London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Thursday it is the club's job to make the fans excited for the new Premier League season despite not having the spending power of the favourites to win the title. The Gunners have failed to qualify for the Champions League for the past five seasons, finishing […]

Paris (AFP) – After a rapturous reception and raucous unveiling from the fans on Wednesday Lionel Messi got to know his new teammates at Paris Saint-Germain's Camp des Loges training facility on Thursday. Much has been made of Messi lining up with Brazil's Neymar and France striker Kylian Mbappe in what will be a fearsome […]

Geneva (AFP) – A Swiss prosecutor on Thursday concluded four days of final interviews with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in a long-running probe into a suspected fraudulent payment in 2011. Former world football chief Blatter, 85, has met with a federal prosecutor every day since Monday for final hearings in a case that shook […]

Paris (AFP) – After a rapturous reception and raucous unveiling to the public on Wednesday Lionel Messi took part in his first session at Paris Saint-Germain's Camp des Loges training facility on Thursday. The 34-year-old former Barcelona player has been on downtime since winning the Copa America with Argentina in July, and started his first […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard will miss this weekend's opening game of the Bundesliga season at Borussia Moenchengladbach with an injury, head coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Thursday. The France left-back has suffered an ankle issue and is expected to miss the next few weeks, including Tuesday's German Super Cup at Borussia […]

Madrid (AFP) – La Liga, just three years ago the undisputed monarch of European football, returns for a new season on Friday after a traumatic summer that ended with its crown jewel being given away. The free transfer of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday drove home the financial turmoil that is eroding the power […]

Berlin (AFP) – It's all change for the new Bundesliga campaign – which starts on Friday – with new coaches at each of last season's top six clubs now joining the hunt to deny Bayern Munich a tenth straight league title. In a rare coincidence, all clubs who finished in the top six league places […]

Berlin (AFP) – The new Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday when defending champions Bayern Munich play at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Bayern's new head coach Julian Nagelsmann, 34, is under pressure to deliver a tenth straight German league title at the end of his first season in charge. AFP sports looks at which clubs can prevent […]

Sydney (AFP) – Australian football chiefs are formulating plans to host either the men's 2030 or 2034 World Cup to build on the country's successful bid for the women's 2023 tournament, top officials said Thursday. The move follows Australia's failed tilt for the 2022 event, which was funded with Aus$45 million (US$33 million) of taxpayer […]

ESPN+ will kick off its second season of Bundesliga coverage in the U.S. on Friday, August 13, with presentation of Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. reigning 2020-2021 league champions FC Bayern München, live from Borussia-Park in Mönchengladbach at 2:30 p.m. ET, in English and Spanish exclusively on ESPN+. Live coverage of the match will kick off at […]

Belfast (AFP) – Kepa Arrizabalaga was the unlikely hero as Chelsea started the new season as they ended the last with a European trophy by beating Villarreal 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to win the UEFA Super Cup in Belfast. The Spaniard, who has lost his place as number one since joining the […]

Belfast (AFP) – Extra-time was required to decide the first European trophy of the season after Villarreal pegged back Chelsea as the UEFA Super Cup final finished 1-1 after 90 minutes on Wednesday. A dominant start by the European champions was rewarded in Belfast as Hakim Ziyech fired Chelsea into a 27th minute lead, but […]

Paris (AFP) – Lionel Messi completed his move to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday with the French side breathing a sigh of relief after some heartbreaking moments against the Argentine star in the past. – 2013: Old guard trumps new money – For the first time, Barcelona and Messi meet the Qatari version of PSG in the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden is set to miss the first month of the Premier League season due to a foot injury he sustained at Euro 2020. The 21-year-old missed England's final defeat to Italy due to the problem and is unlikely to feature before September's international break. City open their Premier […]

Paris (AFP) – Determined queues formed before dawn in front of the club shop on the Champs- Elysees while raucous crowds gathered outside the Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday as Lionel Messi was officially unveiled as a Paris Saint-Germain player. And the verdict? "It's been a mental morning," a staff member of the club […]