The president of Iran’s soccer federation says he does not know if the national team can play World Cup matches in the United States following the surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment of his country.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 as Iran traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by the bombardment.
The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continued for a second day on Sunday after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threw the future of the Islamic Republic into uncertainty and raised the risk of regional instability.
Iran has been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and is scheduled to play in Los Angeles – where it faces New Zealand and Belgium on June 15 and 21, respectively – before it plays Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The United States is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11-July 19.
Fans from Iran were already banned from entering the U.S. in the first iteration of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration.
FIFA did not immediately reply to an email from The Associated Press over the current situation regarding Iran’s participation in the World Cup. (JapanToday)
Arsenal passed the latest test of its Premier League title credentials with a crucial 2-1 win against Chelsea on Sunday, and Manchester United climbed up to third by beating Crystal Palace 2-1 to boost its pursuit of a return to the Champions League.
Jurrien Timber’s second-half goal saw Arsenal re-establish a five-point lead over second-place Manchester City after Pep Guardiola’s team kept the pressure on at the top by beating Leeds on Saturday.
Victory against Chelsea saw Arsenal overcome another of its major rivals and move a step closer to a first league title since 2004. It leaves the visit to City next month as potentially the last major hurdle for Mikel Arteta’s team, which has no other games against the rest of the current top seven in the standings.
“We have the feeling that we have to win and win and win. You win so many games, but it is not enough to open the gap. That is the level of this league,” Arteta said.
Benjamin Sesko’s seventh goal in eight games sealed victory for United against Palace and moved it above Aston Villa in third on goal difference.
At the other end of the standings, Tottenham’s winless run extended to 10 games after a 2-1 loss at Fulham — leaving it mired in a fight to avoid relegation. Nottingham Forest also failed to pull further away from the drop zone after a 2-1 loss at Brighton.
Arsenal had to respond after City closed the gap to two points a day earlier. And if Arsenal goes on to claim the title, it may well look back on this win as a decisive moment.
Even when down to 10 men, after Pedro Neto was sent off in the second half, Chelsea pushed deep into added time for an equalizer.
David Raya produced a stunning save to push Alejandro Garnacho’s goalbound cross away as the seconds ran down at the Emirates. And the home fans breathed a sigh of relief when Liam Delap’s goal was ruled out for offside in the dying moments.
In the end, Arsenal’s threat from set pieces proved the difference again. William Saliba put the home team in front, converting from a corner after 21 minutes.
And after Piero Hincapie’s own-goal got Chelsea back into the game in first-half added time, Timber headed in from another corner in the 66th.
With 16 goals from corners this season, Arsenal has tied the record for a Premier League season, according to stats provider Opta.
“It feels like a big result,” United captain Bruno Fernandes said after his team beat Palace.
United’s latest win boosted its push for a return to the Champions League and further strengthened Michael Carrick’s credentials to be given the coach’s job on a long-term basis.
He remains unbeaten since being given a contract to the end of the season in January, with a record of six wins in seven games. His cause may also have been helped after overcoming a Palace team coached by Oliver Glasner, who was one of the early favorites to get the job when United fired Ruben Amorim at the start of the year.
Over two spells as United coach, Carrick has picked up 23 points from nine games. Opta said it was the joint highest points total for a manager after his first nine games in the league’s history — equaling Ange Postecoglou’s start at Tottenham.
“This place means a lot to me so to have the sort of positivity and everyone enjoying going to the games and watching it and for me to have an influence on that, I’m not going to lie, it feels good,” Carrick said. (JapanToday)
Lazar Samardzic slotted home a stoppage-time penalty to complete a dramatic 4-1 victory for Atalanta against Borussia Dortmundon Wednesday, sending the Italian side into the Champions League’s last 16 with a comeback 4-3 aggregate triumph.
Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta’s Nikola Krstovic in the penalty area and Samardzic converted the spot kick in the 98th minute to send the Italians through. Atalanta will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16, with the draw on Friday.
The hosts had to fight back following last week’s 2-0 loss in Germany, and Gianluca Scamacca tapped in at the far post to give them a fifth-minute lead as they got off to a dream start. Dortmund had their share of chances but it was their keeper, Gregor Kobel, who was busiest in the first half, twice denying Nicola Zalewski. He was beaten, however, on the stroke of half-time when Davide Zappacosta’s shot was deflected into the net off Bensebaini to make it 2-0.
The Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi made the save of the match when he tipped Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide in the 49th minute, to protect their two-goal advantage. Dortmund went even closer in the 53rd with Maximilian Beier’s shot bouncing off the post. Instead it was the hosts who scored again thanks to Mario Pasalic’s header at the far post to go 3-0 up and take control of the tie.
Dortmund, however, hit back with the substitute Karim Adeyemi adding instant pace to their game and curling his 75th-minute shot into the top corner as the visitors pushed to take the contest into extra time.
But Bensebaini then tried to clear a cross in the box with a backheel, catching the head of Krstovic who went down bleeding. The hosts were awarded a penalty following a lengthy VAR review and Samardzic beat Kobel to send his team through with the last kick of the game.
The Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac said he went through “a whirlwind of emotions” in the final seconds. “When the referee decided for a penalty, I didn’t know who would take it. All our penalty takers had been substituted, but luckily Lazar converted brilliantly,” Kolasinac told DAZN.
Emre Can, the Dortmund captain, said his error-prone side deserved their elimination. “If you make so many individual errors, it’s going to be difficult to progress… we were very unlucky, but to be honest we didn’t deserve to advance.”
Elsewhere Paris Saint-Germain, the holders, edged out 10-man Monaco to reach the last 16, a 2-2 draw giving Luis Enrique’s side a 5-4 aggregate victory.
PSG won 3-2 away in the first leg last week, but Maghnes Akliouche scored to give Monaco the lead on the night and level the tie on aggregate.
Mamadou Coulibaly’s second-half sending-off for the visitors then proved the catalyst for Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to score for PSG and seemingly finish off the tie, although Jordan Teze made it 2-2 late on.
“At the end, when they scored, we felt stressed and it was scary,” said Désiré Doué, who scored twice for PSG in the first leg. “The objective is to dominate the whole match, but you also have to know how to come back from behind. Next time, we’ll try not to concede a goal, that’s important.”
Galatasaray, meanwhile, fended off a rousing fightback by 10-man Juventus as Victor Osimhen struck in extra time to help earn the Turkish side a 7-5 aggregate victory.
Trailing 5-2 from the first leg, Juventus were given hope by Manuel Locatelli’s first-half penalty but they appeared doomed when the defender Lloyd Kelly was sent off on 48 minutes. Remarkably, the hosts forced extra time with goals from Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie but eventually ran out of steam, Osimhem and Baris Yilmaz scoring late to send Galatasaray through to a meeting with either Liverpool or Tottenham. (Guardian)
Benjamin Sesko came off the bench to fire Manchester United up to fourth in the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Everton to extend Michael Carrick’s unbeaten start in charge of the Red Devils.
Sesko is yet to start in Carrick’s six games but has hit top form since Ruben Amorim was sacked in last month.
The Slovenian, who scored just twice in his first 22 appearances after a £74 million ($100 million) move from RB Leipzig, has netted six goals in his last seven games.
Victory lifts United three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool in the battle for a place in next season’s Champions League, with only the top five set to qualify.
The quality of the United move that led to the winner 19 minutes from time was out of character with an otherwise uninspired 90 minutes.
Everton have now failed to win in seven home games as they struggle to adapt to life at their new 52,000 capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes’ men missed the chance to move up to seventh as they remain on the fringes of the fight for a place in Europe next season.
Everton won 1-0 when the sides last met at Old Trafford in November despite playing almost the entire match a man down.
United have been transformed since former midfielder Carrick took the reins, but lacked rhythm as both sides played for the first time in 13 days.
Jordan Pickford saved from Amad Diallo inside two minutes with the only notable chance of the first half.
Bryan Mbeumo was preferred again ahead of Sesko in a centre forward role and missed his one opportunity early in the second period when he blasted over from a narrow angle.
But Mbeumo did have a part to play in a brilliant team move to earn the visitors all three points.
Sesko laid the ball off to Matheus Cunha deep inside his own half before sprinting downfield to slot in Mbeumo’s perfectly-weighted pass.
United had to see out a late Everton rally as Senne Lammens tipped over Michael Keane’s piledriver from long range.
But after keeping just two clean sheets all season prior to Amorim’s departure, they have kept three in six under Carrick to close in on a return to the Champions League for the first time in three seasons. (JapanToday)
Eberechi Eze reignited Arsenal’s title ambitions in the Premier League by being the scourge of Tottenham once again.
Three months after scoring a hat trick against Spurs, the England midfielder netted two more goals against Arsenal’s fiercest rival in a 4-1 away win on Sunday. Viktor Gyokeres also scored twice for the leaders.
Eze came close to joining Tottenham in the summer, only for Arsenal — his boyhood club — to swoop in and sign him instead for a reported 60 million pounds ($80 million). Spurs are suffering even more now — his only goals since the start of November have come against them.
Arsenal rebounded after two straight draws that have let second-place Manchester City back in the title conversation.
The Gunners regained their five-point lead but City has a game in hand and still has to host Mikel Arteta’s team in the league in mid-April. They also meet in the English League Cup final on March 22.
It proved to be a tough start to life as Tottenham manager for Igor Tudor, who has made a habit of picking up good results early in his tenures at previous clubs.
Not this time, though. Tottenham did equalize two minutes after conceding the opener to Eze when Randal Kolo Muani dispossessed Declan Rice and drilled home a finish for 1-1 in the 34th.
Gyokeres made it 2-1 with a shot from the edge of the area in the 47th and Eze stretched the lead in the 61st with a rebound after Bukayo Saka’s shot was saved. Gyokeres scored again in stoppage time.
Arsenal has 10 league games remaining in its bid for a first top-flight title since 2004.
Alexis Mac Allister just didn’t give up.
After having an 89th-minute goal disallowed following a VAR check, the Argentina midfielder scored again in the seventh minute of stoppage time — and this time it survived a video review — to earn Liverpool a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.
The dramatic end at the City Ground centered completely on Mac Allister, who thought he’d scored without knowing anything about it after turning his back on a clearance by Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina.
The ball rebounded off Mac Allister and into the net, but the VAR spotted it had struck his arm and the goal was scrubbed out.
However, he was on hand off virtually the last kick of the game when Virgil van Dijk’s header was spilled by Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Barely six meters out, Mac Allister could hardly miss as he sidefooted the ball into the net.
There was a VAR check to see if Van Dijk was offside but the goal was given.
Liverpool stayed in sixth place but was tied on points with fourth-place Chelsea and fifth-place Manchester United, whose game in hand is at Everton on Monday.
With doubts swirling around the future of Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, his team dug out a 1-0 win over last-place Wolverhampton thanks to a last-minute goal.
Evann Guessand prodded home a far-post finish after coming on as a substitute.
Ahead of the game, Glasner, who led Palace to FA Cup glory last season, was non-committal about whether he would be staying at the club until the end of the season. He has already said he’ll be leaving in the summer.
The Austrian coach also urged Palace’s supporter base to “stay humble” and fans made their feelings about those comments known on Sunday, raising a banner that read, “Opportunities missed – board inept. Fans disrespected – Glasner finished.”
Wolves stayed 17 points off safety.
It wasn’t long ago that Sunderland was the only Premier League team with an unbeaten home record.
Now, the Black Cats have lost two straight at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland was defeated 3-1 by Fulham, which had two goals from Mexico striker Raul Jimenez — one of which was from the penalty spot.
Ten days ago, Sunderland lost 1-0 to Liverpool for its first home defeat of the season.
Kwara United F.C. has distanced itself from the crowd disturbance that followed its Nigeria Premier Football League Gameweek 22 fixture against Rivers United F.C. in Ilorin, describing the development as deeply troubling.
The rescheduled encounter, played at the Rashidi Yekini Main Bowl of the George Agbazika Innih Stadium, ended in a 1–1 stalemate.
However, the result was overshadowed by chaos that reportedly broke out moments after the referee signalled full time.
In a statement released on Wednesday and sighted by The PUNCH in Ilorin, the club expressed strong displeasure over the incident, particularly reports that Chief Okey Kpalukwu, the Chairman of Chairmen in the Nigeria Premier Football League, was targeted during the unrest.
The management said it viewed the development with “serious concern and regret,” stressing that the conduct of those involved was inconsistent with the ethos of the club.
“We are deeply disturbed by the events that occurred after the match and unequivocally denounce every act of violence recorded,” the statement read.
Kwara United maintained that discipline, fairness and respect for officials and opponents remain fundamental principles that must guide football engagements.
“Respect for match officials, administrators, visiting teams and fellow supporters is non-negotiable. Football must be played and enjoyed in the spirit of sportsmanship,” the club added.
While acknowledging the passion of its fan base, the management insisted that the actions of a few individuals should not define the broader supporter community known for peaceful conduct.
“The behaviour exhibited by certain persons does not reflect the identity or values of our loyal supporters,” it stated.
The club extended apologies to Chief Kpalukwu, the Rivers United delegation, match officials, security agencies and spectators who may have been affected by the disturbance.
“We sincerely apologise to all parties impacted by the incident and regret the discomfort and harm it may have caused,” the statement noted.
Kwara United further pledged to collaborate with security agencies and league authorities to ensure that those responsible are identified and sanctioned in line with existing regulations.
“We will cooperate fully with relevant authorities to investigate the matter and ensure accountability,” the club assured.
It also appealed for calm among supporters, announcing plans to intensify fan education and engagement initiatives aimed at promoting responsible behaviour at match venues.
“We call on our fans to remain composed and united as we strengthen sensitisation and re-orientation programmes to foster a safe and welcoming football environment,” it said.
Reaffirming its dedication to fair play, the club emphasised its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Nigeria Premier Football League and maintaining Ilorin as a secure host city for topflight matches.
Incidents of crowd violence have remained a recurring concern in the domestic league.
Earlier this season, supporters of Kano Pillars F.C. reportedly attacked players and officials of Shooting Stars Sports Club after a tense encounter at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
The match, which also ended in a draw, degenerated into chaos as irate fans invaded the pitch, prompting security intervention.
The Nigeria Premier Football League subsequently imposed sanctions on the host club as part of efforts to deter further acts of hooliganism and restore order at match centres across the country. (Punch)
All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be “sold out,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday, even though tickets are still available ahead of the tournament’s June 11 kickoff.
“The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” Infantino told CNBC.
Infantino, in an interview from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, said that there had been 508 million ticket requests in four weeks for some seven million available tickets.
He said requests during the main sales phase in January came from more than 200 countries.
“(We’ve) never see anything like that — incredible,” said Infantino, adding that football’s global governing body has kept “some tickets back” for the last-minute sales phase that will begin in April and run until the end of the World Cup on July 19.
Infantino addressed the issue of ticket prices, described as “exorbitant” by supporters associations and which have already reached record levels on resale sites.
“I think it is because it’s in America, Canada and Mexico,” he said. “Everybody wants to be part of something special.
“Ticket prices have been fixed but you have, in the US in particular, something called dynamic prices, meaning the prices will go up or down.
“You are able as well to resell your tickets on official platforms, secondary markets, so the prices as well will go up.
“That’s part of the market we are in.”
Infantino estimated that the first 48-team World Cup would bring FIFA some $11 billion or more in revenue, adding that “every dollar” will be reinvested in football in FIFA’s 211 member countries.
He put the World Cup’s impact on the US economy at around $30 billion “in terms of tourism, catering, security investments and so on.”
Infantino estimated that in addition to seven million spectators, the World cup would also attract 20 to 30 million tourists and create “185,000 full-time jobs”.
“It’s a big impact,” he said. “I hope this impact will not just be limited to the World Cup but for the future as well.” (Punch)
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has stated that “racists are, above all, cowards” after alleging he was subjected to racial abuse during a Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The group-stage tie in the UEFA Champions League was halted for approximately 10 minutes after Vinicius reported the alleged incident to French referee Francois Letexier.
The Brazil international and several of his team-mates briefly left the field during the stoppage.
As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, European football’s governing body, UEFA, has opened an investigation into the allegations.
Vinicius, who has previously been the target of racist abuse during his career in Spain, addressed the incident in a post on social media shortly after the match. “Racists are, above all, cowards,” he wrote.
Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, who could face a minimum 10-match ban from European competition if found guilty, has denied directing any racist abuse at Vinicius.
In a statement posted on Wednesday, Benfica said they “fully support” Prestianni and described the situation as a “defamation campaign” against the player. The club also released video footage of the alleged incident, arguing that, given the distance involved, Real Madrid players “could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”
“[Prestianni’s] conduct in the service of the club has always been guided by respect for opponents, institutions, and the principles that define Benfica’s identity,” the club said.
Fabrizio Romano on his X handle on Wednesday said TNT Sports, quoted Kylian Mbappe as saying, “I believe Gianluca Prestianni shouldn’t come to the Bernabéu, the best stadium in the world. “He doesn’t deserve it; he shouldn’t play.”
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho said in his post-match interview that he had been told different things by Vinicius and Prestianni regarding the incident.
Mourinho, who managed Real for 178 games between 2010 and 2013, said Vinicius had been disrespectful in his goal celebration and pointed to their legendary striker Eusebio as proof that Benfica is not a racist club.
“The club reaffirms, clearly and unequivocally, its historical and unwavering commitment to defending the values of equality, respect, and inclusion, which are in line with the core values of its foundation and have Eusebio as their greatest symbol,” Benfica said.
Mourinho’s and Benfica’s comments have been criticised by several people, including anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out.
Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said both the club and manager had “failed”.
“It’s a natural inclination to want to believe your player, but the reality is they didn’t hear it,” Bhandari told BBC Sport.
“There are only two people who are in that conversation, and two people who could have heard what was said.
“I think the better reaction from a club with Benfica’s fantastic stature would be to say we’re going to cooperate with the investigation.
“This is quite typical after these kinds of discriminatory events. The discrimination is one thing, the gaslighting is another.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and commended Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol.
“There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account,” he added.
“I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism, no to any form of discrimination!” (Punch)
Arsenal enjoyed a 4-0 rout of Wigan as five Premier League teams avoided upsets to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Third-tier struggler Wigan was overwhelmed against the Premier League leader in front of a 60,000 crowd at Emirates Stadium, with all the goals coming in the first half.
Forwards Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus were on the scoresheet along with Jack Hunt’s own-goal as he tried to cut out a cross from Bukayo Saka.
Big-money summer signing Eberechi Eze set up two goals for Arsenal, which won the last of its record 14 FA Cups in 2020. Wigan won the FA Cup for the first and only time in 2013, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final, but was relegated from the Premier League in the same season.
Premier League teams Fulham, Leeds, Sunderland and Wolverhampton joined the Gunners in the last 16.
Fulham rallied to win 2-1 at second-tier Stoke, with Harrison Reed slotting in a late winner after intercepting Stoke goalkeeper Tommy Simkin’s misjudged pass. Brazilian winger Kevin equalized for Fulham early in the second half after South Korean midfielder Bae Jun-ho’s early goal for Stoke.
Midfielder Habib Diarra’s penalty earned Sunderland a 1-0 win at second-tier struggler Oxford, and midfielder Santiago Bueno’s goal gave Wolves a 1-0 victory at fourth-tier Grimsby at a soggy and rain-soaked Blundell Park.
Leeds needed penalty kicks to win at second-tier Birmingham after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and extra time.
German forward Lukas Nmecha put Leeds ahead early in the second half after being set up by Noah Okafor, but Patrick Roberts equalized in the 89th minute with a powerful shot. (JapanToday)
Arsenal saw a two-goal lead slip away in a dramatic 2‑2 draw at Molineux Stadium after dominating much of the match.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring early — ending a personal 15‑game goal drought — and Piero Hincapié doubled Arsenal’s lead, but Wolves fought back through a superb Hugo Bueno strike and a late own goal resulting from a mix‑up in the Arsenal defence to level the score.
The result means Arsenal drop crucial points in the title race and hand Manchester City a possible lifeline for the Premier League lead.
The night also brought a worry for Arsenal fans, as Saka had to be substituted due to a hip injury after his early goal — adding to fitness concerns during this pivotal part of the season.
The end of the game saw heated moments, including post‑match tensions between players from both sides.
Wolves, bottom of the league, will be buoyed by the fightback and the draw against the league leaders.
PUNCH Online reports that the Gunners will play Tottenham on Sunday, February 22, 2026 in a North London derby.
As obtained in a post-match report on the Arsenal website, four players have scored their first-ever Premier League goal against us this season, three of whom have done so for Wolves: Tolu Arokodare in December, and both Hugo Bueno and Tom Edozie tonight (also Brian Brobbey for Sunderland in November).
Edozie was the seventh player to score on his Premier League debut against the side starting the day top of the table, and first since Antony for Manchester United against Arsenal in September 2022.
This was the first time in Premier League history that a side starting the day bottom of the table avoided defeat to the side starting the day top despite trailing by 2+ goals.
Wolves avoided defeat in a Premier League home game in which they trailed by 2+ goals for the first time since beating Manchester City 3-2 in December 2019, ending a 31-game losing run on home soil from two down.
Bukayo Saka scored his first goal in all competitions since December against Brentford – ending a run of 15 appearances for Arsenal without scoring, his longest goal drought for the club. (Punch)
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