News of all that's transpired on and off the football field on Friday
Luis Figo's decision to enter FIFA's presidential election has received a positive reaction in his native Portugal even though he faces a seemingly impossible task to unseat incumbent Sepp Blatter in May.
The historic Maracana stadium has hosted two World Cup finals, in 1950 and 2014, and saw Messi and his squad become 2021 Copa America champions by beating Brazil 1-0.
Cristiano Ronaldo capped a remarkable year by claiming a fourth Ballon d'Or award on Monday after leading Portugal to an emotional European Championship title and Real Madrid to a record-extending Champions League crown in 2016.
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) said it was "deeply concerned and shocked" by a Sunday Times report in which a British doctor alleged he had prescribed banned performance-enhancing drugs to 150 sportsmen including several Premier League footballers.
Paris St-Germain soccer star Kylian Mbappe and Chinese Olympic diving champion Zhang Jiaqi became godparents on Thursday to two baby pandas born at a French zoo earlier this year.
France striker Thierry Henry has announced his retirement from international soccer, the BBC reported on Thursday.
The rumblings of discontent from Righteous Europe over Qatar's admittedly appalling human rights record can only be viewed as deeply disingenuous and phoney, argues Kanika Datta.
France striker Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday fell short of saying he would leave Paris St Germain when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The enormous structured global advertising machinery that surrounds every football game on the planet today? Pele was perhaps single-handedly responsible for all of it. By just being brilliant, captivating crowds, and behaving like a being from the future, doing things that STILL provoke oohs and aahs from watchers. Vaibhav Raghunandan salutes the Incomparable Pele.
Atletico should have plenty of money available after talismanic striker Antoine Griezmann said last month he is to leave the club.
In Mumbai to launch a business venture, Portuguese football legend Luis Figo, winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2000 and the FIFA World Player of 2001, discusses Barcelona, Real Madrid...
Scaloni has helped get one over the Dutch Master at least once before when he was at Deportivo, who pipped Van Gaal's Barcelona to the 1999-2000 La Liga title.
Marciniak responded to the criticism in a unique manner.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Olympiakos coach taken to hospital, match abandoned after crowd trouble
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale have been shortlisted for this year's coveted Ballon d'Or award.
Manchester United are optimistic ahead of a crucial period of fixtures as they are close to finding their best form, midfielder Ander Herrera said ahead of Sunday's top of the table showdown against Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Images from football matches held across Europe on Saturday
Real Madrid have courted Mbappe in the past but failed to land the 24-year-old, who signed a contract extension with PSG in May last year.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo struck his fifth international hat-trick, including a spectacular volleyed opener, to lead the European champions to a 5-1 win over the Faroe Islands in their World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
Two football bosses including a former president of Honduras pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to US charges they took bribes in exchange for media and marketing contracts in a scandal that has rocked the business of global football.
"They look to us as role models. We are just happy to be in this position, to give them a pathway and to show them that your dreams are possible as long as you work hard for them."
World champions Germany drew 1-1 with Spain in a high tempo friendly on Friday as they launched their preparations for a title defence in Russia while their opponents had striker Diego Costa making his long-awaited comeback as a substitute.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Pochettino, who is well aware of Messi's game-changing abilities having worked with the 35-year-old last season, said he was still the best player in the world.
"So already in Russia (2018 World Cup), we asked referees to calculate the stoppage time more accurately to be given at the end of each half."
Hakim won the Santosh Trophy for Services in 1960 and continued to be a part of the squad till 1966. At club level, he played for City College Old Boys (Hyderabad) and Indian Air Force.
Set to start his stint as manager-cum-player of Chennaiyin FC, Italian World Cup winner Marco Materazzi promised to do his best to raise the profile of the game in the country through the Indian Super League which kicks off next month.
Real Madrid will not seek to boost their squad ahead of their transfer ban, which starts at the end of the month, club president Florentino Perez said on Wednesday. Perez's leadership at Real has been synonymous with glamour signings but the club will be unable to register new players during the next two transfer windows for breaching FIFA rules on signing non-Spanish Under-18 players. "We will not sign players during the winter market but this has nothing to do with the punishment. It is because we have the best players and the best trainer," Perez told France Football.
Asked to rate Croatia's success in the past four years, Dalic said the 2018 semi-final win over England was so far their biggest match.
Portugal play surprise package Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday and a visibly frustrated Santos took great pains to explain what happened behind the scenes to put the issue to bed.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Five strikers who surprised us in World Cup 2022.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
England's Raheem Sterling will head back to Britain on Monday to be with his family, coach Gareth Southgate said, as local media reported a break-in at his home.
England's Liverpool FC and Spanish champions Real Madrid will face off in the final in Paris.
Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times.
