Pr

Salah's long goodbye brings curtain down on golden era for Liverpool

  • The Egyptian superstar announced on Tuesday that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season after a glittering nine-year spell at the club. 
  • Mohamed Salah's long goodbye from Liverpool signals the end of a glorious era and leaves the Premier League giants facing another expensive rebuild.
  • The Egyptian superstar announced on Tuesday that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season after a glittering nine-year spell at the club. 
Mohamed Salah's long goodbye from Liverpool signals the end of a glorious era and leaves the Premier League giants facing another expensive rebuild.
The Egyptian superstar announced on Tuesday that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season after a glittering nine-year spell at the club. 
An emotional Salah, 33, expressed his love for Liverpool, where he stands alongside the all-time greats.
"Liverpool is not just a football club. It's a passion, it's a history, it's a spirit. I can't explain in words to anyone not part of this club," he said in a video posted on social media.
Salah, who arrived from Roma in 2017, has scored 255 goals for the Reds, putting him third on their list of leading goalscorers, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
He has won two Premier League titles along with a Champions League and other silverware and piled up a remarkable number of personal awards.
But beyond his numbers, Salah was the poster boy of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool revolution at Anfield, helping fire the German's team back to the summit of English and European football alongside the now departed Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. 
Salah was again the main man last season under new boss Arne Slot, scoring 29 goals to collect the Premier League Golden Boot award for a record-equalling fourth time as the club romped to a 20th English title.
The winger signed a new two-year deal in April, riding a wave of goodwill, after months of speculation over whether he would stay or go.
But serious cracks emerged earlier this season when he said he had been "thrown under the bus" by Liverpool and that his relationship with head coach Slot had broken down after a dramatic dip in form that meant the Egyptian was repeatedly benched.
Soon afterwards he left for the Africa Cup of Nations but he returned to the Liverpool fold in January, becoming a regular starter again.
Slot tried to draw a line under the incident but Salah did not publicly apologise and speculation over his future never entirely went away.

Champions League glory

Salah is one of the few survivors from the Liverpool side that won the 2019 Champions League under Klopp, along with goalkeeper Alisson Becker and defenders Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson.
The Reds appeared to have engineered a smooth transition when Slot won the Premier League in his first season before splashing out nearly £450 million ($600 million) on new players including forwards Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak last summer.
But there were also many outgoings, which left the club light on options in various areas, while the impact of the death of Diogo Jota in July has been impossible to gauge.
A lack of depth has been exacerbated by significant injuries, including to Isak, and a collective loss of form in a disastrous title defence.
Salah himself has managed just five goals in the Premier League this season -- a paltry return by his stellar standards.
It means Liverpool are braced for another expensive summer transfer window as they seek to return to the top.
A wide attacking player to replace Salah will be a major priority and the club will look at reinforcements for an ageing defence that includes captain Van Dijk and Robertson, as well as fresh midfield options.
It is unclear though whether Slot will be in place to oversee the rebuild, with uncertainty over the Dutchman's future and continuing speculation linking former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso with the Anfield job.
But Liverpool -- and Salah -- can still end the season on a high, with quarter-finals to come against Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City in the Champions League and FA Cup.
They remain fifth in the Premier League table, which would almost certainly bring Champions League football next season, despite a poor recent run.
Salah's own future is uncertain -- he has previously been linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia, while other options include Major League Soccer in the United States or a return Italy's Serie A.
But before his departure comes a lengthy and emotional farewell.
"You deserve a send off that reflects your status at LFC -- the greatest," Robertson posted on Instagram. "Second to none."
jw/kca/gj

McEvoy

McEvoy says best is to come after breaking long-standing swim record

  • At 31, McEvoy said he had been denied a commercial sponsorship because of his age, but added that his world record had proved swimmers in their 30s could sprint. 
  • Cameron McEvoy said Wednesday he can "get faster" after breaking one of swimming's oldest world records, but the Australian added it was "crazy" that he had received no financial prize for his exploits.
  • At 31, McEvoy said he had been denied a commercial sponsorship because of his age, but added that his world record had proved swimmers in their 30s could sprint. 
Cameron McEvoy said Wednesday he can "get faster" after breaking one of swimming's oldest world records, but the Australian added it was "crazy" that he had received no financial prize for his exploits.
McEvoy, the Olympic and world 50m freestyle champion, clocked 20.88sec at the China Open meet in Shenzhen last Friday to shave 0.03sec off the men's 50m freestyle world record set by Cesar Cielo 17 years ago in the era of polyurethane bodysuits.
The starting block from which McEvoy launched his jaw-dropping performance has been signed by the Australian and will be preserved in a sports museum in Shenzhen.
McEvoy said the world record fulfilled a childhood dream and he credited his training regime, which focuses on strength rather than hours in the pool hours, for the breakthrough.
Speaking in his home city of Brisbane, McEvoy said that his "harder pathway" was a "stark contrast" to the $1 million bonus promised to swimmers if they break a world record at the inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas in May. 
Athletes at the Enhanced Games will controversially be allowed to dope by using banned drugs and doping agents, including steroids.
"It's crazy to think that to get a world record without a suit and without any performance-enhancing drugs, as a clean athlete, the bonus is zero dollars," McEvoy told reporters.
At 31, McEvoy said he had been denied a commercial sponsorship because of his age, but added that his world record had proved swimmers in their 30s could sprint. 
McEvoy said his best was yet to come.
"I definitely think I can get faster," he said.
A big motivation for his record was the presence of his infant son Hartley and wife Maddi watching in Shenzhen last Friday, said the Australian. 
"I kind of had to step up to show off to him a little bit, make him proud," he said.
McEvoy said he was now setting his sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and even further ahead to his home Games at Brisbane in 2032, when he will be 38.
kln/dh

WTA

Sinner powers past Michelsen to reach Miami quarter-finals

  • Michelsen rode out that storm, but Sinner finally broke through in the 11th game before serving out for the first set.
  • Jannik Sinner powered into the Miami Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, defeating unseeded American Alex Michelsen in straight sets to stay on course for the "Sunshine Double".
  • Michelsen rode out that storm, but Sinner finally broke through in the 11th game before serving out for the first set.
Jannik Sinner powered into the Miami Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, defeating unseeded American Alex Michelsen in straight sets to stay on course for the "Sunshine Double".
Italian second seed Sinner, who is bidding to follow up his triumph at Indian Wells with victory in Miami, bided his time before completing a 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) win in 1hr 41min.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who will face 19th seed Frances Tiafoe in the last eight, was made to work hard by the 40th-ranked Michelsen.
After a cagey opening Sinner began to put pressure on Michelsen's serve in the ninth game of the first set, carving out three break points.
Michelsen rode out that storm, but Sinner finally broke through in the 11th game before serving out for the first set.
Michelsen hit back in the second set, breaking Sinner for a 4-2 lead before holding to go 5-2 up. 
Michelsen appeared to struggle with the bright late afternoon sunlight on the Hard Rock Stadium's main court and Sinner came roaring back to force a tiebreak. 
Sinner sealed the win with a thumping serve that Michelsen could only return wide.
"I feel like I served very well in important moments and that helped me out, especially in the tough moments," said Sinner, who unfurled 15 aces to Michelsen's three.
"But today was not easy -- I played a night match yesterday and today in the daytime, so the conditions were very different."

Qualifier advances

Home hope Tiafoe advanced to his quarter-final date with Sinner after battling past France's Terence Atmane 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce, ranked 151st in the world, upset American 32nd seed Sebastian Korda to score a 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory.
The win marked another impressive victory for the 20-year-old Landaluce, who eliminated Russian 14th seed Karen Khachanov.
Korda, who had beaten world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, had a match point late in the second set, but Landaluce survived to set up a quarter-final against Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka.
Landaluce, who had failed to register a single win at tour level in 2026 before arriving in Miami, dedicated his latest success to his late grandmother.
"She would have been 101 last week, and she passed away a few months ago. I wanted to give her the victory," Landaluce said.
Lehecka booked his place in the quarter-finals by ousting sixth seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 in 2hr 25min.
"I just felt that in the third set, if I wanted to beat a guy like Taylor, I just needed to go for it and be aggressive," Lehecka said. 
American 22nd seed Tommy Paul set up a quarter-final against France's Arthur Fils after cruising past Argentina's Tomas Etcheverry 6-1, 6-3.
Fils beat Monaco's Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4. 
Argentina's 18th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo followed up his upset of Daniil Medvedev on Monday with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 defeat of French 31st seed Ugo Humbert.
Cerundolo will face Alexander Zverev in the last eight after the German third seed defeated France's Quentin Halys 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1).
rcw/dh

Sports

France and Brazil weigh up World Cup prospects in glamour friendly

  • The home of NFL side New England Patriots is the venue for the first meeting of these teams in exactly 11 years, since Brazil came from behind to win 3-1 in a friendly at the Stade de France in March 2015 with goals from Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo.
  • Brazil and France will be among the leading contenders for World Cup glory later this year and the two heavyweight nations continue their preparations for the tournament by facing off in a glamour friendly in the United States this week.
  • The home of NFL side New England Patriots is the venue for the first meeting of these teams in exactly 11 years, since Brazil came from behind to win 3-1 in a friendly at the Stade de France in March 2015 with goals from Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo.
Brazil and France will be among the leading contenders for World Cup glory later this year and the two heavyweight nations continue their preparations for the tournament by facing off in a glamour friendly in the United States this week.
With less than three months until the big kick-off, the countries ranked fifth and third respectively in the world rankings are in the US familiarising themselves with what lies in store in June and July and they go head to head on Thursday at the Gillette Stadium near Boston.
The home of NFL side New England Patriots is the venue for the first meeting of these teams in exactly 11 years, since Brazil came from behind to win 3-1 in a friendly at the Stade de France in March 2015 with goals from Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo.
Brazil laboured their way through South American World Cup qualifying with six defeats in 18 games as they finished fifth -- now they are hoping the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as coach will give them a genuine chance of winning a record-extending sixth World Cup, and first since 2002.
After this match they will head to Orlando, Florida, for a friendly on March 31 against Croatia, the team who ousted them from the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-finals.
Neymar is now 34 and has not played for his country since October 2023, but his absence from the squad has still been one of the main talking points coming into these matches.
"It is a physical issue, not technical. With the ball he is great, but he needs to improve physically," Ancelotti said after being asked about the absence of the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar, now at Santos.
"Because in my eyes and those of my staff, he is not at 100 percent. So he needs to keep working to get back to 100 percent."
In the meantime Brazil's main man is Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, while others likely to have key roles at the World Cup such as goalkeeper Alisson Becker, centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes are missing here.
Among those who do feature is Rayan, the uncapped 19-year-old who earned his place after impressing in the Premier League for Bournemouth since arriving from Vasco da Gama in January.

Mbappe raring to go

The main focus for France, as ever, is Kylian Mbappe, and the national team captain was eager to feature on this trip after overcoming a knee injury to return for Real Madrid just last week.
There had been mounting fears in France that the 27-year-old's fitness could become a real issue but he said missing the World Cup or the end of the club season was never a concern.
"It is behind me. I was following a protocol and I wanted to start playing again gradually. I hope to be able to play during this international break and to start being decisive again," he said on Monday, just before the squad headed to the US.
France, who have seen Arsenal defender William Saliba withdraw due to injury and called up Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace in his place, are staying in the same Boston hotel where they will be based during the World Cup.
The tournament will be coach Didier Deschamps' swansong after 14 years at the helm, with Zinedine Zidane fully expected to succeed him.
"I know his name," French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo told daily Le Figaro this week when asked about his search for the successor to Deschamps.
He refuses to explicitly say Zidane will take over, but it is hard to imagine Diallo means anyone else.
The last competitive meeting of the teams came at the 2006 World Cup, when France beat Brazil 1-0 in the quarter-finals, thanks to a Thierry Henry goal and a masterful performance by Zidane.
If both win their groups at the upcoming World Cup as expected, then they would not be able to meet each other until the final.
Getting that far is the aim for these sides, and Thursday's game will be a good gauge of where both stand as the competition approaches.
as/bsp 

Sports

Italy hoping to end World Cup pain as play-offs loom

BY TERRY DALEY

  • Both of those qualification failures came via the play-offs and were deeply traumatic events to a footballing hotbed which has lost its self-esteem while rival nations like France and Spain have flourished.
  • Italy are hoping to end a 12-year absence from the World Cup as one of the planet's most important footballing nations heads to the qualifying play-offs in the midst of another identity crisis.
  • Both of those qualification failures came via the play-offs and were deeply traumatic events to a footballing hotbed which has lost its self-esteem while rival nations like France and Spain have flourished.
Italy are hoping to end a 12-year absence from the World Cup as one of the planet's most important footballing nations heads to the qualifying play-offs in the midst of another identity crisis.
Northern Ireland come to Bergamo for what promises to be a tense semi-final on Thursday as Italy desperately try to not miss a third consecutive World Cup.
Gennaro Gattuso led Italy to second in qualifying Group I and has obtained some stability for the Azzurri following the sacking of the volatile Luciano Spalletti.
But two heavy defeats dished out by group winners Norway were a stark reminder of how far the national team has fallen since last winning the World Cup 20 years ago -- with Gattuso in midfield.
Since then Italy haven't played a knockout match in a World Cup finals, dumped out in the group stage as defending champions in 2010 and four years later, before failing to even reach the last two editions in Russia and Qatar.
Both of those qualification failures came via the play-offs and were deeply traumatic events to a footballing hotbed which has lost its self-esteem while rival nations like France and Spain have flourished.
The poor performance of Italy's clubs in this season's Champions League has only exacerbated a feeling of being left behind, to the point that missing this year's finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico would be seen almost as a death knell.
"I really hope with all my heart that we can reach this goal, this group of players deserves it," Gattuso told reporters on Monday.
"We can't stress the lads, they're well aware of what the stakes are. There will obviously be a bit of tension but we have to make sure we trasmit positivity."

Pressure and injuries

Gattuso has to deal not just with the pressure of the occasion but also a clutch of injuries which threaten to leave him without several important players for what he hopes will be two matches.
One of Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina await Italy in the final should they get past Northern Ireland as expected.
Probably the key doubt is surrounding Sandro Tonali, who suffered a groin injury in Newcastle United's Champions League exit at Barcelona last week.
Gattuso said on Monday that he hoped to have Tonali, an all-action midfielder, available for training in the lead-up to Thursday's match but the 25-year-old is by no means guaranteed to start.
Federico Chiesa, who hasn't featured for Italy since their dismal European Championship title defence in 2024, was dropped from the squad on Monday when Italy's medical staff ruled him unfit to play after he was originally selected in Gattuso's 28-man squad.
"I had to make a decision. He didn't feel up for it, so he decided to return home, and I had to accept it," said Gattuso, who picked Bologna's Nicolo Cambiaghi to replace Chiesa.
"I didn't push. When someone wants to return home, it's right to let him do so."
Meanwhile Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca and central defenders Alessandro Bastoni and Gianluca Mancini are all trying to recover in time from injuries, with Gattuso also saying that Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori was feeling "discomfort" on his arrival at the Coverciano training centre.
That leaves Gattuso hoping for a drama-free night on Thursday and his players all being ready for a date with destiny in the final.
td/jc

JPN

Verstappen's Japan GP win streak under threat as Mercedes dominate

BY ANDREW MCKIRDY

  • Red Bull and Verstappen are scrambling to recover from a disastrous start to the Formula One season, as are McLaren whose drivers -- world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri -- both failed to start in China with separate technical problems.
  • Max Verstappen says that the Japanese Grand Prix is one of his favourite races, but his chances of a fifth straight victory at the weekend look vanishingly slim as his Red Bull struggles with Formula One's sweeping new regulations.
  • Red Bull and Verstappen are scrambling to recover from a disastrous start to the Formula One season, as are McLaren whose drivers -- world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri -- both failed to start in China with separate technical problems.
Max Verstappen says that the Japanese Grand Prix is one of his favourite races, but his chances of a fifth straight victory at the weekend look vanishingly slim as his Red Bull struggles with Formula One's sweeping new regulations.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will carry their early dominance into Suzuka with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton their nearest challengers.
Red Bull and Verstappen are scrambling to recover from a disastrous start to the Formula One season, as are McLaren whose drivers -- world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri -- both failed to start in China with separate technical problems.
Verstappen, the four-time world champion, finished sixth in the opening grand prix in Australia after crashing in qualifying. 
He then limped home ninth and out of the points in the Shanghai sprint before retiring from the main race.
Verstappen has raged against the 2026 regulations and new car designs, branding them "anti-racing" and likening them to the Mario Kart video game with their electrical boost and overtake modes.
The Dutchman sought a change of scenery by competing at a four-hour race in Germany last weekend, but even that did not lift his gloom as he was disqualified after winning.
Verstappen has been unbeaten in Japan for the past four years and he clinched his second world title there in 2022.
His problems in China, where he was ordered to retire on lap 46 of the grand prix because of a cooling issue, suggest his Suzuka dominance could end on Sunday.
"Getting on top of our problems is not easy," Verstappen said in Shanghai.
"It would help if we would just have a normal start -- I've been every time dropping to last."

Antonelli breakthrough

Verstappen's struggles are in stark contrast to the flying start enjoyed by Mercedes, who secured one-two finishes at both grands prix so far.
Championship leader Russell triumphed in Australia and 19-year-old Antonelli picked up the first win of his fledgling career in China.
Russell took the chequered flag in the Shanghai sprint and Mercedes will target a Suzuka triumph for the first time since Valtteri Bottas won in 2019.
Antonelli, who became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history in Shanghai and the second-youngest race winner after Verstappen, was given a hero's welcome when he returned to his native Bologna in Italy.
The win had "removed a bit of weight from my shoulders", said Antonellii.
"It's the kind of result which gives you strength and more awareness of what you can do."
McLaren have endured a nightmare start to the campaign under the new regulations which require battery management and energy harvesting with a 50-50 split between conventional and electrical power.
Defending champion Norris, who complained his car "sucks", is 36 points behind Russell while Piastri is yet to take part in a grand prix this season after he crashed on his way to the grid in Melbourne.
"We just have to take it on the chin, learn what the problem was and make sure it never happens again," Norris said in Shanghai.
"All of us want to go racing and score points."
The teams will have time to regroup after Suzuka, as there will be a five-week gap until the Miami GP as the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.
amk/dh

WTA

Gauff outlasts Bencic to reach Miami semi-finals

  • Muchova advanced to the last four earlier with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Canadian 10th seed Victoria Mboko.
  • Coco Gauff battled past Belinda Bencic to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open for the first time on Tuesday with a gruelling 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory.
  • Muchova advanced to the last four earlier with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Canadian 10th seed Victoria Mboko.
Coco Gauff battled past Belinda Bencic to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Open for the first time on Tuesday with a gruelling 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory.
Fourth seed Gauff had considered skipping Miami after being forced to pull out during the fourth round at Indian Wells with a left-arm injury.
But the 22-year-old from Florida, who lives in nearby Delray Beach, was determined to play in what she considers to be her hometown tournament where she had never previously gone further than the last 16.
Gauff's sense of determination was on full display at the Hard Rock Stadium's main court on Tuesday as she weathered fluctuating form against the 12th-seeded Bencic to grind out victory.
"I honestly didn't think I would be in the semis so I'm really happy and proud of myself," Gauff said. 
"I think I proved a lot to myself this week, and I feel like with each match I'm getting better.
"Even though I'm still playing three sets, I feel like the level is getting better and better."
Gauff, the French Open champion, will now face the Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova in the last four as she chases her first Miami final appearance. 
Gauff has won all five of her previous matches against Muchova.
"You don't think about the head-to-head," Gauff said. 
"There's so many matches that we play that could go either way. I don't really think about it -- especially when I play here, because I know how good she is."
Muchova advanced to the last four earlier with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Canadian 10th seed Victoria Mboko.
The 29-year-old Muchova admitted she had everything to prove against Gauff.
"I don't have the best record against Coco, but I feel good," Muchova said. "And you never know."
Despite giving away 10 years to the teenaged Mboko, Muchova said she did not feel any sense of disadvantage against her younger opponent.
"I keep getting these questions this week like I'm really old or something," Muchova said. 
"I don't feel that old -- I feel like I'm still pretty young. In my head, I could be 20."
rcw/dh

Global Edition

Underdogs chase World Cup berths in Mexico playoff tournament

  • The winner will advance to meet the Democratic Republic of Congo at the same venue on March 31, with a World Cup ticket on the line.
  • Two of the final remaining tickets to the World Cup will be up for grabs when a high‑stakes playoff tournament kicks off in Mexico on Thursday, bringing together six teams from across the globe.
  • The winner will advance to meet the Democratic Republic of Congo at the same venue on March 31, with a World Cup ticket on the line.
Two of the final remaining tickets to the World Cup will be up for grabs when a high‑stakes playoff tournament kicks off in Mexico on Thursday, bringing together six teams from across the globe.
New Caledonia, Suriname, Jamaica, Bolivia, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo form the diverse cast of hopefuls each chasing one of the two berths on offer for this year's expanded 48‑team finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The mini‑tournament in Guadalajara and Monterrey also serves as a test run for two cities set to host World Cup matches in June, giving Mexico a chance to showcase its readiness after recent security concerns.
The straight‑knockout playoffs begin Thursday, with the tiny French Pacific territory of New Caledonia facing the "Reggae Boyz" of Jamaica in Guadalajara.
The winner will advance to meet the Democratic Republic of Congo at the same venue on March 31, with a World Cup ticket on the line. Whoever emerges will join Group K alongside Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.
In Monterrey, Bolivia — seeking their first World Cup appearance since the 1994 finals in the United States — take on Suriname, the former Dutch colony on the northeastern coast   
The victor will move on to a winner‑take‑all clash with Iraq next week for the second berth on offer.
The team that survives the Monterrey pathway will land in a daunting Group I, where France, Norway and Senegal await.

Iraq, DR Congo favourites

On paper, and according to the latest FIFA rankings, Iraq and the DR Congo will start as the heavy favourites to advance out of the playoffs.
Iraq's preparations however have been hampered by the outbreak of war in the Middle East triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Iraq coach Graham Arnold initially appealed to FIFA to postpone his team's playoff, stating that many players and backroom staff had been left stranded due to the war.
Players and staff based in Baghdad however made it out of the country after reportedly traveling overland to Jordan before flying out of Amman to reach Mexico.
Iraq are bidding to reach the World Cup for only the second time, having qualified for the 1986 finals in Mexico where they lost all three group games against Paraguay, Belgium, and Mexico.
For DR Congo, meanwhile, the wait to secure their second World Cup finals appearance has been even longer. 
The country, formerly Zaire, last played at the 1974 World Cup finals in Germany, where they were eliminated in the group stage after defeats to Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil without scoring a goal.
DR Congo though have grounds for believing that the long wait to return to the finals could finally be over after battling through African qualifying, eliminating Cameroon and Nigeria to reach these playofffs.
This week's tournament is taking place just weeks after an explosion of violence in Guadalajara and other parts of Mexico triggered by the death of a notorious cartel druglord.
More than 70 people were killed in the violence, but Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and world governing body FIFA have insisted the unrest will have no bearing on the World Cup.
Mexico, which is hosting 13 matches at the World Cup shared between Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City, has said more than 100,000 security personnel will be deployed to protect fans at the tournament.
rcw/bsp 

Pr

Salah to leave Liverpool at the end of the season

  • "Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season," said a statement on the club's website.
  • Mohamed Salah is to leave Liverpool at the end of this season, the Premier League champions announced Tuesday ending an "illustrious" nine years on Merseyside.
  • "Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season," said a statement on the club's website.
Mohamed Salah is to leave Liverpool at the end of this season, the Premier League champions announced Tuesday ending an "illustrious" nine years on Merseyside.
The 33-year-old Egypt forward arrived at Anfield from Roma in 2017 and has made 435 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 255 goals.
"Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season," said a statement on the club's website.
"The forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Anfield.
"Salah expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for them."
Salah was forced off at Anfield last week after scoring in Liverpool's 4-0 victory against Galatasary, which sealed their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
In-form Salah had scored in three of his past four starts after an uncharacteristic lean spell.
Salah, who is rarely absent through injury, appeared to be back in the fold at Anfield after a dramatic fallout with Liverpool manager Arne Slot earlier in the season, when he was dropped for several games.
Despite his recent good form, Salah has scored just five Premier League goals this season, compared with 29 in Liverpool's title-winning campaign in 2024/25.
jdg/iwd

Sports

Advantage Arsenal in women's Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea

  • "When you are playing a quarter-final of the Champions League you need to have the best referees.
  • Stina Blackstenius, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo were all on target as Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday in the first leg of an all-London women's Champions League quarter-final.
  • "When you are playing a quarter-final of the Champions League you need to have the best referees.
Stina Blackstenius, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo were all on target as Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday in the first leg of an all-London women's Champions League quarter-final.
Lauren James pulled a goal back for Chelsea to keep the Blues in the tie but reigning European champions Arsenal will still be well-placed come kick-off in next week's second leg at Stamford Bridge.
"The game was very tight today," Gunners boss Renee Slegers told the BBC. 
"We both had our moments. We were clinical and ruthless with our chances. There were different momentum shifts -- they started really well and we stayed in the game.
"It was hard at times. It was tight in individual duels but I'm very pleased with the squad from start to finish and how we managed the game."
The women's Champions League was the one major title that eluded Chelsea during Emma Hayes' trophy-laden 12-year reign and the Blues are still seeking to be crowned queens of Europe for the first time since Sonia Bompastor replaced the now-United States boss in 2024.
Bompastor, a Champions League-winner both as a player and manager with French side Lyon, was left frustrated by the quality of Romanian referee Alina Pescu's decision-making after Chelsea had two goals disallowed for questionable fouls.
"It was not good enough," said Bompastor. 
"When you are playing a quarter-final of the Champions League you need to have the best referees. Especially when you have the VAR. 
"I think it's crazy the goals we got disallowed were actually good goals."

Russo strikes again

Chelsea were twice denied by the woodwork early in Tuesday's tie before Arsenal broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Sweden striker Blackstenius headed home her first Champions League goal of the season from a Katie McCabe free-kick.
The Gunners doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Beth Mead played a crossfield pass to Kelly, who took a touch before lashing a 20-yard drive underneath another England international in Blues goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
Chelsea had the ball in the net five minutes before half-time but Veerle Buurman's effort was disallowed for a shove on Laia Codina -- a borderline decision upheld by VAR.
Chelsea gave themselves a lifeline when James left fly in the 66th minute with a brilliant left-footed curling lob from some 25 yards out.
But Russo restored Arsenal's two-goal advantage 14 minutes from time when, after being played in by Blackstenius, she flicked the ball up and volleyed past Hampton in fine style.
Russo's eighth goal of the competition cemented her position as the leading scorer in this season's Champions League, with the England forward three ahead of nearest rivals Lineth Beerensteyn, Pernille Harder, Evelyne Viens and Caroline Weir.
Chelsea suffered fresh frustration in stoppage time when Kadeisha Buchanan bundled the ball into the net only to be penalised for a foul on goalkeeper Anneke Borbe.
The sides meet again on Thursday, April 2 with the winner set to meet Wolfsburg or eight-times champions Lyon, with the German side leading 1-0 after the first leg. 
jdg/bsp 

Sports

Garner dreams of World Cup glory in bid to replicate England under-21 success

  • Garner is a member of a split-squad that will see some players leave after Friday's Wembley friendly with Uruguay and 11 coming in to feature for the Japan game on Tuesday.
  • James Garner said on Tuesday he has set his sights on winning the World Cup after being called into the England senior squad for the first time.
  • Garner is a member of a split-squad that will see some players leave after Friday's Wembley friendly with Uruguay and 11 coming in to feature for the Japan game on Tuesday.
James Garner said on Tuesday he has set his sights on winning the World Cup after being called into the England senior squad for the first time.
The Everton midfielder has been given a shot at making the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico by England manager Thomas Tuchel's decision to bring him into an extended squad for upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
Garner's inclusion comes following a fine season for a revitalised Everton and the 25-year-old, having tasted success with England under-21s by winning the junior 2023 European Championship, is now aiming for the greatest prize in world football.
"For me personally, that was probably one of the best feelings I've ever had winning the Euros with the under-21s," Garner told reporters.
"So I just want to go one step further now, hopefully win a trophy for the first team as well.
"I'd hope my call-up would come. I felt, personally, I've had a good season, and it's probably the best I've playing since I started, so I was very confident and hoping I would get the call up and I am very grateful that I did.
"I told myself that at the start of the season that it has to be this season where I show everyone what I can do. I think so far I have done."
Garner is a member of a split-squad that will see some players leave after Friday's Wembley friendly with Uruguay and 11 coming in to feature for the Japan game on Tuesday.
Asked how long he would be involved, Garner replied: "I'm not too sure, to be honest with you, it is a split-squad, players are coming and leaving, but I've not been told much.
"I'm here until the Uruguay game so I don't know from there."
Tuchel, meanwhile, said he wanted to concentrate on set-piece play during the current get-together, with dead-ball work a key factor in England's run to the World Cup semi-finals under Gareth Southgate in 2018.
"We're in a very physical era of the game in the Premier League and an era where set-pieces, free-kicks, corners and throw-ins are very highly rated," said Tuchel.
The 52-year-old German, a former Chelsea manager, added: "It is part of it and even if I mentioned (set-pieces) many times today it is not the main part of our approach. But it has to be a part, especially in knockout football."
jdg/iwd

Sports

Beerensteyn goal gives Wolfsburg edge over Lyon in Women's Champions League

  • "The difference was that we were really strong collectively," Beerensteyn told UEFA.  "We fought for every metre, for every goal, and in the end we won 1-0.
  • A first half goal from Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn was enough for Wolfsburg to snatch a precious 1-0 win over Lyon in the first leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final in Germany on Tuesday.
  • "The difference was that we were really strong collectively," Beerensteyn told UEFA.  "We fought for every metre, for every goal, and in the end we won 1-0.
A first half goal from Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn was enough for Wolfsburg to snatch a precious 1-0 win over Lyon in the first leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final in Germany on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old pounced after 14 minutes to hit the eight-time champions on the break and give the Germans a slender lead ahead of next week's second leg in France. 
"The difference was that we were really strong collectively," Beerensteyn told UEFA. 
"We fought for every metre, for every goal, and in the end we won 1-0. I'm so proud of this team. It was an amazing performance today. 
"If we show the same spirit (in the second leg) as we did today, we can make it very difficult."
Lyon, looking to win the title for the first time since 2022, began strongly and dominated early possession but the home side took the lead against the run of play. 
Germany's Vivien Endemann intercepted and drove down the left side before sliding the ball across Beerensteyn. 
The Dutch striker had to adjust to collect the pass slightly behind her before shooting off her right foot, a deflection wrong-footing Chilean Christiane Endler in the Lyon goal. It was Beerensteyn's fifth goal of the Champions League campaign.
The French side, who beat Wolfsburg 3-1 in the league phase, continued to have the better of the possession but Wolfsburg, whose two Champions League titles came back-to-back in 2013 and 2014, were sharper on the break. 
On the half-hour, Endler had to move quickly to beat away Ella Peddemors' left-footed shot, with veteran defender Wendie Renard, facing Wolfsburg for the 12th time in the Champions League, clattering the ball away to safety.
Ada Hegerberg almost levelled two minutes into the second half, her header denied by Ella Peddemors who headed clear on the goal line.
Just before the hour, Kadidiatou Diani also went close for Lyon, her low shot across goal rebounding off the foot of the Wolfsburg post. 
Lyon continued to press for the equaliser with Marie-Antoinette Katoto glancing wide just before the final whistle. 
"It's true there's some disappointment but we know it's only the first match, there are still 90 minutes left," Lyon defender Ashley Lawrence told L'Equipe.
"Now it's up to us to analyse things and come back stronger. There were positives as well, we created chances, we even hit the post."
The second leg is in Lyon on Thursday April 2 with the winner set to face Arsenal or Chelsea in the semi-finals.
bsp/pb/iwd

Sports

Toronto unveils upgraded World Cup venue after fan scorn

BY BEN SIMON

  • The Toronto stadium is the smallest of the 16 venues and, with a regular capacity of about 28,000 seats, it needed a range of upgrades to meet World Cup hosting standards, including roughly 17,000 additional seats.
  • Toronto unveiled its upgraded World Cup stadium on Tuesday, insisting that temporary seating installed to meet FIFA capacity requirements would be safe for fans.
  • The Toronto stadium is the smallest of the 16 venues and, with a regular capacity of about 28,000 seats, it needed a range of upgrades to meet World Cup hosting standards, including roughly 17,000 additional seats.
Toronto unveiled its upgraded World Cup stadium on Tuesday, insisting that temporary seating installed to meet FIFA capacity requirements would be safe for fans.
"The stands will be perfectly safe," said Nick Eaves, chief operating officer at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which operates the Toronto stadium called BMO Field.
For the first time in World Cup history, the 2026 tournament is spread across three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Toronto stadium is the smallest of the 16 venues and, with a regular capacity of about 28,000 seats, it needed a range of upgrades to meet World Cup hosting standards, including roughly 17,000 additional seats.
Earlier this month, images of the scaffolding that supports the temporary seating began spreading online. The reviews were not positive.
"Respectfully, you couldn't pay me to climb, stand or sit on that," read one fan post on X.
Eaves said Toronto partnered with a global leader in temporary seating called Arena Group and that the online furore over the bleachers had no basis in reality.
He said the temporary seating will also get a dress rehearsal on May 9, when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami come to BMO to play Toronto FC for a sold‑out MLS match.
"We plan on testing and using every piece of new infrastructure" at the Messi match, Eaves said.
FIFA takes over the venue on May 13, a month before the first World Cup match in Toronto.
But world football's governing body has conducted rigorous oversight of the stadium upgrades, said Sharon Bollenbach, the executive director of the World Cup hosting committee with the City of Toronto.
"They count every seat. They look at every seat, they assess the sightlines of every seat, so there's been multiple, multiple visits by FIFA approving the work that we've done," she told reporters.

'One of the best pitches'

Bollenbach said Toronto was not expected to overrun the CAN$380 million ($277 million) allocated to host its six World Cup matches.
But delivering the project on budget faced hurdles, including completing the stadium upgrade construction in what was a bitterly cold winter with heavy snowfall.
That also created some complications for the pitch, a blend of 95 percent natural grass with a five percent synthetic product, a mix recommended by FIFA, said Chris Shewfelt, vice president for business operations at Toronto FC.
The pitch was tarped through the coldest winter months, but the roots of the grass continued to grow thanks to a sub‑air system that heats the soil and grow lamps, he said.
"In late February, early March, when we took the tarp off the grass, it was green," Shewfelt said.
"We're confident we'll have one of the best pitches across the 16 host cities."
bs/rcw

Lukaku

Lukaku to miss Belgium World Cup warm-up trip to US

  • Garcia had said on Friday that he intended to use the World Cup warm-up fixtures to help Lukaku "get back to match fitness".
  • Belgium's all-time leading goalscorer Romelu Lukaku will miss his country's visit to the United States for two 2026 World Cup warm-up matches, the Belgian football federation (RBFA) announced on Tuesday.
  • Garcia had said on Friday that he intended to use the World Cup warm-up fixtures to help Lukaku "get back to match fitness".
Belgium's all-time leading goalscorer Romelu Lukaku will miss his country's visit to the United States for two 2026 World Cup warm-up matches, the Belgian football federation (RBFA) announced on Tuesday.
Rudi Garcia's Belgium begin their preparations for this summer's tournament in North America with friendlies against two of the co-host nations -- they will play the US in Atlanta on Saturday before taking on Mexico in Chicago on April 1.
But they will do so without 32-year-old Lukaku who has decided not to take part in the matches in order to work on his fitness.
Lukaku has endured a tough season with his club Napoli, where he now find himself playing second fiddle to Dane Rasmus Hojlund, and as such will take time to regain his form after being sidelined through injury during the first half of the season.
He has made just seven appearances for the Serie A champions in all competitions this term.
The absence of the man who has scored 89 goals in 124 appearances for Belgium is another blow for Garcia, who is already without two other forwards -- Club Brugge's Hans Vanaken and Leandro Trossard of Arsenal.
Garcia had said on Friday that he intended to use the World Cup warm-up fixtures to help Lukaku "get back to match fitness".
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who picked up an injury last week while playing for Real Madrid, is the other notable absentee from a Belgium squad that welcomes back former Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne after several months on the sidelines.
bnl/nf/lp

Liga

Griezmann to leave Atletico for Orlando at end of season

  • "He is one of the most gifted, accomplished and influential players of his generation, and his decision to choose Orlando City reflects the mission and culture of our club," said Orlando City owner Mark Wilf.
  • Antoine Griezmann will leave Atletico Madrid for MLS side Orlando City at the end of the season, the two clubs announced on Tuesday.
  • "He is one of the most gifted, accomplished and influential players of his generation, and his decision to choose Orlando City reflects the mission and culture of our club," said Orlando City owner Mark Wilf.
Antoine Griezmann will leave Atletico Madrid for MLS side Orlando City at the end of the season, the two clubs announced on Tuesday.
Atletico's all-time record goalscorer has agreed a two-year deal with Orlando and will become the latest veteran star to move to North America.
"The forward travelled to Orlando, with the club's permission, during the two days of rest granted to the first team, to finalise his contract with the Florida side," Atletico said in a statement.
The 35-year-old Griezmann will be hoping to sign off in style and cap his 10th season as an Atletico player with a second major trophy at the Rojiblancos, after the 2018 Europa League.
"Let's leave the future in the future for now: because I'm not leaving yet," he said in an Instagram post.
"I have months left with this shirt, months to give my all in this stadium and away, to lift that Copa del Rey and to dream of going as far as possible in the Champions League."
Atletico will face La Liga rivals Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals next month and take on Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final on April 18 in Seville.
Griezmann, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, retired from international football in 2024 after scoring 44 goals in 137 caps for Les Bleus.
He has netted 211 times for Atletico, surpassing the previous record of 173 set by Luis Aragones.
Griezmann joined Atletico in 2014 from Real Sociedad and has made 488 appearances for the club, who he left for Barcelona in 2019 before returning two years later, initially on loan.
Griezmann has scored 13 goals in 43 appearances for Diego Simeone's Atletico this season.
The MLS will add Griezmann to the ranks of well-known players to have made the switch from Europe in recent seasons, including his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
"He is one of the most gifted, accomplished and influential players of his generation, and his decision to choose Orlando City reflects the mission and culture of our club," said Orlando City owner Mark Wilf.
"Our focus is on consistently building a championship-caliber roster every year, and adding a world-class player like Antoine reinforces that commitment and our belief in what the club can achieve."
Orlando, who have played in MLS since 2015, have never won the MLS Cup and have lost four of their first five games of the 2026 season.
Atletico sit fourth in La Liga this term, but are comfortably placed to qualify for next season's Champions League, with a 13-point lead over fifth-placed Real Betis.
Griezmann will make his move to Orlando in July.
jc/pb

Sports

Supporters' group file lawsuit against 'excessive' World Cup ticket prices

  • "Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, alleging that the football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup," the FSE said in a statement.
  • The Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday with the European Commission targeting football's world governing body FIFA over "excessive ticket prices" for this year's World Cup finals.
  • "Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, alleging that the football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup," the FSE said in a statement.
The Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday with the European Commission targeting football's world governing body FIFA over "excessive ticket prices" for this year's World Cup finals.
The FSE and the Euroconsumers organisation said the tickets for the June 11-July 19 tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico were overpriced and complained that FIFA has a monopoly over the sales.
"Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, alleging that the football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup," the FSE said in a statement.
"FIFA holds a monopoly over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has used that power to impose conditions on fans that would never be acceptable in a competitive market," the group added.
The FSE said the prices for the final were way above those for the 2022 final in Qatar.
"The cheapest openly available final tickets now start at $4,185 –- more than seven times the cost of the cheapest 2022 World Cup final ticket," they said.
By contrast, it said the cheapest Euro 2024 final tickets were 95 euros ($100).
A European Commission spokesperson told AFP they would be "examining" the complaint but FIFA said they had yet to receive it.
The FIFA spokesperson told AFP: "FIFA is focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing and prospective fans."
According to FIFA, almost seven million tickets have been made available.
Each person can buy a maximum of four tickets per match and a total of 40 for the whole competition.
There will be a total of 104 matches played at this expanded World Cup, the first ever to feature 48 teams, and ticket prices have soared for the most in-demand games.
FSE said the North American bid team had initially promised tickets would be available from as little as $21, but instead the cheapest tickets to go on sale have been for $60, for example for the Group J opener between Austria and Jordan at the Levi's Stadium in California.
Most tickets cost at least $200 for matches involving leading nations.

'Dynamic pricing'

FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists ticket prices are simply a consequence of the huge demand.
"In the US in particular there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down", depending on the match in question, Infantino has said.
FSE said the problem with 'dynamic pricing' was there was no limit to how high the prices can go. 
"FIFA used 'variable pricing', or dynamic pricing, with no cap and no transparency on how prices are set," it said in the statement.
"Some tickets rose 25% between sales phases. Fans had no clear way of knowing the final price before joining the queue."
Having faced sustained criticism over prices, FIFA announced a cheaper category of tickets priced at $60, but they were reserved for fans of qualified teams and would make up just 10 percent of each national federation's allotment.
"FIFA repeatedly advertised $60 group-stage tickets," FSE said.
"In practice they were so scarce that the entire Category 4 inventory was practically sold out before general public sales opened."
FIFA is keeping aside an unspecified number of tickets which it will make available from April until the end of the tournament "on a first come, first served basis".
Then there are the resale platforms, including FIFA's own official site. But this controversial fan-to-fan market allows resellers to determine prices themselves, hence the huge price advertised for a final ticket.
The resale market is unregulated in the United States and Canada. In Mexico, reselling a ticket above face value is prohibited, but only when the ticket is purchased in Mexico using the local currency. 
cfe/pi/gj

women

Shiffrin closes on World Cup overall title with slalom win

  • Aicher, who needed to finish fourth in the event of a Shiffrin win to take the title fight to Wednesday's finale, produced a brilliant second run to secure at least that.
  • Mikaela Shiffrin extended her overall World Cup lead with an imperious display to win the slalom at the World Cup finals in Lillehammer on Tuesday, although Emma Aicher pushed their title fight into the last race of the season.
  • Aicher, who needed to finish fourth in the event of a Shiffrin win to take the title fight to Wednesday's finale, produced a brilliant second run to secure at least that.
Mikaela Shiffrin extended her overall World Cup lead with an imperious display to win the slalom at the World Cup finals in Lillehammer on Tuesday, although Emma Aicher pushed their title fight into the last race of the season.
Shiffrin powered to her ninth slalom win of the campaign to take an 85-point advantage in the overall standings over Aicher into Wednesday's closing giant slalom.
A sixth title would see her match the record currently held by the great Annemarie Moser-Proell.
It would be a feat which had been put into doubt during injury-hit campaigns in 2024 and 2025, when Laura Gut-Behrami and Federica Brignone respectively took advantage to seize overall glory.
"This is just a symbol of the work that my team has been putting in, and all the support I've had these years, especially the last three years, to get back to have the chance to be at a high level and to win a globe," Shiffrin said after being presented with her ninth slalom season trophy.
"After the injuries and everything, it took a big effort from my team, it's totally something we did together."
German youngster Aicher finished third to keep her hopes alive, although she was pipped to second on the day by Wendy Holdener, denying her a potentially crucial 20 World Cup points.
Aicher had cut Shiffrin's overall lead to just 45 points over the weekend in the speed events, leaving the title up for grabs heading into the slalom and Wednesday's giant slalom.
But American star Shiffrin now only needs to finish in the top 15 in the giant slalom to add the overall globe to her slalom title, after notching her 110th career World Cup win.
She celebrated with her slalom globe, but her focus will be firmly on achieving her main goal on Wednesday.
"I'm actually not confident at all, you saw today anything can happen," Shiffrin said. "I never skied on this slope in GS, it looks not super easy.
"So, I have to have good tactics, a good mentality, to try to have some energy in the muscles, and then to give full gas, like big energy. But nothing is secure, we just breathe and see."

Dominant Shiffrin

Aicher has to win the giant slalom and hope Shiffrin slips up to have any chance.
"It's pretty fun, didn't think I would be able to be on the podium again today," said the 22-year-old.
"The first run didn't feel that good. The second run felt better."
Shiffrin, who also won slalom gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, was in dominant form in the first run, taking a 1.10sec lead over Holdener to lay down the gauntlet to Aicher who was only fourth-quickest.
Katharina Truppe, fourth in the season slalom standings, managed a second-run time of 59.68secs to put some pressure on the last few skiers.
Aicher, who needed to finish fourth in the event of a Shiffrin win to take the title fight to Wednesday's finale, produced a brilliant second run to secure at least that.
But Switzerland's Holdener edged out Aicher for second by just four hundredths of a second to deal a big blow to her hopes of a remarkable overall crown.
Shiffrin made no mistake when she took to the piste again, winning for the ninth time in 10 slalom races this season to take a big step towards regaining the big crystal globe, by a massive margin of 1.32secs.
jc/dmc

France

New Nice mayor poses a 'real problem' for 2030 Winter Olympics

BY KATIA DOLMADJIAN

  • As with the recent Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, the proposed venues for 2030 will stretch from the Alps to the southern Mediterranean city.
  • The 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, already bedevilled by several senior executives quitting, faces another potential headache with the election of far-right politician Eric Ciotti as mayor of Nice.
  • As with the recent Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, the proposed venues for 2030 will stretch from the Alps to the southern Mediterranean city.
The 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, already bedevilled by several senior executives quitting, faces another potential headache with the election of far-right politician Eric Ciotti as mayor of Nice.
As with the recent Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, the proposed venues for 2030 will stretch from the Alps to the southern Mediterranean city.
The new mayor, elected on Sunday, has no issue with Nice hosting the ice hockey, the figure skating, curling, short track skating and the closing ceremony, along with the Olympic Village, but he is opposed to where the venues have been allocated.
Ciotti wants the ice hockey to be moved from the stadium of the city's football club -- he does not want the Ligue 1 side to be homeless for months at a cost, he claims, of 80 million euros ($92.5 million).
The new mayor also wants to cancel the organisers' plans to build a skating arena and the Olympic village in the west of France's fifth largest city.
Instead, Ciotti has floated the idea of holding the figure skating at the city's existing exhibition centre, which hosted the 2012 world championships, and says the Olympic Village should be built on the site of a police barracks, 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the site allocated by the organisers, which is due to be closed down in the next year.
Ciotti is adamant about the ice hockey being moved but admitted during the campaign that if the planning process for the skating rink was too far advanced then he was prepared to accept the existing plans.
The two sports would be a real cash cow for Nice as they represent 60% of the Games ticket revenues.
Ciotti, who once led the mainstream right-wing party the Republicans but was expelled in 2024 when he formed an alliance with the far-right National Rally (RN), is at odds with the region's president, Renaud Muselier.
When it came to the Games, Muselier -- who since 2022 has been a member of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party -- was on the same page as Ciotti's predecessor, another former Republicains heavyweight, Christian Estrosi.
Indeed until they exchanged formal pleasantries on Monday, Muselier and Ciotti had not spoken since 2022 when the former quit the Republicans. 
"We have a real problem regarding Nice with a mayor elected who is for the Games, but not in line with the original plan," Muselier, who oversees the progress made by Solideo, the public institution responsible for the delivery of the venues for the Olympics, said on Monday.
"Those plans need to be put in writing in order to see if they are viable for Nice. If not we will have to re-evaluate."
Muselier said he would not "hesitate to change everything if necessary" and said he had a "Plan B".

'Part and parcel'

However, he cast doubt on the practicality of Ciotti's alternatives for the figure skating venue.
"I am not qualified to comment on such a matter but I have been told the venue (at the exhibition centre) is only at the level of a junior world championship," he said. 
Muselier said time was short for Ciotti to come to a final decision. 
"Solideo has been working on the figures which should be made public in April, so everything must be decided by the end of that month," he said.
As for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), its executive director Christophe Dubi told AFP last month that changes in political leadership were "part and parcel of organising a project over a seven-year period".
"Elections are held during that time. That is normal, it is part of the lifetime of a project.
"That won't force us to scrap plans which have been in the works for several years.
"Now it is for Solideo, who are working intensively on all these projects, to continue their excellent work," said Dubi, who unlike Muselier insisted there was no alternative plan.
Ciotti's election is just the latest problem to affect the 2030 Games. 
The organising committee (Cojop) has lost four key players in the past three months owing to internal disagreements.
Last month chief executive Cyril Linette became the latest to step down after falling out with the Cojop president Edgar Grospiron, who had hand-picked him for the role in April last year.
bur/pi/gj

men

Pinheiro Braathen wins World Cup giant slalom title after Odermatt crashes

  • A four-time winner of the giant slalom World Cup, the ultra-dominant Odermatt can nonetheless content himself at the season's end with the overall title, the downhill title and the super-G title.
  • Lucas Pinheiro Braathen claimed the men's giant slalom World Cup title on Tuesday after the discipline's leader Marco Odermatt crashed out on the first run at the season-ending race in Norway.
  • A four-time winner of the giant slalom World Cup, the ultra-dominant Odermatt can nonetheless content himself at the season's end with the overall title, the downhill title and the super-G title.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen claimed the men's giant slalom World Cup title on Tuesday after the discipline's leader Marco Odermatt crashed out on the first run at the season-ending race in Norway.
For Brazil's Pinheiro Braathen, the title was the icing on the cake for a 2026 season in which he became his continent's first Winter Olympic gold medallist -- also in the giant slalom.
"It's overwhelming, I came into these finals knowing I could leave with two globes, I could leave with zero, and anything in between, and after day one, we at least got one of them," Pinheiro Braathen said.
"To be able to look at this globe with the Brazilian flag on my chest is something I'm immensely proud of. I just want to keep on going and see how many more I can get," added the skier who won the slalom crystal globe in 2023 when representing his country of birth, Norway.
The 25-year-old swept through his two runs in a combined time of 2min 20.65sec.
Switzerland's Loic Meillard finished second, 0.58sec off the pace, with Norway's Atle Lie McGrath rounding off the podium, a further 0.29sec adrift.
It was a third consecutive giant slalom victory for Pinheiro Braathen, following his Olympic gold in Bormio and the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora 10 days ago.

'I won enough'

Swiss star Marco Odermatt missed out on the crystal globe despite topping the standings ahead of the event as he recorded a DNF in his first run, leaving the season title open to Pinheiro Braathen.
"My plan was to take the risk, to try to attack, to try to fight for the victory, not just for some points for the globe and it didn't work out," Odermatt said.
"Sure a little bit sad but not completely frustrated –- I won enough."
A four-time winner of the giant slalom World Cup, the ultra-dominant Odermatt can nonetheless content himself at the season's end with the overall title, the downhill title and the super-G title.
The versatile 28-year-old had decided this season to focus on speed, even if it meant neglecting the giant slalom  –- the discipline that established him as one of the greatest skiers in history.
The gamble paid off in part, as he won both speed globes, but he failed to secure the victories he desired the most –- the Kitzbuehel downhill, where he placed second, and the Olympic downhill in Italy as he  finished just off the podium.
He missed out on the giant slalom globe as two flawless runs earned Pinheiro Braathen 100 points in the discipline table, which allowed the Brazilian to handsomely overcome the 48-point lead Odermatt had held over him.
Pinheiro Braathen topped the final standings on 547 points, with Odermatt in second and his compatriot Meillard nine points further back in third.
French skier Alexis Pinturault, 35, the 2021 overall World Cup winner, bid farewell to the sport  with an 11th-placed he finish.
The men's finals end on Wednesday with the slalom race.
Trailing leader Lie McGrath by 41 points in that disciple, second-placed Pinheiro Braathen will have his eye on another late surge to victory.
bur-nf/jc/pb

Crucible

World Snooker Championship to stay at Crucible

  • This year's World Snooker Championship starts on April 18. jw/dmc
  • Sheffield's Crucible will remain home to the World Snooker Championship until at least 2045, ending fears that the sport's flagship event would quit the celebrated venue.
  • This year's World Snooker Championship starts on April 18. jw/dmc
Sheffield's Crucible will remain home to the World Snooker Championship until at least 2045, ending fears that the sport's flagship event would quit the celebrated venue.
An agreement between the World Snooker Tour (WST) and Sheffield City Council means the event will be held at the theatre for the next two decades, with an option to extend to 2050.
A planned £45 million ($60 million) redevelopment will provide the potential to add an additional 500 seats, but means the event must temporarily relocate in 2029, and possibly 2030, while work is in progress.
Traditionalists had feared the global showpiece could vacate the Sheffield theatre, which has staged every world championship since 1977, and possibly even Britain itself, once its lease expired in 2027.
WST chief Barry Hearn previously described the sport's long-term home, which has a capacity of 980, as "no longer fit for purpose".
China and Saudi Arabia were suggested as possible alternatives to stage the tournament.
"I thought we didn't have a home at one stage -- I can't tell you how pleased I am," said Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport.
"Snooker's dream was to stay at the Crucible. This is the lifeblood of our sport."
Retired seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry said: "There is simply nowhere else like the Crucible or anywhere else that could replicate that atmosphere or the sense of history. 
"It was always my favourite place to play and I still love going to Sheffield. I am thrilled that we are staying there long term."
The investment has come primarily from a combination of council and government funding, and will be used to improve the theatre as a year-round venue.
"We have a deep cultural and sporting heritage here in the UK -- sport, art and culture are the very best of us," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
"It's what makes us proud not only of the country, but the places that we're from."
This year's World Snooker Championship starts on April 18.
jw/dmc