Confirmed Transfers

MADRID - Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid as a free agent in the close season after 14 trophy-laden years, the LaLiga club said on Sunday, with the striker set to move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.

Saudi Arabia's state-run Al Ekhbariya television station reported that Al Ittihad had reached an agreement with Benzema on a two-year contract, with club officials in Madrid to hammer out a "record deal" with the striker.

Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr could not resist the temptation to sign five-times Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in January, but although the prolific Portuguese forward scored an impressive number of goals, they finished the season empty-handed.

Ronaldo's hopes of silverware ended on Saturday as Al-Ittihad clinched the league title for the first time since 2009 with one match to spare.

The United States men’s national team made a massive announcement on Monday that 21-year-old Stade Reims striker Folarin Balogun will make a one-time nationality switch to represent the U.S. instead of England.

FIFA approved the switch meaning Balogun could be playing for the Stars and Stripes as soon as the Concacaf Nations League semifinal vs. Mexico in June. Balogun has been electric in France’s Ligue 1 this season with 19 goals in 34 games (fifth best in the league).

Relegation-threatened Leeds United have sacked manager Javi Gracia and appointed veteran coach Sam Allardyce until the end of the season, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

With four games left, only a superior goal difference is keeping 17th-placed Leeds out of the relegation zone after taking only one point from their last five games.

Allardyce will be the club's third coach this season after American Jesse Marsch was sacked in February.

All signs pointed to a quick return to the NWSL after Julie Ertz made a surprising comeback with the USWNT, and on Monday we got confirmation of Angel City FC signing her to a one-year contract.

MUNICH — Bayern Munich parted ways with coach Julian Nagelsmann on Friday and appointed former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel as his successor, with the German champions in second place in the Bundesliga.

Nagelsmann, 35, had taken over in 2021 and led the Bavarians to their 10th straight German league crown but failed to win any other silverware last season.

Bayern crashed out in the German Cup second round after a demolition by Borussia Moenchengladbach and were then eliminated from the Champions League in a quarter-final defeat to Spanish underdogs Villarreal last term.

Wrexham's Hollywood owners have secured the A-list signing of former Manchester United and England goalkeeper Ben Foster until the end of the season, the fifth-tier club said on Thursday.

Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur are reported to have tried unsuccessfully to lure the 39-year-old Foster out of retirement following an injury to first-choice Hugo Lloris.

But Wrexham have pulled off a significant signing as they aim to secure their place back in the English Football League.