Paris (AFP) – Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen scored as Lille moved into third in the Ligue 1 table with a 2-0 victory over Strasbourg on Wednesday, while Lyon were held by Brest. Last season's runners-up Lille have now won all four of their home league games this term and sit two points adrift of leaders […]

Milton Keynes (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Harvey Elliott became the youngest player ever to start a competitive match for Liverpool as the winger played in Wednesday's League Cup tie at Milton Keynes Dons aged 16 years and 174 days old. Elliott is the second youngest player in Liverpool history after Jerome Sinclair, then aged 16 […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi has sustained a strain in his left thigh, Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday. Messi was substituted at half-time of Barca's 2-1 win over Villarreal on Tuesday in what was the striker's first start of the season. He had previously been out with a calf injury sustained on August 5 and Barcelona […]

Zurich (AFP) – FIFA has agreed steps that will limit the number of players clubs can send out on loan from next season and will also limit the amount of money paid to agents in commissions, world football's governing body announced on Wednesday. In a statement, FIFA said it had taken "a series of key […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness did a U-turn on Wednesday on his threat to deprive the German national side of Bayern players if Manuel Neuer loses the number one goalkeeper spot to Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen. "Mr. Hoeness held discussions about the position of the number one in the national team that, […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Rangers players past and present were among thousands of mourners who gathered in Glasgow for the funeral of Fernando Ricksen on Wednesday. Led by manager Steven Gerrard, the Rangers first team stood at the front door of Ibrox, joining supporters who lined the streets outside the stadium, to pay tribute to Ricksen […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Mali will next month become the first national football team to play in South Africa since xenophobic violence there claimed at least 12 lives during September. Zambia cancelled a friendly against South Africa in Lusaka this month because they could not guarantee the safety of the visitors after attacks on African economic […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden hailed Raheem Sterling's example as a "role model" for the 19-year-old, who hopes to earn more playing time for the Premier League champions this season. Foden made his first start of the campaign in City's 3-0 League Cup victory at Preston on Tuesday, when Sterling returned after […]

Doha (AFP) – Britain's Sebastian Coe was re-elected unopposed Wednesday as president of the IAAF for a second term following four years dominated by doping and the issue of gender. The former Olympic and world champion middle-distance runner became head of world athletics' governing body in 2015 and receives his second mandate just two days […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has threatened to deprive the German national side of Bayern players if Manuel Neuer loses the number one goalkeeper spot, Sport Bild said Wednesday. Barcelona 'keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, 27, is currently Neuer's understudy and has voiced frustration at being kept out of the Germany side by […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker is back in full training and nearing a return to competitive action after six weeks out with a calf injury. The Brazilian number one was carried off in Liverpool's 4-1 victory over Norwich on the opening night of the Premier League season on August 9. "I'm on a […]

London (AFP) – Less than four months on from losing the Champions League final, Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham saw another chance at a trophy disappear on Tuesday evening in the more humble surroundings of Colchester United as the fourth-tier side progressed to the last 16 of the League Cup on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Despite […]

Colchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino claimed his struggling Tottenham side are "unsettled" after they suffered an embarrassing League Cup third-round defeat at fourth-tier Colchester on Tuesday. Pochettino's team were beaten 4-3 on penalties after being held to a goalless draw by a club 71 places below them, with Christian Eriksen and Lucas Moura […]

Preston (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola insisted on Tuesday that Bernardo Silva is not guilty of racism over a tweet the Manchester City star sent to his team-mate Benjamin Mendy. The English Football Association has written to the Premier League champions requesting their observations after Silva posted pictures on social media on Sunday comparing […]

London (AFP) – Two men have been charged following the attempted robbery of Arsenal stars Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac, according to British media reports on Tuesday. Germany midfielder Ozil and Bosnia defender Kolasinac were targeted by knife-wielding men riding mopeds who tried to car-jack them in north London on July 25. Kolasinac was seen […]