Sports

Why Cristiano Ronaldo misses out on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist Cristiano Ronaldo has missed out on the Ballon d’Or shortlist for a fourth consecutive year, despite leading Al-Nassr to a long-awaited domestic title and producing another strong individual campaign for both club and country.The omission is particularly intriguing because the 2026 30-player shortlist does…

Lionel Messi set to buy second Spanish club, agrees 100% ownership of LaLiga 2 side Eldense/ Image: AP,X Lionel Messi is reportedly preparing for another major step into football ownership, with the Argentina legend set to expand his business interests in Spain after making his first investment in the country’s lower leagues earlier this year.The…

Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort) Lamine Yamal has made Ballon d’Or history after becoming the first player ever to receive three nominations for the prestigious award before turning…

Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, left, helps Anastasia Potapova, of Austria. (AP Photo) NEW YORK CITY: Anastasia Potapova clutched her knee and crumpled to the court in the closing stages of a gruelling US Open fourth-round clash. After two hours and 25 minutes of pushing each other to their limits, the moment the 25-year-old went down,…

East Zone’s Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo) South Zone’s hopes of mounting a fightback in the Duleep Trophy final took another hit on Tuesday as veteran pacer Mohammad Shami produced two crucial breakthroughs to leave them struggling at 242 for six at stumps on Day 3 against East Zone.Captain Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 56 off…

The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has officially begun, with defending champion Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal among the biggest names included in the 30-player men’s shortlist announced by France Football on Tuesday.The women’s shortlist also features a host of major contenders, with two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa…

Ricky Ponting has admitted he is worried about where ODI cricket is heading, with the former Australia captain fearing the 50-over format could gradually be squeezed out by the ever-growing presence of T20 franchise cricket across the globe.Ponting, one of the most successful ODI batters in cricket history with 13,704 runs in the format, believes…

Pakistan captain Babar Azam and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi (Agency Image) Pakistan captain Babar Azam has broken his silence on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s sweeping mid-series shake-up, revealing that he was not consulted before seven players were dropped and changes were made to the coaching setup.The PCB made the drastic changes after Pakistan suffered back-to-back…

Wasim Akram and Imran Khan Wasim Akram has become the latest high-profile cricketing figure to publicly voice concern over the health of his former Pakistan captain and close friend Imran Khan, insisting that his legal status should not come in the way of ensuring he receives proper medical care.Imran, 73, has been in jail since…

The Indian women’s hockey team (Pic credit: Hockey India) NEW DELHI: Hockey India has seemingly reversed its controversial decision to make saffron the Indian hockey teams’ primary colour, with both the men’s and women’s sides set to return to their traditional blue jerseys at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.The decision comes just weeks after…