‘Number one’ Joshua defeats Ngannou with brutal second-round KO
Joshua, a former unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, went into the fight on the back of three successive...
Paris Olympics’ organizers worry heatwave can spell trouble for games
A new study presenting "climate simulations to anticipate worst-case heatwaves during the Paris 2024 Olympics" has focused minds after it...
Geostrategy
After hosting World Cup, Qatar looks to secure 2036 Olympics
During the tournament, Qatar was awarded the 2025 world table tennis championships and the opening race of the world endurance...
- The 2036 Olympics is the next big prize. The emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, is an IOC member and Qatar has already bid for the 2016, 2020 and 2032 Games.
- The IOC has a declared policy of rotating the Games, and the Olympics have never been held in the Middle East. Qatar could face competition from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Mbappe heroics in vain but justify Pele comparisons
The Paris Saint-Germain forward scored only the second hat-trick in World Cup final history but his bid to become the...
- Mbappe has scored 253 times in 363 games for club and country, a tally that far exceeds those of Messi and Ronaldo
- He is already up to sixth on France's list of all-time top scorers with 36 goals, one behind Karim Benzema
FIFA readies 48-team World Cup as Eyes Turn to 2026
The enlarged competition represents a triumph for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who made expanding the World Cup a priority after...
- For the first time, football's greatest tournament will be held across three host nations -- the United States, Canada and Mexico.
- The tournament will notably see an expansion to 48 teams, up from the current 32-team format that has been in place since 1998
Arts & Culture
Argentina beat France on penalties to win World Cup
Argentina defeated France 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out to win the World Cup for the third time on Sunday. Argentina...
- France had fought back from 2-0 down and 3-2 down in extra-time to make it 3-3 and take the game to penalties.
- Messi had given Argentina the lead from the penalty spot in the first half before Angel Di Maria made it 2-0.
Business
Messi’s Argentina set to take on France in World Cup final
Messi, 35, has collected seven Ballon d'Or awards for the best player in the world, but the last time he...
- Messi has been brilliant in his fifth World Cup and Sunday's final is likely to be his last chance to match the achievement of Diego Maradona
- The next World Cup in 2026 will be expanded to 48 teams and Africa will have nine slots, up from five at present
Arts & Culture
Croatia beat Morocco to finish third at World Cup
Croatia defeated Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup third place play-off on Saturday, with Mislav Orsic curling home the winner....
- Orsic's terrific curling strike late in the first half ensured Croatia took home the bronze medal.
- Walid Regragui, the Morocco coach, said there was a lot for his team to proudly reflect on after they became the first African semi-finalists in World Cup history.
Arts & Culture
Morocco to host Club World Cup in February, expanded event to start in 2025
DOHA, QATAR - Morocco will host the next Club World Cup in February, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Friday, while...
- The Club World Cup will take place from February 1 to 11, 2023.
- The competition is set to continue in its existing format featuring the champions of the six continental federations along with the top team from the host nation.
Economy
Morocco lose game but win hearts all over world
Casablanca, Morocco--They may have fallen just short of reaching the World Cup final, but Moroccans on Wednesday hailed their team's historic...
- All over Morocco, shops have been selling team jerseys and flags.
- The news agency said the king also conveyed a congratulatory message to French President Emmanuel Macron by telephone post-match
Geostrategy
Palestinians say World Cup proves their cause not ‘buried’
Like several other Arab nations, Morocco has agreed full diplomatic ties with Israel -- but this has not stopped its...
- A Palestinian poll group has said that "the World Cup in Qatar helps restore Palestinian public trust in the Arab world after years of disappointment".
- "The Moroccan festivities at the World Cup have proven that the Arab world is far from normalization with Israel", the Israeli newspaper Maariv said in a commentary on Sunday.
Economy
Doughty Morocco stand in way of France at World Cup
France captain Hugo Lloris is desperate to avoid the whiff of complacency for a team who have become used to...
- Morocco coach Walid Regragui believes his team have become the neutral's favorite
- The game will have added spice given France was Morocco's colonial power and more than a million Moroccans live in the country
‘Number one’ Joshua defeats Ngannou with brutal second-round KO
Joshua, a former unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, went into the fight on the back of three successive...
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Sports shift economic goalposts for Middle East
Arts & Culture
Saudi set to host FIFA World Cup 2034 in either summer or winter
Despite summer temperatures touching 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the major cities, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president Yasser al-Misehal...
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia emerges as only bidder for 2034 World Cup
The Saudi bid comes one year after neighboring Qatar hosted the first World Cup in the Middle East, where the...
Business
Al Hilal ranks among world’s 50 wealthiest clubs
European clubs owned by Arabs continue to dominate the rankings, with Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed-owned Manchester City standing at the...
Business
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Arts & Culture
Esports scores big for Saudi economy, culture & jobs
The Kingdom, with its passion for sports and tech, is set to reshape the competitive gaming landscape by hosting the...
- The Kingdom, with its passion for sports and tech, is set to reshape the competitive gaming landscape by hosting the world's premier Electronic Sports World Cup from 2024.
- By 2030, Esports is set to add US$13.3bn to Saudi GDP, with 67% of Saudis into electronic gaming, potentially creating 39,000 jobs, and producing 30 world-class games.
Geostrategy
No suspension for Mazraoui over Gaza post, says Bayern Munich
Berlin, Germany - Bayern Munich on Friday said defender Noussair Mazraoui would not be suspended, after a probe into the Moroccan...
- In the wake of the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas, Mazraoui had put up several pro-Palestinian posts.
- The club's chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said Mazraoui "credibly assured us he rejects terror and war" .
Economy
Indonesia backs Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid
Last week, Indonesian FA president Erick Thohir had said the country was in talks with Australia for a possible joint 2034...
- "Indonesia supports Saudi Arabia's bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034," Indonesian FA president Erick Thohir said in a statement on Wednesday
- Thohir said last week that his scrapped joint bid proposal with Australia could also have involved games in New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore