Riyadh (AFP) – Jubilant soccer fans celebrated after Saudi Arabia qualified for next year's World Cup, with many rallying behind Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's reform program that promotes sports in the ultra-conservative kingdom. Saudi Arabia stunned Japan on Tuesday to reach their first World Cup since 2006, with a 1-0 victory in Jeddah that consigned Australia […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho says Manchester United made huge savings in the transfer market by getting their business done before Neymar's world record move to Paris Saint-Germain triggered a global price spike. Mourinho paid a British record fee of £75 million ($97 million, 82 million euros) for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku and took his […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria could be sidelined for several weeks after injuring his left thigh during Argentina's 2018 World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on Tuesday. Di Maria was replaced in the 25th minute of the 1-1 draw in Buenos Aires with a muscle injury, according to the Argentine national team's […]

Madrid (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, has been summoned before a Spanish court as part of a probe into alleged tax evasion by the world player of the year, judicial sources confirmed on Wednesday. Mendes has been called to give evidence along with two of Ronaldo's other advisors, Luis Correia and Carlos Osorio, on […]

Tehran (AFP) – The website of Iran's main stadium was hacked on Wednesday with a demand that women be allowed to watch football matches, a day after female lawmakers were permitted to attend. Iran's nail-biting World Cup qualifier against Syria in Tehran's Azadi stadium was notable for more than just the last-minute equaliser by the […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Syrian fans expressed joy as their fairytale World Cup campaign headed into an Asian play-off against Australia — whose coach found himself under rising pressure. Saudi Arabia also celebrated booking their spot at Russia 2018, but South Korean supporters appeared unconvinced after a 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan took their team to […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Coach Ange Postecoglou says his team will hit the ground running in their arduous World Cup play-off against Syria, brushing aside frustration at failing to qualify automatically for Russia. The Socceroos beat Thailand 2-1 in their final Asian qualifying Group B game on Tuesday, but with Saudi Arabia upsetting Japan 1-0 it […]

Montevideo (AFP) – Argentina and Chile's World Cup qualification hopes were left on a knife edge Tuesday after the South American heavyweights slipped up once again on the road to next year's finals in Russia. Argentina needed a second-half own goal to help them snatch a 1-1 draw against already-eliminated Venezuela in Buenos Aires while […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina struggled to a 1-1 draw with Venezuela Tuesday which left the South American giants' 2018 World Cup qualification hopes hanging in the balance. A second-half own goal from Venezuela defender Rolf Feltscher spared Argentina's blushes after the visitors had taken the lead through Jhon Murillo. The result left Argentina in […]

San Pedro Sula (Honduras) (AFP) – Hamburg striker Bobby Wood scored a late equaliser to salvage a crucial 1-1 draw for the United States in their World Cup qualifier with Honduras on Tuesday. Wood bundled in an 85th-minute leveller just 12 minutes after coming on as a substitute to rescue a point for the Americans […]

Reggio Emilia (Italy) (AFP) – Ciro Immobile's second half header got Italy back to winning ways in a 1-0 victory over Israel in Reggio Emilia on Tuesday to move them closer to the 2018 World Cup. After losing 3-0 to Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, Italy needed a win to continue to aspire […]

London (AFP) – Eric Dier has warned Marcus Rashford not to rest on his laurels after the Manchester United forward spared England's blushes with a dynamic display in his country's crucial 2-1 win over Slovakia. Gareth Southgate's side were in danger of a damaging defeat in their bid to qualify for next year's World Cup […]

London (AFP) – England manager Gareth Southgate says he has seen glimpses of former national-team heroes Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen in Manchester United teenager Marcus Rashford. Rashford, 19, scored one goal and made another as England came from behind to beat Slovakia 2-1 on Monday, which took them to within touching distance of World […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – African giants Egypt moved closer to a first World Cup appearance since 1990 when they defeated Uganda 1-0 Tuesday thanks to an early goal from Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah. A near-capacity crowd in the 85,000-seat Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria saw the June signing from AS Roma strike just six minutes […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Neymar labelled Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu a "joke" as the war of wards between Barcelona's beleaguered board and the Brazilian star continued on Tuesday. In interviews with Catalan newspapers Mundo Deportivo and Sport, Bartomeu claimed Barca would be better off without Neymar this season following his world record 222 million euro […]