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Soccer Aid for Unicef 2024, broadcast live from Stamford Bridge, London, last week has raised £15 million, for Unicef’s vital work helping give children around the world happy, healthy, and play-filled childhoods.

Thanks to the generous UK public, Unicef UK supporters, ITV1, Itvx and Stv viewers, this year’s amount sees the current total, raised since 2006 – when Unicef UK Ambassador Robbie Williams founded the concept – hit a record fundraising milestone of over £106 million for children worldwide. This year, with thanks to the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, every donation made up to £4 million was doubled.

The hotly anticipated match took place at the sold-out Stamford Bridge stadium in London – returning for the third time in Soccer Aid for Unicef history and welcoming back over 40,000 fans. The match ended 6-3 to England, with the Three Lions taking the win for the first time in six years. World XI keep the overall...

Soccer Aid for Unicef 2024 will take place on June 9 at Stamford Bridge.

The live show on ITV1, Stv and Itvx will be hosted by Unicef UK Ambassador Dermot O’Leary, who will be joined once again by Unicef UK High Profile Supporter, Alex Scott. Sam Matterface returns as Commentator, with Iain Stirling on Co-Comms duty. A half-time entertainment show will also be announced in due course. Previous performers include Rita Ora, Robbie Williams and Tom Grennan.

England have won five times since the game began in 2006 – but their last victory came in 2018. They trail the Soccer Aid World XI Fc who have won the fixture seven times – and are on a record five-year winning streak.

England will take to the pitch in a specially commissioned Euro ’96 kit. This is ahead of Euro 2024 – the first game of which is just five days after Soccer Aid. The Soccer Aid World XI Fc will...

Madrid, Aug 7 (Ians) The Spanish La Liga kicks off a new season under its fresh official name this weekend. Yet, the ‘new’ Liga EA Sports is expected to witness the same teams vying for the title, with Fc Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid emerging as the principal contenders.

It, however, marks the dawn of a different era for the reigning champions, Fc Barcelona. With seasoned players Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets exiting the club during the summer, the addition of Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, and Inigo Martinez should ably fill the void.

Ousmane Dembele’s surprising move to Paris Saint Germain raised eyebrows, and unless Barca secure another signing or Ansu Fati returns to form, their attacking strength, where Robert Lewandowski is about to turn 35, might falter.

Barcelona will play their fixtures in the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic while the Camp Nou undergoes renovation. The dynamics of playing before...

Madrid (Spain), July 7 (Ians) Spanish giants Real Madrid have unveiled Turkish teenager Adra Guler as their latest acquisition, hoping to revive their fortunes both in La Liga and in European football after a disappointing season.

The club unveiled the 18-year-old player at a ceremony that took place at Real Madrid City and began with the projection of a video with the best footage featuring the player.

Before the presentation ceremony, Arda Guler signed a new contract for six seasons in the boardroom at Real Madrid City, accompanied by club president Florentino Perez. After the signing, he was presented with a watch, a replica of the Santiago Bernabeu and a shirt with his name and number 24.

“At just 18 years of age, you have already fulfilled one of the greatest dreams of your life. You have come to Real Madrid, the club that has won 14 European Cups,” said club president Florentino Perez.

Madrid, June 7 (Ians) Real Madrid has completed the signing of England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of over 100 million euros, plus incentives which could add a further 30 percent on the final price.

Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday confirmed the sale of the 19-year-old, who already has 24 appearances for England, with Bellingham set to sign a six-year contract with Real Madrid.

Bellingham becomes Real Madrid’s first signing of what is expected to be a busy summer, following the departures of players such as Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and Mariano Diaz, with others such as Dani Ceballos, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos still to sign new contracts, a Xinhua report said.

Bellingham began his career with Birmingham City, making his debut just over a month after his 16th birthday.

Borussia Dortmund swooped to sign him in July 2020 and he has played 132 appearances for the German side,...

Madrid, June 4 (Ians) Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid after 14 years at the end of the season, the Spanish club confirmed on Sunday.

The former France international joined Spanish giants from hometown club Lyon in 2009 and has made 657 appearances, scoring 353 goals.

Benzema has played 42 times in all competitions this term, scoring 30 goals and assisting six more. He did not feature in Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Sevilla on May 27 but could feature for one final time in their final league match of the season against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night.

The 35-year-old won five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles with Madrid. Overall, he won a total of 25 major titles with Real Madrid, a record for the club.

“Real Madrid Cf and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to end his brilliant and unforgettable period as a player for our club. Real Madrid would like to show its...

Madrid (Spain), May 18 (Ians) Although La Liga doesn’t end until the weekend of June 3, Real Madrid’s season is to all intents and purposes over following their 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League semifinal.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are 14 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, with Barca crowned champions last weekend with four games left to play. Although Real Madrid are locked in a race with Atletico Madrid to finish second, their place in next season’s Spanish Super Cup is already assured after beating Osasuna in last month’s Copa del Rey final.

At the start of the year, the pro-Madrid press were talking about the club winning six titles this season, but in the end, they lifted just the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup and the World Club Cup, in which they defeated Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Egypt’s Al Ahly,...

Madrid, March 14 (Ians) Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti wants no signs of overconfidence when his side entertains Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday night.

Madrid’s thumping 5-2 win in the first leg at Anfield three weeks ago makes them clear favorites to progress to the quarterfinals, but the coach wants no relaxation from his players, reports Xinhua.

“We don’t have to make any calculations; we have to play as well as we can and go into the game in the same way as we did in the first leg,” he said in his pre-game press conference.

“We’re not thinking about what could happen, just playing with as much intensity and passion as we can win the game,” added the coach.

Ancelotti admitted that his side had conceded two early goals in the first leg, and his players would not kick...

Season 2 in FIFA 23 Ultimate Team has kicked off being based around the World Cup in Qatar including the new World Cup Swaps. Rather than a new mode, this year's World Cup promotion is providing additional content within the current Ultimate Team mode.

One of the biggest aspects of this is the introduction of World Cup Swaps which work in the same as Fgs swaps which are already in FIFA 23. Players can earn swaps tokens across a variety of modes in Ultimate Team before exchanging them in Sbc's for World Cup based rewards. Across the new season, which covers the length of the real-life FIFA World Cup, players can earn up to 50 World Cup Swap Tokens. These tokens can then be redeemed on players, player picks, and packs to help bolster any Ultimate Team.

Related: FIFA 23 Ultimate Team: How To Earn Better Rewards In Squad Battles

A Brazilian World Cup...

In total, 32 countries will compete for the coveted trophy that symbolises supremacy in the sport called "The Beautiful Game" by legendary stars like Pele and numerous fans around the globe. As the clock ticks down for the kick-off, everybody is thinking about which teams are favourites to go all the way and which will be the dark horse and cause a few surprises in the mega-event.

Defending champions France, after emerging victorious in 2018, will be again among the favourites, but many nations have their sights set on lifting the trophy on December 18.

Here’s a look at the top contenders for the title:

Brazil: The South American powerhouse is the eternal favourite at the football World Cup. The five-time winners currently boast strength in depth — with the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Alisson at their disposal. However, they have not savoured World Cup glory since 2002.

The Neymar-led side will...

Madrid (Spain), Sep 13 (Ians) Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will continue his policy of squad rotations for Wednesday’s Champions League tie at home to Rb Leipzig.

Last week’s 3-0 win away to Celtic got Real Madrid’s title defense off to a perfect start and they are clear favourites against a side that kicked off their European campaign with a 4-1 defeat at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.

That defeat saw coach, Domenico Tedesco, sacked and replaced by Marcos Rose in the Rb Leipzig dugout and Rose began his time in charge with a 3-0 win at home to Borussia Dortmund.

Real Madrid are without Eder Militao, Karim Benzema and Lucas Vazquez for Wednesday, but Ancelotti will be able to bring Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric and Dani Carvajal into his side to freshen things up.

Meanwhile, Eden Hazard or Marco Asensio will probably cover for Benzema, although...

Madrid, Sep 9 (Ians) The fifth round of matches in La Liga this weekend is a key moment for two La Liga coaches and will also be the first test of the squad depth of the teams playing in Europe.

Here are some things to look out for this weekend.

1. Cadiz coach Sergio Gonzalez’s future depends on a good display against Barca

Cadiz coach Sergio Gonzalez and Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui are the early-season favorites in the ‘sack-race’ to see who will be the first coach to lose their job this season.

Despite leading Cadiz to safety last season, Sergio is under pressure after a start that has seen his side lose all four matches, while conceding 10 goals and not scoring any.

The fact Cadiz face Fc Barcelona doesn’t help his cause, but he needs to see an improvement in both commitment and organization.

Barca travel to Cadiz after...

Madrid, Sep 9 (Ians) Matchday five of La Liga gives no let-up for some of the big teams with European commitments, while two coaches’ jobs could well be on the line in the case of a heavy defeat.

The weekend begins on Friday night with newly-promoted Girona and Valladolid going head-to-head.

Saturday’s first game sees a much-changed Valencia visit Rayo Vallecano’s Vallecas Stadium.

Valencia have a totally different attitude to the team that looked to foul and time-waste their way to results last season under Jose Bordalas, and the positive attitude under new coach Gennaro Gattuso was evident as they thrashed Getafe 5-1 last weekend, reports Xinhua. Jose Luis Gaya is also back for Valencia after missing the start of the season through injury.

Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui survived a Board meeting after his side’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday. That defeat followed a 3-0 loss to Barca,...

Madrid, Aug 15 (Ians) Despite saying there was room for improvement, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed his satisfaction at how a much-changed side kicked off their title defense with a 2-1 win away to Almeria.

A Madrid starting 11 with six changes to that which beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the Super Cup four days previously, recovered from an early goal following an error from debutant Antonio Rudiger and saw how second-half goals from Lucas Vazquez and David Alaba — the second an excellent free-kick — turned the game around.

“I think Rudiger had a good game, although the youngsters didn’t play as well as they can do, or as they have been doing in training. They didn’t do anything wrong, but they can do better,” said Ancelotti after the match.

“It’s normal to suffer and we complicated the game with a defensive error and that made it hard for us.

Madrid, Aug 13 (Ians) Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti commented on Saturday that he would be using a policy of squad rotations more this season to help his side get through the rigors of what promises to be a draining campaign in the best shape possible.

The World Cup in November and December means Real Madrid face a packed fixture calendar until the middle of November and when the season restarts, they will also have to travel to play the Spanish Supercup and the World Cup Championships leading to a further fixture pile-up.

Although Ancelotti repeated the team that won last season’s Champions League for his side’s 2-0 European Supercup win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, the Italian confirmed in his pre-game press conference that he would be making changes for their La Liga opener away to Almeria.

“The reasons for squad rotations are that we have a very...

Madrid, March 26 (Ians) Real Madrid could be without Belgian international winger Eden Hazard until the end of the season after the club confirmed that he needs an operation on his right leg. The club’s official website explained on Friday that “in the coming days, our player Eden Hazard will undergo surgery to remove the […]...

Madrid, Feb 23 (Ians) Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has not included striker Karim Benzema in the 19-man squad for his side's vital Champions League last 16 tie away to Atalanta on Wednesday night.

The striker, who has netted 17 goals in all competitions this season, has still not recovered from a slight tear in his left abductor muscle, which kept him out of Real Madrid's narrow 1-0 win away to Valladolid on Saturday.

He was replaced by Mariano Diaz at the weekend and the 27-year-old looks likely to lead the Real Madrid line again on Wednesday night, Xinhua news agency reports.

Benzema isn't the only player Zidane will be missing on Wednesday with club captain Sergio Ramos still sidelined after undergoing minor knee surgery, while the absence of Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Odriozola will also miss out along with central defender Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde and Eden Hazard.

The long injury...

With FIFA 21 set to make its debut next week, there’s much to unravel about the game before fans step onto the pitch. With traditional EA Sports norms being slightly altered because of the Covid-19 pandemic, some announcements and reveals have come with a little more flare than usual.

For example, EA traditionally celebrates its Top 100 rated players in the upcoming installment by releasing the ratings of 20 players at a time, starting at #100 and working its way down. However, this year the publisher has decided to announce the Top 1,000 players all at once to give fans from all over the globe a glimpse of how their favorite players will fare in the newest installment of the soccer series.

The Top 1,000 for FIFA 21 were decided by what EA has dubbed as the Ratings Collective, “a talent scouting network with a passion for The World’s Game. From spring speed to finishing,...

The official reveal trailer for FIFA 21 released on Thursday, a day after it was announced that 21-year-old French international and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe would headline as the game’s newest cover athlete.

The reveal trailer allowed for fans to experience a more in-depth feel of the gameplay on top of what the teaser trailer was able to offer earlier this summer. EA also gave viewers a sneak peek of a new intelligent gameplay style that will include a new agile dribbling system, positioning personality and creative off-ball runs. The full game will reveal sometime in August, EA announced.

Career mode will feature a new way for players to manage every moment, by being able to drop in and out of games to take control of the team during key moments. A revamped growth system, enhanced opposition AI, and new ways to sign players highlight additions made to a...

Two of Futbol’s hottest players will now be featured on two different versions of FIFA 20, this September! More within… After incredible campaigns in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, EA Sports couldn’t just pick one person to grace the cover of FIFA 20. So, they picked two. Real Madrid Midfielder Eden Hazard […]

The post Eden Hazard and Virgil van Dijk Grace the Covers of FIFA 20 appeared first on Cinelinx.

He has switched on his "warrior mode" as he preps for Panipat. Actor Arjun Kapoor, who is working towards a Herculean body for the upcoming period drama, finds it a challenge to play a bald Maratha warrior and says it is not something he would have imagined doing.

"It's a challenge for me to play a bald Maratha warrior. He (the warrior) is not something I would imagine doing. But the fact Ashutosh Gowariker could imagine it, makes me excited to fulfil his vision," Arjun, whose shirtless photograph on Instagram has gone viral, told the agency.

What makes historicals an important landmark in an actor's career?

"I didn't choose it (Panipat), it chose me. I didn't go seeking. I always had a wish, and sometimes you just need to want something and it happens. It has happened at a time when I think I was ready for it... If I...

Eden Hazard to join Real Madrid and bid adieu to Chelsea is heartouching to Chelsea fans.?Real Madrid has announced the signing of forward Eden Hazard, who leaves Chelsea after seven seasons that saw him win six trophies and a slew of individual honours, including the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award for 2014-2015. Football player Eden Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, excellent dribbling and excellent passing.

Actor Arjun Kapoor is also?Chelsea Football Club fan since he was 13 ans hence could not stop on social media and posted his photo with Eden Hazard?

Arjun on Tuesday posted a black and white photograph of himself along with Hazard and captioned it: "Haven't got a chance to thank this legend... been a Chelsea Football Club fan since I was 13 and after Gianfranco Zola, if there was any playmaker who made football look so fluid and simple then it was Eden Hazard.

The World Cup is right up there with the Olympics when it comes to the most-watched sporting events on the planet.

The global in-home audience for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was 3.2B and the final attracted more than 1B (23M in the U.S.). Russia 2018 (June 14-July 15) gets underway today with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar among fan favourites set to captivate audiences the world over.

U.S. ratings are expected to be down on the record-breaking 2014 due to the Stars and Stripes’ first no-show since 1990 and the time difference — Moscow is seven hours ahead of New York.

But with eight teams from the Americas in the mix and the NFL and NBA in off-season, soccer’s growing stateside fan-base (a surprising nugget on that line: U.S. nationals have bought the second-most tickets for the competition) could still deliver decent numbers for Fox, which is going all in on its coverage.