SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's national team will prepare in Europe beginning Nov. 14 for the World Cup in Qatar at a location to be decided, Juninho Paulista, the coordinator of the Brazilian soccer body, said Friday.
GENEVA (AP) — Female referees will make World Cup history this year by working games at a major men’s tournament for the first time in Qatar.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Qatar committed Wednesday to investing 4.7 billion euros ($4.9 billion) in Spain as the European country launches an economic overhaul with its share of European Union pandemic recovery funding.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku were all called back into the 32-man Belgium squad on Wednesday ahead of upcoming Nations League matches.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez had rested the Red Devils' big names for matches in March to focus on players with fewer than 50 international appearances.
While Europeans bask in the warmth of spring, governments are in a race against winter.
Europe is trying to cut use of Russian natural gas because of the war in Ukraine, but still find enough fuel to keep the lights on and homes warm before it gets cold again.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A government watchdog says decisions by Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan were the key factors in the collapse of that nation's military.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — China withdrew as host of soccer's 2023 Asian Cup on Saturday in the latest cancellation of the country's sports hosting duties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Asian Football Confederation praised Chinese soccer officials for making “this very difficult but necessary decision in the collective interests of the AFC Asian Cup.”
Qatar, a key U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf, is facing increased scrutiny over its alleged financial ties to terrorism in a lawsuit from relatives of a slain American journalist and a separate federal investigation into a member of the country’s royal family.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Qatar’s emir met with Iranian leaders on Thursday, offering support for efforts to revive the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, even as talks on the tattered accord remain deadlocked.
GENEVA (AP) — FIFA opened a disciplinary case Wednesday looking into whether Ecuador fielded an ineligible player during World Cup qualifying, a case that could see the country thrown out of this year's tournament in Qatar.
ZURICH (AP) — Brazil and Argentina lost their appeals to FIFA on Monday and will have to play the World Cup qualifying game that was abandoned last year in Sao Paulo amid chaos on the field caused by pandemic rule breaches.
ZURICH (AP) — A World Cup legal dispute flared Thursday with Chile challenging Ecuador’s place at the finals tournament over an alleged ineligible player.
The Chilean soccer federation asked FIFA to investigate its claim that Ecuador player Byron Castillo is actually Colombian and not entitled to have played in qualifying games.
FIFA has received 3 million ticket requests for the World Cup final in Qatar and high demand to attend some of its biggest group-stage games, even as issues linger about the tiny Persian Gulf nation's ability to accommodate fans.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — While Japan and South Korea will start fine-tuning for the World Cup with high-profile warm-ups against Brazil next month, there are concerns in Iran that Asia’s top-ranked team has been slow off the mark with its preparations.
EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — At age 39, goalkeeper Craig Gordon was voted player of the year in Scotland for a record third time on Wednesday.
The Scotland and Hearts player was picked again by journalists 16 years after he first won the award in his previous spell with the Edinburgh club.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said migrant workers gain pride from hard work when he was questioned on Monday about workers suffering in Qatar while building World Cup infrastructure.
Despite the abuses, Infantino claimed workers would feel proud at being given the chance to construct stadiums for this year's tournament in the Gulf nation, earning a living rather than being given charity.
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Republic coach Jaroslav Šilhavý has been given a contract extension despite the team's failure to reach the World Cup in Qatar.
Czech soccer federation head Petr Fousek said Monday that Šilhavý will remain in charge through 2023 for European Championship qualifying, and his contract will be automatically extended if the Czech Republic qualifies for the 2024 tournament in Germany.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A former top-ranking State Department official is set to plead guilty for improperly helping a wealthy Gulf country try to influence U.S. policy and not disclosing on a government ethics form gifts he received from a disgraced political fundraiser.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil will play a friendly against Japan as part of its preparations for the World Cup in Qatar.
The Brazilian soccer confederation said Wednesday in a statement the match will take place on June 6 in Tokyo.
ROME (AP) — Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini plans to retire from the national team after the “Finalissima” match against Argentina in London on June 1.
“If I’m in form I’ll play and bid the national team goodbye at Wembley, where I reached the apex of my career in Azzurro and perhaps of my entire career,” Chiellini said, referring to the Italy’s European Championship title last summer.
It's been more than three years since Dimitri Payet last played in a France shirt. At 35, his best years are behind him and his legs get tired quicker than they used to.
But with one last chance to play at a World Cup, Payet is doing everything to earn a seat on the plane that will carry the defending champions to Qatar in November.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Argentina and Brazil will play a June 11 friendly in Australia and officials from both teams will be hoping there is a proper conclusion this time.
The last time the teams met — in a World Cup qualifying match last September in Sao Paulo — the game was halted after only a few minutes after Brazilian health authorities walked onto the field during play as part of an effort to deport four Argentine players accused of violating coronavirus quarantine regulations.
ZURICH (AP) — Ukraine's bid to qualify for the Word Cup will resume on June 1 against Scotland after its playoff semifinal in Glasgow was postponed in March due to the country being invaded by Russia.
GENEVA (AP) — FIFA on Wednesday announced the hiring of its fourth different chief marketing executive in less than four years.
Former Juventus and United Arab Emirates league executive Romy Gai will take over as Chief Business Officer, soccer’s governing body said.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fox will televise 35 World Cup matches on its main Fox broadcast network, including all three U.S. first-round games in Qatar and all from the quarterfinals on.
The total on the Fox network is down from 38 at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s soccer association said Sunday it has parted company with national team coach Carlos Queiroz after the Pharaohs failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
LONDON (AP) — Qatar World Cup organizers have admitted that workers were exploited while contracted for FIFA's preparation tournaments in the Gulf State.
The acknowledgement of failings came after an investigation by Amnesty International which said security guards were forced to work in conditions it called “forced labor" by exceeding the 60-hour maximum work week and not having a day off for months or even years.
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Ronald Koeman will retake the helm of the Dutch national team after the World Cup following a disappointing stint at Barcelona.
Louis van Gaal will coach the Netherlands through the World Cup but had already said he would not go beyond the tournament in Qatar, which ends on Dec.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Netherlands national soccer team coach Louis van Gaal has revealed that he is being treated for an aggressive form of prostate cancer but still plans to lead the team at the World Cup in Qatar in November.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A World Cup buildup laced in controversy and geopolitical undertones has conjured up the most politically charged of matchups on the field in Qatar.
Just like at the FIFA showpiece in 1998, the United States will play Iran with diplomatic relations yet to be restored between the nations since being severed in 1980.
All three U.S. first-round matches at this year's World Cup will kick off at 2 p.m. EST, the latest in the day possible under the schedule in Qatar.
The U.S. opens Nov. 21 against Wales, Scotland or Ukraine at Al Rayyan, then plays England on Nov.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi possibly facing Robert Lewandowski, Spain definitely playing Germany, and Luis Suárez handed a rematch against old foe Ghana.
The draw on Friday for the World Cup group stage set up some intriguing prospects, with host Qatar playing Ecuador on the Nov.
Canada isn't satisfied with simply making the field for Qatar, although that in itself was an impressive accomplishment.
The Canadian national team is approaching the World Cup as an opportunity to show just how far the country has come since it last appeared in soccer's premier tournament in 1986.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Rainbow flags could be taken from fans at the World Cup in Qatar to protect them from being attacked for promoting gay rights, a senior leader overseeing security for the tournament told The Associated Press.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — As the 2030 World Cup hosting race takes shape, South American soccer officials said Friday they are still working on a four-nation bid that would celebrate the tournament's 100th birthday in its first home in Uruguay.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A dozen years of defending Qatar's suitability to host the World Cup can leave Hassan Al-Thawadi exasperated at the enduring glare of scrutiny and the accusatory, rather than celebratory, tone.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The appearance by video of the head of Ukrainian soccer, wearing an armored vest from the streets of Kyiv, brought the impact of Russia’s war into the FIFA Congress on Thursday.
“We have regularly received sad news of the deaths of members of the Ukrainian football community,” Andriy Pavelko said in a recorded message to the gathering in Qatar including delegates from Russia.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams had relief on their faces as they headed straight from the stadium for a charter jet to Europe and weekend club games.
“This is whatever I’ve always wanted to be, and right now emotions are a bit crazy,” Pulisic said, his voice quavering.
GENEVA (AP) — The head of the United Nations said Thursday that nearly all Afghans don’t have enough to eat and some have resorted to “selling their children and their body parts” to get money for food.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — World Cup host Qatar and FIFA received scathing criticism from within soccer on Thursday, a day before the tournament’s draw.
On their own territory. In their own house. By a member of soccer's extended family.