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VANCOUVER — Scoring is nothing new for Brian White. And yet, when the Vancouver Whitecaps striker buried his first goal of the Major League Soccer season in a 3-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday, he celebrated as if it were the first time he’d ever found the back of the net. White jumped and windmilled his arms, hugging his teammates, a broad grin stretched across his face. “Just having fun,” he said of the moment. The 30-year-old American had other chances early in the campaign. A penalty kick got stopped. A point-blank chance was blocked on the goal line. Finally breaking through brings some relief, White said. “Obviously, you want to get off the mark as soon as possible. Obviously it didn’t happen,” he said. “But, always staying confident, working hard for the team, knowing that these chances will come, and then you’ll put them away. And then just move on from there. “So, yeah, happy to get off the mark for the year.” Thomas Muller scored twice for the Whitecaps (2-0-0) ...

MILAN (AP) — Romelu Lukaku’s first goal of the season with the last kick of the match ended Napoli’s winless run on Saturday. Lukaku, who had played just 41 minutes this campaign following a serious preseason thigh injury, pounced in the sixth minute of stoppage time to help Napoli win at bottom club Hellas Verona 2-1. He appeared to tear up when the final whistle blew seconds later. His last goal was on May 23 followed by a terrible few months. Shortly after his torn thigh, his father died suddenly in September at 58. “On a personal level soccer gives you a lot. It has given me everything but losing my father like I lost him weighs on me every day,” Lukaku told DAZN while struggling to hold back tears. “But it is what it is and I carry on for my daughters, for my brother and for Napoli which has given me so much. “Because before arriving at Napoli I was dead. Last year we did something wonderful, this year is a bit difficult for us, but we have to look forwards and do everything t...

LISBON, Portugal — Benfica has suspended five fans for racist behaviour during the Champions League match against Real Madrid, when its player Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially insulting Vinícius Júnior. Benfica said in a statement Friday that disciplinary proceedings were opened against the five club members and they may ultimately be expelled. The club suspended them after an initial internal investigation found evidence of “inappropriate behaviour in the stands, of a racist nature, incompatible with the values ​​and principles that govern the club.” Television images showed some fans making monkey gestures after Madrid’s 1-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs on Feb. 17. The match had to be halted for nearly 10 minutes because of Vinícius’ accusation that Prestianni called him “monkey” after the Brazilian player scored and celebrated in front of the Benfica fans. Prestianni denied racially insulting Vinícius but was provisionally suspended by UEFA fr...

PARMA, Italy— Gaetano Oristanio came on at halftime and scored a late equalizer for Parma against Cagliari in a hard-fought 1-1 home draw in Serie A on Friday. Oristiano’s goal seven minutes from time earned Parma a point but its poor home form continued. It has won only two of its last 12 home games and has not won two in a row at Stadio Ennio Tardini since January 2020. Still, it has taken 10 points from its last 12 and moves into 11th place, a point behind Lazio and a point ahead of Udinese. Michael Folorunsho put Cagliari ahead 18 minutes into the second half with a stunning 30-meter strike. The midfielder on loan from Napoli missed the last 10 games through injury and was introduced just after the hour mark. Two minutes later, he spied Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi off his line and his dipping shot from near the right touchline flew over Corvi’s head and into the far corner of the net. The goal was Cagliari’s first since January but leaves it without a win in four games. It ...

MEXICO CITY — FIFA representatives will visit Mexico soon to assess security and mobility issues for the World Cup, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday. The country’s ability to co-host the World Cup has been under scrutiny this week following the violence that erupted after the army killed powerful drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes on Sunday. The operation and its violent repercussions claimed the lives of 70 people. Cartel members set cars on fire to block streets in states across the country, particularly in cities in Jalisco state, among them Guadalajara which is scheduled to host four World Cup matches. FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Sheinbaum in a phone call on Thursday that he has “full confidence” in Mexico as a World Cup host. Sheinbaum backed that up on Friday in her daily briefing. “He assured me that the World Cup would be held in our country,” she said. “We agreed that a FIFA team would definitely come to review several ...

A coalition of about 20 organizations working in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and Chinatown say they’re worried the city isn’t adequately addressing human rights implications and “FIFA-related harms” of the upcoming soccer World Cup. The group, which includes the BC Civil Liberties Association and the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, says a draft “human rights action plan” released last week makes no promises to increase supports for homeless people during the tournament and leaves open the option for street sweeps while international eyes are on the city. The city’s 57-page draft report says its “daily public realm management and bylaw compliance work” will continue during the World Cup to ensure parks remain usable during the day and “sidewalks remain safe, clean, and accessible.”  Chantelle Spicer, co-director of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, says sweeps by the city in the name of getting tents and other structures off sidewalks increase the risk of overdoses because pe...

Canadian men’s national team soccer player Promise David will “be sidelined for several months” with a hip muscle injury, according to a statement from his club team Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium on Thursday. David, a striker, is tied for second in the league this season with nine goals. The 24-year-old Brampton, Ont., native has eight caps with the Canadian national team, scoring three times since he made his debut on June 7, 2025. Union SG hasn’t given a definitive timeline on David’s recovery. David was released from the hospital after initial radiological examinations showed no fractures on Sunday, the team reported previously. David suffered the injury on Saturday in a Belgian Pro League game against Antwerp. He was taken off in a stretcher after a collision in the 76th minute with defender Daam Foulon. The Canadian international and Foulon were leaping to try to deflect a ball in the box when they butted heads. David appeared to twist his knee as he fell to the ground. ...

The Vancouver Whitecaps are through to the second round of the Concacaf Champions Cup after beating Costa Rica’s C.S. Cartagines 2-0 on Wednesday.  The Major League Soccer club dominated play through much of the game, but struggled to break through until Kenji Cabrera booted a shot in the 58th minute.  Sebastian Berhalter gave the ‘Caps some breathing room with a goal in the 80th minute.  Vancouver won the opening round series 2-0 on aggregate after the two sides battled to a 0-0 draw in Cartago, Costa Rica, last Wednesday.  The ‘Caps will now face their regional rivals the Seattle Sounders in the round of 16.  Vancouver will host the first game on March 12 and the second game will go in Spokane, Wash., on March 18. The Whitecaps’ domination started early on Wednesday, but the team struggled to finish its chances. Homegrown midfielder Jeevan Badwal had a great chance in the 10th minute, blasting a shot off from the edge of the penalty area, only to see Ca...

MADRID — After being loudly booed, Vinícius Júnior danced again. This time in front of Real Madrid supporters while leading his team to the round of 16 of the Champions League, a week after accusing a Benfica opponent of racially insulting him. Vinícius scored an 80th-minute goal to give Madrid a 2-1 victory and a 3-1 aggregate win over Benfica at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the second leg of the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday. Vinícius celebrated by dancing by the corner flag just like in  the first leg  — then in front of Benfica fans — which ignited a confrontation with Benfica players and the accusation that Gianluca Prestianni called him “monkey.” “That’s our Vinícius,” said Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who scored Madrid’s first goal in the 16th, a couple of minutes after Benfica had taken the lead through Rafa Silva. Prestianni, who has denied racially insulting Vinícius and has been defended by Benfica, was provision...

Atalanta converted a penalty with the last kick of the game in the eighth minute of stoppage time following a video review to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 and secure a place in the round of 16 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Lazar Samardzic’s spot kick clinched a dramatic 4-3 win on aggregate for Atalanta, ensuring there will still be Italian representation in Europe’s top club competition. Extra time was looming when a mistake by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel allowed Atalanta to launch one last attack, after the allotted three minutes of stoppage time had been played. A cross into the area was about to reach the head of Nikola Krstovic when Dortmund defender Remy Bensabaini flicked out his boot and caught the Atalanta substitute on the head, drawing blood. A corner was initially given but after a VAR check, a penalty was awarded, Bensabaini was shown a second yellow card, and Samardzic sent his penalty into the top corner, sparking joyous scenes inside the stadium i...

Vancouver Whitecaps forward Emmanuel Sabbi has been suspended for one game for “serious foul play,” the MLS Disciplinary Committee announced Tuesday. Sabbi was also fined an undisclosed amount. The incident took place in the 50th minute of Vancouver’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Sabbi took down Luca Moisa with a bad tackle in midfield. Trainers came on to take a look at Moisa but he eventually got back up and play continued. Sabbi was shown a yellow card for the play. He will serve the suspension on Saturday when the Whitecaps host Toronto FC. More from Sportsnet Whitecaps extend defensive midfielder Cubas through 2027-28 2026 MLS season preview: Miami eyes repeat, Vancouver tops Canadian clubs

MILAN — A hat trick by Alexander Sorloth helped Atletico Madrid finally shake off Club Brugge and advance to the Champions League round of 16. The Spanish giant won 4-1 on Tuesday to complete a 7-4 aggregate victory. But the wide margin on the night didn’t tell the full story of Brugge’s resilience over two legs. A 3-3 draw in Belgium last week had seen Brugge come back from two goals down and then level again in the 89th minute. In the second leg in Madrid, it fought back once more after Sorloth fired Atletico in front in the 23rd. Joel Ordonez levelled 13 minutes later. Diego Simeone’s team went 2-1 ahead through Johnny Cardoso early in the second half and Brugge’s resolve was finally broken. Sorloth completed his hat trick with goals in the 76th and 87th to secure Atletico’s place in the next round. Bodø/Glimt eyes another upset Inter Milan must overturn a two-goal deficit against Bodø/Glimt if it is to avoid becoming the latest giant to be cut down by the tiny ...

TURIN, Italy — Torino has fired Marco Baroni and immediately named Roberto D’Aversa as the new coach of the Serie A club. Baroni was axed after Torino lost at Genoa 3-0 on Sunday, a fourth straight winless match in all competitions. Torino played the entire second half with 10 men. Torino sits 15th in the table, just three points clear of the drop zone. The 50-year-old D’Aversa, an Italian who was born in Stuttgart, Germany, signed a contract to June 30, Torino said in a statement. The former Serie A midfielder was previously in charge of Italian sides Empoli, Lecce, Sampdoria, Parma and Virtus Lanciano. More from Sportsnet Serie A Roundup: Kean pounces early to give Fiorentina vital win Serie A roundup: AC Milan loses at home to Parma, Loftus-Cheek hospitalized

Soccer’s governing body in Canada says its men’s national team medical staff remain in close communication with Bayern Munich regarding star Alphonso Davies after he suffered a torn muscle fibre in his right hamstring. Canada Soccer said a decision on his availability for the March international window has not been made. “Our Men’s National Team’s medical staff continues to be in close communication with FC Bayern München’s medical staff concerning Alphonso Davies. A determination on his availability for the upcoming March international window has not yet been made. In the coming weeks, we will announce the full team roster,” Canada Soccer said in a statement. Bayern Munich confirmed Davies was injured in Saturday’s 3-2 Bundesliga win over Eintracht Frankfurt. The German club said the Canadian international will be sidelined “for the time being.” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany suggested Saturday the absence could be two to four weeks. Davies missed nearly nine months with a serious ...

Soccer’s governing body in North America says it’s closely monitoring ongoing violence in Mexico as its international tournament continues. A spokesperson for Concacaf, which oversees the sport in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, said in a statement Monday that the safety and security of everyone participating in the Champions Cup is the organization’s highest priority.  Two Canadian teams are still in the 27-club tournament, with Canadian Premier League side Atletico Ottawa set to visit Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC on Tuesday. The Vancouver Whitecaps host Costa Rican side C.S. Cartagines on Wednesday. If Vancouver and Ottawa advance this round, they would next face MLS opposition. Should they move on again, they could play Liga MX clubs in Mexico in the quarterfinals. CPL teams Vancouver FC and Forge faced clubs from Liga MX, Mexico’s top-flight league, in the opening round of the Champions Cup, but both fell in their two-legged aggregate series. Touris...

Anti-discrimination campaigners bemoaned an “appalling weekend” in the Premier League after four players were targeted with racial abuse on their social media accounts following games. Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri shared images of racist messages they were sent privately over Instagram following their teams’ match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday that finished 1-1. Wolverhampton striker Tolu Arokodare showed racially aggravated messages he received on Instagram after a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Sunday, during which he had a penalty saved. Sunderland said its winger, Romaine Mundle, was also subjected to “vile online racist abuse” after his substitute appearance in a 3-1 home loss to Fulham. Kick It Out, a British-based anti-discrimination charity, repeated its calls for platforms to do more to address the problem. “This has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they’ve received on soci...

PARIS — Joaquín Panichelli helped Strasbourg end Lyon’s 13-game winning streak in all competitions on Sunday. Panichelli was a constant thorn for the Lyon defenders, and the Argentine sealed Strasbourg’s 3-1 home win in Ligue 1 with a late penalty. Lyon was seeking to match its club-record 14 straight wins from the 2005-06 season. Endrick endured a frustrating game for third-place Lyon. The Brazilian’s centrally placed shot was easily saved by Mike Penders in the second half. To make matters worse for Lyon, Pavel Sulc had to go off injured before half an hour was played. The Czech player is the team’s top scorer in the league with 10 goals this season. Strasbourg dominated from the start and Martial Godo got the deserved opener in the 37th after Diego Moreira played him in behind the Lyon defense. Moreira made it 2-0 early in the second half when his shot from outside the penalty area took a decisive deflection off a Lyon defender. Tempers flared after Lyon defender Rub...

MILAN — AC Milan lost more ground to city rival Inter Milan after a 1-0 loss to Parma at home on Sunday in a match which saw Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek hospitalized after a collision with the Parma goalkeeper. Loftus-Cheek was struck on the head after colliding with Edoardo Corvi after a cross into the area about 10 minutes into the match at San Siro.  The 30-year-old Loftus-Cheek had a bloodied face while being treated on the field. He was stretchered off with a neck and head brace, and later taken to hospital. Italian media reports said the England international and former Chelsea player sustained broken teeth and was being examined for head trauma. “Our thoughts are with him,” Parma coach Carlos Cuesta said. Mariano Troilo scored with a header off a corner in the 80th minute to give Parma the win. The goal was initially disallowed for a foul but the call was reversed after video review. Milan had entered the match looking to cut its gap to Inter to seven points. I...

MADRID — Barcelona took advantage of Real Madrid’s stumble and regained the Spanish league lead with a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Levante on Sunday. Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López scored a goal each as Barcelona ended a two-game losing streak to get back in front of rival Madrid, which lost 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday. Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna. Barcelona was coming off a 2-1 loss to Girona in the league and a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. “It was important to win and earn three points again,” Barcelona defender João Cancelo said. “Soccer gives you these opportunities to rebound and that’s what we did today, playing well again after two bad games.” Barcelona had earned a clean sheet only once in its previous six games in all competitions. Good start for Barcelona Bernal scored from close range four minutes ...

After Alphonso Davies was injured earlier in the day, Canada Soccer got more bad news on Saturday. Striker Promise David had to be stretchered off following a collision in the 76th minute of Union SG’s match against Antwerp in the Belgian Pro League. David collided with defender Daam Foulon. The Canadian international and Foulon were leaping to try and deflect a ball in the box, when they butted heads. While it’s unclear what David’s injury was, he also appeared to twist his knee as he fell to the ground. The 24-year-old Brampton, Ont., native has nine goals in his second season with Union SG. If healthy, David figures to be a key piece of Canada’s roster for the upcoming World Cup. Canada hosts the World Cup with the United States and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. More from Sportsnet Canada captain Alphonso Davies injured in Bayern win As MLS season kicks off, the great Canada World Cup roster debate renews

LECCE, Italy — Substitutes Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji scored late for Inter Milan to stretch its Serie A lead to 10 points with an unspectacular 2-0 win at Lecce on Saturday. Both players were sent on for the last half hour. Mkhitaryan was left unmarked at the far post to score from Federico Dimarco’s corner in the 75th minute, and Akanji headed in from another corner in the 82nd. Dimarco thought he’d scored after the break but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check found Marcus Thuram was offside. Dimarco later had another effort to seal the win cleared off the line before he took the corner for Akanji’s goal. Inter was without star players Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Çalhanoğlu. The team’s seventh consecutive league win moved it 10 points clear of AC Milan before its city rival hosts Parma on Sunday. Juventus’ crisis continues Juventus’ damaging week continued with a 2-0 loss at home to Como that dents the Italian power’s hopes of Champions League qualification. The...

LENS, France — French league leader Lens was stunned by three second-half goals as Monaco came from behind to win 3-2 to give Paris Saint-Germain the chance to go top on Saturday. Odsonne Édouard scored early with a volley for Lens and Florian Thauvin converted the rebound after Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Köhn could only parry a deflected shot early in the second half. That was as good as it got for the home team, however. United States forward Folarin Balogun scored against the run of play in the 62nd, Denis Zakaria equalized in the 70th and Ansu Fati pounced on another defensive blunder to make it 3-2 two minutes after that. It was quite the reversal for Monaco, which led PSG 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Tuesday after two goals from Balogun, only to lose 3-2. Lens’ evening was summed up when Saud Abdulhamid was booked for diving instead of getting a penalty that he felt he deserved. Lens was only a point clear of PSG before the capital club hoste...

BERLIN — Harry Kane scored twice but conceded a penalty as Bayern Munich held on to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 to protect its Bundesliga lead on Saturday. Aleksandar Pavlović scored early and Bayern seemed to be cruising when Kane scored his league-leading 27th and 28th goals of the season, one in each half. The England star is used to converting penalties but ended up conceding one for a foul on Oscar Höjlund with some 15 minutes of normal time remaining. Jonathan Burkardt duly pulled one back from the spot in the 77th, and Arnaud Kalimuendo capitalized on a mix-up between Joshua Kimmich and Kim Min-jae to set up a nervy finale in the 86th. Bayern held on through seven minutes of stoppage time to move nine points clear of Borussia Dortmund before Dortmund’s match at Leipzig later. “The two mistakes towards the end made the game a bit more nerve-racking than what it needed to be,” said Kane, who was honoured before kickoff for scoring 500 career goals for club and country. “Ulti...

Choosing to stay in Vancouver was an easy decision for Jesper Sorensen.  After all, the head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps still has work to do.  Now he’ll have time to accomplish his goals — the Major League Soccer team announced Friday that it has signed Sorensen to a two-year extension through the 2027-28 season.  “From both sides, I think it was obvious that it has functioned very well from last year. And for me, it was an easy choice,” he said. “There’s always considerations, but it was easy for me to commit longer term to the Whitecaps.” The deal follows a season where the 52-year-old Dane piloted the Whitecaps through their best-ever MLS showing as a rookie head coach.  Vancouver finished the regular season with a 18-7-9 record, good for second in the Western Conference, and smashed club records for points (63), wins (18) and goals scored (66) in the process. The group went on a 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions between March and May, earne...

Toronto FC has added to its roster ahead of the Major League Soccer season, acquiring Hungarian winger Daniel Salloi from Sporting Kansas City.  The club announced the move Thursday, with Toronto FC general manager Jason Hernandez saying in a release that Salloi will bring a “welcome combination of MLS experience and impact” to the group. The deal will see Sporting receive a guaranteed $300,000 in general allocation money, plus an additional $700,000 in general allocation money if performance-based metrics are met.  Sporting will also retain a sell-on percentage if Salloi is permanently transferred out of MLS or is traded within the league.  The 29-year-old attacker comes to Toronto following 10 seasons with Kansas City where he tallied 67 goals and 47 assists over 287 appearances across all competitions.  Salloi played 33 regular-season games for Sporting last season, contributing seven goals and four assists. Toronto will kick off the MLS season on Saturday ...

All 30 teams will be in action this weekend when Major League Soccer’s 31st season kicks off.   Toronto FC plays away to FC Dallas and CF Montreal visits San Diego FC on Saturday, while the Vancouver Whitecaps host Real Salt Lake on the same day. Saturday’s slate of games also features reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami taking on LAFC.    Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 MLS regular season.     The playoff format     The top seven teams in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences clinch playoff berths, while the eighth and ninth seeds will face off in a one-game wild-card match. The winners of both wild-card games move on to the next round, which is made up of best-of-three series (rather than single-elimination contests).     In the best-of-three, no games can end in draws. If a match is tied at the end of regulation time, it’ll go straight to a penalty shootout. The first team t...