DOHA: These really are pinch-yourself times for Morocco: A first-ever spot in the quarterfinals of a World Cup — the first to take place in the Arab world, no less — and now a meeting with Portugal and their superstar striker, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Well, maybe.
Because Ronaldo has again managed to steal the spotlight in his inimitable way, even bumping Morocco’s historic run to the last eight off the top of the agenda before Saturday’s narrative-laden match.
Will he start, or won’t he? That’s the big question being asked about Ronaldo after he was dropped by Portugal coach Fernando Santos for the 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Not only was the five-time world player of the year relegated to the bench, his replacement — 21-year-old Gonçalo Ramos — scored a hat trick to leave Santos with quite the selection dilemma against Morocco.
“I hope he won’t (play),” Morocco coach Walid Regragui said Friday of Ronaldo. “As a coach I know he’s one of the best players in history and so I’d be delighted if he didn’t play.”
The announcement of Portugal’s team about 90 minutes before the game at Al Thumama Stadium is keenly awaited as Ronaldo prepares to play in the quarterfinals of the World Cup for just the second time in his glittering career.
Santos declined to share selection thoughts Friday for what he said would be a different kind of game to the one against Switzerland, while noting that “90 percent of the questions” are about Ronaldo at Portugal’s pregame news conferences.
One inevitable question Santos faced was about reports in national media that Ronaldo threatened to leave the World Cup after being told he was benched. Not true, the coach said.
“He has never told me that he wanted to leave the national team,” Santos said through an interpreter. “Cristiano obviously wasn’t very happy about it. He told me ‘Do you really think it’s a good idea?’”
Portugal are at this stage for only the third time after 1966 and 2006, perhaps surprising given the talent to have come from the country down the years.
Four years ago, Portugal lost in the round of 16 to Uruguay, though a group-stage game against Morocco was “possibly the most difficult match” the team faced, Santos said Friday.
“We won 1-0 but we had to suffer a lot to win that match,” he said. “My players know that.”
As for Morocco, the nation is in uncharted territory after becoming only the fourth African country to reach the quarterfinals at soccer’s biggest tournament, after Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010). None of them reached the semifinals.
Morocco are also the only team from outside Europe or South America to make it to the last eight in Qatar.
The team’s penalty-shootout victory over Spain in the last 16 sparked wild celebrations not just among its many fans in Qatar and at home.
The excitement extended to the Moroccan diaspora of around 5 million people spread mostly around Europe, which has united behind the World Cup run of the team nicknamed the “Atlas Lions.”
Morocco fans poured into the streets of European cities to celebrate the team’s passage to the quarterfinals, which came after Morocco advanced from a group containing second-ranked Belgium and 2018 runner-up Croatia.
“We haven’t got carried away by the euphoria,” Regragui said. “We’ve just surprised a few people and surprised a few algorithms who expected Belgium to get through ... and expected Spain to get through. We are not satisfied with where we have come so far.”
Regragui, who was born in France, and 14 of the 26 players in the squad were born abroad — the highest proportion for any team at a World Cup being held in the Middle East for the first time in the tournament’s 92-year history.
The Arab world’s standard bearer, Morocco are in the quarterfinals on merit, too. The team have only conceded one goal — and that was an own-goal against Canada — and are proving so well-organized, with a sturdy back four headlined by Achraf Hakimi, a dedicated midfield anchored by Sofyan Amrabat, two mercurial wingers in Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal, and a striker in Youssef En-Nesyri, who occupies defenses with his relentless work rate.
Three key players might be struggling to be healthy enough to play against Portugal, though. Amrabat said he played with a back injury requiring painkilling injections in the match against Spain, during which captain Romain Saiss finished the game with his leg bandaged up after treatment, and fellow center back Nayef Aguerd hobbled off in tears with an apparent thigh injury.
“Yes, they are tired, yes, we have injuries. We are not going to hide it and we are not going to complain,” Regragui said. “We are here on a mission.”
Portugal doesn’t appear to have such problems, with Santos’ squad depth so impressive that he could afford to leave players like Ronaldo, João Cancelo and Rúben Neves on the bench against Switzerland after they started every group game.
Even if he is among the substitutes again, Ronaldo — playing in what is likely his last World Cup — is expected to see some time on the field. Given the drama constantly surrounding him, he’s sure to be a talking point whatever happens.
Ronaldo, Portugal look to end Morocco’s World Cup run
https://arab.news/vdv4p
Ronaldo, Portugal look to end Morocco’s World Cup run
- Ronaldo has again managed to steal the spotlight in his inimitable way
- Will he start, or won’t he? That’s the big question being asked about Ronaldo
UK politicians urge England to boycott cricket match against Afghanistan in Pakistan
- Over 160 politicians sign letter urging England stand against Taliban regime's restrictions on women's rights
- England are scheduled to play against Afghanistan in Pakistan's Lahore on Feb. 26 in a Champions Trophy clash
LONDON: England should refuse to play the Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan next month according to a letter signed by more than 160 U.K. politicians. The politicians want the England and Wales Cricket Board to take a stand against the Taliban regime’s assault on women's rights and boycott the men's one-day international against Afghanistan in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 26.
Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board in contravention of International Cricket Council rules.
Because Afghanistan’s men are still allowed to compete by the ICC, a strongly worded letter has emerged from the U.K. parliament pleading for the ECB to make its own moral objection.
Penned by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and signed by a cross-party group from the House of Commons and House of Lords including Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn, it raises the “insidious dystopia” unfolding in Afghanistan.
The statement, addressed to ECB chief executive Richard Gould, concludes: "We strongly urge the England men's team players and officials to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
"We also urge the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan... to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated.
“We must stand against sex apartheid and we implore the ECB to deliver a firm message of solidarity and hope to Afghan women and girls that their suffering has not been overlooked.”
Gould issued a swift response, reaffirming ECB principles while suggesting it favoured a uniform approach from all member nations rather than acting alone.
“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” he said.
“The ICC constitution mandates that all member nations are committed to the growth and development of women's cricket. In line with this commitment, the ECB has maintained its position of not scheduling any bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan.
“A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members.
“We understand the concerns raised by those who believe that a boycott of men’s cricket could inadvertently support the Taliban’s efforts to suppress freedoms and isolate Afghan society.
It’s crucial to recognize the importance of cricket as a source of hope and positivity for many Afghans, including those displaced from the country.”
At the 2003 Cricket World Cup, England forfeited a game against Zimbabwe in protest at Robert Mugabe's regime.
Forest tame Wolves to maintain unlikely Premier League title challenge
- Forest remain third in the table but move level on points with Arsenal
WOLVERHAMPTON, United Kingdom: Nottingham Forest’s stunning season continued with a 3-0 victory at Wolves on Monday to give manager Nuno Espirito Santo a winning return to Molineux.
England international Morgan Gibbs-White and the in-form Chris Wood struck before half-time to take Forest to within six points of leaders Liverpool, who they host in their next Premier League game.
Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi rounded off the scoring and a sixth consecutive win for Forest in stoppage time.
Defeat leaves Wolves outside the relegation zone only thanks to goal difference as they suffered a first defeat under new boss Vitor Pereira.
Forest remain third in the table but move level on points with Arsenal.
Even if a shock title challenge proves beyond Espirito Santo’s men, they are building up an impressive cushion in the race for Champions League football next season.
They are five points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle and six in front of struggling champions Manchester City in sixth.
A top-four finish would guarantee a return to the continent’s elite competition for the first time in 45 years for the two-time European champions.
However, fifth could also be good enough depending on how English club fare in European competition this season.
“We need to stay humble. We haven’t achieved anything yet, we need to work until the end and this can lead us to good moments,” said Espirito Santo.
Gibbs-White savoured his return to the club where he spent the early part of his career.
In front of the watching new England manager Thomas Tuchel, the midfielder did his case for further international recognition no harm with a cool finish from Antony Elanga’s pass.
Forest’s unexpected rise from battling relegation until the final day of last season into Champions League contenders has been build on a solid defense and Wood’s purple patch.
The New Zealand international turned in Callum Hudson-Odoi’s low cross for his 12th goal of the season to double the visitors’ lead just before half-time.
Wolves pressed and probed for a way back into the game after the break but were toothless in the absence of talisman Matheus Cunha through suspension.
Mats Sels was forced into one brilliant save to deny Jorgen Strand Larsen to preserve a ninth clean sheet of the season and fourth in a row.
That solidity is familiar to Wolves fans from Espirito Santo’s time in charge of their club between 2017 and 2021.
The Portuguese coach led Wanderers from the Championship into Europe for the first time in 39 years.
Now after troubled spells at Tottenham and Saudi club Al-Ittihad, he is recreating that magic to leave Forest fans in dreamland.
“As coaching staff we have this natural ambition of improving the players, this is what we are obsessed with,” he added.
“If we improve the players then the team will improve and if the team improves then the club will improve and the city will be happy.”
WWE Royal Rumble coming to Saudi Arabia in 2026
- The event in Riyadh next January will be the first time it has taken place outside North America
- It is being organized in partnership with Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority as part of Riyadh Season
RIYADH: Royal Rumble is coming Saudi Arabia early next year, when the WWE’s flagship annual show will make its first appearance outside North America.
The 39th Royal Rumble will be hosted by the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in January 2026, organizers announced on Monday. It will be staged in partnership with the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, as part of the annual cultural and sports program known as Riyadh Season.
Turki Alalshikh, the authority’s chairperson, said: “Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Royal Rumble for the first time outside North America reflects the General Entertainment Authority’s ongoing commitment to bringing the world’s largest and most important entertainment events to the Kingdom.
“Through this partnership with WWE, we aim to enhance the entertainment sector and deliver a transformative experience that attracts a wide audience.”
The announcement came during the debut episode of Monday Night RAW on Netflix, broadcast from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Royal Rumble is an annual WWE Premium Live Event that includes both men’s and women’s bouts, with fighters battling to eliminate all their opponents and secure a shot at the championship at WrestleMania.
Nick Khan, WWE’s president, said: “WWE is a global enterprise and it only made sense to expand our relationship with the Kingdom by bringing one of our biggest annual events to Riyadh in January of 2026.”
Leao, Pulisic and Abraham inspire AC Milan comeback in 3-2 win over Inter in Italian Super Cup final
Leao, Pulisic and Abraham inspire AC Milan comeback in 3-2 win over Inter in Italian Super Cup final
- It was the fifth time in the last seven years that the competition was played in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: It took exactly one week on the job for Sergio Conceicao to earn his first trophy as AC Milan’s coach — with two comeback wins no less.
Milan came back from two goals down to beat city rivals Inter Milan 3-2 and win the Italian Super Cup on Monday.
Rafael Leao came off the bench and played a part in all three of Milan’s goals from Theo Hernandez, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham.
Conceicao was hired to replace the fired Paulo Fonseca last Monday and also led the Rossoneri to a comeback win over Juventus in the semifinals.
This time, Lautaro Martinez and Mehdi Taremi put Inter ahead with goals on either side of halftime.
Leao then earned a foul that resulted in a free kick which Hernandez curled in around Inter’s wall.
Then Pulisic finished off a counterattack by shooting through Augusto’s legs on a play that began with Leao.
For the third goal, Leao provided a through ball for Pulisic, who crossed to Abraham, who tapped into an empty net in stoppage time.
It was the fifth time in the last seven years that the competition was played in Saudi Arabia, and the second year of an expanded four-team format.
A throw-in led to Inter’s opener as Taremi fed the ball inside the area to Lautaro, who cut back before shooting through Hernandez’s legs on Inter’s only real chance of the half.
Taremi, who was playing in place of the injured Marcus Thuram, finished off a counterattack right after the break.
Milan play their first Serie A match under Conceicao against Cagliari on Saturday. The Rossoneri are in eighth place but will return to league action with much more confidence.
Al-Rajhi, Sanders win 48-hour stages at Dakar Rally
- For this long stage, which started on Sunday, the competitors had to bivouac in the desert
BISHA, Saudi Arabia: Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi held on to his overnight lead to win the second stage of the Dakar 2025 rally on Monday, the fearsome “48-hour Chrono” while defending champion Carlos Sainz limped in 1h 30min behind.
The 43-year-old racing in his home country completed the 967km special stage, spread over two days, in 10h 56min 54sec, despite a 2min penalty for speeding.
He was followed by South African Henk Lategan at 4min 16sec with Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, who overtook Al-Rahji briefly to hold the lead for 142k, finishing third.
“It was really, really hard. I feel like this is our tenth day on the Dakar,” said Al Rajhi on his arrival at the bivouac of the rally, which began on Friday.
“The navigation was very, very difficult in some places, due to the divots and dust. You needed a rocket, not a car to pass through them. It wasn’t easy.”
For this long stage, which started on Sunday, the competitors had to bivouac in the desert and did not benefit from the assistance of their teams at the night stop.
Sainz seriously damaged his Ford Raptor when he rolled it on Sunday but managed to finish the stage although the Spaniard is now 26th in the standings.
Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, who is still looking for his first Dakar victory, was half an hour behind at the camp on Sunday evening, after a fan problem caused his engine to overheat.
But the Frenchman had a better Monday, making up much of the deficit to finish seventh, 13min 10sec behind the leader.
South African Lategan tops the provisional standings, 4min 45sec ahead of Al Rajhi with Al Attiyah in third. Loeb is sixth, 18min 56sec off the lead.
“We looked after the car for the stage because we knew it was really, really long,” said Lategan.
“If you don’t look after the car, it won’t look after you. It’s actually a big surprise to be first because we haven’t been really focusing on it. But I’m happy with that.”
Australian Daniel Sanders continues to dominate on the bikes, his victory in their “48-hour Chrono” making it three in a row after he also won the prologue and first stage.
It is the first time any rider has taken the first three stages since Spaniard Joan Barreda in 2017 between Bolivia and Argentina.
“It wasn’t too bad, pretty hard in the soft dunes, it was very tough for a lot of us,” said Sanders.
“When opening, you didn’t know if it was going to be a soft dune or a hard dune. It was pretty tough. The dust kind of ruined it a lot. Everyone was bunched up fighting in the dust for the opening bonuses. It was a bit tough on that side.”
Sanders took victory on his KTM in a time of 11hr 12min 13sec, 6min 45sec ahead of Frenchman Adrien van Beveren (Honda) with American Skyler Howes (Honda) in third.
Sanders, who is aiming to become the second Australian to win the Dakar on a bike after Toby Price, holds a 12min 36sec lead over Howes in the provisional overall standings.
Botswana’s Ross Branch (Hero) lies third, 4sec behind the American.
