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Jeddah to Host Variety of World-Focused Sporting Events Starting with Spanish Super Cup in 2025

Culture Square aims to enrich the visitor journey while positioning the district as a global tourist destination, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. SPA
Culture Square aims to enrich the visitor journey while positioning the district as a global tourist destination, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. SPA
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Jeddah to Host Variety of World-Focused Sporting Events Starting with Spanish Super Cup in 2025

Culture Square aims to enrich the visitor journey while positioning the district as a global tourist destination, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. SPA
Culture Square aims to enrich the visitor journey while positioning the district as a global tourist destination, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. SPA

Jeddah will host a range of diverse sporting events and activities during the first third of 2025, beginning with the Spanish Super Cup, marking its fifth edition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from January 8 to 12, as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the sports, economic, and tourism sectors.
According to SPA, the championship will feature matches involving four clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Mallorca. These will be held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and played in a knockout format. The first match will see Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, January 8, followed by Real Madrid versus Real Mallorca on Thursday, January 9. The winners will advance to the final match, which will take place on Sunday evening, January 12,
Jeddah will also continue hosting major sports events with the Formula E races, featuring the third and fourth rounds of the 11th season on February 14-15 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, showcasing fully electric, carbon-free racing cars.
Additionally, Jeddah will host the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix stc Formula 1, one of the most thrilling and popular global races, for the fifth consecutive year at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, from April 18 to 20. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix stc Formula 1 is part of the Kingdom’s broader vision for the future, aimed at improving the quality of life for everyone across various social sectors, from culture to sports, contributing to building a more prosperous nation. This aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to make the Kingdom a desirable destination for living and visiting.
Jeddah will once again host the opening round of the E1 Electric Boat Racing on January 24-25. Last year, this event generated great excitement as competitors vied for the championship cup, won by the Brady team with 20 points in the first round held on the Red Sea coast. Jeddah will also host the Extreme E electric off-road race for the fifth consecutive time, showcasing a new and innovative form of electric car racing that highlights the impact of climate change on the environment and promotes eco-friendly technologies in sustainability. This supports the transition to electric vehicles, contributing to carbon reduction and sustainability for a better future on Earth.
Furthermore, Jeddah will host matches of the Saudi national football team in the qualifiers for the World Cup 2026, along with a series of other major global events and competitions to be announced by the Ministry of Sport and its federations in the coming period.

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Sports

Injured Serena’s Wimbledon Doubles Bid with Sister Venus in Doubt

US player Serena Williams waves as he leaves the court after being defeated by Australia's Maya Joint during their women's singles first round tennis match on the second day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2026. (AFP)
US player Serena Williams waves as he leaves the court after being defeated by Australia's Maya Joint during their women's singles first round tennis match on the second day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2026. (AFP)
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Injured Serena’s Wimbledon Doubles Bid with Sister Venus in Doubt

US player Serena Williams waves as he leaves the court after being defeated by Australia's Maya Joint during their women's singles first round tennis match on the second day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2026. (AFP)
US player Serena Williams waves as he leaves the court after being defeated by Australia's Maya Joint during their women's singles first round tennis match on the second day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2026. (AFP)

Serena Williams could be forced to pull out of the Wimbledon doubles event after the American legend suffered a knee injury in her first-round singles defeat.

Williams, playing her first singles match in four years, was beaten by Australia's Maya Joint in a three-set epic on Centre Court late on Tuesday evening.

The 44-year-old, who retired in 2022, made a sensational comeback in June, playing doubles tournaments at Queen's Club and Berlin.

She is due to join forces with sister Venus Williams in the women's doubles first round against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.

There had been no indication of any injury to the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion during the Joint loss.

But Serena did not attend the mandatory post-match press conference, instead issuing a short quote through tournament organizers.

Players can be fined for skipping media duties, but it was revealed on Wednesday that Williams is dealing with a knee problem.

A statement from the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion's agent Jill Smoller read: "Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams.

"She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week."

Williams later added on Instagram: "It felt so good to be back on the grass at Wimbledon. I'm incredibly thankful for the wild card - and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it's never too late to chase something you love.

"I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I'll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles with Venus Williams.

"Congratulations to Maya Joint on a great match, and thank you to everyone who showed up and showed me so much love. That feeling will never get old."

Serena and Venus, 46, who were given a wildcard entry into the tournament, have won the Wimbledon doubles six times, with their most recent title coming in 2016.

Serena has not won a Grand Slam singles crown since the 2017 Australian Open, while Venus last lifted a major singles trophy at Wimbledon in 2008.

Serena said her astonishing comeback was motivated by a desire to play in front of her two young daughters.

Her children watched their mother's loss to Joint alongside her husband Alexis Ohanian and Venus in the players' box on Tuesday.

Sports

Three People Die in Mexico World Cup Celebrations as Fans Crowd Streets

A football fan wearing a sombrero attends a watch party for the World Cup match between Mexico and Czechia on Reforma Ave., near the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP)
A football fan wearing a sombrero attends a watch party for the World Cup match between Mexico and Czechia on Reforma Ave., near the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP)
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Three People Die in Mexico World Cup Celebrations as Fans Crowd Streets

A football fan wearing a sombrero attends a watch party for the World Cup match between Mexico and Czechia on Reforma Ave., near the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP)
A football fan wearing a sombrero attends a watch party for the World Cup match between Mexico and Czechia on Reforma Ave., near the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP)

Three people died from suffocation as thousands of fans crowded Mexico City streets during World Cup celebrations, the capital's health secretariat said in the early hours of Wednesday.

The deaths occurred near the Angel of Independence landmark, where thousands of football fans had gathered to celebrate Mexico's 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the round of 32.

Emergency teams tended to three unconscious people at ‌different locations around ‌Paseo de la Reforma, authorities ‌said. ⁠The capital's most emblematic ⁠boulevard and the streets around it had been closed to traffic and set up for the soccer celebrations.

"After receiving advanced resuscitation efforts, the deaths of a 44-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman from suffocation have been confirmed," the health authority initially said ⁠on social media.

The third fatality was a ‌48-year-old woman who was ‌treated on a nearby street after suffering asphyxiation and died ‌after being taken to hospital, the secretariat added ‌in a later post.

Mayor Clara Brugada expressed her condolences to the families of the victims on X and urged everyone to "always celebrate with responsibility, care, and empathy".

Mexicans took ‌to the streets to celebrate after the national team ended a 40-year wait for ⁠a ⁠World Cup knockout victory at the Azteca Stadium in the capital, with the win against Ecuador sending the co-hosts into the last 16.

The fans' euphoria, amid cheering and chants, contrasted with images shared on social media of emergency responders and paramedics tending to distressed people lying on the ground in nearby streets.

With more than 20 million residents, Mexico City's metropolitan area is one of the most populous on the planet and is accustomed to large celebrations and huge crowds of people.

Sports

Messi Will Score More but I Want the Trophy, Mbappe Says

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between France and Sweden at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on June 30, 2026. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between France and Sweden at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on June 30, 2026. (AFP)
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Messi Will Score More but I Want the Trophy, Mbappe Says

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between France and Sweden at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on June 30, 2026. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between France and Sweden at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on June 30, 2026. (AFP)

Kylian Mbappe has been on Lionel Messi's heels as both players break new ground in World Cup scoring, but the Frenchman is more obsessed by lifting the trophy in New York on July 19 than becoming marksman supreme.

The 27-year-old netted a double as Les Bleus crushed Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 on Tuesday to move one shy ‌of Messi's ‌record 19 goals at World Cups and join ‌him ⁠on top of ⁠the scoring charts in this edition with six.

"I think the goal, as I said, is to go as far as possible - to make it to (the final on) July 19th and come back here," Mbappe, who scored his 18 goals in 18 games, told reporters.

"We’re trying to win; we’re taking it one step at a time. ⁠Of course, the more goals you score, the ‌higher you climb in the rankings - ‌I’m not telling anyone anything new there.

"But I’m also convinced that Leo ‌is going to score more goals, so I don’t focus ‌too much on that. I’m more focused on the opponents we might face and how close we’re getting to our goal: the final."

Messi's Argentina face minnows Cape Verde in the last 32 on Friday. France next ‌take on Paraguay for a place in the quarter-finals, where they would face either co-hosts Canada ⁠or Morocco.

Paraguay took ⁠an ultra-defensive approach against Germany to knock the four-times world champions out on penalties in the last 32 on Monday and there is little chance that they will go out swashbuckling against France in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Les Bleus will not take anything for granted and will do their homework, Mbappe warned.

"I think we’ll keep working between now and the Paraguay match to see what we can improve, because there are still some sequences that aren't quite clear enough, there’s room for improvement," he said.

"Still, I think it’s positive overall, and our ability to score goals means we always have the chance to take the lead in matches."