Category: Sports

Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he had acquired a 25 per cent stake in Saudi-owned Spanish second-division club Almeria.

“This strategic investment in UD Almeria reflects Ronaldo’s long-term commitment to professional football ownership,” said a statement from his new sports holding company, CR7 Sports Investments, which gave no financial details of the deal.

“It has been a long-time ambition of mine to contribute to football,” the statement quoted Ronaldo as saying.

Almeria, who were last in the Spanish top flight in 2024, are third in the Spanish second division, one point out of the automatic promotion places.

“Almeria is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth.”

The club is owned by the Saudi group SMC.

“I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to support the club’s next phase of growth,” said Ronaldo, who has played in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nasser since 2023.

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Almeria’s president, Mohamed Al Khereiji, suggested the player would be particularly be involved in the club’s youth programme.

“He is considered the best on the pitch,” Al Khereiji said. “He knows the Spanish leagues very well and understands the potential of what we are building.”

Ronald, who also owns a stake in his Saudi club, last October became the first footballer included in Bloomberg’s ‘Billionaire Index’.

He recently returned to the Al-Nassr first team after a spat over the way Public Investment Fund (PIF), the national sovereign wealth fund which controls four clubs in the league, handled the winter transfer window.

He has scored four times in the last three games.

Ronaldo is set to take part in his sixth World Cup next summer, although he has suggested that, aged 41, it could be his last World Cup.

READ: Abhishek, Hardik power India to 256 against Zimbabwe

CHENNAI: Dominant India sealed a massive win over Zimbabwe in the Group 1 crucial Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

Set a massive 257, spirited Zimbabwe fell short, managing 184-6 despite Brian Bennett’s unbeaten 97*.

Zimbabwe, who stunned Australia and Sri Lanka to reach the Super Eights, were never in the chase despite a brisk start as the asking rate kept rising.

Opener Brian Bennett was not out 97, the highest individual score by a Zimbabwean in T20 World Cup history, as his side exited the semi-final reckoning with a game still to play.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers conceded 510 runs in 40 overs in two Super Eights matches after West Indies posted 254-6 against the tournament’s surprise packages on Monday.

India’s left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh took 3-24 from his four overs.

With this, South Africa have qualified for the semi-final while India will play West Indies in a virtual quarter-final.

Earlier, Abhishek Sharma’s brisk half-century, ably supported by cameos from the middle order, propelled India to a massive total

Put into bat first under lights at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, India racked up a massive 256-4 in their 20 overs, the second-highest target of World Cup history.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma provided a brisk start, adding 48 in 3.4 overs.

Samson made 24 from 15 balls with the help of two sixes and a four.

The rampage continued as Ishan Kishan joined the party, taking the score to 120 in 10.4 overs. Kishan made 38 from 24, striking four boundaries and a six.

Meanwhile, Sharma also continued the assault and reached his — maiden World Cup fifty, putting India into a dominant position.

He was eventually caught after scoring 55 off 30, including four maximums and four boundaries.

At this stage, India were 150-3 in 12.5 overs.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (33 from 13) also flexed their muscles.

Pandya and Varma particularly provided the impetus in the final overs, with the former reaching his fifty on the final ball of the innings. The all-rounder hit four maximums and two fours on his way to 50* from 23.

Meanwhile, Varma 44 from 16 was laced with four sixes and three boundaries.

For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, and Richard Ngarava picked up a wicket each.

Playing XIs

India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Zimbabwe: 1 Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), 2 Brian Bennett, 3 Dion Myers, 4 Ryan Burl, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Tony Munyonga, 7 Tashinga Musekiwa, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Tinotenda Maposa, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard Ngarava

READ: Shanaka seeks government help after T20 World Cup exit

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has urged the government to intervene over players’ mental health concerns following their exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. 

The Islanders suffered a 61-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand, marking their second loss of the Super Eight and ending their T20 World Cup campaign.

Speaking after the loss to New Zealand, Shanaka cited negativity as the reason behind the team’s downfall.

“A lot of times what we see and hear are negative things,” Shanaka said.

“No matter how we as cricketers try to stay positive, there is negativity outside. That’s a big loss for Sri Lankan cricket,” he added.

The skipper emphasized that they have only one sport, noting that there is too much outside noise.

“This is the only sport we have, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to protect it. If you look outside the stadium, you’ll see how many people are standing outside with mics, and people will say stuff without having watched the match,” he continued.

“Why spread this negativity? Yes, we lost a World Cup, and we know the reasons. Everyone has concerns,” Shanaka lamented.

The 34-year-old urged the government to intervene, stating that it would be better for players’ mental health and future if the government mitigated this negativity.

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“More than talking about that and correcting it, the negativity has come to the fore. We will play and leave, but if for the players who will come in the future, if the government can even stop it [the negativity] that’s better for their mental health.”

He also highlighted the squad and emphasised good batting wickets, lamenting the unfavourable conditions.

“I said before the start of the tournament that I expected the wickets to be good for batting,” he said. “Sri Lanka’s best batters are here. We’ve picked players who have good domestic strike rates and ability. No one is here by force.

“Sometimes we don’t get conditions we want, and we lose matches in unexpected ways. We’re very sad about what has happened.”

“The team is always trying to perform, especially in a World Cup, and I don’t think anyone here will be able to play in a World Cup in Sri Lanka again,” Shanaka concluded.

READ: T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe win toss against India

CHENNAI: Zimbabwe have won the toss and opted to field first against India in the Group 1 Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk on Thursday.

Playing XIs

India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Zimbabwe: 1 Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), 2 Brian Bennett, 3 Dion Myers, 4 Ryan Burl, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Tony Munyonga, 7 Tashinga Musekiwa, 8 Brad Evans, 9 Tinotenda Maposa, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard Ngarava

Head-to-head

India and Zimbabwe have played 13 times in T20Is. The Men in Blue have dominated the Chevrons with `10 victories while the latter have only managed three.

Matches: 13, India: 10, Zimbabwe: 3

READ: T20 World Cup: South Africa close in on semis after West Indies rout

AHMEDABAD: Aiden Markram led from the front with a captain’s knock as South Africa thrashed West Indies by nine wickets to move closer to a semi-final berth in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eights on Thursday.

South Africa made lightwork of a stiff 177 target, chasing in 16.1 overs with ease, losing only one wicket in the process.

After the first innings, the momentum was on West Indies side, who remarkably recovered from a precarious position.

However, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram came out all guns blazing, racing to 69 at the end of the powerplay.

The duo made West Indies bowling attack clueless with their aggressive stroke play, particularly Markram who remained the core aggressor.

West Indies finally got a breakthrough in the form of De Kock, who made 47 from 24 balls with the aid of four sixes and four boundaries.

At this point, South Africa were well ahead in the game, with 95 for 1 in 8 overs.

Despite the wicket, Markram continued on, stitching an 82-run partnership with Ryan Rickelton.

The pair made the chase look easy and reached the target on the first ball of the 16th over.

Markram’s unbeaten 82 off 46 was laced with four sixes and seven boundaries. Rickelton also supported him well, managing 45 off 28, including two sixes and four boundaries.

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For West Indies, there was nothing much in the bowling chart, except a solitary wicket for Roston Chase.

Earlier, A record eighth-wicket partnership by Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder enabled the West Indies to overcome an early collapse and post 176-8 against South Africa.

The pair came together with their team in deep trouble at 83-7 and put on 89, the highest eighth-wicket stand in the history of T20 internationals.

Shepherd was unbeaten on 52 off 37 balls with four sixes. Holder was run out off the penultimate ball of the innings for 49 off 31 balls with three maximums.

Both teams came into the match with a perfect five wins in the T20 World Cup so far.

South Africa have played four of their five matches in Ahmedabad and captain Aiden Markram had no hesitation in opting to bowl when he won the toss.

The West Indies took 17 off the first over, bowled by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.

Kagiso Rabada’s introduction halted their charge as captain Shai Hope (16) edged his second ball to keeper Quinton de Kock.

Shimron Hetmyer was dropped at mid-on by Corbin Bosch off the next delivery, but lasted only two more when he miscued to midwicket, where Maharaj snapped up the catch.

Lungi Ngidi got in the act in his first over when Brandon King, on 21, edged to De Kock, and two balls later, Roston Chase chopped on.

From 29-0 after two overs, the West Indies slumped to 43-4 after four.

Ngidi took 3-30 from his four overs, Rabada 2-2, and Bosch 2-31.

READ: How Pakistan can still reach semi-finals after Sri Lanka elimination

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) came from behind and then survived a late scare against 10-man Monaco, drawing 2-2 in the second leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie on Wednesday to reach the last 16 with a 5-4 aggregate victory.

The defending European champions recovered from two behind to win 3-2 in the principality in last week’s first leg, a game in which Monaco had a man sent off early in the second half.

The scenario this time was similar, with French international Maghnes Akliouche giving Monaco a deserved interval lead on the night to level the scores overall.

However, the visitors had Mamadou Coulibaly sent off on 58 minutes, and that proved the catalyst for PSG to make it 1-1 through Marquinhos before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia seemed to have clinched the aggregate triumph.

Jordan Teze did make it 2-2 in stoppage time, and Wout Faes then missed a great chance, but PSG held on to progress to the next round.

Luis Enrique’s team will now find out on Friday their potential opponents all the way to the final in Budapest, with Barcelona and Chelsea their possible rivals in the last 16.

Paris beat Barcelona 2-1 away during the league phase in October and have faced the Catalans in five knockout ties since 2013. They played Chelsea in the final of the Club World Cup last year, losing 3-0, their only blip in a remarkable campaign.

While PSG’s dream of retaining the title remains alive, Monaco go out in the play-offs for the second season running.

PSG were widely expected to get the better of their domestic rivals — Monaco are currently eighth in Ligue 1, 20 points behind the leaders, although they did beat the Parisians in November.

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The principality side had not won a Champions League knockout tie since their run to the semi-finals in 2017 with a side featuring a teenage Kylian Mbappe.

Having been 2-0 up inside 18 minutes last week, Monaco really should have scored within 10 minutes here, but Coulibaly blazed over from an Akliouche cutback. They then came close again when a Folarin Balogun chip was tipped over by Matfei Safonov.

Bradley Barcola struck the bar for PSG, who were missing the injured Ousmane Dembele, but Monaco had been the better team and took a deserved lead just before half-time.

Caio Henrique’s ball into the middle from the left found Coulibaly, and he laid it off for Akliouche to slot in.

The tie was now all square, but it swung back in the way of the defending champions when Coulibaly was sent off just before the hour, leaving his team a man short, like in the first leg when Aleksandr Golovin saw red.

Having been booked just a few minutes earlier for fouling Nuno Mendes, this time he was late into a challenge on Achraf Hakimi and a second yellow was produced by the Romanian referee.

PSG scored from the resulting free-kick, which was played short to Doue on the right and his low ball was turned in from close range by Marquinhos.

The momentum was now with PSG, and they went ahead on the night on 66 minutes as Hakimi’s powerful strike was only parried by goalkeeper Philipp Koehn, allowing Kvaratskhelia to convert the loose ball.

Monaco still came within a whisker of forcing extra time, substitute Teze turned in a deflected Simon Adingra centre in stoppage time to make it 2-2, and Faes very nearly scored another.

READ: Galatasaray hold off Juventus to make Champions League last 16

Galatasaray scraped through to the last 16 of the Champions League despite throwing away a three-goal aggregate lead at 10-man Juventus on Wednesday, with two extra-time goals limiting the Turkish outfit to a 3-2 defeat.

Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz scored the goals which allowed Galatasaray to win a thrilling tie 7-5 on aggregate and set up a clash with either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur in the next round.

Galatasaray’s previous appearance in the last 16 of Europe’s elite club competition was in 2014, and they were fortunate to make it through on Wednesday, even with Juve having to play most of the night with 10 men.

Juve were leading on the night through Manuel Locatelli’s 37th-minute penalty when Lloyd Kelly was harshly shown a straight red card shortly after half-time for landing from a jump with his studs on Yilmaz’s Achilles heel.

Kelly could hardly believe his eyes when he was initially shown a second yellow card.

But he was livid after a check on the pitchside monitor led referee Joao Pinheiro to revoke that decision, only to show him a straight red card for serious foul play.

The English defender was filmed loudly proclaiming the decision “a disgrace” while Juve coach Luciano Spalletti looked on, dumbstruck from the sidelines.

“It was pretty absurd. He gets the ball, and then what’s he supposed to do? Us defenders are penalised too often in today’s football,” said distraught centre-back Federico Gatti.

“Leaving that aside, it was a brilliant reaction… It’s disappointing that we were just tired when we got to extra time.

“It’s disappointing because these are the best matches to play — the Champions League is the best competition.”

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That decision looked to have killed Juve’s chances of mounting a comeback, but Gatti pulled another goal back with 20 minutes remaining and 12 minutes later, after Kenan Yildiz hit the post from close range, Weston McKennie headed the hosts level in the tie.

Edon Zhegrova had his head in his hands in the sixth minute of extra time when he slapped well wide a glorious chance to complete the comeback, and Osimhen punished Juve by stroking home his best chance of the game.

Yilmaz ended Juve’s hopes of taking the tie to penalties with a goal which flattered Galatasaray, who splashed the cash last summer, including 75 million euros to take Osimhen from Juve’s Serie A rivals Napoli.

Gala’s vice-president, Abdullah Kavukcu, has been bullish in the last few days, saying that the club would sign Inter Milan midfielder and Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu.

But their performance on Wednesday was marked more by cynicism than quality, with Gala’s players doing their best to waste time and buy fouls in the style of Italian teams of old.

Juve, meanwhile, were applauded off by their supporters after a display which will boost them in their bid to qualify for next season’s edition of the Champions League.

The Turin giants are fifth in Serie A, four points behind fourth-placed Roma before their trip to face the capital club on Sunday.

READ: Vinicius hits winner as Real Madrid eliminate Benfica after racism row

Vinicius Junior scored the winner on the night as Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, progressing 3-1 on aggregate to the last 16.

It was the Brazilian forward’s superb goal which separated the teams in a first leg marred by an incident of alleged racial abuse aimed at him by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who denies it.

Jose Mourinho’s side were still alive in the play-off round tie and took the lead early on at the Santiago Bernabeu through Rafa Silva, although Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni swiftly levelled.

Benfica gave the record 15-time champions a rough ride, but fittingly, Vinicius, who never hides from the spotlight, scored on 80 minutes to effectively end the contest.

“That is our Vinicius,” Tchouameni proudly told Movistar after the Brazilian’s winner. “To be honest, we didn’t start the game very well, but we kept our confidence.”

It was Portuguese coach Mourinho’s first time back at the Santiago Bernabeu since he coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, but he could not lead his team from the dugout because of a suspension.

After a week dominated by the fallout from the first leg, Vinicius lined up for Real Madrid alongside Gonzalo Garcia, who stepped in for the injured French superstar Kylian Mbappe.

“(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.”

Benfica were without banned midfielder Prestianni, after an appeal against his provisional one-game sanction was turned down earlier on Wednesday, with UEFA still investigating the incident.

Madrid hung a large banner reading “no to racism” at one end, with the game played under the shadow of what happened last week in Lisbon.

There were boos for Vinicius from the visiting Benfica fans, and he prodded wide in the early stages, appealing in vain for a penalty as Nicolas Otamendi collided with him after he got his shot away.

Benfica took a deserved lead in the 14th minute as Madrid defender Raul Asencio clumsily turned the ball towards his own goal.

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Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept the ball out, but Silva was on hand to bundle home from close range.

Stung into action, Madrid pulled level two minutes later through Tchouameni. The French midfielder finished with aplomb from the edge of the box from rampaging team-mate Federico Valverde’s cross.

Madrid thought they had gone ahead on the night when Arda Guler stabbed home a loose ball after Garcia’s shot was blocked, but the Spanish striker had edged offside, and it was disallowed after a VAR review.

Courtois made a fine save from Richard Rios before the break, as Benfica turned up the pressure.

Silva hit the bar with a deflected effort before the hour mark as Mourinho’s side at times pinned back the hosts.

Madrid were dealt a setback as Asencio was forced off on a stretcher after colliding with Eduardo Camavinga.

“It’s his neck, but it doesn’t seem like it will be that bad,” said Arbeloa, who confirmed the defender was being taken to the hospital for tests.

It had to be Vinicius who settled the tie, though, and Valverde played him scuttling through on goal, with the Brazilian calmly rolling a low shot past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

Vinicius produced another celebratory dance by the corner flag, as he had done in the first leg in the run-up to the flashpoint with Prestianni, and to the chagrin of Mourinho.

“I’m happy that Vini’s dancing, still dancing, because it means he’s scoring goals,” said Courtois.

This time, the 25-year-old just had thousands of jubilant fans jumping up and down before him, and his goal confirmed Madrid’s passage to the last 16.

READ: How Pakistan can still reach semi-finals after Sri Lanka elimination?

COLOMBO: New Zealand’s 61-run thrashing of Sri Lanka has left Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 hanging by a thread.

The Black Caps completely outplayed hosts Sri Lanka, knocking them out of the tournament.

Put into bat first, New Zealand managed to score 168-7 in 20 overs, largely due to Mitchell Santner’s gutsy knock of 47 runs.

In reply, Sri Lanka could only manage 107-8 at the end of their innings.

Rachin Ravindra earned the player of the match award for his outstanding all-round performance. The southpaw scored a vital 32 runs from 22 balls with the aid of a six and three fours.

With a 61-run win, New Zealand received a significant Net Run Rate boost and now sit in second position with an NRR of 3.050.

What does Pakistan need to do?

For Pakistan, the equation is no longer as simple as it was before New Zealand and Sri Lanka clash.

Pakistan currently has an NRR of -0.464. The Green Shirts not only need to beat Sri Lanka by a hefty 70-run margin, but must also rely on the result of the England-New Zealand match.

According to statistician Mazher Arshad, if England beat New Zealand by 20 runs, Pakistan would need to defeat Sri Lanka by 50 runs to qualify for the semi-finals.

If the game between New Zealand and England is abandoned due to rain, the Black Caps will qualify.

READ: T20 World Cup: New Zealand knock Sri Lanka out with NRR boost

French superstar Kylian Mbappe may have to put his season on hold because of a knee problem, with his main goals fast coming into view — a first major trophy with Real Madrid, and a second World Cup triumph.

Little more than 100 days from the start of the 2026 World Cup, the France captain seems to be paying the price for efforts he has made to carry his team this season.

According to several sources contacted by AFP, Mbappe, hampered by damage to the outer ligament of his left knee since late 2025, had to withdraw from Madrid’s squad to face Benfica in the Champions League play-off round on Wednesday because he felt “pain that was too persistent” in training.

Mbappe is expected to rest for at least 10 days so he can recover from the issue which has troubled him over the past couple of months.

His absence for one of the most important matches of the season, confirmed by Madrid on Wednesday, is a concern for Los Blancos, who lost at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday to allow Barcelona back in front in the title race.

Beyond a personal quest for glory, having finished his first season at Madrid without a major trophy, the intense pressure and demand for results at the Santiago Bernabeu have contributed to Mbappe playing through the pain in recent weeks.

“It’s important to highlight the immense effort Kylian is making and the fact that he’s trying to help us out on the patch,” said Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa on Tuesday.

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Mbappe flew to Saudi Arabia in January to appear in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona as a substitute, having missed the semi-final because of knee pain, but his team fell to defeat.

It is hard to imagine where the Spanish giants would be without their No 10’s supreme finishing ability, as Mbappe has netted 38 goals in 33 matches this season across all competitions.

At least winger Vinicius Junior has finally hit top form after a slow start to the season and could pick up some of the slack, along with promising young striker Gonzalo Garcia, who Madrid fans are keen to see more of.

Mbappe is the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League, even in a dysfunctional Madrid side that sacked coach Xabi Alonso in January.

If they are knocked out by Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on Wednesday, a result that would trigger a fresh crisis, Madrid might be tempted to push their striker to play to salvage their season.

Should they progress, then Mbappe will be eyeing the round of 16 clash against Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon, with the first leg set for March 10 or 11.

The next international break (March 23-30), when France face Brazil and Colombia in the United States, would come at the perfect time to give him another breather — but could trigger a new club-versus-country conflict.

France are counting on their captain, a source close to the national team told AFP, adding that Mbappe is in “regular contact” with coach Didier Deschamps.

Deschamps is due to announce his squad list for the USA trip on March 19, with the tour including promotional events with American sportswear company Nike, who outfit both the French national team and Mbappe.

READ: Former captain questions Babar Azam’s place in T20I side