MANCHESTER, England - FIFA is investigating the abandonment of the Brazil-Argentina World Cup qualifier with its president Gianni Infantino labelling the events "crazy,” while Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to take disciplinary action against their Argentine players.
Brazilian health authorities intervened on Sunday after accusing four Argentine Premier League players of violating the country's COVID-19 quarantine rules.
The USMNT is only two matches into its 14-game CONCACAF World Cup qualifying odyssey, but one look at the early table shows you why Wednesday’s meeting between the U.S. and Honduras in San Pedro Sula is feeling like a must-win.
While qualification obviously doesn’t hinge on the result, there’s a sense that if the tournament successes of the past summer are to have any real meaning, then the U.S. needs to end this September window with its first win of the Octagonal.
The highly anticipated, world-stopping World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina in São Paulo ended in farce on Sunday afternoon. The buildup to the match had been dominated by COVID-19 guidelines, which ruled out the Premier League-based players for both countries.
SAO PAULO — Brazilian health officials accused four Argentine footballers of breaking quarantine rules on Saturday and began an investigation that could lead to their exclusion from this weekend's World Cup qualifier between the two sides.
The Argentina squad flew into Brazil on Friday, the day after beating Venezuela 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Caracas.
The squad for Sunday's game at the Corinthians arena contains four players who play in England, Emiliano Buendia and Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur duo Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero.
My Spanish is a little rusty, but here is a snippet from a conversation overheard between a few El Salvadorian fans shortly before the country's World Cup Qualifier against the USMNT on Thursday:
Guy No. 1: "OK, here's the plan: step one — get a ladder. Step two — carry the ladder into the stadium."
*Pause*
Guy No. 2: "What's step three?"
Guy No. 1: "What do you mean step three? That's the whole plan, we take the ladder and bring it into the game. That's it."
Cristiano Ronaldo will wear Manchester United's famous number seven jersey once again following his return to Old Trafford, the Premier League club said on Thursday.
The 36-year-old Portuguese forward spent six seasons at United between 2003-09, winning eight major trophies, and rejoined them this week from Juventus on a two-year deal.
Ronaldo donned the number seven shirt during his first stint at the club, following in the footsteps of great United players including George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham.
After a summer spent playing the role of bridesmaid, Tata Martino’s Mexico begins World Cup qualifying by putting on a brave face and getting back out there, but September’s trifecta of matches each pose their own particular challenges for El Tri.
A couple big names miss out entirely through injury — Chucky Lozano, Héctor Herrera, Diego Lainez and Héctor Moreno — although Andrés Guardado returns after recovering from his own ailments. Meanwhile Covid continues to change, disrupt and alter plans by the minute, so don't be surprised if this preview is already entirely worthless.
As the holder of the Nations League, Gold Cup and a new world ranking of 10th, the USMNT approaches World Cup qualifying at its highest level of confidence in five years — since John Brooks destroyed the house that Ecuador built at the Copa América.
But the formula for success in CONCACAF never changes: try to win at home, try to draw away. Get that done and you’re going to Qatar; experiment with the formula like Jürgen Klinsmann and you’ll kill Taylor Twellman.
REIMS - Argentine forward Lionel Messi has been included in Paris Saint-Germain's squad for Sunday's Ligue 1 trip to Reims, the club said on Sunday.
The 34-year-old, who signed a two-year deal with PSG with an option for a third year after his contract with Barcelona expired, had yet to feature in the squad since joining on Aug. 10.
Messi has not played since winning the Copa América with Argentina against Brazil on July 10.
Matías Zaracho and Atletico Mineiro booted River Plate out of the Copa Libertadores in style Wednesday night. This Zaracho goal vs. River Plate was the opening strike of the game and is one of the best seen in 2021 so far.
A silky move from Hulk, the Chinese Super League legend, gave him space to cross it in toward Zaracho, who pulled off one of the most amazing goals ever seen.
WHAT A GOAL!