Santa Clara (United States) (AFP) – Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said Sunday no decision has been taken on Lionel Messi's fitness for his team's Copa America Centenario opener against Chile. Messi, who arrived in California on Friday after giving evidence at his tax fraud trial last week, is struggling with a back injury sustained during […]

Paris (AFP) – President Francois Hollande on Sunday sought to dispel the threat of strikes and dread of terrorism hanging over France as the country readies to host the Euro 2016 football championship. Five days before Paris showcases one of the world's top sporting events, Hollande tried to lift a grim national mood that has been […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo teamed up with the Portugal squad on Sunday ahead of Euro 2016 after a week off following Real Madrid's Champions League victory. Four days before Portugal's scheduled arrival in France, Ronaldo and his Madrid colleague Pepe were due to train with Fernando Santos' squad at their base just outside […]

Brussels (AFP) – Montreal Impact defender Laurent Ciman came off the bench to score the winner as Belgium came from behind to beat Norway 3-2 in their final pre-Euro 2016 friendly on Sunday. Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard had earlier netted for the home side in Brussels either side of goals for Norway from Joshua […]

Paris (AFP) – French President Francois Hollande acknowledged on Sunday there was a threat of an attack during the Euro 2016 football championship but said the country must not be intimidated. "This threat will last for a long time," he told public radio France Inter. "But we must do everything to ensure that the Euro […]

Stockholm (AFP) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic out-shone Gareth Bale as Sweden eased to a 3-0 victory over fellow European Championship qualifiers Wales in Stockholm on Sunday. Ibrahimovic set up the opener for Emil Forsberg at the Friends Arena before Mikael Lustig and John Guidetti scored second-half goals. It was a convincing display for Sweden ahead of […]

The opening game of Copa America 2016 between the USA and Colombia averaged 1.536 million viewers on FOX Sports 1, according to Nielsen fast nationals. The 1.536 million number is the second most-watched men's soccer game in FOX Sports 1 history, trailing only the CONCACAF Cup final between Mexico and USA from last fall. The viewing number for that […]

Geneva (AFP) – FIFA's new chief Gianni Infantino accused "enemies" Sunday of trying to paint him as greedy, and voiced surprise at revelations that his disgraced predecessor and his deputies awarded themselves millions in dubious bonuses. "My enemies want to make me out to be greedy. That is stupid," Infantino told the Le Matin Dimanche […]

London (AFP) – New Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will deliver the Premier League title within two years, predicted defender Ricardo Carvalho on Sunday. "Jose will have something to prove after what happened at Chelsea," the Portuguese international who was coached by Mourinho at Chelsea, Porto and Real Madrid and now plays for Monaco, wrote […]

Metz (France) (AFP) – Despite a troubled build-up to Euro 2016 off the field, France showed that they are ready on it by brushing aside Scotland 3-0 in Metz in their last pre-tournament friendly on Saturday. A brace from Olivier Giroud and a header from his Arsenal colleague Laurent Koscielny, all in the first half, […]

Pasadena (United States) (AFP) – Brazil showed touches of magic but a lack of killer intinct as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Ecuador in their Copa America Group B opener. Despite seeing their team force chance after chance the Selecao traveling support had to settle for a single point as the eight-time champions […]

Gelsenkirchen (Germany) (AFP) – Germany coach Joachim Loew says his priority is getting captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and key defender Mats Hummels fit for Euro 2016, following Saturday's 2-0 confidence-boosting friendly win over Hungary. Schweinsteiger played the last 23 minutes in Gelsenkirchen after three months sidelined by a torn medial knee ligament, while Hummels is out […]

On Friday night, the United States stepped onto its biggest soccer stage since the end of the 2014 World Cup against Belgium: The Copa American Centenario opener against Colombia at a sold-out Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The US felt they were ready. The emergence of Christian Pulisic and Darlington Nagbe, along with several […]

Seattle (AFP) – Peru striker Paolo Guerrero overtook Teofilo Cubillas as his country's top goal scorer, scoring a diving header to sink Haiti 1-0 in their Copa America Centenario clash. Guerrero, a talismanic figure for the Peruvians who was tournament top scorer in both the 2011 and 2015 editions of the Copa America, pounced on […]

Kiev (AFP) – Ukraine forward Andriy Yarmolenko is one of a host of players hoping to use Euro 2016 to get a ticket out of his crisis-hit country to England's Premier League but he may have to calm his temper. Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Stoke City are among clubs linked to a 32 million euro […]