Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White said his side played with a “real identity” as new boss Vitor Pereira’s reign began with a 3-0 Europa League romp at Fenerbahce.

Pereira was taking charge of Forest for the first time after he became their fourth manager of a chaotic season and it could not have gone better as they took a decisive lead in the playoff round first leg in Istanbul.

Goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Gibbs-White made it a memorable night for Forest as life after Sean Dyche began in free-scoring fashion.

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In perhaps a veiled dig at Dyche, Gibbs-White said on TNT Sports: “I felt like we had a real identity out there today.

“I think his message to us is that we’re going to have a real identity of how we play and how we defend as a team.

“I feel like him and his staff have brought a real positive energy into the group and we’ve all bought into what he wants straight away. And I think that’s the most important thing, buying into each other and understanding each other.

“I think we’ve got a little bit of that already and I think we showed out there abundance today. So, it’s about keeping learning off each other. Keep learning and then taking it game by game.”

The victory means that, barring a disaster in next week’s second leg at the City Ground, Forest will earn a last-16 tie against Real Betis or Midtjylland.

Pereira’s main brief in his new role is to ensure Forest retain their Premier League status and this performance should give confidence going into Sunday’s home game with Liverpool.

“You want to enjoy every moment as a player,” Gibbs-White added. “It can be difficult as footballer to enjoy moments because of how quick the games come up. We can enjoy it and then prepare for Liverpool at the weekend.

“We have been going through a difficult time, confidence is the main thing and tonight will boost confidence. We just have to stay together and be the most complete team.”

Pereira said he was pleased with what he saw from his new side and is confident he can get enough out of them reach Premier League safety.

“The quality of the players [I liked the most]. I asked them to express themselves on the pitch. They did it,” he said.

“I realised before I came that the players have a lot of quality. They need results but they need to enjoy the game.

“If they enjoy the way they are playing they can have a high level. They need just organisation and confidence.

“Of course I am [confident]. We will try match by match to win the next match. It will be very difficult.

“It is not easy to come here and score three goals and not concede a goal. Next game will be a different game and we need to be consistent.”

Lionel Messi kicks off a critical season for Major League Soccer this weekend as the rapidly growing US domestic league seeks to cash in on a huge spike in interest from the upcoming World Cup.

Messi — MLS’s undisputed flagship star — will lace up his boots for a fourth year with Inter Miami, who take on South Korean ace Son Heung-min’s Los Angeles FC in Saturday’s opener at the 70,000-capacity Memorial Coliseum.

It is a suitably splashy start for a season that will be split in two by the 2026 World Cup, which takes place across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

World Cup host countries typically see boosts in attendance and interest for their domestic leagues, and MLS bosses are determined to keep US eyeballs on the planet’s biggest sport long after national teams have returned home.

“This is a massive year for Major League Soccer,” said league commissioner Don Garber, describing the season as “a seminal moment for our sport.”

The MLS season will this year have a seven-week interruption for the World Cup in June and July.

Five MLS stadiums will host World Cup matches, while many more will be used as training facilities and fan zones.

An increased number of MLS players are expected to play in the World Cup, including Son — and potentially Messi, though the Argentina great has not yet confirmed he will participate in a record sixth World Cup.

The league plans to use the season’s bifurcation to its advantage in order to draw in new fans.

A rumored $15-30 million marketing spend throughout the international tournament will encourage viewers to embrace their local teams, and elevate the US domestic league’s increasingly star-studded profile.

The MLS season resumes for its second half in the rest days between the World Cup semi-finals and final. An All-Star Game will quickly follow.

“MLS will be at the center of the soccer universe during the world’s largest sporting event, and that creates an extraordinary opportunity for our league, our clubs, and our players,” said Garber.

New stars 

The decision to start the new MLS season with a game featuring the league’s two biggest global stars, at a giant former Olympic stadium in the heart of Los Angeles, is no accident.

Garber is predicting “the largest opening weekend crowd in league history.”

While MLS has been heavily dependent on eight-time Ballon d’Or-winner Messi’s allure in recent years, the arrival of Son midway through 2025 has been transformative.

Signed by Los Angeles FC for $26.5 million — reportedly the largest transfer in MLS history — the 33-year-old’s arrival has brought with it the support of thousands of South Koreans living in the United States.

Other marquee names to join MLS sides this year include Minnesota United’s James Rodriguez, who penned an extendable six-month contract in a bid to find form before Colombia’s World Cup campaign, after a difficult few domestic seasons.

Argentina-born Mexico striker German Berterame has joined Messi at reigning MLS champions Inter Miami, who are co-owned by David Beckham.

And Timo Werner, joining San Jose Earthquakes, becomes the latest German star to ply his trade in a league that already features Thomas Muller at the Vancouver Whitecaps and Marco Reus for Los Angeles Galaxy.

‘Best leagues’ 

MLS is planning another major change that it hopes will entice even more big names.

Beginning July 2027, MLS will change from its current spring-to-fall schedule, to a summer-through-spring rota.

The switch will align MLS with the big European leagues like England’s Premier League and Spain’s La Liga.

The hope is this will allow US clubs to buy and sell global talent during simultaneous transfer windows, particularly during the summer break.

It would also avoid future clashes with international fixtures and major tournaments.

Garber said the move “reflects exactly where we see MLS going, not just aligning with the best leagues in the world but competing with them.”

Critics say it is a gamble, as MLS will soon be directly competing for viewers with the similarly scheduled NFL, NBA and NHL leagues.