DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Even without the injured Karim Benzema, defending World Cup champion France has plenty of attacking power.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Karim Benzema’s injury has opened the door for veteran striker Olivier Giroud to spearhead France’s attack at the World Cup in Qatar.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — France's World Cup squad has been decimated by injuries to star players like Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante. While the absences are a big blow for the defending champion, they open the door for a new generation of players to shine in Qatar.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — One month after raising the Ballon d’Or in triumph to crown his remarkable rise, Karim Benzema’s dream of winning the World Cup is over before he has even played a game in Qatar.
PARIS (AP) — When Karim Benzema held up the Ballon d'Or award last month, the crowd in the Parisian theater rose to applaud him.
LYON, France (AP) — Karim Benzema returned and Alexandre Lacazette’s late penalty rescued a 1-1 draw for Lyon against Nice to keep his team just ahead of the visitors in the French league on Friday.
MADRID (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti defended Karim Benzema from accusations he is not playing with Real Madrid to be ready for the World Cup, saying Wednesday the France striker himself is upset about his lack of minutes going into Qatar.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Monday:
SPAIN
Real Madrid visits Rayo Vallecano needing a win to regain the lead of the Spanish league. Carlo Ancelotti's second-place team sits two points behind rival Barcelona, which beat Almería 2-0 at home on Saturday.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City teenager Rico Lewis had to earn his start against Sevilla, and he made the most of it.
The full-back became the youngest player in Champions League history to score in his first start in the competition.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
Arsenal tries to reclaim top spot in the Premier League with a win over last-placed Nottingham Forest at home, having fallen a point behind overnight leader Manchester City.
LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) — Leipzig boosted its chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League by handing titleholder Real Madrid its first loss of the season on Tuesday.
The German club won 3-2 and now only needs to draw its last group match at Shakhtar Donetsk — which drew 1-1 at Celtic on Tuesday — to advance to the last 16.
PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé helped France win the World Cup four years ago, becoming a superstar in the process. This time, the tournament could serve as a welcome escape from the pressures of Paris Saint-Germain, and also a chance to play in his favorite position.
A look at what’s happening in the Champions League on Tuesday:
GROUP E
Chelsea hasn't failed to advance to the knockout stage since the 2012-13 season — when it was the defending champion — and would make it through to the last 16 again with a win at Salzburg.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Karim Benzema proudly showed his Ballon d’Or award to fans at the Santiago Bernabéu and then sat back as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 3-1 and increased its lead of the Spanish league on Saturday.
MADRID (AP) — Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema did not play for Real Madrid in Saturday’s home game against Sevilla in the Spanish league because of muscle fatigue.
Real Madrid announced the news before kickoff but did not say how long Benzema will be out.
MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema and referee Jesús Gil Manzano looked at each other and started to laugh.
The Ballon d'Or winner couldn't bear seeing another one of his goals being disallowed.
PARIS (AP) — Karim Benzema won the men’s Ballon d’Or for the first time on Monday after a brilliant season with Real Madrid capped by the Champions League and Spanish league titles.
Spanish player Alexia Putellas won the women’s trophy for the second straight year following another standout season with Barcelona.
MADRID (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti learned his lesson, and Real Madrid won the “clásico” on Sunday.
After an embarrassing 4-0 loss at home to Barcelona last season, the Madrid coach made sure he didn't try anything different with his team this time as Madrid won 3-1 to take the lead of the Spanish league.
MADRID (AP) — It was not the return to action that Karim Benzema had hoped for.
Back in Real Madrid's squad after a long injury layoff, the France striker missed a second-half penalty kick that helped to end the team's perfect start to the season.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
A month after its last game in the Premier League, Manchester United heads to city rival Manchester City on a four-match winning run and needing a plan to stop the irrepressible Erling Haaland.
PARIS (AP) — Amid mounting injuries and off-field problems, France coach Didier Deschamps has one less thing to worry about heading into the World Cup: Aurélien Tchouaméni looks a very good option to start in midfield.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barring a quick recovery for Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema or a change of strategy by Atlético Madrid, Sunday’s Spanish capital derby will be played mostly without the rivals' leading stars.
MADRID (AP) — Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo came through in the absence of Karim Benzema to keep Real Madrid perfect this season.
Vinícius and Rodrygo scored second-half goals as Madrid came from behind to defeat Mallorca 4-1 for its fifth straight win in the Spanish league on Sunday.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
SPAIN
Real Madrid is without Karim Benzema when it hosts Mallorca in the Spanish league. Benzema injured a tendon and a muscle in his right leg in Madrid's 3-0 win at Celtic in the Champions League.
MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema is not expected to be sidelined for too long as Real Madrid said Wednesday the France striker has a tendon injury and a strained muscle in his right thigh.
Benzema had to be substituted in the 30th minute of Madrid's 3-0 win at Celtic in the team's first match in the group stage of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland took their high-flying scoring acts into Europe as the Champions League returned on Tuesday, while last season's standout star Karim Benzema limped off with an injury after less than 30 minutes.
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Eden Hazard made sure Real Madrid didn't miss the injured Karim Benzema.
Hazard scored a goal and set up two others after replacing Benzema as Madrid began defense of its Champions League title with a comfortable 3-0 win at Celtic on Tuesday.
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — France striker Karim Benzema was substituted with an apparent knee injury in Real Madrid's 3-0 win against Celtic in the group stage of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Benzema started limping after a sprint with the ball and put his hand on his right knee before asking to be replaced in the 30th minute.
MADRID (AP) — With a defender moving in front of him and blocking his view inside the area, Robert Lewandowski stayed calm.
The veteran striker patiently waited for a gap, then quickly used his backheel to gently send the ball into the far corner for a beautiful goal.
ISTANBUL (AP) — Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas won UEFA’s player of the year awards on Thursday, making it a sweep for Spanish clubs.
Benzema had been the heavy favorite for the men's award after scoring 15 Champions League goals to lead Real Madrid to a record-extending 14th European title.
MADRID (AP) — Luka Modric is making it easier for Real Madrid fans to start getting over Casemiro’s departure.
A day after the Brazil midfielder announced he was ending his successful decade-long stint with Madrid to join Manchester United, his former teammate scored a beautiful goal and set up another to help the defending champion beat Celta Vigo 4-1 on Saturday for its second consecutive win to start the Spanish league.
MADRID (AP) — It was perfect timing for Real Madrid in its Spanish league opener on Sunday.
As David Alaba prepared to come into the match by the sideline, Luka Modric was being brought down by a defender just outside the penalty area.
PARIS (AP) — Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was omitted from the 30-man list of nominees for the prestigious award on Friday for the first time since 2005.
The Argentina great edged out Poland striker Robert Lewandowski for the Ballon d’Or last year but wasn't nominated this time after an underwhelming first season at Paris Saint-Germain.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Two Real Madrid teammates made the three-man shortlist announced Friday for the UEFA player of the year award for last season, while no Liverpool player was included.
Champions League winner Madrid was represented by Karim Benzema, who scored a competition-best 15 goals, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was the standout in its 1-0 win over Liverpool in the final.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid starts the Spanish league season overflowing with confidence that it can retain the domestic title despite Barcelona spending big to add top talent to its team.
Barcelona hosts Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, a day before Madrid visits the newly promoted Almería in the opening round of the league.
HELSINKI (AP) — This time, there were only two goals.
David Alaba and Karim Benzema scored in each half for Real Madrid to win the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
MADRID (AP) — When Karim Benzema went down in pain after getting hurt in a practice session during Real Madrid’s preseason tour in the United States, it was understandable why his teammates and the coaching staff appeared concerned.
PARIS (AP) — The last time Lyon won the French league title in 2008, the club's new American owner was celebrating a prize of his own.
John Textor's visual effects company won an Academy Award for its groundbreaking work on the making of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a huge box office hit starring Brad Pitt.
GENEVA (AP) — UEFA cleared its own executive committee member Nasser al-Khelaifi of any punishment on Friday despite finding his club Paris Saint-Germain guilty of misconduct for confrontations with match officials after losing in the Champions League.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Monday:
NATIONS LEAGUE
Defending champion France is under big pressure as it hosts Croatia in a must-win game at Stade de France. Les Bleus have picked up just two points from the first three games in League A, where only the group winner makes it to the Final Four and the last-place team gets relegated.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid is signing another young, highly rated French midfielder after reaching agreement with Monaco for the transfer of Aurélien Tchouaméni on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Tchouaméni will join for six seasons, Madrid said, and will be presented on Tuesday once he passes his medical examination.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool has confirmed the departure of goalkeeper Loris Karius four years after his last appearance for the club when his concussion-related gaffes contributed to a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final.
PARIS (AP) — France and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has dropped his appeal against a conviction for complicity in blackmail in a sex-tape case that rocked French soccer, his lawyer said Saturday.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Denmark stunned titleholder France 2-1 in their opening Nations League match at the Stade de France on Friday, ending the world champion's seven-match winning streak.
After Karim Benzema put the hosts in front, substitute Andreas Cornelius scored twice to earn Denmark its first win over France since the 2002 World Cup.
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — According to Lionel Messi, there is “no doubt” that Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema deserves to win his first Ballon d’Or award this year.
Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards as the world's best player, but saw his new club Paris Saint-Germain eliminated by Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League this year — after Benzema scored a hat trick in the second half of the return leg.
PARIS (AP) — For a player who doesn’t consider himself to be a striker, Mohamed Salah is the envy of many forwards with his scoring record for Liverpool.
“I don’t play No. 9, I play on the wing,” Salah said.