Paris (AFP) – Notoriously obsessive taskmaster Pep Guardiola got the most out of Lionel Messi when they were together at Barcelona by banning the world's best player from having sex after midnight. That was the claim by Samir Nasri, who was shipped off by the now Manchester City boss on loan to Sevilla for allegedly […]

Kunming (China) (AFP) – Marcello Lippi's hopes of leading China to the next World Cup received a serious blow when they were held 0-0 by Qatar in Kunming on Tuesday. Lippi is tasked with setting China on the road to football greatness but there was no dream start for the Italian in his first game […]

Seoul (AFP) – Koo Ja-Cheol's late winner spared South Korea's blushes as the hosts came from behind to beat Uzbekistan 2-1 in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday. The FC Augsburg midfielder rifled home in the 85th minute, much to the relief of Korea's fans and coach Uli Steilike whose evening had threatened to end in […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick says this could be his last season at the club and backed world-record signing Paul Pogba to showcase his "very special" talent. The veteran playmaker has mainly been used in cup competitions this season under Jose Mourinho, although he did start United's last league game […]

Saitama (Japan) (AFP) – Japan beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 in a foul-tempered qualifier Tuesday as a debatable Hiroshi Kiyotake penalty boosted their hopes of qualifying for a sixth successive World Cup in 2018. The Blue Samurai drew level with the Group B leaders on 10 points after a tempestuous clash in Saitama, where Kiyotake's spot […]

The final round of World Cup Qualifying got off to a disastrous start for the USMNT on Friday night. Not only did they lose to arch-rival Mexico, but they did so in Columbus — home of the famous Dos a Cero scoreline. As if that weren’t enough, the US now has to travel to a […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Lionel Messi had to reach for the sick bag on Monday as the plane carrying the Argentina team endured a bumpy ride from Buenos Aires to San Juan ahead of a World Cup qualifier. The Barcelona superstar and several of his team-mates took ill due to the turbulence during the journey […]

Friday's broadcast of the USA against Mexico World Cup qualification game on FS1 and Univision was watched by an audience of 5.3 million, according to Sports TV Ratings. During Friday's pre-match coverage on FOX Sports 1, analyst Alexi Lalas proclaimed that the game was the biggest match the USA faced since the World Cup 2014 […]

London (AFP) – England goalkeeper Joe Hart has consciously toned down his pre-match routine after criticism he was excessively motivated during his country's ill-fated Euro 2016 campaign, he confessed to reporters on Monday. Hart was caught on camera thumping his chest and bellowing at his team-mates in the tunnel prior to games at Euro 2016, […]

London (AFP) – Skipper Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of England's year-ending friendly against Spain at Wembley on Tuesday because of a knee problem, the English Football Association confirmed. "The striker sat out this morning's session at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground as a precaution due to a minor knee injury," the FA said. "Rooney […]

Abidjan (AFP) – Serge Aurier has made headlines in France for his off-field antics, including an altercation with a policeman and insulting his coach on social media, but in his native Ivory Coast they love him. The 23-year-old had already been hit with a three-match ban from European competition by UEFA for comments made about […]

London (AFP) – Spain's friendly against England at Wembley on Tuesday presents an ideal opportunity to measure the team's progress under new head coach Julen Lopetegui, midfielder Sergio Busquets said on Monday. Lopetegui was appointed in July following the retirement of Vicente del Bosque, who stood down after Spain followed up a group-stage exit at […]

Milan (AFP) – San Marino have hit back at Thomas Mueller and accused the German striker of arrogance and disrespect after he said playing the minnows has "nothing to do with professional football". Germany's 8-0 rout on Friday of San Marino saw Joachim Loew's men reinforce their grip at the top of their World Cup […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben is expected to be fit for Saturday's Bundesliga showdown with Borussia Dortmund after an injury suffered playing for the Netherlands turned out to be less serious than feared. Robben, 32, came off at half-time in the Netherlands' 3-1 win in Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier on […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera dismissed Monday talk of Jose Mourinho "losing" the Old Trafford dressing room and instead thanked his club manager for the prospect of a first Spain cap. Mourinho's arrival in Manchester was supposed to herald an upturn in United's fortunes after they failed, under his mentor Louis van […]