World Cup 2022

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — The match between Brazil and Croatia in the quarterfinals of the World Cup has gone to extra time with the score 0-0.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Morocco coach Walid Regragui has guided his team to the World Cup quarterfinals — the first time an Arab nation has advanced that far in the tournament.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo did not threaten to leave the World Cup after being dropped from the starting lineup to play Switzerland in the round of 16, Portugal coach Fernando Santos said Friday.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — England’s players have been asked one question on repeat as they prepare to face France in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — These really are pinch-yourself times for Morocco: A first-ever spot in the quarterfinals of a World Cup — the first to take place in the Arab world, no less — and now a meeting with Portugal and its superstar striker, Cristiano Ronaldo.

BRUSSELS (AP) — As early customers warm themselves up with hot drinks at the Café Tetouan in downtown Brussels, owner Hicham Achrayah buys Morocco’s flags from a street vendor who stopped by on a cold winter morning.

BERLIN (AP) — Next season’s Bundesliga season will start on Aug. 18 and conclude the following May without interruption apart from its usual winter break.

The German soccer federation announced its schedule for the 2023-24 season on Friday, with the second division set to commence on July 28, 2023, three weeks before the top division.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Revitalized at the World Cup, Louis van Gaal might not be ready to call time on his coaching career just yet.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — To Bruno Fernandes, World Cup teammate Cristiano Ronaldo is the most famous athlete in sports.

Joao Felix has described Ronaldo as “irreplaceable.”

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Morocco players fell back on defense and patiently watched as Spain kept passing the ball around midfield during their round of 16 match at the World Cup.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Raheem Sterling will rejoin England's World Cup squad after a break-in at his home in the U.K.

The Chelsea forward had left England's camp in Qatar to be with his family, which meant he missed his country's 3-0 win against Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's coach is staying, the head of its league is not.

The German soccer federation maintained its trust in Hansi Flick as national team coach on Wednesday despite the disappointing World Cup performance.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Three wins from the title that has eluded the Netherlands, Louis van Gaal has filled his World Cup with hugs, kisses and dancing.

Leading his nation for the third time at age 71, he is the tournament's oldest coach.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Now the United States men’s soccer team recedes into the background of American sports for the next 3 1/2 years.

While the Americans' four World Cup matches averaged 12.2 million viewers on Fox, their 27 games on rated English-language networks from the start of 2020 through this fall averaged 668,000, according to Nielsen.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — With five goals at the World Cup so far, Kylian Mbappe is living up to his reputation as the man best-placed to succeed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer’s biggest star.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Brazil forward Vinícius Júnior praised Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti for his success at the World Cup.

Vinícius Júnior arrived in Qatar without knowing if he was going to get a chance to start for Brazil, but heading into Friday’s quarterfinal match against Croatia, no one questions his spot in the lineup or his importance for the team.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Yes, Kylian Mbappé will be ready to face England at the World Cup on Saturday. No, the France forward was not injured when he missed a recent training session.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Andries Noppert is ready to face Lionel Messi if the Argentina star takes a penalty kick in Friday's World Cup quarterfinal match.

“He’s the same like us. He’s a human,” the Netherlands goalkeeper said Wednesday.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Croatian and Serbian soccer federations were fined by FIFA on Wednesday for making Balkan political statements at the World Cup.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — So, the dream is still alive for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Soccer's most prolific modern-day scorer might yet, at the age of 37 and probably playing in his last World Cup, claim the one major title to elude him in a career like no other.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium forward Eden Hazard retired from international soccer on Wednesday, nearly a week after his country's aging generation of players was eliminated from the World Cup.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — After non-stop soccer for the past two weeks, the World Cup is taking a small break.

There will be two days of rest before the quarterfinals start in Qatar with at least one surprising team still in contention to win soccer's biggest prize.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Spain lost to Morocco 3-0 in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 at the World Cup on Tuesday, failing to make it to the quarterfinals for the third straight time since winning its last world title in South Africa in 2010.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Switzerland exited the World Cup at the round of 16 stage, just as it usually does in the modern era.

A 6-1 rout by Portugal on Tuesday left little space for feeling that progress was made, even if the squad was hit by a bout of sickness in Qatar.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The next World Cup will be the biggest ever after world soccer body FIFA took the leap from a 32-team field to 48 teams in 2026.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cameroon soccer federation president and former star player Samuel Eto’o apologized for kicking a man to the ground in what he called a “violent altercation” outside a World Cup stadium early Tuesday.

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was a solitary figure as he walked off the field following a World Cup match in which he was not the center of attention.

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Exuberant Moroccans poured into the streets of their capital and in cities across Europe on Tuesday, waving flags and honking horns to celebrate their national soccer team's historic victory over Spain at the World Cup.

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — In his first start for Portugal's national team, Gonçalo Ramos showed that he has the goods — and the goals — to stand in for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Even at the World Cup.

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — A chant of “RONALDO! RONALDO!” swept around the biggest stadium at the World Cup, followed by loud jeers when the fans realized their idol wasn’t coming onto the field.

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — The sheer audacity. The simple execution. And then … delirium.

Achraf Hakimi converted the decisive spot kick for Morocco with a little dink of a shot known as a “Panenka” in a penalty shootout win over Spain to make his team the first Arab country ever to reach the World Cup quarterfinals Tuesday.

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Sergio Busquets stood in the center circle, hands on hips, a blank look on his face.

He reached soccer’s top step with Spain and now had been stung by La Roja’s third straight elimination from a major tournament on penalty kicks, this time 3-0 to Morocco after a 0-0 draw Tuesday in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — The first World Cup held in an Arab nation has produced the Arab world's first quarterfinalist.

Morocco became only the fourth African country to reach the quarterfinals at the biggest soccer tournament in the world by beating Spain 3-0 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw through extra time.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Two days after Olivier Giroud broke the France national team’s goal-scoring record, he’s already looking behind his back at Kylian Mbappé.

That’s fine with the 36-year-old veteran, who said Tuesday he is having fun with the man he described as the best striker he has ever played with.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian soccer great Pelé is improving, doctors said Tuesday.

The 82-year-old Pelé has been hospitalized for a week to treat a respiratory infection aggravated by COVID-19.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus has undergone surgery on a knee injury that ended his involvement at the World Cup, Arsenal said Tuesday.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Nathan Ake finds it difficult marking Julián Álvarez in training at Manchester City.

He’s expecting his task to be even harder when they go head to head at the World Cup on Friday.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prime minister on Tuesday backed down from his initial declaration to award bonuses to the national soccer team for it World Cup performance amid high inflation and hardship in the country.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — In terms of population, there's no contest between Brazil and Croatia.

“Brazil has 200 million people, we only have 4 million,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić said Tuesday. “So we are pretty much like a suburb of a major city in Brazil.”

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — In Japan's fourth appearance in the round of 16 at the World Cup, the team was knocked out for the fourth time. The Japanese lost to Croatia in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — South Korea lost in the round of 16 of the World Cup and then lost its coach.

The team was beaten by five-time champion Brazil 4-1 on Monday.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The joy — and the dancing — are back for five-time champion Brazil at the World Cup.

The big win over South Korea on Monday secured Brazil a berth in the quarterfinals in Qatar.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The final day of the round of 16 concludes Tuesday at the World Cup when Morocco faces Spain, and Portugal goes head-to-head with Switzerland for the final two spots in the quarterfinals.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Paulo Dybala posted a photo of himself on Instagram laughing along with his Argentina teammate Lionel Messi, with the accompanying words: “We carry on with a smile!

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — It was the same old Neymar out there, looking fit and scoring a goal to move closer to Pelé’s all-time record and lead Brazil into the World Cup quarterfinals.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hours before Japan and South Korea endured painful second-round exits from the World Cup in Qatar, continental soccer rival Saudi Arabia had plenty to celebrate.

The All India Football Federation’s decision to pull out of the race to host the 2027 Asian Cup, announced while all the football focus in East Asia was centered on Japan and South Korea’s knockout games on Monday, left Saudi Arabia as the only candidate to host the continental championship.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — As Brazil’s big-time player made his return to the World Cup in Qatar, the superstar of South Korean soccer made his exit.

Son Heung-min is his country’s Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and, yes, Neymar, all wrapped up into one.

BERLIN (AP) — Oliver Bierhoff is the first managerial casualty of Germany’s early World Cup exit after agreeing to resign as managing director of the country’s national soccer teams and academy.