Marseille (AFP) – Poland's heartbreaking Euro 2016 quarter-final exit to Portugal on penalties should not dampen optimism of great things to come, insisted coach Adam Nawalka. Jakub Blaszczykowski's spot-kick was saved by Rui Patricio as Portugal prevailed 5-3 in the shootout after Renato Sanches had cancelled out Robert Lewandowski's quickfire opener in Marseille. Poland were […]

Marseille (AFP) – Portugal coach Fernando Santos hailed Cristiano Ronaldo's performance as "amazing" despite his failure to score as his side progressed to the Euro 2016 semi-finals with a 5-3 penalty shootout win over Poland. Ronaldo is just one goal off matching Michel Platini's record of nine in Euro finals, but endured a frustrating night […]

Marseille (AFP) – Teenage goal hero Renato Sanches insists Portugal do not care if they are labelled "lucky" after reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016 with a 5-3 penalty shootout win over Poland. Fernando Santos's men have yet to win any of their five Euro matches in 90 minutes, but are now just one game […]

Marseille (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal battled their way to a place in the European Championship last four on Thursday winning a penalty shootout 5-3 against Poland in a tense quarter-final. Robert Lewandowski scored his first goal of Euro 2016 inside two minutes in the Marseille clash before his new Bayern Munich teammate, teenager Renato […]

Madrid (AFP) – Vicente del Bosque brought the curtain down on one of the most successful managerial careers in football on Thursday, saying he has resigned from the Spain job and does not expect to coach again. His departure at aged 65 comes just days after the reigning champions crashed out of Euro 2016, a […]

Chicago (AFP) – The United States national men's football team will play its first international friendly in Cuba in nearly 70 years in Havana on October 7, the US Soccer Federation announced Thursday. The match — which comes as the United States and Cuba pursue a thaw in ties — will be the first American […]

Madrid (AFP) – As a pot-bellied, softly spoken 65-year-old, Vicente del Bosque, who has quit as Spain coach, never looked like a man on a mission. That description could easily however be applied to his nemesis, the manic Italy coach Antonio Conte, who paced and ranted on the sidelines as Italy took revenge for a […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazilian striker Neymar will sign a new five-year contract with Barcelona this week, his agents said Thursday, ending speculation over his future at the Spanish giants. "The athlete, along with his family, has decided to stay with FC Barcelona and will renew his contract for five more years," said NN Consultoria, […]

Marseille (AFP) – Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scored within two minutes of kickoff in the Euro 2016 quarter-final against Portugal but 18-year-old Renato Sanches equalised for Portugal to leave the match poised at 1-1 at half-time. Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski, without a goal in his last seven international appearances, connected with Kamil Grosicki's low cross […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Emboldened by Belgium's defensive selection problems, Wales manager Chris Coleman has told Eden Hazard and his team-mates to expect "a hell of a game" in Friday's Euro 2016 quarter-final. Hazard starred as Belgium crushed Hungary 4-0 in the last 16, but his side have since lost Thomas Vermaelen to suspension and Jan […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Wales manager Chris Coleman promised that his team were not coming to Euro 2016 "for a laugh", but his players have been having the time of their lives in France. From Gareth Bale's training ground tomfoolery to Joe Ledley's outlandish dance moves, the Welsh players have seemed immune to the pressures of […]

Paris (AFP) – If Manchester United fans have been put to sleep by several dull seasons of late they are about to be awoken by the arrival of the strutting Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The giant striker with an ego as great as his astonishing talent said Thursday that he would be joining coach Jose […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Belgium have been dealt a major blow ahead of their Euro 2016 quarter-final against Wales after defender Jan Vertonghen was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with an ankle injury. The Tottenham Hotspur defender, 29, tore ankle ligaments in training on Thursday, coach Marc Wilmots said, adding that he […]

London (AFP) – Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United on Thursday: League titles but no Champions League crown Ibrahimovic's goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France but never has he […]

Marseille (AFP) – The might of Poland's Robert Lewandowski stands in Cristiano Ronaldo's path to his first international title with Portugal in Euro 2016's first quarter-final in Marseille on Thursday. In the battle of two of Europe's top strikers, Poland will be counting on Bayern Munich's Lewandowski to find his scoring touch after four scoreless […]