Mbappe Suffers Knee Sprain in Blow for Real Madrid
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe sits on the bench during the UEFA Champions League league phase day 6 football match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 10, 2025. (AFP)
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Mbappe Suffers Knee Sprain in Blow for Real Madrid
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe sits on the bench during the UEFA Champions League league phase day 6 football match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 10, 2025. (AFP)
Real Madrid on Wednesday said that Kylian Mbappe had suffered a knee sprain, delivering a blow to their bid to reel in Liga leaders Barcelona.
"After the tests carried out today on our player Kylian Mbappe by Real Madrid's medical services, he was diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee. Awaiting evolution," the club said in a statement.
Real Madrid did not indicate how long the 27-year-old striker would be out for, but a source close to the France superstar told AFP that he would be absent for at least three weeks.
Mbappe, the leading scorer in La Liga this season with 18 goals, is therefore a major doubt for Sunday's league match at home to Real Betis, Los Merengues' first after the winter break as they trail Barcelona by four points.
He could also miss the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid in Saudi Arabia on January 8, as well as a league fixture against Levante and a Champions League clash with former club Monaco.
Real did not say when or how Mbappe was injured, however he had trained with the team on Tuesday.
He underwent an MRI scan on Wednesday.
Mbappe has enjoyed a stellar 2025, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo's club record 59 goals in a calendar year, and has at times carried Real Madrid, relieving some pressure on under-fire coach Xabi Alonso.
He has scored 73 goals in 83 matches for Real since making a free transfer move to the Spanish giants from Paris Saint-Germain 18 months ago.
He finished top scorer in La Liga last season with 31 goals -- four more than Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski -- and is currently seven goals clear of the next best this season, Barca's Ferran Torres.
His absence adds to those of Real defenders Daniel Carvajal, Eder Militao, Trent Alexander-Arnold, midfielder Federico Valverde, and forward Brahim Diaz who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco.
Brito, Who Helped Brazil Win the 1970 World Cup, Dies at 86https://english.aawsat.com/sports/5283134-brito-who-helped-brazil-win-1970-world-cup-dies-86
Brito, Who Helped Brazil Win the 1970 World Cup, Dies at 86
FILED - 08 June 2006, Berlin: FILE PHOTO - Brazilian soccer legend Brito attends at a press conference in Berlin. Photo: Jens Kalaene/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
Brito, a center back on Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning team, has died at age 86.
The Brazilian Football Confederation announced that Brito died Thursday. It did not provide additional details, The Associated Press said.
Brito played 61 games for the national team from 1964-72, including one at the 1966 World Cup, along the way forming a strong defense alongside Wilson Piazza.
“Brito left us as one of the greatest defenders in the history of Brazilian football,” the confederation's president, Samir Xaud, said in a statement. “His contribution to the 1970 World Cup victory will be eternally remembered by all of us.”
Brito was also part of Brazil teams that won the Copa Roca in ‘71 and the Taça Independência in ’72.
“I pay my respects to this idol of our country,” Xaud said. “May his fighting spirit be an inspiration to our players who will compete in the World Cup.”
Brazil, which has won the most World Cups with five, goes for a sixth beginning Saturday against Morocco.
World Cup 2026: South Korea Coach Hails Team Unity after Comeback Win over Czechshttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5283133-world-cup-2026-south-korea-coach-hails-team-unity-after-comeback-win-over-czechs
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group A - South Korea v Czech Republic - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 11, 2026 South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu scores their second goal REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
World Cup 2026: South Korea Coach Hails Team Unity after Comeback Win over Czechs
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group A - South Korea v Czech Republic - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 11, 2026 South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu scores their second goal REUTERS/Daniel Becerril
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo said his team had followed his pre-match instructions to the letter after they staged a 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic in their World Cup Group A opener on Thursday.
After falling behind to a second-half header from Ladislav Krejci, the Koreans rallied through goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu to secure three crucial points in Guadalajara, Reuters said.
"Before the match I gave two messages: not give up until the end and unite as one," he told a press conference. "Whether on the pitch or not, we need to play as one team."
The victory came despite an uncharacteristic off-day for captain Son Heung-min, who missed five chances in the first half alone before being replaced by eventual match-winner Oh.
Despite the misfiring performance, the coach was quick to defend his veteran forward.
"Son is our best player and is also a very stable captain. We believe that Son did his best," the coach said, though he added the team must "brush up" on finishing their chances.
South Korea are tied on three points with Mexico at the top of the group, setting up a high-stakes clash against the tournament co-hosts on June 18.
"Both teams scored three points ... the next match will be very important," Hong said.
Co-Hosts Mexico Kick Off World Cup with Dramatic Victoryhttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5283125-co-hosts-mexico-kick-world-cup-dramatic-victory
Mexico's Julian Quinones celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP)
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Co-Hosts Mexico Kick Off World Cup with Dramatic Victory
Mexico's Julian Quinones celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP)
Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in a drama-filled opening match of the World Cup at the Estadio Azteca Thursday, kicking off the biggest ever edition of the global football extravaganza.
Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament after nine minutes and 35-year-old striker Raul Jimenez headed in Mexico's second goal at the Azteca, which became the first stadium in the world to host games at three World Cups.
Three players were sent off -- two from South Africa and one from Mexico -- in front of a capacity crowd of 80,000 spectators.
South Africa had Sphephelo Sithole dismissed for denying a goalscoring opportunity before Themba Zwane was shown a red card for a slap. Mexico's Cesar Montes was sent off late in the game, for a foul.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre revealed his players had overcome severe first-day nerves.
"When you're starting out the World Cup, of course your legs will shake," Aguirre said. "Never in 25 years had anyone had any cramps but three of them had cramps today.
"We were in awe when we saw the stadium and they got a little bit of stage fright. But we never suffered."
Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group A - Mexico v South Africa - Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico - June 11, 2026 Shakira performs during the opening ceremony before the match. (Reuters)
- Sprawling tournament -
Mexico's victory launched a 48-team tournament also hosted by the United States and Canada that will last nearly six weeks, culminating in the final in New Jersey on July 19.
Before kickoff, Colombian superstar Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy performed "Dai Dai", the official song of the tournament and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli rounded off the opening ceremony.
There was a festive atmosphere inside the stadium, but outside dozens of protesters clashed with police.
Groups of teachers, relatives of Mexicans who have gone missing, and student activists gathered outside the stadium.
Some protesters broke through barriers and traded blows with police officers guarding the stadium's perimeter moments after Mexico scored their opening goal.
Tens of thousands of fans crammed into a fan zone in central Mexico City to watch the game, which was also enthusiastically followed by a large crowd of fans from California's Mexican community on giant screens at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
- Korean joy -
South Korea got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start by beating the Czech Republic 2-1 in the opening day's second game.
Until the 80th-minute mark, it seemed that the Czechs would punish the Koreans' wastefulness in front of goal, but substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu notched the decisive goal in a Guadalajara stadium that was far from full.
South Korea face Mexico in Guadalajara on June 18 in their next Group A fixture while the Czechs play the South Africans in Atlanta on the same day.
The start of the action on the pitch will have come as a welcome relief to football's world governing body FIFA, which has faced stinging criticism over the eye-watering cost of tickets.
In addition, Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has seen a top referee, Iranian team officials and fans refused entry to the United States.
On the eve of the tournament, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the organization and brushed off criticism over visa issues.
Infantino insisted that tickets -- which in some cases have topped $30,000 -- had been priced appropriately.
"Our average price which is below 500 dollars is again the lowest of the American sports on average," he said.
South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu, left, reacts after scoring his team's second goal during the World Cup Group A match between South Korea and Czechia in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP)
On Thursday, European football's governing body UEFA announced that Somali referee Omar Artan, who was refused entry to the US and barred from the World Cup, had been selected to referee its European Super Cup, between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in August.
US authorities have alleged Artan was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations".
Senegal and Ivory Coast said members of their official supporters' groups had also been denied US visas.
- Iran squad appear -
Infantino portrayed Iran's participation at the World Cup in the midst of its military conflict with the US as a victory for his organization, saying: "I don't know who else would have been able to ensure in these circumstances -- which we could not influence -- Iran could come and play."
Four days after they arrived at their base camp in Mexico, the Iran players finally took to the training pitch in front of journalists Thursday.
Meanwhile, the World Cup squad from the Ebola-hit Democratic Republic of Congo was allowed to enter the United States.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who plays in England for West Ham, said after coming through immigration at Houston airport after a flight from Paris that the team had faced "no problems".
US authorities had insisted the squad serve a 21-day quarantine period before entering US soil.
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