If trying to compete with Real Madrid and newly arrived Kylian Mbappé wasn't daunting enough, now Hansi Flick's Barcelona squad is being thinned out by departures.

Barcelona looks set to lose both Ilkay Gundogan and Vitor Roque in the coming days — or even hours — with both players reportedly close to exits.

Fulham completed the signing of Sander Berge from relegated Burnley for a reported 25 million pounds ($32.8 million) on a five-year contract on Thursday, with the Norway international set to replace the departed Joao Palhinha as the club's holding midfielder.

Palhinha left for Bayern Munich in the transfer window.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said Wednesday he is retiring from the national team after 15 years and 124 games. He is staying in club football with Bayern Munich.

The 38-year-old Neuer made his debut for Germany in 2009 and won the World Cup in 2014. His last game for the national team was the 2-1 extra-time loss to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals as Germany hosted Euro 2024.

Cristiano Ronaldo is lining up for another Saudi Pro League season with the main aim of helping Al-Nassr end the dominance of Riyadh rival Al-Hilal.

No. 1-ranked men's tennis player Jannik Sinner will be playing in the U.S. Open — which begins in New York next week — even though word just emerged that he tested positive twice in March for a banned anabolic steroid.

England midfielder Conor Gallagher finally completed his move to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, ending a weeks-long saga when issues arose to jeopardize his departure from Chelsea.

Chelsea wanted to sell Gallagher, an academy product and the team's vice-captain last season, to help the club meet the Premier League's financial requirements that are being more strictly applied in recent seasons.

For the first time in 12 years, Bayern Munich is not the defending champion going into a new Bundesliga season.

Bayer Leverkusen stayed undefeated last season to snap Bayern's 11-year reign as German champion and completed a domestic double by winning the German Cup to underscore its credentials as the country's best team.

Juventus made light work of Como on Monday with a 3-0 win on Thiago Motta's Serie A debut with the Turin giants, while Atalanta brushed aside transfer upheaval with a 4-0 thumping of Lecce.

After leading France's Olympic team to a silver medal at the Paris Games, Thierry Henry left his coaching job Monday, with the French soccer federation saying he had cited personal reasons for the departure.

The France great had a contract through the next season and was due to resume coaching the France under-21 team next month in its qualifying group for the 2025 European Championship.

Lionel Messi will not play in Argentina's next two World Cup qualifiers because of injury.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni announced his 28-man squad on Monday for the matches against Chile on Sept. 5 and Colombia five days later.