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Saudi Arabia to Host 2025 Olympic Esports Games

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia to Host 2025 Olympic Esports Games

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025, thanks to a new 12-year partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
This agreement highlights Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the esports world and follows its successful hosting of numerous global tournaments.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said that this decision by the IOC showcases the kingdom’s strong support for sports, driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He emphasized that Saudi Arabia is now a major destination for international sports events.
“Saudi Arabia is hugely excited by the prospect of partnering with the IOC and helping to welcome a completely new era for international sport,” he said.
“We believe that to take part in the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honors any athlete can achieve,” he added.
“And we are proud to support the writing of a new chapter in Olympic history that has the potential to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world,” affirmed Prince Abdulaziz.
Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, an IOC Member, member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and President of the Women’s Committee, expressed her delight over the new partnership.
She emphasized the generous support of the Saudi leadership for the sports sector, particularly esports, which has seen unprecedented growth. This progress has enabled young men and women to achieve their ambitions.
“We are proud of the significant support our leadership provides to sports in Saudi Arabia, especially esports, which has developed remarkably. This partnership between the IOC and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee marks a historic step, ushering Olympic sports into a new era focused on the future,” said Princess Reema.
“We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi National Olympic Committee on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great – if not unique – expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia’s new partnership with the IOC to host the Olympic Esports Games solidifies its position as a top destination for major sports events. This move is a key milestone in the kingdom’s ambition to become the global center for esports.
The Olympic Esports Games will enhance Saudi Arabia’s reputation, adding to its successful hosting of major esports tournaments, including the ongoing Esports World Cup in Riyadh.
The event will gather the world’s best players to compete for their national teams, combining the tradition of the Olympic Games with the popularity of esports.
In 2025, the world will focus on Saudi Arabia for this groundbreaking event, showcasing the kingdom’s growing influence in the sports world.

 

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Sports

Villa Face Chelsea Test as Premier League Title Race Heats Up

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring their second goal =. (Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring their second goal =. (Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs)
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Villa Face Chelsea Test as Premier League Title Race Heats Up

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring their second goal =. (Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester United - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - December 21, 2025 Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring their second goal =. (Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs)

Aston Villa face a tough challenge at Chelsea on Saturday after muscling their way into the Premier League title race alongside Arsenal and Manchester City.

The Gunners, top of the tree at Christmas, host Brighton, while Pep Guardiola's in-form City travel to Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is grappling with a striker crisis after Alexander Isak fractured his leg, while Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes also faces a spell on the sidelines.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of the festive action:

Rogers spearheads Villa charge

Unai Emery's third-placed Villa are still considered rank outsiders for the Premier League title even though they are just three points behind leaders Arsenal.

Villa's 2-1 home win against Manchester United was their 10th consecutive victory in all competitions -- the first time they have achieved the feat as a top-flight team since 1914.

One of the major reasons for their recent success is the form of England midfielder Morgan Rogers, who failed to register a single goal involvement in his first seven matches in all competitions.

Now it is a different story: he has recorded 11 goal involvements in his past 15 appearances and the quality of his goals has been striking.

Rogers' seven Premier League goals this season have come from just 2.86 expected goals -- a metric used to determine how likely a player is to convert a chance.

But football analysts Opta give Villa just a five percent chance of becoming English champions for the first time since 1981.

Emery's men have an opportunity to silence the doubters when they take on fourth-placed Chelsea, with a match at Arsenal to follow just days later.

Slot's goals headache

In the early weeks of the season, Arne Slot would probably have envisaged Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak as two of his first-choice attackers.

Now the Liverpool boss has neither -- Salah is with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Isak faces at least two months on the sidelines after fracturing his leg against Tottenham.

Slot has steadied the ship at Anfield after a shocking run of six defeats in seven Premier League matches that left Liverpool's title defense in tatters.

A run of three wins and two draws in five league games has lifted the reigning champions into fifth spot, but there will be concerns over where the goals are going to come from ahead of the visit of bottom club Wolves.

Isak's absence will heap more pressure on the shoulders of top-scorer Hugo Ekitike.

The summer signing has netted eight times in the Premier League -- twice the tallies of Salah and Cody Gakpo.

Fernandes blow for Man Utd

Bruno Fernandes has been a shining light and virtually ever-present during Manchester United's recent lean years.

But manager Ruben Amorim is going to have to plan for a period without his talisman after the Portugal midfielder pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in United's 2-1 defeat at Villa Park.

While the prognosis is unclear, Amorim has already ruled Fernandes out of United's clash against Newcastle at Old Trafford on Friday, among a list of absentees, with the Portuguese boss urging the rest of his squad to "step up" in the absence of his "impossible to replace" captain.

"It's massive," defender Diogo Dalot told Sky Sports. "We don't know how bad it is but for him to come off (in) the game, we know how tough he is."

Playmaker Fernandes has five goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season for inconsistent United, who are also without top-scorer Bryan Mbeumo, on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Cameroon.

Sports

Romero Faces FA Charge for Behavior After Liverpool Dismissal

Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero (C) and Spanish defender #23 Pedro Porro (R) remonstrate with referee John Brooks (L) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero (C) and Spanish defender #23 Pedro Porro (R) remonstrate with referee John Brooks (L) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
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Romero Faces FA Charge for Behavior After Liverpool Dismissal

Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero (C) and Spanish defender #23 Pedro Porro (R) remonstrate with referee John Brooks (L) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Argentinian defender #17 Cristian Romero (C) and Spanish defender #23 Pedro Porro (R) remonstrate with referee John Brooks (L) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (AFP)

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero was charged by England's Football Association with allegedly acting in an "improper" manner in response to being sent off during Saturday's 2-1 Premier League defeat against Liverpool.

With Xavi Simons already being given a red ‌card earlier, ‌Tottenham ended up ‌with ⁠nine men ‌after captain Romero was given a second yellow for a tackle on Ibrahima Konate in the 93rd minute.

"It's alleged that he (Romero) acted in ⁠an improper manner by failing to ‌promptly leave the ‍field of ‍play and/or behaving in a ‍confrontational and/or aggressive manner towards the match referee after being sent off in the 93rd minute," the FA said in a statement.

Romero has until ⁠January 2 to respond to the charge.

The dismissal meant he already has to serve a one-match ban and will miss Sunday's away trip to Crystal Palace.

Tottenham are 14th in the league table with 22 points, 17 ‌behind leaders and derby rivals Arsenal.

Sports

Mahrez Leads Algeria to AFCON Cruise Against Sudan

Algeria's Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
Algeria's Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
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Mahrez Leads Algeria to AFCON Cruise Against Sudan

Algeria's Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
Algeria's Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)

Captain Riyad Mahrez scored in each half as 2019 champions Algeria eased to a 3-0 win over 10-man Sudan in their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.

Mahrez got the opener after just 82 seconds to the delight of the Algerian fans who made up the vast majority of the 16,115 crowd at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

The former Manchester City winger, now with Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia, got his and his team's second goal just after the hour mark and Ibrahim Maza wrapped up the win late on as Algeria started in the best possible fashion in Group E.

Among the spectators in the Moroccan capital was France legend Zinedine Zidane, whose parents came from Algeria and whose son Luca was starting in goal for the Desert Foxes.

His appearance on big screens in the ground drew huge cheers from Algerian supporters who will have been delighted to see their team produce a convincing performance.

Algeria were eliminated in the first round without a win at each of the last two AFCON tournaments but wasted no time in breaking the deadlock against the group outsiders.

The match was little over a minute old when Mohamed Amoura's ball across the penalty box was met by a back-heel from Hicham Boudaoui to tee up Mahrez. He took a touch before firing in.

Zidane then did well to save at the feet of Sudan's Yaser Awad Boshara but Algeria were by far the better side.

Sudan's chances of getting back into the game were then severely dented when Salaheldin Adil was sent off six minutes before the interval for a second booking for chopping down Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Ramy Bensebaini had a goal disallowed for offside moments later but Mahrez made it 2-0 on 61 minutes as he connected with a lovely outside-of-the-boot assist from Amoura.

Mahrez, appearing at his sixth AFCON, now has eight goals at the tournament. He came off to an ovation from the Algerian fans late on.

Substitute Maza, of Bayer Leverkusen, finished from Baghdad Bounedjah's knockdown with five minutes left to score Algeria's 100th AFCON goal and make it 3-0.

Sudan have now won just once in 17 Cup of Nations matches since lifting the trophy in 1970.

Earlier in the same group, Burkina Faso came from behind to beat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 2-1 thanks to two goals deep in injury time in Casablanca.

Basilio Ndong was sent off just after half-time for Equatorial Guinea but they looked set to win the game when substitute Marvin Anieboh headed in on 85 minutes.

However, Georgi Minoungou equalized in the fifth added minute before Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba grabbed a dramatic 98th-minute winner.