Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said that he hopes Lionel Messi will end his career "in a Barca shirt". Messi left the Camp Nou for Paris Saint-Germain last summer, after 17 years in the Barcelona first team, as the Catalan giants struggled with financial problems. But Laporta is hopeful that the 35-year-old […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp said it took him only one day to get over Liverpool's failure to win the quadruple last season. Klopp's side came within two matches of football immortality, only to fall just short as Manchester City pipped them to the Premier League title on the final day of the season. Liverpool […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City striker Erling Haaland will go head to head with Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez as the Premier League title rivals unveil their expensive new recruits in the Community Shield. Heading into Saturday's curtain raiser to the Premier League season, the pressure is on Haaland and Nunez to provide evidence they can […]

Sydney (AFP) – Football Australia on Friday dismissed claims that the Women's World Cup it will co-host next year with New Zealand could be shifted to satisfy European broadcasters and ensure better weather conditions. The scenario was raised by French newspaper L'Equipe on Thursday, which said the sport's governing body FIFA had informally approached "several" […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool pair Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota have been ruled out of Saturday's Community Shield clash against Manchester City. Reds keeper Alisson has been struggling with an abdominal problem throughout pre-season, while Portugal forward Jota is dealing with a hamstring injury. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Thursday that both players would […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Ukraine's envoy to Turkey on Thursday expressed "sadness" over a chant of "Vladimir Putin" that rang out at a Champions League qualifying round football match in Istanbul involving Dynamo Kyiv. Images on social media showed a section of Fenerbahce's packed stadium singing the Russian president's name in response to Dynamo's first goal […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Ukraine's envoy to Turkey on Thursday expressed "sadness" over a chant of "Vladimir Putin" that rang out at a Champions League qualifying round football match in Istanbul involving Dynamo Kyiv. Images on social media showed a section of Fenerbahce's packed stadium singing the Russian president's name in response to Dynamo's first goal […]

Montevideo (AFP) – Luis Suarez has signed a short-term contract to rejoin his boyhood club Nacional in Uruguay ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, the club's president said on Wednesday. Suarez revealed on social media on Tuesday that he had a preliminary agreement to return the outfit where he started his career and on […]

Paris (AFP) – Bordeaux have avoided relegation to the French third tier for financial irregularities, three days before the start of the new season, France's football federation (FFF) announced on Wednesday. The six-time French champions dropped down to the second division last season after finishing bottom of Ligue 1. Earlier this month they were demoted […]

Pretoria (AFP) – President Cyril Ramaphosa rolled out the red carpet for South Africa's women on Wednesday, saying they deserved to be paid as much as their male counterparts after they won their first Africa Cup of Nations. South Africa beat tournament hosts Morocco 2-1 in the final on Saturday in Rabat, thanks to a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Neymar is due to face trial in October over alleged irregularities in his transfer to Barcelona, judicial sources said on Wednesday. The Brazilian international, his parents and former Barcelona presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu will be tried for alleged corruption related to the forward's move from Santos to Barcelona in […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn said on Wednesday that making a move for Cristiano Ronaldo in the transfer market would not fit the club's "philosophy". Manchester United striker Ronaldo reportedly wants to leave the club he rejoined last year, although new Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag has insisted the five-time […]

San Francisco (AFP) – Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard were on target as Spanish giants Real Madrid were held to a 2-2 draw by Mexican side Club America in their pre-season friendly on Tuesday. Former Real Madrid player Alvaro Fidalgo's 82nd-minute penalty denied Real victory in a game played on a makeshift surface at Oracle […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Ousmane Dembele and Moise Kean scored two goals apiece as Barcelona and Juventus fought to an entertaining 2-2 draw in their US pre-season friendly in Dallas on Tuesday. French winger Dembele fired Barcelona ahead after 34 minutes at the Cotton Bowl, wriggling past Juventus players Juan Cuadrado and Sandro before beating […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – England will play a final of the European Championships on home soil at Wembley for the second time in little over a year, but the success of the country's women has the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. The Lionesses will hope to go one step further when they face […]