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NEOM Introduces NEOM Sports Club; Alohali Named Club’s CEO

NEOM Sports Club is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving NEOM’s broader sports objectives.
NEOM Sports Club is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving NEOM’s broader sports objectives.
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NEOM Introduces NEOM Sports Club; Alohali Named Club’s CEO

NEOM Sports Club is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving NEOM’s broader sports objectives.
NEOM Sports Club is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving NEOM’s broader sports objectives.

Following the June announcement of the ownership transfer of Al Suqor Club to NEOM, the company revealed on Sunday that the new name will be NEOM Sports Club with a new logo to reflect the name change.

NEOM also announced that Moaath Alohali has been named CEO of the club after leaving his tenure as CEO of the Saudi Pro League team, Al Ettifaq.

The club’s ownership transfer is part of the Kingdom’s privatization plans for sports clubs recently announced by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The plans aim to develop and promote the sports industry and encourage the private sector to become more invested in it, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

NEOM Sports Club is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving NEOM’s broader sports objectives and underscores the project’s commitment to supporting local Saudi talent as it becomes a global hub for sports.

Chairman of NEOM Sports Club Meshari Al-Motairi said: “NEOM Sports Club provides us with an opportunity to positively contribute to developing sport in the Kingdom and help achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.”

“In NEOM, sport is a key contributor to a new form of livability, focusing on using sport as a tool for social growth, shaping lifestyle, uniting communities and contributing to NEOM’s dynamic economy,” he added.

“Announcing the new name and logo of the club marks a major milestone for NEOM in realizing its sports objectives, which include investing in active lifestyles and promoting sporting entities,” he said.

“We look forward to honoring the history of the club and its close ties to the local community whilst engaging the best talent and coaches to deliver high-performance athletes and players by providing a comprehensive and future-thinking high-performance ecosystem as guided by our vision.”

CEO of NEOM Sports Club Moaath Alohali said: “Today is a momentous occasion for the club, and we are proud to be a part of it. Our commitment to sport has been evident throughout our history, and alongside NEOM, we now have the opportunity to expand our expertise, grow as a football club and serve our community with several sports that cater to all ages.”

NEOM Sports Club has already made several achievements in multiple sports. In football, the club is currently top of their group in the Second League Division. The club’s youth football team has been competing to qualify for the Saudi Pro League, along with its female team, which was inaugurated and entered the first division. The team are currently focused on achieving promotion to the Women’s Premier League.

The teams at the club competing in badminton for youth and billiards have successfully been promoted to their respective premier leagues. Additionally, the club’s volleyball team is also competing this year for promotion. The club has recently established several basketball teams across different divisions, one of which is for women, in addition to inaugurating a handball academy. In terms of awards, the club won four medals, following participation in six different competitions during the Saudi Games.

Founded in 1965 as Al Suqor Club, the NEOM Sports Club’s Football Team currently competes in the Second Division of the Saudi Pro League. Playing its home matches at the King Khalid Sport City Stadium in Tabuk, its players are predominantly Saudi nationals. Its well-known previous players include Fahad Abo Jaber, Saod Al-Kaebari, and Mohammad Al-Shamrani.

NEOM Sports Club is currently home to 13 different sports, including football, basketball, martial arts and table tennis, with teams and sessions available for men, women and children of all ages.

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Roger Federer Will Return to the US Open to Take Part in an Exhibition Event

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, kisses the championship trophy after winning the men's finals championship over Andy Murray, of Britain, at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Monday, Sept. 8, 2008. (AP)
Roger Federer, of Switzerland, kisses the championship trophy after winning the men's finals championship over Andy Murray, of Britain, at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Monday, Sept. 8, 2008. (AP)
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Roger Federer Will Return to the US Open to Take Part in an Exhibition Event

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, kisses the championship trophy after winning the men's finals championship over Andy Murray, of Britain, at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Monday, Sept. 8, 2008. (AP)
Roger Federer, of Switzerland, kisses the championship trophy after winning the men's finals championship over Andy Murray, of Britain, at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Monday, Sept. 8, 2008. (AP)

Roger Federer will play in an exhibition at the US Open this year, returning to the Grand Slam tournament that he is the only player to win five consecutive times.

Days before being enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Federer will play in New York on Aug. 25. The event, titled “Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York,” also will include Andy Roddick, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi. It was announced Monday by the US Tennis Association.

Roddick won the 2003 US Open, the year before Federer started dominating the event. He won every one from 2004-08 as part of his 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

Federer last played the US Open in 2019.

“So many unforgettable moments of my career happened in New York, and Arthur Ashe Stadium is a place that means a great deal to me," he said in a statement. “I’ve missed being part of that atmosphere and feeling the incredible energy that the fans bring every year.”

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 29 in Newport, Rhode Island.

The USTA said there will be further announcements about the lineup for the event, which is during the week before singles play in the tournament begins.

Sports

Diarra Settles 65 mn Euros Transfer Case with FIFA and Belgian FA

Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File
Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File
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Diarra Settles 65 mn Euros Transfer Case with FIFA and Belgian FA

Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File
Lassana Diarra was pursuing FIFA and the Belgian football association for 65 million euros in compensation © Bertrand GUAY / AFP/File

Former France international Lassana Diarra has reached agreement with FIFA and the Belgian football association in his long-running 65 million euro ($76 million) legal battle, a source close to the case told AFP on Monday.

The former Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder's challenge to FIFA prompted world football's governing body to amend its transfer rules after a landmark Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) legal ruling in October 2024, but he had been unable to reach a settlement.

The CJEU found that FIFA rules impede the free movement of players by "imposing considerable legal risks, unforeseeable and potentially very high financial risks as well as major sporting risks on those players and clubs wishing to employ them", thereby disrupting the transfer system.

The 35-times capped former France international announced last October that he was turning to the Belgian courts to enforce the CJEU ruling.

Contacted by AFP, FIFA indicated that "following the comprehensive agreement they reached, Mr. Lassana Diarra and FIFA have settled all legal proceedings between them," adding that FIFA "does not acknowledge any wrongdoing and has not made any compensation payments".

Diarra's lawyers told AFP they could not comment at this stage.

The origin of this case lies in Diarra's dispute over the terms of his departure from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2014.

Due to a drastic reduction in his salary, Diarra left the Moscow club, but the club deemed the termination unfair and demanded 20 million euros from him, later reduced to 10.5 million euros.

As a result, Belgian club Charleroi ultimately decided against signing the French player for fear of having to bear part of these sanctions.

Following the CJEU's decision known as the "Diarra ruling," FIFA adjusted its regulations on player transfers.

The Justice for Players Foundation also launched a class action lawsuit aimed at achieving greater fairness in transfers, an initiative joined by various national professional footballers' unions, including the French union (UNFP).

Sports

World Cup by the Numbers: 104 Matches, 48 Teams and 3 Countries Make This the Largest Ever

Workers are seen on a crane at Los Angeles Stadium (temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 7, 2026. (AFP)
Workers are seen on a crane at Los Angeles Stadium (temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 7, 2026. (AFP)
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World Cup by the Numbers: 104 Matches, 48 Teams and 3 Countries Make This the Largest Ever

Workers are seen on a crane at Los Angeles Stadium (temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 7, 2026. (AFP)
Workers are seen on a crane at Los Angeles Stadium (temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles on June 7, 2026. (AFP)

This year's edition of the World Cup will be the biggest ever with an expanded field of 48 teams, three host countries and 16 stadiums staging the record 104 matches over the 39-day tournament.

The tournament being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico is the first since FIFA expanded the field from 32 teams to 48, adding four more groups in the initial stage and a new round of 32 in the knockout portion.

The World Cup last expanded for the 1998 tournament with the last seven editions featuring 32 teams and 64 games. This also marks just the second time that the tournament will be played in multiple countries with Japan and South Korea sharing the 2002 edition.

There will be 11 sites in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada. Mexico will host 13 matches, including the opener in Mexico City on June 11 between the host team and South Africa and three in the knockout rounds.

Canada will also have 13 matches with the first coming between the hosts and Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto and three more in the knockout round.

The remaining 78 will be in the US starting when the Americans take on Paraguay on June 12 in the Los Angeles area, and including all the matches in the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final round at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Here's a look at some other stats to watch during the 2026 World Cup:

1,248 There are a record 1,248 players on the rosters coming from 449 domestic clubs in 71 countries. There are 357 players with World Cup experience, along with 891 first-timers.

England leads the way with 200 players on rosters who are based there at club level. Germany is second with 109, followed by France (86), Spain (86), Italy (71) and Saudi Arabia (49). Major League Soccer will be represented by a record 44 active players at the World Cup with 103 of the players having some experience in MLS.

Manchester City of the Premier League has the most players of any club with a record of 19, followed by Bayern Munich with 18, Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal 16 and Barcelona with 15.

226 Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo leads all players in the tournament with 226 caps — the most ever by a single men's player — as he is set to join Argentina's Lionel Messi as the only players to appear in six World Cups.

Ronaldo is the only player to score in five World Cups with eight goals in his 22 matches.

Messi has the most career World Cup matches with 26 and needs two appearances to become the third man with at least 200 caps (Bader Al-Mutawa, Kuwait, also has more 200 appearances in international play). Croatia’s Luka Modric is three short of joining that group.

Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa is on a World Cup roster for the sixth time but didn't appear in a game in 2006 or 2010.

16 Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 career goals for Germany could jeopardy in this year’s edition. Messi comes into the tournament with 13 career goals, trailing only Klose, Brazilian star Ronaldo (15) and Gerd Muller (14). France’s Kylian Mbappe is also in range having scored 12 goals combined in the past two tournaments

8 Only eight countries have won the World Cup with six of those teams winning multiple titles led by Brazil's five. The only first-time winners in the last 11 Cups came in 1998 when France won the first of its two titles and in 2010 when Spain won it all.

2 Only two countries have repeated as champions with Pele leading Brazil to titles in 1958 and ‘62, and Italy winning it in 1934 and ’38. Three other defending champions made it to the title game, including France four years ago before losing to Argentina.

6 There have been six defending champions who failed to make it out of the group stage, including in three of the last four editions. France made it back to the final in 2022 but Italy (2010), Spain (2014) and Germany (2018) all got eliminated before the knockout rounds.

3 France will try to become the third county to make it to three straight finals after winning it in 2018 and losing in 2022. West Germany lost the final in 1982 and '86 before beating Argentina in 1990. Brazil had wins in 1994 and 2002 around a title game loss to France in 1998.

23 Brazil is the only country to appear in all 23 editions of the World Cup starting in 1930 in Uruguay. The Brazilians also lead all countries with 76 wins, 237 goals and a plus-129 goal differential. Germany is next in all three categories with 21 appearances, 232 goals and a plus-102 goal differential, including 10 appearances as West Germany before reunification.

4 There are four countries making their World Cup debuts with Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan the newcomers this time around. That will increase the total of countries to compete in the World Cup to 84 all-time.

7 Egypt has played seven World Cup matches without a win. The Egyptians are 0-5-2 and will try to break through starting June 15 against Belgium. The only country with more games and no wins is Honduras with nine. Honduras didn't qualify this year.

2,720 There have been 2,720 goals scored in 964 matches in the first 22 World Cups. With the additional 40 games, the record of 172 goals in a tournament set in Qatar in 2022 should be broken. The record of 5.38 combined goals per game set in 1954 should be safe.

25 There is more than 25 years separating the oldest player from the youngest. Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be 43 years and 162 days old on the first day of the tournament, while Mexico's Gilbert Mora will be 17 years, 240 days old.