FIFA has gone on the offensive amid ongoing speculation about a European Super League, insisting that any breakaway by leading clubs "would not be recognized by either FIFA or the respective confederation" while players would risk being banned from the World Cup and other major tournaments if involved.

Pope Francis, an avid football fan, congratulated Spezia on their dramatic Italian Cup win against Roma, in an audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.

David Alaba's father and agent on Tuesday denied press reports claiming the Bayern Munich defender had signed a contract with Real Madrid.

Israeli drivers participated in the latest Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, a country with which the Jewish state has no formal diplomatic ties but hopes to normalize relations, their manager said Monday.

John Stones says Manchester City are starting to feel "quietly confident" after climbing to second in the Premier League following their fifth successive top-flight win.

Sunday's 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at the Etihad lifted Pep Guardiola's men above champions Liverpool and within two points of leaders Manchester United, with a game in hand.

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool have a fight on their hands just to qualify for the Champions League this season before he can even think about a title defense.

The Davis Cup Finals will be expanded to an 11-day event starting this year, and could be held across three European cities, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Monday.

The competition was reformed in 2019, with Rafael Nadal's Spain winning the 18-team competition in Madrid, but scheduling issues resulted in a number of late finishes and poor attendances at some matches.

Frustration got the better of Lionel Messi as he saw red in the Spanish Super Cup final, while Inter dealt a major blow to Juventus's Serie A title hopes but Paris Saint-Germain are back on top in France.

Kevin Durant scored a season-high 42 points as the James Harden-era began for the Brooklyn Nets with a triple double and a 122-115 NBA victory over the struggling Orlando Magic on Saturday.

Australian Open chief Craig Tiley insisted Sunday the Grand Slam would begin as scheduled next month, while admitting it was "not a great situation" for the 47 players who have been confined to their hotel rooms.