ضمن منافسات المجموعة السابعة في كأس العالم.. صلاح ونجوم بلجيكا المخضر…

يدخل المصري محمد صلاح والبلجيكيون المخضرمون كيفن دي بروين وروميلو لوكاكو وتيبو كورتوا منافسات المجموعة السابعة في كأس العالم 2026، وهم يدركون أن بطولة هذا الصيف ستكون على الأرجح فرصتهم الأخيرة لتحقيق المجد على أكبر مسرح كروي في العالم. وأوقعت القرعة منتخباتهم في المجموعة السابعة، إلى جانب نيوزيلندا وإيران. وكان بروز الجيل الذهبي البلجيكي على الساحة الدولية في العقد الثاني من الألفية، والذي ضم إدين هازار وفنسان كومباني ودي بروين ولوكاكو وكورتوا، قد أوحى ببزوغ فجر جديد للبلاد في سعيها لإحراز أول لقب كبير في تاريخها. لكن على الرغم من صعود بلجيكا إلى صدارة تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا)، فإن أفضل إنجاز حققته تلك الكوكبة اللامعة من النجوم كان المركز الثالث في كأس العالم 2018.
ومن ذلك الجيل لم يتبقَّ سوى ثنائي نابولي دي بروين ولوكاكو، البالغين 34 و33 عاما تواليا، إلى جانب حارس مرمى ريال مدريد كورتوا (34 عاما) الذي عاد إلى صفوف المنتخب العام الماضي بعد خلاف مع المدرب السابق الإيطالي-الألماني دومينيكو تيديسكو، تسبب في غيابه عن خروج بلجيكا من دور الـ16 في كأس أوروبا 2024.
ومن الممكن أن تكون كأس العالم المقبلة في الولايات المتحدة وكندا والمكسيك فرصتهم الأخيرة لتحويل كل الأمل والتوقعات إلى ميداليات طال انتظارها.
ولا يخلو الجيل البلجيكي الحالي من المواهب، إذ إن أسماء مثل أمادو أونانا وشارل دي كيتلار وجيريمي دوكو ويوري تيليمانس تمتلك أكثر من المؤهلات اللازمة لتشكيل طاقم داعم مميز لنجوم الفريق.

هل يتأثر صلاح بمشكلاته البدنية؟
أما صلاح، ثاني أفضل هداف في تاريخ مصر بعد مدربه الحالي حسام حسن، والذي سيبلغ 34 عاما خلال كأس العالم، فمن المؤكد أنه سيدخل البطولة بطموحات أكثر تواضعا ضمن منتخب مصري فشل في إحراز أي لقب منذ تتويجه بطلا لكأس الأمم الإفريقية للمرة الثالثة تواليا عام 2010.
ورغم اعتباره على نطاق واسع أفضل لاعب كرة قدم أنجبته البلاد الواقعة في شمال إفريقيا، فإن أسطورة ليفربول لم يذق طعم النجاح مع المنتخب المصري.
في ظهوره الوحيد السابق في كأس العالم عام 2018، تأثر بإصابة في الكتف تعرض لها في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا في ذلك العام، وهو يدخل هذه النسخة وهو يعاني من مشكلات بدنية بعد إصابته بتمزق في العضلة الخلفية في أواخر أبريل، مما عجّل بنهاية مشواره في أنفيلد.

Doha, Qatar: Amir Cup winners Al Gharafa SC will begin preparations for the 2026-27 season next month, with an overseas training camp in Slovakia forming a key part of their build-up for the new campaign. turconews.click

Al Gharafa enjoyed a successful 2025-26 season, lifting the Amir Cup title while finishing fourth in the Qatar Stars League with 36 points from 22 matches. The Cheetahs will now look to build on that success as they prepare for another competitive season on both domestic and continental fronts.

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The club has scheduled the start of pre-season training in Doha on July 4 before departing for Slovakia on July 16 for an intensive overseas camp.

The training camp will be held at the X-Bionic Hotel in Bratislava and will run until August 3. During their stay, Al Gharafa are expected to play between four and five friendly matches as head coach Pedro Martins assesses the squad and oversees preparations ahead of the new season.

The team will return to Doha on August 3 to complete the final phase of preparations before the start of the new football season. The QSL season will kick off on August 20.

Al Shamal set for Netherlands camp

QSL runners-up Al Shamal SC will continue preparations for the 2026-27 season with a training camp in the Netherlands following an impressive campaign that saw the club finish second in the league standings under coach David Prats.

Al Shamal concluded the 2025-26 QSL season with 40 points from 22 matches, securing a historic runners-up finish and establishing themselves among the league’s top-performing sides.

The club will now aim to build on that momentum as they prepare for another challenging season.

The team will depart for the Netherlands on July 18, where they will undergo an intensive training schedule and test themselves against a number of regional opponents.

Al Shamal will begin their series of warm-up matches against Al Wasl Club on July 22 before taking on Al Khaleej Club on July 27. The Qatari side will then face Genk Club on August 1, followed by a clash against Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven on August 4.

The camp will conclude with a final friendly against Crossing Schaerbeek on August 5 before the squad returns to Doha the following day.

New York: The jersey worn by late football legend Pele during Brazil's 1958 World Cup victory will headline an auction set to coincide with this year's tournament, Sotheby's announced Tuesday.

Pele, then just 17 years old, scored two of Brazil's five goals in the 1958 final against host nation Sweden.

The victory marked Brazil's first of a record five World Cup titles, three of which were won under the man who would become known as "The King."

Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died in December 2022 at the age of 82 after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Sotheby's said in a press release that the Number 10 jersey is estimated to sell for over $6 million in the auction, which runs from June 29 to July 16 -- three days before this year's final match.

Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" jersey sold for $9.3 million in 2022, a record for sports-worn memorabilia that was broken several months later by Michael Jordan's "Last Dance" Bulls jersey, which went for $10.1 million.

Pele gave his 1958 jersey to teammate and friend Dida, whose family held on to it for decades before it was placed in a museum and eventually auctioned off in 2004, according to Sotheby's.

Other items up for auction in Sotheby's special "The Beautiful Game" sale include an armband worn by Maradona during the 1986 "Hand of God" match and gear worn by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.

A public exhibit of the items will open July 1 at the Sotheby's Breuer building in New York.

يشارك السيد هاني طالب بلان، رئيس لجنة الحكام بالاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم ونائب رئيس لجنة الحكام بالاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (FIFA)، في الإشراف على الدورة التحضيرية التي ينظمها الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم للحكام المختارين لإدارة مباريات كأس العالم 2026.
وتُقام الدورة في مدينة ميامي الأمريكية لمدة عشرة أيام ، وذلك في إطار الاستعدادات النهائية لانطلاق الحدث الكروي العالمي المرتقب، بمشاركة جميع الحكام الذين وقع عليهم الاختيار لإدارة مباريات البطولة.
وتأتي هذه الدورة ضمن برنامج الفيفا لتأهيل الحكام ورفع جاهزيتهم الفنية والبدنية، من خلال سلسلة من المحاضرات النظرية والتدريبات العملية وورش العمل المتخصصة، بما يضمن أعلى مستويات الأداء التحكيمي خلال منافسات كأس العالم 2026.
وتشهد الدورة مشاركة نخبة من الحكام الدوليين من مختلف الاتحادات القارية اللذين وقع عليهم الاختيار لادارة مباريات المونديال، حيث تمثل محطة أساسية في برنامج الإعداد النهائي قبل انطلاق منافسات كأس العالم 2026.
وكان الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (الفيفا) قد اختار 170 حكماً لإدارة مباريات المونديال ، حيث تضم القائمة 52 حكماً ، و88 حكماً مساعداً، إضافة إلى 30 حكماً لتقنية الفيديو المساعد (VAR).

Doha, Qatar: Akram Afif and Almoez Ali will spearhead Qatar’s attack at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after head coach Julen Lopetegui named a final 26-man squad for the football showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico combining experience, continuity and proven attacking quality for the Asian champions’ latest global challenge.

The Qatar Football Association announced the squad in a social media post showing Lopetegui walking across a desert backdrop, with pictures of the players and their names erupting from the sand.

The selection keeps the core of the side that has matured through continental success, with Qatar continuing to rely on long-standing partnerships across all areas of the pitch. They aim to improve on their 2022 World Cup debut, when they exited at the group stage after three defeats, with a knockout stage place as their first target in North America.

Qatar begin their Group B campaign against Switzerland on June 13, before facing co-hosts Canada on June 19, and Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 24, all fixtures that will test their progress in a demanding group.

Afif, two-time Asian Player of the Year, remains Qatar’s creative hub, operating between the lines and driving attacking transitions with quality.

Almoez, Qatar’s all-time leading scorer, continues to be one of the main focal points in attack, with his movement and finishing central to the team’s offensive structure.

Veteran Hassan Al Haydos, who captained Qatar to back-to-back Asian Cup triumphs, features in the squad adding leadership and experience to a group built on familiarity.

Qatar’s most-capped player remains an influential figure in the dressing room, having returned to the setup at Lopetegui’s request during World Cup qualifiers to provide stability in a high-pressure tournament environment.

Mohammed Muntari is also included, with the forward holding a unique place in Qatar’s World Cup history as their only goalscorer at the tournament, having struck against Senegal in 2022.

His inclusion offers a physical attacking option and a different dimension in the final third, particularly in tight matches. The 19-year-old winger Tahsin Mohammed, of Indian origin, retained his place in the final squad.

The midfield unit retains a strong sense of balance, with Assim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem and Karim Boudiaf providing control and experience in central areas. Jassim Gaber and Mohammed Mannai add energy and versatility, while Ahmed Fathy offers additional depth across midfield roles.

In defence, Qatar have maintained continuity with Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Lucas Mendes and Homam Al Amin forming the backbone of the backline. The group brings experience and understanding built over years of playing together in both regional and international competitions.

The goalkeeping department features Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham and Salah Zakaria, giving Lopetegui multiple options heading into the tournament.

Al Shahania goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy and Al Gharafa’s young defender Rayyan Al Ali, who were part of the earlier 28-man squad for the Ireland tour, have been left out of the final selection.

Qatar hit top gear as preparations enter final stage

Meanwhile, Qatar yesterday stepped up their World Cup preparations with an energetic training session in Santa Barbara, California, as their final build-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 entered full swing.

The squad, based on the US west coast for the closing phase of preparation, trained with high intensity and visible sharpness, with players going through physically demanding drills that underlined the rising tempo inside the camp.

Videos from the session showed strong work in conditioning exercises, quick transitions and high-energy routines, with the players responding positively under Lopetegui as the technical staff continued fine-tuning tactical details.

The atmosphere in camp remains focused and upbeat as Qatar look to peak at the right time ahead of their opening match in North America.

Qatar will continue their build-up with a friendly against El Salvador in Los Angeles on June 6, the final test before the tournament.

They earlier faced Ireland in a warm-up match, where they suffered a defeat, but the coaching staff have used the fixtures to assess combinations and refine structure ahead of the global event.