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Saudi Arabian organisers have confirmed that preparations for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup remain on schedule despite growing concerns over the tournament following recent Houthi attacks on the country. The continental football competition is scheduled to begin on January 7, 2027, with matches planned across three Saudi Arabian cities: Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar. However, the recent escalation in regional tensions has raised questions about whether the tournament will proceed as planned. In a statement issued late Thursday, the local organising committee said

FIFA and the Saudi Esports Federation have postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026, which were originally scheduled to take place in Jeddah from October 16 to 25. The decision follows security concerns and logistical challenges after a deadly attack on Riyadh's international airport. In a statement, the organisers said the postponement came after an assessment of recent developments in the region and their impact on the logistical arrangements needed to host the tournament. The organisers added that further announcements regarding the FIFAe Finals 2026

Manchester City secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki helping the Premier League leaders maintain their perfect start to the season. Liverpool were reduced to 10 men after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute. City capitalised on the numerical advantage to take control of the match and secure all three points. The victory also came amid heightened attention surrounding City's financial rules case, with the

It is a tale of grit, academia and will power as Indian discus thrower Seema Kaliramna has turned her sporting journey into. The 27-year-old from Haryana, who won a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, now has her eyes firmly fixed on next year's Asian Games in Japan - an important step as she seeks to achieve her ultimate goal of competing for India at the Olympic Games. Seema is not your run-of-the-mill athlete. She is originally from Dinod in Bhiwani, and

Neymar has become the latest football icon to reach out to Lionel Messi following the death of the Inter Miami captain’s father, joining an outpouring of support that began moments after Messi shared an emotional farewell letter on Instagram. The Brazilian, a former teammate of Messi’s at Barcelona, left a short message of solidarity in the comments: “Lots of strength to you and your family. A big hug,” Neymar wrote. The two spent several seasons together at Barcelona, forming part of a celebrated

Barcelona’s new wage structure for the 2026/27 season has placed teenage superstar Lamine Yamal at the top of the club’s salary rankings, following his long-term contract extension signed in 2025. According to the latest available salary estimates, Yamal is now the highest-paid player in the Blaugrana squad. Is Lamine Yamal Barcelona’s top earner? Yes. Based on current salary estimates, Lamine Yamal is Barcelona’s highest-paid player for the 2026/27 season. His reported earnings include: The figures relate to his fixed salary and exclude performance

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing mounting criticism after his proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of FIFA events, including the FIFA World Cup, was withdrawn following widespread opposition from regional football confederations. The backlash has prompted UEFA and CONCACAF to publicly question Infantino's leadership, raising concerns over governance, transparency and the future direction of world football. Controversial World Cup Rights Proposal Withdrawn The controversy centred on FIFA's reported $4.2 billion proposal to sell stakes in a new commercial entity

Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo has been handed a five-match suspension by FIFA's Disciplinary Committee following the tackle that seriously injured Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone during their World Cup clash in Vancouver. The incident occurred in the 56th minute of Canada's dominant 6-0 victory over Qatar, with Madibo receiving a red card after a VAR review confirmed the severity of the challenge. The tackle resulted in Kone suffering fractures to both his tibia and fibula, requiring immediate surgery. While Madibo initially served a one-match

As anticipation for the 2026 Fifa World Cup ramps up, cybersecurity experts and law enforcement have begun warning fans of a cyber surge in bogus ticket websites and counterfeit merchandise offerings. The expanded 48-team, 104-match tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico has proved a major honeypot for cybercriminals keen to catch football fans seeking tickets. Fake Websites Mimic Official Fifa Platforms The sites — with domain names like fifa-ticket. live" and "fifaworldcup26. sales" are designed to look almost identical to Fifa's

Brazil midfielder Casemiro believes that not being considered one of the leading favourites for the upcoming FIFA World Cup could work to the team's advantage. The five-time world champions are aiming to secure a record-extending sixth World Cup title at the tournament, which will take place in North America from June 11 to July 19. However, bookmakers currently rank Spain, France, and England ahead of Brazil among the favourites to lift the trophy. "We're a Step Behind, But That's Good" Speaking to FIFA's

Lionel Messi is big enough that he trained solo as the defending World Cup champion Argentina held its first practice in the U.S. The Inter Miami captain has been struggling with fatigue in his left hamstring since May 24 but should be fit for Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16. Messi, 38, went to Argentina's training base in Kansas City on Monday and did "targeted work" with a number of team mates also nursing fitness issues. Argentina's

Dalic confirmed an unchanged 26-man squad that sees Croatia captain Luka Modric set to lead his country in what is expected to be the Ballon d'Or winner's final World Cup appearance. Dalic retained the provisional list announced on May 18 and cut seven players from a standby list as Croatia set their sights on building upon recent tournament achievements. The 40-year-old will have one final opportunity to take Croatia to World Cup success after guiding his country through to the runners-up spot in

Following Inter Miami CF's wild 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, Lionel Messi raised an injury flag before this month's FIFA World Cup. The Argentine sensation was replaced in the 73rd minute after he appeared to hold the back of his thigh following one of his signature free kicks. Coach Says Messi Was Suffering From Fatigue Inter Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos had no immediate medical report to provide but indicated the switch was largely precautionary. According to Hoyos: Messi was clearly

Cristiano Ronaldo fired in two goals to secure Al Nassr the Saudi Pro League title on the final day of the season thanks to a 4-1 victory against Damac, with Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman also netting for Jorge Jesus's side. With the victory, Al Nassr ended on 86 points, two ahead of local rivals Al Hilal, who beat Al Fayha 1-0 but were forced to settle for second place. The victory sees Al Nassr win their first league title since 2019, the

Tennis champs to protest "low pay" with media duties limit ahead of French Open, a source said on Wednesday. Players, who remain unnamed, will only talk to the press for 15 minutes on media day at Roland Garros before pulling out of interviews with Grand Slam tournament's TV rights holders (according to a source) During a row over prize money, Jannik Sinner earlier this month demanded that the Slam events show "respect" to players. Players have strongly stated that they are presently only

Mitchell Starc took 4-40 as Delhi Capitals waged defeat against Rajasthan Royals to keep their play-off hopes alive in the IPL on Sunday. Starc claimed three scalps in a four-ball burst, including the scalp of skipper Riyan Parag (51), to restrict Rajasthan to 193-8 at Delhi's home Arun Jaitley Stadium. Rajasthan has added 47 runs in their second innings till the end of day two. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (15) coming with a score of 46 off 21 balls, and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel (53), who

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a much-needed 23-run victory against Punjab Kings on Sunday to reach the playoffs and veteran pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was delighted. Superstar Virat Kohli and middle-order batter Venkatesh Iyer scored sparkling half-centuries as Kumar produced a devastating new-ball spell to send defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru into the IPL playoffs here on Sunday. Fresh from his ninth hundred in the IPL, Kohli scored a wonderful 58 off 37 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes), Iyer followed with a

Rory McIlroy, anxious to indulge in the benefits of life as an elite golfer, changed his competition schedule before this week's PGA Championship at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania on Tuesday He attended a Black Tie dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla The decision was made after he had filed mandatory entry papers for the event which is part of golf's tourney circuit The six-times major winner had been scheduled to play at the PGA Tour's Signature Event

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque dug in to take Bangladesh to 101-2 at lunch on the first day of the first cricket test against Pakistan on Friday. After Pakistan put the home side to bat, Shanto and Mominul added 70 runs for the unbroken third wicket, putting Bangladesh on track toward a daunting score. Shanto was 39 not out off 50 balls and Mominul was on 31, at lunch. The tall, lanky fast bowler also appeared to be a thorn in

Mitchell Marsh struck 111 as Lucknow Super Giants edged out defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine runs in a rain-marred IPL clash on Thursday. Marsh plundered nine fours and nine sixes in his 56-ball onslaught to help Lucknow reach an impressive total of 209-3 in a rain-shortened clash that saw each team bat for 19 overs at Ekana Stadium at Lucknow. Chasing a revised target of 213, Bengaluru lost Virat Kohli for two as he was out to Prince Yadav on the