Real Madrid inflicted a fourth Champions League elimination on Atletico Madrid in as many years on Wednesday, losing their semi-final second leg 2-1 but progressing to the final 4-2 on aggregate.

Novak Djokovic staved off a huge upset in his first match since splitting with his long-time coaching team to beat Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the second round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to prevent civil demonstrations disrupting next month's Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup. 

Cardiff beckons for Gianluigi Buffon and an elusive Champions League winners' medal is not the only prestigious prize within the gangly reach of one of the great goalkeepers.

A stunning Dani Alves volley helped Juventus stroll into their second Champions League final in three years on Tuesday, a 2-1 win on the night completing a 4-1 aggregate victory over outclassed Monaco.

FIFA are to investigate the world-record transfer of Paul Pogba to Manchester United, a source at world football's governing body told AFP on Tuesday.

Iranian student Reza Parastesh looks so much like his sporting hero Lionel Messi that it almost landed him in jail for disrupting public order this week.

World number three Karolina Pliskova was dumped out of the second round of the Madrid Open on Monday 6-3, 6-3 by Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed on Monday that the finances of football's governing body were "extremely solid", despite it posting a $369 million loss earlier this year.

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has been appointed as the new coach of second-division Emirati side Al-Fujairah, he said on Sunday.