Football and politics are deeply connected in today’s world, regardless of how much some may prefer otherwise. Whether the sport can help address society’s wider problems is far less certain. After Irish solidarity with the people of Gaza transformed the buildup into a moral debate, the result of this disappointing contest eventually seemed almost secondary. […]
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James Trafford appears genuinely offended by the suggestion. The Leeds goalkeeper responds with near disbelief when asked whether his previous season at Manchester City had been frustrating or even wasted. “I won two trophies,” he replies plainly and emphatically. Goalkeepers need resilience, and Trafford displays plenty of it both on and off the field. Selected […]
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Former Premier League attacker Duncan Watmore stepped away from the familiar football environment to speak before international representatives at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Appearing at Global Health Futures Day, the former Sunderland and Middlesbrough player explained how methods used to achieve peak performance in professional sport could help improve public health. […]
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England suffered a 3-2 defeat against world champions Spain in an exciting Nations League encounter, their first fixture since the summer World Cup. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring for Spain, but Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane responded to move England in front. Kane later failed to convert a penalty before Alex Baena produced a curling […]
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Sébastien Pocognoli winced on Friday as he reflected on his first appearance for Belgium. Alessandro del Piero and Italy had enjoyed accommodating opponents while preparing for the 2006 World Cup. In time, Pocognoli may also remember his managerial debut with Scotland fondly. Beneath clear skies in a compact Ljubljana stadium, his side produced an encouraging […]
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Burns remained on the bench in Lisbon, but he is hoping to feature when Wales face Denmark in Copenhagen in their second Nations League match on Sunday, 27 October. Following the serious injury that disrupted his remarkable rise from League One to the Premier League with Ipswich, he is grateful simply to be involved with […]
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Northern Ireland will face Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, 2 October at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia. Ukraine have staged their home fixtures abroad since Russia launched its invasion of the country in February 2022. Matches have been held at venues in nations including the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain and […]
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Kylian Mbappé appeared to suffer a knee problem shortly after netting France’s winning goal against Turkey in Friday’s Nations League encounter. The Real Madrid forward fired a low effort into the net in the 55th minute following an assist from Michael Olise. Not long after claiming his record-extending 67th international goal, Mbappé dropped to the […]
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Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi was dismissed after celebrating his goal in Thursday’s 3-1 Nations League loss to Austria by pretending to fire a weapon with the corner flag. Abu Farchi headed in an equaliser in the 55th minute after Romano Schmid’s penalty had given Austria the advantage before the interval at the Raiffeisen Arena […]
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Another dramatic night in Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable career unfolded almost like a comic book. His number appeared on the fourth official’s board in the 67th minute, prompting him to remove the captain’s armband before leaving the field to widespread applause, apart from the travelling Wales fans. Referee Donatas Rumsas urged him to make a quicker […]
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