Europe

USMNT winger Tim Weah is moving closer and closer to a permanent transfer from Lille to Juventus with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Italian club wants to complete the medical and get the contract signed by the end of the week.

The 23-year-old is fresh off a standout year for his national team. He started all four matches at the World Cup (scoring in the opener against Wales) and just recently started both Concacaf Nations League Finals games (assisting vs. Mexico).

Barcelona have signed İlkay Gündoğan on a free transfer after his departure from treble winners Manchester City with the German midfielder signing a two-year contract, the LaLiga club said on Monday.

The 32-year-old has a contract until June 2025 with an option for a further year, while the Spanish champions also said they had included a buyout clause of $435.72 million.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois asked not to travel with Belgium for their Euro 2024 qualifier in Estonia on Tuesday, telling shocked coach Domenico Tedesco he did not feel respected within the team as he walked out of the squad.

Courtois, 31, played in Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Austria but told Tedesco after the match that he would not make himself available for the Estonia game.

Tedesco says Courtois's unhappiness spilled over when striker Romelu Lukaku was given the captain's armband for the Austria game in the absence of injured regular skipper Kevin De Bruyne.

The UEFA and CONCACAF Nations League finals both took place Sunday, and records fell, legends became immortal and history was written as the world came to a standstill to watch the heroics of goalkeeper Unai Simón and a blonded Gio Reyna.

ROTTERDAM - Serial winner Dani Carvajal converted the decisive spot-kick to hand Spain a first title in more than a decade as they edged Croatia 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win the Nations League in Rotterdam on Sunday.

The 31-year-old, who has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, calmly chipped home Spain’s sixth kick of the shootout as they claimed their first silverware since the 2012 European Championship.

Agony and ecstasy go hand in hand. The pain of losing is heightened when victory is within reach, only to be snatched at the final second with no hope of recovery. Such is the nature of the final day of a soccer season. 

ROTTERDAM — Croatia scored twice in extra time to beat the Netherlands 4-2 in their Nations League semifinal in Rotterdam on Wednesday and advance to Sunday’s decider.

Croatia will play either Italy or Spain, who face off in the second semifinal in Enschede on Thursday, for a first major title as they continued their form from last year’s World Cup in Qatar, where they finished third.