Napoli goes 'fourth,' Sunderland wins EPL promotion and Pulisic to miss Gold Cup
Kick off your Monday with all the action from this past weekend
Europe’s top five leagues all came to an end this past weekend — with Napoli winning the Serie A title on the final matchday.
They joined Liverpool (Premier League), Barcelona (La Liga), Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) and PSG (Ligue 1) as club champions from the other four championships.
The domestic season officially comes to a close this coming Saturday with the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Here’s a look at the weekend’s major storylines:
Serie A: Napoli crowned league champions thanks to Conte’s masterclass
Napoli clinched the Serie A title on Friday with a 2–0 victory over Cagliari at home on the final matchday, securing their fourth league championship and second in three seasons.
Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay emerged as a standout performer, scoring 12 goals in 34 appearances (including the go-ahead goal against Cagliari at the Stadio Diego Maradona) and earning the league’s season MVP award.
Napoli finished the season with 82 points, followed by Inter Milan at 81. Inter also won their final game — 2-0 at Como — and will now have to prepare for the Champions League final against PSG.
Under the guidance of first-year manager Antonio Conte, the team demonstrated resilience and tactical discipline, even after the departures of key players like strikers Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen. The title also came as a surprise given the team’s 10th place finish last season, further credit to Conte’s tactics and abilities.
“Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.”
Premier League: Sunderland promoted to England’s top flight
Substitute Tom Watson scored a stoppage-time winner as Sunderland rallied to beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship playoff final and earn promotion to the Premier League on Saturday.
Watson struck from the edge of the penalty area five minutes into injury time after Kieffer Moore gave the ball away at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Sunderland defender Luke O’Nien, who needed oxygen treatment early and went off after hurting his right shoulder, joined in the celebrations with his arm in a sling.
Sunderland joins Leeds and Burnley in getting promoted from the second tier to the money-spinning top tier.
The playoff final is the most lucrative one-off match in world soccer, with Sunderland — last in the Premier League in 2017 — in line to get an estimated revenue uplift of $260 million in revenue.
Gold Cup: Pulisic and Musah left off U.S. roster
Christian Pulisic is among a group of regular starters who will be missing when the United States plays in next month’s Gold Cup.
Pulisic’s AC Milan teammate, midfielder Yunus Musah, will also be left out of the tournament, which begins on June 14. The Juventus duo of Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, plus Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna, will be missing due to their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, which will also be played this summer.
Pulisic had asked to be left off the Gold Cup roster for the last competitive matches ahead of the 2026 World Cup in order to rest after playing about 120 games for his club AC Milan and country over the last two seasons.
Given the absences, USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino wants players who will convince worried fans a turnaround is possible after a rocky year.
“It’s our responsibility to send some signal to them,” he said during a news conference Thursday after announcing the 27-man roster. “I think our fans need to see our team fighting and playing and performing and playing well, yes, but fighting for the flag and being always in every single game (to) match the aggressivity of the opponent.”
In other news: Red-and-white streamers exploded into the air as Arsenal lifted its second Women’s Champions League trophy after stunning defending champion Barcelona 1-0 in the final on Saturday. A goal by Stina Blackstenius in the 75th minute from a pass by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead powered Arsenal to glory at Estádio Jose Alvalade. Arsenal’s title came 18 years after it became the first — and still the only — English club to win the top club title in women’s soccer. … Spain international Esther Gonzalez scored a late goal as Gotham FC defeated the UANL Tigres 1-0 on Saturday to win the first edition of the CONCACAF W Champions Cup. The 32-year-old striker Gonzalez secured the landmark win with a goal in the 82nd minute for the NWSL team. … Lionel Messi scored a free kick in the 87th minute to pull Inter Miami within one and had the assist on Telasco Segovia’s tying goal in the 95th minute, helping Inter Miami rally from a two-goal deficit on Saturday night to tie the Philadelphia Union 3-3.