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Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Dec 27, 2022

Iran reroutes plane carrying soccer star's wife and blames U.K. over unrest

Tehran said the arrests in Iran of citizens linked to Britain reflected its 'destructive role' in the more than three months of unrest.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 20, 2022

France's Karim Benzema retires from international soccer

Since his 2020 return to the international team, the Ballon d'Or winner had scored 10 goals in 16 appearances for Les Bleus.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 14, 2022

A winning World Cup strategy unites the Arab world

Morocco's success in the World Cup has united Arabs throughout the Middle East and North Africa behind a common hope.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Dec 12, 2022

After showing at World Cup, Japan is hungry for more

The Samurai Blue wins shocked many experts who expected European powerhouses to dominate their group and much of the World Cup competition.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 2, 2022

Too close to call? Japan’s winning goal joins list of controversies

Ao Tanaka's goal may have rescued the Samurai Blue's World Cup campaign, but it was Kaoru Mitoma's touchline assist that has fans and pundits debating technology's place in refereeing.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2022

Looking for the Qatar World Cup winner? Don’t follow the money

Even in today's winner-takes-all economy, superstars won't always come out ahead.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA
Oct 20, 2022

Warriors following Barcelona's 'tika-taka' soccer blueprint to find success in NBA

Warriors guard Klay Thompson said that having a player open and keeping the ball moving are aspects they picked up from Barcelona.
Japan's Koki Ogawa (left) fights for the ball with Indonesia's Rizky Ridho Ramadhan during the 2026 World Cup Asian qualification soccer match at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Friday.
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 16, 2024

Japan hammer Indonesia to edge closer to World Cup spot

Japan defeated a hapless Indonesia side 4-0 on Friday, extending their lead at the top of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
SOCCER
Nov 19, 2024

San Marino beats Liechtenstein to claim Nations League promotion

San Marino is currently international soccer's bottom-ranked team.
Workers building a railway in front of Lusail Stadium in Doha in 2018
SOCCER
Nov 30, 2024

FIFA should pay workers injured building Qatar World Cup, internal report says

The report offered no specific dollar amount of compensation.
Real Madrid players train in Doha on Tuesday. The Spanish club is closely aligned with A22, which launched the Unify League on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Dec 18, 2024

European Super League promoters launch Unify League, call on UEFA to recognize it

It is the latest attempt by A22 to get the competition off the ground after the original European Super League collapsed in 2021.
In October, the EU's top court said some of FIFA's rules on player transfers went against European Union laws and free movement principles.
SOCCER
Dec 24, 2024

FIFA amends transfer regulations following Diarra ruling

The interim regulatory framework affects issues such as the calculation of compensation payable if there is a breach of contract.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland (left) moves past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (center) during their match in Manchester, England, on Dec. 26, 2024.
SOCCER
Jan 3, 2025

Premier League chief concerned about impact of Club World Cup's impact on Man City and Chelsea

The two clubs will be England's representatives in FIFA's expanded 32-team event in the United States, with players' unions threatening legal action on welfare grounds.
SC Freiburg's Noah Atubolu is shown a yellow card by referee Daniel Siebert during a Bundesliga match against Bayern Munich in Freiburg, Germany, on Saturday.
SOCCER
Jan 28, 2025

Bundesliga to test in-stadium refereeing announcements

Nine clubs from the top two tiers of German soccer have agreed to take part in the trial.
Morocco's Achraf Dari celebrates scoring a goal against Croatia in the third-place World Cup match at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on December 17, 2022.
SOCCER
Feb 5, 2025

African football may have platform for historic World Cup success

Benjamin Balkin thinks Eyeball, the digital platform he co-founded in 2020, could be the determining factor in enabling an African World Cup champion.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveils Brazil as the winner of the bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17, 2024.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Mar 6, 2025

Japan shut out of bid process for hosting 2031 World Cup

Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said in an interview last year that Japan wanted to host the 2031 event to "raise the value of women's football here."
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin speaks during a news conference after the UEFA Ordinary Congress in Belgrade on Thursday.
SOCCER
Apr 4, 2025

UEFA president calls 64-team World Cup for 2030 'bad idea'

The 2030 World Cup will be played in three continents, with Portugal, Spain and Morocco the main hosts.
Nadeshiko Japan's Yuka Momiki (left) and Yui Hasegawa celebrate after Momiki's goal against the United States during the SheBelieves Cup in San Diego on Feb. 27.
SOCCER
Apr 4, 2025

Yuka Momiki and Nadeshiko Japan brimming with confidence under Nils Nielsen

Momiki said playing with Yui Hasegawa has been the most enjoyable experience of her career.
Liverpool's Wataru Endo (left) and Harvey Elliott celebrate after the club beat Tottenham to clinch the Premier League title in Liverpool, England, on Sunday.
SOCCER
Apr 28, 2025

Liverpool roars past Tottenham to clinch Premier League crown

The win leaves Liverpool with 82 points, 15 ahead of Arsenal with just four games remaining.
Marta competes for Brazil in the gold medal match of the women's soccer tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 10.
SOCCER
May 14, 2025

Brazil legend Marta returns for Japan friendlies

Widely considered the greatest female soccer player of all time, Marta last wore the Brazil jersey in the Olympic final last August.
Napoli's Pasquale Mazzocchi celebrates after his team won its fourth Serie A title, in Naples, Italy, on Friday.
SOCCER
May 24, 2025

Napoli back on top in Italy after sealing fourth Serie A crown

Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku netted in a 2-0 win over Cagliari at a packed and wild Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as Napoli secured its second league crown in three years.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring for Al Nassr during a Saudi Pro League match against Al-Qadsiah in Riyadh on Nov. 22, 2024.
SOCCER
May 30, 2025

Saudi officials working to keep Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Pro League

Ronaldo posted "This chapter is over" on social media hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up this week.
Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele controls the ball during the first leg of the team's Champions League semifinal against Arsenal in London on April 29.
SOCCER
May 30, 2025

New-look Paris Saint-Germain on brink of long-coveted Champions League glory

Luis Enrique, who took charge last year, said his team had long targeted this moment, which comes after it won the domestic double of Ligue 1 and the French Cup.
The New York/New Jersey 2026 FIFA World Cup logo is revealed during a kickoff event in Times Square in New York in May 2023.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 12, 2025

U.S. begins countdown to World Cup amid Donald Trump's immigration crackdown

The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, is set to cohost the tournament, which will feature 48 teams and a record 104 matches.
Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari pours water on his face during a break in play at the Club World Cup in Miami Gardens, Florida, on June 18.
SOCCER
Jun 27, 2025

Soaring temperatures during Club World Cup raise concerns for 2026 World Cup

Match times for the 2026 World Cup, cohosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, have yet to be announced, but organizers may face challenges if sweltering conditions return.
Switzerland's Pia Sundhage is by far the most experienced coach at Euro 2025.
SOCCER
Jul 3, 2025

Euro 2025 sets new record for female coaches

The 43.75% of female coaches is a major leap from Euro 2013, where just 18.75% of teams were coached by women.
Pallbearers carry a coffin at the funeral of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in Gondomar, Portugal, on Saturday.
SOCCER
Jul 5, 2025

Carrying red wreath, Liverpool players join family for Diego Jota's funeral

Club captain Virgil Van Dijk, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and manager Arne Slot were among the Liverpool teammates past and present who attended the service.

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