Sports
The World Cup is half over, with 54 of 104 matches complete
“The best is yet to come,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told SNTV earlier this week.”
• United States’ Alex Freeman (16), second left, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — It’s halftime at the World Cup.
Take a break, everyone.Wednesday marked the midpoint of the 104-match tournament — technically, just past the midpoint, with 54 matches now in the books and 50 remaining before a World Cup champion is crowned in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.
The U.S. has reached the Round of 32, which shouldn’t be surprising. Mexico and Canada, the other host nations for this biggest World Cup in history, are also through to the knockout stage. And the stars are positively shining: Argentina’s Lionel Messi has five goals to kick-start what he hopes is a run toward a second consecutive World Cup title. France’s Kylian Mbappé has four, as do Norway’s Erling Haaland and Brazil’s Vinicius Júnior.
Stadiums are mostly filled; FIFA is touting record attendance.
And there have been some feel-good stories, most notably the tale of Cape Verde goalie Vozinha and how his mother was able to come to this World Cup.
“The best is yet to come,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told SNTV earlier this week.
In other words, the second half of this tournament — just like the second half of matches — is when things might get really good.
Sports
Mbappé wins Onze d’Or award for 2025/26 season
The Spanish club announced the award on Monday, October 19, saying Mbappé received 48.2 per cent of the votes to claim the honour for the first time in his career.
•Kylian Mbappé
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has won the Onze d’Or award for the best player of the 2025/26 season, following a vote by readers of French magazine Onze Mondial.
The Spanish club announced the award on Monday, October 19, saying Mbappé received 48.2 per cent of the votes to claim the honour for the first time in his career.
Paris Saint-Germain players João Neves and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia finished second and third, with 11.9 per cent and 10.8 per cent of the votes, respectively, according to Real Madrid.
In a statement published on its official website, the club said the French forward was the leading scorer in both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga during the 2025/26 season.
Sports
Ronaldo Gets 30-Day Suspension For Portugal Camp Walkout
Ronaldo’s suspension takes effect from the day of the Denmark match, meaning he has already served 19 days of his ban and will complete it by the end of October.
•Cristiano Ronaldo /AFP
Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF), the official governing body of football in Portugal on Monday handed Cristiano Ronaldo a 30-day suspension for leaving the Portuguese national team camp during the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) nations league.
The 41-year-old left the Portugal camp on September 30, before accusing coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word about giving him game time.
Ronaldo apologised to supporters earlier in October, adding he would accept any punishment that was imposed.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who will also have to pay a fine of 255 euros ($286), has received the minimum penalty provided for in the federation’s regulations, which stipulate suspensions of between one and six months for leaving the national team.
Ronaldo left Portugal’s squad after first being made to warm up as a substitute against Norway on September 27 and not brought on, and then finding out he would not start against Denmark in the match on October 1.
Ronaldo’s suspension takes effect from the day of the Denmark match, meaning he has already served 19 days of his ban and will complete it by the end of October.
Sports
CAF Increases Annual Funding for Member Federations to $700,000
The funding has climbed in stages. It stood at $200,000 in 2021, rose to $400,000, then to $525,000, and now sits at $700,000.
•CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has raised the maximum annual subvention available to each of its 54 member associations to $700,000.
The new figure is a 33% increase on the previous allocation of $525,000.
The adjustment continues a steady rise in direct funding to national football governing bodies under CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe.
Under the revised framework, each member association will now receive up to $700,000 yearly.
Across all 54 federations, the maximum annual allocation could reach about $37.8 million.
The difference of $175,000 per federation adds up to roughly $9.45 million in potential extra annual funding across the continent.
That gives CAF a bigger financial footprint in football development programmes.
Since 2021, the annual allocation per member association has moved from $200,000 to $700,000, a 250% growth over four years.
The funding has climbed in stages. It stood at $200,000 in 2021, rose to $400,000, then to $525,000, and now sits at $700,000. In four years, CAF has added $500,000 to what each federation can access annually.
Mbappé wins Onze d’Or award for 2025/26 season
Ronaldo Gets 30-Day Suspension For Portugal Camp Walkout
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