Latest news with #FifaWorldCup
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
UAE take on Qatar, Oman in 2026 World Cup qualifiers
The UAE will face Qatar and Oman for a place in the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the governing body announced on Thursday. Qatar will host the Group B matches in the fourth round of the qualifiers in October. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia were drawn to take on Iraq and Indonesia in Group A. The winners of each of the three-team groups, which will be played in October, will join already-qualified Australia, Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Iran and Jordan at next year's expanded 48-nation finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Group B hosts Qatar, organisers of the 2022 World Cup but who have never qualified for the finals, will take on Oman in their first game on Oct. 8. UAE will face the Omanis on Oct. 11, with Qatar and the UAE meeting on Oct. 14. Saudi Arabia, who are attempting to qualify for a seventh World Cup finals since 1994, will host Group A and open against Indonesia on Oct. 8. Indonesia will then play Graham Arnold's Iraq on Oct. 11 before the Saudis and Iraq face off on Oct. 14. The nations finishing in second place in each group will advance to a further round of qualifying, which will be held over two legs in November on a home-and-away basis. Asia has been granted eight guaranteed berths at the finals. A possible ninth berth is available to the winner of November's match-up via an intercontinental playoff in March. The UAE are attempting to the qualify for the World Cup for the first time since their debut appearance at Italia 1990. The Whites finished third in the third round of qualifiers behind Iran and Uzbekistan in Group A, missing out on a direct berth for the World Cup. Cosmin Olariu's team now gets another shot at glory.
Observer
4 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Oman set for WC 2026 playoff draw
MUSCAT, JULY 16 The Oman national football team will learn their fate in the decisive stage of the Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers as the playoff round draw will take place on Thursday at 11:00 am (Oman time). The draw which will be held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Malaysia, will mark the beginning of Oman's last and most crucial push to achieve a historic maiden qualification to the Fifa World Cup. The forthcoming phase of Oman's football will be led by the veteran Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz, who was officially appointed as head coach on Tuesday by the Oman Football Association (OFA). The OFA confirmed the appointment via an official media statement on its social media platforms, expressing confidence in Queiroz's ability to take Red Warriors into new heights. Queiroz, whose illustrious coaching career includes spells with the national teams of Iran, Egypt, Colombia, and South Africa, as well as a tenure as assistant manager of Manchester United, will bring a wealth of tactical international experience. His leadership is expected to be a key factor as Oman prepares to navigate one of the toughest phases in Asian football qualification. He will assisted by the Omani experienced coach Hamed al Azzani who is also in charge of Oman U-19 head coach. The AFC playoff round will feature six teams including: Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE as all of them finished third and fourth in their respective groups during the third round of qualification. These teams will be split into two groups of three, with only the group winners earning direct tickets to the Fifa World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Each group will play in a single round-robin format hosted at centralised venues. The Qatar Football Association and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation have been confirmed as the official hosts for the playoff stage. The draw pots will be based on Fifa Men's World Rankings as of June 13 as Qatar (53) and Saudi Arabia (58) in Pot one while Iraq (59) and United Arab Emirates (66) will be set at pot two. Oman (79) and Indonesia (118) are in pot three. The playoff set to be held during October 8 to 14 in Doha and Riyadh cities. Carlos Queiroz Oman's fans hopes are high with the new leadership of Carlos Queiroz and the experience of a battle-hardened squad. All the audience will aim that Oman can make a historic breakthrough and join the global elite at the Fifa World Cup for the first time in the history. The two teams which will end as runner-up in their group, they will still have a final opportunity to qualify through a Knockout Stage scheduled for November 13 and 18. The winner of that tie will progress to the Fifa intercontinental Play-Off tournament, offering one last chance at securing qualification.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Inside America's budget-friendly, BBQ-obsessed World Cup city
My first time seeing Kansas City 's streetcar roll by was a little like watching Doc Brown's DeLorean from Back to the Future suddenly appearing in 1955. The American Midwest, with its wide, valley-like streets and cartoonishly huge cars, feels like no home for such a jarringly European sight. But Kansas City isn't like most Midwest cities. Not only has this sleek tram been trundling through downtown KC (as locals call it) for almost 10 years, its 2.2-mile track is in the process of being extended (almost doubling in length) and – best of all – riding is completely free of charge. Sure, it's not the New York subway, but this is also no white elephant. And while it won't put Kansas City on the map in the same way Taylor Swift's appearances at Kansas City Chiefs NFL games have, it's a sign of a surprisingly progressive city on the rise and one that will be hosting six matches at the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Straddling the state line between Missouri and Kansas, the city was a vital trading post and frontier crossroads on the mighty Missouri River when it was founded in the 1830s. A century later, the city developed an anarchic reputation under mob boss Tom Pendergast as prohibition gripped the US and its smoke-filled jazz clubs and brooding speakeasies attracted celebrities, politicians, misfits and deviants. Today, KC is a sprawling metropolis of 500,000, with its stocky skyline a hodgepodge of featureless glass towers and gorgeous Art Deco skyscrapers under a dome of great Midwest sky. Bright blue mornings at my riverside hotel are often pierced by the distant horn of incoming freight trains. It's a nostalgic sound, like the howl of a lost America as it thunders past languid cornfields and lonely telephone lines. The grandiose Union Station, completed in 1914, welcomed its last passenger train in the late 1980s and has since been converted into an airy gathering space with a science museum, cinema, restaurant and other attractions. But this repurposed station is just one of many reasons for visitors to attend games in budget-friendly Kansas City, away from the eyewatering prices found in other notoriously expensive host cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles. My own personal fascination with this city starts with the flame, however. 'BBQ may not be the road to world peace, but it's a start,' once said the iconic food and travel raconteur Anthony Bourdain. And in this city, it's over hearty slabs of beef brisket, tender burnt ends and glistening pork ribs where people bond. The Kansas City metro area has over 100 BBQ joints, so if there's one place to be a little looser with the wallet, it's at one of these distinctly American restaurants. Opened back in 1908, the OG is Arthur Bryant's in the historic 18th and Vine neighbourhood. Like all good BBQ joints, I can smell the smoke-charred aromas as I cross the street, and inside there's a reassuringly long line to the counter. The same succulent ribs I eventually savour a little later on had also been enjoyed in the past by the likes of presidents Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter, such is the fame of Arthur Bryant's. But as legendary as this place is, it's independent modern spots like Chef J BBQ, Q39 and Slaps BBQ that have truly mastered the craft. And since life is short, make sure to order the most gut-busting, indulgent platter on the menu for a true taste of KC. In fact, so intensely does this city worship at the altar of the flame that in April 2025 it opened the world's first Museum of BBQ (entry $10). Located in the sprawling Crown Center near the National WWI Museum and Memorial (entry $19.50), it's a playful meander through BBQ's regions, wood, sauces, people and every other flavour component imaginable. Later that evening in downtown KC, I head over to another local culinary institution. Town Topic Hamburgers' no-nonsense, wallet-friendly burgers are the antithesis of the messy, sky-high sandwiches often found at trendy food trucks in the UK for upwards of £12. A standard hamburger here will set you back just $5.35, but I choose the $9.25 double cheeseburger. It's a greasy but tightly packed nirvana of beef patties, melted cheese, onions and mushrooms which, crucially, can be held in just one hand (something of a lost art these days). Back at 18th and Vine, this neighbourhood was once Kansas City's jazz mecca, where the art form flourished in the 1930s and 40s and where local virtuosos like Charlie Parker got their break. Once a Beale or Bourbon St of the Midwest, the area fell into dilapidation but still holds onto its distinct character and is home to the colourful American Jazz Museum (entry $10). Next door is the Blue Room jazz club, with quality acts at the weekend and free jam sessions on Monday nights. A five-minute stroll south on Vine St, you'll find Vine St Brewing Co, which is truly breathing new life into the area – as Missouri's first Black-owned brewery, their distinct blend of craft beer, bold art and hip hop is a joy to experience. There's talk of a streetcar line to 18th and Vine one day, but for now the focus is on extension from KC's burgeoning riverfront district all the way down to the University of Missouri-Kansas City at the southern end of downtown, where the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art form a free-of-entry double act. Along with the Kansas City Art Institute, they'll make up the 'Arterie', an art-themed walk between all of the galleries starting at the Art Museum's streetcar stop. At the Missouri riverfront, the streetcar extension is already paying dividends in a once-neglected area, with my slick new Origin Hotel and the waterside beer garden of Two Birds One Stone making for a breezy atmosphere as the milky orange sun dips beneath the river every evening. A stone's throw away is CPKC Stadium, home of the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League and the first stadium purpose-built exclusively for a professional women's soccer team. And in downtown, the soon-to-open The Dub will be the city's first bar devoted entirely to women's sports. Soccer isn't the only sport in town here. When the World Cup is on at Arrowhead Stadium, tickets for neighbouring Kansas City Royals baseball games can often be found for as little as $20. And even if you're not enthralled by the action on the field, the cavernous stadium is also home to an outpost of arguably the most celebrated of all KC's BBQ restaurants - Joe's Kansas City BBQ. The flame can't be avoided in this city, so order in Joe's famous Z-Man Sandwich, embrace it, devour it and thank me later. Getting there There are no direct flights between the UK and Kansas City. Instead, connect to Kansas City International Airport (MCI) via Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) or Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Flight time from both of these is under two hours and numerous flights operate on American Airlines. Opened in 2024, the smart 118-room Origin Hotel faces the Missouri River and its on-site restaurant Show Pony dishes up farm-to-table American fare. With the streetcar station opening soon, the hotel's great waterfront location is enhanced further by the hotel offering free bikes for cycling along the Riverfront Heritage Trail.
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Gayton McKenzie names potential sponsors for South African F1 Grand Prix
Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has given the strongest indication yet that the country may be close to securing a round of the Formula One championship at Kyalami. Speaking to parliament on Tuesday, he said after meetings with the management of F1, the 'crucial one' would happen in the next two weeks and would be attended by potential sponsors ready to fund the event, which reputedly costs about R2bn. Expected to take place in 2027, it would be the first F1 race to be held in South Africa since 1993, a grand prix won by Alain Prost in a Williams. McKenzie's comments come after Kyalami was recently given the green light for upgrades by the FIA, the organisation that runs F1 racing. Kyalami owner Toby Venter revealed last month the FIA had accepted final design proposals to upgrade the 4.5km circuit from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status, the international standard required to host Formula One racing. The upgrade requires no change to the circuit layout and focuses on enhancing run-off areas, barrier systems, debris fencing, kerbs and drainage. 'When we hosted the Fifa World Cup, we put our country on the map to host big events, and we should not turn back now,' McKenzie told parliament on Tuesday. 'What will be different this time is that government will not be expected to pay. Companies such as MTN, MultiChoice, Heineken and many more have raised their hands and will be present with us in the meeting with Formula One management at the end of the month. 'We've even had patriots saying whenever you need help come to us, one of them being the richest man in the country, Johann Rupert.' In December McKenzie set up an F1 bid steering committee to consider submissions from local promoters and three were received: one from Kyalami and two from Cape Town. While no official announcement has been made about which bid was successful, it is all but certain that Kyalami, which hosted its first F1 race in 1967 and has long held a prominent place in local motorsport, is the preferred option. Several attempts to bring the Grand Prix back to the country were thwarted due to the high cost of hosting the event. As a motorsport fan, McKenzie has campaigned for the country to be on the F1 calendar since his appointment as sports minister in July 2024. He said F1 can't be considered a world championship if it misses an entire continent. Morocco and South Africa have hosted world championship grands prix in the past, Casablanca in 1958, South Africa in East London in the 1960s and Kyalami 20 times between 1967 and 1993. McKenzie kick-started the process when he met Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September. He said many laughed when he said Formula One should come back to South Africa. 'To those who say the country can't afford to host the F1, I'm saying the country can't afford not to host it,' he said, referring to the economic benefits he believed the event could bring in terms of tourism and temporary job creation. It is not known how much tickets would cost, but they are likely to be expensive. The cheapest adult ticket at this year's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne was about R2,000.
Business of Fashion
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business of Fashion
Exclusive: ‘Love' Magazine Relaunches Under New Creative Direction
Five years after it ceased publication, Love magazine, known for its subversive fashion spreads, is relaunching independently in September. An investor pool, of which creative conglomerate The Independents is a minority shareholder, bought the publication's IP from Condé Nast, which until this year housed Love in its stable of publications. Juan Costa Paz and Nordine Benotmane, co-founders of Paris-based creative and brand strategy agency Convoy, are leading the relaunch. Costa Paz said he and Benotmane identified the opportunity to bring back the publication — which had been dormant since founder Katie Grand's departure in 2020 — while he was working at Condé Nast as global creative director for Vogue. The market, they felt, lacked a 'cultural fashion magazine' that more directly reflected a Parisian point of view, said Costa Paz — the two are based in the city. 'It's usually the English that always championed that kind of crossroad between culture and fashion,' he added, citing publications like i-D and Dazed. ADVERTISEMENT The two plan to retain the sharp visual and editorial point of view Love was known for in its heyday, but in this new iteration they want to provide a broader global view of the intersections between fashion and culture. They also hope to look beyond traditional fashion capitals and highlight regions such as South America and Africa. In addition to broadening its international outlook, the publication will lean into 'documentary fashion stories,' said Costa Paz, where fashion plays a supporting role in telling broader stories about technology — for example, the topic of digital twins — politics and more. The first edition of the biannual magazine's new era will be released in September. 90,000 copies of each edition will be distributed worldwide, and the print magazine itself will be designed to be seen as a 'collectible object,' said Benotmane, with a theme for each issue. As magazines face unprecedented challenges in a digital-driven world, the new Love will also extend beyond its core print issues and operate as more of a 'media platform' and space for 'creative exchange,' said Benotmane. In addition to the biannual editions, it will release digital content, special print editions, events and merchandise created alongside brand partners. 'If you're going to start a magazine in 2025 pretending it's still the '90s, it's not going to happen. It's a very different world,' said Costa Paz. 'Magazines today need to feel alive. Magazines need to be like a living, breathing organism.' Still, they'll take a considered approach to digital, not wanting 'to overwhelm people with content,' said Benotmane. The pair also hopes to share content that speaks to audiences beyond fashion insiders. Its special editions will be focused, too, highlighting specific cities and events like the 2026 Fifa World Cup and providing opportunities to double down on events — another key element of the new Love ecosystem, supported by the Convoy team's experience designing events like Vogue World. 'Today the role of a magazine should be more about creating the moment, as opposed to being on the outside, reporting on these moments,' said Costa Paz. The team plans to collaborate with brand partners and artists to create products alongside the events, like exhibitions, concerts and sports matches, to further extend the magazine's cultural impact and presence. While the team still hasn't decided if they'll revive Love's best-known asset — its advent calendar, a video series released each December featuring celebrities in lingerie — Costa Paz and Benotmane hope to recreate the calendar's franchise model with recurring events across other cultural spheres. 'You're taking the principle of a print product and you're applying it to events,' said Costa Paz. 'You're becoming something that becomes expected in one way or another.'
