Moscow (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo brushed aside his off-field problems by scoring the winner as Portugal edged out hosts Russia 1-0 at the Confederations Cup on Wednesday, before Oribe Peralta gave Mexico a come-from-behind 2-1 win over New Zealand. Ronaldo's eighth-minute header in Moscow gave Portugal their first win in the tournament and victory over […]

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – Mexico's coach Juan Carlos Osorio has apologised for losing his temper during a bust-up with the New Zealand bench during his team's 2-1 Confederations Cup win on Wednesday. Osorio, 56, got into a heated argument with one of New Zealand's assistant coaches after Mexico's Carlos Salcedo went down with a shoulder […]

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – Striker Oribe Peralta hit Mexico's winner in their 2-1 comeback victory over New Zealand on Wednesday to leave them on the verge of the Confederations Cup semi-finals. After Leeds United striker Chris Wood gave the All Whites a shock first-half lead, second-half goals by Benfica's Raul Jimenez and Peralta sealed the win. […]

Moscow (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo said Portugal were worthy winners after scoring his first goal of the Confederations Cup to steer his country to a 1-0 victory over hosts Russia on Wednesday. The Real Madrid star brushed off the tax storm clouding his club future by heading in the only goal in Moscow after just […]

Madrid (AFP) – Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria has been handed a hefty fine and a prison sentence over a charge of tax fraud of 1.3 million euros ($1.4 million), Spanish authorities announced on Wednesday. According to a court document seen by AFP, Di Maria will pay around two million euros to […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke will have his appeal over his 10-year ban from football heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on October 11. Sepp Blatter's former righthand man was suspended in September 2015 over the 2014 World Cup tickets scam and was sentenced by FIFA's ethics committee in […]

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – Germany and Chile clash for control of Group B at the Confederations Cup on Thursday with die Mannschaft's head coach Joachim Loew talking up the south American champions. "They have shown in the past few years that they belong to the elite of world football," said German boss Loew ahead of […]

Lausanne (AFP) – FIFA have cleared Manchester United but opened disciplinary proceedings against Juventus over Paul Pogba's world record transfer, football's governing body announced on Wednesday. The France midfielder returned to United in a deal worth more than $111 million, 105.2 million euros) in August 2016 from the Italian giants. In May FIFA began an […]

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – With their World Cup winners absent in Russia, Germany's rising stars are relishing their chance to shine at the Confederations Cup. None of the side that won the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil is present in coach Joachim Loew's squad in Russia, with some having retired and others either injured […]

Madrid (AFP) – Jose Mourinho's advisers have hit back at accusations that the Manchester United manager failed to pay millions of euros in taxes to the Spanish authorities during his time in charge of Real Madrid. The 54-year-old Portuguese, who coached Madrid from 2010 to 2013, has been accused of "two offences against the public […]

Moscow (AFP) – Pepe says his Portugal and Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo can handle the pressure of the tax-evasion scandal clouding his club future, ahead of Wednesday's Confederations Cup clash against hosts Russia. Having opened their Confed Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over New Zealand, Russia face a step up against Euro 2016 […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Football's world governing body FIFA assured Tuesday that "no investigation" had been opened into president Gianni Infantino after sources said his role in the Confederation of African Football's presidential elections was being looked into. Maria Claudia Rojas, the new president of the investigatory chamber of FIFA's ethics committee, "has confirmed that all […]

Lausanne (AFP) – German outfit RB Leipzig and Austrian champions Salzburg, both owned by energy drinks giant Red Bull, will be allowed to play in next season's Champions League, UEFA confirmed on Tuesday. The possibility of one of the teams being forbidden from competing in Europe's elite club competition had been raised because they have […]

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – New Zealand coach Anthony Hudson says the All Whites must be brave against Mexico, knowing defeat on Wednesday will see them eliminated from the Confederations Cup. Their 2-0 loss to hosts Russia in Saturday's opening Group A match means Oceania champions New Zealand have now gone a record 10 games without […]

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio expects New Zealand's footballers to show the same battling spirit as their nation's rugby team in Wednesday's Confederations Cup, Group A clash. Mexico take on New Zealand in Sochi as firm favourites having held Euro 2016-winners Portugal to a 2-2 draw, while the All Whites lost […]