List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal have made a world-record €300m (£259m) bid for Kylian Mbappe, as Paris Saint-Germain are intent on selling the player this summer. The French champions have sounded out pretty much every major European club as regards a potential deal but the general feeling has been that the 24-year-old only wants to go to Real Madrid when his contract runs out next year. Mbappe sparked this entire saga by telling PSG he had no wish to sign a new deal last month. With Real Madrid keen to hold their nerve and not move for the French star until next summer, primarily for reasons of Financial Fair Play, Al Hilal are willing to give all parties a potential out with even a one-year deal that could see Mbappe earn €700k for a season. One of the issues right now is almost that Mbappe has priced himself out of most moves, with all but about three or four clubs unable to afford him. Chelsea are among the clubs to have considered a move, but the feeling is the price would be too high and that it would take a lot to convince Mbappe anyway. Read More Wayne Rooney hopes Marcus Rashford builds Man Utd legacy after signing new deal Wayne Rooney hopes Marcus Rashford builds Man Utd legacy after new deal Kylian Mbappe greeted by enthusiastic crowds during Cameroon visit

Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal have submitted a world record 300 million euro (£259m) bid for Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, the PA news agency understands. Mbappe’s future in Paris is in serious doubt after the 24-year-old was left out of the club’s pre-season tour of Japan. PA understands Al Hilal have submitted a bid in writing for the player, who is out of contract next summer. Sources close to the French club say there has also been interest in the player from other clubs in recent days, including Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona. The current world record transfer fee was paid by PSG, when they signed Neymar from Barcelona for a deal reported at the time as £200m. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

England defender Lucy Bronze is drawing on the experience of her first World Cup eight years ago to allay fears that the Lionesses did not play like favourites in their 1-0 opening victory against Haiti in Brisbane. That win, sealed by Georgia Stanway’s twice-taken penalty against a side 49 places below England in the FIFA rankings, extended the Lionesses’ streak without a goal from open play to three games, including their 0-0 behind-closed-doors pre-tournament training match with Canada. Bronze made her World Cup debut at the 2015 tournament, where England fell to France in their opener but ultimately finished up with the third-place medal for their best-ever finish in a global showpiece. She said: “Well, in my first World Cup we lost the first game and ended finishing third. There’s only so much you can take from the game. The most important thing is it gives us momentum but it’s better than having to chase points and we get to focus on the next two games. “We’re playing against players we’ve never played before. It takes a little while to get into those games. Once we got going you saw England coming back to life again. We need to do that more for longer.” Bronze had no doubt Stanway would step up to the spot twice on Saturday, after her initial penalty was saved by Haiti’s 5ft 4in goalkeeper Kerly Theus. That would have left Stanway with a career record of six penalties scored and two missed, but she was given another chance after the referee ruled Theus had come off her line. Bronze had full faith in Stanway to put the ball in the back of the net with her second opportunity, which the Bayern Munich midfielder did handily. She said: “I don’t think anyone doubted that Georgia would take it. We just picked it up and gave it to her. She doesn’t need any encouragement to do that. Georgia is not the type of player that needs telling what to do or is lacking confidence. We all knew that a second chance was enough for her to bury it.” England, who have now checked into their World Cup base on the New South Wales’ Central Coast, next face world number 13 Denmark on Friday in Sydney before taking on 14th-placed China in Adelaide to conclude the group stage, with the top two teams advancing to the last 16. Bronze’s team-mate Alessia Russo, who on Saturday was favoured for the centre-forward role by Sarina Wiegman over Women’s Super League Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly, was one of the only England players to admit their first half against Haiti looked a bit rusty. She said: “Yeah, I think so. Us as players are the first to recognise that. We’ll be back to training this week and training hard to push on now but tournaments are always about winning and that’s the most important thing. “I don’t think I ever worry about goals and winning with this team. I think we’ve got a very special talented squad and I know that people show up at the right times. “The first game, we’ve been building up to it for a long time. It’s done now, three points under the belt. Now we really push on. Moments were good and we’ll reflect on it, we’ll analyse and we’ll be ready for Denmark.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Spurs forward Son Heung-min says transfer speculation ‘not easy’ for Harry Kane Carlo Ancelotti hails Jude Bellingham as ‘complete midfielder’ after Real debut Football rumours: Tottenham owner tells chairman to sell Harry Kane

A ninth-tier Scottish club could lose its home ground if it pursues an interest in disgraced striker David Goodwillie. The 34-year-old former Scotland international was found in a civil case at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in 2017 to have raped a woman. Goodwillie reportedly played as a trialist for West of Scotland Football League side Glasgow United in a friendly last week, and the city council is now threatening to ban the club from the Greenfield Football Centre in Shettleston if he joins them. In a statement on Glasgow City Council’s official Twitter account, leader Susan Aitken said: “David Goodwillie has been found, in court, to be a rapist. However, in more than 12 years, he has never once shown any kind of contrition or remorse. Any club that signs him is making a very clear statement about its attitude to the safety of women and girls - both in sport and in its community. “It would be an outrageous decision, wholly at odds with how community facilities like Greenfield should be run. I’ve asked officers to look at the council’s agreement with Glasgow United and made it clear that I’m ready for the city to walk away.” Goodwillie – who continues to protest his innocence - and his former Dundee United team-mate, David Robertson, were judged to have raped Denise Clair. The two men, who have never faced criminal charges in relation to the allegation, were ordered to pay damages of £100,000 to Ms Clair, who waived her right to anonymity. Goodwillie left Plymouth by mutual consent in the wake of the court ruling and spent almost five years at Clyde despite criticism of the club’s decision to offer him employment. However, subsequent moves to Raith Rovers, Northern Premier League Radcliffe and Australian outfit FC Sorrento collapsed amid fierce criticism.

ESPN presenter and former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop collapsed live on air in a scary moment during the channel’s coverage of a pre-season friendly between Real Madrid and AC Milan The game was being played in around 30-degree heat in Pasadena, California, with Hislop providing coverage from the touchline alongside host Dan Thomas. The frightening incident happened during the build-up to the game. As seen in the video above, the 54-year-old Hislop began wobbling before falling forward into Thomas and on to the ground. This sparked immediate concern on the touchline as a couple of nearby workers rushed over and Thomas can be heard saying “ Shak. Shak. We need some help.” ESPN quickly cut to a break after Hislop’s collapse but later had good news for viewers, with an update on the former Trinidad and Tobago international’s condition. “My mate, Shaka, not here, but as it stands, it’s good news,” Thomas stated at half-time. “He’s conscious, he’s talking, I think he’s a little embarrassed about it all. He’s apologised profusely. Not a man who likes people to make a fuss of him. “Obviously far too early to make any sort of diagnosis, but the important thing is, that Shaka’s conscious and we spoke to his family as well, because you imagine seeing that happen live. We spoke to his wife and things are looking OK.” Hislop, played over 250 Premier League matches for Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth during a distinguished playing career and has become a popular pundit in the USA since his retirement. AC Milan led 2-0 at half-time, when Thomas delivered the update on Hislop’s condition, with Fikayo Tomori and Luka Romero netting their goals. Real Madrid made eight changes at the break and Federico Valverde scored a quick-fire double to level things up before Vinicius Jr’s 84-minute goal ensured it ended 3-2 to the Spanish side. Read More Carlo Ancelotti hails Jude Bellingham as ‘complete midfielder’ after Real debut Tottenham consider Brazil striker with Harry Kane’s future in the balance

Football heavyweights Brazil and Germany both get their Women’s World Cup campaigns underway on Monday as they look to lay down an early marker in pursuit of the trophy at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. Germany are generally seen among the top five most likely winners and Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side boast plenty of world-class quality in the likes of Alexandra Popp, Sara Dabritz and Lea Schuller. They face big underdogs Morocco in their opening game and the Atlas Lionesses will make history as the first Arab team to play at a Women’s World Cup, having shown their class during a surprise run to the final of last year’s Africa Cup of Nations. Monday also sees Brazil and their 37-year-old superstar Marta kick things off with a clash against Panama, while Italy and Argentina do battle in the first game of the day. Elsewhere, France suffered a blow early in their campaign as they were held to a 0-0 draw by a battling Jamaica, who earned a first-ever Women’s World Cup point. That came a day after England began with a win but the Lionesses were pushed all the way by Haiti in what was a close contest in Brisbane. Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty in the first half was enough to earn England a narrow victory, but goalkeeper Mary Earps had to make a big stop to protect their lead late on. Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Jamaica brilliantly draw with France and reaction as Lionesses defeat Haiti

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti was impressed with the debut of “complete midfielder” Jude Bellingham in the 3-2 pre-season victory over AC Milan in Los Angeles. Federico Valverde scored twice in quick succession before Vinicius Junior netted the winner six minutes from time after Fikayo Tomori and Luka Romero had given the Italians a 2-0 half-time lead. England international Bellingham featured for the first time since making an £88.5million switch from Borussia Dortmund, playing 64 minutes before he was replaced by Nico Paz. Ancelotti told Real’s official website: “I was really impressed with Bellingham. “Bellingham played very well and the team has to get used to his quality, which is unbelievable. His arrival into the box is hugely important for the team. “He’s a fantastic player, very important for us because he’s a complete midfielder and he brings real pace and intensity to the game. “He moves extremely well without the ball and he’s different to the other midfielders we have. He makes the most of the free space and adds another dimension to this squad, which is fantastic.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

What the papers say The Telegraph says Tottenham owner Joe Lewis has told chairman Daniel Levy he must sell Harry Kane if they can not get the England captain to sign a new contract at the club. The Mirror said this means Manchester United could be back in the market for the striker, while the Daily Mail says Bayern Munich are preparing a third bid to try and lure Kane to Germany. Former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, now a free agent, is receiving interest from Brentford, Besiktas and Saudi Pro League clubs, the Mirror reports. Fulham are looking to sign Demarai Gray from Everton for £7million, while the Toffees value the winger at around £10m, the Sun reports. The Daily Express say Liverpool midfielder Fabinho’s £40m move to Saudi Pro League team Al Ittihad could be halted if his two French bulldogs are not allowed to join him. Social media round-up Players to watch Callum Hudson-Odoi: The Chelsea winger is close to joining former boss Maurizio Sarri at Lazio, the Gazzetta dello Sport said. Although Fulham are still hoping to keep the 22-year-old in England, with the Metro reporting he has agreed on personal terms with the club. Edson Alvarez: West Ham are confident that they will sign the Mexican midfielder from Ajax for around £40m, Football Insider said. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The college football bowl schedule for 2023-24 includes mainstays and even a few new-look bowl games. When and where is each game going to be played?It doesn't matter whether it's spring, summer or fall, the thing on the mind of all college football fans is what bowl game their favorit...

The Tennessee Volunteers secured the commitment of five-star recruit Mike Matthews. Is there another five-star recruit arriving in Knoxville?The Tennessee Volunteers are coming off their most successful season in quite some time. Finishing 11-2 on the season, including an Orange Bowl victory ove...

Sweden got their Women’s World Cup campaign up and running in dramatic fashion while Jamaica claimed a historic point on day four of the tournament. The Swedes, who finished third in 2019, battled back to beat South Africa while Jamaica held France and in the day’s other game, the Netherlands claimed a narrow win over Portugal. Here the PA news agency takes a look at all of Sunday’s action. Netherlands down debutants Stefanie van der Gragt’s header saw the Netherlands open their challenge with a 1-0 victory over debutants Portugal in Dunedin. The defender beat Ines Pereira after 13 minutes but needed to wait before the effort was awarded by VAR. Jill Roord and Danielle van de Donk missed good chances to extend the lead for the Dutch, who are without injured record scorer Vivianne Miedema. Portugal substitute Telma Encarnacao had a late effort saved by Daphne van Domselaar. Reggae Girlz hold on to make history Jamaica secured their first-ever point at a Women’s World Cup by drawing 0-0 with France in their Group F opener. The Reggae Girlz had skipper Khadija Shaw sent off late on but held on against a side 38 places higher than them in the FIFA rankings. Kadidiatou Diani saw one shot saved by Rebecca Spencer, another deflect just wide and headed against the woodwork late on as France were left frustrated. New Gunners signing seals Sweden comeback Amanda Ilestedt’s late winner saw Sweden come from behind to beat South Africa 2-1 at Wellington Regional Stadium. The new Arsenal signing’s header came in stoppage time to break South Africa hearts after Hildah Magaia put them ahead minutes into the second half. But Sweden, who beat England in the third-place play-off four years ago and were runners-up in 2003, recovered with Fridolina Rolfo equalising in the 65th minute. Defender Ilestedt then nodded in the winner in the 90th minute. Picture of the day Post of the day Quote of the day Jamaica manager Lorne Donaldson: “I would say it is the number one result we have had so far. The number one result, men or women. Just look at the rankings. You would say this result, on this stage, has to be number one.” Up next Group F: Brazil v Panama (12pm Monday, Hindmarsh Stadium)Group G: Italy v Argentina (7am Monday, Eden Park)Group H: Germany v Morocco (930am Monday, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)all times BST Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Brian Harman on course to claim maiden major crown at 151st Open Championship Departing Batley boss Craig Lingard says Wembley trip ‘our own Hollywood script’ Galatasaray open talks to sign free agent Wilfried Zaha

USC head coach Lincoln Riley fully supports what Deion Sanders is doing to help rebuild build the Colorado program on the fly by way of the transfer portal.While Deion Sanders may not be making a ton of friends with other Power Five head coaches these days since taking over at Colorado, he seems...