The World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia from the world's top sporting events for four years, a period that includes the next summer and winter Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, for tampering with doping-related laboratory data. The sanctions against Russia, the host of last year's soccer World Cup, also bar it from hosting major sporting events for a four-year period or applying to host new events in that period.
Ukraine kept alive their dream of reaching the World Cup finals by beating Scotland 3-1 in their playoff at Hampden Park on Wednesday in their first game since the Russian invasion of their country.
Saudi Arabia has scrapped its decades-old Kafala system, freeing 13 million migrant workers, including 2.6 million Indians, from restrictive employer control and exit visa rules.
Spain-based striker Park Chu-young has been left out of South Korea's 23-man squad for this month's World Cup qualifier against Qatar, the country's football association said on Monday.
A number of MEPs were wearing the anti-hate 'OneLove' armbands which seven European World Cup captains backed out from wearing following FIFA pressure.
Qatar are without a point after they lost their opening game 2-0 to Ecuador and then went down 3-1 to Senegal earlier on Friday.
Bracing up to organise the Under-17 World Cup later this year, AIFF president Praful Patel stated that this would be the next "logical step for the development of football in India".
India's teenage shooting sensations extended their dominance in the ongoing ISSF World Cup in New Delhi on Monday, winning the mixed team gold medals in both the 10m air pistol and 10m air rifle events to continue their stupendous run of form in the run-up to this year's Olympics.
Three moments of late magic helped Uzbekistan, Iraq and Qatar grab key 1-0 wins in World Cup qualifying on Wednesday as Asian champions Japan rode their luck before edging to the brink of a place in Brazil.
The team's remarkable rise has been cricket's biggest fairytale story in recent times but Afghanistan risk isolation following the country's takeover by the Taliban in August.
European countries will be able to bid to host the 2026 World Cup only if none of the eligible candidates are good enough, soccer's governing body said on Friday.
FIFA ended more than four years of uncertainty over the timing of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by announcing on Thursday that it would be played in November and December with the final on December 18.
Stimac was part of the Croatia team that sensationally reached the semi-finals of the World Cup at the first attempt in 1998 and he is looking to his India squad to similarly buck the odds in Asian qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
The five countries bidding to host the 2022 World Cup will play their final cards on Wednesday as the battle to host sport's biggest event reaches its climax.
Holders France got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine
Spectators have been urged to respect Qatar's legal and cultural norms, including its restrictions on drinking, drugs, sexual activity, and attire.
On Friday, Federation Football Australia FFA chief Frank Lowy rejected criticism of Australia's failed bid for the 2022 World Cup, saying the country ran a "clean campaign".
Airlines have hiked their fares substantially for Down Under.
Asia's representatives are once again heading home before the business end of the World Cup gets going.
Saudi Arabia took third place in Group C and will feature in a fourth phase of qualifiers in October alongside Indonesia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Oman.
A member of FIFA's executive committee criticised talk of moving the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to winter and said he believes the idea was floated informally even before votes on the host nation for the tournament.
US authorities are investigating corruption at FIFA, soccer's global governing body, while Swiss prosecutors have announced their own criminal inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 bids awarded, respectively, to Russia and Qatar.
Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract extension with Al Nassr, the Saudi Pro League side announced on Thursday, which will keep the Portuguese forward at the club well past his 42nd birthday.
"We are a small country, the smallest to host the World Cup. We prepared ourselves for the possibility of an early exit, but this does not mean the end of the project."
From the debate-arousing introduction of VAR to maximum number of Penalties to the superb Ronaldo, here are the A to Z of the ongoing 2018 World Cup
England was criticised by a FIFA ethics report on Thursday for over-indulging former powerbroker Jack Warner in its attempt to win the right to host the 2018 World Cup.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar and PSG's owner, was a happy man as he enveloped PSG players Messi, Mbappe and Angel Di Maria with a warm hug.
The World Cup lost its headline acts on Saturday as the game's two biggest stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, readied to leave Russia after their teams were eliminated in the round of 16. Messi's Argentina lost 4-3 to France and hours later Ronaldo's Portugal went down 2-1 to Uruguay, leaving the tournament without its two best known and most loved players.
A Chinese bid to host the 2026 World Cup would be reliant on the failure of the four Asian countries angling to be selected as the venue for the previous tournament, regional soccer chief Mohammed Bin Hammam said.
Under the proposal, made by the FIFA Bureau, for the enlarged tournament beginning in 2026, Europe would get 16 direct places, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, CONCACAF six and Oceania one, totalling 46 teams.
Four-times winners Germany enjoyed a 3-0 win over Group J rivals Iceland
FIFA has put to bed the thorny subject of World Cup hosting for the foreseeable future and will now have time to ponder its own path forwards after a tumultuous couple of months.
Portugal charged into the knockout rounds of the under-20 World Cup on Saturday with a 3-1 defeat of Colombia while Serbia also advanced after sending Mexico crashing out of the tournament.
The visiting side scored through Moustafa Tarek Mashal (4th minute), Almeoz Ali (47th) and Yusuf Adurisag (86th).
The stability and pragmatism of Carlos Queiroz's seven-year reign has firmly established Iran's as Asia's number one team, but the nation will go to the World Cup hoping to advance for the first time to the knockout phase.
'I feel very happy, to be able to achieve this, to finish my World Cup journey by playing my last game in a final'
Images from the FIFA World Cup Group A match between Qatar and Senegal on Friday.
After years of pressure from human rights groups, Qatar changed its labour laws to dismantle much of its "kafala" sponsorship system, absolving workers of the need to get the permission of the employer who sponsored their visa in order to change jobs or leave the country.
Though many outsiders expect Qatar to be soundly drubbed in all three games, home fans know forwards Akram Afif and Almoez Ali have both talent and experience and pray they can penetrate an Ecuador team themselves struggling to score of late.
The home team froze under the weight of expectation and quickly went behind in Sunday's opener, losing 2-0 to Ecuador
