Soccer

Powerful moment throughout the National Women's Soccer League ... when players paused mid-game in an act of solidarity amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct surrounding ex-coach Paul Riley.

The NWSL resumed play on Wednesday after canceling games over the weekend ... and the players used the pitch as an opportunity to demand change to the culture of sexual harassment in the league.

All three games -- Gotham FC/Washington Spirit, North Carolina Courage/Racing Louisville, and Houston Dash/Portland Thorns -- stopped play in the 6th minute ... representing the 6 years it took for the allegations against Riley to come out.

Players linked arms while standing in a circle at midfield ... sending a strong message to the NWSL and its members that they would no longer remain silent on these issues.

In a statement released on social media, the players said that the demonstration was for players "who fought for too long to be heard," prompting the hashtag #NoMoreSilence.

They also asked fans to stand in silence in support of the players.

"During that time, we ask that you stand in that pain and discomfort with us, as we consider what too many of us have been asked to sit with for too long," the NWSLPA statement read.

The group also released a list of demands, calling for an independent and thorough investigation into each club "to determine whether any abuse, whether presently known or unknown, has occurred at any point in time."

NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird has since resigned amid the backlash the league has been engulfed in. The players demand the NWSL give them the opportunity to interview her replacement.

The players ended their list of demands with a strong message -- "The reckoning has already begun. We will not be silent. We will be relentless in our pursuit of a league that deserves the players in it."

One of the biggest stars in the National Women's Soccer League is calling out the organization's failures to address serious allegations of sexual harassment ... with Alex Morgan demanding major changes.

As we previously reported, the North Carolina Courage fired coach Paul Riley amid allegations of sexual coercion spanning multiple teams and leagues dating back to 2010.

Two of Riley’s former players -- Meleana "Mana" Shim and Sinead Farrelly -- were among some of the players who came forward to detail their alleged experiences with Riley over the years ... and on Tuesday, Morgan joined them on "Today" to discuss the toxic culture within the league.

"I'm here to support Mana and Sinead and to continue to amplify their voices, and just show the systemic failure from the league and how wrong they did in handling Mana's case and complaint and investigation and where they failed Mana and Sinead, and probably many other women," Morgan said.

Morgan claims there were times when the league didn't even have an anti-harassment policy, human resources department, anonymous hotline or any other way to report alleged incidents ... which made it challenging for players to speak up.

Shim also detailed her experiences with Riley, saying ... "He's a predator. He sexually harassed me, he sexually coerced Sinead, and he took away our careers."

"From early on, there was a possession not just from Paul, but from the team that I was playing for. They silenced me for multiple issues, my sexuality being the most important one, and I was just very, very uncomfortable the whole time."

She added ... "And, every day I showed up to work, every day I practiced, every game I played, I didn't have confidence and I was scared. The only thing that got me through was my teammates."

Riley is now out of the job ... and so is NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird, who resigned amid the backlash.

A Brazilian soccer player has been charged with attempted murder after he disgustingly kicked a referee in the head during a game, appearing to knock the man out cold.

The insane incident all went down on Monday in São Paulo de Rio Grande's match vs. Guarani de Venancio Aires ... when William Ribeiro lost his mind after not getting a call.

Video from the game shows Ribeiro was so livid over the ref's decision ... he shoved the man to the ground and then violently kicked him in the temple.

The ref laid motionless on the turf for several moments ... and was eventually transported to a local hospital.

Ribeiro, meanwhile, was arrested just minutes later at the stadium ... and ultimately charged by prosecutors.

"His attack was very strong and violent," local authorities told reporters following the incident, "kicking the referee in the head and making him pass out."

"The referee had no chance of defending himself."

The play was called "revolting" by Ribeiro's team president, Delvid Goulart Pereira, who announced shortly after the game that Ribeiro had been cut over the kick.

"Rest assured, we are sorry and deeply ashamed," the club exec said. "We send all the apologies in the world to the injured referee and his family as well as apologizing to the public in general for the lamentable scene seen today."

"The contract of the offending player is terminated. Furthermore, all possible legal measures in relation to the incident will be taken."

It's unclear whether Ribeiro will be allowed to be released from jail or if he'll remain under custody while an investigation unfolds.

Lionel Messi's signed thousands of autographs throughout his legendary career ... but how'd you like to own one of his first John Hancock's?! Well, with a fat enough bank account, it can be yours.

Before Messi, now 34 years old, scored a single goal for Barcelona (he's netted 672 goals), he played for a team named called Newell's Old Boys sports club -- a soccer team for 8 to 12 year old boys -- in Argentina.

Goldin Auctions got their hands on an awesome, 20+ year old identification card formerly owned by Messi ... complete with a very child-like signature.

Leo -- who was recently transferred to Paris Saint-Germain -- printed his name LIONEL MESSI.

Beckett -- one of the most respected authenticators in the game -- gave the laminated card their stamp of approval, declaring it "authentic," grading the autograph a gem mint 10 ("pristine") rating.

The 3x Ballon d'Or winner joined the club as an 8-year-old in 1995 ... and they were almost unstoppable. In fact, the squad was nicknamed "The Machine of '87".

Lionel averaged more than a goal a game with Newell.

And Messi isn't the only professional soccer player the club has produced ... Abel Balbo, Jorge Valdano and Gabriel Batistuta, amongst many others, have suited up for the team.

The one-of-a-kind memorabilia hit the auction block late Monday night ... and has a starting bid of $10K.

Dozens of L.A. Galaxy and LAFC supporters were involved in a wild melee following the two teams' rivalry game Sunday ... and the entire, violent incident was caught on video.

A bystander captured the chaos at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles following the Galaxy's 1-1 draw with LAFC ... and you can see in the footage, multiple people threw and landed huge punches and kicks.

It's unclear what set off the altercation ... but even with security guards and what appears to be police officers present -- fans still tried to beat the hell out of each other.

In the two-minute clip, you can see several people were punched in the face, while others were kicked hard on the ground.

According to witnesses, multiple people suffered injuries in the fracas. Meanwhile, it's unclear if any arrests were made -- we've reached out to law enforcement, but so far, no word back yet.

We've also reached out to Galaxy for a comment, but no word back there yet either.

Story developing ...

Paul Riley -- head coach of the North Carolina Courage -- was fired on Thursday after he was accused of sexual coercion against multiple former NWSL players.

The Athletic report accuses Riley of sexual coercion -- sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and homophobic rhetoric while working with multiple leagues and teams dating back to 2010.

Once the Courage got wind of the news, Riley was canned.

"The Courage support the players who have come forward and we commend them for bravely sharing their stories," the team said in a statement.

Two former NWSL players went public with their alleged experiences playing for Riley ... with Sinead Farrelly saying she "felt under his control."

Meleana "Mana" Shim added ... "I felt from the beginning like I owed him."

The NWSLPA tweeted a statement saying systemic abuse plaguing the NWSL must not be ignored.

"We refuse to be silent any longer," the statement says. "Our commitment as players is to speak truth to power. We will no longer be complicit in a culture of silence that has enabled abuse and exploitation in our league and our sport."

NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird responded to the incident by saying she was "shocked and disgusted" by the allegations.

As for Riley, he tells The Athletic the majority of the accusations being tossed at him are "completely untrue."

Yo Gotti has gone from taking over the rap game to taking over the soccer game -- 'cause the star MC is now a co-owner of the MLS' D.C. United!!!

Gotti just announced his new business venture on Monday ... saying he -- alongside 3 other investors -- bought ownership of the franchise.

With his investment, Gotti currently owns 2-3% of the team -- and BTW, D.C. United is currently worth $750 million.

Gotti's investment comes shortly after Houston Texans RB Mark Ingram II invested in June to push the team’s value to $710 million.

The "Put a Date on It" rapper explained his decision to get involved in a statement on Monday.

"I was introduced to the game by my son and watched how quickly it has grown in our country, so I’m honored to join the D.C. United ownership group,"

The Memphis rapper is known for his business acumen since his early days ... and has sold over millions of records, created multiple hits and even started his own rap label called CMG in 2014 (Collective Music Group).

Reece James -- a Chelsea soccer star and member of England's national team -- claims his home was burglarized Tuesday ... and he says it was all captured by security cameras.

James says the incident went down while he was away from his house playing in a game for Chelsea ... claiming the footage shows clear as day how thieves stole a giant safe from his home.

In the video, you can see what appears to be four men pushing their way through a gate on James' property to get access to his house.

The men then appear to look into James' windows ... before breaking in using a giant sledgehammer.

James says you can see in the video the guys stole a safe from his place ... and then hauled it all the way outside and into a getaway car.

"They managed to collectively lift a heavy safe containing some personal items of mine into their car," James said.

The 21-year-old footballer says some of his priceless soccer awards were in the safe ... adding that law enforcement has been notified and is investigating.

"I am appealing to all my Chelsea and England fans to help identify and turn in these low life individuals who will never be able to rest easy as the evidence is mounting against them," James said.

"The police, my advisers and Chelsea FC (and many others) are all behind me as we have firm leads on who the perpetrators are. We are closing in on them."

James said, thankfully, nobody was home or injured during the incident.

Soccer's G.O.A.T. apparently has a problem with sheep ... 'cause Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly had to move mansions this month -- after baaing animals on his property kept waking him up!!!

Shortly after departing Juventus for Manchester United ... Ronaldo and his fam moved into a 7-bedroom pad in the UK -- but packed up and bolted to another palatial estate just days later.

As for why, The Sun says it's because sheep on the first property could not stop making racket!!

The report claims the soccer star was losing sleep over the creatures' sounds ... so "it was decided it was best if he and his family moved."

Don't worry ... Ronaldo's new place is apparently just as badass as the first -- minus the noisy sheep -- with The Sun reporting it's got a cinema room, a pool and a big garage.

Clearly, the moves haven't affected the 37-year-old's play on the pitch -- because he's been stellar in his return to Man U, scoring three goals in his first two games.

Of course, he did have an incident where a wayward warmup shot this week knocked a security guard in the head ... but, hey, with more sleep on the way -- we're expecting far less of that and far more goal-scoring.

The player union representing the U.S. Women's national soccer team is speaking out AGAINST the U.S. Soccer Federation's "identical deals" proposal ... saying the whole thing is nothing but a publicity stunt.

The USSF recently announced its plans to unite the men's and women's squads under the same collective bargaining agreement by offering identical contracts.

"U.S. Soccer firmly believes that the best path forward for all involved, and for the future of the sport in the United States, is a single pay structure for both senior national teams,' the USSF said Tuesday.

"This proposal will ensure that USWNT and USMNT players remain among the highest-paid senior national team players in the world, while providing a revenue sharing structure that would allow all parties to begin anew and share collectively in the opportunity that combined investment in the future of U.S. Soccer will deliver over the course of a new CBA."

The women's team is now breaking its silence on the matter ... calling BS on the deal, claiming it's anything but fair.

One of the issues ... World Cup prize money. The women -- who won the WC in 2019 -- receive about $40 million for winning the world's biggest soccer tourney.

Meanwhile, the men make around 10 times more ... raking in over $400 million.

So, you see why the women are calling the fairness offer nothing more than a publicity stunt.

Now, it's important to note that it's not the U.S. Soccer Federation entity that sets the World Cup prize money.

FYI, the women's team filed a $66 million lawsuit against the governing body in 2019 for gender discrimination ... but the suit was dismissed. The women are currently appealing the decision.

Star player, Megan Rapinoe, also spoke out demanding for equal pay at the White House back in March.

Cristiano Ronaldo sprang into action to help a security guard prior to his Manchester United match on Tuesday ... after one of his practice shots hit and seemingly injured the staffer.

The 36-year-old soccer superstar was getting in some practice kicks prior to his first Champions League game with Man U since 2009 ... when the ball soared over the goal and hit the guard.

The staffer fell to the ground and laid on her back as Ronaldo leapt over the fence to check on her. Ronaldo looked visibly concerned as the staffer was tended to.

No word on the security guard's current status -- we'll keep you updated as soon as details are released.

As for the game, Ronaldo was able to find his accuracy and hit the back of the net early in the match against the Young Boys of Switzerland to give Man U a 1-0 lead ... but an equalizer came in the 66th minute.

Of course, Ronaldo just rejoined Man U last month, after being a superstar with the team from 2003-09 ... and so far, it's been nothing but success.

Being the son of one of the most famous athletes ever is a gift and a curse ... so says Alexi Lalas, who tells TMZ Sports Romeo Beckham will experience both highs and lows throughout his soccer career.

Of course, David Beckham's 19-year-old son just signed with Fort Lauderdale CF over the weekend ... the sister club to Inter Miami CF, which the soccer icon co-owns.

We spoke with Lalas shortly after the signing ... and he's giving props to the kid for taking on the challenge of following in David's footsteps.

"Probably not easy running around with that name on the back of your jersey," Lalas said.

But, AL says Romeo's probably not even concerned about living up to the pressure ... adding, "I don't think he's worried about that. I certainly don't think his father's worried about that."

"As long as he's having a good time and he's good, he can be his own man and figure it out himself."

Lalas says the Beckham last name will provide more opportunities for him ... but will also undoubtedly make certain things harder as well.

"It opens doors for you but it also can provide some barriers for you so as long as he appreciates the opportunity he has and does the work, I'm all for it."

We know what you're thinking -- is this a case of nepotism?? Lalas has an interesting take.

"We all have our different opportunities and our different privileges and our different advantages in life. That's just the way life is. Life isn't fair and soccer isn't fair but it's what you do with 'em and, obviously, you have to appreciate him and respect him."

The Cristiano Ronaldo move from Juventus to Manchester United is official ... and the soccer superstar couldn't be happier about it, saying, "I'm back where I belong!"

Man U formally announced the Ronaldo signing Tuesday ... and it wasn't long after that Cristiano got emotional about running it back with the team he had so much success with from 2003 through 2009.

"Everyone who knows me, knows about my never ending love for Manchester United," Ronaldo said in a statement on his Instagram page.

"The years I spent in this club were absolutely amazing and the path we've made together is written in gold letters in the history of this great and amazing institution."

The footballer continued, "I can’t even start to explain my feelings right now, as I see my return to Old Trafford announced worldwide. It’s like a dream come true."

Ronaldo became a legend in his first stint with Manchester United, winning his first-ever Golden Boot award as well as his first-ever Ballon d’Or honor with the Red Devils.

Manchester City soccer player Benjamin Mendy has been suspended from his team after he was charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The Cheshire Police announced the charges against the 27-year-old on Thursday ... saying three complainants accused the soccer player of sexually assaulting them between Oct. 2020 and Aug. 2021.

The police said Mendy will remain in custody ... and appear at Chester Magistrates' Court on Friday.

After the shocking arrest, Man City released a statement ... explaining Mendy has been suspended indefinitely.

"Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation," club officials said.

"The matter is subject to a legal process and the club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete."

Mendy signed with Man City in 2017 -- winning the English League Club twice and the Premier League three times.

Soccer star Harry Kane is channeling his inner Wolf of Wall Street -- 'cause he says he's NOT LEAVING Tottenham ... this, after reports of a full-court press from Manchester City.

Of course, the 28-year-old striker has been affiliated with Tottenham since 2004 ... and has been on the senior squad since 2009.

But, there were rumblings the English national team captain could bail for greener pastures this summer ... with Man City's Pep Guardiola publicly admitting the club wanted Kane.

Kane put the rumors to rest on Twitter earlier Wednesday ... saying, "It was incredible to see the reception from the Spurs fans on Sunday and to read some of the messages of support I've had in the last few weeks. 👏⚽"

"I will be staying at Tottenham this summer and will be 100% focused on helping the team achieve success. #COYS"

A wild brawl broke out during a French soccer match Sunday ... with fans invading the pitch and trading violent blows with players on the field.

The insane scene all went down toward the end of the Nice vs. Marseille tilt in France ... when Marseille forward Dimitri Payet was hit by a bottle that was thrown from the stands.

In broadcast footage from the game, you can see after Payet hurled the bottle back toward fans ... an absolutely chaotic scene was ignited.

People in the stands began throwing more trash at players ... before they ultimately stormed the field and went after the footballers.

Video from the stadium shows fans and players shoved each other wildly ... and at one point, one man appeared to be knocked out by a vicious punch to the face.

Fortunately, after a delay of over an hour, officials and security workers were able to get players to safety. The rest of the match, though, was ultimately canceled.