Soccer

When Robert Hakiza was a boy, he used to play soccer with kids regardless of their ethnicity. Could the sport help cut through ethnic tensions at a refugee camp in Uganda?

Spain will play Portugal, France will play Peru, and Brazil will play Switzerland — but the draw for the Russian-hosted tournament lacks an obviously imposing group.

Slide over, Americans: You've got company on the sidelines of the 2018 World Cup. A draw with Sweden denied the four-time world champs a bid, leaving Italians to grapple with "the apocalypse."

The keeper for Salford City FC apologized after the match, saying he was "in a very uncomfortable position."

U.S. Soccer is likely to lose out on tens of millions in revenue, and more dual-nationals may choose to play elsewhere. Fox Sports' $425-million payout to air the next two World Cups looks rough, too.

Mili Hernandez and her Omaha, Neb., soccer team were disqualified from a girls' tournament finals after a mix-up over her gender. "They only did it because I look like a boy," the 8-year-old said.

The Brazilian soccer club lost 19 of its players in a November crash that killed 71 passengers. But they officially took home the state league title Sunday after finishing with a superior record.

Midfielder Sulley Muntari is from Ghana. When spectators hurled racial epithets at a match in Italy, he complained to the referee. The ref gave him a yellow card.

Earlier this month, three explosions went off near a bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund soccer team. A man has been arrested; authorities say he was trying to drive down the price of the team's stock.

With their powers combined, the three countries aim to return the World Cup to North America in 2026. Under the proposal the U.S. would host 60 matches, with 10 apiece hosted by Canada and Mexico.

The players' union and U.S. Soccer announced the collective bargaining agreement Wednesday, ending protracted and sometimes bitter negotiations over wages. The deal runs through 2021.

At the dedication of an airport named for the soccer legend, officials unveiled another honor: a bust of his head. The Internet was quick to note that the bust, well, kind of missed its mark.