Football

De Jong Pens New Barca Deal to 2029

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong signed a new deal until 2029, the Spanish champions announced Wednesday. The 28-year-old Dutch international joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019 and is in his seventh season with the Catalan giants, winning two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey twice. "Barca are confident that the midfielder can be a pivotal ...

England Clinch 2026 World Cup Qualification, Portugal Forced to Wait

Harry Kane scored twice as England thrashed Latvia 5-0 on Tuesday to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal were forced to wait to clinch their spot at the finals after being held by Hungary. Elsewhere, pro-Palestinian demonstrations prefaced Italy's vital win over Israel and Spain took another step ...

Asia 2027: Lebanon Cruises in Doha and Stays on Top

In Al-Wakrah, Lebanon added another dominant performance against Bhutan (4–0), maintaining the lead in Group B of the third qualifying round for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. Three goals in twenty minutes sealed the deal early, a fourth came after halftime, and the streak of clean sheets continues to grow.   The mission was clear: make this ...

De Bruyne's Penalty Double Fires Belgium to Vital Win Over Wales

Kevin De Bruyne scored a pair of penalties as Belgium boosted their bid to qualify for the World Cup with a crucial 4-2 win against Wales on Monday. Rudi Garcia's side trailed to Joe Rodon's early opener at the Cardiff City Stadium. But De Bruyne leveled from the penalty spot, and Thomas Meunier fired Belgium ahead before halftime. De Bruyne ...

Samy Merheg, the Lebanese-Colombian Prodigy Who Caught Jorge Mendes’ Eye

It’s a story that’s starting to make noise well beyond Lebanon. At just 18 years old, Samy Jr. Merheg has been taken under the wing of Jorge Mendes, one of the most powerful agents in world football, known for managing the careers of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal, and Bernardo Silva, as reported by the Spanish outlet AS. This partnership ...

Asia 2027: Lebanon–Bhutan, Aiming for a Clean Sweep

Three days after their 2–0 victory, Lebanon will be back in action against Bhutan on Tuesday (7 PM Beirut time) at the Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium in Al-Wakrah. Miodrag Radulović's goal is to secure a second consecutive victory in the third round of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup and maintain the group's lead. The stage is set: with 7 ...

Scotland Take Lead in World Cup Qualifying Group, Dutch Move Closer

Scotland moved top of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group with a tense 2-1 win at home to Belarus on Sunday, while the Netherlands closed in on securing their berth at the tournament with a comfortable win over Finland. Steve Clarke's Scotland provisionally lead Group C by three points ahead of Denmark, although the Danes can hit back to take ...

Zidane Confirms Ambition to Coach France

Zinedine Zidane confirmed Sunday he would one day like to coach the France national team, but did not say if he was hoping to take over from outgoing boss Didier Deschamps. Zidane, who scored twice in France's 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil, led Real Madrid to three Champions League titles in his only previous senior head coaching ...

Haaland Fires Norway Closer to World Cup as Italy Stay in Hunt

Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to pass 50 international goals in record time as Norway cruised to a 5-0 thrashing of Israel on Saturday, edging closer to qualifying for a first World Cup finals since 1998. Before the match in Oslo, hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration, chanting "Free Palestine" to protest against ...

Germany Cruise, Mbappe on the Mark for France in World Cup Qualifying

Four-time winners Germany cruised past 10-man Luxembourg and Kylian Mbappe helped France see off Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying on Friday. Captain Joshua Kimmich's double inspired Germany to a 4-0 win over Luxembourg and to the top of Group A on goal difference with Slovakia and Northern Ireland, who await them in Belfast on Monday. Germany ...

Monaco Sack Coach Hutter, Line Up Pocognoli: Sources

Monaco sacked their Austrian coach Adi Hutter on Thursday and are set to replace him with Belgian Sebastien Pocognoli, sources told AFP. The 55-year-old Hutter's assistants Christian Peintinger and Klaus Schmidt will also leave the club. The trio, who were hired just over two years ago, told players about their departure after training on ...

Football: Athletico and E-Club Seal Their Partnership in Champville

Athletico has set up shop in Dik al-Mehdi, in collaboration with E-Club and under the auspices of Collège Mariste Champville. The partnership was made official during a press conference held in the building adjacent to the E-Club grounds on the Champville campus, attended by a large group of people: Édouard Jabre (regional coordinator of Marist ...