I could leave Chelsea in search of first-team football – Loftus-Cheek
Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is hoping to play regular first-team football next season, whether that be with the Blues or away from Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old England international, currently in Russia with…
Emre Can set to complete long-awaited Juventus move after arriving in Turin
Liverpool midfielder Emre Can is set to complete his long-awaited move to Juventus after flying in to Turin on Thursday. The Germany international’s Anfield departure was confirmed earlier this month after the…
Things you may not know about Manchester United new boy Fred
Manchester United have finally announced the signing of Brazil midfielder Fred on a five-year deal from Shakhtar Donetsk. Here, FP looks at five things you may not know about the 25-year-old Brazilian.…
Kane’s a top-class striker but we can’t rely on just one player – Robson
Bryan Robson has warned that England cannot afford to become over-reliant on Harry Kane at the World Cup. Captain Kane proved England’s chief inspiration and match-winner in their opening game of the…
Football rumours from the media – 21st June, 2018
What the papers say Manchester City have agreed a £43.1million deal with Napoli for midfielder Jorginho, the Daily Telegraph says. The Serie A runners-up were pressing for £50million and it is possible…
Pellegrini backs Diop to make the right impression with Hammers
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini is confident the ‘pace and power’ of club-record signing Issa Diop can help the defender make an impact in the Premier League. The Irons have been quick…
Of Dazed Dreams: Account of France’s Youthful Confusion
With a potentially world-beating juvenile squad that holds the cards to trump the best, France have arrived in Russia with the aim to conquer it. This is an account of the confusion…
Fred finally completes move to Manchester United
Manchester United have completed the signing of Brazil midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Premier League club have announced. The 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract, with the option to extend for…
Australia earn draw with Denmark following VAR penalty intervention
Australia kept their World Cup hopes alive as a contentious penalty awarded using VAR technology earned them a 1-1 draw with Group C rivals Denmark. Christian Eriksen had put Denmark ahead with…
Emre Can joins Juventus on four-year contract
Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has completed his move to Juventus after signing a four-year contract. The Germany international’s departure from Anfield was confirmed earlier this month after the 24-year-old turned down the…
How can Argentina get the best out of Lionel Messi?
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is universally accepted as being one of the greatest players of all time but against Iceland he was largely anonymous – apart from seeing his second…
Alli absent as Southgate takes England training despite dislocated shoulder
Gareth Southgate took England training on Thursday, despite the discomfort of a dislocated shoulder. Southgate took a tumble while running alone near England’s World Cup camp in Repino earlier this week and…
Tabarez hails ‘crucial’ Suarez after Uruguay beat Saudi Arabia to advance
Oscar Tabarez hailed the importance of match-winner Luis Suarez after the striker fired Uruguay into the knockout stages of the World Cup. Suarez celebrated his 100th international cap with the only goal…
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter offers England help to land 2030 World Cup
Sepp Blatter has said he will use his “influence” to help a British bid win the right to stage the 2030 World Cup, providing his help is wanted. The disgraced ex-FIFA president…
Panama midfielder Anibal Godoy expecting tough test against England
Panama are preparing to face the best England team of the last decade, according to midfielder Anibal Godoy. Gareth Southgate’s side meet World Cup debutants Panama in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday buoyed…
Tite insists he would not risk Neymar against Costa Rica if forward was not fit
Brazil coach Tite has insisted he would never risk the health of star man Neymar after selecting him in his team to face Costa Rica on Friday. The Paris St Germain striker,…
Hugo Lloris demands improved performance from France as he reaches milestone
Captain Hugo Lloris admits France will struggle to beat Peru if they replicate their opening World Cup performance. Les Bleus relied on a late own goal as they scraped to an unconvincing…
England manager Gareth Southgate suffers dislocated shoulder while out running
Gareth Southgate has suffered a dislocated right shoulder while running near England’s World Cup base in Repino. The Three Lions boss was making the most of a day off from training when…
Experts criticise Morocco for playing ‘warrior’ Nordin Amrabat after concussion
Concussion experts have heavily criticised Morocco’s decision to let Nordin Amrabat play against Portugal on Wednesday, only five days after he sustained a concussion in their match against Iran. The North African…
Luis Suarez sends Uruguay through with goal on his 100th appearance
Luis Suarez marked his 100th cap with the winner as Uruguay qualified for the World Cup knockout stages with an unconvincing victory which eliminated opponents Saudi Arabia. Barcelona striker Suarez volleyed home…
Holland rates Southgate favourably against some of best in Europe
Gareth Southgate’s right hand man, Steve Holland, has compared the England manager favourably to some of the best in Europe. Holland worked alongside a Who’s Who of the coaching elite during six…
Fernando Hierro urges Spain to take nothing for granted after narrow Iran win
Spain coach Fernando Hierro has warned his players to take nothing for granted despite a 1-0 win over Iran which puts them on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup knockout…
Sampaoli’s Argentina searching for identity ahead of Croatia clash
Jorge Sampaoli admits he has yet to establish a clear footballing identity with Argentina as he prepares to make tactical changes for the clash with Croatia. The two-time world champions were held…
Spain see off Iran to boost World Cup hopes
Diego Costa’s second-half strike proved enough for Spain to squeeze past Iran in Kazan and move into a commanding position in their bid to qualify from Group B. Costa broke Iran’s sturdy…
A closer look at exactly how VAR works
Russia 2018 is the first World Cup at which the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has been used – and it has proved a considerable talking point. That was the case once…
Denmark boss Age Hareide backs Christian Eriksen to be strong against Australia
Denmark head coach Age Hareide is confident talisman Christian Eriksen can deal with whatever tactics Australia deploy to try to stop him – just like he does for Tottenham in the Premier…
Iceland’s Johann Berg Gudmundsson doubtful for Nigeria clash due to calf injury
Iceland winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s World Cup adventure is in doubt after it was confirmed he has torn a calf muscle. The 27-year-old Burnley midfielder was injured during Saturday’s 1-1 Group D…
Ronaldo heads Portugal to unconvincing win over unlucky Morocco
Cristiano Ronaldo’s fourth goal of the tournament was enough to give Portugal a 1-0 win over Morocco in their World Cup Group B match in Moscow. Portugal can look forward to a…
So near and yet so VAR as controversies mount up
England were thrust firmly into the middle of the ongoing VAR debate as they launched their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Tunisia on Monday. Harry Kane’s double ultimately…
Portugal boss Fernando Santos wary of Morocco threat
Portugal manager Fernando Santos has warned his team about the threat Morocco will pose in Wednesday’s World Cup Group B fixture. Morocco’s 1-0 defeat by Iran has put them under pressure to…