Soccer: Around the globe

BENFICA GETS ITS MAN

American teenage soccer star Freddy Adu has reached an agreement to play for Portuguese club Benfica, pending the results of a medical test.

"It's a done deal," a club official said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to make an announcement.

The official said details of the agreement, including the length of the contract, would be announced at a later date but could not say when.

Adu joined the rest of the Benfica squad at a training session Tuesday, a day after arriving in the Portuguese capital to negotiate personal terms, and was undergoing medical checks, the official said. There were no immediate plans to introduce the player to the media.

Major League Soccer and Benfica agreed last week to a euro1.5 million ($2 million) transfer fee for the 18-year-old attacking midfielder, who was captain of the U.S. team at this month's under-20 World Cup in Canada.

Adu has been one of the highest-profile stars of MLS since he signed with D.C. United in November 2003 at age 14, becoming the youngest player in the league's history.

Real Salt Lake acquired Adu from D.C. United last year knowing that when he turned 18 last month he would become eligible under FIFA rules to move to a foreign club.

Benfica has traditionally been one of Europe's stronger clubs, but has been unable to match the spending of teams in wealthier leagues such as England, Italy and Spain. Benfica finished third in the Portuguese league last season behind Porto and Sporting Lisbon.

BRAZILIAN WORLD CUP

Brazil is not assured of hosting the 2014 World Cup even though it is the only bidder for the soccer showcase.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said "there is still work to do" and reminded the delegation that a deal was far from closed. Brazil became the only candidate after Colombia withdrew its bid in April.

With little pomp and fanfare, Brazil's delegation showcased its plans in a 30-minute presentation before handing over a 900-page bid document to Blatter. The delegation included Brazilian soccer federation president Ricardo Teixeira, former Brazil player Romario and author Paulo Coelho.

"This is a small ceremony but 185 million people are here with us," Teixeira said. "This is only the first step."

If Brazil fails to meet the requirements, FIFA will start the bidding process over, Blatter said.