Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup after Mehdi Taremi scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan on Tuesday. The Inter Milan striker scored his second goal in the 83rd minute in Tehran, giving Iran the point it needed to qualify to a fourth straight appearance at the World Cup and a seventh overall. The 48-team tournament will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Earlier, Australia took a big step toward securing a spot at tournament with a 2-0 win over China in Hangzhou on Tuesday...

Less than three months after sustaining a serious injury, Mikaela Shiffrin made history by winning her 100th World Cup. On Sunday, Feb. 23, the Olympic skier took the championship title in slalom at the World Cup in Sestriere, Italy, securing a second win shortly after her return to the slopes. No skier, man or woman, has achieved such a level of success before. “It was a big push today, and a pretty emotional season, actually,” Shiffrin, 29, told reporters after her historic win. “This is really special… to share it...

Luis Rubiales has been fined more than €10,000 ($11,400) after being found guilty of sexual assault for kissing Jenni Hermoso after Spain won the 2023 Women’s World Cup — but he will not go to prison. The prosecution had requested a one-year prison sentence if the former head of the Spanish football federation was found guilty of sexual assault. The ruling from Spain’s High Court bans Rubiales from going within 200 metres of Hermoso, and from communicating with her for one year. Since Rubiales kissed Hermoso as the players received...

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Romania’s soccer federation lost its appeal on Thursday against UEFA punishment for racist fan chants and must play its first home qualifier for the 2026 World Cup in an empty stadium. The case was the first of two separate appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport about the Romania-Kosovo game that ended in chaos last November in the Nations League. Romania fans chanted anti-Hungary slogans judged by UEFA to be xenophobic, and pro-Serbia slogans that were offensive to Kosovo players and fans. Romania does not...

MONTREAL — The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have achieved their goal of establishing a calendar of international best-on-best events, announcing Wednesday that they’ve committed to reviving the World Cup of Hockey in February 2028. That guarantees a regular cadence of best-on-best tournaments following this month’s 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan next February. The news was announced by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh before Canada’s game against Sweden in the 4 Nations opener at Bell Centre. Beyond earmarking a spot...

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the UK has confirmed there will be a complete alcohol ban at the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with no exceptions for hotels, restaurants or stadiums. Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud told LBC radio that alcoholic beverages would not be permitted anywhere during the tournament. The announcement marks a stricter approach than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where alcohol was available in designated fan zones and five-star hotels. The Saudi Kingdom has maintained a strict prohibition on alcohol for over 70 years. "At the moment,...

World Cup organisers have insisted there will be a complete booze ban at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi ambassador to the UK said “there's no alcohol at all” and there would be no exception for the tournament. Qatar is also restrictive on booze but allowed alcohol at fan zones despite it not being on sale in stadiums while foreign nationals could also apply for licences. But Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud told LBC: “At the moment, we don't allow alcohol. Plenty of fun can be...

No alcohol will be allowed at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, says the country's ambassador to the United Kingdom. In an interview on LBC, Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud said alcohol would not be sold anywhere during the tournament, including hotels. Fifa confirmed Saudi Arabia would host the men's World Cup in 2034. "At the moment, we don't allow alcohol," Prince Khalid told LBC., external "Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol - it's not 100% necessary and if you want to drink after you leave,...