Major results, tournaments and sporting events.
AC Milan and Inter are preparing to demolish the historic San Siro stadium and build a new venue costing billions of euros. An Al Jazeera report examines what is driving the clubs' American owners, how the sale deal came together and who stands to gain, while some fans object to the plan.
The Confederation of African Football's executive bureau has unanimously decided to bring back the Africa Cup of Nations every two years. The move reverses a decision made last year to stage the tournament only once every four years. Sky News Arabia reports the reversal followed a wave of criticism, while Al Jazeera notes the competition will continue in its current format.
France Football has published the full ranking of all 2026 Ballon d'Or nominees after Harry Kane took the award ahead of Kylian Mbappé. The race was decided by the narrowest points margin in the prize's history. According to Al Jazeera's coverage, the gap was 28 points, the smallest since the current voting system was adopted.
Al-Nassr beat Al-Khulood 5-3 in Round 12 of the Saudi Pro League, and captain Cristiano Ronaldo has since commented on the result. According to Al Jazeera, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick on Thursday evening, bringing him closer to the 1,000-goal milestone of his career.
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany of Belgium left hospital on Wednesday, five days after falling ill and collapsing during a training session. The German club said the cause was meningitis, according to Al Jazeera, while Sky News Arabia also reported on the illness and the fall.
Liverpool advanced to the English League Cup quarter-finals, beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time on Wednesday evening in the fourth round. According to Al Jazeera, penalty shoot-outs settled several ties at this stage, with Arsenal also going out and Manchester City progressing.
Lamine Yamal has answered his Ballon d'Or disappointment with a confident message that his moment will come, Al Jazeera reported. He won the World Cup with Spain and led Barcelona to the La Liga title, and was seen as one of the leading candidates for the award.
Qatar's Al Shamal defeated visiting Saudi club Al Hilal 3-1 on Tuesday evening at Al Bayt Stadium, in the third round of the first stage of the AFC Champions League Elite. Later coverage also looked at how Al Hilal's players interacted with their fans after the final whistle.
Fleetwood, a fourth-tier club, eliminated Premier League champions Arsenal from the League Cup fourth round, winning on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. According to RT Arabic, the match, hosted by Fleetwood on Tuesday evening, was halted for more than eight minutes after a drone flew over the stadium.
Arab names had a notable presence at the 2026 Ballon d'Or awards, with three Moroccans and one Algerian involved, according to Al Jazeera. Arab candidates competed for more than one individual prize, and results differed noticeably between the Moroccan and Algerian figures.
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the world's best young player for the third year running at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony, held in London on Monday evening. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was named best men's coach. RT Arabic reported that England striker Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career, while Al Jazeera noted Barcelona's dominance of the women's awards.
Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d'Or at a ceremony in London, becoming the first Englishman to take the award in 25 years. Alexia Putellas reclaimed the women's prize for a third time. The event was preceded by confusion after material naming three different winners of the men's award was published before the ceremony began.
Amaury Sport Organisation, the Saudi Motorsport Company and the FIA announced on Sunday that the 2027 Dakar Rally will not take place in Saudi Arabia. The organisers said the race will return to the kingdom in 2028. According to RT Arabic, another country will host the 2027 edition, and its name has not yet been disclosed.
Egypt's Al Ahly advanced to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, beating visiting Ugandan side Kitara 4-0 in the second leg in Cairo on Sunday. Al Jazeera reported that Morocco's FAR Rabat, runners-up in the last Champions League, also secured a place in the group stage.
Jose Mourinho commended his players after his side beat Barcelona 2-1 in the Clasico at Spotify Camp Nou. According to Al Jazeera, he nonetheless kept up his barbs at Spanish refereeing despite the win.
Real Madrid beat hosts Barcelona 2-1 in El Clásico on Sunday, in the 10th round of La Liga. Kylian Mbappé scored both goals for the visitors, according to Sky News Arabia. Ahead of kickoff, BBC Arabic had described Barcelona as the league leaders and defending champions.
Australia's Alexander Volkanovski kept his UFC mixed martial arts title by defeating Russian challenger Movsar Evloev in a bout held on Saturday evening in the UAE. The successful defense keeps the veteran fighter atop his division.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino says most of the governing body's member federations support his bid for another term, describing the backing as overwhelming. He spoke despite criticism of a plan, since shelved, to sell part of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors. BBC Arabic reports the controversy has prompted calls for his resignation, while Sky News Arabia notes that no rival candidate has emerged so far.
Spain's Marca newspaper reports that Barcelona is weighing adding young Israeli player Orian Gorin to its first-team squad for the Clasico against Real Madrid. According to CNN Arabic, the match takes place on Sunday at Spotify Camp Nou in the tenth round of La Liga. The fixture features 7 Ballon d'Or candidates.
Former footballer Mesut Özil and the president of Turkish club Başakşehir have criticized what they call double standards at FIFA. They point to Russian clubs being barred from competition while Israeli clubs continue to take part, and they call for all teams to be treated equally, according to Al Jazeera.
The top news (10 stories) in one two-minute email, free.
We will email you a link to confirm. Unsubscribe any time with one click.
Or follow us on Telegram
