Australia's coach Tony Popovic expresses confidence in his team's ability to challenge favourites Turkey in their World Cup opener in Vancouver, despite being considered underdogs. He also confirmed the squad is fully fit, including Mohamed Toure.
The 2026 World Cup has witnessed an unusual number of own goals in its opening 10 days, with seven already recorded, making it the second-highest tally in tournament history. The United States has benefited from two such incidents. This trend is notable given the tournament's expansion and could surpass the 2018 record of 12 own goals. Several players from different nations have contributed to this statistic, highlighting a peculiar aspect of the early matches.
Lionel Messi earned a spot in the World Cup history books with a hat-trick that saw Argentina begin the defence of their title with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Algeria in their Group J opener at Kansas City Stadium, Missouri, on Tuesday.
US Vice President J D Vance confirmed that peace talks with Iran are underway in Switzerland, with negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner already present. Vance plans to join soon, expressing confidence in the US's strong negotiating position despite a delay caused by recent Israel-Lebanon firing.
Born in African refugee camps and raised in Australia, Mohamed Toure, Nestory Irankunda and Awer Mabil are carrying the Socceroos' World Cup hopes while showcasing the nation's increasingly diverse football identity.
US president Donald Trump in recent weeks has renewed threats to make Canada the 51st US state, and said he might not renew the trilateral trade agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico -- the co-hosts of this year's World Cup.
The Russian swept aside Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki to set up a clash with Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska.
The Belgian beat Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-2 to win the Qatar Open and complete a Gulf double.
Morocco confirmed their progress to the World Cup last 32 but twice had to come from behind to get the better of plucky Haiti with a 4-2 win in an action-packed game on Wednesday and fell short of topping Brazil in the Group C standings.
A recently finalised peace deal between the US and Iran, set to be signed on June 19, is expected to significantly benefit India's economy by boosting exports to West Asia, stabilising the rupee, and easing inflationary pressures, according to exporters and experts.
Iran's World Cup campaign has left many Iranian-Americans torn between supporting Team Melli and opposing the country's leadership, highlighting deep divisions within Los Angeles' influential Iranian diaspora.
Portugal's World Cup squad will wear commemorative wristbands in tribute to their late former teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last year. Midfielder Vitinha discussed the team's approach to the upcoming tournament, acknowledging logistical challenges and expressing his personal ambition to win the World Cup.
India on Friday launched a highly coordinated, priority operation to safely guide 13 Indian-flagged commercial vessels out of the volatile Strait of Hormuz, the ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways announced on Friday.
Argentina start their bid for back-to-back World Cups on Tuesday with a side full of familiar faces from Qatar 2022, facing an Algerian team buoyed by warm-up wins and featuring a 20-year-old rising star nicknamed after Diego Maradona.
Cristiano Ronaldo, playing his 6th FIFA World Cup, headlines the Portugal squad that has a glittering supporting cast that includes Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations with Iran were 'proceeding nicely' and argued that several Muslim and Arab nations should formally recognise Israel and join the Abraham Accords once a deal is reached.
Much will depend on how the protagonists use the current interlude to work proactively for the beginning of a durable settlement or, on the contrary, prepare for a new round of escalation, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Williams has not played competitively for nearly eight months after undergoing a knee operation but had hoped to make her comeback at the $600,000 event in Doha.
Indian javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra would hope that his lengthy injury-forced absence from competition does not affect his rhythm when he returns to action against an in-form line-up of heavyweight rivals in the familiar environs of the Doha Diamond League on Friday.
The United States men's national team secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their World Cup Group D opener, with Folarin Balogun scoring two goals and Giovanni Reyna adding another.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed a peace deal with the United States, stating that Tehran will enter a 60-day negotiation period only after verifying Washington's commitments to ending hostilities, lifting the blockade, and releasing Iranian assets.
Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished fourth in the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 85.69m, marking his return to competition after multiple injuries. Despite not winning, Chopra expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating he focused on reaching the competition stage without extra pressure. He confirmed his participation in the upcoming Commonwealth Games and discussed his recovery process and the growing competition in South Asian javelin.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a tense phone call over the future course of the war on Iran, with Washington favouring a deal instead of resuming strikes, according to US media reports.
Luka Modric scored to put Croatia ahead before they edged Slovenia 2-1 in the international friendly before the World Cup.
Top-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic withdrew from the Qatar Open on Thursday after injuring her left ankle beating Olga Govortsova of Belarus the previous day.
Lionel Messi is dealing with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring less than three weeks before the start of the World Cup, Inter Miami said on Monday after the Argentine forward was forced off in his final club match before the tournament.
World Cup fever in Argentina, home of the defending champions, has boosted sales of counterfeit jerseys and soccer trading cards, sparking protests from retailers who are already under pressure from President Javier Milei's market-opening policies.
India's U17 football team is set to compete in the AFC U17 Asian Cup, starting with a challenging match against Australia. Coach Bibiano Fernandes emphasises the importance of staying organised and focused throughout the tournament.
Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav finished eighth in his Diamond League debut in Rome with a throw of 79.18m, significantly below his personal best. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the event with a historic 92.62m throw, the second longest by an Asian.
The third seeded Indo-Czech pair beat the Belgian pair of Christophe Rochus and Kristof Vliegen to make the grade.
Serena Williams will miss next week's Qatar Open because of the flu, she said on Tuesday, marking the second consecutive tournament the world number one misses due to illness.
Khamenei urged the pilgrims for unity and called on them to pray for "the liberation of Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque, the alleviation of the great hardships afflicting Muslims, and the attainment of ultimate victory against global arrogance."
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is significantly investing in automation, robotics, and technology-led solutions to scale up its construction activities, as increasing traditional manpower is no longer a viable growth option, according to CFO R Shankar Raman.
Morocco, Norway, Turkey, Colombia, Mexico and Japan are among the leading dark horses for FIFA World Cup 2026, with each side possessing the talent and momentum to challenge football's traditional powers.
The top seed stormed into the Qatar Open final with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Germany's Tommy Haas.
Sania Mirza and her partner Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic suffered a major blow as they crashed out of the ongoing Qatar Open after going down in the semi-finals.
India's Under-17 AFC Asian Cup campaign began with a 0-4 defeat to Australia, highlighting defensive vulnerabilities and missed opportunities.
The World number one won his 20th consecutive match on Friday as he breezed past Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4.
The Indo-Czech pair beat second seeds Mark Knowels and Daniel Nestor in the semi-finals.
Nipam made a memorable international debut by winning the bronze medal in the 100m at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships. Other Indian athletes also showed promise in various events.
