Swansea (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola's perfect start at Manchester City suffered a rare setback when Vincent Kompany was injured midweek, but prolific Sergio Aguero returns for the Premier League leaders at Swansea on Saturday. Club captain Kompany has had a litany of injury problems over the last two years and was playing his […]

Madrid (AFP) – A Barcelona side missing injured Lionel Messi face Sporting Gijon in the first of three away games in a week, as they battle to keep pace with La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday. Messi suffered the recurrence of a groin strain in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid that will keep […]

London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger celebrates 20 years as Arsenal manager this week. AFP Sports looks back at the high points and low moments from the Frenchman's memorable reign: – HIGHS – Double delight Nothing better encapsulated the Wenger revolution than the sight of committed but cumbersome defender Tony Adams reborn as a swashbuckling goalscorer […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United eased some of the pressure on manager Jose Mourinho by beating Northampton Town in midweek but that will count for little if they lose to Premier League champions Leicester City on Saturday. United halted a run of three successive losses –- the first time Mourinho had suffered such […]

London (AFP) – AFP Sports picks out five Arsene Wenger quotes as the Frenchman celebrates 20 years as Arsenal manager this week: "To remain unbeaten in a championship like the English championship now is really unbelievable. I want to win the Champions League but, really, this is more important. It is something amazing, something special. […]

Given how relentless and complex the coverage of soccer has become, sometimes a player can stand out by carrying out basic duties with unbending conviction. Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, the shining star of the Premier League season so far, is a footballer who does the simple things supremely. With the Pep Guardiola era in […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Underfire Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney said on Thursday he shuts his ears to criticism of his performances coming from outside the club. The 30-year-old England skipper — who came in for particular criticism after United lost three successive games last week — told MUTV he is used to having […]

Monaco (AFP) – Striker Radamel Falcao left hospital on Thursday after staying overnight for a head injury caused by what his Monaco coach branded a "rugby tackle" in the 4-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Nice. Falcao took a heavy knock to the head when he was caught in a sandwich between goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale and […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid's Brazilian international midfielder Casemiro could miss up to a month after suffering a leg fracture, the European champions said on Thursday. The 24-year-old was forced off 20 minutes into Sunday's 2-0 win over Espanyol following a strong challenge. He has suffered a fracture of the fibula in his left leg, […]

For the second time this season, a Major League Soccer broadcast has averaged more than one million viewers. This past weekend, the over-the-air FOX broadcast network aired two matches on the big FOX network with only one viewable in each market depending on FOX’s NFL coverage for the day. Most of the country saw Toronto […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza launched a stinging attack on Barcelona on Thursday after losing star forward Lionel Messi for vital World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay next month. Messi will be sidelined for the next three weeks due to a groin strain suffered in Barca's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid […]

Paris (AFP) – Marquee signing Hatem Ben Arfa's future at Paris Saint-Germain looks increasingly precarious after coach Unai Emery left him out of the match-day squad for the fourth time in a row. France international Ben Arfa lit up Ligue 1 with Nice last season after his career stalled during a five-year spell in England. […]

Paris (AFP) – The French Football Federation (FFF) and French Football League (LFP) will open an office in Beijing from next year, they said on Thursday. The move is aimed at promoting French football in China, where the game is now hugely popular, particularly the English Premier League. The two French governing bodies described the […]

London (AFP) – There will be no "clubs from non-English leagues" or Premier League B teams in a new-look English Football League, the governing body for England's three divisions below the Premier League said Thursday. It has long been suggested that Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers could join a revamped English league but the EFL's […]

If you could pick one man who is the best example of how globalized soccer has become, it would be John Dykes. Don't know his name? That's okay because most soccer fans in his own country of England don't either. But if you live in the United States, you'll know him as the voice of […]