10:32 PM ET New Zealand coach Danny Hay has criticised FIFA for scheduling part of Oceania’s World Cup qualifying tournament outside the international window, saying it would not happen to any other region. The nine-team tournament will be staged in Qatar from March 14-30 to decide which team advances to a playoff against the fourth-placed
Football
3:54 PM ET Lionel Messi now has seven Ballon d’Or awards, two more than Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi was awarded the prestigious Ballon d’Or for a record-extending seventh time in a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday. Messi, who led Argentina the
2:11 PM ET Manchester United‘s Cristiano Ronaldo has slammed Ballon d’Or organiser and editor-in-chief of France Football Pascal Ferre for lying about his rivalry with Lionel Messi and using Ronaldo’s name to “promote his publication.” Ferre told the New York Times last week that Ronaldo’s only career ambition was to win more awards than Messi.
3:18 PM ET Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas has become the first Spain international to win the Ballon d’Or since 1960 after leading her club to the Treble this year. She was named the best women’s player in the world on Monday as she received the Ballon d’Or Feminin. Putellas, who was also named UEFA Women’s Player
12:26 PM ET European champions Chelsea learned the three teams they could face in the Club World Cup on Monday. Alexander Hassenstein – UEFA/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images European champions Chelsea will face either UAE Pro League side Al Jazira, New Zealand’s Auckland City FC or AFC Champions League winners Al Hilal in the FIFA Club
5:30 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva still doesn’t get the credit he deserves, according to teammate Ilkay Gundogan. Silva has been a key part of three title-winning teams at the Etihad Stadium and been capped 64 times by Portugal, but Gundogan believes he is not fully appreciated. “I think he’s very
1:23 PM ET The LA Galaxy parted ways Monday with midfielder and captain Jonathan dos Santos after five seasons. The 31-year-old Mexican international’s contract is expired and will not be renewed for the 2022 campaign. – ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)– Don’t have
4:25 PM ET Kathleen McNamee Alexia Putellas won the prize in 2021 as the anchor of a brilliant Barcelona team. But the ceremony again showed how far the sport has to go to give women’s players the respect they deserve. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images The addition of the Ballon d’Or Feminin in 2018 was a
11:37 AM ET The European soccer weekend was its usual wild and wonderful self: Manchester United have their new manager (and completed a dull draw at Chelsea), Real Madrid shrugged off their most credible challenger to date in LaLiga’s title race, and Juventus suffered on-pitch woe against Atalanta to go with the police investigation off
6:31 AM ET Manchester United have appointed Ralf Rangnick as the club’s interim manager until the end of the season, the club announced on Monday. Rangnick, 63, has left his role as head of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow and signed a six-month contract at Old Trafford. – Gegenpressing Godfather: How Rangnick revolutionised football–