SYRIA NEWS | ZAMAN ALWSL

Palestine and Syria Reach Arab Cup Quarter-Finals After Draw

BeIn Sports — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 20:16:00 +0300

Syria and Palestine both booked their places in the quarter-finals of the Arab Cup after playing out a goalless draw in Sunday’s final round of Group A.

The result leaves the two sides level on five points each, but Palestine top the group thanks to having scored more goals over the course of the group stage. With the match ending 0-0 and the teams equal on overall goal difference, goals scored proved decisive.

Palestine opened their campaign with a 1–0 win over Qatar before drawing 2–2 with Tunisia in the previous round. Syria, meanwhile, defeated Tunisia 1–0 and were held to a 1–1 draw by Qatar.

Chances were limited, with both teams showing only sporadic attacking intent. In the 22nd minute, Palestine’s Hamed Hamdan struck a powerful effort from distance, but his shot flew over the bar.

Shortly before half-time, Mahmoud Al-Mawas cleverly allowed the ball to run through his legs on the edge of the area, finding Omar Khribin, whose attempt also cleared the crossbar.

In the 61st minute, Syria thought they had been awarded a penalty after Wajdi Nabhan’s challenge on Mohamed Al-Salkhadi inside the box. However, after a VAR review and consultation at the pitchside monitor, the referee overturned his initial decision and restarted play.

Minutes later, Al-Salkhadi fired a strong strike from inside the area under Syrian pressure, but again the effort rose over the bar.

Both sides continued to push for a breakthrough, but neither could find the net, leaving them to celebrate progression to the knockout stages together.

Tunisia finished third on four points following a 3–0 win over hosts Qatar, who ended bottom of the group.

President Al-Sharaa meets with Syrian national football team in Doha

Zaman Al Wasl — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:05:00 +0300

President Ahmad al-Sharaa met with the Syrian national football team participating in the 2025 Arab Cup on Friday evening in Doha, Qatar, on the sidelines of his official visit to participate in the Doha 2025 Forum.

The meeting, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, saw President al-Sharaa express his support for the team and wish the players success in the tournament and the best possible representation of Syria.

Qatar keep alive FIFA Arab Cup hopes with Syria draw as Palestine top group

Al Jazeera — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 22:44:00 +0300

Tournament hosts Qatar kept alive their FIFA Arab Cup 2025 hopes, avoiding a shock early elimination, following a 1-1 draw with Syria in Group A at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan.

Having lost their opening match to Palestine, the AFC Asian Cup holders need to avoid defeat on Thursday to maintain their chances of reaching the knockout stages.

Despite dominating proceedings, with 18 attempts on goal while Syria only managed two efforts on target, Qatar’s nerves were heightened as they had to wait until the 77th minute to find the breakthrough.

Ahmed Alaaeldin converted Edmilson Junior’s assist and appeared to hand his side the win until Omar Kharbin’s 90th-minute strike denied the hosts.

Group leaders Palestine also came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw with Tunisia earlier in the day.

The group now goes to the final round of games on Sunday when Qatar face Tunisia at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, while Syria face Palestine at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.

Palestine only need to draw their final game to seal their progress to the knockout stages, but must win the match to secure top spot.

Should Syria lose the match, then Qatar and Tunisia will be offered a winner-takes-all chance for a place in the next round.

Tunisia had stormed into a two-goal lead in the earlier kickoff against Palestine after Ismael Gharbi’s 16th-minute corner was turned in by Amor Layouni.

Palestine were far from done, however, as Hamed Hamdan volleyed his side back into the game before Zaid Qunbar drilled low through a crowd with five minutes to play.

Syria defeats Tunisia 1-0 in the Arab Cup matches in Qatar

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:12:27 +0300

The Syrian national football team defeated the Tunisian national team with a score of one goal to nil.

Syria led Tunisia 1-0 in the match which held at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, as part of the first round of group stage matches in the 2025 Arab Cup tournament hosted by Qatar from December 1 to 18.

The goal came from a direct free kick executed by Syrian star Omar Khribin in the 48th minute, securing his national team a one-goal lead.

Portugal win 2025 UEFA Nations League title after defeating Spain on penalties

AA — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 01:48:00 +0300

Portugal won the 2025 UEFA Nations League title Sunday after defeating Spain 5-3 on penalties in a match that ended 2-2 after regular time and extra time.

Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi put his team ahead 1-0 in the 21st minute at Munich's Allianz Arena with a shot from inside the penalty area.

Just five minutes later, Portuguese defender Nuno Mendes equalized with a well-placed shot from the ground.

Spain took a 2-1 lead before the end of the first half with a goal by midfielder Mikel Oyarzabal in the 45th minute.

Portugal's veteran star and captain Cristiano Ronaldo followed up on a loose ball in the penalty area and Portugal equalized again in the 61st minute.

Ronaldo, who had fallen to the ground, was replaced by Goncalo Ramos in the 88th minute.

With the score still tied after extra time, the match went to penalties.

Portugal secured their second Nations League title in history after Spanish forward Alvaro Morata missed the fourth penalty.

Carlos Alcaraz wins men's title at French Open

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 22:46:00 +0300

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat Italy's Jannik Sinner 3-2 on Sunday in the men's singles final of the 2025 French Open (Roland Garros) in the capital Paris.

World No. 1 Sinner took the first set 6-4, starting the match strongly.

No. 2 seed Alcaraz managed to level the game in the second set, taking it to a tiebreak, but Sinner won the second set 7-6.

Alcaraz won the third set 6-4, bringing the score to 2-1, while Sinner lost his first set of the tournament this year.

Alcaraz continued his strong play in the fourth set and won the tiebreak 7-6, taking the match to a final set.

Alcaraz, who won the final set in a tiebreak 7-6, secured his second consecutive French Open title and fourth Grand Slam victory in a match that lasted five hours and 29 minutes, breaking the record for the longest French Open final in history.

Xabi Alonso appointed as Real Madrid manager on 3-year deal

Sun, 25 May 2025 22:30:00 +0300

Real Madrid C. F. confirmed Sunday that Xabi Alonso would be their head coach for the next three seasons.

"Xabi Alonso began his coaching career in the Real Madrid academy set-up, taking charge of the Under-12s for the 2018-2019 campaign and winning the league and the Torneo de Campeones," Real Madrid said in a statement.

"He now returns to Real Madrid as one of the greatest coaches in the world after making history at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the league, the cup and the German Super Cup over three seasons," it added.

The club added that the 43-year-old will be unveiled on Monday as the new head coach at an event held at Real Madrid City facilities.

Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini who inspired Netflix film returns to Syria after 10 years

Al Arabiya — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:22:00 +0300

Olympic swimmer and Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini, whose story inspired the 2022 Netflix film The Swimmers, returned to Syria ten years after she fled the civil war to Europe.

While crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece in 2015, she not only survived but along with her sister heroically saved the lives of everyone onboard her dinghy. In the middle of the tumultuous journey, the boat’s engine gave in. The two sisters jumped into the water and swam beside the boat for several hours, navigating it to safety.

After having found refuge in Germany, Mardini went on to compete as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and then again at the games in Tokyo.

She had not been to Syria since.

“I can’t believe this moment is real. After 10 years, I’m back at the pool where it all began, the place where I dreamed of competing at the Olympics, where I fell in love with swimming, and where so much of my journey started,” she said Thursday on Instagram.

In 2017 at the age of 19, Mardini was appointed the youngest-ever Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

“So much has changed, yet it still feels like home. I never knew if I’d ever see this place again, and now, standing on this pool deck, I’m overwhelmed with emotions, gratitude, nostalgia, and pure joy. This pool shaped me, and today I get to be here again…I’m home,” she added.

The inspiring 27-year-old has penned her memoir Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian – My Story of Rescue, Hope and Triumph.

She also launched The Yusra Mardini Foundation, a non-profit organization working toward providing access to sports and education to refugees.

In December last year, an opposition coalition in Syria ousted then-president Bashar al-Assad in a lightening offensive, ending an authoritarian regime, which started with his father in 1971.

Earlier this year, Ahmed al-Sharaa, then the leader of the opposition group which led al-Assad’s overthrow, was appointed president.

Syrians everywhere largely welcomed the toppling of al-Assad, emphasizing the need to be cautiously optimistic about the new government.

Russian champion figure skating couple were onboard US plane that crashed: Reports

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 11:59:47 +0300

Russian ice skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River in Washington on Wednesday night, Russian state media reported.

Shishkova and Naumov, who were married, won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994 and lived in the United States, where they trained young ice skaters.

Their son Maxim was also feared to have been on board the plane, Russia's TASS and RIA news agencies reported. He had been competing at the US figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas from Jan. 20-26, according to the event's website.

The couple were reported to have been returning from the competition and travelling with a group of young skaters.

An American Airlines regional passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac after a midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials said.

Israel calls on fans to skip France-Israel football match in Paris

AFP — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:00:24 +0300

Authorities have urged Israeli fans to skip Thursday’s France-Israel football match in Paris, after violence in Amsterdam following a match between an Israeli team and a local one.

The Paris fixture will take place one week after the clashes -- condemned as “anti-Semitic” by Israeli, Dutch and European leaders -- followed a game between Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax.

About two dozen people were injured in the violence.

Israel’s National Security Council called on Israelis to “avoid attending sports games/cultural events involving Israelis, with an emphasis on the upcoming match of the Israeli national team in Paris,” a statement said Sunday.

“Groups that want to harm Israelis have been identified in a number of European cities” including Brussels, major UK cities, Amsterdam and Paris “on the occasion of the upcoming match of the Israeli national team,” it added.

The council also warned Israelis abroad against displaying recognizable signs that they are Israeli or Jewish.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez described the upcoming France-Israel match as high risk. He said 4,000 gendarmes would be deployed in the stadium, on public transport and across the French capital.

Israeli authorities had also warned fans against attending a Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball game in the Italian city of Bologna on Friday, which passed off without incident.

Israel urges Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to skip Friday's game in Italy

AA — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:40:00 +0300

Israel on Friday urged its citizens to avoid attending Maccabi Tel Aviv's basketball game against Virtus Bologna in Italy on Friday evening.

Citing Israel’s Security Council recommendation, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office advised fans to skip the game due to "concerns for safety."

Tensions flared Thursday in Amsterdam as Israeli fans clashed with pro-Palestinian demonstrators before and after the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match. Videos circulated on social media showed Maccabi supporters removing Palestinian flags and assaulting Arab taxi drivers.

Footage from outside the stadium captured chants by Maccabi fans, including inflammatory statements such as: "There are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left."

Israel's government later framed the violence as attacks on its citizens, despite the initial confrontations being linked to Maccabi supporters’ actions.

Following Ajax's 5-0 victory, tensions remained high with Dutch police arresting 62 people after riots.

Since Israel launched war on Gaza on Oct. 7, more than 43,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and more than 102,300 others injured, according to local health authorities.

More than a year into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide against Palestinians at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

Algeria's Imane Khelif wins gold in women's boxing at Paris Olympics amid gender debate

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 23:51:00 +0300

Algerian Imane Khelif won gold in women's boxing at the Paris Olympics amid gender controversy.

Khelif, 25, was crowned champion after beating Yang Liu from China 5-0 in the 66kg final at Roland-Garros Stadium.

The Algerian national had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after failing a gender eligibility test.

It is Algeria's first gold in women's boxing

"I’m very happy. For eight years, this has been my dream and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medalist," said Khelif. "I’ve worked for eight years, no sleep, eight years tired. Now I’m Olympic champion.”

Yang praised Khelif.

"I tried my best, but my opponent was much better. She is an excellent fighter and so strong," said Yang.

Khelif's opening match of the Paris Games was Aug. 1 against Angela Carini, but the Italian boxer abandoned the match after 46 seconds.

After taking a punch to her face, Carini went to the corner and surrendered.

"I wasn't able to finish the match. I felt a strong pain to my nose," Carini said after the bout.

Carini then apologized for not shaking Khelif's hand after the Algerian boxer's win.

Khelif respectively eliminated Carini (preliminaries), Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori (quarterfinals), Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng (semifinals) before beating Yang in the final.

The Paris Games will end Sunday.

Syria wins gold medal at Asian Children’s Games

SANA — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 07:48:00 +0300

Syrian national table tennis player Hend Zaza has won the gold medal at the Asian Children’s Games currently being held in Sakha, Russia, after defeating Russian player Katerina Keramova by a score of 4-1.

Hind had reached the semi-finals of the tournament by defeating Russian player Sofia Pergina by a score of 4/0.

Syria is participating in the tournament with five games: wrestling, table tennis, boxing, athletics, judo, and gymnastics.

Dortmund beats PSG 1-0 to reach Champions League final. Mbappe can't pull off comeback

Tue, 07 May 2024 23:02:00 +0300

PARIS (AP) — London’s calling, but not for Kylian Mbappé.

When Borussia Dortmund’s players rushed over to their fans wearing yellow “London 24” T-shirts and joined in the celebrations after knocking out Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Champions League final on Tuesday, Mbappé had long left the field.

Wembley Stadium on June 1 is the final stop on Dortmund’s quest for the Champions League trophy, by which time Mbappé will have played his last game for PSG having failed to win the trophy the club’s cash-rich Qatari owners so crave.

Central defender Mats Hummels headed Dortmund into the final as the German team won 1-0 at PSG.

Moments after Warren Zaïre-Emery missed an open goal for PSG, Hummels rose unchallenged to head in Julian Brandt's corner from the left in the 50th minute.

Dortmund advanced 2-0 on aggregate and largely contained Mbappé, who is leaving at the end of the season.

PSG exerted late pressure.

Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel palmed away Mbappé's low shot, then pushed Mbappé’s deflected close-range effort onto the crossbar with a superb one-handed save. The Parc des Princes crowd groaned when midfielder Vitinha’s thumping 25-meter strike rattled the woodwork.

Coach Edin Terzić's team will play either record 14-time champion Real Madrid or six-time winner Bayern Munich on June 1 at Wembley Stadium. Madrid and Bayern drew 2-2 in the first leg and play on Wednesday.

“Extremely proud. I’m very happy,” Terzić said. “We beat a team like PSG two times and we again kept a clean sheet. We started really well and kept them away from the goal.”

Dortmund is on course for its second Champions League trophy after winning in 1997 and a third European trophy, having won the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1966. Dortmund also reached the Champions League final in 2013, losing to Bayern.

“Indescribable. After more than 10 years, I am in the final with Borussia again,” said Marco Reus, Dortmund's veteran midfielder who is leaving the team after this season. “How we won the game, no one will ask tomorrow. Shots against the post won’t matter tomorrow.”

For PSG, it's another season ending without raising the trophy its cash-rich Qatari owners have chased after by spending huge amounts on star players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Mbappé. PSG lost its only Champions League final in 2020 to Bayern.

“Efficiency, that’s what we were missing,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “We should have defended better. They scored from a corner and a counter-attack (in the first leg). We created more chances but they won both games.”

As Dortmund's players celebrated, Mbappé looked dejected as he trudged for the last time in a Champions League game wearing a PSG jersey. He is widely expected to join Madrid.

Moments before Dortmund’s goal, Zaïre-Emery somehow hit the post from two meters out after Gonçalo Ramos flicked on Mbappé’s cross from the left.

On Hummels' goal, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma again did not move off his line to claim the ball, having not done so when Barcelona scored on a corner from the left in the first leg of the quarterfinals.

Coach Luis Enrique’s players seemed nervous, playing cautiously and defending too deeply in the first half, allowing Dortmund to settle into a comfortable rhythm.

Mbappé was ineffective in attack when PSG lost the first leg and, despite their speed, Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé struggled to find space behind a well-organized Dortmund defense with midfielder Emre Can offering good protection.

It took 30 minutes before Mbappé and Zaïre-Emery freed Dembélé on the right of the penalty area, but he failed to hit the target.

Speedy left winger Karim Adeyemi did so for Dortmund five minutes later when a rapid counter-attack exposed PSG’s defense, but Donnarumma rescued PSG with a fine low save.

Hummel’s goal at least woke up PSG’s attack, but Ramos missed the target when well-placed either side of a stinging shot from left back Nuno Mendes hitting the left post.

Dembélé then cut inside Hummels, who was perhaps unfortunate not to concede a penalty midway through the second half. Referee Daniele Orsato awarded a free kick.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi pointed to the amount of times PSG hit the post or crossbar over both legs.

But in reality PSG again fell short, despite boasting one of the world’s best players in Mbappé.

PSG only qualified for the knockout stage in the last round of group games, losing at Newcastle and AC Milan and finishing second behind Dortmund. Overall, PSG lost five games in the competition.

Mbappé's last home game for PSG — which has already clinched the French league title — will be Sunday against Toulouse, and his last game for the club May 25 in the French Cup final against Lyon.

In Lille and not London.

Former German international Dahoud to play for Syria

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 13:15:00 +0300

Former German international and VfB Stuttgart midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud was named in Syria's 24-man squad on Saturday after he decided to switch his national team allegiance to the Arab nation.

The Syrian-born 28-year-old has been called to play for the country in their World Cup qualifier matches against Myanmar, which will be played on March 21 and 26.

"Mahmoud Dahoud is expected to be present in the second leg against Myanmar (in Dammam) due to a special family circumstance that will force him to miss the first match," the Syrian Football Association said in a statement.

Dahoud represented Germany in his youth and won the under-21 European Championship in 2017, and has two caps for the senior German national team.

"Germany is my home, I spent my whole life here and was proud to play for Germany... Syria is my family's country of origin and my birth country," Dahoud said in an interview with Sky Germany, opens new tab.

"I learned from my family early on how privileged we are to live in Germany and how important it is at the same time to bring joy to the people in Syria.

(Reuters)

Real Madrid beat Barcelona to win Spanish Super Cup

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 23:18:00 +0300

Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 4-1 to win the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.

Vinicius Junior scored twice in the seventh and 10th minutes and his third goal came from a penalty kick in the 38th minute at Riyadh's Al -Awwal Stadium.

The 23-year-old Junior became the first Brazilian to score a hat-trick against Barcelona for Real Madrid.

Robert Lewandowski made a classy-long range finish for Barca in the 33rd minute.

In the 64th minute, Rodrygo made the score 4-1 with a goal from close range.

Barcelona were down to 10 men after Ronald Araujo received a red card in the 71st minute.

The Supercopa de Espana, or Spanish Super Cup, is contested by the winners and runners-up of the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) and Spanish La Liga.

Bahrain wins 10th Asian Games gold as runner Eunice Chumba places 1st in women's marathon

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 16:30:18 +0300

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — The small island kingdom of Bahrain won its 10th gold medal Thursday at the Asian Games as runner Eunice Chebichii Paul Chumba took first place in the women's marathon.

Chumba was only a few seconds in front of silver medalist Zhang Deshun at 35 kilometers, but broke away to finish 1 minute, 41 seconds ahead of her in a winning time of 2:26:14.

Sardana Trofimova of Kazakhstan finished third for the bronze.

The 30-year-old Chumba, who began competing for Bahrain in 2014, said her training in her native Kenya, a country with a strong tradition of long-distance running, helped her win the gold in Hangzhou.

“The competition is very fierce in Kenya," she said after her win. “People start when they are young — when you go to school you have to walk long distances.”

Bahrain, a wealthy archipelago nation in the Persian Gulf, is the third smallest country in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore, but it is among the top 10 in gold medals on Day 12 of the 15-day Asian Games.

“We have a lot of talent,” Chumba said of Bahrain's contingent. “The country must be happy for me.”

The Asian Games feature 12,500 participants from 45 nations and territories — more than the 10,500 from about 200 delegations expected at next year’s Paris Olympics.

Host China has dominated, with more than 320 medals overall, more than half gold, followed by South Korea and Japan.

In the men's marathon on Thursday, He Jie of China took gold, finishing 25 seconds ahead of North Korean runner Han Ilryong with a time of 2:13:02. Yang Shaohui of China took bronze.

He said his training this year had been centered on the Asian Games competition, knowing that they would be “held in China and 1.4 billion Chinese people are watching.”

DRAGON BOAT

China won gold in both the men's and women's 500-meter dragon boat races.

The regionally-popular sport features a team of 12 paddlers in long, narrow boats decorated with Chinese dragon heads, who row to the beat of a drummer in the bow, with a steerer in the stern to guide the boat.

China's men's team edged out Indonesia by a fraction of a second for the gold, with Thailand finishing just behind in third place for the bronze.

China's women's team beat silver-medalist Indonesia by nearly two seconds for the gold, with Myanmar taking bronze more than 4 seconds behind the leader.

REGIONAL RIVALRIES

North Korea played South Korea in a preliminary women's volleyball match that had the feeling of a final. South Korea prevailed in the end.

North Korea leapt out to an early lead, taking the first of four sets by a score of 25-19. South Korea then came right back, winning the second set 25-21.

North Korea faltered in the 3rd set, however, dropping the game 25-9. The fourth and final set was close until South Korea pulled ahead near the end to win the game 25-20.

The two countries were not as evenly matched in their fight for the bronze medal in women’s basketball.

North Korea started strong in the first quarter, but then fell behind and couldn’t make up the ground with South Korea winning 93-63.

In baseball, regional rivals Japan and South Korea were scoreless through five innings. South Korea finally put a run on the board in the bottom of the 6th, when Kim Hyeseong led off the inning with a double to center, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Choi Jihoon. Kim came in to score on a sacrifice fly to left field by Roh Sihwan.

South Korea added a run the 8th to win 2-0.

The baseball medal games are Saturday and final match-ups have not yet been determined.

SQUASH

India took gold in mixed doubles squash, beating Malaysia in two games.

Indian player Dipika Pallikal Karthik said shortly after the win that it hadn't quite sunk in yet that she and partner Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu had won.

“I'm just very, very happy to be on the winning side with Hari and I can't imagine it to be anyone else,” she said.

Sivasangari Subramaniam of Malaysia took gold in women's squash singles, beating Chan Sin Yuk of Hong Kong.

China fans cheer for Syria after 'another embarrassing defeat'

AFP — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:04:00 +0300

Beijing (AFP) – Angry China fans turned on their team and applauded the visiting Syrians off the pitch after what Chinese state media called "another embarrassing defeat".

China's Serbian coach Aleksandar Jankovic blamed bad luck for the 1-0 friendly loss in Chengdu on Tuesday, which came days after they were held 1-1 by Malaysia also at home.

President Xi Jinping wants China to one day host and even win the World Cup, but they are ranked 80th in the world and confidence is rock-bottom ahead of World Cup qualifying.

Thaer Krouma scored the second-half winner for Syria, who are 94th in the FIFA rankings, in front of just over 12,000 spectators at a 60,000-capacity stadium.

The Paper, reporting from the southwestern city, said irate home fans booed afterwards and demanded refunds.

Video footage also showed the Chinese players being roundly booed and spectators chanting: "What a disgrace!"

"It was a frustrating result for us," Jankovic was quoted as saying after the defeat by state-run Xinhua news agency, which noted that Chinese fans applauded the Syrian team afterwards.

"We asked the players to react after the draw against Malaysia in terms of energy level, but unfortunately we couldn't win the match."

"It's easy for me to talk about players on the field that they were not good enough, but I don't like to do that," added Jankovic, who was appointed in February.

"Every game is different, we can still collect important information from the loss."

China face a critical few months with the start of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, and the Asian Cup in January-February in Qatar.

Chinese football is in the grip of a major anti-corruption campaign that has seen numerous leading figures investigated or charged, including former national coach Li Tie.

Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games gets off to rocky start

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 11:17:00 +0300

PARIS (AP) — Organizers of next year's Paris Olympics promised relatively modest prices and “egalitarian” access to events, thanks to an online system meant to revolutionize ticket sales and bring the masses to stadiums and arenas for as little as $26.

As the month-long opening round of sales winds down, however, many “lucky” winners chosen to shop for the first 3 million tickets (out of 10 million total) are feeling frustrated, angry and cheated because their only option during the 48-hour purchasing window was paying at least 200 euros ($212) per ticket for the few remaining events on offer. And because the ticketing system requires buying packages for multiple sports, overall costs for many buyers ran into thousands of dollars.

By the time English teacher Amélie Beney and her 9-year-old son won the lottery last week to log in to the Olympic ticket office, affordable tickets for many events were gone, and all but one of their preferred sports — BMX, water polo and soccer — was sold out.

There were tickets for a soccer match at 50 euros ($53) but Beney would also have to buy at least two tickets for two additional events. Available tickets included basketball or handball at 150 euros ($160), swimming at 230 euros ($244) and a whopping 690 euros ($732) for a qualifying event in track and field.

“Who can afford tickets at that price?" Beney asked. "I can’t.”

Beney was disappointed and said her son’s enthusiasm for attending their home Olympics on his 10th birthday vanished as they logged off without buying anything.

“I really wanted to have tickets for the Olympics. I wanted my son to live that unique experience … in our city,” Beney said. “I became disillusioned (with the ticket system) and the prices. This is just insane.”

To buy tickets in the first round, your name had to be drawn from a lottery. Since Feb. 13, the lucky winners have been notified by email of their 48-hour window to buy between three and up to 30 tickets in at least three different events, out of 32 available. The first round of ticketing ends March 15.

Organizers say they are aware of the high demand and acknowledge that not everyone who wants to attend the Paris Olympics will manage to get a ticket, and fewer still will be able to get tickets at a bargain price.

“We know that people are going to be disappointed, and we know that we don’t have tickets for everybody,” Michael Aloisio, the deputy general manager of the Paris Olympics, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But we also know that we have more selling phases opening soon with more tickets.”

Ticket sales are a substantial part of revenue — one third, according to Aloisio — that Paris organizers need to pay for the Olympics.

“The challenge for us was not to have this target compromise our goal to make these Games accessible,” Aloisio said.

The announcement last year that there will be 1 million tickets at 24 euros ($26) and more than 4 million for less than 50 euros ($53) was received with enthusiasm from fans in France and around the world. However, those tickets were scooped up during the first few days of the lottery, leaving those “lucky” to be drawn later with high prices and few events to choose from.

Aloisio said only 10% of all 10 million tickets cost more than 200 euros ($212).

“It’s these tickets that allow for other tickets to be more accessible and balance it all out,” he said.

Robin Allison Davis, a 38-year-old American and a self-declared “Olympics super fan,” said she wasn’t expecting to find a bargain when it was her turn to hunt for tickets in her favorite sports — gymnastics, swimming and track and field.

She was willing to pay 260 euros ($276) per ticket to watch two hours of a gymnastics qualifying event but then got frustrated when the online ticketing office appeared to have turned into a virtual casino.

“I knew it will be expensive, but why is the system that promised to give me freedom and choice to form my own Olympic package tricking me into buying expensive tickets in sports I don’t want to see if I want to get expensive tickets for an event I really want to see,” Davis said. “The ticket pack thing is a racket.”

Davis has lived in Paris for six-and-a-half years and works as a freelance journalist. She did not buy any tickets during the first round, saying that she will try her luck again in the second draw in May and splurge on individual tickets.

Aloisio, the organizing committee official, defended the ticket package system and said the Paris organizers aimed to arouse curiosity for other sports during the Olympics.

“These packages are a way to get people interested and buy tickets for a water polo semifinal, hockey or 7-a-side rugby, sports for which there may have been less demand,” Aloisio said.

In all, 10 million tickets for the Olympics and 3.4 million for the Paralympics will be made available on the online platform. Individual tickets will become available in the second round, which starts on May 11. Registration for that draw starts March 15.

The third phase is expected to start at the end of the year, when all remaining tickets will be put on sale.

Pelé's family gathers at hospital in Sao Paulo

Sat, 24 Dec 2022 21:52:34 +0300

SAO PAULO (AP) — Family members of Brazilian soccer great Pelé are gathering at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo where the 82-year-old global icon has been since the end of November.

Doctors said earlier this week that Pelé’s cancer had advanced, adding the three-time World Cup winner is under “elevated care” related to “kidney and cardiac dysfunctions.” No other hospital statements have been published since.

Edson Cholbi Nascimento, one of Pelé's sons and known as Edinho, arrived Saturday, one day after he gave a news conference to deny he would visit his father in hospital. Edinho, who works for a soccer club in southern Brazil, had said then that only doctors could help his father.

“He (Edson) is here," Kely Nascimento, one of Pelé's daughters, said in a posting on Instagram with a picture showing her sitting next to Edinho and two of his children at the hospital. “I am not leaving, no one will take me out of here."

Hours later, Edinho, a former Santos goalkeeper, posted a picture showing his hand holding his father's.

“Dad... my strength is yours,” Pelé's son said.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, who is globally known as Pelé, had a colon tumor removed in September 2021. Neither his family nor the hospital have said whether it had spread to other organs.

Kely Nascimento and her sister Flavia Arantes do Nascimento used their social media channels Friday night to post an undated picture of Pelé apparently holding Kely with one hand as he lay on his hospital bed and Flavia slept on a couch.

“We continue to be here, in this fight and with faith. Another night together,” Kely Nascimento wrote.

The hospital has not mentioned any signs of Pelé's recent respiratory infection, which was aggravated by COVID-19.

Newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported last weekend that Pelé’s chemotherapy was not working and that doctors had decided to put him on palliative care. Pelé’s family denied that report.

Pelé led Brazil to victory in the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and remains one of the team’s all-time leading scorers with 77 goals. Neymar tied Pelé’s record during the latest World Cup.

Messi wins World Cup, Argentina beats France on penalties

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 20:32:00 +0300

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete. The Argentina superstar is finally a World Cup champion.

Messi scored two goals and then another in a shootout as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties Sunday to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years.

Now there’s no debate. Messi is definitively in the pantheon of soccer’s greatest ever players, alongside Pelé — a record three-time World Cup champion from Brazil — and Diego Maradona, the late Argentina great with whom Messi was so often compared.

Messi has achieved what Maradona did in 1986, dominate a World Cup for Argentina.

Messi put Argentina ahead from the penalty spot and played a part in Angel Di Maria's goal that made it 2-0 after 36 minutes.

Mbappé scored two goals in a 97-second span to take the game to extra time, and then Messi tapped in his second goal in the 109th minute. But there was still time for another penalty from Mbappé to take the thrilling game to a shootout.

Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty kick after Kingsley Coman had an attempt saved by Emi Martinez and Aurelien Tchouameni missed for France.

Morocco's World Cup finish is bittersweet for Arab fans

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 19:17:00 +0300

BEIRUT (AP) — Morocco’s fans in the Arab world took the North African team’s 2-1 loss to Croatia in Saturday’s World Cup third-place playoff philosophically. The team had already made history, becoming the first Arab and first African team to reach the semifinals in the international soccer tournament.

Its loss to France on Wednesday dashed fans' hopes that Morocco would become an underdog champion, but many had hoped that it would at least take third place in facing off against Croatia.

In the Moroccan capital, national team's fans were disappointed by Saturday's loss, but pointed with pride to the team’s historic performance.

“They remain champions in our eyes,” said Soukaina Makkaoui, a fan in Rabat. “They are now among the four top teams in the world.”

Ali Hachimi, another Moroccan fan, was both proud and sad.

“We would have liked to finish third because the players deserved it after giving their all,” he said.

Along the way, the Moroccan team charmed many Arab soccer fans who saw in the team a reflection of themselves, with players waving the Palestinian flag after their wins and celebrating on the field with their mothers and children.

Seeing Palestinian flags fluttering in the stadium “was an indescribable feeling,” said Ibrahim al-Lilli, who was among thousands of fans in the Gaza Strip who gathered to cheer for Morocco on Saturday.

The games affirmed that the Arab street “supports the Palestinian cause regardless of what their governments do,” he said, referring to the Abraham Accord normalization agreements that four Arab countries — including Morocco — signed with Israel in 2020.

Fans in the besieged Gaza enclave found a bitter solace in the fact that the northern Africa Arab country got as far as it did.

“It’s a defeat, albeit with a taste of victory and joy,” said Ahmed al-Najjar, another fan in Gaza.

In Beirut's Tarik al-Jdideh neighborhood, where fans were also rooting for Morocco, Muhammad Shaalan said the team's fourth-place finish is still a point of pride for the Arab world.

“They arrived to the final games and they defeated three of the best big European teams (Belgium, Spain and Portugal)," he said. “I bow my head in respect to them as an Arab team."

France celebrates WCup victory, fans cheer Morocco team

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 05:05:00 +0300

Crowds in Paris and other French cities erupted in shouts of joy as France advanced to the World Cup final Wednesday, while disappointed Morocco fans mingled with the exuberant supporters of the winning team, paying tribute to the African country's unprecedented achievement.

Football fans streamed to the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, shooting off firecrackers and red flares, to an unending chorus of honking cars.

On the famous avenue, many were brandishing French flags and singing “we are in the final.”

Some Moroccan fans, wrapped in the North African country's flag, also cheered their team in the streets of the French capital.

France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the World Cup final against Argentina, in a historic match between the defending champion and Africa’s first ever semifinalist.

Supporters from both teams gathered in bars from the boulevards of Paris to the streets of Morocco’s capital Rabat, from the cosmopolitan French Riviera city of Nice to the historic Moroccan city of Marrakech.

Celebrating the victory near the Bastille square, in central Paris, Adrien Vignau, a 22-year-old Parisian, praised a “great victory for France” and said he was looking forward to the final against Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi.

“Bravo to Moroccans,” said Parisian Corentin Voiseux. “Tonight it’s not only France that wins but all of the French-speaking people. ... We are together and Moroccans will be with us at the final,” he added.

In central Madrid, fans celebrated on Sol Square after the match, some with red Moroccan flags draped on their shoulders, jumping up and down, and some wearing the French tricolor.

In Belgium, scuffles briefly broke out in Brussels after the game and authorities countered with water cannon and teargas after they were targeted. One and a half hours later, a tense calm had returned. Media reports spoke of 40 detentions. There also was some unrest in northern Antwerp.

In Paris, riot police vans lined the broad thoroughfare and the base of the imposing Arc de Triomphe, and white-helmeted officers roamed the crowd on the Champs-Elysees. Minor incidents briefly broke out, leading officers to occasionally use teargas to move the crowd away.

Despite their sadness, Moroccan fans expressed pride in their team, highlighting the history-making moment this game represented.

A Rabat resident, Fatima Zahra Attaq said that she was “a bit sad, but this is football. ... After all, they gave their best and made us proud to reach this stage of the competition.”

“The national team made us dream," said Reda Hakam, also working in Rabat. "The dream is now over. I am not sad. I am actually very proud.”

Kenza El Amrani said that “I think Moroccans should wipe the tears off their faces and cheer for this team."

Those who attended the game in Qatar also paid tribute to the performance and fighting spirit of the African team.

“Morocco played with their hearts,” said Ayaz Dhrolia, a fan from Canada whose face was painted in Morocco colors as he left Doha’s Al Bayt Stadium. “They won the hearts of millions and millions of people around the world, well appreciated. Thanks, Morocco.”

Youssra Zhhata, a Moroccan woman who was at the game, stressed that “they made it to the semifinals and that’s an accomplishment. ... And we had Africans, Arabs, everyone supporting us.”

Morocco was under French rule from 1912-56, giving the match political and emotional resonance for both nations.

Morocco has exceeded all expectations in Qatar by beating second-ranked Belgium in the group stage and then eliminating European powerhouses Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase to reach the semifinals.

In Gaza, Palestinians who thronged cafes and outdoor large screens expressed disappointment at Morocco’s loss.

“All of Gaza is now sad for this result. We were hoping they would win,” said Wael al-Riffi, a Gaza resident, as he held Morocco’s flag.

Crowds also gathered in the Israeli-occupied West Bank to watch the game.

The Palestinians felt empathy from the Moroccan national team as players held the Palestinian flag several times at the World Cup.

Messi, Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 to reach World Cup final

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 23:08:00 +0300

Lionel Messi is back in the World Cup final with Argentina on his mission to win soccer’s biggest prize for the first time.

And, at 35, he could hardly be playing any better.

Messi converted a penalty and had a hand in the other two goals by Julián Álvarez, leading Argentina to a 3-0 win over Croatia on Tuesday that set up a meeting with either France or Morocco in Sunday’s title match.

It will be Messi’s second World Cup final — Argentina lost the other one to Germany in 2014 — in what might be his last appearance at the tournament.

It could yet be the perfect way to go out for a player widely regarded as one of the game’s best players, if not the best.

Messi is thrilling his legion of fans along the way, with his swivel and driving run to set up the third goal for Álvarez in the 69th minute epitomizing his confidence and swagger. He is embracing the responsibility of leading Argentina to its third World Cup title, scoring in five of his six games in Qatar.

He even had a penalty saved in the game in which he didn’t score.

Croatia failed in its bid to reach a second straight World Cup final after conceding two goals in a five-minute span from the 34th, just when the team was looking comfortable at Lusail Stadium.

There was a moment midway through the first half that must have struck fear into all Argentines, when Messi appeared clutch his left hamstring and rub it.

Was Argentina’s superstar going to have to come off? No such luck for Croatia.

Messi was soon toying with his opponents in a way only he can and put Argentina ahead by lifting his penalty into the top corner after Álvarez was taken out by Dominik Livakovic after clipping the ball past Croatia’s goalkeeper.

Álvarez poked home his first goal at the end of a surging run from halfway, starting with Messi's short pass. He put in the third following more outrageous skill from his teammate near the right corner that left Josko Gvardiol — one of the best defenders at the World Cup — grasping at thin air.

It was one game too far for Croatia, which had beaten Japan and Brazil on penalties in the knockout stage, and star midfielder Luka Modric, who — at 37 — has likely played his final World Cup match.

Summing up a frustrating game for the little midfield magician, he was substituted in the 81st minute and had a bright red nose after the ball slammed in his face moments earlier.

Argentina maintained its record of never having lost in the World Cup semifinals and has reached the final for the sixth time.

Those dark days after losing to Saudi Arabia in its opening group match seem so long ago now for Argentina, which will be hard to stop in the final with Messi playing this well.

Ecstatic Moroccans celebrate World Cup victory over Portugal

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 02:53:00 +0300

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Ecstatic Moroccans poured into the streets of cities across the North African country and far beyond on Saturday, waving flags, honking horns and lighting flares to celebrate the national soccer team's historic victory over Portugal at the World Cup.

Morocco beat the Portuguese 1-0 in Qatar, knocking Cristiano Ronaldo out of the tournament and making the Atlas Lions the first African and first Arab team to reach the World Cup semifinals.

The capital, Rabat, was bursting with joy while Morocco fans also celebrated in the streets of Doha and in cities across Europe, where many Moroccans live. Other fans from the Middle East and Africa who have adopted the Atlas Lions as their team were also jubilant.

“We were so stressed as if we were on the pitch with the players, but now we want the trophy,” said Mohamed Amine, celebrating in Rabat. “The players, this team lifted Morocco's reputation high among the nations of the world."

The victory has Morocco fans full of confidence for the days ahead. The team will face defending champion France in the semifinals on Wednesday.

“I am so happy that I don't even know if I can express myself, but if we are here now, I believe that we can make it to the final," Yasmine Benmehredj said during celebrations in the Moroccan capital. “I think we can win this World Cup.”

In Qatar, hundreds of elated fans clad in green and red outside Al Thumama Stadium celebrated Morocco’s win, chanting, ululating, banging on drums and waving the national flag. Some chanted: “Congratulations to us for this beginning! It will only go on and on!”

“This is unbelievable. It’s the first time ever,” said Saleh al-Rayes, a 27-year-old fan from Saudi Arabia in Doha.

As an Arab at the first World Cup held in the Middle East, al-Rayes said he feels a sense of inclusion and representation in the world of soccer, a spot that has been dominated by European and South American teams.

“You come in as an underdog and then you win. It’s Arab pride,” al-Rayes said. "All Arab countries were here in the stadium supporting Morocco.”

Palestinians packed cafes and a sporting hall, turned into a free World Cup viewing venue by Qatar for residents of the impoverished Gaza. Some held posters with Palestinian and Moroccan flags and a slogan that said: “One People, One Country.”

Morocco's success has touched Palestinians since the players and many of their supporters expressed solidarity on and off the field during the World Cup. Palestinian flags were regularly featured in groups of Morocco's supporters in Qatar and among fans celebrating in Europe. On Tuesday, some of the team's players unfurled Palestinian flags on the field after they defeated Spain.

“It’s an indescribable feeling. I swear, it’s as if it’s Palestinians that were playing," said Ibrahim al-Lilli, a Morocco supporter in Gaza.

Similar scenes were seen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinians took to the streets, cars honking. In Nablus, video posted on social media showed groups of Palestinians chanting “Morocco!” under the watchful eye of Israeli soldiers across the street.

“It’s beautiful,” said 23-year-old Abdullaziz Errayes, who is from Libya and had his national flag tied around his neck like a superhero cape as he was leaving the stadium in Doha. “It’s the first Arab, the first African country to reach the semifinals. Morocco is representing us.”

Morocco's phenomenal run also reverberated across Africa.

“Continental history!” the Confederation of African Football wrote on Twitter after Morocco's victory.

“Historic and fantastic,” African Union chair and Senegalese President Macky Sall wrote in a tweet.

Musicians also underlined the significance of the victory for the continent.

"Africa stand up ... what an incredible ride — keep it up gentlemen,” Haitian-born rapper and singer Wyclef Jean tweeted. Shakira, a Colombian pop singer with Lebanese roots, celebrated with a one-line tweet: “This time for Africa!”

Moroccans in Europe celebrated too. In Brussels, fans watched the game anxiously in cafes or outside in the December cold — and erupted in cries of joy as Morocco sealed its victory. Amid largely peaceful celebrations, police said 59 people were briefly detained and one arrested after minor skirmishes.

Paris saw a similar outpouring of exuberance on the Champs-Elysees. On the sidelines, riot police fired tear gas as some revelers threw objects, according to a police spokesperson.

But the celebrations were mainly joyful. In Tunisia, supporters of the rival North African team danced and chanted slogans hailing the Atlas Lions.

“It’s a source of pride the Moroccan team’s achievement, for the first time in the history of Arab and African football,” said Ahmed Ben Messaoud in Tunis.

___

Surk reported from Nice, France. Associated Press writers Luis Henao in Doha, Qatar, Cara Anna, in Nairobi, Kenya, Wafa Shurafa in Gaza City, Raf Casert in Brussels, Oleg Cetinic in Paris and Bouazza Ben Bouazza in Tunis, Tunisia, contributed to this report.

France advances to semifinals at World Cup, tops England 2-1

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 23:44:00 +0300

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — France’s players reacted as if they had already won the World Cup. What they were actually celebrating, though, was Harry Kane's missed penalty.

The match wasn't over yet, but France was leading 2-1 when Kane, England's captain and its best player, stepped up to take a penalty that would even the score in the 84th minute of Saturday's match at Al Bayt Stadium.

He sent his shot high over the bar and defending champion France held on to win 2-1 for a spot in the semifinals.

“That’s football," England coach Gareth Southgate said. "There is nobody I would rather have in that situation and if we had one tomorrow, I’d feel exactly the same way.”

France is looking to become the first country to successfully defend its World Cup title since Brazil — led by Pele — won back-to-back tournaments in 1958 and 1962. Italy also won two World Cups in succession in 1934 and 1938.

France will next face Morocco on Wednesday for a spot in the final.

“We are getting to the semifinals. We are closer to the final and this was an important achievement tonight and we can believe, but we have an important game on Wednesday," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "In the past the world champions didn’t always do well in the next World Cup and we’ve managed to do that.”

France knows that all too well.

As defending champions in 2002, the French team was eliminated in the group stage. France reached the final in 2006, losing to Italy in a penalty shootout, and then was knocked out in the group stage four years later in 2010.

On Saturday, Aurelian Tchouameni gave France the lead but England evened the score when Kane converted from the penalty spot in the 54th minute. Olivier Giroud put France back in front with a header in the 78th minute, setting up Kane for that chance to equalize again against his Tottenham teammate, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

That's when he blasted his shot over.

“It is very difficult when you get a second penalty and, of course, a goalkeeper that knows you really well as well,” Southgate said. “There’s a lot involved in that situation. He’s the best, but the best are still 85% (accurate), so even the best are going to miss at times."

Kane sank to his knees after the final whistle. His earlier goal put him in a tie with Wayne Rooney as his country’s leading scorer, but that wasn't what mattered.

At the same time, an elated France team ran across the field in a blue wave of celebration before gathering together in a huddle, bouncing up and down joyously.

The singing and dancing continued into the locker room.

Morocco, the first African team to reach the semifinals of a World Cup, now stands in the way of France’s bid to make history.

“Allow us to savour our victory tonight against a very good England team,” Deschamps said when faced with questions about his next opponent.

For Southgate, it's time for reflection as he decides whether to carry on in the England job after leading the team through three tournaments since he was hired in 2016.

“Whenever I’ve finished these tournaments I’ve needed time to make the correct decision because emotionally you go through so many different feelings and the energy that it takes through these tournaments is enormous,” he said. “I want to make the right decision, whatever that is for the team, for England, the FA (Football Association). I think it is right to take time to do that.

“I know in the past how much my feelings have fluctuated in the immediate aftermath of tournament.”

BOLD APPROACH

Southgate has often been criticized for being too cautious in the biggest games, but he opted for a back four against France and loaded his team with attacking threats.

FLAT START

Maguire kicked the ball out of play at the very beginning of the match even though there was no pressure from a France opponent. Air was leaking out of the ball and Maguire informed the referee that a new one was needed.

Soccer writer Grant Wahl dies at World Cup match in Qatar

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 12:34:00 +0300

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Grant Wahl, one of the most well-known soccer writers in the United States, died early Saturday while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands. He was 48.

U.S. media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in a section of Lusail Stadium reserved for journalists during extra time of the game, and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance. Emergency services workers responded very quickly, the reporters said.

“He received immediate emergency medical treatment on site, which continued as he was transferred by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital,” the World Cup organizing committee said in a statement, which did not list a cause of death. “We are in touch with the US Embassy and relevant local authorities to ensure the process of repatriating the body is in accordance with the family’s wishes.”

Wahl was covering his eighth World Cup. He wrote Monday on his website that he had visited a medical clinic while in Qatar.

“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”

Wahl wrote that he tested negative for COVID-19 and sought treatment for his symptoms.

“I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno,” he wrote.

Wahl tweeted on Wednesday that he had celebrated his birthday that day.

“We could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement. “Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all. Grant made soccer his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us.”

Wahl's wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, tweeted that she was thankful for the support of her husband’s “soccer family” and friends who had reached out.

“ I’m in complete shock,” wrote Gounder, who is an associate professor at New York University School of Medicine, attending physician at Bellevue Hospital Center and CBS News contributor.

Wahl wore a rainbow T-shirt in support of LGBTQ rights to the United States' World Cup opener against Wales on Nov. 21 and wrote that security refused him entry and told him to remove the shirt. Gay and lesbian sex is criminalized in Qatar, a conservative Muslim emirate.

Wahl wrote he was detained for 25 minutes at Ahmed Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, then was let go by a security commander. Wahl said FIFA apologized to him.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted late Friday: “We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Grant Wahl and send our condolences to his family, with whom we have been in close communication. We are engaged with senior Qatari officials to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible.”

Among Wahl’s work before he began covering soccer exclusively was a Sports Illustrated cover story about LeBron James in 2002, when James was a junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio.

“He was always pretty cool to be around. He spent a lot of time in my hometown of Akron,” James said in Philadelphia after the Los Angeles Lakers lost in overtime to the 76ers. “Any time his name would come up, I’ll always think back to me as a teenager having Grant in our building down at St. V’s. It’s a tragic loss. It’s unfortunate to lose someone as great as he was. I wish his family the best. May he rest in paradise.”

A voter at times in FIFA’s annual awards, Wahl had been among 82 journalists honored by FIFA and the international sports press association AIPS for attending eight or more World Cups.

“Only some days ago, Grant was recognised by FIFA and AIPS for his contribution to reporting on eight consecutive FIFA World Cups, and his career also included attendance at several FIFA Women’s World Cups, as well as a host of other international sporting events," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. “His love for football was immense and his reporting will be missed by all who follow the global game.”

Wahl graduated from Princeton in 1996 and worked for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, known primarily for his coverage of soccer and college basketball. He then launched his own website.

Wahl also worked for Fox Sports from 2012-19.

Ronaldo dropped, Ramos scores 3 for Portugal at World Cup

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 23:26:00 +0300

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — A chant of “RONALDO! RONALDO!” swept around the biggest stadium at the World Cup, followed by loud jeers when the fans realized their idol wasn’t coming onto the field.

Cristiano Ronaldo was, in fact, sitting in the Portugal dugout, looking glum and still wearing a substitute’s bib. And the guy who started instead of him on Tuesday was about to complete a hat trick.

After Ronaldo was dropped from the starting lineup in a bold call by Portugal coach Fernando Santos, Goncalo Ramos — the superstar striker’s unlikely replacement — made himself an instant star by leading the team to a 6-1 win over Switzerland and into the World Cup quarterfinals.

Ramos, a 21-year-old forward who only made his Portugal debut last month, demonstrated the kind of clinical finishing for which Ronaldo was once known in scoring the first goal in the 17th minute and adding others in the 51st and 67th.

No player had scored a hat trick in his first World Cup start since Germany striker Miroslav Klose in 2002.

“Not even in my wildest dreams did I think about being part of the starting team for the knockout stage,” said Ramos, an unheralded striker who plays for Benfica and counts Ronaldo as his soccer idol along with Robert Lewandowski and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

It was around the hour mark that fans throughout the 89,000-seat Lusail Stadium started to implore Santos to bring on the 37-year-old Ronaldo, and they got their wish in the 72nd minute. Portugal had the game wrapped up by then, with defenders Pepe and Raphael Guerreiro also having scored. Rafael Leao added another goal in stoppage time.

Ronaldo didn't score — he still hasn't in the knockout stage in any of his five World Cups — and after briefly celebrating with his teammates following the final whistle, he walked off the field on his own, perhaps wondering where his career goes from here.

He is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United midway through the World Cup, and he might no longer be the starter for his country.

The rest of the Portugal team hung around to applaud its fans at one end of the stadium. A quarterfinal match awaits against Morocco on Saturday and Santos now has to decide whether to stick with Ramos or restore Ronaldo, the top scorer in men’s international soccer and one of the game’s greatest ever players.

Santos said it was a strategic decision to drop Ronaldo and not a disciplinary one, having expressed unhappiness during his eve-of-match news conference Monday at the striker’s attitude after he was substituted against South Korea in the team’s final group game.

“What we have to do is think about this team collectively,” Santos said, before talking about Ronaldo. “I will always consider he is a very important player to have in the team.”

That might now be a substitute and an experienced head in the locker room rather than a starter.

Ramos was a surprise replacement — he had previously only made three substitute appearances for Portugal — and took his chance.

Ramos, who was only 2 years old when Ronaldo made his Portugal debut in 2003, scored the first hat trick at this year’s World Cup.

He drove a rising shot with his left foot inside Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s near post for the first goal, flicked deftly through Sommer’s legs from close range for the second, and then ran through to chip the goalkeeper for his third.

Ronaldo was seen smiling while he was warming up on the side of the field after Ramos’ second goal.

“Cristiano, as our captain, did what he always does,” Ramos said. “He helped us and encouraged us, not only myself but my colleagues.”

Ramos even had an assist, playing the ball through for Guerreiro to score the fourth goal.

Ronaldo was lively when he came on and and even thought he had scored when he ran through and drove a low left-footed shot past Sommer. The goal was disallowed for offside, much to the irritation of the fans — Portuguese or from other countries — who had come to see him play.

Switzerland's only goal came in the 57th minute when Manuel Akanji tapped in at the far post after a corner kick.

LONG WAIT

Switzerland lost in the round of 16 for the third straight World Cup. The country hasn't reached the quarterfinals since hosting the event in 1954.

OLDEST SCORER

Pepe took the captaincy from Ronaldo and became the oldest player to score in the knockout stage at the World Cup, at 39 years, 283 days.

Hakimi's 'Panenka' penalty advances Morocco at World Cup

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 21:21:00 +0300

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — The sheer audacity. The simple execution. And then … delirium.

Achraf Hakimi converted the decisive spot kick for Morocco with a little dink of a shot known as a “Panenka” in a penalty shootout win over Spain to make his team the first Arab country ever to reach the World Cup quarterfinals Tuesday.

Instead of using his full force to strike the ball, Hakimi instead waited for Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón to lunge to his right before lightly pushing the ball into the center of the goal.

“If you’re brave enough to do it, then you can do it,” Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi said. “It doesn’t matter how the ball goes in.”

After watching the ball sail in uncontested, Hakimi performed a little celebratory dance and then added to the playful theme by faking out his onrushing teammates in terms of which area of the field he was going to run to for more celebrations.

Eventually the team caught up to Hakimi and mobbed him.

The penalty kick technique that Hakimi employed is named for Czech player Antonín Panenka, who introduced it to an international audience during the 1976 European Championship final.

Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and is considered Morocco’s most talented player, was born in Madrid to Moroccan parents and spent 10 years in Real Madrid’s youth system. His mom cleaned houses in the Spanish capital and his dad was a street vendor.

“He’s fast, he’s skillful. He gives assists, he scores goals. A panenka in the penalty shootout,” Ounahi said. “So he does everything. (And) he’s a team player.”

Hakimi is one of 14 members of Morocco’s 26-man squad who was born abroad.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who was born in Canada and plays for Sevilla in Spain, saved two of Spain’s penalties during the shootout, which Morocco won 3-0 following a 0-0 draw after extra time.

Morocco’s quarterfinal opponent on Saturday will be Portugal.

Image of Pelé shines bright for Brazilian fans at World Cup

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 23:06:00 +0300

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The image of a young Pelé celebrating goals and lifting trophies with Brazil’s national team appeared brightly on the shirts, flags and banners of Brazilian fans gathering before the Seleçao’s World Cup match against South Korea on Monday.

The 82-year-old Pelé remained in a hospital in Sao Paulo recovering from a respiratory infection that was aggravated by COVID-19, and said he would watch the match on television.

“I’ll be watching the game from hospital and I’ll be rooting for each one of you,” he wrote on Twitter. "Good luck!”

In the 10th minute of each half, Brazilian fans opened a large banner with his image behind one of the goals at Stadium 974, a reference to the No. 10 jersey that he used to wear, and chanted his name. In the image, Pelé was shown with the white No. 10 shirt that he wore while playing for Brazilian club Santos.

After Brazil's 4-1 victory, Neymar carried a banner with the soccer great’s image and “Pelé” written on it. The entire team then posed behind it near midfield.

The news coming from Brazil early Monday was good. Two daughters and one grandson of the soccer great said he was not under an imminent risk of death.

It was reason for celebration for the many Brazilians who have been cheering for the Selecao and showing their support to Pelé in Qatar.

“We are all happy to hear that he is getting better,” 35-year-old Brazil fan Raphael Bissonho said. “He’s the King of Football, our biggest symbol in soccer. He represents Brazil as best as anyone. Let’s hope that soon he is out of the hospital and showing us a photo of him watching the national team on the television.”

Pelé had a colon tumor removed last year, but neither his family nor the hospital have said whether it had spread.

A few thousand people were at the Brazilian fans' gathering point in Doha on Monday to cheer for the team in the match against South Korea in the round of 16. Many headed to Stadium 974 to watch the game.

“Everyone is thinking and talking about him,” said 44-year-old Alexandre Carola, a Santos fan who traveled from Sao Paulo to watch Brazil play. “We are here, praying and hoping that he can recover as soon as possible. And I’m sure that when he watches the match on TV and sees this movement to wish him well, to send him this energy, I’m sure that it will give him more strength to get better and soon return home to his family and friends.”

There also was a show of support before the game against Cameroon last week, after news came out that Pelé had been hospitalized.

There were tributes to Pelé put together by tournament organizers in Qatar, as well, including messages of support displayed on building facades. During a drone show at Doha bay, a large Brazilian flag with the No. 10 on it was displayed, along with the message “Get well soon, Pelé.”

Pelé won three World Cups with Brazil, in 1958, 1962 and 1970. The Selecao also won the title in 1994 and 2002.

Pelé holds the record for goals in officials matches with Brazil with 77, one more than Neymar, who scored in the first half against South Korea after returning from a right ankle injury.