MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s age-defying midfielder Ryan Giggs signed another one-year contract on Friday that will mean he is playing for the Premier League leaders when he turns 40.
The Welshman, who made his United debut in March 1991, has made a club record 931 appearances, scoring 168 goals.
With his international appearances for Wales and Britain in the Olympics added, his tally is 999 and he could reach the 1,000-game milestone in United’s Premier League game against Norwich City on Saturday.
“I am feeling good, enjoying my football more than ever and, most importantly, I feel I am making a contribution to the team,” Giggs, who scored in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers, said on the club’s website (www.manutd.com).
“This is an exciting team to be part of, with great team spirit, and we are again pushing for trophies as we head toward the business end of the season.” The former Wales international, who will turn 40 in November, has won 12 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two Champions League titles.
He looks set to add to that tally this season as United are 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League, while also still in the FA Cup and Champions League.
He is the only player to score in every season since the Premier League replaced the old first division in 1992 having also been on target in the two seasons he played in old first division “What can I say about Ryan that hasn’t already been said? He is a marvellous player and an exceptional human being,” manager Alex Ferguson said in a statement.
“Ryan is an example to us all, the way in which he has, and continues to, look after himself.”
Age-defying Giggs signs new one-year deal
Age-defying Giggs signs new one-year deal
Pakistan face arch-rivals India today in blockbuster T20 World Cup clash in Colombo
- Cricket contest takes place amid surging political tensions between India and Pakistan after their May 2025 clash
- Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav says team will decide whether or not to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan take on defending champions and arch-rivals India today, Sunday, in Colombo in a highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2026 clash between the two sides.
The Group A fixture between the two sides will not just be important for the on-field cricket action but also because of the political tensions between the neighbors. India and Pakistan engaged in a brief military confrontation in May 2025 which came to a halt after Washington brokered a ceasefire.
However, political tensions spilled over onto the cricket field when Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav opted out of shaking hands with his Pakistani counterpart before the toss at their Asia Cup encounter last year in September. The Indian team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all three matches of the tournament, triggering a strong protest from Pakistan.
Tensions surged again after Pakistan’s government announced earlier this month it would not allow its team to play against India in the World Cup in solidarity with Bangladesh. The South Asian country was replaced with Scotland after it refused to play its matches in India due to security reasons. Pakistan criticized the move and announced boycotting the Feb. 15 match against India. However, Islamabad later took back its decision to boycott the match after negotiations with the International Cricket Council.
“The game should be played in real spirit, the way it has been played since it started,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday. “The rest is up to them (India), what they want to do.”
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav did not commit whether his team will shake hands with Pakistan or not on Sunday.
“Why are you highlighting that?” Yadav asked reporters. “We are here to play cricket. We will play good cricket. We will take all those calls tomorrow. We will see tomorrow.”
Political and military tensions have meant the two teams have not played a bilateral series for years.
India has not traveled to Pakistan since 2008 and Pakistan visited India for the 50-over World Cup in 2023 but has since played ICC tournaments at neutral venues.
India has defeated Pakistan 12 times in the 16 T20 games they have played. They also have an impressive 6-1 record in the eight T20 World Cup matches since the first edition in 2007, with one being tied.
“We don’t have a good record against them in World Cups,” Agha admitted. “But whenever you come to play a new match, it’s a new day and you have to play good cricket to win.
“You can’t change history. You can learn from it. We learned from it and we’ll try to do a good performance tomorrow and win the match.”
Both sides have won their two fixtures so far, with India beating the USA and Namibia while Pakistan have defeated the Netherlands and the USA as well.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eight stage of the World Cup.
The match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
