CNN – Sports

By Jonathan Hawkins and Becky Anderson, CNN Paris Saint-Germain chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi has brushed aside criticism of the Qatar World Cup, telling CNN that he believes the tournament has been “perfect.” In a wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson, the Qatari businessman, who is also chairman of global sports and entertainment broadcaster, beIN

By Matias Grez, CNN Uruguay handed Ghana an unwanted dose of déjà vu on Friday, winning 2-0 and knocking the Black Stars out of the World Cup more than 12 years after their epic quarterfinal match in South Africa. In scenes reminiscent of that all-time great World Cup clash, Andre Ayew followed in the footsteps

By Matias Grez and Homero De la Fuente, CNN The US Men’s National Team had good news for American fans on Friday, tweeting out from their official account that star player Christian Pulisic is “cleared to play” in the team’s round of 16 World Cup clash against the Netherlands on Saturday. Earlier on Friday, USMNT

By Sammy Mngqosini and George Ramsay, CNN Formula One has canceled next year’s Chinese Grand Prix in light of Covid-19 difficulties, according to a statement released by F1 on Friday. The race was scheduled to take place in Shanghai on April 16, marking F1’s first race in China since 2019. But the country’s strict Covid-19

By George Ramsay, CNN Japan reached the World Cup knockout stages for the fourth time on Thursday — by what appeared to be a matter of millimeters. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Japan produced a remarkable comeback against Spain with two goals in quick succession in the second half, stunning the 2010 world champion to secure

Story by Reuters Brazilian soccer legend Pele on Thursday said in an Instagram post that he is at the hospital for a monthly visit and thanked his supporters for the positive messages he has received. The 82-year old former forward, known as one of the greatest players of all time, posted a photo in which

By Matias Grez, CNN Whenever Socrates walked out onto the pitch, all eyes were on the man they called ‘Doctor.’ As well as being a ludicrously talented footballer — his mesmerizing technical ability, power and rangy legs making him a marvel to watch — he was also an exceptionally intelligent man, earning a medical degree

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time Cy Young award winner Gaylord Perry has died at age 84. Cherokee County Coroner Dennis G. Fowler confirmed Perry died of natural causes at around 5 a.m. on Thursday at his home in Gaffney, South Carolina. “Gaylord Perry was a consistent workhorse and

By Ben Morse, CNN Belgium was knocked out of the 2022 World Cup on Thursday after a goalless draw with Croatia left it third in Group F. In what was a frustrating evening for the Red Devils, both Romelu Lukaku and Yannick Carrasco spurned good opportunities to score the goal which would have sent Belgium

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN Phoenix guard Devin Booker scored an astonishing 51 points in just three quarters as the Suns dominated the Chicago Bulls 132-113. In just 31 minutes on the court, the shooting guard shot 20-for-25 from the field and went 6-for-7 from deep, making it one of the most efficient scoring performances in

By Rob Picheta, Artemis Moshtaghian, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Iran’s World Cup defeat to the United States was met by cheers and celebrations in Tehran and other Iranian cities on Tuesday evening, as protesters hailed the country’s exit from the tournament as a blow to the ruling regime. The nation was eliminated from

By Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Brazilian football legend Pelé has been hospitalized to receive treatment for an ongoing medical condition, his daughter Kely Nascimento said on Instagram. She captioned the post after reports emerged that Pelé’s health deteriorated, saying, “Hello Friends. The media is freaking out again and I want to calm down the rumors here.

By George Ramsay, CNN After a 1-0 victory against Iran earned the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) a place in the World Cup knockout stages, the players insist their campaign is far from done. Having failed to qualify for the last World Cup, the tournament in Qatar is the first time since 2014 that the

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN Luka Doncić racked up an incredible 41-point triple-double as his Dallas Mavericks beat Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors 116-113. It was the first time that last season’s Western Conference finalists met since the Warriors beat the Mavericks in the playoffs and their superstars did not disappoint. Doncić finished with 41 points,

By George Ramsay, CNN Tiger Woods has called for Greg Norman, the CEO of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, to stand down amid a rift with the PGA Tour. Speaking to reporters ahead of the start of his Hero World Challenge event in New Providence, Bahamas, Woods said Norman “has to go.” Asked if the

By Ben Church, CNN Drinking alcohol before, during and after soccer matches is a habit loved by many supporters around the world. But, at Qatar 2022, alcohol is not as readily available. That’s because two days before the start of the 2022 tournament, soccer’s world governing body FIFA confirmed a ban of alcoholic beverages at

By Matt Foster, CNN The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) earned more money from its male equivalent reaching the knockout stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar than it did from winning its own tournaments in 2015 and 2019. As a result of the equal pay agreement forged earlier this year between

By Ben Morse, CNN It was meant to be Lionel Messi’s crowning moment for Argentina — the tournament in which he steps out of Diego Maradona‘s shadow for the national team — but the 2022 World Cup has been a mixed experience for the 35-year-old so far. Argentina was stunned by Saudi Arabia in its

By Kevin Dotson, CNN US star forward Christian Pulisic was taken to the hospital after he scored a first-half goal that gave the Americans a crucial 1-0 victory over Iran during group play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, according to Fox Sports. During post-match coverage, FoxSports broadcaster Rob Stone said of the 24-year-old American

By Kevin Dotson and Matias Grez, CNN US Men’s National Team (USMNT) forward Christian Pulisic will “hopefully” play against the Netherlands, according to coach Gregg Berhalter. Pulisic was taken to hospital due to an abdominal injury he suffered while scoring the game-winning goal for the United States in its crucial 1-0 win over Iran at

By George Ramsay and Alasdair Howorth, CNN Senegal and Netherlands both qualified for the World Cup knockout stages from Group A on Tuesday at Qatar 2022. For the Netherlands, a comfortable 2-0 win against host nation Qatar ensured its progression to the last 16, while Senegal overcame Ecuador 2-1 with a hard-earned victory. In a

By Sammy Mngqosini, CNN World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi said that between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died as a result of work done on projects connected to the tournament — a greater figure than Qatari officials have cited previously. In an interview with Piers Morgan which aired on TalkTV on Monday, Al-Thawadi was

By Ben Morse, CNN As he sprinted away to the corner flag with his arms spread wide on Monday, Cristiano Ronaldo thought he’d leveled Portugal great Eusebio’s record as the nation’s all-time World Cup scorer. His teammates bundled onto him as they celebrated with the 37-year-old, while commentators and pundits praised him for getting the

By Steve Almasy and David Close, CNN The Big Ten Conference has fined Michigan State University $100,000 and suspended Spartans cornerback Khary “KJ” Crump for the first eight games of next season following the post-football game fight against rival Michigan in the players’ tunnel at Michigan Stadium on October 29. Crump, a redshirt sophomore, has

By Sam Kiley, CNN The families of Iran’s World Cup soccer team have been threatened with imprisonment and torture if the players fail to “behave” ahead of the match against the USA on Tuesday, a source involved in the security of the games said. Following the refusal of Iranian players to sing the nation’s national

By George Ramsay and Alasdair Howorth, CNN Casemiro’s stunning volley was enough for Brazil to edge Switzerland 1-0 and book its place in the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup. The big question ahead of the match against Switzerland was, how would Brazil cope without the injured Neymar? The answer is just fine, as

By Matias Grez, CNN The image of Neymar limping off the pitch, his right ankle visibly swollen, would have left millions of Brazil fans fearing the worst. Fortunately for them, the player who has become this generation’s talisman will be fit in time to play in the 2022 World Cup knockout stage, should Brazil qualify,

By Matias Grez, CNN Niclas Füllkrug’s late strike was enough to salvage a point for Germany against Spain and ensure that qualification from Group E goes down to the wire. Substitute Álvaro Morata had given Spain the lead just after the hour mark, but Germany finally drew level seven minutes from time after Jamal Musiala’s

By Issy Ronald, CNN It was a day of big upsets at the World Cup as Belgium and Japan both succumbed to shock defeats against Morocco and Costa Rica respectively. Morocco won its first World Cup match since 1998 — and its third ever — securing a sensational 2-0 victory over heavyweight Belgium to ensure

By Ben Church, CNN Traveling to watch their team play at the World Cup took a little longer than usual for two French fans. Mehdi Balamissa and Gabriel Martin decided the best way to travel from France to Qatar was on two wheels. The friends spent three months traveling 7,000 kilometers (roughly 4,350 miles) by

By Matias Grez, CNN If Germany is to avoid the ignominy of consecutive World Cup group stage exits, it will need to earn a positive result against a Spain side that looked like the tournament’s most dangerous team after the opening round of fixtures. Finishing bottom of the group at Russia 2018, a tournament Germany

By Ben Church, CNN The World Cup is well underway in Qatar, but issues surrounding LGBTQ+ rights for the Gulf state, world soccer governing body FIFA, teams and fans just won’t go away. On Saturday, two German soccer fans told CNN that they were asked by security officials at Qatar 2022 to remove the rainbow-colored

By Matias Grez, CNN Yet another moment of Lionel Messi magic helped salvage Argentina’s World Cup hopes at Qatar 2022 as La Albiceleste secured a much-needed victory over Mexico. The 2-0 win certainly wasn’t pretty, with Argentina struggling to create many clear-cut chances against a stubborn Mexico team that itself also offered very little threat

By Kevin Dotson, CNN Rugby great Doddie Weir has died at age 52, according to a statement from the Weir family that was released through the Scottish Rugby Union. Weir died six years after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). “Doddie was an inspirational force of nature,” the Weir family wrote. “His unending energy

By Allison Rosen, for CNN “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare had no idea that those same words would apply to one of today’s ongoing terminology rivalries stretching across the Atlantic — the debate of association football versus soccer. Or as the Men in Blazers podcast once put it,

By Issy Ronald, CNN Defending champion France became the first side at the 2022 World Cup to reach the knockout stages with a 2-1 victory over Denmark, sealed by a late goal from star forward Kylian Mbappé. Les Bleus enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening 45 minutes, but Denmark’s defense held firm as

By George Ramsay and Amy Woodyatt, CNN FIFA President Gianni Infantino pleaded with countries to let football take center stage ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, but it hasn’t quite worked out like that. Soccer’s global governing body has found itself at loggerheads with seven European nations over the threat of sanctions for any

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN All eyes will be on Lionel Messi and his Argentina side on Saturday as they look turn around a dreadful start to the World Cup. La Albiceleste were humiliated when they threw away the lead to lose 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opening Group G match at the World Cup.

By Issy Ronald and Matias Grez, CNN Five-time World Cup champion Brazil will be without stars Neymar and Danilo for their next match due to injury, the team announced on Friday. Brazilian team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirmed both players will miss the team’s next match against Switzerland on Monday, but remained hopeful they would play

Chris Eldergill and Zayn Nabbi, CNN Ahead of England’s World Cup clash with the United States on Friday, world soccer’s governing body FIFA said that Crusader costumes worn by England fans are “offensive.” Some England fans attend sports events dressed as the English patron Saint George, equipped with helmets, crosses and plastic swords. FIFA told

By Aimee Lewis, CNN Two late goals secured Iran a sensational 2-0 win against Wales to maintain its hopes of qualifying for the World Cup knockout stages. Rouzbeh Cheshmi struck from distance to brilliantly give Iran the lead in the 98th minute, while Ramin Rezaeian sealed the win in the 101st minute, securing Iran its

By George Ramsay, CNN After a frustrating 1-1 draw against Wales, this World Cup isn’t about to get any easier for the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT). A promising first-half performance and a well-taken goal from Timothy Weah was canceled out by Gareth Bale’s late penalty on Monday as the youthful USMNT team was

By Ben Church, CNN Watching Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half of Portugal’s World Cup opener against Ghana on Thursday, you could feel the frustration from the stands. The striker still looked the part, waving to the crowds and receiving the biggest cheer of anyone when the starting lineups were announced before kickoff. He was

By Ben Morse, CNN On one side of the pitch was a team made up some of the biggest names in world soccer. On the other was a grave digger, a dishwasher and a postman. The result seemed a formality. However, in front of approximately 10,000 fans — and one intrepid US reporter — in

By George Ramsay, CNN Two days after his turbulent departure from Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo will begin his World Cup campaign with Portugal and look to put events from the last week-and-a-half behind him. Portugal faces Ghana at Stadium 974 on Thursday, kicking off what will likely be the 37-year-old Ronaldo’s final World Cup —

By Ben Church, CNN Canada was taught a tough lesson as it lost 1-0 to Belgium in its first World Cup match for 36 years on Wednesday. Despite all its dominance, Canada couldn’t get the goal it so richly deserved and had the frustration of seeing Alphonso Davies’ penalty saved by Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois

By Zeena Saifi, CNN A day after Saudi Arabia’s historic win against Argentina at the Qatar World Cup, the Kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal says he’s “waiting for someone to wake me up.” “It’s been an unbelievable result. The team played really well, they prepared for three years for this day, the

By Hannah Brewitt, CNN This Thursday, homes across the United States will be full of two things: food and football. The National Football League’s annual Thanksgiving Day triple-header returns for what is sure to be an exciting slate of showdowns. This year features the Buffalo Bills meeting the Lions for Detroit’s 83rd Thanksgiving Day game,

By Ben Church, CNN Argentina’s game against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday was supposed to serve as the perfect springboard for Lionel Messi’s last dance at the World Cup. The South American side was expected to brush aside its opponent, ranked 48 places below them in the world standings, and fans had come in droves to

By George Ramsay, CNN With the World Cup now underway in Qatar, many are wondering how this moment arrived — that a tiny Gulf nation with little footballing history ended up hosting the biggest event the sport has to offer. Qatar had never previously appeared at a World Cup tournament — let alone staged one

By Ben Church, Patrick Sung, Issy Ronald and Matias Grez, CNN The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

By Marc Stewart, CNN As China’s first ever full-time Formula One driver, Zhou Guanyu makes a living doing the sort of things many people can only dream about: traveling the world and racing in a fast car. “It’s the acceleration, the downforce, the G-force,” Zhou said when describing the thrill of driving at speeds in

By Matt Foster, CNN Manchester United’s owners announced their intention on Tuesday to explore the sale of the iconic club, saying a “process to explore strategic alternatives” had begun. Those alternatives could include the total sale of the club by the Glazer family, who took control of Manchester United in 2005. “As part of this

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN Argentina has won the World Cup twice — in 1978 and 1986 — but at Qatar 2022 La Albiceleste wrote its name into the history books in an altogether different way. According to sports data group Gracenote, Argentina’s 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in their Group C match is the biggest

By George Ramsay, CNN Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving Manchester United with immediate effect, the English Premier League club announced on Tuesday. In a brief statement, United said the decision, which comes a week after Ronaldo gave an explosive TV interview about his frustrations at the club, was made by mutual agreement. “The club thanks him

By Matias Grez, CNN Six months ago, world champion MMA fighter Yaroslav Amosov should have been defending his welterweight title at Bellator 281 in London. Instead, the Ukrainian had returned to his homeland to help in the war effort following Russia’s invasion on February 24. Now, Amosov will make his highly anticipated return to the

By Kevin Dotson and Ben Morse, CNN Some people attending 2022 World Cup matches have said they have experienced difficulties in Qatar when trying to enter stadiums wearing clothing in support of LGBTQ rights. At the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Monday, ahead of the United States Men’s National Team’s (USMNT) match with Wales, US

By Ben Church, CNN There was frustration for the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) in its opening game of Qatar 2022 as Gareth Bale scored a late penalty for Wales. The USMNT was dominant for much of the match, but as has so often been the case, it was LAFC star Bale who dug

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN Despite a seven-game win streak under their belt, the high-flying Minnesota Vikings had a rude awakening at home on Sunday, taking a 40-3 battering from the Dallas Cowboys. The Vikings started Week 11 looking strong, but instead came away with their second-largest home loss in franchise history. Cowboys running back Tony

By Zayn Nabbi, CNN British comedian Joe Lycett did not shred £10,000 ($11,800) as he claimed to have done on Sunday when the World Cup kicked off, saying Monday the money had in fact been “donated to LGBTQ+ charities before I even pressed send on the initial tweet last week.” Lycett had called on English