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He was officially the best racehorse on the planet in 2025 and now Calandagan starts out on the defence of its World’s Best Racehorse crown in the $6m Longines Dubai Sheema Classic [G1 2410m], a
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Al Wakrah have announced the appointment of Chile’s Jose Luis Sierra as head coach, succeeding Spaniard Vicente Moreno, who recently departed to take charge of Al Rayyan. The club did not disclose the duration of Sierra‘s deal. The 57-year-old began his coaching career in 2010 with Chilean side Union Espanola, where he remained until 2015 before moving to Colo-Colo for a one-season spell. Sierra then embarked on his first experience in the Gulf region, taking charge of Saudi club Al Ittihad from 2016 to 2018, guiding them to both the Crown Prince Cup and King Cup titles. He later coached UAE side Al Ahli’s youth team for one season before returning to Al Ittihad for another stint. The Chilean tactician subsequently managed Palestino during the 2020-2021 season. Most recently, Sierra coached Saudi club Al Ta’ee in the 2021-2022 season before leading compatriot side Al Wahda from 2022 to 2025. Al Wakrah currently sit eighth in the Qatar Stars League standings with 23 points from 19 matches this season.
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France’s Kylian Mbappe shoots past Brazil’s goalkeeper Ederson during a friendly match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Thursday. (AFP) Upamecano was sent off in the second half but France sealed a comfortable victory Kylian Mbappe moved to within one goal of equalling France’s all-time scoring record with the opener in a 2-1 win over Brazil as two of the leading World Cup contenders faced off in a glamour friendly in the United States on Thursday. Mbappe ran through to beat goalkeeper Ederson with a chipped finish to give France the lead just after the half-hour mark at the Gillette Stadium near Boston, home of NFL side the New England Patriots. France, World Cup winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, had defender Dayot Upamecano sent off early in the second half but shrugged that off to double their lead courtesy of Hugo Ekitike on 65 minutes. Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil did pull one back 12 minutes from time via a close-range finish by Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, but Les Bleus held on for a victory that will boost confidence two and a half months before the World Cup begins. They play Senegal, Norway and a play-off winner in the group stage. “I said beforehand that we couldn’t take too much away from this game. It wasn’t the World Cup final, but it showed we are in a good dynamic,” Mbappe said. “We are creating lots of chances and we are looking a bit more solid even if we let in a goal at the end. We are moving forward and this will help us prepare for the World Cup.” The sight of captain Mbappe scoring in trademark lethal fashion is especially good news for coach Didier Deschamps, after the Real Madrid superstar recently returned from three weeks out with a knee injury. The 27-year-old has now scored 56 goals in 95 appearances for his country, leaving him just one goal away from equalling the France record of 57 goals held by the recently-retired Olivier Giroud. Mbappe will have the chance to match, and perhaps surpass, that record when France play Colombia in the second friendly of this American tour, at the Northwest Stadium near Washington DC tomorrow. The Brazilians go into this year’s World Cup – in which they will face Morocco, Scotland and Haiti in the group stage – hoping the recent appointment as coach of the revered Ancelotti can make them serious contenders to claim a record-extending sixth title. Ancelotti said he was “half-satisfied” with Thursday’s result. “When you lose a game, you should never be happy... The result isn’t the most important thing, but it does reveal what we did well and what we didn’t,” Ancelotti said. “In the overall context of the game, I am satisfied - because the team competed and fought, even scoring from a set piece, which is important. I am half-satisfied, but we certainly shouldn’t be happy with the result.” But this match will have reminded them of the standards required against the very best sides in the international game. Brazil were admittedly missing several key players here, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker, defensive duo Gabriel Magalhaes and Eder Militao, midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and forwards Rodrygo and Estevao among those absent. France, meanwhile, were without Arsenal centre-back William Saliba, but a fearsome attack included Mbappe, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, the reigning Ballon d’Or. Dembele released Mbappe for the opener, and that separated the teams at the break. Upamecano was sent off on 55 minutes after American referee Guido Gonzales upgraded a yellow card to red following a VAR review, ruling that the defender had denied Wesley a clear goal-scoring opportunity as he took down the full-back on the edge of the area. Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix, a late call-up to replace the injured Saliba, came on for Dembele to make his debut and bolster the French back line after that. They then increased their lead as Olise supplied Ekitike in the area and the Liverpool striker clipped the ball beyond Ederson for his second international goal. Mbappe and Ekitike were promptly removed, and Brazil were left with too much to do, even if Bremer converted from close range from Luiz Henrique’s assist to make it 2-1. Ancelotti will now hope his team can bounce back when they take on Croatia in Orlando, Florida next Tuesday.
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Austria’s Gerfried Puck delivered a standout performance in the CSI5* Jump-Off feature class at the Al Shaqab Cup, topping the 155cm contest at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab. Puck guided Equitron Naxcel V to a flawless double clear round in 39.05 seconds to secure first place. Syria’s Mohamad Mogheeth Alshehab finished second riding Carlotto S in 40.67 seconds, while Kuwait’s Ali al-Khorafi claimed third position with a time of 41.43 seconds. A total of 15 riders competed in the class, with 13 securing placings. In the CSI3* Special Two Phases event at 1.35m, France’s Jean Francois Rondoux emerged victorious aboard Inter-Larus after clocking 27.28 seconds. Qatar’s Sheikh Fahad Jassim al-Thani finished second riding Lavesther in 28.81 seconds, followed by compatriot Saad Ahmed al-Saad on Gary de Cerisy in 29.22 seconds. The CSI1* Special Two Phases class at 1.10m saw Qatar’s Abdul Aziz Jassim al-Thani take first place riding Proud in 29.89 seconds. Abdulla Ahmed al-Khulaifi secured second position on Quenta van de Corsendonksehoeve in 30.02 seconds, while Saudi Arabia’s Halah al-Rasheed finished third aboard Cruising On The Ridge in 32.39 seconds. A total of 61 riders competed in the class, with 16 making the placings. On Thursday, Qatar’s Sultan Salem al-Naemi delivered an impressive double victory, winning the CSI3* Faults and Time class at 140cm riding Energika des Neyes with a clear round in 57.01 seconds. South Africa’s Matthew Morrison placed second aboard Quebec in 66.01 seconds, while Kuwait’s Yara Al-Hunaidi finished third on Valmira in 66.95 seconds. Al-Naemi continued his strong run by claiming first place in the CSI3* Faults and Time event at 130cm riding Cavallina 13 with a time of 56.52 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Al-Hadi secured second position aboard Capoen in 57.49 seconds, narrowly ahead of American rider Kristen Vanderveen, who finished third riding Bull Run’s Creation in 57.51 seconds. In the CSI1* Faults and Time class at 125cm, Qatar’s Ibrahim Khalid al-Kuwari topped the standings riding Flexy Bel Z with a clear round in 57.36 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Khalid al-Hadi placed second on Carlton de Sauvageonn in 57.40 seconds, while compatriot Salem Balharith finished third aboard Lovina in 59.41 seconds. Today, seven classes are scheduled across the one-star to three-star categories, with jumps ranging from 115cm to 150cm at the Longines Indoor and Outdoor Arenas in Al Shaqab, as the competition continues to showcase top regional and international talent. The Al Shaqab Cup has drawn more than 150 riders competing for a total prize purse of €784,000 in one of the season’s premier showjumping events.
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Dubai will host the 30th Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday, featuring 100 horses from leading international stables competing across nine races with total prize money of $30.5 million.The organising committee at
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Lahore: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) got under way with a win for Lahore Qalandars against Hyderabad Kingsmen but without the usual razzmatazz accompanying cricket’s shortest format — or fans.Organisers of the T20 tournament last
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McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri drives during the first practice session ahead of the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit in Suzuka, Mie prefecture on March 27, 2026. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
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The fourth and final ticket sales phase for the 2026 World Cup will open on April 1, FIFA announced on Wednesday, without specifying how many tickets will be made available.World soccer's governing body said over
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Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates after defeating Jessica Pegula of the United States in their Miami Open quarter-final at Hard Rock Stadium Wednesday. (AFP) World number two Elena Rybakina rallied to overcome fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday to reach the WTA and ATP Miami Open semi-finals. Reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina, a 26-year-old from Kazakhstan, fired 12 aces in beating the American, last year’s Miami runner-up, for their fifth consecutive meeting. Rybakina next will play the winner of a later quarter-final between world number one Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion from Belarus, and 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste, trying to reach her second WTA semi-final. Rybakina improved to 6-3 all-time against Pegula, including an Indian Wells quarter-final and semi-finals of the Australian Open and last year’s WTA Finals on the way to titles. Pegula, who won last month’s WTA title in Dubai, broke twice to begin the match with a 4-0 lead when Rybakina netted a forehand in the opening game and sent a forehand long in the third. Pegula held twice more to take the first set in 35 minutes when Rybakina netted a backhand, the American making only two unforced errors in the opening set. Rybakina missed three overhead smashes in the fifth game of the second set but held serve then broke when Pegula swatted a forehand long for a 4-2 edge on the way to forcing a third set. Rybakina broke Pegula to open the third set and stayed in command to advance after two hours and 15 minutes. Sabalenka, who will face Baptiste for the first time, has not lost to an unseeded opponent since she fell to Czech Marketa Vondrousova in last June’s Berlin semi-finals. Sabalenka won titles this year at Brisbane and Indian Wells. Her only 2026 loss was to Rybakina in the Australian Open final. It will be the 32nd career WTA quarter-final for Sabalenka. Baptiste, who lost to Rybakina in the second round at Indian Wells, has captured four straight matches, the longest win streak of her WTA career. Her best WTA finish was a run to the Abu Dhabi semi-finals. Earlie, Coco Gauff battled past Belinda Bencic to reach the semi-finals for the first time on Tuesday with a gruelling 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory. Fourth seed Gauff had considered skipping Miami after being forced to pull out during the fourth round at Indian Wells with a left-arm injury. But the 22-year-old from Florida, who lives in nearby Delray Beach, was determined to play in what she considers to be her hometown tournament where she had never previously gone further than the last 16. Gauff’s sense of determination was on full display at the Hard Rock Stadium’s main court on Tuesday as she weathered fluctuating form against the 12th-seeded Bencic to grind out victory. “I honestly didn’t think I would be in the semis so I’m really happy and proud of myself,” Gauff said. “I think I proved a lot to myself this week, and I feel like with each match I’m getting better. “Even though I’m still playing three sets, I feel like the level is getting better and better.” Gauff, the French Open champion, will now face the Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova in the last four as she chases her first Miami final appearance. Gauff has won all five of her previous matches against Muchova. “You don’t think about the head-to-head,” Gauff said. “There’s so many matches that we play that could go either way. I don’t really think about it -- especially when I play here, because I know how good she is.” Muchova advanced to the last four earlier with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Canadian 10th seed Victoria Mboko. The 29-year-old Muchova admitted she had everything to prove against Gauff. “I don’t have the best record against Coco, but I feel good,” Muchova said. “And you never know.” Despite giving away 10 years to the teenaged Mboko, Muchova said she did not feel any sense of disadvantage against her younger opponent. “I keep getting these questions this week like I’m really old or something,” Muchova said. “I don’t feel that old - I feel like I’m still pretty young. In my head, I could be 20.” Related Story
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Germany’s Kai Havertz attends a press conference Wednesday, ahead of the friendly against Switzerland in Herzogenaurach. (AFP) Germany forward Kai Havertz is close to his best form again after several injuries in the past 12 months, and a successful Arsenal run across three competitions in the coming months will be the best preparation for the World Cup, he said Wednesday. Havertz, who has been away from the national team for more than a year after missing last year’s internationals through injury, is part of the Germany squad to face Switzerland on Friday and Ghana three days later. “I had a tough time. It was not easy for me,” Havertz told a press conference ahead of Germany’s friendly against hosts Switzerland. “I had my first injury in February last year, three and a half months out then comeback and then a setback with the knee injury,” he added. Havertz returned to action for the Premier League leaders Arsenal in January after being sidelined since August last year, but the 26-year-old said he was ready for his club’s busy match schedule in the league, the FA Cup and the Champions League. “I now feel completely fit. I need the one or other game from the start to reach 100 percent but I feel fit to start lasting over 90 minutes,” he said. Havertz added that Arsenal’s busy schedule came just at the right time. “We have many matches in three competitions. I missed the first six months of the season and I will give it all for the club, and to be able to go with a lot of confidence to the World Cup. I want to be successful at this World Cup and lead the way,” he said. Germany have set their sights on winning the World Cup following shock group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, determined to restore their reputation as a global football powerhouse. The tournament starts in June and is co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. The Germans, who have not reached a final in any major international tournament since winning their fourth World Cup in 2014 in Brazil, have been drawn in Group E with Ecuador, Curacao and Ivory Coast for the June 11-July 19 tournament. They play their opening World Cup match in Houston, Texas on June 14 against Curacao. Germany then travel to Toronto on June 20 to take on Ivory Coast before their last group game against Ecuador in New York on June 25. Related Story
