Soccer great now mired in corruption scandals

Affectionately nicknamed Le Roi, or The King, Michel Platini bestrode the soccer field with inimitable elegance as the world's best player of the early 1980s, helping to bridge the gap between the eras of Pele and Diego Maradona. Repeatedly voted Europe's best player, the Frenchman instantly recognizable for his...

Brazil model accusing Neymar of rape speaks to police again

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian model who has accused soccer star Neymar of raping her in a Paris hotel testified a second time to police in Sao Paulo on Tuesday, and her lawyer said he may request a face-to-face encounter between the two. Najila Trindade testified earlier this month to Sao Paulo police...

France detains soccer great Platini in 2022 World Cup probe

PARIS (AP) — French police investigating whether corruption played a role in the stunning decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar took 1980s soccer superstar and former top executive Michel Platini into custody Tuesday for questioning. Platini's representatives denied any wrongdoing on his part,...

Marta sets record with 17th World Cup goal in Brazil victory

Marta set a record for men and women with her 17th career World Cup goal in Brazil's 1-0 victory over Italy on Tuesday night at Valenciennes that advanced the Selecao to the knockout rounds for the sixth straight time. The 33-year-old forward, playing in her fifth World Cup, scored on a penalty kick in the 74th...

The Latest: Blatter says Paris meeting swayed vote for Qatar

PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French investigation involving Michel Platini (all times local): 6:10 p.m. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he insisted for years that a meeting in Paris involving then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Michel Platini and Qatar's future Emir swayed the 2022 World Cup...

Justice official with knowledge of case tells AP former UEFA president Michel Platini has been arrested

For US men, Gold Cup finally brings chance for revival

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — The overarching goal for the fledgling U.S. men's soccer team, as frequently stated by new coach Gregg Berhalter, has been to improve the perception of this sputtering program within the cutthroat hierarchy of global soccer. Though a strong performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup probably...

Sunday's US win most-watched Women's World Cup group match

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Americans' 3-0 win over Chile set a record for the most-watched group-stage Women's World Cup match on U.S. English-language television. Fox drew 5,324,000 viewers for Sunday's game, topping 4,492,000 for the Americans' 0-0 group-stage draw against Sweden in 2015. The game was the...

Brazil not eager to advance by settling for a draw

PARIS (AP) — A draw is all it would take for Brazil to advance in the Women's World Cup. Brazilian star Marta has zero desire to play 90 minutes aiming only to tie Italy in the Group C match Tuesday at Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes. "To play for a draw? I don't like to enter a match thinking about...

Germany beats South Africa 4-0 to win World Cup group

MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Germany is playing like a title contender, just at the right time. After seeing her team start the Women's World Cup with a pair of one-goal wins, Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg told her players to keep the game simple. Germany played to its status as the world's...