Sydney (AFP) – Honduras accused Australia of using a drone for "espionage" on Tuesday, giving an extra edge to their winner-takes-all playoff to reach next year's World Cup. Coach Jorge Luis Pinto called it "embarrassing" after a drone was spotted hovering near an official training session — even though Australian reports said it was being […]

Sydney (AFP) – Honduras accused Australia of using a drone for "espionage" on Tuesday, giving an extra edge to their winner-takes-all playoff to reach next year's World Cup. Coach Jorge Luis Pinto called it "embarrassing" after a drone was spotted hovering near an official training session — even though Australian reports said it was being […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany host France on Tuesday in a key friendly to prepare for next year's World Cup with Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos poised to return to the world champions' engine room. The 27-year-old missed Friday's goalless draw against England at Wembley with illness, but is back fit and ready to partner Juventus […]

Milan (AFP) – A tearful Gianluigi Buffon quit international football as four-time champions Italy sensationally missed out on their first World Cup finals in 60 years after a playoff defeat to Sweden on Monday. Coach Gian Piero Ventura also said he would consider his future after the Azzuri drew 0-0 in the second leg of […]

Milan (AFP) – It was a tearful farewell for Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon, who had dreamed of bowing out with another record in a stellar career — a sixth World Cup finals appearance. Instead, his career finished not in Russia but with a humiliating World Cup playoff exit against Sweden at Milan's San Siro stadium, […]

Rome (AFP) – Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years was greeted by a mixture of disbelief, dismay and resigned disappointment by fans across the country. In Rome's trendy San Lorenzo district, the Le Mura bar, which showed Monday night's playoff crunch with Sweden on a big […]

Milan (AFP) – Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon confirmed Monday he was ending his international career after the four-time champions failed to reach the World Cup for the first time in 60 years. Buffon, 39, played his 175th and final game for Italy as they were beaten 1-0 on aggregate in a play-off by Sweden after […]

Milan (AFP) – Italy failed to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1958 on Monday as they were held to a 0-0 draw in the second leg of their play-off at the San Siro by Sweden, who qualified with a 1-0 aggregate victory. The four-time champions dominated possession but struggled to create […]

London (AFP) – Brazil coach Tite views England as one of the favourites to win next year's World Cup and believes the cosmopolitan nature of the Premier League has benefited their national team. England manager Gareth Southgate successfully blooded several new players in Friday's 0-0 friendly draw with Germany and will again be obliged to […]

Berlin (AFP) – Joachim Loew has told his Germany side to prove themselves in Tuesday's friendly against France as the defending champions sharpen their preparations for next year's World Cup. Security will be tight in Cologne as the friendly takes place almost two years to the day since the Paris terror attacks of November 13, […]

New York (AFP) – Blinded by greed into accepting millions of dollars in bribes, or innocent bystanders? Prosecution and defense lawyers opened the FIFA corruption trial on Monday, two and a half years after the United States unveiled the largest graft scandal in the history of world soccer. In the dock are three fabulously wealthy […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany head coach Joachim Loew and his French counterpart Didier Deschamps admit still being haunted by memories of the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris, ahead of Tuesday's friendly international. World champions Germany host France in Cologne with the events of two years ago still casting a shadow. On November 13, 2015, […]

New York (AFP) – Three South American former soccer officials were blinded by greed and accepted millions of dollars in bribes, US prosecutors told the FIFA corruption trial Monday as defense lawyers insisted their wealthy clients were innocent. Forty-two officials and marketing executives, and three companies were indicted in an exhaustive 236-page complaint detailing 92 […]

Paris (AFP) – Patrice Evra has vowed to come back "stronger than ever" in his first public message since leaving Marseille and being hit with a season-long European football ban for kung-fu kicking a supporter. Evra, who was sent off after attacking the Marseille fan ahead of the Ligue 1 side's 1-0 Europa League defeat […]

Berlin (AFP) – Joachim Loew has told his Germany side to prove themselves in Tuesday's friendly against France as the defending champions' sharpen their preparations for next year's World Cup. Security will be tight in Cologne as the friendly takes place almost two years to the day since the Paris terror attacks of November 13 […]