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Estevao and Rodrygo Score 2 Goals Each as Brazil overpowers South Korea 5-0

Brazil's Rodrygo celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly soccer match between South Korea and Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Brazil's Rodrygo celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly soccer match between South Korea and Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Estevao and Rodrygo Score 2 Goals Each as Brazil overpowers South Korea 5-0

Brazil's Rodrygo celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly soccer match between South Korea and Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Brazil's Rodrygo celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the international friendly soccer match between South Korea and Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Two goals each from Estevao and Rodrygo powered Brazil to a 5-0 win over South Korea in Seoul on Friday in an early warm-up for next year's World Cup.

Brazil, which beat South Korea 4-1 at the 2022 World Cup, again proved too strong for the hosts in the friendly match watched by 66,000 fans at a wet Seoul World Cup Stadium. Brazil claimed just its third win in 12 away games.

Brazil, which finished fifth in qualifying for the 2026 tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Bruno Guimaraes split the Korean defense with a pass to Estevao. The Chelsea forward slotted home from close range. Seven minutes later, Casemiro had a goal disallowed for offside, and Rodrygo’s low shot before the half-hour mark was saved by goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, The AP news reported.

Four minutes before halftime, Brazil doubled its lead with a well-worked move. Casemiro found Rodrygo inside the box, and the Real Madrid star curled a shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

Two minutes into the second half, Estevao added his second after pouncing on a mistake by Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae near the edge of the area. Rodrygo struck again soon after, converting unmarked from inside the box to make it 4-0.

His Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior completed the scoring in the 77th minute, sealing a dominant performance for the five-time world champions and a miserable evening for the hosts, who barely troubled the Brazilian backline.

On Tuesday, Brazil will face Japan, which drew 2-2 with Paraguay earlier Friday.

Miguel Almiron opened the scoring in Osaka in the 21st minute before Koki Ogawa equalized soon after. Diego Gomez restored Paraguay’s lead just after the hour, but Ayase Ueda salvaged a draw for the hosts with a 94th-minute goal.

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Madrid’s Mendy Suffers Another Injury Setback

Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)
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Madrid’s Mendy Suffers Another Injury Setback

Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy receives medical attention during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 03 May 2026. (EPA)

Injury-plagued Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy has suffered a thigh injury, with Spanish media reporting on Monday that he will be sidelined for several months.

Left-back Mendy was replaced after just 14 minutes of Sunday's 2-0 win over Espanyol, which delayed Barcelona winning the La Liga title.

The France international will undergo surgery in the coming hours after suffering his 16th injury since joining Madrid from Lyon in 2019.

"Following tests carried out today on our player Ferland Mendy... he has been diagnosed with a rectus femoris tendon injury in his right leg," Madrid said in a statement.

Mendy made his last France appearance in June 2024 and was unlikely to be in contention for a place in Didier Deschamps's World Cup squad.

Sports

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus
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Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation is set to approve its consolidated financial statements for the period from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, at its general assembly meeting scheduled for May 18 in Riyadh. The move reflects the close of the financial cycle and entry into the formal approval phase.

Asharq Al-Awsat has obtained detailed figures from those statements through its sources. Total revenue reached SAR 2.599 billion (about $693.1 million), compared with expenditures of SAR 2.511 billion (around $669.6 million), generating a surplus of SAR 88.4 million (approximately $23.6 million). The outcome points to balanced finances despite elevated spending levels.

Competition-related spending topped the expenditure categories at SAR 717 million (about $191.2 million). This figure covers the organization of domestic competitions as well as hosting regional, continental, and international tournaments. It also includes club support and prize money totaling SAR 246 million (around $65.6 million), underscoring the scale of investment in domestic competitions.

For national teams, the federation reported spending of roughly SAR 467 million (about $124.5 million), while allocations for referees reached SAR 210 million (around $56 million), reflecting a clear push to strengthen technical and organizational standards and develop officiating and training camps.

On the human resources front, total salaries and incentives for federation staff and all Saudi national teams, men’s and women’s (19 teams), amounted to SAR 543 million (about $144.8 million).

In terms of operating revenue, sponsorship agreements, broadcasting rights, and matchday income generated SAR 256 million (around $68.3 million). Meanwhile, travel and transportation costs for federation personnel and national teams totaled SAR 229 million (about $61.1 million), a category tied to the domestic and international scope of activities.

As for the general assembly agenda, it includes announcing the session and confirming its formation in line with the statutes, approving the agenda, and delivering the president’s address. This will be followed by the appointment of three delegates to review the meeting minutes, the designation of independent auditors, and ratification of the previous meeting’s minutes.

The assembly will also review the president’s report on activities since the last meeting, before presenting the external auditor’s report and approving the consolidated financial statements, including the statement of financial position and activities report.

Members will then vote on proposed amendments to regulations and standing orders, culminating in the appointment of an independent external auditor based on a board recommendation, in a session with a distinctly regulatory and financial focus that will shape the next phase.

Sports

Top Tennis Players Slam Roland Garros Prize Money, Citing a Shrinking Share of Tournament Revenue

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
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Top Tennis Players Slam Roland Garros Prize Money, Citing a Shrinking Share of Tournament Revenue

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)

A group of leading players including Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the level on prize money at Roland Garros amid a lingering dispute with Grand Slam tournament organizers.

The clay-court Grand Slam event starts later this month in western Paris. The players said they have other demands that have not been addressed by officials, including better representation, health and pensions.

The players' call came after French Open organizers announced last month the Roland Garros prize money has increased by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with the total amount up 5.3 million euros from last year.

“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026,” the group of players responded in a statement on Monday.

Play begins on May 24 at Roland Garros. Men’s and women’s singles champions each receive 2.8 million euros and the runners-up 1.4 million euros. Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros and first round losers get 87,000 euros. Men’s and women’s doubles winners pocket 600,000 euros and the mixed doubles champions get 122,000 euros.

But the statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming that players receive a declining share of the value they contribute to generate.

“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros generated 395 million euros in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said. “With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”

French Open organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

The same group of 20 players had already signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year, seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us.”

They said in their latest statement they remain “united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed.”

They insisted they have not received any response to their proposals on welfare, including pension and long-term health, adding that no progress has been made “on fair and transparent player representation within Grand Slam decision-making.”

“While other major international sports are modernizing governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change,” they said. “The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”