PARIS (AP) — World champion France fully capitalized on Iceland's defensive deficiencies and lack of imagination to demolish the North Atlantic nation 4-0 in qualifying for the 2020 European...
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — With his plan to revamp tennis' Davis Cup, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is laying the groundwork for a life after soccer.
Barcelona, however, needs its budding entrepreneur more now than ever to help stop a slump in the Spanish league.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona fans can stop worrying. Lionel Messi is just fine — and he scored a record eighth Champions League hat trick to prove it.
Three days after a rare poor performance in the Spanish league, Messi returned to normal service on Tuesday with three goals in a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League opener. That took the Argentine past longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has seven Champions League hat tricks.
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (AP) — Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez scored in the second half to lead Barcelona to a 2-1 comeback win at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Suarez equalized for Barcelona in the 63rd minute, when Samuel Umtiti fought for a high ball in the area after a corner kick which finally fell to the striker to tap in.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — With the sting of another World Cup disappointment still fresh and an obligatory match remaining, Belgium is already weighing how much it will have to remake its roster to finally win a major title.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — They're young, they're brash and they're collectively worth a billion dollars. The one thing missing for this French squad is an international title.
Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and France are about to get that chance.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Belgium's golden generation has come up short at a major tournament. Again.
With Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard in fantastic form creating chances for themselves and Romelu Lukaku up front, Vincent Kompany fit again at the heart of the defense and Thibaut Courtois standing tall in goal, these Red Devils racked up more goals than any other team in the World Cup. Through five matches, it looked as if they could finally deliver on their promise.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — France's defense made the difference — on both sides of the field.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris kept out the shots and defender Samuel Umtiti scored the winning goal from a corner.
It was France's backline, not its slick attackers, that carried the team to the World Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Belgium on Tuesday.
KAZAN, Russia (AP) — Like any other team preparing to play Argentina, France faces the Lionel Messi question: How to stop the five-time world player of the year?
Unlike many of its rivals at the World Cup, though, France has an answer: a center-half pairing of Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti.
NICE, France (AP) — France showed glimpses of its attacking potential with a 3-1 home win against Italy in a World Cup warmup match on Friday.
Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele scored, while Kylian Mbappe was involved in center half Samuel Umtiti's opening goal.
Center half Leonardo Bonucci briefly gave Italy hope when he made it 2-1 after 36 minutes.
France could have scored more with midfielder N'Golo Kante hitting the post and Florian Thauvin seeing his late volley brilliantly saved.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona set a Spanish league record of 39 consecutive games unbeaten on Saturday, as it rebounded from its humbling Champions League exit by defeating Valencia 2-1 to continue its march to the domestic title.
MADRID (AP) — Newly signed Barcelona defender Yerry Mina took off his shoes and socks before stepping onto the field at Camp Nou Stadium during his official introduction to fans on Saturday.
For the young Colombian, it was an important first step into his new home.
"There is a verse in life that says that the soles of your feet will touch the land that you want to conquer," Mina said. "And I want to make history here. I want to triumph."
MADRID (AP) — There will be some Colombian dancing in Barcelona.
A few days after signing Philippe Coutinho to boost its attack, Barcelona strengthened its defense by adding young Colombian international Yerry Mina, a solid defender who is a threat on set-pieces and is known for his slick dance moves during goal celebrations.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona central defender Samuel Umtiti will be sidelined for about two months because of a right hamstring injury.
The France international was hurt midway through the second half of a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo in the Spanish league on Saturday.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo made a big impact in his truncated appearance at Camp Nou on Sunday, scoring a goal before being sent off in Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
Ronaldo went on in the 58th minute and scored with a beautiful strike to make it 2-1 in the 80th, earning a yellow card for taking off his shirt to flex his muscles at Barcelona's faithful.
SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Winger Ousmane Dembele scored the winner as 10-man France overcame a red card for Raphael Varane early in the second half to beat England 3-2 in a pulsating friendly on Tuesday.
Teenage striker Kylian Mbappe set up the 20-year-old Dembele's winner in the 78th minute with an astute pass, and the youthful attacking pair caused problems all night for a patchy England defense with their electrifying speed and skill.