Category: Sports

Global football governing body FIFA is considering a further increase in prize money for all 48 teams set to compete at the upcoming World Cup 2026, with discussions currently underway with national associations.

The proposal is expected to be reviewed at the upcoming FIFA Council meeting, scheduled ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, where a final decision could be taken.

Earlier in December, FIFA had already announced a significant financial uplift for the 2026 tournament, confirming a prize pool of $655 million, a 50% increase compared to the previous edition. That figure formed part of a broader $727 million financial commitment to the expanded World Cup.

However, fresh talks suggest the governing body is now exploring an even higher payout structure, backed by strong financial growth.

FIFA is projected to surpass $11 billion in revenue during the 2023–2026 cycle, placing it in what officials describe as its strongest financial position to date.

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A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the ongoing discussions, stating that the organisation is looking at increasing overall financial contributions, including payments to participating teams as well as development funding for its 211 member associations.

Under the previously announced model, the bulk of the prize pool was allocated as performance-based earnings, with the tournament winners set to receive $50 million and the runners-up $33 million.

Teams eliminated in the group stage were to earn $9 million each, while every qualified nation would also receive $1.5 million to cover preparation costs.

The 2026 edition will be the first to feature 48 teams, marking a significant expansion in the tournament’s history. It is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

READ: Sevilla move closer to La Liga relegation after loss against Osasuna

Sevilla moved closer to relegation from La Liga by losing 2-1 at Osasuna on Sunday, while Elche picked up three vital points with a 2-1 win at Real Oviedo.

Villarreal continued their strong season with a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo to tighten their grip on third place.

Luis Garcia Plaza’s Sevilla took the lead through Neal Maupay in the 69th minute, but Raul Garcia pulled the hosts level and Alejandro Catena struck in stoppage time to deal a blow to the Andalucians’ survival hopes.

The seven-time Europa League winners are 18th, a point behind Mallorca in 17th place, after the islanders lost at Alaves on Saturday.

“I have a knot in my throat,” said Sevilla defender Gabriel Suazo. “We have to keep moving forward, we have to keep fighting, there are five finals left, and whoever gets to play, if it’s me, I’m going to put my life on the line for this club.”

Elche moved up to 13th with their victory, three points above the drop zone, but are still looking nervously over their shoulders.

Only six points separate Athletic Bilbao, 10th, from Sevilla, with the remaining five rounds of fixtures offering plenty of intrigue as to who will ultimately drop out of the top flight.

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The only side cut badly adrift are Oviedo, who are seven points from safety with only 15 left to play for.

At the other end of the table, high-flying Villarreal defeated Celta to move five points clear of fourth-place Atletico Madrid.

Gerard Moreno’s early penalty sent the Yellow Submarine ahead, and Nicolas Pepe doubled their lead to give them a comfortable advantage at half-time.

Celta, seventh, still have hope of qualifying for European football next season and pulled one back through a Borja Iglesias spot-kick, retaken after encroachment when his first effort was saved.

Ferran Jutgla hit the post for the Galicians, but they could not find an equaliser, suffering a fifth consecutive defeat across all competitions.

Earlier, Alemao struck deep in stoppage time to secure Rayo Vallecano a thrilling 3-3 draw against Copa del Rey winners Real Sociedad.

On Saturday, leaders Barcelona took a big step towards defending their La Liga title with a 2-0 win at Getafe that allowed them to open up an 11-point lead on rivals Real Madrid.

READ: Borussia Dortmund down Freiburg to seal Champions League spot

Borussia Dortmund cruised to a 4-0 home win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday to lock in Champions League qualification for next season.

Maximilian Beier, Serhou Guirassy, Ramy Bensebaini and Fabio Silva all scored for Dortmund, who are 10 points clear of fifth-placed Hoffenheim with three games to play.

Dortmund drew 1-1 with Freiburg earlier in the season, but have now scored three goals or more against the Black Forest club in eight of their past nine meetings.

“We’ve made sure of the Champions League, so of course now we want to lock in second spot,” Beier told DAZN. “The sun is shining, we’ve qualified for the Champions League, it feels good.”

Freiburg sit in eighth place but are through to the Europa League semi-finals, where they face Braga.

Dortmund lead after just eight minutes as Bensebaini lofted a long pass over the midfield to an onrushing Beier, who collected the ball before guiding a shot across the face of the goal.

They added another six minutes later when Guirassy turned in a lovely dipping pass from Julian Brandt.

Bensebaini headed in a Julian Ryerson corner just after the half-hour mark. Ryerson now has 13 assists this season, nine of which have come from corners.

Freiburg’s hopes of kick-starting a comeback took a hit when Lukas Kuebler’s goal was chalked off by VAR for offside 10 minutes into the second half.

Silva added a late fourth for only his second Bundesliga goal.

Stuttgart were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Werder Bremen, denting their hopes of a return to the Champions League.

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Stuttgart’s top-four rivals, Leipzig, Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen all won this weekend to up the pressure on the German Cup holders.

Bremen’s Jens Stage continued his rich run of form, putting the visitors ahead early before Ermedin Demirovic levelled four minutes after coming on in the second half.

Stuttgart sit in fourth place with three games remaining. They are level on points with Hoffenheim but ahead on goal difference, while Leverkusen are lurking two points behind.

Stuttgart still have to play Hoffenheim and Leverkusen, as well as Eintracht Frankfurt.

“In the end, that’s just not enough. In the fight for the Champions League, especially at home, we need to secure every three points available to ensure everything remains in our own hands,” Demirovic said to DAZN. “Even though we were exhausted, we had set our sights higher. This really hurts.”

Bremen’s first point this season against a side currently in the top five left them six points clear of St Pauli, who are in the relegation play-off spot.

Stuttgart’s exertions in Thursday’s extra-time German Cup semi-final victory over Freiburg were clear early as Stage and Senne Lynen glided through the hosts’ sluggish defence.

Dane Stage put Bremen in front after 18 minutes, hitting a low first-time shot into the bottom corner after a clever one-two with Yukinari Sugawara.

The goal was Stage’s 10th this season and his third in two games.

Bremen were the better side in the opening half but the hosts wrestled back control of the game after half-time.

Substitute Demirovic headed in a floating Bilal El Khannouss cross to cancel out Bremen’s advantage just after the hour mark.

READ: Ticket sales open for PSL 11 final today

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that tickets for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 final, scheduled for 3 May, will be available for purchase from 4 pm today (Monday).

Fans can secure their seats through pcb.tcs.com.pk, while physical tickets will be available at 18 designated TCS Express Centres in Lahore from Tuesday at 10am.

Fans should aim to reach the stadium by 18:30 PKT to witness the Curtain Closing Ceremony before the Final Match of the Tournament.

Fans can buy VIP enclosures (Fazal Mahmood and Imran Khan) tickets for PKR 6,000, while the premium enclosures (Rajas and Saeed Anwar) will be available for PKR 4,000.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

First class enclosures, which comprise Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Abdul Qadir, Javed Miandad and Sarfaraz Nawaz, are priced at PKR 2,000.

Seats in the Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Saeed Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq, which are categorised as General enclosures, will be available for a minimum of PKR 1,500.

The thrilling action of the PSL 11 final can also be enjoyed from the VVIP enclosure (Waqar Younis) at the Iqbal End, whose tickets can be bought for PKR 8,000.

The tickets for Zaheer Abbas enclosure at the Jinnah End will carry a price of PKR 10,000. The PCB Gallery tickets are priced at PKR 12,000.

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For the unversed, the ongoing edition of the tournament has been played behind closed doors due to government-imposed austerity measures aimed at reducing fuel consumption amid a broader regional crisis.

Matches were also limited to fewer venues, with Karachi and Lahore hosting fixtures instead of the originally planned six-city format.

However, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi personally requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reconsider the no-spectator policy.

While the government remained cautious due to ongoing resource conservation efforts, an exception has now been made for the final.

READ: PSL 11 playoff schedule confirmed as top four teams locked in

KARACHI: The playoffs for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 are confirmed as the final four teams secured their spots after Islamabad United defeated Multan Sultans in the last league fixture at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Peshawar Zalmi finished the round-robin stage as the top team with 17 points, winning eight of their 10 games.

Zalmi will now play Islamabad United — second on the table with 14 points — on Tuesday, April 28 at National Bank Stadium.

Peshawar Zalmi and United have two chances of qualifying for the PSL 11 final after finishing in the top two of the points table.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

The loser of Qualifier 1 will take on the winner of Eliminator 1 on May 1 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The eliminator will be played between Hyderabad Kingsmen and Multan Sultans on Wednesday, April 29, in Lahore.

PSL 11 Playoff Matches

Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United — Qualifier 1
Multan Sultans vs Hyderabad Kingsmen — Eliminator 1
Eliminator 1 Winner vs Qualifier 1 Runner-up
Final

Earlier today, Islamabad United sealed a four-wicket win over Multan Sultans to seal a top-two berth, thanks to a gutsy half-century from Mark Chapman, who hit 69* from 33 balls, smashing six maximums and four boundaries.

The left-hander was instrumental in the 193-run chase alongside captain Shadab Khan, who also chipped in with his 36 from 28 balls.

On the contrary, playing in their debut season, Hyderabad Kingsmen thrashed Rawalpindiz by a massive margin of 108 runs to seal a berth in PSL 11 playoffs.

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The Kingsmen required to chase down any target in 10 overs or limit the opposition to 158 or less.

The victory was built on several contributions, notably Glenn Maxwell, who hit 70 on just 37 balls, including three sixes and eight fours, propelling them to a total of 244 in 20 overs.

In pursuit of the target Rawalpindiz batting lineup faltered as they were bowled out for 136 in 17.1 overs.

The remarkable bowling performance was spearheaded by Hunain Shah, who earned the player of the match award for his four-wicket haul.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan seeks mystery player’s advice to regain form

Jannik Sinner continued his quest to become the first man in history to win five Masters 1000 tournaments in a row with a smooth 6-2, 6-3 victory over Danish qualifier Elmer Moller at the Madrid Open on Sunday.

The world number one extended his winning streak to 19 matches, a run that began early March in Indian Wells, and he has also captured 24 consecutive victories at the Masters 1000 level, dating back to the Paris Masters last October.

Searching for a maiden title at this level on clay, Sinner advanced to the round of 16 at the Caja Magica with a 77-minute performance against the 169th-ranked Moller.

The Italian broke Moller four times and dropped serve just once late in the opening set to book a last-16 meeting with Cameron Norrie or Thiago Agustin Tirante.

“I tried to stay calm, trying to serve well in the important moments,” Sinner told Tennis TV on court after the win.

“I think today that was the key. And not a lot of rhythm, so I tried to stay quite compact and let’s see what’s coming in the next round.”

Another Italian enjoyed a successful Sunday in the form of Lorenzo Musetti, who overcame Dutch 29th seed Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5.

The sixth-seeded Musetti will face Czech 11th seed Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Earlier in the day, Coco Gauff became the latest victim of the stomach virus that has been sweeping through the draw in Madrid but the ailing American still found a way to beat Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and reach the round of 16.

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Several players have been struggling with illness in the Spanish capital this week, including Iga Swiatek, who was forced to retire from her match against Ann Li on Saturday, and Marin Cilic, who had to withdraw ahead of his second-round meeting with Joao Fonseca on Friday.

Liudmila Samsonova also pulled out of the tournament on Sunday citing illness ahead of her third-round match with Linda Noskova.

Gauff vomited in a bin on the court during her clash with Cirstea, and asked for a medical timeout during the latter stages of the match before she completed the win in two hours and 21 minutes.

“Yeah, I don’t know, honestly (how I got through that),” said Gauff, who will face Noskova in the last 16.

“I was just trying to finish the match and one point turned into another. I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately. So, I’m just going to try to push through for tomorrow.”

A runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in the Spanish capital 12 months ago, Gauff has 3,300 points to defend on clay from Madrid through to her Roland Garros title defence in early June.

“I pulled out in Indian Wells. I’m not someone who likes to pull out, so I didn’t want to pull out again today. So, I’m glad that I was able to get through it,” added the two-time Grand Slam champion.

“I did start to feel better, not feeling like I had to throw up. They gave me some pills, so that definitely helped.

“But I was really tired.”

Fellow American Jessica Pegula was unable to join Gauff in the next round as the fifth seed suffered a 6-1, 6-4 upset at the hands of Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Both players entered the contest riding six-match winning streaks, with Kostyuk clinching a title on red clay in Rouen last week and Pegula successfully defending her Charleston title on green clay earlier this month.

READ: Sabastian Sawe creates new world record in London Marathon

Rawalpindiz captain Mohammad Rizwan has revealed that he is consulting a player to address his form issues after a disappointing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 campaign.

The wicket-keeper batter addressed the media in the post-match press conference after Pindiz concluded their last fixture against Hyderabad Kingsmen.

Rizwan admitted that he has struggled for form and stressed that hard work is the only way to bounce back.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

“My form has not been good, but I do not believe in form. I believe more in hard work, and perhaps there has been some shortcoming in my effort,” he told reporters.

“I am the kind of person who, if my hard work and standards are not where they should be, I remain honest with myself and with Pakistan as well,” he added.

The 33-year-old called for more professionalism and awareness within the team, adding that he is working on his flaws through discussions with a fellow player.

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“Professionalism should come into our players, and awareness needs to improve. As far as I am concerned, I will do everything I can to overcome my shortcomings,” Rizwan continued.

“I am in touch with one player and keep speaking with him. When things become better, I will let you know which player it was,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, Rawalpindiz dismal PSL 11 campaign ended with an 108-run thrashing at the hands of the Hyderabad Kingsmen. The win propelled Kingsmen into the playoffs.

Kingsmen piled up a massive 244 in their 20 overs before bundling them out for 136 in 17.1 overs, marking their ninth loss in 10 matches.

Mohammad Rizwan also endured a poor run, managing only 204 runs from 10 matches at a meager average of 20.40 without a single half-century.

READ: Hyderabad Kingsmen knock Lahore Qalandars out of PSL 11 with big win

KARACHI: A resounding batting performance against Multan Sultans sealed a top-two finish for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

IslamUnited aced the 193 run target inside 18 overs, thanks to an all round batting display headlined by Mark Chapman’s unbeaten knock.

United started shakily in pursuit of a big chase, losing Sameer Minhas and Devon Conway in the first five overs.

After an early blow, Mohsin Riaz and Shadab Khan batted aggressively, particularly the former, who took off from where he left off in the previous game.

Riaz hit five fours in his 25 off 17 before Faisal Akram was introduced into the attack to break the threatening 31-run stand.

The scorecard read 72 in 7.3 overs when Chapman joined skipper Shadab to steady United’s ship. The duo’s brisk batting kept the Sultans bowlers away and brought the team’s total to 135 in just 14.3 overs.

Shadab scored 36 on 28 balls with the aid of five boundaries.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Despite Sultan’s quick strikes, Mark Chapman remained steady and finished the match in style with a boundary on the third ball of the penultimate over. The New Zealander hit six towering sixes and four crisp boundaries in his unbeaten 69 from 33 balls.

For Sultans, Faisal Akram took two wickets.

With this victory, United finished on 14 points and now will play Peshawar Zalmi on April 28 at the same venue.

Earlier, Shan Masood’s gutsy knock, backed by Arafat Minhas and Mohammad Wasim’s cameo, lifted Multan Sultans to a strong total.

Asked to bat first, Sultans managed to put 192-7  in 20 overs.

The inform duo of Sahibzada Farhan and Steve Smith gave a blazing start, bringing the team’s total to 60 before United made a comeback with wickets in quick succession.

Smith was caught behind on the last ball of the power play, whereas Farhan was removed on the first ball of the sixth over. Both players departed for identical scores of 30, hitting four boundaries and a six each.

The scorecard read 60-2 in 6.1 overs with two new batters — Shan Masood and Josh Philippe at the crease. The pair launched a recovery and forged a 42-run partnership off 34 balls.

United bowlers did well to stem the flow of runs after being tonked all around the park. But it was a similar pattern that haunted the Sultans as they lost wickets in quick succession.

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Philippe’s scratchy 11 off 13 balls ended in the 12th over, with Chris Green taking a fine catch. The setback was compounded an over later, when skipper Ashton Turner (9) was caught and bowled.

The slide continued as Shan Masood fell two overs later, while Mohammad Imran managed just five before being dismissed in the next over, reducing the Sultans to 136-6 in 16.3 overs.

However, Mohammad Wasim and Arafat Minhas combined to inject late impetus in the innings with a quick-fire 56-run partnership.

Wasim hit two sixes and two fours in his 26* from just nine, while Minhas tonked three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 31 off 19.

For Islamabad United, all six bowlers used picked up a wicket each, with Imad Wasim remaining the standout for his economical bowling.

READ: Hyderabad Kingsmen knock Lahore Qalandars out of PSL 11 with big win

KARACHI: Islamabad United have won the toss and decided to bowl first against Multan Sultans in the last league stage fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Head to Head

The two teams have met 19 times in the PSL, with United winning 10 games, whereas Sultans have managed nine victories.

Playing XIs

Islamabad United XI: Devon Conway (wk), Sameer Minhas, Mohsin Riaz, Shadab Khan (capt), Mark Chapman, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain, Salman Irshad

Multan Sultans XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Steve Smith, Ashton Turner (capt), Shan Masood, Josh Philippe (wk), Arafat Nawaz, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Peter Siddle, Muhammad Waseem Jnr, Muhammad Ismail, Faisal Akram

READ: Hyderabad Kingsmen knock Lahore Qalandars out of PSL 11 with big win

Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour mark for the first time in history on Sunday in winning the London Marathon as Tigst Assefa smashed her own women’s-only world record.

Kenya’s defending champion Sawe was locked in a tight battle with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in the closing stages but surged clear to cross the line in 1hr 59min 30sec.

Kejelcha, running his first-ever marathon, also dipped under two hours, with a time of 1:59:41, with Uganda’s Jacob Kiplomo third (2:00:28).

All three finished under the previous men’s world record of 2:00:35 set in Chicago in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum.

“We started the race well and at the end of the race, I was feeling strong,” said Sawe.

“Finally reaching the finishing line, I saw the time, and I was so excited to see I had run a world record today.

“I was very prepared because coming to London for the second time was so important to me, and that’s why I prepared well for it.”

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in October 2019, becoming the first person in recorded history to do a sub-two-hour marathon.

But the time was not ratified as a world record because he ran with specialised shoes, standard competition rules for pacing and fluids were not followed, and it was not an open event.

Sawe, wearing Adidas’s new Pro Evo 3 supershoe, which weighs less than 100 grams, suggested before Sunday’s race that a course record or even a world record was in his sights.

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He led a group of six as they passed the half-way point in a time of 1:00:29.

Sawe and Kejelcha pulled clear of the rest of the pack and stayed together until the final stages before the Kenyan kicked for home.

In the women’s race, reigning Olympic and world silver medallist Assefa was locked in a three-way tussle with Kenyan pair Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei, but surged away in the closing stages to cross the line in a time of 2:15:41.

That time beat by nine seconds the Ethiopian’s previous best, set on the same course last year.

“I’m so happy to win again,” said Assefa. “To repeat my victory from last year means even more. The happiness I feel is just swelling up inside me.

“It was one of my plans really coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year’s race. So to do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction.”

Obiri, a two-time former world 5,000m champion who won marathon bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, came in second in a personal best of 2:15:53.

She finished just two-hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot Jepkosgei.

The world record set in a mixed race where female athletes benefit from male pacemakers was by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, who clocked 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024.

More than 59,000 people were expected to complete the 26.2-mile (42.2-km) course in the 46th London Marathon in warm spring weather.

Last year’s race set a new world record for the number of finishers, with a total of 56,640 entrants completing the distance.

Marathon organisers said last month they are exploring holding the event over two days next year, allowing up to 100,000 runners.

The 2025 race raised a record £87.3 million ($118 million) for charity, setting a new world record for the biggest annual one-day fundraising event.

READ: Liverpool close on Champions League spot with win over Crystal Palace