Beijing (AFP) – China are hoping to reproduce the form that gave South Korea palpitations last week as they take on heavyweights Iran in another big World Cup qualifying test on Tuesday. China fought back from 3-0 down to make it 3-2 with 14 minutes left in Seoul, ensuring a tense finale to a game […]

Trnava (Slovakia) (AFP) – Sam Allardyce vowed to defer to captain Wayne Rooney over his positioning after starting life as England manager with a last-gasp 1-0 win over Slovakia in World Cup qualifying. Adam Lallana snatched a 95th-minute winner against 10-man Slovakia in Trnava on Sunday to prevent Allardyce from becoming the first England manager […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda on Sunday filled the final five 2017 Africa Cup of Nations places that were up for grabs. They will join Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Zimbabwe, all of whom qualified before the final round, and hosts Gabon […]

Oslo (AFP) – Bayern Munich team-mates Thomas Mueller and Joshua Kimmich fired title-holders Germany to a commanding 3-0 win away to Norway in their opening 2018 World Cup qualifier on Sunday. Mueller struck in the 16th minute at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo before Kimmich netted Germany's second goal on the stroke of half-time. Mueller […]

Prague (AFP) – Northern Ireland opened their World Cup 2018 qualifying campaign with a goalless draw against Group C rivals the Czech Republic in Prague on Sunday. Playing their first competitive game since their 1-0 defeat to Wales in the last-16 phase of Euro 2016, Northern Ireland relied on solid defence and breakaways throughout the […]

Next Saturday, FOX Sports will televise the first Scottish Premiership Old Firm derby in four years between Celtic and Rangers. The match, which will be shown live on FOX Sports 1, Sling Blue and FOX Soccer 2GO, is scheduled to kick off Saturday, September 10 at 7am ET, live from Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland. […]

Trnava (Slovakia) (AFP) – Adam Lallana scored with the last kick of the match as England edged 10-man Slovakia 1-0 in Sam Allardyce's first game as manager in World Cup qualifying on Sunday. Despite Slovakia having Martin Skrtel sent off in the 57th minute, Allardyce looked destined to become the first England manager since Bobby […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Uganda secured an Africa Cup of Nations tournament place for the first time since 1978 and Burkina Faso also qualified from Group D after a dramatic climax Sunday. Burkina Faso scored nine minutes into stoppage time in Ouagadougou to edge Botswana 2-1 and top the standings on the head-to-head rule after a […]

Trnava (Slovakia) (AFP) – Wayne Rooney became England's most capped outfield player when he was awarded his 116th cap by new manager Sam Allardyce in Sunday's opening 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia. Team captain Rooney, 30, surpasses his former England team-mate David Beckham, who was capped 115 times by his country. Goalkeeper Peter […]

Berlin (AFP) – Felix Goetze, the 18-year-old younger brother of Germany star Mario, has been included in Bayern Munich's 'B' list of players eligible to feature for the Bundesliga giants in the Champions League. A central defender with Bayern's under-19 side, Felix had already been invited to train with the first team several times last […]

The addition of college football to beIN SPORTS' programming means that Saturday night NASL games appear to be the first casualty of the newly acquired rights deal. Despite being originally scheduled to appear on beIN SPORTS, tonight's game between Minnesota United and Rayo OKC and next Saturday's match between Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Indy Eleven […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has been ruled out of England's World Cup qualifier against Slovakia after missing training on Saturday. Shaw has only recently returned from a double leg-break and England's medical staff decided he shouldn't train as they manage the workload of a player who missed the majority of last […]

Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines (France) (AFP) – Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud said France won't be taking Belarus lightly when they begin World Cup 2018 qualifying in Minsk on Tuesday. France have been in great form over the summer, reaching the Euro 2016 final on home soil in July before triumphing 3-1 away to Italy on Thursday in a […]

Rome (AFP) – Mario Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola has blasted Jurgen Klopp's treatment of the former Liverpool striker, after the Italy international signed for Nice this week. Balotelli, 26, signed a one-year deal at the Allianz Riviera on Wednesday after being allowed to leave Liverpool on a free transfer. The forward struggled on loan at […]

London (AFP) – England manager Sam Allardyce will drop Dele Alli, Daniel Sturridge and Chris Smalling for the opening match of his reign in Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, British media reported on Saturday. Allardyce replaced Roy Hodgson in the aftermath of England's woeful last 16 defeat against minnows Iceland at Euro 2016 and […]