The 34-year-old former Real Madrid and Everton attacker featured in Sunday’s World Cup warm-up match in Landover, Maryland, which Colombia lost 3-1. Rodriguez was substituted off after 63 minutes, having appeared sluggish and disconnected from the game.

He “presented symptoms of severe dehydration that required his hospitalization over the past 72 hours,” said the federation.

Rodriguez was taken to hospital in Minnesota, where he plays for Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, “for preventive clinical monitoring and recovery.”

Minnesota United confirmed Rodriguez is recovering, telling AFP that his status for this weekend’s clash with LA Galaxy will be updated on Friday.

Rodriguez joined the MLS side in February but has played just 39 minutes so far due to injury. The federation statement said his hospitalization was not related to those injuries.

His physical fitness remains uncertain ahead of Colombia’s World Cup campaign this summer, when they will face Uzbekistan, DR Congo and Portugal in Group K.

Rodriguez was the top scorer in the 2014 World Cup, joining Real Madrid soon after.

He continues to play a pivotal role in the Colombia side. Head coach Nestor Lorenzo has fielded criticism for starting Rodriguez against France and a previous friendly versus Croatia despite his lack of match fitness.

The Spanish champions visit Atletico on Saturday as they bid to maintain or even extend their lead at the top of La Liga, before two further games against Diego Simeone’s team in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Barca have already faced Atletico three times this season, beating them in La Liga in December but falling in the Copa del Rey semi-final over two legs.

Without Raphinha, out with a hamstring injury until May, the onus will be on 18-year-old winger Yamal to provide the magic Barca need to proceed on two fronts in the approaching inevitably intense battles with Atletico.

Barca hold a four-point lead on Real Madrid, who visit Mallorca earlier on Saturday, at the top of the table.

Yamal played for Spain this week in a goalless draw against Egypt in Cornella at Espanyol’s stadium, which was notable for Islamophobic chanting from the home supporters that the teenager, a Muslim, condemned.

“To those who sing these things: using a religion as a form of mockery on a pitch shows you up as ignorant and racist,” wrote Yamal on social media.

Yamal has shown maturity beyond his years since bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old, including starring for Spain as they won Euro 2024 and blossoming further still as Barca claimed a domestic treble last season.

The youngster, often compared to another graduate from Barca’s La Masia youth academy, Lionel Messi, seems to save his best performances for the biggest occasions.

Yamal netted six times for Barca in his last seven matches across all competitions, and the Catalan giants will hope he can continue that form into the final phase of the season.

He admitted in February that he has not been happy this season, in part due to a long-running groin injury, but lately feels better.

“I have that desire to smile on the pitch that I haven’t had for a long time and I’m very happy, now I’m happy playing,” said Yamal after scoring the first hat-trick of his career, against Villarreal.

In recent weeks Barca have been dependent on the forward in attack and goalkeeper Joan Garcia at the other end.

Strikers Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have struggled for consistent form, while Marcus Rashford has fallen somewhat out of favour.

Raphinha’s injury opens the door for the England international, on loan from Manchester United, to start on the left again.

Yamal’s pressing and off-the-ball work is an excellent example for Rashford, who despite his strong contribution in terms of assists, sometimes lacks the relentless energy and focus Flick wants from his forwards.

As well as Raphinha, Barca are also likely to be without Frenkie de Jong at the weekend, but Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde may be able to return after injury.

Simeone’s Atletico, fourth by a distance from fifth-place Real Betis, have little to play for in the league but will want to build momentum before Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Camp Nou.

Largie Ramazani

Valencia have risen to mid-table in recent weeks, largely thanks to the form of Belgian forward Ramazani. The 25-year-old, on loan from Premier League side Leeds, has scored five goals in his last nine appearances. Los Che host Celta Vigo on Sunday looking to add to their run of three wins from their last four matches.

Arsenal and Chelsea will expect to reach the semi-finals at Wembley against lower tier opposition, while West Ham and Leeds put their battle for Premier League survival on hold in a bid to reach the last four.

AFP Sport examines what to look out for in the four ties:

Manchester City v Liverpool, Saturday 11:45 (all times GMT)
City produced perhaps their best performance of the season to dominate Arsenal and win the League Cup final 2-0 before the international break.

They remain in the running to match their feat as the only English side to ever win the domestic treble of League Cup, FA Cup and Premier League in 2018/19.

Liverpool face a defining 10 days for their season and possibly Arne Slot’s future at Anfield.

Languishing fifth in the Premier League, the FA Cup and Champions League are the Reds’ only remaining hope of glory.

After visiting the Etihad, Slot’s men face European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals over two legs on April 8 and 14.

Despite leading Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title less than a year ago, Slot is under huge pressure to end a difficult second season on a high if he is to remain in the job.

The rest of Liverpool’s season will also be marked by a long farewell to Salah.

The Egyptian announced over the international break that he will leave at the end of the campaign having netted 255 goals so far for the club.

“Hopefully he can make his legacy even more special in the upcoming weeks and months where we still play for something special, but he will always leave this club as a legend,” said Slot.

Chelsea v Port Vale, Saturday (1615)

Chelsea can ill afford to add a massive cup upset to a maelstrom of discontent on and off the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

Four consecutive defeats have plunged manager Liam Rosenior’s future into doubt less than three months into his reign.

Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella have spoken out publicly in recent weeks, criticising the decision to sack Enzo Maresca in January.

Chelsea then annonuced a Premier League record pre-tax loss of £262.4 million ($349.3 million) for the year to June 30 on Wednesday, sparking speculation over who the Blues may have to sell this summer.

A Port Vale side rooted to the bottom of League One and headed for the fourth tier should still pose little problems for the Premier League giants.

But Vale have won as many games in the FA and League Cup this season (seven) as they have in 38 league games.

Southampton v Arsenal, Saturday (1900)

Mikel Arteta’s team selection will be scrutinised at St. Mary’s after most of his key players pulled out of international duty with injuries.

Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were among the 10 Gunners’ to withdraw from action with their nations.

Arteta is seeking a reaction after Arsenal’s six-year wait for a trophy was prolonged by City at Wembley.

But they remain in pole position for a first Premier League title in 22 years and also have a favourable Champions League quarter-final draw against Sporting Lisbon.

West Ham v Leeds, Sunday (1530)

The priority for both sides may be Premier League survival, but the draw has handed them a rare chance to make the last four.

Leeds have not reached the FA Cup semi-finals since 1987, while West Ham last made it that far 20 years ago.

West Ham sit in the Premier League relegation zone, four points adrift of Leeds, but have used the positive momentum of a cup run to turn their season around.

Since ending a 10-match winless run against QPR in the third round, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have lost just three of 13 games.

Fakhar was penalised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after being found guilty of a Level 3 breach of the tournament’s Code of Conduct, relating to ball-tampering during Lahore Qalandars’ clash against Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium.

The left-handed batter had denied the charge and opted for a full disciplinary hearing, which was conducted by match referee Roshan Mahanama. Following a review of the evidence and Fakhar’s defence, the referee imposed a two-match suspension, the maximum penalty for a first Level 3 offence.

In response, Fakhar Zaman lodged a formal appeal, seeking a reassessment of the decision.

The matter was then revisited by the PSL Technical Committee, which conducted a fresh review before arriving at the same conclusion.

According to the PCB, the committee, comprising Professor Javed Malik, Dr Mumraiz Naqshband, and Syed Ali Naqi, carried out a de novo inquiry, examining all available evidence and hearing submissions from relevant parties before dismissing the appeal.

“Pursuant to conducting a de novo inquiry, reviewing all evidence, and hearing submissions from relevant individuals, the Committee has dismissed the appeal and upheld the two-match ban imposed by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama,” the cricket board stated.

The board confirmed that the original sanction would stand, meaning Fakhar will now miss Lahore Qalandars’ upcoming fixtures, including their match against Multan Sultans on April 3 at Gaddafi Stadium, followed by an away game against Islamabad United on April 9.

Gabriele Gravina revealed he would step down as the country’s top football official following a meeting held at the FIGC’s headquarters in Rome on Thursday.

His announcement came a day after Sport Minister Andrea Abodi called on him to resign.

Four-time World Cup winners Italy fell at the play-offs again on Tuesday, this time after a penalty shoot-out against Bosnia and Hercegovina, and will miss this summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The shock waves of the latest humiliation for one of the world’s most successful football nations forced Gravina, 72, to go back on his initial plans to wait until a FIGC board meeting next week to announce a decision on his future.

The FIGC said in a statement that a vote for a new president would be held on June 22.

Giovanni Malago, the former long-time head of the Italian Olympic Committee who was president of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics organisation committee, is reportedly one of the names in the hat.

Before then, head coach Gennaro Gattuso is expected to also step down, while general manager Gianluigi Buffon, the former Italy goalkeeper, announced his resignation on Thursday.

Italy’s failure to reach the first ever 48-team World Cup — which will feature the likes of Cape Verde and Curacao — led Abodi to release a statement saying: “It’s clear that Italian football needs to be rebuilt from the ground up and that starts with changes at the top of the FIGC.”

That came a day after Gravina had hit out at politicians “who have only pushed for resignations”, while also admitting Italian football “is in a profound crisis”.

UEFA threat

Gravina was elected FIGC president in October 2018, becoming the permanent replacement for Carlo Tavecchio, who stepped down following Italy’s first World Cup play-off defeat to Sweden the previous year.

The highlight of his reign was Italy’s thrilling triumph at Euro 2020, when an Azzurri team under Roberto Mancini, which went unbeaten for 37 matches, beat England at Wembley to be crowned kings of the continent for the second time.

But two World Cup qualification failures and a dismal defence of the European title left Gravina with little choice but to resign as Italy’s football woes deepen.

And those do not just relate to diminishing performances by the national team and Serie A clubs — none of whom have won the Champions League since 2010.

Italy are due to co-host Euro 2032 with Turkey but on Thursday, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin hit out at the state of Italy’s stadiums, warning the country could be stripped of hosting rights.

“I just hope that the infrastructure (in Italy) will be ready. If that’s not the case, the tournament will not be held in Italy,” Ceferin said in an interview with the Gazzetta Dello Sport.

Italy’s football malaise contrasts sharply with its success in other sports.

Italy claimed a record 30 medals at the recent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, including 10 golds, and left the 2024 Summer Games in Paris with 40 medals.

The Mediterranean nation also has top performers in a wide variety of other sports, such as tennis star Jannik Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam winner.

Gravina caused anger on Tuesday by referring to other sports as “amateur” and “state sports” compared to football due to the large number of athletes, particularly Olympians, who are nominally employed by different branches of Italy’s armed forces and police.

Starc, Australia’s third-highest wicket-taker with 759 wickets across all ‌formats, behind only Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, retired from T20 internationals in September last year. His departure has offered up a place in an Australian fast-bowling group long dominated by Starc alongside fellow pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Dwarshuis, who made his international debut in 2022, has featured in only six one-day internationals and 15 T20Is, competing for selection with fellow pace bowlers such as Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett and Spencer ⁠Johnson. He noted that the competition is not only about raw pace but also fitness, consistency, and the ability to perform under pressure.

“There’s a whole heap of Australian bowlers who have sort of sat behind Mitch Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins, who have just done amazing things for Australian cricket and haven’t really opened the door for anyone else to sort of take their spot,” Dwarshuis told Reuters.

“Mitch retiring obviously opens up a spot. There’s a whole handful of guys that are trying to get into that spot. Competition’s fierce, but knowing that there is a spot available means a potential avenue there if you perform.” He also emphasized that building strong partnerships with other bowlers and backing the team strategy is crucial for securing a regular place in the national setup.

Dwarshuis, who was signed by Indian Premier League side Punjab Kings for a whopping 44 million Indian rupees ($472,462), said franchise leagues have become an increasingly important shop window for players chasing international ‌selection. The ⁠31-year-old is the second-highest wicket-taker in the history of the Big Bash League with 164.

“Anytime you take the field and have an opportunity to perform, there’s always going to be eyes watching, whether it’s from Australia or other leagues,” Dwarshuis said. “With the viewership these competitions get, it’s very easy to have a couple of good years and everyone’s talking about you. But then ⁠if you’re not performing well, that sort of viewership leads to maybe less opportunities there.”

Punjab, currently fifth in the IPL standings, opened their campaign with a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans, a match in which Dwarshuis was not selected. He acknowledged the squad’s ⁠depth, with New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson yet to join, but said he is “a three-phase bowler and can bowl anytime throughout the 20 overs.”

Asked what would be his prized wicket this season, Dwarshuis singled out India great ⁠Virat Kohli and said that dismissing top-order batsmen consistently would greatly enhance his chances of becoming a regular member of the Australian squad, especially in high-stakes T20 matches.

The 37-year-old cut a dejected figure as the final whistle confirmed Poland’s absence from the world stage following the 3-2 defeat by Sweden in Tuesday’s qualification playoff final.

Hours after the loss in Stockholm, Lewandowski posted a photo of himself on social media leaving the pitch, accompanied by Sarah Brightman and Andrea ⁠Bocelli’s song “Time to Say Goodbye”.

The failure to secure a spot in North America leaves the Barcelona striker facing the end of a record-breaking career without the grand finale he had sought after returning to the squad in August following a fallout with former coach Michal Probierz.

However, in comments after the match, he played down the significance of his post, indicating that a final decision had not yet been made.

“I am not in a position to make any declarations. I will return ‌to ⁠my club; I still have some matches to play. I will have to answer the question marks in the back of my head for myself,” he told Polish media.

With the next World Cup four years away, the recent exit marks a bitter chapter for ⁠the Warsaw-born forward who has anchored the national side since his 2008 debut.

Lewandowski has captained the team since 2014 and remains Poland’s record holder for both goals and appearances, ⁠with a career tally of 89 goals in 165 international matches.

“As my career goes on, I appreciate certain moments more,” Lewandowski had noted earlier in the ⁠playoff campaign. “I’m not afraid to end my career because I’m starting to prepare for it… I know it’s a very important part of my life, but it’s not everything.”

Leading Milan by six points with eight matches remaining in the season, Inter would ordinarily be confident of claiming a 21st league crown ahead of the visit of Champions League chasers Roma on Sunday.

But Napoli and Milan have re-ingnited what had looked to be a dead title race, helped by Inter picking up just two points in their last three matches before a traumatic international break for Italian football fans.

Napoli are a point behind Milan after having won their last four matches following the end of a near season-long injury crisis, but will be without Romelu Lukaku after the Belgium striker incurred the wrath of the reigning champions for staying in his home country for treatment on a hip problem.

But that row, Saturday’s showdown and the title battle all fade into the background when faced with the national team’s latest humiliation, failing to reach a third straight World Cup.

The reaction to Tuesday’s play-off defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Hercegovina has been the same to the previous two that cost Italy a place at the world’s biggest football tournament: rip it up and start again.

Football federation chief Gabriele Gravina was the first to fall on his sword, his resignation coming on Thursday afternoon, two days after saying he would wait a week before making a decision.

He was followed by the national team’s general manager Gianluigi Buffon, with coach Gennaro Gattuso also expected to step down over the coming days.

Now the talk is of how to bring Italian football back to the top table after years of flops from the national team and the slow decline of the country’s top clubs on the European stage.

Inter were the one club that had stayed with the best on the continent but even they have helped contribute to the doom, gloom and despondency after being dumped out of the Champions League by Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt.

Cristian Chivu’s team has also become a sort of symbol of Italy’s failure, with defender Alessandro Bastoni being sent off in the first half against Bosnia and academy product Pio Esposito smashing over the first penalty in the shoot-out.

And on Saturday Roma will be hoping to lift a depression of their own by staying in the hunt for a top-four finish.

Knocked out of the Europa League by Bologna and wobbling in Serie A, Roma have an awful record against the division’s top teams and trail fourth-placed Como by just three points.

But with Como at Udinese on a run of five straight wins Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma, sixth and level on 54 points with Juventus, risk falling further off the pace.

Lautaro Martinez

Inter’s recent wobble coincided with Martinez’s injury absence but the Argentina striker should start at the San Siro on Sunday night.

Martinez has not played since his muscular problems began in Inter’s home humbling at the hands of Bodo and in the five league matches that Inter have played in that time the Milanese giants have picked up eight points.

The 28-year-old leads the Serie A scoring charts with 14 goals and Inter will be hoping that he can stay fit in the final weeks, while he, unlike Italy, has one eye on the World Cup.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Saturday

Sassuolo v Cagliari (1300), Verona v Fiorentina (1600), Lazio v Parma (1845)

Sunday

Cremonese v Bologna (1300), Pisa v Torino (1600), Inter Milan v Roma (1845)

Monday

Udinese v Como (1030), Lecce v Atalanta (1300), Juventus v Genoa (1600), Napoli v AC Milan (1845)

Nine points behind title-bound Bayern Munich, second-placed Dortmund have 61 points after 27 games.

Only four times have Dortmund had more points at this stage of a season, two of which were title-winning campaigns.

And while Dortmund have lost just twice in the Bundesliga all season — both times to Bayern — the 2024 Champions League finalists have struggled against the better sides.

Against the top eight teams in the Bundesliga table — the only sides with a realistic shot at European qualification — Dortmund have just two wins in nine matches.

The victories came against Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen, the latter of whom knocked Dortmund out of the German Cup just three days later.

A win at Stuttgart on Saturday would help turn the tide.

Stuttgart are third, eight points behind Dortmund, and look on track for a second top-four finish in three seasons.

The German Cup holders have had the wood over Dortmund since Sebastian Hoeness took over in April 2023, winning five and drawing two of their seven clashes.

“I feel we’ll do better against Stuttgart than we’ve done in the past few games,” Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said Thursday. “But this club (Stuttgart) has developed sensationally.

“They’re a serious team who have grown well together in recent years and that’s no coincidence.

“That means we’ll really need to stretch ourselves in the game on Saturday.”

Bayern travel to Freiburg on Saturday but may do so without Harry Kane, who missed England’s friendly loss to Japan at Wembley with an ankle injury coach Thomas Tuchel described as “minor”.

Kane has a history of ankle complaints and the league leaders look set to rest the England captain with Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid on the horizon.

One to watch

Dortmund will need to keep red-hot Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav quiet.

Undav scored the winner in Germany’s 2-1 victory over Ghana on Monday, continuing his excellent form.

In 38 games in all competitions, the former Brighton forward has 23 goals and 13 assists.

Speaking Thursday — hours after Undav was named player of the month for March — Hoeness praised the striker’s central role in Stuttgart’s rise.

“We’ve moved in the right direction in many areas. And we can’t forget that with Deniz, we’ve got a player who makes the difference.

“You need someone who can finish the job. We don’t just have Deniz, we have others. But Deniz has to be mentioned first and foremost; his statistics are phenomenal.”

Key stats

0 – Bayern are yet to lose away from home this season.

5 – Since their first top-flight promotion in 1997, second-last Wolfsburg have never been relegated from the Bundesliga. The 2009 German champions are five points from safety.

18 – None of Deniz Undav’s 18 league goals have come from the penalty spot. By comparison, 10 of Harry Kane’s 31 league goals were spot-kicks.

Fixtures (1330 GMT unless stated)

Saturday

Freiburg v Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim v Mainz, Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig, Hamburg v Augsburg, Borussia Moenchengladbach v Heidenheim, Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg, Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund (1630)

Sunday

Union Berlin v St Pauli, Eintracht Frankfurt v Cologne (1530).

Such events were heavily threatened until recently in Somalia’s capital by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group Al-Shabaab, which frowns on entertainment like football, especially when played by women.

But while Al-Shabaab still has a powerful grip behind the scenes in Mogadishu, the security situation has markedly improved.

At the recent match, the main stand was mostly segregated but nonetheless included some men and women sitting together.

The Ilays women’s team ultimately crushed their opponents Nasiib 5-0, but that did not dampen the mood.

“If you were in Mogadishu a couple of years ago, an occasion like this, with two girls’ football clubs playing, would not have been possible… but with time, things are improving,” said Ali Muhidin, one of the spectators.

The women’s football championship was created in 2024, and initially involved only 80 players. But barely two years later, 600 are participating across 10 teams — mostly from Mogadishu, but also other parts of the country.

“No one could have imagined that one day Somali women would play football in their country, where even men were forbidden to play by fighters who had declared football ‘un-Islamic’,” said Ali Abdi Mohamed, president of the Somali Football Federation.

“But something we couldn’t even dream of has become a reality,” he told AFP.

Not everyone in the largely conservative Muslim country allows their daughters to play, he conceded, but they have faced no serious complaints.

Somalis have long been passionate fans of European football, but local teams have been neglected. Somalia is currently ranked 200th in the FIFA men’s rankings, ahead of only a handful of microstates.

Its women’s team, which played its first friendly match in October in Djibouti, is not listed by the international federation.

But this should change soon, as the “Ocean Queens” are preparing for their first-ever international tournament — an under-17s event in May in Tanzania.

“For women to play football is not shameful or taboo,” said Ramas Abdi Salah, midfielder for the Ocean Queens, who, like her teammates, wears thick tights and a long-sleeved shirt under her sports kit, as well as a black headscarf to cover her hair.

“As you can see, I’m fully covered except for my face and my hands. I haven’t received any bad comments,” said the 17-year-old, who added she has her family’s approval.

Goalkeeper Najma Ali Ahmed had a rough game on Tuesday, letting in five goals.

But it will take a lot more than that to lose the love of the game.

“I’m sending a message to female footballers to work toward the dream of joining the national team,” she said.