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Angel City captain Ali Riley, who played in five Women’s World Cups and four Olympics for New Zealand, has announced she is retiring from the National Women’s Soccer League at the end of the 2025 season.  Riley, 37, returned to play in August from a chronic nerve injury that had sidelined her for much of 2024 and the first half of this season. The past year was also difficult because Riley’s family lost their home in the Pacific Palisades fire in January.  “Getting myself back on the field was my singular goal after my injury last year, and I am so proud to have achieved that,” Riley said in a statement released Tuesday by Angel City. “Being on the pitch every day, supporting my teammates, pushing my teammates, showing up in the way I know I can has been amazing. Now, as I reflect on what this game has given me these past three decades, since I started in the Palisades here in LA, I know that I have truly given my all, both physically and emotionally.” Riley, a defender, ha...

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick as Real Madrid shrugged off any travel weariness in a 5-0 win at Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The 15-time European champions travelled nearly 6,500 kilometres to play the game in the eastern Kazakh city, Kairat’s first home match in the competition. The enthusiasm showed with Dastan Satpayev testing Thibault Courtois after just 13 seconds and Jorginho trying his luck a minute later. Mbappé settled any visiting nerves by dispatching a penalty in the 25th after goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza had brought down Franco Mastantuono. Mbappé went close again before the break, but ultimately the visitors appeared content to let the ball circulate without forcing the initiative too much. The second half started in the same vein until Courtois caught the Kairat defence out with a long clearance and Mbappé lobbed the ball over Kalmurza in the 52nd for his second goal. Kairat might have had a way back into the game when Dani Ceball...

JOHANNESBURG — The South African Football Association said it plans to appeal a FIFA ruling that stripped the men’s national team of a win in 2026 World Cup qualifying over fielding an ineligible player. The FIFA judgment on Monday to overturn a 2-0 win against Lesotho in March as a 3-0 loss by default knocked South Africa off top spot with two rounds left in a qualifying group that ends in two weeks. SAFA did not have the chance to make legal arguments to the single FIFA judge who decided the case, it claimed in a statement late Monday. “As SAFA, we are deeply disappointed with this unprecedented outcome,” it said, while acknowledging Teboho Mokoena should not have played against Lesotho after getting yellow cards in two previous games. Two cautions activate a one-game ban. “We apologize to the nation for this administrative oversight and will reflect on the steps to take at the conclusion of our qualifying campaign,” SAFA added. The appeals process is set to overlap with its fin...

PARMA, Italy — A double from Mateo Pellegrino gave Parma a 2-1 win over Torino and its first victory in Serie A on Monday. A game between the league’s most goal-shy clubs was never likely to produce a thriller but Parma did just enough to give new coach Carlos Cuesta his first league win since being appointed in the summer. Pellegrino put Parma ahead from the penalty spot and had a second ruled out for offside two minutes into the second half. Cyril Ngonge equalized for Torino three minutes later when he created space for himself on the edge of the box then unleashed a lovely 20-meter drive into the far corner. However, Pellegrino made sure of all three points with 18 minutes remaining. Torino had all 11 men in and around the six-yard box but Pellegrino rose highest to head home a corner kick and lift Parma into 14th place. Torino is 15th. Castellanos stars in Lazio win Later in the night, Valentín Castellanos scored one and made one as Lazio won at struggling Genoa 3-0. The re...

ZURICH — South Africa was stripped of a win in 2026 World Cup qualifying by FIFA on Monday and lost top spot in its group for fielding an ineligible player. FIFA’s disciplinary ruling overturned a South Africa win against Lesotho in March, left Benin top with two rounds to go and gave Nigeria fresh hope of advancing to the finals tournament. Only the group winner on Oct. 14 will advance directly to the World Cup being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. South Africa has not played at a World Cup since hosting the 2010 edition. Ahead of decisive qualifying games resuming next week, FIFA said its disciplinary judges ordered South Africa to forfeit as a 3-0 loss what had been a 2-0 victory over Lesotho. South Africa selected Teboho Mokoena for the game in Polokwane when the midfielder should have served a one-game ban for getting yellow cards in two previous qualifying games. The administrative error is embarrassing for South Africa as its top soccer official, Patr...

BERLIN — There were more fireworks off the field than on it Sunday as Union Berlin drew 0-0 with promoted Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga. Hamburg ‘keeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes saved Andrej Ilić’s early penalty in the closest either team came to scoring. The penalty was also missed by many of Union’s ultra fans, who only streamed into their places in the “forest-side” end of the stadium after 17 minutes when their presence was announced with a huge roar. Hamburg ultras entered the visitors’ end a few minutes later. The supporters’ rivalry continued after the break when the Hamburg fans displayed a huge tifo showing the team crest with the slogan, “Shout it out with pride if you carry this love inside.” The Union fans waited for a countdown and then set off a massive synchronized pyrotechnic display that lit up the whole forest-side of the stadium with the resulting smoke causing a delay in play for several minutes. The Hamburg fans responded some minutes later with a pyrotechnic d...

MADRID — Lamine Yamal needed less than a minute to make an impact in his return to action after an injury. Yamal came off the bench in the second half and set up Robert Lewandowski’s 59th-minute go-ahead goal in Barcelona’s 2-1 win against Real Sociedad in the Spanish league on Sunday. The fifth win in a row for the Catalan club across all competitions moved Barcelona to the top of the Spanish league, one point ahead of Real Madrid, which was crushed 5-2 by Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Yamal came into the match in the 58th to replace Roony Bardghji and make his first appearance after missing four matches because of a pubic-area injury sustained while playing for Spain’s national team during the international break. Yamal also had a goal disallowed for offside in the 74th, and nearly set up another Lewandowski goal in the 84th, when the Poland striker was denied by the crossbar. Before the match, Yamal presented to fans his Ballon d’Or award for best young player of the ye...

SEATTLE — Albert Rusnák had a goal and an assist for Seattle in a 2-2 tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night and the Sounders clinched a spot in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs. Seattle (12-9-10) has 46 points and is fifth in the Western Conference, seven points behind fourth-place Los Angeles FC. Vancouver (16-6-9), which is unbeaten in six straight, is tied with San Diego (57 points) for first in the West. Vancouver’s Brian White opened the scoring in the 52nd but the Sounders quickly responded. Jackson Ragen tied it with a header off a corner kick played by Rusnák in the 54th minute and Rusnák chipped a first-touch finish into the top-net to give Seattle a 2-1 lead in the 55th. Mathias Laborda flicked a header off a corner kick played by Sebastian Berhalter under the crossbar and inside the back post to make it 2-2 in the 69th minute. The Whitecaps beat Seattle 3-0 at home on June 8.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dante Sealy scored a goal in each half, Prince Owusu added a goal in the 90th minute to tie a club record, and CF Montreal beat 10-man Charlotte FC 4-1 on Saturday night for its sixth victory of the season. Montreal (6-17-9) ended a three-game winless streak with its first victory since Aug. 23. Charlotte (17-13-2) has lost back-to-back games following a record-tying nine-game winning streak. Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring for Charlotte in the 10th minute when he dribbled around goalkeeper Thomas Gillier for a shot into an empty net. But Charlotte was reduced to 10 men in the 20th when Adilson Malanda was issued a red card following a VAR review. Sealy tied it at 1-all in the 41st on a beautiful free kick, and he added another in the 86th for a 3-1 lead. Fabian Herbers put Montreal ahead 2-1 in the 53rd. He was left alone at the near post to head Luca Petrasso’s cross off the hand of goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina and in. Owusu has scored nine of his ...

Looking to climb the standings in the hope of retaining its Supporters’ Shield, Inter Miami fielded all its big guns in Toronto — despite the fact that it was its third game in a week with a date with Chicago to come Tuesday. Toronto countered with goalkeeper Sean Johnson and a bend-but-don’t-break defence. The end result was a 1-1 draw Saturday, Toronto’s seventh straight tie. “I think we deserved to win,” said Miami coach Javier Mascherano. “We had the most clear chances during the game.” “Their goalkeeper was the man of the match,” he added. Both teams managed nine shots with Miami holding a 6-2 edge in shots on target. Lionel Messi, coming as advertised, served as playmaker on Miami’s goal and could have had a bushel of his own, had it not been for Johnson. “Sean was unbelievable. … He was spectacular in the moments that he needed to be,” said Toronto coach Robin Fraser. Argentine winger Tadeo Allende scored in first-half stoppage time for Miami, which had pumped ...

GIRONA, Spain — Espanyol’s strong early-season form in La Liga hit a snag when Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga earned his struggling team a point in a 0-0 draw on Friday. Espanyol came into the game fourth and could have gone to third with a win, behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona. Espanyol racked up 20 shots against winless Girona but couldn’t find a way past Argentine goalkeeper Gazzaniga in the first goalless draw in the league this season. Girona, which was playing in the Champions League a year ago, moved off the foot of the table above Mallorca to 19th with its third point from seven league games. It was the first time since May 13 that Girona did not concede a goal in a competitive game.

Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio laughed when asked whether he was getting more requests for tickets than usual with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in town Saturday. “Yes,” he said. “The answer is yes. … It is what it is. That’s what (Messi) brings. It’s a special thing.” A club spokeswoman said Saturday’s game at BMO Field is a sellout.  Toronto coach Robin Fraser has also been hit up for tickets. “Yes. And then I tell them what the tickets actually cost in the open market,” he said. “Their request usually goes away pretty quickly.” As of Friday afternoon, StubHub had some 50 ticket listings for the game, ranging from $336 to $12,941. SeatGeek had 57 listings, from $324 to $16,079. Citing Toronto’s multiculturalism, Fraser said “the appreciation for (Messi) is as great here as it is anywhere in the league.” But it’s not just the locals who are interested. “There are people I know flying in just for the game,” Fraser said. “I know some of the coaches have people flying in j...

Toronto FC coach Robin Fraser paid tribute to Sergio Busquets on Friday after the stylish Inter Miami defensive midfielder announced he is retiring at the end of the season. “Arguably the best in his position ever to play there,” said Fraser, a former two-time MLS Defender of the Year. The 37-year-old Spaniard joined Miami in 2023 after 15 seasons with Barcelona. The former Barca captain’s resume includes winning the 2010 World Cup, Champions League (three times), La Liga title (nine times), FIFA Club World Cup (three times) and Copa del Rey seven times. He won 143 caps for Spain. “I go back to the 2011 Barcelona team as the best team I’ve ever seen,” said Fraser. “In terms of decision-making, in terms of starting passes and final passes, he’s been excellent.” Fraser recalled a conversation he had with star striker Thierry Henry, a former Barcelona player, more than a decade ago when both were at the New York Red Bulls.  “He was the one who said to me … ‘You see Xavi and (And...

BARCELONA, Spain — Sergio Busquets was a maestro in midfield, the one who recovered the ball, started attacks and delivered that key pass for superstar teammates like Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta to turn into goals in Barcelona’s heyday. The 37-year-old Spanish world champion will soon end his hugely successful career, retiring from soccer at the end of his current season with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer team said Thursday. Busquets is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, forming a storied three-man midfield at Barcelona with Iniesta and Xavi Hernández behind Messi. Busquets debuted for Barcelona in 2008 under Pep Guardiola and went on to play 722 matches for the club — putting him third all-time behind Xavi and Messi — while winning nine Spanish league titles and the Champions League three times. He wasn’t fast or ripped with muscles. He rarely scored. But his lanky frame belied a tenacious tackler and an expert passer, making him...

Captain John McGinn’s early goal was enough to give Aston Villa its first win of the season as the English side beat Bologna 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday. McGinn beat Bologna goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski with a low left-foot shot from outside the area 13 minutes into the match at Villa Park. Substitute Ollie Watkins earned a penalty in the second half but then failed to stretch the lead with a poorly executed spot kick that was saved by Skorupski. Villa has endured a frustrating start domestically, with three draws and two losses in the Premier League. But it has a coach who knows how to succeed in Europe: Unai Emery is the most successful manager in the second-tier Europa League with four titles, three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal. Emery led Villa to placings of fourth and sixth in the last two Premier League seasons and to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. But this season Villa is winless in the Premier League, scoring a single goal in five games ...

CHICHESTER, England — Former Arsenal youth player Billy Vigar has died after sustaining a “significant brain injury” during a lower-league soccer match in England. He was 21. His death was confirmed by his club, Chichester City, on Thursday. Vigar was placed in an induced coma after sustaining the injury in a game on Saturday for the English non-league team. “On Tuesday, he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him and he passed away on Thursday (25th) morning,” his family said in a statement issued through Chichester. “His family are devastated that this has happened whilst he was playing the sport that he loved.” Vigar, who also played on loan for Derby, was hurt early in a game at Wingate & Finchley FC. He reportedly sustained the injury when he collided with a wall at the side of the field. “We are devastated to hear that Billy Vigar has passed away,” the English Football Association said. “We se...

NEW YORK — Lionel Messi had two goals and an assist to reach 37 goal contributions this season and Inter Miami clinched a playoff spot with a 4-0 victory over New York City FC on Wednesday night. Miam (16-6-7), which won its third straight game, extended its league-leading goal total to 64 this season. Five of Miami’s last six MLS matches have featured at least three goals, most recently a 3–2 victory over D.C. United. After his first-half assist, Messi became the first player in MLS history to record at least 35 goal contributions in consecutive seasons. After two second-half goals, Messi became the fourth player in MLS history to record eight multi-goal games in a single season. Messi made it 2-0 in the 74th minute when he chipped it over Matt Freese, who had come out of his area on a breakaway. Luis Suárez, coming off a suspension, converted a penalty kick in the 83rd and Messi added another goal three minutes later. Óscar Ustari recorded his sixth clean sheet of the s...

Eberechi Eze scored his first goal for Arsenal in a 2-0 win at Port Vale in the English League Cup on Wednesday, while Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham also beat third-tier opponents to advance to the last 16. Making his fifth appearance for his boyhood team following a summer move from Crystal Palace, Eze stroked home a cool finish in the eighth minute after running onto Myles Lewis-Skelly’s deft flick. Leandro Trossard added the second in the 86th. Arsenal fielded a heavily rotated team for a competition that likely ranks lowest on its list of priorities this season, even if manager Mikel Arteta is under increasing pressure to win the club’s first major trophy since 2020. Pep Guardiola did the same with Man City, yet started Phil Foden and saw the England midfielder score the first goal from outside the area and set up the second for Savinho in a 2-0 win at Huddersfield. Joao Palhinha’s overhead kick was the highlight of Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Doncaster, and both Joelin...

MILAN — AC Milan beat 10-man Lecce 3-0 on Tuesday to advance to the Italian Cup round of 16 and remain in the running for what might be its best chance at a trophy this season. Santiago Gimenez, Christopher Nkunku and Christian Pulisic scored after Lecce center back Jamil Siebert was sent off for a foul on Nkunku Milan will next face Lazio — one of the top-eight seeded teams that were given byes in the opening two rounds. Milan wasn’t seeded this season because of its eighth-place finish in Serie A last season. Bologna beat Milan in last season’s Cup final and earned a seed ahead of Milan despite finishing ninth in the league. The eighth-place finish also meant that Milan missed out on European competition for this season. So returning coach Massimiliano Allegri has labelled the Italian Cup as a major objective. Milan opened Cup play with a 2-0 win over Bari on Aug. 17. Allegri was suspended for both Cup matches following an ugly ou...

Hugo Ekitike’s celebrations were cut short when he was shown a red card after firing Liverpool into the third round of the English League Cup with a late winner against Southampton on Tuesday. The striker denied second-tier Southampton the chance to force a penalty shootout at Anfield by converting from close range in the 84th minute to secure a 2-1 win. But he was sent off for a second yellow card after taking off his shirt while celebrating in front of the home fans. British record signing Alexander Isak had put Liverpool ahead in the first half with his first goal since his $170 million deadline day move from Newcastle. But Southampton — 19th in the Championship — levelled in the 76th through Shea Charles. With thoughts turning to a shootout, Liverpool produced another late rescue act, but Ekitike’s celebrations could come back to haunt the defending Premier League champion, with the France international now facing a suspension. Chelsea survives a scare Chelsea avoided beco...

After securing a domestic treble and a pair of continental trophies, Ousmane Dembele will have to find room for yet another piece of distinguished hardware on his mantle.  The Paris Saint-Germain superstar striker has won the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career on Monday in Paris, with Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and the Spanish national team taking home the Ballon d’Or Féminin after an equally impressive season for club and country. Dembele, 28, becomes the first Frenchman to win the prestigious trophy since Karim Benzema in 2022 and the first Ligue 1 player to do so since Jean-Pierre Papin with Marseille in 1991.   The Vernon, France, native was unstoppable in his second campaign in the French capital, netting 21 goals and eight assists in 29 Ligue 1 games, along with eight goals and six assists in 15 Champions League games en route to PSG’s first-ever European title. Overall, he finished with 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances across all co...

It is not as if Canada has had exactly a dearth of players capable of scoring goals at the international level in the past. Tomasz Radzinski at Anderlecht and Everton, and Paul Peschisolido for Fulham, Sheffield United and Derby County, enjoyed standout careers in Europe. Others such as John Catliff, Ali Gerba, Alex Bunbury and Dale Mitchell all bulged the net for their country, and then, of course, Dwayne De Rosario flew the flag proudly for many years. However, the team was never known as an offensive team and was more often built on strong defensive fundamentals. The players on that list were, to a man, foundational pieces of Canadian soccer history. But for a generation of fans, it was the women’s team that received the accolades, largely in part to some truly world-class talents in attack, such as Charmaine Hooper, Kara Lang and Christine Sinclair. The men sat in the shadow of their contemporaries in the women’s game, who were going deep in World Cups and Olympics … generally, ...

PARIS — Strasbourg provisionally moved up to third place in Ligue 1 with a 3-2 win at Paris FC on Sunday, after leader Paris Saint-Germain’s game at Marseille was postponed because of forecast bad weather. Strasbourg took the lead in the 27th minute through 18-year-old Ecuador winger Kendry Páez and doubled it in the 78th through right back Guéla Doué — who is the older brother of PSG forward Désiré Doué. In a frantic finish, Paris FC forward Nouha Dicko pulled a goal back against his former club, before striker Emanuel Emegha added a third for Strasbourg and Alimami Gory netted for the home side in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Monaco needed to beat Metz at home later Sunday to move level on 12 points with defending champion PSG, Lyon and Strasbourg. Also Sunday, it was: Auxerre vs. Toulouse; and Le Havre vs. Lorient. Marseille vs. PSG moved to Monday The French soccer league postponed Sunday night’s match between host Marseille and PSG by almost 24 hours because ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio —  Richie Laryea scored in the 51st minute  and Toronto FC played the Columbus Crew to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night. Toronto (5-13-12) has six consecutive draws in MLS play dating to Aug. 9, with two against the Crew. Toronto was looking for its first road victory over the Crew since May 2017. Columbus (13-7-11) is tied with Nashville for seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with 50 points. Toronto’s first shot of the game ended in Laryea’s sliding finish to tie it at 1-all.  Wessam Abou Ali opened the scoring in the 16th. He ran past the defense for Max Arfsten’s through ball and sent it through the legs of goalkeeper Luka Gavran with the outside of his right foot. More from Sportsnet Red Bulls score twice in first half to charge past CF Montreal  Toronto FC continuing to look at young talent as regular season winds down

STUTTGART, Germany — Ermedin Demirović celebrated his first game as Stuttgart captain by scoring as they beat visiting St. Pauli 2-0 on Friday and derailed the Hamburg club’s super start to the Bundesliga. The striker had a header ruled out for offside in the fourth minute but he got one that counted just before halftime when he weaved his way through a box of defenders and deftly chipped over the goalkeeper. Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller had a penalty kick saved by Nikola Vasilj after 26 minutes but he made amends five minutes into the second half with a lovely layoff for Bilal El Khannouss to add the second. The recent signing from Leicester City ran on to Stiller’s cushioned pass and fired a low shot into the bottom corner. St. Pauli’s Louis Oppie hit the bar seconds later at the other end. Stuttgart move up to seventh place with six points from four games. The end of St. Pauli’s unbeaten start to the league left it a point above in fourth.

MANCHESTER, England — Kevin De Bruyne’s Manchester City return was cut short Thursday when the Napoli midfielder was substituted after only 26 minutes following a red card for teammate Giovanni Di Lorenzo. De Bruyne was sacrificed as coach Antonio Conte reorganized his team after going down to 10 men. City went on to win 2-0 with Erling Haaland becoming the fastest player to score 50 Champions League goals. The City great was making his return to the Etihad Stadium after leaving the club at the end of last season as a free agent. He was given a hero’s welcome by City fans and then given an ovation as he left the field. Di Lorenzo was sent off in the 21st minute following a VAR review for bringing down Erling Haaland just outside the box. De Bruyne’s number was raised five minutes later to be replaced by Mathias Olivera. In a 10-year spell at City, De Bruyne helped the club win 16 major trophies including six Premier League titles and the Champions League. City ...

The Portland Thorns are retiring Christine Sinclair’s No. 12 jersey. The NWSL club announced Wednesday that the iconic number will be retired Oct. 4 as part of the former Canada captain’s induction into the Thorns Hall of Fame before Portland’s match against Bay FC. Sinclair, who retired in November, captained Portland to three NWSL Championships (2013, 2017, 2022), two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021), the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, the 2021 Women’s International Champions Cup and the 2020 Fall Series. The 42-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., chose No. 12 as a tribute to former Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar, Sinclair left the Thorns after 12 years as the club’s all-time leading goal scorer with 79 goals in NWSL play, which ranks second in the league.  She also holds Portland’s club record for most matches played (237), games started (215), minutes played (18,579) and penalty goals (10). Her 19 assists are also third-most in Thorns history. At the international...

Title holder Paris Saint-Germain roared to victory in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Liverpool found yet another late winning goal in its stunning start to the season. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk soared to score with a header in the second minute of stoppage time to seal a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid when it seemed his team was going to waste a two-goal lead seized after just six minutes. Bayern Munich and Inter Milan both won rematches of past finals — against Chelsea and Ajax, respectively — to start their eight-game league-phase programs, and newcomers Bodo/Glimt and Pafos impressed with hard-earned draws on the road. PSG cruised to a 4-0 win at home over Atalanta and had the luxury of a penalty miss by Bradley Barcola not mattering much in the end. Liverpool seemed to be sailing with early goals from Andy Robertson and a typically fine strike by Mohamed Salah but was pegged back by Marcos Llorente’s goals in first-half stoppage ...

LIVERPOOL, England — Alexander Isak was upstaged in his Liverpool debut by two of the club’s greats. The Sweden striker may be the most expensive player in the history of British soccer, but he got a close-up view of what it takes to become an Anfield icon as Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the Champions League with another late winner. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk produced the moments of magic as the Merseyside club first raced into a two-goal lead and then sealed victory with more late drama. Van Dijk rose to head home in the second minute of stoppage time after Atletico had staged an improbable fightback with two goals from Marcos Llorente. Isak, a British record $170 million signing from Newcastle, had already left the field by then after getting his first action since that move. He’d already seen Andy Robertson and Salah score goals within six minutes of kick-off. And from the sidelines, he watched Van Dijk’s headed goal — the fifth time in as many games th...