Sports News

Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev kept their Indian Wells title bids alive on Thursday, dispatching their respective opponents to book semi-final berths at the desert hardcourt tournament.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the Iranian men's national football team was welcome to participate in the 2026 World Cup but that he believed it was not appropriate that they be there "for their own life and safety."

Italy are no longer content with being Six Nations underdogs and reflecting on their landmark win over England last weekend, wing Louis Lynagh believes they can soon win the championship.

Defending champion Jack Draper has claimed one of the biggest wins of his career by beating Djokovic in a deciding-set tie-break after two hours and 35 minutes at the Indian Wells.

Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has apologised for pushing a ball boy during Wednesday's 5-2 Champions League defeat to Paris St Germain, an incident that added to a chaotic end to the visitors' late collapse.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has continued his dominant run at Indian Wells, beating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-1 7-6(2) on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals in the California desert.

Holders Paris St Germain carved out a clear advantage in their Champions League last-16 tie against Chelsea as substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia inspired them to an exhilarating 5-2 first-leg victory at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

The football world may have been surprised by another giant-killing performance by Arctic minnows Bodo/Glimt, but for coach Kjetil Knutsen, their 3-0 thrashing of Sporting on Wednesday was just another step in their amazing Champions League journey.

The limited-overs series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka scheduled for March in the United Arab Emirates has been postponed due to the crisis in the Middle East, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Wednesday.

Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes against the country alongside Israel, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday.

Top men's seed Jannik Sinner survived a stern test from Joao Fonseca on Tuesday to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has eased past 16th seed Naomi Osaka 6-2 6-4 on Tuesday to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals, while fourth seed Alexander Zverev also progressed to the last eight.

Bayern Munich dismantled Atalanta 6-1 in a dominant Champions League last-16 first-leg performance on Tuesday, seizing control from the outset in Bergamo.

Matt Snell, the bruising running back who powered the New York Jets to their iconic moment in a shocking Super Bowl III victory, has died Tuesday morning on Long Island at the age of 84, the team announced.

Galatasaray secured a 1-0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday thanks to an early header from Mario Lemina.

Australian police have helped two more members of the Iranian women's football delegation slip their minders to claim asylum, but one has changed her mind and decided to go back to Iran, the country's interior minister said on Wednesday.

West Indies players are leaving India on commercial flights in batches after their departure was delayed due to international airspace closures amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Caribbean side's governing body CWI said on Tuesday.

Steve Borthwick's boss has given the England coach his backing this week, but says there will be a full examination of the woeful Six Nations campaign after the team's final-round match against France on Saturday.

The Twenty20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team was awarded a bonus of 1.31 billion rupees ($14.24 million) on Tuesday by the country's cricket board, six times the prize money they claimed for lifting the title in Ahmedabad.

Third seed Novak Djokovic has overcome a second-set reverse to beat American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4 1-6 6-4 at Indian Wells on Monday and reach the last 16 for the first time since 2017, setting up a meeting with defending champion Jack Draper, who swept past 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-1 7-5.

FIFA Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi has stated that the World Cup is "too big" and that the 2026 tournament will go on as planned despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

West Ham United defender Konstantinos Mavropanos struck the winning spot kick as his side beat visitors Brentford 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in normal time on Monday to book a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Millwall have been fined 45,000 pounds ($60,448) for offensive chanting during their League Cup tie against Crystal Palace in September, the Football Association (FA) said on Monday.

France forward Oscar Jegou has been cited for an alleged eye-gouging incident in the Six Nations defeat by Scotland at the weekend and faces a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday.

India opener Sanju Samson's rise from not being a preferred opener to finishing as the player of the tournament became the campaign's most compelling redemption arc as the hosts retained the men's Twenty20 World Cup title.

Two-time major champion Coco Gauff was forced into a rare retirement in her third-round clash with Alex Eala at Indian Wells on Sunday due to persistent pain in her left arm, which she said made it feel like it was "on fire."

India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday, defeating New Zealand in the final after a powerful batting display helped them secure the title on home soil.

Southern Californian Learner Tien has said he couldn't help but glance over at the seats he sat in when he was a kid attending Indian Wells during his third-round win at his home tennis tournament on Sunday.

AC Milan claimed a vital 1-0 home victory over city rivals Inter Milan on Sunday with Pervis Estupinan's late first-half strike offering a glimmer of hope in the Serie A title race.

Third-tier strugglers Port Vale pulled off the shock of the FA Cup fifth round to beat Premier League Sunderland 1-0 and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 on Sunday.

Jon Rahm captured his first individual tournament win since September 2024 on Sunday, carding a 64 for a three-stroke victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong.

Dan Bradbury from England fired four birdies on the back nine in a final round of 65 to seal a one-shot victory at the DP World Tour’s Joburg Open with a tournament score of 17 under-par at the Houghton Golf Club on Sunday.

George Russell struck the first blow in the Formula One championship for Mercedes as he claimed an emphatic victory in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli and crushed an early challenge from Ferrari.

British No.1 Jack Draper came from behind to beat Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to start his title defence in Indian Wells.

Lamine Yamal has struck in the second half to earn Barcelona a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, keeping the champions four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the LaLiga standings.

Manchester City's Omar Marmoush has struck twice as the visitors roared back from a goal down to beat Newcastle United 3–1 on Saturday and storm into the FA Cup quarter‑finals for the eighth consecutive season.

Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro have struck in extra time to secure a nervy 4–2 win over second‑tier Wrexham and reach the FA Cup quarter‑finals on Saturday as the Premier League giants escaped from the Racecourse Ground after a tough battle.

Arsenal beat third-tier Mansfield Town 2-1 to move into the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after Eberechi Eze scored a second-half winner for the Premier League leaders.

Max Verstappen said a "weird" braking failure caused him to crash out in the first session of Australian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday after the four-times world champion lost grip and slammed his Red Bull into a barrier.

Rory McIlroy has withdrawn ahead of his third round Saturday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to a back injury.

George Russell took pole position and teammate Kimi Antonelli locked up the front row for Mercedes at Formula One's season-opening Grand Prix but Red Bull's four-times world champion Max Verstappen crashed out of the first qualifying session.

Gael Monfils bid an emotional farewell to Indian Wells on Friday as the popular Frenchman fell 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli wrecked his car in a heavy crash while teammate George Russell topped the timesheets in the final free practice session before qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell and his players were full of praise for Wales on Friday after the Six Nations strugglers pushed their opponents mightily hard for the second successive week, progress the Welsh captain described as "monumental".

Daniel Berger opened up a five-shot lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after a steady round Friday at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida.

Monaco handed French champions Paris St Germain their first home defeat of the Ligue 1 season with a 3-1 away victory at the Parc des Princes on Friday that opened up the championship race.

Liverpool fullback Andy Robertson scored one goal and created another in the second half as his side cruised to a 3-1 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday that sent them through to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Oscar Piastri delighted home fans by putting McLaren top of the timesheets in second free practice for the Australian Grand Prix on Friday as struggling Aston Martin nursed both cars through laps during the session.

Charles Leclerc has led a Ferrari 1-2 at the top of the timesheet in the Australian Grand Prix's first practice, while defending champion Lando Norris suffered a gearbox issue as Formula One's new engine era launched with a spate of reliability problems.

Lionel Messi has drawn high praise from President Donald Trump as the Argentine superstar and his Inter Miami team were honoured at the White House on Thursday for winning the MLS Cup last year.

Jacob Bethell's thrilling century was not enough as India pipped England by just seven runs to seal a spot in the T20 World Cup final in a high-scoring thriller in Mumbai.

The EFL Championship promotion playoffs will expand from four teams to six starting in the 2026-27 season, the English Football League said on Thursday, in a bid to increase the number of competitive games in the season's closing stages.

Aston Martin will limit their laps at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix to avoid the risk of their drivers suffering nerve damage from vibrations coming through the steering wheel, team principal Adrian Newey said on Thursday.

William Osula came off the bench to score a late winner as a 10-man Newcastle United beat high-flying Manchester United 2-1 in the Premier League on Wednesday to end Michael Carrick's unbeaten run as interim manager.

Park Soo-jeong has scored the pick of the goals as South Korea all but secured passage to the quarter-finals of the Women's Asian Cup with a 3-0 win over the Philippines at Gold Coast Stadium on Thursday.

Finn Allen plundered the fastest century in Twenty20 World Cup history to lead New Zealand into the final with a nine-wicket demolition of South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

Dave Rennie was named as replacement for Scott Robertson as coach of the All Blacks on Wednesday and charged with taking New Zealand to a fourth World Cup triumph in Australia next year.

Tickets for this month's World Cup Play-Off Tournament matches in Mexico, which will determine two of the final six vacant spots in this summer's historic 48-team tournament, went on sale Tuesday.

Resurgent bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers have stunned Liverpool with a last-gasp 2-1 win at a rocking Molineux on Tuesday to offer a glimpse of a miraculous escape from relegation while putting a big dent in the top-five hopes of Arne Slot's side.

Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has a ruptured ACL and meniscus in his right knee, likely keeping him out of this summer's World Cup for his native Brazil.

Martin Satriano's superb first-half volley earned Getafe a shock 1-0 victory at Real Madrid in LaLiga on Monday, a result that left leaders Barcelona four points clear at the top of the standings.

Lionel Messi has recorded a brace, Telasco Sevogia scored the tiebreaking goal in the 85th minute and assisted on two others and Inter Miami dominated the second half to record a 4-2 comeback victory over host Orlando City on Sunday night.

Arsenal has kept their Premier League title destiny in their own hands as they eked out a nervy 2-1 derby win against Chelsea on Sunday with their corner routines again coming to the rescue.

India reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup with a five-wicket win over West Indies in Sunday's decisive Super Eights match, as Sanju Samson's unbeaten knock of 97 helped them chase down a target of 196 with four balls to spare.

Daniil Medvedev has been awarded the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title on Saturday afternoon after Tallon Griekspoor was forced to withdraw due to an injury.

Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks' rapid 44-run partnership turned the game as England chased down a target of 160 with three balls to spare and beat New Zealand by four wickets in the Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights on Friday.

Daniil Medvedev reached the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Friday and will face unseeded Tallon Griekspoor as the Russian attempts to achieve something that has eluded him throughout his stellar career - winning the same tournament twice.

Manchester City were drawn against Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout phase for the sixth time since the 2019-20 season after the draw for the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals was made on Friday.

A rampant India piled up a record total and handed Zimbabwe a 72‑run thrashing in a Super Eight contest on Thursday to revive their Twenty20 World Cup title defence.

Top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime is through to the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after beating eighth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-6.

South Africa are on the verge of securing their place in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup after captain Aiden Markram's unbeaten knock of 82 led them to a nine-wicket win over West Indies on Thursday.

Real Madrid have recovered from an early scare to beat Benfica 2-1 on Wednesday and secure a 3-1 aggregate victory to reach the Champions League last 16 after a pulsating game at the Bernabeu.

Holders Paris St Germain have edged into the Champions League's last 16 after a 2-2 home draw with 10-man Monaco in the second leg of their knockout-round playoff on Wednesday, advancing 5-4 on aggregate from a tense tie that went right to the wire.

New Zealand recovered from a poor start to crush Sri Lanka by 61 runs in the Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights and eliminate the co-hosts from the tournament on Wednesday.

Top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and third seed Daniil Medvedev have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with straight-sets wins.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced on Tuesday that there was "no risk" to fans coming to the country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after violence erupted following the capture and death of Mexico's most-wanted cartel leader, notably in Jalisco state.

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has stated that he will stand trial following a serious assault accusation made against him.

Newcastle United have taken their place in the last 16 knockout stage of the Champions League after beating Qarabag 3-2 at St. James' Park on Tuesday for a 9-3 on aggregate win.

England captain Harry Brook smashed a blistering century to lead his side into the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals with a nail-biting two-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Super Eight match on Tuesday.

Second seed Alexander Bublik and third seed Daniil Medvedev cruised into the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with straight-sets victories.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in a professional rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix, the fighters and promoters announced on Monday.

Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko has come off the bench to score a vital goal for the second game in a row as he fired the winner in a 1-0 Premier League win at Everton on Monday.

Shimron Hetmyer scored a 19-ball half-century as his scorching knock of 85 led West Indies to a dominant 107-run win over Zimbabwe in their first Super Eights match at the Twenty20 World Cup, continuing the two-time champions' winning run.

Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka has advanced to the last 16 of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, beating Lebanon’s Benjamin Hassan 7–5, 6–3.

Arsenal has made an emphatic statement in the Premier League title race as they eased their recent jitters with a 4-1 rout of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday restoring their five-point lead.

Italy has given a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.

UAE Team Emirates XRG’s Isaac del Toro has won the 2026 UAE Tour, sealing victory after safely defending his overall lead on the final day in Abu Dhabi, following his decisive attack on the penultimate mountain stage.

"Lionel Messi did not violate Major League Soccer policy and will not face any form of punishment regarding a post-match incident involving referees on Saturday evening," according to an MLS spokesperson.

Will Jacks impressed with bat and ball to rescue England from a poor start and help them to a 51-run victory over Sri Lanka in a low-scoring Super Eight match at the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday.

The Milano Cortina Games surpassed expectations despite a large number of obstacles in the run-up to the world's biggest winter multi-sports event, the International Olympic Committee said on Sunday, ahead of the closing ceremony.

Manchester City are now breathing down the necks of Premier League leaders Arsenal after a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Newcastle United reduced the gap to two points on Saturday.

Jessica Pegula put on a clinical performance as she handed Elina Svitolina her first loss in a WTA 1000 final in a dominant 6-2 6-4 victory to win the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday.

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) has won Stage 6 of the UAE Tour 2026 by attacking on the slopes of Jebel Hafeet, and taking the overall lead from Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious).

Former multi-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement this year for his first official fight in nearly a decade, his new promotion CSI Sports/Fight Sports said on Friday, though his opponent has yet to be decided.

Elina Svitolina battled for more than three hours to upset world No4 Coco Gauff to reach the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Jessica Pegula shook off a first-set stumble to beat fellow American Amanda Anisimova 1-6 6-4 6-3 in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday, reaching the eighth WTA 1000 final of her career.

Australia demolished Oman by nine wickets in their final Twenty20 World Cup group match on Friday, delivering a dominant display that ultimately came too late to salvage a disappointing campaign with both sides already eliminated.

Jonathan Milan has taken back‑to‑back stage wins at the UAE Tour, powering to victory in Friday's fifth stage in Dubai.

FIFA and the Board of Peace (BoP) have signed an agreement to invest and build "complete football ecosystems" in conflict-affected regions, starting with Gaza.

Alysa Liu has delivered a dazzling performance to win the gold at the Milano Cortina Games on Thursday as she capped a remarkable comeback journey to snap a 20-year Olympic medal drought for Americans in the women's figure skating event.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be "sold out" despite tickets available for the tournament running from June 11 to July 19.

Ibrahim Zadran has dedicated his player of the match award to coach Jonathan Trott as the Afghanistan opener's unbeaten 95 helped secure an 82-run win over Canada on Thursday, ending their Twenty20 World Cup with a consolation victory in Group D.

Abu Dhabi has created sporting history by attracting the sailing regatta Cowes Week to its shores in January 2023, consolidating its position as the Middle East's sports capital.

Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit has outlined exactly why football is failing to properly address racism within the game in an exclusive interview with Off Script on Dubai Eye 103.8.