International Football Thread

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AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

BRYAN MBEUMO (Manchester United)

Mbeumo bagged his sixth goal this season in a dramatic draw at Tottenham. He struck in the 32nd minute, heading past Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario from a cross by Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo. Mbeumo is starting to heat up following a slow start after his mid-year move from Brentford.

IDRISSA GUEYE (Everton)


The Senegal midfielder's goal kick-started the Toffees' 2-0 win against Fulham. Gueye netted four minutes into first half stoppage-time, prodding in his second goal of the season after Tim Iroegbunam miscued his shot from a James Tarkowski header which rebounded off the crossbar. After failing to score last season, Gueye is well on his way to beating his best return of four goals in an Everton shirt from 2023-24.

IBRAHIM SANGARE (Nottingham Forest)

The Ivory Coast midfielder notched his first goal for Forest in a 3-1 win against Leeds at the City Ground. Sangare, signed from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, fired home with a clinical finish from 10 yards to put Sean Dyche's side ahead in the 15th minute. Further goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson wrapped up second-bottom Forest's first league win since the opening weekend of the season.

added time at the end of the half to give Lens a two-goal lead.

 

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GERMANY

YAN DIOMANDE (RB Leipzig)

Diomande continued his scoring streak for Leipzig, but his early goal was not enough in a 3-1 Bundesliga loss at Hoffenheim. The 18-year-old Ivorian teenager cut the ball past the home goalkeeper with nine minutes gone, scoring for the third week in a row, to go with three assists.

 

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FRANCE

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Marseille)

Substitute Matt O'Riley delivered a pin-point cross that veteran Gabon captain and striker Aubameyang slid into the net to complete the scoring in a 3-0 home win over Brest. Victory temporarily took Marseille to the top of Ligue 1, and they finished the weekend second, two points behind Paris Saint-Germain.

MAMADOU SANGARE (Lens)

The Mali international was among the goals as Lens triumphed 4-1 at Monaco to lie third, behind Marseille on goal difference. As half-time approached, Sangare was fouled, leading to a red card for Folarin Balogun. The midfielder recovered to score in

 

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Neves late show sends PSG top of Ligue 1, Strasbourg down Lille​

Reigning champions now sit on 27 points, two clear of second-placed Marseille

AFP
November 10, 2025

Photo: AFP

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LYON: Joao Neves' late winner returned Paris Saint-Germain to the top of Ligue 1 as they beat Lyon 3-2 on Sunday, while Emanuel Emegha netted a brace as Strasbourg defeated Lille.

PSG had gone into the weekend's action in top spot, but were knocked off it by archrivals Marseille who beat Brest 3-0 on Saturday to edge ahead by a point.

The chance to restore their lead seemed to have slipped by Luis Enrique's side until Neves' 95th-minute header at the Groupama Stadium.

Reigning champions PSG now sit on 27 points, two clear of second-placed Marseille.

"Resilience is a word I like," said PSG coach Luis Enrique.

 

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Man City crush Liverpool to mark Guardiola's 1,000 match​

AFP

The victory brought them within four points of leaders Arsenal, while Liverpool slipped further down the table

Lewandowski hat-trick helps Barca punish Real Madrid slip​

AFP

Veteran forward netted three times in a 4-2 win over Celta Vigo

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Ronaldo clarifies ‘soon’ means one or two years before retirement​

Reuters
November 11, 2025

Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match during the Saudi Pro League Al Nassr v Al Fayah at Al Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 1, 2025. — Reuters/File

Cristiano Ronaldo put a timeline on his cryptic retirement hint on Tuesday, saying he will hang up his boots in “one or two years” after telling the world that he would be retiring soon.

The Portugal forward, who has scored over 950 goals for club and country, made his debut as a teenager at Sporting in 2002 and said in an interview that he would retire soon to spend time with his family.

Ronaldo extended his contract with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr until 2027 in June and the 40-year-old Portuguese is also targeting next year’s World Cup, the only major title missing from his trophy cabinet.

“Soon for me means in 10 years… No, I’m joking,” Ronaldo said via video call at a Saudi-hosted global summit on tourism and investment..,

 

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Turkish FA bans 102 players in betting probe​

Turkey's Football Federation has given bans to 102 players from its top two divisions for "betting-related activities".

The punishments were of varying lengths, ranging from three to 12 months, and involve 25 players from the top-tier Super Lig.

They include two players from champions Galatasaray - Eren Elmali and Metehan Baltaci - who were handed bans of 45 days and nine months respectively.

The rulings by the Professional Football Disciplinary Board (PFDK) in Turkey become final after the seven-day appeal period expires.

 

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France qualify for World Cup as Portugal, Norway forced to wait​

AFP
November 14, 2025



France’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their third goalat the UEFA Qualifiers, Group D, France v Ukraine at Parc des Princes, Paris, France on November 13, 2025.

France reached the 2026 World Cup with a 4-0 win over Ukraine on Thursday as the country marked the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Paris attacks, while Portugal were made to wait after losing 2-0 in Dublin as Cristiano Ronaldo saw red.

Norway must also be patient after Italy struck late in Moldova to prevent them from stamping their ticket to next year’s tournament in North America.

France’s victory came in an emotionally-charged Parc des Princes, which observed a minute’s silence to mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks in and around Paris on Friday, November 13, 2015.

Most of the 130 people killed in the attacks lost their lives at the Bataclan concert hall in the capital, where they were attending a concert.

But one person died near the Stade de France in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where multiple explosions took place as suicide bombers attempted to enter the ground during a friendly between Les Bleus and Germany.

Didier Deschamps was the coach then and remains in charge now, with the approaching World Cup to be his final tournament before stepping down.

“Given the context tonight, we are pleased to have put some smiles on faces by securing qualification,” said Deschamps.

“We have fulfilled our objective. I understand that it is seen as normal that France qualify but we still had to go out and do it, so we are very proud.”

 

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England cruise against Serbia with Bellingham reduced to cameo role​

AFP

Saka and Eze help the Three Lions maintain their unbeaten record in the 2-0 victory

 

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Ronaldo sent off as Ireland stun Portugal in World Cup qualifier​

The 40-year-old was dismissed for elbowing defender Dara O’Shea in second half

AFP
November 14, 2025

Photo: AFP

DUBLIN: Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for an elbow as his Portugal side lost 2-0 against Ireland on Thursday and blew another chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Troy Parrott struck twice in the first half to keep Ireland's hopes of reaching next summer's tournament alive with a famous victory against Ronaldo and his team-mates in a Group F qualifier.

With Portugal chasing a way back into the game their frustrated captain Ronaldo was dismissed for elbowing Dara O'Shea in the back.

Portugal still lead the group on 10 points, two ahead of Hungary and three in front of Ireland, with one match remaining on Sunday.

The team that finishes top reaches the World Cup automatically, while second place teams reach the play-offs.

"This is probably the best night I have had in my entire life, I have no words to describe it," AZ Alkmaar striker Parrott told RTE.

"I am overwhelmed... I don't know what words to use, but I am over the moon."