Sports

Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his promise over playing time during the Nations League, while insisting that he remains available to represent his country. The 41-year-old forward also apologised for leaving Portugal's training camp and said he was prepared to accept any suspension imposed on him. Ronaldo Apologises for Leaving Portugal Camp In a lengthy statement, Ronaldo apologised to his Portugal teammates and supporters for walking out of the national team camp. He accepted responsibility for his decision

Lionel Messi described his retirement from international football as the “saddest day of my career” after making his final appearance for Argentina in a 3-0 victory over Benin. The Argentina captain scored once and provided two assists in the match at the Monumental Stadium before addressing the fans and his teammates after the final whistle. Messi Reflects on 21 Years With Argentina Speaking to the crowd, Messi expressed his pride at representing Argentina for more than two decades. He said leaving the national

Saudi Arabia won the 27th Gulf Cup on Tuesday after defeating the UAE 2-0 in the final, ending a 22-year wait for the prestigious trophy. The hosts secured the title in front of their home supporters at King Abdullah Sports City with two early goals that gave them control of the match. Saudi Arabia Take Early Lead Saudi Arabia opened the scoring in the 11th minute through winger Hammam Al Hammami. His effort from the edge of the box took a deflection before

International Test cricket is coming to Abu Dhabi as Afghanistan take on Bangladesh in a One-Off Test Match at Zayed Cricket Stadium from 9 to 13 October 2026. For cricket fans in the UAE, this is a chance to watch Afghanistan and Bangladesh compete in the traditional red-ball format from the stands. With the match scheduled across five days, the contest can develop session by session, with batting, bowling, fielding, and strategy all playing an important role. If you are planning to attend,

Indian golfer Pranavi Urs believes her work with a sports psychologist played a crucial role in helping her win the Asian Games women's individual golf gold medal. The 23-year-old faced intense pressure heading into the final round at Kasugai Country Club East Course. She had struggled to sleep the night before and saw her three-shot overnight lead disappear after a triple-bogey 7 on the third hole. The mistake gave China's world No. 6 Yin Ruoning the advantage, but Pranavi was able to stay

Pakistan have appointed Sahibzada Farhan as their new Twenty20 international captain, replacing Salman Agha ahead of the home T20I series against Sri Lanka. Farhan, who became Pakistan's fourth T20I captain in two and a half years, will lead the side in the three-match series in Rawalpindi on October 9, 11 and 13. No official reason was given for Agha's removal from the leadership role. Farhan Recently Led Pakistan at Asian Games Farhan previously captained a second-string Pakistan side at the Asian Games in

France came from behind to defeat Belgium 4-1 in their Nations League Group A1 clash at the Stade de France on Monday. The victory gave Zinedine Zidane his first home win in charge, following a 1-1 draw against Italy three days earlier. France moved to the top of the group with 10 points. Lukebakio Gives Belgium the Lead Belgium took the lead in the 35th minute through Dodi Lukebakio. The forward broke through a France defence that had stepped up for an offside

Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team across all formats. Her decision comes shortly after she guided India to the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, adding another major achievement to her captaincy career. One of her biggest accomplishments came in 2025, when she led India to their maiden ODI World Cup title. ‘The Decision Was Not Easy’ Harmanpreet described the decision to leave the captaincy as a difficult one, reflecting on years of memories,

Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic on Monday after hitting a rebounding ball into the crowd and striking a spectator in the eye. Medvedev was trailing Djokovic 7-5, 5-3 when the incident occurred. Having already lost the point, the world No. 5 hit the ball after it rebounded off the wall, sending it into the stands. Spectator Receives Assistance The spectator, who was seated in the first row, immediately clutched his left eye and

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz battled through an inconsistent start to defeat fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 and reach the Japan Open final on Monday. The top seed will face Czech player Jiri Lehecka in Tuesday’s final as he looks to claim his first singles title since returning from a wrist injury. Alcaraz Fights Back After Losing Opening Set Alcaraz appeared in control at 5-4 in the opening set after securing an early break, but two shaky service games allowed Munar to

Novak Djokovic produced another trademark comeback on Sunday, defeating top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the China Open semifinals in Beijing. The six-time champion, competing at the ATP 500 event for the first time since 2015, was pushed hard by Zverev but recovered from a slow start to extend his unbeaten record at the tournament. Zverev Takes Early Control Djokovic struggled to find his rhythm in the opening set as Zverev used his powerful serve and groundstrokes to take control.

West Indies captain Shai Hope overcame a groin injury to produce a stunning century and guide his team to a memorable five-wicket victory over India in the third and final ODI on Saturday. India had already secured the three-match series after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead, but West Indies finished strongly with a record chase of 352 in New Chandigarh. Hope Produces a Match-Winning Century Hope was forced to open the innings after Jewel Andrew suffered a finger injury while fielding. Despite appearing

UAE football supporters have shown their excitement ahead of Tuesday’s Gulf Cup final against Saudi Arabia, with all seats on six charter flights to Jeddah reportedly sold out within 10 minutes. The rapid response highlights the growing anticipation around the UAE’s first Gulf Cup final appearance since 2018. Six Charter Flights Sell Out in Minutes The UAE Football Association opened registration for supporters who wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia for the final. Six charter aircraft had been arranged to transport Emirati fans

d a cruise ship as part of a cost-saving approach. However, the arrangements struggled to cope with the number of participants. Some athletes reportedly waited for up to 12 hours to complete registration, while others encountered double-booked rooms or accommodation assigned to the wrong teammates. Transport problems also affected several teams. Shuttle buses reportedly failed to arrive, while some took athletes to incorrect venues, resulting in delays to competitions. Organisers issued repeated apologies as complaints continued throughout the event. Young Athletes Become the

The UAE secured a 1-1 draw against two-time Asian champions Qatar in their final Group B match on Wednesday, finishing top of the group and earning a place in the Gulf Cup semifinals. The result gave the UAE seven points from three matches, with Qatar finishing second on goal difference. Ali Saleh Scores Late Equaliser Qatar took the lead in the 33rd minute through Almoez Ali, putting the UAE under pressure for much of the first half. However, the UAE responded just before

Rohit Sharma achieved another major milestone in his ODI career during India's second match against the West Indies in Guwahati, becoming the seventh batter to score 12,000 runs in Men's One Day Internationals. The India opener reached the landmark with a single off Roston Chase in the 16th over, joining an exclusive group of ODI run-scorers. Rohit is only the third Indian, after Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, to reach 12,000 ODI runs. Seventh Batter to Reach the Landmark Rohit has now joined

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first against India in the second semi-final of the 2026 Asian Games men's cricket competition. With both teams aiming to secure a place in the final, India will begin their innings after being asked to bat first. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Included in India XI India have included young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in their playing XI without leaving out either Sanju Samson or Abhishek Sharma. The three players will form India's top order, with Samson set

Cristiano Ronaldo’s international future has come under scrutiny after the Portugal captain abruptly left the national team’s training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday. The 41-year-old forward departed just one day before Portugal’s Nations League match against Denmark, following comments from coach Jorge Jesus about tensions between the pair. Ronaldo later confirmed his decision in an Instagram post, saying he had made the decision after Jesus’ press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Pedro Proenca. Ronaldo Says He Will Reveal

Captain Shubman Gill smashed an unbeaten 223 as India produced the second-highest successful chase in men's ODI cricket, defeating the West Indies by eight wickets in Guwahati on Wednesday. West Indies posted 405-7, but India chased down the target with 39 balls to spare, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. South Africa hold the record for the highest successful ODI chase, having scored 438-9 against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006. India's previous best chase was 362 against Australia in Jaipur

Indian judoka Asmita Dey arrives at the Asian Games less than two months after making history as the first Indian judoka to win Commonwealth Games gold. Her triumph in Birmingham changed her profile almost overnight. The 24-year-old, who had spent much of her career away from the spotlight, began receiving widespread recognition after her historic achievement. “Before, no one knew me. But now everyone knows me,” Asmita told TimesofIndia.com, recalling how people began recognising her in public. Recognition Brings Special Meaning The new