Author: Steven Sahiounie

World Cup: Viewer’s guide | Group previews | Top 30 players | Power rankings]DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. men’s national team went 4 1/2 years without a consistent captain, but on the eve of the 2022 World Cup, it named a historic one.Tyler Adams will lead the USMNT out onto the field Monday against Wales (2 p.m. ET, Fox/Telemundo).When he does, he’ll be the youngest captain at this World Cup, and the first Black man to captain the U.S. throughout any World Cup.He was elevated into the role, at 23 years old, by his peers, via a team vote this…

Doha, QatarCNN — 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 before kickoff on Monday. The match ended in a 6-2 victory for England.Protests, chaos and violence have rocked Iran in recent months and threatened the very nature of the country’s regime, which has been in power for more than 40 years.The protests, referred to by experts as…

Lloyd Austin says Moscow’s massive military has not helped it prevail in Ukraine US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has lauded Russia’s armed forces and weaponry on Saturday – but added, however, that such military might has not enabled Moscow to achieve victory in the Ukraine conflict. “You know, the Russians have a massive military and impressive weapons,” but this “hasn’t helped them prevail in a campaign of conquest and cruelty,” Austin claimed, speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada on Saturday. According to the official, “it’s about the cause,” as well as “those who fight for it.” The…

The airstrikes came after the recent attack in Istanbul The Turkish Air Force has struck a number of targets linked to Kurdish groups in northern Syria and Iraq, the country’s defense minister, Hulusi Akar, said on Sunday. The raids followed last week’s deadly terrorist attack in downtown Istanbul, Türkiye’s most populous city. “Terrorists’ shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, and warehouses were successfully destroyed,” Akar said, adding that “the so-called headquarters of the terrorist organization were also hit and destroyed.” Overall, the Defense Ministry claimed that the strikes hit nearly 90 targets, which it said were connected to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the…

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is approaching. The event is controversial for many reasons, not least because of a backlash from Western sports teams over the question of human rights in the Arab country. Qatar is an extremely conservative religious society. It has harsh laws pertaining to LGBTQ people, but even besides that, the decision to host the tournament in a country so small, so hot and lacking in any football tradition, has always been controversial, with FIFA being accused of corruption.  These bizarre circumstances have led the country to scramble to build a football infrastructure in a short space of…

As of Sunday, the US has its first octogenarian president Joe Biden turned 80 years old on Sunday, becoming the first US president to serve into his ninth decade. While Biden’s advanced age and apparent cognitive difficulties have made him the target of Republican attacks, the combined leadership of both parties is older than ever. Biden will celebrate his birthday with a brunch hosted by First Lady Jill Biden, and members of his family already in Washington for his granddaughter’s wedding on Saturday are expected to attend. While Biden is already the oldest person ever to serve as president, his…

The 26 players in the France squad for the 2022 World Cup have been confirmed by head coach Didier Deschamps. France go into the World Cup as the 2nd favorites (+550) to win the trophy as the reigning, defending world champions try to become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. [ MORE: World Cup 2022 hub ]  Les Bleus were ravaged by injuries in the weeks leading up to the 2022 tournament in Qatar, particularly in midfield, where longtime stalwarts, World Cup winners and probable starters N’Golo Kane and Paul Pogba were lost. France have…

England looks to build on its first World Cup semifinal run of the 21st century when it tangles with Iran in Qatar on Monday. The Group B match will be viewed as a tune-up for England, as will most of the group stage as the Three Lions are heavily favored to advance ahead of the United States, Iran, and Wales. STREAM LIVE ENGLAND vs IRAN Harry Kane is coming off a Golden Boot from the 2018 tournament in Russia as England lost to Belgium in group play and then Croatia in the semifinal before losing again to Belgium in the…

DOHA, Qatar (AP) Chris, a British fan in Qatar for the World Cup, tried to order a beer with his dinner at a kebab joint on Sunday. He was quickly rebuffed. He sighed and settled for a lemonade instead. ”If I were a few years younger, I wouldn’t have even come to this World Cup,” said Chris, a 34-year-old sales manager from London who declined to give his last name for privacy reasons. The question of where to get a drink, a fixture at sporting events around the world, in the conservative Islamic country has been top of mind for…

Bale hopes Wales’ World Cup trip inspires next generations DOHA, Qatar (AP) Gareth Bale thought about the significance of Wales reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1958. ”Schools are going to stop to watch our games,” he said, beaming. ”Kids are going to miss school – fortunately for them. So it’s just one of those moments that is a massive piece of history in our country, something that we’ve all wanted for a long time.” Bale said he was ready to play in Monday’s game against the United States, the first World Cup match for Wales since…