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Five players in Iran's visiting women's football team have taken asylum in Australia over fears of persecution at home for not singing the national anthem before a match, the government said Tuesday. The Iranian players' silence during the anthem ahead of an Asian Cup tournament match in Australia last week was widely seen as an act of defiance against the Islamic republic. Five players escaped the team hotel on Australia's Gold Coast overnight, holing up in a "safe location" while lodging their claims for asylum, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said."They were moved to a safe location by Australian police. I signed off last night on their applications for humanitarian visas," he told reporters."They are welcome to stay in Australia, and they are safe here, and should feel at home here."The government said it was also ready to help other team members if they need it.US President Donald Trump earlier said he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to confirm the women were safe.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-2026-check-complete-match-schedules-timings-and-venues-1773049474920">FIFA World Cup 2026: Check complete match schedules, timings and venues</a><h2>'He's on it!'</h2>"I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women's Soccer Team. He's on it! Five have already been taken care of," Trump said Monday on his Truth Social network, less than two hours after an initial post urging Australia to take them in.Trump added that "some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don't return."Albanese said the government had prepared to help the players "for some time" and it was open to helping others in the team."Once it was made clear that these women wanted assistance, the Australian Federal Police moved them to a safe location where they remain," he said.Australia's intelligence service chief was also consulted, the prime minister said."Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They're safe here, and they should feel at home here," he told a news conference.<h2>‘Help is here’</h2>"We are willing to provide assistance to other women in the team, noting that this is a very delicate situation, and it is up to them," Albanese said."But we say to them, if you want our help, help is here, and we will provide that."The prime minister thanked the media for their "restraint" in reporting the story, saying the government wanted to let the players know that help was available in a way that did not endanger them or their families and friends at home.The son of Iran's late shah, US-based Reza Pahlavi, said on social media that he had been informed of the five players' asylum.Pahlavi, who has not returned to Iran since before the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the monarchy, has billed himself as the man to lead a democratic transition to a secular Iran as the theocratic regime fights to survive.Politicians, human rights activists and even "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling had called for the team to be offered official protection.A presenter on Iranian state TV had branded the players "wartime traitors" after they stood motionless during the anthem before their match against South Korea.In subsequent games, the players saluted and sang.Crowds gathered outside the Gold Coast stadium where the side played their last match over the weekend, banging drums and shouting "regime change for Iran".They then surrounded the Iranian team bus, chanting "let them go" and "save our girls".On Monday, an AFP journalist saw members of the team speaking on phones from their hotel room balconies.

The Iranian players' silence during the anthem ahead of an Asian Cup tournament match in Australia last week was widely seen as an act of defiance against the Islamic republic. Five players escaped the team hotel on Australia's Gold Coast overnight, holing up in a "safe location" while lodging their claims for asylum.

Five players in Iran's visiting women's football team have taken asylum in Australia over fears of persecution at home for not singing the national anthem before a match, the government said Tuesday. The Iranian players' silence during the anthem ahead of an Asian Cup tournament match in Australia last week was widely seen as an act of defiance against the Islamic republic. Five players escaped the team hotel on Australia's Gold Coast overnight, holing up in a "safe location" while lodging their claims for asylum, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said. "They were moved to a safe location by Australian police. I signed off last night on their applications for humanitarian visas," he told reporters. "They are welcome to stay in Australia, and they are safe here, and should feel at home here." The government said it was also ready to help other team members if they need it. US President Donald Trump earlier said he had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to confirm the women were safe. Also Read - FIFA World Cup 2026: Check complete match schedules, timings and venues 'He's on it!' "I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women's Soccer Team. He's on it! Five have already been taken care of," Trump said Monday on his Truth Social network, less than two hours after an initial post urging Australia to take them in. Trump added that "some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don't return." Albanese said the government had prepared to help the players "for some time" and it was open to helping others in the team. "Once it was made clear that these women wanted assistance, the Australian Federal Police moved them to a safe location where they remain," he said. Australia's intelligence service chief was also consulted, the prime minister said. "Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They're safe here, and they should feel at home here," he told a news conference. ‘Help is here’ "We are willing to provide assistance to other women in the team, noting that this is a very delicate situation, and it is up to them," Albanese said. "But we say to them, if you want our help, help is here, and we will provide that." The prime minister thanked the media for their "restraint" in reporting the story, saying the government wanted to let the players know that help was available in a way that did not endanger them or their families and friends at home. The son of Iran's late shah, US-based Reza Pahlavi, said on social media that he had been informed of the five players' asylum. Pahlavi, who has not returned to Iran since before the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the monarchy, has billed himself as the man to lead a democratic transition to a secular Iran as the theocratic regime fights to survive. Politicians, human rights activists and even "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling had called for the team to be offered official protection. A presenter on Iranian state TV had branded the players "wartime traitors" after they stood motionless during the anthem before their match against South Korea. In subsequent games, the players saluted and sang. Crowds gathered outside the Gold Coast stadium where the side played their last match over the weekend, banging drums and shouting "regime change for Iran". They then surrounded the Iranian team bus, chanting "let them go" and "save our girls". On Monday, an AFP journalist saw members of the team speaking on phones from their hotel room balconies.

The Iranian players' silence during the anthem ahead of an Asian Cup tournament match in Australia last week was widely seen as an act of defiance against the Islamic republic. Five players escaped the team hotel on Australia's Gold Coast overnight, holing up in a "safe location" while lodging their claims for asylum.

Amid chaos, five Iranian women's football players given asylum in Australia

American President Donald Trump has warned Australia against sending the Iranian football players back home amid growing fears over their safety during the ongoing Women’s Asian Cup in Gold Coast, Queensland. As many as five members of Iran’s women’s team have fled the team hotel in Australia, currently placed in a safe house under the protection of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Stranded in Australia after their failed campaign, the Iranian women footballers are at the centre of growing calls for their exit from the country to be blocked for the fear of execution or prison in Iran, with their country at war against the US and Israel.&nbsp;Meanwhile, before their tournament opener against South Korea, the Iranian players stood silent during the country’s national anthem, and even though they never explained the reasons behind it, the Iranian government has officially labelled them ‘wartime traitors’.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-timeline-to-end-iran-war-trump-signals-decision-will-be-only-after-mutual-decision-with-netanyahu-1773048531481">No timeline to end Iran war? Trump signals decision will be only after ‘mutual’ decision with Netanyahu</a> &nbsp;A CNN report claims that the players were forced to sing their national anthem ahead of their second group game on Thursday, before repeating it ahead of their final match against the Philippines on Sunday, which they lost by 0-2. The Iranian players not only sang the anthem but also gave a military salute. &nbsp;Following their final league game, the supporters surrounded the team bus, while shouting at the police, 'Save our Girls', before being pulled away. &nbsp;Moreover, the Iranian football players' plight has reached the son of Iran’s ousted shah, Reza Pahlavi, who, on his social media handle X, urged the Australian government to ensure the safety of the five soccer players, including their captain Zahra Ghanbari, warning the Australian authorities that these women will face dire consequences if and when they return to Iran. &nbsp;“As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime’s national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran,” Pahlavi posted on X. “I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">اعضای تیم ملی فوتبال زنان ایران پس از اقدام شجاعانه‌شان در خودداری از خواندن سرود رژیم، با فشارهای شدید و تهدیدهای مداوم از سوی جمهوری اسلامی روبه‌رو هستند و در صورت بازگشت به ایران ممکن است با پیامدهای بسیار جدی مواجه شوند. من از دولت استرالیا می‌خواهم امنیت آنان را تضمین کند و… <a href="https://t.co/YZzVOX6CIO">https://t.co/YZzVOX6CIO</a>&mdash; Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) <a href="https://twitter.com/PahlaviReza/status/2030722540155404772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h3>Trump urges Australian government to grant Iranian players asylum</h3>In the latest update on this matter, American President Donald Trump has joined calls to urge the Australian Prime Minister and the related authorities against sending the Iranian team back to their country, where they will face dire consequences upon reaching. Taking to his Truth Social account, Trump wrote,&nbsp; &nbsp;"Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t..." Trump wrote.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t. Thank you for your attention…&mdash; Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpTruthOnX/status/2031013005413245176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Donald Trump warns Australia against deporting 5 Iranian footballers currently in police protection. From anthem protests to "wartime traitor" labels, see why Zahra Ghanbari and her teammates are seeking urgent asylum amid the Iran-US war.

American President Donald Trump has warned Australia against sending the Iranian football players back home amid growing fears over their safety during the ongoing Women’s Asian Cup in Gold Coast, Queensland. As many as five members of Iran’s women’s team have fled the team hotel in Australia, currently placed in a safe house under the protection of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Stranded in Australia after their failed campaign, the Iranian women footballers are at the centre of growing calls for their exit from the country to be blocked for the fear of execution or prison in Iran, with their country at war against the US and Israel. Meanwhile, before their tournament opener against South Korea, the Iranian players stood silent during the country’s national anthem, and even though they never explained the reasons behind it, the Iranian government has officially labelled them ‘wartime traitors’. Also read | No timeline to end Iran war? Trump signals decision will be only after ‘mutual’ decision with Netanyahu A CNN report claims that the players were forced to sing their national anthem ahead of their second group game on Thursday, before repeating it ahead of their final match against the Philippines on Sunday, which they lost by 0-2. The Iranian players not only sang the anthem but also gave a military salute. Following their final league game, the supporters surrounded the team bus, while shouting at the police, 'Save our Girls', before being pulled away. Moreover, the Iranian football players' plight has reached the son of Iran’s ousted shah, Reza Pahlavi, who, on his social media handle X, urged the Australian government to ensure the safety of the five soccer players, including their captain Zahra Ghanbari, warning the Australian authorities that these women will face dire consequences if and when they return to Iran. “As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime’s national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran,” Pahlavi posted on X. “I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support.”

Donald Trump warns Australia against deporting 5 Iranian footballers currently in police protection. From anthem protests to "wartime traitor" labels, see why Zahra Ghanbari and her teammates are seeking urgent asylum amid the Iran-US war.

Trump warns Australia against sending Iranian women footballers back home amid safety concerns

The Old Firm derby between Celtic vs Rangers in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox in Glasgow turned ugly and dissgusting on Sunday (Mar 8) after penalities decide the winner. Celtic beat Rangers 4-2 on the penalties after the quarter-final ended at 0-0 post 120 minutes of dogfight. The real melee, however, started as soon as Celtic won the match as their fans spilled on the pitch and then the chaos ensued. The fans threw flares and were armed with 'intend to harm' according to the local police. Later on, arrests were made while the Scottish Football Association announcing an investigation 'immediately.'<h2>What led to riot-like situation in Old Firm derby between Celtic vs Rangers in Scottish Cup quarter-final?</h2>The Celtic vs Rangers rivalry is well known and established in the Scottish football folklore. The teams, based in Glasgow, and the fans as well, do not look each other in eye. When the match at Rangers' home in Ibrox ended at 0-0 after 120 minutes on Sunday (Mar 8), it proceeded to the penalities to decide the winner.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Rangers vs Celtic after the game today 😬 <a href="https://t.co/cBUdQwIIuG">pic.twitter.com/cBUdQwIIuG</a>&mdash; Football Away Days (@AwayDays_) <a href="https://twitter.com/AwayDays_/status/2030672992628305984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Celtic won the match 4-2 on the penalties and their fans, who were occupying the full Broomloan Road Stand since being reduced to a 1,000 in 2018 from what was traditionally 7,500, ran onto the pitch to celebrate. The Rangers followed and clashed with them with flares going up in the air.The whle situation was brought under control by stewards and police who called the incident 'shameful' and said that the "extreme hostility and violence over a sustained period."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/akshay-bhatia-wins-arnold-palmer-invitational-via-playoff-for-third-pga-tour-title-1773016053132">Akshay Bhatia wins Arnold Palmer Invitational via playoff for 3rd PGA Tour title</a>The police, later on, confirmed that 'a number of arrests' have been made and that both police and public members have been injured.<h2>What happens next?</h2>Reacting to the incident, Scottland's victims and community safety minister Siobhan Brown, said: "Of particular concern is the reckless use of pyrotechnics which could have caused serious injury." She also said that the government is 'considering next steps' in extending powers to ban fans from football games.As per the current Football Banning Orders (FBOs), the authorities can can stop fans from attending the games anywhere in the UK for 10 years if they are involved in violence or disorder.

The Celtic won the match 4-2 on the penalties and their fans, who were occupying the full Broomloan Road Stand since being reduced to a 1,000 in 2018 from what was traditionally 7,500, ran onto the pitch to celebrate. The Rangers followed and clashed with them with flares going up in the air.

The Old Firm derby between Celtic vs Rangers in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox in Glasgow turned ugly and dissgusting on Sunday (Mar 8) after penalities decide the winner. Celtic beat Rangers 4-2 on the penalties after the quarter-final ended at 0-0 post 120 minutes of dogfight. The real melee, however, started as soon as Celtic won the match as their fans spilled on the pitch and then the chaos ensued. The fans threw flares and were armed with 'intend to harm' according to the local police. Later on, arrests were made while the Scottish Football Association announcing an investigation 'immediately.' What led to riot-like situation in Old Firm derby between Celtic vs Rangers in Scottish Cup quarter-final? The Celtic vs Rangers rivalry is well known and established in the Scottish football folklore. The teams, based in Glasgow, and the fans as well, do not look each other in eye. When the match at Rangers' home in Ibrox ended at 0-0 after 120 minutes on Sunday (Mar 8), it proceeded to the penalities to decide the winner.

Celtic vs Rangers rivalry is well known and established in the Scottish football folklore.Celtic won the match 4-2 on the penalties.Fans from both teams invaded pitch and threw flares before stewards and police brought situation under control.

'Extreme hostility and violence': WATCH | Fans invade pitch, create riot-like scenes during Old Firm derby in Scottish Cup

Lionel Messi moved to the brink of another goal-scoring milestone as Inter Miami bagged their second win of the Major League Soccer season with a 2-1 victory over DC United on Saturday. Messi, who scored twice in Miami's Florida derby win over Orlando last week, bagged his third goal of the season with a deft chipped finish in the 27th minute at Baltimore's M&amp;T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-final-how-will-ahmedabad-pitch-play-in-ind-vs-nz-clash-1772858139556">T20 World Cup 2026 Final: How will Ahmedabad pitch play in IND vs NZ clash?</a>The Argentine superstar's 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone.The eight-time Ballon D'Or winner, who turns 39 in June, scored 672 goals for Barcelona earlier in his career and 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, with a further 115 international goals for Argentina.Saturday's win moved the reigning MLS champions up the Eastern Conference standings into third place with six points from three games.Miami, who on Thursday were guests of President Donald Trump at a White House reception, took the lead in the 17th minute with a superb curling shot from the edge of the area by Messi's Argentina team-mate Rodrigo De Paul.Messi then doubled Miami's lead 10 minutes later, latching on to a sublime through ball from Mateo Silvetti and dinking a first-time finish over the advancing DC United goalkeeper Sean Johnson.United rallied after half-time, and were given hope when Israeli forward Tai Baribo pulled a goal back in the 75th minute.Miami though were able to hold off United in the closing stages to seal victory.

The Argentine superstar's 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone.

Lionel Messi moved to the brink of another goal-scoring milestone as Inter Miami bagged their second win of the Major League Soccer season with a 2-1 victory over DC United on Saturday. Messi, who scored twice in Miami's Florida derby win over Orlando last week, bagged his third goal of the season with a deft chipped finish in the 27th minute at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Also Read - T20 World Cup 2026 Final: How will Ahmedabad pitch play in IND vs NZ clash? The Argentine superstar's 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone. The eight-time Ballon D'Or winner, who turns 39 in June, scored 672 goals for Barcelona earlier in his career and 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, with a further 115 international goals for Argentina. Saturday's win moved the reigning MLS champions up the Eastern Conference standings into third place with six points from three games. Miami, who on Thursday were guests of President Donald Trump at a White House reception, took the lead in the 17th minute with a superb curling shot from the edge of the area by Messi's Argentina team-mate Rodrigo De Paul. Messi then doubled Miami's lead 10 minutes later, latching on to a sublime through ball from Mateo Silvetti and dinking a first-time finish over the advancing DC United goalkeeper Sean Johnson. United rallied after half-time, and were given hope when Israeli forward Tai Baribo pulled a goal back in the 75th minute. Miami though were able to hold off United in the closing stages to seal victory.

The Argentine superstar's 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone.

Major League Soccer: Messi closes in on 900 goals as Inter Miami beat DC United

UEFA, football governing body in Europe, has said that the Finalissima between Spain and Argentina is still on for March 27 in Doha, Qatar. The statement comes amid onoing US-Israel-Iran war in which Iran has struck US bases in multiple Middle East countries including Qatar. The match, played between Copa America (Argentina) and Euro winners (Spain), will be played at the iconic Lusail Stadium in Doha where Messi helped Argentina win the FIFA World Cup 2022 against sprited France. The match, organized by UEFA and CONMEBOL (South American counterpart), will the fourth such game with the last edition being played between Argentina and Italy in 2022, in London (UK) where Argentina came out winners by 3-0 scoreline.<h2>Why Finalissima's fate between Spain and Argentina hangs in balance?</h2>While the UEFA, on Thursday (Mar 5), has said that "at present, there are no alternative venues being considered" and "A final decision is anticipated towards the end of next week," the fate of the Finalissima hangs in balance because of ongoing geopolitical crisis in the Middle East region.The conflict started with joint US-Israel strikes on Iran on last Saturday (Feb 28) which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollha Ali Khamenei. Since then, Iran has responded by targetting US bases across the Middle East region and various countries, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, bore the brunt.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fooball-world-cup-2026-fifa-allows-tv-ads-during-water-breaks-in-all-104-matches-1772767041409">Fooball World Cup 2026 | FIFA allows TV ads during water breaks in all 104 matches</a>The conflict has escalted since and the two sides are still going at each other, disrupting oil-tanker movements through Strait of Hormuz, shutting down of various air space corridors which has led to mass flight cancellations, and also the loss of life as well as property in various countries.<h2>What is Finalissima?</h2>The idea to pitch Europe and South America's best team, decided via Euro cup (Spain in 2024) and Copa America (Argentina in 2024), was first implemented in 1985 when it was called Artemio Franchi Cup. It went on for one more match in 1993 before being shelved.It was in 2022 that UEFA and CONMEBOL revived the fixture again and named it Finalissima and Argentina took on Italy in the first revived edition with the South American side coming out at winners after beating Italy 3-0 in London.In 1985, Uruguay had beaten France 2-0 in Paris and in 1993, Argentina had beaten Denmark 5-4 on penalties in Mar del Plata after the regulation time ended the match at 1-1. The 2026 edition is the fourth time overall that Finalissima is being played with Argentina playing it for the third time.

The match, played between Copa America (Argentina) and Euro winners (Spain), is scheduled to played at the iconic Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar on March 27.

UEFA, football governing body in Europe, has said that the Finalissima between Spain and Argentina is still on for March 27 in Doha, Qatar. The statement comes amid onoing US-Israel-Iran war in which Iran has struck US bases in multiple Middle East countries including Qatar. The match, played between Copa America (Argentina) and Euro winners (Spain), will be played at the iconic Lusail Stadium in Doha where Messi helped Argentina win the FIFA World Cup 2022 against sprited France. The match, organized by UEFA and CONMEBOL (South American counterpart), will the fourth such game with the last edition being played between Argentina and Italy in 2022, in London (UK) where Argentina came out winners by 3-0 scoreline. Why Finalissima's fate between Spain and Argentina hangs in balance? While the UEFA, on Thursday (Mar 5), has said that "at present, there are no alternative venues being considered" and "A final decision is anticipated towards the end of next week," the fate of the Finalissima hangs in balance because of ongoing geopolitical crisis in the Middle East region. The conflict started with joint US-Israel strikes on Iran on last Saturday (Feb 28) which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollha Ali Khamenei. Since then, Iran has responded by targetting US bases across the Middle East region and various countries, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, bore the brunt. Also Read - Fooball World Cup 2026 | FIFA allows TV ads during water breaks in all 104 matches The conflict has escalted since and the two sides are still going at each other, disrupting oil-tanker movements through Strait of Hormuz, shutting down of various air space corridors which has led to mass flight cancellations, and also the loss of life as well as property in various countries. What is Finalissima? The idea to pitch Europe and South America's best team, decided via Euro cup (Spain in 2024) and Copa America (Argentina in 2024), was first implemented in 1985 when it was called Artemio Franchi Cup. It went on for one more match in 1993 before being shelved. It was in 2022 that UEFA and CONMEBOL revived the fixture again and named it Finalissima and Argentina took on Italy in the first revived edition with the South American side coming out at winners after beating Italy 3-0 in London. In 1985, Uruguay had beaten France 2-0 in Paris and in 1993, Argentina had beaten Denmark 5-4 on penalties in Mar del Plata after the regulation time ended the match at 1-1. The 2026 edition is the fourth time overall that Finalissima is being played with Argentina playing it for the third time.

What's Finalissimma - Match between most recent (2024) winner of Euro (Spain) &amp; Copa America (Argentina).When &amp; where it is scheduled - Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Mar 27What's the issue - US-Israel-Iran war including strikes in Qatar has left the fate of game in balance.

Finalissimma 2026 | Argentina vs Spain match fate on March 27 in Qatar hanging in balance amid US-Israel-Iran war

The upcoming Football World Cup 2026 will show the TV advertisments during the water breakes in matches after being permitted from the sport's governing body FIFA. The tournament is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 and is being co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The water breaks have been introduced as a player welfare measure to ensure the hydration during the summer in the region. The FIFA has introduced the water breaks in all matches this World Cup after the previous tournaments in the United States, Club World Cup being the most recent, saw heat exceeding the thresholds and triggering breaks among players. To ensure the uniformity, all 104 matches in the upcoming event will have the water breaks.<h2>All FIFA World Cup 2026 matches to have water breaks</h2>As per FIFA, all the matches have three-minute break midway in the each half of the 90-minute match. The broadcasters can either show ads in split screen, showing ads for FIFA partners only or a full cut-away from the match where broadcasters are allowed to show any ads.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-president-donald-trump-hosts-messi-inter-miami-players-at-white-house-for-winning-2025-mls-cup-championship-1772756747150">Trump hosts Messi, Inter Miami players at White House for winning 2025 MLS Cup</a>While showing the full cut-away ads though, the baoradcasters must not start the ad inside 20 seconds of the refree announcing the hydration break and must return to action with more than 30 seconds left in the break - giving the broadcaster a little over two minutes to show the adverts.<h2>Players to be sent off for covering mouth in FIFA World Cup 2026</h2>FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has called for red card for players who cover their mouth during the altercation with oppostion players in the upcoming Football World Cup 2026. The statement comes amid Gianluca Prestianni of Portugese club Benfica being investigated for alleged racial abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. The incident happend in Real Madrid vs Benfica Champions League knockout playoff first leg match.

While showing the full cut-away ads though, the baoradcasters must not start the ad inside 20 seconds of the refree announcing the hydration break and must return to action with more than 30 seconds left in the break.

The upcoming Football World Cup 2026 will show the TV advertisments during the water breakes in matches after being permitted from the sport's governing body FIFA. The tournament is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 and is being co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The water breaks have been introduced as a player welfare measure to ensure the hydration during the summer in the region. The FIFA has introduced the water breaks in all matches this World Cup after the previous tournaments in the United States, Club World Cup being the most recent, saw heat exceeding the thresholds and triggering breaks among players. To ensure the uniformity, all 104 matches in the upcoming event will have the water breaks. All FIFA World Cup 2026 matches to have water breaks As per FIFA, all the matches have three-minute break midway in the each half of the 90-minute match. The broadcasters can either show ads in split screen, showing ads for FIFA partners only or a full cut-away from the match where broadcasters are allowed to show any ads. Also Read - Trump hosts Messi, Inter Miami players at White House for winning 2025 MLS Cup While showing the full cut-away ads though, the baoradcasters must not start the ad inside 20 seconds of the refree announcing the hydration break and must return to action with more than 30 seconds left in the break - giving the broadcaster a little over two minutes to show the adverts. Players to be sent off for covering mouth in FIFA World Cup 2026 FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has called for red card for players who cover their mouth during the altercation with oppostion players in the upcoming Football World Cup 2026. The statement comes amid Gianluca Prestianni of Portugese club Benfica being investigated for alleged racial abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. The incident happend in Real Madrid vs Benfica Champions League knockout playoff first leg match.

While showing the full cut-away ads though, the baoradcasters must not start the ad inside 20 seconds of the refree announcing the hydration break and must return to action with more than 30 seconds left in the break.

Football World Cup 2026 | FIFA allows TV ads during water breaks in all 104 matches

Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates were feted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in honor of their 2025 MLS Cup championship. Messi was at the forefront as Miami players, coach Javier Mascherano and team co-owner Jorge Mas flanked Trump, who opened proceedings with comments on military action in the Middle East. But he soon got down to the team's 2025 exploits and rememiniscences of Brazilian icon Pele's 1970s stint with the New York Cosmos and its electrifying effect on soccer in the United States.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/f1-2026-risk-of-permanent-nerve-damage-aston-martin-drivers-alonson-and-stroll-won-t-be-completing-melbourne-gp-1772696224725">F1 | 'Risk of nerve damage': Aston Martin drivers won't be finishing AUS GP</a>"I shouldn't say this because I'm old, but I watched Pele play," Trump said. "I don't know, you (Messi) may be better than Pele. Pele was pretty good."The players came bearing gifts for Trump, including a No. 47 jersey from the team's signature pink kit, reflecting his status as the nation's 47th president.From Trump there were shout-outs to Miami's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, rising star Tadeo Allende, and Rodrigo De Paul -- and a subtle dig at former president Joe Biden."It's my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: Welcome to the White House, Lionel," Trump said, an oblique reference to the fact Messi did not attend the ceremony when Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2025."I've seen a lot of great players come into the world of sports," Trump said. "They come to the Yankees or they come to the Dodgers... and there's such a clamor."Everything's great, but they don't win. This guy won," he said with a gesture toward Messi."Leo, you came in and you won. There's a lot more pressure put on you than anyone would know because you're sort of expected to win," Trump added.Trump's rundown of Miami's 2025 achievements included not only their 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final but also their 2-1 victory over Portuguese side Porto in the Club World Cup, which marked the first time a North American team beat a European one in official competition.In accepting Trump's congratulations, Mas -- the son of Cuban immigrants -- said Miami's rise since its 2020 inaugural season was based on the philosophy that "if you work hard and you sacrifice and you dream, it can be possible."Inter Miami's global success is "not only because of Lionel Messi, but these men standing behind you have changed the culture of football in the United States of America forever," Mas said. "We can play with the big boys."

The players came bearing gifts for Trump, including a No. 47 jersey from the team's signature pink kit, reflecting his status as the nation's 47th president.

Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates were feted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in honor of their 2025 MLS Cup championship. Messi was at the forefront as Miami players, coach Javier Mascherano and team co-owner Jorge Mas flanked Trump, who opened proceedings with comments on military action in the Middle East. But he soon got down to the team's 2025 exploits and rememiniscences of Brazilian icon Pele's 1970s stint with the New York Cosmos and its electrifying effect on soccer in the United States. Also Read - F1 | 'Risk of nerve damage': Aston Martin drivers won't be finishing AUS GP "I shouldn't say this because I'm old, but I watched Pele play," Trump said. "I don't know, you (Messi) may be better than Pele. Pele was pretty good." The players came bearing gifts for Trump, including a No. 47 jersey from the team's signature pink kit, reflecting his status as the nation's 47th president. From Trump there were shout-outs to Miami's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, rising star Tadeo Allende, and Rodrigo De Paul -- and a subtle dig at former president Joe Biden. "It's my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: Welcome to the White House, Lionel," Trump said, an oblique reference to the fact Messi did not attend the ceremony when Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2025. "I've seen a lot of great players come into the world of sports," Trump said. "They come to the Yankees or they come to the Dodgers... and there's such a clamor. "Everything's great, but they don't win. This guy won," he said with a gesture toward Messi. "Leo, you came in and you won. There's a lot more pressure put on you than anyone would know because you're sort of expected to win," Trump added. Trump's rundown of Miami's 2025 achievements included not only their 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final but also their 2-1 victory over Portuguese side Porto in the Club World Cup, which marked the first time a North American team beat a European one in official competition. In accepting Trump's congratulations, Mas -- the son of Cuban immigrants -- said Miami's rise since its 2020 inaugural season was based on the philosophy that "if you work hard and you sacrifice and you dream, it can be possible." Inter Miami's global success is "not only because of Lionel Messi, but these men standing behind you have changed the culture of football in the United States of America forever," Mas said. "We can play with the big boys."

The players came bearing gifts for Trump, including a No. 47 jersey from the team's signature pink kit, reflecting his status as the nation's 47th president.

US President Donald Trump hosts Messi, Inter Miami players at White House for winning 2025 MLS Cup championship

The FIFA official met the Mexican authorities on Wednesday (Mar 4) over the security measures after the death of drug cartel leader El Mencho ignited violence in the Football World Cup 20925 co-host counrty. The FIFA WC is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The recent violence had fans and organizers worried about the security in the country which will host 13 Football matches &nbsp;acorss three cities including the opening fixture. El Mencho was killed by the Mexican Amry near Guadalajara, one of the World Cup venues in Mexico, &nbsp;on February 22, which prompted a violent response from the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (JNGC) members, who torched vehicles and riot in 20 of 32 Mexican states.<h2>Mexico safe to host FIFA World Cup matches?</h2>"We reviewed the intelligence, prevention, and operational deployment protocols that will be implemented during this international event," Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said on his social media accounts after the meeting.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-2026-500-bags-of-human-remains-in-guadalajara-mass-graves-near-mexico-wc-venue-sparks-fresh-security-concerns-1772160993115">Mass graves near Mexico WC venue spark fresh security concerns</a>Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also reassured about the safety arrangement during the event in her daily briefing: &nbsp;"Security is guaranteed, and there is sufficient surveillance and inspection to ensure that absolutely no problems occur, [so that] it will be a great, peaceful World Cup where visitors come to have fun."Apart from the FIFA World Cup matches, Mexico will also host a friendly against Portugal later in the month as well as the six-team inter-confederation playoff to determine two of the final six spots in the World Cup.<h2>FIFA Football World Cup matches in Mexico</h2>Guadalajara will host the matches on June 12 (Korea vs qualifier), June 19 (Mexico vs Korea), June 24 (Colombia vs qualifier), and June 27 (Uruguay vs Spain). Apart from the four matches, the venue will also co-host the playoff tournament along with Monterrey to detemine the final two teams of the quadrennial event.As for Mexico City, it will host Mexico vs South Africa (June 12), Uzbekistan vs Colombia (June 18), Qualifier 1 vs Mexico (June 25), Round of 32 match (Jul 1), and one Round of 16 match (Jul 6).The third venue Monterrey will host Qualifier team vs Tunisia (June 15), Japan vs Tunisia (June 21), South Africs vs Korea (June 25), and a Round of 32 match (June 30).

Apart from the 13 FIFA World Cup matches, Mexico will also host a friendly against Portugal later in the month as well as the six-team inter-confederation playoff to determine two of the final six spots in the World Cup.

The FIFA official met the Mexican authorities on Wednesday (Mar 4) over the security measures after the death of drug cartel leader El Mencho ignited violence in the Football World Cup 20925 co-host counrty. The FIFA WC is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The recent violence had fans and organizers worried about the security in the country which will host 13 Football matches acorss three cities including the opening fixture. El Mencho was killed by the Mexican Amry near Guadalajara, one of the World Cup venues in Mexico, on February 22, which prompted a violent response from the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (JNGC) members, who torched vehicles and riot in 20 of 32 Mexican states. Mexico safe to host FIFA World Cup matches? "We reviewed the intelligence, prevention, and operational deployment protocols that will be implemented during this international event," Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said on his social media accounts after the meeting. Also Read - Mass graves near Mexico WC venue spark fresh security concerns Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also reassured about the safety arrangement during the event in her daily briefing: "Security is guaranteed, and there is sufficient surveillance and inspection to ensure that absolutely no problems occur, [so that] it will be a great, peaceful World Cup where visitors come to have fun." Apart from the FIFA World Cup matches, Mexico will also host a friendly against Portugal later in the month as well as the six-team inter-confederation playoff to determine two of the final six spots in the World Cup. FIFA Football World Cup matches in Mexico Guadalajara will host the matches on June 12 (Korea vs qualifier), June 19 (Mexico vs Korea), June 24 (Colombia vs qualifier), and June 27 (Uruguay vs Spain). Apart from the four matches, the venue will also co-host the playoff tournament along with Monterrey to detemine the final two teams of the quadrennial event. As for Mexico City, it will host Mexico vs South Africa (June 12), Uzbekistan vs Colombia (June 18), Qualifier 1 vs Mexico (June 25), Round of 32 match (Jul 1), and one Round of 16 match (Jul 6). The third venue Monterrey will host Qualifier team vs Tunisia (June 15), Japan vs Tunisia (June 21), South Africs vs Korea (June 25), and a Round of 32 match (June 30).

Apart from the 13 FIFA World Cup matches, Mexico will also host a friendly against Portugal later in the month as well as the six-team inter-confederation playoff to determine two of the final six spots in the World Cup.

FIFA World Cup 2026 | FIFA officials meet with Mexican authorities to review safety measures amid concerns of violence

Premier League leaders Arsenal stretched their lead over Manchester City to seven points on Wednesday with a nervy win at Brighton, while Pep Guardiola's men were held to a costly 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest. The Gunners have long been favourites to win their first English league crown since 2004 but Pep Guardiola's men have loomed large in their rear-view mirror. On a busy night of action, Arsenal drew first blood in the battle for English title as Bukayo Saka celebrated his 300th Arsenal appearance with a goal in the ninth minute at Brighton's Amex Stadium.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-israel-iran-war-trump-does-not-care-about-iran-s-participation-in-fifa-world-cup-2026-1772615400885">FIFA World Cup 2026 | Trump 'does not care' about Iran's participation</a>The England man received the ball on the right before cutting in and hitting a shot from the edge of the penalty area which took a deflection off Carlos Baleba before squirming through the legs of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.The home side dominated possession and had more shots but Arsenal kept them at bay, digging deep to see out a nerve-jangling 1-0 win."This was a really difficult one after everything we've been through in the last few weeks," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports."Every game in the Premier League offers you different things. Big credit to the boys because the effort they put in is astronomical."Second-placed City, who have a game in hand, appeared to be on course to stay within five points of top spot.But they twice surrendered their lead to relegation-threatened Forest, whose battling performance kept them out of the drop zone, above West Ham on goal difference.January signing Antoine Semenyo volleyed home for City in the first half but Morgan Gibbs-White produced a moment of magic to pull Forest level, backheeling home in the 56th minute.That sparked a renewed sense of urgency from City and they were back in front just six minutes later after the unmarked Rodri headed home Rayan Ait-Nouri's corner.However, Forest were far from beaten and midfielder Elliot Anderson picked out the bottom corner of the goal with a beautifully crafted finish to claim a precious point for Vitor Pereira's team."(There are) still many games to play, them (Arsenal) one less," said Guardiola. "Now it's Newcastle (in the FA Cup) and I always think about what's next."If we analyse then in general it was a good performance and there were many good things. Of course we have things we can improve but in general pretty good."<h2>Carrick suffers defeat</h2>Michael Carrick suffered his first defeat over his two spells as Manchester United's interim manager as the visitors failed to capitalise on their man advantage against Newcastle at St James' Park.Midfielder Jacob Ramsey was sent off early in first-half stoppage time after being shown a second yellow card for simulation.Despite being a man down, Anthony Gordon put Newcastle ahead from the penalty spot, only for Casemiro to head the visitors level even deeper into added time.But Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale proved unbeatable in the second half and substitute William Osula produced a moment of inspiration in the 90th minute, sprinting down the right before cutting inside before curling brilliantly into the far corner.Carrick said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the 2-1 defeat for his third-placed team."I don't think it was the 10 men, we just didn't play good enough," he said. "We can't make excuses for that. We all take responsibility for that."It was just the quality of the performance, it wasn't character."Elsewhere in the tight race for Champions League qualification, Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick for Chelsea, who came from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-1, pushing Liverpool down to sixth spot.The win lifted Chelsea to fifth place in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Villa.West Ham beat Fulham 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Crysencio Summerville to move level with Forest on 28 points.Forest and West Ham are now just one point behind Tottenham, who host Crystal Palace on Thursday.

On a busy night of action, Arsenal drew first blood in the battle for English title as Bukayo Saka celebrated his 300th Arsenal appearance with a goal in the ninth minute at Brighton's Amex Stadium.

Premier League leaders Arsenal stretched their lead over Manchester City to seven points on Wednesday with a nervy win at Brighton, while Pep Guardiola's men were held to a costly 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest. The Gunners have long been favourites to win their first English league crown since 2004 but Pep Guardiola's men have loomed large in their rear-view mirror. On a busy night of action, Arsenal drew first blood in the battle for English title as Bukayo Saka celebrated his 300th Arsenal appearance with a goal in the ninth minute at Brighton's Amex Stadium. Also Read - FIFA World Cup 2026 | Trump 'does not care' about Iran's participation The England man received the ball on the right before cutting in and hitting a shot from the edge of the penalty area which took a deflection off Carlos Baleba before squirming through the legs of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The home side dominated possession and had more shots but Arsenal kept them at bay, digging deep to see out a nerve-jangling 1-0 win. "This was a really difficult one after everything we've been through in the last few weeks," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. "Every game in the Premier League offers you different things. Big credit to the boys because the effort they put in is astronomical." Second-placed City, who have a game in hand, appeared to be on course to stay within five points of top spot. But they twice surrendered their lead to relegation-threatened Forest, whose battling performance kept them out of the drop zone, above West Ham on goal difference. January signing Antoine Semenyo volleyed home for City in the first half but Morgan Gibbs-White produced a moment of magic to pull Forest level, backheeling home in the 56th minute. That sparked a renewed sense of urgency from City and they were back in front just six minutes later after the unmarked Rodri headed home Rayan Ait-Nouri's corner. However, Forest were far from beaten and midfielder Elliot Anderson picked out the bottom corner of the goal with a beautifully crafted finish to claim a precious point for Vitor Pereira's team. "(There are) still many games to play, them (Arsenal) one less," said Guardiola. "Now it's Newcastle (in the FA Cup) and I always think about what's next. "If we analyse then in general it was a good performance and there were many good things. Of course we have things we can improve but in general pretty good." Carrick suffers defeat Michael Carrick suffered his first defeat over his two spells as Manchester United's interim manager as the visitors failed to capitalise on their man advantage against Newcastle at St James' Park. Midfielder Jacob Ramsey was sent off early in first-half stoppage time after being shown a second yellow card for simulation. Despite being a man down, Anthony Gordon put Newcastle ahead from the penalty spot, only for Casemiro to head the visitors level even deeper into added time. But Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale proved unbeatable in the second half and substitute William Osula produced a moment of inspiration in the 90th minute, sprinting down the right before cutting inside before curling brilliantly into the far corner. Carrick said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the 2-1 defeat for his third-placed team. "I don't think it was the 10 men, we just didn't play good enough," he said. "We can't make excuses for that. We all take responsibility for that. "It was just the quality of the performance, it wasn't character." Elsewhere in the tight race for Champions League qualification, Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick for Chelsea, who came from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-1, pushing Liverpool down to sixth spot. The win lifted Chelsea to fifth place in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Villa. West Ham beat Fulham 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Crysencio Summerville to move level with Forest on 28 points. Forest and West Ham are now just one point behind Tottenham, who host Crystal Palace on Thursday.

On a busy night of action, Arsenal drew first blood in the battle for English title as Bukayo Saka celebrated his 300th Arsenal appearance with a goal in the ninth minute at Brighton's Amex Stadium.

Premier League: Arsenal strengthen title bid after Man City held at draw; Man Utd suffer 1st defeat under Carrick

Iran coach Marziyeh Jafari claims her team had ‘so much concern’ about their families back home as war-like situation escalates between Iran, Israel and the US, with the players ‘fully disconnected’ from them during the ongoing Women’s Asian Cup at Gold Coast in Queensland. The Iranian women’s team readies to take on the hosts Australia on Thursday after suffering a 0-3 defeat at the hands of South Korea in their tournament opener.&nbsp;While an internet blackout has made it nearly impossible for players and staff to contact their family members, team coach Jafari has thanked the Iranian-Australians for their unwavering support during this tough time.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-israel-iran-war-trump-does-not-care-about-iran-s-participation-in-fifa-world-cup-2026-1772615400885">FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'Badly defeated country': US President Donald Trump on Iran's participation in tournament</a>&nbsp;"We are so happy that Iranian-Australians here support us," she told Australian media. "Obviously we have so much concern for our families and our loved ones and all other people inside our country, which we are fully disconnected with.&nbsp;"Here, we are coming to play football professionally and we will do our best to concentrate on the match ahead."&nbsp;On the other hand, the Iranian team striker Sara Didar fought back tears as she spoke about their worries.&nbsp;"Obviously, we're all concerned and we're sad because of what has happened to Iran and our families and our loved ones," the 21-year-old told reporters in Australia.&nbsp;&nbsp;Asian football chiefs have said they were offering "full support and assistance" to the team, who arrived in Australia just days before strikes killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Iran made their historic debut at the last Asian Cup in India in 2022, which made them national heroes in a country where women's rights are severely restricted.&nbsp;(With inputs from AFP)

As geopolitical tensions escalate at home, the Iranian women's football team remains 'fully disconnected' from their families during the 2026 Women's Asian Cup in Australia. Read about their emotional struggle and silent protest on the global stage.

Iran coach Marziyeh Jafari claims her team had ‘so much concern’ about their families back home as war-like situation escalates between Iran, Israel and the US, with the players ‘fully disconnected’ from them during the ongoing Women’s Asian Cup at Gold Coast in Queensland. The Iranian women’s team readies to take on the hosts Australia on Thursday after suffering a 0-3 defeat at the hands of South Korea in their tournament opener. While an internet blackout has made it nearly impossible for players and staff to contact their family members, team coach Jafari has thanked the Iranian-Australians for their unwavering support during this tough time. Also read | FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'Badly defeated country': US President Donald Trump on Iran's participation in tournament "We are so happy that Iranian-Australians here support us," she told Australian media. "Obviously we have so much concern for our families and our loved ones and all other people inside our country, which we are fully disconnected with. "Here, we are coming to play football professionally and we will do our best to concentrate on the match ahead." On the other hand, the Iranian team striker Sara Didar fought back tears as she spoke about their worries. "Obviously, we're all concerned and we're sad because of what has happened to Iran and our families and our loved ones," the 21-year-old told reporters in Australia. Asian football chiefs have said they were offering "full support and assistance" to the team, who arrived in Australia just days before strikes killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, Iran made their historic debut at the last Asian Cup in India in 2022, which made them national heroes in a country where women's rights are severely restricted. (With inputs from AFP)

As geopolitical tensions escalate at home, the Iranian women's football team remains 'fully disconnected' from their families during the 2026 Women's Asian Cup in Australia. Read about their emotional struggle and silent protest on the global stage.

‘We have so much concern for our families’: Iran’s heartbreaking message at Women’s Asian Cup

The ongoing US-Israel-Iran war has put the Middle Easter country's participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in doubt and US president Donald Trump 'doesn't care' about it. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play its group-stage matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle - both the venues being in the USA. Iran itself has casted doubt on the participation amid the ongoing tussle which has seen its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei being killed.<h2>Trump speaks on Iran's participation in FIFA World Cup 2026</h2>The US President was asked about Iran's chances to particiatipation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 by US-based news outlet Politico and replied: "I really don't care," adding, "I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They're running on fumes."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-world-cup-2026-to-be-sent-off-fifa-boss-infantino-on-players-covering-mouth-during-argument-in-tournament-1772513674075">Football WC 2026 | FIFA boss wants players covering mouth during feud 'sent off'</a>After the war broke out on Saturday (Feb 28), Iran's head of football federation, Mehadi Taj, according to a BBC report citing Iranian media, had said: "With what happened... and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that."<h2>What happens if Iran does not participate in FIFA World Cup 2026?</h2>In case Iran decides not to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iraq, which failed to qualify for the tournament, might get a bump for a place in the tournament. With the whole picture being blurred amid the smoke rising because of bomb explosions in various countries including Iran, there's nothing to do but wait and watch for the developments on Iran's participation

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play its group-stage matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle.

The ongoing US-Israel-Iran war has put the Middle Easter country's participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in doubt and US president Donald Trump 'doesn't care' about it. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play its group-stage matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle - both the venues being in the USA. Iran itself has casted doubt on the participation amid the ongoing tussle which has seen its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei being killed. Trump speaks on Iran's participation in FIFA World Cup 2026 The US President was asked about Iran's chances to particiatipation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 by US-based news outlet Politico and replied: "I really don't care," adding, "I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They're running on fumes." Also Read - Football WC 2026 | FIFA boss wants players covering mouth during feud 'sent off' After the war broke out on Saturday (Feb 28), Iran's head of football federation, Mehadi Taj, according to a BBC report citing Iranian media, had said: "With what happened... and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that." What happens if Iran does not participate in FIFA World Cup 2026? In case Iran decides not to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iraq, which failed to qualify for the tournament, might get a bump for a place in the tournament. With the whole picture being blurred amid the smoke rising because of bomb explosions in various countries including Iran, there's nothing to do but wait and watch for the developments on Iran's participation

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play its group-stage matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle.

FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'Badly defeated country': US President Donald Trump on Iran's participation in tournament

Liverpool suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolves as Andre's stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the Premier League's bottom club on Tuesday. Arne Slot's side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes' strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November. But Andre's first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool.It was the first time the Premier League's bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017.Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, including five in the 90th minute or later -- the most by any side in a single season in the Premier League era.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-world-cup-2026-to-be-sent-off-fifa-boss-infantino-on-players-covering-mouth-during-argument-in-tournament-1772513674075">Football WC 2026 | FIFA boss wants players covering mouth during feud ‘sent off’</a>The Reds remain fifth but their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League have been hurt by a defeat that means sixth-placed Chelsea will go above them if they beat Aston Villa on Wednesday.Liverpool's first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot's Anfield future."Bad result," Slot said. "We are losing far too many football games and dropping points."Was it again in extra (added) time that we conceded? The three times we lost in the last 22 games were all in extra time."This was the first of Liverpool's two trips to Molineux in the space of four days, with an immediate chance for revenge in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday.Slot this week said he no longer finds Premier League matches a "joy to watch" due to the rise in set-piece goals, and Liverpool supporters took no pleasure from this dismal performance.Wolves and Liverpool fans joined in a sustained round of applause on 18 minutes in memory of Diogo Jota, who wore that shirt number during his time at Molineux before joining the Reds.Portugal forward Jota died in a car crash in Spain last year.<h2>Crest-fallen Slot</h2>Liverpool were punished for their lethargic performance in the 78th minute.Tolu Arokodare got away with a nudge on Virgil van Dijk to win the ball before playing a superb pass to Rodrigo Gomes, who held off Ibrahima Konate and guided a clinical finish past Alisson Becker.Liverpool finally awoke from their slumber after that shock, grabbing an equaliser in the 83rd minute with a helping hand from Wolves.Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was guilty of a woeful pass that Salah intercepted, racing into the area for a shot that eluded Jose Sa's weak attempted save.But Liverpool were still creaky at the back and Andre pounced on Alisson's poor clearance four minutes to steal the points in stoppage-time.Andre's powerful strike deflected off Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and looped over the wrong-footed Alisson as Wolves boss Rob Edwards sprinted down the touchline in a wild celebration while Slot looked on crestfallen.Wolves are 11 points from safety with eight games left and relegation remains almost certain despite this memorable victory.Everton ended their dismal home form and pushed Burnley closer to relegation with a 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.Buoyed by their 3-2 win at Newcastle last weekend, Everton dispatched second-bottom Burnley with their first win in eight home league matches.Former Burnley defender James Tarkowski put Everton in front with a powerful header from James Garner's 32nd minute free-kick.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall doubled Everton's advantage on the hour taking Iliman Ndiaye's pass and clipping a composed finish past Martin Dubravka from six yards.Everton remain in contention for a European berth, while Burnley are eight points from safety with just nine games left.Habib Diarra's penalty fired Sunderland to a 1-0 victory against Leeds on their first Premier League visit to Elland Road since 2002.Bournemouth and Brentford shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium that did little to improve either side's hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, including five in the 90th minute or later -- the most by any side in a single season in the Premier League era.

Liverpool suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolves as Andre's stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the Premier League's bottom club on Tuesday. Arne Slot's side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes' strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November. But Andre's first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League's bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, including five in the 90th minute or later -- the most by any side in a single season in the Premier League era. Also Read - Football WC 2026 | FIFA boss wants players covering mouth during feud ‘sent off’ The Reds remain fifth but their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League have been hurt by a defeat that means sixth-placed Chelsea will go above them if they beat Aston Villa on Wednesday. Liverpool's first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot's Anfield future. "Bad result," Slot said. "We are losing far too many football games and dropping points. "Was it again in extra (added) time that we conceded? The three times we lost in the last 22 games were all in extra time." This was the first of Liverpool's two trips to Molineux in the space of four days, with an immediate chance for revenge in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday. Slot this week said he no longer finds Premier League matches a "joy to watch" due to the rise in set-piece goals, and Liverpool supporters took no pleasure from this dismal performance. Wolves and Liverpool fans joined in a sustained round of applause on 18 minutes in memory of Diogo Jota, who wore that shirt number during his time at Molineux before joining the Reds. Portugal forward Jota died in a car crash in Spain last year. Crest-fallen Slot Liverpool were punished for their lethargic performance in the 78th minute. Tolu Arokodare got away with a nudge on Virgil van Dijk to win the ball before playing a superb pass to Rodrigo Gomes, who held off Ibrahima Konate and guided a clinical finish past Alisson Becker. Liverpool finally awoke from their slumber after that shock, grabbing an equaliser in the 83rd minute with a helping hand from Wolves. Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was guilty of a woeful pass that Salah intercepted, racing into the area for a shot that eluded Jose Sa's weak attempted save. But Liverpool were still creaky at the back and Andre pounced on Alisson's poor clearance four minutes to steal the points in stoppage-time. Andre's powerful strike deflected off Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and looped over the wrong-footed Alisson as Wolves boss Rob Edwards sprinted down the touchline in a wild celebration while Slot looked on crestfallen. Wolves are 11 points from safety with eight games left and relegation remains almost certain despite this memorable victory. Everton ended their dismal home form and pushed Burnley closer to relegation with a 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Buoyed by their 3-2 win at Newcastle last weekend, Everton dispatched second-bottom Burnley with their first win in eight home league matches. Former Burnley defender James Tarkowski put Everton in front with a powerful header from James Garner's 32nd minute free-kick. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall doubled Everton's advantage on the hour taking Iliman Ndiaye's pass and clipping a composed finish past Martin Dubravka from six yards. Everton remain in contention for a European berth, while Burnley are eight points from safety with just nine games left. Habib Diarra's penalty fired Sunderland to a 1-0 victory against Leeds on their first Premier League visit to Elland Road since 2002. Bournemouth and Brentford shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium that did little to improve either side's hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, including five in the 90th minute or later -- the most by any side in a single season in the Premier League era.

Premier League: Liverpool concede stoppage time goal in loss vs bottom dwellers Wolves

English Premier League (PL) club Tottenham Hotspurs have been fined by the UEFA, European football governing body, for the Nazi salutes made by its fans against Eintracht Frankfurt during the Champions League fixture in January. Tottenham had won the match, played at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt am Main on January 29, 2-0. During the match, the travelling fans had made the Nazi salutes gestures towards the home fans the the UEFA, after the investigation, had levied monetary charges on the Spurs along with being banned from selling tickets to away fans for one match in an UEFA fixture.<h2>UEFA fines Tottenham over fans' Nazi salute</h2>Announcing the repurcussion of its fans making the Nazi Saluet gestures, UEFA fined Hotspur €30,000 (£26,200/$35,100), to be paid to the European football's apex body. Along with it, a separate fine of €2,250 (£1,960/$2,630) was also levied for throwing of objects by fans.In addtion to the moetary charges,the apex organization also banned Hotspur from selling tickets to away fans for one UEFA fixture which will further hit their bank balance.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-world-cup-2026-to-be-sent-off-fifa-boss-infantino-on-players-covering-mouth-during-argument-in-tournament-1772513674075">Football World Cup 2026 | 'To be sent off': FIFA boss Infantino on players covering mouth during argument in tournament</a>Reacting to the incident, Hostpur said: "The club has cooperated fully with UEFA's investigation, as well as with German police on the night and, subsequently, the Met Police. We can confirm that all three individuals found to be making Nazi salutes towards Eintracht Frankfurt fans have been identified and have received indefinite bans under the Club's Sanctions and Banning Policy."<h2>Nazi Slautes becoming frequent in Champions League</h2>Apart from the Tottenham Hotspur match, Real Madrid vs Benfica second-leg match in Champions League knockout playoff also saw a fan doing the same gesture. Before the start of the second-leg match, the cameras panning on the spectators present in the stadium caught one of them gesturing a Nazi salute. The secutiy officials identified the person soon after the incident and the fan was subsequently ejected from the ground. The incident at the Santiago Bernabeu came after Real Madrid player Vinicus Jr was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during the first-leg match in Lisbon.

Tottenham had won the match, played at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt am Main on January 29, 2-0. During the match, the travelling fans had made the Nazi salutes gestures towards the home fans the the UEFA, after the investigation, had levied monetary charges on the Spurs.

English Premier League (PL) club Tottenham Hotspurs have been fined by the UEFA, European football governing body, for the Nazi salutes made by its fans against Eintracht Frankfurt during the Champions League fixture in January. Tottenham had won the match, played at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt am Main on January 29, 2-0. During the match, the travelling fans had made the Nazi salutes gestures towards the home fans the the UEFA, after the investigation, had levied monetary charges on the Spurs along with being banned from selling tickets to away fans for one match in an UEFA fixture. UEFA fines Tottenham over fans' Nazi salute Announcing the repurcussion of its fans making the Nazi Saluet gestures, UEFA fined Hotspur €30,000 (£26,200/$35,100), to be paid to the European football's apex body. Along with it, a separate fine of €2,250 (£1,960/$2,630) was also levied for throwing of objects by fans. In addtion to the moetary charges,the apex organization also banned Hotspur from selling tickets to away fans for one UEFA fixture which will further hit their bank balance. Also Read - Football World Cup 2026 | 'To be sent off': FIFA boss Infantino on players covering mouth during argument in tournament Reacting to the incident, Hostpur said: "The club has cooperated fully with UEFA's investigation, as well as with German police on the night and, subsequently, the Met Police. We can confirm that all three individuals found to be making Nazi salutes towards Eintracht Frankfurt fans have been identified and have received indefinite bans under the Club's Sanctions and Banning Policy." Nazi Slautes becoming frequent in Champions League Apart from the Tottenham Hotspur match, Real Madrid vs Benfica second-leg match in Champions League knockout playoff also saw a fan doing the same gesture. Before the start of the second-leg match, the cameras panning on the spectators present in the stadium caught one of them gesturing a Nazi salute. The secutiy officials identified the person soon after the incident and the fan was subsequently ejected from the ground. The incident at the Santiago Bernabeu came after Real Madrid player Vinicus Jr was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during the first-leg match in Lisbon.

Tottenham had won the match, played at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt am Main on January 29, 2-0. During the match, the travelling fans had made the Nazi salutes gestures towards the home fans the the UEFA, after the investigation, had levied monetary charges on the Spurs.

Champions League | '$35k fine and banned from selling tickets': UEFA punishes Tottenham Hotspur for Nazi Salutes by fans

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has called for red card for players who cover their mouth during the altercation with oppostion players in the upcoming Football World Cup 2026 which is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The statement comes amid Gianluca Prestianni of Portugese club Benfica being investigated for alleged racial abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. The incident happend in Real Madrid vs Benfica Champions League knockout playoff first leg match. Following this, Prestianni was suspended by UEFA provisionally for one match and didn't take part in the second leg game against the Real Madrid, pending an investigation. If Prestianni is found guilty of charges, he could very well face a 10-match ban, while risking <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-prestianni-risks-losing-career-for-benifca-if-racism-charges-against-viini-jr-proven-1772425044692">losing his career with Benfica</a>.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-isreal-iran-war-iran-s-participation-in-fifa-world-cup-2026-unlikely-amid-ongoing-attacks-1772420510367">FIFA WC 2026 | Iran's participation 'unlikely' after US-Israel attacks</a>&nbsp;<h2>Infantino on tackling abuse in FIFA Word Cup 2026</h2>"If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously," Infantino told Sky News on Monday (Mar 2). "There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn't have said, otherwise he wouldn't have had to cover his mouth. There are situations which we did not foresee [Prestianni case]. Of course, when you deal with a disciplinary case, you have to analyse the situation, you have to have evidence, but we cannot just be satisfied with that going forward," he adeed.<h2>Prestianni denies racism claims</h2>In the aftermath of being accused of racims, Prestianni, after the first leg match, denined all the allegations. Prestianni, three hours after the match, offered a statement on social media and wrote: "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at Vinícius Júnior; he unfortunately misinterpreted what was said. I have never been racist towards anyone."Benfica has also released a video of the exact moment Vini Jr ran to referee Francois Letexier to complain. In the video shared by Benfica, who lost the match 0-1, the club says nothing could be heard what has been told, alluding to Real Madrid star Vini Jr's claim of being abused with racially charged taunts.&nbsp;

The statement comes amid Benfica's Prestianni being investigated for alleged racial abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. The incident happend in Real Madrid vs Benfica Champions League knockout playoff first leg match. FIFA WC 2026 which is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has called for red card for players who cover their mouth during the altercation with oppostion players in the upcoming Football World Cup 2026 which is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The statement comes amid Gianluca Prestianni of Portugese club Benfica being investigated for alleged racial abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. The incident happend in Real Madrid vs Benfica Champions League knockout playoff first leg match. Following this, Prestianni was suspended by UEFA provisionally for one match and didn't take part in the second leg game against the Real Madrid, pending an investigation. If Prestianni is found guilty of charges, he could very well face a 10-match ban, while risking losing his career with Benfica. Also Read - FIFA WC 2026 | Iran's participation 'unlikely' after US-Israel attacks Infantino on tackling abuse in FIFA Word Cup 2026 "If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously," Infantino told Sky News on Monday (Mar 2). "There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn't have said, otherwise he wouldn't have had to cover his mouth. There are situations which we did not foresee [Prestianni case]. Of course, when you deal with a disciplinary case, you have to analyse the situation, you have to have evidence, but we cannot just be satisfied with that going forward," he adeed. Prestianni denies racism claims In the aftermath of being accused of racims, Prestianni, after the first leg match, denined all the allegations. Prestianni, three hours after the match, offered a statement on social media and wrote: "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at Vinícius Júnior; he unfortunately misinterpreted what was said. I have never been racist towards anyone." Benfica has also released a video of the exact moment Vini Jr ran to referee Francois Letexier to complain. In the video shared by Benfica, who lost the match 0-1, the club says nothing could be heard what has been told, alluding to Real Madrid star Vini Jr's claim of being abused with racially charged taunts.

The statement comes amid Benfica's Prestianni being investigated for alleged racial abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. The incident happend in Real Madrid vs Benfica Champions League knockout playoff first leg match. FIFA WC 2026 which is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19

Football World Cup 2026 | 'To be sent off': FIFA boss Infantino on players covering mouth during argument in tournament

Amid an ongoing war involving Iran, the US and Israel, the brave Iranian women’s football team suffered a 0-3 beating at the hands of South Korea in their Women’s Asian Cup opener at Queensland’s Gold Coast on Monday (Mar 2). The last time’s runners-up, Korea, made light work of Iran, who showed no signs of being affected by the war raging at home, with several supporters waving Shah-era flags during the fixture.&nbsp;Speaking of her team’s performance, South Korea’s Casey Phair, who came on as a substitute in the second half, said her side had plenty of room for improvement despite a lop-sided win.&nbsp;"We worked really hard and performed really well, but we could have scored a few more goals, and we missed a couple of chances," Phair said. "That's something we can work on in training, but I think it was a really good starting point for the tournament."&nbsp;South Korea now head their pool on goal difference after Australia only managed a 1-0 win over the Philippines on Sunday.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-isreal-iran-war-iran-s-participation-in-fifa-world-cup-2026-unlikely-amid-ongoing-attacks-1772420510367">FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'Unlikely to look forward:' Iran's participation in doubt after US-Israel attacks</a>&nbsp;The Koreans dominated from the outset as Iran sat back in defence, trying to limit the damage rather than take the attack to their opponents. For most of the first half, the tactic was successful despite the Koreans having 81 per cent possession and 20 shots at goal.&nbsp;However, the relentless attack eventually told in the 37th minute when a shot from Jang Sel-gi rebounded off the upright to Choe Yu-ri, who slotted home off her left boot, giving South Korea a 1-0 lead at the break.&nbsp;Iran made three substitutions at halftime and came out in the second with a more attacking mindset. They had a rare chance in the 56th minute, but Zahra Ghanbari's shot went straight to keeper Kim Min-jung. But the game was as good as over four minutes later when Korea's Lee Eun-young was brought down in the box by Melika Motevalli, and Kim Hye-ri slotted the penalty.&nbsp;South Korean captain Ko Yoo-jin put the icing on the cake when she headed in from a 75th-minute Kim Hye-ri free kick to score her first goal for her country.&nbsp;South Korea next play the Philippines, while Australia take on Iran in a double-header on the Gold Coast on Thursday.&nbsp;The top two sides from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed teams, progress to the quarter-finals. At stake for the top six finishers is qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.&nbsp;(With inputs from AFP)

Amid escalating conflict at home, Iran's women's team showed immense resilience in a 3-0 loss to South Korea. Read about the "defiant" start to their 2026 Asian Cup campaign on the Gold Coast

Amid an ongoing war involving Iran, the US and Israel, the brave Iranian women’s football team suffered a 0-3 beating at the hands of South Korea in their Women’s Asian Cup opener at Queensland’s Gold Coast on Monday (Mar 2). The last time’s runners-up, Korea, made light work of Iran, who showed no signs of being affected by the war raging at home, with several supporters waving Shah-era flags during the fixture. Speaking of her team’s performance, South Korea’s Casey Phair, who came on as a substitute in the second half, said her side had plenty of room for improvement despite a lop-sided win. "We worked really hard and performed really well, but we could have scored a few more goals, and we missed a couple of chances," Phair said. "That's something we can work on in training, but I think it was a really good starting point for the tournament." South Korea now head their pool on goal difference after Australia only managed a 1-0 win over the Philippines on Sunday. Also read | FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'Unlikely to look forward:' Iran's participation in doubt after US-Israel attacks The Koreans dominated from the outset as Iran sat back in defence, trying to limit the damage rather than take the attack to their opponents. For most of the first half, the tactic was successful despite the Koreans having 81 per cent possession and 20 shots at goal. However, the relentless attack eventually told in the 37th minute when a shot from Jang Sel-gi rebounded off the upright to Choe Yu-ri, who slotted home off her left boot, giving South Korea a 1-0 lead at the break. Iran made three substitutions at halftime and came out in the second with a more attacking mindset. They had a rare chance in the 56th minute, but Zahra Ghanbari's shot went straight to keeper Kim Min-jung. But the game was as good as over four minutes later when Korea's Lee Eun-young was brought down in the box by Melika Motevalli, and Kim Hye-ri slotted the penalty. South Korean captain Ko Yoo-jin put the icing on the cake when she headed in from a 75th-minute Kim Hye-ri free kick to score her first goal for her country. South Korea next play the Philippines, while Australia take on Iran in a double-header on the Gold Coast on Thursday. The top two sides from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed teams, progress to the quarter-finals. At stake for the top six finishers is qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. (With inputs from AFP)

Amid escalating conflict at home, Iran's women's team showed immense resilience in a 3-0 loss to South Korea. Read about the "defiant" start to their 2026 Asian Cup campaign on the Gold Coast

Iran lose to South Korea as war-torn nation makes defiant Women’s Asian Cup start

Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni risks losing his career with the Portugese club is his racism abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. is proven. Prestianni was provisionally suspended for a match by UFEA for racial abuse against Vini Jr during Champions League knockout playoff first leg match. The ban meant Prestianni, who has denined the racism allegations, did not play in the second leg. He is currently under UEFA investigation and upon completion of probe by an ethics and disciplinary inspector, further punishment could be handed, if proven guilty. Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has already decided the punishment if the charges are proven against Prestianni.<h2>Benfica career over for Prestianni if racism charges proven</h2>Speaking on matter on Sunday (Mar 1), Mourinho, who had previously managed Real Madrid as well, said: "If my player did not respect these principles, which are mine and Benfica's as well, then that player's career with a coach named Jose Mourinho and at a club named Benfica will come to an end," as reported by BBC.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-isreal-iran-war-iran-s-participation-in-fifa-world-cup-2026-unlikely-amid-ongoing-attacks-1772420510367">FIFA WC 2026 | Iran's participation 'unlikely' after US-Israel attacks</a>"I am not a scholar, but I am not ignorant either. The presumption of innocence is a human right, isn't it? I stand by my opinion. If the player is indeed guilty, I will never look at him the way I looked at him before, and with me, it's over. But I have to put many 'ifs' in front of it," added the 63-year-old.<h2>Mourinho changes tone after blaming Vini Jr initially</h2>Mourinho had initially blamed Vini Jr for insitgating the crowd during the Benfica vs Real Madrid first leg Champions League knockout playoff match. After Vini Jr complained to the referee about the alleged racial abuse from Prestianni, the match was halted for 10 minutes before starting again. Mourinho had drawn a lot criticism for his comments in which he had said "a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always."Real Madrid had won the match 1-0 with Vini Jr scoring the only goal and beat Benfica 2-1 in the second leg as well with Vini Jr scoring the go-ahead goal and helping his team advance to the Round of 16 which begins March 10.

Mourinho had initially blamed Vini Jr for insitgating crowd during the Benfica v Real Madrid UCL knockout playoff match. Prestianni is currently under UEFA investigation & upon completion of probe by an ethics & disciplinary inspector, further punishment is possible, if proven guilty.

Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni risks losing his career with the Portugese club is his racism abuse towards Real Madrid's Vinicious Jr. is proven. Prestianni was provisionally suspended for a match by UFEA for racial abuse against Vini Jr during Champions League knockout playoff first leg match. The ban meant Prestianni, who has denined the racism allegations, did not play in the second leg. He is currently under UEFA investigation and upon completion of probe by an ethics and disciplinary inspector, further punishment could be handed, if proven guilty. Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has already decided the punishment if the charges are proven against Prestianni. Benfica career over for Prestianni if racism charges proven Speaking on matter on Sunday (Mar 1), Mourinho, who had previously managed Real Madrid as well, said: "If my player did not respect these principles, which are mine and Benfica's as well, then that player's career with a coach named Jose Mourinho and at a club named Benfica will come to an end," as reported by BBC. Also Read - FIFA WC 2026 | Iran's participation 'unlikely' after US-Israel attacks "I am not a scholar, but I am not ignorant either. The presumption of innocence is a human right, isn't it? I stand by my opinion. If the player is indeed guilty, I will never look at him the way I looked at him before, and with me, it's over. But I have to put many 'ifs' in front of it," added the 63-year-old. Mourinho changes tone after blaming Vini Jr initially Mourinho had initially blamed Vini Jr for insitgating the crowd during the Benfica vs Real Madrid first leg Champions League knockout playoff match. After Vini Jr complained to the referee about the alleged racial abuse from Prestianni, the match was halted for 10 minutes before starting again. Mourinho had drawn a lot criticism for his comments in which he had said "a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always." Real Madrid had won the match 1-0 with Vini Jr scoring the only goal and beat Benfica 2-1 in the second leg as well with Vini Jr scoring the go-ahead goal and helping his team advance to the Round of 16 which begins March 10.

Mourinho had initially blamed Vini Jr for insitgating crowd during the Benfica v Real Madrid UCL knockout playoff match. Prestianni is currently under UEFA investigation &amp; upon completion of probe by an ethics &amp; disciplinary inspector, further punishment is possible, if proven guilty.

Champions League | Prestianni risks 'losing career' with Benifca if racism charges against Viini Jr proven

The US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday (Feb 28), killing the Middle Eastern country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The attack has put Iran's particiaption in upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in doubt. The tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19. Iran has qualified for the quadrennial tournament through Asian qualifiers but amid the current situation, it is not confirmed if the Shia-muslim majority country will take part in the tournament. Iran's matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle - both the venues being in the USA. The two countries last played in the FIFA World Cup in 2022 in Qatar.<h2>Will Iran play in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026?</h2>The coutnry, ever since the attack by the USA and Israel, has been facing constant strikes. Iran has also retaliated by launching missiles at various US bases across middle east &nbsp;- in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, etc. The ongoing conflict has given the flame to already tense relations between Iran and the US - putting their World Cup participation in doubt.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afc-postpones-first-leg-knockout-matches-after-us-israel-strikes-1772355152125">AFC postpones first-leg knockout matches after US, Israel strikes</a>"With what happened... and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that," said Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, to Iranian media as reported by the BBC.With Supreme Leader Khamenei dead, there's no clarity over Iran's political system will work to ensure the FIFA World Cup participation, that is, if the country decides to send the team to the USA - which looks highly unlikely as of now.<h2>What happens if Iran does not participate in FIFA World Cup 2026?</h2>In case Iran decides not to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iraq, which failed to qualify for the tournament, might get a bump for a place in the tournament. With the whole picture being blurred amid the smoke rising because of bomb explosions in various countries including Iran, there's nothing to do but wait and watch for the developments on Iran's participation.

With Supreme Leader Khamenei dead, there's no clarity over Iran's political system will work to ensure the FIFA World Cup 2026 participation, that is, if the country decides to send the team to the USA - which looks highly unlikely as of now.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday (Feb 28), killing the Middle Eastern country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The attack has put Iran's particiaption in upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in doubt. The tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19. Iran has qualified for the quadrennial tournament through Asian qualifiers but amid the current situation, it is not confirmed if the Shia-muslim majority country will take part in the tournament. Iran's matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle - both the venues being in the USA. The two countries last played in the FIFA World Cup in 2022 in Qatar. Will Iran play in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026? The coutnry, ever since the attack by the USA and Israel, has been facing constant strikes. Iran has also retaliated by launching missiles at various US bases across middle east - in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, etc. The ongoing conflict has given the flame to already tense relations between Iran and the US - putting their World Cup participation in doubt. Also Read - AFC postpones first-leg knockout matches after US, Israel strikes "With what happened... and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that," said Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, to Iranian media as reported by the BBC. With Supreme Leader Khamenei dead, there's no clarity over Iran's political system will work to ensure the FIFA World Cup participation, that is, if the country decides to send the team to the USA - which looks highly unlikely as of now. What happens if Iran does not participate in FIFA World Cup 2026? In case Iran decides not to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iraq, which failed to qualify for the tournament, might get a bump for a place in the tournament. With the whole picture being blurred amid the smoke rising because of bomb explosions in various countries including Iran, there's nothing to do but wait and watch for the developments on Iran's participation.

Iran's matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle - both the venues being in the USA. The two countries (Iran and USA) last played in the FIFA World Cup in 2022 in Qatar.

FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'Unlikely to look forward:' Iran's participation in doubt after US-Israel attacks

Arsenal reestablished a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as the Gunners overcame 10-man Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday, while Benjamin Sesko fired Manchester United up to third with victory over Crystal Palace. Defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber got Arsenal's goals as Chelsea's ill-discipline saw them lose ground in the battle for a place in next season's Champions League after Pedro Neto was sent off 20 minutes from time. The Blues could not cope with Arsenal's prowess from corners as Mikel Arteta's men edged closer to a first league title in 22 years.Saliba forced home the opening goal on 21 minutes after Gabriel Magalhaes headed Eberechi Eze's delivery back across goal.Chelsea levelled from a corner of their own when Pedro Hincapie turned Reece James' cross into his own net.Timber's winner just after the hour mark was the 16th goal Arsenal have scored from a corner in the Premier League this season -- equalling the competition record.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afc-postpones-first-leg-knockout-matches-after-us-israel-strikes-1772355152125">AFC postpones first-leg knockout matches after US, Israel strikes</a>The Dutch international headed into an empty net after Robert Sanchez got caught underneath Declan Rice's ball in.Neto then became the ninth Chelsea player to see red this season for two quickfire bookings.Chelsea had a late equaliser ruled out for offside but defeat leaves Liam Rosenior's men three points outside the top five, who will almost certainly secure a place in next season's Champions League.Second-placed Manchester City still have a game in hand on Arsenal and home advantage when the sides meet in the league next month.But Arsenal have quietened questions over their ability to handle the pressure of the title race over the past week after also defeating Tottenham in last weekend's north London derby."We are really happy because we know we had two difficult games in the last week or so. The attitude and willingness to go for it and be dominant, I am happy with it," said Arteta.<h2>Sesko rewards Carrick faith</h2>Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League with a 2-1 win.Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson's corner.But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21.The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark.Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot-kick past former team-mate Dean Henderson.Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko for his seventh goal in his last eight appearances."It feels like a big result," said Fernandes. "We were behind and had to show some character."<h2>No Tudor turnaround for Tottenham</h2>Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Fulham."We were not good, (we) lacked everything attacking and defending," said Tudor after two defeats in his two games in charge."There are problems here, big problems. We need to stay calm, believe in what we are doing in training, and get out (of trouble), staying all together."Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season.Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026.The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 at Brighton.All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White's reply.Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.

Chelsea had a late equaliser ruled out for offside but defeat leaves Liam Rosenior's men three points outside the top five, who will almost certainly secure a place in next season's Champions League.

Arsenal reestablished a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as the Gunners overcame 10-man Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday, while Benjamin Sesko fired Manchester United up to third with victory over Crystal Palace. Defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber got Arsenal's goals as Chelsea's ill-discipline saw them lose ground in the battle for a place in next season's Champions League after Pedro Neto was sent off 20 minutes from time. The Blues could not cope with Arsenal's prowess from corners as Mikel Arteta's men edged closer to a first league title in 22 years. Saliba forced home the opening goal on 21 minutes after Gabriel Magalhaes headed Eberechi Eze's delivery back across goal. Chelsea levelled from a corner of their own when Pedro Hincapie turned Reece James' cross into his own net. Timber's winner just after the hour mark was the 16th goal Arsenal have scored from a corner in the Premier League this season -- equalling the competition record. Also Read - AFC postpones first-leg knockout matches after US, Israel strikes The Dutch international headed into an empty net after Robert Sanchez got caught underneath Declan Rice's ball in. Neto then became the ninth Chelsea player to see red this season for two quickfire bookings. Chelsea had a late equaliser ruled out for offside but defeat leaves Liam Rosenior's men three points outside the top five, who will almost certainly secure a place in next season's Champions League. Second-placed Manchester City still have a game in hand on Arsenal and home advantage when the sides meet in the league next month. But Arsenal have quietened questions over their ability to handle the pressure of the title race over the past week after also defeating Tottenham in last weekend's north London derby. "We are really happy because we know we had two difficult games in the last week or so. The attitude and willingness to go for it and be dominant, I am happy with it," said Arteta. Sesko rewards Carrick faith Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League with a 2-1 win. Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson's corner. But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21. The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark. Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot-kick past former team-mate Dean Henderson. Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko for his seventh goal in his last eight appearances. "It feels like a big result," said Fernandes. "We were behind and had to show some character." No Tudor turnaround for Tottenham Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Fulham. "We were not good, (we) lacked everything attacking and defending," said Tudor after two defeats in his two games in charge. "There are problems here, big problems. We need to stay calm, believe in what we are doing in training, and get out (of trouble), staying all together." Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season. Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026. The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 at Brighton. All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White's reply. Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.

Chelsea had a late equaliser ruled out for offside but defeat leaves Liam Rosenior's men three points outside the top five, who will almost certainly secure a place in next season's Champions League.

Premier League: Arsenal beat Chelsea to go five points clear at top, Man Utd move to third place

The Champions League Round of 16 has thrown up some interesting draws, as some heavyweights of the game are set to collide in the pre-quarterfinal stage. In the draws made on Friday (Feb 27), Man City have been drawn against Real Madrid, as the two rivals meet again, having also squared off in the league stage. In another tie, defending champions PSG face Chelsea in a repeat of the Club World Cup final. Spurs, on the other hand, have been paired off with Atletico Madrid as the two will meet for the first time in a competitive match since 1963.<h2>Real Madrid-Man City to face off again</h2>The Spanish giants, record 15-time European champions, will host City in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu next month before travelling to England for the return the following week.&nbsp;The clubs have already played each other this season, with Pep Guardiola's City winning 2-1 in Madrid in December during the league phase, in which the Premier League club finished eighth and Real ninth.&nbsp;That allowed City, Champions League winners in 2023, to advance straight to the last 16 while Madrid had to come through the knockout phase play-offs, in which they beat Benfica 3-1 on aggregate.<h2>2025-26 Champions League round of 16: Full draw</h2>- PSG vs Chelsea- Galatasaray vs Liverpool- Real Madrid vs City- Atalanta vs Bayern Munich&nbsp;- Newcastle vs Barcelona- Atlético Madrid vs Tottenham- Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting- Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-chris-gayle-to-brendon-mccullum-5-batters-to-score-fastest-t20-world-cup-hundreds-rilee-rossouw-ahmed-shehzad-1768553361691">From Chris Gayle to Brendon McCullum, 5 batters to score fastest T20 World Cup hundreds</a>&nbsp;PSG will be at home to Chelsea in the first leg after qualifying for this stage with a 5-4 aggregate win over Ligue 1 rivals Monaco in the play-offs. Chelsea progressed straight to the last 16 after finishing sixth in the league phase.&nbsp;There is a record total of six English clubs in the last 16. None will play each other in the last 16 but there are two potential all-English quarter-finals.&nbsp;Liverpool will have a last-16 rematch against Galatasaray, the Turkish giants having defeated the Anfield club 1-0 in September in the league phase.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/meet-indians-to-score-most-runs-in-each-of-last-5-t20-world-cups-ft-virat-kohli-kl-rahul-rohit-sharma-2026-t20-world-cup-1768479871185">Meet Indians to score most runs in each of last 5 T20 World Cups ft Virat Kohli</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, Newcastle United will take on Barcelona with the first leg at St James' Park -- the Spanish side won 2-1 there during the league phase in September.&nbsp;Tottenham Hotspur were drawn to play Atletico Madrid, with the winners of that tie then facing Newcastle or Barcelona in the last eight.&nbsp;Arsenal, who finished first in the league phase, will come up against Bayer Leverkusen and if they win that would then be huge favourites in a quarter-final against Bodo/Glimt or Sporting of Portugal.

In the draws made on Friday (Feb 27), Man City have been drawn against Real Madrid, as the two rivals meet again, having also squared off in the league stage. In another tie, defending champions PSG face Chelsea in a repeat of the Club World Cup final. 

The Champions League Round of 16 has thrown up some interesting draws, as some heavyweights of the game are set to collide in the pre-quarterfinal stage. In the draws made on Friday (Feb 27), Man City have been drawn against Real Madrid, as the two rivals meet again, having also squared off in the league stage. In another tie, defending champions PSG face Chelsea in a repeat of the Club World Cup final. Spurs, on the other hand, have been paired off with Atletico Madrid as the two will meet for the first time in a competitive match since 1963. Real Madrid-Man City to face off again The Spanish giants, record 15-time European champions, will host City in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu next month before travelling to England for the return the following week. The clubs have already played each other this season, with Pep Guardiola's City winning 2-1 in Madrid in December during the league phase, in which the Premier League club finished eighth and Real ninth. That allowed City, Champions League winners in 2023, to advance straight to the last 16 while Madrid had to come through the knockout phase play-offs, in which they beat Benfica 3-1 on aggregate. 2025-26 Champions League round of 16: Full draw - PSG vs Chelsea - Galatasaray vs Liverpool - Real Madrid vs City - Atalanta vs Bayern Munich - Newcastle vs Barcelona - Atlético Madrid vs Tottenham - Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting - Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal ALSO READ | From Chris Gayle to Brendon McCullum, 5 batters to score fastest T20 World Cup hundreds PSG will be at home to Chelsea in the first leg after qualifying for this stage with a 5-4 aggregate win over Ligue 1 rivals Monaco in the play-offs. Chelsea progressed straight to the last 16 after finishing sixth in the league phase. There is a record total of six English clubs in the last 16. None will play each other in the last 16 but there are two potential all-English quarter-finals. Liverpool will have a last-16 rematch against Galatasaray, the Turkish giants having defeated the Anfield club 1-0 in September in the league phase. ALSO READ | Meet Indians to score most runs in each of last 5 T20 World Cups ft Virat Kohli Meanwhile, Newcastle United will take on Barcelona with the first leg at St James' Park -- the Spanish side won 2-1 there during the league phase in September. Tottenham Hotspur were drawn to play Atletico Madrid, with the winners of that tie then facing Newcastle or Barcelona in the last eight. Arsenal, who finished first in the league phase, will come up against Bayer Leverkusen and if they win that would then be huge favourites in a quarter-final against Bodo/Glimt or Sporting of Portugal.

In the draws made on Friday (Feb 27), Man City have been drawn against Real Madrid, as the two rivals meet again, having also squared off in the league stage. In another tie, defending champions PSG face Chelsea in a repeat of the Club World Cup final.&nbsp;

Champions League: Man City-Real Madrid to square off in R16, PSG face Chelsea in high-voltage clash

Portugese star Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer only a footballer but a football club owner as well. Ronaldo, in a statement through his compnay CR7 Sports Investments, has announced the acquisition of second division Spanish football club. Ronaldo now owns 25 per cent ownership in Almeria which is owned by Saudi group SMC. The club, which last played in La Liga in 2024, are currently third in second division league Segunda. Notably, teams ending in top two in Segunda get promoted the La Liga the coming season.<h2>Ronaldo becomes a football club owner</h2>The statement from Ronaldo's company on the deal read: "This strategic investment in UD Almería reflects Ronaldo’s long-term commitment to professional football ownership. It has been a long-time ambition of mine to contribute to football. I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to support the club’s next phase of growth."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-nazi-salute-after-racism-real-madrid-vs-benfica-second-leg-also-hit-with-controversy-1772163331528">UCL | Real Madrid vs Benfica 2nd leg hit by 'Nazi salute' controversy</a>Almería’s president, Mohamed al-Khereiji, also spoke about the deal and suggested Ronaldo's role with the club in the future: "He is considered the best on the pitch. He knows the Spanish leagues very well and understands the potential of what we are building."<h2>Ronaldo in La Liga</h2>The ace footballer, who currently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Pro League, spent nine years with La Liga giants Real Madrid - winning two league trophies and four Champions League titles. His best season with Real Madrid came in 2014-15 when he scored 48 goals in 35 matches. He had joined La Liga after spending six seasons at Manchester United in English Premier League and moved to Juventus in Serie A after Spanish stint.After leaving Juventus, he joined Manchester United back in 2021-22 but left the club four games into the next season amid a fallout before joining Al Nassr in Saudi league.

Ronaldo now owns 25 per cent ownership in Almeria which is owned by Saudi group SMC. The club, which last played in La Liga in 2024, are currently third in second division league Segunda.

Portugese star Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer only a footballer but a football club owner as well. Ronaldo, in a statement through his compnay CR7 Sports Investments, has announced the acquisition of second division Spanish football club. Ronaldo now owns 25 per cent ownership in Almeria which is owned by Saudi group SMC. The club, which last played in La Liga in 2024, are currently third in second division league Segunda. Notably, teams ending in top two in Segunda get promoted the La Liga the coming season. Ronaldo becomes a football club owner The statement from Ronaldo's company on the deal read: "This strategic investment in UD Almería reflects Ronaldo’s long-term commitment to professional football ownership. It has been a long-time ambition of mine to contribute to football. I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to support the club’s next phase of growth." Also Read - UCL | Real Madrid vs Benfica 2nd leg hit by 'Nazi salute' controversy Almería’s president, Mohamed al-Khereiji, also spoke about the deal and suggested Ronaldo's role with the club in the future: "He is considered the best on the pitch. He knows the Spanish leagues very well and understands the potential of what we are building." Ronaldo in La Liga The ace footballer, who currently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Pro League, spent nine years with La Liga giants Real Madrid - winning two league trophies and four Champions League titles. His best season with Real Madrid came in 2014-15 when he scored 48 goals in 35 matches. He had joined La Liga after spending six seasons at Manchester United in English Premier League and moved to Juventus in Serie A after Spanish stint. After leaving Juventus, he joined Manchester United back in 2021-22 but left the club four games into the next season amid a fallout before joining Al Nassr in Saudi league.

Ronaldo now owns 25 per cent ownership in Almeria which is owned by Saudi group SMC. The club, which last played in La Liga in 2024, are currently third in second division league Segunda.

Ronaldo no longer only a player but a football club owner in Spain

The worries for FIFA World Cup 2026 co-host Mexcio do not seem to get over, first with violence after drug cartel leader's killing and now discovery of hundreds of bags of human remains near one of the venues in the country. The three venues which will host FIFA World Cup matches in Mexico are: Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey. The mass graves have been found near the vicinity of Guadajalara stadium. The city is capital of Jalisco state - home of operations for Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) - whoes leader El Mencho was killed by the national army a few days ago, inciting violence in 20 of 32 states of the country.<h2>Mass graves found near Guadajalara stadium in Mexico ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026</h2>According to New York Post report, more than 20 mass grave cites have been found near the Akron Stadium - World Cup venue in Guadalajara - in last year or so. In the recent discovery, more than 500 bags of human remains have also been found in just four of 22 grave cites - sparking safety concerns. The startling discovery, coupled with recent violence after killing of El Mencho, is more than enough to put second thoughts not only in mind of fans but the organisers as well.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-men-s-hockey-players-agreed-making-mistake-by-laughing-at-trump-s-remark-about-women-s-team-1772157233117">US men's hockey players agree making 'mistake' by laughing at Trump's remark about women's team</a>The FIFA World Cup starts June 11 and runs until July 19 in the USA, Canda, and Mexico with Mexico hosting the opening match of the tournament before beiing home to 12 more games.<h2>FIFA World Cup match schedule in Mexico</h2>Guadalajara will host the matches on June 12 (Korea vs qualifier), June 19 (Mexico vs Korea), June 24 (Colombia vs qualifier), and June 27 (Uruguay vs Spain). Apart from the four matches, the venue will also co-host the playoff tournament along with Monterrey to detemine the final two teams of the quadrennial event.As for Mexico City, it will host Mexico vs South Africa (June 12), Uzbekistan vs Colombia (June 18), Qualifier 1 vs Mexico (June 25), Round of 32 match (Jul 1), and one Round of 16 match (Jul 6).The third venue Monterrey will host Qualifier team vs Tunisia (June 15), Japan vs Tunisia (June 21), South Africs vs Korea (June 25), and a Round of 32 match (June 30).

The FIFA World Cup starts June 11 and runs until July 19 in the USA, Canda, and Mexico with Mexico hosting the opening match of the tournament before beiing home to 12 more games. The mass graves have been found near the vicinity of Guadajalara stadium in Jalisco state.

The worries for FIFA World Cup 2026 co-host Mexcio do not seem to get over, first with violence after drug cartel leader's killing and now discovery of hundreds of bags of human remains near one of the venues in the country. The three venues which will host FIFA World Cup matches in Mexico are: Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey. The mass graves have been found near the vicinity of Guadajalara stadium. The city is capital of Jalisco state - home of operations for Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) - whoes leader El Mencho was killed by the national army a few days ago, inciting violence in 20 of 32 states of the country. Mass graves found near Guadajalara stadium in Mexico ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 According to New York Post report, more than 20 mass grave cites have been found near the Akron Stadium - World Cup venue in Guadalajara - in last year or so. In the recent discovery, more than 500 bags of human remains have also been found in just four of 22 grave cites - sparking safety concerns. The startling discovery, coupled with recent violence after killing of El Mencho, is more than enough to put second thoughts not only in mind of fans but the organisers as well. Also Read - US men's hockey players agree making 'mistake' by laughing at Trump's remark about women's team The FIFA World Cup starts June 11 and runs until July 19 in the USA, Canda, and Mexico with Mexico hosting the opening match of the tournament before beiing home to 12 more games. FIFA World Cup match schedule in Mexico Guadalajara will host the matches on June 12 (Korea vs qualifier), June 19 (Mexico vs Korea), June 24 (Colombia vs qualifier), and June 27 (Uruguay vs Spain). Apart from the four matches, the venue will also co-host the playoff tournament along with Monterrey to detemine the final two teams of the quadrennial event. As for Mexico City, it will host Mexico vs South Africa (June 12), Uzbekistan vs Colombia (June 18), Qualifier 1 vs Mexico (June 25), Round of 32 match (Jul 1), and one Round of 16 match (Jul 6). The third venue Monterrey will host Qualifier team vs Tunisia (June 15), Japan vs Tunisia (June 21), South Africs vs Korea (June 25), and a Round of 32 match (June 30).

The FIFA World Cup starts June 11 and runs until July 19 in the USA, Canda, and Mexico with Mexico hosting the opening match of the tournament before beiing home to 12 more games. The mass graves have been found near the vicinity of Guadajalara stadium in Jalisco state.

FIFA World Cup 2026 | '500 bags of human remains': Mass graves near Mexico WC venue spark fresh security concerns

The FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities in the USA (co-host with Mexico and Canada) have warned the Congress on Tuesday (Feb 24) that funding freeze on the earmarked money could spell disaster for the country in the upcoming tournament. The issues were raised during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing. The major issue was not getting the money from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department is facing freeze on the funding following death of two US citizens in Minneapolis by ICE agents with Tuesday (Feb 24) being the 11th day of funding freeze.&nbsp;<h2>FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities in US dealing with money crunch</h2>Nearly $900 million has been earmarked for the host cities by FEMA for the 11 host cities. According to FEMA website,$625 million was marked for "to enhance security and preparedness" in the host cities of the tournament while $250 million was "to strengthen their ability to detect, identify, track, or mitigate" drone threats.The officials who testifies at the ceremony, meanwhile, said that the agencies responsible for smooth functioning of the event in respective cities have not been up to the mark in coordinating with the federal government and among themselves on the issues.The committee also heard other issues which could potentially disrupt the event including drone threats, human trafficking, ICE being part of security and the recent violence in Mexico because of the killing of drug cartel leader El Mencho.Ray Martinez, the COO of Miami World Cup host committee, which has applied for $70 million in federal funds, said: "We're 107 days out from the tournament but, more importantly, we're about 70-something days out from starting to build the Fan Fest. These decisions have to be made. ...Without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic for our planning and coordination."<h2>FIFA World Cup dates and venues in US</h2>The FIFA World Cup 2026 starts June 11 with the US hosting the first match on June 12 in Los Angeles and 15 other cities as the host for 77 other matches. The cities in the US which will be hosting the FIFA World Cup, apart from LA, are Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco Bay Area.

The major is was not getting the money from FEMA which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department is facing freeze on the funding following death of two US citizens in Minneapolis by ICE agents with Tuesday (Feb 24) being the 11th day of funding freeze.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities in the USA (co-host with Mexico and Canada) have warned the Congress on Tuesday (Feb 24) that funding freeze on the earmarked money could spell disaster for the country in the upcoming tournament. The issues were raised during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing. The major issue was not getting the money from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department is facing freeze on the funding following death of two US citizens in Minneapolis by ICE agents with Tuesday (Feb 24) being the 11th day of funding freeze. FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities in US dealing with money crunch Nearly $900 million has been earmarked for the host cities by FEMA for the 11 host cities. According to FEMA website,$625 million was marked for "to enhance security and preparedness" in the host cities of the tournament while $250 million was "to strengthen their ability to detect, identify, track, or mitigate" drone threats. The officials who testifies at the ceremony, meanwhile, said that the agencies responsible for smooth functioning of the event in respective cities have not been up to the mark in coordinating with the federal government and among themselves on the issues. The committee also heard other issues which could potentially disrupt the event including drone threats, human trafficking, ICE being part of security and the recent violence in Mexico because of the killing of drug cartel leader El Mencho. Ray Martinez, the COO of Miami World Cup host committee, which has applied for $70 million in federal funds, said: "We're 107 days out from the tournament but, more importantly, we're about 70-something days out from starting to build the Fan Fest. These decisions have to be made. ...Without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic for our planning and coordination." FIFA World Cup dates and venues in US The FIFA World Cup 2026 starts June 11 with the US hosting the first match on June 12 in Los Angeles and 15 other cities as the host for 77 other matches. The cities in the US which will be hosting the FIFA World Cup, apart from LA, are Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco Bay Area.

The major is was not getting the money from FEMA which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department is facing freeze on the funding following death of two US citizens in Minneapolis by ICE agents with Tuesday (Feb 24) being the 11th day of funding freeze.

FIFA World Cup 2026 | US host cities struggling with planning over funding freeze

Champions League <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-round-of-16-teams-bracket-draw-match-ups-and-knockout-playoff-results-1772080353341">knockout playoffs are done with eight teams qualifiying for the round of 16</a>. The 16 teams will now face each other in two-legged home and away fixtures format for a place in the quarterfinals. The draw for Champions League R16 will be held by UEFA on Friday (Feb 27) at the headquarter in Nyon, Siwtzerland. The eight teams qualified for R16 after knockout playoffs are: Newcastle, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Bodo/Glimt, Atalanta, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Galatasaray. The top eight teams which qualified for R16 from the league phase are: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City.<h2>Champions League - How does round of 16 draw work?</h2>To determine the fixtures, top 8 seeded teams will be divided into four pairs of two teams each based on their seeding, i.e., 1 &amp; 2, 3 &amp; 4, 5 &amp; 6, and 7 &amp; 8. Each pair of two teams will be placed in the R16 against relevent winners of knockout playoffs, which are placed as per seeding from previous round to determine the playoff seeds.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jeremy-swayman-us-men-s-ice-hokcey-backup-goalie-calls-out-team-for-better-reaction-on-trump-s-remark-on-women-s-team-1772087072743">Jeremy Swayman, US men's ice hokcey backup goalie, calls out team's reaction on Trump's remark on women's team</a>The draw will then determine the side of bracket for each seeded team (1st game home or away), starting with the pair of 7 &amp; 8 seed teams and ending with 1 &amp; 2.One ball from each of four bowls of four pairs (in which top 8 seeded teams are divided) will be picked and the first team selected will then be placed on the reserved spot on silver side while the remaining team from the bowl of one pair will be placed on the blue side.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The road to Budapest 🛣️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> <a href="https://t.co/TzhBKnPqYR">pic.twitter.com/TzhBKnPqYR</a>&mdash; UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague/status/2026422882537001330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Champions League - Round of 16 match-ups</h2>Once the draw is done, following match-ups could take place in the R16 which starts March 10 before the QFs on April 7-8 (1st leg) and April 14-15 (2nd leg), semi-finals on April 28-29 (1st leg) and May 5-6 (2nd leg) and the final on May 30 at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Huagary.PSG vs. Barcelona or Chelsea Galatasaray vs. Liverpool or Tottenham Real Madrid vs. Sporting CP or Manchester City Atalanta vs. Arsenal or Bayern Munich Newcastle vs. Chelsea or Barcelona Atletico Madrid vs. Tottenham or Liverpool Bodø-Glimt vs. Manchester City or Sporting CP Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich or Arsenal&nbsp;

The draw for Champions League R16 will be held on Friday (Feb 27) at the headquarter in Nyon, Siwtzerland. Once the draw is done, R16 starts Mar 10 before QFs on April 7-8 (1st leg) & April 14-15 (2nd leg), SFs on April 28-29 (1st leg) & May 5-6 (2nd leg) and the final on May 30.

Champions League knockout playoffs are done with eight teams qualifiying for the round of 16. The 16 teams will now face each other in two-legged home and away fixtures format for a place in the quarterfinals. The draw for Champions League R16 will be held by UEFA on Friday (Feb 27) at the headquarter in Nyon, Siwtzerland. The eight teams qualified for R16 after knockout playoffs are: Newcastle, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Bodo/Glimt, Atalanta, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Galatasaray. The top eight teams which qualified for R16 from the league phase are: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham, Barcelona, Chelsea, Sporting CP, and Manchester City. Champions League - How does round of 16 draw work? To determine the fixtures, top 8 seeded teams will be divided into four pairs of two teams each based on their seeding, i.e., 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6, and 7 & 8. Each pair of two teams will be placed in the R16 against relevent winners of knockout playoffs, which are placed as per seeding from previous round to determine the playoff seeds. Also Read - Jeremy Swayman, US men's ice hokcey backup goalie, calls out team's reaction on Trump's remark on women's team The draw will then determine the side of bracket for each seeded team (1st game home or away), starting with the pair of 7 & 8 seed teams and ending with 1 & 2. One ball from each of four bowls of four pairs (in which top 8 seeded teams are divided) will be picked and the first team selected will then be placed on the reserved spot on silver side while the remaining team from the bowl of one pair will be placed on the blue side.

The draw for Champions League R16 will be held on Friday (Feb 27) at the headquarter in Nyon, Siwtzerland. Once the draw is done, R16 starts Mar 10 before QFs on April 7-8 (1st leg) &amp; April 14-15 (2nd leg), SFs on April 28-29 (1st leg) &amp; May 5-6 (2nd leg) and the final on May 30.

Champions League - How round of 16 draw works? Check all possible match-ups

The UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs are done with eight teams finalized for a place in the last 16 along with eight directly qualified teams. Four spots were up for grabs on Wednesday (Feb 25) after Atletico Madrid, Newcastle, Leverkusen, and Bodo/Glimt qualifed on Tuesday (Feb 24). The remaining four spots went to Galatasary, Atalanta, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Real Madrid. All eight teams played two-legged playoffs for a place in the last 16 in home and away format. Now, the UEFS will hold a draw to determine the R16 fixtures- also played in two legs in home and away format with eight teams moving for the quarterfinals.<h2>Champions League - Which teams qualified for R16</h2>Eight teams were already in the R16 aftr finishing in top 8 of the league stage while eight teams played two-legged knockout playoffs for a place in final 16. Below are all the team which have qualifed for round of 16 Arsenal Bayern Munich Liverpool Tottenham Barcelona Chelsea Sporting CP Manchester City Atlético Madrid (won playoff vs. Club Brugge) Newcastle (won playoff vs. Qarabag) Bayer Leverkusen (won playoff vs. Olympiacos) Bodø/Glimt (won playoff vs. Inter) Atalanta (won playoff vs. Borussia Dortmund) Real Madrid (won playoff vs. Benfica) PSG (won playoff vs. Monaco) Galatasaray (won playoff vs. Juventus)Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-real-madrid-psg-advance-but-juventus-sent-packing-by-galatasaray-1772072168957">UCL: Real Madrid, PSG advance but Juventus sent packing by Galatasaray</a><h2>Champions League - Aggregate playoff scores of all teams</h2>16 teams played two-legged knockout playoffs in home and away format with eight coming out victorious. Below are the final aggregate scores of all the winning teams in knockout playoffs:Galatasaray 7, Juventus 5&nbsp; Real Madrid 3, Benfica 1 PSG 5, Monaco 4 Atalanta 4, Borussia Dortmund 3 Atlético Madrid 7, Club Brugge 4 Newcastle 9, Qarabag 3 Bodø/Glimt 5, Inter 2 Bayer Leverkusen 2, Olympiacos 0<h2>Champions League - Round of 16 match-ups</h2>The UEFA will hold a draw to determine the R16 fixtures which will also be played in two-legged home and away fixtures and the round begins on March 10. Below are the potential match-ups in the Round of 16:PSG vs. Barcelona or Chelsea Galatasaray vs. Liverpool or Tottenham Real Madrid vs. Sporting CP or Manchester City Atalanta vs. Arsenal or Bayern Munich Newcastle vs. Chelsea or Barcelona Atletico Madrid vs. Tottenham or Liverpool Bodø-Glimt vs. Manchester City or Sporting CP Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich or Arsenal

<h2>Champions League - When is Round of 16 Draw</h2>The UEFA will hold Champions League R16 draw on Friday (Feb 27) at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland to determine the match-ups. Once the R16 matches are done, the QFs will be played on April 7-8 (1st leg) and April 14-15 (2nd leg).The semi-finals amonf top four will be played on April 28-29 (1st leg) and May 5-6 (2nd leg).<h2>Champions League - When and where is the final</h2>The Champions League final takes place at the Puskás Aréna on May 30 in Budapest, Huagary.&nbsp;

16 teams played two-legged knockout playoffs in home and away format with eight coming out victorious. The UEFA will hold Champions League R16 draw on Friday (Feb 27) at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland to determine the match-ups which start from March 10.

The UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs are done with eight teams finalized for a place in the last 16 along with eight directly qualified teams. Four spots were up for grabs on Wednesday (Feb 25) after Atletico Madrid, Newcastle, Leverkusen, and Bodo/Glimt qualifed on Tuesday (Feb 24). The remaining four spots went to Galatasary, Atalanta, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Real Madrid. All eight teams played two-legged playoffs for a place in the last 16 in home and away format. Now, the UEFS will hold a draw to determine the R16 fixtures- also played in two legs in home and away format with eight teams moving for the quarterfinals. Champions League - Which teams qualified for R16 Eight teams were already in the R16 aftr finishing in top 8 of the league stage while eight teams played two-legged knockout playoffs for a place in final 16. Below are all the team which have qualifed for round of 16 Arsenal Bayern Munich Liverpool Tottenham Barcelona Chelsea Sporting CP Manchester City Atlético Madrid (won playoff vs. Club Brugge) Newcastle (won playoff vs. Qarabag) Bayer Leverkusen (won playoff vs. Olympiacos) Bodø/Glimt (won playoff vs. Inter) Atalanta (won playoff vs. Borussia Dortmund) Real Madrid (won playoff vs. Benfica) PSG (won playoff vs. Monaco) Galatasaray (won playoff vs. Juventus) Also Read - UCL: Real Madrid, PSG advance but Juventus sent packing by Galatasaray Champions League - Aggregate playoff scores of all teams 16 teams played two-legged knockout playoffs in home and away format with eight coming out victorious. Below are the final aggregate scores of all the winning teams in knockout playoffs: Galatasaray 7, Juventus 5 Real Madrid 3, Benfica 1 PSG 5, Monaco 4 Atalanta 4, Borussia Dortmund 3 Atlético Madrid 7, Club Brugge 4 Newcastle 9, Qarabag 3 Bodø/Glimt 5, Inter 2 Bayer Leverkusen 2, Olympiacos 0 Champions League - Round of 16 match-ups The UEFA will hold a draw to determine the R16 fixtures which will also be played in two-legged home and away fixtures and the round begins on March 10. Below are the potential match-ups in the Round of 16: PSG vs. Barcelona or Chelsea Galatasaray vs. Liverpool or Tottenham Real Madrid vs. Sporting CP or Manchester City Atalanta vs. Arsenal or Bayern Munich Newcastle vs. Chelsea or Barcelona Atletico Madrid vs. Tottenham or Liverpool Bodø-Glimt vs. Manchester City or Sporting CP Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich or Arsenal

16 teams played two-legged knockout playoffs in home and away format with eight coming out victorious. The UEFA will hold Champions League R16 draw on Friday (Feb 27) at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland to determine the match-ups which start from March 10.

Champions League - Which teams qualifed for R16? Check all playoff results and future schedule

Vinicius Junior sealed Real Madrid's progress to the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday with the clincher against Benfica as holders Paris Saint-Germain edged out 10-man Ligue 1 rivals Monaco. Italian giants Juventus almost pulled off a stunning comeback from their 5-2 first leg deficit against Galatasaray, but extra-time goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz gave the Turks a 7-5 aggregate victory, while Lazar Samardzic's injury-time spot-kick put Atalanta through 4-3 on aggregate against Borussia Dortmund.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/formula-1-drive-to-survive-christian-horner-reveals-max-verstappen-s-role-in-red-bull-exit-in-netflix-series-1772007778015">Ex-Red Bull boss Christian Horner reveals Max Verstappen's role in exit</a>Vinicius scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory on the night to secure a 3-1 aggregate success for Real in the play-off tie in Madrid."(Vini) had a great game," Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar."Unbalancing them, scoring, creating a lot of danger every time he took them on."A week on from the racism furore in the first leg in Lisbon, Vinicius provided the perfect riposte as the man he accused of racial abuse, Argentine midfielder Gianluca Prestianni sat out the match with a provisional ban imposed by UEFA.Benfica coach Jose Mourinho was also suspended for the match against his former employers but his side briefly gave him hope of a shock result.Rafa Silva gave Benfica a deserved lead on 14 minutes, but two minutes later, Aurelien Tchouameni levelled things up on the night with a crisp finish from Federico Valverde's cutback.With strike-partner Kylian Mbappe injured, Vinicius then stole the limelight, breaking clear 11 minutes from time to fire across goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin and into the far corner.Tchouameni called it "a victory over racism".PSG overcame a first-half scare to beat Monaco 5-4 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes."What we've shown this season is our resilience, our ability to solve problems," PSG coach Luis Enrique said of his team.With Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi picked to start despite facing trial for alleged rape, PSG made a sluggish opening.Monaco pulled level on aggregate just before half-time as Maghnes Akliouche finished smartly from Mamadou Coulibaly's clever pass.But Coulibaly picked up two yellow cards in quick succession early in the second half and almost immediately, Desire Doue teed up Marquinhos to finish from close range.Six minutes later, Hakimi let fly from distance, Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Koehn parried, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia slammed home the rebound to all but crush the visitors' hopes before Jordan Teze scored in injury time.<h2>Osimhen breaks Juve hearts</h2>Ten-man Juventus's hopes of pulling off a stunning comeback came up short despite beating Galatasaray 3-2 after extra time in Turin.Captain Manuel Locatelli gave Juve a lifeline with a first-half penalty as the Italians dominated.But their hopes of progressing took a huge blow when English centre-back Lloyd Kelly was harshly dismissed early in the second half after catching Yilmaz with his studs as he jumped for a header.Federico Gatti turned home right-back Pierre Kalulu's wicked cross and US midfielder Weston McKennie levelled up the tie eight minutes from time with a back-post header from barely a yard out to force extra time.But Osimhen and Yilmaz's extra period goals sent the Turks through."It almost makes me want to cry for how much we believed. I think we gave our heart, and more," Locatelli told Prime Video."The lads delivered an incredible performance, but we threw the qualification away in the first leg," added Gatti.Serbian midfielder Samardzic's last-gasp penalty earned Atalanta a 4-1 victory on the night at home to Dortmund.Algerian centre-back Ramy Bensebaini gave away the penalty deep into time added on after catching Nikola Krstovic in the face with a high boot.It earned him a second yellow card on a nightmare evening in which he inadvertently contributed to Atalanta's first two goals as well.The Italians had wiped out their 2-0 first leg deficit by half-time thanks to goals by striker Gianluca Scamacca and veteran wing-back Davide Zappacosta, both aided by Bensebaini deviations.Croatian midfielder Mario Pasalic headed home from inside the six-yard box to give the Italians the aggregate lead but Karim Adeyemi's brilliant individual goal had looked set to send the game into extra time.

Italian giants Juventus almost pulled off a stunning comeback from their 5-2 first leg deficit against Galatasaray, but extra-time goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz gave the Turks a 7-5 aggregate victory, while Lazar Samardzic's injury-time spot-kick put Atalanta through 4-3 on aggregate against Borussia Dortmund.

Vinicius Junior sealed Real Madrid's progress to the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday with the clincher against Benfica as holders Paris Saint-Germain edged out 10-man Ligue 1 rivals Monaco. Italian giants Juventus almost pulled off a stunning comeback from their 5-2 first leg deficit against Galatasaray, but extra-time goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz gave the Turks a 7-5 aggregate victory, while Lazar Samardzic's injury-time spot-kick put Atalanta through 4-3 on aggregate against Borussia Dortmund. Also Read - Ex-Red Bull boss Christian Horner reveals Max Verstappen's role in exit Vinicius scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory on the night to secure a 3-1 aggregate success for Real in the play-off tie in Madrid. "(Vini) had a great game," Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar. "Unbalancing them, scoring, creating a lot of danger every time he took them on." A week on from the racism furore in the first leg in Lisbon, Vinicius provided the perfect riposte as the man he accused of racial abuse, Argentine midfielder Gianluca Prestianni sat out the match with a provisional ban imposed by UEFA. Benfica coach Jose Mourinho was also suspended for the match against his former employers but his side briefly gave him hope of a shock result. Rafa Silva gave Benfica a deserved lead on 14 minutes, but two minutes later, Aurelien Tchouameni levelled things up on the night with a crisp finish from Federico Valverde's cutback. With strike-partner Kylian Mbappe injured, Vinicius then stole the limelight, breaking clear 11 minutes from time to fire across goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin and into the far corner. Tchouameni called it "a victory over racism". PSG overcame a first-half scare to beat Monaco 5-4 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes. "What we've shown this season is our resilience, our ability to solve problems," PSG coach Luis Enrique said of his team. With Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi picked to start despite facing trial for alleged rape, PSG made a sluggish opening. Monaco pulled level on aggregate just before half-time as Maghnes Akliouche finished smartly from Mamadou Coulibaly's clever pass. But Coulibaly picked up two yellow cards in quick succession early in the second half and almost immediately, Desire Doue teed up Marquinhos to finish from close range. Six minutes later, Hakimi let fly from distance, Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Koehn parried, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia slammed home the rebound to all but crush the visitors' hopes before Jordan Teze scored in injury time. Osimhen breaks Juve hearts Ten-man Juventus's hopes of pulling off a stunning comeback came up short despite beating Galatasaray 3-2 after extra time in Turin. Captain Manuel Locatelli gave Juve a lifeline with a first-half penalty as the Italians dominated. But their hopes of progressing took a huge blow when English centre-back Lloyd Kelly was harshly dismissed early in the second half after catching Yilmaz with his studs as he jumped for a header. Federico Gatti turned home right-back Pierre Kalulu's wicked cross and US midfielder Weston McKennie levelled up the tie eight minutes from time with a back-post header from barely a yard out to force extra time. But Osimhen and Yilmaz's extra period goals sent the Turks through. "It almost makes me want to cry for how much we believed. I think we gave our heart, and more," Locatelli told Prime Video. "The lads delivered an incredible performance, but we threw the qualification away in the first leg," added Gatti. Serbian midfielder Samardzic's last-gasp penalty earned Atalanta a 4-1 victory on the night at home to Dortmund. Algerian centre-back Ramy Bensebaini gave away the penalty deep into time added on after catching Nikola Krstovic in the face with a high boot. It earned him a second yellow card on a nightmare evening in which he inadvertently contributed to Atalanta's first two goals as well. The Italians had wiped out their 2-0 first leg deficit by half-time thanks to goals by striker Gianluca Scamacca and veteran wing-back Davide Zappacosta, both aided by Bensebaini deviations. Croatian midfielder Mario Pasalic headed home from inside the six-yard box to give the Italians the aggregate lead but Karim Adeyemi's brilliant individual goal had looked set to send the game into extra time.

Italian giants Juventus almost pulled off a stunning comeback from their 5-2 first leg deficit against Galatasaray, but extra-time goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz gave the Turks a 7-5 aggregate victory, while Lazar Samardzic's injury-time spot-kick put Atalanta through 4-3 on aggregate against Borussia Dortmund.

Champions League: Real Madrid, PSG advance but Juventus sent packing by Galatasaray

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has brushed aside any security concern about Mexico hosting the upcoming World Cup 2026 matches. The statement, made by Infantino in Colombia on Tuesday (Feb 224), came on the back of recent violence in the World Cup co-host following the death of drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes aka El Mencho on Feb 22. Guadalajara, one of the FIFA World Cup host cities in the country, was in focus as it was the one of the most affected areas and was the capital city of El Mencho's drug operation's base state Jalisco. The World Cup is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.<h2>FIFA boss speaks on Mexico's future as World Cup co-host</h2>"Very reassured, everything's good. It's going to be spectacular," Infantino said in Columbia's Barranquilla as reported by news agency AFP. The statement came two days after the Mexican Army killed El Mencho in an operation near Guadalajara in which 70-plus cartel members were left dead.After the news of El Mencho's killing, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) members went on a rampage in the country, torching vehicles and blocking roads. 20 of Mexico's 32 states were affected by the violence.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-barcelona-asks-to-move-r16-second-leg-home-match-because-of-presidential-election-on-march-15-1771985355112">Champions League: Barcelona asks to move R16 second-leg home fixture - Here's why</a>Apart from Guadajalara, Mexico City and Monterrey will also host the World Cup matches and were not affected by the violence. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, meanwhile, had assured that fans are at 'no risk' and the situation is 'gradually returning to normal.'<h2>FIFA World Cup match schedule in Mexico</h2>Guadalajara will host the matches on June 12 (Korea vs qualifier), June 19 (Mexico vs Korea), June 24 (Colombia vs qualifier), and June 27 (Uruguay vs Spain). &nbsp;Apart from the four matches, the venue will also co-host the playoff tournament along with Monterrey to detemine the final two teams of the quadrennial event.As for Mexico City, it will host Mexico vs South Africa (June 12), Uzbekistan vs Colombia (June 18), Qualifier 1 vs Mexico (June 25), Round of 32 match (Jul 1), and one Round of 16 match (Jul 6).The third venue Monterrey will host Qualifier team vs Tunisia (June 15), Japan vs Tunisia (June 21), South Africs vs Korea (June 25), and a Round of 32 match (June 30).

Guadalajara, one of the FIFA World Cup host cities in the country, was in focus as it was the one of the most affected areas and was the capital city of El Mencho's drug operation's base state Jalisco. The World Cup is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has brushed aside any security concern about Mexico hosting the upcoming World Cup 2026 matches. The statement, made by Infantino in Colombia on Tuesday (Feb 224), came on the back of recent violence in the World Cup co-host following the death of drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes aka El Mencho on Feb 22. Guadalajara, one of the FIFA World Cup host cities in the country, was in focus as it was the one of the most affected areas and was the capital city of El Mencho's drug operation's base state Jalisco. The World Cup is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA boss speaks on Mexico's future as World Cup co-host "Very reassured, everything's good. It's going to be spectacular," Infantino said in Columbia's Barranquilla as reported by news agency AFP. The statement came two days after the Mexican Army killed El Mencho in an operation near Guadalajara in which 70-plus cartel members were left dead. After the news of El Mencho's killing, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) members went on a rampage in the country, torching vehicles and blocking roads. 20 of Mexico's 32 states were affected by the violence. Also Read - Champions League: Barcelona asks to move R16 second-leg home fixture - Here's why Apart from Guadajalara, Mexico City and Monterrey will also host the World Cup matches and were not affected by the violence. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, meanwhile, had assured that fans are at 'no risk' and the situation is 'gradually returning to normal.' FIFA World Cup match schedule in Mexico Guadalajara will host the matches on June 12 (Korea vs qualifier), June 19 (Mexico vs Korea), June 24 (Colombia vs qualifier), and June 27 (Uruguay vs Spain). Apart from the four matches, the venue will also co-host the playoff tournament along with Monterrey to detemine the final two teams of the quadrennial event. As for Mexico City, it will host Mexico vs South Africa (June 12), Uzbekistan vs Colombia (June 18), Qualifier 1 vs Mexico (June 25), Round of 32 match (Jul 1), and one Round of 16 match (Jul 6). The third venue Monterrey will host Qualifier team vs Tunisia (June 15), Japan vs Tunisia (June 21), South Africs vs Korea (June 25), and a Round of 32 match (June 30).

Guadalajara, one of the FIFA World Cup host cities in the country, was in focus as it was the one of the most affected areas and was the capital city of El Mencho's drug operation's base state Jalisco. The World Cup is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

World Cup 2026 | 'Everything good,' says FIFA chief Infantino on violence-hit Mexico hosting matches

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World Cup 2026 | 'Everything good,' says FIFA chief on Mexico hosting matches