South Korea will face Saudi Arabia and Qatar in two men's football friendly matches next month in Doha, the sport's national federation announced Thursday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said the Taegeuk Warriors will first take on 55th-ranked Saudi Arabia on Nov. 13 and then play 60th-ranked Qatar on Nov. 17. The first match will kick off at 5:30 p.m. (local time), or 11:30 p.m. (South Korea time), and the latter match will begin at 5 p.m. (local time), or 11:00 p.m. (South Korea time). T

Bayern Munich drew 2-2 at home with English champion Arsenal in the third round of the UEFA Champions League league phase Wednesday, with South Korean defender Kim Min-jae playing only the first half. Kim made his second consecutive Champions League start but was replaced by Jonathan Tah at halftime with the score tied 1-1. Bayern entered the match at Allianz Arena in Munich without several key players. Michael Olise was suspended following a red card in the previous match, Joshua Kimmich was ab

Controversy surrounding South Korea’s national soccer team has continued to grow after a lawmaker claimed some players refer to captain Son Heung-min as “No. 7” or “that person” rather than by name, suggesting tensions within the squad may run deeper than previously thought. During a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Jung Yeon-wook asked Lee Yong-soo, the acting chief of the Korea Football Association, who attended as a witnes

MADRID (AP) -- Vinicius Junior's scoring slump continued in his return to the Real Madrid lineup in the Champions League. The Brazilian forward had an ineffective performance and couldn't find the net in Madrid's 4-1 win over Leipzig at home on Wednesday, reaching nine straight appearances without a goal for the Spanish club. "It's actually a very good thing that he's sad because it means he really cares about the team and the fans," teammate Kylian Mbappé said. "He needs to stay calm and be pro

South Korea climbed to 17th in the FIFA women's world rankings, its highest position in 40 months, after winning bronze at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. South Korea moved up two places from June in the latest rankings released by FIFA on Tuesday. It is the team's highest ranking since it was also 17th in June 2023. Among Asian Football Confederation members, South Korea ranks fourth behind Japan at No. 5, North Korea at No. 12 and Australia at No. 15. South Korea also moved ahead of China,

Atletico Madrid drew Stuttgart 1-1 in the third round of the UEFA Champions League league phase Tuesday despite playing the final portion of the match with 10 men, while Lee Kang-in remained on the bench. The draw at MHP Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, left Atletico with one win, one draw and one loss. Stuttgart remained unbeaten at 2-1-0. Lee, who had started up front for Atletico in its first two league-phase matches, was named among the substitutes but did not enter the game. Stuttgart opened th

Barcelona suffered its first defeat of the season Tuesday, losing 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the third round of the UEFA Champions League league phase. Barcelona entered the match at Parc des Princes in Paris having won all 11 of its competitive matches this season — nine in La Liga and two in the Champions League. PSG, meanwhile, extended its perfect Champions League start to three wins, scoring 14 goals and conceding five to move alone atop the league-phase standings. The defending European

TOKYO (AP) -- Gianni Infantino's campaign for reelection as FIFA president is set to move this week to Japan and a meeting scheduled for Wednesday with the Asian Football Confederation. This comes after Infantino apologized last week in Zurich, Switzerland, to FIFA's 37-member ruling council -- which he chairs -- for "mistakes" he made in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2 billion sell-off plan for the World Cup. The council is FIFA's main decision-making body, with officials from around the world.

UEFA has called on FIFA to disclose key documents and answer questions within two weeks regarding President Gianni Infantino's proposed and later abandoned plan to sell a stake in World Cup-related commercial rights, as well as FIFA's governance. The BBC and ESPN reported Sunday that UEFA sent FIFA an eight-page letter containing 42 questions and requested answers by Nov. 2. The letter, sent by UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, includes ques

LONDON (AFP) -- James Maddison made an impressive return to Tottenham's starting lineup Monday as Roberto De Zerbi's team beat Coventry 3-1 to claim its first Premier League win of the season. Maddison marked his first start in 536 days with an early goal, while Dejan Kulusevski returned to the matchday squad after missing all of last season. Jack Rudoni equalized early in the second half, but the home side was back in front just before the hour mark when Omar Marmoush scored his first goal for

LISBON (AFP) -- Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a 30-day suspension for leaving the Portuguese national team camp, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced Monday The 41-year-old abruptly left the Portugal camp Sept. 30 during the UEFA Nations League before accusing coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word about giving him playing time. Ronaldo apologized to supporters earlier in October, adding that he would accept any punishment imposed. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid s

Dejan Kulusevski is nearing a return to action after a lengthy injury absence. The Athletic reported Saturday that Kulusevski is expected to be included in Tottenham Hotspur's matchday squad for its game against Coventry City, which would mark his first appearance in 526 days. Kulusevski suffered a serious right kneecap injury during a match against Crystal Palace in May last year. The injury proved more serious than initially expected. He was originally expected to return around December and po

Manchester United's struggles continued as the Premier League club extended its winless run to six matches. United drew 1-1 with Leeds United at Elland Road in Leeds on Sunday in the seventh round of the 2026-27 Premier League season. Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead in the 35th minute, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalized six minutes into the second half, leaving United with only a point. The result left United with one win, four draws and two losses for seven points, dropping the club to 13th

Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was taken to a hospital after colliding with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite during a Premier League match. Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the seventh round of the 2026-27 season, with Pedro Neto scoring twice in the second half. Martinez was injured in the 66th minute when he and Branthwaite collided while challenging for a cross. Both players went down, and medical staff entered the field. Play was stopped for more than 10 minutes

Bayern Munich reclaimed first place in the Bundesliga after routing RB Leipzig 6-1, with South Korea center back Kim Min-jae in the starting lineup. Bayern earned the emphatic home victory at Allianz Arena in Munich on Oct. 17 behind a Luis Diaz hat trick and a goal and two assists from Harry Kane. The win kept Bayern unbeaten through its first six league matches at 4-2-0 for 14 points. It moved back atop the standings ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference. Kim started at center back and