Former Barcelona and Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitić on Monday announced his retirement from football at the age of 37. Rakitić had last been playing for Hadjuk Split back in his homeland following a brief spell in the Saudi Pro League with Al Shabab. “Football, you gave me more than I could ever imagine,” he wrote in a post on social media confirming he was hanging up his boots. “You gave…
In the eyes of Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovač, the MetLife Stadium field was better suited for a round of golf than a match at the Club World Cup. And the New York area’s summer heat also was inappropriate for high-level soccer. “It’s more a golf green, so you can putt here,” Kovač said after Saturday’s 3-2 quarterfinal loss to Real Madrid. “It’s very short. But this is not the…
Fenerbahce have announced the loan signing of Jhon Durán on a one-year-deal from Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. Duran’s move comes just six months after joining Al Nassr on a mammoth €85 million ($88m) transfer fee from Aston Villa. During his stint in Saudi Arabia, the 21-year-old scored 12 goals in 18 appearances as Al Nassr finished third in the league and were knocked out in the semifinals of…
ZURICH, Switzerland — France stunned defending champions England to win their Euro 2025 Group D opener 2-1 in Zurich on Saturday. Laurent Bonadei’s side have enjoyed a remarkable run of form in 2025 and they continued this on a balmy evening in Switzerland as goals from Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore handed England a chastening defeat, who got a late consolation from Keira Walsh. England headed into this tournament as…
The 2025 Women’s European Championship is off and running. Let’s catch you up on what’s happening, what you’ve missed and what’s still to come. We will update this file throughout each matchday with the latest reporting, analysis and fun from the competition. – Women’s Euro 2025 bracket, results and fixtures schedule LUCERNE, Switzerland — It was a cruel awakening for Wales in their major tournament debut. Against European powerhouse Netherlands,…
Nico Williams has delighted fans in the city of Bilbao (and caused much consternation in Barcelona) with the announcement that the exciting young Spain international has signed a new 10-year contract with Athletic Club. After a string of standout performances in LaLiga last season, Williams had been Barça’s top transfer target of the summer. However, Athletic have moved swiftly to nip any speculation in the bud by getting the 22-year-old…
ORLANDO, Fla. — There were points during Renato Portaluppi’s prematch news conference Thursday when it seemed as if the Fluminense coach was trying to justify the need to play the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal against Al Hilal at all. Question after question in the cramped media room at Camping World Stadium in Orlando was about the financial gulf between the two clubs. Fluminense are dealing with money issues. Al…
Tributes from around the sporting world have been paid to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota after the Portugal international and his brother, André Silva, died in a car crash in Spain on Thursday morning. The player’s death at the age of 28 was confirmed by Liverpool Football Club, the Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), with the Spain Civil Guard informing The Associated Press of the…
Barcelona are considering activating the release clause in the contract of Denzel Dumfries, while Manchester United see Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins as an alternative to Viktor Gyökeres. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe. Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades – Atlético complete Álex Baena signing, Johnny Cardoso to follow — Matteo Moretto – Liverpool reject Bayern…
Valencia have offered Cristhian Mosquera a new contract in an attempt to prevent him from leaving for Arsenal, sources have told ESPN. Last week, ESPN reported that Mikel Arteta’s side had agreed terms with Mosquera and had started negotiations with Valencia to try to sign him for a fee of around £15 million ($20.5m). Valencia have made a desperate move to keep Mosquera at the club for at least another…