A summary of Friday's action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifiers.
England aim to seal Super Eights qualification against T20 World Cup debutants Italy at Eden Gardens, as the historic football rivalry adds spice to their Group C clash.
Debutants, heat and distance shape mood ahead of 2026 World Cup draw
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha on Monday said the players will follow whatever instructions are given to them by the government or the cricket Board with regards to boycotting the marquee T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 in Colombo.
Star Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty showed nerves of steel to stun Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in their opening Group B match at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, on Wednesday.
With a population of 156,000, Curacao is the least populous country to go to the World Cup, beating the previous record held by Iceland with its 350,000 inhabitants.
Sunil Gavaskar believes Abhishek Sharma is struggling with expectations in the T20 World Cup and advises him to avoid risky shots early in his innings. Gavaskar also praises Shivam Dube and Varun Chakravarthy's performances and suggests potential changes for the Super 8 clash against South Africa.
Oman will replace Pakistan in the FIH Men's Junior World after the latter withdraw from the tournament to be held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 till December 10, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed on Wednesday.
Pakistan has pulled out of the Junior Hockey World Cup to be held in India in November-December.
Dhakshineswar Suresh once again rose to the occasion, outgunning Dutch number one Jesper de Jong in a battle of big servers to level the Qualifiers Round 1 tie 1-1 against the Netherlands, in Bengaluru, on Saturday.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 75, wishes poured in from across the country, with sporting icons Gautam Gambhir, R Praggnanandhaa, and Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker sending their heartfelt messages.
Defending champions India will open their campaign against USA in Mumbai on February 7 before facing Namibia in Delhi on February 12.
Four-time World champions Italy now have to battle through the playoffs in March if they are to avoid missing the tournament for a third straight occasion.
For now, Yumnam Khemchand Singh's leadership will be judged not by promises or symbolism, but by whether his government can prevent further violence and begin the slow, difficult work of rebuilding trust.
The teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Germany secured a place at next year's World Cup by crushing Slovakia 6-0 in their final qualifier on Monday.
A summary of Saturday's action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifiers.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has pulled out of the upcoming Badminton Asia Team Championships, dealing a major blow to Indian team's medal chances at the tournament beginning next week.
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin was quick to jump to Tariq Usman's defence when former Bengal wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami questioned the legality of the pause in his bowling action.
Back as chief coach of the Indian women's hockey team after a four-year hiatus, Sjoerd Marijne is focussed on bringing back unity, discipline and culture in the side, with eyes firmly set on creating a group to qualify for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Hockey India chief coach Craig Fulton reportedly threatened to resign after opposing Manpreet Singh's omission from core probables on disciplinary grounds.
India takes on the Netherlands in the Davis Cup Qualifier, relying on faster playing conditions and the return of Yuki Bhambri to overcome a depleted Dutch side.
Rohit Sharma to be conferred Honorary Doctorate by Ajeenkya DY Patil University
India's women's and men's badminton teams suffered defeats in the Badminton Asia Team Championships, ending their campaigns in the quarterfinals. The women's team lost to China, while the men's team was defeated by Korea.
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.
Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott called the heartbreaking two-Super Over loss to South Africa "devastating", admitting his side were undone by the Proteas' superior fielding in a T20 World Cup thriller that slipped away at the very end
The PMAs, which represent competing national teams and manage dedicated fan ticket programmes, will handle the ticket allocation process.
Kapil backs India in T20s, stresses focus on Test cricket
ICC rejects BCB request, Bangladesh matches to be played in India as schedule
World number one Aryna Sabalenka said it would be unfair for women to face "biological men" in professional tennis.
Pakistan's decision to boycott its Twenty20 World Cup match against India has drawn widespread support from fans and administrators who hailed the move as a long-overdue stand in a rivalry in which sport and geopolitics have collided.
Italy are gearing up for their Twenty20 World Cup debut, hoping a strong showing next month will help the sport break into popular culture in a soccer-obsessed nation that does not have a natural cricket pitch.
Cricket legend Steve Waugh believes the European T20 Premier League can unlock new talent and expand cricket's footprint across Europe.
Former Italy international Pamela Conti was on Sunday named head coach of the Indian women's U-17 team to take charge of the country's AFC Asian Cup campaign later this year, second such appointment of a national side this month made by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
This is the fifth time that the Algerians will be at the World Cup
Cricket has never been the same since India's thrilling, last-over win over Pakistan in the final at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on September 24, 2007.
'There has been an internal communication from ICC to BCB with regards to security in India. But what Asif Nazrul said is a complete lie.'
The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports aimed at giving India's youth a "meaningful role in shaping the vision of a Viksit Bharat".
The US raced into a 5-0 lead in the tiebreak, and though the Greek duo rallied to level at 6-6 a perfectly placed volley from Harrison squeezed through Tsitsipas's legs and sealed a 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory.
The share of first-time luxury customers in BMW's portfolio has risen sharply -- from around 43 per cent in 2024 to nearly 49 per cent in 2025. In some models, the figure is even higher.
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