Pedro Sanchez: 2030 FIFA World Cup Will Be “Great Success”

The 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Morocco alongside Spain, and Portugal will be a “great success,” stated Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on April 15 in Madrid. syntagm.co.za

Speaking during a joint press briefing with his Portuguese counterpart, Luis Montenegro, Sanchez stressed that the “2030 World Cup will be a great success because we are three nations, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, who love football as societies”.

“We have a long, proven record in organizing sporting events, which demonstrates our organizational capacity”, added the head of the Spanish government.

“I am sure that the World Cup will be a great organizational success with a friendly country like Morocco,” he affirmed.

For his part, Montenegro reiterated the “full commitment” of the three countries to guarantee the success of this global event, noting that Portugal, Spain, and Morocco are convinced of the importance of this event on multiple levels.

“It will be an opportunity to showcase to the world the values that we defend in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco,” concluded the Portuguese official.

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Doha, Qatar: The 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 will officially open on Monday at Al Shaqab Arena, as Qatar hosts one of the region’s largest and most prestigious multi-sport events from May 11 to 22.

The opening ceremony will be attended by presidents of the National Olympic Committees, secretaries-general, senior officials of the Olympic committees and sports federations from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, in addition to the participating delegations.

The ceremony will feature a variety of artistic and cultural performances, including a special operetta titled (One Gulf, One Heart) celebrating the unity, solidarity and shared identity of the GCC nations.

Hosting this edition reflects the commitment of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Fourth GCC Games – Doha 2026, to delivering a tournament that embodies the deep-rooted bonds among GCC nations and contributes to strengthening the presence of Gulf sport, while presenting an exceptional edition that matches Qatar’s established position as a leading host of major regional and international sporting events.

More than 1,000 male and female athletes from the six GCC countries will compete in 17 different sports: handball, table tennis, athletics, padel, fencing, boxing, taekwondo, karate, swimming, billiards, snooker, 3x3 basketball, shooting, archery, volleyball, equestrian and bowling.

The Games will also witness strong women’s participation in 3x3 basketball, athletics, padel, taekwondo, fencing, shooting and archery events.

Qatar will be represented at the 4th GCC Games by a delegation of 300 male and female athletes competing across all sports featured in the Games.

Competitions will officially begin the day after tomorrow (Tuesday), with swimming events taking place at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, while 3x3 basketball competitions will be held at Al Gharafa Club Hall.

Taekwondo and table tennis competitions will be staged at Aspire Dome, while billiards competitions will take place at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, and bowling events will be hosted at the Qatar Bowling Center.

On Wednesday, equestrian competitions will begin at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, while fencing and boxing competitions will be held at Aspire Dome. Shooting events will also commence at the Lusail Shooting Range.

Athletics competitions are scheduled to start on Thursday at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar SC, in addition to handball competitions which will take place at Duhail Sports Hall.

Friday will witness the launch of snooker competitions at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall, while volleyball competitions will begin next Saturday at the Women’s Sports Hall, alongside padel competitions at Aspire Dome.

Archery competitions are scheduled to commence next Sunday at the Lusail Shooting Range, while karate competitions will be held for one day only on Thursday, May 21, the penultimate day of the Games, at Aspire Dome.

Historically, Kuwait topped the overall medal standings at the inaugural GCC Games held in Bahrain in 2011 with a total of 48 medals, including 27 gold, 14 silver and 7 bronze medals.

Bahrain finished second with 21 medals, including 10 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals, while Qatar secured third place with 26 medals, including 7 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze medals.

The United Arab Emirates came fourth with 30 medals, including 5 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze medals, followed by Oman in fifth place with 11 medals, including 4 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals, while Saudi Arabia finished sixth with 23 medals, including 3 gold, 7 silver and 13 bronze medals.

Saudi Arabia topped the medal standings at the second edition of the Gulf Games held in Dammam in 2015 with 115 medals, including 57 gold, 35 silver and 23 bronze medals.

The United Arab Emirates finished second with a total of 73 medals, including 26 gold, 20 silver and 27 bronze medals, while Qatar claimed third place with 59 medals, comprising 11 gold, 17 silver and 31 bronze medals.

Bahrain came fourth with 43 medals, including 7 gold, 20 silver and 16 bronze medals, while Oman finished fifth with 29 medals, including 4 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze medals.

Kuwait also topped the overall medal standings at the third GCC Games, which it hosted in 2022, with a total of 96 medals, including 36 gold, 28 silver and 32 bronze medals.

Bahrain finished second with 64 medals, including 20 gold, 23 silver and 21 bronze medals, while the United Arab Emirates secured third place with 50 medals, including 18 gold, 16 silver and 16 bronze medals.

Saudi Arabia came fourth with 67 medals, including 16 gold, 22 silver and 29 bronze medals, while Qatar finished fifth with a total of 52 medals, including 16 gold, 21 silver and 15 bronze medals.

Oman placed sixth with 33 medals, including 12 gold, 5 silver and 16 bronze medals.

The Doha edition of the Games is expected to further strengthen Gulf sporting cooperation and solidarity while showcasing Qatar’s world-class sports infrastructure and outstanding organizational capabilities in hosting major international sporting events.

Barcelona: Barcelona secured their 29th Spanish league title after beating Real Madrid 2-0 in the Clasico on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres struck in the first half to help Hansi Flick's side clinch La Liga in consecutive years, while consigning Madrid to a trophyless season.

Barca moved an unassailable 14 points clear of second-place Los Blancos with three matches remaining.

This was only the second time the outcome of La Liga has been decided directly by the result of a Clasico, with record 36-time champions Real Madrid winning their first title in 1932 after a draw with Barca.

Madrid arrived at the match embroiled in chaos, after midfielder Fede Valverde was ruled out with a head injury following a training ground scuffle with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni, who started.

Barca coach Flick received bad news before the game, with his father passing away, but took his place on the touchline regardless, to oversee his side's comfortable triumph.

The German opted for the energetic Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, on the right wing in place of injured teenage star Lamine Yamal.

The Catalans, who only needed to avoid defeat, came out with their eyes firmly locked on the prize, racing into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes.

Rashford opened the scoring with a superb free-kick, whipping the ball into the top left corner from a position 20 yards out, right of centre.

Torres doubled the hosts' advantage at a jubilant Camp Nou, the 62,000-strong crowd enjoying the first Clasico back there since the stadium was reopened.

Dani Olmo produced a clever backheel to allow Torres to burst into the box and ram past Thibaut Courtois.

Gonzalo Garcia, playing in place of injured Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe, prodded narrowly wide after racing in behind Barca's high defensive line.

Stem the bleeding

Urged on by coach Alvaro Arbeloa on the touchline, unlikely to be at the helm next season, Madrid battled to stem the bleeding.

Rashford could have added a third before the break but fired wide, with Fermin Lopez unmarked and well placed to finish.

Torres should have struck early in the second half but Courtois saved from the Spain international as he ran through.

Jude Bellingham put the ball in Barcelona's net but the goal was ruled out for offside, while Joan Garcia thwarted Vinicius Junior as Madrid threatened.

Barca fans batted inflatable beach balls around to taunt the Brazilian over his unfulfilled Ballon d'Or ambitions, and lapped up the party atmosphere.

Courtois saved from substitutes Raphinha, back after injury, and Robert Lewandowski as Madrid saw out the remainder of the match without taking further damage.

Flick's side remain on course to match the record of 100 points in a league season and can win all their home matches if they defeat Real Betis in the one remaining.

Meanwhile Madrid finish a second consecutive season without a major trophy, staring down the barrel of a summer reshuffle, including former coach Jose Mourinho being linked with a potential return.

What is clear is that for now president Florentino Perez cannot seem to find the solution to end Flick's Barca's domestic domination.

Le Mans, France: Jorge Martin overtook MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi on the penultimate lap to win the French Grand Prix on Sunday, while Ai Ogura secured Japan's first podium finish for 14 years.

Italian rider Bezzecchi seemed to be heading for his fourth win of a season which is only five races old when Spaniard Martin nipped in front of him on the 26th lap of 27.

The Spaniard, world champion in 2024, stood up in his saddle with his arms aloft as his crossed the line.

Ogura finished third to become the first Japanese rider to finish on a MotoGP podium since Katsuyuki Nakasuga at the Valencia Grand Prix in 2012.

أعلن سبيتار دعمه اللا محدود للمنتخب القطري المشارك في نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، . وقال خالد علي المولوي، مدير عام سبيتار بالإنابة: «في سبيتار، نرى دعم المنتخبات الوطنية كجزء من منظومة متكاملة تُعنى بالأداء، وليس فقط بالعلاج. دورنا يمتد إلى تمكين لاعبينا من الوصول إلى أعلى مستويات الجاهزية البدنية والذهنية، من خلال منهجيات علمية دقيقة وبرامج تأهيل متقدمة تواكب متطلبات المنافسة العالمية». وأضاف المولوي: «نعمل جنباً إلى جنب مع الأجهزة الفنية والطبية لضمان اتخاذ القرارات الصحيحة في التوقيت المناسب، بما يحقق التوازن بين الأداء العالي والاستدامة على المدى الطويل. ومشاركتنا في دعم المنتخب خلال كأس العالم 2026 تجسّد التزامنا بتطبيق أفضل الممارسات الدولية، والمساهمة في تعزيز حضور قطر بثقة في أكبر المحافل الرياضية العالمية..».
وتأهباً للمشاركة الثانية للعنابي في المونديال، يواصل سبيتار، مستشفى جراحة العظام والطب الرياضي، أداء دوره الحيوي والمحوري في دعم الفريق من خلال توفير أفضل سبل الرعاية الصحية والبدنية، لضمان جاهزية اللاعبين طوال فترة البطولة.
وتتشكل وحدة الطب الرياضي للمنتخب الوطني في مستشفى سبيتار، من فريق متعدد التخصصات يقدّم دعماً طبياً شاملاً للمنتخبات الوطنية بمختلف فئاتها السنية. ويضم هذا الفريق أطباء، وأخصائيي علاج طبيعي، ومدلّكين، واختصاصيي إعادة تأهيل ميداني، إلى جانب كوادر دعم الأداء، يعملون جميعاً بشكل تكاملي لضمان صحة اللاعبين، وأفضل مستويات الأداء، والجاهزية الكاملة.
ويؤدي الفريق الطبي مهامه ضمن إطار منظّم وبأدوار محددة تشمل طرق الوقاية من الإصابات، والتشخيص، والعلاج، وإعادة التأهيل، مع الاستعانة بمعدات ومنشآت طبية متطورة داخل سبيتار. وطوال مرحلة التصفيات وصولاً إلى المرحلة الحالية، لعب سبيتار دوراً مستمراً وفاعلاً في دعم المنتخب، من خلال ضمان أعلى معايير الرعاية الطبية والاستجابة السريعة لأي احتياجات صحية. وسيستمر هذا الدعم خلال الفترة المقبلة وصولاً إلى نهائيات المونديال.
وأوضح رياض ميلادي، مدير وحدة الطب الرياضي للمنتخب الوطني في سبيتار: «تخصيص وحدة الطب الرياضي للمنتخب الوطني كانت خطوة إستراتيجية الهدف منها تقديم العناية الطبية للمنتخب القطري لكرة القدم وتوفير التغطية الطبية اللازمة خلال جميع البطولات لاسيما الكبرى منها. نمتلك في سبيتار خبرة طويلة في رعاية الرياضيين من النخبة، مدعومة بمرافق متقدمة وأبحاث علمية رائدة،