London (AFP) – Thomas Tuchel says Chelsea's third-place Premier League finish is a miracle given N'Golo Kante's injury struggles this season, hailing him as "our Neymar". Marcos Alonso's sweetly struck volley earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw with Leicester at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, effectively sealing third spot with one game to go. They are three […]

London (AFP) – Netherlands international Vivianne Miedema has rejected interest from other top European clubs to sign a new deal with Arsenal, the Women's Super League club announced on Friday, The 25-year-old forward had reportedly held talks with several clubs including Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona but has chosen to stay in London. Vivianne joined Arsenal from Bayern […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Yoshimi Yamashita said she felt "pride and responsibility" on Friday after being named one of three woman referees for Qatar, a first for the men's World Cup. Football's governing body FIFA made history Thursday by selecting Japan's Yamashita alongside Stephanie Frappart of France and Rwanda's Salima Mukansanga on a list of 36 […]

Beijing (AFP) – Gleaming football stadiums built for the Asian Cup may turn into "white elephants" after China withdrew as hosts, experts say, with President Xi Jinping's World Cup dreams more remote than ever. Ten cities across China have sunk billions of dollars to build eight new stadiums and renovate two others for the Asian […]

Milan (AFP) – Europe's most dramatic title race will finally reach its climax on Sunday when AC Milan take the field at Sassuolo ready to end an 11-year Scudetto drought and announce their return to the top table. Stefano Pioli's side are two points ahead of reigning champions Inter Milan and only need to draw […]

Paris (AFP) – Four of Europe's top five leagues come to a conclusion this weekend, with plenty still to be decided and the Premier League and Serie A titles still up for grabs. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at what is still at stake: English Premier League TITLE RACE: Manchester City lead Liverpool by […]

Madrid (AFP) – La Liga's three-way relegation battle will be decided on Sunday as Granada, Mallorca and Cadiz all fight to avoid the drop, with just a single point between them. Granada have the advantage heading into the final day as they sit a point clear of Mallorca and Cadiz below them, meaning Aitor Karanka's rejuvenated […]

Paris (AFP) – As the football world prepares to head to Qatar in six months' time, this World Cup is set to bookend the era in which Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the sport's two pre-eminent players. At the time, it felt like the 2018 tournament in Russia marked a turning point as […]

Paris (AFP) – Two of France's great footballing institutions stand on the brink of relegation from Ligue 1 with Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne sitting in the bottom two before Saturday's final matches of the season. For Bordeaux the game is effectively up already, as they sit three points adrift of Metz in the relegation play-off place […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – The Women's Champions League used to take pride of place in Lyon's trophy cabinet, and on Saturday the leading French side will hope to reclaim the title when they face holders Barcelona in the final in Turin (kick-off 1700 GMT). Lyon have won a record seven Champions Leagues, including five in […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Everton secured Premier League survival thanks to a thrilling second half comeback from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace 3-2 in front of a cacophonous Goodison Park crowd. Palace manager Patrick Vieira kicked out at a fan as supporters spilled onto the pitch in celebration twice after Dominic Calvert-Lewin's winning goal five […]

Berlin (AFP) – Hamburg have one foot back in the Bundesliga after earning a 1-0 win at Hertha Berlin in Thursday's relegation/promotion play-off, first leg thanks to a speculative strike by midfielder Ludovit Reis. Reis' winner at Berlin's Olympic Stadium gives Hamburg, who were relegated from the top flight in 2018, the edge ahead of Monday's […]

London (AFP) – A headline-grabbing libel case over an online spat between two England footballers' wives wrapped up on Thursday, after lifting the lid on tabloid double-dealing and the lives of the rich and famous. Rebekah Vardy, whose husband Jamie plays for Leicester City, is suing Coleen Rooney, the wife of former Manchester United star […]

Lausanne (AFP) – For the first time ever there will be women referees at a men's World Cup finals after FIFA revealed the list for the quadrennial showpiece being hosted later this year by Qatar. France's Stephanie Frappart, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Japan's Yoshimi Yamashita are among the 36 match referees. Brazil's Neuza Back, […]

Paris (AFP) – Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara earned a first call-up to the France squad on Thursday, replacing the injured Paul Pogba for a series of UEFA Nations League matches in June. Manchester United star Pogba has been out for a month with a calf injury and will not play again for his club before […]