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Esports World Cup 2025 Breaks Records, Unites Global Gaming Fans in Riyadh

Seven weeks of world-class esports, entertainment, and innovation captivate millions worldwide from Riyadh.

EWC 2025 featured more than 2,500 players and staff from around the world.
EWC 2025 featured more than 2,500 players and staff from around the world.
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Esports World Cup 2025 Breaks Records, Unites Global Gaming Fans in Riyadh

EWC 2025 featured more than 2,500 players and staff from around the world.
EWC 2025 featured more than 2,500 players and staff from around the world.

The Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC 2025) has concluded in Riyadh after seven weeks of elite competition across 25 tournaments and 24 titles. EWC 2025 featured more than 2,500 players and staff from around the world, competing for a share of the $70+ million prize pool, with one club triumphing above the rest to be crowned EWC Club Champions: Team Falcons.

EWC 2025 lit up a total of eight festival venues and four arenas, covering the equivalent of nine football pitches, filled with competition, emotion and entertainment. Attracting huge global attention, more than three million visitors attended Riyadh Boulevard City, joined by world-class musicians, athletes and creators.

More than 4,000 outlets covered the action and published more than 30,000 articles worldwide.

At the Esports World Cup Festival, the popular Content Creator Park hosted more than 30 mainstage shows, with more than 50 partners delivering activations and experiences that generated 8 billion impressions and 2 billion video views across EWC channels. Activations from the Content Creators Park featured in more than 800,000 pieces of content shared by fans, teams and the EWC social channels.

Attracting global attention, tournament viewership increased exponentially, seeing a 63% increase in live viewership for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and a 182% increase in live viewership for Honor of Kings, making EWC 2025 the most watched edition to date.

EWC broadcasts reached 750 million viewers and the esports arenas were sold out.

EWC broadcasts reached 750 million viewers and the esports arenas were sold out, welcoming hundreds of thousands of fans, including 2,000 from the Super Fans Program who travelled to Riyadh to cheer on their favorite teams.

Global media interest was unprecedented, with more than 4,000 outlets covering the action and publishing more than 30,000 articles worldwide.

EWC 2025 lit up a total of eight festival venues and four arenas, covering the equivalent of nine football pitches.

Taking place during the closing weekend of the Esports World Cup 2025, the New Global Sport Conference 2025 (NGSC 2025) gathered more than 1,500 delegates, including 500 CEOs from gaming, esports, sport, technology and investment.

During NGSC 2025, the Esports World Cup Foundation announced the Esports Nations Cup, a landmark tournament where the best esports players in the world will compete for the honor of representing their countries. The inaugural edition will take place in Riyadh in November 2026.

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Sports

West Ham Sack Head Coach Nuno After Poor Start to Championship Season

11 September 2026, United Kingdom, London: File Photo - West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo reacts during the Championship match between West Ham United and Wrexham at the London Stadium. (dpa)
11 September 2026, United Kingdom, London: File Photo - West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo reacts during the Championship match between West Ham United and Wrexham at the London Stadium. (dpa)
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West Ham Sack Head Coach Nuno After Poor Start to Championship Season

11 September 2026, United Kingdom, London: File Photo - West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo reacts during the Championship match between West Ham United and Wrexham at the London Stadium. (dpa)
11 September 2026, United Kingdom, London: File Photo - West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo reacts during the Championship match between West Ham United and Wrexham at the London Stadium. (dpa)

West Ham sacked head coach Nuno Espirito Santo on Tuesday after a disappointing start to the Championship season.

The 52-year-old Portuguese manager oversaw the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League last season but stayed with the London club.

Many viewed them as favorites to win automatic promotion back to the top flight but they are currently eighth in the second-tier table, six points behind leaders Middlesbrough, after 13 games.

West Ham had a good run after a shaky start to the season but have lost their past two league games, against Southampton and West Brom.

Nuno, who previously managed Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, was appointed in September last year but was unable to keep West Ham in the Premier League.

"West Ham United can confirm that men's first-team head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has left his position with immediate effect," the club said in a statement.

"Following a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season, the board of directors believe that a change is necessary at this time in order to ensure that the club's objectives and expectations remain on track."

Assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa have also left the club.

West Ham said the process of recruiting a new head coach was already under way.

Sports

Spanish Football Player Dies from Cardiac Arrest After Collision in Second-Division Match

03 November 2026, Spain, Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary I: A view of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital façade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. (Europa Press Canarias/dpa)
03 November 2026, Spain, Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary I: A view of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital façade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. (Europa Press Canarias/dpa)
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Spanish Football Player Dies from Cardiac Arrest After Collision in Second-Division Match

03 November 2026, Spain, Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary I: A view of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital façade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. (Europa Press Canarias/dpa)
03 November 2026, Spain, Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary I: A view of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital façade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. (Europa Press Canarias/dpa)

Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel has died after he suffered cardiac arrest from an on-field collision in a Spanish second-division match, his club said Tuesday. He was 30.

De Miguel was challenging for the ball during a game on Monday when he was struck in the chest by Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during the final minutes at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López.

De Miguel was taken to a hospital and the match, tied 2-2, was suspended in the 108th minute.

Tenerife said in a statement that De Miguel died at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The club located on Spain's Canary Islands said it was “heartbroken.”

De Miguel, a Madrid native, made his professional debut in 2015 with Leganés B and has since played for a number of lower-divisions clubs in Spain. He joined Tenerife last year.

“There are no words of comfort,” the club statement read. “There is absolutely nothing that can alleviate this profound sense of sorrow. We stand with his devastated family, his loved ones, and the entire Tenerife community.”

Andorra, which is owned by former Barcelona star Gerard Pique, also offered its condolences, along with other clubs, the Spanish soccer federation and La Liga.

“We wish to extend our deepest condolences to the family of Jesús de Miguel, to all his colleagues and friends, and to CD Tenerife. May he rest in peace,” Andorra said in a statement.

The Spanish football federation postponed two Copa del Rey matches and one Copa de la Reina matches to be held later on Tuesday.

Life-threatening injuries from collisions in football are extremely rare.

Last year in Spain, a 19-year-old goalkeeper died from head injuries suffered during a collision in a fifth-division match. Colindres goalkeeper Raúl Ramírez had two cardiorespiratory arrests, one on the field and then in the ambulance while being transported to a hospital. He was declared brain dead two days later.

In 2001, Ukrainian goalkeeper Serhiy Perkhun was playing for CSKA Moscow when he died from head injuries received in a collision during a match.

Sports

AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia Postponed to December 2027

The new dates will be submitted to FIFA for approval. (AFC)
The new dates will be submitted to FIFA for approval. (AFC)
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AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia Postponed to December 2027

The new dates will be submitted to FIFA for approval. (AFC)
The new dates will be submitted to FIFA for approval. (AFC)

The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the 2027 Asian Cup by almost a year because of the conflict in the Middle East.

The AFC issued a statement Tuesday saying after extensive consultations with Saudi organizers it had decided to push the tournament kickoff back from Jan. 7 to Dec. 23.

The organizing committee “approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions,” the AFC said in a statement.

“Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organization and delivery of the competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders.”

The new dates — Dec. 23, 2027 to Jan. 21, 2028 — will be submitted to FIFA for approval.