Sports

Carlo Ancelotti praised the spectacular attitude of his Real Madrid side in a 2-0 LaLiga win at Cadiz.

Los Blancos dominated the game at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on Saturday, registering more shots than any other team in a LaLiga match this season, with 35 attempts.

Madrid had to wait until Nacho s brilliant finish after 72 minutes to take the lead and Marco Asensio gave them breathing space four minutes later.

Vinicius Junior and Toni Kroos were not risked by Ancelotti ahead of Tuesday s Champions League quarter-final second leg at Chelsea due to muscle strains, while Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga came off the bench.

Dani Carvajal and David Alaba were unused substitutes as Madrid prepared for the game at Stamford Bridge, which they will start with a …

The United States Soccer Federation has confirmed it will host the 2016 Copa America Centenario.

The tournament, which marks the 100-year anniversary of the South American football championship, will take place between June 3-26 in various venues and locations across United States.

Despite announcing they would be hosting the competition last year, corruption concerns threatened the event after the US Department of Justice indicted several top officials from the confederations of North and South America in May for more than $110million in bribes.

However, a statement on Friday released on ussoccer.com provided confirmation.

The U.S. Soccer Federation will partner with The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACA…

Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United. It was a move that took many by surprise, given he was linked to arch-rivals Manchester City initially, but the deal is done.

After a 12-year absence, via stops at Real Madrid and Juventus, the five-time Ballon d Or winner has made it back to Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskajer s last-ditch intervention invoked memories of Barcelona in 1999, though this time he nipped in front of Pep Guardiola instead of past Oliver Kahn.

Rio Ferdinand and Alex Ferguson are said to have played a key role, too, reminding Ronaldo of United s halcyon days, nudging him towards one final dance – or drop of a shoulder – with the Stretford End.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform looks at the numbers behind the 36-year-old sta…

Five years ago to the day, Paris Saint-Germain sent shockwaves across world football by paying a world-record amount to bring in Brazil superstar Neymar from LaLiga heavyweights Barcelona.

The €222million PSG splashed out on Neymar remains by far and away the most any team has ever paid for a player. Next on that list? Kylian Mbappe, who swapped Monaco for PSG that same transfer window, initially on loan, for a fee rising to €180m.

Indeed, across the past five years, the Parisians gross outlay has hit a whopping €792m, which is around 40 per cent more than the preceding five-year period. If it was not clear enough upon Qatar Sports Investments takeover in 2011, PSG will not stop in their pursuit of becoming the world s best team.

Yet here we are, more than …

Presnel Kimpembe is set for a spell on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring in a rash challenge that left Brest coach Michel Der Zakarian furious.

Kimpembe was already on a booking in the closing stages of Paris Saint-Germain s 1-0 win on Saturday when he lunged in on Irvin Cardona.

The France defender somehow escaped punishment, but he went away clutching his hamstring and left PSG down to 10 men regardless as he departed down the tunnel for treatment with all five substitutions already used.

It now appears likely Kimpembe will not play against either Maccabi Haifa or Lyon ahead of an international break for which he will also be a doubt.

He suffers from a muscle injury, coach Christophe Galtier said. He will have tests and we will wait within 48 …

Michy Batshuayi has ended all speculation about his future by signing a new and improved contract with Marseille until June 2020.

The 22-year-old was heavily linked with clubs such as Tottenham and Newcastle United in recent weeks, but he has made the decision to stay with the Ligue 1 outfit instead.

The striker s previous deal ran until the end of the 2018-19 campaign, but he has now signed a one-year extension.

Batshuayi joined Marseille from Standard Liege in August 2014 and has since developed into a key player at the Stade Velodrome.

He currently sits second in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 11 goals from 19 appearances this season, trailing PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic by four strikes.

Furthermore, promising defender Benjamin Mendy has al…

Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa joked Sergio Conceicao got to know Europe before signing a contract extension as speculation around his future was ended on Saturday.

The Portuguese giants confirmed Conceicao had agreed a deal that will run to 2024.

The 46-year-old had been out of contract after four years with Porto, where he bolstered his reputation as a coach with two Primeira Liga titles.

With runs to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2019 and 2021 – knocking out Juventus earlier this year – Conceicao also made Porto the first Portuguese team this century to reach the last eight of the competition in consecutive appearances.

Uncertainty regarding Conceicao had prompted links to Serie A, having played for Lazio in two spells either si…

Morocco became the first African team ever to reach a World Cup semi-final as the Atlas Lions continued their fairytale run in Qatar with a 1-0 win over Portugal at Al Thumama Stadium on Saturday.

Walid Regragui s side saw off Spain on penalties in the last 16, but this was even more impressive and notable as Morocco ensured they will go where no other African nation has ventured before.

Youssef En-Nesyri had the honour of scoring what will go down as one of the most important goals in the history of African football as he powered in a header just before the break.

Portugal piled pressure on for much of the second half, introducing the again-benched Cristiano Ronaldo, but their efforts fell short much to the delight of the Morocco-dominated crowd.

1 Moroc…

Gian Piero Gasperini and Ademola Lookman both cherished creating Atalanta history after ending Bayer Leverkusen s unbeaten run and securing Europa League glory.

Lookman produced a performance worthy of the most important European moment in Atalanta s history, securing the club s first-ever major trophy on the continent after his dazzling hat-trick.

The Nigeria winger is just the sixth player to manage a treble in a major UEFA final and the first since Jupp Heynckes’ for Borussia Mönchengladbach against Twente in 1975.

Lookman will be the toast of Bergamo when Gasperini s side head home, boasting their first trophy in 61 years – after the Coppa Italia – following a 3-0 triumph to end Leverkusen s 51-game unbeaten run.

One of the best nights of my l…

Joao Palhinha says he wants to write my own story at Bayern Munich, as the midfielder targets silverware with his new employers.

The Portugal midfielder joined Bayern from Fulham last month in a deal reportedly worth an initial €50million (£42m), signing a four-year contract at the Allianz Arena.

Palhinha came close to signing with the Bundesliga giants last September, only for the Cottagers to pull the plug on a deadline-day transfer when they failed to sign a replacement.

The 29-year-old made the move having impressed during his two-year stint in the Premier League, completing the most tackles during the 2023-24 season with 152 (5.07 per 90 minutes).

He also averaged 8.38 ball recoveries, 5.44 completed long balls, 2.23 interceptions and 2.09 blocks …