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AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AFP) — Staging the Women’s World Cup will “wake up” New Zealand’s passion for football, the co-hosts’ coach Jitka Klimkova said on Wednesday’s eve of the tournament. Football remains well behind rugby, cricket and other sports in popularity in New Zealand, which is jointly hosting the World Cup with Australia. New Zealand have also never won a Women’s World Cup game in 15 attempts, but they hope to change that when they […]
By Allison JACKSON Agence France-Presse MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — In a country obsessed with beauty pageants, basketball and boxing, the Philippines women’s team hope to ignite interest in football when they make the nation’s World Cup debut this week. Long minnows in the sport, the Philippines have never played at a FIFA World Cup, either the men’s or women’s. All that will change on Friday when the women’s side under their Australian coach Alen Stajcic […]
By Andy SCOTT Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The first-ever 32-team Women’s World Cup begins in Australia and New Zealand on July 20, with the United States aiming to win a third consecutive title in a landmark month for the women’s game. It has been a rapid expansion for a tournament that featured just 16 teams in 2011 in Germany and 24 sides in France four years ago, when the USA retained the trophy. […]
PARIS (AFP) — Cristiano Ronaldo marked his 200th international appearance with the winner as Portugal beat Iceland 1-0 in Euro 2024 qualifying on Tuesday, while Erling Haaland netted twice for Norway. Elsewhere, Belgium brushed aside the Thibaut Courtois captaincy row by seeing off Estonia thanks to a Romelu Lukaku double in Tallinn and Moldova came from two goals down to stun Poland. Portugal appeared to be heading towards a drab goalless draw in Reykjavik until […]
ENSCHEDE, Netherlands, June 15, 2023 (AFP) — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team’s morale was “sky high” after they beat Italy on Thursday to reach the Nations League final against Croatia. La Roja snatched a late winner through Joselu after Italy’s Ciro Immobile cancelled out Yeremy Pino’s opening goal. The coach had been criticized heavily after his first two matches in March, the second of which was a defeat by Scotland. “(I […]
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, June 14, 2023 (AFP) – Bruno Petkovic and Luka Modric struck in extra time to fire Croatia into the Nations League final with a 4-2 victory over hosts the Netherlands on Wednesday. Zlatko Dalic’s side, who reached the World Cup semi-finals last year, moved a step closer to earning their first ever trophy and demonstrated once again they are extra-time specialists. Andrej Kramaric and Mario Pasalic netted in the second half after Donyell […]
By Rik Sharma Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Lionel Messi on Wednesday announced he will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia. The Argentine forward, 35, has spent the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, playing his final game for the club on Saturday, after moving from Barcelona in 2021, where he […]
BRASÍLIA, June 7, 2023 (AFP) — Legislators in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro approved a law on Tuesday to curtail football matches affected by racist abuse, after a wave of disgust over the treatment of Vinicius Junior. The Real Madrid star, a native of the state, has been targeted multiple times by terrace racists over the past two years in Spain. State deputy Prof. Josemar, who drafted the legislation, said the winger’s treatment […]
SAN SALVADOR, May 22, 2023 (AFP) – El Salvador soccer fans were mourning Sunday after 12 people died and hundreds were injured in a stampede at a stadium, with the country’s president vowing an investigation. Authorities said initial reports pointed to a crush of fans who tried to enter the 35,000-seat Cuscatlan Stadium in the Central American country’s capital San Salvador to watch a game between two local teams, Alianza and FAS. The match was […]
BEIJING, May 22, 2023 (AFP) — Lionel Messi will lead world champions Argentina in a friendly against Australia in Beijing, the country said on Monday, followed by another game in Indonesia. The clash on June 15 at the Workers’ Stadium in the Chinese capital is a rematch of Argentina and Australia’s meeting in the last 16 of the Qatar World Cup. Messi scored in a 2-1 win for Argentina and they went on to win […]
Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu has been rescued from the rubble of the earthquake that killed and injured thousands in Turkey and neighbouring Syria, Ghana’s Football Association confirmed on Tuesday. Former Newcastle midfielder Atsu, 31, joined Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor in September, based in the southern province of Hatay near the epicentre of Monday’s massive quake. “Good news! We’ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the […]
by Talek HARRIS Agence France-Presse RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Cristiano Ronaldo recovered from a punch in the face to score twice against Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday in a lively reunion with his great rival Lionel Messi that demonstrated the financial firepower of the resource-rich Gulf. Ronaldo, 37, was decked by PSG ‘keeper Keylor Navas’s flailing fist but he drilled the resulting penalty and then added another in a 5-4 exhibition defeat, his first appearance […]
