Last week FIFA released their latest world rankings and Tunisia, after a leap of nine places, now find themselves at No. 14, their highest ever, and indeed higher than any African or Arab team currently.
At No.13 sit England, the team they face in their opening match at the this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
Tunisia could now well be on the cusp of a new golden era, 12 years after their last participation at football’s biggest stage.
The improvement has been dramatic. Tunisian Nabil Maaloul took over in April last year after the sacking of Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak and went about uniting a fractured squad before leading his country to Russia 2018.
This will be Tunisia’s fifth time at the World Cup, a record for an Arab nation that they will be sharing with Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
And like neighbors Morocco and Algeria, they have considerable World Cup pedigree as well.
In 1978, Abdelmajid Chetali’s superb team went into the World Cup in Argentina having finished third at the African Cup of Nations earlier that year.
In their first match in Rosario, they beat Mexico 3-1 in a devastating display of counter-attacking football that their opponents, it was clear, were wholly unprepared for. It was the first ever victory by an African or Arab team at a World Cup.
And they had a new superstar in Tarak Dhiab, whose outstanding performances saw Tunisia unexpectedly draw with reigning champions West Germany before a narrow, heartbreaking defeat to a strong Poland team meant they exited the competition in the group stages. Still, theirs was a pioneering campaign, proving for the first time that African and Arab teams could compete at that level. Four years later, Algeria would follow in their footsteps with a famous 2-1 win over West Germany before the disgrace of Gijon — when West Germany and Austria seemingly conspired to eliminate the north Africans with a 1-0 scoreline — put an end to their dreams.
Subsequent Tunisian qualifications, however, have not reached those heights. In 1998 in France, Tunisia lost 2-0 to England and 1-0 to Colombia before drawing 1-1 with Romania.
Four years later, under the Tunisian Ammar Souayah, they mirrored their results in France, losing twice to Russia and Japan by 2-0, and drawing 1-1 with Belgium.
Under Roger Lemerre, Tunisia experienced a renaissance, winning the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations at home. His team then qualified for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, matching the previous record held by Saudi Arabia, who themselves reached their fourth tournament in a row.
In Germany, yet again, Tunisia managed only one point; losing 3-1 to Spain, 1-0 to the Ukraine, and drawing 2-2 with Saudi Arabia thanks to an injury time equalizer by Radhi Jaidi.
After the heroics of Argentina, it is fair to say Tunisia’s World Cup performances have been a major disappointment. In Russia, it is those heroes of 1978 that Tunisia will be looking to emulate, and Maaloul will already be plotting an escape route from what was always going to be a difficult group.
Belgium and England, regardless of their proximity in world ranking to Tunisia, are firm favorites to qualify to the knockout stages.
Tunisia kick off their World Cup campaign, as they did in 1998, against England, in Volgograd on June 18. Six days later they will face an even tougher task against in Belgium in Moscow.
While Tunisia cannot be discounted in either of those matches, it is perhaps a shame that they play Panama, a team they have a better chance of beating, in their last group fixture, by which point they could already be out of contention.
It is then vital that the Arab nation gets something out of their two earlier matches, and they will then have the added bonus of knowing how many goals may be required for progress into the last 16.
Tunisia suffered a major blow when a knee injury to Al-Duhail’s Youssef Msakni has almost certainly ruled him out of the World Cup.
However, with likes of Wahbi Khazri of Rennes, Taha Khenissi of Esperance, Mohamed Ben Amor of Al-Ahli, and a raft of players from across Europe and Tunisia, Maaloul will still feel confident his team can make a real impression in Russia, 40 years after their finest World Cup hour.
Whether they can surpass the Class of ‘78 remains to be seen.
Time for Tunisia to prove they are top 15 material
Time for Tunisia to prove they are top 15 material
- Tunisia up to No. 14 in latest FIFA world rankings
- Face tough task getting out of World Cup group in Russia
Whether ratings are good or not, Thunder-Pacers could be a series true basketball fans enjoy
- The ratings, especially at the start of the series, probably aren’t going to be good because the home markets are so small
- The social media tracking site Videocites says NBA content is getting consumed at a 64 percent higher clip than last season — 32 billion views and counting so far in these playoffs
OKLAHOMA CITY: It’s No. 25 Indiana vs. No. 47 Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.
That’s not their seeding. That’s their media market ranking. To some, that might matter. To others, it probably won’t — and probably shouldn’t — matter whatsoever.
A title matchup that starts Thursday night between the Pacers and Thunder — two young, fun teams that score a ton and are led by marketable stars in reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Oklahoma City and Olympic gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton for Indiana — is the type of series that real basketball fans clamor for. It has everything: star power, good coaching, All-Stars on both sides. And it adds to the NBA’s recent run of parity.
That’s the good news. Here’s the inevitable other side: The ratings, especially at the start of the series, probably aren’t going to be good because the home markets are so small. Those who like the NBA won’t be dissuaded by that. Those who don’t like the NBA will tout it as great failure.
“I think this finals is a great representation with the two teams that are in it,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “You know, they’re teams that play good, exciting styles of basketball. Players that have great individual stories, teams that have a great story collectively. And we’re proud to be a part of that.”
People are watching; they just may not be watching on television. The social media tracking site Videocites says NBA content is getting consumed at a 64 percent higher clip than last season — 32 billion views and counting so far in these playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander is the most viewed player, Haliburton is No. 3 and playoff clips of those two have about 1.5 billion views between them to this point.
That’s billion, with a B. And speaking of that, there are 76 billion reasons the NBA won’t be bothered by whatever the ratings are over the next couple of weeks.
The new media rights deals — an 11-year, $76 billion pact between the NBA and broadcast partners Disney (ABC/ESPN), Peacock (NBC) and Amazon (Prime Video) that kicks in at the start of next season — show that clearly somebody is watching NBA games or consuming NBA content. The days of straight relying on Nielsen ratings seem to be long gone, with more and more people ditching cable for streaming and more and more young fans just watching everything on their phones and often in condensed versions.
If the ratings tank for Pacers-Thunder, those deals are still worth $76 billion. The ad buys for these playoffs have long been paid for. So, the numbers for this series are largely irrelevant to the NBA’s bottom line.
Haliburton was asked Tuesday what fans who watch will see if they tune in to these finals.
“I think (they’ll see) two high-level teams that play an elite style of basketball, who share the ball really well, a lot of different people that can chip in,” Haliburton said. “I think that’s the exciting part about this. I don’t want to say it’s like a passing of the torch because the old heads are still here. They’re still playing very, very well. But definitely to see two young teams, two young organizations, fighting to win a championship, I think is a very big deal.”
Late in the regular season, as numbers were bouncing back from a slow start to the season, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league’s ratings were down about 2 percent from a year ago.
“But in this environment, where particularly when you’re largely featured in legacy media and particularly cable, and no question cable subscriptions are going down, that seems like a victory,” Silver said.
In short, nobody at the league office is panicking about ratings, especially right now. Whichever team wins will be the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, and without question the Thunder and Pacers will be featured in more national broadcasts next season than they were this season and their ratings will be higher — as proven by recent finals runs by Milwaukee, Denver and Dallas. Go ahead and expect Indy and OKC in the Christmas Day package next season as well; neither team was among the 10 picked for that this season, which was probably a mild disappointment for the Pacers and was a huge disappointment for the Thunder.
“I’d love to play on Christmas Day,” Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this season. “And I think we’re that caliber of team. The NBA makes their decisions. Can’t slight them for it. Ball’s in our court to prove to them why we deserve to be in that game.”
It can easily be argued that both teams did it right: didn’t overspend, didn’t go into the luxury tax — it’s the first finals between two non-taxpayer teams in about two decades — and tried to build around young stars.
And the Thunder and Pacers were teams that combined to win 49 games just three seasons ago; their success now has to be a reason for hope for teams like Utah, Washington, Portland, Charlotte and others that have been sputtering. Turnarounds can happen, and they can be rewarded. Some people will watch, some won’t, but true fans probably are expecting a pretty good series.
“I think that’s exciting,” Haliburton said, “for any basketball fan.”
Spain into last four of Women’s Nations League after 2-1 win over England
- The win moved Spain to 15 points from six games, five ahead of England.
- Sweden raced out to a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes against Scandinavian neighbors Denmark, eventually winning 6-1 to book the remaining spot in the Nations League semifinals
BARCELONA: Spain’s Claudia Pina came off the bench and scored twice as the reigning Nations League champions came back from a goal down to beat England 2-1 on Tuesday and claim victory in Group 3, booking their spot in the last four of this year’s competition.
With Germany and France having already secured victory in Groups 1 and 2 respectively and Euro 2025 only a month away, world champions Spain and European champions England met to decide their group in an intriguing clash of styles.
Spain piled the pressure on from kickoff, striker Esther Gonzalez forcing England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton into a superb one-handed reflex save early on, and the England defense struggled to deal with the slick passing and movement of the hosts.
However, Alessia Russo gave the visitors the lead against the run of play in the 22nd minute. With the Spaniards pleading for a free kick for what they saw as a foul on Salma Paralluelo, Keira Walsh played the ball in behind for Russo, and she scored with a well-taken finish.
Rocked by the goal, the hosts had plenty of possession but created little in the way of dangerous chances until Pina entered the fray in the 58th minute. She equalized less than two minutes later by flashing a shot across Hampton and into the net as England were punished for losing possession when trying to play out from the back.
With Euro 2025 due to start in a month’s time, the 23-year-old Pina staked her claim for a starting spot by getting the winner 10 minutes later, curling home a brilliant dipping effort that left Hampton helpless. The win moved Spain to 15 points from six games, five ahead of England.
England captain Leah Williamson was disappointed with the result and noted that there was work for her side to do ahead of the Euros.
“We didn’t have any real threat. Under that much pressure against the top sides, that’s what happens. We just have to be better on the ball and find solutions quicker. A great lesson,” she said.
“We know what we are capable of. The game changes constantly, we have to adapt a bit quicker. We have time to build and time to push ourselves before the start of the tournament.”
In the evening’s other decisive game, Sweden raced out to a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes against Scandinavian neighbors Denmark, eventually winning 6-1 to book the remaining spot in the Nations League semifinals by winning Group 4 with 12 points, two ahead Italy, who thrashed bottom side Wales 4-0.
‘Rested’ Pacquiao relishing boxing comeback at 46
- Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, told reporters on Tuesday
LOS ANGELES, United States: Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday shrugged off concerns about his decision to return to boxing at the age of 46 as he prepares for next month’s world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios.
The charismatic Filipino boxing icon stunned the sports world last month after announcing he would take on World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas, four years after his last fight ended in a disappointing defeat.
Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, told reporters on Tuesday that the glamor of championship boxing had prompted his return.
“I’m returning because I miss my boxing,” Pacquiao said at a press conference in Los Angeles. “Especially these situations — being interviewed, press conference, training camp, everything like that.
“I missed that. But it has been good for me — I’ve rested my body for four years. And now I come back.”
Pacquiao said that he had been left devastated following his decision to retire in the wake of his loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
“I always thought, even when I hung up my gloves, ‘I can still fight, I can still feel my body, I can still work hard,’” Pacquiao said.
“That moment when I announced hanging up my gloves four years ago — I was so sad. I was crying, I cannot stop the tears coming out my eyes.”
Pacquiao, though, revealed that working out at his home in the Philippines persuaded him he still had the fitness and strength to fight.
“I realized when I’m playing basketball, training at the gym my house — I have complete sport facilities in my house — that I still have that passion. I still have that speed and power,” he said.
Some in boxing have expressed concerns about whether Pacquiao’s comeback against Barrios, who is 16 years his junior, represents a risk to the Filipino’s safety.
Addressing those concerns, Pacquiao noted that his family and loved ones were firmly behind his comeback.
“I’m thankful for them for their concern,” Pacquiao told AFP. “But the people who really concern me, is my family. My family saw how I move, saw how I train, saw my my body condition. They support me because they can see the old Pacquiao style.”
Pacquiao, who has reunited with veteran trainer Freddie Roach for next month’s fight, is able to challenge immediately for a title due to a WBC rule that allows former champions to request a title fight when coming out of retirement.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman told AFP on Tuesday that Pacquiao had been cleared to return to the ring by the Nevada Athletic Commission after undergoing medical exams, describing the fighter’s comeback as “low risk.”
“Manny Pacquiao is at no higher risk than any fighter going into the ring,” Sulaiman said. “Manny has rested his body for four years. He’s not a drinker. He’s not a drug user. He’s a family man that has taken care of himself. So of the different aspects of dangers, he’s at the lowest risk.”
Pacquiao’s opponent, Barrios, said he would set aside the Filipino’s status as one of the most beloved fighters of his era.
“There’s nothing but good things to say about him outside the ring,” Barrios said of Pacquiao. “He’s a hard guy to dislike. But at the end of the day, you know it’s kill or be killed.
“And I know if at any point he has me hurt, you know he’s going to get me out of there. So I just have to go in there and make sure that my hand is raised at the end of the fight.”
Man United captain Bruno Fernandes rejects $135m Al-Hilal transfer deal, UK media reports
- BBC Sport says the Portuguese midfielder spent several days ‘seriously’ considering the deal but turned it down for ‘family and personal’ reasons
- No official word, before or after the stories appeared on Tuesday, from Al-Hilal about any approach to the player
BEIRUT: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes reportedly turned down a lucrative offer to sign for Saudi Pro League powerhouses Al-Hilal, for “family and personal” reasons.
Though there had been no official word from Al-Hilal about any approach to the player, several British media outlets reported on Tuesday that the 30-year-old rejected a massive deal said to be worth £80 million-£100 million ($108 million-$135 million).
BBC Sport said the Portuguese midfielder spent the past few days “seriously” considering an offer that would have more than doubled what he earns at Old Trafford, where he is already one of the top earners. Having discussed the deal with his family, however, Fernandes told the Saudi club he would not be joining them.
Portugal were preparing on Tuesday for their Nation League semifinal against Germany on Wednesday, and with Fernandes expected to participate in the prematch press conference in Munich, it was thought the question of Al-Hilal’s interest in him might be raised.
Man United were said to be thrilled and relieved by his decision to stay with the club. Head coach Ruben Amorim had said last week that he believed his captain would remain at Old Trafford for the forseeable future.
According to the British media reports, there was no direct communication between the two clubs, so United were never presented with any official offer from Al-Hilal that they could turn down. However, the stories suggested the Saudi side were willing to offer Fernandes up to £100 million to sign in time for the FIFA Club World Cup, while will take place in the US between June 14 and July 13.
The Mirror newspaper quoted former United star Rio Ferdinand as saying he was delighted that Fernandes decided to remain in England.
“I’ve got to be honest (it’s) the biggest news for me today,” Ferdinand reportedly said on his podcast.
Sky Sports said that Al-Hilal offered Fernandes £100 million to join and were willing to almost treble his £250,000-a-week wages, and his decision to turn them down was thought to be both a football and personal one.
It was also reported that the player’s agent, Miguel Pinho, had visited Riyadh for talks with senior Al-Hilal executives but this could not be independently confirmed.
Talksport.com said Fernandes rejected an “eye-watering” £700,000-a-week move after discussing it with his family and coach.
Former United right-back Gary Neville told Sky Sports the transfer would not have been a bad deal, financially, for the Old Trafford club but added: “He’s so important. The fact that he wants to stay, the fact that he wants to go through this and come out the other side — because it would have been easy for him at the end of this season to say, ‘Look, I’m done here’ — will endear him towards Manchester United fans even more.”
Al-Hilal often shares important news through the club’s account on social media platform X but there had been no mention of any potential offer to Fernandes.
Green Falcons finalize preparations for Bahrain World Cup qualifier
- The squad is scheduled to hold its final training session on Wednesday at Bahrain National Stadium
DHAHRAN: The Saudi Arabian national football team concluded a key training session on Tuesday evening as preparations intensify for their upcoming AFC World Cup qualifier against Bahrain.
Their crucial qualifier will kick off this Thursday as part of the ninth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Under the guidance of head coach Herve Renard, the Green Falcons trained at Ettifaq Club Stadium in Dammam, with the session featuring warm-ups, passing drills, tactical exercises, and a full-pitch training match between two squads.
The team left for Bahrain after the session.
On the injury front, players Muhannad Al-Saad and Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti continued their respective rehabilitation programs under the supervision of the national team’s medical staff.
The squad is scheduled to hold its final training session on Wednesday at Bahrain National Stadium, with the first 15 minutes open to media coverage.
