World Cup

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Van Marwijk picks his 1st squad as Australia head coach

Associated Press

FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring during the Europa League round of 32 first leg soccer match between Manchester United and St.-Etienne at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is eyeing a chance to play at another World Cup even though the coach of Sweden's national team was convinced that the veteran striker had no desire to return. The 36-year-old Ibrahimovic retired from international soccer after the 2016 European Championship to focus on prolonging his club career. Ibrahimovic says &quot;the door hasn't been shut to anything.&quot; (AP Photo/Dave Thompson/File)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic eyes Sweden return ahead of World Cup

By ROB HARRIS and JAN M. OLSEN - Associated Press

FILE - In this Sunday, June 25, 2017 file photo, a giant screen reports an incident is being investigated by VAR (Video Assistant Referee) during the Confederations Cup, Group B soccer match between Germany and Cameroon, at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia. FIFA has briefed coaches on how video assistant referees will operate at the World Cup. Although some trials have created additional confusion in games, soccer’s most significant adoption of technology is set to be formally voted into the laws of the game at a meeting on Saturday, March 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, file)

Amid confusion, World Cup coaches briefed on VAR before vote

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

FILE - This is a Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 file photo of England's soccer team as they celebrate with the trophy after winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Kolkata, India. England might to the first and last team to be holders of both the Under-20 and Under-17 World Cups. FIFA is looking to merge the youth tournaments won last year by England to create a 48-team competition, emulating the expansion of the main men’s World Cup. Officials are exploring the merits of an age cut-off at 18 or 19. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath/File)

FIFA explores merging youth World Cups for 48-team event

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

FILE - In this Friday, June 16, 2017 file photo, FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura talks to media during a news conference at the St. Petersburg Stadium, Russia. FIFA has lifted a gag on voters publicly endorsing a 2026 World Cup bid. Soccer’s governing body last month ordered officials not to openly discuss the merits of either the joint Northern American bid or the rival Morocco contender. But FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura informed members this week of an about-turn in a letter to member associations offering new guidance on the bid rules of conduct. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File)

FIFA lifts ban on 2026 World Cup voters publicly backing bid

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

United States' Breezy Johnson arrives at the finish area after competing during an alpine ski, women's world Cup downhill race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Marco Tacca)

Johnson’s childhood dream took focus, work

By CLARK FORSTER - Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, right, during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Pool Photo via AP)

Putin meets FIFA president Infantino to discuss World Cup

Associated Press

FILE - This is a Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017 file photo of Chechnya's regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov celebrates scoring against the Italian former players soccer team in Grozny, Russia. Egypt will be based at the World Cup in Chechnya with FIFA approving the facility despite the Russian region’s leadership being criticized for widespread human rights violations and a crackdown on dissent. Egypt has selected a training facility in the Chechen capital Grozny for its first World Cup trip in 28 years. (AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev)

FIFA urged to scrap Chechnya as World Cup base for Egypt

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2017, file photo, United States Olympic Winter Games luge hopeful Erin Hamlin poses for a portrait at the 2017 Team USA Media Summit in Park City, Utah. Hamlin will carry the U.S. flag into Friday night's opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympics on Feb. 9, 2018. The four-time Olympic luger was chosen by fellow Team USA Olympians for the honor. Hamlin is retiring at the end of these Olympics, after nearly two decades of racing competitively. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) **FILE**

The Latest: Wellinger tops Stoch in ski jump qualifying

Associated Press

Ready to rock: Short track venue will be jumpin’ at Olympics

By BETH HARRIS - Associated Press

Janka picked in biggest Switzerland team for Winter Olympics

Associated Press

FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018 file photo, Morocco's team celebrates after scoring against Mauritania during the CHAN (African Nations Championship) opening group A soccer match in Casablanca, Morocco. Morocco is focusing on presenting a clean bid for the 2026 World Cup against North America. The country is saddled by its own baggage: bribery allegations against past World Cup bids that were leveled by U.S. prosecutors in the sprawling investigation into soccer corruption. “We do not have anything to do with the past as Morocco,” 2026 bid chief executive Hicham El Amrani said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. “Do not make me comment on past bids for which we were not part of. Our bid is clean and will be compliant and this is what counts.” (AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar, file)

Morocco vows ‘clean’ World Cup bid that won’t exploit Trump

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

The FIFA World Cup trophy stands on a pedestal on board an aircraft on the first leg of the soccer FIFA Wold Cup 2018 trophy tour at Stansted Airport, England, Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. The trophy will visit some 50 countries as it make its journey round the world to Moscow for the start of the World Cup 2018 in Russia. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

NAmerica touts ‘risk averse’ World Cup bid amid Trump issues

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 file photo, Vitaly Mutko, Russian Federation Deputy Prime Minister speaks to the media during a news conference following Russian Football Union meeting in Moscow, Russia. A new generation of young, talented and above all clean Russian athletes will compete at next month's Winter Olympics, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said in an interview Saturday Jan. 20, 2018. (AP Photo, File)

Mutko says Russia’s Olympic athletes will be young, clean

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH - Associated Press

Carli Lloyd posts goodbye to the Dash after 3-team trade

By ANNE M. PETERSON - Associated Press

Brazil’s Ronaldinho confirms retirement and plans farewell

By MAURICIO SAVARESE - Associated Press

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 file photo, Portugal players including Pepe, center left, argue with referee Joseph Lamptey during their international friendly soccer match against Gabon in Libreville, Gabon. A FIFA investigation linked a referee accused of match-fixing a World Cup qualifier in 2016 to “numerous publicly documented scandals” in the previous six years. FIFA investigators said Joseph Lamptey of Ghana had “a history of being suspended for poor performances” before being banned for life and typically awarded more penalties than other African referees of his grade. Portugal’s 2-2 draw in Gabon in a 2012 friendly, which included three penalties scored, was among six games identified as suspicious that Lamptey handled before the game that ended his career. (AP Photo/Joel Bouopda Tatou, file)

Column: A World Cup fix & flaws in referee integrity checks

By ROB HARRIS - Associated Press

FILE - In this Monday, Nov. 21, 2016 file photo, Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore smiles as he hands a ball to teammate during a training session in Montreal ahead of the Eastern Conference MLS soccer final against the Montreal Impact. For Jozy Altidore, this was supposed to be the time when the United States was preparing for this summer’s World Cup. That changed early last October 2017 when the Americans got bounced from the tournament. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

With no World Cup for US this year, Altidore shifts focus

By ANNE M. PETERSON - Associated Press

FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2017, file photo, Maame Biney (1) celebrates after winning the women's 500-meter final A during the U.S. Olympic short track speedskating trials in Kearns, Utah. Biney is the first black female skater to make a U.S. short track Olympic team. The 17-year-old was born in Ghana and moved to Virginia with her father as a 6-year-old. She started skating soon after. Her explosive speed off the starting line and giggly personality could make her a star at the games even if she doesn’t medal. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Ready to rock: Short track venue will be jumpin’ at Olympics

By BETH HARRIS - Associated Press

Janine Flock of Austria celebrates after winning the women's skeleton World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

Yun wins again in World Cup skeleton ahead of home Olympics

Associated Press