London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho's first signing for Manchester United looks set to be highly-rated young Ivory Coast international defender Eric Bailly and not veteran Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic according to British media reports. The 22-year-old Villarreal defender — who scored one of the penalties in the penalty shootout which saw Ivory Coast win the […]

Pasadena (United States) (AFP) – Colombia became the first side to reach the quarter-finals of the Copa America Centenario, while the United States thumped Costa Rica 4-0 to get their campaign back on track. Goals from AC Milan's Carlos Bacca and Real Madrid star James Rodriguez on Tuesday secured a 2-1 win for Colombia over Paraguay […]

Chichihualco (Mexico) (AFP) – A shirtless man sits under a tree in a town in southern Mexico, stitching together a football. At the central square, several women congregate to make balls for the national pastime. Others toil in workshops or inside their ramshackle homes: A grandmother sewing on a chair in her dirt-floor home, or […]

Paris (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal tower above their rivals and should ease into the knockout stages at Euro 2016, but the illustrious team cannot underestimate a blossoming Austria side. Ranked eighth in the world, Portugal cruised towards a sixth straight appearance at the finals — in Group F against Austria, Hungary and Iceland — by reeling off seven straight […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spain coach Vicente del Bosque insists La Roja must aim for a historic third straighte European Championship win despite their embarrassing exit as holders at the World Cup two years ago. Del Bosque's men became the first side to retain the Euro title in Poland and Ukraine four years ago, but spectacularly […]

Here are player ratings for the United States’ much-needed 4-0 win over Costa Rica on Tuesday night in Chicago. U. S. Men's National Team Brad Guzan, 6: It was a quiet night for the American goalkeeper, who wasn’t forced into a single difficult save. DeAndre Yedlin, 6: The on-loan Sunderland fullback got caught a few […]

Chicago (AFP) – Clint Dempsey scored his 50th international goal as the United States reignited their Copa America campaign to ease the pressure on coach Jurgen Klinsmann with a 4-0 win over Costa Rica. The host nation, beaten by Group A rivals Colombia in the tournament opener on Friday, produced a devastating first half goal […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Football Federation Australia on Wednesday promised five-year bans for fans who lit flares before and during the Socceroos' clash with Greece, which was marred by pre-match scuffles. Melbourne has a large Greek community and hundreds of fans marched from the city's "Little Athens" precinct on Tuesday evening towards Etihad Stadium, with mounted […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Emre Mor is just 18, has lived all his life in Denmark and only received Turkish citizenship this year after receiving authorisation from his jailed father. Yet the fleet-footed winger, unknown to most Turkish football fans at the start of 2016, has in just weeks become one of the great hopes for […]

Paris (AFP) – Marc Wilmots' Belgium are aiming to topple the established favourites at Euro 2016 and with stars like Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne have the weapons to so. Belgium have qualified for the European Championship finals for the first time since co-hosting the 2000 tournament. They are in a tough Group […]

Chicago (AFP) – A Donald Trump victory in the US Presidential elections could scupper America's chances of mounting a successful bid for the 2026 World Cup, the country's top soccer official told US media outlets on Tuesday. US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said Trump's election could adversely affect international opinion of the United States, potentially […]

Orlando (AFP) – Brazil's national team has a special place in the hearts of many football fans around the world but few places treasure the 'Selecao' as much as Haiti and on Wednesday the pair will meet for the first time in a competitive game. The Copa America Centenario match at the Citrus Bowl will […]

Evian (France) (AFP) – Germany centre-back Antonio Rudiger is out of Euro 2016 after tearing ligaments in his right knee, the German football federation announced on Tuesday. The AS Roma defender was expected to start for the world champions in their opening Group C game against Ukraine on Sunday. "Antonio Rüdiger suffered a torn anterior […]

Chantilly (France) (AFP) – England striker Daniel Sturridge dismissed suggestions on Tuesday that he had been sulking when his rival Marcus Rashford scored his first international goal against Australia last month. Manchester United teenager Rashford scored within 138 seconds of his debut in the 2-1 win over Australia and Sturridge, unable to play due to […]

Madrid (AFP) – European champions Spain suffered a shock first defeat since March 2015 losing 1-0 at home to Georgia in their final warm-up friendly before Euro 2016 in Madrid on Tuesday. Georgia, ranked 137 in the world, hadn't won a game since defeating minnows Gibraltar in Euro qualifying in October. However, they defended resolutely […]