London (AFP) – European leagues could be encouraged to engineer fixture clashes with the Champions League over contentious changes to the competition, the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) threatened on Wednesday. UEFA has angered the continent's small and medium-sized leagues by guaranteeing England, Spain, Germany and Italy four Champions League slots between 2018 and 2021. EPFL […]

Berlin (AFP) – Injury-prone Ilkay Gundogan says he is ready to fill Bastian Schweinsteiger's midfield role in world champion Germany's upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Germany host the Czech Republic in Hamburg on Saturday and Northern Ireland next Tuesday in Hanover having opened their qualifying campaign last month with a 3-0 win in Norway. With […]

Beijing (AFP) – Ambitious China and 2022 hosts Qatar will come out fighting as they seek to salvage their bids to reach the 2018 Russia World Cup on Thursday. China, with one point from their two games so far, entertain war-torn Syria in Xian, while rock-bottom Qatar have it all to do against Son Heung-Min's […]

Doha (AFP) – Just 12 days into the job Jorge Fossati faces his first test as Qatar coach when his side play away at South Korea in a crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier on Thursday. The highly ambitious 2022 World Cup hosts are sixth and bottom of Group A after losing their first two games […]

Milan (AFP) – Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci expects a "more motivated" Spain to come seeking revenge for their early exit at Euro 2016 when the sides meet in a mouthwatering 2018 World Cup qualifier in Turin on Thursday. Italy host 'La Roja' at Juventus Stadium in what is their first meeting since Spain's 2-0 last-16 […]

Paris (AFP) – Arsenal have never won the European Champions League but they reign over the continent when it comes to matchday revenue, with takings at their Emirates Stadium greater than anywhere else in Europe. Their 60,000-capacity ground in north London, opened in 2006, generated 132 million euros (£116 million, $148 million) in the 2014-15 […]

London (AFP) – Wayne Rooney has promised to accept whatever role England manager Gareth Southgate wants him to play after admitting he is tired of the debate about his best position. Rooney has spent the best days of his glittering career as a striker, but he was deployed in midfield by then England boss Roy […]

Berlin (AFP) – Misfiring striker Mario Gomez is out of Germany's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Northern Ireland with injury, German football officials said on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Wolfsburg player has a buttock injury and will not travel to Hamburg, where Germany will host the Czech Republic on Saturday before taking […]

FC Barcelona has been invited to play in the 2017 MLS All-Star Game, a source confirmed to World Soccer Talk. A final decision hasn't been made yet, but if Barcelona does accept the invitation, it's very likely that the All-Star Game will be played next summer at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Barcelona, currently ranked […]

London (AFP) – Captain Wayne Rooney has called on England's stars to stick together as they get back to work following the disgraced Sam Allardyce's shock departure. Allardyce was forced to resign as England manager after just 67 days and one game in charge following his controversial comments to undercover newspaper reporters investigating football corruption. […]

London (AFP) – Football Association chairman Greg Clarke will be quizzed by members of parliament on October 17 after last week's newspaper allegations of corruption in the English game. A Daily Telegraph investigation into the dealings of managers in the transfer market has already led to Sam Allardyce losing his job as England boss after […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – Former Cameroon captain Rigobert Song, 40, has emerged from a coma following a stroke and will be airlifted to France for further treatment Tuesday, a medical official said. The former Liverpool and West Ham defender who led Cameroon to back-to-back African Cup of Nations wins was rushed to hospital from his Yaounde […]

London (AFP) – Burnley defender Michael Keane earned his first England call-up on Tuesday after Stoke's Glen Johnson was ruled out through injury. Johnson's absence due to an unspecified injury means Keane is rewarded for a fine start to the season and he will meet up with the rest of the England squad ahead of […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – If self-belief was any guarantee of footballing success, Swansea may have picked a winner in appointing Bob Bradley as their new boss. The 58-year-old became the first American ever to be appointed as head coach of a team in one of Europe's top five leagues on Monday when he was named […]

South American Qualifiers for World Cup 2018 reach the halfway mark with Round #9 on Thursday, October 6 and begin their second leg on Tuesday, October 11 with Round #10. As in the past, expect many “look-ins” on the beIN SPORTS channels as several matches overlap with their kickoff times. Below is a complete US TV […]