GENEVA (AP) — Russia is giving up its place on the FIFA Council and proposing its soccer federation president as a new candidate to join the UEFA executive committee, the European soccer body said...
MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo moved closer to becoming the all-time top scorer for a national team on Wednesday in a round of friendlies in which several matches were affected by the...
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Diogo Jota scored two goals and set up another as Portugal defeated Sweden 3-0 in the Nations League on Wednesday in its first game since Cristiano Ronaldo had to be...
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the latest international soccer star to test positive for the coronavirus.
The Portuguese soccer federation said Tuesday that Ronaldo was doing well and had no...
MADRID (AP) — Sevilla beat Mallorca 2-0 in the Spanish league on Sunday to move within a draw of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal coach Fernando Santos will remain in charge of the national team until the 2024 European Championship, the Portuguese soccer federation said...
Bayer Leverkusen handed coach Peter Bosz a contract extension until summer 2022 on Friday despite the team failing to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League.
BOGOTA (AP) — South American soccer teams trying to secure a spot at the Tokyo Olympics will have to do without some of their best Under-23 players at an upcoming qualifying tournament.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The newly appointed chief of Colombia’s army says he is willing to meet with soccer star Juan Fernando Quintero to discuss his father’s disappearance more than 20 years...
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Fernando Ricksen, a former Netherlands national team defender, has died after a six-year battle with motor neurone disease. He was 43.
LIMA, Peru (AP) — On a Peruvian beach, Argentina's passionate sports fans have been waving the country's sky-blue and white flag this week for a group of athletes looking to make a splash at next...
PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Three years after conquering European soccer for the first time, Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo are celebrating another international title.
PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Portugal defender Pepe will miss the Nations League final because of a shoulder injury.
The Portuguese soccer federation says Pepe will not play Sunday's final against...
PORTO, Portugal (AP) — On a night when Portugal unveiled its newest star, it was the same old Cristiano Ronaldo who came through for the national team again.
NITEROI, Brazil (AP) — Paul Fernando Schreiner paces around a sparsely furnished room, swatting mosquitoes from his arms and neck as he wonders if today will be any different from all the...
NITEROI, Brazil (AP) — Paul Fernando Schreiner paces around a sparsely furnished room, swatting mosquitoes from his arms and neck as he wonders if today will be any different from all the...
The days of Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha and Fernando Hierro running out to play Premier League games for Bolton are a distant memory for long-suffering fans of the English soccer...
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo is back on Portugal's national soccer team for the first time since the World Cup.
Ronaldo was included in coach Fernando Santos' team Friday for...
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa play-by-play announcer Gary Dolphin, who was suspended last week for likening Maryland's Bruno Fernando to "King Kong" during a game, will be reinstated after the end...
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Fernando Clavijo, a surprise starter for the 1994 U.S. World Cup team who went on to a long coaching and management career in Major League Soccer, has died. He was 63.
FC Dallas said he died Friday at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from multiple myeloma. Clavijo was the team's technical director from March 2002 until he stepped down last September because of his health.
SAO PAULO (AP) — President-elect Jair Bolsonaro has been jeered and cheered during soccer celebrations in Brazil on Sunday.
The far-right leader handed the trophy to Palmeiras after the team's 3-2 home win against Vitoria in the last round of the Brazilian championship. Palmeiras had secured the title for the 10th time in the previous round.
Many fans at the 55,000-seater Allianz Parque stadium jeered as Bolsonaro took part in the celebrations, while others applauded.
MILAN (AP) — No Cristiano Ronaldo, no problem.
Portugal drew with Italy 0-0 on Saturday to pick up the point it needed to qualify for the UEFA Nations League finals and confirm it as host of the first Final Four in June.
Ronaldo is taking a break from the national team and wasn't present at San Siro, just as he wasn't in Portugal's first two Nations League matches — both of which they won.
"There's a lot of satisfaction at having reached the final phase," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said.
Son Heung-min burst out of a 19-game goal drought to help Tottenham into the English League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, while a pair of early own-goals ruined Frank Lampard's return to former club Chelsea.
Son scored his first two goals of the season and another of Tottenham's forgotten men, Fernando Llorente, added one in a 3-1 win over West Ham in an all-Premier League London derby at the Olympic Stadium.
It's not only Real Madrid that has to adapt to life without Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal's national soccer team also has had to cope without the star forward as he takes a break from international duty following his transfer to Juventus and amid a rape allegation against him.
Ronaldo hasn't been called up for the national team since the World Cup, and the Portuguese soccer federation has already said he also will not be considered for upcoming international matches later this year.
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was left off Portugal's national team squad for a pair of upcoming matches, the decision coming Thursday as the soccer great fights a rape allegation in the United States.
Ronaldo has been accused of rape by Kathryn Mayorga, who says the player assaulted her in Las Vegas in 2009. He has denied the accusation.
TOSU, Japan (AP) — Former Spain striker Fernando Torres signed to play for Sagan Tosu in the J1 League on Tuesday, dashing the hopes of Australian football that he might become a marquee attraction for its struggling A-League.
The 34-year-old Torres held discussions with Football Federation Australia and officials of A-League glamor club Sydney FC, raising hopes he might add some star power to the A-League which has seen flagging attendances and TV ratings.
MADRID (AP) — Fernando Hierro is out as coach of Spain's national team after less than a month in charge and a disappointing four-game run at the World Cup.
The Spanish federation said Sunday that it wanted "to thank Fernando Hierro for his commitment and for assuming the responsibility of being in charge of the national team during some extraordinary situations."
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia (AP) — It didn't work at either end of the field for Uruguay in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Most clearly, when goalkeeper Fernando Muslera allowed Antoine Griezmann's seemingly straightforward shot to bounce off his hands and into the net to put France ahead 2-0 on Friday.
"Fernando is a top goalkeeper. We all make mistakes. That's football," Uruguay captain Diego Godin said. "We have to move on."
Before that blunder at the back, Uruguay was struggling up front.
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't carry the team by himself this time.
The five-time player of the year, who scored four goals in his opening two matches at the World Cup, was eliminated from the tournament on Saturday after Portugal lost to Uruguay 2-1 in the round of 16.
"We gave our best," Ronaldo said. "The team played well. As the team captain I am proud of this group."
MOSCOW (AP) — For a team that fired its coach two days before its first World Cup match, Spain has quietly played its way into a fine position.
KALININGRAD, Russia (AP) — Spain doesn't need to win its last World Cup group match to advance, but that doesn't mean coach Fernando Hierro wants his team to look past Morocco to the round of 16.
The 2010 champions can go through if they beat or draw with already-eliminated Morocco or if Portugal beats Iran in the other match in their group.
KALININGRAD, Russia (AP) — Morocco has lost both its matches at the World Cup and hasn't scored a goal. That doesn't mean Spain will have it easy against the North Africans.
The Atlas Lions will be desperate to salvage something from what has been a miserable World Cup for Morocco when they take on Spain in Kaliningrad on Monday in their final Group B match.
Morocco coach Herve Renard says "We will finish against Spain and we will try to finish with flying colors."
KAZAN, Russia (AP) — Fernando Hierro had an abrupt answer to those asking questions about his tactics and strategies at the World Cup.
"I'm the new coach. I'm the national coach," the former Real Madrid captain said. "You have to get used to that."
KAZAN, Russia (AP) — Iran coach Carlos Queiroz was a big fan of Fernando Hierro the player. He believes the former Real Madrid captain has all the qualities to deliver success at the World Cup as Spain's coach too.
Among Queiroz's big regrets is having been deprived of the opportunity to coach Hierro during his short stint in the Madrid dugout.
MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the opening day of the World Cup (all times local):
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The second day of World Cup action will bring one of the most anticipated games of the opening round: Spain against Portugal in a match of two teams trying to bring the focus back to soccer.
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Spain can't wait to get the ball rolling and put its coaching woes in the past.
And nothing better than a win against European champion Portugal in its World Cup opener to start moving forward after one of the most chaotic days in the national team's history.
MOSCOW (AP) — Spain and Portugal meet for just the second time in the World Cup in one of the most intriguing games of the group stage. Spain is in chaos after firing its coach two days before Friday's match, and Portugal has been fending off distractions since star Cristiano Ronaldo hinted at an upcoming announcement about his future.
The Group B match in Sochi is at Fisht Olympic Stadium, the first World Cup game to be played at the venue.
Spain has made a coaching change just two days before the start of the World Cup in a move that will be heavily scrutinized over the coming weeks.
Was it a surprise move? Absolutely.
But the history of coaching dismissals in soccer and every other sport is littered with strange timing, strange decisions and strange circumstances. Now Julen Lopetegui's case joins them.
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Fernando Hierro didn't hesitate when asked if he would be happy to become the Zinedine Zidane of the national team.
"Where do I sign," said Hierro, smiling broadly only a few hours after being named Spain coach in a chaotic shuffle two days before the team's opening World Cup match. "Hopefully."
SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Compared to Spain's coaching chaos, the distractions created by Cristiano Ronaldo have become almost meaningless for Portugal.
With only two days to go before Spain's opening match at the World Cup, Julen Lopetegui was fired as national team coach after accepting a job to lead Real Madrid next season.
Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales, who made the announcement on Wednesday in Krasnodar, later said Fernando Hierro would replace Lopetegui as coach for Spain's match against Portugal in Sochi on Friday.