Soccer

ESPN News Services Oct 16, 2023, 04:25 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden was suspended at half-time after two Swedes were shot dead in Brussels earlier on Monday. The Swedish players told UEFA that they did not want to play the second half, and the Belgians agreed, Swedish

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentOct 16, 2023, 10:28 AM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Saturday’s match against Germany gave U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter a chance to try out what he calls his “Plan B” in the

Open Extended Reactions England are the team to beat at next summer’s European Championship. There are no more excuses or mitigating factors for coach Gareth Southgate and his squad to fall short again. Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, John Stones, Kyle Walker, plus Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford, are players

Spain secured a place at Euro 2024 after Gavi‘s second-half goal was enough to beat Norway 1-0 away on Sunday and they will be joined by their Group A rivals Scotland and Turkey from Group D following an eventful night in qualifying. Spain and Scotland both secured spots in the top two with 15 points

Ross Devonport Oct 15, 2023, 09:42 AM ET Open Extended Reactions FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami will embark on a two-game postseason tour to China, the team announced Sunday. Just over two weeks after their 2023 MLS campaign ends, Inter Miami will travel to face Chinese Super League sides Qingdao Hainiu FC

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentOct 15, 2023, 07:11 AM ET Close Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Open Extended Reactions EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – Prior to the U.S. men’s national team’s match with Germany on Saturday, manager Gregg Berhalter said “we need to learn” from playing such a high-powered

Cesar Hernandez Oct 14, 2023, 02:58 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The U.S. men’s national team stumbled to a 3-1 friendly loss against Germany at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday. Initially up 1-0 after a perfectly struck shot from Christian Pulisic in the 27th minute, the USMNT were at first

Maturing Socceroos show promise in England friendly, but questions still remain In the end, Australia’s 1-0 defeat against England won’t be remembered as fondly as the famous meeting between the two sides 20 years ago. But even if the Socceroos snatched an unlikely result, one wonders if it would have hit the same as then

Oct 14, 2023, 07:33 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest paid footballer in the world in 2023, earning more than the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar during the past 12 months, according to Forbes. Ronaldo, who Forbes also ranks as the highest paid athlete of any sport, topped the list

Oct 13, 2023, 05:27 PM ET Open Extended Reactions France‘s Kylian Mbappé rediscovered his touch in spectacular fashion as he grabbed a double to lead his side to a 2-1 away win against an injury-ravaged Netherlands and early qualification for Euro 2024 on Friday. The World Cup runners-up, who will be joined in the June

Connor O’Halloran Oct 12, 2023, 11:01 AM ET Open Extended Reactions LA TURBIE, France — Florence Balogun had been telling her son Folarin to choose the United States for years. England, where he grew up, had called to ask whether he would play for its squad. Nigeria, where his parents were born, was interested, too,

Adriana Garcia Oct 13, 2023, 06:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Brazil coach Fernando Diniz has condemned the “disrespectful” incident in which Neymar was hit on the head by a bag of popcorn thrown from the stands after his team’s 1-1 home draw with Venezuela. The popcorn was thrown just before Neymar walked down the

ESPN News Services Oct 12, 2023, 06:41 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Lionel Messi was not in Argentina‘s starting XI for their World Cup qualifier against Paraguay on Thursday, but he was included in the squad as a substitute. Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina is 2-0 in CONMEBOL qualifying thus far, having beaten Ecuador 1-0 and Bolívia

Open Extended Reactions Colorado Rapids have interviewed Arsenal youth team coach and former midfielder, Jack Wilshere, about the MLS club’s vacant head coach position, sources confirmed to ESPN. The Rapids are owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, who also own Arsenal, and it is understood a formal approach was made to the Premier League side

Adriana Garcia Oct 12, 2023, 05:58 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Karim Benzema joined Al Ittihad this summer because he always wanted to live in Saudi Arabia and “help Saudi football grow.” The France forward, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2022, left Real Madrid after 14 years “to try a new challenge,” signing for

Open Extended Reactions Harry Maguire has defended his Manchester United record by insisting his win percentage is “ridiculously high” but admitted he could leave the club in January if he struggles to break back into the first team. The 30-year-old has been largely frozen out by Erik ten Hag since the Dutchman took charge at

Open Extended Reactions Michael Battistini plays for the San Marino national team but works by day as a metal mechanic. Like his teammates, he dreams of a San Marino win. Clara Vannucci for ESPN SERRAVALLE, San Marino — “Highway to Hell” rings out around San Marino Stadium as the world’s worst football team prepares to face

Julien Laurens, CorrespondentOct 11, 2023, 05:00 AM ET Eden Hazard always said privately that the day he did not enjoy playing football anymore, he would quit. That day has now come. On Tuesday, the 32-year-old decided to end his 16-year professional career because the game was not fun for him anymore. It hadn’t been for