Christian Eriksen Signs with Bundesliga Club Wolfsburg

FILE - Denmark's Christian Eriksen passes the ball during an international friendly soccer match against Lithuania at Odense Stadium, Denmark, June 10, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)
FILE - Denmark's Christian Eriksen passes the ball during an international friendly soccer match against Lithuania at Odense Stadium, Denmark, June 10, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)
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Christian Eriksen Signs with Bundesliga Club Wolfsburg

FILE - Denmark's Christian Eriksen passes the ball during an international friendly soccer match against Lithuania at Odense Stadium, Denmark, June 10, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)
FILE - Denmark's Christian Eriksen passes the ball during an international friendly soccer match against Lithuania at Odense Stadium, Denmark, June 10, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)

Denmark international Christian Eriksen has joined German Bundesliga club Wolfsburg on a free transfer until 2027, the club announced late on Wednesday.
Eriksen, 33, had been a free agent since his contract with Manchester United expired in the summer.

"I'm really looking forward to this new adventure. I'm convinced that together we can make a difference in Wolfsburg," AFP quoted Eriksen as saying in a statement.

Wolfsburg is Eriksen's third club since he suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark's game against Finland at the Euros in 2021.

Although he made a comeback after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), he was forced to leave his then-club Inter Milan as Italian regulations prevent athletes from competing with ICDs.

After a highly-successful six-month spell at Brentford, Eriksen joined United in 2022.

Although he was initially a success, he gradually fell out of favor, first under Erik ten Hag and then even more so under Ruben Amorim, and left the club at the end of last season.

Eriksen, who also played for Tottenham and Ajax earlier in his career, has 144 Denmark caps, scoring 46 goals.

Eriksen becomes the sixth Danish member of Wolfsburg's squad alongside Joakim Maehle, Jesper Lindstrom, Andreas Skov Olsen, Jonas Wind and Adam Daghim.



Madrid Open Sets Up Practice Court, Nadal Trains with Courtois and Bellingham

FILE - The crowd watch Norway's Casper Ruud playing against Spain's Rafael Nadal on the court Philippe Chatrier, known as center court, during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium on June 5, 2022 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - The crowd watch Norway's Casper Ruud playing against Spain's Rafael Nadal on the court Philippe Chatrier, known as center court, during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium on June 5, 2022 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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Madrid Open Sets Up Practice Court, Nadal Trains with Courtois and Bellingham

FILE - The crowd watch Norway's Casper Ruud playing against Spain's Rafael Nadal on the court Philippe Chatrier, known as center court, during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium on June 5, 2022 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - The crowd watch Norway's Casper Ruud playing against Spain's Rafael Nadal on the court Philippe Chatrier, known as center court, during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium on June 5, 2022 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Rafael Nadal was back on a tennis court — one inside Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium — on Thursday.

The Madrid Open set up the temporary court on the Bernabeu field and players will be allowed to practice on it until April 30.

The retired Nadal, an avid Madrid fan, is the most successful player at the Madrid Open, having won the tournament five times.

He partnered with Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in a friendly session against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, The Associated Press reported.

Bellingham was at the Madrid Open on Wednesday watching young Spanish sensation Rafael Jódar win in his debut at the tournament. The Madrid Open is being played at the Caja Magica tennis complex in the Spanish capital.

“It was very special to enjoy this unique court at the Bernabeu,” Nadal wrote on Instagram.

Iga Swiatek, ranked No. 4 on the women's tour, also was at the Bernabeu event.


US Says Does Not Object to Iran Playing in World Cup but People with IRGC Ties Won't be Allowed

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as US President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 23 April 2026. EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as US President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 23 April 2026. EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL
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US Says Does Not Object to Iran Playing in World Cup but People with IRGC Ties Won't be Allowed

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as US President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 23 April 2026. EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as US President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 23 April 2026. EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup but he added the players will not be allowed to bring with them people with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"Nothing from the US has told them they can't come," Rubio told reporters, according to Reuters. President Donald Trump also said his administration "would not want to affect the athletes" in comments he made at the White House.

The 2026 soccer World ⁠Cup is set ⁠to begin on June 11 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy who has no official connection with the World Cup, had earlier suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament.

"The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. ⁠It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves," Rubio said.

"They can't bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers," Rubio added. Washington has designated the IRGC as a "foreign terrorist organization."

Currently there is no suggestion Iran ⁠will withdraw ⁠or be banned from the tournament that Italy missed out on. After the start of the Iran war, Iran requested that FIFA move the team's three group matches from the US to Mexico, which was rejected.


Saudi Arabia Appoints Donis as Coach Ahead of World Cup

Coach Georgios Donis (Photo by Essa Doubisi)
Coach Georgios Donis (Photo by Essa Doubisi)
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Saudi Arabia Appoints Donis as Coach Ahead of World Cup

Coach Georgios Donis (Photo by Essa Doubisi)
Coach Georgios Donis (Photo by Essa Doubisi)

Saudi Arabia made its coaching change official Thursday by replacing Hervé Renard with Georgios Donis until July 27, less than two months before the start of the World Cup in North America.

The 56-year-old Donis, a former Greece international, joins from Al-Khaleej, one of several Saudi Pro League clubs he's coached.

“He has extensive experience in the league, including his most recent post (which) enhances his ability to adapt quickly," the Saudi Arabian Football Federation said in its announcement.

Saudi Arabia opens its Group H play at the World Cup against Uruguay on June 15. It also plays Spain and Cape Verde.

Donis was a longtime Panathinaikos midfielder who also played in England for Blackburn, Sheffield United and Huddersfield. He has also coached Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv, among others.

The Federation said it will hold a press conference in Riyadh with the national team's coaching staff before ⁠the ⁠squad depart for their training camp in the United States.