Lautaro Martinez s fine goalscoring form continued as he sealed top spot for Argentina in Group A, with a 2-0 victory over Peru, who were eliminated from the competition.
With Lionel Messi out due to a groin injury, the forward stepped up, scoring at the start and end of the second half to ease any nerves after a slow first 45 minutes at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Leandro Paredes miss from the penalty spot did not prove costly as Peru failed to threaten in what was a must-win game.
Argentina will face the runner-up of Group B in their quarter-final, while Canada take second place in the group after their 0-0 draw with Chile, while Peru make an early exit.
With a place in the quarter-finals already secured, Argentina made a slow start to the game Alej…
Holders Algeria have been grouped alongside two-time winners Ivory Coast following the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations draw ceremony held in Yaounde on Tuesday.
The delayed event, which will be hosted in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, features 24 teams for the second time with six groups of four.
Algeria, who triumphed in Egypt in 2019, are alongside 1992 and 2015 winners Ivory Coast as well as Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea in Group E.
Hosts Cameroon will open the tournament in Group A, where they were drawn alongside Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Cape Verde.
Record seven-time winners Egypt, who last lifted the title in 2010, are grouped with three-time champions Nigeria, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in Group D.
Arsenal team-mates Pierre-Emerick A…
Slow starts are nothing new to Harry Kane. Not until 2018 did the England captain score a Premier League goal in the month of August, by which point he had twice won the Golden Boot.
But there is added focus on Kane this year in the aftermath of his failed move from Tottenham to Manchester City.
And through three appearances – including two starts – in the opening four games of the 2021-22 campaign, the striker has attempted just two shots without scoring.
The last time Kane had two or fewer attempts across a three-match span in the Premier League was back in October 2014, but he did not start any of those outings against Sunderland, Southampton and Newcastle United, which produced a sole effort combined.
Since establishing himself as one of Europe s …
Spain boss Luis Enrique insisted no amount of pressure could affect him ahead of his side s key World Cup qualifier against Greece.
The 2010 world champions are in action in Athens on Friday, with an automatic place at Qatar 2022 potentially on the line.
Should Sweden defeat Georgia in the earlier Group B match, Spain will be unable to catch them in top spot if they do not take all three points against Greece.
John van t Schip s side could still clinch a top-two finish if they beat La Roja, whom they held to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in March.
Yet Luis Enrique does not believe the fear of missing out on a guaranteed place at next year s finals will disrupt their preparation.
Luis Enrique was born with pressure, he told reporters on Wedn…
Kevin De Bruyne has no fear over any lasting impact of the facial injury he sustained ahead of Euro 2020 after making his first appearance of the tournament for Belgium.
Manchester City star De Bruyne suffered a fractured nose and left orbital in a challenge with Chelsea s Antonio Rudiger during the Champions League final last month.
The injury did not prevent him from featuring in Roberto Martinez s Belgium squad, with the 29-year-old undergoing what the Red Devils coach described as a small intervention – rather than full surgery – to help protect the affected area and ensure De Bruyne did not have to wear a mask when he returned to action.
After missing Belgium s first Group B game, a 3-0 win over Russia, De Bruyne came off the bench to inspire Martinez s…
Philippe Coutinho and Steven Gerrard are back in tandem, nine years after they first began to forge an alliance at Liverpool.
Gerrard referred to Coutinho as a friend this week, but he is also set to be his boss at Aston Villa after the Brazilian agreed to join from Barcelona.
The theory is that if anyone can get a tune out of Coutinho, it should be his former Liverpool captain, given the strong relationship they had on the pitch, which has endured in the years since.
Barcelona hoped Coutinho would be a leader in their orchestra, but instead his displays often struck a bum note, and the Blaugrana are happy to have offloaded one of the most expensive signings in their history.
Exactly how much they have ended up paying Liverpool for Coutinho is unclear, …
Substitute Fred was the hero as Manchester United withstood a second-half fightback to defeat rivals Leeds United 4-2 and become the first team to register 700 Premier League wins.
First-half goals from Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes had the visitors seemingly coasting towards three points in Sunday s contest at a sodden Elland Road.
But Leeds reputation for chaos coupled with United s for showing a soft centre each came to fruition as two goals in the space of 59 seconds from Rodrigo and Raphinha turned the game on its head.
There would be another twist, though, as Fred drilled home just three minutes after entering the fray to help the Red Devils secure a double over their cross-Pennine rivals, with a slice of history confirmed when fellow sub Anthony Elanga…
Marco Asensio wants to stay at Real Madrid for 10 more years as the Spain international continues to negotiate a new contract with the club.
Asensio, who is on duty with La Roja at the World Cup, is set to become a free agent when his existing deal with Los Blancos expires at the end of June.
Repeatedly linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu, with Barcelona reported to be among his possible destinations, the forward has started just once in LaLiga for Madrid this season.
Nevertheless, the 26-year-old hopes he can prolong his stay with the reigning Champions League winners, for whom he has made 250 appearances since arriving from Mallorca in December 2014.
There is talk that I am changing Real Madrid s mind. But I have always tried to give the…
Juventus are ready to sell Federico Chiesa in the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Italian journalist has reported on X that the former Serie A and UEFA Champions League winners are looking for around €25m with add-ons for the 26-year-old Italy international winger.
Romano wrote on : Juventus consider price tag around €25m with add-ons included for Federico Chiesa as current deal expires in June 2025, not being extended.
“Juventus are prepared to sell Chiesa who s currently not part of Thiago Motta s plans, as confirmed yesterday.”
Chiesa has been on the books of Juventus since 2022 on a permanent deal after a loan spell from Fiorentina. The Italy international is one of the best wingers in Serie A, but he has had injury problems…
Eric Ramsay believes Manchester United have all the ingredients to go to the next level under Ineos – but Erik ten Hag’s former coach felt he had to leave for a dream first managerial job at Minnesota United.
The 32-year-old swapped Uniteds following March’s derby defeat at Manchester City, with his move to the Twin Cities seeing him become the youngest permanent manager in Major League Soccer history.
It is an exciting new chapter in an impressive coaching journey that led Ramsay to Swansea, Shrewsbury and Chelsea before joining Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching set-up in June 2021.
The club has announced Eric Ramsay as the second head coach in Minnesota United s Major League Soccer history. Ramsay joins the club from Manchester United, where he served as …