Early data from the World Cup indicates that sportswear giant Adidas is currently gaining a significant advantage over rival Nike in brand visibility and sales. Adidas, an official sponsor, is seeing a substantial surge in apparel spending and foot traffic, particularly driven by jersey sales. While Nike's business is also growing, it is being outpaced by Adidas, which appears to have a more resonant product offering. Nike, facing declining market share and intense competition, is relying on the World Cup for a boost, though its footwear presence remains strong.
Argentina booked their place in the World Cup knockout stage on Monday as Lionel Messi recovered from an early penalty miss to score a record-breaking double in a 2-0 victory over Austria.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge struck a magnificent unbeaten century as England launched their Women's T20 World Cup campaign with an emphatic 87-run victory over Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on Friday.
Belgium's dressing room erupted in celebration after their dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Senegal, with match-winner Youri Tielemans leading the festivities.
Mexico ended a 40-year wait for a FIFA World Cup knockout victory as Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored in a 2-0 win over Ecuador, sending the co-hosts into the last 16 amid emotional scenes at the Azteca Stadium.
Colombia began their World Cup campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over debutants Uzbekistan in a Group K encounter at the Azteca Stadium. Luis Diaz was instrumental, assisting the opening goal and scoring another, as Colombia secured three points to top their group.
Australia's spinners shone in a 65-run win over South Africa as the six-time winners made a successful start in their quest to regain the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
Sarah and Kathryn Bryce's 106-run partnership powered Scotland to a first-ever ICC Women's T20 World Cup victory as they beat Ireland by 40 runs.
Chasing 463 for victory, England's Joe Root and Harry Brook hit half tons, even as Kyle Jamieson had the hosts reeling with three-wickets, on day four of the second Test at the Oval in London on Saturday.
Neymar offered Brazil a flicker of World Cup encouragement on Tuesday when he trained on the pitch with the national team in the United States for the first time.
Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out of the Women's T20 World Cup due to an ankle injury sustained during a match against the Netherlands. Uncapped leg-spinner Prema Rawat has been named as her replacement, marking a significant setback for the Indian team and a maiden call-up for Rawat.
The Netherlands secured the top position in World Cup Group F with a decisive 3-1 victory over Tunisia. Tunisia's campaign ended disastrously, marked by an early own goal and a series of errors, following previous heavy losses and a coaching change.
Iran face an anxious wait to see if they will progress to the World Cup knockout stage after they came from behind to hold Egypt to a 1-1 draw.
England expect Ben Stokes to return to captain the side in the third Test against New Zealand, head coach Brendon McCullum said on Sunday.
Pakistan's cricket selectors have opted for a significantly revamped pace attack for the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies. Key players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, and veteran spinner Nauman Ali have been dropped, making way for a mix of experienced and uncapped bowlers. This decision aims to build a squad better suited for Test cricket and future tours.
India created history on on June 25, 1983, when they won the ODI World Cup for the first time, stunning the mighty West Indies in a thrilling final at Lord's.
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir for his technical inputs after smashing a 51-ball 102 in the rain-hit first One-Day International.
Japan showed their battling qualities to eke out a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their World Cup Group F opener on Sunday, as Hajime Moriyasu's side backed up their desire to make an impact at the tournament with a gritty display.
Teams like India do not offer too many chances and Afghanistan must learn to capitalise on the opportunities that come their way, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said.
FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina says the World Cup's new anti-time-wasting rules have been a major success, speeding up play, reducing injuries and improving discipline while defending VAR's controversial decisions.
The Indian men's hockey team delivered a commanding performance, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 7-1 in the FIH Pro League's London leg. After conceding an early goal, India rallied with seven unanswered goals from multiple players, showcasing strong offensive and defensive play, with Hardik Singh named Player of the Match.
Germany secured a spot in the World Cup knockout stage after a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against Ivory Coast.
Spain secured their spot in the World Cup Round of 16 with a convincing 3-0 win over Austria, featuring two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal. The dominant performance saw Spain maintain their perfect defensive record, setting up a clash with either Portugal or Croatia in the next stage.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni discussed his team's hard-fought 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the World Cup last-32, emphasising the unexpected difficulty of the match despite being heavy favourites. He praised his players' resilience and character, acknowledging the physical toll and the need for improvement, while also highlighting the unique "suffering" inherent in being Argentine in football.
After the US's win in the round of 32 fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which involved striker Flo Balogun being shown a red card and sent off after a tackle with an opponent, former US footballer Alexi Lalas questioned why Argentina superstar Lionel Messi escaped any notice
Skipper Shubman Gill battled the oppressive heat and cramps to produce a magnificent 154 while Ishan Kishan ended a three-year wait for an ODI hundred as India beat Afghanistan by 170 runs in the second ODI to take 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match series, in Lucknow on Wednesday.
India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling FIH Pro League match in London, extending their decade-long unbeaten streak against them in international hockey. Despite Pakistan taking an early lead, India rallied with goals from Abhishek, Nilakanta Sharma, Sukhjeet Singh, and Rajinder Singh. Pakistan mounted a late comeback in the final quarter, but India held on for a crucial victory, moving up to seventh in the standings.
Brazil and Morocco played to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup Group C opening match. Morocco took an early lead through Ismael Saibari, but Vinicius Jr's brilliant goal brought Brazil level before halftime. Despite Brazil's second-half improvements, Morocco's strong defence held them to a point.
Kylian Mbappe's crucial second-half penalty secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for France over a resilient Paraguay, propelling them into the World Cup quarter-finals where they will face Morocco.
Mitchell Marsh's blazing century and Prince Yadav's bowling heroics powered Lucknow Super Giants to a nine-run DLS win over RCB in a rain-hit IPL clash, ending their losing streak.
Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of football's greatest players, celebrated his 39th birthday. The article chronicles his journey from humble beginnings in Rosario to becoming a global superstar, highlighting his unparalleled success at Barcelona, his international triumphs with Argentina including the 2022 World Cup, his individual accolades like eight Ballon d'Or awards, and his current impact with Inter Miami, cementing his legacy as a record-breaking legend.
Yashasvi Jaiswal became the fastest Indian to score two ODI centuries while debutant pacer Gurnoor Brar set a new Indian bowling record as India completed a dominant 3-0 ODI series sweep over Afghanistan in Chennai.
Egypt's players and Coach Hossam Hassan blasted FIFA and accused the governing body of blatantly 'favouring' Lionel Messi and his team.
Novak Djokovic turned his Centre Court clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas -- a player he has twice beaten in Grand Slam finals -- into an exhibition.
Mohammedan Sporting Club secured their first point in the Indian Super League with a 1-1 draw against Odisha FC, thanks to Adison Singh's equaliser.
World number one Jannik Sinner survived an early scare in his Wimbledon title defence but the Italian shook off the rust and fought past Serb Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 on Monday to reach the second round.
Brazil showed their attacking intent from the outset and thought they had taken an early lead when Raphinha finished from Bruno Guimaraes' clever through ball. However, the celebrations were cut short by an offside flag.
Morocco outmuscled Scotland for a 1-0 win thanks to the tournament's fastest goal on Friday, taking control of Group C in the World Cup and moving into top spot with one match left to play.
South Africa scored a penalty seven minutes from fulltime as they fought back to draw 1-1 with the Czechia at the World Cup on Thursday after falling behind early in the Group A clash.
Richa Ghosh produced a breathtaking late assault but India's brittle top-order batting proved costly as Dani Gibson's sparkling all-round show powered England to a narrow five-run win in their final Women's T20 World Cup warm-up match in Cardiff on Wednesday.
