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Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain has strengthened its defense by signing left back Lucas Digne from Aston Villa on a three-year contract. PSG announced the deal on Sunday evening without giving financial details. Sports daily L'Equipe said it paid the Premier League club 10 million euros ($11.6 million). The 33-year-old Digne was born in the Paris suburbs and previously played for PSG after joining from Lille in 2013. He then represented Roma and Barcelona before spending eight years in the Premier League with Everton and Villa. An energetic defender with accurate passing, the left-footed Digne became a France regular in recent years under former coach Didier Deschamps. He played at the recent World Cup, where Les Bleus reached the semifinals, and has 64 caps. "I am very honoured to be returning to Paris Saint-Germain following the wonderful experience I had here more than 10 years ago," he said. "I am particularly impressed by how the club has developed over the ...
Sakina Ouzraoui and Hanane Ait El Haj both scored and Morocco earned a spot in next summer's Women's World Cup with a 2-1 victory over South Africa in the quarterfinals of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday. Morocco will face the winner of Sunday's quarterfinal between Nigeria and Cameroon in a semifinal match on Wednesday. Thembi Kgatlana scored the lone goal for South Africa in the 67th minute. She had an earlier chance in the 22nd minute but her shot was just off target. Morocco took the lead in the 32nd minute when Ouzraoui volleyed a shot over South Africa goalkeeper Kaylin Swart. Morocco was awarded a penalty in the 49th minute for Noxolo Cesane's challenge on Ghizlane Chebbak, who was later subbed out of the match with an injury. El Haj converted the penalty kick to give Morocco a 2-0 lead. Kgatlana closed the gap for South Africa with a goal that was awarded following a lengthy video review after she was initially ruled to be offside. Kgatlana has nine goals in
Brazil star Vinicius Junior has agreed to a contract extension with Real Madrid to remain at the Spanish powerhouse through June 2032, the club has announced. The 26-year-old winger had entered the final year of his contract and reportedly had drawn interest from Premier League champion Arsenal. Vinicius has scored 128 goals in 375 matches since joining Madrid at age 18 and has helped the club win 14 titles, including La Liga three times and the Champions League twice. "Vinicius Jr has become one of the most important players in one of the most successful periods in our history," the club said in its announcement on Thursday. Financial terms of the extension were not disclosed. Vinicius wrote on Instagram: "Eight years at the Bernabeu are too few ... 6 more years, and forever!" Los Blancos enter the 2026-27 season with a new coach - Jose Mourinho, for a second stint - and renewed expectations among fans. Madrid hasn't won a major title in two years with superstar striker Kylian
Lionel Messi scored his first two goals since the World Cup and took the career scoring lead in the Leagues Cup as Inter Miami overcame an early deficit to beat Atletico San Luis 4-2 on a rainy night. The match at Nu Stadium was delayed 30 minutes in the second half because of lightning in the area. Messi scored in the 11th and the 44th minutes. He has 14 goals in 12 Leagues Cup matches - one ahead of Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga for most in the tournament's four-year history. Telasco Segovia and defender Micael also scored, and Noah Allen had three assists as Inter Miami extended its unbeaten streak to eight matches. Messi returned to Miami's starting lineup in his second match since the World Cup, where he led Argentina to its second straight final appearance before La Albiceleste lost 1-0 to Spain. The 39-year-old played 37 minutes as a substitute in a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday. After being held off the scoresheet against Columbus, it didn't take Messi long
The National Women's Soccer League will kick off its season earlier than ever before next year to work around the Women's World Cup in Brazil. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman gave a wide-ranging midseason State of the League address Wednesday during which she discussed next season's schedule, the impact of the men's World Cup and other topics impacting the league. The league's 15th season will open on Feb. 11, more than a month earlier than this season. The annual Challenge Cup match will be played on Feb. 6. The NWSL will pause from June 24 to July 25 during the Women's World Cup as many of the league's players will be on national teams that qualify for the tournament. The playoffs will start on Nov. 5 and the league championship will be played on Nov. 20. "We know that major tournaments inspire millions of people to follow the sport, and our schedule allows us to be part of the lead-in and the lead-out of that big moment," Berman said. The league is intentionally launching the .
Newcastle confirmed the hiring of 38-year-old Matthias Jaissle as coach to replace Eddie Howe, who stepped down after nearly five years in charge. Jaissle will immediately take charge of the Magpies in Spain at their preseason training camp, which concludes Saturday with a friendly match against Valencia at Mestalla Stadium. "My teams are built on togetherness, hard work, intensity and a passion to improve every single day," said Jaissle, who signed a four-year contract in becoming Newcastle's first-ever German manager. Jaissle led Saudi club Al-Ahli to back-to-back Asian Champions League Elite titles. He joined Al-Ahli in 2023 after leading Salzburg to consecutive Austrian league titles. Newcastle opens its Premier League season on Sunday, Aug. 23 at home against Liverpool. Since Jaissle was still under contract at Al-Ahli, Newcastle had to pay a reported $12 million release clause. Howe, who confirmed last Friday that he stepped down, twice led Saudi-backed Newcastle to Champio
Cape Verde coach Bubista, who led the World Cup debutant to a stellar tournament, joined Moroccan club RS Berkane on Tuesday. Berkane said it hired Pedro Brito, who is better known by his nickname Bubista, on a two-year contract. He replaces Moine Chaabani, who was hired by his native Tunisia, another World Cup team. The Cape Verde federation thanked Bubista on its social media accounts for his "dedication, professionalism, and contribution" to the national team. Cape Verde made a stunning start to the World Cup, holding eventual champion Spain to a 0-0 draw inspired by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. Further draws against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia sealed second place in the group and a round-of-32 game against Argentina. Though Argentina eventually won 3-2, Cape Verde took the game to extra time where a second tying goal by Sidny Lopes Cabral was voted best goal of the tournament. Berkane won the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup in 2025 and is the home club of Fouzi Lekjaa, Moroc
Mauricio Pochettino is staying with the U.S. soccer team, agreeing Monday to a four-year contract to coach the Americans through the 2030 World Cup. The 54-year-old Pochettino, who took over the national team in October 2024, led the U.S. to the round of 16 at this year's World Cup, where the tournament co-hosts were eliminated in a 4-1 loss to Belgium. Still, he helped the seeded U.S. team to a pair of firsts in the expanded 48-nation tournament, clinching advancement from the group stage with a game to spare and winning three games in a single World Cup. The team captivated American fans with excited audiences in stadiums and record television viewers. "The magic thing that happened during the World Cup, the connection with the people, of course with the whole organization and everything was a key point," Pochettino said during a Zoom news conference from his home in Barcelona, Spain. Since reaching the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup, the U.S. has lost four round-of-16 ...
Discriminatory behavior in English soccer could be punished with at least 10-game suspensions. The Football Association confirmed plans on Thursday to strengthen sanctions on incidents involving race, religion and sexual orientation. Under new guidelines, regulatory commissions will be required to impose a suspension of at least 10 matches in cases that are considered "aggravated breaches" of misconduct. Such breaches involve "express or implied reference" to ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, religion, belief, sex, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation and disability. "Enhanced measures are necessary to tackle this abhorrent conduct," the FA said. Mitigating factors could result in suspensions of more or less than 10 matches.
Roberto Mancini has once again been tasked with revitalizing an Italy team in crisis, almost exactly three years after he bolted on the national team. Italian soccer federation president Giovanni Malago announced Mancini as the new Italy coach on Tuesday, adding that Claudio Ranieri will become the new technical director after Paolo Maldini stepped down the previous day - just 16 days after being appointed. "Time was running out I believed the person who should become the new coach of Italy is Roberto Mancini, for a whole list of reasons," Malago said. "There will be a press conference tomorrow with both Claudio Ranieri and Roberto Mancini." The 61-year-old Mancini led the Azzurri to the European Championship title in 2021 but shockingly resigned as Italy coach in August 2023, taking over Saudi Arabia's national team two weeks later. "It is clear that all the necessary assessments have been made," Malago said when asked about Mancini's sudden departure three years ago. "I certainl
Cristian Volpato, who represented Australia at the World Cup, has allegedly tested positive for cocaine and also for speeding, New South Wales state police said. They said the 22-year-old Volpato, who switched allegiances from Italy to Australia before the World Cup, was allegedly clocked at 50 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour) over the designated speed limit when police stopped him on Sydney's Anzac Bridge early on Friday morning. He was subjected to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for cocaine, police said in a statement on Friday. Football Australia said in a statement on Saturday that it was "aware of allegations involving one of our players. "We have been in contact with the player and continue to monitor the matter and support the player throughout this process," it added. One Australian media outlet said Volpato had tested negative to cocaine in a urine test, but it was not clear if it was related to the Friday incident. Others said Volpato had ..
One of the breakout stars at the World Cup has a new home in Chile - Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has signed a contract with Colo Colo, the South American country's biggest soccer team. The 40-year-old Vozinha became one of the most talked-about players at the World Cup with a string of remarkable saves against top teams such as eventual champion Spain and defending champion Argentina. "Welcome. We're waiting for you," the club wrote Friday on its social media pages in a post that quickly sparked excitement not only among Colo Colo supporters but across Chile, where the national team failed this year to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Anibal Mosa, president of Blanco y Negro, the company that manages the Chilean club, had confirmed shortly before that the goalkeeper, who had no contract with any team during the World Cup, will arrive in Chile soon. "Vozinha is going to be a Colo Colo player. In the next few days, he will travel to Chile, undergo the necessary medical ..