Category Archives: SOCCER

FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirms 2026 World Cup final will feature a Super Bowl-style half-time show… withColdplay in charge of choosing the musical performers

Rapper Kendrick Lamar headlined the half-time show at this year's Super Bowl in New Orleans

FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirms 2026 World Cup final will feature a Super Bowl-style half-time show… with Coldplay in charge of choosing the musical performers The 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey will feature a half-time show British pop rock band Coldplay will work with FIFA to select the performers LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is it harsh on Anthony Gordon that he misses the Carabao Cup final? By ROBERT SUMMERSCALES Published: 06:54 EST, 5 March 2025 | Updated: 07:44 EST, 5 March 2025 FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup final will feature a half-time show inspired by American football’s Super Bowl. The tournament – which will be the biggest in World Cup history as will feature 48 national teams, instead of 32

Millwall ban Mail Sport from matches and press conferences after reporting how club’s fans loudly chanted ‘let him die’ while Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta was being treated following horror ‘karate kick’ tackle

Mail Sport reported how Millwall fans loudly chanted ‘let him die’ while Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was surrounded by paramedics and being fitted with an oxygen mask

Millwall ban Mail Sport from matches and press conferences after reporting how club’s fans loudly chanted ‘let him die’ while Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta was being treated following horror ‘karate kick’ tackle Jean-Philippe Mateta was on the receiving end of a horror tackle on Saturday Millwall fans chanted ‘let him die’ while the Crystal Palace striker was treated LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is it harsh on Anthony Gordon that he misses the Carabao Cup final?  By KIERAN GILL Published: 12:53 EST, 3 March 2025 | Updated: 04:46 EST, 5 March 2025 Millwall have banned the Daily Mail from attending the club’s matches and press conferences for reporting how their fans loudly chanted ‘let him die’ while Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was surrounded by paramedics and being fitted

Alexander Isak was ‘targeted by a family of burglars who carried out a series of raids’ after ‘arriving in the UK on a ferry from France just days prior’

Alexander Isak was ‘targeted by a family of burglars who carried out a series of raids’ after ‘arriving in the UK on a ferry from France just days prior’

Alexander Isak was ‘targeted by a family of burglars who carried out a series of raids’ after ‘arriving in the UK on a ferry from France just days prior’  Alexander Isak’s Northumberland home was hit by family of burglars last April The Swedish striker, 25, is believed to be the third victim of the gang LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is it harsh on Anthony Gordon that he misses the Carabao Cup final?  By TUM BALOGUN Published: 04:05 EST, 5 March 2025 | Updated: 04:05 EST, 5 March 2025 Alexander Isak was targeted by a gang of burglars who carried out a string of high-value break-ins, Newcastle Crown Court has heard.  The Swedish international’s Northumberland home was broken into last April, with police confirming at the time that a

Wayne Bridge recalls shocking moment ex-Chelsea star KNOCKED OUT his team-mate with ‘unbelievable’ combination in training

He revealed how Andriy Shevchenko (wearing No 7) delivered an 'unbelievable' combination to knock out his team-mate

Wayne Bridge has spoken about an ‘unbelievable’ fight he saw while at Chelsea He revealed how an ex-Chelsea star knocked his team-mate out in training LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is it harsh on Anthony Gordon that he misses the Carabao Cup final? By SAM BROOKES Published: 03:59 EST, 5 March 2025 | Updated: 03:59 EST, 5 March 2025 Former Chelsea star Wayne Bridge has revealed how two of his former team-mates once settled their differences by fighting each other in training – and it didn’t end well for one of them. Bridge spent six years at Chelsea between 2003 and 2009, and won four major trophies including the Premier League title. It was a hugely successful period for the Blues, but that didn’t mean that the players always

PSG send Liverpool warning with rout of Lille in Ligue 1

PSG send Liverpool warning with rout of Lille in Ligue 1

Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 4-1 win over Lille on Saturday to extend their lead in France to 16 points ahead of their heavyweight Champions League clash with Liverpool. Bradley Barcola, Marquinhos, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue all struck in the first half at the Parc des Princes as PSG extended their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 this season to 24 matches. “It’s a perfect scenario ahead of a game like the one against Liverpool,” said PSG captain Marquinhos. “We’re in great shape and all the signs are good. We’re winning and we’re full of confidence. We must not stop and the staff are pushing us hard to give it our all.” Jonathan David grabbed a consolation after coming on as a substitute for Lille, who go to Borussia Dortmund

Namibia cruise into second stage of Wafcon qualifying

Namibia cruise into second stage of Wafcon qualifying

Namibia have eased into the second round of qualifiers for the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) finals after a 1-0 victory over fellow Cosafa side Eswatini at the Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday.  The win sees Namibia advance 4-0 on aggregate after they had claimed the first leg in Eswatini 3-0 last week.  The fixture was played in honour of the late former Namibia President Dr Sam Nujoma, who passed away at the age of 95 earlier this month and will be laid to rest on Saturday.  Namibia now advance to face Zambia in the next round, which will be for a place in the 2026 Wafcon finals.  Zambia, who appeared at the last Fifa Women’s World Cup, will present a mighty challenge for coach

Chiefs announce surprise Ditlhokwe departure

Chiefs announce surprise Ditlhokwe departure

‘He expressed his desire to move to Libya for further experience and opportunities,’ said Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr. Kaizer Chiefs announced on Friday that Botswana defender Thatayaone Ditlhokwe has left the club to join Libyan side Al-Ittihad. ALSO READ: Chiefs set CAF target Amakhosi Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jnr says it was Ditlhokwe who asked to leave Chiefs to go to Libya. Chiefs give their reasons “It was not an easy decision for us when Al-Ittihad approached us regarding TT,” Motaung Jnr told the Chiefs official website. “We engaged the player and during our discussions, he expressed his desire to move to Libya for further experience and opportunities. “As a Club, we didn’t want to impede his progress, and we appreciate his professionalism and discipline. Although we will

Real Madrid stun Man City as PSG down Brest in Champions League

Real Madrid’s English midfielder #05 Jude Bellingham (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team third goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Jude Bellingham snatched a stoppage-time winner as Real Madrid twice came from behind to beat Manchester City 3-2 in the first leg of their blockbuster Champions League play-off tie Tuesday, while Paris Saint-Germain took command of an all-French clash with Brest. Erling Haaland’s double — his first goals in five appearances against Madrid — looked to have secured Pep Guardiola’s side a slender advantage, but instead the reigning European champions now go into next week’s return leg in Spain as strong favourites to reach the last 16. “It was a weird one. We played some of our best football of the season and ended up behind,” Bellingham told Amazon Prime. “I don’t care what form City are in they are still an unbelievable team. It’s always tricky to play against

Napoli miss chance to extend Serie A lead with Udinese draw

Napoli’s Belgian forward #11 Romelu Lukaku (R) fights for the ball with Udinese’s French defender #28 Oumar Solet (C) during the Italian Serie A football match between Napoli and Udinese at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples on February 9, 2025. AFP

Napoli’s Belgian forward #11 Romelu Lukaku (R) fights for the ball with Udinese’s French defender #28 Oumar Solet (C) during the Italian Serie A football match between Napoli and Udinese at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples on February 9, 2025. AFP

Napoli missed the chance to extend their lead over Inter Milan at the top of Serie A to six points as Antonio Conte’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Udinese on Sunday. Scott McTominay put the hosts ahead in the first half at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but Jurgen Ekkelenkamp equalised shortly afterwards and Napoli could not find a winner. Napoli were given the opportunity to stretch their advantage at the top of the table by Inter’s 3-0 loss at Fiorentina in midweek — a game which was originally stopped in December after home midfielder Edoardo Bove suffered a heart attack. Reigning champions Inter could cut the gap back to three points when they host Fiorentina on Monday. Atalanta are also still in the hunt for their

Liverpool thrash Spurs to reach League Cup final

Liverpool thrash Spurs to reach League Cup final

Liverpool overturned a first leg deficit to reach the League Cup final with a 4-0 win over Tottenham on Thursday, ramping up the pressure on Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou. Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk were on target for the Reds, who will face Newcastle at Wembley on March 16 for the first silverware of the English season. Liverpool remain on course for a quadruple in a dream debut season for Arne Slot. They enjoy a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, have cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League and visit Championship strugglers Plymouth in the FA cup fourth round on Sunday. “To reach a final should always be special,” said Slot. “It was a very good performance from our

Sundowns finally cut ties with Saavedra

Sundowns finally cut ties with Saavedra

Phakaaathi has it on good authority that Saavedra and Sundowns have come to an amicable decision to part ways. Erwin Saavedra’s time at Mamelodi Sundowns had come to end. ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix As previously reported by Mgosi squad, Erwin Saavedra’s time at Mamelodi Sundowns had come to an end. With Matias Matías Esquivel’s loan recall from Club Atlético Talleres confirmed, Sundowns needed to open up a foreign spot on their books. Saavedra is deemed surplus to requirements by the Brazilians who now have the South American contingent of Esquivel, Lucas Ribeiro, Marcelo Allende and  Arthur Sales, new defender Lucas Suárez on their roster. ALSO READ: Zothwane to reunite with Larsen at Richards Bay Phakaaathi has it on good authority that Saavedra and Sundowns have come to an amicable decision to part ways

Champions League first phase set for frantic finale

Champions League first phase set for frantic finale

The new league phase of this season’s expanded Champions League is all set for a frantic conclusion on Wednesday, as 18 matches are played simultaneously across Europe and the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain battle to avoid an early exit. AFP Sport rounds up what is at stake ahead of the final round of games in the league phase: Top 8 places up for grabs  There is a real incentive for finishing in the top eight places of the giant, 36-team standings — those sides will skip the two-legged knockout round play-offs next month, getting some precious rest as they advance straight to the last 16 in March. Liverpool, with seven wins out of seven, and Barcelona are the only two teams to have already guaranteed a place

Premier League reveal decision on Michael Oliver after Arsenal controversy

Michael Oliver is one of the most experienced referees in English football. Photo by Marc Atkins. Source: Getty Images

Michael Oliver is one of the most experienced referees in English football. Photo by Marc Atkins. Source: Getty Images

Michael Oliver has avoided punishment following his controversial decision in the Arsenal vs Wolves game The official showed Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly a red card but he was strongly criticised for it The experienced official will be the centre referee in Ipswich’s clash against Southampton on matchday 24 Premier League official Michael Oliver will be the centre referee in Ipswich’s clash against Southampton on matchday 24. The referee was strongly criticised after he showed a controversial red card to Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly against Wolves on Saturday at Molineux. Fans expected Oliver to be dropped by the referee body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) but were surprised to see he will be in charge next weekend. Michael Oliver is one of the most experienced referees in English football. Photo by Marc

Samuel Eto’o meets with ex-teammate now working as security guard in surprising encounter

Samuel Eto'o meets with ex-teammate now working as security guard in surprising encounter

Samuel Eto’o reunited with his former teammate, now working as a security guard, in an emotional moment The Barcelona legend’s face lit up when he recognised his former teammate when he was getting a meeting in Douala The two-time AFCON winner retired in 2019 and a hugely successful year in his club and international career Cameroon icon Samuel Eto’o met his former teammate in the most surprising circumstance. The retired striker, now the President of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), reunited with his teammate, now a security guard. Samuel Eto’o played for some of the biggest clubs in the world. Photos by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto and Laurel Lysette (X).Source: Getty Images Eto’o reunites with teammate After an Ecobank Group seminar in Douala, Eto’o emerged from the building and greeted officials outside.

Bob Munro: Mathare United founder passes on aged 82

Bob Munro at the opening ceremony of the Mathare FIFA Football For Hope Centre on September 4, 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by Neil Thomas - FIFA. Source: Getty Images

Bob Munro at the opening ceremony of the Mathare FIFA Football For Hope Centre on September 4, 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by Neil Thomas - FIFA. Source: Getty Images

Robert Donald Munro, better known as Bob Munro, has sadly passed on after a battle with respiratory illness Munro was the founder of the Mathare Youth Sports Academy (MYSA) and later chairman of Mathare United Football Kenya President (FKF) Hussein Mohammed has led in eulogising Munro for his efforts in supporting local football Kenya’s football fraternity has been plunged into mourning following the passing of Bob Munro. The Mathare United founder died on Sunday evening aged 82 after a long battle with illness. Bob Munro at the opening ceremony of the Mathare FIFA Football For Hope Centre on September 4, 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by Neil Thomas – FIFA.Source: Getty Images How Bob Munro died His family confirmed that Munro has been in and out of the hospital in


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