Entertainment

Tuesday, June 19th 2018 - 09:08 UTC
Volgograd invaded by flies and mosquitoes from nearby Volga river

A plague of small flying insects have caused chaos for fans, locals and the media in the city of Volgograd where England and Tunisia played on Monday.
Tuesday, June 19th 2018 - 09:04 UTC
Maradona comes out in support of Messi and his missed penalty

Argentina’s Diego Maradona has come out to defend Lionel Messi after the Barcelona attacker missed a penalty in his team’s draw against Iceland on Saturday. Speaking to Telesur, the 1986 World Champion said: ”I missed five penalties in a row and I was still Diego Armando Maradona.
Tuesday, June 19th 2018 - 09:02 UTC
Germany slammed by media; the team trained behind closed doors

Germany cancelled all media activities on Monday following their 1-0 defeat to Mexico in their 2018 World Cup opener on Sunday. The team trained behind closed doors while a news conference with former captain Philipp Lahm on Germany's bid for the 2024 European Championships was cancelled.
Saturday, June 16th 2018 - 10:09 UTC
Despite a last minute Spanish fiscal surprise, Ronaldo scored a hat trick

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly agreed to accept a €18.8m fine and a suspended jail term to settle tax evasion charges. The Real Madrid and Portugal footballer, 33, was accused last year of defrauding tax authorities of €14.8m, charges he denies.
Thursday, June 14th 2018 - 07:01 UTC
Turmoil in the Spanish national team: coach fired

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) sacked head coach Julen Lopetegui two days before Spain’s opening match in the World Cup against Portugal. One day earlier Lopetegui agreed to succeed Zinedine Zidane as the new Real Madrid boss after the World Cup. This decision was made without the knowledge of RFEF.
Thursday, June 14th 2018 - 06:27 UTC
Russia's World Cup opening ceremony will be seen by an audience of over 3 billion

The FIFA World Cup, the biggest sporting carnival on the planet, is all set to kick-start on Thursday. As Russia gets dressed to host the much-awaited event, fans from all over the world are set to see their favorite superstars in action. Brazilian great Ronaldo and British pop star Robbie Williams will be present at the opening ceremony.
Thursday, June 14th 2018 - 05:58 UTC
US, Canada and Mexico hosts of 2016 Cup; a close race turned out to be an ample win for United

United States Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro said the United 2026 bid focused its efforts on shoring up votes from North and South America, before targeting Asian football federations. The US, Mexico, and Canada secured hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup in a landslide vote over Morocco at the 2018 FIFA Congress in Moscow.
Wednesday, June 13th 2018 - 09:27 UTC
Russian economy expecting US$ 1.6bn boost from the World Cup

The Russian economy is expecting to get a significant financial boost from an increased tourist flow during the FIFA World Cup, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development said. “According to our estimates, foreigners will spend over 100 billion rubles (US$1.6 billion) during the World Cup in Russia,” Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin told Sovetsky Sport newspaper.
Wednesday, June 13th 2018 - 08:19 UTC
Nike leaves Iran football national team without boots fearing US sanctions

Sportswear giant Nike says it has withdrawn its supply of boots to Iranian footballers ahead of the World Cup because of new US sanctions. The decision has frustrated Iranian players and head coach Carlos Queiroz, who asked FIFA to “help” his players.
Wednesday, June 13th 2018 - 08:11 UTC
Trump lobbies strongly to have North America host the 2026 World Cup

In the spirit of Russia and the 2018 World Cup, US President Donald Trump reportedly penned three letters to FIFA to assuage travel concerns related to the 2026 World Cup bid. The letters, first reported by the New York Times, are meant to clear up concerns about entry to the U.S. for players and officials.