World Cup-winning Spanish footballer Gerard Pique has become a strategic shareholder in the Global Chess League franchise American Gambits. Pique, known for his illustrious football career, expressed his long-standing fascination with chess and his ambition to elevate the sport's global appeal. The fourth edition of the Global Chess League, featuring top grandmasters, is scheduled for September 3-13.
Spain take a 36-match unbeaten run into their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final against France, with Lamine Yamal calling it the biggest match of his career as La Roja chase Italy's all-time record.
Atletico Madrid reached their first Champions League semi-final in nine years, narrowly defeating Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 home defeat.
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.
Spanish football coach Manolo Marquez has criticised the expansion of the FIFA World Cup, arguing it compromises quality and that countries like India should prioritise grassroots development over relying on increased qualification slots. He also highlighted the impact of naturalised players on international competition, citing his experience with the Indian team.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick praised Lionel Messi's exceptional scoring ability after his team's 2-0 loss to Argentina, where Messi netted twice. However, Rangnick expressed frustration over Argentina's first goal, believing a foul on Xaver Schlager was overlooked. Despite the defeat, Rangnick was largely satisfied with his team's performance and their World Cup campaign.
Lamine Yamal exploded into view at 16 and became an integral part of Spain's record fourth European Championship triumph in 2024.
Lionel Messi, nearing 39, has broken the World Cup all-time goal-scoring record with 18 goals, surpassing Marta and Miroslav Klose. This latest achievement adds to his illustrious career, which includes numerous club and international titles, cementing his status as one of football's greatest players.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
England manager Thomas Tuchel made several bold selection calls for the World Cup, leaving out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire while recalling Ivan Toney and backing a new-look squad built on chemistry and trust.
Liverpool shrugged off the absence of Mohamed Salah as midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored an 88th-minute penalty to give them a 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan.
A round-up of Tuesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Tuesday.
Manchester City were drawn against Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout phase for the sixth time since the 2019-20 season after the draw for the last 16, quarterfinals and semifinals was made on Friday.
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Barcelona dropped their first points in LaLiga this season as Rayo Vallecano fought back to secure a 1-1 draw at home to the champions.
Reliance Jio is aiming to be one of the first scalable token service providers in the world by deeply adopting and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its operations, said Jio Platforms group chief executive officer (CEO) Mathew Oommen at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Real Madrid are football's biggest earners, Liverpool best in Premier League
Galatasaray struck twice in extra time to end 10-man Juventus' brave fightback and reach the Champions League's last 16, progressing with a 7-5 aggregate victory.
Dani Olmo came off the bench in the second half to give Barcelona the spark they needed on his debut, against Rayo Vallecano.
Barcelona's Raphinha scored deep into stoppage time to hand his side a dramatic 5-4 comeback win at Benfica and a place in the Champions League last 16.
Manchester City squandered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday.
During the two months in England when he was warming the bench, the easy way would have been to blame anyone and everyone for his failure to fit into India's playing XI, but Kuldeep Yadav chose to traverse the tougher route.
Manchester City have one just victory from their last 10 games across all competitions.
Barcelona reached the knockout phase of the Champions League with a 2-2 draw at Olympique Lyon on Tuesday. The 2006 champions, who have 11 points from five matches, also secured top place in Group E after Rangers lost 3-2 way to bottom-placed VfB Stuttgart.
Barcelona made a disappointing start to their Champions League campaign by losing 2-1 to AS Monaco on Thursday.
Barcelona's Sergi Roberto and Robert Lewandowski struck just before halftime to give the league leaders a 2-0 home win over lowly Cadiz on Sunday in their pursuit of a 27th Spanish title.
Barcelona have the chance to secure top spot in Champions League Group C and prove they are not dependent on striker Lionel Messi to win matches when they visit Sporting on Wednesday. Barca's nine-match winning streak in the Spanish Primera Liga came to an end with a 1-1 draw at home to Getafe on Sunday, as Pep Guardiola's outfit struggled to open up their well-organised opponents.
Barcelona have won the Champions League five times, most recently in 2015, and face a tough task to get back to the top table of European football after being forced to sell club legend Lionel Messi due to financial problems.
PSG beat Seattle to reach knockout stage at Club World Cup
The French and English sides, two of European football's most powerful and richest clubs, will compete for the honour of being the first champions of FIFA's expanded competition, created with the promise of revolutionising club football and as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Real Madrid will play local rivals Atletico Madrid while Bayern Munich were drawn against Bundesliga title challengers Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.
As the spotlight shines on Carlos Alcaraz's title defence and Novak Djokovic's pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam, a determined group of challengers is quietly preparing to shake up the draw.
Barcelona bounced back from their painful Clasico loss in style as they cruised to a 3-0 home LaLiga win over Villarreal with a brace from Robert Lewandowski on Thursday.
A summary of the opening day's action in the UEFA Champions league on Tuesday.
A round-up of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League
Barcelona have reached the semis only once since winning the Champions League in 2014-15.
PSG's focus on unity, tactical discipline and collective effort has drawn widespread plaudits ahead of their showdown with Inter Milan, who eliminated Barcelona after a thrilling semi-final.
A round-up of Tuesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
