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“The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA — not any individual or country,” the team said. Soccer Iran has insisted that no country has the power to exclude it from the upcoming FIFA World Cup, responding sharply to comments by Donald Trump suggesting the team’s “life and safety” could be at risk in the United States. In a social media post on Thursday, the Iran national football team said the global football tournament is governed by FIFA and not by any individual country. “The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA — not any individual or country,” the team said. Iran also argued that the United States should not host the tournament if it cannot guarantee the safety of participating teams. ...

Aston Villa F.C. manager Unai Emery has reached a major milestone at Villa Park after securing his 100th victory as head coach, becoming the fastest manager in the club’s history to achieve the feat. According to BBC Sport, the landmark was achieved when Aston Villa defeated Lille OSC in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie in the UEFA Europa League. The Spanish tactician recorded his 100th win in just 181 matches, giving him an impressive 55.2 percent win rate — the highest of any manager in Aston Villa’s history. This comfortably surpasses the previous record held by former manager Ron Saunders. Saunders took four seasons to reach the same milestone. He remains one of the club’s most celebrated managers after leading Villa back to the top division, winning two League Cups, and...

The United States, US, President Donald Trump, has warned Iran’s football team that their lives and safety could be in danger if they joined the next World Cup in North America. Trump’s remarks came just two days after he told FIFA chief Gianni Infantino that Iranian players would be welcome despite the Middle East war. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to participate in the World Cup, but I truly don’t believe it is appropriate for them to be there, considering their own lives and safety.” The war, started by US and Israeli attacks on February 28, has made it unclear whether Iran will take part in the men’s football World Cup this summer, which is being held by Canada, Mexico, and the United States together. Infantino,...

Chelsea head coach, Liam Rosenior, has emphasised that the club will look into the circumstances surrounding the leak of their lineup prior to the recent 5-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain. Earlier on Wednesday, the Blues suffered a disheartening loss in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg match against PSG. They allowed three goals in the last 16 minutes, putting their chances of continuing in the tournament at risk. Bradley Barcola initiated the scoring in the 10th minute, but Malo Gusto equalized 18 minutes later. The hosts regained the lead through reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele in the 40th minute. In the second half, Enzo Fernandez netted Chelsea’s second equalizer in the 57th minute. However, a mistake by Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen led to...

PSG quickly reasserted control. In the 74th minute, Vitinha capitalised on a costly mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen to put the home side ahead once more. Paris Saint-Germain produced a dominant attacking display on Wednesday night, defeating Chelsea 5–2 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 playoff. The French champions took control early at the Parc des Princes, opening the scoring in the 10th minute when Bradley Barcola reacted quickest inside the penalty area after a headed pass from Joao Neves to fire PSG into the lead. Chelsea responded in the 28th minute as Malo Gusto finished confidently after a lofted assist from Enzo Fernandez, bringing the English side level at 1–1. However, PSG regained their advantage before halftime. ...

Five members of the Iranian women's football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after their elimination in the Asian Cup. It comes after the United States President Donald Trump urged the Australian government to grant asylum to the Iranian women's team. There have been fears that the team could face persecution if they returned to Iran after they were eliminated on Sunday, losing 2-0 to the Philippines. They were branded 'traitors' by Iranian media after they failed to sing the national anthem before their first match at the Asian Cup in Gold Coast amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a statement, Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the women "were moved to a safe location" by Australian police. He said other squad members had been told they are w...

Europe’s football governing body, Premier League clubs have voted to introduce a new system, the Squad Cost Ratio (SCR). Under the rule, clubs may spend up to 85% of their revenue on squad costs, including player wages, transfer fees, adjustments, and allowances within the system; spending may reach up torrently operates a stricter cost-control model, limiting clubs to 70% of their revenue for teams competing in European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League. As reported by BBC Sport on Tuesday, UEFA said the new financial rule could undermine financial stability measures, warning that clubs across the continent may be forced to take additional risks and face higher costs and losses to retain their players. But the Pr...

Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney has made a fresh Premier League title claim while defending Arsenal over the ‘unfair’ criticism they have received as the Gunners bid to win the English top-flight league this season. On his BBC podcast, Rooney explained that the title race isn’t over, stating that Manchester City remains a contender, despite Arsenal currently holding a seven-point advantage. Commenting on the backlash over Arsenal’s set-piece tactics, Rooney said, “I’m not saying this because I like Arsenal, I’m saying this because I think the criticism they are receiving is very unfair. “I don’t think the Premier League is out of reach for Man City yet,” Rooney continued. “They are well within the title race.” Arsenal have not won the Premier League title under manager M...

A former head coach of the Super Eagles, Chief Festus Adegboye Onigbinde, has died at 88. His demise was confirmed by his family in a statement on Monday. “With great gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of this great man: a Modakeke High Chief, the 1st indigenous Nigerian Super Eagles football coach, father, husband, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend – High Chief Festus Adegboye Onigbinde,” the family statement read. The family expressed deep appreciation for his fulfilled life and immense contributions to Nigerian football and the nation at large. “We thank God for the fulfilled life and your contributions to the Nigeria nation and the world as an unequalled football coach,” the statement continued. “We pray that your soul will res...

The Confederation of African Football has announced a major increase in prize money for its two premier club competitions, giving teams across the continent a significant financial boost. In a statement released on Monday, CAF confirmed that the winners of the CAF Champions League for the 2025/26 season will now receive $6 million, an increase from the $4 million awarded last season. Similarly, the champions of the CAF Confederation Cup—often regarded as Africa’s equivalent of the UEFA Europa League—will take home $4 million, representing a 50 percent rise compared to last year’s prize. Despite the boost for winners, the prize money for runners-up remains unchanged. Losing finalists in the Champions League will still receive $2 million, while the runners-up in the Confederation Cu...