Soccer

Former MLS star Aaron Boupendza -- who helped FC Cincinnati win the Supporters' Shield in 2023 -- has tragically passed away after falling from a balcony. He was just 28 years old.

The pro footballer, who was playing for Zhejiang FC, died on Wednesday at his apartment building in China.

Local police have launched an investigation into Boupendza's death, reportedly treating it as "suspicious."

A soccer player tragically passed away after a devastating collision on the pitch during the Copa Peru over the weekend. He was 21 years old.

The horrific incident happened at Real Titan NC's match against the Defensor Nueva Cajamarca ... when Helar Gonzales Altamirano made contact with the opponent's goalkeeper while battling for the ball.

Altamirano collapsed to the ground and was unresponsive ... causing his teammates to panic as they realized the severity of the situation.

5:30 PM PST -- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman just announced that Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino faces a possible maximum sentence of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He was also charged in a separate case with one felony count of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense. Garcia-Aquino is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in February 2024. If convicted as charged, he faces a possible maximum sentence of six years in state prison on that case.

A soccer coach who a Los Angeles family says was the last person who had contact with their dead son is being charged with the boy's murder ... TMZ has learned.

The missing 13-year-old boy Oscar Omar Hernandez was found dead in a ditch last week in Oxnard and his family says he was last seen with his soccer coach, 43-year-old Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Aquino is being charged with Oscar's murder.

An Illinois teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student she tutored allegedly began messaging him using a digital school platform, which prosecutors say ramped up into flirtatious texts ... and a sexual encounter inside a classroom.

Christina Formella first got together with the student in 2023 when she was his freshman soccer coach at Downers Grove South High School ... this according to court documents, obtained by TMZ.

The docs say Formella started tutoring the alleged victim after he broke his collarbone ... and they began messaging each other on a school platform. From there, prosecutors say, Formella then gave him her number so they could play "8-Ball Pool" on their phones. The pair then allegedly exchanged provocative texts, followed by a FaceTime meeting between the student and Formella.

A San Diego FC fan was blindsided by a sucker punch following his favorite team's game Saturday night -- and the big KO blow was all captured on video.

The violence unfolded just after SDFC beat LAFC, 3-2, at Snapdragon Stadium ... when supporters of both teams got into a skirmish near the venue's parking lot.

Footage from the scene shows as a man in an SDFC jacket sprung into a skirmish to escalate a verbal altercation -- another man tagged him in the side of the face with a vicious right hand.

Former Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves has won an appeal of his sexual assault conviction ... with a Spanish Court overturning the ruling this week.

Alves -- who spent 14 months behind bars as part of the case -- was found guilty back in February 2024 after he was accused of raping a woman at a Spanish nightclub in December 2022 ... and was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison.

Alves denied the allegation during the trial ... claiming their interaction was consensual.

Chad Johnson's famous for his football skills ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's now just as good at a different hobby -- video game soccer!!

The Cincinnati Bengals legend is hanging out at eMLS Cup Week in New York City this month ... and as one of the big programs at the event is the 2025 eMLS Cup Final, we just had to ask on Thursday how his abilities are when it comes to the sticks.

Johnson made it crystal clear he thinks they're similar to the ones he used to put on display on NFL gridirons -- proclaiming he's "the best EA FC player in the world."

David and Victoria Beckham's son has a need for speed ... and he's telling TMZ Sports the solid advice his parents gave him before pursuing his passion!!

We caught up with Brooklyn Beckham to talk about his journey with the "Formula E Evo Sessions" -- which gave 11 personalities a chance to get behind the fastest electric race car around after a ton of intense training -- and he said his family's main concern was that he was safe.

"It's something that me and my dad bonded over, over the years," he said. "Both into cars, both into racing. He was really excited, but just said, 'Be careful.'"

Before Cristiano Ronaldo buried a soccer ball in the back of the net during his game Friday, he stuffed one of his look-a-likes in a proverbial locker ... insisting the wannabe didn't resemble him one bit.

The troll job took place just minutes before Ronaldo's Al Nassr squad took on Al Shabab in Riyadh ... when a man wearing a No. 7 Portugal jersey got the footballer's attention from the stands as he was warming up for the tilt on the pitch.

The man flagged down Ronaldo and seemed excited to show him his red 'fit and Cristiano-esque haircut. But the 40-year-old gave him a response he no doubt wasn't expecting ... straight-up calling the impersonator "ugly."

FIFA's preparing for the 2026 World Cup, and they're taking a page out of the NFL's playbook ... tasking Coldplay's Chris Martin and Phil Harvey with finding famous artists to perform the first halftime show at the world's biggest sporting event!

In other words, Chris is FIFA's Jay-Z.

Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, announced news of the partnership on Wednesday at a press event in Dallas ... where they discussed plans for the upcoming 2026 World Cup in North America.

LAFC's Sergi Palencia has been cleared of wrongdoing by a major soccer governing body ... as CONCACAF determined the defender did not use a derogatory term towards a Colorado Rapids player during their matchup in February.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football released their findings Tuesday afternoon, saying that while inappropriate language was used during the Feb. 25 interaction with Rapids defender Chidozie Awaziem, "The word reported by the Colorado Rapids in its official position to Concacaf was not used."

"Concacaf will continue to urge teams, players, and fans to participate in our sport positively and with respect for the opposition," the statement read. "There is no room for discrimination in our game. What’s Wrong is Wrong."

LAFC defender Sergi Palencia is currently under investigation ... after being accused of using a derogatory term toward a Colorado Rapids player during Tuesday night's contest.

Play was halted at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles during the 85th minute of the Concacaf Champions Cup match ... when Rapids defender Chidozie Awaziem began speaking intensely with a referee over what he deemed hate speech.

The official then talked to both coaches and the respected team captains before the action was resumed ... which ended in a Rapids loss by a final score of 1-0.

Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent after winning the 2023 World Cup.

Prosecutors wanted Rubiales behind bars for the incident ... but he was ultimately ordered to pay a fine of over $10,434, must stay at least 656 feet away from Hermoso and is banned from communicating with her for one year.

If convicted under Spain's new (2022) consent laws, Rubiales could have faced between one and four years behind bars.

Roughly half a million dollars worth of jewelry was allegedly stolen from Olivier Giroud's Los Angeles-area home during a burglary earlier this month, TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement tells us ... the break-in was reported to cops by the soccer star's wife on Feb. 5 -- after she had discovered a smashed window at their property.

We're told Giroud's partner noted several pricey items were taken in the burglary -- including over 10 men's watches. She told officers the value of the missing stuff was close to $500,000.

He shoots, he scores! Cristiano Ronaldo just hit the big 4-0, and he’s still serving up wins --especially when it comes to those shirtless selfies!

The man is chiseled AF, and we’ve got a whole gallery of ripped, shirtless CR pics that you’ll definitely get a kick out of.

While Ronaldo’s fine-tuning those abs on the pitch and in the gym, he’s also making sure his glow stays as golden as those trophies he's got.

Timothée Chalamet and Edward Norton do as the Romans do ... and that means cheering on some of the top soccer teams in Italy.

The actors took a break from their press tour for their new Bob Dylan biopic to take in a little Serie A soccer Friday in Rome.

Timothée and Edward had great seats to watch AS Roma take Genoa CFC ... and Chalamet was pretty animated, jumping out of his seat and cheering.