SPORTS

Proposed plans for a breakaway European Super League are “fiction” – according to the two most powerful officials in European football. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and Andrea Agnelli, the chairman of the influential European Club Association (ECA) which represents over 200 leading teams, say they are “united” – despite recently leaked documents claiming secret talks had been held over the ...

Former champions Zambia were eliminated from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying competition after a 1-0 away loss to Mozambique in group K on Sunday. Albania-based Reginaldo Faife kept Mozambican hopes alive of a top-two finish and a place at the finals in Cameroon by scoring the only goal after 63 minutes in Maputo. Guinea-Bissau and Namibia have eight ...

Some former England internationals “can’t come to terms” with the current team doing well, says Wayne Rooney. The Three Lions reached the World Cup semi-finals this summer before beating Spain in the Nations League in October. But Rooney, who earned his 120th and final cap in Thursday’s 3-0 win over the United States, suggested some ex-players are jealous. “That is ...

Twelve trophies in only 11 games in more than a decade at Benfica – Paulo Lopes might be the most successful third-choice goalkeeper of all time. The quirky statistic came to light when the Portuguese retired in July after a 21-year playing career. “Yes, they are correct,” the 40-year-old tells BBC Sport, adding jokingly: “I was born to win.” Robert ...

The five-man shortlist for the 2018 BBC African Footballer of the Year award has been announced. This year’s nominees are Medhi Benatia (Morocco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Thomas Partey (Ghana) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt). The vote opened on Saturday, 17 November at 19:00 GMT and closes on Sunday, 2 December at 20:00. The result will be revealed in ...

Mohamed Salah scored a last-minute winner as Egypt beat Tunisia 3-2 in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The Liverpool forward played a one-two with Salah Mohsen before clipping the ball over keeper Farouk Ben Mustapha for his 39th international goal. He has now scored in each of his past eight international matches. Naim Sliti scored twice for Tunisia, either side ...

Fifteen years after making his Barcelona debut in a friendly, Lionel Messi is still going strong. So strong there is a theory he is an alien. Almost half a lifetime ago, Messi played against Porto at the Nou Camp – and has gone on to break countless records. The record goalscorer for Barcelona (566), La Liga (392) and Argentina (65), ...

England are determined to reach another semi-final to top a “brilliant year”, says manager Gareth Southgate. A win over Croatia at Wembley on Sunday would give England top spot in their group and progression to the inaugural Uefa Nations League finals next summer. The Three Lions reached the last four of the World Cup in Russia in the summer – ...

Failing to qualify for the World Cup and dropping down the world rankings, Italy’s stock has never been lower. Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was given the task of restoring the nation’s fortunes and leading them on the long road back to glory. Mancini is aiming to stamp his mark on the side, whether by selecting rookie players who ...

Chelsea allegedly face the threat of a two-year transfer ban following a Fifa investigation into their signing of foreign under-18 players, including former striker Bertrand Traore. Based on documents from Football Leaks, French website Mediapart claims 19 Chelsea signings have been looked at in a three year-long investigation. Mediapart alleges that 14 of those signings were under the age of ...