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AFC President Says Confident Saudi Arabia's Bid for World Cup 2034 Will Impress World 

Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)
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AFC President Says Confident Saudi Arabia's Bid for World Cup 2034 Will Impress World 

Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia submitted on Monday its official bid to FIFA to host the World Cup 2034. (SPA)

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president and FIFA Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup is a significant milestone in the history of the sport in Asia and an important step towards hosting the global event.

It also reflects the historic development of Saudi sports, which have gained the trust of the football world, he told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

He added that Asia has placed its full trust in Saudi Arabia's bid due to the country's significant resources, future plans, and remarkable development, which align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 under the leadership of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

“Today, as we witness the official submission of the bid to host the World Cup, Asia’s confidence in Saudi Arabia's ability to organize one of the most remarkable editions of the World Cup is growing,” he noted.

“We are working as a unified system to support this and ensure the capability and effectiveness of the proposed plans and arrangements to deliver an unforgettable global football event,” he said.

“The world bid farewell to the exceptional 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Today, we are witnessing Saudi Arabia's submission of the 2034 World Cup bid, which will become an unforgettable reality.”

Moreover, he said: “We are very close to the movement and development of Saudi football, supported by Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal and led by president of Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal.

“So, let us send a message of reassurance to all football stakeholders worldwide that Saudi Arabia will present a World Cup of exceptional quality and distinction that will remain in everyone's memory,” he stressed.

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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.

Sports

Arteta Dismisses ‘Bottlers’ Talk Amid Title Wobble

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
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Arteta Dismisses ‘Bottlers’ Talk Amid Title Wobble

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on February 18, 2026. (AFP)

Arsenal manager Mikel ‌Arteta rejected the term 'bottlers' ahead of Sunday's Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur, as the title race heats up after their lead was cut short by successive Premier League draws at Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arsenal have won just two of their last seven league games, with second-placed Manchester City now five points behind with a game in hand.

Under ‌Arteta, the ‌North London club has finished as ‌the ⁠runners-up in their ⁠last three campaigns.

"It’s not part of my vocabulary and I don’t see it like this because I don’t think anybody wants to do that as an intention," Arteta told reporters on Friday, when asked about ⁠the term being used regarding their ‌latest wobble in ‌the title race.

"That’s individual opinion, perspective. You have to ‌respect that. That’s what I said after ‌in the press conference. You lose two points against Wolves in the manner that the game played out, you have to take it on ‌the chin. It's part of our role."

"What I’m very interested in ⁠is ⁠the next one, what we are made of, what we love about this and how we write our own destiny from here."

Arsenal have also reached the League Cup final and the round of 16 in the Champions League and the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, Tottenham, who are 16th in the Premier League, will enter into Sunday's game under newly appointed manager Igor Tudor, who replaced Thomas Frank last week.