Sao Paulo (AFP) – Football great Pele said on Thursday he is feeling "better" and joked that he can't wait to get back to playing the beautiful game, just two weeks after leaving hospital following surgery on a colon tumor. The 80-year-old spent a month in a Sao Paulo hospital recovering from his operation, while […]

London (AFP) – Raheem Sterling admitted Thursday that he "would be open" to moving away from Manchester City to get more game time with even a switch to an overseas club high on his wishlist. The 26-year-old England international has been with the Premier League champions since 2015 when he moved from Liverpool. However, he […]

Paris (AFP) – Lionel Messi, Neymar and a host of other South American stars are missing for Paris Saint-Germain this weekend but Kylian Mbappe will take centre stage after starring for France in their successful UEFA Nations League campaign. Messi, along with Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria, is with Argentina for their 2022 World […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City will be without Ferran Torres for several weeks after the Spain forward suffered a fractured foot on international duty. Torres is believed to have sustained the injury during Spain's UEFA Nations League semi-final win against Italy. The 21-year-old was declared fit for the Nations League final defeat against France, but […]

Saint-Germain-en-Laye (France) (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino says he has "no doubt" that Neymar will carry on playing at the top level "for many years" to come after recent comments by the Brazilian superstar which suggested next year's World Cup would be his last. "'Ney' is an honest person who has no problem […]

London (AFP) – Steve Bruce appears set to take charge of Newcastle's first game under their new Saudi owners despite reports that he would be sacked before Sunday's Premier League clash with Tottenham. The £305 million ($418 million) takeover, completed last week, brought to an end the 14-year reign of the deeply unpopular sportswear tycoon […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona midfielder Pedri has agreed a contract extension until 2026, with the deal including a one-billion-euro ($1.16 billion) release clause, the club announced on Thursday. "FC Barcelona and the player, Pedro Gonzalez 'Pedri', have agreed a contract extension until 30 June 2026. The release clause is set at 1 billon euros," the club said in a […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Timothy Weah set up the winner as the United States came from behind to defeat Costa Rica 2-1 and reignite their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign on Wednesday. Weah, who plays for French champions Lille, was drafted into the US starting line-up shortly before kick-off after D.C. United's Chris Arriola suffered […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Timothy Weah set up the winner as the United States came from behind to defeat Costa Rica 2-1 and reignite their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign on Wednesday. Weah, who plays for French champions Lille, was drafted into the US starting line-up shortly before kick-off after D.C. United's Chris Arriola suffered […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The National Women's Soccer League on Wednesday announced a new venue and kickoff time on Wednesday for its November 20 championship game after complaints from players. The league and its players association said the final had been relocated from Portland, Oregon, to Louisville Kentucky, where it will start at noon "at […]

Madrid (AFP) – A Madrid court on Wednesday announced it had ordered the imprisonment of France and Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez for violating a restraining order in 2017. Hernandez, a 2018 World Cup winner, will have to appear before a court next Tuesday, but he has appealed against the sentence. The 25-year-old was arrested […]

Paris (AFP) – AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez has tested positive for Covid, just days after his France team-mate Adrien Rabiot contracted the virus, his club said Wednesday. The 24-year-old played alongside Rabiot in France's Nations League semi-final against Belgium last Thursday, scoring a 90th-minute winner. Rabiot was ruled out of the final after testing […]

Copenhagen (AFP) – With their qualification for the 2022 World Cup, Denmark not only showed their remarkable resilience in the wake of Christian Eriksen's near-fatal cardiac arrest but served warning of their ambitions in Qatar. A 1-0 win over Austria at a sold-out Parken Stadium on Tuesday clinched Denmark's place at next year's finals, a […]

London (AFP) – A senior member of the UK's governing Conservative Party said football has a racism problem after Hungary fans were involved in violent clashes with police during a World Cup qualifier with England at Wembley. Footage showed police being forced back by a mob of around 1,000 travelling fans. Conservative Party co-chairman and […]

Saitama (Japan) (AFP) – Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu urged his side to build on the 2-1 win over Australia that jolted their World Cup qualifying campaign into life as Son Heung-min scored in South Korea's 1-1 draw with Iran on Tuesday. Japan went into the crunch home match having lost two of their opening three […]