Football
Infantino on hydration breaks: purely sporting decision
“No additional revenue, commercial agreements signed well in advance,” FIFA president says.
United States ease security restrictions on Iran national team
A small change, on paper, opening the door for Team Melli to enter the country two days before matches, a shift that leaves them in far better conditions than those they have had so far.
Cristiano Ronaldo has also scored at this World Cup, but the difficult part comes now
The brace against Uzbekistan breaks new records, and CR7 is again in a tournament that, in effect, had been waiting for him.
We are living through a World Cup that, thanks to artificial intelligence, will change football forever
Thanks to Lenovo, AI is now shaping the game: referee Ref Cams, FIFA AI Pro for tactical analysis, and hyper-realistic 3D avatars of all players called up for the tournament.
Gareth Bale edges toward football ownership, no club yet in sight
The former Real Madrid forward is drifting back toward football ownership, working alongside an investment fund.
Giovanni Malagò, FIGC’s reset built on sporting authority
His election carries a political charge, unavoidable, but the record speaks for itself: Italy’s most successful Olympic cycle, Milano Cortina 2026, and a run of major projects under his name.
Erling Haaland has swept through the World Cup like a force of nature, and not just through his goals
The Norway ‘Viking Row’ is a fitting metaphor for the Manchester City striker’s impact: he leads from the front, a strong team behind him capable of overwhelming anyone.
Despite Saudi ownership and Ronaldo’s stake, Almería fail again in bid to return to La Liga Second straight season without promotion despite heavy investment, with Cristiano Ronaldo now among the shareholders
Not the easiest weeks for CR7. Scrutiny gathers around him and the projects orbiting his name.
Erling Haaland is turning into a name in the United States, especially in commercial terms
A lethal striker of rare physical force, almost beyond comparison, his presence slides into something American in scale, almost comic-book by instinct.
Jeremy Doku would leave Belgium at the World Cup for the birth of his first child, a decision broadly accepted in football circles
Except for one L’Équipe journalist, who wrote that “fathers at childbirth are useless.
There are eleven World Cup matches in which a single player is worth more than the entire squad of the opposing national team
Lamine Yamal, for example, has a market value four times higher than the combined value of Cape Verde’s 26-man squad (though the match against Spain ended 0–0).
“Wonderwall” by Oasis has become England’s new unofficial anthem, and hearing it sung by supporters is one of the most striking scenes of this World Cup so far
Until Euro 2024, England’s victories under Kane and his teammates were accompanied by Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”. Not anymore.