Sports

Head of Palestinian Football Not Granted US Visa to Attend World Cup

Sports  Demonstrators place missing person flyers on the trailer of a mounted police truck during a protest outside Azteca Stadium ahead of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, Mexico, June 11, 2026. (Reuters)

Head of Palestinian Football Not Granted US Visa to Attend World Cup

The head of the Palestinian Football Association is waiting in Mexico City for permission to enter the United States with other federation heads attending the…

Sports Tunisia's French head coach Sabri Lamouchi takes part in a training session at Rayados Training Center in Santiago, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico on June 9, 2026, ahead of the 2026 World Cup football tournament. (AFP)

Sweden Strike Force Faces Tough Tunisia Test in World Cup Opener

Sweden boast a formidable strike partnership in Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, but the two will have their work cut out in their opening World Cup Group F…

Sports 11 June 2026, Mexico, Mexico city: A general view bfore the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium (Mexico City Stadium). Photo: Tom Weller/dpa

Empty Seats at World Cup Match Renews Concerns over Ticket Prices

FIFA reported an attendance of 44,985 for Thursday's World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, but swathes of empty seats…

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Sports Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Belgium Training - Seattle Sounders FC Performance Center and Clubhouse, Renton, Washington, US - June 11, 2026 Belgium's Thibaut Courtois with Seattle Sounders' Max Anchor during training. (Reuters)

Belgium Keeper Courtois Thinking about Retiring from National Team after World Cup

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ‌is thinking about ending his international career after the World Cup, he said on Thursday as his team prepared for…

Sports Sergej Barbarez, head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina, attends the press conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina one day ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Getty Images/AFP)

Bosnia Will Play with Hearts in World Cup Opener, Says Coach Barbarez

Bosnia and Herzegovina know they are underdogs heading into their World Cup Group B opener against co-hosts Canada, coach Sergej Barbarez said on Thursday, but…


Sports FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Primeira Liga - Estoril v Benfica - Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota, Estoril, Portugal - May 16, 2026 Benfica coach Jose Mourinho before the match REUTERS/Rodrigo Antunes/File Photo

Mourinho Says Will Decide Future by Next Week amid Real Madrid Talks

Jose Mourinho has opened the door to a return to Real Madrid, saying his agent is in touch with the Spanish club, but the Benfica manager stressed no offer is…

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Sports 16 May 2026, Italy, Rome: Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina celebrates with the trophy after defeating US' Coco Gauff during their Women's Singles Final tennis match of the Italian Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico. Photo: Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa

Svitolina Fights Off Gauff to Win Third Italian Open Title

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina signaled her French Open ambitions by battling past world number four Coco Gauff 6-4 6-7(3) 6-2 in the Italian Open final on Saturday…

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Sports Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Liverpool - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - May 15, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

Salah Urges Liverpool to Revive ‘Heavy Metal’ Football After Villa Defeat

Mohamed Salah issued a rallying cry for Liverpool to rediscover their attacking identity on Saturday after a painful 4-2 defeat by Aston Villa left Champions…

Sports  Manchester City players celebrate with the winner's trophy after the English FA Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester City in London, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP)

Semenyo Strikes as Man City Beat Chelsea 1-0 to Win FA Cup

Manchester City won the FA Cup on Saturday, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the final with a deftly finished 72nd-minute goal from Antoine Semenyo to complete an…

Sports Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco v Lille - Stade Louis II, Monaco - May 10, 2026 Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi in action with AS Monaco's Thilo Kehrer. (Reuters)

Morocco Beat France to Ayyoub Bouaddi in Major World Cup Boost

Morocco ‌have won the international tug-of-war for highly rated Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who was born in France to Moroccan parents, after FIFA…

Sports Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring during a World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Portugal and Hungary in Lisbon, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP)

The Last Dance: Messi and Ronaldo Get Ready for Sixth and Final World Cup

Lionel Messi's career seemed complete after he led Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup, but the motivation to keep playing is still there for him and…

Sports  Passengers stand beside a giant replica of the World Cup trophy displayed at Mexico City International Airport, ahead of the World Cup starting on June 11, in Mexico City, Mexico, May 15, 2026. (Reuters)

US Team ‘Devastated’ by Lack of Home Support, Says World Cup Doc Maker

For most national football teams, playing a tournament on home turf is a huge advantage. For the United States, it can be the opposite. In the Gold Cup final…

Sports Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Liverpool - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - May 15, 2026 Aston Villa's John McGinn scores their fourth goal past Liverpool's Giorgi Mamardashvili. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers)

Liverpool’s Gomez Rues ‘Frustrating’ Villa Defeat Amid Tight Champions League Race

Liverpool defender Joe ‌Gomez called Friday’s 4-2 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa “frustrating” and urged his side to respond by beating Brentford in…

Sports Takefusa Kubo was named in Japan's World Cup squad on Friday. Karl Mondon / AFP

Kubo Vows to Lead Japan at World Cup with Mitoma Out

Japan's Takefusa Kubo has vowed to fill the World Cup void left by Kaoru Mitoma, who will miss the tournament with a heartbreaking late hamstring injury. …

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Sports Google chose Gemini as the official technology sponsor of Iraq and Morocco’s national football teams (Google)

Google Gemini Enters Arab Football Stands, From Sponsorship to Fan Experience

Technology sponsorship in sports is no longer just a logo on a billboard or an advertising campaign around matches. As artificial intelligence moves into…

Nassim Ramadan (London)
Sports  Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Crystal Palace in Manchester, England, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP)

Guardiola Says Man City Have Not Trained Ahead of FA Cup Final Amid Tight Schedule

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on ‌Friday he would have preferred seven days to prepare for the FA Cup final like opponents Chelsea, but…

Sports David Beckham. (Reuters)

Beckham Becomes First British Billionaire Sportsman

Former Manchester United and England star David Beckham has become Britain's first billionaire sportsman, according to the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List. …

Sports FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Southampton - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - May 18, 2025 Everton's Seamus Coleman reacts after being substituted after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Coleman to Leave Everton at End of Season after 17 Years

Seamus Coleman will bring the curtain down on his 17-year Everton career at the end of the season when his contract expires, the Premier League club said on…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Sports Football - La Liga - Atletico Madrid v Celta Vigo - Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - May 9, 2026 Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

Five Things to Look Out for in La Liga This Weekend

With Barcelona crowned champions for a second consecutive season, attention in La Liga turns to other matters in the penultimate round of fixtures, including a…

Sports USM's Brahim Benzaza (L) in action against Zamalek's Adam Kaied (C) during the CAF Confederation Cup final, 1st leg soccer match between USM Alger and Zamalek, in Algiers, Algeria, 09 May 2026. (EPA)

History Tilts Odds in Favor of Egypt's Zamalek for CAF Cup

History favors Egyptian club Zamalek when they seek to overcome a 1-0 deficit against Algerian visitors USM Alger on Saturday in the CAF Confederation Cup…

Sports Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Japan World Cup squad announcement - Tokyo, Japan - May 15, 2026 Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu during the press conference REUTERS/Issei Kato

Tomiyasu Makes Japan Return as Moriyasu Names World Cup Squad

Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has been included in Japan's World Cup squad by head coach Hajime Moriyasu despite not playing for the 'Samurai Blue'…

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Sports Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe kicks the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Oviedo in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Mbappe Says he is Fourth-choice Forward Under Arbeloa at Real Madrid

France captain Kylian Mbappe said he is now the fourth-choice forward at Real Madrid after manager Alvaro Arbeloa left him out of the starting line-up for…

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Sports Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his men's singles quarterfinal match against Andrey Rublev of Russia (not pictured) at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 14 May 2026. EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MEO

Sinner Breaks Masters Record to Reach Italian Open Semis. Gauff is Back in the Final

Jannik Sinner is two victories away from becoming the first home male player to win the Italian Open in half a century. And it doesn’t seem like anybody can…

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Sports FC Barcelona player Lamine Yamal holds a Palestinian flag as he celebrates with his team atop a bus after winning the Spanish La Liga title in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo)

Spat between Israeli Minister and Spain’s PM over Lamine Yamal Raising the Palestinian Flag

Israel's defense minister has criticized Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for his waving of a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league…

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Sports FILED - 16 August 2022, Berlin: Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, answers questions from journalists at a press conference after his meeting with the German Chancellor. Photo: Wolfgang Kumm/dpa

Iran Says No US Visas Issued Yet for 2026 World Cup

Iran's football federation chief on Thursday said no visas had yet been issued for the national team to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States,…

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Sports (FILES) Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives ahead of kick-off in the UEFA Champions League, last 16 second leg football match between Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium in north London on March 17, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Arteta: Arsenal in High Spirits for Run-in

Arsenal's season appeared on the brink of collapse last month but a run of good results has worked wonders for their mood, with manager Mikel Arteta saying on…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Sports 09 May 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah waves to fans ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa

Liverpool Boss Slot: Salah Fit for Cameo Against Aston Villa

Forward Mohamed Salah could make his return from injury in Liverpool's Premier League game at Aston Villa this week, manager Arne Slot said on Thursday. …

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Sports (FILES) Inter Miami's Argentine forward #10 Lionel Messi gives a thumbs-up during the friendly football match between Peru's Alianza Lima and the US' Inter Miami at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Connie FRANCE / AFP)

In-form Messi Hits Brace as Miami Win 5-3 at Cincinnati in MLS

Lionel Messi scored twice and had a hand in two others as Inter Miami fought back to beat FC Cincinnati 5-3 away in the MLS on Wednesday. With the World Cup…

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Sports The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the July 19 final of the 2026 World Cup, the largest and most complex edition of the tournament ever staged. AL BELLO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

A Quarter of World Cup Games Risk Searing Heat, Say Scientists

One in four 2026 World Cup games could take place in very hot conditions as climate change has increased the risk of extreme heat in North America since the US…

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