England's lack of success in major international tournaments can be linked to the relatively low number of English players taking part in the Champions League, a study has suggested.

Analysis by sports statisticians Gracenote of the nationalities of players starting games in the Champions League reveals that England still lags behind other major footballing nations, just as it has ever since the competition was expanded to 32 teams in 1999.

Gareth Bale has won four Champions Leagues in five years at Real Madrid, but believes the Spanish giants can be even better in their quest for a 14th European crown despite the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann says he still can't fathom why he was not voted one of the world's top three players by FIFA -- but hopes winning the "more prestigious" Ballon d'Or will make amends.

"It's a prize from FIFA and it seems a pity that no World Cup winners were nominated," Griezmann, who helped France to World Cup glory in Russia this summer, told Spanish sports daily AS.

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first competitive goal for Italian champions Juventus and then added a second in Sunday's fourth Serie A game of the season, against Sassuolo in Turin.

Kylian Mbappe takes an enforced rest from the Paris Saint-Germain side this weekend as the French champions warm up for their Champions League trip to Liverpool with a home clash against Saint-Etienne.

FIFA plans changes to the international transfers rules that would limit player loans and create a clearing house to handle agents fees, a source told AFP on Thursday.

English champions Manchester City posted record revenues of £500.5 million ($652 million) in a record-breaking 2017/18 campaign on the pitch as Pep Guardiola's men romped to the Premier League title amassing 100 points.

The Lebanese Basketball Federation and Societe Generale de banque au Liban signed a partnership agreement on Thursday at the Nohad Nawfal Stadium in Zouk Mkayel.

The ceremony was held in the presence of the Federation’s President , Akram Halabi, SGBL’s Director of Strategy and Marketing, Habib Khoury, the Federation’s Vice President, Eddy Bou Zakhm, the Federation’s Secretary General, Tony Khalil, the Head of National Team Committee Ghazi Boustany, the Federation members George Sabounjian, Charbel Michel Rizk and Patrick Lahoud, and the representatives of the media outlets.

Spain's anti-doping agency said Wednesday it has opened an investigation into Valencia's Russian striker Denis Cheryshev, one of the revelations of the 2018 World Cup.

Young Monaco driver Charles Leclerc will replace Finnish veteran Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari next season with the former world champion returning to Sauber, both Formula One teams announced on Tuesday.