Sports

Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

Sports Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)

Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portugal football team is making a change to how the No. 7 is written to honor the recently-retired Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, who wore the number and…

Sports Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)

Ronaldinho Poised for Ravenna Start and, Perhaps, One Last Goal

Ronaldinho will roll back the years this weekend when the 46-year-old Brazilian starts his first competitive match in over a decade, and in the unlikely…

Sports Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Andreeva Says She Is Learning to Move on Faster from Defeats After WTA Finals Sweep

Mirra Andreeva said she has learned to recover more quickly from setbacks after the Russian teenager completed an unbeaten run through the WTA Finals round…

Sports  Uruguay's players celebrate after Argentina's Leonardo Balerdi scored an own goal during an international friendly soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP)

Uruguay Beats Argentina 2-1 in the First Match Since Messi’s Retirement

The post-Messi era began with an Argentina defeat on Friday. Argentina fell 2-1 to Uruguay on Friday in an international friendly at La Bombonera in Buenos…

Sports Elina Svitolina of Ukraine serves to Aryna Sabalenka during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Svitolina Stuns Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semis

Elina Svitolina overwhelmed Aryna Sabalenka in the deciding set to seal a 6-3 3-6 6-1 upset on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Finals…


Sports Arsenal fans celebrate their team winning the English Premier League, outside the Emirates Stadium in London on May 20, 2026. (AFP)

Celebrations Erupt in North London After Arsenal Seal Premier League Title

Thousands of Arsenal supporters ‌flocked to the streets of North London on Tuesday as the club clinched their first Premier League title in 22 years,…

Sports UEFA Hands Lifetime Ban to Czech Coach who Secretly Filmed Female Players

UEFA Hands Lifetime Ban to Czech Coach who Secretly Filmed Female Players

UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women's soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday. …

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Sports Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 14, 2024 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz poses for a picture with the trophy after winning his men's singles final against Serbia's Novak Djokovic. (Reuters)

Alcaraz Withdraws from Wimbledon with Wrist Injury

Carlos Alcaraz's hopes of regaining his Wimbledon title have been dashed with the two-time champion announcing Tuesday he is withdrawing as he recovers from a…

Sports Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola poses with the trophy on the pitch after the English FA Cup final football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley stadium in London, on May 16, 2026. (AFP)

Guardiola Set for Emotional Man City Farewell After Era-Defining Decade

Pep Guardiola is expected to take charge of Manchester City for the final time on Sunday, drawing the curtain down on a decade that has reshaped not only his…

Sports  Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to Romania's Sorana Cirstea during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP)

Stuttering Sabalenka Seeks to Set Down Marker at Roland Garros

Aryna Sabalenka looked unbeatable when the clay-court season got underway last month, but now as the world number one arrives in Paris for her latest tilt at…

Sports Coach Carlo Ancelotti arrives to announce Brazil's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP)

World Cup Glory Attracts Superstar Coaches into International Battle

The 2026 World Cup has bucked the trend of international football's struggles to compete with the riches of the club game when it comes to securing some of the…

Sports 15 July 2018, Russia, Moscow: France's Kylian Mbappe in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 final match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium. (dpa)

How Might This World Cup Be Won on the Pitch?

The World Cup represents football's pinnacle, the ultimate prize every young player dreams of winning. But whether the tournament is where the very best…

Sports Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - May 11, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto de Zerbi after the match. (Reuters)

Spurs Must Use Rivals’ Taunts to Fuel Survival Bid, de Zerbi Says

Tottenham Hotspur manager ‌Roberto de Zerbi has called on his players to use taunts from their rivals as motivation in the fight against relegation from…

Sports North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC head coach Ri Yu Il (L) and captain Kim Kyong Yong (R) attend a press conference at Suwon Sports Complex ahead of the Women's Asian Champions League semi-final. JUNG YEON-JE / POOL/AFP

'We're Here Solely to Play Football,' Insists North Korean Coach

The coach of the first North Korean sports team to visit the South in eight years batted away questions Tuesday about the prospect of South Koreans cheering…

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Sports PSG's Ousmane Dembele runs with the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lens and Paris Saint Germain, in Lens, northern France, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP)

PSG's Dembele Has Treatment for Leg Issue Before Champions League Final

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele needs treatment for a right calf issue, the French club said Monday, ahead of the Champions League final against…

Sports Iran's players and staff pose ahead of a training session in Antalya in March © Adem ALTAN / AFP/File

Iran Squad Arrives in Türkiye for Training amid World Cup Uncertainty 

Iran’s national soccer squad landed in Türkiye for a training camp on Monday ahead of their planned trip to the US for the World Cup, with uncertainty still…

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Sports  Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates their victory at the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in Manchester, England, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP)

Fernandes ‘Proud’ to Match Premier League Assists Record

Bruno Fernandes said he was proud to match the Premier League assists record jointly held by "main names" Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne and is now…

Sports Paris Saint-Germain's French midfielder #14 Desire Doue celebrates his team victory at the end of the French L1 football match between RC Lens and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens on May 13, 2026. (AFP)

Who Could Be the 2026 World Cup’s Breakout Star?

World Cups are where rising stars of football quickly transform into global icons. AFP Sport looks at five of the contenders to become the game's next…

Sports  PSG players and Paris Saint-Germain's Spanish head coach Luis Enrique (R) celebrate with the French Ligue 1 trophy after winning the championship ahead of the French L1 football match between Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris on May 17, 2026. (AFP)

Luis Enrique Blasts PSG’s Flat Display in Last Match Before Champions League Final

Paris St Germain ‌manager Luis Enrique said he was disappointed with his side's lack of intensity after they lost their last Ligue 1 game of the season on…

Sports Football - FA Cup - Final - Chelsea v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 16, 2026 Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo celebrates with the FA Cup trophy. (Action Images via Reuters)

African Players in Europe: Daring Semenyo Wins Final for City

Antoine Semenyo produced one of the great FA Cup final goals with an audacious back-flick that sealed a 1-0 win for Manchester City over Chelsea in the FA Cup…

Sports Italy's Jannik Sinner (L) shakes hands with Norway's Casper Ruud after winning the men's final of the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome on May 17, 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Sinner Wins Italian Open, Extends Masters Tournament Streak

Jannik Sinner won the Italian Open on Sunday after beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to claim a record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 tournament victory. …

Sports Napoli's players celebrate after the 0-2 goal scored by Amir Rrahmani during the Italian Serie A soccer match Pisa SC vs SSC Napoli at Arena Garibaldi stadium in Pisa, Italy, 17 May 2026.  EPA/ENRICO MATTIA DEL PUNTA

Napoli Secure Champions League Spot as Juventus Stumble against Fiorentina

A 3-0 win over Pisa secured second-placed Napoli a place in the Champions League on Sunday, while Juventus suffered a shock 2-0 home loss to 10-man Fiorentina…

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Sports FILE - Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso looks on before the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia, File)

Xabi Alonso Appointed Chelsea Manager on Four-year Deal

Chelsea appointed Xabi Alonso as the club's manager on Sunday on a four-year deal with the Spaniard the latest coach tasked with turning around the club's…

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Sports North Korea's Naegohyang Women's FC players arrive at Incheon International Airport in Incheon on May 17, 2026, ahead of the Women's Asian Champions League semi-final football match against South Korea's Suwon FC Women. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

North Korean Women Footballers Land in South Ahead of Rare Match

A North Korean women's football team landed in South Korea on Sunday, marking the first visit by a sports team from the isolated country to its southern…

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Sports FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Primeira Liga - Estoril v Benfica - Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota, Estoril, Portugal - May 16, 2026 Benfica coach Jose Mourinho before the match REUTERS/Rodrigo Antunes/File Photo

Mourinho Says Will Decide Future by Next Week amid Real Madrid Talks

Jose Mourinho has opened the door to a return to Real Madrid, saying his agent is in touch with the Spanish club, but the Benfica manager stressed no offer is…

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Sports 16 May 2026, Italy, Rome: Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina celebrates with the trophy after defeating US' Coco Gauff during their Women's Singles Final tennis match of the Italian Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico. Photo: Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa

Svitolina Fights Off Gauff to Win Third Italian Open Title

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina signaled her French Open ambitions by battling past world number four Coco Gauff 6-4 6-7(3) 6-2 in the Italian Open final on Saturday…

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Sports Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Liverpool - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - May 15, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

Salah Urges Liverpool to Revive ‘Heavy Metal’ Football After Villa Defeat

Mohamed Salah issued a rallying cry for Liverpool to rediscover their attacking identity on Saturday after a painful 4-2 defeat by Aston Villa left Champions…

Sports  Manchester City players celebrate with the winner's trophy after the English FA Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester City in London, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP)

Semenyo Strikes as Man City Beat Chelsea 1-0 to Win FA Cup

Manchester City won the FA Cup on Saturday, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the final with a deftly finished 72nd-minute goal from Antoine Semenyo to complete an…

Sports Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco v Lille - Stade Louis II, Monaco - May 10, 2026 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi in action with AS Monaco's Thilo Kehrer. (Reuters)

Morocco Beat France to Ayyoub Bouaddi in Major World Cup Boost

Morocco ‌have won the international tug-of-war for highly rated Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who was born in France to Moroccan parents, after FIFA…