عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Ronaldo Gets Police Caution for Incident at Everton Match

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Manchester United - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - August 13, 2022 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Manchester United - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - August 13, 2022 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Ronaldo Gets Police Caution for Incident at Everton Match

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Manchester United - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - August 13, 2022 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Manchester United - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - August 13, 2022 Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo has received a police caution after footage was posted online of the Manchester United forward appearing to knock a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand at a Premier League match in April.

Merseyside Police said Wednesday that “the matter has now concluded.”

The 37-year-old football great was interviewed by officers in relation to an allegation of assault and criminal damage following the incident at Goodison Park on April 9.

Merseyside Police launched an investigation after a clip was circulated online of Ronaldo appearing to knock the supporter’s mobile phone on to the ground as he walked toward the tunnel following United's 1-0 loss.

“We can confirm that a 37-year-old man voluntarily attended and was interviewed under caution in relation to an allegation of assault and criminal damage,” Merseyside Police said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The allegation relates to an incident following the Everton v Manchester United football match at Goodison Park on Saturday April 9. The matter has been dealt with by way of conditional caution."

Under British law, a caution is essentially a warning given out by police for a minor crime if the person admits to the offense. A conditional caution means the person must also fulfil a certain obligation, such as replacing damaged property.

After the incident, Ronaldo issued a social media apology for his “outburst” and invited the supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford “as a sign of fair play and sportsmanship.”

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

African Players in Europe: Salah Leads Egyptian Goal Rush

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal during the Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park, in London, England, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal during the Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park, in London, England, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (AP)
TT
TT

African Players in Europe: Salah Leads Egyptian Goal Rush

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal during the Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park, in London, England, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal during the Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park, in London, England, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (AP)

Prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah led an Egyptian goal charge across Europe at the weekend with Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed also finding the net.

Salah scored his 200th goal for the Reds and 150th in the Premier League by equalizing at Crystal Palace in a match his team went on to win 2-1 in added time.

Marmoush was first to score for Eintracht Frankfurt in a 5-1 thrashing of champions Bayern Munich, and Mohamed equalized for Nantes in a 2-1 loss at Paris Saint-Germain.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

He scored his 200th goal for Liverpool to spark their fightback against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Just moments after Palace's Ghana international Jordan Ayew was sent off, Salah hit a deflected 76th-minute equalizer and Harvey Elliott scored the stoppage-time winner to send Liverpool top of the Premier League. Salah's 14th goal this term made him the fifth player to score 200 for Liverpool in all competitions after Ian Rush (346), Roger Hunt (285), Gordon Hodgson (241) and Billy Liddell (228).

"The most important thing was that we won the game. It's a great feeling. I'm happy for the record and that we won the game," Salah said. In his 247th Premier League appearance, he also reached 150 goals in the competition, including two scored for Chelsea, putting him in the all-time top-10 list, level with Michael Owen.

ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE (Everton)

The Mali midfielder set Everton on course for a 2-0 win against Chelsea at Goodison Park. Doucoure, 30, scored his sixth goal this season in the 54th minute, firing home after Dominic Calvert-Lewin's shot was blocked. Deducted 10 points for financial breaches recently, Sean Dyche's side have managed to climb out of the relegation zone thanks to Doucoure's determined efforts.

GERMANY

OMAR MARMOUSH (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Marmoush opened the scoring as Eintracht rampaged to a sensational Bundesliga victory over champions Bayern. The Egyptian smashed a well-timed shot into the bottom corner after just 12 minutes, kick-starting an extraordinary match in Frankfurt. Marmoush set up two more goals, either side of half-time, while Franco-Cameroonian Junior Dina Ebimbe grabbed a brace as Bayern collapsed. The defeat left Bayern four points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

IHLAS BEBOU (Hoffenheim)

Togo international Bebou scored his first goal of the season in Hoffenheim's comfortable 3-1 win over Bochum. Bebou came on as a substitute to score off a second-half header and put Hoffenheim three goals ahead midway through the second half. Bebou has struggled to hold down a starting place this season, making seven of his 12 appearances from the bench.

FRANCE

MOSTAFA MOHAMED (Nantes)

The Egyptian equalized for mid-table Nantes 10 minutes into the second half at leaders Paris Saint-Germain with a near-post header off a corner. However, a late Randal Kolo Muani goal gave the home side victory. Mohamed is the leading African scorer in Ligue 1 this season with six goals.

Sports

Union Berlin Must Get 1st Ever Champions League Win against Madrid for Chance to Stay in Europe

Union Berlin's Head coach Nenad Bjelica oversees a training session in Berlin on December 11, 2023, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group C match against Real Madrid CF. (AFP)
Union Berlin's Head coach Nenad Bjelica oversees a training session in Berlin on December 11, 2023, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group C match against Real Madrid CF. (AFP)
TT
TT

Union Berlin Must Get 1st Ever Champions League Win against Madrid for Chance to Stay in Europe

Union Berlin's Head coach Nenad Bjelica oversees a training session in Berlin on December 11, 2023, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group C match against Real Madrid CF. (AFP)
Union Berlin's Head coach Nenad Bjelica oversees a training session in Berlin on December 11, 2023, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group C match against Real Madrid CF. (AFP)

Union Berlin has never won a Champions League game. Now it needs to beat 14-time European champion Real Madrid on Tuesday to have any hope of extending its participation in European competition this season.

A win over Madrid — which is already assured of topping Group C — coupled with a loss for Braga at Napoli in the other group game would lift Union above the Portuguese side into third place in the group and secure and the consolation prize of a place in the Europa League.

There’s no consolation for finishing bottom of the group, where Union finds itself with just two points after failing to beat 10-man Braga in their previous game.

That 1-1 draw in new Union coach Nenad Bjelica’s debut stretched the German team’s winless streak to 16 games across all competitions, but Union finally ended that confidence-shattering run on Saturday in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Madrid, meanwhile, has won every game in the competition so far and is looking to complete a perfect group stage for the third time after 2011-12 and 2014-15.

“We shouldn’t praise Real Madrid too much. Everyone knows what they mean in world soccer,” Bjelica said.

The contrast between the clubs could hardly be greater. Madrid, the tradition-steeped Spanish behemoth, has won the European Cup a record 14 times, while Union was only promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2019 and is playing for the first time in the Champions League after an improbable fourth-place finish in Germany last season.

Many Union fans expected the team’s success to continue this season, but the arrival of well-known names like Leonardo Bonucci, Robin Gosens and Kevin Volland in the offseason did not have the desired effect as Union’s defensive stability crumbled and the team lost its efficiency in attack.

Coach Urs Fischer, who led the team to promotion in 2019, paid the price and was replaced by Bjelica.

Volland opened the scoring against Gladbach with a penalty — arguably the only way the home team was going to score — before little-known players Benedict Hollerbach and Mikkel Kaufmann grabbed their first Bundesliga goals to end Union’s winless run. Neither Hollerbach nor Kaufmann was registered for the Champions League, however.

“It is how it is, we have to accept it. We have to concentrate on the players that are there,” Bjelica said.

Madrid had won its previous five games across all competitions until Real Betis fought back to draw 1-1 on Saturday.

Union will take some encouragement from knowing the visitors have little but pride to play for with top spot already assured — and from its own performance in the 1-0 loss to Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in September.

Jude Bellingham only scored Madrid’s winner in the 94th minute. Unfortunately for Union, he’ll likely be playing again.

The game will be played in Berlin's Olympiastadion, traditionally the home of Union's city rival Hertha Berlin. Union's Stadion An der Alten Försterei only holds 22,000 supporters and the club wanted to give as many as possible the chance to see its debut Champions League campaign. Tickets for Madrid's visit were sold out long in advance.

Sports

Bayern Munich Brings Anger, Unbeaten Record to Man Utd in Champions League after 5-1 Loss

Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag (C) takes a team training session at the Carrington Training Complex in Manchester, north-west England on December 11, 2023 on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group A football match against Bayern Munich. (AFP)
Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag (C) takes a team training session at the Carrington Training Complex in Manchester, north-west England on December 11, 2023 on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group A football match against Bayern Munich. (AFP)
TT
TT

Bayern Munich Brings Anger, Unbeaten Record to Man Utd in Champions League after 5-1 Loss

Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag (C) takes a team training session at the Carrington Training Complex in Manchester, north-west England on December 11, 2023 on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group A football match against Bayern Munich. (AFP)
Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag (C) takes a team training session at the Carrington Training Complex in Manchester, north-west England on December 11, 2023 on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group A football match against Bayern Munich. (AFP)

Six years and 39 games. That's how long it's been since Bayern Munich lost a Champions League group stage game.

That makes Tuesday's game against Bayern an especially daunting task for Manchester United. After its own loss to Bournemouth, United needs to beat Bayern to have any chance of avoiding an embarrassingly early exit from the Champions League.

Bayern — which is already qualified for the knockout stages — won't just be playing to add a 40th game to that unbeaten record. After a shock 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, forward Thomas Müller called on his teammates to show their emotion at Old Trafford.

“There has to be a reaction following this. We need to tap into our anger, but we can’t lose our heads,” he said.

The Frankfurt game was much closer than the score suggests — Bayern actually had four more shots than its opponent — but Bayern is keen to bounce back.

Midfielder Leon Goretzka suggested Bayern hadn't been helped by having 10 days without a game after its last Bundesliga match was called off because of heavy snow. He told broadcaster ZDF that Bayern had been training well, though “we couldn't have sensed in training that we'd fallen into a hole, but after kickoff today it looked very much like that.”

Against United, Bayern needs to show the Frankfurt loss was just a “slip-up,” Goretzka said.

It was Bayern's third loss of the season but the first with England captain Harry Kane in the starting lineup.

Kane had tasted defeat on his debut for Bayern against Leipzig in the German Super Cup in August, but on that occasion Bayern was already 2-0 down before Kane came on for a half-hour cameo — and he had the excuse of having been up late the night before for a medical and contract signing.

Kane was an unused substitute in Bayern's only other loss of the season, an upset away defeat to third-division Saarbruecken in the German Cup.

Kane has 22 goals in 19 games for Bayern, numbers that resemble his Munich predecessor Robert Lewandowski. The former Tottenham striker has a career seven goals in 20 games against United and scored in the entertaining 4-3 win in Munich in September.

The 5-1 loss to Frankfurt was Bayern's worst loss in the Bundesliga since a defeat by the same score, to the same opponent, back in 2019. On that occasion it cost coach Niko Kovac his job. Thomas Tuchel is rather more secure in his job but history shows it doesn't take much to unsettle Bayern coaches. A draw or loss at United would be Bayern's third game in a row without a win.

Bayern heads to Manchester without forward Serge Gnabry after he lasted just five minutes off the bench against Frankfurt before he had to go off with a groin strain. He joins defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Bouna Sarr, both out with knee ligament injuries, and backup goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, who did not travel with an ankle problem.

Bayern issued an appeal to its fans Monday asking them not to use flares. The club was fined 40,000 euros ($43,000) after fans used pyrotechnics and threw objects in October's 2-1 win over Copenhagen and a repeat risks away fans being barred from the club's next European away game, Bayern warned.

Sports

Saudis Face Lebanon, Palestine and Hong Kong Friendlies before Asian Cup

The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
TT
TT

Saudis Face Lebanon, Palestine and Hong Kong Friendlies before Asian Cup

The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.

Saudi Arabia will play friendlies against Lebanon, Palestine and Hong Kong before the Asian cup, which starts in Qatar next month, the Saudi soccer football federation said on Sunday.
All three matches will be held in Doha, Qatar, where the Saudi national team, led by Italian coach Roberto Mancini, will hold a camp from Dec. 31 to Jan. 11, Reuters said.
The Saudi team will play against Lebanon on Jan. 4, Palestine on Jan. 9, then face Hong Kong the following day.
Three times Asian Cup champions Saudi Arabia will play in Group F with Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Oman.
Qatar will open the Asian Cup against Lebanon on Jan. 12.

Sports

Saudi U-17 Football Team Continues Preparations for West Asian Championship in Oman

The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
TT
TT

Saudi U-17 Football Team Continues Preparations for West Asian Championship in Oman

The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.

The Saudi national under-17 football team continued its training on Sunday in Oman, preparing for the upcoming match against the Syrian national team on Tuesday, SPA reported.

The comes as part of the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.

The Saudi national team, nicknamed the “Green”, conducted their training session, at Salalah Sports Complex, under the supervision of French coach Stephane Salient.

The draw for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship placed the “Green” in the second group, along with the teams of the UAE, Syria, and Jordan.

Sports

Silva, Grealish Score as Man City Fights Back to Beat Luton 2-1 in Premier League

Jack Grealish of Manchester City celebrates the win during the English Premier League match between Luton Town and Manchester City in Luton, Britain, 10 December 2023. (EPA)
Jack Grealish of Manchester City celebrates the win during the English Premier League match between Luton Town and Manchester City in Luton, Britain, 10 December 2023. (EPA)
TT
TT

Silva, Grealish Score as Man City Fights Back to Beat Luton 2-1 in Premier League

Jack Grealish of Manchester City celebrates the win during the English Premier League match between Luton Town and Manchester City in Luton, Britain, 10 December 2023. (EPA)
Jack Grealish of Manchester City celebrates the win during the English Premier League match between Luton Town and Manchester City in Luton, Britain, 10 December 2023. (EPA)

Manchester City ended its four-match winless run in the Premier League by coming from behind to beat Luton 2-1 thanks to two goals in a three-minute span by Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish on Sunday.

Elijah Adebayo headed in Andros Townsend’s cross at the back post in the second minute of first-half stoppage time to give Luton the lead against the run of play at Kenilworth Road.

Luton led Arsenal at home after an hour on Tuesday only to lose and the same thing happened against City, which equalized when Silva pounced on the loose ball following a tackle on Rodri and curled a finish into the bottom corner in the 62nd.

Grealish then converted a cross to the far post by Julian Alvarez in the 65th to earn City a win after three straight draws — to Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham — followed by a loss at Aston Villa on Wednesday.

City was without Erling Haaland because he was sidelined with a foot injury but the return from suspension of Rodri and Grealish proved vital as the defending champions moved four points behind first-place Liverpool. City remained in fourth place, however, also behind Arsenal and Villa after 16 games.

Without the comeback, City manager Pep Guardiola would have stumbled into his worst streak of results in his coaching career, having never gone five matches without a win.

Sports

Atletico Madrid Beats Last-Place Almeria for 17th Consecutive Spanish League Win at Home

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Almeria - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 10, 2023 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann scores their first goal before getting ruled out after a VAR review. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Almeria - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 10, 2023 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann scores their first goal before getting ruled out after a VAR review. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Atletico Madrid Beats Last-Place Almeria for 17th Consecutive Spanish League Win at Home

Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Almeria - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 10, 2023 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann scores their first goal before getting ruled out after a VAR review. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Atletico Madrid v Almeria - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - December 10, 2023 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann scores their first goal before getting ruled out after a VAR review. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid regained third place in the Spanish league by defeating last-place Almeria 2-1 for its 17th straight home win on Sunday.

Álvaro Morata and Ángel Correa scored a goal each in the first half as Atletico extended its biggest ever home winning run in the competition. Almeria pulled a goal back through Léo Baptistão in the second half.

Atletico moved to 34 points, even with fourth-place Barcelona ahead of the rival's home game against second-place Girona later Sunday. Atletico will have a game in hand after the weekend's round. Real Madrid, which drew 1-1 with Real Betis on Saturday, has a one-point lead over Girona.

Atletico was coming off a 1-0 loss at Barcelona in the previous league round. It had won 11 of its last 13 matches in all competitions before that defeat in Barcelona.

"We know there's still a long way to go. We lost the other day but it wasn't the end of it," Atletico forward Antoine Griezmann said. "We have to keep playing like this."

Atletico's last setback at home in the league was a 1-1 draw with Getafe in February.

Morata opened the scoring on Sunday in the 17th minute after dribbling past a defender and then the goalkeeper inside the area. Correa added to the lead five minutes later from close range after a low cross by Marcos Llorente.

The assist for Morata's goal came from Griezmann, who had a goal disallowed for offside in the fifth minute. The France forward remains three goals shy of the 173 scored by Luis Aragonés, the club's all-time leading scorer.

Baptistão scored from close range for Almeria in the 62nd.

It was the 12th league loss for the club from southern Madrid, which remains the only team without a win this season. It stayed on four points from four draws. The Saudi-owned club this week was eliminated by fourth-division team Barbastro in the second round of the Copa del Rey.

Sports

Zamalek Maintain Perfect CAF Cup Record

Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (File: AFP)
Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (File: AFP)
TT
TT

Zamalek Maintain Perfect CAF Cup Record

Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (File: AFP)
Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (File: AFP)

Ahmed 'Zizo' Sayed scored as Zamalek of Egypt maintained a perfect CAF Confederation Cup group record with a 1-0 win over Esperanca Sagrada of Angola in Alexandria on Saturday.

The 27-year-old winger struck on 42 minutes with a low shot across Congolese goalkeeper Nathan Keletshum and into the far corner of the net.

After a tougher than expected Group B win over the Angolan outfit, Zamalek have nine points, Salim and Esperanca three each and SOAR none, AFP reported.

Confederation Cup debutants Salim do not have an international-standard home ground so they will host Academie on Sunday in the Algerian city of Annaba.

Group winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals of a competition whose 14 previous title-holders include Zamalek in 2019.

Sports

'Great Feeling' for Salah After Landmark Liverpool Goal

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah. (AFP)
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah. (AFP)
TT
TT

'Great Feeling' for Salah After Landmark Liverpool Goal

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah. (AFP)
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah. (AFP)

Mohamed Salah admitted his 200th Liverpool goal was a "great feeling" as the Egypt star urged his side to do "something special" in the Premier League title race.

Salah's landmark strike inspired Liverpool's fightback from a goal down to win 2-1 at 10-man Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp's side stole the points thanks to Harvey Elliott's stoppage-time winner, AFP reported.

But it was Salah's deflected equaliser following Jordan Ayew's dismissal that sparked Liverpool's escape act.

Salah's 14th goal this term made him the fifth player to score 200 for Liverpool in all competitions after Ian Rush (346), Roger Hunt (285), Gordon Hodgson (241) and Billy Liddell (228).

"The most important thing was that we won the game. It's a great feeling. I'm happy for the record and that we won the game," Salah said.

Liverpool left Selhurst Park on top of the table, although second-placed Arsenal would reclaim pole position with a win at Aston Villa later on Saturday.

Regardless of Liverpool's position by the end of the weekend, Salah sees signs they can win the club's first title since 2020.

"I see the mentality to keep fighting until the end. We keep doing that. We have a new team now because there's six or seven players," he said.

"We need to give them advice. They're learning a lot and they're really nice. We can do something special this year."

Saluting the crucial contribution of substitute Elliott, Salah added: "He's a good kid. he's learning. I like to push him in the gym.

"He will have a good career. If he wants to speak then just come to me."

Klopp, who characterized the Reds' first 75 minutes as "horrendous", revealed staff had been travelling with a shirt to mark Salah's milestone moment for the past two weeks.

He was relieved to finally hand it to the 31-year-old in the visitors' dressing room.

"That's pretty much the best moment to score it to be 100 per cent honest. It's an incredible number for a super special player," he said.

"I don't know how often he's saved us with a goal he scored in the right moment. It was a pretty loud reception in the dressing room when I gave him the shirt.

"Now that's off his shoulders because when you have 199 it is probably different to 198, so now we can go for the next 100."

On Liverpool's title chances, Klopp added: "In this period of the year, I said it after the win at Sheffield United, we have to get through this, we need results.

"Seventy five minutes really bad game from us. But nobody is in for the Oscar award, best football game ever, it's about three points we got them and we are more than happy."

Sports

Saudi Sports Minister Meets with International Olympic Committee President

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
TT

Saudi Sports Minister Meets with International Olympic Committee President

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), met in Riyadh on Saturday with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr. Thomas Bach.

The visit marks Bach’s third since being elected as the IOC’s president in 2013.

It underscores the robust relationship between the two sides, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

This vision has positioned the Kingdom as a permanent hub for global sports through the hosting of several significant sporting events. Among these are the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2025, the Asian Winter Games TROJENA 2029, and the Asian Games Riyadh 2034, in addition to numerous championships and sporting events.