Calls Somali referee incident unfortunate, saying FIFA will review it, but cannot control governments FIFA President Gianni Infantino sought to defuse confusion over visas. PHOTO: REUTERS “Chill, relax” was Gianni Infantino’s message on Wednesday as the FIFA president sought to defuse concerns over visa issues that have clouded the buildup to the World Cup, saying…
Iran’s national football team is navigating uncharted waters as the Middle East war heats up again. Photo: AFP LONDON: Iran’s national football team walked out of their hotel in Tijuana to cheers on Wednesday, with Mexican supporters hoping to lift the spirits of a side whose World Cup campaign has been partly overshadowed by war….
Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrates after his team’s 107-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the NBA Finals. PHOTO: AFP LONDON: The New York Knicks staged the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history on Wednesday as they erased a 29-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106…
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is addressing a joint presser ahead of T20 World Cup. Photo: AFP LONDON: The Women’s T20 World Cup starts on Friday when hosts England face Sri Lanka in Birmingham, with at least one leading nation guaranteed an early exit from what promises to be an unusually open tournament. A 12-team competition…
Kimi Antonelli after his fifth win of the season at Monaco. Photo: AFP LONDON: Ten years after Max Verstappen announced his arrival by winning the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, his apparent heir Mercedes’ teenage ace Kimi Antonelli, will on Sunday seek a crushing sixth consecutive victory. The 19-year-old Italian, the youngest championship leader in F1 history, delivered…
Wimbledon prize momey has been increased by 20 percent. Photo: AFP LONDON: Wimbledon’s prize money pot has been increased by 20 percent to a tournament-record figure of £64.2 million ($85.7 million). All England Club chiefs revealed the substantial cash boost for players during a pre-tournament press conference on Thursday. The Wimbledon singles’ champions will now…
Serena Williams was been forced out of the Queen’s Club doubles after Victoria Mboko’s injury withdrawal. Photo: AFP LONDON: Serena Williams’ bid to win the Queen’s Club doubles title on her return to tennis came to a premature end on Thursday after the American legend’s partner Victoria Mboko was forced to withdraw from the tournament. Williams sensationally…
Hotels cut rates as fans stay away; soaring flight and match ticket prices have dampened World Cup demand People line up to show their US visa denial to receive free television sets during a promotion by television manufacturer Noblex for people unable to travel to the World Cup due to visa rejections, in Buenos Aires,…
A worker packs merchandise of Lionel Messi in China. Photo: AFP LONDON: Toy charms shaped like a goat and decked out in Lionel Messi’s Argentina number 10 shirt pepper a factory tabletop in China, where sellers are betting on the country’s lucrative fan market for a big World Cup boost. The World Cup begins in…
A lavish spending spree brought star players and attention to Saudi Arabia, but it has not reaped rewards for the national team who arrive at the World Cup desperate to reverse a run of poor results. The oil-rich kingdom pumped around $2 billion in three years into football, signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema…