WORLD CUP

Asia could confirm its first participants in the World Cup — along with host Qatar — on Thursday with Iran and South Korea both within reach of securing their places. Iran is on top of Group A with 16 points from six games with South Korea two points behind in the second of the two automatic qualification spots, eight ahead of United Arab Emirates (UAE) in third. Only the top two are guaranteed a place at the World Cup that kicks off in November.

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin leads the 17-member list for the U.S. Alpine skiing team nominated for the Beijing Winter Games.

Thousands of the world's best athletes are getting ready for the Beijing Winter Olympics. These top Americans should be on your list to watch.

A kickoff temperature of about 25 degrees is forecast for the United States’ World Cup qualifier against El Salvador at Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 27.

Many of the world's best athletes are preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics​ in February. These are some of the top ones to watch.

Natalie Geisenberger has made it official: She’s heading to the Beijing Games and seeking a third consecutive Olympic women’s luge gold medal.

Many of the world's best athletes are preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics​ in February. These are some of the top ones to watch.

Three-time Olympic ski jumping champion Kamil Stoch has an injured left leg that is knocking him out of World Cup competition this week in his native Poland.

Midfielder Gio Reyna and forward Tim Weah remain uncertain for the United States' next three World Cup qualifiers, which start Jan. 27 with a match against El Salvador at Columbus, Ohio. Reyna has not played in any matches since injuring his right hamstring during the opening qualifier at El Salvador on Sept. 2.

Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova won a women’s World Cup slalom as she denied first-run leader Wendy Holdener of Switzerland a first career win.

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin is the latest elite skier to test positive for COVID-19 with the Beijing Games less than six weeks away.

Swedish skier Sara Hector held on to her first-run lead and beat Mikaela Shiffrin in a women’s World Cup giant slalom.

Mikaela Shiffrin dominated the first of two midweek women’s World Cup giant slaloms.

There’s nothing easy about evolving from a top junior skier into a World Cup contender.

Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen moved up from seventh after the opening leg to win the Alta Badia giant slalom for his first victory in the discipline since raising the trophy on the same Gran Risa course two years ago.

Bryce Bennett added to a long list of American success in Val Gardena by winning the first classic downhill of the World Cup season.

Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova will stick to her reduced World Cup schedule this season.

It’s time to break out the merino base layers and the heat-exchange breathing masks

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway captured a World Cup downhill race with an aggressive run for his second win in as many days.

Kaillie Humphries is now, officially, an American.

The cast of Netflix thriller Money Heist attend a photocall in Madrid to promote the fifth and final season of the Spanish series.

Comedian, actor and businessman Kevin Hart made his dramatic series debut in the Netflix limited series thriller "True Story." He sat down with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King at his HartBeat Studios in Los Angeles and opened up about the meaning that he hopes his ambitions to be a billionaire by age 45 sends and how he used his street smarts to create a booming business.

A new COVID-19 variant of concern called Omicron is starting to spread around the world after being detected in South Africa last week. Also, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of recruiting and grooming young girls for Jeffrey Epstein, goes on trial Monday. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener.

Saudi Arabia has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to stage high-profile sporting events. Critics say those investments are an attempt by the kingdom to cover up human rights violations.

Mikaela Shiffrin marked the return of the women’s World Cup to North America by setting yet another record.

With the Alpine skiing World Cup returning to North America for the first time in two years, Mikaela Shiffrin can’t wait to race in front of a home crowd again.

Petra Vlhova has held on to her first-run lead to beat Mikaela Shiffrin and win the first World Cup slalom of the season.

Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha and video assistant Esteban Ostojich were suspended Wednesday after failing to give a red card to Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi during a World Cup qualifying match against Brazil. Otamendi hit Brazil forward Raphinha with his elbow in the 35th minute of Tuesday’s match in San Juan.

Tim Weah’s 11th-minute goal was matched by Michail Antonio’s spectacular 34-yard strike in the 22nd minute, leaving the United States with a 1-1 draw against Jamaica in a World Cup qualifier.

The United States will host a cricket World Cup for the first time after global events from 2024-31 were allocated on Tuesday. Pakistan will also stage a first major event in 29 years when it defends the Champions Trophy in 2025. India, cricket's financial driver, received the most global events; the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, the 2029 Champions Trophy, and the 2031 ODI World Cup with Bangladesh.

Italy is facing another detour to get to a World Cup final. The playoffs beckon for the Azzurri — just like four years ago — after stumbling to 0-0 at Northern Ireland on Monday, plunging the recently crowned European champion to a second-place finish behind Switzerland in their qualifying group. Switzerland leapfrogged Italy with a 4-0 win over Bulgaria.

Lionel Messi will play for Argentina when they face Brazil on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier missing Neymar because of left thigh pains. Messi, who has been bothered by a knee injury, will play in San Juan in a match that could earn the team a spot in next year’s World Cup, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Monday.

Brazil is already the first South American team to secure a direct spot in next year's World Cup. Second-place Argentina is nearly there, too. Anyone thinking Tuesday's qualifying match between the teams will not be decisive hasn't considered how much pride will be at stake in the region's superclasico.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin tells the AP she is not able to ski and prepare the way she would like to currently because of a hurt back.

Two Swiss skiers that do not want to be vaccinated against the coronavirus will miss the first men’s downhill race of World Cup ski season in Canada because the country requires international visitors to have two doses to enter.

Austrian skier Roland Leitinger surprised the pre-race favorites by posting the fastest time in the first run of the season-opening men’s World Cup giant slalom.

Mikaela Shiffrin has won the season-opening women’s World Cup giant slalom by beating world champion Lara Gut-Behrami in a close fight for her 70th career victory.

'Sir Roger' is the club's record league scorer and was part of England's 1966 World Cup-winning side.

Tim Weah scored on a shot that deflected off the goalkeeper in the 66th minute after Sergiño Dest started the comeback from a first-minute deficit, and the United States rallied to beat Costa Rica 2-1 to ease pressure as World Cup qualifying neared the halfway point.

A 1-0 loss to Panama again highlighted the United States' disadvantage on the road in Central America and put pressure on the Americans to win at home against Costa Rica on Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio.

The greatest among the great: These are some of the most incredible cricket matches that have remained etched on the embers of many sites

On Thursday, Hard Rock Stadium hosted Miami-area leaders and a FIFA delegation as part of the venue selection process for the 2026 World Cup.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening.

Christian Pulisic injured his left ankle in the United States' 4-1 World Cup qualifier win over Honduras, yet another setback for the 22-year-old Chelsea attacker. Pulisic was to take a charter flight with U.S. players to London after Wednesday night's game, and his ankle was to be evaluated by Chelsea. “Christian has a slight ankle injury,” American coach Gregg Berhalter said.

Forward Ricardo Pepi was given his U.S. national team debut as under-pressure coach Gregg Berhalter changed five starters for Wednesday night’s World Cup qualifier at Honduras.

Leader Brazil and second-place Argentina will return to action in World Cup qualifiers on Thursday as fallout from the chaos of their suspended game on Sunday continues. Just minutes into their match on Sunday, a Brazilian health official entered the pitch to remove four Argentina players he considered should be in quarantine due to COVID-19 protocols. FIFA has opened an investigation, and soccer bodies of both countries have questions to answer.

Anne Fish began as her son's manager and has just signed a professional gaming contract.

Players walked off the field dejected and nervous American fans are in an uproar.

The remade U.S. soccer team quickly got itself into trouble in World Cup qualifying, wasting Brenden Aaronson’s second-half goal when Cyle Larin scored to lift Canada into a 1-1 draw.

Midfielder Weston McKennie did not dress for Sunday night's World Cup qualifier against Canada after violating team COVID-19 rules. McKennie, who plays for Juventus, had started Thursday night's opening 0-0 draw at El Salvador and is among the top American players. “Unfortunately, I am suspended for tonight's match due to a violation of team COVID-19 protocols,” McKennie said in a statement he posted on Instagram.

Argentina walked off the field Sunday after only seven minutes of its World Cup qualifier against host Brazil after health officials came onto the pitch following coronavirus concerns about three Argentina players. Argentina tweeted that the game, which was at 0-0, would not resume. Antonio Barra Torres, the president of Brazil's health agency, said four Argentina players will be fined and deported for allegedly not following the country's COVID-19 protocols.

The COVID pandemic resulted in hundreds of thousands of Americans leaving urban centers for rural towns. Correspondent Mola Lenghi takes us on a journey into New York's Hudson Valley to see what's drawing people from the big city, and how the new arrivals are transforming the region.

Nine U.S. starters were set to make their World Cup qualifying debuts against El Salvador, matching the most since 1996.

Striker Robbie Robinson left Chile's national team hours before Thursday's World Cup qualifying match against Brazil after admitting he is unsure whether he wants to play for the United States instead. The Inter Miami player has dual nationality; his father is American and his mother is Chilean. Robinson did not show up for Chile's afternoon practice on Wednesday.

The last time the United States Men’s Soccer Team took the field for a World Cup qualifier, it produced one of the most humiliating moments in the program’s history.

U.S. star Christian Pulisic did not travel with the team to El Salvador on Wednesday and will miss the Americans' opening World Cup qualifier. Pulisic, the top American player, is recovering after testing positive for COVID-19. The 22-year-old missed Chelsea's 2-0 win at Arsenal on Aug. 22 and a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday.

Liverpool has refused to release Mohamed Salah for Egypt’s upcoming World Cup qualifying matches because of coronavirus restrictions, the country’s soccer association said Monday. Egypt is on Britain’s red list, so Salah would be required to quarantine upon his return from Cairo and miss two Premier League games. Egypt is scheduled to play Angola in Cairo on Sept. 1 before traveling to face Gabon four days later in Franceville.

Carli Lloyd has announced her retirement from soccer.

TOKYO — Renegade football player of Myanmar Pyae Lyan Aung will be granted asylum status by Japan, who refused to go back to Myanmar following the World Cup qualifier in Japan next week. The goalkeeper requested to stay in Japan at Kansai airport on June 16, when his team was scheduled to depart. I hope I will be granted refugee status,” said Aung. On Feb. 1, the Myanmar military overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long emergency, which was extended until August 2023. The measure also covers people from Myanmar seeking refugee status in Japan.

Gregg Popovich wrapped his arms around Australia's Patty Mills when it was over, and even the coach of the U.S. team was struck by how the losing team must have been feeling at the final buzzer. A medal was in Australia's hands. “I’m thrilled with the victory, obviously,” Popovich said.

Team USA scored big, rebounding after a disappointing loss to Sweden. The 6-1 win keeps alive the Americans' goal of becoming the first women's team to take Olympic gold after winning the World Cup.

A song written by Neil Diamond 52 years ago has become the England team's unofficial Euro 2020 song.

France is out of the European Championship and it was Kylian Mbappe that missed the penalty kick in the shootout.

"A World Cup is a grueling four-year process to get to that point," the soccer superstar tells NPR. Now she'll try to follow up the 2019 title with an Olympic gold medal.

With the Olympics right around the corner, the final rosters and teams are shaping up, and that includes the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.

The roster includes Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle — and Carli Lloyd, who turns 39 next month, will play in her fourth Games. Fans will expect the squad to repeat their World Cup greatness.

Qatar will require spectators at the 2022 World Cup to have received coronavirus vaccines to get into games, the government has announced. Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told Qatar newspaper editors that the Gulf nation is trying to secure a million vaccine doses to immunize fans wanting to watch the tournament. “When the date of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 comes, most countries of the world will have vaccinated and immunized their citizens," Sheikh Khaled was quoted as saying by state media on Sunday.

Rarely a day passes when some image, moment or song doesn’t remind skiing great Mikaela Shiffrin of her father.

Italy will play Turkey in the opening game of the European Championship on Friday.

South Korea resumed its World Cup qualifying campaign after 19 months with a 5-0 win over Turkmenistan on Saturday to move within sight of the third round. Bordeaux striker Hwang Ui-jo opened the scoring in Goyang after 10 minutes and Nam Tae-hee netted late in the first half to send the hosts on their way to 10 points from four games in Group H. Kim Young-gwon, Kwon Chang-hoon and a second from Hwang completed the comprehensive victory for South Korea, looking to qualify for a 10th successive World Cup.

The European Championship is the first major international soccer tournament to take place since the coronavirus outbreak and arrives at the end of the most condensed club season in history.

Jordan Siebatcheu scored his first international goal in the 89th minute, and the United States beat Honduras 1-0 to reach the final of the first CONCACAF Nations League.

China’s COVID-19 travel restrictions have forced World Cup qualifying matches scheduled for the eastern city of Suzhou to be relocated to the United Arab Emirates. The Chinese Football Association issued a statement Monday saying the outbreak of infections in the Maldives and Syria meant both national teams would have to undergo strict quarantine after arriving in China, and couldn’t play as scheduled. The Asian Football Confederation confirmed in a statement Tuesday that the qualifying matches would be moved from China to the UAE.

The final of Japan’s Top League club competition on Sunday will mark the end of one of world rugby’s most distinguished and influential recent playing careers. Japan winger Kenki Fukuoka will retire after the final between his Panasonic Wild Knights and Suntory Sungoliath, ending his playing career at its zenith to pursue a career as a doctor. Fukuoka retired from international 15-a-side rugby after the 2019 World Cup in Japan and hoped to end his career by representing his country in sevens at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Asian Football Confederation has announced North Korea has pulled out of qualification for the 2022 World Cup. “The (AFC) has today confirmed the withdrawal of the DPR Korea Football Association from the Asian Qualifiers,” the AFC said in a statement on Sunday. Pyongyang has not yet given an official reason for pulling out of next month’s qualifiers for the tournament, to be held in Qatar in November and December 2022, but South Korean media has reported that it is because of concerns over COVID-19.

MIAMI – Greater Miami is on a shortlist of cities still in the running to host World Cup matches in 2026 when the quadrennial soccer spectacle comes to the United States, Mexico and Canada. And Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says the final game of the international championship should be played in South Florida. AdThe World Cup was last held in the United States in 1994. AdSuarez was joined at Wednesday’s news conference at City Hall by Jorge Mas, owner of Inter Miami CF, and Christopher Corey, the City of Miami’s liaison for the World Cup bid, among others. “Miami is uniquely positioned to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and I am thrilled we are moving forward in the selection process,” she said in a recent statement.

LENZERHEIDE – Rising from sixth place after the first run in a World Cup slalom, Manuel Feller won the season-ending race on Sunday. First-run leader Marco Schwarz, who already took the season-long slalom title, lost speed in a difficult section of gates and dropped to sixth place. Alexis Pinturault placed third, 0.11 behind Feller, to end his season in style one day after winning a giant slalom to secure his first overall World Cup title. Pinturault was the first Frenchman to win the overall title for 24 years and an emotional weekend for the team saw Jean-Baptiste Grange race for the last time in the World Cup. The 36-year-old Grange retires with slalom gold medals from the 2011 and 2015 world championships.

New Zealand's Alice Robinson reacts after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, Sunday, March 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)LENZERHEIDE – An aggressive second run lifted teenager Alice Robinson ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin to win a giant slalom that ended the women’s World Cup ski season on Sunday. It was the 19-year-old New Zealander’s third win in giant slalom on the World Cup circuit. Marta Bassino, who already secured the season-long giant slalom title, trailed by 1.45 in seventh. One day after being crowned the overall World Cup champion, Petra Vlhova ended her tiring season with an 11th-place finish.

Vonlanthen also played for Switzerland at the 1962 World Cup in Chile and later coached the national team for two years. He was fired after the team failed to qualify for the 1980 European Championship.

(AP Photo/Michael Probst,File)BERLIN – Germany coach Joachim Löw will step down after this year's European Championship, bringing forward his previous plan to quit after the next World Cup. He took over after the 2006 World Cup and had been assistant coach to Jürgen Klinsmann for two years before that. “I’m taking this step very consciously, full of pride and with gratitude, but still with the same motivation for the upcoming European Championship,” Löw said. AdLöw led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title, its fourth overall, but he has been under pressure since a first-round exit at the last World Cup and subsequent lackluster performances. Germany has been drawn in a group with World Cup champion France, European champion Portugal and Hungary.

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, World Cup women's giant slalom in Jasna, Slovakia, Sunday, March 7, 2021. '”While Shiffrin acknowledged interruptions are a common part of the sport, she said the lengthy delay was not necessary this time. Vlhova finished 10th and 12th in the last two giant slaloms on the World Cup, and 12th at the world championships last month. Jasna is not a regular stop on the women’s World Cup circuit. The result gave Bassino a lead of 148 points over Worley with only the season-ending GS at the World Cup Finals in Switzerland remaining.

United States' Mikaela Shiffrin prepares at start point during the super G portion of the women's combined race, at the alpine ski World Championships, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)CORTINA D'AMPEZZO – CORTINA D'If Mikaela Shiffrin were a baseball player, her numbers would make her a post-season MVP. That’s a combined 14 for 18 at major championships — worlds and Olympics. And he said, ‘World championships there is one goal. “So in a way there’s less pressure at world champs than even World Cup races, because you’re not protecting something.

Petra Vlhova, the overall and slalom World Cup leader from Slovakia, was one second behind the Austrian for silver. After her triumph in Tuesday’s parallel event, Liensberger became a double world champion but has yet to win on the World Cup circuit. Shiffrin’s previous world title came in her record-breaking World Cup 2018-19 season, winning 17 races on the road to her third overall title. The dispute even led to Liensberger having to sit out the World Cup season opener in October 2019, but she re-signed with Rossignol the following month. Overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone and Shiffrin's teammate Paula Moltzan also skied out in the first run, while Americans Nina O’Brien and AJ Hurt didn’t finish their second runs.

Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr sprays sparkling wine on the podium as he celebrates after winning the men's downhill, at the alpine ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb.14, 2021. A feat previously achieved only by two legends of men’s Alpine skiing was matched by Austrian skier Kriechmayr at the world championships on Sunday. Kriechmayr added downhill gold to the super-G title he won three days ago to complete the so-called speed double. Fellow Austrian Maier had done the same in 1999, American standout Miller six years later. “Hermann Maier is an Austrian legend and Bode Miller is a legend, too.

The 2016 overall World Cup champion beat Swiss teammate Corinne Suter by 0.34 seconds, living up to her billing as the main favorite after winning the last four super-Gs on the World Cup circuit. Ad“It’s a disappointment not to win gold. Even when I made a mistake, I still felt good about my skiing,” Shiffrin said. Petra Vlhova, the overall World Cup leader from Slovakia, finished ninth, nearly two weeks after gaining her first career super-G podium. “The worst thing today was the silence,” said Brignone, who is the defending overall World Cup champion.

Two-time Olympic champion Ted Ligety says he will retire from World Cup ski racing after the world championships. 1 why Ligety plans to retire from the World Cup circuit, effective after the world championships currently underway in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. His storied career also includes five wins at world championships, 25 World Cup victories and five season-long World Cup giant slalom titles. His last World Cup race was Jan. 9 during a giant slalom event in Adelboden, Switzerland. “I don’t want to do races as a tourist.”Ligety’s earned his way onto a World Cup podium 52 times — spanning all disciplines.

Switzerland's Beat Feuz gets to the finish area after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Kitzbuehel, Austria, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. The Swiss skier won this weekend’s second men’s World Cup downhill on the Streif course Sunday, repeating his victory from two days earlier. No Swiss skier had won Austria's signature ski race since Didier Cuche earned the last of his five victories here in 2012. Feuz won the season-long downhill title the past three seasons. There will be one more World Cup downhill, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Feb. 6, before next month's world championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

KITZBÜHEL – KITZBÜTwo days after fracturing his neck in a downhill crash on the Streif course in Kitzbühel, Ryan Cochran-Siegle said Sunday he is aiming to return to ski racing before the end of the World Cup season in March. “I don’t know, we haven’t talked about a timeline yet,” said Cochran-Siegle, wearing a neck brace while attending Sunday's downhill on the same course. There is still more information to be gathered but, all in all, I think it’s OK,” Cochran-Siegle said. Cochran-Siegle sustained the minor neck fracture in a high-speed crash on the Streif, one of the most dangerous courses on the circuit. Already hoping for my third attempt at conquering this beast of a course next year!” Cochran-Siegle captioned video footage of the crash on his Instagram page.

Italy's Sofia Goggia celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Marco Tacca)CRANS-MONTANA – CRANS-Olympic champion Sofia Goggia is dominating the World Cup downhill season like no woman since ski great Lindsey Vonn. Goggia won her fourth straight downhill on Saturday to tie a World Cup streak by Vonn in 2018. Vonn's best streak in World Cup downhill was six straight wins in 2009-10, according to the ski-db.com database. Vonn won four straight World Cup downhills from January to March 2018.

The eastern Indian metropolis of Kolkata, though 16,000 miles away from Buenos Aires, was deep in mourning when they heard about the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona. Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986, died on Nov. 25 after suffering a heart attack at age 60. Since cricket is the most popular sport in India (the country qualified for football’s World Cup only once, in 1950), the outpouring of grief for Maradona might seem strange. Maradona visited Kolkata in 2007 and 2017. “My hero no more; my mad genius rest in peace; I watched football for you;” Ganguly tweeted after Maradona’s death.

In July 2020, CONCACAF unveiled their revised format for 2022 World Cup qualification which includes a 14-match “Octagonal” and an expanded eight team final round. Although the new arrangement has received mixed reviews, it was welcomed by USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, who can now begin planning for a jam-packed 2021. Having featured regularly for Everton Under 23s, he got his first taste of senior football at Bolton Wanderers two seasons ago. He’s already up and running for USMNT and fans will be hoping that the lively forward can play a significant role in helping fire Berhalter’s men to Qatar. It’s been reasonably slim pickings for the USMNT coach in recent qualifications with the same old faces struggling to make an impact on the game.

Although the nation is prepared to accept Israelis for the World Cup, the two nations have severed diplomatic ties and the state-controlled Qatari media is rife with examples of anti-Semitism, according to the Anti-Defamation League. In a Dec. 4 press release calling on the U.S. embassy in Doha to denounce a government-sponsored book fair in the capital city, the ADL noted that among the books at the fair were titles such as Lies Spread by the Jews and The Myth of the Nazi Gas Chambers.

Inter Miami will want a big name to put butts in the seats of Miami Freedom Park whenever it opens. Our conversations have been more about owning a team," Wade said, "not owning this team." Hard Rock Stadium Photo courtesy of Miami Dolphins/Hard Rock StadiumIs Miami a Lock to Host the 2026 World Cup? Photo courtesy of Miami Dolphins/Hard Rock StadiumWhen Will Wrestlemania Return to Miami? Hard Rock Stadium is interested in a rematch with Wrestlemania after hosting the Super Bowl of pro wrestling in 2012.

Out of the ten U.S. women's national soccer team (USWNT) players who have won the award multiple times, only Ertz has also won the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year, which she earned in 2012. The 27-year-old from Mesa, Arizona, scored her first World Cup goal this summer during a match against Chile. Give it up for your 2019 #USWNT Player of the Year! "Julie was such a critical part of our success this summer," former U.S. Women's National Team head coach Jill Ellis said in a statement. Whether it's in training, National Team games or in the NWSL, she always brings a level of professionalism, effort and talent."

The World Interhash event was created by the Interhash Council to bring hashers from across the globe together in a new destination as a reunion, to have fun exploring that countrys beautiful sites & culture, conquer new trails and enjoy the indigenous experience. With an expected 3000 + hashers coming to T&T from 75 countries, World Interhash 2020 is set to be an epic extravaganza of sport and socializing that places Caribbean culture, leisure and hospitality on full display. Caribbean Airlines is the official World Interhash airline, offering special Hash packages and the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre is the official Hash hotel. Other hotels and guest houses are also offering special hash packages via the Interhash 2020 webpage. For registration and further information on World Interhash 2020 activities, airline and accommodation options, CLICK HEREFollow the event on social media via Facebook or Instagram.

We are incredibly proud to be South Africans, Tutu and his wife, Leah, said in a public message to the victorious South Africa team. Unlike 95, this wasnt at home and in front of Mandela, South Africas beloved anti-apartheid leader and first democratically elected president who died in 2013. The team Mandela cheered on in the 95 final was all white save for one player. And for years after Mandela and 95, rugby in South Africa remained a white-dominated sport and the Springboks a white-dominated team. On Saturday, South Africans cheered on their Springboks because they were truly their Springboks.

As thousands of Iranian women young and old made their way inside Tehrans Azadi Stadium on Thursday to watch the World Cup qualifying match between the Iranian and Cambodian mens teams, the excitement was palpable. It marked the first time in nearly four decades that Iranian women were able to buy tickets and enter a stadium here to watch a live sports event. Before Thursdays match, some women had gone to great lengths to sneak into stadiums, at times even disguising themselves as men. I think FIFA has played a very important role in opening the stadium to women, said Raha, a 27-year-old psychology student. Iranian women cheer as they arrive to the Azadi Stadium to watch the 2022 World Cup qualifier soccer match.

Megan Rapinoe #15 of the United States the United States international friendly match against Ireland at the Rose Bowl on August 3, 2019 in Pasadena, California. The United States won the match 3-0. In the midst of a five-game victory tour following their World Cup win, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) is also preparing for the 2020 Olympics and engaged in a heated legal battle with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) for equal pay. Now, representatives for the team say they have left a mediation process meant to avoid an appearance in federal court. The United States won the match 3-0.

Mediation talks between the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team have broken down after their first day of discussions, according to a representative from the women's team. Immediately after the women's team beat the Netherlands on July 7, fans started calling for another victory: Giving the women equal pay. Equal pay!" Players from the USA celebrate following their victory in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final on July 7, 2019. But according to the federation's own financial reports, the women's team generated more total revenue than the men's in the three years after the women's 2015 World Cup victory.

But Ellis still has her hands full after the United States win in the World Cup earlier this summer. Her run as the national coach will continue for four more games during the victory tour. The U.S. team will face Portugal on Aug. 29 in Philadelphia and Sept. 3 in St. Paul, Minnesota before playing Korea on Oct. 3 in Charlotte and Oct. 6 in Chicago.