From Kenya to England, Spain to Germany, and France to Italy, the football world delivered excitement to its fans, showing just how much the game was missed in the last three months.

Kenyan Football: Leopards Roar, Gor Stumble.

Here at home, AFC Leopards unveiled their 2026/27 squad to their fanbase at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday. After a productive 2025/26 season in which Ingwe, as they are affectionately known, finished second to arch-rivals Gor Mahia, expectations at the den have risen a notch higher.

After losing their first-choice goalkeeper to their bitter rivals, Leopards have strengthened significantly with seven new additions. Among them are midfielder Taddeo Lwanga, Musa Ceesay, and goalkeeper Tom Ikara, alongside the appointment of Bernard Mwalala to the technical bench. Later that day, Ingwe showcased their readiness for the new season with a 1-0 victory over Uganda’s KCCA FC.

On the other side, the Super Cup was marred by chaos at full-time when police deployed teargas on fans following Tusker FC’s 3-1 victory over Gor Mahia. The underperforming Gor were stunned by the Brewers despite a stellar showing at the Kagame Cup just weeks earlier. The Kenyan Premier League is set to kick off this weekend despite unresolved court cases surrounding promotion and relegation regulations.

Premier League: Hull Stun United as Arsenal Lay Down Marker.

In the UK, Matchday 1 brought both expected results and unexpected twists. Arsenal opened the season with a commanding 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Coventry City.

The shock came on Saturday as Hull City stunned Manchester United with a 2-0 victory at home. Ipswich Town marked their Premier League return with a 2-1 win over Sunderland, Everton eased past Crystal Palace 2-0, while Leeds United brought tears to the City Ground with a late 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Sunday delivered more surprises, as four goals in the first 37 minutes handed Unai Emery’s Aston Villa their first defeat of the season at the hands of Brighton at the Amex. Manchester City salvaged all three points with late goals from Gvardiol and Guehi to seal a hard-fought win over Bournemouth. Liverpool left it late to secure a point in a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle. Monday Night Football will see Chelsea travel to Fulham to close out Matchday 1.

La Liga: Mourinho Starts Strong, Barca Hit Five.

In Spain, Jose Mourinho’s second stint at Real Madrid started on the perfect note as his side saw off Espanyol 2-1, while Barcelona began their title defence in emphatic fashion with a 5-0 thrashing of Elche. Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid were held to a 2-2 draw by Villarreal.

Bundesliga: It's Kampany's Yard again.

In Germany, Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the German Super Cup, while in the DFB-Pokal, Bayer Leverkusen eased past Wehen Wiesbaden with a 4-0 victory among a host of fixtures.

Serie A & Ligue 1: Inter Impress, PSG Held.

In Italy, Como were held to a 1-1 draw by Udinese, Inter Milan, under head coach Chivas, saw off Monza with a 4-1 victory, while the Old Lady Juventus narrowly beat Frosinone 1-0. Napoli and AC Milan secured hard-fought victories over Genoa and Torino respectively. In France, Strasbourg fell 4-0 to Marseille, while PSG were held to a 2-2 draw against Rennes as high-flying Lens eased past Auxerre 5-2.

From the teargas-tinged drama of the Kenyan Super Cup and Ingwe’s roar at Nyayo, to Hull’s stunning upset over Manchester United and Barcelona’s five-goal statement, the opening weekend proved just how much football was missed — a weekend where giants were humbled, minnows were emboldened, and contenders laid down early markers, setting the tone for a season that promises to be defined by defiance as much as dominance.