Page 20 - Football

Kylian Mbappe dismisses 'fake news' after being accused of rape in Sweden

The Real Madrid star slammed the 'fake news' and took to his social media to dismiss it as well.

Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson to step down as club ambassador

Manchester United great Alex Ferguson will step down from his role as club ambassador at the end of the season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced. Ferguson will be 83 in December and the person said the ending of his ambassadorship was amicable and he would always be welcome at Old Trafford. Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles with United and is widely regarded as one of the finest managers in the history of soccer. He is United's most successful manager, having won 28 major trophies. He has been a club ambassador since retiring after leading United to its last league title in 2013. His imminent departure comes at a time when the club is undergoing major change following the partial buyout by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe in February. United has undergone an extensive restructuring program following Ratcliffe's investment of $1.3 billio

Tests show no major injury to Lamine Yamal after leaving national squad

Tests have confirmed Lamine Yamal has only a strain in his left hamstring sustained on duty with Spain, Barcelona said Monday. The teenage star underwent the tests after leaving the national squad following the 1-0 win over Denmark in the Nations League on Saturday. Spain said the 17-year-old forward was sent back to his club to avoid the risk of injury. Barcelona did not give a timetable on his return, saying only that he will be out of action until he has fully recovered. Barcelona's next game is at home to Sevilla in the Spanish league on Sunday. Yamal should be available for the matches against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Oct. 23 and the Spanish league clasico at Real Madrid three days later. Yamal will miss the Nations League home game against Serbia on Tuesday. He was a key player in Spain's triumph at this year's European Championship. Coach Luis de la Fuente has called up Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo Riquelme in Yamal's place. Yamal has played 11 games and sco

Nigeria's football team stuck at Libya airport, boycott AFCON qualifier

Nigeria's soccer players said on Monday they will boycott their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Libya, after being stranded overnight at Al Abraq Airport in what the team captain described as mind games. The Super Eagles are scheduled to play the second-leg tie on Tuesday. The first leg, which Nigeria won 1-0 on Friday, involved similar accusations of sabotage from the Libya team. Team captain William Troost-Ekong said the plane had been due to land at Benghazi Airport but was diverted at the last minute to Al Abraq some 220 kilometers (136 miles) away. It was not immediately clear why the flight was diverted and The Associated Press could not reach the Libyan government for comment. The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason," Troost-Ekong said on X. They've locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games. Pictures posted online by the players showed some of them lying on airport .

UEFA Nations League: Portugal vs Scotland, Spain vs Serbia live streaming

2016 Euro winners Portugal are entering the tie with a 100 per cent record in their three games so far. Scotland, however, have not had the best of starts in their three games so far.

UEFA Nations League Highlights: France beat Belgium, Germany win at home

The win took the Italians straight to the top of the table with 10 points in Group 2. They are followed by France and Belgium with 9 and 4 points respectively.

Spain drops Yamal from squad against Serbia amidst injury concerns

Teenage standout Lamine Yamal has left Spain's squad after he strained a muscle in his left leg. Yamal will miss Spain's Nations League home game against Serbia on Tuesday. A day after the 17-year-old forward helped Spain beat Denmark 1-0, the Spanish soccer federation said Sunday that tests indicated the Barcelona star had strained a leg muscle and was being sent back to his club to avoid the risk of injury. Yamal was a key player in Spain's triumph at this year's European Championship. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called up Atletico Madrid player Rodrigo Riquelme in Yamal's place. Barcelona's next game is at home against Sevilla on Oct. 20 in the Spanish league.

Australia to face dominant Japan next in Asian World Cup qualifiers

Australia faces the most daunting road trip in Asia on Tuesday when it faces a dominant Japan at Saitama Stadium, knowing a win would put the Socceroos back on track for a sixth successive World Cup appearance after a mixed start in the third round of qualification. The Group C meeting is also a chance for new coach Tony Popovic, appointed in September to replace Graham Arnold, to make a statement win in his second game in charge and cross swords with a former team-mate. Popovic played for Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima from 1997 to 2001 alongside Hajime Moriyasu now coach of Japan. I know their head coach very well; he was my captain during my time in Japan. A remarkable person who has dedicated years to developing the national team, said Popovic. Japan is on course for an eighth successive World Cup appearance with three wins against China, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, scoring 14 goals and conceding none. This is undoubtedly a significant challenge, but it also presents a fantas

Pochettino leads US football team to 2-0 win over Panama in debut match

Mauricio Pochettino won his debut as U.S. coach, getting a 49th-minute goal from Yunus Musah off an assist from AC Milan teammate Christian Pulisic and a stoppage-time strike from Ricardo Pepi for a 2-0 win over Panama. The match on Saturday in front of a near-capacity crowd of 20,239 at Q2 Stadium was the first of two friendlies for the US in a four-day span that includes a game against Mexico on Tuesday in Guadalajara. The Americans ended a four-game winless stretch and their first four-game home winless streak since a seven-game slide in 2010-11. A 52-year-old Argentine who managed Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino was hired last month to replace Gregg Berhalter, who was fired in July after first-round elimination at the Copa America. Pochettino was given a contract through the 2026 World Cup that the U.S. will co-host and tasked with sparking a team that has not reached the World Cup quarterfinals since 2002 "Little by little building something. The objectiv

Ronaldo's record goal helps Pourtgal beat Poland 3-1 in the Nations League

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his record-extending 133rd international goal to keep Portugal perfect in the Nations League with a 3-1 win over Poland, and Spain struck late to edge Denmark 1-0. The 39-year-old superstar was there to put in the rebound after Rafael Leo's shot hit the post in the 37th minute on Saturday. That made it 2-0 following Bernardo Silva's opener in Warsaw in the 26th. After failing to find the net in his five appearances at this summer's European Championship with Portugal exiting in the quarterfinals Ronaldo has scored in three straight Nations League matches, including in wins over Croatia his 900th career goal and Scotland last month. Portugal coach Roberto Martnez replaced Ronaldo with Diogo Jota with just under half an hour to play. Midfielder Piotr Zielinski halved the deficit in the 78th for the hosts, only for Southampton defender Jan Bednarek to score an own-goal with two minutes left. Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski started alongside Karol ...

Pochettino era of US soccer begins vs Panama, with eyes on 2026 World Cup

A new era for United States soccer is set to begin, led by an Argentine coach expected to deliver big results at the 2026 World Cup on American soil. Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino makes his U.S. debut in a pair of friendlies, leading the team against Panama on Saturday night in Austin and three days later against Mexico in Guadalajara. Pochettino was not around for the first 26 matches of the World Cup cycle while Gregg Berhalter and three interim coaches were in charge. These games are in the first of eight international windows Pochettino will have to evaluate players and develop tactics before the team reports ahead of the 2026 tournament. Pochettino suggested patience is in order. The coach, his staff and players have spent this week not just training but introducing themselves. Success will be measured by how well the staff and players get to know each other, being organized and sending a clear message from the staff to the players of expectations.

UEFA Nations League Highlights: Germany get 2-1 win, Dutch held by Hungary

Germany's rebuilding appears to be on the right track. Denis Undav scored twice and the four-time World Cup winners extended their unbeaten record in the Nations League to three matches after a convincing 2-1 win at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday. Reduced to 10 men, the Netherlands managed a 1-1 draw in Hungary. Following the retirements of Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos, Germany started a new cycle and their clean and fluid display against a spirited Bosnia side bodes well for the future. The Germans top their group after also thrashing Hungary 5-0 and drawing in the Netherlands 2-2. In the absence of several stalwarts, the Germans played with confidence, developed complex attacking moves and gave the impression of enjoying themselves. They had plenty of chances to score more and had a couple of goals disallowed for offside. I knew that Bosnia and Herzegovina are good defensively but you have to keep in mind that we had many chances, said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. That's why B

UEFA Nations League 2024-25: Portugal, Spain and Croatia in action today

The defending champions Spain will be eyeing the top spot in their group when they take on Group D leaders Denmark. Spain will go to the top with seven points if they manage to beat Denmark today.

Son's father fined for violating child welfare law in South Korea

A court in South Korea has fined Son Woong-jung, the father of English Premier League star Son Heung-min, 3 million won ($2,200) for violating child welfare law at his soccer academy. The Chuncheon District Court notified prosecutors on Friday that it issued such a ruling on Son Woong-jung, director of the Son Football Academy in Chuncheon city, according to a local prosecutors' office. The academy opened in 2021, with much of the estimated cost of $15 million funded by Son Heung-min, the Tottenham and South Korea star. Two coaches at the academy also each received a 3 million won fine for the same violation, the prosecutors' office said. The parents of a young player have said their son was hit by one of the two coaches with a corner flag and also subjected to verbal abuse. Son Woong-jung denied wrongdoing but offered an apology and promised to evaluate his coaching methods.

UEFA Nations League: Bosnia vs Germany, Hungary vs Netherlands live timings

Both Germany and Netherlands are tied at 4 points currently in Group C and will be hoping to take the spot on the night to make sure they get automatic qualification into the FIFA World Cup 2026 gr

UEFA Nations League: England lose to Greece, France win without Mbappe

Lee Carsley ran into the first problems of his tenure as England's interim coach after a bold team selection backfired in a 2-1 home loss to Greece in the Nations League on Thursday. Erling Haaland became Norway's record scorer at the age of 24 with a double in his country's 3-0 win over Slovakia, while France playing without Kylian Mbapp and the retired Antoine Griezmann still had far too much for Israel in a 4-1 victory. After leading England to back-to-back victories since becoming temporary coach after the European Championship, Carsley felt emboldened enough to field a team without a recognized striker in the absence of injured captain Harry Kane. The lineup looked interesting and exciting on paper but resembled a mess on the field as Greece repeatedly picked off England and got in behind a stretched defense. Vangelis Pavlidis scored the opener for the visitors at Wembley Stadium in the 49th, Jude Bellingham equalized in the 87th, only for Pavlidis to take advantage of more

Brazil beat Chile away from home in WC qualifying, Messi's Argentina draws

An 89th-minute goal by substitute Luiz Henrique gave Brazil a 2-1 away win over Chile in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The win meant under-pressure Brazil coach Dorival Jnior's team will finish the ninth round of the round-robin competition in fourth place in South American qualifying. Earlier, Lionel Messi's Argentina drew Venezuela 1-1 in a match that was delayed for 30 minutes due to a wet pitch at Monumental Stadium in the Venezuelan city of Maturin. Argentina, which leads the 10-team competition, has 19 points after nine matches. Colombia, with 16 points, remains in second place after losing 1-0 at Bolivia. Uruguay is third with 15 points and has a chance to add more in a match against Peru on Friday. Brazil has 13 points. Brazil has dramatic comebackChile, one of the worst-performing teams in South American qualifying, opened the scoring seconds after the kickoff at the National Stadium in Santiago. Veteran striker Eduardo Vargas headed past goalkeeper Ederson, with the

UNL: Skipper Erling Haaland becomes Norway's all-time leading scorer

Erling Haaland marked his first game as Norway captain by becoming his country's all-time leading scorer. The Manchester City striker scored in the seventh and 62nd minutes of Norway's home match against Slovenia in the Nations League for his 33rd and 34th international goals. That moved him above the late Jorgen Juve on Norway's list of record scorers. Juve, on 33 goals, held the record since 1937. The 24-year-old Haaland has 34 goals in just 36 games. His double helped to put Norway 3-0 ahead in Oslo.

Panathinaikos defender George Baldock found dead in his Athens home

Panathinaikos defender George Baldock, a former Greece international who also played for Sheffield United for seven seasons, has been found dead in his Athens home, Greek media reported. He was 31. State-run ERT television said the body of Baldock was found late Wednesday in his swimming pool in the southern suburb of Glyfada. The cause of death was not immediately clear. Britain-born Baldock was called up for Greece in 2022 and played 12 matches, the last in March in Greece's loss on penalties to Georgia in the Euro 2024 playoffs. He was not in Greece's squad for Thursday's UEFA Nations League game against England. Baldock joined Sheffield United in 2017 and helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League twice, in 2019 and 2023. He joined Panathinaikos in May, on a three-year contract, after Sheffield United was again relegated to England's second division. Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player, George Bald

UEFA Nations League: Italy vs Belgium, England vs Greece live streaming

Football stars like England's Harry Kane and France's Kylian Mbappe, however, are set to miss their respective UEFA Nations League ties due to injury.