Struggling Australia and Saudi Arabia play a crucial Asian World Cup qualifier

Australia hosts Saudi Arabia in a crucial World Cup qualifier at Melbourne on Thursday while Japan and South Korea can take a big step towards North America in 2026 when the third round of Asian qualifying reaches the halfway stage. With only the top two teams from each of the three...

Vinícius back for Brazil and Martínez for Argentina in South American 2026 World Cup qualifying

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Argentina and Brazil will have two of their leading stars available again as South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup resumes with the last two rounds of games this year. Defending World Cup champion Argentina will once again count on goalkeeper...

Turner confident he will regain playing time after appearing in one club match in eight months

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Matt Turner has started one club match in eight months, not what he was hoping for when he left Major League Soccer for the Premier League in the summer of 2022. “Obviously in a perfect world at some point I’m going to get my break and I’m going to get a...

After hosting World Cup, Qatar praised by UN rights body for labor law reforms but urged to do more

GENEVA (AP) — Qatar was praised at the United Nations’ top human rights body on Tuesday for improving labor laws before the 2022 World Cup, though it was urged to fully abolish its employment system for migrant workers. Qatar returned to the Human Rights Council in Geneva for its...

Israeli teams can't play international games at home. Now, are Maccabi's away games at risk?

The violence against fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam has some Israelis worried that it isn't safe for their sports teams and fans to travel to games abroad. Many Palestinians want them banned entirely over Israel's conduct of the war with Hamas. Israel's soccer teams play...

Peru arrests the country's soccer boss as part of a criminal investigation into fraud

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peruvian police arrested the head of the country's soccer federation Thursday as part of an investigation into allegations that he abused his position to extort local clubs into ceding their television rights. Agustín Lozano is the second Peruvian soccer boss to...

Azcárraga steps down as Televisa chief executive amid US soccer investigation

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Emilio Azcárraga has stepped down as chief executive of Televisa because he is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice because of a FIFA-related issue, the company informed in its third quarter report to Mexico’s stock market. The 56-year-old...

Inter Miami going to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi is heading to the Club World Cup next year. FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced Saturday night that Inter Miami will play in the tournament, something that had been long expected given Messi's enormous popularity around the world and...

Mexico is struggling to stamp out a homophobic soccer chant ahead of the World Cup

GUADALAJARA, México (AP) — Guadalajara is the capital of a Mexican state that is home to tequila and Mariachi music. It is also considered the birthplace of a less flattering tradition — a homophobic soccer chant that has cost Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines over the past two...

England hires Thomas Tuchel as coach ahead of 2026 World Cup