soccer

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Trump Discourages Iran From Attending World Cup

'I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety'

(Newser) - President Trump said Thursday did not think it would be "appropriate" for the Iranian soccer team to attend this year's World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, and cited safety concerns as a reason, while the countries are embroiled in a war.
  • "The Iran National Soccer Team
...

Team Pulls Out of World Cup for First Time Since 1950

Iran's sports minister denounces Trump's 'corrupt regime'

(Newser) - Iran has pulled out of this summer's World Cup in the US, despite word from FIFA and the White House that it would be allowed to play. Hours after FIFA president Gianni Infantino said President Trump assured him Iran's team would be "welcome" at the tournament, Iran'...

Australia: Iranian Soccer Players Don't Have to Go Home

Trump said US would take players from women's team if Australia didn't

(Newser) - Five members of Iran's women's national soccer team have been granted temporary humanitarian visas, giving them a path to permanent residency, Australia's home affairs minister Tony Burke said Tuesday. He said the players are now in a secure location under Australian Federal Police protection after seeking help...

23 Red Cards Issued in Brazil Cup Game

Military police intervened in brawl

(Newser) - Twenty-three players were shown a red card as a lengthy brawl requiring the intervention of military police marred the final seconds of a Brazilian soccer match between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro in Belo Horizonte on Sunday. Former Brazil forward Hulk was among the players sent off following the violence that...

Soccer Club Desperately Seeks Madonna's 36-Year-Old Shirt

Spain's Celta Vigo wants jersey the pop star wore during a 1990 concert

(Newser) - Spanish soccer team Celta Vigo is desperately seeking Madonna as it goes in search of a 36-year-old soccer shirt the pop star wore during a 1990 concert at its Balaidos stadium. As the AP reports, Madonna appeared on stage wearing the club's true blue colors during her Blonde Ambition...

Ted Lasso Actor's New Mantra: 'Football Is (Real) Life!'

Cristo Fernandez, who plays Dani Rojas, joins El Paso's USL soccer club for informal tryout

(Newser) - Dani Rojas' "football is life" mantra just jumped from the TV screen back onto a real soccer field. Cristo Fernandez, the actor behind the exuberant striker on Apple TV's Ted Lasso, is on an informal trial with USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive FC, logging 30 minutes over...

FIFA Considers Red Cards for Covering Mouths in Clash

President says action might be needed in fight against racism

(Newser) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino has raised the prospect of red cards being shown to players who cover their mouths when confronting opponents. The issue has been highlighted in recent weeks after Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior said he was racially insulted by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League...

Harry Kane Hits 500 Goals, 94 of Them Headers

Star becomes first English player to milestone

(Newser) - Harry Kane has joined an exclusive group of goal scorers, reaching 500 career goals for club and country on Saturday. He is the first English player to hit that mark in official matches. The mark came with Kane's second of two goals for Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen in...

Inside Soccer's Hidden Sleeping Pill Addiction Crisis
Soccer Has a Secret
Sleeping Pill Problem
longform
Feb 2, 2026 9:46 AM CST

Soccer Has a Secret Sleeping Pill Problem

Experts warn the legal, easily available pills are no easy fix, despite appearances

(Newser) - Professional soccer players are opening up about how seemingly harmless sleeping pills turned their lives upside down. The New York Times compiles accounts from numerous players who began using easily-accessible sleeping pills to relax after intense games or painful injuries, only to end up hooked. Crewe Alexandra striker Omar Bogle...

Goalie's Rare Feat Saves Team's Season
Soccer Goalie Saves
His Team—With a Goal
video
Jan 29, 2026 8:29 AM CST

Soccer Goalie Saves His Team—With a Goal

Benfica's Anatoliy Trubin scores late, and his team advances in playoffs

(Newser) - Even Americans who don't follow soccer can appreciate the drama: A player scored in the game's final moments on Wednesday, and the goal advanced his team into the playoffs. But the bizarre part is that the player who scored was a goalkeeper. Anatoliy Trubin of Benefica headed in...

After Soccer Game Ends, Gunmen Open Fire

11 killed, 12 injured in Sunday's mass shooting in Salamanca, Mexico

(Newser) - Gunmen opened fire at a soccer field in central Mexico on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 12, authorities said, per the AP . Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto said in a statement posted to social platforms that the gunmen arrived at the end of a soccer match. Ten people...

Mangione Cousin to Play Pro Soccer Near Federal Lockup

Former Penn State star midfielder Peter Mangione joins Brooklyn FC

(Newser) - A promising midfielder is headed to Brooklyn's new pro soccer team, and his arrival comes with an unusual family backdrop. Brooklyn FC has signed 24-year-old Peter Mangione to its first USL Championship roster, the club announced, pending league and federation approval. A Hunt Valley, Maryland, native and former Penn...

Martha Stewart Joins Pal Snoop as Soccer Team Owner

Both are now investors in the Welsh team Swansea City

(Newser) - Martha Stewart's new venture might be an unexpected one: soccer. The domestic mogul has become the latest high-profile figure to buy into the sport, becoming a minority owner of the Welsh team Swansea City, reports the Guardian . In doing so, the 84-year-old joins her friend Snoop Dogg as a...

Ecuador Soccer Star Killed in Daylight Attack

Mario Pineida's partner was also killed in Guayaquil shooting

(Newser) - A prominent figure in Ecuadorian soccer has been killed in a daytime shooting that also claimed his partner's life in violence-stricken Guayaquil . Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old defender for Barcelona Sporting Club was fatally shot in the country's largest city, police confirmed. Edison Palacios, the local police chief, told...

At UK Parade, He Drove Into 'Person After Person After Person'

Man gets 21+ years in prison for ramming Liverpool soccer fans in May, injuring more than 130

(Newser) - A driver who injured more than 130 people when he plowed his car into soccer fans celebrating Liverpool's Premier League championship was sentenced on Tuesday to more than 21 years in prison. Paul Doyle rammed his minivan through a sea of fans on May 26 in two minutes of...

USA Avoids a 'Group of Death' in World Cup

Soccer team's schedule is set for next year

(Newser) - The draw for the 2026 World Cup is complete, and Team USA didn't fare too badly. NBC News sees two "Groups of Death," and the Americans avoided both of them. The soccer tournament—with a record 48 teams—begins in June.
  • Team USA is ranked 14th in
...

Trump Gets a Peace Prize
Trump Gets a Peace Prize
Dec 5, 2025 12:12 PM CST

Trump Gets a Peace Prize

FIFA, the world soccer body, presents him with its inaugural honor

(Newser) - President Trump and his supporters wanted him to get the Nobel this year, but he will have to settle for the FIFA. The world soccer body awarded Trump its inaugural Peace Prize on Friday, reports USA Today . That Trump would be the first recipient had been in little doubt— FIFA...

Haiti Will Play in the World Cup. That's Remarkable

Team last did so in 1974, and it managed to qualify while playing all games abroad

(Newser) - Haiti's national soccer team has qualified for next summer's 2026 World Cup, marking only the second time in history the country will compete in the tournament. The team's 2-0 victory over Nicaragua on Tuesday night landed Haiti one of three direct slots for the CONCACAF (that's...

Soccer Coach Accuses Opponent of Voodoo After Loss

Nigeria's Eric Chelle accuses Congo team of some funny business in World Cup qualifier

(Newser) - Sometimes a losing coach blames the refs, his own players, or even himself. But the head coach of Nigeria's soccer team has come up with a novel new scapegoat: voodoo. As ESPN reports, Eric Chelle lobbed the odd accusation at the Congo team after the latter won a huge...

Soccer Team Wins Title During Snowstorm

Ottawa player scored spectacular 'icicle kick'

(Newser) - David Rodriguez scored his second goal of the game in the 106th minute and Atletico Ottawa won the Canadian Premier League's North Star Cup in a snowstorm Sunday night, beating defending champions Cavalry FC of Calgary 2-1. "I'm never going to forget this night," said Rodriguez,...

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