Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois criticized Spanish league president Javier Tebas on Tuesday over the decision to play a regular-season game in Miami in December.

Courtois also complained about the league's decision to censor protests against the upcoming Villarreal-Barcelona game that he says alters the fairness of the competition.

Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will decline any tickets offered for a Europa League game against Aston Villa next month regardless of growing calls for the English city of Birmingham to reverse a ban imposed on the Israeli club's fans.

West Midlands Police last week deemed the Nov. 6 match at Villa Park to be high risk and cited violence and hate crimes that took place when Maccabi Tel Aviv played at Ajax in Amsterdam last season.

A record 48 teams will play in the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

On Tuesday, England became the first European team to qualify. In African qualifying, South Africa, Ivory Coast and Senegal all clinched spots. Qatar and Saudi Arabia both advanced from Asian qualifying.

Third goalkeeper Abdelhakim El Mesbahi came off the bench near the end of extra time and made the decisive save in the shootout as Morocco edged France 5-4 on penalties Wednesday to qualify for its first Under-20 World Cup final.

The Moroccans will play for the championship against Argentina, which edged Colombia 1-0 to reach its eighth final at the under-20 tournament.

The first doubts are beginning to emerge about Liverpool's Premier League title defense on the back of three straight losses.

With more hope than expectation.

The Bundesliga is waiting to see if Borussia Dortmund can mount a challenge to Bayern Munich in "der Klassiker" on Saturday.

Play was briefly delayed in a World Cup qualifier between Wales and Belgium on Monday after a rat entered the field.

France missed a chance to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup on Monday after being held to 2-2 at Iceland.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected appeals by the Israel Gymnastics Federation to be allowed to compete at a world championships in Indonesia this weekend.

Snipers are on the roof of the Israel team hotel in Udine and the Italian city is on maximum alert ahead of a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

The sound of helicopters surveilling the city has filled the air since the morning, hours before Italy's match against Israel was set to kick off at Stadio Friuli.