List of All Articles with Tag 'por'

The New York Giants are looking nothing like the team that made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016

As Newcastle United prepare for their first Champions League home match in over 20 years, their owners have far bigger plans, that could well supersede Europe’s premier competition for decades. The Public Investment Fund and wider Saudi Pro League are targeting Fifa’s first expanded 32-team Club World Cup, to take place in the USA in 2025, to make a major statement of their football power. Such ambitions would also have the added effect of amplifying the prestige of the revised tournament, especially if the Saudi Pro League’s teams at that point feature an even greater proportion of the world’s best players, so as to make it a rival to the Champions League The next phase of a plan that is both a sporting project and a sportswashing project comes as Uefa have made it clear that Saudi Arabian clubs will not be allowed cross confederations to enter their competitions. Internal and informal discussions about the issue involved arguments over whether allowing such a transcontinental switch would facilitate some form of cost control given the disruptive nature of Saudi spending in the last window, but it was ultimately felt this would be an integration similar to LIV Golf. Uefa would also lose the unique leverage that comes with the Champions League. The ambition from Saudi Pro League clubs and the Public Investment Fund - who own four clubs in the competition - is instead to aim for the Club World Cup and help improve its prestige, as that could ensure a glamorous alternative to the Champions League that eventually supersedes it. While many might sniff at that, the argument is that attitudes will change if it features many of the best players in the world. The circumstances have been further conditioned by tension between Uefa and Fifa over a range of issues, but the riches of the club game have proved a core subject. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has long wanted a competition to rival the Champions League, but one that he feels should benefit the wider football world too. An issue is that any expanded Club World Cup would initially need the major European names to make it lucrative, which is why there had previously been talk of £80m offers to the biggest clubs to participate when the idea was first broached before the Covid crisis interrupted the game. Fifa’s plans at that point had been to fund the Club World Cup with Softbank, whose largest investors for the Vision Fund are the Public Investment Fund, the 80 per cent owners of Newcastle United. Such reports brought fury from many stakeholders, because of the argument that figures of that scale would wreak havoc on the competitive balance within domestic competitions. If Boca Juniors and River Plate got huge money for one edition, as an example, it could ensure no one in Argentina is able to financially match them for a decade. Fifa would argue financial mechanisms still need to be resolved, and that this serves to spread the wealth of the game beyond western Europe. That plan was ultimately shelved as the game came together amid Covid, but has since been revised for the 2025 competition. That Club World Cup in effect replaces the Confederations Cup as preparation for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, but with the aim of making it a valued tournament in its own right. That is why the Saudi Pro League’s financial power could be so key to the project. While some former players within Uefa do back the project for reasons of football purism, there is concern that it could be an “Indian Premier League or Kerry Packer-style” disruption with huge impact. Whatever the outcome, Saudi ambition could give both the country’s clubs and Fifa the glamour for the Club World Cup that both want. It could have huge repercussions for the Champions League, without letting Saudi Pro League clubs in. Read More The Premier League now faces a credibility ‘crisis’ – and latest VAR farce is just the tip Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly considering minority stake bid for Manchester United Frank Lampard explains why he is ‘not surprised’ by Chelsea’s struggles PGA Tour have received interest from investors other than LIV Golf Chelsea finally catch a break as Mykhailo Mudryk gets his moment Mauricio Pochettino vows to continue to show belief in Chelsea’s young stars

Rookie cornerback Devon Witherson scored on a 97-yard interception return late in the third quarter and the Seattle Seahawks tied a team record with 11 sacks in a 24-3 victory over the struggling and offensively inept New York Giants

Texas running back Jonathon Brooks wasn't even the No. 1 tailback coming out of training camp for the No. 3 Longhorns

A Saudi football club refused to participate in an Asian Champions League game in Iran on Monday, allegedly

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford continued his strong response to an injury-riddled 2022 season by leading a 29-23 overtime win at the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday

It’s the holding call heard ’round the NFL

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams had to leave his first game in more than a year when he sustained a concussion on the opening series against the New York Giants

Brandon Staley and the Los Angeles Chargers coaching staff go into the bye week with many things to assess

The Minnesota Twins have the longest postseason losing streak in major North American professional sports at 18 straight games

The Patriots have a lot more problems following their 38-3 loss to Dallas

The San Francisco 49ers hadn’t had time to bask in the glow of their fourth straight win to open the season when the attention turned to next week