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The wreckage of the plane that went missing while carrying Cardiff City's record signing, Emiliano Sala, and pilot David Ibbotson has been found on the seabed of the English Channel, the UK's Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) has confirmed to ESPN. The Piper Malibu aircraft went missing on Jan. 21 after disappearing from air traffic control's radar while flying over the English Channel on the way to Cardiff, Wales. Sala had just completed a £15 million transfer to Cardiff City from French Ligue 1 side Nantes and had been due to train with his new teammates the next day.

President Donald Trump met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro at the White House on Tuesday to commemorate North America winning its bid for the 2026 World Cup. During their meeting, which was open to the press and broadcast on a delay on "Shepard Smith Reporting," Infantino and Cordeiro gave Trump a number of gifts to remember the occasion. Cordeiro and Infantino both gifted Trump commemorative soccer jerseys, but near the end of the photo op, Infantino reached off camera to get one last gift for Trump. He handed Trump a wallet-sized cardholder with yellow...

French celebrations over the national football team’s World Cup victory on Sunday quickly turned to violence, with street clashes, vandalism, attacks on police, and scenes of looting in cities across the country. As many as a million people had been enjoying the “good-natured atmosphere” at an event on the Champs-Élysées in Paris following France’s 4-2 win against Croatia, which ministers had hoped would bring a “great moment” of “national unity”. But by 11 pm the jubilant mood had turned to chaos, with what local media describes as “bands of thugs” launching projectiles including bottles at police, who responded by firing...

The threat of terrorist attacks in France has put paid to fans’ hopes of watching the World Cup on big screens in public spaces, France’s ministry for the interior announced. “I remind all publicly-elected officials of the fact that ‘big screen’ zones are completely forbidden in public spaces,” said a statement from the ministry. France has been subject to several terrorist attacks in recent years, leading to an increased security presence all round.“In the current climate of terrorist threats, the security procedures used at the last European Championship must be deployed again, with the same degree of efficiency.” …

Dear John: When will the US understand that the universal sport of soccer cannot exist in our country? It is a poor man’s sport where no equipment is needed, only a ball and a field in which to kick it. It cannot survive in the US for three reasons: Boring, boring, boring. The most excitement is among the spectators who burn or stampede the stadiums or kill the goalie or referee — which is where the term “fan” was derived: “Fanatic.”

You can watch a video related to this article by clicking on the "Enza Ferreri Blog" link above Maybe the tide really is turning. I remember when, in the late '60s and the '70s, hardline socialist and communist groups were still struggling to get their message accepted in Europe and the West generally. They were a tiny minority then, and their agenda seemed very far-fetched and out-of-synch with ordinary people and mainstream views. It also looked liked it was going to remain that way. When, later on, I heard them screaming "Free Nelson Mandela", I didn't think it was going...

An Indian footballer has died after a backflip goal celebration went tragically wrong during a match last week in north eastern India.  Peter Biaksangzuala attempted to perform the acrobatic celebration after scoring for Bethlehem Vengthlang FC against Chanmari West FC in the 62nd minute. Biaksangzuala fell on his head badly damaging his spinal cord. Team-mates immediately rushed to his aid and he was immediately rushed to local hospital. Unfortunately,  after five days of intensive treatment, as doctors attempted to heal his injuries, the footballer passed away on Sunday morning after being put on a ventilator.

I love the World Cup. And I love America — it’s my hometown! But I would not love to see America win the World Cup. Frankly, we don’t need another feather in our already overstuffed cap. And considering soccer is the world’s game — and most of the world is at odds with America at any given moment — I think it might be a nice idea for Uncle Sam, in an effort to promote world harmony, to lie down in South Africa. Now, in all likelihood, the U.S. is not going to be in a position to win...

A player from the Taji Soccer Club scores on a penalty kick during a soccer tournament in Taji, northwest of Baghdad, Dec. 26, 2008. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Addis, 25th Infantry Division. CAMP TAJI — Soccer players put on a display of footwork and skill during a Taji Qada soccer tournament at the stadium here, Dec. 26. Four teams, consisting of 11 players from Rekiya, Taji, and Hammiat, along with a fourth team from the Strykehorse Squadron, participated in the round-robin tournament.Staff Sgt. James Pepoon, an avid soccer player, said he came up with the idea to host...

That yellow strip showing the first-down line was put into your TV by Stan Honey. The viewing enhancement was developed by Honey, 52, in the Palo Alto Craftsman where he lives with his wife, Sally, two-time U.S. yachtswoman of the year, and two Emmy Awards on the mantel.

A supporter of the French football club Paris Saint Germanin was shot and killed by police Thursday night after a UEFA-cup game against the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv. The tradgedy occurred outside the stadium Parc de Princes in Paris after PSG had lost against Hapoel with 2-4. According to police sources a lonely Hapoel fan was surrounded by 150 fans from the Parisian club on a street outside the areana. A policeman hurried tthere and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. He then fired two live rounds. Two PSG suporters were hit and one of them was killed....

Berlin — Was it something he said? With France and Italy tied in extra time of Sunday's World Cup final, Zinedine Zidane head-butted Marco Materazzi in the chest and was ejected. France went on to lose on penalty kicks. The day after, still no one knew what the Italian defender might have said to the French star. "The Italians did everything they could do to provoke Zidane," France defender William Gallas said. Seconds before, Materazzi had grabbed a handful of Zidane's jersey just as a French attack on goal passed harmlessly by. The two exchanged words as they walked back...

Our correspondent finds out what may have caused a great player to lose his head in such spectacular style WITH his monkish mien backed by a sense of brooding menace, Zinédine Zidane has always been something of an enigma, so it is perhaps fitting that the final act of his career should be the source of such mystery. Just why did a man blessed with complete control of a football lose his head in such a violent manner at such a crucial moment, boring it into the chest of Marco Materazzi? As L’Equipe summed up the moment of madness with...

BERLIN (AP) -- Zinedine Zidane cut short his dazzling World Cup and closed his career with an ugly head butt -- and a loss. The France captain was given a red card for slamming the crown of his bald head into the center of Italy defender Marco Materazzi's chest after the two exchanged words while walking down the field in extra time. The game was tied 1-1 when Zidane was sent off, head bowed, in the 110th minute Sunday. Without their sharpshooting captain, France couldn't unlock Italy's defense and went on to lose in a shootout, 5-3. Zidane's strike was...

Yippie!!!

Flopping, Diving, and Timewasting: The World Cup Way Mis amis footballeurs: How do we stop the madness? (In my best French accent...) In this World Cup, especially in the group phase and 2nd round, huge numbers of the fittest athletes known in team sports have apparently suffered more life-threatening injuries than in an entire season of ER. In an amazing coincidence, many of these mortal wounds occur near their opponents penalty area; the rest seem to occur to players (victims, really) on teams holding a one-goal lead. In fact, it seems every one of Italy's opponents was tought Pai Mei...

BERLIN (Reuters) - Police in Berlin said on Wednesday they had arrested two men on suspicion of placing cement-filled soccer balls around the city and inviting people to kick them. At least two people injured themselves by kicking the balls, which were chained to lampposts and trees alongside the spray-painted message: "Can you kick it?" Police said they had identified a 26-year-old and a 29-year-old and had found a workshop in their apartment where they made the balls. The two are accused of causing serious physical injury, dangerous obstruction of traffic and causing injury through negligence, police said. Berlin hosts...

Father William Maestri with the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana makes this damning (at least to soccer moms nationwide) remark in his latest column on The Clarion Herald, the Archdiocese's newspaper. The quote is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg as he rants in no uncertain terms against this sport which he mockingly calls "kickball". But then, what is the Padre's sport of choice? Not basketball, not football, not even "the national pastime" of baseball. It's tennis; Wimbledon tennis! The article is available only in .pdf format, so I urge fellow FReepers to access it through the source...

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Radical Islamic militia fighters in Somalia shot and killed two people who were watching a banned World Cup soccer broadcast, a radio station reported Wednesday. The hard-line Muslim fighters, who have banned watching television, opened fire after a crowd of teenagers defied their orders to leave a hall where a businessman was showing Tuesday's Germany-Italy match on satellite television, according to Shabelle Radio, an independent local station. It said the businessman and a teenage girl were killed. Hard-line Muslim fighters, who wrested control of the Somali capital from warlords in June, have forbidden people from watching television...

World Cup Scores Only Small Audience Only 6% Following Tournament Very Closely Despite a high level of media coverage for the World Cup soccer tournament, three-fourths of Americans (78%) are not following the action very closely if at all. A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 adults found that just 6% are following the tournament very closely. Nine percent (9%) of men are paying close attention along with 3% of women. The Super Bowl remains the biggest sport championship in terms of fan appeal. Thirty-five percent (35%) of Americans say it’s their favorite championship to watch. The World Series is the...