Browsing: Sports
Paris St Germain and France forward Ousmane Dembele was named FIFA men’s player of the year in Doha on Tuesday with Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati winning the women’s award for the third year in a row.Dembele was instrumental in PSG’s first Champions League triumph when they beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the final and scored 35 goals last season across all competitions, including 21 in Ligue 1 to finish as top scorer.The 28-year-old, who won this year’s Ballon d’Or in September, was part of the PSG team which also swept all before them on the domestic front last season and reached the final of the Club World Cup. Bonmati, the Champions League player of the season, also won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the third time in a row this year, and helped Barcelona win the domestic treble along with reaching the Champions League final.The 27-year-old also reached the Euro 2025 final with Spain, losing the decider to England on penalties, and Bonmati was named Player of the Tournament.Sarina Wiegman won the best women’s coach award for the fifth time after leading England to retain their European Championship title, and Luis Enrique won the men’s coach award after taking Paris St Germain to their first Champions League win.The best women’s goalkeeper award went to England and Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton who played a major role in the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 win with her penalty shootout saves and also won the domestic treble with her club.Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plays for Manchester City, won the men’s keeper award for his role in Paris St Germain’s treble win.Mexico’s Lizbeth Ovalle won the FIFA Marta Award, for the best goal in women’s football, for her scorpion kick for Tigres against Guadalajara in March.Santiago Montiel won the Puskas Award for the best men’s goal for his overhead strike for Independiente against Independiente Rivadavia during an Argentine Primera match in May. Related Story Source link
Saudi Arabia have been crowned champions of the AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025, after claiming a 2-0 win over Iraq in the final match held at Stadium 974 in Doha on Tuesday.The tournament took place in Qatar from December 4–16, bringing together rising U-23 football stars from across the region to compete for the prestigious title. This was the first time that the competition was held under the auspices of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF). “The U-23 Gulf Cup is part of a thrilling football season in the country, with Qatar making history by hosting numerous tournaments consecutively. The successful delivery of this tournament once again showcased Qatar’s commitment towards supporting emerging football talents from the region, while uniting fans to celebrate our shared passion for football. Congratulations to all the players who took part, and to Saudi Arabia for clinching the trophy,” said Jassim Sultan al-Rumaihi, AGCFF Secretary General. The AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 featured a total of 14 matches played on state-of-the-art pitches at Aspire Zone, that most recently served as a venue for a historic edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025. Prior to the tournament, Qatar also hosted the AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 that saw Saudi Arabia lift the trophy. The AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 is part of an exhilarating football calendar in Qatar, which also includes the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 taking place from 1-18 December, as well as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025 on 10, 13, and 17 December, reflecting Qatar’s ongoing capability to host world-class sporting events. Source link
The Local Organising Committee of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2205 on Tuesday advised football fans to secure the final batch of tickets for the PSG-Flamengo blockbuster clash on Wednesday. French giants and Champions League winners PSG will take on Brazil side Flamengo at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Wednesday in what promises to be a thrilling contest. The stadium has a capacity of 45,032 seats. The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium hosted seven matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The LOC on Tuesday said due to high demand for the PSG match, the football fans are urged to book their tickets as soon as possible before they sell out on our website. The tickets can be bought from RoadtoQatar.qa The ticket categories and the perks and privileges accorded are listed at RoadtoQatar.qa PSG received an automatic bye into the final after emerging as the Champions League final following their magnificent 5-0 win over Inter Milan last football season. Flamengo, the Rio de Janeiro giants, beat Cruz Azul in the Derby of The Americas last week in Qatar. They then beat the Pyramids at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium to set up the PSG clash. Source link
Action from Qatar-Iraq match. Saudi Arabia and Iraq reached the AGCFF U-23 Gulf Cup final after winning their respective semi-finals at Aspire pitches today.Iraq defeated Qatar 6-7 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regular time.Al Annabi’s goal was scored by Rashid al-Abdullah in the 84th minute, while Iraq’s goal came from a penalty by Amouri Faisal in the 10th minute.Saudi Arabia qualified for the final after defeating UAE 2-0 in their semi-final.Abdullah Radif opened the scoring for Saudi Arabia in the 31st minute, and Thamer al-Khaibari sealed the victory with a goal in the 89th minute.The final will take place tomorrow at the iconic Stadium 974 – the first fully demountable covered football stadium in FIFA World Cup history, which hosted matches during the 2022 tournament. Source link
Captain Marquinhos and Ousmane Dembele both took part in Paris Saint-Germain’s training session in Doha on Tuesday, offering a major boost to the French champions ahead of their Intercontinental Cup final against Brazil’s Flamengo at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Wednesday. Marquinhos, who had been recovering from muscle fatigue in his right hip, showed encouraging signs of readiness in training. The Brazilian defender missed PSG’s Ligue 1 outing against Metz on Saturday but has been included in the squad following positive assessments from the medical staff. Dembele, meanwhile, returned to full training after overcoming a viral illness that ruled him out of the previous two matches. The winger was involved in ball retention and high-intensity drills and is expected to be available for selection. His return strengthens PSG’s attacking options alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola.Dembele, who won his first Ballon d’Or award just three months ago, is also a frontrunner for FIFA “The Best” award, with the ceremony taking place on Tuesday in Doha. PSG’s training session was held behind closed doors at the Al Ersaal Training Site, with almost the entire squad in attendance. Only young midfielder Senny Mayulu was absent as he continued his recovery from illness, though he is expected to rejoin the group shortly. Defender Achraf Hakimi remains unavailable due to an ankle injury. PSG will hold their final training session at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Tuesday before turning their full focus to Wednesday’s final, which kicks off at 8 pm in Al Rayyan. The reigning European champions arrived in Doha on Sunday and are contesting the Intercontinental Cup final for the first time in the club’s history. Already winners of Ligue 1, the Trophee des Champions, the Coupe de France and the Champions League in 2025, PSG have the opportunity to complete an extraordinary quintuple. PSG progressed directly to the title clash, while Flamengo took a longer route. The Brazilian side edged Mexico’s Cruz Azul 2-1 in the FIFA Derby of the Americas before defeating Egypt’s Pyramids 2-0 in the FIFA Challenger Cup to book their place in the final. Source link
The Moroccan national team qualified for the final of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, defeating the UAE 3-0 in their semi-final match on Monday at Khalifa International Stadium. Morocco’s goals were scored by Karim El Berkaoui in the 28th minute, Achraf El Mahdaoui in the 83rd minute, and Abderrazak Hamdallah in the first minute of stoppage time (90+1). Morocco will face the winner of the second semi-final match, which will be played later Monday at Al Bayt Stadium, between Saudi Arabia and Jordan. In the first round, Morocco topped Group B with 7 points from three matches, defeating Comoros 3-1, drawing with Oman 0-0, and then defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0. In the quarter-finals, they defeated Syria 1-0. The UAE national team finished second in Group C with four points from three matches, having lost to Jordan (1-2), drawn with Egypt (1-1), and then defeated Kuwait (3-1). In the quarterfinals, they overcame Algeria 7-6 on penalties after the two teams drew 1-1 in both regulation and extra time. Source link
Nizar al-Rashdan’s brilliant header proved decisive as Jordan beat ten-man Saudi Arabia at Al Bayt Stadium yesterday to set up a FIFA Arab Cup final against Morocco.In the earlier semi-final, Morocco secured their place in the title clash with another imperious defensive display, brushing past the United Arab Emirates 3-0 at Khalifa International Stadium. Jordan were without star forward Yazan al-Naimat, who suffered a serious knee injury in the quarter-final victory over Iraq. But the World Cup-bound nation showed why they are the highest-scoring side in the Arab Cup in Qatar as they ground out a deserved win against Saudi Arabia. After a first half with few chances for either team, the game opened up when al-Rashdan met an inswinging cross from Mahmoud al-Mardi with a powerful, leaping header to give Jordan the lead. Saudi Arabia responded, with Feras al-Brikan’s smart turn-and-shot well saved by Jordan goalkeeper Yazid Abu Leila. Drama came late when Saudi defender Waleed al-Ahmad was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, as Jordan held on for victory. Jordan, who lost the Asian Cup final to hosts Qatar in February last year, will hope for a better outcome as they return to Lusail Stadium for another final on Thursday, this time against Morocco. Yesterday, Morocco put on a brilliant defensive display against the UAE. So far in the tournament, they have conceded only one goal – an own goal in the first hour of their opening match. Going forward, they have been clinical in converting the chances they create. On this occasion, a Karim El Berkaoui header, from a Hamza El Moussaoui cross just before the half-hour mark, proved decisive. The UAE struggled to penetrate centrally, relying on long-range efforts or a string of crosses, most of which were comfortably dealt with by the superb central pairing of Soufiane Bouftini and Marwane Saadane. The Atlas Lions then sealed the win with two late goals. The first came as a pair of substitutes combined, with Abderrazzaq Hamdallah squaring for Achraf El Mahdioui to guide his shot home from inside the box. The second saw the provider turn finisher, as Hamdallah tucked home a Mohamed Boulacsout cross to book Morocco’s passage to the final.UAE coach Cosmin Olariu expressed regret over the loss. “The scoreline does not reflect the course of the game. My team performed well, especially in the second half, but we did not capitalize on our opportunities.” He added: “We started the match positively, but conceded an early goal. In the second half, we controlled the ball and created more chances than in any previous match, but Morocco took advantage of counter-attacks before the end of the half and scored two more goals that decided the match.” Olariu continued: “We took risks to try to recover, but faced a strong, well-organized defensive team. Even when they made mistakes, we did not take advantage of them.”He also noted that physical fatigue and injuries affected the team’s performance in the semi-final. “We played 120 minutes against Algeria, and it was difficult to prepare in just two days for a tough match against Morocco. We also played five matches in nine days and lost four players to injuries, which impacted us greatly.” Concluding, Olariu said: “At the start of the tournament, no one expected us to progress from the group stage, but we reached the semi-finals and faced strong teams like Egypt and Algeria, proving our ability to handle pressure. Despite fielding many young players, they gained valuable experience that will benefit their future through this tournament.” Source link
Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi announced the official window for the 11th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League (HBL PSL). The HBL PSL 11 is scheduled to take place from 26 March to 3 May, 2026. The confirmation of the HBL PSL 11 window marks a significant milestone as preparations intensify for the league’s next phase of expansion. The Pakistan Cricket Board will also host the New Teams Auction on 8 January, 2026 at the Islamabad Convention Centre, where the rights for two new HBL PSL franchises will be offered. The auction will be broadcasted, providing transparency and global visibility to prospective investors and cricket fans worldwide. The HBL PSL continues to attract strong international interest, reflecting the league’s growing commercial strength, expanding global footprint and long-term growth potential. Recent engagements with global stakeholders have underlined confidence in the league’s business model and its positioning among the world’s leading T20 competitions. Recognised for its high-quality cricket, competitive balance and role in developing elite international talent, the HBL PSL has firmly established itself as a premier global T20 league. Source link
The Arabian Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) held its Ordinary General Assembly in Doha on Sunday. President of AGCFF Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed al-Thani…
FIFA has announced that Doha will host The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025 on Tuesday. The prestigious event will be held on the eve of the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025, which will see Paris Saint-Germain of France face Brazil’s Flamengo at the Ahmad Bin Ali World Cup Stadium.During the ceremony, FIFA will unveil the winners of The Best awards for men’s and women’s players, as well as men’s and women’s coaches, for the year 2025. The awards will be presented during the FIFA 2025 gala dinner, to be held at the Katara Hall of the Fairmont Hotel in Doha. FIFA will also announce the winners of the Best Fan Award, Best Men’s and Women’s Goalkeepers, and the Best Goals, which will be revealed through digital video content on FIFA platforms and official social media channels, in addition to the announcement of the FIFA Fair Play Award. The gala dinner will be attended by around 800 high-profile guests, led by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alongside FIFA Council members, FIFA Legends, representatives of member associations from across the globe, as well as local and regional ambassadors and dignitaries from the global football community. FIFA further elaborated that fans played a pivotal role in selecting the winners of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025, casting more than 16 million votes, underscoring the central role of global fan engagement in the awards process. The identities of the winners were determined through a voting system that assigns equal weight to all voting groups, namely: fans, captains and coaches of men’s and women’s national teams, and media representatives. The men’s shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2025 includes: Ousmane Dembele (France), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Harry Kane (England), Kylian Mbappe (France), Nuno Mendes (Portugal), Cole Palmer (England), Pedri (Spain), Raphinha (Brazil), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Vitinha (Portugal), and Lamine Yamal (Spain).The Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid won The Best FIFA Men’s Player award for 2024, while Spain’s Aitana Bonmati of FC Barcelona was crowned The Best FIFA Women’s Player for the same year. QNA 0346 GMT 2025/12/14 Source link