LUSAIL, Qatar: Lionel Messi started the match by delivering another football clinic. The Argentina superstar ended it sporting a bloodied top lip, shouting abuse to opponents and even blasting the referee.
And of course there were goals, too, for one of the greats of the game whose bid to win the World Cup for the first time is still on track.
Messi is heading to the semifinals with Argentina after a chaotic penalty-shootout victory over Netherlands that had just about everything on Friday.
Argentina took a 2-0 lead, conceded an equalizer in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time to send the match to extra time at 2-2, and then won the shootout 4-3 amid a deafening noise inside Lusail Stadium.
Messi, who scored a penalty in regulation time, converted his penalty in the shootout while goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made two saves to help Argentina secure a semifinal match against Croatia, which beat Brazil earlier Friday.
After Lautaro Martinez scored the clinching penalty, Messi — with his arms outstretched — sprinted toward the goalkeeper, who had fallen to the ground to the side of the goal, and lay on top of him.
“We had to suffer,” Messi said, “but we got through.”
Messi did, especially, in an often-violent match that featured 17 yellow cards — a record for a World Cup match — two of which went to Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries, leading to him getting sent off after the game.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni called the game “ugly” and Messi was critical of the Spanish referee, Antonio Mateu, saying: “I don’t think he was up to the standard. He was very harmful for us.”
In a side of Messi rarely seen, he also broke off from his post-match interview on the field to shout abuse at the scorer of the Netherlands’ two goals, Wout Weghorst.
“What are you looking at, stupid?” Messi was heard saying.
Messi and his teammates hung around on the field for 20 minutes at the end, taking turns dancing and jumping up and down in front of Argentina’s celebrating, scarf-waving fans.
Messi said the late Diego Maradona was looking over the team.
“Diego is watching us from heaven,” Messi said of the former Argentina captain and coach who died two years ago. “He is pushing us. I hope it stays like that until the end.”
It is only the second time Argentina has reached the last four since 1990. In 2014, Messi was part of the team that lost to Germany in the final and he looks in the mood to get there again in a tournament that he is turning into his own personal highlight reel.
Messi delivered a mesmerizing piece of skill and vision to set up the opening goal for Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute. He twisted free in central midfield and burst forward, unbalancing Netherlands defender Nathan Ake and then delivering a no-look reverse pass for Molina to finish for his first international goal.
His penalty in the 73rd minute, which came after Marcus Acuna was tripped by Dumfries, was his fourth goal of the tournament and took him to 10 overall in the World Cup — tied with Gabriel Batistuta for the most for Argentina. Messi now has 94 goals in his 169 international games.
His team trailing 2-0, Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal sent on two tall strikers — Weghorst and Luuk De Jong — and even told center back Virgil van Dijk to play up front. The game suddenly changed.
Weghorst glanced in a header from a right-wing cross in the 78th — five minutes after coming on — and then scored the latest second-half goal in a knockout-stage game at a World Cup.
Off a cleverly worked free-kick routine learned by Weghorst at his Turkish club, Besiktas, Teun Koopmeiners feigned to take a shot at goal from the edge of the area but instead played it short and low into the middle of the area. It deceived the Argentine defense as Weghorst took a touch, held off his marker and slotted home a finish on the stretch.
Enzo Fernandez hit the post near the end of extra time and was then the only Argentina player to fail to score in the shootout. Martinez’s saves were from attempts by Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis, after which he pulled his shorts high and danced a jig.
The loss ended the 71-year-old Van Gaal’s third stint in charge of the Netherlands. He was also the team’s coach at the World Cup in 2014 when Argentina beat the Dutch in a penalty shootout in the semifinals.
“Ever since we arrived here,” Van Gaal said, “we have been focused on penalties. We thought we were going to win the penalty shootout.”
SUSPENSIONS
Argentina defenders Marcus Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel will miss the semifinals after collecting second yellow cards of the tournament.
Messi, Argentina beat Netherlands on penalties at World Cup
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Messi, Argentina beat Netherlands on penalties at World Cup
- Messi is heading to the semifinals with Argentina after a chaotic penalty-shootout victory
- It is only the second time Argentina has reached the last four since 1990
‘Someone wake me up,’ says Habib ahead of Alcaraz clash at Olympics
- “I was in shock when I heard,” the Texas-born player told AFP
- “Hopefully I can inspire lots of people in Lebanon“
PARIS: When Carlos Alcaraz was winning $3.5 million for lifting the Wimbledon trophy, Hady Habib was more than 5,000km away, collecting a meagre $1,350 at a low-level tournament in Canada.
Two weeks on, the 25-year-old from Lebanon now finds himself taking on the world number three in the first round at the Olympics.
“I was in shock when I heard,” the Texas-born player told AFP.
“Hopefully I can inspire lots of people in Lebanon.”
Habib, ranked a lowly 275 in the world, was only scheduled to play doubles at the Olympics alongside Benjamin Hassan.
However, following a series of injury pullouts, he moved into the singles draw as an alternate.
“The day after that, I’m drawn to be playing Carlos Alcaraz. So this has been an interesting five days for me.”
He added: “I was at the practice courts when I got the email. All happened so fast. Life can just change in an instant. You could say it’s a fairytale.”
Habib’s career has been spent on the second-tier circuit since he turned pro in 2021 after studying at university in Texas.
Now he will be the first man from Lebanon to represent his country in tennis at the Olympic Games.
The whole experience has left him starstruck.
“The first day I arrived, I was walking around a little bit lost just opening a door and going in somewhere.
“When I walked in the gym the first day, I saw Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and I was just, ‘Wow, this has to be a dream. Someone wake me up’.”
SAFF announces second season of Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program
- Total support fund has increased to SR60m, representing SR10m rise from previous season
- 70 women’s clubs to receive support across various leagues and tournaments
- SAFF has introduced new criteria to ensure continuous growth and professional development of women’s game
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has announced season two of the Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program.
The announcement is part of the SAFF’s commitment to nurturing and promoting women’s football across the Kingdom.
For the 2024-25 season, the total support fund has increased to SR60 million ($15.99 million), representing a SR10 million rise from the previous season.
Building on the success of the inaugural season, the SAFF said the season’s program will extend its support to 70 women’s football clubs participating in various competitions, including the SAFF Women’s Premier League, SAFF Women’s First Division League, SAFF Women’s Second Division League, SAFF Women’s Cup, SAFF Women’s U17 Tournament and the Women’s Futsal Tournament.
As part of the enhanced program for the new season, SAFF has introduced new criteria to ensure the continuous growth and professional development of women’s football.
The new criteria for women’s football clubs include sponsorship criteria requiring clubs to attract sponsors; scouting criteria mandating the appointment of an official scout by clubs; medical criteria requiring clubs to appoint a doctor and issue medical reports; fan criteria encouraging increased attendance at matches; nutrition criteria requiring clubs to appoint a nutrition specialist; technology criteria mandating the use of GPS to assess player fitness levels, and women’s futsal criteria necessitating the establishment of an organizational structure, the appointment of a head coach, and the appointment of a team manager.
Lamia Bahaian, vice president of the SAFF, said: “We’ve seen incredible progress in women’s football over the past year, and the increased support fund for this season is a clear indication of our commitment to pushing even further. Our aim is to create more opportunities for women in football and build a strong foundation for the sport in Saudi Arabia.”
She continued: “With the expansion of our program, we’re not only increasing the number of participating clubs but also enhancing the quality of the teams participating in our competitions. We’re focused on providing the necessary resources and support to help our players, coaches, and teams thrive. This season promises to be an exciting chapter for women’s football, and we’re eager to see the continued growth and success of our athletes.”
Last season, significant strides were made with the hiring of 18 Saudi coaches, and 91 percent of clubs’ head coaches now hold an A coaching license. Additionally, 24 percent of clubs have coaches with a pro license, highlighting the increasing professionalization within women’s football.
Further achievements include the establishment of U17 teams by 56 percent of clubs, providing a platform for young female footballers to develop their skills.
The SAFF said 87 professional contracts were signed with Saudi players, marking a significant milestone in the development of women’s football in the Kingdom.
First positive doping test at Paris Olympics is Iraqi judoka for anabolic steroids
- Sajjad Sehen, a 28-year-old first-time Olympian, tested positive for metandienone and boldenone
PARIS: A male judoka from Iraq tested positive for two anabolic steroids at the Paris Olympics, the International Testing Agency said Friday.
Sajjad Sehen, a 28-year-old first-time Olympian, tested positive for metandienone and boldenone in a sample taken in Paris on Tuesday. He was due to compete next Tuesday.
Sehen is provisionally suspended while a disciplinary case is prosecuted, said the ITA, which oversees the games-time anti-doping program for the International Olympic Committee.
“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity during the Olympic Games,” the agency said.
Sehen was due to compete in the men’s 81 kilogram class, starting Tuesday in the round of 32 against an opponent from Uzbekistan.
Amid downpour, Paris welcomes the world with unique Olympic opening
- Friday saw suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s flagship high-speed rail network
- Cloudy skies and forecast rains ahead of the sprawling, ambitious opening ceremony
PARIS: Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
On-and-off showers — the first rain at a Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony in more than 70 years — did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river in a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network.
Athletes from Saudi Arabia will be competing across four sports at the Games — athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo — and you can read a guide to everything about them, their preparation and their Olympics schedule here.
Likewise, there are dozens of Arab athletes taking part in this year’s Games, you can check out Arab News’ guide to the best male competitors and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials called coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines as well as the weather had dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds crammed the Seine’s banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that got increasingly choppy as the weather worsened.
Undeterred from the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and jackets as the rain intensified, others danced and sang, and some dashed from their seats for shelter.
“I invite everybody: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired with the joy that only sport can give us. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace,” International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach said.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Olympic Games open as a jaw-dropping light show on the Eiffel Tower made up for rain-soaked start.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane handed the torch another legend, French Open tennis record-breaking, Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard took a boat trip with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the torches final relay.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner got the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Throughout the Olympics, you can follow all the action from Paris at the designated Arab News Sport section here.
Read about the highlights below (all times BST):
22:30 - That wraps up our live coverage of the opening ceremony of what will no doubt be an exciting Olympic games in Paris.
Follow our coverage of all the action here for the next fortnight.
22:30 - A look at that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to mimic a fire and will remain in the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 - Canadian singer Celine Dion brings the show to a close as she sings on Eiffel Tower.
22:24 - France’s Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron.
22:19 - Torch-bearers are getting the flame to the destination where it will be for the duration of the games.
22:05 - Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 - Zinedine Zidane passes on the Olympic torch to record French Open-champion Rafael Nadal, who has just passed it to fellow tennis royalty Serena Williams. We're not too far away from the all-important moment of its lighting...
20:00 - We've had more images of the Saudi delegation, it's looking very wet in Paris this evening. But spirits remain high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait have also sailed past in the athletes' parade.
19:15 - In case you missed it in all the drama, Lady Gaga performed a catchy little jazz ditty on the banks of the Seine...
18:45 - Our first glimpse of Arab delegations on the River Seine! The Saudi Arabia and Bahrain teams float past...
18:30 - We're underway!
18:15 - All smiles on the Saudi Arabia team as they prepare for their appearance at the opening ceremony!
18:00 - We're about 30 minutes from the start of the ceremony, and the crowds are beginning to build on the banks of the River Seine. Not long to go now.
17:30 - One of the highlights of the pre-Games events is the Olympic torch relay. It travels from Greece all around the world before ending its journey at the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip of its journey below:
17:15 - Despite the rocky start to Friday and the threat of a deluge on the French capital, the opening ceremony organizers are still in a positive mood. Which is probably just as well...
16:45 - Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared a heart-warming message about the Olympic Refugee Team, who will be representing more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.
16:35 - We're still being teased as to who will performing at the ceremony. Any predictions? Let us know at @ArabNewsSport...
16:30 - French President Emmanuel Macron has started welcoming several dozen of heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace. Macron’s office said the Elysee reception was “an opportunity for France to deliver a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world gather to take part in the world’s biggest event.”
About 100 world leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations are expected to attend the ceremony later on.
16:15 - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he absolutely condemned the saboteurs who struck France's TGV high-speed train network and hoped for the quick identification of the perpetrators. You can read about the arson attack here.
16:00 - The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has taken part in the Olympic flame relay as the Opening Ceremony nears.
15:45 - French TV shows Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop the cathedral of Saint-Denis, on the northern outskirts of Paris.
His appearance follows superstar rapper Snoop Dogg being given the honor of carrying the flame earlier on Friday, which you can read more about below. Hopefully, he didn't drop it like it's hot...
Camping out for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the start of the opening ceremony along the Seine River, seeking the best spot at the viewing areas. Some brought folding chairs, books, sandwiches and water.
Monica Merino, 57, came to Paris from Madrid for the Olympics and said it would be her first time watching the opening ceremony in person.
“We have visited Paris many times, and it is very different now because it is empty of people and full of military and police,” she said.
Giannis skirts train troubles
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, selected as one of his country’s flagbearers, avoided Friday’s train issues altogether.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling in a convoy of buses alongside players from a few other teams. A team spokesperson said multiple teams chose to travel at the same time for security purposes.
Germany’s men’s team boarded buses bound for the ceremony Friday morning, having never planned to travel by train. The plan was to then to immediately head back to Lille for Saturday’s game against Japan.
The Paris Olympics have sold a record 9.7 million tickets — but more are available
After getting off to a rocky start last year, Olympics 2024 organizers said the Paris Games have broken the record for the most number of tickets sold or allocated in the event’s history. And yet, tickets are still available.
Organizers say 9.7 million tickets were sold or allocated for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million sold for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, a total of 10 million tickets were put on sale for the Olympics — meaning that despite the historic popularity of the sporting events and unprecedented scale of this year’s competitions, there will still be many empty seats remaining.
The total ticketing figure will, however, likely rise because tickets are still on sale for some of the 45 sports.
Snoop Dogg keeps it lit
The rapper-turned-NBC Olympics correspondent was one of the final Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He carried the flame in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
In an interview before his leg of the relay, Snoop Dogg vowed to be on his “best behavior.”
“I’m going to be on my best athleticism. I’ll be able to breathe slow to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is,” he said.
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped en route to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, rail company SNCF said.
One train was canceled, and authorities hope the other will become operational.
* With AP
Verstappen tops times in opening practice, faces grid penalty
- Verstappen clocked a best lap in one minute and 43.372 seconds and remained unchallenged at the front of the field throughout the session
- Carlos Sainz was ninth for Ferrari and Lance Stroll 10th for Aston Martin
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Max Verstappen, who faces a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race, topped the times for Red Bull ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in Friday’s opening free practice at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Five days after his sweary outbursts on team radio at the Hungaroring, the series leader and three-time world champion did his talking on the track by outpacing Piastri, who claimed his maiden Formula One victory in Hungary, by 0.531 seconds.
Verstappen clocked a best lap in one minute and 43.372 seconds and remained unchallenged at the front of the field throughout the session as he began his bid to end a three-race winless run by claiming his fourth consecutive Belgian triumph.
Williams’ Alex Albon was third fastest, ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Lando Norris in the second McLaren.
Carlos Sainz was ninth for Ferrari and Lance Stroll 10th for Aston Martin.
On a warm, if cloudy, summer’s day following an earlier rain shower in the Ardennes, Russell was the first man out, but it was Verstappen who set the first top time on hard tires in 1:44.706, Piastri soon clocking into second place, seven-tenths adrift of the Dutchman.
Norris, both Ferrari drivers and Hamilton, like the Australian, were initially on softs while Esteban Ocon, fresh from announcing his switch to Haas next year, was stuck in the Alpine garage as the team worked on a suspected water leak.
As Verstappen began to trim his time, his 10-place grid penalty for taking a fresh engine was confirmed along with one for RB’s Yuki Tsunoda who will start from the back of the grid after taking more power unit components.
By midway through the session, Perez had joined Verstappen on track and switched to softs, taking fifth place, but complained that his car was unresponsive. “I’m really struggling to know what the car is doing on entries,” he reported.
At this stage, Verstappen topped the times ahead of Piastri and Alex Albon, whose Williams was showing real potential, and the two Mercedes of Russell and Hamilton, with Leclerc sixth ahead of Perez.
With nine minutes remaining, and most drivers on softs after running qualifying simulation laps, Hamilton ran wide at Les Combes before pitting. “I’ve got to come in,” he said. “The bouncing is really bad.”
Russell had complained only minutes earlier that he had ‘no rear end’, but the drivers’ grumbles failed to hid the fact that they had shown inconsistent pace in the opening session run in conditions more suited to their package.
