Czech Republic international Jakub Jankto announced on Monday that he is gay, saying he wants to live his life “in freedom.”
Jankto, who plays for Sparta Prague on loan from LaLiga side Getafe, made his international debut in 2017.
The 27-year-old, who has 45 caps, is the highest profile current male footballer to publicly come out as gay.
It's been over six weeks since Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup trophy and Argentina celebrated their long-awaited third star. Messi has since returned to playing for the traveling circus that is PSG, but the 35-year-old's thoughts won't stray far from that month-long odyssey in Qatar and the fulfillment of a life's dream for some time to come.
On Monday, a 45-minute interview in Paris between Messi and Argentine journalist Any Kusnetzoff for Urbana Play provided all the details from the triumph, fresh in the Golden Ball winner's mind.
U.S. Soccer made its debut on HBO Max Tuesday night with the USWNT beating New Zealand in a friendly in Wellington thanks to four second-half goals, including Alex Morgan's 120th international strike off a ridiculous Rose Lavelle backheel.
The Football Ferns were a little overmatched.
Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji said Marcus Rashford was clearly interfering with play in the lead-up to Manchester United's equalizer in their Premier League match on Saturday.
City defenders tracked Rashford's run from an offside position as he chased the ball for 30 yards before Bruno Fernandes stepped in at the last second to score.
The linesman raised his flag for offside but referee Stuart Attwell awarded the goal, allowing United to mount a comeback and win 2-1.
France Football Federation (FFF) president Noël Le Graët apologized to Zinedine Zidane on Monday after his comments on the former Real Madrid coach drew the ire of players, politicians and even the Spanish club.
Zidane was one of the favorites to take charge of the national team if Didier Deschamps had stepped down but his contract was extended after he led France to the World Cup final, where they lost to Argentina in Qatar last month.
After sending 11 players to the World Cup, Paris Saint-Germain's season resumes Wednesday with the Ligue 1 leaders needing to find motivation for a home match against 19th-place Strasbourg.
PSG manager Christophe Galtier gave his pre-match press conference Tuesday and outlined how many of the club's World Cup stars would be available for selection — including France's Kylian Mbappé, Morocco's Achraf Hakimi and Brazil's Neymar — but Argentina's Lionel Messi had been given extended leave until early January.
AL RAYYAN, Qatar - Portugal's Football Federation (FPF) have denied media reports that captain Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the national team during the World Cup after coach Fernando Santos dropped him for their last-16 win over Switzerland.
AL RAYYAN, Qatar - Uruguay's Luis Suárez refused to apologize to Ghanaians on Thursday for his role 12 years ago in their biggest World Cup setback, arguing it wasn't his handball that denied Ghana a quarterfinal winner but their missed penalty that followed.
A win for Ghana against Uruguay in Friday's final Group H match could avenge their acrimonious defeat by the South Americans in 2010, when Suárez used his hand to block an extra-time winner for Ghana, who missed the resulting spot-kick and lost the penalty shootout that followed.
DOHA - Iran coach Carlos Queiroz lambasted German soccer icon Jürgen Klinsmann for criticizing his team's World Cup conduct, calling his remarks a "disgrace to football" and urging him to quit his FIFA post, as Iran's soccer federation demanded an apology.
In comments as an analyst with broadcaster BBC, 1990 World Cup winner Klinsmann accused Iran of systematic gamesmanship during their stunning 2-0 stoppage-time win over Wales on Friday and said Queiroz's record with other national teams made him the right match for Iran.
Argentina's path to a third World Cup title got off to a disastrous start Tuesday after Saudi Arabia shocked the South American champions with a 2-1 upset that sent Lionel Messi and La Albiceleste hurtling back into traumatic memories of Iceland, Croatia, France and Chile.