Miami (AFP) – Ayo Akinola's hat-trick carried Toronto to a 4-3 victory over Montreal on Thursday that pushed Thierry Henry's Impact to the brink of elimination in the MLS is Back tournament. The Impact are last in Group C having lost their first two matches in Major League Soccer's World Cup-style tournament in Orlando, Florida, […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez described Zinedine Zidane as a "blessing from heaven" after he delivered the club their 34th La Liga title on Thursday. Perez also said he believes Sergio Ramos will end his career at Madrid, despite uncertainty over the 34-year-old's future, with his contract due to expire next year. […]

Milan (AFP) – Antonio Conte hailed in-form Alexis Sanchez as an "extra weapon" as the Chilean inspired Inter Milan to a 4-0 win over lowly SPAL to move second in Serie A, six points behind leaders Juventus. Sanchez's Inter career started off badly, with injuries holding him back, but the on-loan forward is now proving […]

Madrid (AFP) – A frustrated Lionel Messi called for change after Barcelona handed the La Liga title to Real Madrid on Thursday, warning the team will lose in the Champions League as well if they fail to improve. Barca's title challenge ended with a whimper at Camp Nou, where they were beaten 2-1 by Osasuna […]

Milan (AFP) – Alexis Sanchez scored and set up another goal as Inter Milan moved second in Serie A, six points behind leaders Juventus, on Thursday with a 4-0 win which pushed bottom club SPAL closer to relegation. Antonio Conte's side revived their title challenge, taking advantage of defending champions Juventus' draw with Sassuolo on […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid were crowned La Liga champions for the 34th time on Thursday after Karim Benzema scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Villarreal which clinched the title with one game to spare. Benzema's double included a controversial second-half penalty at the empty Alfredo di Stefano Stadium as Madrid moved seven points […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli will be out of action until the end of 2020 after undergoing knee surgery. Martinelli injured his left knee in training last month and Arsenal confirmed on Thursday that the Brazilian will not return until well into the 2021-21 campaign. The 19-year-old had scored 10 goals in 26 […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-0 to keep the pressure on Leicester after their top-four rivals defeated Sheffield United as the battle for Champions League qualification heated up on Thursday. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side had no margin for error after Leicester's 2-0 victory earlier in the day and they responded thanks to […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United kept a place in the Premier League top four in their own hands as goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial and a helping hand from VAR earned a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men remain in fifth, but by extending an unbeaten run to 19 games […]

London (AFP) – Marcelo Bielsa challenged Leeds to win the Championship title after the leaders beat Barnsley 1-0 to move within touching distance of the Premier League on Thursday. Michael Sollbauer's own goal in the first half at Elland Road was enough for Leeds to climb within one point of automatic promotion. With two games […]

Asuncion (AFP) – Paraguay will be looking to set an example for others when it restarts its football league on Friday following a four-month suspension due to the coronavirus. It will be the first South American national league to do so and all eyes from the continent will be on Paraguay, one of the least […]

London (AFP) – Leicester moved a step closer to Champions League qualification after a 2-0 win against Sheffield United while Aston Villa's survival hopes were seriously damaged as Everton snatched a late draw on Thursday. Brendan Rodgers' side earned their first win in three games thanks to goals from Ayoze Perez and Demarai Gray at […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund's new signing Thomas Meunier has criticised former club Paris Saint-Germain, who he claims refused to let him play in next month's Champions League 'Final Eight' despite permission from the Bundesliga club. The Belgian right-back signed for Bundesliga runners-up Dortmund on a free transfer in June. However, even though Dortmund gave […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora on Thursday ruled out a return of football fans to stadiums in Italy before September. Serie A action kicked off after a three-month coronavirus shutdown behind closed doors on June 20 and will finish on August 2. "For the reopening of stadiums, we believe we must adhere […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Flamengo won a record 36th Rio state championship with a 1-0 win in the second leg of the final against Fluminense, whom they had beaten 2-1 in the first leg. A 95th-minute Vitinho goal late Wednesday ensured the triumph for the legendary Rio de Janeiro club, reigning champions and holders […]