Shocking

Saudi Arabia was the only football association to present a bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup before the deadline closed, soccer's global governing body said on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia World Cup 2034 confirmed

OFFICIAL: World Cup 2034 will be hosted by Saudi Arabia, as president Gianni Infantino has confirmed.

“Football unites the world like no other sport, World Cup is perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion”.

Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has been banned from soccer for 10 months over breaches of rules on betting on matches in Italy, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Thursday.

Tonali was sanctioned with an 18-month ban, eight of which will be commuted to alternative treatment, after an agreement was reached with the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the FIGC confirmed.

It will rule Tonali out for the remainder of the club season and next summer's Euro 2024 tournament should Italy qualify.

Chaos erupted after an amateur soccer game in Irvine, California, this past weekend when players and parents got involved in a nasty brawl.

The fight was between two teams that play in the United Premier Soccer League, which is sometimes considered the fourth tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid.

Irvine Zeta FC II was a younger team that upset the undefeated Club Garrafones 2-1. After the final whistle scuffles turned to skirmishes which devolved into an all-out brawl.

Argentina forward Papu Gomez has blamed a failed doping test on his son's cough syrup after Serie A club Monza said on Friday that their World Cup-winner had been handed a two-year ban.

OFFICIAL: Papu Gómez has been banned from professional football for the next two years.

Gómez failed an anti-doping test as he tested positive in October 2022 at Sevilla — before the World Cup.

LONDON — Arsenal fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw and preserve their unbeaten start to the Premier League season on Saturday, with late goals from Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard.

Chelsea had gone ahead in the 15th minute through a cool Cole Palmer penalty after Arsenal defender William Saliba rose to hold off Mykhailo Mudryk and the Ukrainian's header glanced off his opponent's hand. The referee awarded the spot kick after a VAR check.

United States men’s national team captain and Bournemouth defensive midfielder Tyler Adams is expected to be out until February 2024 with a hamstring issue.

Adams already missed six months of action this year after suffering a hamstring injury that required surgery in March.

The 24-year-old made one appearance for his new club Bournemouth in September before reaggravating his hamstring issue.

Neymar will undergo surgery after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, Brazil's FA said, an injury that is expected to sideline the forward for several months.

The 31-year-old went down after tussling for the ball with Uruguay's Nicolas de la Cruz in the 44th minute of Brazil's 2-0 defeat on Tuesday, holding his left leg in pain and calling for medical attention as his teammates looked on anxiously.

Los Angeles is no longer a host city for the 2026 World Cup due to an ongoing dispute between FIFA and the owners of SoFi Stadium, ESPN reported.

The home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers was originally thought to be one of three contenders to host the World Cup final, along with MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) and AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas).

Previous reports indicated that Stan Kroenke, owner of SoFi Stadium and the Rams, is unhappy with the proposed financial split between FIFA, the city and the stadium.