New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Lionel Messi has been rested by Argentina ahead of their two FIFA World Cup qualifiers games which was confirmed after head coach Lionel Scaloni announced the 26-man squad on Monday. Alongside Messi, Paulo Dybala also misses out on his third consecutive national team duty through injury.
Ludhiana, March 17 (IANS) Gokulam Kerala FC remained in the hunt for the 2024-25 I-League title as they sealed a dramatic 3-1 victory over nine-man Namdhari FC at the Namdhari Stadium on Monday.
London, March 17 (IANS) Michail Antonio, the West Ham United striker, whose serious car accident sent shockwaves through English football reflected on his accident after having visited the remains of his car at the scrapyard.
Madrid (Spain), March 14 (IANS) Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente on Friday called Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon back into the squad for the forthcoming UEFA Nations League quarterfinal games against the Netherlands. Simon, who has played 46 times for Spain, was the first choice throughout last summer's successful European Championship campaign despite playing with an injured wrist.
Madrid (Spain), March 15 (IANS) Spanish giants Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona go head-to-head on Sunday night in a game that will have a huge bearing on the outcome of this season's title race. The teams will kick off the game with Barca a point ahead of Atletico in the table, but with a game in hand after Atletico lost 2-1 in Getafe last weekend, while Barca's match at home to Osasuna was postponed following the death of club doctor Carles Minarro.
Shillong, March 15 (IANS) The Indian senior men's team arrived in Shillong on Friday, ahead of their first match of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Bangladesh (March 25). In preparation for that, the Blue Tigers will face the Maldives in a friendly on March 19, which is set to be a historic occasion as the Meghalaya capital will witness the Indian men's team in action for the first time.
Mumbai, March 15 (IANS) The Indian Super League (ISL) announced the dates for the 2024-25 playoffs on Saturday, with the league stage concluding on March 12. The knockouts will be played on March 29 & 30 followed by the two-legged semi-finals on April 2-3 & 6-7. The much-anticipated final of the 2024-25 season will be played on April 12.
London, March 14 (IANS) This weekend's Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Newcastle United means there are just eight games to be played in the Premier League before the first title of the season is decided in England. Liverpool goes to Wembley as the big favourite to lift the Carabao Cup trophy, but coach Arne Slot has to raise his players after their painful exit to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties at Anfield on Tuesday.
Madrid (Spain), March 14 (IANS) La Liga goes into its last round of matches before the first international break of 2025. Former champions Barcelona will be hoping to extend their lead by adding to their current tally of 57 points from 26 matches. Real Madrid are also on 57 points but have played an extra match as have Atletico Madrid, who have 56 points from 27 matches.
London, March 14 (IANS) Marcus Rashford has been recalled to the England squad as head coach Thomas Tuchel named his first squad as the Three Lions manager on Friday. England are scheduled to play two matches at the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers at Wembley later this month, and Tuchel has made his first England selection with 26 players set to begin their preparations next week.
