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12 European Soccer Clubs Launch Breakaway League
The 12 European clubs pursuing a Super League have told the leaders of FIFA and UEFA that legal action is already being pursued to stop them from action intended to thwart the launch of the breakaway competition, according to a letter obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
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Players, Officials Kneel Before PSG Wins Resumed CL Game
A day after walking off the field in protest, players from Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir returned to the Parc des Princes and knelt together with match officials in a display of unity against racism
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Soccer Players Walk Out of Match in Paris After Referee Accused of Making Racist Remark
The Champions League game between Paris Saint-Germain and Basaksehir was postponed when players walked off the field on Tuesday after alleging that fourth official Sebastian Coltescu of Romania used a racist remark when identifying a Black assistant coach.
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Messi Will Stay With Barcelona Despite Wanting to Leave
Lionel Messi says he will stay with Barcelona for the upcoming season
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Premier League, Champions League Call Off Matches
The Premier League and the Champions League both have been suspended as the chaos stemming from the coronavirus outbreak continues to impact soccer
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UEFA Bans Manchester City From Champions League for 2 Seasons
English Premier League champion Manchester City was banned by UEFA from the Champions League for two seasons on Friday for “serious breaches” of spending rules in a seismic ruling against one of world football’s wealthiest clubs. The Abu Dhabi-owned team was also fined 30 million euros ($33 million) after an investigation that was sparked by leaks showing City overstated sponsorship…
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Dutch Beat Swedes to Set Up Women's World Cup Final With US
The Netherlands will play the United States for the Women’s World Cup title after Jackie Groenen sealed a 1-0 victory over Sweden in extra time on Wednesday night. A slick passing sequence ended in the 99th minute with Groenen driving a shot from outside the penalty area past goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
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Rapinoe Scores Twice as U.S. Women Beat France, 2-1, to Advance to World Cup Semifinals
Controversy didn’t drive Megan Rapinoe, the big moment did. Rapinoe turned turmoil into triumph Friday night, scoring twice in the much-anticipated clash with host France to send the defending champion United States into the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup with a 2-1 victory. Two days earlier, Rapinoe had been called out on social media by President Donald Trump after...
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Women's World Cup: Here Are Key Players to Watch
The Women’s World Cup kicks off Friday in Paris. Twenty-four teams will traverse France for the next month in pursuit of soccer’s most prestigious trophy. Here are five players to watch during the tournament.
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Equity Will Be the Theme of This Women's World Cup
The world’s best player won’t be at the Women’s World Cup but the world’s best team will be, with both sides taking a stand for equality. The U.S. national team, ranked No. 1 globally, will try to defend its title in soccer’s premier tournament, which kicks off Friday in Paris. While the Americans make their way around France for the...
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Women's World Cup: Here Are Key Players to Watch
The Women’s World Cup kicks off Friday in Paris. Twenty-four teams will traverse France for the next month in pursuit of soccer’s most prestigious trophy. Here are five players to watch during the tournament.
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FIFA Backs English Players' Social Media Boycott Over Racism
FIFA is backing a 24-hour social media boycott by professional players in England in a protest against racial abuse and revealed plans for a new global campaign to eradicate discrimination in soccer. Following a series of high-profile cases in recent weeks, the Professional Footballers’ Association has gathered support from Premier League stars to stay off Twitter, Facebook and Instagram from...
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Move to England Makes Pulisic Most Expensive US Soccer Player
Christian Pulisic became the most expensive American soccer player in history after completing a transfer to English club Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
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Ronaldo Defends Himself Against Rape Accusation
Speaking publicly for the first time since being accused of rape, Cristiano Ronaldo defended himself against the allegation and said Monday he is confident the truth will come out in the case.
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Amid Rape Case, Ronaldo Asks for Space to Celebrate Goal
Cristiano Ronaldo asked his Juventus teammates to leave him alone. For all that he’s embroiled in — accused of rape nine years ago — the soccer superstar wanted some space so he could celebrate his goal on Saturday all by himself in front of a TV camera. He leaped into the air with an emphatic double fist pump, as he’s...
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Spanish Opera Singer Montserrat Caballe Dies at 85
Montserrat Caballe, a Spanish opera singer renowned for her bel canto technique and her interpretations of the roles of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, has died. She was 85. Caballe died early Saturday at Hospital San Pau in Barcelona, hospital spokesman Abraham del Moral told The Associated Press. Caballe’s family requested the cause of death not be released, saying that she...
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Ronaldo Ready to Play for Juventus Amid Rape Allegation
Cristiano Ronaldo will be available to play for his Italian soccer team on Saturday. Ronaldo, who is facing a rape allegation in the United States, could play when Juventus faces Udinese in the Italian league, according to coach Massimiliano Allegri.
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World Cup: Croatia Defeats England to Reach Final
Croatia’s legs seemed heavy, burdened by the accumulated toll of consecutive penalty-kicks wins needed to get this far. England had gone ahead with a free kick just five minutes in, dominated play and appeared headed to its first World Cup final since 1966. Then the second half started and it was as if a different Croatian team had replaced the...
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France Advances to World Cup Final, Beats Belgium 1-0
France is back in the World Cup final for the first time since Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt in 2006....
Twelve years after one of soccer’s most infamous moments, Samuel Umtiti used his head to score from a corner kick in the 51st minute and earn France a 1-0 victory over Belgium on Tuesday in the first of the all-European semifinals....
The French players... -
Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer's Reigning Top Player, Is Leaving Real Madrid
Real Madrid says Cristiano Ronaldo, the reigning top soccer player in the world, is leaving the Spanish team to join Italian club Juventus.
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World Cup: England Beats Sweden, Croatia Takes Russia to Advance to Semifinals
England and Croatia are headed to the World Cup semifinals after Saturday victories.
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Messi and Ronaldo Exit World Cup Without Titles
Messi hasn’t won a senior title with his nation, losing finals at the 2014 World Cup, and the 2007, ’15 and ’16 Copa Americas, the last when Messi failed on his penalty kick during a shootout. He faced massive criticism at home and retired from the national team only to be lured back for this World Cup cycle. Ronaldo lost...
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Suarez Scores Again, Uruguay Beats Host Russia 3-0
Luis Suarez finally got rattled at this year’s World Cup. Sitting at the podium in the post-match news conference following Uruguay’s 3-0 victory over Russia, a reporter asked him why he often wore a sad expression.
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Ronaldo's Goals and Goatee Make This World Cup His Own
Cristiano Ronaldo walked out for warmups at sun-splashed Luzhniki Stadium with diamonds affixed to each earlobe and a new goatee sprouting from his chin — like a goat, get it? Greatest of All Time.
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World Cup: Spain, Uruguay and Portugal Earn Victories
Diego Costa scored on a deflection to lead Spain to a 1-0 win over Iran on Wednesday at the World Cup. Costa broke the deadlock in the 54th minute after being set up by Andres Iniesta. The powerful striker turned in the area and took a shot but the ball deflected off Ramin Rezeian before bouncing back onto Costa’s knee...
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World Cup: Japan, Senegal, Russia Earn Victories
Russia scored three goals in a 15-minute span early in the second half to set up a 3-1 win over Egypt on Tuesday, moving the host nation to the brink of the World Cup’s knockout stage. Mohamed Salah won and converted a penalty for a consolation goal on his return from injury but Egypt’s first World Cup in 28 years...
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World Cup: Ronaldo Scores Hat Trick as Portugal Draws Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick, capped by a dipping free kick in the 88th minute as Portugal and Spain played to a wild 3-3 draw in the Group B opener for both countries. Ronaldo scored twice in the first half, only to see Spain rally for a 3-2 lead after two goals in three minutes early in the second...
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World Cup: Ronaldo Scores Hat Trick as Portugal Draws Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick, capped by a dipping free kick in the 88th minute as Portugal and Spain played to a wild 3-3 draw in the Group B opener for both countries. Ronaldo scored twice in the first half, only to see Spain rally for a 3-2 lead after two goals in three minutes early in the second...
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Nigeria's Bright, Trippy Uniforms a Hit Among World Cup Uniforms
Nigeria’s bright, trippy uniforms a hit among World Cup unis
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Champions League Drama Gives World Cup Tough Act to Follow
A spirit of chaos and adventure swept through this season’s Champions League, serving up a record number of goals and almost non-stop drama when the top teams collided.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Wins 5th Award for Soccer's Best Player, Tying Messi for Record
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or award as soccer’s best player of the year for a record-equaling fifth time, moving him level with Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
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Ronaldo Joins Messi as 5-Time Winner of FIFA Player Award
Cristiano Ronaldo has caught up with Lionel Messi to become a five-time winner of FIFA’s best player award.
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US Back on Track for World Cup, Pulisic Leads Rout of Panama
Teenage star Christian Pulisic scored with a brilliant touch to complete a field-length attack just eight minutes in, then split the defense with a pass that set up Jozy Altidore for the first of the forward’s two goals and put the United States back on track for next year’s World Cup with a 4-0 rout of Panama on Friday night....
Pulisic... -
Brazilian Soccer Star Neymar Shatters World Record With $262 Million Move From Barcelona
Brazil star Neymar has cleared the way for him to join Paris Saint-Germain by paying a 222 million euro ($262 million) buyout clause Thursday that frees him from his contract with Barcelona.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Accused of Tax Fraud by Spanish State Prosecutor
A Spanish state prosecutor accused Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo of defrauding Spain’s tax office of 14.7 million euros ($16.5 million) in unpaid taxes on Tuesday. In a statement, Madrid’s regional state prosecutor accused Ronaldo of four accounts of tax fraud from 2011-14. It said the Portugal forward “took advantage of a business structure created in 2010 to hide from...
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More Than 1,500 Injured in Panic After Soccer Game
More than 1,500 people were injured when panic swept through a crowd of Juventus fans watching the Champions League final in a piazza in the northern Italian city of Turin, authorities said Sunday. The Turin prefect said in a statement that the crowd “was taken by panic and by the psychosis of a terror attack,” fearing that a loud noise...
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Ronaldo Helps Real Madrid Become 1st Team to Retain CL Title
After another potent demonstration of his enduring scoring prowess, surely no Real Madrid fan can contemplate criticizing Cristiano Ronaldo now....
Particularly after the world player of the year ensured Madrid pulled off one of soccer’s hardest feats, becoming the first team to successfully defend their Champions League title....
The critics who irritated Ronaldo so much in the buildup to Saturday’s final were... -
German Bus Attack Suspect Acted Out of Greed: Prosecutors
A 28-year-old German-Russian citizen took out a five-figure loan to bet that Borussia Dortmund shares would drop, then bombed the soccer team’s bus in an attack he tried to disguise as Islamic terrorism in a scheme to net millions, German officials said Friday. The suspect, identified only as Sergej W. in line with German privacy laws, was arrested by a...
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Germany Eyes Islamic Extremist Motive in Dortmund, Arrests 1
German authorities arrested a suspected Islamic extremist Wednesday in their investigation into a bomb attack on a top German soccer team, while the team — missing a defender wounded in the blasts — lost 3-2 to Monaco in a hastily rescheduled Champions League match. Amid heightened security, the defeat for Borussia Dortmund in Europe’s top club competition came less than...
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Germany: Player Hurt in Blasts Near Borussia Dortmund Bus
Three explosions went off near the team bus of Borussia Dortmund, one of Germany’s top soccer clubs, as it set off for a Champions League quarterfinal match on Tuesday evening. One of Dortmund’s players was injured. Police said they were working on the assumption that the blasts were directed at the Dortmund team and caused by “serious explosive devices,” which...
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Cristiano Ronaldo Wins FIFA Best Player Award for 4th Time
He beat runner-up and great rival Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann to complete a sweep of top individual awards.
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Small Brazilian City Prepares to Bury Soccer Crash Victims
A small Brazilian city that was captivated by the rise of its modest soccer club prepared Saturday to bury the dead from a plane crash that claimed most of the team’s players and staff. The plane crashed into a muddy mountainside outside of Medillin, Colombia, on Monday as the club headed to the two-game final of one of Latin America’s...
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Chapecoense Vows to Compete, Possibly With Borrowed Players
Six players, a handful of support staff, and deep sorrow are all that remain of Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer club. They will still try to play again. Because they know that’s what their 19 teammates who died Monday when a charter plane ripped into an Andean mountainside would want them to do. Other clubs in Brazil’s top league are offering to...