Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says the pressure will be firmly on Rangers as the Glasgow rivals prepare to clash in Saturday's Old Firm derby at Ibrox. The Hoops head into the match on New Year's Eve with a 16-point lead over Rangers and a game in hand following their comfortable 2-0 win […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Argentina's former Manchester United and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has signed for Shanghai Shenhua in the latest big-money Chinese deal, the club said Thursday, reportedly making him the world's best-salaried footballer. The acquisition of the 32-year-old from Buenos Aires side Boca Juniors will "greatly enhance" the team's front line, Shenhua said […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Considered a saint by fans of Palmeiras and hailed by Brazilian superstar Ronaldo as his successor, teenage sensation Gabriel Jesus arrives at Manchester City with a skyrocketing reputation. City manager Pep Guardiola sanctioned a £27 million ($33 million, 31.7 million euros) move for Jesus, 19, earlier this year, but allowed him […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Argentina's former Manchester United and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has signed for Shanghai Shenhua in the latest big-money Chinese deal, the club said Thursday. The acquisition of the 32-year-old from Buenos Aires side Boca Juniors will "greatly enhance" the team's front line, Shenhua said on a verified social media account. "The […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino is hoping his latest victorious return to Southampton will have a similar effect on Tottenham's season to the previous one. Spurs came back from behind on Wednesday to win 4-1 at St Mary's and move to within a point of Arsenal in fourth place. Pochettino, who left Saints […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea can take another step towards English football history when they host Stoke City on Saturday, as the Premier League's jam-packed festive schedule rumbles into 2017. Chelsea's 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Boxing Day was their 12th in succession, leaving them two wins short of Arsenal's overall top-flight record of 14, set […]

MLS' share of TV soccer is scarily small. Over the period August to December 2016, MLS accounted for only 7% of total viewing of soccer in US while Liga MX accounted for one third. The TV ratings data collected by World Soccer Talk's Collin Werner provides an interesting insight into the current position of MLS. […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Dele Alli scored twice as Tottenham came back from behind to win emphatically, 4-1, at Southampton on Wednesday. Harry Kane, who missed a penalty, and substitute Son Heung-min were also on the score-sheet in a game that saw Virgil van Dijk give Southampton an early lead. Nathan Redmond was sent […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic stretched their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership as they warmed up for Saturday's Old Firm clash against rivals Rangers with a comfortable 2-0 win over Ross County. The visitors had looked dangerous on the break before Erik Sviatchenko fired Celtic into a 38th minute lead with a long […]

Predicting soccer transfers can be a bit of a slippery slope. Not only can things change by the minute, but “news” stories can also be published strictly due to rumors. While none of the five transfers listed below are done deals, these are potential player moves that make sense to all of the parties involved. […]

Madrid (AFP) – French midfielder Samir Nasri, on loan to La Liga club Sevilla from Manchester City, is under investigation by the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency after being named by a Los Angeles clinic as a recipient of an intravenous vitamin treatment. "Following the publication of this information, the agency launched an investigation to find out […]

Cairo (AFP) – The Cairo derby between Al-Ahli and Zamalek is staged behind closed doors on Thursday, the crowd ban forcing fans like Mohamed el-Kiey to watch the game from a cafe. Al-Ahli and Zamalek have been playing to an empty stadium since 19 Zamalek fans were killed in February 2015 and 72 Al-Ahli fans […]

For soccer fans who watch a ton of matches each week, many of us have our own favorite soccer commentators — the ones we look forward to listening to, the ones that give us a thrill when we hear their voices on television. After watching thousands of matches, both World Soccer Talk Senior Writer Kartik Krishnaiyer […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray of Istanbul said on Wednesday it had received a significant offer from Beijing Guoan for star German striker Lukas Podolski. "An important offer has been received from Beijing Guoan for Podolski," said Galatasaray's sporting director Levent Nazifoglu. "We are considering this offer. Whether this transfer is realised […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United great Ryan Giggs is one of the names being considered for the managerial vacancy at Swansea City, according to British media reports on Wednesday. Swansea, second from bottom in the Premier League, are looking for a new manager after American Bob Bradley was sacked just 11 games into his tenure […]