Johannesburg (AFP) – Sadio Mane scored as Senegal won and his Liverpool teammate Naby Keita created a goal as Guinea drew when 2022 World Cup group qualifying in Africa finally kicked off on Wednesday after three coronavirus-induced postponements. Mane netted through a close-range shot on 56 minutes and Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo scored a […]

Faro (Portugal) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo broke the all-time international goalscoring record with his 110th Portugal goal and then scored an injury-time winner to salvage his country a dramatic 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory over the Republic of Ireland in Faro on Wednesday. The 36-year-old Ronaldo, whose return to Manchester United from Juventus was confirmed […]

Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – World Cup holders France needed a scrappy Antoine Griezmann equaliser before holding on with 10 men to draw 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina as they resumed their campaign to qualify for the 2022 finals in Qatar. Edin Dzeko gave Bosnia a first-half lead in Strasbourg on Wednesday but soon after his […]

Copenhagen (AFP) – Denmark extended their perfect start to the World Cup qualifying campaign as Daniel Wass and Joakim Maehle netted in quick succession in a 2-0 win against Scotland on Wednesday. Kasper Hjulmand's side killed off the Scots with two goals in two minutes at the Parken Stadium. Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark have a […]

Milan (AFP) – Italy fans will get to cheer on the same heroes that beat England in the Euro 2020 final, coach Roberto Mancini said on Wednesday as his team prepare for their first match since their triumph at Wembley. The Azzurri host Bulgaria in Florence on Thursday in the first of three 2022 World […]

Budapest (AFP) – Hungary coach Marco Rossi said Wednesday he was "on the side" of England players if they receive racist abuse from home fans during Thursday's World Cup 2022 qualifier in Budapest. In July, European football's governing body UEFA sanctioned Hungary after its fans held homophobic banners and made monkey noises during Euro 2020 […]

Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – France replaced injured midfielders N'Golo Kante and Corentin Tolisso with Mateo Guendouzi and Adrien Rabiot on Wednesday for this month's three World Cup qualifiers. The French Football Federation said Chelsea's Kante has "fully recovered" from a left ankle injury while Bayern Munich's Tolisso was "a suffering a muscular injury in the […]

Milan (AFP) – Junior Messias hailed a dream come true on Wednesday after completing his incredible rise from amateur footballer and delivery man to the Champions League with his deadline-day transfer to AC Milan. Brazilian Messias signed for Milan on Tuesday on a season-long loan from Crotone with an option to buy for a reported […]

Lyon (AFP) – Former Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng joined Ligue 1 side Lyon on Wednesday after his contract with the German giants expired. Boateng, 32, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, has agreed a two-year deal with the French side. Boateng was a regular at the heart of the Bayern defence for […]

London (AFP) – England manager Gareth Southgate believes facing Hungary in front of a 60,000 crowd in Budapest on Thursday will test if the Three Lions have recovered from the disappointment of losing the Euro 2020 final. Southgate's side missed out on England's first major tournament win for 55 years on a penalty shootout to […]

Berlin (AFP) – Chelsea forward Kai Havertz said on Wednesday he has raised nearly 400,000 euros ($473,000) for the victims of western Germany's floods — and revealed he has helped save rescue ponies and donkeys from abattoirs. Havertz, 22, hails from Aachen, one of the regions badly affected by heavy rain in mid-July in which […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo revealed his relationship with former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson played the key role in convincing the Portuguese to return to Old Trafford. Ferguson retired as boss of the Red Devils in 2013, four years after Ronaldo departed for Real Madrid in a then world record £80 million […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona's 18-year-old striker Ansu Fati is to inherit the number 10 shirt worn for years by Argentina legend Lionel Messi, the club said on Wednesday. In a short clip published by the Catalans on social media, the teenager is thrown a blank shirt which he looks at quizzically before holding it up […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany captain Manuel Neuer and forward Thomas Mueller are both injured and ruled out of Thursday's World Cup qualifier against minnows Liechtenstein. Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno will deputise for Neuer, who sat out training all week with an ankle knock. Coach Hansi Flick is hopeful he will be fit for for their […]

London (AFP) – English Premier League clubs flexed their financial muscle over the rest of Europe by brushing off the after-effects of reduced revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic to spend over £1 billion ($1.4 billion) for the sixth consecutive summer transfer window. Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United headlined a stellar cast of stars, […]