Real Madrid extended Luka Modric's contract for another year on Wednesday, keeping intact the midfield that helped the club win a record-extending 14th European title this season.

The 36-year-old Croatian signed a new deal with the Spanish club until June 2023 and will return to play alongside Toni Kroos and Casemiro, the trio that helped Madrid win five Champions League titles in the last nine seasons.

The Paris police chief apologized for and justified the pepper spraying of fans and families amid the chaos that engulfed the Champions League final last month outside the Stade de France.

At a French Senate hearing looking for explanations for the organizational fiasco, Paris police prefect Didier Lallement admitted on Thursday that the evening in the suburb of Saint-Denis was "obviously a failure, because people were being pushed around or assaulted while we owed them safety.''

Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso agreed to take charge of Spanish club Valencia on Thursday for the next two seasons.

The 44-year-old Gattuso replaced José Bordalás after he was fired last week despite having led Valencia to the Copa del Rey final in his single season in charge.

Liverpool has confirmed the departure of goalkeeper Loris Karius four years after his last appearance for the club when his concussion-related gaffes contributed to a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final.

The 28-year-old German didn't play again for the English Premier League club, which sent him out on loan after signing Alisson Becker that summer.

A late deflected goal from Ajdin Hrustic secured Australia's 2-1 win over United Arab Emirates in an Asian playoff Tuesday and set up an intercontinental showdown with Peru for a spot at the World Cup in Qatar.

The Australians are a win away from a fifth consecutive World Cup appearance after ending the UAE's bid for a return to football's marquee tournament for first time since 1990.

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and dozens of other women who say they were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar are seeking more than $1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop the now convicted sports doctor when the agency first received allegations against him, lawyers said Wednesday.

There's no dispute that FBI agents in 2015 knew that Nassar was accused of assaulting gymnasts, but they failed to act, leaving him free to continue to target young women and girls for more than a year.

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.