FC Dallas announced that players will remain in the locker rooms during the playing of the national anthem in Sunday night’s game against Nashville SC, four days after fans booed kneeling players during the anthem before a game between the same two teams, also... More »
(Reuters) – Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to help his side secure a 2-1 win over 10-man Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday for a record-extending 14th crown in the competition – and a spot in next season’s Europa League. Victory a... More »
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – After UEFA’s attempt to ban Manchester City from European football was overturned by sport’s highest court on Monday, the continental governing body’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) system, under which they were charged, faces likely... More »
(Reuters) – The U.S. National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has said players can choose to remain in the locker room or express their individual views on the pitch while the national anthem is being played at the Challenge Cup. The NWSL said the decision to pro... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is withdrawing its bid to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Kyodo news agency quoted a source as saying on Monday, just days before football’s world governing body holds a vote to determine the successful candidate. The Japanese bid is o... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – CSKA Sofia’s Australian striker Tomi Juric has tested positive for COVID-19, the 31-times Bulgarian champions said in a statement late on Sunday. The 28-year-old forward, who has played 41 times for his country, has been isolated. Other CSKA ... More »
(Reuters) – Manager Pep Guardiola says Manchester City “have ideas” for improving the side in the transfer market and will be ready to halt Liverpool’s bid for back-to-back Premier League titles. Liverpool need five points to be sure of their first English lea... More »
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Dutch men’s and women’s national football team players said on Friday they would no longer grant interviews to a popular TV show due to remarks made by a commentator mocking an anti-racism protester. In a statement first published on ... More »
(Reuters) – The U.S. women’s national team has called on the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) to repeal a policy forbidding players from kneeling during the national anthem and issue an apology to black players and fans. The USSF will hold a special meet... More »
(Reuters) – Brazil has withdrawn its candidacy to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) saying the government did not consider it wise to offer financial guarantees in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Because of t... More »
(Reuters) – California governor Gavin Newsom cleared a path for the potential return of professional sport in the state, saying on Monday that an early June restart was possible under strict guidelines, including no fans. Shuttered for nearly two months by the... More »
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – When the country’s president demanded that a soon-to-turn 38-year-old striker be included in the World Cup squad, it was seen as a new low for African football. The game on the continent had long been dogged by the fatuous interventions o... More »
With around one-third of the Major League Soccer season already postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, teams apparently are looking for salary relief. ESPN reported Monday that MLS formally proposed to the MLS Players Association that all players take a 20... More »
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – The days of English football’s once notorious drinking culture are long gone and few professionals would now list the once obligatory ‘steak and chips’ as their favourite meal but things are moving to a different level entirely ... More »
(Reuters) – Ten people have tested positive for coronavirus in more than 1,700 tests carried out by Germany’s professional soccer league (DFL) at its 36 clubs ahead a planned resumption of full training, it said on Monday. The DFL, which tested players and coa... More »
(Reuters) – Spanish soccer clubs Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad want their postponed Copa del Rey final to be rescheduled for when the coronavirus is no longer a threat so it can be played with spectators, they said in a joint statement on Monday. The first... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The English Football Association (FA) plans to slash its annual budget by 75 million pounds ($93.20 million) to tackle a possible deficit of 300 million pounds over the next four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chairman Greg Clarke also ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Swimming’s world governing body FINA rescheduled the 2021 Fukuoka aquatics world championships to May 2022 on Monday to avoid a clash with the postponed Tokyo Olympics. The new dates for the swimming event in the Japanese city are May 13-29, ... More »
TAIPEI (Reuters) – The baseball and soccer seasons got underway behind closed doors in Taiwan at the weekend, providing rare live action for fans at home at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down most professional sport around the globe. Taiwan has be... More »
(Reuters) – The Scottish footballer Jim Baxter, who died of cancer at the age of 61 on April 14, 2001, is remembered as one of the greatest talents never to have featured in a World Cup. Had the Glasgow Rangers wing-half performed on the greatest stage or foll... More »
LISBON (Reuters) – Players at Sporting will have their salaries cut by 40% for three months as the club attempts to mitigate financial losses from the suspension of games during the coronavirus outbreak, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported. Lusa also reported... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – Investor morale in the euro zone fell to an all-time low in April and the bloc’s economy is in deep recession due to the coronavirus, which is “holding the world economy in a stranglehold”, a survey showed on Monday. Sentix’s index for the e... More »
(Reuters) – Paulo Dybala left Gareth Bale out of his Real Madrid starting line-up but had no trouble beating the Welshman’s Manchester City side in a FIFA 20 video game as part of a Combat Corona fundraiser for UNICEF at the weekend. Juventus striker Dybala on... More »
(Reuters) – English soccer club Chelsea have teamed up with domestic abuse charity Refuge to help raise funds for women and children left in vulnerable situations because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts have warned that self-isolation directives duri... More »
(Reuters) – Lisa Baird, commissioner of the U.S. National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), says they are targeting a return to action in late June and trying to hammer out a new schedule after the season was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The NWSL’s e... More »
(Reuters) – European football, currently at a standstill because of the coronavirus, is focusing on a restart in July and August with clubs and leagues being told that stopping competitions should “really be the last resort.” UEFA, the European Club Associatio... More »
(Reuters) – Major sports events around the world that have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic: OLYMPICS * The International Olympic Committee and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe concluded the Tokyo 2020 Olympics must be postponed and held no later than the... More »
(Reuters) – Canada and Australia said they would not be sending athletes to the Tokyo Olympics if the Games went ahead as scheduled in July and August this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here is a list of previous cancellations, boycotts and changes... More »
(Reuters) – France international Eliaquim Mangala said that he is one of the five players and staff of La Liga side Valencia who have tested positive for the coronavirus. The 29-year-old’s team mate Ezequiel Garay on Sunday became the first La Liga player to c... More »
(Reuters) – The following is a list of international sports events hit by the outbreak of the new coronavirus: ATHLETICS ** The World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed until next year. World Athletics is wor... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarian prosecutors have pressed new charges including unlawful possession of antiques of historical value against fugitive gambling tycoon Vasil Bozhkov, one of the country’s richest men, officials said on Thursday. Bozhkov, owner of sever... More »
BUCARAMANGA, Colombia (Reuters) – Reigning Olympic men’s football champions Brazil qualified for this summer’s tournament in Japan with a 3-0 win over Argentina on Sunday. Brazil had to beat their arch rivals in the Colombia qualifier in order to join them as ... More »
(Reuters) – The following is a list of international sports events affected by the coronavirus that has killed over 900 people and infected more than 40,000 in China after it first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, late last year: ATHLETICS * The World Athleti... More »
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – The LPGA Tour, the elite women’s professional golf circuit, said on Monday it was cancelling tournaments in Thailand and Singapore later this month due to the coronavirus outbreak. More than 40,000 people have been infected by the flu-li... More »
(Reuters) – Second-half goals from Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan and Megan Rapinoe gave the United States a 3-0 win over Canada in the final of the CONCACAF women’s Olympic qualifying tournament in southern California on Sunday. Both nations had already booked ... More »
(Reuters) – The following is a list of international sports events affected by the coronavirus, which has killed over 300 people and infected more than 14,000 in China after it first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, late last year: ATHLETICS * The World Athle... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s rampaging bushfires continue to affect top-level sporting events with a women’s soccer match scheduled for Newcastle on Friday postponed because of the poor air quality and expected soaring temperatures. Hundreds of fires have sc... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – Artist Simone Fugazzotto defended on Tuesday a widely criticized anti-racism campaign launched by Italy’s Serie A soccer league which features his paintings of apes. Racism has long plagued Italian soccer, with black players frequently target... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hailed the completion of the National Stadium built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Sunday, his speech at the Kengo Kuma-designed venue praising the efforts to finish on schedule after an early setback. The s... More »
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary showed it remains the dominant force in teqball, a hybrid sport mixing football with table tennis, winning the singles and doubles world titles on Sunday. Adam Blazsovics easily won the singles title and teamed up with Csaba Banyik... More »
(Reuters) – Seattle Sounders claimed their second MLS Cup in four years as three second-half goals gave the hosts a 3-1 win over Toronto FC in front of a capacity crowd at CenturyLink Field on Sunday. It was the third time in four years that the teams had met ... More »
(Reuters) – Three second half goals gave Seattle Sounders their second MLS Cup title in four years as the home side beat Toronto FC 3-1 in front of a capacity crowd at CenturyLink Field on Sunday. Seattle took the lead after 57 minutes when Kelvin Leerdam’s an... More »
(Reuters) – Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilian midfielder Taison was sent off in a Ukrainian league match against visitors Dynamo Kiev on Sunday for reacting to racist insults from the crowd. A video of the incident showed that Taison stuck his finger up at a sectio... More »
PORTO ALEGRE (Reuters) – A goal in each half gave Gremio a comfortable 2-0 win over city rivals Internacional in the Porto Alegre derby in Brazil’s Serie A on Sunday. Pedro Geromel put Gremio ahead when he headed home a free kick after 34 minutes and then Romu... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean football fans will be left in the dark as their national team play in North Korea for the first time in 30 years on Tuesday, with Pyongyang refusing to broadcast the World Cup qualifier live amid a return of chilled relations wit... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has called on the president of the country’s football union (BFU) to resign following racist abuse that marred the Euro 2020 qualifier between Bulgaria and England on Monday, the sports minister said. “... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – Racist abuse cast a blight over a Euro 2020 qualifier between Bulgaria and England on Monday with the match in Sofia twice halted by the referee after monkey noises and chants from the crowd were aimed at black players from the visiting team.... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – England bounced back from their first tournament qualifying defeat for 10 years with a 6-0 thrashing of toothless Bulgaria on Monday in a Euro 2020 Group A clash marred by racist incidents in the first half that stopped the game. The match at... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov and several of his players said they did not hear any racist abuse directed toward the England team on Monday during their side’s 6-0 defeat in a Euro 2020 qualifier that was twice halted by the referee. Englan... More »
SOFIA (Reuters) – England made a significant statement against racism by beating Bulgaria 6-0 in a Euro 2020 qualifier that was twice halted by the referee after abuse of the visiting players, manager Gareth Southgate said on Monday. The match in Sofia was a h... More »
Star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored three goals and Sebastian Lletget added two, leading the LA Galaxy to a 7-2 win over visiting Sporting Kansas City Sunday night. The blowout win gave the Galaxy’s playoff hopes a boost and effectively put an end to any po... More »
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Police in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo said on Tuesday they had indicted the woman who accused soccer star Neymar of rape, charging her with fraud, extortion and slander, in what could be a major relief for the Paris Saint Germain str... More »
Cristian Roldan scored twice, including the winner in the 89th minute, as the Seattle Sounders defeated the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy 4-3 on Sunday. Raul Ruidiaz and Jordan Morris also scored for the Sounders (13-8-7, 46 points), who moved into second place ... More »
(Reuters) – “If football was a president we would have a peaceful and exciting country,” – the words of a young South Africa fan speaking to Reuters while watching his team play in the Africa Cup of Nations perfectly capture the unifying force of the world’s m... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Singer Taylor Swift was named the world’s highest-paid entertainer on Wednesday but was closely followed by two members of the wider Kardashian clan – reality star turned cosmetics queen Kylie Jenner and rapper Kanye West. The annual Fo... More »
MADRID (Reuters) – A Spanish court ruled on Wednesday that singer Julio Iglesias is the father of a 43-year old man, resolving a paternity dispute that had lasted three decades after the veteran star refused to take a DNA test. Javier Sanchez-Santos was born i... More »
LYON, France (Reuters) – The United States won a record-extending fourth women’s World Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands on Sunday as second-half goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle confirmed their status as the leading power in the women’s gam... More »
(Reuters) – Mexico’s Jonathan dos Santos scored in the 73rd minute to give his side a 1-0 win over the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Sunday. The victory over the defending champions at Chicago’s Soldier Field earned Mexico a record-extending ... More »
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazil’s Gabriel Jesus made one goal, scored another and was sent off in the second half as they beat Peru 3-1 on Sunday to win the Copa America for the ninth time in a pulsating contest at the Maracana stadium. The hosts took the le... More »
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazil captain Dani Alves had his hands full of trophies on Sunday after leading his team to a 3-1 victory over Peru in the Copa America final and being named best player of the tournament, outperforming his peers despite his 36 year... More »
(Reuters) – With the United States preparing to play in the women’s World Cup final the team’s fight for pay equity resurfaced on Wednesday with the Democratic Women’s Caucus demanding answers from U.S. Soccer chief Carlos Cordeiro. The U.S. national team’s di... More »
(Reuters) – The United States reached the Gold Cup semi-finals on Sunday after Weston McKennie’s first-half goal gave the defending champions a 1-0 win over Curacao in Philadelphia. With 25 minutes gone Christian Pulisic sent an inch-perfect cross to the back ... More »
(Reuters) – A second-half penalty from Darren Mattocks put Jamaica into their third consecutive Gold Cup semi-final on Sunday after a 1-0 win over Panama in Philadelphia. Mattocks, who had come on as a substitute just two minutes earlier, struck from the spot ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – When Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos was spotted schmoozing in NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s booth during the Super Bowl in February, the media world exploded with anticipation about Amazon’s imminent domination of sports media. B... More »
(Reuters) – Seven-times Gold Cup champions Mexico avoided a scare to secure top spot in Group A with a 3-2 win over Martinique in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday. The win saw Mexico go through the group phase with a 100% record and sets them up for a June ... More »
(Reuters) – Lucas Cavallini and Jonathan David each scored a hat-trick as Canada romped to a record-setting 7-0 win over Cuba in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday to seal their spot in the Gold Cup quarter-finals. It marked the first time that two players h... More »
(Reuters) – Australia central defender Clare Polkinghorne is unavailable for their final Group C game at the women’s World Cup, coach Ante Milicic has said, but 16-year-old striker Mary Fowler could get a runout against Jamaica. The Matildas, who have one loss... More »
(Reuters) – A Miami bar that offered customers “free shots” for every goal scored by the United States at the Women’s World Cup has scaled back its offer in the wake of the team’s record-breaking 13-0 thrashing of Thailand this week. The American Social Bar & ... More »
(Reuters) – Scotland’s hopes of reaching the last 16 at their maiden women’s World Cup were dented by defeat to England in their opener but they have responded by bringing out their secret weapon for their next game against Japan – rubber chickens. Footage pos... More »
(Reuters) – Customers at a bar in Miami had more reason than most to celebrate as the United States women’s soccer team went on a record scoring rampage against Thailand at the World Cup on Tuesday. The American Social Bar & Kitchen had used its social media p... More »
(Reuters) – Ante Milicic has only four days to resurrect Australia’s women’s World Cup campaign after an upset loss to Italy and nothing is going to be ignored before they face Brazil in Montpellier on Thursday. The heavily-favored Matildas were stunned by a s... More »
(Reuters) – England cannot afford to drop their intensity in the second half and must be ruthless in possession if they are to progress at the women’s World Cup, coach Phil Neville said after Sunday’s 2-1 win over Scotland. England were leading 2-0 but tired a... More »
(Reuters) – A “harsh” early penalty took the wind out of Scotland’s sails in their debut at the women’s World Cup on Sunday but there were lots of positives to take from their 2-1 loss to England in Nice, coach Shelley Kerr said. Fran Kirby’s driven cross stru... More »
(Reuters) – Mike Ashley has agreed to sell Newcastle United to Abu Dhabi’s billionaire Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan for 350 million pounds ($445.24 million), the Sun reported late on Sunday. The contracts between Ashley and Sheikh Khaled have been signed... More »
Cannes, France (Reuters) – Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona is set to miss out on the Cannes premiere of a documentary about his life and career, due to “a shoulder injury requiring medical attention”, the film’s publicists said on Sunday. Maradona’s appe... More »
SANTA CLARA (Reuters) – The United States got a goal in each half through Samantha Mewis and a late third from substitute Carli Lloyd to earn a 3-0 win over South Africa in a Women’s World Cup warm-up in California on Sunday. Mewis got the opener after 37 minu... More »
NAIROBI (Reuters) – The temptation to watch UEFA Champions League quarter-finals football on TV both featuring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo backfired for some Kenya policemen when thieves raided their unmanned post and made off with weaponry. The inciden... More »
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro will miss the upcoming Miami Open because of a knee injury, with a source close to the player telling Reuters he may have to undergo surgery. Del Potro, ranked fifth in the world, was unable to defend hi... More »
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – The fire that killed 10 young footballers at Flamengo’s training ground in Rio de Janeiro was caused by a spike of electricity that led to a fire in an air conditioning unit, the club’s CEO Reinaldo Belotti said on Saturday. The fire... More »
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – A fire swept through the training centre of Rio de Janeiro soccer club Flamengo on Friday, killing 10 people, including members of the club’s youth side, firefighters and news reports said. At least three youths aged 14 and 15 were i... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – All Ligue 1 and 2 games this weekend will hold a minute’s applause before kickoff in memory of former Nantes player Emiliano Sala, whose body has been retrieved from the wreckage of a crashed plane in the English Channel, the French League sa... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – A body retrieved from the wreckage of a crashed plane in the English Channel has been formally identified as Cardiff City’s Argentina-born soccer player Emiliano Sala, British police said in a statement on Thursday. Sala, 28, had been flying... More »
(Reuters) – Major League Rugby (MLR) Commissioner Dean Howes says the sport will be more visible than ever in the United States this year as the professional league kicks off its second season. Featuring eight U.S.-based teams and one from Canada, with three m... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Former Australia soccer captain Craig Foster will lobby officials at world governing body FIFA later on Monday for them to intervene on behalf of a Bahraini refugee player being detained in Thailand and facing deportation to his country. Fos... More »
(Reuters) – The United States beat Panama 3-0 on Sunday to give new manager Gregg Berhalter a winning start to his tenure. Djordje Mihailovic marked his first game for the national team with a goal in the 40th minute before Walker Zimmerman and Christian Ramir... More »
DUBAI (Reuters) – The head of the Australian soccer players union wants the sport’s regional governing body to help secure the release of a Bahraini refugee footballer arrested in Thailand in November over a prison sentence in his homeland. Hakeem Al Araibi, w... More »
Zlatan Ibrahimovic intends to be back with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2019 after considering a return to AC Milan, sporting director Leonardo told reporters on Sunday. AC Milan attempted to bring the star forward back to Italy, but the Galaxy met Ibrahimovic’s ... More »
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Sierra Leone have been disqualified from the preliminaries for the 2019 African Nations Cup finals, confirming places for Kenya and Ghana at the continental championship next June-July. Sierra Leone’s fate was decided by the Confederation... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – German soccer player Mesut Ozil’s decision to quit the national team due to “racism and disrespect” he faced over his Turkish roots threw a spotlight on Monday on the country’s relations with its largest immigrant community. The most promine... More »
BERLIN (Reuters) – The majority of the roughly 3 million people with Turkish roots who live in Germany are well integrated, a spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, after German soccer star Mesut Ozil quit the national team citing racism. Mer... More »
(This July 15 story corrects to say “Euro 2020” instead of “Euro 2022” in the last paragraph.) By Mark Gleeson MOSCOW (Reuters) – Belgium will be acclaimed at celebrations in Brussels on Sunday with thousands expected to hail the team but they will carry mixed... More »
KRASNOYARSK, Russia (Reuters) – Buyan, a brown bear kept in a Siberian zoo, has predicted that Croatia will defeat France in Sunday’s World Cup final. Two halves of water melon were laid on in Buyan’s enclosure in the Royev Ruchey zoo in the Siberian city of K... More »
CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) – All 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped for more than two weeks deep inside a flooded Thai cave have been rescued, a Thai navy SEAL unit said on Tuesday, a successful end to a perilous mission that has gripped the world. “Th... More »
REPINO, Russia (Reuters) – There has been a relentless positivity and forward-looking tenor to England’s approach to this World Cup but before the adventure in Russia began, manager Gareth Southgate forced his players to confront a nightmare from the past. Two... More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Here is a brief history of previous World Cup semi-final appearances by England and Croatia, ahead of their last four match at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday: – England’s first semi-final appearance at a World Cup came at their home ... More »
PARIS/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – It’s a showdown between “Asterix” and “Tintin”. Les Bleus (The Blues) versus Les Diables Rouges (The Red Devils). France against Belgium. The World Cup equivalent of a local derby, with a heavy dose of national rivalry thrown in. In ... More »
REPINO, Russia (Reuters) – England manager Gareth Southgate says he is not about to change his team’s approach for Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against Croatia, saying he wants the “same again” from his young side. Although Croatia are the most difficult o... More »
SAMARA, Russia (Reuters) – Sweden coach Janne Andersson has full confidence in his team’s straightforward but effective tactics as he prepares his side for their World Cup quarter-final clash with England on Saturday. Andersson’s men are aiming to reach the la... More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that his country’s hosting of the soccer World Cup had helped debunk stereotypes about it. Russia’s host nation status had been met with resistance by some in the West who suggested the tournam... More »
SAMARA/SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – Andreas Granqvist did not set the world alight during his two seasons with the then Premier League side Wigan Athletic, but Sweden’s defensive linchpin is ready to show how far he has come when his side take on England in the W... More »
