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U.S. cities hosting next year's FIFA World Cup faced questions on Wednesday about how to reassure international fans concerned by President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and travel ban as the year-to-go countdown began. The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, is set to co-host the finals, which will feature 48 teams and a record 104 matches in a tournament that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said would usher in a new generation of soccer fans. Celebrities and soccer stars were due to walk the red carpet at the Fox Studio Lot in Los Angeles - one of the host cities...

Women are rising in western society in all spheres of life. In the picture above North Melbourne defender and co-vice captian Nicole "Flash" Bresnehan points her fellow players to move forward attacking the goal. If the rise in women means a rise in misandry, then men should be very very concerned. But if it means better sharing and caring, we will all be better off. And when it means that football is becoming more beautiful, more collaborative and more impassioned, then I love seeing the shared leadership of women like Flash.

Two people have been killed and 500 have been arrested in France during PSG victory celebrations, authorities said on Sunday. Paris Saint-Germain beat Inter Milan 5-0 to win the Champions League for the first time in the team's history. CNN reported that as of Sunday morning, nearly 560 people had been arrested, including 491 in Paris. There were 320 people placed in police custody and 254 of them were in Paris alone. Police chief Laurent Nuñezs said a 17-year-old died from stab wounds and a man in his 20s died in a collision with a vehicle.

Professional sports are all about mom, apple pie and the flag, right? Baseball is our “national pastime,” football is our national religion, basketball is…well…marketing for athletic shoes? And hockey is an advertisement for restorative dentistry? Anyway, these leagues are supposed to be red, white and blue. Apart, that is, from some knee taking and refusing to stand for the National Anthem, buying into the whole “America is systemically racist” thing, supporting trans this and that, and OK, the Budweiser debacle, which is at least sort of associated with them. Sigh. Sports used to be so simple. Players were expected to...

For years, the bright green turf of Whitsett Fields Park has served as a joyous hub for Los Angeles youth soccer — particularly for thousands of immigrant families in the San Fernando Valley. On most weekends, the sprawling North Hollywood complex echoes with the shouts of hundreds of boys and girls, as vendors hawk aguas frescas, balloons and candy along the sidelines. But recently, immense grief and worry have settled over this close, Latin American community. Just last week, a well-known coach and Salvadoran national was charged with murder in the killing of 13-year-old soccer player Oscar Omar Hernandez during...

Warning: This article and the video linked below contain demonic language, imagery and ritual, discretion is advised. (LifeSiteNews) — The fans of the German soccer club 1. FC Kaiserslautern have enacted a Satanic performance, summoning Lucifer during one of their home games. During the match against Fortuna Düsseldorf on March 29, fans of Kaiserslautern shocked the sports world by performing a satanic choreography that featured what appeared to be a summoning ritual of Satan in Latin. The video, which is disturbing, can be found here. After a countdown, black foil transformed the West Curve of the Fritz Walter Stadium into...

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Boston-based expansion team announced Friday that it will be changing its name. The change comes after a wave of transgender backlash to a marketing campaign it abandoned back in October. The team was set to be named BOS Nation FC, which it announced in a branding event in the fall alongside a marketing campaign that featured the slogan "Too Many Balls." The slogan prompted intense backlash from the transgender community, including an NWSL player. A transgender player who goes by the singular name Quinn, who plays for the Seattle Reign, spoke out against the...

A study from Europe has warned FIFA about the extreme temperatures expected in the U.S. during the 2026 World Cup, raising concerns over player safety and match scheduling. FIFA has finalized plans for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature several historic changes. For the first time, the tournament will expand to 48 teams (up from 32 since France 1998), run for over five weeks, and span three host nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Despite these plans, new challenges have surfaced, particularly for some U.S. host cities. Climate change poses a significant threat, according to a study by...

The Portuguese coach, who once declared himself to be "the Special One," was fined and suspended earlier in the season for a tirade against local match officials and the league Turkish football club Galatasaray announced it would launch "criminal proceedings" against Jose Mourinho on Monday, accusing the manager of rival Istanbul club Fenerbahçe of making "racist comments" after a Turkish league game in which the clubs drew 0-0. Galatasaray hit out at Mourinho after the Portuguese coach made comments about Turkish referees and the Galatasaray bench during a post-match interview on Monday. During a press conference, 62-year-old Mourinho said he...

Jenni Hermoso has told the trial of Spain's former football chief Luis Rubiales that the kiss he gave her at the 2023 World Cup "stained one of the happiest days of my life". The Spanish world champion footballer was the first witness in Rubiales' trial over the kiss, where he is accused of sexual assault and coercion. She told the court in Madrid: "My boss was kissing me, and this shouldn't happen in any social or work setting." Rubiales sparked major controversy when he kissed the athlete on the lips during the medal ceremony for the side's World Cup victory...

Here was a man once captaining France at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. He became a symbol of betrayal, infamy, and unthinkable cruelty as a Nazi collaborator. How does such a transformation occur? What compels someone to exchange glory for infamy? This is the story of a man who squandered greatness for greed and moral decay.

George Eastham, a member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad, has died at 88, his former club Stoke City said on Friday. SNIP Known for his lethal left foot and creativity, Eastham is a legend at Stoke, famously scoring the winner in the 1972 League Cup final, helping the club win their first major trophy in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea. The Blackpool-born player is also remembered for his crusade against the old 'retain and transfer' system which allowed a club to keep a player's registration as a means to force them to stay. When Eastham's contract with Newcastle expired...

JK Rowling claims the BBC is 'spitting in women's faces' by naming Barbra Banda as Women's Footballer of the Year despite failing to meet gender eligibility rules. Zambia and Orlando Pride striker Banda won the title as she received the most votes from BBC Sport website readers after being included on a five-player shortlist. But Banda's place in the running for the annual prize was criticised by women's rights groups because she was previously left out of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 by team bosses over allegedly having high testosterone levels.

Costa Rica squared off against the U.S. team in a World Cup Qualifying game on March 23, 1997, at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in San José. My young son and I were seated in the middle section, near row 30. Saprissa is a stadium where the U.S. could never win against its CONCACAF rival. Bruce Arena, former U.S. national team coach, described it in a Sports Illustrated article (Andrea Corrales, 2009) as: “The way the stadium is, the fans are right on top of you.” Arena went on to say, “That’s intimidating for players, but even more for officials.” Landon Donovan...

Here we go...Bayern Munich will be back on the pitch tomorrow!When former Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski transferred to FC Barcelona, he could not imagine that he would be embroiled in an international scandal. If it is true, a fake Pini Zahavi (as first reported by Cadena SER), succeeded in initially duping the Catalans — and almost collected a hefty fee in a scheme that was fitting of a Nigerian Prince. Let’s dive in: A joint investigation by the German magazine ‘Der Spiegel’, the anti-crime network ‘OCCRP’, the Spanish radio station ‘Cadena SER’ and the Dutch platform ‘Follow The Money’...

Former U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe says she is “afraid” for her “trans friends” as a second “hateful” Trump presidency prepares to kick off in January. Appearing Wednesday on the A Touch More podcast, the Olympic gold medal winner spoke of the sense of foreboding she feels since left-wing Vice President Kamala Harris lost in a landslide election to former President and now President-elect Donald Trump, Fox News reported. Rapinoe was despondent over a second Trump presidency.

Israeli and French fans got into a brief altercation during Thursday’s Nations League soccer game, which had heavy security presence following the antisemitic violence in Amsterdam this week. Just after the game kicked off at 8:45 p.m., local time, officials reported a small brawl between Israeli and French soccer fans at a top section of the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis. Some of those involved in the scuffle were wearing Israeli flags draped over their backs as they wrestled with other people in the stands.

Holland's support for genocidal Israeli fans and condemnation of its own citizens as 'antisemitic' is the latest manifestation of its fanatical support for Israel and racist historyLate last week, the western world was aghast at the alleged "antisemitic attacks" in Amsterdam targeting Israeli football fans, injuring 10 of them. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands swiftly condemned the attacks, which he claimed were reminiscent of "dark and grim times for the Jewish people", and vowed not to "turn a blind eye to antisemitism" amid mass arrests. The king does not seem to consider it antisemitic, however, to equate Israeli football...

Asoccer team in Germany was reportedly threatened with knives and sticks a few days after Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam were attacked. The two incidents, not even a week apart, have both been described as antisemitic attacks. According to reports in the local German news outlet Tagesspiegel, there were alleged attacks on the Jewish under-17 soccer players of the Makkabi Berlin football team. It was reported that the incident occurred at the grounds of the soccer team DJK Schwarz-Weiß Neukölln following a match between the two teams. A sign reading "Clubhaus Makkabi Berlin" can be seen at the Julius Hirsch...

Tzvi Kedar, a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan, who was injured after being brutally beaten in Amsterdam, recounted the terrifying moments he experienced. "When we exited the metro after the game, nothing felt problematic. Suddenly, in Dam Square, a woman approached us and told us 'Come to my bar, it's dangerous for you to walk around here'. We thought she was joking and trying to sell us alcohol, but when we went in, we saw many frightened and scared Israelis. She saved us; we were really on our way to hell,” Kedar recounted in an interview on Kan Radio. "The police...