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Crown Prince Endorses Saudi Arabia’s Final Preparations ahead of Bid Books Submission for FIFA World Cup 2034

Crown Prince endorses Saudi Arabia’s final preparations ahead of bid books submission for FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Crown Prince endorses Saudi Arabia’s final preparations ahead of bid books submission for FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)
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Crown Prince Endorses Saudi Arabia’s Final Preparations ahead of Bid Books Submission for FIFA World Cup 2034

Crown Prince endorses Saudi Arabia’s final preparations ahead of bid books submission for FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Crown Prince endorses Saudi Arabia’s final preparations ahead of bid books submission for FIFA World Cup 2034. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has endorsed Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 tournament.
The endorsement comes following the conclusion of the bid’s detailed requirements ahead of the bid book submission to FIFA in the French capital, Paris, through a delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) Yasser Al Misehal.
Marking this significant milestone, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal Al Saud expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for their support and guidance offered to the vital sport sector. Thanks to this support, the Kingdom has become a global home of sports during a time when the country is experiencing unprecedented growth and transformation, he added.
“We are committed to hosting an exceptional edition of the FIFA World CupTM set to feature 48 teams in a single country for the first time in the history of the competition. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s direct supervision of Saudi Arabia's ambitions of hosting this iconic global football event showcases his commitment to elevating the future of Saudi sport, in line with Vision 2030, and help nurture a generation of athletes capable of competing at the highest global stage”, said Prince Faisla.
“We will continue to showcase to the world our nation’s transformation across all sectors, what our youthful and vibrant population can offer and our massive capabilities of hosting the world’s biggest sporting events”, he added.
The official bid book submission will take place in a ceremony held by FIFA in Paris. The Saudi delegation will be led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal Al Saud and Yasser Al Misehal, alongside two children from the SAFF youth regional training centers.
The participation of the two children came as part of an initiative by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, symbolizing the ambitions of Saudi Arabia’s young generation to host the world’s greatest football event.
The official bid book forms part of the FIFA World Cup 2034TM bid journey, which commenced on 4 October 2023 when Saudi Arabia, via the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, announced its intention to bid. It was then followed by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation submitting its official letter of intent to FIFA, before the bid brand identity was revealed under the slogan ‘Growing. Together.’
The bid period is set to conclude in December later this year when FIFA officially announces the host nation of the FIFA World Cup 2034 TM during a General Assembly meeting.

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Sports

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami Reloads for a Run at a Second Straight MLS Title

Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega
Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega
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Lionel Messi's Inter Miami Reloads for a Run at a Second Straight MLS Title

Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega
Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi waves to supporters before a friendly soccer match between Inter Miami and Atlético Nacional at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Medellín, Colombia, 31 January 2026. EPA/Carlos Ortega

Less than three months removed from its first MLS Cup championship, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami shows no signs of a letdown.

The Herons have assembled one of the strongest rosters in Major League Soccer history heading into a season that begins this weekend and bookends around the biggest event of them all, the World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The ageless Messi — he turns 39 in June — is coming off his second straight MVP award, the first player in MLS history to accomplish that feat. He just keeps adding to a legacy that already ensures he'll be remembered as one of the greatest ever to play the beautiful game, The Associated Press said.

“He’s a quiet guy, but on the pitch he transforms into an animal,” teammate Yannick Bright told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “After all he’s won, he never wants to lose, not even in training.”

Messi is hardly going it alone in Miami, which pulled off an impressive reload after bringing a title to South Florida.

MLS goalkeeper of the year Dayne St. Clair was lured away from Minnesota United, addressing the club's biggest area of concern. Germán Berterame arrived from Liga MX’s Monterrey to fill a designated player spot, giving the Herons another dynamic threat up front. Newcomers Micael, Sergio Reguilón and David Ayala should help the club cope with the departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Miami begins its title defense Saturday night with a prime-time matchup against Los Angeles FC at the iconic Coliseum, which is expected to draw a crowd of more than 60,000.

Messi dealt with a muscle issue during the preseason, which put his availability for the opener in question. But he returned to full training this week and is expected to play.

Adding to the excitement in Miami, the Herons will hold the first game at their new Freedom Park stadium on April 4. The 25,000-seat facility completes a more than decade-long quest to build a soccer-specific stadium within the city.

Miami's possible challengers The Vancouver Whitecaps, who were bolstered by the summer signing of longtime German star Thomas Müller, reached the final of both the MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2025.

They came up short in both games, losing 3-1 to Messi's squad for the league title and 5-0 to Mexico's Cruz Azul for the continental championship. With Müller set for his first full season in MLS, the Whitecaps are eager to bring home a trophy.

Los Angeles FC could the strongest club this side of South Florida, with Son Heung-Min also set for full campaign after his midseason arrival from Tottenham Hotspur provided a dynamic pairing with Denis Bouanga.

“I let Messi win this year,” Son joked during a December visit to Tottenham, "but next year ... we’ll be at the top.”

Also keep an eye on the Philadelphia Union, which claimed the Supporters' Shield for the league's best record during the regular season, and Minnesota United FC with its newest addition, Colombian icon James Rodríguez on a short-term deal.

World Cup break

The league's 30 clubs will have to navigate a seven-week shutdown while the expanded World Cup is held in North America.

MLS stadiums in Atlanta, New England, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto will host World Cup matches, and many of the league's training facilities will be utilized by nations from around the globe.

The unique schedule has led to some strange quirks in the schedule, such as Atlanta United going more than three months between home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

When MLS resumes play in mid-July, it will be interesting to see which teams do the best job of handling the long layoff.

Sports

Host City Milan Seeks Permanent Ice Arena Post-Games

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)
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Host City Milan Seeks Permanent Ice Arena Post-Games

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Victory Ceremony - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 19, 2026. Gold medallist Alysa Liu of United States celebrates after winning the Women Single Skating. (Reuters)

With the Winter Olympics drawing to an end and its ice rinks due to be removed, joint host city Milan has unveiled plans for a permanent ice arena both to seal the Games' legacy and house a professional local hockey team.

Facing a clamor from athletes and residents, local authorities announced the project this week for a new 5,000-seater, 30x60m rink inside an exhibition center area on Milan’s outskirts to be built within three years.

"This is what we had been asking for a long ‌time, and I ‌believe it would truly complete these Olympics, which have ‌been ⁠extraordinary,” Andrea Gios, ⁠president of the Italian Ice Sports Federation, told Reuters.

The northern Italian city successfully staged figure skating, speed skating, short track and hockey competitions across three venues.

All of them — including the newly built Santagiulia arena, which hosted hockey — will now be repurposed for live shows and other sports.

Authorities envisage a temporary new ice arena being set up in October before making it permanent and hopefully becoming home ⁠to a professional hockey team competing in the Ice Hockey ‌League alongside Austrian, Slovenian and Italian sides.

The ‌surprise announcement came after many Italian athletes and Milan residents lamented the prospect of ‌the city being left without a permanent arena for ice sports after ‌the Olympics.

INVESTMENT NEEDED

Gios said he spoke with some North American investors interested in investing in a professional Milan hockey team, which would cost about 5 million euros ($5.9 million) per year.

A new facility would also serve as a venue for major figure skating and ‌short-track events, as well as a hub for grassroots activities.

Despite delivering Italy’s biggest haul of Olympic golds — with ⁠Francesca Lollobrigida winning ⁠both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and the men’s squad taking the team pursuit title — Italian speed skaters will have no domestic indoor training rink once the Games end.

Building a skating dome with a 400-meter ice track would be very expensive and offer less certain returns than a multi-purpose venue, Gios said, though some private investors who had shown interest in the past would be sounded out.

Until then, top Italian speed skaters will continue to carry out part of their training abroad, on indoor tracks such as the one in Inzell, Germany.

“I know it’s not easy to keep a facility like ours open, but of course it’s disappointing," Lollobrigida said of the Games venue. "If our results don’t speak for us, there’s nothing more we can do."

Sports

Neymar Says He May Retire by End of 2026

Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
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Neymar Says He May Retire by End of 2026

Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)
Santos' forward Neymar #10 looks on during the Campeonato Paulista football match between Santos and Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil on February 5, 2025. (AFP)

Brazil striker Neymar, ‌who extended his contract with his childhood club Santos last month, said that he may retire by the end of the year.

The 34-year-old forward returned to his boyhood club Santos in January 2025 and played a key role in their survival in the Brazilian top flight, scoring five times in their last ‌five matches.

But Neymar, ‌who has struggled with ‌injuries ⁠in recent seasons, ⁠remains doubtful for participation at the World Cup this year.

"I don't know what will happen from now on, I don't know about next year," he told Brazilian online channel Caze on Friday.

"It ⁠may be that when December comes, ‌I'll want to ‌retire. I'm living year to year now."

"This ‌year is a very important year, not ‌only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it's a World Cup year, and for me too," Neymar said.

Neymar, ‌who recently underwent successful knee surgery, has scored 79 goals ⁠for ⁠Brazil, the highest by any player, but he has not featured for the national side since October 2023.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear over the past year that he will only include players who are fully fit for the World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.