London (AFP) – England and Portugal warmed up for Euro 2016 in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday. Here AFP Sports looks at five things we learnt from England's 1-0 win: Diamond doesn't sparkle After prolonged calls for Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane to play together, the vaunted trio's maiden outing was a […]

London (AFP) – An 86th-minute header from centre-back Chris Smalling spared England's blushes as they squeezed past 10-man Portugal 1-0 at Wembley on Thursday in their final Euro 2016 warm-up game. While Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was rested following his involvement in Real Madrid's Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid last weekend, England manager […]

ESPN's talent that will be bringing Euro 2016 into homes across the United States this summer will have a very familiar look. In fact, the talent is almost identical to the team that received rave reviews for its coverage of World Cup 2014. Based in a studio in France, Bob Ley leads a team of English-language studio […]

Paris (AFP) – Karim Benzema faced a growing backlash on Thursday, a day after his sensational claims that coach Didier Deschamps had "bowed to pressure from a racist part of France" by keeping him out of the Euro 2016 squad. Political and sporting figures lined up to condemn the Real Madrid striker, with Prime Minister […]

Tickets for Copa America Centenario are close to selling out in select cities. According to Copa America organizers, more than 1 million tickets have already been sold for the tournament, which puts it right on the path to be the best attended Copa America since 1979 when 1.1 million attended the games. For Friday's game […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil's troubled build-up to football's Copa America hit another snag Thursday when midfielder Luiz Gustavo became the sixth player to withdraw from the squad, citing "personal problems." It comes a day after veteran striker Kaka pulled out with a hamstring injury before Brazil open their Copa America Centenario campaign against […]

London (AFP) – Roberto Di Matteo has agreed to become the new manager of Aston Villa with the Birmingham club set to confirm the Italian's appointment on Friday, several British media outlets reported. The former Chelsea manager is in line to be named as the successor to Remi Garde, with the Frenchman sacked in March […]

Berlin (AFP) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been heavily linked to a high-profile transfer to Manchester United, but that hasn't stopped German minnows Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (RWO) trying to sign the Swedish superstar. The semi-pro club, which plays in Germany's fourth division, has offered a contract to Ibrahimovic following his release from Paris Saint-Germain to play for […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Argentina football star Lionel Messi said Thursday he trusted his father with his finances and "knew nothing" about how his wealth was managed as he took the stand at his tax fraud trial. "I was playing football. I had no idea about anything," the five-time World Player of the Year told the […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Brazil international defender Dani Alves has told Barcelona he intends to leave after eight successful seasons but compatriot Neymar will extend his stay, the Spanish champions confirmed on Thursday. "He (Alves) has already told us he intends to leave the club," Barcelona technical director Robert Fernandez said of the player currently in […]

Paris (AFP) – Karim Benzema found himself isolated on Thursday a day after his sensational claims that Didier Deschamps had "bowed to pressure from a racist part of France" by keeping him out of the Euro 2016 squad. Political and sporting figures condemned the accusations of the Real Madrid player, but stressed that racism did […]

Paris (AFP) – The Paris police chief has proposed that a fan zone in the capital be shut when Euro 2016 matches are played in the city's two stadiums because of overstretched officers and the threat of terrorism. Police chief Michel Cadot put forward his plan in a letter to Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve which […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City on Thursday made llkay Gundogan the first signing of the Pep Guardiola era and the German midfielder said he wanted to do "great things" with the club. The 25-year-old moved from Borussia Dortmund on a four-year contract, City announced, after refusing to extend his deal with the Bundesliga […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Argentina and Barcelona football star Lionel Messi, one of the world's highest-paid athletes, arrived Thursday at a Barcelona court to take the stand for the first time at his tax fraud trial in Spain. The 28-year-old, who wore a black suit and tie, was cheered and jeered as he emerged from a […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Argentina and Barcelona football star Lionel Messi, one of the world's highest-paid athletes, is due to take the stand Thursday for the first time at his tax fraud trial in Spain. The 28-year-old and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, are accused of using a chain of fake companies in Belize and Uruguay […]