Lisbon (AFP) – Serbian international Andrija Zivkovic and Argentine winger Oscar Benitez have both signed five-year deals with Benfica, the reigning three-time Portuguese champions confirmed on Wednesday. Zivkovic's contract with Partizan Belgrade, the club where the player dubbed the 'Serbian Messi' began his career in 2013, expired at the end of last season. Capped five […]

Barcelona (AFP) – A court in Spain on Wednesday sentenced Barcelona striker Lionel Messi and his father to 21 months in jail for tax fraud and slapped them with a fine of 3.7 million euros ($4.1 million). But these prison sentences are likely to be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences for […]

Lyon (AFP) – Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have not spoken since the start of Euro 2016 but they will go face-to-face when Portugal take on Wales in the semi-finals on Wednesday. Thousands of followers of the rival nations are heading for the French city of Lyon hoping to see the clash […]

Marseille (AFP) – Didier Deschamps' talented France block the path of Germany's spluttering juggernaut in Thursday's Euro 2016 semi-final and the world champions have mounting personnel problems. With an element of revenge in the air, France can expect near-fanatical support from home fans in Marseille as they seek a place in Sunday's Paris final. The […]

We’re down to the last four at Euro 2016. Wales and Portugal vie for a spot in the July 10 final at the Stade de France on Wednesday, and then its France and Germany for the same prize on Thursday. Here's the preview and prediction for Tuesday's match: Wales vs. Portugal Bill it as Cristiano Ronaldo […]

NBC's lead Premier League host Rebecca Lowe will miss the first two weeks of the 2016/17 season, and will be temporarily replaced by Steve Bower, who will be a familiar face to many soccer fans in the United States. Instead of hosting coverage from NBC's studio in Stamford, Connecticut, Lowe will be in Brazil as […]

Lyon (AFP) – Buoyed by their team's surprise success at Euro 2016, thousands of Wales fans have descended on Lyon, ready to cheer Chris Coleman's Dragons in Wednesday's semi-final against Portugal. "Just to be here, and to experience this, is something we will all never forget," life-long Newport County fan Rob Santwris told AFP. Led […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino resigned on Tuesday, deepening the chaos in the frustrated squad a month before the Olympics after its star striker Lionel Messi also quit. In a statement published by the Argentina Football Association (AFA), Martino said he and his coaching staff quit due to management disputes in […]

Lyon (AFP) – Portugal could be without key defender Pepe for their Euro 2016 semi-final with Wales on Wednesday after the Real Madrid stopper did not take part in training on Tuesday. Pepe has been an ever-present for Portugal during the tournament and losing his know-how in handling club teammate Gareth Bale would be a […]

Rennes (France) (AFP) – Former France international Yoann Gourcuff has extended his deal with Brittany outfit Rennes, coached by his father, for a further two seasons, the Ligue 1 club said on Tuesday. The 29-year-old former AC Milan midfielder, described as the new Zinedine Zidane on his arrival in Serie A in 2006, has been […]

Madrid (AFP) – Portuguese international winger Nani has reached an agreement to join La Liga side Valencia from Fenerbahce on a three-year deal, the Spanish club confirmed on Tuesday. The 29-year old left Manchester United in 2015 for the Turkish outfit following a loan spell at his former club Sporting Lisbon. During his successful seven […]

Lyon (AFP) – Wales boss Chris Coleman hailed Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale's mental strength ahead of the showdown between the Real Madrid stars when Wales face Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Wednesday. Coleman said he has received glowing reports about the three-time world player of the year from Welsh legend Ryan Giggs […]

Evian (France) (AFP) – He is the big-name forward yet to score at Euro 2016, but Thomas Mueller says his main concern is helping Germany beat France in Thursday's Euro 2016 semi-final. Mueller, top scorer at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and who hit 32 goals for Bayern Munich last season, has yet […]

Marseille (AFP) – It was the match that had everything — spectacular goals, a brutal clash and a dramatic comeback, before finally, a nail-biting penalty shootout. For many, West Germany's 1982 World Cup semi-final against France in Seville remains the ultimate match, an engrossing duel providing new plot twists at every turn. And as the […]

Montpellier (France) (AFP) – Juventus striker Simone Zaza has pleaded for leniency from angry social media users after a crucial but comical penalty miss in a Euro 2016 quarter-final shootout with Germany. "What happened will stick with me for the rest of my life," Zaza said in a post on his Instagram account. "It was […]