MONACO – Paul Pogba is set to make his first competitive appearance in more than two years after AS Monaco named the midfielder in their travelling squad to face Rennes on Saturday, following the reduction of his doping suspension to 18 months, club sources said on Thursday. Pogba, 32, has not played since a 28-minute outing for Juventus against…

MANCHESTER, England – Former England striker Ian Wright has defended Jude Bellingham following criticism of the midfielder’s reaction to being substituted in Sunday’s World Cup qualifying win over Albania, arguing that some detractors are “not ready for a Black superstar.” Wright, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, said scrutiny of…

MANCHESTER, England – Sadio Mané has revealed he declined a transfer to Manchester United in 2015 despite direct talks with Louis van Gaal, choosing instead to remain at Southampton before completing a £36 million move to Liverpool the following year. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the Senegal international said Van Gaal attempted…

BARCELONA, Spain – Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor criticised the handling of a first-half power outage during her side’s 1-1 Women’s Champions League draw with Barcelona on Wednesday, saying the nine-minute stoppage disrupted the match and fell short of elite competition standards. Play was halted shortly before halftime after a technical failure…

SANTOS, Brazil – Neymar issued a public apology on Wednesday after conceding a second-half penalty in Santos’ 1-1 draw with Mirassol, a result that leaves the club just one point clear of the Serie A relegation zone with four matches remaining. The 33-year-old forward, who returned to Santos in January on a short-term deal after leaving…

MANCHESTER, England – Inter Milan and Manchester United have opened early talks to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi, with the 23-year-old increasingly expected to leave the Bundesliga club in the summer despite having four years left on his contract. Adeyemi, whose deal runs until 2027, has grown reluctant to discuss an extension amid…

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti secured their place at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua, completing a remarkable qualifying campaign despite head coach Sébastien Migné never having set foot in the country due to persistent security concerns. The win in Curaçao – where Haiti have played all their home fixtures because…

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao – Curacao’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup has put veteran manager Dick Advocaat on course to set a new tournament milestone, with the 78-year-old set to become the oldest coach to lead a team at a World Cup. Curacao secured a place at the expanded 48-team event after a decisive draw against Jamaica on Tuesday, finishing…

LILLE, France – Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said he switched penalty takers to ease pressure on teenage winger Estêvão after Lucas Paquetá missed a second-half spot kick in Tuesday’s 1-1 friendly draw with Tunisia. Estêvão, 18, had converted Brazil’s first penalty late in the first half to level the match and appeared set to take the second when…

MADRİD – Real Madrid defender Éder Militão has sustained an abductor injury to his right leg while on international duty with Brazil, the club said on Wednesday, leaving him unlikely to feature in Sunday’s LaLiga meeting with Elche. Madrid confirmed that medical examinations carried out on Wednesday revealed damage to an abductor muscle suffered…