Saitama (Japan) (AFP) – Ulsan came from a goal down to stun Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 in Saitama on Wednesday in the first leg of their AFC Champions League last 16 showdown. Goals from Joo Min-kyu and Hwang Il-su gave the South Korean side a precious lead and two away goals to take home for […]

London (AFP) – Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has been fined £8,000 by England's Football Association after accepting a charge of breaching betting rules. Scholes was charged by the FA in April for placing 140 bets on matches between August 2015 and January this year. The period covers when Scholes was a part-owner of […]

London (AFP) – Celtic will face Nomme Kalju of Estonia or North Macedonians Shkendija if they reach the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The Scottish champions face Bosnia's FK Sarajevo in the first qualifying round next month. Neil Lennon's men will need to navigate four qualifying rounds in total to make it to […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Atletico Madrid are set to sign teenage sensation Joao Felix from Benfica for 120 million euros ($134m), according to reports in Portugal on Tuesday. The fee would make Felix the fifth most expensive signing of all time after Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele. Three Portuguese sports newspapers – A […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The United States opened the defence of their CONCACAF Gold Cup crown with a comfortable 4-0 win over Guyana on Tuesday. The 2017 champions warmed up for the tournament in unconvincing fashion, suffering back-to-back defeats to Jamaica and Venezuela. But Gregg Berhalter's side were always in control of their Group D […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – A member of Cuba's beleaguered CONCACAF Gold Cup squad has defected in the United States, coach Raul Mederos said on Tuesday. Speaking in Denver, Mederos confirmed that midfielder Yasmani Lopez had left the squad after the Cubans were thrashed 7-0 by Mexico in their opening game of the tournament in Pasadena, […]

Salvador (Brazil) (AFP) – Brazil were held to a 0-0 draw against Venezuela in the Copa America on Tuesday as a late strike from Philippe Coutinho was disallowed after a controversial VAR decision. Coutinho thought he had fired Brazil into the quarter-finals in the 87th minute when he bundled home a finish from Everton Soares' […]

Sydney (AFP) – Superstar striker Sam Kerr was hailed as a national treasure and the greatest of all time Wednesday after becoming the first Australian to score a hat-trick at a World Cup. The 25-year-old banged in four goals as Australia smashed Jamaica 4-1 on Tuesday to reach the last 16. Kerr — the all-time […]

Valenciennes (France) (AFP) – Marta secured her place among the legends of football on Tuesday after the Brazilian become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer in the 1-0 win against Italy in Valenciennes. "This record doesn't belong to me, it belongs to all of us," said the 33-year-old after crashing home a penalty with 16 […]

Nanterre (France) (AFP) – The banned ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini was released from custody on Wednesday after hours of questioning in connection with a criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The French football legend who led European football's governing body from 2007 to 2015 was held Tuesday by French […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Captain Paolo Guerrero and forward Jefferson Farfan each scored one and created another as Peru took a huge step towards qualifying for the Copa America quarter-finals with a 3-1 Group A victory over Bolivia on Tuesday. Bolivia took the lead from the penalty spot when Marcelo Moreno sent goalkeeper Pedro […]

Valenciennes (France) (AFP) – Marta said she was representing women in football after becoming the leading scorer in the history of the men's and women's World Cups on Tuesday by firing home the penalty that downed Italy and secured Brazil's place in the last 16 of this year's tournament in France. The 33-year-old, widely considered the […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Huddersfield Town forward Steve Mounie scored a hat-trick as Benin defeated fellow qualifiers Mauritania 3-1 Tuesday in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations warm-up match. Mounie, whose club were relegated from the English Premier League last season, gave the Squirrels a 1-0 half-time lead in Moroccan city Marrakech. Moctar el Hacen levelled […]

Paris (AFP) – While England and Japan settle old scores and battle for first place in Group D of the Women's World Cup on Wednesday, the stakes are higher in Paris as Argentina face Scotland. In a group where every match has been tight, England have eked out two one-goal victories to take […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo will link up with former Reds captain Steven Gerrard after agreeing a season-long loan move to Rangers on Tuesday. England youth international Ojo has made 13 appearances for the Liverpool first team, but has spent most of his Anfield career in loan spells at Wigan, Wolves, Fulham and […]