MADRID: The format may be new, but few would bet against the winner staying the same.
As if record 15-time winners Real Madrid’s Champions League prospects were not great enough already, superstar striker Kylian Mbappe’s arrival makes Los Blancos the most daunting team in the competition.
German side Stuttgart have the honors of facing the reigning kings of Europe in the opening week of the competition, traveling to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund in last season’s Wembley final to claim the trophy for the sixth time in the last 11 years.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti, the most decorated manager in the history of the tournament with five triumphs, has not yet found the perfect set-up to get Mbappe firing from open play, but few doubt he will.
The 25-year-old had arguably his best game for the club in the 2-0 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday in La Liga, threatening the Basque side with his pace and connecting well with Vinicius Junior in attack.
Mbappe scored, albeit from the penalty spot, and he is looking forward to his Champions League debut in Madrid’s resplendent white.
“It will be very important for me — as I said on the first day, I came to Madrid to live these type of nights,” explained the striker.
“I am very focused on what we have to do, the Champions League has changed a lot, it’s a new competition, and we have to win to start well.”
The new-look structure has thrown up ties for Madrid at home against Dortmund, in a rematch of last season’s showpiece, and away at Liverpool, whom they defeated in the 2022 final.
First come Stuttgart, continuing a streak of German opponents for Los Blancos, after they faced Bayern Munich in the semis before Dortmund in London.
Los Blancos have played one European game already this season, defeating Atalanta to win the UEFA Super Cup in August, with Mbappe scoring on his debut.
Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger came through Stuttgart’s youth system and played in the first team for four seasons.
Ancelotti has problems in midfield with Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni out injured, although the Italian was hopeful the latter two could take part against the Germans.
While Madrid’s shiny new toy Mbappe is drawing much of the attention, Ancelotti has plenty of stars at his disposal with the talent to turn defeats into draws and draws into victories, something of a penchant for the club, particularly under the lights in Europe.
Bellingham was Madrid’s key player for the first half of last season, making an immediate impact on his arrival from Dortmund.
Brazilian forward Vinicius was vital in the home straight, netting a brace in the semis against Bayern and scoring again in the final.
The forward has struggled to find his best level at the start of the season but his coach will show plenty of patience.
“We love him here because although right now he’s not at his best, nobody can forget that with Vini we have won two Champions Leagues,” pointed out Ancelotti last week.
Mbappe says he is working on his on-pitch relationship with Vinicius, with both netting penalties in the win over La Real.
“We try to find each other in training to create the connection and help the team,” continued Mbappe.
“He’s a great player and I’m happy to play with him in Real Madrid — what’s important is goals, not who takes the penalties.”
Mbappe has three La Liga goals from four games this season, including two penalties, while Vinicius has two, both from the spot.
Once the two forward are firing on all cylinders in open play Madrid’s already sizeable chance of winning the Champions League yet again will grow further still.
Mbappe bolstering holders Madrid’s Champions League ambitions
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Mbappe bolstering holders Madrid’s Champions League ambitions
Bento’s UAE enjoy dream international week to reignite World Cup hopes
- Emirati team raises possibility of a return to the game’s biggest stage for the first since 1990
DUBAI: Not even the UAE’s Golden Generation enjoyed a night quite like this.
Tuesday’s rampant 5-0 thrashing of Qatar turbo-boosted hopes of making a hallowed World Cup return for the first time since 1990 and emphatically earned redemption for a series of humbling results inflicted by their Gulf neighbour.
Such was the heightened feeling of bonhomie throughout the Emirates that a post-match McDonald’s visit by four-goal Fabio De Lima was interrupted by a grateful Al-Nasr supporter telling the star of Dubai rivals Al-Wasl: “Today, I love you.”
At times of great joy, a sense of perspective is hard to find.
Especially when celebrations follow a thumping of the double Asian Cup holders to earn one of the great occasions in your country’s footballing history, bettering the contentious semi-final defeat on home soil by Qatar in 2019’s edition.
Added momentum comes from last week’s 3-0 Group A victory against Kyrgyzstan, inspired by Shabab Al-Ahli star Harib Abdalla.
Much has been accomplished by the third-placed Whites, who are now within touching distance of the automatic qualification spots, but much remains to achieve on this tricky path to World Cup 2026.
“In this moment, it is normal that some people are really happy and, sometimes, out of control,” said boss Paulo Bento at Al-Nahyan Stadium. “It is important that we keep calm and be humble.
“That is the most important for us. They (the players) know how we, as a technical staff, think.
“We faced a very good team (Qatar), with very good players. Well managed, that have very good principles.
“We tried to choose the best strategy to control their best features and, at the same time, explore their weaknesses. The responsibility for that was the guys.
“They accomplished the game plan in the best way. We know it was difficult to predict how Qatar could play.
“The guys adapted themselves in the right way. To reach a result like this, it is important to be fair.
“In Uzbekistan, we had chances to score, but at the end, we were not effective. Today, we were really effective.
“All of this allowed us to reach this kind of result. But, in football, it is normal that the good ones are the guys that win and the bad ones are the guys that lose.
“Things are not like that. It was because we respect them (Qatar) that we won the game.”
The UAE’s second-ever entry into the world’s most important football event appeared to be slipping away after October’s disheartening 1-1 home draw with bottom-placed North Korea and 1-0 defeat against 10 men in Uzbekistan.
This once-perilous situation has changed for the better during a crunch November that has returned them to contention.
It also shifts the narrative around a UAE side typically viewed as talented, but unable to consistently deliver in clutch moments.
No one questioned the peerless ability of AFC Players of the Year Omar Abdulrahman and Ahmed Khalil, ruthless 2015 Asian Cup top scorer Ali Mabkhout and much of the preceding Golden Generation.
They even gained silverware at the 2013 Arabian Gulf Cup and represented their country with distinction at the London 2012 Olympics.
This cherished cohort did not, truthfully, come close to making World Cup 2014 or 2018. False dawns included memorable qualifying wins against Japan and Saudi Arabia, eventually rendered worthless by dropped points versus also-rans.
Neither could the emergent squad that followed for 2022’s cycle. They narrowly fell to Asian heavyweights Australia in the fourth round, without the injured De Lima.
The confines are still punishingly tight for 2026. Bento, his players and the UAE en masse, however, now hold tangible reasons to believe.
They are the third round’s joint-second top scorers with 12 goals — only an omnipotent Japan have more with 22. Their four goals conceded is bettered only by the Japanese (two) and Iraq (three).
Clubmates Yahya Al-Ghassani and Abdalla were at their freewheeling best this month. A centre-back pairing of Al-Jazira’s graceful Khalifa Al-Hammadi and Al-Ain’s redoubtable Kouame Autonne competes with anything on the continent.
Enviable strength in depth was provided by Fleetwood Town utility man Mackenzie Hunt, Wasl’s Tahnoon Al-Zaabi and veteran striker Caio Canedo.
Words can scarcely do justice to De Lima, his adopted country’s first “super hat-trick” scorer in World Cup qualifying. Three of these came before half-time, including a sumptuous free kick.
Further encouragement is provided by possible debut call-ups for more naturalised players when qualifying resumes with avisit to World Cup regulars Iran on March 20, 2025. These could include prolific Sharjah forward Caio Lucas, plus Al-Wahda’s promising defenders Lucas Pimenta and Alaeddine Zouhir.
A quartet of charged fixtures remain to bridge a three-point gap to second-placed Uzbekistan and their section’s final automatic spot, with leaders Iran a further three points ahead. The penultimate clash with the Uzbeks on June 5, 2025 looms large.
Qatar are only three points further behind. Their ambitions of gate-crashing the top two are not extinguished, despite the UAE’s pair of redeeming third-round wins against them.
Fail to make the most of this month’s 100 percent haul and the fourth-round lottery awaits. Even more jeopardy would follow for the UAE in the fifth round/inter-confederation play-offs.
Bento’s measured approach has patiently put his charges in a position to secure direct entry. A shot at legendary status is theirs to grasp.
Olympia in Greece to host International Camel Racing Federation General Assembly
- The choice of Olympia as the venue underscores the federation’s drive to honor and advance camel racing
- Four-day event will celebrate the sport’s roots and outline a roadmap for the future
ATHENS: The International Camel Racing Federation’s 4th General Assembly, which takes place in Olympia, Greece on Nov. 23-26, will discuss the federation’s strategic roadmap for the coming years and initiatives to expand camel racing on a global scale.
The gathering will bring together representatives from national camel racing federations and international organizations, emphasizing the growing global prominence of camel racing as a sport and a cultural tradition, according to a media statement on Wednesday.
The choice of Olympia as the venue underscores the federation’s dedication to honoring and advancing the rich legacy of camel racing. The four-day event will blend a celebration of the sport’s ancient roots with a forward-looking approach to its global development.
The assembly will also unveil new projects and development programs aimed at enhancing the sport, alongside interactive workshops and dialogue sessions focused on incorporating cutting-edge technology and innovative practices to meet international standards for organizing races.
This year’s assembly coincides with the UN’s declaration of 2024 as the International Year of Camelids, highlighting the vital role camels play in food security, economic development and the livelihoods of millions worldwide. The designation also celebrates the cultural and social significance of camels in diverse communities around the globe.
The assembly promises to be a landmark event for the camel racing community, fostering international collaboration and charting a path toward a vibrant future for this historic sport.
India withdraws from Pakistan-hosted T20 Blind World Cup after failing to secure clearance— ESPNcricinfo
- Pakistan is scheduled to host T20 Blind Cricket World Cup from Nov. 22-Dec. 3
- Political tensions have limited cultural exchanges and sports contests between both sides
ISLAMABAD: The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced on Wednesday that its blind cricket team was withdrawing from the upcoming T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan, citing its failure to secure clearance from New Delhi to travel to the neighboring country, sports website ESPNcricinfo reported.
The T20 Blind Cricket World Cup was scheduled to be held in Pakistan from Nov. 22 — Dec. 3. Political tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have restricted cultural exchanges and bilateral sports events between the two nations.
Both countries have fought three wars, two of them over the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.
“While this is a significant setback for the team, CABI fully respects the government’s concerns and the decision for the same,” the board said in a statement, as per ESPNcricinfo. “The team had been training rigorously and was eager to compete. However, we prioritize the government’s guidance and remain steadfast in our commitment to the continued development of Blind Cricket in India.”
Durga Rao Tompaki, the captain of the Indian men’s cricket team for the blind, said the decision was “disheartening” for his team.
“However, we know that the next World Cup is just around the corner, and we remain committed to our training and preparation,” Tompaki said.
India’s decision takes place 100 days ahead of the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is also set to be held in Pakistan in February/March next year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the ICC this month that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
The ICC informed the PCB following which Pakistan demanded an explanation. Pakistan has repeatedly insisted it will not agree for the tournament to be shifted to another country and has insisted India travel to the country for the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all of India’s games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid hosting model for the tournament. Several months later Pakistan traveled to India for the 50-over World Cup.
Political tensions between the countries have led to the India team avoiding travel to Pakistan since 2008 and the two have tended to only compete together in multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups. Pakistan also traveled to India in 2012 for a bilateral ODI series.
6 things we learned from the latest 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers
- We are bringing you instead of the usual five things we learned from a breathless eight hours or so of action across Asia, we are bringing you five
Tuesday saw a fitting end to this year’s 2026 World Cup qualification matches. It had everything — so much so, we are bringing you that instead of the usual five things we learned from a breathless eight hours or so of action across Asia, we are bringing you five.
No “new manager bounce” and no complaints for Saudi Arabia
Indonesia’s 2-0 win over the Green Falcons — their first — came as no big surprise, given the 1-1 draw in Jeddah back in September. But the fact this was a deserved victory for the hosts was worrying.
When Herve Renard was brought back last month, it was hoped he’d bring with him some of the old magic from the 2022 tournament qualifiers. But it there was a sign of it in last week’s 0-0 draw in Australia, there was none in Jakarta.
Indonesia hit the post in the opening minute and seemed more energetic, more determined and more prepared for the following 90 or so. There were queries about a few refereeing decisions, but that is not why Indonesia won. They were the better team.
No Al-Dawsari — no creativity, no goals
The defeat means there have been three goals scored in six games, two from the head of Hassan Kadesh in China. There have been none in the last four and little threat of any.
The injury to Salem Al-Dawsari, whose status as the country’s best player is reinforced in his absence, was felt deeply. There was nobody to get their foot on the ball, nobody able to run at the defense and nobody who could find that killer pass. There were far too many aimless crosses into the area.
Saudi Arabia perhaps underestimated Indonesia, who were much improved and had a clear game plan.
Luck still on the Saudi side
At this stage in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Saudi Arabia had 16 points. They currently have six. Last time, there was a sense they were on the march to Qatar. That’s not the case now. Such results four years ago would have meant that famous win against Argentina never happened.
But it is not over by a long shot. The bright spot is that with Japan running away with one of the top two automatic qualification places, no other team is managing to win much either.
Renard will have been relieved Australia did not taste victory in Bahrain to go three points clear in second; their 2-2 draw means the Socceroos have seven points and the rest — Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China and Bahrain — are all on six.
The group could not be tighter and, while exciting for the neutral, Saudi Arabian fans will be expecting an improvement in 2025.
Bahrain in late drama again
In a dramatic encounter, Bahrain drew 2-2 with Australia. It is hard to say how the two teams will feel about the result but, for the third time in four home games, there was huge excitement late on. The Reds left it until deep into injury time to get a point against Indonesia in October, and had a late goal disallowed against China only to lose in added time.
This was even more exciting. When Kusini Yengi put Australia ahead in the opening minute, it looked as if the Socceroos would get revenge for their home defeat in September. But then came two goals in three second-half minutes from Mahdi Abduljabbar, putting Bahrain on the brink of a famous victory and into second place in the group. However, Yengi struck again, 95 minutes after his first. The spoils were shared and a tight group got tighter still.
Five-star UAE dash Qatar’s automatic dreams
Two teams with seven points apiece met in Abu Dhabi. Both expected a tight encounter but it proved anything but — the UAE thrashed Qatar, the Asian champions, 5-0. It was a stunning victory and a stunning performance from Fabio Lima, who scored all but one against a hapless Qatari defense.
The signs were there, with 12 goals conceded from the first five games, but there were huge gaps for the hosts to enjoy themselves just as they did with that 3-1 away win on the opening day.
With three away games to come for the UAE this was a must win, keeping them in the hunt for second, three points behind Uzbekistan who beat North Korea 1-0. Qatar are surely out of the running as they trail by six points with just four games remaining. If the 2022 World Cup hosts are going to qualify, they will have to do it the hard way.
Palestine frustrate the stars of Korea, Iraq moving smoothly
For the second time in two months, Palestine held the mighty South Korea to a draw. It was 0-0 in Seoul and 1-1 in Amman, and both results were a credit to their spirit, determination and skill.
Zaid Al Qunbar opened the scoring after 12 minutes, capitalizing on a mistake from Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae. Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min soon equalized, but that was that. This was not one-way traffic; Palestine, playing in front of a largely empty stadium, gave as good as they got and are just three points off fourth.
Iraq, meanwhile, picked up a 1-0 win in Oman to move two points clear of Jordan in third. It is the kind of quiet victory that takes teams to the World Cup. There is still work to do — but the same can be said of all but two or three teams out of the 18.
2025 will be unmissable.
Tatum stars as Celtics end Cavaliers unbeaten start with a 120-117 victory in NBA Cup
- Tatum admitted that ending Cleveland’s unbeaten record, which has left them sitting on top of the Eastern Conference, had motivated the Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 116-115
LOS ANGELES: Jayson Tatum scored 33 points as the Boston Celtics ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 15-game unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 120-117 victory in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.
The Celtics unleashed a barrage of 22 three-pointers to overwhelm Cleveland, who clawed their way back to within two points of the lead late in the game after trailing by 21 early in the second half.
But despite the Cleveland fightback, reigning NBA champions Boston held their nerve and kept the scoreboard ticking over to close out a deserved win.
Tatum’s 33 points included six three-pointers while the Boston star added 12 rebounds and seven assists in an all-round Celtics effort that saw six players finish in double figures.
Tatum said Boston’s championship pedigree had helped the Celtics over the line as Cleveland threatened late in the game.
“We’ve played a lot of basketball, we’ve played in the biggest games,” Tatum said. “NBA is a bunch of talented teams — guys are gonna make plays, they’re gonna make shots.
“I say it all the time — how you respond shows your growth and how special your team is.”
Tatum admitted that ending Cleveland’s unbeaten record, which has left them sitting on top of the Eastern Conference, had motivated the Celtics.
“They came in 15-0 feeling like they were the best team; we felt like we were the best team — it’s all competition. We were ready to play today,” Tatum said.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said his team had been caught off-guard by Boston’s superior intensity.
“The they had playoff force and physicality — we had regular season force and physicality,” Atkinson said. “That’s why we were down by whatever we were down. Second half we turned it up, but it was kind of too late. We’re just going to have to put it in the bank and make adjustments.”
Boston were quickly into their stride, rattling in five early three-pointers to sprint into an 18-8 in the opening minutes of the first quarter.
Cleveland rallied to reduce the deficit to 26-20 at the end of the first quarter, but the Celtics kept up the pressure in the second.
Tatum drained a superb three-pointer in the final seconds of the first half to give Boston a commanding 65-48 lead at the break.
The Celtics stretched into a 21-point lead early in the second half, but the Cavaliers clicked into gear and came roaring back to close the gap to two points at 88-86.
Tatum though had the last word, nailing an imperious three-pointer to give Boston a five-point lead heading into the final quarter.
A nip-and-tuck final period saw Cleveland repeatedly close to two points but Boston pulled clear in the final minutes to seal victory.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland’s scoring with 35 points while Evan Mobley added 22 with 11 rebounds and six assists.
In other early games on Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 116-115 thanks to a 34-point display from Cameron Johnson.
