CNN – Sports

By Issy Ronald, CNN When the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) walks onto the pitch in Qatar on Monday, it will be appearing at a men’s World Cup for the first time since 2014. In the eight-and-a-half years since then, soccer has overtaken ice hockey to become the country’s fourth most watched sport with

By George Ramsay and Zayn Nabbi, CNN The captains of several European teams will not wear “OneLove” armbands at the World Cup in Qatar due to the danger of receiving yellow cards. England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales were set to participate in the “OneLove” campaign to promote inclusion and oppose discrimination.

By Issy Ronald, CNN For the last few months, soccer in Iran has witnessed small acts of defiance against the country’s regime amid widespread protests in the country; Sardar Azmoun’s refusal to celebrate scoring an equalizer against Senegal and several players changing their social media profile pictures to black. Soccer, like everything else in Iran,

By Issy Ronald and Manveena Suri, CNN A British comedian appeared to shred £10,000 ($11,000) in a video after failing to receive a response from David Beckham over his controversial role as a Qatar World Cup ambassador. On Sunday, Joe Lycett began tweeting an hourly countdown until his UK midday deadline (7am ET). At 12

By Ben Church, CNN For the past year, a giant clock in Doha has been counting down to the opening match of the World Cup. Qatar and the world need wait no more, after this controversial tournament got underway Sunday with the host losing 2-0 to Ecuador. After a spectacular opening ceremony, which starred the

By Hannah Brewitt, CNN The Buffalo Bills (6-3) and Cleveland Browns (3-6) were supposed to square off at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo this Sunday. However, the decision was made earlier this week to play the game at Ford Field in Detroit due to a snowstorm headed for western New York. On Friday, the Buffalo Niagara

By Ben Church, CNN There have been 21 editions of the men’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1930 but Qatar 2022 is set to be a tournament like no other. Since it was announced as the host city almost 12 years ago, it was always destined to be a World Cup of firsts. From

By Ben Church, CNN In just over 24 hours, Qatar 2022 will burst into life as the host nation takes on Ecuador in the opening game of the World Cup. It’s a tournament that has caused controversy ever since it was awarded to the Gulf nation in 2010 but, after years of waiting, the players

By Jacob Lev, CNN Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets star who was suspended for at least five games by the team for comments made after sharing a link to an antisemitic movie on social media, has issued another apology as his possible return from suspension nears. While speaking to SNY’s Ian Begley in an interview

By Ben Church and Homero DeLaFuente, CNN FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s near hour-long speech on the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been described as “crass” and an “insult” to migrant workers by human rights groups. In an explosive monologue at the start of a news conference in Doha, Infantino — the

By George Ramsay, CNN “If you’re ever losing faith in human nature,” Kathrine Switzer, an influential figure in women’s running, once said, “go out and watch a marathon.” It’s a thought that rang true with Lauren Ridloff on the streets of New York City earlier this month as she ran shoulder-to-shoulder with 50,000 others through

By Ben Church, CNN The World Cup finally gets underway on Sunday after 12 years of questions and criticisms of the tournament being held in Qatar. But though kickoff for the opening match is just hours away, soccer itself is still being overshadowed by off-the-field matters. FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s extraordinary tirade against Western critics

By Aimee Lewis, CNN “I’m a man and I love men. I do — please don’t be shocked — have sex with other men. This is normal. So please get used to it, or stay out of football.” Dario Minden was a relatively unknown German football fan before a video of a powerful speech he

By Ben Church, CNN As fans trickle into Qatar, they’re understandably in holiday mode as they look forward to the prospect of a desert World Cup. But where best to stay in a country that is geographically on a peninsula smaller than Connecticut and is the smallest World Cup host in history? The scramble for

By Matt Foster and Alasdair Howorth, CNN Manchester United announced Friday that it has “initiated appropriate steps” in response to star forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent interview with TalkTV’s Piers Morgan. In the interview, Ronaldo said he felt “betrayed” by the Premier League club, stated his lack of respect for manager Erik ten Hag, and cast

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN Max Verstappen and Red Bull have hit out at online threats and abuse leveled at the world champion and his family after he ignored team orders at last weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix. Verstappen refused his team’s instruction to allow teammate Sergio Perez through on the final lap of the race

By George Ramsay, CNN If it looked like the Green Bay Packers had turned their season around with last week’s overtime win against the Dallas Cowboys, their next game against the Tennessee Titans told a different story. The Titans visited the Frozen Tundra on Thursday and won 27-17 having led from start to finish. They

By Sammy Mngqosini and Chris Eldergill, CNN Just two days before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, soccer’s world governing body FIFA confirmed that no alcohol will be sold at the eight stadiums which will host the tournament’s 64 matches. “Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to

By Jamiel Lynch and Alaa Elassar, CNN DC Attorney General Karl Racine has announced another lawsuit against the Washington Commanders NFL team, this time for allegedly cheating ticket holders out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The complaint alleges that Pro Football Inc., the owner of the Commanders, implemented a “decades-long unlawful scheme” to withhold

By George Ramsay, CNN Steph Curry scored 50 points for the 11th time in his NBA career, but his efforts weren’t enough for the struggling Golden State Warriors against the Phoenix Suns as the defending champions went down 130-119. The Warriors are now 6-9 on the season and winless from eight games on the road

By Aimee Lewis, Pramod Acharya and Sugam Pokharel Kamal was standing outside a shop with other migrant workers, having finished yet another grueling working day, when he and — he says — a few others were arrested this August. Without explanation, the 24-year-old says he was put into a vehicle and, for the next week,

By Martin Goillandeau, CNN “Sport should not be politicized,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, three days before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “These questions must be asked whenever the events are awarded,” Macron said. “It should be when hosting the event is decided, whether it is the World Cup

By Jacob Lev, CNN A Florida judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former NFL kicker Josh Lambo against the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he sought back pay and damages for emotional distress allegedly inflicted by the team’s former head coach Urban Meyer, whom he accused of creating a “hostile work environment.” The lawsuit, filed

By Eoin McSweeney, CNN There’s a biblical saying that no one is a prophet in their own land; but Didier Drogba likely hasn’t read that verse. Welcomed by hordes of adoring fans wherever he goes in his native Ivory Coast, Drogba is no stranger to glory nights. Champions League final success in Munich in 2012,

By Jack Bantock, CNN It remains to be seen whether football will come home for England at the World Cup in Qatar next month, but for neighboring Scotland, golf has officially — and finally — returned to its motherland. Having hosted the game for almost six centuries, “the home of golf” — as Scotland is

By George Ramsay, CNN Carlos Alcaraz is set to become the youngest year-end No. 1 in the history of men’s tennis after Rafael Nadal was knocked out of the ATP Finals. At the age of 19 years and 214 days, US Open champion Alcaraz surpasses Lleyton Hewitt’s record of ending the year as world No.

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN Luka Doncić scored 35 points, including a clutch three-pointer with less than 30 seconds remaining, to give the Dallas Mavericks a 103-101 win over the LA Clippers despite blowing a 25-point lead. The Slovenian star was so hyped up after dropping the game-winning bucket that he accidentally celebrated by putting his

By Ben Church and Sammy Mngqosini, CNN Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo says he keeps his son’s ashes with him at his home and describes his death as the “worst” moment of his life. The Portugal star had announced in October 2021 that he and his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, were expecting twins. In December, they

By Matt Foster, CNN The manager of the Iranian men’s soccer team said his players are allowed to protest while they participate at the World Cup in Qatar, as long as those protests do not break FIFA rules. Carlos Queiroz made the comments at a press conference in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday. According to Reuters,

By Amanda Davies and George Ramsay, CNN As he begins to discuss his sexuality, Isaac Humphries says he is able to lift 25 years of weight off his shoulders. Humphries, who plays for Melbourne United in Australia’s National Basketball League, had never previously spoken publicly about his sexuality out of fear it would negatively impact

By Mostafa Salem, CNN Iran’s record international goalscorer Ali Daei said on Monday that he refused an invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar next week to stand in solidarity with Iranian protesters. “I rejected the official invitation of FIFA and Qatar Football Federation to attend the World Cup with my wife and daughters,”

By Marcela Mora y Araujo, for CNN Video by Patrick Sung, CNN If the history of film was once described as before and after “Gone with the Wind,” it could be argued that the history of the World Cup can be defined as before and after the game between England and Argentina in 1986 —

By Ben Morse, CNN And then there were none. After the Philadelphia Eagles were defeated 32-21 by the Washington Commanders on Monday night, no undefeated teams remain in the NFL. It was the first defeat of the season for the unusually sloppy Eagles as they slipped to 8-1 on an evening when they were continuously

By Ben Church, CNN No one seems safe from Cristiano Ronaldo’s wrath at the moment. The superstar has been on a war-path against his current club and is clearly uninspired by Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family. In an explosive interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV, Ronaldo says the owners “don’t care about the club.”

By George Ramsay, CNN The two goals are perhaps as famous as each other — the first fabled for its audacity and guile, the second for its brilliant, breathtaking skill. Just four minutes separate Diego Maradona’s two memorable contributions at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca 36 years ago, and together they typify Argentina’s flawed genius and

By Angus Watson, Rhea Mogul and Jacob Lev, CNN Australia will overturn a three-year ban on tennis player Novak Djokovic entering the country, paving the way for the former world No. 1 to contest the 2023 Australian Open. Djokovic confirmed the news in his press conference Wednesday after defeating Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals

By Issy Ronald and Jacob Lev, CNN It is already being called the “game of the year” by none other than LeBron James. In a dramatic finale that required overtime to settle the result, the Minnesota Vikings somehow defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-30 on Sunday, improving their record to 8-1. Leading 27-10 in the third

By Ben Church, CNN Joel Embiid produced arguably the greatest performance of his career to inspire the Philadelphia 76ers to a 105-98 victory over the surprising Utah Jazz on Sunday. The 28-year-old flirted with a quadruple-double, scoring a monstrous 59 points — over half his team’s total — while adding 11 rebounds, eight assists and

By Issy Ronald, CNN Video by Jarrod Williams, CNN Exploring the peaks of the world’s highest mountains or the secrets of space’s deepest labyrinths has become almost second nature for Poorna Malavath and Kavya Manyapu. It has taken Manyapu to NASA where her research has included designing space suits, and Malavath to the top of

By Andrew McNicol and Jake Kwon, CNN The Hong Kong government on Monday demanded an investigation after a song associated with the city’s pro-democracy movement was played instead of the Chinese national anthem before a rugby sevens match between Hong Kong and South Korea. Event organizers played an instrumental version of “Glory to Hong Kong”

By Hannah Brewitt, CNN Week 10 features the first-ever regular season game played in Germany. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) will face the Seattle Seahawks (6-3) in front of nearly 75,000 spectators at Allianz Arena in Munich. The meeting makes history on multiple fronts. It marks the first time two division leaders face off internationally

By Eoin McSweeney and Becky Anderson, CNN Wayne Rooney holds down the bamboo mat with one sinewy hand while the other is busy mixing rice into slices of salmon and avocado. Carefully, the former Premier League footballer, wearing a bright orange apron, moisturizes the blend with vinegar and water, before wrapping it in one of

By Celine Alkhaldi, CNN Iranian archer Parmida Ghasemi demonstrated her support for anti-government protests by removing her hijab during an awards ceremony in Tehran, a video shared to social media on Thursday shows. In the video, Ghasemi lets her headscarf fall off as she stands on a podium along with other athletes. One girl standing

By Ben Morse, CNN The Carolina Panthers’ dominance in their running game proved enough to hold off a late Atlanta Falcons comeback attempt on a rainy Thursday Night Football. Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman ran for 130 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown while Laviska Shenault Jr. added a 41-yard touchdown as the team

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN For footballer James McClean, Remembrance Sunday is arguably his most difficult day of the year. Since he first refused to wear the poppy in 2012, McClean and his family have been subjected to abuse both in football stadiums across England and online. The Republic of Ireland international, who was born in

By Jacob Lev, CNN NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes that suspended Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is not antisemitic following a meeting between the two earlier in the week, the commissioner told the New York Times. Silver, who is Jewish, told the Times that the two had “a direct and candid conversation” at the league’s

By Mostafa Salem and Matt Foster, CNN FIFA announced on Thursday that shared flights have been organized to permit Israeli and Palestinian fans into Qatar to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The temporary direct charter flights between Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, represent the only official

By Celine Alkhaldi, CNN Iranian officials said they have identified the “Iran International agent” arrested Thursday as Elham Afkari, the sister of famous Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari, who was executed two years ago, according to state news agency IRNA. London-based news channel Iran International has become one of the go-to sources for many Iranians looking

By Ben Morse and George Ramsay, CNN ‘Tis the season for wall charts and fans gathering around to pick their starting teams for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. And with countries announcing their squads for international football’s premier competition, the debate has ramped up to the maximum. Here’s a full list of the squads for

By Angus Watson, CNN A woman allegedly raped by a Sri Lankan World Cup cricketer in Sydney, Australia last week told police she feared for her life during the attack, according to court documents reported by CNN affiliate 7 News. Danushka Gunathilaka faces four charges of sexual intercourse without consent after being arrested by police

By Ben Morse and Homero De la Fuente, CNN Suspended Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving reportedly met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, including one from the Athletic’s Shams Charania, citing unnamed sources. According to Charania, Silver and Irving met and had “a productive and understanding visit,” as Irving and

By Ben Church, CNN The LA Lakers just can’t catch a break this season. In addition to a poor run of results so far this season, the team lost LeBron James through injury during their latest defeat by the LA Clippers on Wednesday. James appeared to tweak something in his groin halfway through the fourth

By George Ramsay, CNN Having previously swum in the world’s coldest waters wearing just his swimming trunks, for his latest challenge Lewis Pugh went to the opposite extreme. When he became the first person to swim across the Red Sea last month — a feat which took 16 days and saw him encounter crashing waves,

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN The Edmonton Oilers have confirmed that forward Evander Kane will be out for 3-4 months after sustaining deep cuts on his wrist in Tuesday night’s 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kane was injured in the second period after colliding with Lightning player Phillipe Myers just inside the defensive zone.

By David Close, CNN A man described how he was bullied for years by NHL prospect Mitchell Miller, three days after Boston Bruins president Cam Neely said the team failed by signing Miller to an entry-level contract. The Bruins have since rescinded the offer. The statement by Isaiah Meyer-Crothers acknowledged that Miller had repeatedly reached

By Ben Church, CNN Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane was rushed to the hospital after suffering a deep cut to his left wrist during his team’s win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The 31-year-old sustained the injury in the second period after he fell to the ice during a collision. In the resulting

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is interested in buying the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). “I am trying to (buy the Senators),” Reynolds told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. “It’s very expensive, so I need a partner with really deep pockets. “It’s called a consortium, when you form

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN Steph Curry put on a performance for the ages against the Sacramento Kings to give the Golden State Warriors a much needed 116-113 win to end a five-game losing streak. Curry was playing like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, ending with a season high 47

By George Ramsay, CNN Caroline Garcia capped off a remarkable six-month period in her tennis career as she won the WTA Finals with a 7-6 6-4 victory against Aryna Sabalenka in Fort Worth, Texas. Garcia was outside the top 70 in the world rankings as recently as June, but since then has enjoyed a superb

By Claudia Otto, Inke Kappeler and Radina Gigova, CNN Qatar FIFA World Cup ambassador and former footballer Khalid Salman has said homosexuality is “damage in the mind,” in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF on Monday. The interview, filmed in Doha less than two weeks before the start of the tournament, was immediately stopped by

By David Close, CNN Liverpool FC’s owners are exploring the possible sale of the iconic English football club, according to The Athletic and The New York Times. The Athletic reported the club is for sale and the ownership group, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), is currently inviting offers for the six-time European champion. Both the New

By Ben Morse, CNN The Baltimore Ravens outclassed the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, winning 27-13 as Justin Houston had an evening to remember. In a game which was dominated by the Ravens’ ground game, Baltimore running back Kenyan Drake rushed for two touchdowns, as well as 93 yards, while quarterback Lamar Jackson

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN Formula One is finally heading back to Sin City next November for its first race since the 1980s — but those wanting to catch sight of the hotly anticipated event had better have a serious chunk of change. Even a standing ticket at the night time spectacle, past the Las Vegas

By George Ramsay, CNN Real Madrid missed out on the chance to return to the top of La Liga as a retaken penalty gave Rayo Vallecano a surprise 3-2 victory over Los Blancos. It was Real’s first defeat in the league this season and gives Barcelona a two-point lead at the top of La Liga

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will join forces to compete against fellow professional golfers Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in the latest edition of “The Match” next month in Florida, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (WBD Sports) announced Monday. The seventh installment of “The Match” will benefit Hurricane Ian relief efforts, WBD