Author: AFP

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Belgium stalwarts Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois head into Group G at the 2026 World Cup knowing this summer’s tournament will likely be their last chance for glory on football’s biggest stage.

Their respective countries have been drawn together into the same pool, alongside New Zealand and Iran, whose participation at the World Cup had been thrown into question following co-host country United States and Israel’s war with the Middle East nation.

The arrival on the international scene in the early 2010s of a Belgian golden generation, featuring Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, De Bruyne, Lukaku and Courtois, seemed to herald a new dawn for the country as they sought to win a first major trophy.

But despite rising to become FIFA’s number one-ranked team, the best result that glittering cast of stars managed to return was a third-placed finish at the 2018 World Cup.

Of that generation remain only Napoli duo De Bruyne and Lukaku, now aged 34 and 33 respectively, and Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois, 34, who returned to the fold last year after a falling-out with previous coach Domenico Tedesco that caused him to miss Belgium’s round-of-16 exit at Euro 2024.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The trio will suspect that the upcoming World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico will be their last chance of turning all that initial hope and expectation into some long-awaited silverware.

And the current batch of Belgian hopefuls is not without talent, as the likes of Amadou Onana, Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremy Doku and Youri Tielemans more than have what it takes to be a stellar supporting cast to their star team-mates.

Egypt’s best-ever goalscorer Salah, who will turn 34 during the World Cup, will doubtless have more modest ambitions heading into the tournament as part of an Egyptian team that have failed to win a trophy since being crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions for a third straight time in 2010.

Despite being widely considered the finest footballer ever to come out of the North African country, Liverpool legend Salah has never tasted success with Egypt.

His sole previous World Cup appearance, in 2018, was hampered by a shoulder injury he suffered in that year’s Champions League final and he goes into this edition struggling for fitness after suffering a hamstring injury in late April, which curtailed his Anfield farewell.

Iran are set to appear at their fourth straight World Cup, but much of the build-up to their latest attempt to reach the knockout stages for the first time has been overshadowed by questions about whether they would be allowed to enter the States.

After a call was made by US special envoy Paolo Zampolli to have his native Italy replace Iran at the World Cup, American Secretary of State Marco Rubio interceded to to deny that Washington had asked the Iranian team not to come to the tournament.

New Zealand will make their third appearance at a World Cup finals this summer thanks to a 3-0 victory over New Caledonia in the final of OFC qualifying.

READ: Kusal Mendis credits PSL success for boosting confidence ahead of West Indies tour

Rajat Patidar led from the front with an unbeaten 93 to help defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) storm into the IPL 2026 final with a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat Titans on Tuesday.

Captain Patidar’s 33-ball knock steered Bengaluru to 254-5 and then their bowlers combined to bowl out Gujarat for 162 in 19.3 overs in the first qualifier in Dharamsala.

Gujarat will have another shot at making the final when they go into Friday’s second qulifier in Chandigarh where they will face the winner of the eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.

The final takes place in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Star batter Virat Kohli hit 43 to lay the foundation for Bengaluru’s mammoth total — the highest ever in an IPL play-off — after being invited to bat first.

The 37-year-old Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is chasing a second straight IPL title with Bengaluru after waiting 18 seasons to lift his first in 2025.

Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who made 30, put on 72 for the second wicket before Jason Holder hit back for Gujarat with two wickets in three balls.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Holder got Virat Kohli to drag the ball back onto his stumps and then had the left-handed Padikkal caught behind by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

But Bengaluru quickly rebuilt the innings with Patidar and Krunal Pandya putting together a counter-attacking stand of 95 off 47 balls.

Both Patidar and left-handed Pandya hit a flurry of fours and sixes, including in a 28-run 15th over, as Gujarat faltered with dropped catches and sloppy ground fielding.

Kagiso Rabada dropped Patidar on 20 and a few fielding blunders let Bengaluru race away before Pandya top-edged Rabada to deep midwicket.

Patidar kept up the charge as he reached his fifty off 21 balls with a six off Rabada.

Patidar lost another partner in Tim David, bowled by Prasidh Krishna for four, but finished with a flourish alongside Jitesh Sharma who hit 15 off five balls.

In reply, 2022 champions Gujarat were never in the chase after being reduced to 51-5 inside six overs.

Gujarat started briskly with in-form opener Sai Sudharsan starting with two successive fours off New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy.

But the bowler had his revenge in a lucky manner in the next over when Sudharsan was out hit wicket, the bat slipping out of his hand and hitting the stumps as he played a sparkling cut to the cover boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled skipper Shubman Gill for two and Josh Hazlewood rattled the stumps of Buttler, who departed for 29.

Wickets kept tumbling as pace bowler Rasikh Salam struck twice in one over and the writing was on the wall.

Impact substitute Rahul Tewatia made 68 to save Gujarat the blushes after they slumped to 88-8 in 11.2 overs.

READ: WATCH: Sai Sudharsan bowled after bizarre bat incident in IPL 2026

Aryna Sabalenka opened her Roland Garros campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Tuesday.

The world number one overcame the sweltering conditions to book her spot in the round of 64 in just over 75 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The only blip for the four-time Grand Slam champion as she returned to winning ways on clay after a surprise early exit from the Italian Open was her failure to serve out the win, but she promptly broke the world number 50 in the next game before rubbing an ice bag over her face and exiting the court.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Happy to be back, thank you for the support. It’s a hot day, thank you so much for staying and don’t forget guys, stay hydrated,” Sabalenka told the spectators on centre court as a heatwave continues to roll over Paris for the start of the tournament.

“I think we all feel pressure… But I’m used to it so I know how to ignore (it),” the Belarusian top seed added as she began her latest attempt at winning a first title at the French Open.

READ: Pakistan’s ‘Chacha Cricket’ to retire after Australia series

AC Milan announced on Monday they had sacked coach Massimiliano Allegri and a host of senior club management after missing out on next season’s Champions League.

The 19-time Serie A winners lost 2-1 at home to Cagliari on Sunday in the final game of the league game season denying them a return to European football’s leading competition.

Allegri, 58, was appointed last May, returning to the northern club 11 years following his first tenure ended, after they also failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Former striker and now RedBird advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic keeps his position despite being heavily criticised by the seven-time European Cup winners’ fans.

“After the disappointment of last year, the mandate ownership set for the club was to return to the Champions League and to establish a foundation for winning consistently at the top of Serie A,” AC Milan’s owners RedBird capital said.

“It is now time for change and a comprehensive reorganisation of football operations.

“Effective immediately, we are parting ways with CEO Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare, head coach Massimiliano Allegri and technical director Geoffrey Moncada.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“We thank each one for their hard work and dedication to AC Milan during their respective tenures.

“Further announcements regarding the next appointments will be made in due course – with the goal to be ready and well prepared for the next season,” they added.

Milan finished one point below Como in the fourth and final Champions League spot after the loss to lowly Cagliari and Cesc Fabregas’ side’s win at Cremonese.

They had started the day in third.

They spent more than half of the season in the top two of the table before an end of season slump which included three losses, a draw and just one win.

After the Cagliari shock former Juve boss Allegri had said nothing about his future at the San Siro.

“For the majority of this season, we were in the top two positions in Serie A, with a credible shot at competing for the Scudetto,” RedBird said.

“The final stretch was completely inconsistent with the performance up to that point, with last night’s disappointing loss in the final game turning the season into an unequivocal failure,” they added.

Milan will start the new Serie A season on the weekend of August 22-23 and will also feature in the second-tier Europa League.

Red Bird will now look for a fifth man in charge since they took over the club in 2024.

Italian media have linked Antonio Conte, who has just left Napoli and Atalanta’s Raffaele Palladino, with the Milan job.

READ: Iran to base FIFA World Cup 2026 camp in Mexico

Mexico will allow Iran to be based in the country during the FIFA World Cup 2026 so its players can avoid US visa restrictions, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday.

The Iranian national team, scheduled to play three first-stage matches in US stadiums, announced on Saturday that FIFA had endorsed its plan to stay overnight on the Mexican side of the border to avoid visa problems.

Uncertainty has clouded the Iranian team’s participation in the tournament ever since the US and Israel launched an offensive against the Islamic republic in late February.

The team had originally planned to set up camp in Tucson, in the US state of Arizona.

“The United States doesn’t want the Iranian team to spend the night,” Sheinbaum told reporters in her daily press conference. “So they asked us, ‘can we stay the night in Mexico? We said sure, no problem.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The Iranian team chose the northwestern border state of Tijuana as their base, where they will recuperate in between two games in Los Angeles and a third in Seattle.

The players are in Group G and will debut on June 15 in a game against New Zealand.

Sheinbaum explained that Mexican authorities are coordinating the details of the Iranians’ stay with FIFA.

Iran and the United States broke diplomatic relations in 1980 after militants held dozens of Americans hostage for more than a year in the US Embassy in Tehran.

READ: Kusal Mendis named Sri Lanka white-ball captain for West Indies tour

Veteran batting great Virat Kohli and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be in the spotlight as the T20 Indian Premier League spans the generations in the playoffs beginning on Tuesday.

There are 22 years between the 37-year-old Kohli, who helped power defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the regular season standings, and teenage prodigy Sooryavanshi, whose batting fireworks have been the talk of the IPL season.

Kohli and Bengaluru will meet Gujarat Titans in the first “qualifying” play-off in Dharamsala on Tuesday, with the winner going straight into Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.

Sooryavanshi and Rajasthan Royals sealed the final play-off berth only on Sunday and will meet Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday in Chandigarh, where the losers will go home.

The winner will face the loser of Tuesday’s qualifying playoff in the final eliminator on Friday in Chandigarh.

“We don’t pick age, we pick ability,” Rajasthan head coach Kumar Sangakkara said, referring to the 15-year-old rising star.

“All guys, young and old, have done well to drag us to qualification.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

England fast bowler Jofra Archer has also been instrumental in Rajasthan’s campaign, scoring 32 runs and taking 3-17 in the win that saw them into the last four.

Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is chasing a second straight IPL title with Bengaluru after waiting 18 seasons to lift his first in 2025.

“Even after all these years, it is the love for the game. I just love hitting the ball in the middle of the bat. That joy is still there,” said Kohli, who is ninth on the IPL batting chart with 557 runs and a top score of 105 not out.

Sooryavanshi is fifth on 583 runs with a best of 103 off 37 balls.

Rajasthan’s opponents on Wednesday will be Sunrisers Hyderabad, who boast a formidable batting line-up featuring openers Travis Head of Australia, Abhishek Sharma, and South African Heinrich Klaasen, who has hammered 606 runs with six half-centuries.

The batting chart is topped by Gujarat Titans openers Sai Sudharsan (638 runs) and Shubman Gill (616).

Gujarat won the IPL in their debut season in 2022 and if they reach the final again will play the showpiece in their home 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

READ: Australia ready for Cameron Green’s trial on Pakistan tour

Elena Rybakina eased into the second round at Roland Garros on Monday with a comfortable opening win over Slovenian Veronika Erjavec.

The second seed needed just 74 minutes on a scorching Court Philippe Chatrier to seal her passage through the round of 128 with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

“I’m really happy with the win of course, there are things to improve but today it’s really hot,” Rybakina said on court, before reminding the spectators to make sure to stay hydrated.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“It’s tough conditions but I’m happy things worked, and I’m looking forward to the next match.”

Rybakina will next take on Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva as the Kazakh seeks to win her second Grand Slam of the season, following her success at the Australian Open in January.

Despite disappointing runs in the WTA 1000-level events immediately preceding the French Open, the 26-year-old has already lifted a title on clay this season in Stuttgart.

READ: Who will wear Brazil’s iconic No. 10 jersey in FIFA World Cup 2026?

Lamine Yamal has been named in the Spain squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, announced by coach Luis de la Fuente on Monday, which also included Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino after his recent return from injury.

For the first time at a World Cup, the Spain squad will not feature a Real Madrid player, with Dean Huijsen dropped and veteran Dani Carvajal also excluded after struggling through an injury-hit campaign.

Merino, a favourite of coach De la Fuente, appeared as a substitute for the Gunners against Crystal Palace on Sunday in their final Premier League match, for his first appearance since January after a foot fracture.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

De La Fuente also called up defenders Eric Garcia and Marc Pubill after impressive seasons with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, respectively, deciding to leave out Huijsen and Atletico’s Robin Le Normand.

Along with teenager Barca star Yamal, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams played a key role as Spain won Euro 2024, and he is in the squad despite a season badly disrupted by fitness issues.

Yamal, 18, is a doubt for the first matches of the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury with Barcelona, which has kept him out since late April.

Spain squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Joan Garcia (Barcelona)

Defenders: Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)

Midfielders: Rodri (Manchester City), Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino (Arsenal), Pedri, Gavi (Barcelona), Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace), Victor Munoz (Osasuna), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo (Barcelona), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo)

READ: Pakistan-born Hamza Khan hits second-highest T20I score

Travis Head and his wife Jessica have been subjected to a barrage of online abuse after the Australian cricketer was embroiled in a spat with India great Virat Kohli during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match.

The players clashed during the T20 match between Head’s Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.

Heated words were exchanged between the two before Kohli was dismissed for 15 and his team slumped to a 55-run defeat.

As the two sets of players lined up for the post-game handshakes, Kohli ignored Head’s outstretched arm but shook hands with the other players.

The Instagram accounts for Head and Jessica have since been flooded with abusive comments, apparently from fans of the former India captain.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Jessica told The Advertiser newspaper that her friends and family had also received hateful private messages.

“I woke up to my socials blasting… we are fine, but they are attacking my friends and family,” she said Monday, according to the reports.

“Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game.

“Hopefully, this encourages more kindness and support for one another.”

She also said it felt like “a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup”, referring to the 2023 50-over tournament when Australia beat hosts India in the final in Ahmedabad.

READ: Lionel Messi leaves MLS game in injury scare ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi was at the centre of an injury scare just weeks before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday after abruptly exiting Inter Miami’s Major League Soccer (MLS) clash against the Philadelphia Union.

Argentina superstar Messi was substituted in the 73rd minute at a rain-soaked Nu Stadium in Miami after clutching the back of his left leg and requesting to come off.

The 38-year-old icon appeared to be walking normally as he headed straight down the tunnel after exiting the game, which Miami went on to win 6-4.

Inter Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos said after the game it was too early to determine if Messi was injured, and suggested the Argentine’s substitution was precautionary due to the pitch conditions.

“As far as I know, we don’t have a (medical) report on that yet, but we will have one shortly,” Hoyos said after the game when asked for details of Messi’s condition.

“He was genuinely suffering from fatigue in that regard; it is indeed fatigue. He was tired; the pitch was heavy, and when in doubt, the standard approach is always to ensure you don’t take any risks.”

Messi’s Inter Miami team-mate Mateo Silvetti was unable to shed any light on his compatriot’s condition.

“I’m just as in the dark as everyone else,” Silvetti said. “At that moment, we were all focused on the match. I didn’t know if it was an injury or if he was simply tired.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“We’re hoping it turns out to be nothing serious. Given his mindset and everything else, we’re going to wish him the very best.”

Messi has carefully managed his workload since joining Inter Miami in 2023, with team staff regularly excusing him from games during particularly congested fixture periods.

He has spent multiple stints on the sidelines in the past few years due to problems with his hamstring, which caused him to miss parts of Miami’s pre-season campaign earlier this year.

Any significant injury to the eight-time Ballon D’Or winner, though, would deal a huge blow to Argentina’s hopes of defending their World Cup crown in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The tournament kicks off in Mexico City on June 11, with Argentina due to play their opening game against Algeria in Kansas City five days later.

Inter Miami’s game on Sunday was the last before MLS takes a break ahead of the World Cup.

Messi has not formally confirmed he plans to play in the World Cup, but is widely expected to return for what will be a record-equalling sixth appearance at the finals.

Argentina’s squad is due to be named next week, and the South American giants will head to the United States shortly afterwards for pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras in Texas on June 6, followed by a game against Iceland on June 9.

READ: Novak Djokovic comes from behind to keep French Open bid alive