https://www.scmp.com/rss/318688/feed The 2018 Fifa World Cup, being held from 14 June to 15 July, will be the 21st edition of the World Cup, and will be hosted -- somewhat controversially -- by Russia. A total of 32 teams from around the world will compete at the event. Germany are the reigning champions, having triumphed in Brazil in 2014 en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com On October 7, 2001, China’s 44-year wait for a ticket to the Fifa World Cup finals ended with a narrow 1-0 win over Oman in the second round of the Asian Football Confederation qualifiers. Tianjin Teda midfielder Yu Genwei’s 36th minute goal ensured that China were on the plane to the Japan and South Korea World Cup, ending a barren run since the country had first tried to qualify back in 1957. Entering the qualifiers for the 2002 Fifa World Cup, jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3151493/china-marks-20-years-reaching-its-only-fifa-world-cup-long-wait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3151493/china-marks-20-years-reaching-its-only-fifa-world-cup-long-wait?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Oct 2021 06:56:35 +0000 On October 7, 2001, the Chinese men’s national football team made history. That was the night China took on bottom side Oman at Wulihe Stadium in Shenyang. The hosts knew that a win would secure them a place at the 2002 Fifa World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Oman were winless in their group, while China were unbeaten in five games, and it went to form despite the hosts missing their top scorer, Qi Hong, who was booked against UAE days beforehand. A 36th-minute goal from midfielder Yu Genwei... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3104517/day-china-qualified-its-only-fifa-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3104517/day-china-qualified-its-only-fifa-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2020 07:18:25 +0000 Barron Trump is a long-time lover of soccer, going from Arsenal Football Club fan to player for the DC United’s under-12 and Arlington Soccer Association’s under-14 teams. Meanwhile, his father US president Donald Trump is doing everything he can to support Barron’s emerging professional sports career, from singing his praises to the president of Fifa to making introductions to soccer stars. Here are four ways Trump has supported Barron’s sporting aspirations over the past few years. Is Barron... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3102037/donald-trump-soccer-dad-us-president-has-supported-son?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3102037/donald-trump-soccer-dad-us-president-has-supported-son?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2020 05:02:13 +0000 With the Tokyo Olympic Games postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, the vice-president of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, has urged the government to step in and purchase the broadcasting rights – as no local television network can afford the US$70 million fee. We believe the Home Affairs and the Commerce and Economic Development bureaus should work together in a transparent way to ensure the public will have opportunities to watch the Summer Games in 2021, including... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3088024/help-hong-kong-secure-tokyo-olympics-broadcasting-rights-and-keep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3088024/help-hong-kong-secure-tokyo-olympics-broadcasting-rights-and-keep?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2020 23:25:13 +0000 French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain will refuse to allow star strikers Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to play in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics football tournament this summer, according to a report in L’Equipe. World Cup winner Mbappe was named in Sylvain Ripoll’s provisional 80-man France squad on Tuesday, but the French football newspaper reported that PSG had written to the French Football Federation of their intention to not release the 21-year-old. Clubs are under no obligation to release... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3064975/tokyo-2020-psg-deny-mbappe-and-neymar-olympic-call-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3064975/tokyo-2020-psg-deny-mbappe-and-neymar-olympic-call-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2020 06:42:39 +0000 At a little after 1pm last Sunday, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder touched gloves ahead of the biggest fight in heavyweight boxing in two decades. Hong Kong’s fight fans were watching, with bars in Wan Chai busier than they have been in months despite the coronavirus battle gripping the city. Those who stayed away were watching from the sofa but they were not watching on Hong Kong’s television channels. None of them picked up the rights for the fight, forcing fight fans to the pub or to illegal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3052927/hong-kong-broadcast-rights-tokyo-2020-and-2022-world-cup-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3052927/hong-kong-broadcast-rights-tokyo-2020-and-2022-world-cup-air?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Feb 2020 04:00:18 +0000 As statements go, saying you want China to win the Fifa World Cup is as big as they come. That was what then-vice president Xi Jinping did in 2011, when he announced his three dreams for Chinese football: to qualify for, host and then lift a World Cup. Everything since has been framed inside those dreams, even if the dreams themselves have changed after being put down on paper. The dreams seemed even further off at the start of the decade. The decade began with a corruption scandal that saw... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3043564/xi-jinpings-world-cup-dream-tattoo-bans-and-carlos-tevez-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3043564/xi-jinpings-world-cup-dream-tattoo-bans-and-carlos-tevez-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2019 07:00:14 +0000 What most sets women’s professional soccer apart from men’s, gender excepted, is money. The fabulous sums earned by top male players at the English and European club level may reflect television audiences, match crowds and star worship that have created a stratospheric transfer market. But at international level, the inequality of pay and corporate support arguably does not reflect the ability and entertainment value of the best women players, or generate the funding needed to develop the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3017935/women-soccer-players-have-earned-their-due?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3017935/women-soccer-players-have-earned-their-due?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2019 14:08:14 +0000 Spain’s national soccer team coach Luis Enrique has resigned for personal reasons and will be replaced by his number two, Robert Moreno, the country’s soccer federation president Luis Rubiales said in a news conference on Wednesday. “It was a decision Luis Enrique took himself which we are grateful for. We will have a perfect memory of him. It’s a personal matter which doesn’t depend on us. We think it’s the best thing to do,” Rubiales said. BREAKING: Luis Enrique has stepped down as manager... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3015269/spain-coach-luis-enrique-steps-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3015269/spain-coach-luis-enrique-steps-down?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:27:17 +0000 Soccer star Neymar has responded to a woman’s allegation he raped her in Paris by issuing social media posts meant to show the accuser sent friendly messages following the alleged attack, and police turned up at a training session on Sunday to investigate. The Paris Saint-Germain forward arrived by helicopter in Teresopolis, Brazil, where he joined the national team in training for the Copa America tournament that starts June 14 in Brazil, but he made no comment to the news... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3012869/police-probe-neymar-uses-social-media-against-rape-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3012869/police-probe-neymar-uses-social-media-against-rape-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2019 07:14:33 +0000 Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona was released from hospital after being admitted earlier on Friday with internal bleeding in the stomach which was discovered during routine examinations, his daughter Dalma said. “For those who were really worried about my dad I can tell you that he is well,” Dalma wrote on Twitter after fears over her father’s health spread. “He is going home soon.” The 58-year-old was having a routine medical in his homeland before returning to Mexico, where he is coach of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2180823/diego-maradona-out-hospital-after-internal-bleeding-scare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2180823/diego-maradona-out-hospital-after-internal-bleeding-scare?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jan 2019 08:02:47 +0000 Diego Maradona, currently managing Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico’s second tier league, was asked about the level of play in the top tier Liga MX after his side’s 1-0 loss to Juarez on Saturday. Let the deep philosophical ruminations begin: Diego Maradona with one of the greatest post-match interviews ever. pic.twitter.com/GjwjdyTXOq — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 26, 2018 Maradona, who is known for his wild antics on and off the field since, well, the beginning of recorded time, isn’t the first... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2175224/diego-maradona-joins-honey-badger-and-delia-smith-among-ranks-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2175224/diego-maradona-joins-honey-badger-and-delia-smith-among-ranks-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Nov 2018 09:30:24 +0000 Zheping Huang Zheping Huang Armchair managers rejoice!Diehard soccer fans may soon be able to demonstrate they really know better if a French entrepreneur’s idea of selling voting rights on club decisions through cryptocurrency tokens takes off. That moved one step closer after Italian football club Juventus this week unveiled plans to launch tokens for its more than 340 million fans globally as early as the first quarter of next year, which will give them voting rights on some of the club’s decisions. The move comes two... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2165611/online-poker-businessman-behind-plans-juventus-psg-sell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2165611/online-poker-businessman-behind-plans-juventus-psg-sell?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Sep 2018 22:03:37 +0000 Fifa have announced the results of their annual The Best awards at a star-studded ceremony with the biggest surprise that Luka Modric has beaten Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the coveted best men’s player title. Modric pipped his former teammate Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to the award, but the Egyptian forward could console himself with winning the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year. France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe was fourth on the list ahead of Messi. How Messi... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2165625/fifa-best-luka-modric-marta-and-mohamed-salah-triumph-leo-messi-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2165625/fifa-best-luka-modric-marta-and-mohamed-salah-triumph-leo-messi-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Sep 2018 04:25:10 +0000 Spain’s anti-doping agency said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into Valencia and Russia winger Denis Cheryshev, following remarks from his father Dmitri in Russian media about an injection the player took to treat an injury. “We can confirm we have started an investigation to find out more information about the case,” said a spokesman from the Aepsad, the Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sport, which is responsible for the fight against doping. “The investigation is being... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2163985/denis-cheryshev-doping-investigation-russias-world-cup-hero-hot-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2163985/denis-cheryshev-doping-investigation-russias-world-cup-hero-hot-water?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Sep 2018 02:01:55 +0000 Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona said Monday he has left his off-the-pitch issues behind as he was formally introduced as the new coach of Mexican second-tier club Dorados de Sinaloa. Visibly jovial during a news conference at a luxury hotel in the Sinaloa state capital, Culiacan, Maradona assured Dorados fans that he did not come to Mexico for a holiday. “We are all judged and we think we have the word of truth, but how many people are there here who do worse things than us and don’t end... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2163646/world-cup-star-diego-maradona-says-his-pitch-issues-are-past-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2163646/world-cup-star-diego-maradona-says-his-pitch-issues-are-past-after?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Sep 2018 01:56:26 +0000 Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona said Monday he has left his off-the-pitch issues behind as he was formally introduced as the new coach of Mexican second-tier club Dorados de Sinaloa. Visibly jovial during a news conference at a luxury hotel in the Sinaloa state capital, Culiacan, Maradona assured Dorados fans that he did not come to Mexico for a holiday. “We are all judged and we think we have the word of truth, but how many people are there here who do worse things than us and don’t end... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2163645/world-cup-star-diego-maradona-says-his-pitch-issues-are-past-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2163645/world-cup-star-diego-maradona-says-his-pitch-issues-are-past-after?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Sep 2018 01:56:23 +0000 The goals in line for the Puskas Award for the best of the year have been revealed by Fifa. Cristiano Ronaldo is in the top 10 thanks to his overhead kick against Juventus for former club Real Madrid. That goal was recently selected as the Uefa goal of the season. He’s joined by English Premier League top scorer and player of the year Mohamed Salah, who is nominated for his derby day goal against Everton, and former Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale, whose own Uefa Champions League overhead... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2162705/goals-gareth-bale-lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo-and-mohamed-salah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2162705/goals-gareth-bale-lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo-and-mohamed-salah?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Sep 2018 08:56:11 +0000 Brazil’s World Cup flop Neymar put the ridicule he received at Russia 2018 this summer behind him with a goal in PSG’s 4-2 win over Nimes in France’s Ligue 1 on Saturday. Neymar celebrated with a crying motion in front of the home fans, focusing his pre-planned routine and the media cameras, on a banner that referred to him as a “crybaby”. Neymar scores for PSG at Nimes… …and runs straight over to the ‘Neymar is a cry baby’ banner pic.twitter.com/iNFvFNBkFi — ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) 1 September... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2162394/world-cup-crybaby-neymar-mocks-home-fans-after-scoring-paris-saint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2162394/world-cup-crybaby-neymar-mocks-home-fans-after-scoring-paris-saint?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Sep 2018 04:16:10 +0000 A former president of Brazil’s soccer federation was sentenced on Wednesday by a US judge to four years in prison after being convicted on corruption charges related to the bribery scandal at Fifa, the sport’s governing body. Jose Maria Marin, 86, was sentenced by US District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn, New York. He was also fined US$1.2 million and ordered to forfeit US$3.34 million. Marin, the former head of Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), was convicted on December 22 by a federal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2160919/ex-brazilian-soccer-boss-gets-4-years-us-prison-fifa-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2160919/ex-brazilian-soccer-boss-gets-4-years-us-prison-fifa-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Aug 2018 20:31:24 +0000 Fifa has officially eradicated corruption. All it took was pressing the delete key. Football officials and players who bother checking out the new code of ethics governing their conduct will find the word “corruption” missing. They will also discover how to now avoid being banned for paying and receiving bribes. Corruption was scrubbed as an official misdemeanour during secret meetings where executives executed the first overhaul of the code since a wave of scandals left world football’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2159573/fifa-removes-corruption-english-language-code-ethics-and-introduces-10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2159573/fifa-removes-corruption-english-language-code-ethics-and-introduces-10?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Aug 2018 03:18:08 +0000 Retired Brazilian striker Ronaldo has been hospitalised with pneumonia on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza and is recovering well, a local newspaper reported on Sunday. The 41-year-old, widely considered one of the world’s best-ever players, was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Can Misses Hospital on the island on Friday afternoon where he was diagnosed with pneumonia, local daily newspaper Diario de Ibiza reported. Several hours later Ronaldo asked to be transferred to a private... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2159367/former-brazil-striker-ronaldo-hospitalised-pneumonia-spain-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2159367/former-brazil-striker-ronaldo-hospitalised-pneumonia-spain-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Aug 2018 13:48:20 +0000 I refer to Anson Chan’s letter of July 22, on how China can realise its World Cup dreams (“To take China to the Fifa World Cup, focus on teen exports, not imports”). But what about Hong Kong? How can Hong Kong rise to the World Cup group stage? First, we need greater local support. Most Hongkongers only become “avid football fans” during hot-ticket events like the World Cup. I saw an intriguing street interview on Facebook, which tested pedestrians on their knowledge of local football. Most... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2159196/hong-kong-ever-make-it-fifa-world-cup-local-heroes-need-more-our?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2159196/hong-kong-ever-make-it-fifa-world-cup-local-heroes-need-more-our?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Aug 2018 05:04:16 +0000 Football may not be coming home after England missed out of lifting the World Cup, but fans could still net a fortune if they find one of six banknotes featuring Harry Kane’s face that are circulating in the UK. A rare batch of £5 notes has been altered to include England striker Kane’s face on them, in celebration of his Golden Boot heroics at Russia 2018. And the artist who made them has insured them for £50,000 (US$65,360), meaning anyone who finds one could expect to receive that amount at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2158013/harry-kane-five-pound-notes-spark-frantic-search-uk-rare-currency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2158013/harry-kane-five-pound-notes-spark-frantic-search-uk-rare-currency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Aug 2018 09:39:38 +0000 Dozens of screaming fans welcomed Brazil star Neymar on Thursday as he flew in to China to rejoin Paris Saint-Germain after his disappointing World Cup. The world’s most expensive player, wearing a canary-yellow hoodie, posed for pictures with airport staff before his noisy welcome in the arrivals hall. Footage on Neymar’s Twitter account showed him signing Barcelona, Brazil and PSG shirts before being guided through the crowd by minders and security staff. Neymar Jr - China:... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157970/screaming-fans-photos-airport-staff-neymar-back-he-rejoins-psg-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157970/screaming-fans-photos-airport-staff-neymar-back-he-rejoins-psg-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Aug 2018 07:35:50 +0000 Former Manchester United midfield star Michael Carrick is the latest player to receive Fifa 18’s new “end of an era” status. Carrick’s special 94-rated purple and blue card is a part of “Futties”, an end-of-season celebration in the wildly-popular EA Sports video game series’ Fifa Ultimate Team mode. Only Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta, and former Juventus and Italy duo Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo have received the same distinction this year. Players can obtain the 37-year-old Carrick via... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157828/fifa-18-michael-carrick-end-era-sbc-card-puts-manchester-united-legend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157828/fifa-18-michael-carrick-end-era-sbc-card-puts-manchester-united-legend?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Aug 2018 09:27:15 +0000 Lionel Messi has made a career out of embarrassing opposition defenders – but now the Barcelona superstar have even taken to making a fool out of his gigantic dog. The 31-year-old is enjoying some down time on his pre-season break after Argentina’s World Cup campaign fizzled out in the round of 16. A video clip of Messi playing keep away from his massive Dogue de Bordeaux, who is aptly named Hulk, has been doing the rounds on social media this week. And who are we to judge? Everybody unwinds and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157590/lionel-messi-and-his-dog-hulk-playing-football-goes-viral-barcelona?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157590/lionel-messi-and-his-dog-hulk-playing-football-goes-viral-barcelona?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jul 2018 05:20:53 +0000 Soccer’s world governing body, Fifa, has announced a shortlist of 10 candidates for The Best Fifa Men’s Player for 2018 – just weeks after France won the Fifa World Cup 2018 in Russia. The winner of the award, which attempts to recognise the “extraordinary achievements” of soccer players over the past season, will be announced on September 24 at a ceremony held in London. The winner will be decided by votes taken from the following four groups, with equal weighting (25 per cent) given to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2157569/who-will-win-vote-fifas-best-soccer-player-world-2018?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2157569/who-will-win-vote-fifas-best-soccer-player-world-2018?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jul 2018 04:34:07 +0000 Neymar Jnr said post-Russia World Cup that he did not want to see a ball – let alone any football being played – but the Brazilian superstar still managed to squeeze in a kickabout and a few selfies at his own Red Bull Neymar Jnr Fives last week. “Watching him play from the other side of the world is already great, but to see him play five-a-side just five to 10 metres away from you was a delight,” said Hong Kong representative team captain Alvin Chan Hoi-cheung, a former professional for Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2157575/neymar-jnr-fever-team-hong-kong-return-superstars-five-side?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2157575/neymar-jnr-fever-team-hong-kong-return-superstars-five-side?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jul 2018 04:13:49 +0000 Neymar has tackled critics who derided his play-acting at the World Cup, admitting he “overreacts” and blaming his “brat” like behaviour on his inner child. The Brazilian superstar was widely lambasted in Russia for his theatrical reactions to challenges which often left the world’s most expensive footballer wincing and rolling on the ground. “Boot studs on the shins, kick in the spine, stomp on the foot, you may think I overreact, and sometimes I do, but for real? I suffer on the pitch, but you... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157536/neymar-flop-show-and-brattish-behaviour-result-his-inner-child?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157536/neymar-flop-show-and-brattish-behaviour-result-his-inner-child?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jul 2018 15:06:47 +0000 It takes more than 19 years for the average Hongkonger to buy a flat, according to local press reports. So, how many days would it take for some of the world’s best-paid soccer players to buy a HK$10 million (US$1.27 million) Hong Kong flat? Using the salaries posted on the Daily Mirror’s website, let’s see: 1. Neymar (Club: Paris Saint-Germain) Brazilian ace Neymar was one of the most discussed players at this year’s World Cup in Russia – for his theatrical dives and rolling around rather than... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2157462/how-long-would-it-take-top-soccer-star-buy-hk10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2157462/how-long-would-it-take-top-soccer-star-buy-hk10?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jul 2018 08:31:04 +0000 Baseball has suffered a gradual slump in popularity in Japan in recent years, but the author of four bestselling books on the sport is convinced it remains the nation’s favourite game and believes a new “spike” in its popularity could come as soon as August. “When I first came to Japan in the 1960s and right up to the 1990s, there was a game on nationwide television in that ‘golden hour’ slot every night. And every night, they would get 25 million viewers,” said author Robert... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2157153/will-japans-baseball-fans-come-back-author-robert-whiting-thinks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2157153/will-japans-baseball-fans-come-back-author-robert-whiting-thinks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000 The dismal German Fifa World Cup campaign ended not only with an unexpected first-round exit of the previous World Champions, but also in a major socio-political public relations disaster challenging the country’s hard-won reputation as an emerging world leader in morality. Key player Mesut Ozil angrily declared that he would never wear the German jersey again and accused the German Football Association, as well as the German public, media, and some of his sponsors, of implicit or explicit... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2157293/what-ozils-resignation-reveals-about-german-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2157293/what-ozils-resignation-reveals-about-german-political?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jul 2018 13:00:15 +0000 Tormented Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil’s week got a little better on Friday. The former German international was with his club in Singapore as part of their International Champions Cup duty – they were in the city to play Atletico Madrid, a game they eventually lost on penalties – and while Ozil skipped the action, he was welcomed with open arms. “Thanks to the Gunners in Singapore for showing so much love tonight,” the 29-year-old tweeted, accompanying a picture of him greeting the crowd at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157272/racism-football-how-frances-world-cup-success-and-germanys-win-2014?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157272/racism-football-how-frances-world-cup-success-and-germanys-win-2014?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jul 2018 07:32:29 +0000 Ridiculed for fakery at the recent soccer World Cup, Neymar bounced back at cards this week with the aid of some well-timed bluffs, finishing an impressive sixth place in the 288-strong field of a Brazilian Series of Poker event. Neymar, who was in the Brazil side that lost 2-1 to Belgium in the quarter-finals of the World Cup earlier this month, turned his R$7,000 (US$1,877) entry stake into R$79,440 (US$21,308) before being eliminated in the final of the high roller event, organisers... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157116/neymar-shows-poker-skills-bluffs-aplenty-after-world-cup-brazilian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157116/neymar-shows-poker-skills-bluffs-aplenty-after-world-cup-brazilian?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jul 2018 05:23:39 +0000 If you wondered whether famous sporting names carried any clout when it comes to their political opinions, just look at cricketing legend Imran Khan’s imminent crowning as prime minister of Pakistan. The UK is far from having a Donald Trump-style celebrity leader, let alone a sporting figure in charge at No 10 Downing Street – over there, we just give Knighthoods to anyone who achieves anything of note with a bat or ball. That makes Gary Lineker’s willingness to stick his neck out for what he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157029/gary-lineker-brexit-battle-peoples-vote-second-referendum-brave-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2157029/gary-lineker-brexit-battle-peoples-vote-second-referendum-brave-move?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jul 2018 11:30:45 +0000 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed Mohamed Salah’s impact as the playmaker made a scoring return in their 2-1 pre-season win over Premier League rivals Manchester City on Thursday. The Egypt international, who was Liverpool’s top scorer last season with 44 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions, suffered a shoulder injury in the club’s Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid in May. Salah was introduced as a second half substitute in Liverpool’s International Champions Cup clash... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156961/liverpool-v-manchester-city-mo-salahs-scoring-return-pleases-jurgen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156961/liverpool-v-manchester-city-mo-salahs-scoring-return-pleases-jurgen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jul 2018 06:39:00 +0000 France defender Benjamin Pavard’s World Cup wonder strike against Argentina has been named the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament after a public vote. Fifa announced the news on their official website late on Wednesday (Thursday morning Hong Kong time). He beat out competition from Colombia’s Juan Quintero, whose clever free kick in the group stage game against Japan finished second, and Croatia’s Luka Modric who saw his thunderbolt against Argentina, also in the group stages, finish third. But it... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156923/fifa-world-cup-2018-goal-tournament-benjamin-pavard-wins-award-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156923/fifa-world-cup-2018-goal-tournament-benjamin-pavard-wins-award-france?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jul 2018 03:49:43 +0000 Football’s governing body has announced the candidates for its The Best Fifa awards with the men’s player list dominated by stars of the recent World Cup in Russia. World champions France provide three players: Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, Kylian Mbappe on the list while Luka Modric, captain of runners-up Croatia, joins them. Modric took the Golden Ball for best player at the World Cup while Mbappe was named the best young player. Also on the men’s list are Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156773/best-fifa-football-awards-2018-mens-player-nominees-top-10-cristiano?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156773/best-fifa-football-awards-2018-mens-player-nominees-top-10-cristiano?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jul 2018 06:18:16 +0000 Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he phoned Mesut Ozil to back the Arsenal midfielder’s decision to quit the German national team over what he felt was “racism”. The controversy has caused uproar in Germany after Ozil released an explosive four-page statement on social media slamming German football officials, media and fans for mistreating him over a picture taken with Erdogan – who has been accused of human rights abuses – in London before the World Cup. The defending champions... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156760/mesut-ozils-phone-call-erdogan-turkish-president-praises-arsenal-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156760/mesut-ozils-phone-call-erdogan-turkish-president-praises-arsenal-star?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jul 2018 05:23:42 +0000 It won’t have been of any comfort to The Daily Show host Trevor Noah to see Mesut Ozil quit the Germany national team – but it may have provided a bit of vindication. The South African comedian came under fire from French fans and even the country’s ambassador to the United States, Gerard Araud, after joking “Africa won the World Cup” last week. Of the 23-man France squad that triumphed in Russia, 16 players have African heritage, and Noah quipped “they couldn’t get this suntan in the south of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156632/mesut-ozil-treatment-proves-trevor-noahs-fifa-world-cup-point-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156632/mesut-ozil-treatment-proves-trevor-noahs-fifa-world-cup-point-about?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jul 2018 08:26:58 +0000 A Russian court on Monday threw out appeals by members off protest punk group Pussy Riot after they were sentenced to brief jail terms for invading the pitch at the World Cup final. “I consider the punishment lawful and well-founded,” said Moscow City Court Judge Sergei Misyura in comments carried by RIA Novosti news agency as he upheld the 15-day police cell sentences for breaching rules for spectators. The activists – Veronika Nikulshina, Olga Kuracheva, Olga Pakhtusova and Pyotr Verzilov –... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/2156528/russian-court-rejects-appeal-jail-terms-pussy-riot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/2156528/russian-court-rejects-appeal-jail-terms-pussy-riot?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jul 2018 17:30:00 +0000 Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has launched a withering attack on Mesut Ozil after the forward’s decision to quit the German national team. Ozil made the decision in protest at what he feels was racism in some of the criticism he received from Germany officials, fans and media over him posing for a controversial photograph with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the World Cup. The 29-year-old was born in Germany but has Turkish roots, saying in an explosive four-page statement... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156508/uli-hoeness-blasts-mesut-ozil-erdogan-picture-and-quitting-germany-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156508/uli-hoeness-blasts-mesut-ozil-erdogan-picture-and-quitting-germany-he?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:06:06 +0000 Mesut Ozil has quit the German national team, claiming he has been the victim of “racism” in the criticism he has faced since posing for a picture with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Arsenal star posted a four-page statement on Twitter and Instagram on Sunday, announcing he would not be available for international selection going forward. The 29-year-old, who has Turkish roots, had his loyalty to Germany’s squad questioned by German media and fans when he posed for the controversial... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156381/mesut-ozil-quits-germany-football-team-over-racism-row-following?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156381/mesut-ozil-quits-germany-football-team-over-racism-row-following?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jul 2018 02:28:21 +0000 Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticised by a television host for being late and impatient on his promotional tour of China, where a member of his management team reportedly swore in Portuguese on the set of a morning talk show in Beijing. The 33-year-old Portuguese, who sealed a shock move to Juventus earlier this month, is on a promotional tour of China following the World Cup. According to musician and host Gao Xiaosong, Ronaldo’s sponsor asked Gao to interview Ronaldo and promote their brand on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156343/cristiano-ronaldo-chinese-interview-youku-tv-turns-sour-talk-show-host?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156343/cristiano-ronaldo-chinese-interview-youku-tv-turns-sour-talk-show-host?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jul 2018 09:30:15 +0000 An ethnicity is only an ethnicity when it is convenient. Ask the France ambassador to the United States, who claimed in a letter to The Daily Show host Trevor Noah that the players with African backgrounds who helped his country win the Fifa World Cup were “French”. They were not “Africans”, he said, responding to a joke Noah made in an earlier show that Africa won the World Cup. The ambassador was insisting they were French because they had won the World Cup. In most other walks of French life,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156296/fifa-world-cup-trevor-noah-right-france-win-will-just-mask-french?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156296/fifa-world-cup-trevor-noah-right-france-win-will-just-mask-french?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jul 2018 11:24:00 +0000 Neymar has defended himself from accusations of diving and play-acting at the World Cup after being roundly mocked for his theatrics in a social media avalanche of memes. The Brazil star’s dramatics in Russia, where he rolled around on the pitch in feigned agony several times, drew universal criticism from fans and fellow players – other than his own teammates and manager, of course. The most popular meme doing the rounds on Twitter and Instagram is the “Neymar Challenge”, where fans film... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156271/fifa-world-cup-neymar-blames-brazil-diving-dramatics-opponents-trying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156271/fifa-world-cup-neymar-blames-brazil-diving-dramatics-opponents-trying?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jul 2018 07:15:33 +0000 I refer to the letter from Walter Lee, “What France or England at Fifa World Cup could teach China about the value of racially diverse football teams” (July 10). I believe it is difficult to get foreigners to play for China because of immigration policy hurdles. But I do think China should spend more money on sending their teenage footballers overseas to receive better training, rather than hire expensive coaches. An applicant for Chinese citizenship has to show strong relations to the country,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2156097/take-china-fifa-world-cup-focus-teen-exports-not-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2156097/take-china-fifa-world-cup-focus-teen-exports-not-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jul 2018 06:02:48 +0000 The stewards who failed to stop a pitch invasion by members of the Pussy Riot protest group at the World Cup final between France and Croatia will face disciplinary action, tournament organisers said on Friday. Four protesters wearing fake police uniforms ran onto the pitch at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium last Sunday, causing play to stop briefly at the match, which was attended by President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials. Alexei Sorokin, the head of Russia’s World Cup organising... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156257/fifa-world-cup-final-stewards-during-pussy-riots-france-v-croatia-pitch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156257/fifa-world-cup-final-stewards-during-pussy-riots-france-v-croatia-pitch?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jul 2018 03:55:08 +0000 Neymar has been mercilessly mocked for his World Cup diving dramatics, and it seems he’s figured out the only way to ride this one out is to join in the fun. The Brazil star was criticised for throwing himself to the ground and rolling around in feigned agony several times during Russia 2018. His antics spawned the “Neymar Challenge”, where fans filmed themselves rolling around on the floor and screaming in mock pain after someone calls out the Paris Saint-Germain forward’s name. Neymar poked... https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156122/fifa-world-cup-neymar-does-neymar-challenge-psg-star-sees-funny-side?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/soccer/article/2156122/fifa-world-cup-neymar-does-neymar-challenge-psg-star-sees-funny-side?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jul 2018 05:52:09 +0000