Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was on Thursday named European Footballer of the Year, the Portuguese striker topping the journalists' poll ahead of Germany's World Cup winner Manuel Neuer and Dutchman Arjen Robben.

Ronaldo is the fourth recipient of the award, succeeding Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

Champions Real Madrid will play five-time former winners Liverpool while fellow Spanish giants Barcelona plucked big-spending Paris Saint-Germain as the Champions League group stage draw was made in Monaco on Thursday.

But the most mouth-watering draw saw 2013 champions Bayern Munich paired with Manchester City, Roma and CSKA Moscow in Group E.

Europe deserves an extra team at the next World Cup, UEFA President Michel Platini said Thursday.

Platini pledged to ask FIFA for the extra spot because Germany's World Cup victory in Brazil made it three straight titles for Europe. Italy won in 2006 and Spain four years ago.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says instant miracles shouldn't be expected from Angel Di Maria.

After missing out on European football this season with a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Premier League in May, United slumped to a 4-0 loss to third-tier club MK Dons in the League Cup on Tuesday.

The U.S. and Spain played a pair of classics in the last two Olympic gold-medal games — the Americans winning both — and fans would love to see them meet again in the FIBA World Cup of Basketball.

That could only happen if they both reach the September 14 championship game in Madrid, as the world's No. 1 and No. 2 teams are on opposite sides of the bracket for the 24-team tournament.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud faces four months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a broken tibia.

The France international was injured in a 2-2 draw with Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, seconds after scoring.

Bulgarian club Ludogorets reached the Champions League group stage for the first time Wednesday when a defender saved two penalties in a shootout after the team's goalkeeper was sent off late in extra time.

On a night when Arsenal, Athletic Bilbao and Bayer Leverkusen all qualified for Europe's top competition, Ludogorets center back Cosmin Moti upstaged everyone with his heroics in Sofia.

French Open champion Maria Sharapova and Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka survived some shaky moments Wednesday to book their third-round berths at the U.S. Open.

Sharapova, who lifted her fifth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year, fought back from a set down in a gritty 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over 95th-ranked Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru.

Despite never winning a trophy with the so-called "golden generation," Frank Lampard retired from England duty on Tuesday having provided his greatest legacy to football in one game he'd rather forget.

The midfielder prompted the introduction of goal-line technology when he was denied a clear goal in England's humiliating 4-1 loss to Germany at the 2010 World Cup.

Manchester United broke the British transfer-fee record by signing Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for 59.7 million pounds ($99 million) on Tuesday, extending a summer spending spree that was sparked by its most disappointing season in a generation.

The 26-year-old Di Maria joined on a five-year contract, taking United's spending to about 130 million pounds ($215 million) in the summer transfer window as England's most successful club seeks to revive its fortunes under new manager Louis van Gaal.