List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

England suffered another Nations League setback as a late penalty from Belgium captain Tessa Wullaert condemned them to a 3-2 defeat in Leuven. After falling behind to Laura De Neve’s ninth-minute free-kick and then seeing defender Alex Greenwood carried off on a stretcher having been involved in a clash of heads, the Lionesses turned things around to lead via goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby. But Wullaert subsequently put Belgium back on level terms in first-half stoppage time, then notched the winner from the spot with five minutes of normal time remaining at the end after Georgia Stanway handled. The result sees England – 1-0 victors over the Belgians in Leicester last Friday – leapfrogged by the Red Flames in Group A1 as Sarina Wiegman’s side slip to third place having been beaten for a second time in four matches in the pool. With six points, England, who lost 1-0 to the Netherlands in September, are three behind the table-topping Dutch and one behind second-placed Belgium – the former won 1-0 against Scotland on Tuesday. England’s next game is against the Netherlands at Wembley on December 1 as they look to bounce back in a competition that provides them with the opportunity to secure a Paris 2024 Olympics qualification spot for Great Britain – they need to finish top of the group to have a chance to do that. Belgium looked threatening early on, with Wullaert bringing a save out of Mary Earps, albeit with the flag going up for offside. And three minutes later the hosts were in front as De Neve curled a free-kick over the England wall and into the corner of Earps’ net. Soon after, there was a further setback for Wiegman’s side after Greenwood went down following an accidental clash of heads with Belgian forward Jassina Blom with around 20 minutes of the contest gone, leaving both players down on the turf. Greenwood received treatment on the field for about 10 minutes before being placed on a stretcher and taken off, with Jess Carter coming on as her replacement. Blom, donning a head bandage, was able to continue. While it was a worrying scene, a subsequent post from the Lionesses’ official X account said Greenwood was “conscious and talking, and…being monitored by our medical staff.” Following the resumption of play, England produced an impressive response with Bronze bringing things level in the 38th minute by heading Chloe Kelly’s free-kick in off the bar. As the visitors continued to pressurise, Kelly saw a shot deflect narrowly wide, Bronze’s header was saved by Nicky Evrard and Alessia Russo fired into the side-netting before Kirby – making her first England start in a year – put them in front in the 44th minute, slotting in from Lauren Hemp’s cut-back. There was still an understandably lengthy period of stoppage time to get through before the interval, and six minutes into it Belgium hit back as Wullaert was played in and slotted past Earps. England went close seven minutes after the break as Evrard parried Kirby’s shot and Tine De Caigny cleared the loose ball off the line, and Wullaert was then denied by Earps in similar circumstances to when she had beaten her. Russo again found the side-netting, Bronze saw a shot blocked and England substitute Rachel Daly’s header was turned around the post by Evrard before Yana Daniels, who had come on for the home side, unleashed a strike that hit Stanway’s arm. Referee Esther Staubli pointed to the spot and Wullaert sent her effort from 12 yards into the corner as Belgium emerged triumphant from a topsy-turvy game. Read More Alex Greenwood suffers head injury in England’s clash with Belgium We’re better than that – Dawid Malan deflects England heat from Matthew Mott Sir Bobby Charlton funeral announced for November 13 Inquiry into ice hockey player’s death will take some time, police say Colombian police continue search for Luis Diaz’s kidnapped father Leigh Halfpenny says final Wales appearance will be ‘pretty special’

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Alex Greenwood was carried off on a stretcher after being involved in a clash of heads during England’s Nations League match against Belgium in Leuven. Defender Greenwood collided with Belgian forward Jassina Blom with around 20 minutes of the contest gone, leaving both players down on the turf. Greenwood then received treatment on the field for about 10 minutes before being placed on a stretcher and taken off, with Jess Carter coming on as her replacement. Blom, donning a head bandage, was able to continue. Having been a goal down at the time of the incident via Laura De Neve’s free-kick, the Lionesses went on to turn things around, with goals from Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby putting them 2-1 up heading into first-half stoppage time. Tessa Wullaert then brought things back level with an equaliser in the additional period. Read More Belgium vs England LIVE: Women’s Nations League latest updates Fifa’s battle to regulate football agents gains momentum Saudi Arabian World Cup in 2034 sparks ‘significant concern’ from major leagues

Fifa have claimed a significant victory in their attempt to regulate the world’s top football agents, as the European Commission has backed the governing body’s move to bring in strict new rules including a cap on fees. Although it will be a hearing at the European Court of Justice that ultimately settles the issue, the Commission’s written submission to judges carry significant weight. It is seen by sources involved as a “huge development” and being hailed as a win for Fifa in what had been developing into a highly fractious conflict. Agents argue that the global body is attempting to unfairly affect their earning potential through a labour negotiation issue that actually has nothing to do with football, and goes against European Union antitrust laws. One strident position has been that setting a price cap would essentially represent a price-fixing cartel by the clubs, which top agents had been putting a lot of focus on. The European Commission have instead argued that a cap is entirely justified in order to protect players and contractual stability, as well as limiting conflicts of interest while protecting players who lack experience or information about the transfer system. An additional note was that agents’ fees are actually excessive and out of kilter with any normal fees for a service. The Commission’s observations also pointed to the “degree of discretion” which EU law generally affords sporting associations in order to fairly govern. Of the cap, it was stated “the defendant has plausibly pointed out that very high agency commissions, which are completely decoupled from the cost of the consideration, create a strong incentive to exert massive influence on players in particular in order to force an early transfer.” A further issue the new rules are set to tackle is on representing various parties on the same deal. The Commission has also backed restriction of this, arguing it “appears suitable” to mitigate against potential conflict of interest. A date for the hearing at the court in Luxembourg has not yet been set. Read More Fifa must secure Saudi promise over World Cup human rights, Amnesty warns Saudi Arabian World Cup in 2034 sparks ‘significant concern’ from major leagues Saudi Arabia set to host World Cup 2034 as Australia opts against bid

Sarina Wiegman’s England travel to Leuven for their second Women’s Nations League match against Belgium in just five days. At Leicester’s King Power Stadium on Friday night, the Lionesses secured all three points following an early strike from Lauren Hemp. The held on to their slender lead for the rest of the game to run out 1-0 winners but it was far from a convincing peformance from the World Cup runners-up. A 2-1 loss back in September to the Netherlands means England are second in Group A1 and they will be determined to back up last week’s win with another victory tonight. The group winners will move into the Nations League semi-finals and the Lionesses must remain in touch with their Dutch counterparts if they hope to reach the knockout stages. A place in the Olympics is also at stake as the four group winners in League A meet in the semi-finals before the two finalists join France as the 2024 Olympic Games’ European representatives. Follow all the action from Belgium vs England below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

The Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri has asked the struggling club’s fans to chip in with £2m to pay a tax bill and the wages of players and staff. The Thai businessman who said last month that he would stop putting more money into the Championship club while he was being “treated unfairly” by supporters, said he had cash-flow issues from his other companies. Wednesday, who were placed under a player registration embargo last week, owe money to HM Revenue and Customs and are at risk of being put under a transfer embargo. Chansiri urged fans to raise funds, telling the Sheffield Star: “If 20,000 people gave £100 then it’s £2m, and it’d be clear — so we can finish it. “That would cover everything, HMRC and the wages. That would need to be done before November 10 if they don’t want to pass the 30 days, but that means that there can be no next time — if we were to hit 30 days then we’ll get a ban for three windows. If you don’t want to save your club, then don’t call yourselves the owners and me the custodian.” If clubs go for 30 days between July 1 and June 30 either without paying players’ wages or a debt to HMRC, they incur a three-window transfer embargo. The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters’ Trust said on X: “We are astounded by the request for fans to pay a £2m HMRC bill. A fit and proper owner would not ask fans to do this.” Wednesday, who recorded their first league win of the season by beating Rotherham on Sunday, are bottom of the Championship. They were promoted from League One last season but Chansiri then sacked manager Darren Moore before in turn sacking his replacement Xisco Munoz after a winless start to the campaign. Read More Newcastle boss Eddie Howe praises ‘ultimate professional’ Jacob Murphy Belgium vs England LIVE: Women’s Nations League latest updates Sir Bobby Charlton funeral announced for November 13

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Football Australia on Tuesday said it won’t bid for the World Cup 2034, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the men's marquee tournament. The chances of Australia hosting the 2034 event appeared unlikely after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backed the Saudi bid on 5 October. Fifa paved the way for a Saudi victory given the 2034 event would only be open to countries from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation after the three-continent, six-country bid for the 2030 World Cup. Indonesia’s football association initially showed interest in a joint bid with Australia, potentially alongside Malaysia and Singapore, but that faded when Indonesia instead backed Saudi Arabia. “We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the Fifa World Cup and — having taken all factors into consideration — we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” Football Australia said in a statement. Australia will instead attempt to secure hosting rights for the 2029 Club World Cup and the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup. “We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup," the FA statement said. Australia and New Zealand successfully co-hosted the Women's World Cup in July and August. Brisbane, Queensland state, is due to become the third Australian city to host the Olympics when it stages the 2032 Summer Games. Read More Aryna Sabalenka ‘really disrespected by the WTA’ after poor organisation Francis Ngannou rematch or Oleksandr Usyk showdown? – Tyson Fury’s future plans Tyson Fury hints at next steps after Francis Ngannou victory

Emiliano Martinez was booed at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday night as he collected the best goalkeeper’s Yashin Trophy. Martinez thwarted France in the 2022 World Cup final, making a crucial one-on-one save from Randal Kolo Muani in extra time to take the game to penalties, before making two more saves in the shootout to help clinch Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986. The Aston Villa goalkeeper was criticised in the aftermath of the final, however, for his overzealous celebrations when he was pictured carrying a doll of France captain Kylian Mbappe during the trophy parade in Buenos Aires. Martinez arrived at Ballon d’Or ceremony to chants of “Mbappe!” outside the venue. Later, after receiving his award from his father on stage, boos could be heard as he was interviewed by host Didier Drogba while a video played his famous save from Kolo Muani in the background. Martinez’s teammate Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world, beating Norway's Uefa player of the year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to the prestigious prize. The 36-year-old is now three Ballons d’Or clear of rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the last of his five trophies in 2017. Messi has now finished among the top three a record 14 times in total, finishing runner-up on five occasions. “I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had. Everything that I’ve achieved. The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies. To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing,” Messi said. “All of them (Ballon d’Or awards) are special for different reasons,” he added. “I’m happy to get that recognition that I'm getting thanks to what we have achieved with the national team,” Messi told Reuters. “This (World Cup) title we had been aiming for for so many years makes it even more special.” Asked if he would carry on until the 2026 World Cup, Messi said: “I don't think about it. I’ll enjoy (my career) day by day. There will first be the Copa America in the United States (in 2024). (The World Cup), I don’t think about it.” Spain’s World Cup winner and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or. “It’s an individual trophy but it can’t exist without a team,” she said. Messi, who won his first Ballon d'Or in 2009 and claimed four in a row until 2012, finished second to Haaland at the Uefa awards in August. Haaland, 23, was one of the firm favourites for his first Ballon d'Or after scoring 52 goals in 53 matches in all competitions last season as City won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. But Argentina's magical run at the World Cup in Qatar, where Messi earned the Golden Ball for best overall player and Silver Boot (seven goals and three assists), helped him pip the Norwegian striker to the award. The World Cup was the only major trophy missing from Messi's resume as Argentina made amends for losing the 2014 final to Germany while in March he became only the third player in history to score 100 international goals. Messi also won the Ligue 1 title with Paris St Germain before moving to Inter Miami, where he helped the Major League Soccer side win the Leagues Cup -- their first major trophy. Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy for the best Under-21 player, while club team mate Vinicius Jr was awarded the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work off the pitch. Additional reporting by Reuters Read More Lionel Messi leaves the Ballon d’Or stage with his legacy complete Football is about to enter the ‘Jude Bellingham era’ Messi wins record eighth Ballon d’Or as Bonmati and Bellingham also pick up awards Ballon d’Or Awards LIVE: Latest updates as Messi and Bonmati win Georgia Stanway disappointed to miss ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Ballon d’Or ceremony Sir Bobby Charlton: England’s greatest ever player and the artist of 1966

The Carabao Cup fourth round takes place this week with the remaining teams competing for a place in the quarter-finals. Manchester United will seek to banish the memories of another Manchester derby loss when they take on Newcastle in a repeat of last year’s final on Wednesday evening. The Magpies knocked out Manchester City in the third round and will have their sights set on disappointing the red side of Manchester as they attempt to reach the last eight. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all still battling for a place in the next round as are Mansfield Town, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, with the League Two outfit taking on Port Vale who are 16th in League One. The draw for the last eight is expected to take place at the conclusion of Man Utd vs Newcastle so here’s everything you need to know: When is the quarter-final draw? The Carabao Cup quarter-final draw takes place on the November 1 after the match between Newcastle and Manchester United at Old Trafford. The match is due to kick off at 8pm, and the draw will follow after full time, starting between 10-10:10pm. How to watch on TV and online Sky Sports will broadcast both the match before and the draw. The draw will also be live streamed for free on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel. When will the quarter-final fixtures be played? The quarter-final stage of the Carabao Cup will be played in the week commencing Monday 18 December. When is the Carabao Cup final? The Carabao Cup final is scheduled for 25 February 2024 at Wembley Stadium. Which teams are in the draw? 1. Mansfield or Port Vale 2. Exeter City or Middlesbrough 3. West Ham or Arsenal 4. Everton or Burnley 5. Chelsea or Blackburn 6. Ipswich or Fulham 7. Bournemouth or Liverpool 8. Manchester United or Newcastle United Read More Manchester United ‘have got to move on’ from humbling derby experience Pep Guardiola accepts Man City gatecrashing party was ‘uncomfortable’ for elite Pep Guardiola admits winning treble has taken toll on Manchester City Jurgen Klopp knows Liverpool must shoulder the burden of Andy Robertson’s injury Focus on goalkeeping battle is strange – Aaron Ramsdale A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart

England will travel to Belgium for their second match of their double-header against the side in the Women’s Nations League in just five days. At the King Power Stadium on Friday night, the Lionesses secured all three points after Lauren Hemp struck early, but despite dominating possession and having numerous chances, they were unable to kill off the game. The Netherlands sit top of the group on goal difference, having beaten Sarina Wiegman’s side, and England will want to make sure they stay level on points with the top-placed team, who travel to Scotland on Tuesday. A place in the Olympics is at stake, with the four group winners in League A (which England are in) meeting in the semi-finals and the two finalists joining France as the 2024 Olympic Games’ European representatives. England have been nominated as the nation to secure qualification on behalf of Team GB. Here’s everything you need to know about the match: When is it? England take on Belgium at the King Power at Den Dreef Stadium in Leuven on Tuesday 31 October at 7.30pm GMT. How can I watch it? The Nations League match will be shown live on ITV4 and on the streaming service ITVX, with coverage starting at 6.45pm GMT. Team news Fran Kirby pulled on an England shirt for the first time in a year when she was brought on as a substitute against Belgium in Leicester. Kirby missed the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery in March. Lauren James was ruled out of both games against Belgium with a concussion. Odds Belgium 8/1 Draw 4/1 England 3/10 Prediction As they did in Leicester England will just sneak through, although they will have to be wary of Belgium’s direct threat. England 2-1 Belgium. Read More When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw? A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart Search for Luis Diaz’s abducted father sees police search cloud forest When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw? A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart Search for Luis Diaz’s abducted father sees police search cloud forest