Cristiano Ronaldo will likely avoid missing any Portugal games at the 2026 World Cup despite his red card in a qualifying game for elbowing a Republic of Ireland opponent. FIFA published a disciplinary verdict Tuesday that imposed a three-game ban, which judged Ronaldo’s action as “violent conduct” or “serious foul play,” but with two of those games deferred for a one-year probation period. Ronaldo served a mandatory one-game ban when…
Former Belgium international Zinho Vanheusden has announced his retirement from football at the age of just 26 after persistent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Vanheusden began his senior career at Inter Milan but never went on to make a senior appearance for the Serie A side instead enjoying loan spells at Standard Liège, Genoa, AZ Alkmaar and K.V. Mechelen in the Belgian Pro League before finishing his career at Marbella…
Spain international Jenni Hermoso achieved her dream of winning a title in Mexico, helping Tigres Femenil to the 2025 Apertura trophy on Sunday. Tigres Femenil edged America 1-0 to take the tie 4-3 on aggregate win to clinch the 2025 Apertura tournament. Hermoso, 35, the victim of the ‘Rubiales kiss scandal’ that rocked Spanish football after the country’s 2023 World Cup triumph, had previously lost Liga MX finals with Tigres…
Florentino Perez hit out at LaLiga president Javier Tebas, rivals Barcelona, Spain’s referees and UEFA in a combative speech at Real Madrid’s annual general meeting, while insisting the club will “win the next battles” on the Super League. Around 1500 representatives of Madrid’s 98,000 members participated in Sunday’s meeting at the club’s Valdebebas training ground, approving its annual accounts, and quizzing the board. In an 80-minute intervention, Perez criticised the…
Ruben Amorim has told Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee that he will put the club first when it comes time to decide if they can leave Manchester United in January. Both Mainoo and Zirkzee have struggled for game time so far this season and are keen to explore moves away from Old Trafford ahead of next summer’s World Cup. But while the pair haven’t started often, they are regularly part…
Ruben Amorim is not taking anything for granted at improved Manchester United given their surprise setbacks and less shocking struggles during his first year in the job. Monday’s Old Trafford encounter against Everton comes on the first anniversary of his maiden game in the hotseat away to Ipswich. Amorim oversaw a 1-1 draw at Portman Road and went on to experience more downs than ups during his first campaign, but…
Bayern Munich are tracking young Vasco da Gama forward Rayan, while Barcelona want Harry Kane or Julián Álvarez to replace 37-year-old striker Robert Lewandowski. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe. Transfers home page | Men’s grades | Women’s grades – Tottenham women agree deal for young star Gaupset – Premier League clubs vote in new ‘squad cost ratio’ rules – Mané: I chose…
Marcus Rashford is a doubt for Barcelona’s return to Spotify Camp Nou this weekend after missing training with flu on Thursday and Friday. Barça coach Hansi Flick says he will make a late call on the availability of Rashford, who has started the last 10 matches in all competitions for his club, ahead of Saturday’s visit from Athletic Club. “Marcus has fever, so he was out [of training] yesterday and…
OSLO, Norway — When Karina Saevik steered home the opening goal for Norwegian minnows Vålerenga in their 2-2 draw at home to St. Pölten in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) on Wednesday night, Agnes Viljugrein wasn’t even watching. Instead, Viljugrein (who, by day, is a member of Norwegian parliament) was busy fulfilling her duties as Vålerenga’s ‘capo’; the leader of the “Østblokka” — the dedicated section of fans who…
In March 2025, we delivered the fourth installment of our Premier League MVP rankings, aimed at tackling a mighty question: Which players rank as the most important at the division’s top clubs? We used a simple combination of ability and tactical factors to assess how crucial the players were to their teams and ranked the top 15 accordingly. Naturally, the best, most consistent and most present players filtered toward the…