Soccer

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is being investigated by police after he smashed a young fan's phone following his team's loss on Saturday.

The incident went down after MU lost to Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park ... when Ronaldo, as he was leaving the field, appears to smack something to the ground as he walks through an area where fans were standing in close proximity.

The video circulated on social media ... with many fans calling out Ronaldo for his alleged bad behavior.

A spokesperson for the Merseyside Police confirmed they were looking into the incident, saying, according to ESPN, "As players were leaving the pitch at 2.30 PM, it was reported that a boy was assaulted by one of the away team as they left the pitch."

"Inquiries are underway and officers are working with Everton Football Club to review CCTV footage and are carrying out extensive witness inquiries to establish if an offense has taken place."

Ronaldo has since apologized for his actions in a social media post, saying ... "It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game."

He continued ... "I would like to apologize for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.🙏🏽"

We reached out to police, who told us they are "aware of the incident and dealing with all aspects of the incident."

Megan Rapinoe clearly believes Dwayne Johnson jacked her fiancée's company's logo for his new XFL brand -- and now, she's demanding the actor changes it before lawyers get involved.

The soccer superstar explained her beef with The Rock on social media on Thursday -- just one day after Dwayne revealed his football org.'s new "X" logo -- saying she thinks his new logo looks a bit too much like Sue Bird's Togethxr's.

And, Rapinoe said if he doesn't change things quickly -- Bird's team will be sending over a cease and desist letter.

"Welp. This is awkward," Rapinoe said. "Only thing @TheRock and @XFL2023 are gonna be cookin up is a response to the Cease and Desist and an ENTIRE new brand ID. @togethxr got this on [lock] boys."

If you're unfamiliar, Bird and other star female athletes started Togethxr -- a company designed to promote equality in the media and highlight the achievement of women in sports -- several years ago, and used a unique "X" as part of their logo.

Rapinoe and Bird clearly believe The Rock's "X" logo too closely resembles Togethxr's -- and they made it apparent, they're not going to let it slide.

"Well," Bird said of The Rock's new design, "doesn’t this look familiar."

No word yet on if The Rock is aware of the two athletes' gripe, or if he has any plans to change the image going forward.

NFL tight end Zach Ertz and his wife, Julie, just shared some exciting news on Monday -- the married couple is having a baby!!

The Arizona Cardinals and USWNT stars dropped the news on Instagram ... with the two posting photos of Julie's baby bump, and Zach kissing her growing tummy.

"Adding to our starting lineup ... Baby Ertz!" Zach captioned the pics.

The 10-year NFL veteran has been with the U.S. women's national team defender for nearly a decade ... and tied the knot in March 2017.

Of course, Julie was there to celebrate with Zach after Super Bowl LVII, which he won as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ertz had one of the key plays in the game when he caught what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown from Nick Foles ... propelling Philly over New England in the end.

Julie is a star in her own right -- the two-time Olympian and one-time Olympic gold medalist is one of the most decorated in her position.

Although the baby isn't here yet, having a football and soccer star as parents means the sky is the limit when it comes to sports ... if that's what the youngin' is into, of course.

The U.S. Men's National Soccer Team just got a stamp of approval from Alexi Lalas ... who tells TMZ Sports he's so pumped for the squad after it qualified for the World Cup this week, he's imploring Americans to take note.

"This is definitely a team that is worth your time," the U.S. soccer legend said, "and worth your belief!"

After missing out on the 2018 World Cup ... the USMNT qualified for the 2022 event despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday.

And, the result has Lalas fired up for soccer's future in America ... telling us outside of LAX this week, "It's a fun team to watch and it's only going to get better as the years go by."

The World Cup is slated to begin in November ... and it was announced the Americans will have a pretty good shot at getting out of the initial stage as they got a relatively favorable draw when the tourney's groups were announced Friday.

Lalas tells us he thinks there are certainly other countries who will be listed as the favorites to win the championship -- but he ain't counting out the U.S. just yet.

Hope Solo, U.S. soccer legend, was arrested Thursday in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest ... and cops say her two children were in the car when she was busted.

The 40-year-old retired goalkeeper -- a 2x Olympic gold medalist and World Cup winner -- was taken into custody in a Walmart parking lot off Parkway Village Circle in Winston-Salem, North Carolina ... and was taken to the Forsyth County jail for processing.

Officials tell us Solo was booked for impaired driving (DWI), resisting arrest, and misdemeanor child abuse.

It's not the first time Hope, who was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world during her time with the USWNT, has been in trouble with the law.

Solo has previously been arrested for domestic violence. She was accused of berating a police officer in 2014, and threatening to "kick his ass." She was also busted for allegedly getting into a physical confrontation with her teenage nephew.

Solo is married to ex-NFL player Jerramy Stevens. Hope and JS have two young kids together, twins, who just celebrated their 2nd birthday. It's unclear if the kids in the car were Jerramy's ... but it seems likely.

If Solo is ultimately convicted, she could face time behind bars.

A 19-year-old will now spend time in jail after the teen pleaded guilty to firing off a racist insult at soccer star Marcus Rashford following the Euro 2020 final last year.

Authorities in England announced the sentencing this week ... saying 19-year-old Justin Lee Price has been sentenced to six months behind bars for "sending a grossly offensive message" to Rashford.

As we previously reported, the tweet was one of many that Rashford and several of his other teammates received after they missed pivotal kicks in England's matchup against Italy in the Final last July.

Authorities launched an investigation into it all immediately after the verbal attacks were sent -- as it's illegal to make racist statements or threats toward another individual -- and, eventually, they arrested several people, including Price.

After Price's sentencing on Friday, Senior Crown Prosecutor Mark Johnson condemned the teen in a statement.

"I hope this case sends out the message that we will not tolerate racism," Johnson said, "and offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Douglas Mackay, a lead prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, added in a statement that he and other law enforcement will continue to crack down on hate crimes relating to sporting events.

David and Victoria Beckham's London mansion was burglarized late last month while the couple and their 10-year-old daughter were still inside the home ... but, thankfully, everyone is safe.

Cops confirmed to TMZ Sports that in the early morning hours of March 1, officers responded to the Beckhams' Kensington home for a report of a burglary that was believed to have taken place between 8:30 PM and 11:30 PM on Feb. 28.

Police tell us "a number of items were reported stolen" ... and, according to The Sun, that included expensive "designer and electric goods."

The Sun reported the break-in was discovered by David's 17-year-old son, Cruz, after he had returned home late in the evening from hanging out with friends.

Cruz reportedly saw broken glass and a ransacked room -- and then helped search the house for the culprit with his father. The alleged thief, though, was believed to have already escaped.

According to The Sun, security video showed the suspect climbing over the Beckhams' gate, then climbing up the couple's home, before breaking into a spare bedroom's window.

The Sun reports that while David, Victoria and the rest of the Beckhams were uninjured in the incident ... the couple is "shaken up" over it all.

Egypt National Football Team fans are rightfully pissed their team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ... after multiple fans shined lasers in the face of star player Mohamed Salah (and other Egyptian players) as they fought to make the World Cup.

The controversial finish went down Tuesday in Cairo ... as Egypt -- playing Senegal -- was on the verge of qualifying for the world's biggest sports tournament.

But, after regulation, the game was tied and went into penalty kicks.

Unfortunately for Salah and the other Egyptian players who took PKs, fans in the crowd were aiming green lasers into the eyes of the players while they attempted to kick.

Salah and 3 other players ultimately missed their penalty kicks ... and Senegal ended up winning the match, 1-0 (3-1 PK).

In the clip you see Salah collecting himself as he gets ready to launch the kick. But, the distraction appeared to work, as the ball sailed over the crossbar, costing his team a chance at victory, and the World Cup.

FYI, spectators cannot bring lasers to soccer matches, but they're not impossible to get past stadium security.

FIFA, soccer's international governing body commented on the matter ... saying, "As stated in the FIFA Stadium Safety and Security Regulations, laser pointers are considered prohibited items by FIFA and confiscated when the spectators are checked at the outer stadium perimeter."

"When incidents happen within the applicable scope of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, disciplinary measures may be taken based on article 16, paragraph 2,” which says teams are liable for inappropriate behavior from their fans.

Supporters of Egypt were left devastated and understandably frustrated with the loss ... and they clearly believe officials should've done more.

Fans sneaking lasers into soccer matches and using them to distract opposing players is not uncommon in international soccer.

Not to mention, lasers can be damaging to the eyes -- so it's not just against the rules, it's dangerous.

Soccer federations usually receive fines if their fans use laser pointers during a competition.

Egypt, who qualified for the World Cup in 2018, is out after losing 1-0 to Senegal ... and it's unclear if FIFA will dole out any disciplinary action.

Christian Eriksen solidified his incredible comeback on Tuesday ... by scoring a goal on the same field he suffered a cardiac arrest on just 290 days prior -- and the scene is incredibly powerful.

The moment happened in the 57th minute of Denmark's match against Serbia at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen ... when Eriksen fired a shot to the near post and to the back of the net to secure a 3-0 lead and the win.

Naturally, the home fans stood and shouted for the soccer star ... and his teammates celebrated as Eriksen scored his second goal in two games.

BTW -- CE scored a goal for Denmark on Saturday ... in his first game back since he collapsed to the field during Euro 2020 last June.

Eriksen previously did not know if he'd ever be able to suit up and take the pitch again ... but all doubt has been erased less than one year later.

U.S. men's soccer star Christian Pulisic gave a touching shout-out to a fan battling cancer during Sunday's game -- by fulfilling his request and doing the worm dance on the field right after scoring!!

The moment happened during USMNT's 5-1 win over Panama in World Cup qualifying on Sunday ... with the 23-year-old midfielder hitting the grass after scoring his second goal -- and busting out the iconic "worm" dance.

"Look at this," the FS1 broadcaster said as Pulisic executed the 1970s move.

"Okay!! Busting out the worm!"

As it turns out, Pulisic's reasoning behind the throwback celly will tug at your heartstrings -- the star says he did it as a promise to a fan named Mason Ogle, a 15-year-old high school soccer player who was diagnosed with bone cancer.

The two met during Saturday's workout ... which Pulisic mentioned after the game ... saying, "I met someone really special yesterday."

"His name was Mason, and his one request was that if I scored, he wanted to see a worm celebration," he said.

"That’s what that was for."

Russia, in the midst of a horrific war where they've killed innocent civilians, wants to host a major soccer tournament, the European Football Championship, in 2028 or 2032.

Yes, Vladimir Putin isn't going to let the invasion of a sovereign nation and the killing of thousands of people stop them from applying to hold the Euros.

According to the Associated Press, the Russian Football Union announced their intent to play host, with RFU president Alexander Dyukov telling Russian TV ... "We must take the opportunity to host the Euro. It will be at the World Cup stadiums, and we have developed infrastructure."

FYI, Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup.

Even back then many fans weren't happy the country got the most prestigious sporting event in the world. But now, Russia has become pariahs of the world.

In fact, Russia has been shunned by the global soccer community. FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) and UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) decided to ban the country from competing in any international soccer tourneys.

At the time, the organizations released the following statement, saying, "Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both [FIFA & UEFA] presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”

UEFA also relocated the Champions League finals, originally supposed to be played in Russia in February, to Paris.

Russia will be bidding against Turkey and the British Isles ... who also want to host the 2028 European Championship. As for the 2032 bid, Italy is also vying to host the tourney.

Soccer star Paul Pogba is revealing more information about the terrifying burglary that he says happened at his home earlier this month ... saying his World Cup championship medal was stolen in the heist.

The Manchester United midfielder made the revelation in an in-depth interview with Le Figaro this week -- saying in addition to the prized award, his mother's jewelry was also taken.

Pogba won the medal in 2018, after he and his French national squad beat Croatia, 4-2, in the 2018 World Cup Final.

But, in his interview, Pogba -- who said he was playing in a soccer match on March 15 at the time of the incident -- just seemed grateful that his kids and their nanny weren't hurt during the break-in.

"What scared me the most," he said, "was that my two children were at home with the nanny during this incident. She overheard everything, called my wife and security, then locked herself and the boys in a room."

The Orlando Pride is saying a big sorry to its fans ... after it forced a group of its supporters at its home stadium to take down a banner that had the word "GAY" painted on it.

The National Women's Soccer League team issued the mea culpa on Tuesday afternoon -- explaining it erred when it forced the removal of the sign at its home game on Saturday.

If you missed it, a Pride support group called the "Black Swans" attempted to hang the sign at the team's home game against Washington on Saturday, in what appeared to be a clear effort to oppose Florida's controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The Swans, though, said the team made them take it down for "political reasons" -- something they said they were furious over.

But, the Pride "deeply" apologized for the action this week ... saying in a statement it screwed up.

"The organization admits it wrongly focused on signage policies and procedures, instead of allowing the important meaning of this message," said the Pride, who actually have 49 rainbow seats set up in their stadium to honor Pulse nightclub victims.

"It is a privilege and duty to create a safe, inclusive environment at Orlando Pride matches, and the Club deeply apologizes for violating that trust through this incorrect decision."

The team added the Swans will be allowed to hang the banner -- or something similar to it -- at home games moving forward if it wants.

Carli Lloyd might be retired from football, but she could find another career in American football -- 'cause the U.S. soccer superstar tells TMZ Sports she's open to the idea of playing in the NFL!!

Of course, the 39-year-old World Cup champ and Olympic gold medalist went viral in 2019 ... when she was spotted nailing 55-yard field goals while hanging out with the Philadelphia Eagles.

We spoke with the soccer legend -- just a few months after she decided to hang up her cleats -- and she told us thanks to the free time she has now, an NFL push could be in her future.

Lloyd believes one position women can play in the NFL is kicker, and her confidence in that belief was reinforced after her experience with the Eagles.

"Yeah that was wild how that all unfolded," Lloyd said. "Something I never would've predicted would have happened. It was a cool day to go out there and just hit some field goals."

Lloyd said had it not been for her Olympic journey, she would have seriously entertained the idea of being an NFL kicker.

We also spoke with Lloyd about being the first female ambassador for USA Teqball (think Ping-Pong for soccer) ... and she attributes the pandemic -- as well as seeing guys like Beckham, Messi, and Ronaldinho playing the game for sparking her interest.

"I'm thrilled because it keeps me somewhat around the game in a little bit of a different fashion, but its a really, pretty amazing sport," Lloyd said.

Terrifying news from Paul Pogba -- the Manchester United star says his home was broken into during his game Tuesday night ... and his children were there at the time of the incident.

Pogba says the home invasion happened during the team's 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid ... while his kids were sleeping in their bedroom.

"This occurred during the final minutes of last night's match when they knew that we would not be home," Pogba said on Wednesday via social media.

"My wife and I rushed home not knowing if our children were safe and unharmed."

It is unclear if the kids had a babysitter or nanny at the time of the incident ... but the 29-year-old says this is a father's worst fear.

"As a father there is no feeling worse in the world than not being there to protect your children and I sincerely hope that no one ever has to feel what I felt last night."

The French midfielder doesn't mention what was stolen ... but says his fam's safety has been violated and is offering a reward for any info on the suspects.

"The burglars were in our home for less than five minutes but in that time they took from us something more valuable than anything we had in our home ... our sense of safety and security."

"It is for this reason that I would like to offer a reward for anyone who has a clue to help us."

Just nine months after Christian Eriksen literally died on the soccer pitch during a game, the Danish star is returning to play for Denmark's national club -- completing an incredible comeback.

When speaking of Eriksen, Denmark's coach, Kasper Hjulmand said, "Christian is in a pretty good physical condition."

"I saw him against Burnley last Saturday where he was the best player on the pitch. He is a player who thinks faster than most people do."

Eriksen -- a midfielder for Denmark's squad -- will play friendly matches against the Netherlands on March 26 and Serbia on March 29 ... as the team ramps up competition for the World Cup, set to take place in Qatar in November.

Of course, the sight of 30-year-old Eriksen back on the field is an encouraging one -- last June, Eriksen collapsed during a game, going into cardiac arrest, and requiring CPR to save his life, before being rushed to a hospital on a stretcher.

It was a terrifying moment that had players and fans concerned for Eriksen ... who collapsed while jogging, despite being hit by no one.

As a result of the medical emergency, Christian received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator -- a specific type of pacemaker that's supposed to prevent Eriksen from having similar episodes in the future.

In an interview with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the footballer said he doesn't remember anything from when his heart stopped.

"I remember nothing from when I was gone," Eriksen said. "I just felt distant."

Christian says he's not afraid of collapsing again because he's done everything possible to take care of himself.

Eriksen's contract with Inter Milan was terminated after the cardiac device was implanted.