List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Football Australia on Tuesday said it won’t bid for the World Cup 2034, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the men's marquee tournament. The chances of Australia hosting the 2034 event appeared unlikely after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backed the Saudi bid on 5 October. Fifa paved the way for a Saudi victory given the 2034 event would only be open to countries from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation after the three-continent, six-country bid for the 2030 World Cup. Indonesia’s football association initially showed interest in a joint bid with Australia, potentially alongside Malaysia and Singapore, but that faded when Indonesia instead backed Saudi Arabia. “We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the Fifa World Cup and — having taken all factors into consideration — we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” Football Australia said in a statement. Australia will instead attempt to secure hosting rights for the 2029 Club World Cup and the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup. “We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup," the FA statement said. Australia and New Zealand successfully co-hosted the Women's World Cup in July and August. Brisbane, Queensland state, is due to become the third Australian city to host the Olympics when it stages the 2032 Summer Games. Read More Aryna Sabalenka ‘really disrespected by the WTA’ after poor organisation Francis Ngannou rematch or Oleksandr Usyk showdown? – Tyson Fury’s future plans Tyson Fury hints at next steps after Francis Ngannou victory

Manchester City have no intention of parting ways with Kevin De Bruyne anytime soon, with the Belgian playmaker also in no rush to leave the Etihad Stadium.

England will travel to Belgium for their second match of their double-header against the side in the Women’s Nations League in just five days. At the King Power Stadium on Friday night, the Lionesses secured all three points after Lauren Hemp struck early, but despite dominating possession and having numerous chances, they were unable to kill off the game. The Netherlands sit top of the group on goal difference, having beaten Sarina Wiegman’s side, and England will want to make sure they stay level on points with the top-placed team, who travel to Scotland on Tuesday. A place in the Olympics is at stake, with the four group winners in League A (which England are in) meeting in the semi-finals and the two finalists joining France as the 2024 Olympic Games’ European representatives. England have been nominated as the nation to secure qualification on behalf of Team GB. Here’s everything you need to know about the match: When is it? England take on Belgium at the King Power at Den Dreef Stadium in Leuven on Tuesday 31 October at 7.30pm GMT. How can I watch it? The Nations League match will be shown live on ITV4 and on the streaming service ITVX, with coverage starting at 6.45pm GMT. Team news Fran Kirby pulled on an England shirt for the first time in a year when she was brought on as a substitute against Belgium in Leicester. Kirby missed the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery in March. Lauren James was ruled out of both games against Belgium with a concussion. Odds Belgium 8/1 Draw 4/1 England 3/10 Prediction As they did in Leicester England will just sneak through, although they will have to be wary of Belgium’s direct threat. England 2-1 Belgium. Read More When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw? A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart Search for Luis Diaz’s abducted father sees police search cloud forest When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw? A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart Search for Luis Diaz’s abducted father sees police search cloud forest

The Carabao Cup fourth round takes place this week with the remaining teams competing for a place in the quarter-finals. Manchester United will seek to banish the memories of another Manchester derby loss when they take on Newcastle in a repeat of last year’s final on Wednesday evening. The Magpies knocked out Manchester City in the third round and will have their sights set on disappointing the red side of Manchester as they attempt to reach the last eight. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all still battling for a place in the next round as are Mansfield Town, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, with the League Two outfit taking on Port Vale who are 16th in League One. The draw for the last eight is expected to take place at the conclusion of Man Utd vs Newcastle so here’s everything you need to know: When is the quarter-final draw? The Carabao Cup quarter-final draw takes place on the November 1 after the match between Newcastle and Manchester United at Old Trafford. The match is due to kick off at 8pm, and the draw will follow after full time, starting between 10-10:10pm. How to watch on TV and online Sky Sports will broadcast both the match before and the draw. The draw will also be live streamed for free on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel. When will the quarter-final fixtures be played? The quarter-final stage of the Carabao Cup will be played in the week commencing Monday 18 December. When is the Carabao Cup final? The Carabao Cup final is scheduled for 25 February 2024 at Wembley Stadium. Which teams are in the draw? 1. Mansfield or Port Vale 2. Exeter City or Middlesbrough 3. West Ham or Arsenal 4. Everton or Burnley 5. Chelsea or Blackburn 6. Ipswich or Fulham 7. Bournemouth or Liverpool 8. Manchester United or Newcastle United Read More Manchester United ‘have got to move on’ from humbling derby experience Pep Guardiola accepts Man City gatecrashing party was ‘uncomfortable’ for elite Pep Guardiola admits winning treble has taken toll on Manchester City Jurgen Klopp knows Liverpool must shoulder the burden of Andy Robertson’s injury Focus on goalkeeping battle is strange – Aaron Ramsdale A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart

A search for Liverpool star Luis Diaz’s father has seen police air and land patrols search a cloud forest in northern Colombia on Monday. The winger’s father was kidnapped over the weekend along with the player’s mother, with Fifa sending “support and prayers” to the player’s family. The couple were at a gas station in the small town of Barrancas on Saturday when they were abducted by armed men on motorcycles. Diaz's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued within hours by police that set up roadblocks around the town of 40,000 people, which is near Colombia's border with Venezuela. But his father, Luis Manuel Díaz, remained missing. On Monday, special forces searched a mountain range that straddles both countries and is covered by cloud forest. Police also offered a $48,0000 reward for information leading to Diaz’s father. Officials said they did not rule out the possibility that the elder Díaz could have been smuggled into Venezuela, where he would be beyond the reach of Colombian police. Díaz is one of the most talented players on Colombia’s national team and currently plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, which he joined last year in a deal worth $67 million. The 26-year-old striker was absent from Liverpool’s match against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Díaz's teammates expressed their solidarity with the Colombian by holding up one of his jerseys on the pitch after scoring the team’s first goal in their 3-0 victory. The abduction of Díaz’s parents comes as kidnappings for ransom and extortion of businesses increase in Colombia despite efforts by the nation’s first left-wing government to broker ceasefires with rebel groups. Criminals and rebel groups in the country have long kidnapped civilians for ransom in order to finance their operations. So far, none of the armed groups operating in Colombia has claimed responsibility for kidnapping Diaz’s parents. Read More FIFA sends ‘support and prayers’ to Luis Diaz as search for his father continues Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father The sporting weekend in pictures

Colombian police are searching a mountain range in the north of the country for the kidnapped father of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz. Diaz’s mother has been rescued but the Colombian authorities have stepped up the search for his father, with the player having returned home to be with family members. Police have been carrying out aerial patrols across the Perija mountain range, which straddles the border with Venezuela and is covered by a forest. In a post on social media, Colombian police director general William Salamanca was shown visiting the operation in order to “recognise our commandos for their bravery and commitment to rescue him safe and sound”. Police have offered a reward worth around £39,000 for information leading to the rescue of Luis Manuel Diaz. On Monday Salamanca urged caution with regards to reports that Luis Manuel might already have been taken into Venezuela, pointing to the difficulty of crossing the Perija mountains. Both FIFA and the Colombia Football Federation have offered support to Diaz, 26, while Liverpool allowed the player to return home. Speaking after Sunday’s 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said preparation for the game had been “the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life”. Klopp added: “I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t prepared for it. I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but definitely, we tried to help Luis with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help and we cannot really help. “So the only thing we can do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.” Liverpool said in a statement: “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia. “It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.” Liverpool signed Diaz from Porto in January 2022 in an initial £37.5million deal that included a potential extra £12.5million in add-ons. Read More On this day in 2011: Graham Henry steps down as New Zealand coach ‘I’ve had no job offer’ insists departing Australia coach Eddie Jones Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combine to keep Boston Celtics perfect Detroit Lions bounce back to beat Las Vegas Raiders Iga Swiatek recovers from slow start for opening win at WTA Finals Corey Seager fires Texas Rangers to win in World Series game three

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Dabo Swinney lost his cool on a fan with a cathartic rant for the ages, but even if he's right about Clemson's success, he's wrong to express himself that way.

Minnesota Vikings star EDGE Danielle Hunter is reportedly on the trading block. Here are three contenders who should make a move for him.

Atlanta Braves Rumors: Ron Washington could leave for the Houston Astros, Sonny Gray is no guarantee, a corner outfielder is available.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon benched Joshua Dobbs after their Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. So, who will start for the Cardinals next weekend?