Harry Kane's late penalty earned England a 1-1 draw in Germany in their Nations League game on Tuesday, when Italy and Turkey registered wins.

Kane slotted the equalizer from the spot in the 88th minute, though there was controversy over referee Carlos del Cerro Grande's decision to award it after a VAR check as Kane looked to be offside before going down in a tangle with Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck.

Brazil defeated Japan 1-0 in a friendly Monday thanks to a penalty by Neymar in the 77th minute after he was tripped in the box on a rainy night at Tokyo's new National Stadium.

It was Neymar's 74th goal for the national team, leaving him three short of matching the record held by Pele. He also scored two penalties last week in a 5-1 victory over South Korea as Brazil tested itself on an Asian tour against two teams who qualified for the World Cup.

Energized at Wembley by Lionel Messi's assists, Argentina's players threw their superstar teammate in the air after he inspired them to a second title in a year.

National team success is finally coming for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, late in his trophy-filled club career.

Pelé published a message Wednesday urging Vladimir Putin to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced millions.

The 81-year-old Pelé, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, said he published his message to the Russian president on the same day Ukraine's national team beat Scotland 3-1 in a playoff that took it a step closer to the soccer World Cup. Ukraine will face Wales on Sunday for a spot in Qatar.

Hertha Berlin hired Sandro Schwarz on Thursday as its coach after the Bundesliga club narrowly escaped relegation.

Schwarz is the latest in a string of coaches tasked with bridging the gulf between Hertha's grand ambitions of establishing itself as a major European club and its years of underachievement on the field.

German international defender Antonio Rudiger has joined Spanish and European champions Real Madrid from Chelsea, the two clubs confirmed on Thursday.

The 29-year-old center-back, who was out of contract at Chelsea, has signed a four-year deal in the Spanish capital, Real announced.

Gareth Bale confirmed he is leaving Real Madrid on Wednesday, saying he was happy to have fulfilled his dream of playing with the Spanish powerhouse.

The 32-year-old Bale, whose contract expires at the end of this month, joined Madrid from Tottenham in 2013. He played on loan with the English club in 2020-21.

Rafael Nadal insists he can't know for sure whether any match at Roland Garros might be his very last at a place he loves, a place he is loved.

For now, if he keeps winning and keeps performing the way he did during his monumental quarterfinal victory over longtime rival Novak Djokovic that began in May and ended in June, Nadal will have more chances to play.

The third edition of the Nations League begins this week with many participants already thinking about the World Cup.

National teams will get a rare opportunity to play several matches in a row — practically serving as a preseason — as the international dates were moved to June because of the World Cup beginning in November.

French President Emmanuel Macron and government members said they are "sad and sorry" for 2,700 Liverpool fans who had a ticket but couldn't get into the stadium amid disorder and chaos at the Champions League final in Paris, where Liverpool lost to Real Madrid 1-0.

The issue has been discussed at the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Elysee presidential palace on Wednesday, French government spokesperson Olivia Grégoire said.