Lionel Messi appeared to tweak his left ankle during a training session Monday, but the Inter Miami standout is not expected to miss Tuesday's League Cup semifinal on the road against the Philadelphia Union.
Video from ESPN's Spanish-language affiliate showed Messi as he appeared to roll his left ankle in a close-quarters passing drill. He stepped gingerly on his left foot for a few moments but returned to the drill.
MADRID — Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will be sidelined for several months as he requires surgery after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during Thursday's training session, the LaLiga club said.
The 31-year-old Belgian international left the practice field in tears and an MRI scan confirmed the ACL tear two days ahead of Real's LaLiga season debut at Athletic Bilbao.
Former Brazilian international and Real Madrid legend Marcelo was shown a straight red card and left the field in tears after accidentally inflicting a horrific injury on Argentine defender Luciano Sánchez during a Copa Libertadores match between Fluminense and Argentinos Juniors on Tuesday night.
The unfortunate incident occurred in the 55th minute when the left full-back stomped Sánchez with his support leg while trying to dribble past him.
MELBOURNE - Hayley Raso scored a first half brace and Mary Fowler struck after the break as Australia crushed Canada 4-0 on Monday to storm into the last 16 of the Women's World Cup and send the Olympic champions spinning out of the tournament.
In front of a febrile crowd at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Raso struck in the ninth minute with a low, right-footed shot and doubled down in the 39th from a goalmouth scramble as unused captain Sam Kerr cheered by the touchline.
SYDNEY — England's hopes of winning the Women's World Cup suffered a blow on Friday when Keira Walsh was taken off the pitch on a stretcher with what appeared to be a serious knee injury during their win over Denmark.
The 26-year-old holding midfielder, who was an integral part of the England team that won the Euros last year, crumpled to the turf at Sydney Football Stadium without contact in the 38th minute and immediately called for medical assistance.
The USWNT vs. Netherlands World Cup group stage match on Wednesday night was a fascinating midfield battle that epitomized the old cliché of it being "a game of two halves."
In the opening 45, the Dutch diced the Americans apart with a precision so masterful that it resembled ease. In reality, it's very difficult to turn the USWNT's finely tuned press against themselves, but the Netherlands were a Clockwork Oranje with clever movement, one-touch play and numerical superiority.
SYDNEY - Co-hosts Australia labored initially in the absence of injured captain Sam Kerr but a second-half penalty from Steph Catley got them off to a solid start at the Women's World Cup with a 1-0 win over Ireland in Group B on Thursday.
The news that striker Kerr had been ruled out by a calf injury stunned the record crowd of 75,784 as it filtered into Stadium Australia but Catley stepped up to take the captain's armband and score the decisive goal in the 52nd minute.
On the one hand, Alexandre Pato isn't old — he's only 33. On the other, memories of his footballing career belong to the wizened generations. It's been a decade since his last appearance for Brazil and 12 years since that unforgettable goal against Barcelona.
A friendly match between Women's World Cup-bound teams Ireland and Colombia was abandoned after becoming overly physical, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said on Friday.
The game in Brisbane, Australia, which was played behind closed doors, was called off after 20 minutes.
"The game, which was held in Meakin Park, Brisbane, became overly physical and it was decided, following consultation with the match officials, to end the game," the FAI said in a statement.
It's been almost a year since two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas went down with an ACL injury that cost her a place at last summer's European Championship and almost the entire 2022-23 club season with Barcelona.
Her last appearance for Spain was actually July 2, 2022, when she received her 100th cap and scored her 27th goal in a friendly against Italy.
Now, after a long and demanding road to recovery, Putellas made her long-awaited return to the national team Thursday during a friendly against fellow World Cup participants Panama.