Defending

MADRID - Spain's most capped player Sergio Ramos announced his international retirement on Thursday after being told by new coach Luis de la Fuente that he was not part of his plans.

The 36-year-old Paris St Germain defender, who won the World Cup in 2010 as well as two European Championships, has not played for Spain since March 2021, yet said he should have been given the chance to show he could still be of service to his country.

Fulham continue to impress in their return to the Premier League after defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Saturday for the team’s tenth EPL win this season. When the Cottagers were relegated in the 2020-21 season, they only recorded five league victories.

Saturday’s win saw another great shift from American defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson. The American duo have become a wall on Fulham’s left side and kept the seventh clean sheet on the season.

Days after the sacking of manager Jesse Marsch, relegation-threatened Leeds have gone into Old Trafford and drawn title-challenging Manchester United 2-2 with a midfield duo of Tyler Adams-Weston McKennie and a three-headed coaching monster including the American Chris Armas (mockingly referred to as "Ted Lasso" during his stint as assistant at Man Utd) and a guy who recently managed England's futsal team.

This sport is batshit crazy and I love it.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Wrexham FC saw the clock strike midnight on their Cinderella-run in the FA Cup on Tuesday. Sheffield United defeated the fifth-tier lovable Welsh side 3-1 in the 4th Round Replays.

On Jan. 29 these two sides — who sit three leagues apart in the English football pyramid — played to a thrilling 3-3 draw that saw a 95th minute equalizer from Sheffield United to force the replay.

The Seattle Sounders made history as the first club from Major League Soccer to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday in Tangier, Morocco.. The Sounders lost 1-0 in heartbreaking fashion to Egyptian giants Al Ahly by conceding in the 88th minute.

The Sounders should keep their heads held high as they pushed Al Ahly to the very end. The Egyptian side are Club World Cup regulars as this is the eighth time Al Ahly have qualified for the competition.

LONDON — Chelsea's British record signing Enzo Fernandez got his first taste of Premier League football in a 0-0 draw against his new club's visiting neighbours Fulham in a lively but ultimately disappointing Friday night derby.

The World Cup-winning midfielder, who cost Chelsea's American owners nearly $128.98 million from Benfica, looked comfortable and showed touches of class, spraying pinpoint passes and timing his tackles well.

France defender Raphaël Varane is retiring from international football, ending a 10-year career with Les Bleus in which he won the World Cup in 2018 and was a runner-up four years later.

The 29-year-old, who has 93 caps after making his debut in 2013, and also helped Didier Deschamps's side win the UEFA Nations League in the 2020-21 season.