Football

Football

'Strange' to play in front of 50,000 empty seats: Maresca

The UEFA Conference League winners defeated Los Angeles FC 2-0 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with only 22,000 fans present at the 71,000-capacity arena.

44m ago

No discount for charity: Bonucci wipes out female footballer with brutal tackle

Fans at Sunday's Soccer Aid charity match between England and World XI at Old Trafford were treated to a vintage display of Italian defending, albeit with a slightly less charitable outcome for former England Women's team captain Steph Houghton. 

3h ago

Healthy crowds and Messi mania lift Club World Cup, but quality gap shows

FIFA controversially awarded Lionel Messi's Inter Miami a backdoor route into the tournament, ensuring the sport’s biggest name would be there after he propelled soccer to new heights in a country often ambivalent to the world’s most popular game.

9h ago

Four Atletico ultras get suspended jail for Vinicius effigy

Four Atletico Madrid ultras have been handed suspended jail sentences for hanging a dummy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior from a bridge in what police deemed a "hate crime", judicial sources said on Monday.

9h ago

Salernitana players hospitalised with food poisoning after Sampdoria play-off

Salernitana players have been hospitalised with food poisoning after returning south from a 2-0 defeat in the first leg of their Serie B relegation play-off with Sampdoria.

10h ago

Auckland brought a pen, Bayern a panzer

At the heart of the Club World Cup lies this improbable meeting of worlds.

14h ago

No doubt Delap will be England number nine: Chelsea's Maresca

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said Sunday he is confident new signing Liam Delap will become England's number nine after Harry Kane.

21h ago

Japan striker 'King Kazu' plays at 58

Former international Miura, fondly known as "King Kazu", is the oldest professional in Japan and almost certainly beyond.

23h ago

US immigration, border agents to be deployed at Club World Cup: report

NBC television's Miami affiliate reported that members of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would be on duty at Saturday's opener between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Egypt's Al Ahly.

5d ago

Alonso's new-look Real Madrid aiming for Club World Cup glory

The 43-year-old Spaniard, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, along with new arrivals Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen add a fresh look to a team that emerged battered and bruised from a domestic season dominated by bitter rivals Barcelona.

5d ago

Hamza, Shamit deserve a system, not just a jersey

Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat to Singapore in the Asian Cup Qualifiers wasn’t just a defeat -- it was a missed opportunity to build something better with the right tools finally in hand. And that’s exactly what former striker and Mohammedan’s league-winning coach Alfaz Ahmed is talking about: we finally have the parts, but we don’t know how to assemble the machine.

5d ago

Sane 'in negotiations' with Galatasaray

Galatasaray announced on Wednesday they had started talks with Bayern Munich attacker Leroy Sane with his contract at the German champions up at the end of the season.

5d ago

Grealish left out of Man City squad for Club World Cup

Jack Grealish's future at Manchester City was plunged into further doubt on Wednesday after the England international was left out of Pep Guardiola's squad for the Club World Cup.

5d ago

Countdown begins: 13 in, 35 to go for FIFA World Cup 2026

So far, 13 teams have sealed their place. Alongside co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the USA, ten more countries have booked their spots:

5d ago

US begins uneasy World Cup countdown

Celebrities and soccer stars were due to walk the red carpet at the Fox Studio Lot in Los Angeles - one of the host cities - for the year-to-go event there, a day after President Trump deployed Marines and the National Guard to quell protests.

5d ago

Almada: The making of Argentina’s midfield maestro

The 24-year-old from Fuerte Apache, long tagged as a “gamble” in Argentina’s setup, has finally shed that label and cemented his place as a genuine national team player.

5d ago

Bangladesh football is just getting started: Shamit

Bangladesh midfielder Shamit Shome expressed his disappointment following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Singapore in an AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture at the National Stadium on Tuesday but remained optimistic about the future of Bangladesh football.

5d ago

Cabrera leaves Bangladesh, so do Hamza-Shamit

Just hours after Bangladesh’s defeat against Singapore in an AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture, coach Javier Cabrera as well as foreign-born players -- Hamza Choudhury and Shamit Shome -- departed Dhaka, confirmed a key member of the team’s management.

5d ago