عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

AFC President: Saudi Arabia Capable of Hosting FIFA World Cup at Right Time

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa delivers a speech during the draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Doha on May 11, 2023. (AFP)
President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa delivers a speech during the draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Doha on May 11, 2023. (AFP)
TT
TT

AFC President: Saudi Arabia Capable of Hosting FIFA World Cup at Right Time

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa delivers a speech during the draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Doha on May 11, 2023. (AFP)
President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa delivers a speech during the draw for the AFC Asian Cup in Doha on May 11, 2023. (AFP)

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said he was confident of Saudi Arabia's ability to host the FIFA World Cup.

He stated that the bid to host the prestigious tournament in Asia has to be submitted at the "right time" in 2030 or 2034.

In remarks to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to Beirut, Al Khalifa said: "Saudi Arabia is coming strong. We are coordinating with the continental federations and FIFA to host the World Cup in 2030 or 2034 in agreement with everyone. When the bid is submitted, we want to ensure it is at least 90 percent successful."

"The Kingdom can host a similar competition, but we have to choose the right time in 2030 or 2034 according to circumstances and chances of success. We, at the Asian Federation, have 47 votes while winning the right to host World Cup requires 110 votes. We need support from other continents," he said.

"We are coordinating the right time to host the tournament either in 2030 or 2034. We are keen on ensuring success for the Saudi bid," Al Khalifa stressed.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Sabalenka Overpowers Badosa to Near 3rd Consecutive Melbourne Title

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 23, 2025 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hugs Spain's Paula Badosa after winning her semi final match REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 23, 2025 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hugs Spain's Paula Badosa after winning her semi final match REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
TT
TT

Sabalenka Overpowers Badosa to Near 3rd Consecutive Melbourne Title

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 23, 2025 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hugs Spain's Paula Badosa after winning her semi final match REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 23, 2025 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hugs Spain's Paula Badosa after winning her semi final match REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Aryna Sabalenka moved one win away from becoming the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, recovering from a slow start to beat good friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 Thursday night to return to the final.
Just 10 minutes in, the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka was down a break and trailed 2-0, 40-love. She kept making unforced errors, shaking her head or gesturing toward her team.
But the 26-year-old from Belarus quickly figured things out, especially once Rod Laver Arena's retractable roof was shut late in the first set because of a drizzle, The Associated Press reported. She straightened her strokes, frequently using huge returns and groundstrokes to overpower the 11th-seeded Badosa, who had eliminated No. 3 Coco Gauff on Tuesday to reach her first major semifinal.
Sabalenka grabbed four games in a row and five of six to lead 5-3 and soon was ending that set with a 114 mph (184 kph) ace. She broke to lead 2-1 in the second set — helped by two double-faults by Badosa — and again to go up 4-1.
The key statistic: Sabalenka finished with a 32-11 advantage in winners.
That's the sort of excellence that helped Sabalenka win her first major trophy at Melbourne Park in 2023, and she since has added two more — in Australia a year ago and at the US Open last September.
The last woman to reach three finals in a row at the year's first Grand Slam tournament was Serena Williams, who won two from 2015-17. Martina Hingis was the most recent woman with a threepeat, doing it from 1997-1999.
Sabalenka and Badosa did their best to avoid any eye contact for much of the evening, whether up at the net for the coin toss or when they crossed paths at changeovers.
One exception came early in the second set, when Badosa tumbled to the court and flung her racket away to avoid injury. Badosa immediately put up a thumb to make clear she was fine. When a replay was shown on stadium video screens, Sabalenka joked that Badosa took a dive, and they both smiled.
When the match was over, they met at the net for a lengthy hug.