Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has defended his international teammate Neymar maintaining the Al Hilal star is still Brazil’s “main player.” Neymar was hit by a bag of popcorn thrown from the stands by supporters after Thursday’s 1-1 home draw with Venezuela, an incident that Brazil coach Fernando Diniz condemned. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Brazil fans were frustrated with the result and Neymar — the country’s talisman…
Erik ten Hag will receive reassurances he is part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plans for Manchester United if the the British billionaire reaches a deal to run the sporting side of the club, a source has told ESPN. Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals company INEOS, is hopeful of obtaining a 25% stake in exchange for investment worth around £1.3 billion ($1.58bn). – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) He’s…
British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is close to acquiring a significant stake in Manchester United which would see his INEOS team have “sporting influence” at Old Trafford, sources have told ESPN. A source with knowledge of the process has told ESPN that Ratcliffe was “more savvy in his deal execution” than rival bidder Sheikh Jassim, a Qatari billionaire who withdrew his interest in buying United on Saturday after failing to…
England midfielder Jordan Henderson has reaffirmed his dedication to playing for his country after captaining the side in a 1-0 friendly win over Australia on Friday despite his disappointment at being booed by home fans when substituted. Henderson was named skipper with Harry Kane rested and the 33-year-old, who has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, played for 62 minutes before being taken off at Wembley. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga,…
It was a big moment when Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez stepped up to take a penalty in the closing stages of Thursday’s World Cup qualifier away to Colombia. Uruguay were losing 2-1 — the same scoreline by which they went down in the previous round, away to Ecuador, meaning they were in danger of a second consecutive defeat. And as the clock ticked down on the third match of the campaign,…
Six games, six wins, 13 goals scored, one conceded. France became one of the first teams to qualify for Euro 2024, along with Belgium and Portugal, on Friday night with two games left, and Kylian Mbappé is showing he’s made to be captain. It was another controlled and efficient performance from Didier Deschamps’ France as they won 2-1 against Netherlands in Amsterdam. The Dutch were missing Frenkie de Jong and…
Poland invited some of their fans who had made the trip for the team’s 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifier victory over Faroe Islands to fly home with the team after bad weather delayed flights out of the country. Among the supporters was Andrzej Bobowski, known as “the king of Polish fans,” who has attended the last 12 World Cup tournaments but could easily have been stranded and missed Poland’s game with…
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world in 2023, earning more than the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar during the past 12 months, according to Forbes. Ronaldo, who Forbes also ranks as the highest-paid athlete of any sport, topped the list with expected total earnings of $260 million. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The Portugal forward’s contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, who…
FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote to the Israel and Palestine football federations Friday, offering his condolences for the “horrendous violence” over the past week in a conflict that has taken over 2,700 lives and injured thousands more. In the letter first reported by Sky News, Infantino and world football’s governing body called for “the immediate end of hostilities and for the immediate relief of the suffering of the people of…
St. Louis City SC head coach Bradley Carnell started his playing career as a teenager at Bidvest Wits FC in Johannesburg, South Africa. One weekend, he and the rest of “The Clever Boys” won an away match thanks to a late penalty kick. The fans of the opposing team, upset with the result, stormed the field, bloodlust in their eyes. “They got the referee,” Carnell told ESPN. “They put him…