Sports

Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of former Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate. In a statement, Real Madrid confirmed that the 27-year-old defender has signed a four-year deal that will keep him at the Santiago Bernabeu until June 2030. “Real Madrid CF and Ibrahima Konate have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next four seasons, until June 30, 2030,” the club stated. The French centre-back, who is currently representing his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becomes the latest addition to Madrid’s summer rebuilding project. He joins Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella as Jose Mourinho's first signings since returning for a second spell in charge at the Bernabeu. Konate made 183 appearances for the Reds after signing from RB Leipzig in 2...

Ivory Coast star Elye Wahi was reportedly arrested less than two weeks before the World Cup on suspicion of match-fixing offences. A report in The Athletic details that 23-year-old Wahi is the subject of an “active investigation” to establish whether the forward deliberately earned a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in Ligue 1 on 17 May. The report adds that Wahi, who started Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win against Ecuador on Sunday night, was subsequently arrested by French police on 29 May and was released after an interview. A spokesperson for Marseille public prosecutor’s office said: “We can confirm that a 23-year-old football player, competing in France’s Ligue 1, was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation opened by the Marseille public prosecutor’s off...

Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazário declared that the world must stop debating who is the greatest player in football history following Lionel Messi's latest landmark performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he scored three goals. The three goals saw the Argentine captain reach 16 career World Cup goals, surpassing Ronaldo’s tournament tally of 15 and moving level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in competition history. Speaking in an interview covered by Mundo Deportivo, the iconic former striker urged the football community to acknowledge Messi's unprecedented legacy. “It’s time for the world to stop hiding and accept the fact that he is the best player of all time. He continues to deliver every season and in the World Cup and, yet, there are ...

South Africa captain and goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, has urged football supporters across Africa and the rest of the world to unite and avoid allowing political differences to overshadow the spirit of the game. The goalkeeper made the appeal amid growing online attacks on South Africa during the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Recall that South Africa's FIFA World Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start with a 2 - 0 defeat to Mexico in their opening match, and they finished the game with nine men after two players were sent off. The result quickly became a trending topic across social media, with other African nations taking the opportunity to drag South Africa. The reactions were influenced by lingering resentment over repeated xenophobic attacks in South Africa that ha...

The mother of Cape Verde’s star goalkeeper Vozinha has been granted a visa to enter the United States in time for her 40-year-old son’s next World Cup match. Cape Verde was named by the US government on a list of countries whose citizens must post a returnable bond of $15,000 (£11,200) to travel to the United States, in addition to a visa fee. The Trump administration last month dropped the requirement for World Cup ticket holders, but by that point the high costs had ruled out the trip for Ana Candida Evora, the mother of Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper. Vozinha became the breakout star of the World Cup after his multiple saves in the 0-0 draw with Spain in their first game. After the match, Vozinha broke down in tears on the pitch. Speaking after the game, he s...

Superstar footballer Lionel Messi has revealed that he is going through a difficult period in his personal life, despite making history by scoring his first FIFA World Cup hat-trick in Argentina’s victory over Algeria. The Argentinian broke down in tears after finding the net just 17 minutes into the match. Messi, who turns 39 in a week, later scored two goals in  Algeria’s 3-0 victory in Kansas City to tie Germany's Miroslav Klose's record for most men's World Cup goals  at 16. Opening up on his personal struggles after the game, he said: 'The truth is, it's something completely unrelated to sports. 'I had some difficult, complicated days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation, to all my teammates because they were always by my side, as always, giving me a lot of...

American boxer Floyd Mayweather is facing two felony charges in Las Vegas over allegations that he wrote a bad check to purchase a watch from a luxury resale store. Mayweather was scheduled for an initial appearance Monday in Las Vegas Justice Court. He was not physically present for the hearing, but an attorney represented him, according to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. His case is scheduled for a hearing in September. Mayweather, 49, was charged in April with theft as well as drawing and passing a check without sufficient funds with the intent to defraud, according to court records. Prosecutors in Clark County allege that in December 2024, Mayweather wrote a $200,000 check through Wells Fargo Bank to Las Vegas designer resale store Gold and Beyond, despite havi...

Real Madrid have formally asked UEFA to take what they described as “firm” and “exemplary” disciplinary action against Barcelona over payments made to former Spanish refereeing official José María Enríquez Negreira. In a statement submitted to UEFA’s disciplinary bodies, Real Madrid argued that evidence gathered in the ongoing “Negreira Case” points to what the club described as a prolonged and unjustified relationship between Barcelona and the former vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee. Barcelona paid companies linked to Negreira more than €7 million between 2001 and 2018. The Catalan club has consistently maintained that the payments were for technical reports and advice on referees and has denied any attempt to influence match officials. However, Real Madrid said...

Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has admitted that he misses the camaraderie and atmosphere of the Nigerian national team months after bringing his international career to an end. The defender, who retired from international football in December 2025 after a decade of service, shared his thoughts during an appearance on the Bassey Talks podcast alongside current Super Eagles stars Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey. Troost-Ekong said that while he has no regrets about stepping away from international football, he still misses the close bond he shared with his teammates. According to him, the Super Eagles became more than just a team—they became family. The 32-year-old revealed that he often reflects on memorable moments in national colours and som...

The FIFA World Cup has produced some of football’s greatest goalscorers since its inception in 1930, with legends from across generations featuring on the all-time scoring chart. Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Germany’s Miroslav Klose now share the top spot following Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J opener in Kansas City on Wednesday. Below is the official list of the leading scorers in World Cup history as provided by FIFA on Wednesday. FULL LIST: FIFA World Cup all-time leading scorers 1. Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goalsWorld Cups: 4 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014), in 24 matches 2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 16 goalsWorld Cups: 6 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026), in 27 matches 3. Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15 goalsWorld Cups: 4 (19...