Central & South America

The Euro 2020 soccer Championship, trumpeted as a continent-wide feast of football from Dublin to Baku to mark UEFA's 60th anniversary, was postponed for a year on Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic claimed its biggest sporting casualty yet.

The fate of the 24-nation, month-long showpiece due to start in June had hung in the balance ever since Europe's domestic leagues began shutting down in the wake of the sweeping health crisis, which has killed around 7,000 people worldwide.

The inquiry that led to the detention of former Brazil player Ronaldinho enters a new stage this week as prosecutors focus on what they believe is a money laundering scheme involving the businesswoman who invited him to Paraguay. Investigators will begin reviewing files and messages on the phones of the former Barcelona and AC Milan player and his brother and business manager Roberto Assis. 

The Grenal is one of the fiercest rivalries in the world. So with Gremio and Internacional paired up in Group E of the 2020 Copa Libertadores, you knew there would be blood.

We didn’t imagine it would be this much.

Thursday’s Gremio-Inter match at the Arena do Gremio ended 0-0 following a wild brouhaha that resulted in eight red cards. The match was on the verge of being abandoned but was able to finish after 15 minutes of stoppage time as both teams had three players and a substitute sent off. 

A dramatic late goal from Carlos Tevez gave Boca Juniors the Argentine league title on Saturday, as the Buenos Aires club overcame Gimnasia 1-0 to pip their arch rivals River Plate on a breathtaking last day of the season. 

River led the Superliga over Boca by a point going into their final round of games and could have guaranteed the title with a victory. However, they could only scrape a 1-1 draw away at Atletico Tucuman. 

Former Brazilian international Ronaldinho Gaucho was ordered to remain in jail in Paraguay on Saturday after a judge ruled him a flight risk.

The ex-Barcelona forward was arrested on Friday for attempting to enter Paraguay with a false passport two days earlier and spent Friday night in a police cell along with his brother and business manager Roberto Assis.

Former Barcelona and Brazil striker Ronaldinho was being questioned by Paraguayan authorities on Thursday after arriving in the country with what police said was an adulterated Paraguayan passport. 

Back in the days of the feared Atlanta United attacking partnership between Josef Martínez and Miguel Almirón, the Venezuelan and Paraguayan used to celebrate goals with a Dragon Ball Z-inspired “fusion” pose. It happened often as the duo combined for 71 goals over the course of two seasons.

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Most players receive only a few red cards in the course of a career. Red cards can be a last ditch effort for a referee to control a game after it becomes unhinged. Typically, the events that lead up to a red card are unintentional - almost humorous. (We can all thank Fellaini for this comical exchange with Sergio Aguero during the Manchester Derby.)

The support and admiration for women’s football has grown immensely around the world. The rise of women in sports has progressed over the years, and it’s amazing to see current professionals stepping up and taking a stand for the game they love to create a more prosperous future for aspiring athletes.

Last Wednesday, El Salvador’s Alianza FC upset Tigres 2-1 in the most eye-catching result of the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 first legs. Playing the reverse fixture at El Volcán in Mexico tonight, Tigres’ wrath seemed unavoidable. After all, the Liga MX club has finished runner-up three of the last four years and has a favorable route to this year’s final as the only Mexican team on its side of the bracket.