FIFA Sets Date for First Women's Club World Cup

FILED - 06 January 2020, Egypt, Giza: The shadows of spectators can be seen on a FIFA banner. Photo: Omar Zoheiry/dpa
FILED - 06 January 2020, Egypt, Giza: The shadows of spectators can be seen on a FIFA banner. Photo: Omar Zoheiry/dpa
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FIFA Sets Date for First Women's Club World Cup

FILED - 06 January 2020, Egypt, Giza: The shadows of spectators can be seen on a FIFA banner. Photo: Omar Zoheiry/dpa
FILED - 06 January 2020, Egypt, Giza: The shadows of spectators can be seen on a FIFA banner. Photo: Omar Zoheiry/dpa

FIFA finally set a date Wednesday to play the first Women’s Club World Cup tournament in January and February 2026.
The first edition should involve 16 teams though FIFA’s ruling council did not specify how they would qualify or where they could play.
Barcelona and Lyon are the top-ranked European teams and have combined to win 10 Champions League titles since 2011. They will meet in the next final on May 25 in Bilbao, Spain, The Associated Press reported.
A 32-team men’s Club World Cup will debut in June-July next year in the United States with teams qualifying by winning or getting consistently good results in four years of continental championships through 2024. The inaugural men's edition will have 12 European teams and six from South America.
FIFA has made launching a global club tournament a key part of its strategy to develop women’s soccer since the soccer body’s current president Gianni Infantino was elected in 2016.
The tournament should be held every four years, like the men’s edition. In other years, an “additional FIFA women’s club competition” was proposed to be organized, again like the men.
FIFA plans to launch an annual “Intercontinental Cup” in December featuring just the champions of the six men’s continental competitions, such as the Champions League in Europe.



Veteran Brazilian Defender Thiago Silva Signs for Porto

(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
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Veteran Brazilian Defender Thiago Silva Signs for Porto

(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)

Former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has signed for Porto at the age of 41, the Portuguese club announced on Saturday.

One of the finest center-backs of his generation, Silva arrives in Porto after a two-season spell with Fluminense in his native Brazil.

"Thiago Silva is a Dragon,” AFP quoted a club statement as saying in reference to the side's nickname.

The move completes something of a circle in his career as he played for Porto's B side in the 2004-05 season.

He then moved on to Dynamo Moscow, before a stint with Fluminense's senior team and then AC Milan where he won a Serie A title, before a 2012 switch to Paris.

He left PSG in 2020 with seven French league crowns and signed for Chelsea, winning the Champions League with the Blues at Porto's Estadio do Dragao stadium.

In all Silva has a total of 32 trophies in his decorated career, and could well add another as Porto are leading the Primeira Liga by five points.


Africa Cup of Nations Moved to Every Four Years

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Africa Cup of Nations Moved to Every Four Years

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

The Africa Cup of Nations will ​in future be held every four years instead of every two years, the Confederation of ‌African Football ‌said on ‌Saturday.

The ⁠surprise ​decision ‌was made at the organization’s executive committee meeting in the Moroccan capital and announced ⁠at a press conference ‌by CAF ‍President ‍Patrice Motsepe, Reuters reported.

The tournament, ‍which brings in an estimated 80% of CAF’s revenue, has ​traditionally been held every two years since ⁠its inception in 1957.

Sunday marks the start of the 35th edition, hosted in Morocco with the home team taking on Comoros.


Mohamed Salah Apologized to His Liverpool Teammates over Contentious Comments

 Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
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Mohamed Salah Apologized to His Liverpool Teammates over Contentious Comments

 Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Mohamed Salah apologized to his Liverpool teammates after complaining of being “ thrown under the bus ” by the Premier League champion, midfielder Curtis Jones said.

Jones told broadcaster Sky Sports on Saturday that Salah took the time to address the issue with them, The AP news reported.

“Mo is his own man and he can say his own stuff. He apologized to us and was like, 'If I've affected anybody or made you feel any sort of way, I apologize.' That's the man that he is," Jones told Sky. “He was the exact same Mo, he had a big smile on his face and everybody was exactly the same with him. I guess it’s just part of wanting to be a winner.”

Dropped by Slot The 33-year-old Egypt star has scored 250 goals for Liverpool overall but has only netted five times this season in 20 games.

Last season was one of his best with 34 goals in 52 outings for Liverpool, and he clinched the player of the year award from the Professional Footballers’ Association for the third time.

Salah, who is now at the Africa Cup of Nations, made his explosive comments about feeling unfairly treated at Liverpool after being dropped for a third game in succession.

In the wake of those comments, Liverpool coach Arne Slot left Salah out of the squad for a Champions League game at Inter Milan. But following subsequent talks with Slot, Salah returned to the team against Brighton last Saturday.

Unbeaten run Since losing 4-1 at home to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in late November, Liverpool was unbeaten in five matches heading into a Premier League game at Tottenham later Saturday.

“We’re past that now and we’re gelling well as a team," Jones added. “Playing well and starting to win games.”