Category: Sports

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of High Performance (DHP) Aqib Javed has addressed the omission of fast bowler Shaheen Afridi from the ongoing red-ball camp at the National Cricket Academy.

Aqib responded to questions regarding Shaheen’s absence from the red-ball camp, amid eports suggesting that he and Noman Ali have been left out of the red-ball camp, with a focus on white-ball cricket.

Aqib responded to questions regarding Shaheen’s absence from the red-ball camp, amid reports suggesting that he had been left out with a focus on white-ball cricket.

“There is nothing permanent,” Aqib said in response.

Shaheen’s recent Test appearance came against Bangladesh last month, where he took five wickets in th the match. He was subsequently replaced by Khurram Shehzad for the second Test.

The PCB has named 22 players for the red-ball camp, with Shaheen among several notable absentees. However, he is part of the 27-member white-ball group that is due to report on 15 June.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

Aqib also commented on Pakistan’s approach for Asian Games 2026, saying that the emphasis was on balancing experience with youth development.

“As for your point about the team India have announced and the squad we have selected, our approach from the very beginning was that tournaments like these provide an opportunity to give chances to both our core players and promising youngsters,” explained Aqib.

“Our plan was to field a mix of experienced and young players. I am hopeful that, just as these players have beaten India and given them a tough time at the Under-19 and Shaheen-level competitions, they can deliver similar performances at this level as well.”

For those unaware, Pakistan will compete alongside India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in the 10-team Asian Games, set to be held in September.

Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Oman qualified through regional qualifiers in Singapore, while Japan entered as hosts.

Pakistan squad for Asian Games:

Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan (wk).

READ: Virat Kohli shares touching farewell message for Kane Williamson

Pakistan football team participation has been confirmed for the inaugural edition of the FIFA Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Cup following an invitation from the global football governing body.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup is a newly established, official regional national football tournament organized by FIFA in collaboration with the ASEAN.

The tournament will be held in Indonesia from September 21 to October 6 and will feature teams from across the region in a landmark competition aimed at expanding international football opportunities.

According to reports, Pakistan will participate in the event alongside Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

This will mark a landmark moment for Pakistan as they will participate for the first time in a FIFA tournament outside pf qualification competitions for the FIFA World Cup and continental events.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

The tournament also presents a major opportunity for Pakistan to test itself against established regional opponents and gain valuable international exposure at a time when football in the country is seeking renewed momentum.

Reports said Pakistan’s invitation followed growing engagement between FIFA and PFF President Mohsen Gilani, which helped facilitate the country’s inclusion in the tournament.

For the unversed, the Pakistan Football team triumphed over Afghanistan in the Diamond Jubilee International Tournament in Male.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

It marked the first time the Green Shirts have prevailed in a senior men’s international final after the 1991 Asian Games.

Additionally, Pakistan also won their first-ever standalone international football tournament since sharing the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament crown with India in 1952, a round-robin tournament.

Shayek Dost and Harun Hamid scored goals in the final, and the team finished the four-nation event undefeated, conceding none.

READ: Christian Pulisic plays down injury concerns after USA’s win

United States of America (USA) star Christian Pulisic played down injury concerns after he was hooked at half-time in the World Cup co-hosts’ 4-1 opening win over Paraguay, telling journalists it was just a precaution.

“I just got a bit of a kick in the first half, so I’m really hoping that it’s nothing. Taking a little bit of precaution today. But I’m hoping I’ll be fine in the next few days,” said Pulisic.

The AC Milan forward is the US team’s talisman, shouldering the weight of a nation’s expectations as they try to make history with a deep run in a World Cup in which all of their games will be played on home soil.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

Pulisic was a constant menace in a rampant first half, providing an assist as well as helping create Paraguay’s own goal with a clever one-two with Weston McKennie.

But he was taken off at the half, and later told reporters he had received a knock in “the back of my leg.”

“Sort of my (left) calf area. But I’ve had similar things before…I’m staying positive. I don’t think it’s anything at all.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Coach Mauricio Pochettino also said the forward was substituted because “we didn’t want to take any risks.”

The US will hope Pulisic is correct, after the convincing win, with games ahead against Australia on Friday, and Turkey.

“An incredible start, but there’s a lot more that we still have to do,” said Pulisic.

READ: Dembele backs Mbappe, says criticism of France captain has gone too far

France forward Ousmane Dembele has come to the defence of captain Kylian Mbappe, insisting the criticism directed at the Real Madrid star has become excessive ahead of Les Bleus’ FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Dembele backed his long-time international teammate and argued that Mbappe is often judged more harshly than other players because of his global profile.

The France captain has remained one of the most closely scrutinised figures in world football since his move from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to Real Madrid in 2024.

Although Mbappe continues to produce impressive numbers in front of goal, he has faced criticism following a season in which Real Madrid failed to win either LaLiga or the UEFA Champions League.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

His leadership of the national team has also been questioned by some sections of the French media since taking over the captaincy after Hugo Lloris retired from international football.

Dembele, however, believes much of the criticism has crossed the line.

“The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,” Dembele said. “Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian. He’s an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch.”

“Some people overdo the criticism because he’s Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn’t keep going after him. Whether he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not… It’s too much. He’s still a human being.

“With the France team, he’s very good with us; he’s a leader.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The pair are expected to spearhead France’s bid for a third World Cup title when they begin their campaign against Senegal.

Defender Lucas Hernandez also voiced his support for Mbappe, expressing confidence that the forward will respond strongly to the scrutiny surrounding him.

“Kylian is an extraordinary player,” Hernandez said. “When you’re Kylian Mbappe, everyone looks at everything you do, on the pitch and off the pitch.”

“He’s 100% motivated for the World Cup. All the criticism there has been this season, he’s going to silence it.”

READ: Balogun double inspires USA to commanding win over Paraguay

LOS ANGELES: Folarin Balogun scored twice as hosts United States of America (USA) launched their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion with a convincing 4-1 victory over Paraguay in front of a packed home crowd on Friday.

The Monaco striker starred in a dominant attacking display as the United States delighted 70,492 fans at a sold-out stadium in Los Angeles, putting themselves in a strong position in Group D, which also features Australia and Turkey.

A number of high-profile celebrities were in attendance for the occasion, including Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton, as the co-hosts produced a performance worthy of the occasion.

The United States made the perfect start and took the lead inside seven minutes. Weston McKennie drove forward from midfield before linking up with Christian Pulisic, who returned the ball to his teammate.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

McKennie then found Balogun inside the area, and the danger ultimately resulted in an own goal by Paraguay defender Damian Bobadilla.

Balogun thought he had doubled the advantage midway through the first half, but the effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

The striker was not denied for long, however. Just three minutes later, Antonee Robinson released Pulisic down the left flank, and the captain’s cross found Balogun, who finished from close range to make it 2-0.

The hosts continued to dominate proceedings and added a third goal just before halftime through another moment of brilliance from Balogun.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The forward collected a pass from Malik Tillman on the right side of the penalty area, skipped past two defenders and curled a superb finish into the top corner to complete his brace.

Paraguay showed signs of life in the second half when Julio Enciso created an opening for substitute Mauricio, who reduced the deficit and briefly gave the South Americans hope.

Any hopes of a Paraguay revival were quickly extinguished in stoppage time when Gio Reyna produced a moment of quality to seal the victory.

The midfielder curled a delightful effort into the far corner with the outside of his right foot to cap an impressive performance from the hosts.

READ: Spain are World Cup ‘favourites’ despite knockout woes, says Grimaldo

Alex Grimaldo believes Spain can emulate their Golden Generation by winning the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 two years after being crowned European champions.

The Bayer Leverkusen left-back was part of the squad that dazzled in Germany in 2024, beating the hosts and richly talented France and England sides to win the trophy.

But La Roja have not won a World Cup knockout game since Andres Iniesta’s winning goal in the 2010 final.

An ageing squad, who had won the Euros in 2008 and 2012, crashed out in the group stage at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and failed to get past the last 16 in Russia and Qatar.

However, blessed with the prodigious talent of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, the European champions arrive in the United States in top form.

Excluding penalties, Luis de la Fuente’s side are unbeaten in 31 competitive games stretching back to March 2023.

Spain will face tournament debutants Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.

“I see us as favourites,” a confident Grimaldo told AFP ahead of his first World Cup.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

“The stats are things of the past. We have to concentrate on the day-to-day and go into the first game against Cape Verde as well-prepared as possible.

“The team is full of confidence and very motivated. We are desperate to do a good job because we have the team to do so.”

A set-piece specialist, Grimaldo came through the ranks of Barcelona’s fabled La Masia academy but was forced to move to Portuguese giants Benfica to find regular football.

After seven seasons in Lisbon, his move to Leverkusen propelled him into the national team for the first time in 2023.

Grimaldo was one of the stars as Leverkusen won the Bundesliga for the first time and completed a league and cup double under Xabi Alonso in the 2023/24 campaign.

In three seasons in Germany, the 30-year-old has scored 30 goals and provided 45 assists from left-back.

“I am a full-back that offers a lot going forward. I think that makes people think that I don’t know how to defend, when I have defended all my career,” he said.

“I think I am in very good form. I have played at an incredible level for many years, which has brought me to where I am today.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

No other player has scored more than Grimaldo’s six goals from free-kicks over the past three seasons in Europe’s top five leagues.

And he believes only the great Lionel Messi can claim to be better from dead ball situations.

“I think the distance that is best for me is 25 metres out, more or less. I don’t know if there is anyone that hits it better than me, excluding Messi because Messi is Messi,” he said with a smile.

“From further out there are players that hit it very well like Julian Alvarez or Dominik Szoboszlai.”

Despite his prolific Bundesliga form, Grimaldo remains behind Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella in the battle to be De la Fuente’s starting left-back.

He believes he suffers as only two players in the Spain squad not to play in La Liga or England’s Premier League.

“It is something that I have said a number of times and I don’t hide it. I think (a return to) Spain is the objective I have for the future, but it depends on many things,” he said.

For now the burning desire is to return home as a World Cup winner.

READ: Infantino draws backlash in Italy over World Cup qualification remarks

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come under criticism in Italy after making light-hearted remarks about the national team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup 2026.

The comments, made during an interview with Brazilian broadcaster CazeTV ahead of the tournament opener, sparked an angry reaction from Italian politicians and football supporters, who viewed the remarks as disrespectful toward one of football’s most successful nations.

Italy, four-time world champions, missed a third consecutive World Cup after also failing to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 editions. The absence is particularly notable given that the 2026 tournament features an expanded 48-team format.

During the interview, Infantino joked that Italy might finally return to the World Cup if FIFA expanded the competition to 64 teams in 2030.

He further quipped that the governing body could even increase the number of participants to 208 teams to guarantee the Azzurri a place at the next tournament.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

The remarks quickly generated criticism across Italy, where many felt the FIFA president was making fun of a painful chapter in the country’s football history.

Among the strongest responses came from politician Gaetano Amato, a member of the Movimento 5 Stelle party, who accused Infantino of belittling Italian football.

“Does Gianni Infantino think he’s being funny about Italy not qualifying for the World Cup?” Amato said.

“We should remember that he isn’t speaking as a fan at a bar, but as the President of FIFA. A role that he also has thanks to the support of the Italian federation and which should bring balance and respect.”

Amato acknowledged the struggles of the national team in recent years but argued that such comments were inappropriate coming from football’s highest-ranking official.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Nobody is more ashamed than us about the decline of the national team and the current disaster that Italian football finds itself in. We don’t need his cheap jokes to recognise that,” he added.

“Mocking Italy is a belittling exercise, especially from someone who should represent football across the world, including Italy.”

Italy’s Minister for Sport, Andrea Abodi, also expressed concern over the remarks and said he intended to seek clarification directly from Infantino.

“Given that there is a big distance between Italy and Mexico, I’d rather speak to him on the telephone to understand what he meant,” Abodi said. “I’d like to hear from him directly.”

READ: World Cup 2026: Will Neymar feature for Brazil against Morocco?

FIFA president Gianni Infantino joked that struggling Italy might manage to qualify for the World Cup if the competition was expanded from 48 to 64 teams in 2030.

Four-time world champions Italy failed to qualify for Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and now North America 2026, the first edition to feature 48 teams.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

“We have had discussions about expanding to 64 teams … the matter was presented to the FIFA council,” Infantino told Brazilian digital broadcaster CazeTV on Thursday before the World Cup opener, which Mexico won 2-0 against South Africa.

“Maybe Italy qualify with 64 teams, or we could even go up to 208 teams,” he added with a laugh in a brief interview as he entered Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.

South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Alejandro Dominguez of Paraguay is promoting a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams to mark the centenary of the tournament’s first edition, Uruguay 1930.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Part of the event will be held in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina as a nod to the tournament’s history, but the main host nations will be Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

“We first have to see how this first World Cup with 48 teams goes,” Infantino said.

READ: World Cup 2026: Will Neymar feature for Brazil against Morocco?

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has provided a significant update on Neymar’s recovery, casting doubt over the star forward’s availability for the Selecao’s opening FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture against Morocco.

Neymar has been sidelined since suffering a grade-two muscle tear in mid-May, an injury that forced him to miss Brazil’s final preparations ahead of the tournament.

The 34-year-old has already sat out the team’s two World Cup warm-up matches, including victories over Panama and Egypt.

Speaking ahead of Brazil’s Group C opener, Ancelotti confirmed that Neymar is making progress but is not yet ready to return to full training.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

“He is working hard to recover as quickly as possible,” Ancelotti said. “We hope he can return to full training next week.”

Notably, Morocco arrive at the tournament with growing confidence after their historic run to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

The clash is also notable as the only group-stage fixture featuring two nations currently ranked inside FIFA’s top 10, with Brazil sixth and Morocco seventh.

While Brazil defeated Morocco 3-0 during the group stage of the 1998 World Cup, the gap between the two nations has narrowed significantly in recent years.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Neymar last appeared in competitive action on May 17 for Santos in the Brazilian league before sustaining the injury that interrupted his preparations for the World Cup.

Despite the fitness concerns, Ancelotti stressed the importance of Neymar’s presence within the squad, highlighting both his footballing quality and leadership qualities.

“We called him up not only for his football ability, which is indisputable, but also for the experience and example he can give to the younger players in the group,” Ancelotti said.

Should Neymar feature later in the tournament, he would become only the ninth Brazilian player to appear in four FIFA World Cups, joining an elite list that includes legends such as Pele and Ronaldo.

READ: FIFA World Cup 2026: Canada secure historic point in draw with Bosnia