Dubai, Cape Town Rounds of 2021 Sevens Series Canceled Due to Pandemichttps://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2418401/dubai-cape-town-rounds-2021-sevens-series-canceled-due-pandemic
Dubai, Cape Town Rounds of 2021 Sevens Series Canceled Due to Pandemic
The Dubai and Cape Town rounds of the 2021 World Sevens Series have been scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, World Rugby said on Wednesday.
The global governing body said it would continue to focus on delivering the remainder of the 2021 series, with a working group formed to review contingency plans and evaluate preparations for the sport's safe return.
The Dubai and Cape Town rounds had been scheduled for Nov. 26-28 and Dec. 4-6 this year.
"After a comprehensive consultation process ... it has been decided that the combined men's and women's Dubai and Cape Town rounds ... will not take place...," organizers said in a statement.
"The decisions were taken in line with relevant government and international public health authority advice and with the health and wellbeing of the rugby community and the wider public taking precedence.
"Both hosts are due to return to a full series schedule beyond this season."
New Zealand were awarded the men's and women's World Sevens Series titles after World Rugby canceled the rest of the 2020 season last month because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Tournaments in London, Paris, Singapore, and Hong Kong were canceled on the men's tour, while the women's circuit lost rounds in the United States, Paris, and Hong Kong.
Deschamps’ Golden France Era Ends in Defeat, but Legacy Intacthttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5297616-deschamps%E2%80%99-golden-france-era-ends-defeat-legacy-intact
Didier Deschamps, Head Coach of France, walks out for the pitch inspection before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Bronze Final between France and England at Miami Stadium on July 18, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Deschamps’ Golden France Era Ends in Defeat, but Legacy Intact
Didier Deschamps, Head Coach of France, walks out for the pitch inspection before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Bronze Final between France and England at Miami Stadium on July 18, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
The end of coach Didier Deschamps' Midas-like reign turned into a Tantalus torment as France suffered a comprehensive World Cup semi-final defeat by Spain before losing 6-4 to England in a wild third-place playoff, but those disappointments will not tarnish his legacy.
France lost the 2022 World Cup final to Argentina and have now been beaten by Spain in three straight semi-finals, at Euro 2024, the Nations League and Tuesday's 2-0 World Cup loss.
Yet Deschamps, who took charge in 2012 with French football still scarred by their mutiny and humiliation at the World Cup in South Africa two years earlier, will be remembered above all as the coach who led France to their second world title in 2018, two decades after captaining them to their first on home soil.
With a record 20 World Cup victories as a coach, he took France to the global semi-finals at three straight tournaments, reaching the final twice, and established them as international football’s most consistent major-tournament force.
Saturday’s spectacular defeat by England in the third-place playoff did not really spoil the farewell of the 57-year-old, who announced last year that he would leave when his contract expired after the tournament.
"This match will not tarnish the legend of Didier Deschamps," captain Kylian Mbappe said.
Deschamps' successor -- former France teammate Zinedine Zidane has long been the favorite -- will inherit a gifted squad, but the familiar challenge of turning perhaps the deepest talent pool in the country's history into a consistent winning machine.
FRANCE RARELY FLAMBOYANT
Deschamps' teams were rarely associated with flamboyance. He was sometimes criticized for favoring balance, discipline and efficiency over spectacle, even when blessed with some of the most gifted attacking players in world football.
But results repeatedly justified his methods.
He took France to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals, where they lost narrowly to eventual champions Germany, before guiding the hosts to the Euro 2016 final. Defeat by Portugal in extra time was painful but laid the foundations for becoming world champions in Russia two years later.
France beat Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 final, making Deschamps the third man after Brazil’s Mario Zagallo and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer to win the World Cup as a player and coach.
They added the Nations League title in 2021 and came within a penalty shootout of retaining the World Cup in Qatar, recovering from a dreadful opening 80 minutes to draw 3-3 with Argentina in one of the tournament's greatest games.
RESERVOIR OF CREDIT
Those achievements gave Deschamps a reservoir of credit few coaches could match.
He survived the fallout from France’s disappointing Euro 2020 campaign, recurring debates over his cautious football and the long, divisive exile of striker Karim Benzema.
His authority remained intact because he kept building teams capable of going deep into tournaments.
The former defensive midfielder had made a career out of winning long before taking charge of France.
Born in Bayonne in 1968, he made his top-flight debut for Nantes as a teenager before joining Olympique de Marseille, with whom he won two league titles and captained the first French club to lift the Champions League in 1993.
A move to Juventus followed in 1994. In Turin, Deschamps won three Serie A titles and another Champions League, establishing himself as the understated organizer at the heart of one of Europe’s dominant teams.
Eric Cantona once dismissively described him as a “water carrier”, but the label came to capture the qualities that defined Deschamps: discipline, intelligence, selflessness and an instinctive understanding of what winning teams required.
He won 103 caps and captained the side that lifted the World Cup at the Stade de France in 1998 before completing an historic double at Euro 2000.
Success followed him into management.
Deschamps took AS Monaco to the 2004 Champions League final, guided Juventus back into Serie A immediately after their demotion in the Calciopoli scandal and ended Marseille’s 18-year wait for a French league title in 2010.
When he succeeded former France teammate Laurent Blanc in July 2012, the national side were still attempting to rebuild their reputation after the players’ strike at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
ORDER, BELIEF, SUCCESS
Deschamps restored order first, belief second and success soon afterwards.
His critics argued that France's talent pool demanded more expansive football. His response was generally the same: tournaments were won through adaptability, defensive resilience and an acceptance that style mattered less than survival.
For more than a decade, the argument was difficult to counter.
The manner of Tuesday’s defeat will nevertheless sting. France arrived as favorites after their attacking firepower had carried them through the tournament, only to be outclassed technically, tactically and physically by Spain in Dallas.
Deschamps admitted his team had needed to be at their maximum to compete and had fallen well short.
France were unable to impose their strength, their celebrated attack was neutralized and their midfield was overwhelmed — a grim final chapter for a coach whose sides had usually found a way, even when playing poorly.
“I do not want to throw away everything we have done,” Deschamps said after the defeat. “But in this match Spain showed they had something more.”
It was a fittingly measured assessment from a man who rarely allowed triumph or disaster to alter his public demeanor.
Deschamps will leave without the glorious farewell he had craved, but with a record that places him alongside the most influential figures in French sporting history.
He lifted the World Cup as captain, hoisted it aloft again as coach and spent 14 years ensuring France were almost always present when the sport’s biggest prizes were decided.
Painful evenings in Dallas and Miami cannot undo that.
Mexico’s Sheinbaum to Attend World Cup Final at Trump’s Invitationhttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5297613-mexico%E2%80%99s-sheinbaum-attend-world-cup-final-trump%E2%80%99s-invitation
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, 16 July 2026. (EPA)
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Mexico’s Sheinbaum to Attend World Cup Final at Trump’s Invitation
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, 16 July 2026. (EPA)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a message on X that she would attend the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday at the invitation of US President Donald Trump along with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
"I considered it politically important that the three countries hosting the World Cup are involved, and it is also a sign of the strong coordination and collaboration we have with the US government," Sheinbaum said.
The final World Cup match between Argentina and Spain caps a whirlwind five weeks of football games involving 48 teams that kicked off in Mexico City on June 11.
Sheinbaum previously said she would not attend any World Cup game in a show of solidarity with regular Mexicans who could not afford tickets, which ran into the thousands of dollars. Tickets to the World Cup final are topping $10,000, driven by FIFA’s transition to a dynamic pricing model.
The presence of Sheinbaum and Carney at the sporting event also comes amidst tense trade negotiations, as Mexico and Canada seek to convince Trump to extend the trilateral North American trade agreement.
Sheinbaum has a cordial, if tense, relationship with Trump and has gone out of her way to avoid making comments or pushing policies that could anger him. The US-Canada relationship is more volatile, with Carney and Trump regularly trading barbs and tariff threats.
Trade negotiators from the United States and Mexico will convene in Mexico City on Tuesday for a third round of talks aimed at revamping the agreement, with key topics including steel, automotive, agriculture, and electronic payment systems.
FIFA Toasts World Cup Triumph as Tournament Draws to Closehttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5297598-fifa-toasts-world-cup-triumph-tournament-draws-close
Egypt's Mohamed Salah and teammates celebrate after Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the penalty past Australia's Mathew Ryan to win the shootout and advance to the Round of 16 of the World Cup. (Reuters)
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FIFA Toasts World Cup Triumph as Tournament Draws to Close
Egypt's Mohamed Salah and teammates celebrate after Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the penalty past Australia's Mathew Ryan to win the shootout and advance to the Round of 16 of the World Cup. (Reuters)
It was supposed to be the World Cup weighed down by problems: sky-high prices, geopolitical tension, the shadow of conflict and the threat of brutal summer heat across the three host nations.
Instead, the biggest, most complex edition of football's showpiece ever staged will be remembered for simpler reasons: thrilling football and a feel-good factor that swept across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
With only Sunday's final between defending champions Argentina and Spain remaining, world governing body FIFA can already claim the tournament as a triumph.
Pre-tournament fears that the expansion to 48 teams -- among them a clutch of tiny debutants -- would lead to a dilution of quality proved unfounded.
Instead, the World Cup delivered its usual intoxicating cocktail of drama and footballing brilliance that swept away any lingering anxiety.
The Atlantic archipelago of Cape Verde held eventual finalists Spain to a shock goalless draw in their opening game, and would go on to rattle Lionel Messi's Argentina in the last 32 before losing 3-2 in extra-time.
Curacao, population 185,000, would earn a 0-0 draw with Ecuador.
Egypt reached the knockout rounds for the first time and came within a whisker of a stunning upset of Argentina, leading 2-0 with 11 minutes to go before eventually succumbing to Messi's magic.
The Egyptians and Cape Verde were among a record nine African teams who reached the knockout rounds, signaling the continent's continuing rise.
Fans of Norway perform the "Viking row" celebration as they gather at Miami Beach in Miami, Florida, USA, 10 July 2026. (EPA)
- Stars shine brightest -
At the other end of the football spectrum, the biggest stars all joined the party.
Messi, playing in his record sixth World Cup, announced his entrance with a dazzling hat-trick to open Argentina's campaign against Algeria.
With Sunday's final still to play, Messi is on eight goals, two behind tournament top-scorer Kylian Mbappe, the France captain, on 10.
Mbappe's tally leaves him on top of the all-time World Cup scoring charts with 22.
Norway's towering striker Erling Haaland rapidly emerged as a fan favorite, scoring seven goals including two in an upset of mighty Brazil in the last 16.
England's Jude Bellingham plundered seven goals while Harry Kane added six as the Three Lions finished in third place.
The three host nations -- Canada, Mexico and the United States -- all reached the last 16 before bowing out.
With 307 goals scored through 103 matches at an average of 2.98 goals per game, the 2026 tournament is the highest-scoring World Cup since the 1958 finals in Sweden, which averaged 3.6 goals per game.
- Packed houses -
The spellbinding drama played out before mostly packed houses -- albeit with a hefty price tag.
FIFA's decision to use "dynamic pricing" to determine ticket prices had been slammed by supporters' groups as a "monumental betrayal" before the tournament kicked off.
Yet when push came to shove, it did not deter fans from shelling out thousands of dollars for a piece of the action.
According to FIFA figures released before Saturday's third-place playoff won by England, the tournament attracted 6,665,825 spectators -- more than the combined total of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Average attendance stands at 65,351 per match, with a stadium occupancy rate of 99.7%.
The revelry stretched far beyond the stadiums.
From Scotland's Tartan Army drinking bars dry in Boston to Norway's fans performing their signature "Viking row" en masse in Times Square, host cities were transformed into raucous, freewheeling carnival grounds.
In the United States, where the bulk of the tournament's 104 matches took place, overseas visitors took to social media to express their delight at aspects of Americana, whether it be cavernous supermarkets, oversized BBQ ribs or ranch dressing.
"The 2026 World Cup has become a global love fest for the US -- at a time when the rest of the world has plenty of reasons to dislike us," one baffled US commentator remarked.
Cape Verde players and staff celebrate after a match as Cape Verde qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup in Houston Stadium, Houston, Texas, US, June 26, 2026. (Reuters)
- Trump controversy -
But while the exceptional quality of the football and the enthusiastic embrace of fans were the main takeaways, controversies did cast a shadow over parts of the tournament.
Somali referee Omar Artan became arguably the highest-profile casualty of President Donald Trump's hardline immigration crackdown, when he was denied entry to the United States.
US officials cited "vetting concerns" for the refusal to allow the official into the country.
Iran's squad were also made to suffer because of US government policies.
After relocating their base camp from Arizona to Mexico, Iranian players and team officials were angered by visa restrictions which left them scrambling to exit the US within hours of their games ending.
"I think we are the most oppressed team in the World Cup," Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei remarked bitterly after his team's opening game.
The most astonishing controversy though would involve hosts the United States, when it emerged that Trump had intervened personally with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino in order to have a one-game suspension against US striker Folarin Balogun delayed ahead of their knockout round clash with Belgium.
The extraordinary saga turned many neutrals against the hosts, and there was widespread jubilation when Belgium went on to record a thumping 4-1 victory.
While the scandal came as an embarrassment to FIFA chief Infantino, it is unlikely to jeopardize his chances of winning another term.
The powerful Asian, African and South American regional confederations have already pledged support for his re-election in 2027.
And Infantino is expected to use the success of the tournament as a mandate for further expansion, with the possibility of the 2030 finals becoming a 64-team tournament up for discussion.
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