Sergio Ramos has become the most capped European footballer of all time, surpassing the record set by Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon.
Real Madrid centre-back Ramos earned a 177th appearance for Spain in Saturday s Nations League match against Switzerland, having pulled level with Buffon when coming off the bench against the Netherlands on Wednesday.
It means Ramos, a World Cup winner with Spain, is now just eight short of the overall record held by Egypt s Ahmed Hassan.
As well as his triumph in South Africa in 2010, Ramos has won two European Championships with Spain and scored 23 goals for his country – putting him joint eighth on the list with Alfredo Di Stefano.
177 Sergio Ramos will make his 177th appearance for Spain (129 wins, 23 goals), becom…
Leon Goretzka praised Hansi Flick following reports Bayern Munich are looking to unite him with Thomas Tuchel in a new coaching team.
German publication Bild suggested interim boss Flick could be kept on as an assistant at Allianz Arena if the Bundesliga side succeed in prising Tuchel from Paris Saint-Germain.
Flick took charge in a caretaker capacity following Niko Kovac s departure in November and has overseen four wins and a defeat in all competitions.
Chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reaffirmed his support for the 54-year-old following the weekend loss to Bayer Leverkusen, a result midfielder Goretzka insisted was not Flick s fault.
He told us what we did well and what we did badly, the Germany international told news portal T-Online.
W…
Mesut Ozil must have enormous hunger to play football again but can flourish in the warm environment he will receive at Fenerbahce, says former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.
World Cup winner Ozil is edging ever closer to a move to the Super Lig giants, bringing an end to a seven-and-a-half-year stay with the Gunners.
The former Germany international has not featured for Arsenal since March after being frozen out by boss Mikel Arteta and was not included in their Premier League or Europa League squads for this season.
Wenger was the man to bring Ozil to Emirates Stadium from Real Madrid in 2013 but the attacking midfielder fell out of favour under both Unai Emery and Arteta.
The legendary former Gunners manager is convinced of Ozil s enduring quality ahead o…
Hansi Flick believes success in the Club World Cup will be very special as he closes in on a sixth trophy in just 68 matches as Bayern Munich coach.
Bayern comfortably dealt with CAF Champions League winners Al Ahly in their semi-final on Monday, with Robert Lewandowski getting both goals in a 2-0 win.
The Polish striker, who moved to 29 goals for the season with that brace, made it 1-0 in the 17th minute and eventually put the game beyond Al Ahly in the latter stages, though the Egyptian champions rarely looked a threat to Die Roten.
In Thursday s final Bayern will face Tigres, who defeated Copa Libertadores winners Palmeiras 1-0 on Sunday to become the first CONCACAF side to reach the final of the Club World Cup.
French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac got t…
Flamengo have been crowned Brazilian champions for the seventh time in their history and the first time in 10 years just one day after winning the Copa Libertadores.
Gremio s win at Palmeiras left Flamengo with an insurmountable 13-point lead at the top of Serie A and Jorge Jesus side will be able to enjoy their remaining four games of the season with the title secured.
Two late goals from Gabriel Barbosa earned Flamengo a dramatic 2-1 victory over River Plate in Saturday s Copa Libertadores final and sparked wild celebrations in the streets of Rio.
The weekend was made even more unforgettable for Flamengo supporters when Pepe scored in second-half stoppage-time to clinch a 2-1 victory for Gremio at Palmeiras, handing the league leaders their first Brasileirao si…
Southend have secured an urgent court order allowing the payment of players and accountants before deadlines that threaten the club’s survival.
A lawyer for the National League side told a specialist judge they would “simply cease to exist” if payments to playing staff and for the filing of overdue accounts were not made on Wednesday.
Judge Sebastian Prentis heard at an online hearing that players could “walk away” if they did not receive their salaries due at the end of this month, while the National League had said it would withdraw the club’s membership if accounts were not filed “by close of business”.
The insolvency and companies court hearing comes after HM Revenue Customs (HMRC) issued a winding-up petition against the non-league club over …
Roberto Martinez is confident that Cristiano Ronaldo s vast experience will benefit Portugal during Euro 2024.
Ronaldo first played in the Euros in 2004 before winning the competition in 2016, and will surely appear in a record-extending sixth edition later this month.
The 39-year-old is the leading scorer in men s international football, netting 128 goals in 204 official matches, with 14 of those coming in the European Championships.
Ronaldo is entering what could potentially be the final major tournament of his stellar career, and Martinez is hoping to draw on all his experience ahead of their opener.
A família está completa!
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal)
Cristiano had very consistent performances at his club. There is no doubt t…
Massimiliano Allegri remains optimistic about Juventus chances of succeeding in the Coppa Italia and the Champions League.
The Bianconeri occupy the final Champions League qualification spot in Serie A, three points ahead of fifth-placed Atalanta, who have a game in hand.
Allegri s team struggled to find their feet at the start of the season, but they are now unbeaten across seven games in all competitions, including a 2-1 win over Sassuolo that booked their spot in the Coppa Italia semi-final where they will meet Fiorentina across a two-legged tie.
While the 54-year-old has repeatedly quashed claims that Juve could mount a late charge for the Scudetto, he suggested his side fancy their chances in the other two competitions they are in.
We play to win, …
Phil Neville has been confirmed as the new head coach of Portland Timbers ahead of the 2024 MLS season.
The 46-year-old said he was relishing the prospect of returning to the competition, five months after his departure from Inter Miami.
Neville said: “I am massively excited about the challenge ahead, and from the very first moment I met the staff I knew it was the right opportunity for me, the right club for me and the right city for me.
A new era in Portland.
Phil Neville is
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC)
“The fans are the most important part of this football club with their intensity and support, and I think this journey is going to be something special.”
Neville will have to work hard to win over some sections of Po…
As reported by , Aston Villa are exploring the possibility of signing Luis Suarez, who is now a free agent having been released by Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
Suarez played with Villa manager Steven Gerrard as well as playmaker Philippe Coutinho back in his Liverpool days, before he left the Merseyside club in favor of Barcelona in 2014. He moved on to Atletico in 2020 after being told by Ronald Koeman, the Barcelona head coach at the time, that his services weren t needed anymore, and helped the club from the Spanish capital with the La Liga title in 2020-21.
Nonetheless, the 35-year-old Uruguayan has fallen out of favour with Diego Simeone as well, and there s obviously no place for him at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Gerrard is obviously keen to rec…