Italy sack manager Spalletti after Norway defeat
Luciano Spalletti has been sacked from his role as Italy's coach, the manager said on Sunday, following their heavy loss against Norway, but will take charge of Monday's game with Moldova.
World Cup Sport News
Boca denied by two Argentines as Benfica fight back
MIAMI GARDENS, United States, June 17, 2025 : Goals from two Argentine internationals denied Boca Juniors victory over Benfica on Monday, as the Buenos Aires side were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw in a stormy Club World Cup Group C clash. An Angel Di Maria penalty on the stroke of half-time and an 86th-minute header from Nicolas Otamendi earned the 10-man Lisbon side a point from a fiercely contested encounter in what was a de facto home game for Boca. The Argentine club had led 2-0 thanks to goals from Miguel Merentiel and Rodrigo Battaglia and looked set for a night of celebration after Benfica went down to 10 men in the 72nd minute. Boca fans had taken over Miami Beach over the weekend, thousands of them gathering on the seafront for a traditional ‘banderazo’, singing, drinking and waving flags for hours in the searing heat. A video of Boca fans jumping and chanting in a local Walmart supermarket, to the bemusement of regular shoppers, had captured the mood but it was nothing compared to the atmosphere at Hard Rock Stadium. The home of the Miami Dolphins was turned into a Bombonera by the beach, with 90 percent of the 55,574 crowd decked out in blue and yellow and bringing a level of constant noise rarely, if ever, heard for NFL games here. When the action got underway it was clear that the enthusiasm from the stands was going to be matched on the field with Boca confirming the feeling that South American clubs in this tournament are out to prove a point against European opponents. Boca’s midfield buzzed around, they attacked at pace and tackled with aggression and the first huge roar came when Benfica’s Argentine World Cup winner Di Maria received a rough challenge from behind. But the physicality was laced with
Alexxanderr wins gold as Global Champions Arabians Tour concludes fifth stage in Cannes
CANNES: The 2025 Cannes edition of the Global Champions Arabians Tour came to a close on Sunday with Alexxanderr, owned by Al-Mirqab Farm, taking home the prestigious Senior Stallion Gold Championship title.
German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen
BONN: Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened. A statement Monday from Germany’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, said it wants to see tighter enforcement of the rule known as 50-plus-1 which requires a soccer club’s membership to have majority voting rights over how the team is run. The regulator said recent European court rulings suggest permanent exemptions from 50-plus-1 for last year’s champion Leverkusen and fellow top-tier club Wolfsburg seem “no longer possible.” It said efforts should be made in the future to ensure the club’s professional soccer operations come under the control of membership organizations, but didn’t name any deadline. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were founded as workers’ teams at major companies which own the clubs, with pharmaceutical giant Bayer at Leverkusen, and car manufacturer Volkswagen at Wolfsburg. Their long-term involvement led to the clubs getting exemptions from 50-plus-1. The regulator also said the German men’s soccer league needs to ensure the clubs it oversees “offer their fans the opportunity to become a new full member with voting rights.” That appears to affect Leipzig and its relationship with drinks giant Red Bull, though they weren’t directly named by the regulator in Tuesday’s statement. The club was founded by Red Bull in 2009 and is part of its international network of soccer clubs.
Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh
GALLE: Sri Lanka are set to begin a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Galle on Tuesday that will mark the end of Angelo Mathews’s “dream run” in the game’s longest format, as the cricket season resumed following South Africa’s World Test Championship triumph at Lord’s. The red-ball matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be followed by a white-ball series of three one-day internationals and three T20s. Hosts Sri Lanka begin the contest as firm favorites, eager to turn a fresh page after a stuttering end to the previous WTC cycle. Sri Lanka were firmly in the mix for a place in the WTC final until December before the wheels came off spectacularly. Two defeats in South Africa followed by a twin collapse at Galle against Australia saw them tumble down the rankings. “We had one hand on a spot in the final but a few brain fades at crunch moments cost us dearly,” Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva told reporters on Monday. “We’ve learnt our lessons. A strong home start lays the foundation for success on the road.”
Saudi Arabia edges Haiti 1-0 in Gold Cup on penalty kick
Saleh Al-Shehri’s penalty kick in the 21st minute held up as the winner as Saudi Arabia shut out Haiti 1-0 in CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A play on Sunday night in San Diego. Al-Shehri drew a foul in the penalty area on Frantzdy Pierrot in the 18th minute, then converted a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner to lift Saudi Arabia (1-0-0, 3 points) in the opener for both teams. Haiti had an opportunity to pull even in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, but Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi (four saves) denied Dany Jean in the center of the goal on a right-footed shot from outside the box. Haiti (0-1-0, 0 points) posted a decisive edge in corner kicks (11-1), but Saudi Arabia finished with more shots on goal (5-4) and shot attempts (13-7). Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide finished with three saves.
A penalty shattered Palestinian World Cup dreams for 2026. The squad has inspired hope
AMMAN: An engrossing qualifying journey of 16 games and the obstacles of a war came crashing down in an instant for Oday Dabbagh and his Palestinian team. Their legacy will long continue. Players left the field in tears in the immediate aftermath at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan, last Thursday after their quest for a first appearance at a World Cup evaporated on a contentious penalty awarded deep in extra time. Fans looked on, stunned. “It’s very hard,” Dabbagh, the team’s star striker, told The Associated Press.
Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney clinch first Darts World Cup crown for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland won the World Cup of Darts for the first time by upsetting two-time champions Wales in a thrilling last-leg shootout in Frankfurt.
Hattan Alsaif returns for 2025 PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh
RIYADH: The Professional Fighters League on Wednesday announced the full card for PFL MENA 2, to be held at Riyadh’s Green Halls arena on Friday, July 4.