New York (AFP) – The FIFA corruption trial is to get underway with opening statements in New York on Monday, two and a half years after US prosecutors unveiled the largest graft scandal in the history of world soccer. Forty-two officials and marketing executives, and three companies were indicted in an exhaustive 236-page complaint detailing […]

Bangkok (AFP) – A Thai anti-corruption court on Monday accepted a lawsuit accusing duty-free giant King Power, the company that owns Leicester City Football Club, of owing the state $420 million in unpaid taxes. The case is a rare attack on an ultra-rich firm run by one of the kingdom's best-connected billionaires. The suit, filed […]

Sydney (AFP) – Veteran talisman Tim Cahill said Monday he had recovered from an ankle injury and was fit to play for Australia in this week's World Cup play-off with Honduras in Sydney. The country's all-time leading scorer remained on the bench during the goalless first leg in San Pedro Sula on Friday but said […]

Milan (AFP) – Four-time champions Italy face missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1958, a potential national humiliation likened to the "apocalypse" by the team's fanatical supporters. Italy need to overturn a 1-0 play-off first-leg defeat against Sweden at the San Siro on Monday. National coach Gian Piero Ventura insists […]

London (AFP) – It is with a raincloud hovering above the head of their talisman Neymar that Brazil are gearing up for their final assignment of 2017 against England at Wembley on Tuesday. Though Neymar has scored 11 goals in 12 games since his world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona, recent weeks have yielded […]

London (AFP) – Jamie Vardy insists Danny Drinkwater didn't snub England after his former Leicester team-mate rejected the chance of a call-up for the national team's current friendlies. Drinkwater was accused of letting down England boss Gareth Southgate last week when he pulled out of the squad for the fixtures against Germany and Brazil. The […]

Paris (AFP) – Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill bemoaned the controversial first-leg penalty that saw his side's World Cup dream end with a 1-0 aggregate defeat by Switzerland in their play-off on Sunday. Ricardo Rodriguez's spot-kick in Belfast on Thursday proved the difference between the two sides, as the Swiss held off some late pressure […]

Piraeus (Greece) (AFP) – Croatia qualified for the 2018 World Cup on Sunday by holding Greece to a 0-0 draw in the second leg of their play-off in Piraeus for a 4-1 win on aggregate. Zlatko Dalic's men will be playing in their fifth World Cup in Russia next year, having only once failed to […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Sunday that he had become a father for the fourth time after girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez gave birth to a baby girl, Alana Martina. "Alana Martina has just been born! Both Geo and Alana are doing great. We are all very happy," the beaming 32-year-old footballer […]

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema admitted Sunday that he had no hope of playing at the World Cup next year as long as Didier Deschamps remains as France coach. "Of course I believe it (playing for France again), I still believe in it," the 29-year-old Benzema told Canal+. "But it's been over […]

London (AFP) – England manager Gareth Southgate is considering changing captain for Tuesday's friendly international against Brazil as he looks to increase his side's stock of leaders ahead of next year's World Cup. Southgate has been happy to rotate the leadership during his time in charge of the national side, with Eric Dier becoming the […]

Basel (Switzerland) (AFP) – Switzerland held off Northern Ireland to seal a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a 0-0 second-leg draw on Sunday that secured a 1-0 aggregate play-off victory. Vladimir Petkovic's side wasted numerous first-half chances as the Northern Irish stayed in the tie, but Ricardo Rodriguez's controversial first-leg penalty […]

Milan (AFP) – "We're Italy and if we qualify it will be by playing football," coach Gian Piero Ventura insisted on Sunday on the eve of their crunch World Cup play-off against Sweden. Four-time world champions Italy need to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat to avoid missing out on the World Cup for the first […]

Paris (AFP) – After being hit with a season-long ban and losing his job at Marseille for a karate kick on a supporter, Patrice Evra was backed by former team-mate Steve Mandanda on Sunday. "He's a really good guy," the Marseille goalkeeper said of the 36-year-old Evra, who parted ways with the club after being […]

Paris (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe insisted his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar is "human like everyone else" after the Brazilian was reduced to tears on Friday by the controversy that has followed him since his arrival from Barcelona. A tearful Neymar pleaded with the media to stop the "false stories" about his alleged frosty relations with […]