NFL expands overseas games and books Brazil contest in 2024
NEW YORK: NFL team owners voted on Wednesday to stage a 2024 regular-season game in Brazil and approved boosting the number of international contests from four to eight starting in 2025.
Arabnews.com Sport News
Football’s growth takes center stage at world summit in Jeddah
JEDDAH: The growth of the sport worldwide, and Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a key player, were among the issues on the agenda of the World Football Summit Asia which kicked off in Jeddah on Tuesday.
Doncic, Exum lead Mavs past LeBron, Lakers
LOS ANGELES: Luka Doncic produced another dazzling performance as the Dallas Mavericks brought LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers back down to earth with a 127-125 victory on Tuesday.
Titanic FIFA Club World Cup clash ahead as Al-Ittihad take on Al-Ahly
It does not get much bigger than this for Arab football fans as well as those in Asia and Africa. Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia take on Egypt’s Al-Ahly in Jeddah on Friday. The prize for the winner is a FIFA Club World Cup semifinal against Fluminense of Brazil and a lot more besides as two of the biggest Arab clubs meet on the global stage.
Paris Saint-Germain advances in tense finish to Champions League group. Porto also into round of 16
GENEVA: Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé were left holding a ticket to the Champions League knockout round Wednesday after a tense finish to the tightest group saw Newcastle let its chance slip. Porto also earned its place in the round of 16 draw on Monday with a 5-3 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, which needed to win to advance. PSG’s 1-1 draw at Group F winner Borussia Dortmund — earned by 17-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery’s 56th-minute leveler — was enough to secure second place because Newcastle lost 2-1 at home to AC Milan. “We are still alive,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, whose unseeded team can now be drawn to face Manchester City, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. “No team will hope to play us in the next round.” Newcastle was in the box seat kicking off the second half with a one-goal lead but ended in last place without even the consolation prize of entering the second-tier Europa League as a third-place finisher. That reward flipped to Milan when it took the lead in the 84th as substitute Samuel Chukwueze raced clear to score one minute after coming on from the bench.
Franchise cricket’s evolving impact on the game
It is tempting to report that the international cricket franchise season has just opened. In reality, it has never gone away, establishing itself as a permanent feature in cricket’s evolving landscape. More pertinently, it should be reported that it is heading for peak activity. The final of Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League was played on Dec. 2, whilst the final of the Abu Dhabi T10 league on Dec. 9 saw the New York Strikers beat the Deccan Gladiators. On Dec. 7, the first match of the Men’s Big Bash was played, with the final scheduled for Jan. 24, 2024. New Zealand’s Super Smash starts on Dec. 19 and concludes on Jan. 28.
Al-Ittihad cruise to victory in first round of FIFA Club World Cup
Al-Ittihad’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign got off to a winning start in Jeddah on Tuesday as they defeated Auckland City 3-0. Their reward is a second-round clash against Egyptian side Al-Ahly on Friday.
Global Esports Games get underway in Riyadh for first time
RIYADH: The Global Esports Games, the flagship event of the Global Esports Federation, got underway in a blaze of glory in Riyadh on Tuesday, with organizers praising the multi-title, global competition’s power in uniting the international gaming community.