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AC Milan Consolidate Top-Four Credentials with Win at Cremonese

AC Milan's Italian defender #33 Davide Bartesaghi (L) and AC Milan's Serbian defender #31 Strahinja Pavlovic (R) celebrate at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between US Cremonese and AC Milan at the Giovanni Zini Stadium in Cremona, northern Italy on March 1, 2026. (AFP)
AC Milan's Italian defender #33 Davide Bartesaghi (L) and AC Milan's Serbian defender #31 Strahinja Pavlovic (R) celebrate at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between US Cremonese and AC Milan at the Giovanni Zini Stadium in Cremona, northern Italy on March 1, 2026. (AFP)
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AC Milan Consolidate Top-Four Credentials with Win at Cremonese

AC Milan's Italian defender #33 Davide Bartesaghi (L) and AC Milan's Serbian defender #31 Strahinja Pavlovic (R) celebrate at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between US Cremonese and AC Milan at the Giovanni Zini Stadium in Cremona, northern Italy on March 1, 2026. (AFP)
AC Milan's Italian defender #33 Davide Bartesaghi (L) and AC Milan's Serbian defender #31 Strahinja Pavlovic (R) celebrate at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between US Cremonese and AC Milan at the Giovanni Zini Stadium in Cremona, northern Italy on March 1, 2026. (AFP)

AC Milan moved closer to Champions League football next season after two late strikes gave them a 2-0 win at Cremonese on Sunday.

Strahinja Pavlovic put Milan ahead in the 90th minute with his shoulder before Rafael Leao's simple finish in stoppage time gave the away side a result which flattered a drab display in Cremona.

Milan, who have been without European football this season, have little realistic hope of winning the Serie A title as the seven-time European champions are 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

Next weekend's Milan derby has little more than local pride riding on it with Inter speeding off into the distance with 11 games remaining in the league campaign.

Milan's stated aim for the season, however, was qualification for the Champions League and Massimiliano Allegri's team are on course for that objective.

"We have a huge goal to reach with teams behind us who continue collecting points," said Allegri to DAZN.

"You have Como, Atalanta still have to play, Napoli won in the end and there are also Roma and Juventus. All we can do is take it one step at a time."

Fifth-placed Como are nine points behind Milan, while Roma, seven points behind them in fourth, face Juventus in Sunday's headline fixture.

Atalanta are five points off the Champions League spots in seventh after falling to a surprise 2-1 defeat at 10-man Sassuolo, their first in the league since the turn of the year.

Raffaele Palladino's team are the only Italian side in the last 16 of Europe's top club competition following their thrilling 4-3 aggregate triumph over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

Jamie Vardy's Cremonese are sliding towards relegation to Serie B after a 13th straight match without a win, the promoted outfit sitting outside the drop zone on goal difference.

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FIFA Bans Reusable Bottles at World Cup Venues Citing Safety Concerns

FIFA World Cup signage is displayed at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, 03 June 2026. EPA/CHRIS TORRES
FIFA World Cup signage is displayed at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, 03 June 2026. EPA/CHRIS TORRES
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FIFA Bans Reusable Bottles at World Cup Venues Citing Safety Concerns

FIFA World Cup signage is displayed at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, 03 June 2026. EPA/CHRIS TORRES
FIFA World Cup signage is displayed at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, California, USA, 03 June 2026. EPA/CHRIS TORRES

Attendees of the World Cup will not be allowed to carry reusable water bottles into venues due to safety concerns, FIFA said on Thursday, following a last-minute change to its Stadium Code of Conduct.

The governing body, which had earlier permitted empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles inside stadiums, said the updated code - effective from Tuesday - now prohibits them.

Other items like bottles, cups, jars and cans are also banned to prevent the risk of injury if thrown.

"FIFA is committed to protecting the health ⁠and safety of ⁠all players, referees, fans, volunteers, and staff," it told Reuters in a statement. "FIFA made the decision to prohibit bottles to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees."

"Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations and FIFA ⁠is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums."

The move has raised concerns among supporters about coping with heat, with temperatures at a few venues expected to range between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius, as well as access to drinking water inside stadiums.

FIFA said measures would be in place to deal with the conditions.

"FIFA works closely with each Host City Committee and local authorities on heat mitigation factors for fans ⁠traveling to ⁠the stadium, which can include resources such as misting stations, fans, hydration stations, cooling tents and more around the stadium footprint," the statement said.

"Inside the stadium footprint, pricing for water bottles for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will remain consistent with other events held at each stadium."

The 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, will run from June 11 to July 19. The tournament will feature 104 matches, up from 64 previously, including an additional knockout round.

Sports

Konate Opens Up on Depression after Deaths of Jota and Father

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Liverpool v Paris St Germain - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 14, 2026 Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate reacts Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Liverpool v Paris St Germain - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 14, 2026 Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate reacts Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo/File Photo
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Konate Opens Up on Depression after Deaths of Jota and Father

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Liverpool v Paris St Germain - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 14, 2026 Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate reacts Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Liverpool v Paris St Germain - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 14, 2026 Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate reacts Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo/File Photo

France defender Ibrahima Konate said on Wednesday he battled depression following the deaths of Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and his father while continuing to fulfil his football duties.

Portugal forward Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash last July, while Konate's father, Hamady, passed away in January after a long illness.

"There are low points, there's depression. You can suffer from depression in football too; there's no need to be ashamed to say so," Konate told France Inter radio.

"It's true that I've often heard players say they were suffering from depression and that fans or people on the outside didn't understand because ⁠they were earning ⁠a lot of money. But that's rubbish and you shouldn't say that."

The 27-year-old, who confirmed earlier this week he will leave Liverpool this summer, said Jota's death had taken a heavy toll on him.

"It devastated me. I didn't have any interest in anything else at that point," Reuters quoted him as saying.

"You go back to football because you ⁠have no choice. We're employees at a club that pays us every month, so we have duties.

"We had no choice but to go back on the field and play for him and his family – as well as ourselves. There's no way of getting over it, but you learn to live with it."

At the same time, Konate was coping with his father's illness, leaving him unsure how to balance personal grief with professional commitments.

"I didn't know what to do. I didn't know whether I should go home and stop ⁠playing, because ⁠the team needed me too," he said.

"I didn't know who to talk to about it, so I kept it all to myself."

He lost his father in January and returned early from compassionate leave to help Liverpool through an injury crisis but admitted he did not feel fully recovered.

"There was never a moment when I felt like I was on the mend. All of these tragic events happened so quickly and as soon as I felt like I was getting my head above water, something else happened," he said.

Konate, who has 27 caps for France, is a part of Didier Deschamps' 26-man squad for the World Cup.

Sports

Spain Coach Confident Lamine Yamal Will Be Fit for World Cup Opener

Spanish national soccer player Lamine Yamal attends the training session of the team in Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain, 31 May 2026. (EPA)
Spanish national soccer player Lamine Yamal attends the training session of the team in Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain, 31 May 2026. (EPA)
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Spain Coach Confident Lamine Yamal Will Be Fit for World Cup Opener

Spanish national soccer player Lamine Yamal attends the training session of the team in Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain, 31 May 2026. (EPA)
Spanish national soccer player Lamine Yamal attends the training session of the team in Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain, 31 May 2026. (EPA)

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente expects Lamine Yamal to be fit to play in the team's World Cup opener.

De la Fuente said Wednesday that Yamal will not play in Thursday's warmup match against Iraq in A Coruña, but all signs point to him being available to face Cape Verde in the team's opener in Atlanta on June 15.

“If nothing changes, he could be ready to play on June 15,” De la Fuente said. “It doesn't mean that for sure he will play, we'll see. Maybe a few minutes, maybe just practice so he can improve his condition for the second match. We will have to evaluate.”

Yamal injured his left hamstring while converting a penalty kick for Barcelona in a Spanish league match on April 22. He said this week he was scared of missing the World Cup and prayed that he could recover in time for the tournament that begins on June 11 in North America.

The 18-year-old Yamal is expected to lead the Spain squad that will try to win its second world title.

De la Fuente said the two other injured players in the squad — Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz — also won't play on Wednesday, nor will the ones who took part in the Champions League final.

Spain's final warmup match will be against Peru in Mexico on Monday. De la Fuente did not say who is expected to play in that match.

After opening against Cape Verde in Group H, Spain will face Saudi Arabia on June 21 in Atlanta and Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara.

Spain has never gone past the round of 16 at the World Cup since it won its lone title in 2010.

“We are all excited to get started and try to do well at the tournament,” De la Fuente said.