Doha (AFP) – Coach Graham Arnold is counting on "Aussie mental strength" to see his side to victory over the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and through to another playoff battle for a place in the World Cup finals. Arnold said that Australia seem to like qualifying the "hard way" but insisted that they are […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, once the chiefs of world and European football, face trial on Wednesday over a suspected fraudulent payment that shook the sport and torpedoed their time at the top. Former FIFA president Blatter, 86, and Platini, 66, start a two-week trial at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court in the […]

Split (Croatia) (AFP) – Andrej Kramaric scored a late penalty as Croatia salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to world champions France on Monday that left both teams still chasing a first win in the Nations League. Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot fired France ahead on 52 minutes in Split as coach Didier Deschamps selected an inexperienced […]

Split (Croatia) (AFP) – Andrej Kramaric scored a late penalty as Croatia salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to world champions France on Monday that left both teams still chasing a first win in the Nations League. Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot fired France ahead on 52 minutes in Split as coach Didier Deschamps selected an inexperienced […]

Milan (AFP) – Roberto Mancini said Monday that Wilfried Gnonto shouldn't have pressure put on him despite the teen attacker's Italy debut exciting fans still reeling from failing to qualify for the World Cup. FC Zurich forward Gnonto set up Lorenzo Pellegrini's goal after coming on as a substitute in Saturday's 1-1 Nations League draw with […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Injured Liverpool star Mohamed Salah defied his club and captained Egypt to a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Guinea in Cairo at the weekend, according to national coach Ehab Galal. "Salah was hit by an injury, but played through it," said Galal following his debut after Portuguese Carlos Queiroz […]

London (AFP) – UK ministers must press UEFA and the French government to "retract the attempts to smear" Liverpool fans over the chaotic scenes at the Champions League final, lawmakers heard on Monday. European football's governing body UEFA last week apologised to spectators over their "frightening" experience before the match in Paris and has also […]

When it comes to how soccer operates in the USA, fans, media, coaches, players, and pretty much everyone involved can have some strong opinions. Indeed, there are two contentious topics that often stir debate in American soccer. First, it's the promotion and relegation debate. Second, it's the calendar, whether it should be switched to a […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Gareth Southgate said Germany remain the benchmark for England as a result of their trophy-winning pedigree as he prepared his side for Tuesday's Nations League clash in Munich. England will look to bounce back from their surprise Nations League defeat to Hungary when they face the four-time World Cup winners in […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Brazil manager Tite said his team's "mentality" can make the difference at the World Cup, after they broke down a stubborn Japan in a 1-0 friendly win in Tokyo on Monday. Neymar broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 77th minute, but only after Japan had frustrated Brazil with a […]

London (AFP) – Veteran midfielder James Milner has signed a new one-year contract with Liverpool, the Premier League club announced on Monday. Since arriving on a free transfer in 2015, Milner has helped Jurgen Klopp's team win six major honours, including the Champions League and Premier League. Liverpool were chasing an unprecedented quadruple in the […]

Seoul (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min celebrated his 100th international match with a picturesque goal from a free kick on Monday as he led South Korea to a 2-0 victory over 10-man Chile in a tune-up for the World Cup. The East Asian country's other Premier League player, Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers, […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Neymar scored a 77th-minute penalty as Brazil broke down a stubborn Japan 1-0 in Tokyo on Monday to keep their momentum building ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. The South American heavyweights arrived in Tokyo fresh off a 5-1 thrashing of South Korea in Seoul last week, but Japan proved a […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany's coach Hansi Flick said on Monday that his team would need to improve against England's 'extraordinary players' in a Nations League clash in Munich on Tuesday. Flick praised the English Premier League at his pre-match press conference saying "the quality is very high". "They have six or seven clubs of almost […]

Sofia (AFP) – Yasen Petrov has quit as Bulgaria's national football coach after watching his team lose 5-2 to Georgia in the Nations League. "I do not have the moral right to stay. We will part. I take up all the responsibility," Petrov told public BNT television after the game late Sunday. The 53-year-old Petrov […]