Nicolo Barella’s thunderous strike and a penalty converted by Domenico Berardi earned hosts Italy a 2-1 victory over Belgium on Sunday and third place in this year’s Nations League. It offered some consolation for the European champions, whose semi-final loss to Spain in Milan on Wednesday ended their record 37-match unbeaten run.
Read more
Callum Robinson scored a fine brace as Ireland defeated Azerbaijan 0-3 in Baku in their 2022 World Cup qualifier with Chiedozie Ogbene scoring the third for Stephen Kenny. The result is their first competitive win under Kenny’s charge and takes some pressure off the manager.
Read more
Lionel Messi, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante have been named on the 30-man shortlist for the men’s 2021 Ballon d’Or award. The trio are among the leading contenders for the prize handed out by France Football, along with Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Read more
A late Theo Hernández strike broke Belgian hearts as France lined up a date in the UEFA Nations League final against Spain. The near neighbours played out a thrilling encounter in Turin tonight with Belgium racing into a two goal lead by half-time. The World Champions staged a second half comeback to progress to the final.
Read more
The £300m takeover of Newcastle United has officially been completed, with a Saudi-led consortium ending Mike Ashley’s 14-year ownership of the club. The Premier League confirmed the takeover saying it had received “legally binding assurances” that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control the club.
Read more