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Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and the guidance of Sheikh
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Players of Switzerland applaud fans after their 2-1 victory in the FIFA World Cup Group B match against Canada at BC Place Vancouver Stadium in Vancouver. (AFP) Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi scored second-half goals for Switzerland as they beat Canada 2-1 on Wednesday to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup as Group B winners, with the tournament co-hosts also progressing as runners-up.Switzerland, who finished the group stage on seven points, will remain in Vancouver for their last-32 tie, while Canada, who would have won the group with a draw, ended three points behind them and will head to Los Angeles for their next game.The two sides managed to create a total of three attempts on goal in an uneventful first half only notable for two yellow cards handed out to Swiss captain Granit Xhaka and Canada striker Cyle Larin after the pair clashed over a quick free kick for Switzerland. In the other Group B match, Bosnia and Herzegovina kept their World Cup dreams alive and ended Qatar's in a 3-1 victory in Seattle.Although there was little quality on display from either side in a subdued first half, the Swiss came out firing after the break. Just a minute into the second period, 20-year-old attacker Manzambi shifted the ball to Vargas, who had plenty of space to set himself before coolly finishing at the near post. EMPHATIC FINISHSwitzerland doubled their lead 11 minutes later. Breel Embolo held the ball up in the middle of the penalty area and laid it off for Manzambi who finished emphatically.Canada pulled one back in the 76th minute after coach Jesse Marsch rang the changes. Substitute Promise David latched on to Nathan Saliba's pass and guided a fine effort into the corner with his first touch after coming on, lifting the roof at BC Place.Canadian fans continued to roar on their team, chanting "Let's go Canada", but Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a string of saves in a frantic finale. "I am disappointed that we were not able to get a win or a draw today to keep us here," Marsch said."I'm so thankful for the energy in the country, and certainly in the stadium here today. But we are going to go to LA. We're going to go where it's probably going to be an away crowd, and it'll be a little bit tougher. But we still want to electrify our country and play really well down there, and go after it still." STERN TESTThe match presented a stern test for Canada, who drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opener before thrashing nine-man Qatar 6-0. They faced a well-drilled Swiss side featuring the likes of Xhaka and Manuel Akanji, operating as a cohesive, hard-working unit. "We are very happy because we won, and we fought until the very last minute," Vargas said."But I think that Canada went right to the wire. We just seized the opportunity, and we just fought very hard until the very last minute. "Obviously, we tried to score earlier, but I am just very happy that I managed to hit the back of the net. During our preparation, the coach told us that we have to be present in the box at all times, and I am just glad that I managed to score."In a packed BC Place, awash with Canadian red, midfielder Ismael Kone, who suffered a broken leg during the win over Qatar, was present in the dugout to support his team. Fans held up posters bearing his number eight in a show of solidarity in the eighth minute.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was also in attendance.
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Players of Switzerland applaud fans after their 2-1 victory in the FIFA World Cup Group B match against Canada at BC Place Vancouver Stadium in Vancouver. (AFP) Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi scored second-half goals for Switzerland as they beat Canada 2-1 yesterday to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup as Group B winners, with the tournament co-hosts also progressing as runners-up. Switzerland, who finished the group stage on seven points, will remain in Vancouver for their last-32 tie, while Canada, who would have won the group with a draw, ended three points behind them and will head to Los Angeles for their next game. The two sides managed to create a total of three attempts on goal in an uneventful first half only notable for two yellow cards handed out to Swiss captain Granit Xhaka and Canada striker Cyle Larin after the pair clashed over a quick free kick for Switzerland. In the other Group B match, Bosnia and Herzegovina kept their World Cup dreams alive and ended Qatar’s in a 3-1 victory in Seattle. Although there was little quality on display from either side in a subdued first half, the Swiss came out firing after the break. Just a minute into the second period, 20-year-old attacker Manzambi shifted the ball to Vargas, who had plenty of space to set himself before coolly finishing at the near post. Switzerland doubled their lead 11 minutes later. Breel Embolo held the ball up in the middle of the penalty area and laid it off for Manzambi who finished emphatically. Canada pulled one back in the 76th minute after coach Jesse Marsch rang the changes. Substitute Promise David latched on to Nathan Saliba’s pass and guided a fine effort into the corner with his first touch after coming on, lifting the roof at BC Place. Canadian fans continued to roar on their team, chanting “Let’s go Canada”, but Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a string of saves in a frantic finale. “I am disappointed that we were not able to get a win or a draw today to keep us here,” Marsch said. “I’m so thankful for the energy in the country, and certainly in the stadium here today. But we are going to go to LA. We’re going to go where it’s probably going to be an away crowd, and it’ll be a little bit tougher. But we still want to electrify our country and play really well down there, and go after it still.” The match presented a stern test for Canada, who drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opener before thrashing nine-man Qatar 6-0. They faced a well-drilled Swiss side featuring the likes of Xhaka and Manuel Akanji, operating as a cohesive, hard-working unit. “We are very happy because we won, and we fought until the very last minute,” Vargas said. “But I think that Canada went right to the wire. We just seized the opportunity, and we just fought very hard until the very last minute. “Obviously, we tried to score earlier, but I am just very happy that I managed to hit the back of the net. During our preparation, the coach told us that we have to be present in the box at all times, and I am just glad that I managed to score.” In a packed BC Place, awash with Canadian red, midfielder Ismael Kone, who suffered a broken leg during the win over Qatar, was present in the dugout to support his team. Fans held up posters bearing his number eight in a show of solidarity in the eighth minute. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was also in attendance.
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Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui consoles captain Hassan al-haydos after their loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle. (Reuters) Twelve days ago, Qatar were celebrating a historic milestone. A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against Switzerland had secured the Asian champions their first-ever FIFA World Cup point and kept alive hopes of reaching the knockout rounds in what would have been one of the greatest achievements in the nation's football history. That optimism now feels a distant memory. Two defeats later, Qatar's World Cup campaign is over after a humiliating 6-0 loss to co-hosts Canada in Vancouver which was followed by a 3-1 defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on Wednesday. From Left: Qatar’s Mohamed Mannai, Issa Laye, Akram Afif, Ayoub Aloui and Abdulaziz Hatem look dejected
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Lionel Messi may be making his case as soccer's greatest of all time with a stunning World Cup run so far, but in Kansas City another Messi, a goat, is winning fans by munching weeds
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England's Ben Stokes during practice ahead of the third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham, Britain. (Reuters) England's returning captain Ben Stokes said his focus is solely on winning the series-deciding Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge after a tumultuous fortnight in which he was left out after he and bowler Gus Atkinson broke a team curfew. Stokes was cleared to resume in his role on Sunday following investigations by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Cricket Regulator into an incident in a nightclub on June 8 after England beat New Zealand at Lord's to go 1-0 ahead. In his absence England suffered a heavy defeat at The Oval with batsman and former skipper Joe Root as stand-in captain. Addressing the media ahead of the third Test, Stokes said he was concentrating on securing a series win, and played down any cooling of his relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum."There's been a lot going on, there's no hiding away from that," Stokes, who took over from Root as captain in 2022, said."This has been something that has happened and has obviously taken a lot of attention away from the series. But I want to make sure that my focus is where it needs to be."I'm here as captain of this team and all I'm trying to do is get a team focused on winning the series this week." APOLOGIES CONVEYEDStokes said he had apologised to his team mates for the distractions the investigation had caused."You need to be big enough and man enough to take that upon your shoulders, and look everyone who it has affected in the eye and apologise the way you need to apologise," he said."That is something that I did. It affects more than just myself. It affects a lot of people. It affected Joe Root, the squad, the people outside the playing environment. It no doubt had an effect on lads who were making their debut."Stokes and Atkinson were both given written warnings over their conduct after being found to have breached 'contractual obligations' although both were found blameless in a nightclub incident involving a Saracens rugby player.Much has been made of Stokes's relationship with McCullum. BAZBALL STYLE SINCE 2022 The pair have been responsible for England's attacking so-called "Bazball" style since 2022, although results have deteriorated with England losing six of their last eight Tests."There's been a big misconception around this with me and Brendon," Stokes said, denying suggestions they had drifted apart. "Obviously we have a professional relationship in terms of Brendon being head coach and me being captain, but then away from that we genuinely are very good mates."We've built a rapport and a relationship and we've been through some testing times, we've been through some great times and do we agree on everything? Absolutely not. Do we have discussions around things? Absolutely."Not agreeing on everything shouldn't be seen as a divide between Brendon and me." SYMPATHY FOR ROOTStokes also expressed sympathy for Root after some of his tactics were criticised in the 253-run loss in the second Test."To see him stand up and take that responsibility on last week, showed a lot about his character," Stokes said."For me as his friend, it was hard to see the reaction that he got and for me that's something that hurt."Stokes, along with the also-recalled Atkinson, will now aim to get England back on track at Trent Bridge."Right now my focus is on the team and on the series. We are one-all in a three-match series, this week is massive for this team regardless of what's going on," he said. Related Story
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Ante Budimir of Croatia celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup Group L match against Panama at Toronto Stadium in Toronto on June 23, 2026. (AFP) Panama were eliminated from World Cup contention after Croatia kept their hopes of progressing to the last 32 alive with a hard-fought 1-0 win on Tuesday.Croatia, who made it to the last four of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, were looking to bounce back after a 4-2 defeat to England in their opening Group L game.In the end, Ante Budimir's 54th minute goal proved enough to see off the spirited Central Americans."You cannot win a match if you don't score," said Panama's Danish-born coach Thomas Christiansen.But he told reporters he was "super proud" of his players for how they battled against the higher-ranked Croatian side.Despite being eliminated from the tournament, Christiansen said Panama had taken strides forward."These players, after these two World Cup matches, won't be where they are today."Croatia's most celebrated player, Luka Modric, was making his 200th international appearance, but his early headed effort on goal sailed over the bar.Under Christiansen, Panama have implemented a tight defensive structure that helped them secure their second-ever World Cup appearance.But it was the Panamanian offence that almost made the difference in the first half.In the 23rd minute Jose Luis Rodriguez guided a header towards goal but the outstretched fingertips of Croatian 'keeper Dominik Livakovic redirected the ball off the bar.The second half marked a clear momentum shift and the capacity crowd of 43,000 in Toronto with a strong Croatian majority erupted when Budimir tapped in a cross from Josip Stanisic.Croatia should have been two up minutes later, when a perfectly weighted pass from Modric sent Marco Pasalic alone speeding towards goal. Pasalic's first effort was stopped by keeper Orlando Mosquera and although the rebound came back to him he blasted an off-balance second attempt well over the bar.Panama kept pressing for the equalizer but they ultimately failed to find the net, extending their World Cup goalless streak.They face England in what will be their final match of the tournament on Friday.Croatia have three points and will face Ghana, who moved onto four points after holding England to a goalless draw earlier, for a place in the final 32.After the match, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic was asked about Modric's milestone international appearance, and whether the AC Milan midfielder was uncomfortable being the focus of adulation.Modric, 40, went off as a substitute after 81 minutes, prompting a roar of applause in the Toronto stadium, and was lifted in the air by his teammates after the final whistle."It could be that Luka might want to avoid all this," Dalic told reporters."He's very humble, he's very simple," he added, saying Modric "truly is not for major celebrations, but I'm very glad that we marked this today."In Dalic's view, Modric is a "born leader," not someone who needs to impose his leadership role on the squad."That's what makes Luka a quality person," the Croatian coach said. Related Story
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Ferrari team-members celebrate Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Barcelona Grand Prix on June14. (AFP) Formula One could take another twist in Austria this weekend after Lewis Hamilton ended Mercedes' dominant run with his breakthrough first win for Ferrari in Spain.The scenic Spielberg circuit hosts the eighth round of the season with Mercedes the favourites on paper after six wins - five in a row for Italian teenager and championship leader Kimi Antonelli - and seven pole positions so far.Mercedes boast a good record at Spielberg and George Russell won there in 2024 but seven-time champion Hamilton has now had two second places and a win from his last three starts and is gathering momentum. McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris won from pole last year, with Australian teammate Oscar Piastri setting the fastest lap, and the team is the most successful constructor at the track with seven wins.A first win of 2026 would send McLaren to their home British Grand Prix at Silverstone next week with an added spring in their step.Red Bull's Max Verstappen meanwhile has a record four wins at his team's home track while Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc is also a past winner at Spielberg (2022), and was third last year, and is as keen as anyone to get back on top of the podium.Throw in Antonelli's response to being sidelined by mechanical failure at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, and Russell's eagerness to close the gap on his teammate, and Sunday's race has all the makings of an epic tussle."It's not going to be straightforward but I'm already looking forward to the next one because I really want to go back to where we left (off), from where we were finishing before," said Antonelli after his Spanish blow.The 19-year-old is 41 points ahead of closest rival Hamilton, whose teammate Leclerc also failed to score in Barcelona through no fault of his own and needs to close a widening gap to the Briton. Another win for either Hamilton or Leclerc would be Ferrari's 250th in Formula One.Mercedes have recognised the Ferrari threat, with team boss Toto Wolff calling Barcelona a reality check and acknowledging that the team may have to change their approach in future amid ongoing reliability concerns."Others have gained ground quickly and we need to respond," said the Austrian, whose team will bring some updates to Austria with a focus on performance and reliability."We are in a fight for both championships but must improve if we want to come out on top come the end of the season. Our Achilles heel so far has been reliability."Wolff said in Barcelona there would also be discussions with the drivers about handling "a situation where we risk holding each other up. I think it's not going to be a problem. It's just maybe we need to recalibrate."Champions McLaren will be bringing an experimental rear wing for Friday practice, with otherwise minor updates.Norris took his first F1 podium in Austria in 2020 and, after looking like Mercedes' closest challengers in Miami last month when he and Piastri finished one-two in a Saturday sprint, could pose more of a threat again in Spielberg."While we take nothing for granted in such a tight field, we are optimistic that the car and driver characteristics will again suit the circuit, putting us in the fight at the front," said McLaren's applied engineering technical director Neil Houldey. Related Story
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Known as "Pecco", Bagnaia's final appearance for Ducati will be at the Valencia Grand Prix, scheduled from November 27 to 29. Ducati have signed Pedro Acosta for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons, the Italian manufacturer said on Wednesday, hours after confirming that two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia will leave the team at the end of 2026. The 22-year-old Spaniard will form a headline partnership with seven-time world champion Marc Marquez, whose contract was extended until 2028 earlier this week. Bagnaia’s departure will bring down the curtain on an eight-year stint with the team, during which he delivered their first riders' title in 15 years in 2022 and became their most successful rider with 31 victories, 62 podiums and 28 pole positions. Acosta, regarded as one of the sport's brightest talents, won Moto3 and Moto2 world titles within three years of his championship debut. He impressed in MotoGP as well, claiming Rookie of the Year honours in 2024 and finishing fourth overall in 2025 with KTM, with 13 podiums. He currently sits sixth in the standings this season, 48 points behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi. BAGNAIA'S DEPARTUREKnown as "Pecco", Bagnaia's final appearance for the team will be at the Valencia Grand Prix, scheduled from November 27 to 29. "We've grown together, we've weathered every kind of situation together without ever giving up and we've always spurred each other on to give our all," Bagnaia said in a post on Instagram. "I feel the need to start afresh with a new challenge, but I'll never forget what we've been. You're part of me, and you always will be." Bagnaia, who joined Ducati as a rookie in 2019, has faced a challenging period over the past 18 months, where he has been overshadowed by Marquez since the Spaniard joined the factory team in 2025. Marquez dominated last season en route to securing a seventh title, while Bagnaia finished fifth, trailing his teammate by 257 points, after previously being Ducati's leading rider. "Sporting results tell only part of Pecco's value: his clean and elegant riding style (I like to call him 'Il Pinturicchio' - the little painter) together with his great fairness on track - combined with remarkable determination when overtaking - made Ducatisti fall in love with him," Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali said in a statement. "On top of that, he is a great professional and a great person away from racing." Bagnaia will arrive at this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix after claiming his first win of the season in the Czech Grand Prix sprint last week. He was unable to secure a double, however, as he was overtaken late in Sunday's race by Marquez and pole-sitter Ai Ogura, eventually finishing third after leading for several laps. He heads into the next round trailing championship leader Marco Bezzecchi by 53 points. Related Story
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England manager Thomas Tuchel reacts during the FIFA World Cup Group L match against Ghana at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2026. (AFP) England coach Thomas Tuchel admitted his team had lacked a cutting edge in a frustrating 0-0 draw with Ghana but insisted there were plenty of positive signs going forward in their quest to win the World Cup."It's a long tournament and I think the boys tried everything. They played with the right energy," said Tuchel after the stalemate at the Gillette Stadium near Boston."We always try to entertain our fans. It was difficult today but I hope the fans don't lose belief. There is a long way to go. I just feel I was right that we were in a very difficiult group."England had 79 percent of the possession but could not break down a determined Ghanaian defence in the Group L contest.They also lacked the cutting edge which made the difference in their opening 4-2 win against Croatia in Dallas, having 19 attempts on goal but managing only three on target.Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly hit the bar late on after coming off the bench, and Harry Kane blazed the rebound over to sum up a frustrating day for England."It fell to him and 99 times out of 100 he takes that chance. If he converts his chance maybe we are talking now about the patience and discipline and performance," added Tuchel."But now it is 0-0 and maybe the headlines are a little different. We had enough set-pieces to decide the match but we were not clinical enough."The German said that it was "just natural" to rely on Kane, who was unable to add to his two goals against Croatia and move ahead of Gary Lineker as his country's all-time top scorer at World Cups.Tuchel also admitted that the match could serve as a "reality check", even if the outcome is hardly too problematic for England - they have four points from two games and a win against Panama at the MetLifeStadium on Saturday will clinch progress to the last 32 as group winners. 'VAR went for a coffee'"This is a difficult, difficult team to play against. None of us thought there was an easy match ahead of us, but there were a lot of things that were much better than against Croatia."It is just not the same result or excitement but it takes two to tango," he added in a nod to Ghana's defensive approach.England remain unbeaten against African opponents at World Cups but the Black Stars were clearly delighted with the point which keeps them on course to make the knockout phase for the first time since they got to the quarter-finals in 2010."Football is not only about possession. It is also about having the right attitude," Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said as his team built on their opening 1-0 victory against Panama."We celebrated because we got a draw against a team who are one of the favourites to win the World Cup."His team also have four points before heading to Philadelphia next to take on Croatia."You have to pay a high price to get points. Probably because we are in the United States where everything is expensive," he joked.However, the former Real Madrid and Portugal boss also felt his team should have had a penalty for a late challenge on Prince Adu by Ezri Konsa.Nothing was given by the Honduran referee and he was not summoned to check the VAR monitor."The VAR went for a coffee which is natural but it is a clear penalty and a red card," insisted Queiroz. Related Story
