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Kylian Mbappe is receiving treatment for a "small niggle" in his right ankle after meeting up with his international team-mates ahead of the latest round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers, France coach Didier Deschamps said Monday.The France captain sustained the knock at the end of Real Madrid's 3-1 La Liga victory over Villarreal on Saturday, casting doubts over his availability to the national team for their upcoming qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Iceland."I spoke with Kylian, he had a small niggle but it's not serious, otherwise he wouldn't be here today," Deschamps told reporters at the French team's Clairefontaine base near Paris."We will take the time with the medical staff to assess the situation and then see how it develops."Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate also underwent tests, after coming off injured in the Reds' 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday.The pair received treatment on Monday during training and are set to continue treatment on Tuesday, according to the French national team's coaching staff.The French football federation (FFF) also confirmed Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola would be sent home from Clairefontaine due to a hamstring injury."After consulting with the French national team doctor... (Barcola) has been diagnosed with a chronic injury to his right hamstring since Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League match against Atalanta (on September 17)," the FFF said.PSG then publicly rejected the diagnosis of the 23-year-old by France's medical team."The information published in this statement does not correspond in any way to the medical information provided by Paris Saint-Germain's medical teams," the club posted on social media."Prior to the gathering (at Clairefontaine) and following the Ligue 1 matchday 7 fixture against Lille, Paris Saint-Germain provided the French national team with a medical report on Bradley Barcola that made no mention of any chronic injury following the match against Atalanta."The attacker played 60 minutes of PSG's Ligue 1 draw at Lille on Sunday before being replaced, showing no apparent signs of injury during the encounter.Should Barcola end up facing time on the sidelines, he would be a further addition to PSG's lengthy injury list which already includes fellow France forwards Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, as well as Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves.Last month there was friction between the two parties after PSG criticised the French national team staff following injuries suffered by Dembele and Doue during France's opening Group D win over Ukraine.Les Bleus are top of their group with two wins from two so far in qualifying. They host Azerbaijan on Friday at PSG's Parc des Princes stadium before travelling to Iceland three days later.

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has announced ticket sales for the fourth round of Group A matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to be held in Doha from October 8 to 14, 2025.Group A brings together Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, with all fixtures to be held Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The opening match on October 8 will see Qatar face Oman at 8pm, followed by the UAE against Oman on October 11 at 8:15pm, while the final match on October 14 will pit Qatar against the UAE, also at 8:15pm. Group B matches, involving Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Indonesia, will be staged in Jeddah during the same period.The QFA confirmed that tickets for Qatari fans for the clash with Oman will go on sale on September 29, while tickets for the UAE fixture will be available from October 9. Prices have been set at QR60 for first category and QR25 riyals for second category, with a maximum of six tickets permitted per person. Tickets can be purchased exclusively online at tickets.qfa.qa, while fans with disabilities can request access via [email protected] for Emirati fans are being handled by the UAE Football Association, with a limited number for the UAE-Oman encounter to be released on October 1. Allocations for Omani fans, handled by their federation, have already sold out.The QFA also issued important instructions, confirming there will be no ticket sales points at the stadium and warning that ticket distribution near the venue is prohibited in order to ensure fan safety and avoid congestion. For inquiries, supporters can contact [email protected] top team from each group will qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The second-placed teams will meet in a two-leg playoff on November 13 and 18, 2025, with the winner advancing to the intercontinental playoff.Match Schedule – Group AOctober 8: Qatar vs Oman (20:00)October 11: UAE vs Oman (20:15)October 14: Qatar vs UAE (20:15)

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has brought back centre-back Antonio Rudiger while dropping winger Leroy Sane in his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September.The Germany coach was hit with a wave of injuries and is without forwards Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Tim Kleindienst, first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and Benjamin Henrichs.The Germany coach named three newcomers in the 23-man squad, Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nnamdi Collins, Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen and midfielder Paul Nebel from Mainz.Sane, who has made 70 Germany appearances since making his debut in 2015, was left out of the first squad announced since he moved from Bayern Munich to Galatasaray in the summer.Rudiger has been called up for the first time since his outburst in the Spanish Cup final in May, when the Real Madrid centre-back threw an object at the referee while verbally abusing him.In May, Nagelsmann criticised Rudiger's behaviour, saying: "He knows this can't happen again, otherwise there will be very serious consequences."In an interview with Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Rudiger apologised for his "wrong and excessive" behaviour.In addition to Rudiger, Nagelsmann also recalled Stuttgart duo Angelo Stiller and Jamie Leweling, along with Mainz midfielder Nadiem Amiri.Dahmen, who is also eligible to represent England, comes into the squad to replace the injured Barcelona keeper ter Stegen.Germany face Slovakia in Bratislava on September 4 before hosting Northern Ireland three days later in Cologne.Germany must win their four-team group with Slovakia, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg to guarantee qualification for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.Germany squadGoalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Finn Dahmen (Augsburg), Alexander Nuebel (Stuttgart)Defenders: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstadt (Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid/ESP), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich)Midfielders: Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Borussia Dortmund), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Paul Nebel (Mainz), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool/ENG)Forwards: Niclas Fuellkrug (West Ham/ENG), Nick Woltemade (Stuttgart)