6.5/10

#united #manchester #hull #made

Manchester United conceded two goals from set pieces and were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Hull City as the 2026-27 Premier League season kicked off on Saturday.
LIVE BLOG UPDATES — Hull 2-0 Man United
Semi Ajayi and ***** el Mendy scored the goals for Hull, who made their return to the top flight for the first time since 2017.
Not the start that Michael Carrick, now in charge on a permanent basis, wanted. The Red Devils were on the front foot and played some pretty possession football to start, but Hull's set-piece specialist Regan Slater had himself a day and set up both goals before halftime. First, it was a corner kick touched on and scrambled home by Ajayi, and then a brilliant free kick to the back post for Mendy redirect it home.
Hull City were virtually unanimously chosen to finish 20th this season, a decade on from their last stint in the PL, but Sergej Jakirovic's side looked anything but a newly promoted side overawed by the occasion. It was a true five-man backline for the Tigers but everyone does their part defensively. They have a few fantastic crossers in the team (from open play and dead ***** ), Oli McBurnie is still a tough-as-nails target man, and having three big center backs on the field at all times will make them a constant threat from set pieces.

#mendy

Hull City Official Line-ups:
Kostas Tzolakis, Lewie Coyle, John Egan, Semi Ajayi, ***** el Mendy, Ryan Giles, Regan Slater, Matt Crooks, Mohamed Belloumi, Oliver McBurnie, Elliot Stroud
Manchester United Official Line-ups:
Senne Lammens, Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu, Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha
1':

#egan

Manchester United begin the 2026-27 Premier League away from home. They visit newly promoted Hull, who are full of excitement after their epic promotion last season.
Today at the MKM Stadium, the best league in Europe returns to the spotlight with these confirmed line-ups:
Hull City: Tzolakis, Coyle, Ajayi, Egan, Mendy, Giles, Crooks, Slater, Belloumi, Stroud, McBurnie.
Manchester United: Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Tielemans, Santos; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha
Amad Diallo and Mason Mount are not playing today. Rashford is on the bench.

#league #today #Europe

Éder Militão, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy all started Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Atalanta in Warsaw in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup. Kylian Mbappé had just arrived and scored on his debut, and Madrid appeared to be entering another dominant cycle. The reality that followed in the next two years was brutal.
According to Transfermarkt, Militão has missed 90 matches for club and country since the start of the 2024-25 season after suffering ACL injuries in both knees. Over the same period, Mendy has dealt with nine separate injuries and missed 55 matches for Real Madrid. Rodrygo has missed 30 matches since the beginning of 2024-25 and is currently recovering from an ACL injury of his own.
Arancha Rodríguez reported that Rodrygo is expected to return in early 2027. Militão could be back by late September or early October this year, while Mendy's return is currently projected for around the end of the year.
As per Capology, Rodrygo's fixed gross annual salary, excluding bonuses, is €16.67 million. Éder Militão earns €14.58 million, while Ferland Mendy earns €10.42 million. All three contracts run until June 30, 2028.
Together, those contracts account for 14.12% of Real Madrid's current salary bill for 2026-27 and 16.13% for 2027-28. The latter figure is naturally subject to change depending on the club's transfer activity in the summer of 2027.

#since

Hull City have signed 11 players before their return to the Premier League - will they stay up?
Centre-back ******* el Mendy and goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis joined in deals believed to be worth over £20m
Hull have also brought in experienced Premier League players such as Matt Targett, Jack Butland and Joe Gelhardt
Transfer latest: Rodri | Bouaddi | Barcola | Neto | Vicario
Hull's active transfer window before Premier League return - will they stay up?

#league #transfer #stay

Crystal Palace are reportedly keeping a close eye on the situation of OGC Nice's Antoine Mendy (22), according to Foot Mercato.
The Eagles, for whom Ligue 1 has become a favourite transfer market, are said to have been impressed by the profile of the Senegalese defender, who has seven international caps. However, if the London club wishes to secure his services, it will have to contend with competition from Italy, as Fiorentina and Udinese are reportedly already in the running for Mendy.
This is a windfall for the Nice board, which is under pressure to replenish its coffers this summer and could capitalise on a bidding war between several suitors to secure tens of millions from the deal. To achieve this, the club is said to be valuing the player at a minimum of €15m.
A product of the Nice youth academy, Mendy has now established himself as a key member of the first-team squad. Having made 40 appearances across all competitions last season, he started 24 of the 25 Ligue 1 matches he featured in.
GFFN | Léo Aschi

#palace #antoine

Crystal Palace are giving serious consideration to a move for Antoine Mendy, with TeamTalk reporting that the Eagles are monitoring the Nice defender closely as they ******* s defensive additions this summer.
The 22-year-old Senegal international has emerged as an intriguing target. Comfortable at right-back and centre-back, Mendy offers the sort of profile many Premier League clubs now prioritise, athletic, strong in duels and tactically flexible. According to the report, Palace value his "athleticism, physical presence and versatility", and those attributes make him an understandable option for a side looking to add depth and quality across the back line.
There has already been movement behind the scenes. "Sources have confirmed that contact has been made with his agents." That does not amount to an advanced deal, but it is a notable early step in a market where groundwork often decides who gets ahead.
Photo: IMAGO
Mendy's rise has been steady and credible. He has "established himself as a regular at Nice" and his recent involvement on the international stage has further strengthened his standing. The fact he "recently started in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, raising his profile considerably" only adds to the sense that Palace are looking at a player whose reputation is moving in the right direction.

#palace #nice #looking #crystal

Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken admitted he will likely have to bring in further defensive reinforcements after several key players were struck down by injury in the opening three games of the season.
Vice-captain Stephen Kingsley, new centre-back Malachi ***** an-Walcott and right-back Christian Borchgrevink all picked up knocks in the Champions League qualifying double header against Sturm Graz, which ended in a 6-0 aggregate defeat.
Club captain Craig Halkett is already missing after rupturing his Achilles in the third-to-last match of the previous campaign, while fellow centre-half Stuart Findlay is out for next week's league match after his red card in the opener against Aberdeen.
Vrancken has already utilised four centre-back pairings, with midfielder McEntee filling in next to Findlay in the 2-1 loss at Pittodrie.
Jordi Altena and Harry Milne are the only fit full-backs, while Jamie McCart and MJ Kamson-Kamara, who is yet to play a competitive game for Hearts, are the fit centre-back options. New signing Laurent Mendy could also fill in further back.

#vrancken #findlay #captain #match

France secured their spot in the World Cup round of 16 with a commanding 3–0 win over Sweden on Tuesday. The victory sets up a Saturday clash for France against Paraguay.
Meanwhile, Belgium are scheduled to face Senegal on Wednesday night in a knockout round of 32 fixture at Seattle Stadium as Rudi Garcia’s Belgian side enter the match on a 16-game unbeaten streak, while Senegal look to build on their 5–0 group stage finale win against Iraq despite goalkeeper Edouard Mendy facing a late fitness test.
France beat Sweden 3-0 on Tuesday to ease into the last 16 of the World Cup.
Mbappe netted in the 45th and 74th minutes, and Bradley Barcola added a second-half strike to earn France a meeting with Paraguay on Saturday.
The French team were in control for most of the game and looked the sharper side. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, taking his tally for the tournament to six goals, and Barcola added the third concluding the match.

Senegal take on Belgium in their Round of 32 clash on Wednesday at Seattle Stadium, after Senegal advanced as one of the best third-placed teams in the competition.
Senegal has had a turbulent path to the Round of 32. They advanced as one of the best third-placed teams after a mixed group-stage performance. The Lions of Teranga began with consecutive defeats, losing 3-1 to France and 3-2 to Norway.
Facing elimination, they responded emphatically by defeating Iraq 5-0 in their final group match. Despite that impressive win, they have only one victory in their last five games, making their form somewhat unpredictable.
Selection concerns remain for manager Pape Thiaw, particularly regarding goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, who is a major doubt due to a knee injury suffered against Norway. If he is unavailable again, Mory Diaw is expected to step in once more.
In midfield, Pape Gueye has made a strong case for inclusion after scoring twice as a substitute in the win over Iraq.

SEATTLE (AP) — Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy is out for the team’s knockout round match against Belgium in the World Cup on Wednesday due to injury.
On Tuesday, coach Pape Thiaw confirmed the Al-Ahli goalkeeper will miss his second consecutive World Cup match because he injured his knee in Senegal’s 3-2 loss to Norway in group play.
Mendy returned to his club team in Saudi Arabia to undergo further testing. The 34-year-old goalkeeper was not present for Tuesday’s training session at Husky Soccer Stadium in Seattle, but Thiaw expects him to return Tuesday night.
“He’ll be with us tomorrow, of course, even if he won’t be fit to play,” Thiaw said in French. “We are happy to see him. We hope that he can be with us for the rest of the competition.”
Since his debut in 2019, Mendy has made more than 50 appearances for Senegal, and he started all four matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Real Madrid left-back Fran García is almost certainly going to be leaving the club this summer and Betis remain interested in his signing, with Los Blancos wanting a fee of around €10 million, according to a report published today on AS.
With Marc Cucurella, Álvaro Carreras and Ferland Mendy already on the roster, Real Madrid simply have too many options at the left-back spot and Fran García’s value in the market is simply higher than Mendy, given that the Frenchman has been struggling with injuries for several years now. In that context, García is the odd man out and he will almost certainly leave the club this summer.
Cucurella will be Mourinho’s starting left-back this year, with Carreras competing with him for minutes. Mendy can’t be relied upon but could play some minutes down the road if he recovers well from his current injury.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With Senegal in a difficult spot in World Cup group play, coach Pape Thiaw is not revealing how many changes he might make for his team's game against Norway on Monday night.
"Am I going to shake things up a bit? Well, you'll find this out," Thiaw said through an interpreter at a news conference Sunday.
Senegal hung in tough against tournament favorite France for the first half of its opener Tuesday before losing 3-1. Édouard Mendy allowed three goals on eight shots in that game, which included Kylian Mbappé scoring from long range moments after Senegal finally got on the board in stoppage time.
Reserve goalkeeper Mory Diaw accompanied Thiaw to the news conference, but denied his appearance may indicate he would start in place of Mendy.
Senegal has only Iraq left to play after facing Norway in Group I, so the Lions of Teranga are treating their second game as if it is a must-win final.

Real Madrid have already sealed the signing of four players, but they are also thinking about possible exits from Jose Mourinho’s squad. Dani Ceballos will be leaving on a free transfer, and he’s not the only one that could have their contract cancelled by club bosses.
Another player that faces an uncertain future at the Bernabeu is Ferland Mendy. The arrival of Marc Cucurella means that Real Madrid now have four left-backs in their squad, meaning that at least one will be moved on this summer – and despite the fact that Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia have both been linked with Premier League moves, it could be the veteran Frenchman that departs.
The last 12 months have been utterly miserable for Mendy, who only managed nine appearances across the 2025-26 season. He’s struggled to consistently stay fit for some time now, and because of this, there have been murmurs regarding a possible contract termination.
However, Real Madrid are not yet thinking about Mendy leaving, as per Diario AS. The plan is for him to be counted upon by Mourinho when he returns from his latest injury in September, which also means that one of Carreras or Garcia will be leaving at some stage during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images

In their first encounter since 2002, France were hoping to get one over on Senegal after the African nation pulled off a shock the last time they both met at the World Cup. The opening fixture for Les Bleus at the FIFA World Cup 2026 marks only the second time the two nations have faced off against each other.
Following a poor performance in the first half, France recovered in the second half to exorcise their demons from 2002, with a much improved display. Les Bleus secured three points in their opening match thanks to a record-equaling goal from Kylian Mbappé and a deft chip from Bradley Barcola.
Given the plethora of attacking options at his disposal, Didier Deschamps opted for an attacking lineup against Senegal. With Kylian Mbappé leading the line, Ousmane Dembéle playing off the Real Madrid forward, Désiré Doué and Michael Olise either side of the France captain, the Les Bleus head coach went with an uncharacteristic attacking starting eleven.
Despite what would appear to be a frightening prospect for most defences on paper, the French attack failed to cause the Senegalese defence many problems. Mbappé struggled as a lone striker, with several of his touches going astray. The Real Madrid forward huffed and puffed whilst hoping to create something in the final third, but most of his efforts were in vain. He touched the ball 14 times in the first half and lost the ball on 7 occasions.
After a dressing down from Deschamps at half-time, the front four returned to the pitch for the second half with a renewed vigour and sense of purpose. With Olise in the ten and Mbappé more direct, things started to happen. This was displayed as the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder delivered a sumptuous ball into the path of the France captain, who made no mistake with a good finish beyond Édouard Mendy. Bradley Barcola later got in on the act with brilliant movement from the bench to secure the victory.

A stunning brace by Kylian Mbappé broke France’s all-time scoring record as Didier Dechamp’s farewell World Cup got off to a flyer with a 3-1 win over Senegal.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 65th minute, spinning in behind the Senegalese defence before tucking the ball into the far corner, and powered home a brilliant effort in injury time which saw him reach 58 goals to overtake Olivier Giroud.
Bradley Barcola came off the bench to make an instant impact, adding a second goal for his side by lifting the ball over Édouard Mendy.
Teenager Ibrahim Mbaye gave Senegal a brief lifeline in the 95th minute, however that was quickly squashed by Mbappé’s outstanding second.
It was a familiar attack for both sides, with France fielding Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué as a front four. Meanwhile, Senegal’s frontline was made up of Sadio Mané, Jackson and Ismaïla Sarr.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was an ugly first half for the 2022 World Cup runners up, but France took control of its opening match in the second half behind goal from superstar Kylian Mbappe to beat Senegal 2-0 on a sunny Tuesday afternoon in New Jersey.
In a packed stadium filled with predominantly French supporters, Les Blues came out sluggish in the first half, generating only one shot despite having the majority of possession. France had only 0.02 expected goals to Senegal's 0.47, and Senegal had the best chances of the half, as striker Nicolas Jackson hit the post in the 25th minute and put one over the crossbar on the last touch of the half.
France looked much more the part of the tournament co-favorite in the second half, dominating possession early and creating several scoring chances, including a VAR check for a potential penalty when Mbappe was taken down in the box in the 59th minute. No penalty was awarded.
However, a few minutes later Mbappe slotted a ball past the Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy off a terrific pass from Michael Olise in the 66th minute to open the scoring.
France continued to exert its will in the second half, as Adrien Rabiot played a pretty through ball to Bradley Barcola, who chipped Mendy in the 82nd minute for France's second goal.

La Liga giants Real Madrid have made two members of the club’s defensive ranks available for transfer heading into the summer.
The pair in question? Ferland Mendy, and Fran García.
Real Madrid are of course fresh off building on what has been a thoroughly productive opening to the summer transfer window, courtesy of a deal for Chelsea star Marc Cucurella.
Incoming Blancos boss José Mourinho will now have two big-money left-backs at his disposal in Spain’s capital, namely Cucurella, and Álvaro Carreras.
And as alluded to above, owing to as much, a further pair of defenders find themselves on the exit ramp at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Bernard Mendy (
PSG_inside
) : "La soirée a été folle en termes d'émotions. C'est historique. Il n'y a pas de mots !"