Football

LONDON: Incidents of racism and homophobia in English football are on the rise, according to pressure group Kick It Out. According to its mid-season report, Kick It Out said it had received more than 300 reports relating to 282 cases of discriminatory abuse by the end of 2017, a 59 percent increase from last season, when there were 177 incidents. ...

Alexey Dedov — the Russian Ambassador to Pakistan — confirmed earlier this week that Sialkot-made footballs will be used in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is slated for later this year. Pakistanis will have their special moment of joy when they see footballs made in their own country being used to score goals in the international-level event. But Pakistan, ...

Pakistan’s Street Child football team has swung its preparations in full gear ahead of the Street Child World Cup scheduled in Moscow ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2018. Pakistan qualified for the Street Child Football World Cup 2018 after a sensational run in the qualifiers held in Russia in October last year, where the Green Shirts defeated India, Brazil ...

LONDON: Manchester United narrowly pipped Real Madrid to remain the top revenue-generating club in the world as Premier League sides underlined their growing financial clout, Deloitte´s “Money League” report said Tuesday. It is the 10th time United have topped Deloitte´s list, with a revenue in 2016/17 of 676 million euros ($828 million, £593 million) — just 1.7 million euros ahead ...

SAO PAULO: Ronaldinho, “the ever-smiling magician” of Barcelona, as described by his former club, has ended his professional career. Roberto Assis, the brother and agent of the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner, announced on Tuesday that the 37-year-old wants to play a series of farewell matches from August and then focus on his already busy life off the pitch. Ronaldinho played ...

Pele won three World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970 RIO DE JANEIRO: Footballing legend Pele said that Brazil are favourites to win the World Cup in Russia, four years on from their humiliation on home soil. Five-time winners Brazil were thrashed 7-1 in the 2014 semi-finals by eventual champions Germany at the Maracana, but Pele, considered one ...

KARACHI: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) may have been suspended by the FIFA and Pakistan failed to qualify for 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but the 2018 FIFA World Cup trophy is coming to Pakistan. The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be played in Russia this summer. A total of 32 teams will contest to become the Football’s world ...

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has added even more trophies to his massive collection after receiving two awards from Spanish sports newspaper Marca on Monday. The Argentine, following the Catalan giants’ 4-0 victory over Deportivo on Sunday, was pictured celebrating with the Pichichi award and the Alfredo Di Stefano award at a ceremony in Barcelona. The Pichichi trophy, named after the ...

It might be because he lives there or perhaps because he has friends in their team, but Barcelona’s Argentine forward Lionel Messi has identified Spain as the one country he hopes to avoid in the group stages of the World Cup finals next year. ‘I wouldn’t like to be drawn against Spain, who are one of the rivals we could get in the draw,’ Messi told Argentine broadcaster ...