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Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix named to Portugal’s World Cup team
LISBON: Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make a record sixth World Cup appearance after being included in Portugal’s squad for the tournament on Tuesday, and coach Roberto Martinez also included the late Diogo Jota as a “plus one forever” in a tribute to the player who died last year.
The 28-year-old Jota, a regular in Portugal’s squad, was killed in a car crash in Spain last July.
Martinez picked the 41-year-old Ronaldo and 26 other players to try to give Portugal their first World Cup title. afnews.co.za
Two-time champion Alcaraz withdraws from Wimbledon with wrist injury
Madrid: Carlos Alcaraz's hopes of regaining his Wimbledon title have been dashed with the two-time champion announcing Tuesday he is withdrawing as he recovers from a wrist injury.
"My recovery is going well and I'm feeling much better, but unfortunately I'm still not ready to play, I am obliged to withdraw from both Queen's and Wimbledon," said Spaniard Alcaraz, who lost to Jannik Sinner in last year's final in the All England Club.
"These are two really special tournaments for me and I'll miss them a lot. We'll keep working to come back as soon as possible."
Alcaraz sustained the injury during the first round of the Barcelona Open last month and subsequently pulled out of tournaments in Madrid and Rome and then Roland Garros, where he is the reigning two-time champion.
The world number two became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in January with his triumph at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old holds a 22-3 record this season and also won a title in Doha.
Wimbledon will be only the third Grand Slam that Alcaraz has missed since making his main draw debut at the 2021 Australian Open. The Spaniard withdrew from the 2023 edition in Melbourne with a hamstring injury.
Alcaraz's wrist injury has stopped him continuing his exciting rivalry with Italian world number one Sinner, 24, who is firm favourite to triumph in Paris and London.
He lost top spot following his defeat by Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final on April 12.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner triumphed at Roland Garros in 2024 and 2025. He saved three championship points against Sinner last year in the longest French Open final in history.
The Italian, who has never won the French Open, may be able to capitalise on Alcaraz's absence. This year's tournament runs from May 24 to June 7.
Alcaraz won his first Wimbledon trophy in 2023, defeating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the final and successfully defended his title against the Serb the following year.
This year's Wimbledon championship runs from June 29 to July 12.
"It's sad news for all of us, me being a competitor you want to play against the best players in the world and he's definitely the best player on this surface," Sinner had said after Alcaraz's withdrawal from the French Open.
"Being that young, like he is and like I am, we need to look at our bodies first before worse things (happen)."
Last month, Alcaraz insisted that he would not risk a premature return.
"I'd rather come back maybe a bit later, but in great shape, than come back quickly and risk making this injury worse," he explained.
"I have a long career ahead of me, so I'm not afraid to miss what I have to miss in order to recover as well as possible."
Neuer set for return to Germany World Cup squad: reports
BERLIN: Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set for a surprise return to Germany’s World Cup squad as the number one option two years after announcing his international retirement, German media reported on Tuesday.
German tabloid Bild claimed coach Julian Nagelsmann had informed players, including prospective number one Oliver Baumann, that the 40-year-old would be included in the World Cup squad, which will be announced on Thursday.
In an appearance on German TV on Saturday, Nagelsmann refused to address Sky Germany reports that the 2014 World Cup winner would return.
بجانب منتخبات الإمارات والبحرين واليمن.. العنابي في المجموعة الثانية لـ «خليجي 27»
وقع العنابي في المجموعة الثانية في قرعة «خليجي 27» التي سحبت أمس في مدينة جدة وتستضيفها خلال الفترة من 23 سبتمبر و6 أكتوبر المقبلين، إلى جانب منتخبات الإمارات، والبحرين، واليمن.
وضمت المجموعة الأولى منتخبات السعودية، والعراق، وعمان، والكويت.
وجرت مراسم القرعة بحضور سعادة الشيخ حمد بن خليفة بن أحمد آل ثاني وزير الرياضة والشباب، رئيس اتحاد كأس الخليج العربي لكرة القدم، إلى جانب ممثلين عن المنتخبات الثمانية المشاركة في البطولة، وعدد من نجوم كرة القدم الخليجية السابقين.
وتعد «خليجي 27» البطولة الخامسة التي تقام تحت مظلة اتحاد كأس الخليج العربي لكرة القدم. وتستضيف السعودية البطولة للمرة الخامسة، بعد أعوام 1972 و1988 و2002 و2014.
وحسب نظام البطولة، تلعب المنتخبات في كل مجموعة بنظام دوري مجزأ من مرحلة واحدة بحيث يتأهل أول وثاني كل مجموعة إلى الدور نصف النهائي والذي يتواجه فيه متصدر المجموعة الأولى مع صاحب المركز الثاني في المجموعة الثانية، ويلعب متصدر المجموعة الثانية مع ثاني المجموعة الأولى.
وتحظى بطولة كأس الخليج العربي لكرة القدم بالكثير من الاهتمام والخصوصية لدى الجماهير الخليجية منذ انطلاقتها قبل ما يقارب الـ 56 عاما، وتحديدا عام 1970 عندما استضافت البحرين النسخة الأولى، حيث تعكس هذه البطولة قيم الأخوة والتقارب بين شعوب دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، في إطار يجمع بين التنافس الرياضي والبعد الاجتماعي.