分类： sports

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has issued a definitive confirmation that Iran will compete in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, pushing back against growing speculation that the nation’s participation would be derailed by ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East. Speaking Wednesday at an economic conference hosted by business broadcaster CNBC in Washington D.C., Infantino left no room for ambiguity about Iran’s spot in the global tournament. “Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,” Infantino told attendees.

In justifying the governing body’s position, Infantino emphasized that national teams represent their civilian populations rather than political leadership, noting that the Iranian squad earned their qualification through standard tournament pathways and that the players themselves have expressed overwhelming desire to compete. This stance marks a repetition of commitments Infantino made back in March, when he appeared in person at an Iran-Costa Rica friendly match held in Antalya, Turkey. That appearance came even after former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly questioned whether Iranian athletes would be able to compete safely on U.S. soil during the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup, a historic edition as the first to expand to 48 participating teams, is co-hosted by three North American nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran was drawn into Group G, with all three of its scheduled group-stage matches set to take place across U.S. venues — two contests in Los Angeles, one in Seattle — with the team planning to base its training camp in Tucson, Arizona. Iran’s participation has faced uncertainty since large-scale conflict broke out across the Middle East involving the U.S., Israel and Iran in late February.

Initially, Iranian officials raised the possibility of a full boycott of the tournament, before formally requesting FIFA relocate its U.S.-hosted matches to Mexico, a petition that global soccer’s governing body rejected outright. After weeks of cross-border air strikes and Iranian retaliatory attacks targeting Israel and regional partners, a fragile ceasefire took effect on April 8. Tensions remain high, however: Tehran has restricted access to the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, and since Monday the U.S. has enforced a full naval blockade on all vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.

Sticking to FIFA’s long-standing position that sport should remain separate from political tensions, Infantino reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to using soccer as a unifying force. “If there’s nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job,” he said. The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 11, bringing 48 teams together across 16 host cities in the three co-host nations.

The Melbourne Storm’s NRL season has hit a dramatic rough patch, and a surprise guest appearance at the club’s recent training session has brought a mix of hope and uncertainty to the embattled outfit. Veteran Fijian prop Tui Kamikamica, who has not played since the club’s round four away match in Townsville, showed up unannounced to watch his teammates train this week, months after a life-altering suspected stroke that forced him to immediately step away from the sport.

Kamikamica was discharged from hospital following the medical incident earlier this year, but he has not been cleared to join any on-field training with the squad, and no timeline has been set for his eventual return to the NRL. His presence on the training sidelines ahead of Friday’s do-or-die clash against the Canberra Raiders is more about morale than a comeback, according to long-time Storm head coach Craig Bellamy.

Bellamy explained that he hopes the sight of Kamikamica recovering well after such a severe health scare will give his struggling side a much-needed emotional boost. The Storm have dropped four consecutive matches, a slump that has sparked widespread public debate about whether the club’s 20-year run of consistent dominance at the top of the NRL is finally coming to an end. After opening the 2025 season with blistering, lopsided wins over the Parramatta Eels and St George Illawarra Dragons, the Storm’s attack has stagnated, and their defense has leaked tries at a rate that has caught even seasoned observers off guard. Last week, the team suffered a humiliating home defeat to the New Zealand Warriors, where the Storm was outmuscled and overpowered in front of their own fanbase.

Beyond Kamikamica’s absence, the Storm has been crippled by key forward departures and injuries that have gutted their traditional physical edge in the middle of the field. Star big man Nelson Asofa-Solomona left the club and retired from rugby league entirely in the off-season, while elite edge forward Eli Katoa was ruled out of the entire 2026 season after suffering repeated concussions. The club has been forced to shift rookie Cooper Clarke out of his natural position to cover the gap, but there is some positive injury news on the horizon: forward Shawn Blore is in line to make his return from a foot injury for the Canberra away game.

Addressing the ongoing lack of size in his forward pack, Bellamy said the team has no choice but to adapt to the hand they have been dealt. “It’d probably be handy to have another big body, but we haven’t got it so we have to go with what we’ve got and work out what we need to do well,” the coach said. Speaking about Kamikamica’s return to the club, he added: “He has been through a really tough time. To see him back looking as good as he looks is good. He’s still got a little way to go, but it’s great to see him back. Hopefully having him back here for the training session can lift the boys’ spirits a little bit. We’re probably down on that a little bit, but hopefully that will give us a bit of a lift.”

Heading into Friday’s match, the Storm faces a steep challenge against a Raiders side that is coming off a thrilling upset win in Perth. Bellamy acknowledged that his side has produced inconsistent performances through the first half of the season, pointing to a string of injury disruptions and off-field upheaval as contributing factors to the current slump. “You don’t look back too much, you look forward and hopefully work out where we need to improve and get better,” he said. “We train for that and hopefully we do that. We’ve had a few disruptions with injuries and a few other things that happened off the field, so it’s been a bit of a tough time with that. On the field, we’ve been good in patches but then not so good in other patches so we need to be a bit more consistent.”

Despite the team’s struggles, there are bright spots for the Storm’s future. Fullback Sua Fa’alogo, a homegrown club product, has emerged as a consistent standout performer through the slump. And another young Victorian talent could make his NRL debut on Friday: exciting young prospect Hugo Peel, who recently scored a hat-trick in the NSW Cup, has been named to the Storm’s extended 20-man bench. Bellamy praised Peel’s work ethic and fitness, noting that while the NRL’s current substitution rules only allow four interchange players to take the field from a six-man bench, the young forward has earned his call-up through his reserve grade form. “He’s great in the effort areas. He’s fit as and he just wants to be involved in the game,” Bellamy said. “With how the system works these days, you’ve got six on the bench but can only use four, so whether he gets a run or not, that’s another thing. It’d be good for him to get his debut because he certainly deserves it with the effort he’s put in in reserve grade.”

As Parramatta Eels captain Mitchell Moses navigates the toughest leadership test of his professional rugby league career, a potential mid-season addition of star forward Jaydn Su’A sits firmly on the back burner, with an unprecedented injury crisis taking every ounce of his focus.

Speaking at an event launching Greyhound National Adoption Day alongside Sydney Roosters captain James Tedesco in central Sydney, Moses opened up about the unprecedented challenges his side has faced through the opening six rounds of the NRL season. The Eels are coming off a demoralizing 52-point defeat to the Gold Coast Titans, a result that saw the under-strength side booed off the field by frustrated fans at full-time. But Moses made clear the club has a valid explanation for its poor form: an injury toll that has gutted the playing roster unlike anything he has experienced in his career.

Three key first-team players – J’maine Hopgood, Bailey Simonsson and Matt Doorey – have already been ruled out for the entire 2024 season. For this weekend’s clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs, the list of unavailable talent grows even longer, with rising stars Jonah Pezet and Isaiah Iongi among the multitude of sidelined players. This has forced the Eels to field a roster heavy with inexperienced rookies, who are still learning the ropes of top-flight NRL football.

That youth-driven lineup has forced a shift in Moses’ approach to on-field leadership. Known for wearing his heart on his sleeve and not holding back when challenging teammates, the captain said he has had to rein in his outward frustration to avoid undermining the young players getting their first opportunities at the top level. “That’s the core challenge I’m facing right now as skipper – I’ve never encountered anything like this, even before I took the captaincy,” Moses explained. “I’ve never been part of a team that’s been hit this hard by injuries. It’s already unprecedented, but add the captaincy on top, and you have to figure out how to lead the right way. With all these young kids coming in, you don’t want to lose your temper and let that negativity filter through the group. I’m taking lessons from how I’ve led in the past and working to get better at this.”

The brutal 52-point defeat exposed major flaws in Parramatta’s defensive structure, with the side conceding a massive 226 points across the first six rounds of the season. A tough post-match video review only confirmed how far below the club’s standard the performance was. “To be honest, it was really tough to sit through that review,” Moses admitted. “It didn’t feel like us, as a team or as a club. This isn’t one person’s fault – it’s on all of us, and we all have to step up to fix this. This week’s match against the Bulldogs isn’t going to get any easier, either. There were moments in the Titans game where we could have clawed our way back into contention, and we failed to take those chances. We have to do better.”

A mainstay of the New South Wales Blues Origin squad for several years, Moses has been a consistent standout for the state side. But right now, he said, even thinking about Origin selection is impossible – every bit of his energy is focused on righting the ship at Parramatta. “My full attention is on this club right now, it’s the only thing I can focus on,” he said. “I’ve never been through anything like this injury crisis in my career, and as captain, I’m actually excited for the challenge of pulling us out of this slump. We’re not hiding from how bad the last performance was. We weren’t happy with it, we don’t want to see that again, and we’re going to step straight into the pressure to fix it.”

With the injury crisis mounting, speculation has grown that the Eels will look to the mid-season transfer market to bolster their thin roster. The most high-profile name linked with a move to the club is St George Illawarra Dragons forward Jaydn Su’A, who has already confirmed he will leave the Red V at the end of his contract, with a 2027 move to Parramatta already widely reported. Moses made clear he would jump at the chance to add a player of Su’A’s quality to the Eels’ right edge immediately, but stressed that any transfer deal is out of his hands as he focuses on leading the injury-hit side. “There’s no point hiding how bad our injury situation is right now,” Moses said. “If the club’s recruitment team decides bringing in someone like Su’A is the best move for us, I fully support whatever they think is the right fit for this team. When you talk about Su’A, any club would jump at the chance to add a player of his calibre. I’d love to have him here, but this decision isn’t up to me.”

As swirling rumors of imminent Saudi Arabian funding withdrawal sparked fears of an imminent collapse for the breakaway LIV Golf tour, league executives moved swiftly this Wednesday to reassure players and staff that operations and funding remain fully intact. The Saudi-backed circuit has roiled global men’s professional golf since its controversial 2022 launch, when it lured dozens of the sport’s top stars away from the established PGA Tour and DP World Tour with nine-figure guaranteed contracts that split the golf community.

Over the past week, speculation has grown that Saudi Arabia’s deep-pocketed backers, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom’s $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, have grown weary of the high-cost venture. To date, the project is estimated to have cost PIF more than $5 billion, with no path to near-term profitability. Multiple major outlets including the *Financial Times*, *New York Times*, and *Wall Street Journal* all reported this Wednesday, citing unnamed anonymous sources, that PIF’s exit from the tour was imminent.

But in an internal email to all players and staff obtained by Agence France-Presse, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil sought to quash the uncertainty. “I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle,” O’Neil wrote. The executive’s statement came as players gathered in Mexico City ahead of the tour’s upcoming event at Club de Golf Chapultepec, where organizers have doubled down on maintaining a business-as-usual posture. Tour officials published first-round tee times on schedule as planned, and even leaned into humor to address the speculation on social media. “Slow news day? We are ON,” read one social post, paired with a graphic reading “BREAKING NEWS. TUNE IN TOMORROW” alongside the tournament’s full starting schedule.

Unnamed sources close to LIV Golf’s operations also pushed back on the exit rumors to AFP, noting that the tour projects its revenue will double between 2024 and 2025, and pointing to record-breaking spectator turnouts at recent events held in Australia and South Africa. Still, questions remain: the *Telegraph* of London reported that top LIV Golf executives were summoned to a New York meeting this week to discuss contingency plans for a potential PIF withdrawal.

The speculation comes on the same day PIF unveiled a new five-year strategic plan that will restructure the fund’s global investment portfolio, an announcement that comes against a backdrop of rising geopolitical instability across the Middle East. The region has faced escalating security risks following a wave of Iranian strikes on military, energy, and transportation infrastructure that came after a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iranian targets in late February. Even before the current outbreak of conflict, Saudi Arabia’s domestic economic reform agenda faced pressure, as years of sustained low global oil prices have cut into government revenues.

Signs of internal instability have already emerged on LIV Golf’s player roster. Two high-profile golfers, five-time major champion Brooks Koepka and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed, have recently left the breakaway tour to secure a return to the PGA Tour. For the hundreds of remaining players still under LIV contract, the full implications of a potential PIF exit remain unclear. Speaking to reporters in Mexico City, LIV veteran and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia noted that players have received no official communication of any funding shift. “We haven’t heard anything” since the start of the year, Garcia said, when PIF governor Yasir al-Rumayyan reassured golfers that the fund remained committed to the circuit as a long-term project.

In his Wednesday email, O’Neil did not directly refute the claims of an impending Saudi withdrawal, instead framing the current speculation as a growing pain common to new disruptive ventures. “The life of a startup movement is often defined by these moments of pressure,” he wrote. “We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We are pioneers, and while the road isn’t always smooth, the destination is worth every mile.”

Arsenal has secured its place in the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, holding out for a nervy goalless draw against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday to seal a 1–0 aggregate victory over the two legs. The result comes at a time of growing unease around Mikel Arteta’s side, who have struggled for consistency in recent weeks across all competitions, but survived a string of late scares to progress.

The north London club carried a narrow one-goal advantage into the second leg of the quarter-final tie following their first-leg win in Lisbon, but Arteta’s men were far from their fluent best on home soil. Missing key attacking starters Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard through injury, Arsenal failed to replicate the cutting edge that has seen them lead the Premier League for much of the campaign, and spent much of the 90 minutes clinging to their aggregate lead.

Arteta had delivered an unusually impassioned pre-match press conference on Tuesday, urging his players to take the field with “pure fire” and “zero fear” to silence growing criticism. While Arsenal launched a high-intensity press in the opening 10 minutes, the early attacking urgency fizzled out quickly, leaving the side exposed at the back. A sloppy misplaced pass from center-back William Saliba put Sporting winger Francisco Trincao in on goal, though the Portuguese attacker curled his effort just wide of the target.

Summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who has endured an inconsistent first season in north London since moving from Sporting, again failed to make a telling impact in attack. The striker’s only clear opening came after a burst into the six-yard box, but he was unable to get his shot away in time before defender Goncalo Inacio cleared the danger.

Arsenal grew increasingly edgy as the first half wore on, drawing anxious groans from the frustrated home crowd. Gunners goalkeeper David Raya nearly gifted Sporting an equalizer when a dangerous mispass was intercepted by Trincao, but the winger’s misplaced cross toward Luis Suarez let Arsenal off the hook. Just before halftime, Geny Catamo came inches within giving Sporting the aggregate lead, volleying against the far post from a tight angle, leaving the hosts still clinging to their advantage.

After the break, Arsenal carved out several half-chances to put the tie to bed: Eberechi Eze’s long-range drive whistled just past the post, Gabriel Martinelli blasted a half-volley narrowly over the crossbar, and Noni Madueke curled an effort into the side-netting. Arteta responded to his side’s lack of attacking punch by bringing on Kai Havertz for the underperforming Gyokeres, with Max Dowman replacing the injured Madueke later in the half.

Sporting thought they had a late penalty when Maxi Araujo went down under a slight challenge from Cristhian Mosquera, but referee waved away appeals to the frustration of the visiting side. Though Arsenal creaked under sustained late pressure from Sporting, the defense held firm to see out the clean sheet and the aggregate win.

The result marks a historic milestone for Arsenal: it is the first time the club has reached the Champions League semi-finals in consecutive seasons in its history. Up next, Arteta’s side will face Atletico Madrid for a place in the final, after the Spanish club progressed with a 3–2 aggregate win over Barcelona on Tuesday. Arsenal crushed Atletico 4–0 at the Emirates in the group stage back in October, but Arteta will know his side must drastically improve to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.

The progression comes amid a worrying run of form that has raised questions about Arsenal’s ability to end their long trophy drought. The Gunners have lost three of their last five matches across all competitions, claiming just one win in that stretch. Recent setbacks include a defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup final, an FA Cup quarter-final exit to second-tier Southampton, and a shock 2–1 home Premier League loss to Bournemouth at the weekend that has intensified scrutiny of the side’s mental strength.

Arsenal currently sit six points clear of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, though Pep Guardiola’s side has a game in hand, and the two sides face a decisive title showdown at City’s Etihad Stadium this Sunday. Arsenal have finished as runners-up for the past three consecutive seasons, having blown sizeable title leads to City in both 2023 and 2024, and nerves around the club’s title bid are already growing. The club has not won a Premier League title since 2004 and has never lifted the Champions League trophy, leaving Arteta’s side chasing two historic milestones amid an untimely late-season slump.

In a pulsating, back-and-forth UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle, Bayern Munich pulled off a dramatic 4–3 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday, secured by two late goals from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise. The result handed the German giants a 6–4 aggregate win, booking their spot in the semi-finals where they will face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain later this month.

The tie had been finely poised after Bayern’s narrow 2-1 first leg win in Madrid last week, but Real got off to a dream start at the Allianz Arena, capitalizing on an uncharacteristic mistake from Bayern’s veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Just 34 seconds into the match, Neuer misplayed a loose pass directly into the path of Turkish youngster Arda Guler, who calmly chipped the ball into the empty net to put the visitors ahead immediately.

Bayern recovered quickly from the early shock, with 19-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic leveling the score just minutes later, heading home a pinpoint Joshua Kimmich corner after Real keeper Andriy Lunin misjudged the ball’s trajectory. The end-to-end action continued as Guler struck again before the break: he curled a free-kick into the top corner, with Neuer getting a touch to the shot but unable to stop it from crossing the line, putting Real back ahead 2-1 on the night.

The pendulum swung back once more when Harry Kane, Bayern’s star striker, slotted a clinical finish into the bottom corner in the 38th minute, leveling the game on the night and putting the German side back ahead on aggregate. Before halftime, however, Kylian Mbappe restored parity across the two legs, running onto a through ball from Vinicius Junior and slotting past Neuer to make it 3-2 to Real on the night and 4-4 on aggregate heading into the break.

With Real repeatedly exploiting Bayern’s high defensive line, Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany made a key adjustment at halftime, introducing pacey full-back Alphonso Davies to shore up the flanks. The second half remained tightly contested, with both sides creating clear goalscoring chances. Olise emerged as a constant threat for Bayern, forcing a spectacular fingertip save from Lunin with 20 minutes of normal time remaining.

The turning point of the match came with four minutes left to play, when Real’s Eduardo Camavinga was sent off after picking up a second yellow card, reducing the Spanish side to 10 men. Buoyed by the numerical advantage, Bayern pushed hard for a decisive goal, and it came just three minutes later: Diaz picked up the ball outside the 18-yard box, and his shot took a crucial deflection off Real defender Eder Militao, wrong-footing Lunin and flying into the bottom corner to put Bayern ahead 4-3 on the night.

With Real pushing forward desperately for a late equalizer that would send the tie to extra time, Olise put the result beyond doubt deep into stoppage time, curling a stunning strike into the top corner from the edge of the box. The goal sealed Bayern’s place in the last four of the competition, keeping alive their hunt for a seventh European Cup title. This marked the first time Bayern have knocked Real out of a knockout stage Champions League tie since 2012.

Tempers flared after the final whistle, with Guler receiving a straight red card for confronting the referee over the match’s decisions. For Real Madrid, the defeat brings a crushing end to their Champions League campaign and leaves the club facing the very real prospect of finishing a second consecutive season without a major trophy. Barcelona hold a comfortable nine-point lead at the top of La Liga, and Real were knocked out in a shock last-16 exit in the Copa del Rey earlier this season.

Speaking after the match, Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich acknowledged his side’s unpolished performance but praised the team’s resilience. “We got off to a bad start, and then conceded again through a free-kick and a counter. The first half was hectic,” Kimmich told DAZN. “The second half was calmer, we had more control – and then managed to win it in the end. It wasn’t our best performance, but we’ll take the win. The two best teams in Europe will face each other. We had many top level games against Paris in recent years. I’m looking forward to it.”

Real interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa praised his players’ effort despite the devastating result. “I feel for them (the players), for the effort they made. It hurts,” Arbeloa told Movistar. “I’m very proud. We’re going back to Madrid after giving it our all.”

The match also made history for Real Madrid: for the first time in the club’s long and storied Champions League history, the starting XI fielded did not include a single Spanish-born player. Arbeloa made four changes to the starting line-up from the first leg, including bringing Jude Bellingham into the starting side after he impressed off the bench in the first match in Madrid.