Posts

With Andres Iniesta out injured and Neymar no longer at the club, the starting XI was the most ordinary of any fielded by the Catalan club in the past 10 years - especially in such an important match. Coach Ernesto Valverde had said in the build-up to this match that his side were not inferior to Real Madrid, yet the teamsheet argued otherwise. Barca 11/2 to beat Betis 3-0...

Awarded by French publication France Football, the Ballon d’Or is a coveted trophy among the top players across the globe. Winning the Golden Ball is synonymous with being crowned the best player in the world. Two of the greatest players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, have dominated the award ceremony for over a decade. Since Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008, the two have taken turns atop the global stage....

Astiz served as a commander in the Argentine Navy during the dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, and was convicted of crimes against humanity for the torture and murder of political prisoners in the 1970s and 1980s. Ronaldo revels in son’s hat-trick Known as the ‘Blond Angel of Death’ for his involvement in the atrocities, Astiz was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011. However, earlier this week, the Argentine Supreme Court decided that some convicts serving sentences for crimes against humanity which occured during the military dictatorship in Argentina could have their sentences reduced....

In their maiden appearance at a major international tournament two years ago, Iceland earned a 1-1 draw from a clash with Ronaldo’s eventual champions, drawing a frustrated response from the Real Madrid superstar. Ronaldo criticised his opponents’ defensive tactics and dismissed their approach as one of a team with a “small mentality”. Now preparing for their first World Cup, Iceland face Argentina and Messi, Ronaldo’s long-time rival in the quest to be recognised as the greatest player on the planet....

Luis Figo once mused, “It’s like choosing between white truffle and caviar.” And the former Barcelona and Real Madrid winger was right. It really is a question of taste because, as their respective records show, there is so little to choose between the two. Maradona: I wish Ronaldo was Argentine Their numbers are mind-blowing. Never before have we seen two men score with such consistency at the highest level for such a sustained period of time....

That’s a rare sentiment, billionaire or not. Israeli and American officials have noted, somewhat smugly, that disillusionment with the Hamas government in Gaza is growing. Less hyped is frustration with the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the West Bank—a third of Palestinians in a recent poll expressed disgust with both sides. “Palestinians are fed up with all these inexperienced people,” says al-Masri. Hamas’s boasts of an imminent military victory ring hollow, but so does optimism from Fatah diplomats about this week’s Mideast summit in Annapolis, Md....

Villar was chasing down a foul popup hit by the Padres’ Jurickson Profar in the fifth inning. As he got near the San Diego dugout, four or five balls rolled in his direction. Villar even kicked one of the balls but stayed on his feet and made the catch. Were the Padres blatantly cheating? No. The bat boy assigned to the San Diego side knocked over a bucket of balls at the absolutely worst time....

The right-hander has been out of action since April 8 due to lat soreness and complications with the birth of his first child, Jaxon Anthony, who was released from the hospital Monday. MORE: Which teams should panic already? | Olivera’s leave extended two weeks But the Braves present deGrom with a juicy first matchup in his return. They currently rank 29th in MLB in hitting with a .208 team average....

1. The Big Test So here’s what we’ve got: Alabama is playing defense better than anyone in the nation. Alabama hasn’t played an offense that can score since Texas A&M scored 42 on the Tide in Week 3. There’s your argument looming over the latest round of Alabama vs. LSU. If Alabama really has the best defense in college football, how do we really know if the Tide haven’t been tested since mid-September?...

The Mexico boss called up a 26-man roster for the November qualifiers in the USA (Nov. 12) and Canada (Nov. 16), and all the veteran names are on the list. All the established played based in Europe were called up: Raul Jimenez (Wolves), “Tecatito” Corona (Porto), “Chucky” Lozano (Napoli), Andres Guardado (Real Betis), Hector Herrera (Atletico Madrid) and Nestor Araujo (Celta Vigo), who is suspended for yellow card accumulation from the first match against the USA....

After serving as Grand Marshall for Friday’s NASCAR Mexico racey, Suarez, 23, will enter Saturday’s qualifying for the Axalta Faster. Tougher. Brighter. 200. If he makes the field in qualifying, which begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, he will secure a place in the race at 4 p.m. ET. MORE: Phoenix weekend preview | Sprint Cup driver rankings | OWENS: Final chance for Kurt Busch? Joe Gibbs Racing will send Suarez out in its No....

There’s plenty riding on this Group C match after both sides failed to pick up three points in their first outings in Qatar. Argentina, viewed by many as tournament favourites, were stunned 2-1 by Saudi Arabia, while Mexico were lucky to hold on for a 0-0 draw with Poland. Those results mean this game could have massive ramifications in the group with a loss for Argentina eliminating them from the World Cup....

Throughout 2021, Canada has shown that it has been transformed under manager John Herdman who has infused it with belief that advancing to its first World Cup since 1986 is a real possibility. It helps to have a generation of players that are starring in Europe, beginning with Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and LOSC Lille’s Jonathan David. Canada and Mexico enter the match as No. 1 (Mexico) and No. 2 (Canada) in the World Cup qualifying standings....

Miami Beach police are set to enforce an 8 p.m. curfew effective Saturday night that includes areas within Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue, Washington Avenue and Española Way, from 5th to 16th Street. Mayor Dan Gelber and City Manager Raul J. Aguila held a press conference where they relayed the extreme difficulty officers from several departments are having trying to contain this year’s spring break crowds. Sidewalk cafes, beaches and public areas are set to close across the entire city....

MORE: 5 things we learned | Upset special Saturday? | Midseason All-Americans Kaaya left the game and entered the locker room after the hit from Clemson’s Shaq Lawson. He has not returned to the game. Backup quarterback Malik Rosier has taken over in Kaaya’s absence.

Suarez, a Republican, said devising policies to curb transmission is challenging without a federal blueprint during an interview with CNN’s John Berman Thursday morning. “You know, there was guidance in terms of reopening, in terms of the gating criteria,” he said, referring to the White House’s recommendations for “opening up America again,” which the Trump administration issued in April. The guidelines followed a wave of stay-at-home orders enacted across the U....

Sylvester Stallone shared a behind-the-scenes clip of Michael B. Jordan taking a shot right to the face during the movie’s biggest bout. Scripted or not, getting hit like that can’t feel good. MORE: Best sports movies of all time | “Creed” worthy of its own franchise Jordan talked about the scene on The Bill Simmons Podcast and explained why he needed to hit the canvas. “The first couple times we tried to do (the punches in the scene), we tried to it with the slips....

The small forward signed a 10-day contract with the Heat on Thursday after his stint in the Chinese Basketball Association came to an end. When he met with reporters, he let them know what life was like in China and, in typical Beasley form, it was rather weird. MORE: Hideous NBA uniforms | Bulls optimistic Rose will return this season | Biyombo’s heartwarming Instagram ​The former No. 2 pick said he drank snake juice, which is basically just rat poison, and ate both horse and lizard....

Beasley has played in six games since he originally signed a 10-day deal with the Heat, averaging 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 23.6 minutes. MORE: Rondo open to staying in Dallas | Howard resumes court activities The Heat drafted Beasley with the second pick in the 2008 draft. He spent two seasons with the team before moving on to the Timberwolves and Suns. Beasley has played seven seasons with averages of 13....