RIO
-0.3300
Qatar's top World Cup organiser has hit back at Louis van Gaal for criticising the decision to hold the event in the Gulf state, saying the Netherlands coach has failed to understand the Arab world's passion for football.
Favourites Australia beat Bangladesh by five wickets in howling winds in Wellington to maintain their perfect record at the Women's Cricket World Cup on Friday.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq hit a fighting half-century to take Pakistan to 136-2 at lunch on the final day of a delicately poised deciding third Test against Australia in Lahore on Friday.
Favourites Australia beat Bangladesh by five wickets in howling winds in Wellington to maintain their perfect record at the Women's Cricket World Cup on Friday.
Two-goal hero Kaoru Mitoma could be Japan's secret weapon at the World Cup and will also hope to eventually make his mark in the Premier League with a Brighton side crying out for firepower.
Canada crashed to their first defeat of 2022 World Cup qualifying on Thursday as a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica delayed their bid to reach the finals for the first time in 36 years.
Coach Graham Arnold has urged a demoralised Australia to be positive as he came under mounting pressure Friday after their failure to automatically qualify for a fifth successive World Cup.
Andy Murray opened his Miami Open campaign with a straight sets win over Argentina's Federico Delbonis to set up an intriguing second round encounter with Daniil Medvedev on Thursday.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta sent Uruguay to the World Cup with the only goal of the game against Peru on Thursday, a result that also booked Ecuador's ticket to Qatar, with a helping hand from Brazil.
Top-ranked Jon Rahm, the reigning US Open champion, rallied for a 5&4 victory over American Cameron Young to remain unbeaten on Thursday at the WGC Match Play Championship.
Ben Martin, chasing his first US PGA Tour title since 2014, birdied six of the last eight holes to grab a one-stroke lead after Thursday's first round of the Corales Puntacana Championship.
Roberto Mancini was reeling from the most painful defeat of his managerial career after Thursday's stunning, last-gasp 1-0 loss to North Macedonia meant they missed out on their second World Cup in a row.
Wales boss Robert Page hailed Gareth Bale's first goal as the best free-kick he has ever seen as a double from the Real Madrid man beat Austria 2-1 to carry his country into a World Cup playoff final.
Reigning European champions Italy will miss a second straight World Cup after losing to a dramatic stoppage-time goal against North Macedonia on Thursday, but Portugal, Wales and Sweden all made it through to qualifying play-off deciders.
A 90-run last-wicket partnership between Jack Leach and Saqib Mahmood rescued England from a desperate position before they were finally dismissed in the last over of the day for 204 on day one of the third and final Test against the West Indies on Thursday.
Gareth Bale said he will run into the ground for Wales as he dismissed criticism from Spain of his club form as a "waste of my time."
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier became the first Americans in 43 years to win pairs gold at the world figure skating championships on Thursday with Japan poised for a podium sweep of the men's event.
England coach Eddie Jones is not "bullet-proof", his boss said Thursday, following a dismal Six Nations campaign.
Italy will miss their second World Cup in a row after slumping to a shock 1-0 play-off semi-final defeat to North Macedonia on Thursday.
Portugal are through to a decisive World Cup qualifying play-off final next week after beating Turkey 3-1 in Porto on Thursday, but only after Burak Yilmaz missed a crucial late penalty for the visitors.
A brilliant double from Gareth Bale took Wales to the brink of a first World Cup since 1958 thanks to a 2-1 win over Austria in Cardiff on Thursday.
US skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier won pairs gold in the world figure skating championships on Thursday as their nearest rivals were forced to retire after a fall in the free skating final.
Daniil Medvedev shrugged off the possibility of being barred from this year's Wimbledon on Thursday after the status of Russian players at the tournament was called into question by the British government.
West Indies' pace and seam bowlers made full use of a helpful pitch in reducing England to 114 for eight at tea on the first day of the third and final Test at the Grenada National Stadium in Thursday.
Naomi Osaka's impressive return to form continued on Thursday after she took just an hour to dispatch 13th-seeded German Angelique Kerber in straight sets and head into the third round of the Miami Open.
Luis Leal shrugged off a 15,000km journey and a big time difference to score and give Sao Tome e Principe a 1-0 win over Mauritius on Thursday in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Kyrie Irving will be free to play home games for the Brooklyn Nets after New York authorities on Thursday eased vaccine mandate rules for athletes and performers.
Shoma Uno led a Japanese 1-2-3 after the men's short programme at the world figure skating championships in Montpellier on Thursday.
Bukayo Saka will miss England's friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast after the Arsenal forward tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Saudi Media Group bid to buy Chelsea has failed to make the final shortlist, according to British media reports on Thursday.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin sees a $500 million plan for the United States to host the 2031 men's and 2033 women's World Cups as essential for growing the sport globally.
Kyle Mayers immediately justified his selection with the wickets of Zak Crawley and Joe Root as England stumbled to 46 for three at lunch after being put in to bat on the opening day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at the Grenada National Stadium in Thursday.