Sports

Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

Sports Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)

Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portugal football team is making a change to how the No. 7 is written to honor the recently-retired Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, who wore the number and…

Sports Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)

Ronaldinho Poised for Ravenna Start and, Perhaps, One Last Goal

Ronaldinho will roll back the years this weekend when the 46-year-old Brazilian starts his first competitive match in over a decade, and in the unlikely…

Sports Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Andreeva Says She Is Learning to Move on Faster from Defeats After WTA Finals Sweep

Mirra Andreeva said she has learned to recover more quickly from setbacks after the Russian teenager completed an unbeaten run through the WTA Finals round…

Sports  Uruguay's players celebrate after Argentina's Leonardo Balerdi scored an own goal during an international friendly soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (AP)

Uruguay Beats Argentina 2-1 in the First Match Since Messi’s Retirement

The post-Messi era began with an Argentina defeat on Friday. Argentina fell 2-1 to Uruguay on Friday in an international friendly at La Bombonera in Buenos…

Sports Elina Svitolina of Ukraine serves to Aryna Sabalenka during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Svitolina Stuns Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semis

Elina Svitolina overwhelmed Aryna Sabalenka in the deciding set to seal a 6-3 3-6 6-1 upset on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Finals…


Sports Cape Verde players celebrate with fans after qualifying for the knockout stage following a 0-0 draw in the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in Houston, USA, 26 June 2026. (EPA)

Coach Bubista Hails Cape Verde’s Fearless Dreamers After World Cup Leap

Cape Verde coach Bubista walked into his press ‌conference draped in his country's flag, a man of few words tasked with explaining how one of football's…

Sports  Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu smiles as he responds to a question during a news conference ahead of his team's World Cup Group F match against Sweden Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP)

Japan Say Bring on Brazil at World Cup but Wary of Revenge Mission

Japan will give "everything we've got" and declared they have what it takes to beat Brazil in the last 32 of the World Cup in Houston on Monday. Hajime…

Sports  Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepares at pit during the second free practice ahead of the Austrian F1 Grand Prix, in Spielberg, Austria, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP)

Verstappen Wants to Stay at Red Bull, Says Mekies Amid McLaren Chatter

Max Verstappen wants to ‌stay at Red Bull but needs a fast car, team boss Laurent Mekies said on Friday amid fresh speculation about possible McLaren…

Sports Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain crosses the finish line to win the Spain F1 Grand Prix race at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Manaure Quintero/Pool Photo via AP)

Ferrari's Hamilton Faces Mercedes in Austria Hoping to Turn F1 Win into a Title Shot

The Formula 1 title race is turning into the ultimate battle of youth against experience. On one side, Lewis Hamilton, who at 41 just became F1's oldest race…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports A scene from the Saudi national team's final training session ahead of the match against Cape Verde (Saudi National Team)

Saudi Team Coach: We Aim to Make Fans Proud by Reaching Round of 32

Saudi national football team head coach Georgios Donis said Friday's match against Cape Verde will be a tough challenge, stressing that his team is determined…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Ecuador fans celebrate during a watch party after their team won the 2026 World Cup football tournament match between Ecuador and Germany, at Hudson Yards Backyard in New York City, on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP)

Ecuador Upset Germany to Reach World Cup last 32 as Curacao Eliminated

Ecuador upset Germany to squeeze into the last 32 of the World Cup on Thursday while the Netherlands, Japan and the Ivory Coast advanced safely as the draw for…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Australia fans cheer during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Paraguay and Australia at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, USA, 25 June 2026. EPA/Jason Henry

Australia Reach World Cup Knockouts after Goalless Draw with Paraguay

Australia booked their place in the World Cup's round of 32 on Thursday with a cagey 0-0 draw against Paraguay that left the South Americans facing a nervous…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Türkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella congratulates Kaan Ayhan at the end of the World Cup Group D soccer match against the United States in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Türkiye Beat Altered US Lineup with Last-minute Goal in Group Finale

Kaan Ayhan scored on almost the last kick of the match in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time as Türkiye stunned a makeshift US team 3-2 in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 20: Piero Hincapie #3 of Ecuador during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Ecuador and Curacao at Kansas City Stadium on June 20, 2026 in Kansas City, United States. Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images/AFP

Arsenal Permanently Sign Hincapie after Season on Loan from Leverkusen

Premier League champions Arsenal said on Thursday they have taken up the option to permanently sign defender Piero Hincapie, who joined on loan from…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Preparation works are under way on the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria on June 24, 2026, ahead of the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix. (Photo by ERWIN SCHERIAU / APA / AFP)

'Heat Hazard' Declared for F1's Austrian GP

Formula 1 drivers will carry extra cooling gear for this week’s Austrian Grand Prix after “heat hazard” rules were activated as hot weather causes disruption…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Mexico Beats Czech Republic 3-0 to Win All 3 World Cup Group-stage Matches for 1st Time

Mexico Beats Czech Republic 3-0 to Win All 3 World Cup Group-stage Matches for 1st Time

Javier Aguirre has been saying for a while now that the key to the Mexican team’s success at the World Cup is that they are a family. This family, it seems, is…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 24: Players of Switzerland applaud fans after the team's 2-1 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Switzerland and Canada at BC Place Vancouver on June 24, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia.   Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP

Switzerland Wraps Up 1st Place in Group B at World Cup with 2-1 Victory over Canada

Switzerland put a damper on Canada's World Cup party. The Swiss got goals from Rubén Vargas and Johan Manzambi to beat Canada 2-1 on Wednesday and win Group…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Vinicius Junior has four goals so far at this World Cup after netting twice in Wednesday's 3-0 defeat of Scotland. PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP

Ancelotti Hails Vinicius as Brazil March on at World Cup

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed Vinicius Junior as "one of the best players in the world" after the Real Madrid forward continued his excellent World Cup…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Players of Morocco celebrate after scoring the 4-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match Morocco against Haiti, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 24 June 2026. EPA/RONALD WITTEK

Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine Help Morocco Rally to Beat Haiti 4-2 at World Cup

Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine came off the bench to help Morocco rally for a 4-2 victory over Haiti on Wednesday and erase the Caribbean nation's hopes…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports The players trained at Q2 Stadium in Austin. SPA

Saudi Team Holds Final Training Session in Austin Before Cape Verde Match

The Saudi national team continued its preparations in Austin, Texas, ahead of its match against Cape Verde on Saturday in the third round of Group H of the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports South Africa forward Thapelo Maseko celebrates scoring against South Korea in their World Cup Group A match. Yuri CORTEZ / AFP

South Africa Stun South Korea to Make World Cup History

South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history -- an astonishing turnaround after a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Algeria face Austria on Saturday, 44 years on from the "Disgrace of Gijon". (Getty Images/AFP)

Algeria and Austria Clash Revives Memories of the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’

When Algeria and Austria meet in their last group game in Kansas City on Saturday, it will not only be key to both countries’ hopes of progressing at the World…

Sports  England head coach Thomas Tuchel listens to the national anthem ahead the World Cup Group L soccer match between England and Ghana in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)

Ghana Draw Cools England Hype and Revives Familiar Questions

Thomas Tuchel's England were riding a wave of optimism at the World Cup after their opening 4-2 demolition of Croatia, but Tuesday's 0-0 draw against Ghana…

Sports Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group K - Colombia v DR Congo - Estadio Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico - June 23, 2026 Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo gives instructions to his players during a hydration break REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

Infantino: World Cup Hydration Breaks Purely Sporting, Not Commercial

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the introduction of hydration breaks at the World Cup, insisting that for football's governing body they are…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports  Brazil's forward #10 Neymar takes part in a training session at the Columbia Park Training Facility in Morristown, New Jersey on June 22, 2026, during the 2026 World Cup football tournament. (AFP)

Neymar Available for Scotland Clash but Not Certain to Play, Brazil Coach Says

Neymar is available for Brazil's third World Cup group match against Scotland but coach Carlo Ancelotti declined to say if he would play a role in the Miami…

Sports Qatar's Minister of Sport and Madibo during their visit to Kone. (Qatar Football Association)

Qatar’s Sports Minister, Madibo Visit Canada’s Injured Kone

Qatar's sports ‌minister and national team player Assim Madibo visited Canada midfielder Ismael Kone to check on his health after he was injured during…

Sports  Croatia's Ante Budimir (11) celebrates a goal against Panama during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match, in Toronto, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Croatia Scorer Budimir Hails Win Over Panama That Keeps Hopes Alive

Croatia's match-winner Ante Budimir rejoiced in their 1-0 victory against Panama at the World Cup and hoped they would learn the right lessons as they stayed…

Sports Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho, left, holds up jerseys along with Ignazio Cipriani, president of Ravenna FC, at a media event celebrating Ronaldinho's recent signing with the Italian club, at Cipriani Downtown Miami restaurant, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in Miami. (AP)

Ronaldinho Trades Retirement for Third-Tier Italian Dreams at 46

As Ronaldinho ‌prepares to lace up his boots again at the age of 46 after signing with Italian side Ravenna FC, the Brazil great hopes to inspire the…

Sports Cape Verde's midfielder #06 Kevin Pina celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group H football match between Uruguay and Cape Verde at the Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens on June 21, 2026. (AFP)

Head‑to‑Head Rule Brings Early Winners and Losers While 3rd Place Lifeline Keeps Groups Alive at World Cup

The new head-to-head ‌World Cup tiebreak rule has already produced group winners and early exits, while the scramble for one of the eight best third…