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…

MUNICH, Germany – Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font said on Wednesday that Lionel Messi would be the first person he contacts if he wins the club’s 2026 presidential election, as the businessman positions himself as a challenger to incumbent Joan Laporta. Font, 53, who lost to Laporta in the 2021 election, told El Mundo Deportivo that…

LONDON – Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães is expected to be out for a minimum of four weeks after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty with Brazil, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The 27-year-old center-back suffered the muscle problem during the second half of Brazil’s friendly against Senegal on Saturday. Arsenal’s medical…

LONDON – Chelsea striker Sam Kerr will miss Wednesday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League meeting with Barcelona as the club continues to manage her gradual return from a long-term knee injury. Kerr, who recently stepped back onto the pitch after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, scored twice in Chelsea’s 6-0 victory over St.…

ZURICH, Switzerland – FIFA confirmed the top-seeded nations for the 2026 World Cup draw on Wednesday after releasing its latest men’s rankings, finalizing the allocation of teams ahead of the Dec. 5 ceremony in Washington, D.C. Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany join co-hosts the United…

Achraf Hakimi capped a monster year by scooping the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award in Rabat, becoming the first defender since 1973 to take Africa’s top individual honour after beating Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen to the prize. The Paris Saint-Germain right-back, 27, was hailed on Wednesday night after a season where just about everything…

Barcelona has received their first concrete offer for Marc-André ter Stegen, with Besiktas stepping forward with a loan bid that would see the Turkish side cover the keeper’s full wages and hold an €8m option to buy next summer. Fanatik claim Besiktas have gone in early, tabling a proposal that runs until the end of the season and includes a…