Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona have completed the signing of Dutch international goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from Ajax, the Spanish champions confirmed on Thursday. In a statement on their official website the Catalans confirmed they had signed the 27-year-old on a five-year contract for a fee of 13 million euros (£11.1 million, $14.7 million), rising to a […]

Berlin (AFP) – On the eve of the new German Bundesliga season, Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has poured cold water on their fans' dreams of winning another treble. "Of course, I know that the public is dreaming of the treble, but we also know well enough how difficult and unpredictable the Champions League is," […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – USA women's goalkeeper Hope Solo has been slapped with a six-month ban from the national team for her comments in which she called the Swedish players "a bunch of cowards", US Soccer announced Wednesday. The 35-year-old Solo made the comments after the Americans were eliminated in a penalty shootout from the […]

London (AFP) – Leicester City and England midfielder Danny Drinkwater signed a new five-year contract with the Premier League champions on Thursday. Drinkwater, 26, joins Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Kasper Schmeichel in committing his future to the club since the end of last season. "I've loved playing for this club. It's been perfect for […]

Monaco (AFP) – The eyes of European football will be on Monaco on Thursday as holders Real Madrid and the rest of the continent's elite discover their fate when the Champions League group-stage draw is made. Zinedine Zidane's side won the trophy last season — a record 11th in the club's history — as Cristiano […]

Berlin (AFP) – Last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund resume the chase to knock Bayern Munich from the top of the German league having made eight new signings — and losing a trio of stars. Dortmund start their campaign at home to coach Thomas Tuchel's ex-club Mainz on Saturday. But things looked bleak when captain Mats […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – USA women's goalkeeper Hope Solo has been slapped with a six-month ban from the national team for her comments in which she called the Swedish players "a bunch of cowards", US Soccer announced Wednesday. The 35-year-old Solo made the comments after the Americans were eliminated in a penalty shootout from the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich kick off the 2016/17 German Bundesliga season at home to Werder Bremen on Friday with their rivals out to stop them winning a fifth straight Bundesliga title. Germany defender Mats Hummels and burly Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches have been Bayern's only off-season signings, but it's all change behind the scenes […]

Sydney (AFP) – Veteran Tim Cahill made a low-key debut for Melbourne City after hitting the right notes in a team karaoke session. The 36-year-old who made his name at Everton came on as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 cup win against Brisbane Strikers on Wednesday night. It was Cahill's first club game at […]

Paris (AFP) – Unheralded Russian side Rostov qualified for the group stage of the Champions League with a famous win over Dutch former European champions Ajax on Wednesday. Rostov comfortably won 4-1 in front of a delirious crowd at their compact Olimp-2 stadium to win the play-off round tie 5-2 on aggregate, with Iranian striker […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Joe Hart played potentially his last Manchester City game as Pep Guardiola's team rubber-stamped their place in the Champions League group phase by beating Steaua Bucharest 1-0 on Wednesday. Leading 5-0 from last week's away leg, City completed a 6-0 aggregate victory courtesy of Fabian Delph's second-half header, putting them […]

Beginning Saturday, NBC Sports is launching a brand-new program called Goal Rush, which will be available on the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com. The concept behind Goal Rush is simple and perfect for many soccer fans wanting to stay on top of everything that's happening. Every Saturday during the 10am-Noon ET timeslot, Goal Rush will broadcast one […]

Seoul (AFP) – FC Seoul took a grip of their AFC Champions League quarter-final after overcoming Shandong Luneng 3-1 in the first leg in the Korean capital on Wednesday. Goals from Park Chu-Young, Dejan Damjanovic and Brazilian top scorer Adriano gave them a deserved two-goal cushion to take to China for the second leg on […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Goalkeeper Joe Hart and midfielder Yaya Toure both make their first competitive appearances of the season in Manchester City's Champions League play-off round, second leg against Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday. Both players have fallen out of favour since Pep Guardiola's appointment as manager during the close season and have been […]

London (AFP) – Wales manager Chris Coleman has slammed England boss Sam Allardyce's claim that a Team GB football team should play at future Olympics. Allardyce backed the return of a British Olympic football team after men's and women's sides were not entered at Rio 2016. Great Britain teams competed in London 2012, but the […]