One by one, Maria Manda, Afeida Khandokar, Monika Chakma, Ritu Porna Chakma and Tahura Khatun stepped off the team bus -- but none of the Bangladesh players wore a broad smile.

The Netherlands' top scorer Memphis Depay and Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber were both included on Wednesday in the country's squad for next month's World Cup despite concerns over their fitness.

Sometimes a single goal changes an entire life. It becomes more than a strike into the net – it turns into a man’s identity, the essence of who he is. For Mario Gotze, there was one such moment. Just one. But one was enough.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the initial news regarding superstar Lionel Messi's fitness "is not that bad" and hopes further examinations will confirm that diagnosis with the World Cup just a fortnight away.

A giant statue of football superstar Lionel Messi erected in India to mark his visit last year is "swaying in the wind" and will be removed, a lawmaker told AFP on Wednesday.

Paris St Germain face Arsenal in the Champions League final on Saturday under the guidance of Luis Enrique, a coach who has spent the last decade building one of the most formidable records in modern football's biggest matches.

Borussia Monchengladbach attacking midfielder Reyna appeared as a substitute in the USA's friendly defeats to Belgium and Portugal in March after impressing Pochettino during last November's international window.

The 33-year-old forward, once one of the most prolific goalscorers in England at Tottenham Hotspur, has yet to hit the mark for Los Angeles FC in the league so far this season.

Former England midfielder Lampard edged out seven other coaches, including Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, to take the Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy at the League Managers Association (LMA) awards on Tuesday.

Afeida was appointed captain in early 2025 after a turbulent period within the squad, when several senior players -- including Sabina Khatun, Maria, Monica Chakma and Masura Parvin -- reportedly fell out with the British coach.

Ouahbi, who took up the Moroccan coaching role three months ago, has kept faith with the majority of the squad that took part in the African Cup of Nations.

In his hometown of Santo Domingo, Caicedo's face appears on murals, shirts and even on the shin guards of children who dream of following in his footsteps, such as nine-year-old Julian Hidalgo.

For the Netherlands, it was a golden opportunity to banish the ghosts of back-to-back final defeats in 1974 and 1978

Bangladesh are targeting a historic third consecutive SAFF Women’s Championship title, with the squad united around the ambition despite rising competition in the region.

Having notched four goals at the 2022 edition, including a memorable brace in the semi-finals against Croatia, Alvarez is now dreaming of further international glory at this year’s World Cup.

Scotland's long-awaited World Cup return is being marked in unique fashion, with an image of Scott McTominay's goal for the ages appearing on a limited-edition £20 banknote.

Luis de la Fuente stressed that Spain's badge outranks any club crest on Tuesday after naming a World Cup squad with a distinctly Barcelona hue and, for the first time, no Real Madrid player in sight.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohamed Kudus will miss next month's World Cup due to injury after being ruled out of Ghana's preliminary 28-man squad named by Carlos Queiroz on Tuesday.

From Jens Lehmann's rush of blood to 'Nayim from the halfway line', Arsenal will have to banish three decades of European final misery if they are to win the Champions League for the first time.

India’s top-flight crown had eluded them until this season, making the triumph emotionally significant beyond Kolkata given the club’s wider cultural resonance.