World cup

Ex-Premier League referee Howard Webb has met his perfect match by marrying a female trailblazer working in German top flight the Bundesliga, leading to inevitable jokes about the Englishman's supposed bias towards Man United.

The armband that Cristiano Ronaldo threw to the floor as he stormed off during a 2022 World Cup qualifier last week has been sold at auction in Serbia to support a campaign trying to raise around $3 million for a child's care.

Spain were accused of taking a subtle swipe at Kosovo – which they don’t recognize as an independent country – by failing to capitalize the name of their opponents during a World Cup qualifying clash on Wednesday night.

Chelsea forward Timo Werner was guilty of another glaring miss as Germany suffered a first defeat in World Cup qualifying for 20 years as Joachim Low’s beleaguered team lost to minnows North Macedonia.

German football star Toni Kroos has criticized the decision to allow Qatar to host the World Cup, but has called any boycott plans for the tournament pointless.

Joshua Kimmich said at the weekend that protests from fellow footballers, including his own German national team, are "10 years too late". It is difficult not to agree.

Welsh football star Gareth Bale has been accused of using Tottenham Hotspur as a "gym", but has confirmed he will return to Real Madrid at the end of his loan.

Bayern Munich baller Joshua Kimmich has highlighted how the furor over World Cup stadium slave labor and migrant deaths in Qatar is too little, too late, explaining that any boycott of the tournament should have started years ago.

Germany stars have worn t-shirts championing the human rights of migrant workers ahead of next year's World Cup in Qatar, reacting to reports that as many as 6,500 have died since the Gulf State was awarded the tournament in 2010.