Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Argentine Football Association (AFA) formally included Pakistan on Wednesday in its global football community, announcing the launch of an official fan club as part of its international outreach strategy.&nbsp;The announcement was made via AFA&rsquo;s verified social media platforms, where the association welcomed the country with the post &ldquo;Salam Pakistan.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2023308581391811047&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=35ca5539404e61da6b5e94d8b7fe8ca669029dde&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 249px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2023308581391811047"></iframe></div></div>Leandro Petersen, Chief Commercial &amp; Marketing Officer at AFA, announced the company&#39;s entry into the Pakistani market.&nbsp;&ldquo;As part of AFA&#39;s global expansion plan, following recent recognition from Harvard Business School and Brand Finance, we are pleased to announce the start of development in a new market: AFA Pakistan,&rdquo; he wrote on his Instagram account.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> </div></div>&ldquo;From now on, AFA will establish a direct and personalized relationship with this market, offering specific digital content, a commercial strategy to connect with the country&#39;s leading companies, sporting projects, and a comprehensive brand presence.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DU3vfFKjpKB/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A509564.40000003576%2C%22ls%22%3A65.10000002384186%2C%22le%22%3A65.10000002384186%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;"></iframe></div>The AFA tweeted, &ldquo;Welcoming Pakistan into the AFA football community.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The passion has always been here, now the connection is official and &amp; the journey begins,&rdquo; the AFA added.&nbsp;On their official Instagram, the association posted, &ldquo;From the world of champions to a nation that has always lived and breathed the game.&rdquo;&nbsp;AFA is among the most decorated governing bodies worldwideEstablished in 1893, the Argentine Football Association is among the oldest and most decorated football governing bodies worldwide.&nbsp;It administers football at all levels in Argentina and oversees the national team, which is currently regarded as one of the strongest in international football.

Football

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has formally included Pakistan in its global football community, announcing the launch of an official fan club as part of its international outreach strategy.

Argentine Football Association (AFA) officially welcomes Pakistan

PARIS: The winners of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million in prize money as part of a record financial contribution for the tournament from FIFA, world football&#39;s governing body announced on Wednesday.&nbsp;The total World Cup prize fund of $655 million (558.5 million euros) represents an increase of almost 50 percent from the $440 million distributed to teams taking part in the last tournament in Qatar in 2022.&nbsp;However, next year&#39;s World Cup -- to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 -- will be the first to feature 48 teams, a 50 percent increase from the 32 teams last time.&nbsp;The Argentine Football Association received $42 million in prize money after Lionel Messi inspired them to glory three years ago, when they won on penalties in the final against France.&nbsp;France received $30 million for their run to the final. This time, the beaten finalists will pocket $33 million, with the third-place finishers collecting $29 million and the other defeated semi-finalists getting $27 million.&nbsp;Teams eliminated in the group phase will receive $9 million, while all 48 participating nations will get an additional $1.5 million to cover &quot;preparation costs.&quot;

FIFA announced a record $655 million prize fund for the expanded 2026 World Cup, with winners earning $50 million, higher payouts across all stages, and all 48 teams receiving added preparation funding from governing body.

Winners of 2026 World Cup to pocket $50 million in prize money

MIAMI: FIFA has created a new annual award called the FIFA Peace Prize to be awarded for the first time during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, the world football governing body said on Wednesday. &quot;Football stands for peace, and on behalf of the entire global football community, the FIFA Peace Prize &mdash; Football Unites the World will recognize the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations,&quot; FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement. The announcement came before Infantino appeared at the America Business Forum in Miami, where US President Donald Trump and Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi were also speakers. The recipient of the inaugural award was not revealed, but there was immediate speculation that it could go to Trump, an Infantino ally who is expected to be present at the December 5 draw at the Kennedy Center in the US capital. Trump, flanked by Infantino, announced from the Oval Office in August that the draw would take place at the Kennedy Center, where he installed himself this year as chairman in what he called a war on &quot;woke&quot; culture. Since returning to the office for a second term in January, Trump has insisted he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in resolving numerous conflicts around the world. But the US president was snubbed by the Norwegian Nobel Committee last month as it awarded the peace prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Recipient of the inaugural award not revealed, but there is immediate speculation that it can go to US President Trump, an Infantino ally who is expected to be present at the December 5 draw at the Kennedy Center in the US capital.

FIFA announce new peace prize to be awarded at World Cup draw in Washington

ISLAMABAD: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President and Senior Vice President FIFA, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, will travel to Pakistan on an official visit from November 4 to 7, a statement issued on Monday said.&nbsp; &nbsp;According to the statement issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Press Information Department (PID), the FIFA vice president&rsquo;s visit marked a new chapter in the promotion of sports &mdash; particularly football &mdash; in Pakistan.&nbsp; Ebrahim would also be accompanied by senior AFC officials and other representatives from the football community, PID said. During his visit, the AFC president was scheduled to hold important meetings with Advisor to the Prime Minister on Inter-Provincial Coordination and Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan, as well as with other senior civil and military leadership, the statement said. &ldquo;These meetings will focus on infrastructure development in the field of football, enhancing youth participation in sports, and exploring avenues of cooperation on sports development projects in Pakistan,&rdquo; it added. Senator Khan, quoted by the press release, said: &ldquo;We extend our heartfelt welcome to His Excellency Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, Senior Vice President of FIFA, and a respected member of the Royal Family of Bahrain, along with his distinguished delegation.&rdquo; According to the press release, the Senator said that he was &ldquo;confident that this historic visit will lay the foundation for a new era of football development in Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;It will not only promote sports but also strengthen sports diplomacy, youth empowerment, and regional cooperation between Pakistan, Bahrain, and other Asian nations,&rdquo; Khan added. Last month, Pakistan played Afghanistan twice, in Islamabad and Kuwait, where the sides drew both games.&nbsp; Pakistan Football Federation also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, aiming to strengthen cooperation in key areas such as coach development, talent identification, women&rsquo;s football, and youth football.

AFC president's visit marks new chapter in promotion of sports; he will also be accompanied by senior officials and other representatives from the football community.

Asian Football Confederation president to travel to Pakistan on official visit today

LONDON: Liverpool will be desperate to recapture their spark against bitter rivals Manchester United this weekend but Ruben Amorim&#39;s men will harbor hopes of pinching a rare win at Anfield. The champions have lost just one of their past 14 Premier League meetings against United but have suffered three straight defeats in all competitions, with Arsenal now top of the pile. Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou survived the international break but remains under intense pressure after failing to record a win in his first seven matches. AFP Sport looks at three key talking points ahead of the weekend action: Liverpool bank on Anfield factor against Man UtdWhen Liverpool started this season with five straight Premier League wins, it appeared they were on track for a record 21st English top-flight title &mdash; which would take them one clear of United. But problems they had papered over with a flurry of late goals finally caught up with them in defeats to Crystal Palace and Chelsea, either side of a Champions League loss at Galatasaray. Liverpool, one point behind leaders Arsenal, trolled United on social media this week, reminding them of the 7-0 drubbing they dished out in March 2023. Mohamed Salah scored twice that day and has an eye-catching record against United, netting in 10 of the past 11 matches between the clubs in all competitions. But the Egypt forward will go into the fixture searching for form while new signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are struggling to make an impact. Arne Slot&#39;s men are also shaky at the back. United, without a win at Anfield since 2016, have come away with creditable draws from their past two visits. Ruben Amorim&#39;s men, wallowing in mid-table, will not scare Liverpool but they will likely have chances to exploit chinks in the home side&#39;s armor. Postecoglou still winlessAnge Postecoglou does not appear to be over-concerned about his position at Nottingham Forest despite a winless start to his reign at the City Ground. The club, just one place above the relegation zone, host Chelsea in the early kick-off on Saturday. It is a rapid fall from grace for Forest, who finished seventh last season under the now-departed Nuno Espirito Santo to secure European football. But it continues a troubling pattern for Postecoglou, who endured a nightmare league campaign last season with Tottenham, which cost him his job despite Europa League glory. The Australian said he relished a challenge after his team&#39;s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle on October 5, just days after home fans at the City Ground called for his sacking. &quot;I&#39;ve fought for things my whole life, so it&#39;s just another fight that I love to be in the middle of,&quot; said the 60-year-old. Time will tell whether the international break will help Postecoglou or has merely delayed the inevitable, with former Burnley and Everton manager Sean Dyche reportedly in the frame to replace him. Unstoppable SemenyoAntoine Semenyo is arguably the most in-form player in the Premier League, the main man in a Bournemouth team who are flying high. The London-born Ghana winger has scored six times and provided three assists in the league for Andoni Iraola&#39;s side, who are fourth in the table after their best start to a Premier League campaign. Semenyo has been involved in nearly 82% of his team&#39;s goals &mdash; by far the highest proportion for any player in the league. &quot;He is incredible,&quot; said teammate Justin Kluivert.&nbsp; &quot;He shows it every game now. He is just world-class.&quot; Iraola&#39;s Bournemouth are riding high despite selling around &pound;200-million ($269-million) worth of talent in the summer transfer window. Now they a tough challenge against a Crystal Palace team determined to prove a point after the end of their 19-match unbeaten run across all competitions.

Champions have lost just one of their past 14 Premier League meetings against United but have suffered three straight defeats in all competitions, with Arsenal now top of the pile.

Liverpool seek mojo against Man Utd, Postecoglou hunts first win

BERLIN: German league leaders Bayern Munich host second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, with both sides unbeaten after opening the season in top form. Bayern have won 10 from 10 in all competitions, scoring 36 goals and conceding seven. Star striker Harry Kane is on arguably his career-best form. The 32-year-old, who scored a brace in Tuesday&#39;s 5-0 thumping of Latvia on England duty, has 18 goals and three assists in those 10 matches for Bayern. While Bayern have barnstormed their way to the top of the Bundesliga and Champions League tables, Dortmund are quietly putting together a strong opening of their own. Dortmund are unbeaten in nine games in all competitions and sit four points behind Bayern in second. A double winner at Bayern before getting the sack half a year later, Niko Kovac, now Dortmund manager, said his side must be brave in Munich. &quot;It&#39;ll be difficult if we play too cautiously,&quot; Kovac said Thursday. &quot;Just defending won&#39;t work. We respect each other but we need to take the initiative. &quot;If we play like we did last year in Munich, we&#39;ll have a good chance, but we need to be brave. &quot;We do see what kind of form Bayern are on. It&#39;s unusual for a team to perform so well.&quot; In the match nicknamed &#39;Der Klassiker&#39; in a bid to echo La Liga&#39;s El Clasico, the fixture has tended to mark the end of Dortmund&#39;s title ambitions. Dortmund have lost eight of their past 10 matches against Bayern in Munich. But Dortmund are on their best run versus the Bavarians since Jurgen Klopp&#39;s tenure. Dortmund have won one and drawn two of their past three games against Bayern, including a 2-0 win at the Allianz Arena in 2024. Now running the show at Red Bull, parent company of rivals RB Leipzig, Klopp himself will not be tuning in. Speaking from the Spanish island of Mallorca, where he spends much of his time, former Liverpool manager Klopp told Germany&#39;s RTL on Thursday he would &quot;probably not have time&quot; to watch. &quot;If I didn&#39;t have to work, I&#39;d definitely watch the game.&quot; One to watch: Loic Bade (Bayer Leverkusen)After a tumultuous summer rebuild with around a dozen new arrivals, France center-back Loic Bade has quickly established himself at the heart of Bayer Leverkusen&#39;s defense. Bade, 25, is an assured presence in central defense, showing composure and control in a team in transition. Praising his &quot;amazing&quot; performances on the pitch, Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes told AFP on Thursday &quot;it&#39;s very important as well how he acts off the pitch.&rdquo; &quot;He&#39;s a connector in the locker room language-wise, but also in terms of personality and culture,&rdquo; Rofles said. &quot;Loic has personality &mdash; and you can feel that.&quot; Key stats10 - Dortmund&#39;s 2-0 win over Bayern in 2024 was their first in the league in Munich in 10 years dating back to a 3-0 win in 2014. 11 - Harry Kane has 11 goals in six Bundesliga games this season. 1 - Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, who on Thursday was cleared to play, has only failed to score or assist in one of his eight matches this season. He has six goals and three assists.

Bayern have barnstormed their way to top of Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League tables; Dortmund are quietly putting together a strong opening of their own.

Old rivals Bayern and Dortmund in top form for 'Klassiker' clash

Reuters

RABAT: Morocco set a new record of 16 successive victories by a national team as they completed their World Cup qualifying campaign with 1-0 home win over Congo on Tuesday. Youssef En-Nesyri scored in the 63rd minute in Rabat to ensure Morocco finished their Group E programme with eight wins from eight matches, the only side in the African preliminaries with a 100% record. The victory saw them go past the record of 15 that Spain set over a 12-month period between June 2008 and June 2009. Morocco last failed to win an international when they drew 0-0 with Mauritania in a friendly in March 2024 but have since posted victories in seven World Cup qualifiers, six qualifiers for this year&rsquo;s Africa Cup of Nations finals and three friendlies. Morocco&rsquo;s run does not include matches played by a B team made up only of home-based players that won the African Nations Championship in Kenya in August. Morocco&rsquo;s 19-month winning run saw them score 50 goals and concede four. Spain began their run beating Russia 3-0 in the semi-final of the 2008 European Championship and their 15th consecutive win came with a 2-0 victory over hosts South Africa in their final group game in the 2009 Confederations Cup. They lost their record when the United States beat them in the Confederations Cup semi-final in Bloemfontein. During their winning streak Spain only conceded twice while scoring 39. Morocco have yet to announce plans for friendlies in the November international window but at the end of the year host the Cup of Nations finals, where they meet Comoros in the opening game on December 21.

Morocco’s Abdelhakim El Mesbahi celebrates with teammates after winning the penalty shootout against France in the FIFA U-20 World Cup semifinal at Estadio Elias Figueroa in Valparaiso, Chile, Oct. 15, 2025. (Reuters/Rodrigo Garrido)

Morocco set a new record of 16 successive victories by a national team as they completed their World Cup qualifying campaign with 1-0 home win over Congo on Tuesday.

Morocco defeats Congo to break Spain’s record with 16th win

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa became the latest African nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after beating Rwanda 3-0 Tuesday to top its qualifying group, despite being docked three points for fielding an ineligible player in earlier games. It will be South Africa&#39;s first appearance at a World Cup since it qualified automatically as the host in 2010. &nbsp;South Africa&rsquo;s victory meant Nigeria finished second in the group and will have to qualify through a playoff. &nbsp;Nigeria beat Benin 4-0 at home after a hat trick from star striker Victor Osimhen. Benin had led the group before the last round.&nbsp;

South Africa became the latest African nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after beating Rwanda 3-0 Tuesday to top its qualifying group

South Africa secures World Cup spot with 3-0 win over Rwanda

PARIS: France captain Kylian Mbapp&eacute; will miss his team&#39;s World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Monday because of a right ankle injury, the French soccer federation said Saturday. The Real Madrid star scored in France&#39;s 3-0 victory over Azerbaijan on Friday but limped off the field in the 83rd minute. Just before the international break, he had hurt the same ankle while playing against Villarreal. France confirmed that its star forward would not make the trip to Reykjavik and that he would return to Real Madrid. France, runner-up at the 2022 World Cup, is off to a perfect start in the qualification process for the 2026 edition. It has won all three of its games in Group D.

France captain Kylian Mbappé will miss Monday’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland due to a right ankle injury. He’ll return to Real Madrid after exiting late in Friday’s win over Azerbaijan.

Mbappé to miss France's World Cup qualifier vs. Iceland because of ankle injury

SAO PAULO: Brazilian legend Ronaldo has urged Selecao&#39;s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti to reinstate Neymar to the team for next year&#39;s World Cup in North America. Brazil&#39;s record goalscorer, with 79 goals from 128 matches, Neymar, has not worn the yellow jersey since October 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury. The 33-year-old has played regularly for the Sao Paulo side Santos since he returned to his first club in January following a fruitless spell in Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal. Even so, in his four matches in charge, Ancelotti has not called up Neymar. &quot;He is a decisive player for the Brazilian Selecao. We don&#39;t have another player like Neymar,&quot; Ronaldo, who twice won the World Cup with Brazil, said during a publicity event in Sao Paulo alongside his compatriot. &quot;The people hope 100% that he will go to the World Cup because if he is there, we will definitely have better results than if he&#39;s not there,&quot; added Ronaldo, 49, who scored 62 goals in 99 Brazil games. Neymar has been plagued by injuries in the last few years and missed Brazil&#39;s Copa America triumph on home soil in 2019. He joined Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023 but after playing just five times and scoring one goal, he ruptured his cruciate knee ligament on international duty against Uruguay. He was out of action for a year and would play only two more games for the Saudi side before leaving for Santos. After leaving Neymar out of his squad for World Cup qualifiers in September, Ancelotti said that he &quot;needs to get in better shape to help the national team and to give the best of himself at the World Cup.&quot;

Ancelotti says Neymar "needs to get in better shape to help the national team and to give the best of himself at the World Cup."

Articles tagged with "Football"