Sports

With just months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada, a deadly attack at a community football game has intensified worries about safety in one of the host nations. On Sunday, eleven people were shot dead during a local football match in Loma de Flores, near Salamanca in Guanajuato state. The attack has shaken a region where grassroots sports are promoted to steer young people away from criminal influences. “We no longer know where to find peace,” said Norma Barron, an organiser of the local league targeted in the attack. The shooting occurred late Sunday afternoon as families gathered to watch the match. Witnesses said armed men arrived in at least three vehicles and opened fire. Barron, an activist working on cases of ...

The Super Falcons of Nigeria are set to ramp up preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a four-nation West African tournament in Abidjan later this month. The nine-time African champions have confirmed their participation in the invitational event organised by the West African Football Union B, scheduled from February 27 to March 7, 2026, with Ivory Coast serving as hosts. Nigeria will face familiar rivals in the mini-tournament, joining hosts Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Senegal. All four teams have already qualified for WAFCON 2026, making the competition an ideal final test before the continental finals. The timing is particularly strategic, as the tournament concludes just ten days before WAFCON kicks off in Morocco, running from March 17 to April 3, 2...

Seven football supporters have died following a fatal head-on collision in Romania while travelling by road to France for a Europa League match. The victims, all fans of Greek club PAOK, were en route to watch their team face Olympique Lyonnais when their minivan collided with an oncoming lorry on the E70 highway in western Romania on Tuesday. Three other PAOK supporters sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment in hospital. Reports indicate that the accident occurred shortly after 1pm as the minivan attempted to overtake another vehicle and veered into the opposite lane, where it crashed into the truck. Emergency services, including firefighters and rescue teams, were swiftly deployed to the scene, though air ambulances were unable to operate due to poor...

Goalkeeper André Onana is reportedly in negotiations over a potential return to Inter Milan, with talks ongoing about a permanent departure from Manchester United this summer. According to Daily Mail Sport, the Cameroonian shot-stopper’s agents are currently in Milan holding discussions with the Serie A giants, with a move back to the San Siro among the options being explored. Onana is presently on loan at Turkish side Trabzonspor, having lost his position as Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper to Belgian international Senne Lammens, who joined from Royal Antwerp in September. The 29-year-old is expected to leave Old Trafford on a permanent basis at the end of the season and is being considered by Inter as a possible successor to Yann Sommer. Onana enjoyed a highly succ...

Tottenham star Randal Kolo Muani was involved in a car crash after his tyre blew out on the motorway. The French striker, 27,  had been travelling to Stansted Airport on Tuesday ahead of his side's Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, when the offside front tyre of his black Ferrari blew out. According to Mail Online Sports, fellow Spurs man Wilson Odobert had been following Kolo Muani on the M25 when the smash occurred, and pulled over to help his team-mate to safety. Images from the scene show the players standing at the side of the motorway, with the front of the car - wrecked. The airbag in the driver's seat of the Ferrari also appears to have been activated. Spurs boss Thomas Frank confirmed the players had come through it unharmed. 'Both are fin...

Argentina great Ángel Di María has ruled out a return to international football at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, turning down suggestions to line up alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The 37-year-old winger, who enjoyed a long and successful spell with the Argentine national team, shared many historic moments with close friend Messi during his international career. Speaking in an interview with AS, Di María reflected on his future and said he is content with what he has achieved in football. While admitting that playing at another World Cup would be appealing, Di María explained that he believes his time with the national team has come to an end, having already accomplished all his career goals. He revealed that he initially planned to retire from international duty after...

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho said his Real Madrid counterpart Alvaro Arbeloa was like a child to him ahead of their Champions League battle on Wednesday. The veteran Portuguese manager coached Arbeloa at Madrid during his time at the helm of Los Blancos between 2010-2013, and had a strong relationship with the former defender in a dressing room that was splintering. After a comment from Mourinho last week about being “surprised” when inexperienced managers lead big European clubs was viewed as a dig at new Madrid coach Arbeloa, he said he would never try to make life hard for his former charge. Former Inter Milan coach Mourinho said in Italy his words were also being taken as criticism of the appointment of Cristian Chivu at the Serie A side last summer. “There is one proble...

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be present in Milan and Cortina throughout the Winter Olympics. ICE agents will reportedly play 'security role' throughout the sporting extravaganza, which begins on February 6 in Italy, the US Embassy in Rome reportedly confirmed to the Associated Press. The federal ICE agents will reportedly support diplomatic security details and would not run any immigration enforcement operations. However, ICE's presence at the games has sparked controversy amid growing unrest back in the United States, after agents moved in to Minnesota on the orders of the Trump administration. The news came on Tuesday after the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of federal officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in less than three weeks. Alex P...

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is considering prohibiting goalkeepers from placing towels inside their goalposts following a series of incidents involving fans at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The issue gained prominence after several matches were disrupted by clashes between players and spectators, with fans moving dangerously close to the goal area to retrieve towels left behind the net. Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali and Senegal captain Édouard Mendy were among the goalkeepers who confronted supporters during tense moments that attracted widespread attention. In response, CAF’s Referees Committee has intervened, with its president, Olivier Safari Kebene, stressing that the matter extends beyond crowd behaviour and directly concerns the...