Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona tied down captain Andres Iniesta for the rest of his career as the club announced on Friday the 33-year-old midfielder has agreed the first "lifetime contract" in Barca's history. "It is a way of rewarding an exceptional player," said Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Iniesta insisted, though, that he has not […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini is upbeat ahead of Italy's crucial 2018 World Cup qualifying game against Macedonia on Friday despite fears the team could miss out on the tournament. The Azzurri are in a fragile state mentally and physically after a crushing defeat to Spain last month left them facing the […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool will officially unveil the newly named Kenny Dalglish Stand at their match with fierce rivals Manchester United next week, the club said on Friday. The Premier League giants announced that Anfield's Centenary Stand would be renamed the Kenny Dalglish Stand earlier this year to commemorate the player's contribution to the club […]

New Delhi (AFP) – India has given away 27,000 tickets to the opening games of the FIFA U-17 World Cup to fill empty stands, an official said Friday, in a desperate bid to avoid an embarrassing repeat of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The under-17 World Cup, which kicks off on Friday, marks India's first attempt […]

London (AFP) – England manager Gareth Southgate conceded his team were a "work in progress" after they qualified for next year's World Cup with a desperately laboured 1-0 victory over Slovenia. England's fans had long given up on Thursday's game at Wembley and were entertaining themselves by launching paper aeroplanes towards the pitch by the […]

Montevideo (AFP) – Lionel Messi and Argentina's hopes of reaching the 2018 World Cup were left hanging in the balance on Thursday after another stalemate on a nail-biting day of South American qualifying action. Argentina were held to a 0-0 draw in Buenos Aires by Peru, leaving the two-time world champions outside the automatic qualification […]

Malacca (Malaysia) (AFP) – Australian players and media slammed the referee after Syria's controversial late penalty dented their hopes of reaching next year's World Cup following a 1-1 play-off draw in Malacca. The Socceroos remain in the box seat ahead of Tuesday's second leg in Sydney, where the eventual winner will go into a final […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – The prospect of a World Cup without Lionel Messi edged nearer to reality on Thursday as Argentina struggled to a 0-0 draw with Peru which left their qualification hopes hanging in the balance. Despite dominating possession in front of a raucous home support at Buenos Aires' fabled "La Bombonera" stadium, Messi […]

San Cristobal (Venezuela) (AFP) – Uruguay were left waiting to confirm their 2018 World Cup qualification on Thursday after being held to a 0-0 by Venezuela. The Uruguayans could have booked their ticket to Russia with victory over a Venezuelan side who had already been eliminated from contention. Venezuela, however, were in no mood to […]

La Paz (AFP) – A superb performance by Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe frustrated Brazil here Thursday as the five-time World Cup winners were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw in their dead rubber qualification game. With Brazil already assured of top spot in South America's 2018 World Cup qualification race, and Bolivia already eliminated […]

Paris (AFP) – Defending champions Germany clinched a place at next year's World Cup in Russia with a 3-1 win in Northern Ireland on Thursday, while England beat Slovenia 1-0 to secure their finals berth. Sebastian Rudy and Sandro Wagner struck brilliant first-half goals in Belfast before Joshua Kimmich added a late third as Joachim […]

Belfast (AFP) – Sebastian Rudy, Sandro Wagner and Joshua Kimmich secured defending champions Germany's place at the 2018 World Cup on Thursday with a clinical 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in Belfast. Rudy and Wagner's glorious first-half strikes had their place all but wrapped up before Kimmich scored late on to extend Germany's remarkable unbeaten […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Scotland kept alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998 on Thursday, beating 10-man Slovakia 1-0 at Hampden Park with a goal in the dying seconds. Martin Skrtel's own goal, just two minutes from the end of normal time, leaves Scotland second in Group F on […]

London (AFP) – Harry Kane toed in a 94th-minute winner as England secured their place at next year's World Cup in Russia with a thoroughly lacklustre 1-0 victory over Slovenia on Thursday. Gareth Southgate's side looked utterly bereft of ideas at a somnolent, two thirds-full Wembley until skipper Kane converted Kyle Walker's inviting cross to […]

London (AFP) – England secured their place at next year's World Cup after a 1-0 win against Slovenia on Thursday after an unconvincing display. Here AFP Sport looks at five things we learned from the Wembley qualifier: Southgate has work to do Aware that England's underwhelming progress toward the World Cup had left many fans […]