Barcelona (AFP) – Brazilian winger Raphinha said Friday that he is "fulfilling a childhood dream" as he was officially presented as a new Barcelona player. "It's a huge honour to be here," Raphinha said during the event at Barca's training centre. "I have many idols who have passed through here and made history. If I can […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford got on the scoresheet as Manchester United rallied from a goal down to beat Melbourne Victory 4-1 Friday and hand manager Erik ten Hag his second win since taking over. It followed their 4-0 thumping of Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday when Jadon Sancho, Fred, Martial and […]

Monterrey (Mexico) (AFP) – The United States downed Costa Rica 3-0 on Thursday to book a meeting with Canada in the CONCACAF W Championship with a 2024 Olympic berth on the line. Emily Sonnett and Mallory Pugh scored first-half goals before Ashley Sanchez added a third in injury time to seal a victory in a […]

Monterrey (Mexico) (AFP) – The United States eased into the final of the CONCACAF W Championship on Thursday, easing past Costa Rica 3-0 to move within one win of a place at the 2024 Olympics. Emily Sonnett and Mallory Pugh scored first half goals before Ashley Sanchez added a third in injury time to seal […]

Nairobi (AFP) – Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala on Thursday secured a last-minute visa to travel to the United States for the World Athletics Championships although he will have to start his 100m campaign just hours after arriving. Another African sprinter, Gift Leotlela, a semi-finalist in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics, posted on social […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Italy and Iceland will take their bid to reach the Euro 2022 quarter-finals down to the last group game after sharing a 1-1 draw on Thursday. Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir put Iceland ahead in the third minute with a sliced finished after Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir's long throw into the penalty area […]

After a turbulent season, the acquisition of Raheem Sterling marks the beginning of a new era for Chelsea FC. Last summer, the Blues stood as the kings of Europe. The Champions League title from 2020/21 is just the second in the club's history. Like their opponents in that final, Manchester City, Chelsea relied on a […]

Barcelona (AFP) – French international winger Ousmane Dembele, whose contract with Barcelona expired last month, ended six months of speculation by agreeing to 'rejoin' the Catalan side, the club announced on Thursday. "Staying at Barca was always my first choice," Dembele said on the pitch at Barcelona's training ground as he signed his two-year contract […]

Singapore (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Thursday laughed off past comments about his unwillingness to spend heavily on a single player, defending the club's big-money signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica. Speaking in Singapore ahead of Friday's pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace, the Anfield boss was reminded by reporters of a 2018 comment […]

Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) – Leeds manager Jesse Marsch said he liked the energy of his team as they battled past Brisbane Roar 2-1 Thursday, with Colombia winger Luis Sinisterra making his debut. First-half goals from Daniel James and Joe Gelhardt did the damage, before they lost some momentum in the second stanza and did well […]

Istanbul (AFP) – German World Cup winning midfielder Mesut Ozil signed for 2020 Turkish champions Basaksehir on Thursday, a day after he left their rivals Fenerbahce. "Our club has signed a one year contract with the option of another year with Mesut Özil," Basaksehir said in a statement. Basaksehir is known for its close ties […]

Barcelona (AFP) – French international winger Ousmane Dembele, whose contract with Barcelona expired last month, ended six months of speculation about his future by agreeing to 'rejoin' the Catalan side until 2024, the club announced on Thursday. "FC Barcelona and the player Ousmane Dembele have reached an agreement for a contract until 30 June 2024," said a […]

Singapore (AFP) – Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira said Thursday that the club's decision to not bring several first-team regulars on a pre-season tour of Singapore and Australia was not ideal preparation for the upcoming Premier League season. The Eagles face friendlies against Liverpool, Manchester United and Leeds United in Singapore and Australia in the […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford said Thursday he was relishing a "fresh start" under new coach Erik ten Hag, keen to put a forgettable last season behind him. The England international had a frustrating and disappointing 2021/22 campaign, dropped by Gareth Southgate from the national team amid a form dip at the […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Manchester United captain Harry Maguire should be available to face Melbourne Victory after missing their 4-0 thumping of Liverpool, manager Erik ten Hag said Thursday while urging his team to use their initiative. The England defender was a conspicuous absence in the first game of the Red Devils' pre-season tour in Bangkok […]