Brazil

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has given Brazil a timely boost in the race to host the 2006 World Cup.

The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair and film star Hugh Grant will lead attempts to impress international soccer chiefs who will inspect England's World Cup 2006 facilities this week.

European soccer champions Manchester United are set to dig up and re-lay their troublesome Old Trafford pitch for the third time in six months.

Air France signed a surprise pay deal with its striking pilots Wednesday, ending a devastating 10-day dispute at the airline just hours before the start of the World Cup soccer tournament.

South America's latest club soccer tournament, a made-for-television affair called the Mercosur Cup, was met with stunning indifference as it kicked off this week.

Asian soccer chiefs will decide on Tuesday whether to heed a call to boycott the 2002 World Cup in emergency talks on the region's representation in the finals.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has strongly denied corruption claims of a cash-for-votes scandal made in a sensational new book.

Soccer legend Pele has confirmed his support for South Africa's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup, saying he thought Brazil could be ready to stage the finals four years later.

France marked the first anniversary of its World Cup victory with an agreement to invest around $50 million of the profits from the tournament in club sport and soccer.

If News Corp Ltd. succeeds in its bid to take acquire Hughes Electronics Corp., the Australian news giant could gain control of a merged Latin America satellite television entity, a source at Mexico's Grupo Televisa has said.

France stayed ahead of Brazil atop of the FIFA world soccer rankings for a third straight month, while Germany climbed three places to fifth.

ISL?s parent company, the ISMM Group, has admitted for the first time it is in dire financial straits and is on the verge of bankruptcy ? with its future now in the hands of a Swiss court.

UEFA Cup and European Super Cup winners Galatasaray and European champions Real Madrid will represent Europe at the second World Club Championship from July 29 to August 12 in Spain, FIFA said on Thursday.

The father of Brazilian driver Pedro Diniz has bought a large stake in the Prost formula one team, the British magazine Autosport said on Thursday.

SportsYA!, the internet portal serving Latin America, Spain and U.S. Hispanic markets, has secured $10 million capital investment in its latest round of financing from investors.

The World Cup short-course swimming series has been cut from 12 meetings to 10 and will offer more prize money.