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 Napoli and AC Milan will be looking to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan. Fayez Nureldine / AFP/File

Napoli and AC Milan Face Off as Italy Licks its World Cup Wounds

Napoli and AC Milan will face off on Monday with Serie A leaders Inter Milan in their sights, but the return of domestic football over Easter has been…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Football - Premier League - Brentford v Brighton & Hove Albion - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 3, 2024 Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi applauds fans after the match. (Action Images via Reuters)

De Zerbi to Stay at Tottenham Next Season ‘No Matter What’

New Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi confirmed he will remain at the club next season even if they suffer relegation from the Premier League as he welcomed the…

Sports LEGO Design Master Beatrice Amoretti and model designer Freddy Charters sit next to a display of the LEGO Editions sets of footballers Vinicius (Vini) Jr, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe in Billund, Denmark, March 27, 2026. (Reuters)

Lego to Continue Sports Expansion with Football Players

Danish toymaker Lego will continue its expansion into the sports market this year with a collaboration with four of the world’s most famous football players. …

Sports Italy players react after losing in a World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Italy Soccer President Resigns after Azzurri Miss Third Straight World Cup

Italy's soccer federation president resigned amid political pressure on Thursday, two days after the Azzurri failed to qualify for a third consecutive World…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports (FILES) Liverpool's Egyptian forward #11 Mohamed Salah applauds as he leaves the pitch after being substituted during the UEFA Champions League, round of 16 second leg football match between Liverpool and Galatasaray at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Salah's Long Goodbye: Egypt Star Begins Farewell Tour with Liverpool at Man City in FA Cup

Mohamed Salah's long goodbye to Liverpool begins on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, the competition which represents his best chance of a trophy…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Chelsea players react disappointed after the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Chelsea in Liverpool, England, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Chelsea Announces Premier League-record Losses of $350M

Chelsea made pre-tax losses of 262.4 million pounds ($350 million) in its latest financial results, the club announced Wednesday, a record high in the Premier…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports  Italy players react during a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying play-off final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP)

Ailing Italy at New Low After Missing Out on Yet Another World Cup

Italians will once again be forced to watch a World Cup from the sidelines after another play-off disaster highlighted just how far one of the great…

Sports FIFA President Gianni Infantino follows a friendly soccer match between Iran and Costa Rica, in Antalya, southern Türkiye, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP)

Infantino Says Iran Will Play World Cup Matches in US as Planned

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday that Iran will play their World Cup matches in the United States in June as scheduled despite the country's…

Sports DR Congo's defender #04 Axel Tuanzebe (R) celebrates after scoring a goal in extra time during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers final playoff football match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Jamaica at the Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Jalisco state, Mexico, on March 31, 2026. (AFP)

Tuanzebe Shines for DR Congo as They Qualify for World Cup

Former England under-21 ‌international Axel Tuanzebe basked in the adulation of one of Africa’s largest nations on Tuesday after his goal in extra time…

Sports Igor Thiago of Brazil celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the international friendly match between Brazil and Croatia at Camping World Stadium on March 31, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

Brazil Score Twice Late on to Beat Croatia 3-1 in World Cup Tune-up

Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 in ‌a World Cup warm-up in Orlando on Tuesday, with Igor Thiago converting a late penalty and Gabriel Martinelli adding a stoppage…

Sports Football - International Friendly - England v Japan - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain- March 31, 2026 Japan's Kaoru Mitoma scores their first goal past England's Jordan Pickford. (Action Images via Reuters)

Historic England Win Shows Confident Japan Can Go Far at World Cup

Coach Hajime Moriyasu cautioned it was only a friendly, but Japan's slice of history with a statement 1-0 win over England at Wembley shows they could go deep…

Sports Iraqi players celebrate at the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff match between Iraq and Bolivia in Guadalupe, Mexico, 31 March 2026. (EPA)

Iraq Qualify for World Cup with Win Over Bolivia

Iraq grabbed the last available place at the World Cup by beating Bolivia 2-1 in their inter-confederation playoff on Tuesday, sealing their return to the…

Sports Soccer Football - International Friendly - Argentina v Zambia - Estadio La Bombonera, Buenos Aires, Argentina - March 31, 2026 Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi celebrates scoring their third goal with Lionel Messi REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

Messi Shines in What Could be his Last Argentina Home Game, a 5-0 Farewell Friendly Win

In what was likely his final home appearance for Argentina's national squad, Lionel Messi scored a goal and provided an assist in a 5-0 rout of Zambia on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports 22 March 2026, United Kingdom, Newcastle Upon Tyne: Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe (C) reacts from the touchline during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcaslte United and Sunderland at St James' Park. Photo: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/dpa

Newcastle Say No Manager Change 'at the Moment'

Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson said Tuesday the club have no plans "at the moment" to replace Eddie Howe as manager. The Magpies were knocked out…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Iraq's coach Graham Arnold gestures during a training session ahead of a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

After Travel Ordeal, Iraq Faces Bolivia for World Cup Spot

Earlier this month, Iraq coach Graham Arnold was stranded in Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, due to the Mideast war. He wondered if…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Italy's supporters cheer during the play-off FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification semifinal against North Ireland in Bergamo on March 26, 2026. (AFP)

Italy Pushing Youth Reform as Ailing Football Nation Eyes World Cup Return

As Italian football fans worry that their national team might miss out on a third straight World Cup in Tuesday's play-off decider with Bosnia and Herzegovina,…

Sports Head coach Otto Addo of Ghana reacts during the friendly soccer match between Germany and Ghana in Stuttgart, Germany, 30 March 2026.  EPA/ANNA SZILAGYI

World Cup-bound Ghana Fires Coach after 4 Straight Losses in Friendlies

Otto Addo has been released from his contract as head soccer coach of Ghana, just 2 1-2 months before the team plays its first match at the World Cup. “The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Mar 26, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Brazli head coach Carlo Ancelotti applauds before their friendly against France at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Ancelotti Says Danilo Certain to be Part of Brazil World Cup Squad

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has backed veteran defender Danilo to be part of his final 26-man squad for this year’s World Cup in North America, adding…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v West Ham United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - March 22, 2026 Referee Paul Tierney checks the VAR before overturning an Aston Villa penalty. (Action Images via Reuters)

Over 75% of Fans Do Not Support VAR in Premier League, Says FSA Survey

More than ‌75% of Premier League fans do not support the continued use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR), a Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) survey…

Sports Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of Netherlands in action during the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course racetrack in Suzuka, Japan, 29 March 2026. (EPA)

King Kimi, Max Misery, Bearman Smash: Japan GP Talking Points

Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix from pole ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri as Max Verstappen endured another miserable outing in his Red Bull. AFP…

Sports Manchester United fans, many wearing black as a protest, display a banner in the crowd against seat prices and the current ownership of Manchester United ahead of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, northwest England, on March 9, 2025. (AFP)

Premier League Fans Feel the Pinch from Ticket Price Hikes

The Premier League's global appeal is built on packed stadiums and electric atmospheres but as the arms race for talent intensifies, fans are feeling the pinch…

Sports 29 March 2026, US, Miami Gardens: Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner celebrates with the trophy after winning the men's singles final match of the Miami Open tennis tournament against Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Photo: Chris Arjoon/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Implacable Sinner Overpowers Lehecka to Win Miami Open

World number two Jannik Sinner powered past Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to win the ATP Miami Masters 1000 for a second time on Sunday, adding the title to his Indian…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Australia's football coach Tony Popovic speaks to the media in Melbourne on March 30, 2026, ahead of their international friendly football match against Curacao. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

Australia Boss Popovic Calls on Players to Prove they Are Worthy of World Cup

Australia coach Tony Popovic has called on the new faces in his squad to seize their chance with a performance against Curacao as he looks to bed down his…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports  Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course racetrack in Suzuka, Japan, 29 March 2026. (EPA)

Youngest F1 Title Leader Antonelli to Keep ‘Raising Bar’ After Japan Win

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli vowed to "keep raising the bar" after winning Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to…