Sports

Lionel Messi lamented Argentina's shock second-half capitulation against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday but said he was not surprised by the threat from opponents 48 places lower in the world rankings. "It's a situation that this group of players has never been through, it's been a while since we suffered such a tough blow, we didn't expect to start like this," Messi told Argentinian media after the 2-1

Saudi Arabia sealed one of the biggest World Cup upsets by beating Lionel Messi’s Argentina 2-1 at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Messi’s quest to win the one major title to elude him got off to a shocking start on Tuesday and brought back memories of Cameroon’s 1-0 win over an Argentina team led by Diego Maradona in the opening game of the 1990 World Cup. Messi rolled in a penalty to give Argentina a

Some of the best football players will be in action at the FIFA World Cup 2022, which will be held across eight magnificent stadiums in Qatar from November 20 to December 18. The Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 will see 32 teams from five confederations compete for the biggest prize in football. The teams have been divided into eight groups of four (A to H) and only the top two teams will advance to the

Home to gleaming skyscrapers and upmarket shopping malls, World Cup host Qatar is also a conservative Muslim country deeply attached to its customs and traditions. Here are some of the cultural conventions football fans should know when visiting the gas-rich Gulf emirate, which, like other Arab nations, prides itself on its hospitality. In public places, it is customary to stand up when greeting

If it is a World cup final, Ben Stokes is your man. After being the star of England's 2019 Cricket World Cup triumph on home soil, Stokes once again stepped up to the occasion by scoring a half-century and helping the Jos Buttler-led side lift the T20 World cup trophy for the second time in history with a five-wicket win over Pakistan. England have become the first team in history to hold both the

Doha, Nov 12: Thousands of migrant workers wearing the colours of Argentina, Brazil and England staged a World Cup rally in Doha Friday, less than 10 days from the start of the tournament. Fans of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Harry Kane converged on the Doha seafront for a march that would normally not have been allowed, according to an AFP journalist. The fans came mainly from the state of Kerala, a

The England opening duo put on a stellar show in Adelaide as they went on the charge against the Indian bowlers right from the beginning of their innings. It was Hales, who smashed the Indian bowlers earlier in the innings as Buttler played the second fiddle. But the English skipper joined the party in the second half of the innings, as soon as England got a firm grip on the match. Their

Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam slammed half centuries as Pakistan powered past New Zealand by seven wickets and into the Twenty20 World Cup final Wednesday, moving within one win of a second title. They will meet either England or India -- who play on Thursday in Adelaide -- in the November 13 decider at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pakistan set the tone at the Sydney Cricket Ground with some

Who would have thought that Netherlands' stunning win over South Africa could start a domino effect in Group 2 of the ICC World T20 2022 on Sunday? Despite starting their final fixture as outright favourites to advance to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, Temba Bavuma-led South Africa suffered an embarrassing trounce at the hands of Netherlands which confirmed India's qualification from the

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are among a handful of players hoping for a final hurrah in what is likely to be their last World Cup appearance. Besides those two, there's also Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suárez, Luka Modric, Dani Alves, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller. Hanging on for the next World Cup in 2026 in North America might just be a step to far for these veterans. CRISTIANO RONALDO