Sports

By Zayn Nabbi, CNN British comedian Joe Lycett did not shred £10,000 ($11,800) as he claimed to have done on Sunday when the World Cup kicked off, saying Monday the money had in fact been “donated to LGBTQ+ charities before I even pressed send on the initial tweet last week.” Lycett had called on English

By Ben Church, CNN Before a ball was even kicked in Iran’s World Cup opener against England on Monday, Iran’s players made a powerful statement. In what seemed to be a show of solidarity with those protesting back home, the players stood silent as the Iranian national anthem played out around the Khalifa International Stadium

By Zayn Nabbi and Sammy Mngqosini, CNN Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has defended the timing of his interview with Piers Morgan, telling reporters on Monday it “won’t shake the changing room’s concentration and focus” ahead of the World Cup. “In my life, the best timing is always my timing,” Ronaldo said at press conference. “I

By Issy Ronald, CNN When the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) walks onto the pitch in Qatar on Monday, it will be appearing at a men’s World Cup for the first time since 2014. In the eight-and-a-half years since then, soccer has overtaken ice hockey to become the country’s fourth most watched sport with

By George Ramsay and Zayn Nabbi, CNN The captains of several European teams will not wear “OneLove” armbands at the World Cup in Qatar due to the danger of receiving yellow cards. England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales were set to participate in the “OneLove” campaign to promote inclusion and oppose discrimination.

By Issy Ronald, CNN For the last few months, soccer in Iran has witnessed small acts of defiance against the country’s regime amid widespread protests in the country; Sardar Azmoun’s refusal to celebrate scoring an equalizer against Senegal and several players changing their social media profile pictures to black. Soccer, like everything else in Iran,

By Issy Ronald and Manveena Suri, CNN A British comedian appeared to shred £10,000 ($11,000) in a video after failing to receive a response from David Beckham over his controversial role as a Qatar World Cup ambassador. On Sunday, Joe Lycett began tweeting an hourly countdown until his UK midday deadline (7am ET). At 12

By Ben Church, CNN For the past year, a giant clock in Doha has been counting down to the opening match of the World Cup. Qatar and the world need wait no more, after this controversial tournament got underway Sunday with the host losing 2-0 to Ecuador. After a spectacular opening ceremony, which starred the

By Hannah Brewitt, CNN The Buffalo Bills (6-3) and Cleveland Browns (3-6) were supposed to square off at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo this Sunday. However, the decision was made earlier this week to play the game at Ford Field in Detroit due to a snowstorm headed for western New York. On Friday, the Buffalo Niagara

By Ben Church, CNN There have been 21 editions of the men’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1930 but Qatar 2022 is set to be a tournament like no other. Since it was announced as the host city almost 12 years ago, it was always destined to be a World Cup of firsts. From

By Ben Church, CNN In just over 24 hours, Qatar 2022 will burst into life as the host nation takes on Ecuador in the opening game of the World Cup. It’s a tournament that has caused controversy ever since it was awarded to the Gulf nation in 2010 but, after years of waiting, the players

By Jacob Lev, CNN Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets star who was suspended for at least five games by the team for comments made after sharing a link to an antisemitic movie on social media, has issued another apology as his possible return from suspension nears. While speaking to SNY’s Ian Begley in an interview

By Issy Ronald, CNN Mikaela Shiffrin claimed her 75th World Cup win in Levi, Finland on Saturday, sealed with an electrifying second run, as she broke Lindsey Vonn’s record for the most podiums in a single discipline by a female skier. She is now just seven World Cup wins shy of her fellow American’s record

By George Ramsay, CNN “If you’re ever losing faith in human nature,” Kathrine Switzer, an influential figure in women’s running, once said, “go out and watch a marathon.” It’s a thought that rang true with Lauren Ridloff on the streets of New York City earlier this month as she ran shoulder-to-shoulder with 50,000 others through

By Aimee Lewis, CNN “I’m a man and I love men. I do — please don’t be shocked — have sex with other men. This is normal. So please get used to it, or stay out of football.” Dario Minden was a relatively unknown German football fan before a video of a powerful speech he

By Ben Church, CNN The World Cup finally gets underway on Sunday after 12 years of questions and criticisms of the tournament being held in Qatar. But though kickoff for the opening match is just hours away, soccer itself is still being overshadowed by off-the-field matters. FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s extraordinary tirade against Western critics