Lionel Messi was back in scoring business for Barcelona on Sunday, leading them to a resounding 4-0 win at home against Villarreal in a near-perfect La Liga opener for the Catalans under new coach Ronald Koeman.
Barcelona playmaker Xavi may recover from a hamstring injury in time to feature in Wednesday's Champions League last 16 first leg at Serie A side AC Milan, interim coach Jordi Roura said on Friday.
The report details the reasons behind Liverpool striker Suarez's eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United and France defender Evra in a Premier League match at Anfield on October 15.
United Arab Emirates' soccer playmaker Omar Abdulrahman is unfazed about facing Britain at the Olympics -- but the All Whites' task of upsetting the hosts will be made harder by the tournament coinciding with Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.
Les Bleus needed a penalty, given by the video assistant referee, and goal-line technology to beat Australia 2-1 in their opening game and they were shaken up by Peru on Thursday but won 1-0 thanks to a Kylian Mbappe goal.
Twice European champions Benfica reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2006 when goals by Uruguay's Maxi Pereira and Portugal's Nelson Oliveira secured a convincing 2-0 win over Russia's Zenit St Petersburg.
Lionel Messi scored and missed a penalty in Argentina's 3-1 win in Germany and Belgium stunned Netherlands 4-2 as a flurry of new coaches and debutants cut their international teeth in friendlies on Wednesday.
Hosts Russia virtually sealed a place in the second round of the FIFA World Cup after a 3-1 victory over Egypt on Tuesday. The victory took them to top the of Group A with six points from two games.
The Indian men's hockey team's biggest gain this year was the emergence of some talented fresh faces.
Wantaway Liverpool striker Luis Suarez must apologise to his club and teammates if he wants to be welcomed back into the squad, manager Brendan Rodgers said.
Finland have never qualified for the finals of a major tournament, but that did not stop Said from joining Kuopion Palloseura, known as KuPS, on loan when he was in need of playing time ahead of the finals.
Argentina moved top as South America dominated the monthly FIFA rankings on Thursday with five teams, half of the continent's total, in the top 10.
Former world number one Djokovic saved four match points but cracked under his opponent's tremendous pressure on the fifth as Goffin set up a last-four meeting with either clay court king Rafael Nadal or Argentine Diego Schwartzman.
The favourites to win next year's World Cup in Russia were given navigable paths to the last 16 with the coaches of Germany, Brazil, Argentina and Spain having reason to feel reasonably optimistic after Friday's draw.
Sania Mirza, paring with Brazilian Bruno Soares, bowed out of the mixed doubles at the Australian Open after being beaten in the semis on Friday. Leander Paes kept himself in line for his 15th Grand Slam title by making it to the final.
Liverpool are working closely with Merseyside police in an attempt to identify a man who appeared to have made racist gestures during their FA Cup fourth round victory over Manchester United at Anfield on Saturday.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was back in training on Monday five days before the La Liga leaders play at second-placed Real Madrid in the first of the season's two Clasicos.
The seventh-seeded Indian combination got the better of Marcel Felder of Uruguay and Tunisia's Malek Jaziri 6-0, 7-6 (1), 6-2 in their first round match.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Two goals in the first half from Roberto Firmino and Neymar gave Brazil an easy 2-0 victory over the United States in a friendly match in New Jersey on Friday.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been banned for eight matches and fined 40,000 pounds for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League match at Anfield in October, the FA said on Tuesday.
Colombia striker Teofilo Gutierrez has been voted South America's footballer of the year and their Argentine coach Jose Pekerman the best coach for the third time in a row.
According to Associated Press, Messi was banned for "having directed insulting words at an assistant referee" during a home qualifier against Chile on Thursday, FIFA said hours before kickoff in La Paz.
Disgraced FIFA officials, suspended UEFA chief Michel Platini and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi were amongst the names found on Sunday in leaked documents which reveal offshore financial dealings.
Spain clung to the top of the FIFA rankings despite modest friendly performances this month while Venezuela's impressive World Cup qualifying campaign propelled them to a record high.
Barcelona's Gerard Pique is envied. Not just for his footballing skills bout also his football jersey collection.
German club Mainz 05 are ready to offload Gonzalo Jara after the Chile international whipped up a storm at the Copa America by sticking his finger up the backside of an opponent before falling to the floor theatrically when the player retaliated.
Roger Federer won the inaugural Istanbul Open on Sunday, beating third seed Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-6 (11) for his first clay title in three years.
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra is standing by his allegation that he was racially abused by Liverpool's Luis Suarez and will continue to pursue the matter, United manager Alex Ferguson said on Monday.
Lionel Messi was lauded by opposition supporters on Sunday after he scored an outstanding hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-1 win at Real Betis, which put the Catalans 10 points clear at the top of La Liga with 10 games remaining.
The last time Stanislav Cherchesov walked out at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium to face Fernando Hierro's side, the Spaniards were heavy favourites but the Russians reached the next round.
Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years.
A draw in Kaliningrad would guarantee the 2010 winners safe passage into the last 16 but to be assured of winning the group they need to win a scoring contest with Portugal, who play Iran at the same time.
The Indian eves had earlier defeated Uruguay 4-2 in a thrilling shootout in their opening match.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Barcelona have condemned FIFA's decision to impose a four-match international ban on striker Lionel Messi for verbally abusing a match official in Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Chile last week.
A decision to include Japan and Qatar as the invited sides to this year's Copa has also done little to generate faith in the new leadership, with the tournament usually featuring the 10 South American nations plus two invited teams, although they are generally from elsewhere in the Americas.
Images from football matches played in the La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga on Saturday.
Football fans in England are reportedly being pulled into a 15 million euro World Cup ticket scam.
Goal-happy Manchester City continued where they left off at Manchester United on Sunday as they came from behind to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-2 on Wednesday to march into the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances