Messi leads Argentina squad for sixth World Cup
BUENOS AIRES, May 28 : Argentina named their 26-man squad for the World Cup on Thursday, with Lionel Messi set to lead the defending champions at the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Russia Sport News
Egypt edge Russia in World Cup warm-up
CAIRO, May 28 : Egypt began their World Cup preparations with a 1-0 home win over Russia on Thursday but talisman Mohamed Salah was rested for the friendly clash in Cairo.
Egypt eye World Cup breakthrough in Salah’s likely last World Cup
CAIRO: Mohamed Salah has unfinished business in what could be his final World Cup as Egypt’s superstar seeks to deliver a first win at the tournament for the Pharaohs. Powerhouses of African football with a record seven continental titles, Egypt have struggled to make a dent on the global stage in three previous attempts. Salah should have arrived at the 2018 World Cup in the form of his life. Fresh from scoring 44 goals in his debut season at Liverpool — which propelled him from promising talent into a worldwide phenomenon — Salah suffered a serious shoulder injury in the Champions League final after an infamous challenge by Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. A patched-up Salah did make it to Russia and scored twice in his two appearances, but failed to prevent a group stage exit after defeats to the hosts, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Now the 33-year-old comes into a World Cup at the other end of his Liverpool career. Salah broke down in tears several times as his nine-year spell at Anfield ended on Sunday after amassing 257 goals, two Premier League titles and Champions League glory. “We put this club back where it belongs,” he said in his parting message on Merseyside. His Premier League exploits meant that his influence stretched far beyond the field of play. Salah was named in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2019, described as an “iconic figure for Egyptians, Scousers and Muslims the world over.” He has used that profile to call for greater gender equality in the Arab world and to appeal for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza following Israeli air strikes in October 2023.
Swiatek, Djokovic make steady progress as Rybakina slips up
PARIS, May 27 : Iga Swiatek stayed cool in sweltering conditions while Novak Djokovic was given a stern test before reaching the third round of the French Open, but world number two Elena Rybakina was unable to avoid an early exit on Wednesday.
Former heavyweight champion Fury announces August return in Dublin
LONDON: Tyson Fury has said he plans to return to the ring in Dublin on August 1 — one week after fellow former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua makes his comeback. The pair are heading for a long-awaited ‘Battle of Britain’, probably in November, although it appears that both boxers will first have a warm-up fight. Joshua will face unheralded Albanian Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25 in his first bout since being involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December which killed two of his close friends. Fury posted a video in an Instagram story showing him back in training in Thailand alongside the caption: “Let’s go August 1, Dublin, Ireland.” Fury could take a place on a card being put together by veteran promoter Frank Warren in the Republic of Ireland capital on that date. No opponent has yet been named, although Warren has ruled out Fury fighting Andy Ruiz Jr, who dethroned Joshua as world champion in 2019 before losing the rematch later that year. Fury marked his return from a 16-month retirement with a dominant points win over Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, after which he immediately called out Joshua, who was present at ringside. Rather than face-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a verbal exchange followed in which Joshua taunted Fury by declaring: “I’m the landlord, remember that.
World Cup transit sticker shock hits fans with tickets to matches in some US host cities
NEW YORK: Dubbed the “Sommermärchen,” or “Summer Fairy Tale,” the 2006 World Cup in Germany was a widely praised showcase for a modern, unified nation that was welcoming to fans from around the globe. Part of that success was the “KombiTicket,” which gave fans free access to local public transportation on match days. Since then, World Cup host countries have invested heavily in getting fans to and from matches, especially in Russia in 2018, where even long-distance trains between host cities were free, and Qatar in 2022, where free metro access helped turn stadium-hopping into part of the tournament experience. Then came the United States. Already reeling from astronomical ticket prices, expensive flights and exorbitant hotel costs, fans have been outraged to discover that getting to some stadiums via rail will come with another hefty bill: $98 round-trip train fares in New Jersey and $80 in Massachusetts — trips that normally cost NFL fans $12.90 and $20, respectively. Officials insist they aren’t trying to rip off fans, but are instead just trying to cover the costs of security and expanded train service without being a drain on taxpayers. Yet fans see it as just another way that tournament organizers are burdening fans who are already paying huge sums to visit the US, a huge, car-centric country where public transit has long been an afterthought in many locales. Unlike past hosts, some state and local officials have been less willing to swallow the costs, arguing they should be covered by FIFA, the international soccer body that stands to rake in billions of dollars from the event. Finding a solution from overseas “Planning for this World Cup has been a nightmare from start to finish,” said Scotland-born Rory
Canada's Dabrowski wins doubles opener in straight sets at French Open
Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazilian partner Luisa Stefani won their opening match in women's doubles at the French Open on Wednesday in Paris.
"The drone war is over": Ukraine says a new era of combat ai has begun
Ukraine is already shaping new rules of modern warfare, where the key weapon of the future is no longer the drone itself, but algorithms and artificial intelligence. This is stated in the opinion column by Vitalii Kiro, “The Drone War Is Over. The War of Algorithms Begins,” published by Ukranews.