Sao Paulo (AFP) – Questions swirled Monday after Brazilian health officials dramatically halted a World Cup qualifier against Argentina over Argentinian players' alleged Covid-19 quarantine breaches. As Argentina captain Lionel Messi and others questioned the timing of the controversial intervention, football's world governing body FIFA said a probe was under way. In remarkable scenes on […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham are aiming to host the "world's first net-zero carbon" football match at an elite level when the Premier League team face Chelsea on September 19. Spurs have joined forces with the British government and broadcaster Sky to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change. The London club hope the fixture, […]

Lausanne (AFP) – FIFA said Monday it regretted the chaotic scenes that preceded the suspension of the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina and a decision on possible disciplinary action would be taken "in due course". The match at Sao Paulo's Neo Quimica Arena on Sunday was halted when Brazilian health officials ran onto […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The United States were held to a second consecutive draw in CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup on Sunday as Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies helped Canada grab a 1-1 draw against the Americans in Nashville. Coach Gregg Berhalter's US side, forced to settle for a 0-0 draw against El […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazil's World Cup qualifying clash against Argentina was sensationally abandoned shortly after kick-off on Sunday as controversy over Covid-19 protocols erupted. Amid incredible scenes at Sao Paulo's Neo Quimica Arena, the match between the two giants of South American football was halted when Brazilian health officials ran onto the pitch, triggering […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Mostafa Mohamed scored in the final minute to snatch a 1-1 World Cup Group F qualifying draw for 10-man Egypt in Gabon on Sunday after Jim Allevinah had put the dominant hosts ahead. Billed as a showdown between high-profile English Premier League forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Mohamed Salah of Egypt, […]

Paris (AFP) – Italy broke the world record for the longest unbeaten run in international football with a goalless draw at Switzerland on Sunday, while Germany got their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track by thrashing Armenia 6-0. European champions Italy should have taken all three points, but Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer saved Jorginho's […]

Stuttgart (Germany) (AFP) – Serge Gnabry netted twice as Germany thrashed Armenia 6-0 on Sunday in Stuttgart to replace the visitors at the top spot of their World Cup qualifying group. Gnabry showed off his stirring-gesture celebration with early goals before Marco Reus and Timo Werner also netted in the first-half as Germany raced into […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the USA's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Honduras, US Soccer confirmed Sunday. In a statement released a few hours before the US were due to play Canada in a CONCACAF qualifier, US Soccer said Steffen had contracted the […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazil's World Cup qualifying clash against Argentina was sensationally halted shortly after kick-off on Sunday as controversy over Covid-19 protocols erupted. Amid incredible scenes at Sao Paulo's Neo Quimica Arena, the match between the two giants of South American football was halted when a group of Brazilian public health officials came […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazil's World Cup qualifying clash against Argentina was dramatically suspended shortly after kick-off on Sunday as controversy over Covid-19 protocols erupted. Amid incredible scenes at Sao Paulo's Neo Quimica Arena, the match between the two giants of South American football came to a halt when a group of unidentified officials came […]

London (AFP) – England marked their return to Wembley for the first time since their Euro 2020 final heartbreak by seeing off minnows Andorra 4-0 on Sunday to preserve their perfect World Cup qualifying record. Manager Gareth Southgate changed the entire starting XI following his side's comfortable 4-0 win in Hungary in midweek — the […]

Paris (AFP) – USA women's World Cup-winning coach Jill Ellis said Sunday she would be "open to everything" when asked if playing football's landmark tournament every two years was a good idea. Ellis, who coached the United States to back-to-back World Cup triumphs in 2015 and 2019, has been appointed by FIFA to lead its […]

London (AFP) – England marked their return to Wembley for the first time since their Euro 2020 final heartbreak by seeing off minnows Andorra 4-0 on Sunday to preserve their perfect World Cup qualifying record. Manager Gareth Southgate changed the entire starting XI following his side's comfortable 4-0 win in Hungary in midweek — the […]

Kazan (Russia) (AFP) – Gareth Bale scored a hat-trick, including a 93rd-minute winner, as Wales fought back to beat Belarus 3-2 on Sunday in World Cup qualifying. The victory was Wales' second in three games in Group E and moves them up to third, one point behind the second-placed Czech Republic with a game in […]