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AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Dates and Venues Announced

AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Dates and Venues Announced
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AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Dates and Venues Announced

AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Dates and Venues Announced

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and AFC Asian Cup 2027 local organizing committee announced in a press release on Tuesday that the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 is set to take place from January 7 to February 5, 2027.
The 19th edition of Asia's premier football tournament will kick off on Thursday, January 7, 2027, culminating with the final match on Friday, February 5, 2027, promising an exciting experience for football fans across the continent.
The release said the tournament will feature eight stadiums across three host cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. Each city will be anchored by a main stadium.
In Riyadh, the spotlight will be on King Fahd Sports City Stadium, currently undergoing extensive upgrades to meet the highest standards.
Jeddah will host matches at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, also known as “The Shining Jewel,” which recently hosted the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup Final, SPA reported.
In Al Khobar, the newly constructed Stadium will be the centerpiece of the Eastern Region.
In addition to these main venues, Riyadh will also feature King Saud University Stadium, Al Shabab Stadium, and Kingdom Arena, along with the revamped Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, which will see its seating capacity expanded to 21,000 and all facilities upgraded to meet AFC standards.
Jeddah will also host matches at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium, which previously hosted several matches during the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.
Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser Al Misehal described the announcement of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 timeline as a key milestone in the Kingdom’s journey toward hosting the tournament.
“The local organizing committee is committed to delivering an exceptional edition of the Asian Cup that meets the high expectations of football fans across the continent,” Al Misehal said.
He added: “The success of this endeavor is a result of the unwavering support from our leadership and the guidance of Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, which has positioned the Saudi Arabian Football Federation among the leading football associations in the region.”
Al Misehal expressed gratitude to AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and the entire AFC team for their ongoing support.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 builds on the Kingdom’s recent success in organizing major international sports events, a key part of Saudi Vision 2030. The Kingdom has recently hosted high-profile football tournaments, including the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, as well as the Spanish and Italian Super Cups. It is also set to host the final stages of this season’s AFC Champions League Elite, alongside major events in other sports, such as Formula 1 and the Dakar Rally.
According to the release, 18 nations have qualified for the tournament: Saudi Arabia (host nation), Australia, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Iran, Qatar, UAE, Japan, Korea Republic, Oman, Palestine, Jordan, Bahrain, China PR, Indonesia, DPR Korea, Kuwait, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
Six remaining spots will be determined through the final round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

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Mourinho Must Stop Barca Machine as Clasico Tensions Resume

Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Real Madrid v RB Leipzig - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 21, 2026 Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho looks on REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Real Madrid v RB Leipzig - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 21, 2026 Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho looks on REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
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Mourinho Must Stop Barca Machine as Clasico Tensions Resume

Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Real Madrid v RB Leipzig - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 21, 2026 Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho looks on REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Real Madrid v RB Leipzig - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - October 21, 2026 Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho looks on REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will renew one of football's most bitter rivalries on Sunday when he takes charge of his first Clasico since returning to the club, with La Liga leaders Barcelona awaiting him at Camp Nou, AFP reported.

The Portuguese veteran's first spell at Madrid was defined in large part by his battle to end Barca's dominance under Pep Guardiola, with relations between the Spanish giants slumping to their lowest ebb.

Mourinho managed to break Barca's spell by guiding Real Madrid to the Spanish title in 2012, the crowning achievement of his reign from 2010-13.

Clasicos became increasingly compelling during that period, some would say not for the right reasons, as he and his staff clashed with their Barcelona counterparts both pitch-side and verbally in the media.

The 63-year-old worked as an assistant at Barca under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal in the 1990s but was overlooked for Guardiola in 2008 when the Catalans replaced Frank Rijkaard.

Mourinho's frequent battles with Guardiola, Lionel Messi and even with Madrid's own icons like Iker Casillas sometimes overshadowed his sporting achievements.

The most infamous flashpoint was when Mourinho poked then Barca assistant coach Tito Vilanova in the eye in August 2011.

Earlier that year, at the end of the prior season, Madrid and Barca clashed four times in just 18 days, illustrating the intensity of the rivalry.

The first was in La Liga, a 1-1 draw, which helped Barcelona take a step towards retaining the Spanish title as Madrid trailed them.

Mourinho's Madrid beat Barca to win the Copa del Rey in the second, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the winner in extra-time.

Then the Catalans got the better of Los Blancos in a Champions League semi-final double header, winning the first leg 2-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid defender Pepe sent off. Mourinho called it a "scandal".

Barcelona held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in the second leg to reach the final, which they went on to win.

It was in this period that Guardiola said he could not and would not compete with the "boss" Mourinho in the press room.

Mourinho has hit the ground running in his second spell at Madrid in that regard.

The coach brandished print-outs of incidents after losing the derby clash to try and prove his point that Atletico Madrid deserved two red cards, and refused to attend a press conference after Vinicius Junior was sent off against Villarreal.

Many believe Mourinho employs these tactics as a distraction to take the pressure off his team when they are not performing.

A victory in the Clasico might encourage him to focus on the football, and stopping Hansi Flick's side -- back-to-back Spanish champions -- is one of the main reasons he was rehired by president Florentino Perez.

Flick's Barca have won six of seven Clasicos against Real Madrid since the German arrived, scoring 22 goals and shipping only 11.

Mourinho insists it is impossible for his team to be at the level he wants them to be at after such a short time in charge.

"I've been here for over a hundred days. Obviously, we are not where I want, but there are things we are doing better today than before," said the coach.

Madrid have won their last four matches between La Liga and the Champions League, and after sharing minutes around early in the season, some preferences are emerging.

Although Mourinho said initially he did not see midfielder Federico Valverde as a right-back, where he has been used in the past, he has selected the Uruguayan there in the last two games, ahead of Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

"We created a lot on that side, and Fede had a fantastic match," said Mourinho after the Leipzig win.

In Valverde's place in midfield Mourinho deployed Arda Guler against Sevilla on Sunday and then Bernardo Silva against the German side, with Madrid improving on the ball and retaining more possession.

However the Clasico poses a different challenge. Mourinho, who deployed defender Pepe in midfield against Barca, may revert to type to try and spoil the hosts' flowing football.

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Leclerc Fastest for Ferrari in US GP Friday Practice

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers his car into a turn during the second practice session for the Formula One United States Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers his car into a turn during the second practice session for the Formula One United States Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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Leclerc Fastest for Ferrari in US GP Friday Practice

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers his car into a turn during the second practice session for the Formula One United States Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, of Monaco, steers his car into a turn during the second practice session for the Formula One United States Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc led the way in US Grand Prix practice on Friday, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli a close second ahead of a race that could make him Formula One's youngest champion.

Leclerc set the pace of one minute 35.291 seconds in a sunny second practice at Austin's Circuit of the Americas after also lapping fastest in the earlier session with a time of 1:36.052 in his upgraded car on a bumpy track.

"It has been a very clean Friday for me, but the others seem to be gaining more than us from Friday to Saturday and seeing the little gap there is, it is not going to be so easy tomorrow," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Antonelli, the 20-year-old who must win on Sunday to have a first chance of ⁠taking the title, ⁠was fifth in session one when Red Bull's Max Verstappen was closest to 2024 winner Leclerc.

The Italian, who complained about his seat moving, then improved to second place and ended the day 0.042 off the pace.

"We didn't have the best FP1 session, with the car balance not in a great place," said Antonelli, who is 102 points clear of closest rival and teammate George Russell. "We were able to improve that for FP2 though and we took a good step forward."

Verstappen, winner in Austin last ⁠year, is chasing his third successive victory after Singapore and Malaysia. He ended second practice as the third fastest and 0.189 off Leclerc with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton fourth and Russell fifth.

"We tried a different direction with the set-up, but I wasn’t comfortable in the car, especially over the bumps," said Hamilton. "Charles showed there’s pace there, so we need to understand how we can get the car into a better place on my side."

Russell had a black-and-white warning flag for an incident with Leclerc that led to the Monegasque going off track early in the second session, but stewards decided against any further action.

McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris was third fastest, 0.245 off the pace, in first practice and then seventh later on and behind Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson.

"I think Lando is definitely a lot quicker than ⁠his lap time," McLaren ⁠boss Zak Brown told Sky Sports television. "He didn't get his third sector in. His first two sectors were very strong.

"So I think we are much quicker than we looked. I think Ferrari's lap time, Mercedes' lap time, there or thereabouts."

Norris sounded less sure: "The pace is not bad. We seem a step away from Red Bull and Ferrari, probably Mercedes as well, but the car is very difficult to drive, too difficult to be consistent and get a nice feeling consistently."

Teammate Oscar Piastri was eighth fastest, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar ninth and Haas's Oliver Bearman completing the top 10.

Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto, Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad and Alpine's Franco Colapinto all collected grid drops for changes to their power units.

Lindblad will drop five places from wherever he qualifies on Saturday, Colapinto 10 places and Bortoleto 20.

Williams looked to be struggling, with Carlos Sainz 20th and Alex Albon 22nd in practice two.
"The car is a mess right now. It's a mess. I have no confidence in the rear," said Sainz over the team radio.

Sports

Al-Hilal Tops Saudi Pro League Standings with 3-2 Win over Al-Qadsiah

Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 21st minute - SPA
Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 21st minute - SPA
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Al-Hilal Tops Saudi Pro League Standings with 3-2 Win over Al-Qadsiah

Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 21st minute - SPA
Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 21st minute - SPA

Al-Hilal moved to the top of the Saudi Pro League (Roshn Saudi League) standings after securing a 3-2 victory over host Al-Qadsiah at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam today, in the 11th round of the competition.

Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 21st minute, followed by goals from Rúben Neves in the 77th minute and Sergej Milinković-Savić in the 84th minute. Julián Quiñones scored for Al-Qadsiah in the 31st minute, while Mateo Retegui added the second goal in the 87th minute, SPA reported.

With this result, Al-Hilal moved to 27 points to lead the standings, while Al-Qadsiah remained on 25 points in third place.