Megabucks midfielder Oscar missed a second-half penalty as Andre Villas-Boas's Shanghai SIPG lost 1-0 to Urawa Red Diamonds in their first defeat of this year's AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

Only a fraction of the tickets for the Confederations Cup in Russia have been snapped up, Moscow said on Tuesday, admitting the lack of interest in the World Cup dress rehearsal was a worry.

The United States, Mexico and Canada on Monday announced a joint bid to stage the 2026 World Cup, aiming to become the first three-way co-hosts in the history of FIFA's showpiece tournament.

Romelu Lukaku is in line to finish the season as the Premier League's top scorer but the Everton striker is more concerned with helping his team win rather than gaining personal accolades.

Former Italy international Giuseppe Rossi's bad luck with injuries continued as his club Celta Vigo announced on Monday that the striker would be out for up to seven months after suffering the fourth serious knee injury of his career.

Edinson Cavani scored two goals and set up another as Paris St Germain kept alive their Ligue 1 title hopes with a 4-0 home win against En Avant Guingamp on Sunday.

The Red Devils striker netted his 17th Premier League goal of the season, taking his personal tally to an incredible 250 goals since he turned 30.

Han Kwang Song became the first North Korean player to score in Italy's Serie A when the 18-year-old netted for Cagliari on Sunday.

Even though educated coaches are one of the driving forces behind development of any sporting discipline, coaches' education in our country's football has cruelly been ignored over the years, resulting in poor technique of footballers.

Neymar is at risk of being ruled out of Barcelona's upcoming clash with Real Madrid due to his reaction to being sent off in Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Malaga.

Tunisia, aiming to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 2006, have sacked their coach Henryk Kasperczak, the country's football federation announced on Saturday.

FIFA could seal a major partnership deal with Qatar Airways within weeks, a source said on Friday, the same day football's corruption-tainted world body announced a $369 million loss.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke was robbed at gunpoint in a Madrid car park on Thursday evening for a watch reportedly valued at 70,000 euros ($77,000), police sources confirmed on Friday.

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has called on his players to drop their egos and work as one in order to end their woeful run of five consecutive Premier League defeats when they host relegation-threatened Swansea City on Saturday.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp believes his side can benefit by emulating Premier League leaders Chelsea, especially in their ability to close matches out from a winning position.

Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years.

Eden Hazard fired Premier League leaders Chelsea to a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City, but Tottenham are hot on their heels after a sensational fightback in their 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday.

Alvaro Morata scored twice as Real Madrid maintained a two-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga by making light of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale's absence in a 4-2 win at Leganes.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin reiterated to Europe's top clubs on Wednesday that he would never allow the creation of a closed Super League, telling them in a speech that "money does not rule."

Real Madrid must negotiate a huge April programme including clashes with Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona without Raphael Varane, who was diagnosed with a hamstring tear on Tuesday.