Paulo Dybala announced Laures ambassador ahead of 25th World Sports Award anniversary
Dybala won five Serie A titles with Juventus and the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. The Argentine star, who now plays for AS Roma, visited Calcio Insieme on Wednesday, a Rome-based project supported by the AS Roma Foundation, which uses football to help children with intellectual disabilities. More than 30 children and young adults were there to meet the new Laureus Ambassador.
Paulo Dybala said, as quoted by the Laureus Sports press release, "It is a huge honour to join Laureus as an Ambassador. I have been inspired to learn about the incredible work they do, and to see 'sport for good' in action during my visit to Calcio Insieme was a great experience. The Laureus mission, to use sport as a vehicle for societal change, is inspiring and I am looking forward to attending a special 25th anniversary Laureus Awards in Madrid in the company of many sporting legends."
Joining Dybala at this year's Awards show will be a host of champions, including Spanish sporting hero Rafael Nadal. Nadal brought his illustrious career to a close in 2024 after 22 Grand Slams (including 14 French Open titles), two Olympic gold medals, and 81 consecutive matches unbeaten on clay. Nadal has also completed a 'Laureus Slam' as the only athlete to win Breakthrough of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Sportsman of the Year and the Laureus Sport for Good Award.
This year's event will be hosted by ski legend Lindsey Vonn, who won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2011 and picked up the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award eight years later. Vonn - who hosted the virtual Awards in Seville in 2022 - launched a daring comeback in December at the age of 40 and secured her first World Cup podium finish in Idaho last month.
Vonn, a Member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the 69 sporting legends whose votes determine the winners of the Awards, said: "It is a huge thrill to host the Awards once again. I enjoyed the experience virtually three years ago in Seville, but this time it will be even more special with everyone actually in attendance. I've been on both sides of the coin; thankfully, I know what it's like to win a Laureus award, and I also know what it's like to vote. Having this perspective makes me appreciate Laureus even more. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Madrid! Vamos!"
Joining Nominees, Laureus Ambassadors, and Academy Members will be sports fans from the fashion, film, and entertainment industries. Those attending include:
Athletics: Mondo Duplantis, Nawal El Moutawakel, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Tegla Loroupe, Edwin Moses, Letsile Tebogo
Basketball: Rudy Fernandez
Cricket: Steve Waugh
Cycling: Mark Cavendish, Chris Hoy
Football: Thiago Alcantara, Kosovare Asllani, Cafu, Fabio Capello, Fernando Carro, Iker Casillas, Paulo Dybala, Luis de la Fuente, Luis Figo, Ruud Gullit, Robin Le Normand, Rafael Louzan
Gymnastics: Rebeca Andrade, Simone Biles, Nadia Comaneci, Li Xiaopeng
Hockey: Luciana Aymar
Kayaking: Saul Craviotto
Motor Racing: Zak Brown, Emerson Fittipaldi,
Para archery: Matt Stutzman
Para badminton: Qu Zi Mo
Para fencing: Bebe Vio
Para swimming: Daniel Dias, Teresa Perales, Jiang Yuyan
Rowing: Steve Redgrave
Rugby: Sean Fitzpatrick (Laureus Academy Chairman), Bryan Habana, Hugo Porta
Skiing: Lara Gut-Behrami, Eileen Gu, Maria Hofl-Riesch, Lindsey Vonn
Squash: Nicol David
Surfing: Kelly Slater
Swimming: Ariarne Titmus
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Times of Oman
09-08-2025
- Times of Oman
High hopes on Carlos Queiroz as he begins his coaching assignment with Oman team
Muscat: Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz will begin his coaching assignment with the Oman national football team, a move that holds great hope for the team's historic first qualification for the World Cup finals. The team will play in the fourth round of the qualifiers, which will be held next October. Group A includes Qatar and the UAE, in addition to the Oman national team. Queiroz is one of the most prominent coaches on the international stage, having coached major national teams such as Portugal, Colombia, Iran, and South Africa, in addition to serving as assistant to legendary Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and coaching Real Madrid. Sports analyst Hilal bin Salem Al-Mukhaini said: "There is no disagreement about the distinguished resume of coach Carlos Queiroz. He is a big name in the world of coaching, and possesses extensive and diverse experience with international teams. From this perspective, I see signing him as an important step for the national team, provided that this step is supported by hard work and sufficient time for the coach to implement his technical ideas." In a statement to the Oman News Agency, he indicated that there are some reservations regarding the future work programme that the coach will present. Despite his extensive experience, Queiroz has not always achieved the desired goals in some of his previous positions. Although he led the Iranian national team to qualify for the World Cup finals twice, this in itself is not a sufficient measure, given that the Iranian team is accustomed to qualifying. He added that the time remaining before the qualifiers is sufficient for any serious coach to build a comprehensive technical team, especially given Queiroz's solid track record and extensive experience in the qualifiers. "This is an additional strength, especially since he knows the teams we will face in the group and has previously worked in these environments," added. He explained that there are real challenges, most notably raising the technical and physical level of the players, something that is currently not sufficiently available in our local competitions or in the clubs' training programmes. "Furthermore, the players' response to the coach's ideas must be swift, as time cannot tolerate delay. In this context, I believe that providing high-level international matches will be a decisive factor in helping Queiroz implement his programme and achieve his desired goals." For his part, former international player Fawzi Bashir said: 'The name Carlos Queiroz is well known. He is a great coach with a long and successful experience in leading teams to the World Cup finals, such as the Iranian national team. He is also no stranger to the region, having worked with Gulf clubs and national teams, and this is an important positive factor, especially since we will be playing the play-off against teams from the same environment, which gives him an advantage in knowing the nature of the Gulf player and how to deal with him.' Bashir added: "Queiroz has a leadership personality and extensive experience in his coaching career, and he is - without a doubt - a qualitative addition to the national team at this stage. I believe that his selection was a good decision by the Oman Football Association, especially since the journey to qualify for the World Cup requires a great deal of integrated work from everyone, whether from the technical, administrative, or media staff, as well as from the fans. The greatest burden will also be on the players, and they undoubtedly realize the extent of the responsibility, and they will be up to the task." He pointed out that the timing of the appointment was very appropriate, as it provides an opportunity to make up for lost time and prepare well. "We hope that this decision will be a positive turning point in the journey of Omani sports, and that it will contribute to the development of the national team technically, mentally and physically. The presence of Queiroz at the helm of the technical staff will benefit the players from his extensive experience. The main goal is clear, which is to reach the World Cup finals, in addition to developing a number of technical and physical aspects of our football system in general." Sports journalist Walid bin Zaher Al-Abri explained that the move to hire Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz was necessary in light of the national team's below-optimistic technical and physical performance in its last two matches. He added: "The national team did not perform at the required level, technically and physically, against middle-ranking teams in Asia, and suffered a 3-0 defeat to Kyrgyzstan, a result that has not happened in the qualifiers since our loss to Qatar in 2001, despite facing major teams such as Iran, South Korea, and Japan." He praised the move to hire Queiroz, saying: "When we talk about Queiroz, we're talking about a coach with a leadership personality and extensive experience. He has previously led national teams on four different continents, and has also played 36 World Cup qualifiers with Iran. Although his recent experiences with Colombia and Qatar were not successful, his team Egypt reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, losing on penalties. He also failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup on penalties." He explained that Queiroz is capable of bringing about a technical shift in the national team, but significant challenges await him, most notably getting to know the players, especially given that the league is suspended and the Omani national team's environment is different from that of previous national teams he has coached, such as Iran, Colombia, and Egypt, which have strong leagues and players who are professionals in Europe. He noted that the average age of the national team is high, which are challenges Queiroz must address. He also noted that Queiroz's defensive style may not suit Omani players, but play-off matches are won, not played for a draw. He expressed hope that the Central Asian Championship would help shape the starting lineup ahead of the matches against Qatar and the UAE. National coach Nasser bin Mohammed Al-Hajri said: "The change was inevitable, even though the move carried some risk, especially given that our team's qualification for the play-offs was not convincing from a technical standpoint. We faced great difficulty until the final moments of our last match against Palestine, and qualification was only decided by a penalty kick in stoppage time." In a statement to the Oman News Agency, he pointed out that the most important question at this stage is: "Is Queiroz the most suitable? In my opinion, yes. He possesses sufficient technical experience and has previously led major teams to the World Cup finals. He also has a good understanding of the nature of the game in the Gulf region, which gives him an advantage, especially since our upcoming play-off matches will be against Qatar and the UAE." He explained that Queiroz's biggest challenge currently is his lack of familiarity with the players, especially since the league is currently on hiatus, which could make it difficult for him to directly evaluate them. However, the presence of national assistant coach Hamad Al-Azani, who has extensive experience and a thorough knowledge of the players, will be a key factor in facilitating Queiroz's task of selecting the most appropriate lineup during this sensitive phase. Oman's national team will begin its first match in the fourth round of the qualifiers against Qatar, the host of Group A, on October 8 at Al Thumama Stadium in the Qatari capital, Doha. In the second match, it will face the UAE national team at the same stadium. This will be preceded by a training camp in Turkey, scheduled to start on August 20 and continue until the national team participates in the Central Asian Football Federation Championship, which will be the final preparation stage before the Asian play-offs.
Observer
07-08-2025
- Observer
Müller still hungry for titles with new club
BERLIN: Thomas Müller is still hungry for titles as he starts"an adventure" with new club Vancouver Whitecaps after 25 years at Bayern Munich, the only team he has ever played professional football until now. "Anyone who knows me knows that I'm keen on winning titles. Sport is still the most important thing for me even if I consciously took a step out of Europe," he said in an interview with news portal One Soccer. "It's important to me that when I play it's about sporting success,that's what I've always strived for." After months of speculation, Müller announced the transfer to the MLS side on Wednesday. The 2014 World Cup winner was not given a contract extension at Bayern this summer and left the club for which he won countless titles, including trebles in 2013 and 2020. Müller said in an interview with his new club that he talked to former Bayern team-mate and Canada international Alphonso Davies about the transfer. "I talked to Alphonso, he told me a lot of good things about the city and about the Whitecaps, so I was a little bit pumped," Müller said."The decision was made before or in between, so I didn't need Alphonso's opinion but it was important for me just to double check." Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said that their strategy to sign the player was "convincing him about our sporting project, where we are with the team, what kind of team we are, having a long conversation with Jesper Sørensen, head coach about how he would fit into this team, how we would use him, where he could help." Müller is to make his debut on August 17 in the home game against Houston Dynamo FC. "The colors of the jersey are of course completely different from what I was used to at Bayern. I still get on very well with it, of course, because the Bavarian flag also includes white and blue," he said. The Whitecaps revealed that Müller will be available for the club upon the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate, visa and work permit. He is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver next Wednesday. To complete the signing, they acquired Müller's MLS Discovery Priority from FC Cincinnati in exchange for a total of $300,000. The MLS is heading towards the end of its regular season, which will have its final match-day on October 18. The Whitecaps are currently second in the Western Conference, which would grant them a spot in the play-offs. "If you look at where the Whitecaps are currently in the table and how the development of the last few years have gone you have to be honest," Müller said. "The management of the Whitecaps and the coach have shown me where it is to go in the next one or two years. It cleary goes in the direction of titles." — dpa
Observer
05-08-2025
- Observer
Oman need smart work to achieve WC dream: Queiroz
MUSCAT: The newly appointed national team head coach, Carlos Queiroz, voiced strong determination in his strategic vision to lead Oman to its historic debut at the Fifa World Cup 2026 during the first official press conference which took place on Tuesday at the Oman Football Association (OFA) headquarters in Seeb Stadium. Speaking to media representatives, the experienced Portuguese tactician affirmed that the task ahead is challenging but achievable through collective effort and intelligent preparation. 'We will work in a smart way to secure the desired target and register success. Reaching the Fifa World Cup is not just about football but it is about putting Oman's name, culture and pride on the global map,' he said. Since arriving in Oman, Queiroz wasted no time in assessing the football landscape. He closely reviewed the domestic players, attended the Super Cup and the recently concluded friendly tournament in Salalah, and held some meetings with local club coaches. 'I have already begun a full evaluation of the team and the players. Most of the squad featured in the Salalah tournament. I know the challenges are tough, but I believe in smart work, not just hard work,' he stated. Queiroz highlighted that the mission of qualifying to the World Cup is a shared responsibility. 'This is a job for everyone including players, clubs, officials, media and fans. If we work against each other, we will fail. But if we come together, we can snatch this golden opportunity. Oman is a nation of five million hearts, but we must beat as one,' he said. Carlos Queiroz affirmed that the task ahead is challenging but achievable through collective effort and intelligent preparation. The coach also called on fans to act as the "12th player", urging them to support the team with passion during both training and matches. Queiroz stressed the importance of proper preparation, outlining the team's training schedule. The first domestic camp will begin on Wednesday in Muscat at Seeb Stadium excluding players from Seeb Club due to their participation in the AFC Champions League Two. A key overseas training camp will follow in Istanbul from August 19, which may include friendly matches including one of them tentatively set for August 27. The squad will then travel to Uzbekistan to participate in the Central Asia tournament before resuming domestic league duties. The technical staff supporting Queiroz will include Rogerio De Sa as assistant coach, Hamed al Azani as first assistant, Carlos Marques as fitness coach, Vasco Evora as goalkeeper coach, Eduardo Vingada as scouting analyst, Bruno Fidalgo as team/player analyst, and Ibrahim Al Mayahi as assistant analyst. OFA spokesperson Saif al Jabri reiterated the association's full backing for the coach. 'Queiroz has not come for just two matches. He is here for the long term, and the contract is renewable,' he stated. Queiroz concluded the press conference by reaffirming his commitment: 'I do not have a fixed percentage for success as it depends on our collaboration, our smart work, and our preparation. But rest assured, I will give my best to leave a legacy for Oman football.' With the final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 set to begin in October, Oman are placed in Group A alongside Qatar and the UAE, with all matches scheduled in Doha.
