Sports

Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain were handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony on Friday which saw US President Donald Trump receive FIFA’s new peace prize. The event in Washington started the final countdown to the tournament, six months out from the first-ever 48-team World Cup, with much-fancied France among those receiving a harder ...

Australia surged ahead of England to claim a 44-run lead by stumps on the second day of the day-night Ashes Test at Gabba in Brisbane on Friday, powered by aggressive knocks from opener Jake Weatherald and veteran Steve Smith. By the close, the hosts had surpassed England’s first-innings total of 334, reaching 378-6 in front of a lively, humid crowd. ...

Lionel Messi will aim to crown his MLS revolution by leading Inter Miami to their first domestic championship on Saturday in a blockbuster season finale against the surging Vancouver Whitecaps. Two years after reshaping the landscape of Major League Soccer following his arrival in Florida, Messi is on the brink of delivering the title that Miami have craved since the ...

An inspired Kylian Mbappe scored two fabulous goals to guide Real Madrid to a commanding 3-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, ending their three-game winless streak in LaLiga. The win keeps Real in second place with 36 points from 15 matches, one behind leaders Barcelona. Real started brightly with Mbappe opening the scoring in the seventh minute. He received ...

Barcelona recovered to secure a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid as goals from Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres handed the visitors their first LaLiga defeat since August and extended the champions’ lead at the top after an intense clash on Tuesday. The result puts Barca on 37 points, four ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who visit Athletic Bilbao on ...

Robin Smith, the batter who shone for England in a period when it was beaten regularly in test cricket, has died. He was 62. Smith’s family said in a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Boar d that he died unexpectedly at his home in Perth, Australia, on Monday. No cause was given. He played 62 tests for England ...

Bangladesh wrapped up the three-match T20 series in commanding fashion on Tuesday, cruising to an eight-wicket victory over Ireland at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram. The emphatic 2-1 win sealed the series for the Tigers, showcasing their dominance with both bat and ball. Chasing Ireland’s 117-run total, Bangladesh were steady and clinical. Tanzid Hasan Tamim ...

New Zealand batting talisman Kane Williamson returns to the Test arena for the first time in a year to bolster the hosts’ line-up in the first Test against the West Indies in Christchurch, which begins Tuesday. The 35-year-old sat out New Zealand’s only other Tests this year — a 2-0 series win in Zimbabwe in August — but has a ...

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami booked a place in the MLS Cup final for the first time in the club’s history after a commanding 5–1 victory over New York City FC in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Saturday. A Tadeo Allende hat-trick, along with goals from Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia, secured Miami’s berth in Major League Soccer’s championship match, ...

Eight Bangladesh cricketers have been omitted from the final draft list of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) auction after they were flagged during an ongoing investigation into suspected corruption in the tournament. The cricketers are Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Shofiul Islam, Alauddin Babu, Sunzamul Islam, Mizanur Rahman, Monir Hasan Khan and Nihaduzzaman. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had earlier ...