National Teams

Boris Johnson Says Russia Can't Be Allowed To Host Champions League Final

LONDON — Russia should not be allowed to host soccer events such as the Champions League final after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday.

Britain said that it would discuss the location of the Champions League final, which is scheduled to take place in St Petersburg in May, with the relevant governing bodies.

New Zealand defender Meikayla Moore scored three goals — for the U.S. women's national team — and the Americans won in a bizarre manner, 5-0, in Carson, Calif., on Sunday in their second match of the SheBelieves Cup.

The Americans, who tied the Czech Republic 0-0 in their tourney opener on Thursday, got all the help they needed when Moore had own goals in the 5th, 6th and 36th minutes.

To my knowledge, there's been one hat-trick of own goals in football history (although even that's disputed). On Sunday, USWNT fans were witness to a second.

New Zealand's Meikayla Moore, who plays her club ball for Liverpool and was receiving her 50th cap on Sunday, put the ball into her own net three times in 36 minutes during the Football Ferns' SheBelieves Cup match against the USWNT.

Barbora Votikova made eight saves for the Czech Republic in a surprising 0-0 tie with the U.S. women's national team in Carson, California, in their opening match of the SheBelieves Cup.

One of Votikova's best saves was on a blast by Catarina Macario in the 29th minute. In the 66th minute, Rose Lavelle forced a near-post save, and a Kristie Mewis header in the middle of the box was stopped 10 minutes later.

As much as 75% of men's professional footballers opt for maintaining the current World Cup cycle and want it to be played every four years, global players' union FIFPRO said in a statement on Tuesday.

In November FIFPRO surveyed more than 1,000 players from six continents, including more than 70 different nationalities, following a proposal by football's governing body FIFA to switch to a biennial format.

ROME - The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has requested the postponement of a round of Serie A fixtures to help the Italy national team in its preparations for the FIFA World Cup playoffs, FIGC president Gabriele Gravina said on Monday.

European champions Italy risk failing to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup after finishing behind Switzerland in their qualifying group, and they face North Macedonia in a playoff in Palermo on March 24.

The women’s soccer world anxiously awaits the outcome of a much-needed investigation into widespread abuse of players in the National Women’s Soccer League.

USWNT stars have demanded answers. On Thursday, they got some, but they probably won’t appease immediate concerns over systemic abuse in women’s soccer. 

Despite USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter claiming that his team was “dominant” in its 2-0 defeat vs. Canada, FIFA didn’t see it that way. This was evident in the latest FIFA Rankings where Mexico leapfrogged the U.S. 

The teams around the U.S. in the world rankings now look like this.

Latest USMNT FIFA Rankings

11. Germany

12. Mexico

13. U.S.

14. Switzerland

Nine of the world’s best footballers want answers. Christen Press, Crystal Dunn, Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Sam Mewis, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn are questioning how so many kids and women were allowed to be abused repeatedly just for playing the sport they love. And the women’s soccer world hopes they get those answers.