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UK set to host 2035 Women’s World Cup as sole bidder

“We are honored to be the sole bidder for the FIFA women’s World Cup 2035,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said “Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special“LONDON: The United Kingdom appears set to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup after FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday described its interest as the “one valid bid” for the tournament.England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales announced last month that they would submit a joint bid to host the finals.England’s men won the World Cup for the first and so far only time when the country hosted the finals in 1966. It has never staged the women’s tournament.“We are honored to be the sole bidder for the FIFA women’s World Cup 2035,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said in a statement.“Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special.

Barca on track for women’s Champions League semis after thumping Wolfsburg

WOLFSBURG, Germany: Defending champions Barcelona are on track for the final four of the women’s Champions League after a dominant 4-1 win in their quarter-final first leg at Wolfsburg on Wednesday. Unlike the 2023 Champions League final between the same two opponents, won narrowly 3-2 by Barcelona who came from two goals down, Wednesday’s clash was an uneven affair. A first-half own-goal by Caitlin Dijkstra, followed up by two strikes in quick succession in the second period by Irene Paredes and Salma Paralluelo put the visitors firmly in control. Janina Minge pulled one back inside the final 15 minutes for Wolfsburg, before Sydney Schertenleib added a late fourth. Winners of three of the past four Champions Leagues, Barcelona showed fluency in attack and pinned the Wolves back early. Barcelona’s dominance of the ball finally showed on the scoreboard after 26 minutes when Ewa Pajor, who spent almost a decade at the German club, pressured Dijkstra into conceding an own goal from Aitana Bonmati’s cross. The visitors were unable to make their dominance count further with just a one-goal lead heading into half-time. But Barcelona quickly took control of the match, and the tie, with two goals in three minutes just after the interval. Paredes tapped in from close range after Wolfsburg failed to deal with a Barcelona corner on 50 minutes. On the 53rd-minute mark, Paralluelo scored on a Barcelona counter, her shot scuffed into her own net by Wolfsburg’s Minge. Paralluelo looked to have scored again just five minutes later, but was half-a-meter offside when assisted by Pajor. Minge gave Wolfsburg hope when she headed in unmarked from just near the penalty spot with 79 minutes gone, but Swiss teenager Schertenleib’s fine curling

Salah fires Liverpool 16 points clear, Forest beat Man City

LONDON: Premier League leaders Liverpool needed two Mohamed Salah penalties to beat bottom-of-the-table Southampton 3-1 on Saturday. Liverpool stretched their lead at the top to a massive 16 points, despite a sloppy first 45 minutes. Fresh from a smash-and-grab 1-0 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool boss Arne Slot made just three changes. However, the Dutchman was forced into making three half-time alterations to kickstart the champions-elect. Southampton have taken just nine points from 28 games all season, but stunned Anfield when Will Smallbone fired the visitors in front in first-half stoppage time.

Forest beat Man City in a top four showdown

NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom: Nottingham Forest dealt a major blow to Manchester City’s bid to qualify for the Champions League as Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late winner sealed a 1-0 victory in the top four shoot-out on Saturday. City have been reduced to battling for a place in next season’s Champions League after a dismal campaign. Even that usually routine target is far from assured for Guardiola’s men following their ninth league defeat this term. With six titles in the past seven seasons, City have rarely had to worry about their place in the Premier League’s top four in the Pep Guardiola era. Yet they left the City Ground looking anxiously over their shoulders after a first league loss to Forest since 1997. Fifth-placed Chelsea, just one point adrift of City, will go above the champions if they beat lowly Leicester on Sunday. Finishing fifth could still be enough for City to reach Europe’s elite club competition depend on the results of the English clubs who remain in continental competitions this term. For City to achieve that modest goal, they will have to significantly improve on the latest limp display in a turbulent season. Third-placed Forest are four points clear of City thanks to only their third win in their last eight league games. Enjoying a fairytale season just a year after battling relegation, the former European champions are closing on a berth in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81. After Forest’s former defender Stuart Pearce was rushed to hospital having been taken ill on a flight this week, his old club displayed a big screen message reading ‘Get Well Soon Stuart’, after three minutes of the Premier League game, recognizing Pearce’s old shirt number three. Forest were able to draw on

Griekspoor stuns top-seeded Zverev, avenges French Open heartbreak

INDIAN WELLS: Tallon Griekspoor stunned top-seeded Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) in the second round at Indian Wells on Friday, avenging a devastating loss to the German at Roland Garros last year.

Al-Hilal return to winning ways, Al-Nassr stumble

RIYADH: Al-Hilal defeated Al-Fayha 2-0 on Friday to cut Al-Ittihad’s lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League to just four points while, despite another Cristiano Ronaldo special, Al-Nassr were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Shabab in the Riyadh derby.

Saudi taekwondo champion Dunya Abu-Talib wins IOC Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Award for Asia

RIYADH: Taekwondo national team athlete Dunya Abu Talib has become the first Saudi sportsperson to win the International Olympic Committee’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Award for Asia. Abu Talib, the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympic Games and win an Asian gold medal, was given the 2024 award in recognition of her inspiring contribution to empowering female athletes both locally and internationally, the IOC said in a statement on Friday. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee president, expressed his pride in the achievement, saying: “I congratulate Abu Talib on this well-deserved award, which reflects the significant progress in women’s sports in the Kingdom, thanks to the unlimited support of our wise leadership.” The recognition shows that Saudi women are now playing a key role in global sports and serves as a motivation for the next generation of female athletes to achieve even greater success, he said. Abu Talib ranked first globally in the International Taekwondo Federation’s general classification for the under-53 kg weight category for March 2025. SOPC continues its commitment to supporting male and female athletes in the Kingdom by providing a comprehensive sports environment that enables them to achieve global success and raise the Saudi flag at the world’s leading sporting events.

F1 drivers gather in London to launch 75th anniversary season

LONDON: All 20 Formula 1 drivers and the 10 teams are expected in London on Tuesday to kick-start the 2025 season with a new live launch show. The F1 75 Live event at London’s O2 arena marks a new approach by the series. It’s the first time the sport is hosting its own large-scale launch event, rather than leaving it to the individual teams to present their drivers and cars. The televised two-hour show includes musical acts like country singer Kane Brown, British band Take That and American rapper MGK, also known as Machine Gun Kelly. Teams will present their 2025 liveries, but don’t have to show off the actual cars they’ll race this season.

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English premier league (epl) Sport News

UK set to host 2035 Women’s World Cup as sole bidder

Barca on track for women’s Champions League semis after thumping Wolfsburg

Salah fires Liverpool 16 points clear, Forest beat Man City

Forest beat Man City in a top four showdown

Griekspoor stuns top-seeded Zverev, avenges French Open heartbreak

Al-Hilal return to winning ways, Al-Nassr stumble

Saudi taekwondo champion Dunya Abu-Talib wins IOC Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Award for Asia

F1 drivers gather in London to launch 75th anniversary season