Soccer

Christina Haack is going all out to prove she's not the crappy mom that ex-husband Ant Anstead wants folks to believe ... sitting on the sidelines for her kids' soccer games.

Christina was in full-on soccer mom mode Saturday, plopping down in her portable chair next to daughter Taylor to watch son Brayden on the field. For Christina, it's her first public appearance since Ant filed for custody of their son Hudson and ripped her mommy skills.

Christina was not only there with her children from her first marriage to Tarek El Moussa, but with his parents, they made a day of it ... watching Taylor compete in a separate game.

It doesn't appear Hudson was there ... so he must've been with dad.

TMZ broke the story ... Ant went OFF on Christina in legal docs filed Thursday, accusing her of being an absent mother, putting Hudson at risk and using the kid as a social media pawn.

Christina fired back in legal docs of her own Friday, seeking to poke holes in Ant's allegations. She told the court there's no need for an emergency order to grant Anstead full custody of 2-year-old Hudson, and so far, the judge agrees.

FIFA just hit Senegal with a $180,000 fine (175,000 Swiss Francs) ... after fans of the soccer federation shined lasers at Egypt's Mohamed Salah during a World Cup qualifying game last month.

It all went down when Egypt was taking on Senegal in a crucially important game in April. The game, tied after regulation, went to penalty kicks to determine who would advance.

Salah, one of Egypt's star players, as well other members of the club, had green lasers repeatedly and intentionally shined in their eyes/face as the team attempted their penalty kicks.

As a result, Salah and his teammates missed their penalty kicks, and Senegal won the match, 1-0 (3-1 PK), advancing to the next round.

Of course, spectators can't bring lasers to soccer matches, as they pose a danger to the public safety of the fans and athletes on the field.

However, that didn't deter fans -- seeking a competitive advantage for their respective soccer club. Now, FIFA officials have lowered the financial boom as a result of the fans' actions.

"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," FIFA said after the incident.

"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."

As for how FIFA came up with the punishment for Senegal, the governing body said its disciplinary panel compared it to other cases from WC qualifying games where similar incidents happened.

Senegal must also play a future game in a stadium with no fans.

Mino Raiola -- agent to soccer's biggest superstars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba -- is putting an end to rumors he passed away on Thursday ... tweeting he's definitely not dead, and "pissed off" at anyone reporting otherwise.

There were erroneous reports claiming the 54-year-old superagent passed away from a lung illness just hours ago ... the same story that started circulating back in January.

But, Raiola put an end to all speculation on Twitter ... saying, "Current health status for the ones wondering: pissed off second time in 4 months they kill me."

"Seem also able to resuscitate."

The journalist responsible for the initial report going viral has since apologized for the mistake ... and has suspended his Twitter account.

According to reporter, Fabrizio Romano, Raiola's doctor said his patient is, in fact, dealing with a medical issue ... but as Raiola stated -- he's NOT dead.

"I'm outraged by the phone calls from pseudo-journalists speculating on the life of a man who is fighting to survive," Dr. Alberto Zangrillo said, according to Romano.

ESPN is reporting Raiola was admitted to San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in January ... and his business partner told the outlet he remains in serious condition.

"It's not true. He is not dead, but he is fighting for his life."

Cristiano Ronaldo, Georgina Rodríguez and their newborn baby girl are back home with their family ... and the couple is giving thanks for all the support and sympathy they received after the tragic death of their twin son.

"Home sweet home," CR7 said in an Instagram post on Thursday. "Gio and our baby girl are finally together with us."

The Manchester United superstar shared earlier this week that their baby son had tragically passed away.

Fans across the world showed support for the couple immediately after news of the tragedy hit -- including on Tuesday, when fans at the Man U vs. Liverpool game gave a minute-long applause to pay tribute to the soccer superstar and his family.

"We want to thank everyone for all the kind words and gestures," Ronaldo added in his post Thursday. "Your support is very important and we all felt the love and respect that you have for our family."

"Now it’s time to be grateful for the life that we’ve just welcomed into this world. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻"

Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams could be Chelsea FC's next owners -- both sports icons have reportedly pledged MILLIONS in a bid to buy the club.

The F1 superstar and tennis legend have joined British business mogul Martin Broughton's group of rich and powerful investors hoping to purchase the team from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, according to Reuters.

There's a report Hamilton and Williams both paid $13 million each ... but the Mercedes driver's rep claims that is not an accurate number. In fact, we're told Lewis contributed tens of millions as part of the bid.

Josh Harris and David Blitzer -- who own the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils -- are also part of the bid.

Of course, Abramovich recently put the team up for sale amid the UK government's sanctions to seize the assets of those close to Vladimir Putin.

While RA has denied being tight with the Russian president, he still put the team on the market ... with a reported $3.93 billion price tag.

Williams made nearly $46 million alone in 2021 ... while Hamilton raked in $82 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Manchester United's game against Liverpool on Tuesday ... his soccer club just announced the star is sitting out while he mourns the tragic death of his newborn son.

Man U officially ruled Ronaldo out early Tuesday morning ... saying in a statement, "Family is more important than everything and Ronaldo is supporting his loved ones at this immensely difficult time."

Manchester United is set to kick off its game in Anfield at 12 PM.

As we reported, Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, announced Monday their baby son passed away. In a statement, they said "it is the greatest pain that any parents can feel."

Ronaldo and Rodriguez -- who announced back in December they were expecting a twin boy and a twin girl -- added that the birth of their daughter "gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness."

Fans, teammates, celebs and more have poured out support for the soccer player and Rodriguez since the announcement.

It's unknown when Ronaldo will return to the pitch next ... but it's clear his team is going to give him all the time he needs.

"Cristiano," Man U said in its statement Tuesday, "we are all thinking of you and sending strength to the family."

Absolutely devastating news from Cristiano Ronaldo and longtime GF Georgina Rodríguez ... the couple just announced their baby boy -- a twin -- tragically passed away.

Ronaldo and Rodríguez had been expecting twins.

Cristiano made the crushing announcement on Instagram Monday morning ... and it's difficult to read.

"It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel," the 37-year-old soccer star wrote.

"Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness."

The details surrounding the tragic incident are not clear.

Remember, Cristiano and Georgina announced they were expecting twins in October. Then, they shared their gender reveal in December (with help from the whole family) ... when they found out they were expecting a boy and a girl.

Cristiano ended his post thanking the medical professionals who helped his family.

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.