Lebanon’s citizenship offer for FIFA head sparks debate over equal rights Lebanon’s president has announced he will grant citizenship to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, sparking a wave of outrage. Lebanon
Culture Match-fixing probe shakes Turkey's football as referees, executives detained The football scandal expanded after the Turkish Football Federation's suspension of referees and assistants amid a nationwide betting probe. Turkey
NFL star Antonio Brown extradited from Dubai: What to know The US and the UAE do not have an extradition treaty, a factor that affected the proceedings against Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. United Arab Emirates
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans barred from UK soccer game over safety concerns Antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents are on the rise in the UK, with a recent report accusing British authorities of failing to address discrimination. Israel
Qatari, Italian athletes praised for sharing gold medal at Olympics Entities in both Qatar and Italy praised high jumpers Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi for opting to share an Olympic gold medal, though one commentator said such a deal was unbecoming of elite athletes. News Brief
Saudi judoka earns praise for facing Israeli opponent at Tokyo Olympics Tahani Alqahtani is the first Saudi woman to compete in judo at the Olympics, bucking the trend of Middle Eastern and North African athletes refusing to face Israelis at the games. News Brief
Controversial cleric’s ‘modesty call’ to Turkish volleyball team bounces back at him Following a victory by the Turkish women's volleyball team over China at the Tokyo Olympics, the all-too-familiar debate on women’s decency and clothes raised its head when a cleric urged the players to observe modesty in dress and behavior. Turkey
Sudanese judoka refuses to face Israeli opponent Some athletes in the Middle East and North Africa face domestic pressures to refuse to face Israelis in competition. News Brief
Israeli soccer club calls off match with Barcelona in Jerusalem Faced with pressure by pro-Palestinian elements, Barcelona preferred having its soccer game against Beitar Jerusalem canceled, rather than play in Jerusalem. Israel
Turkish soccer team flies home from Greece after virus test row Turkey, which has worked to repair its long-strained relations with Greece this year, summoned the Greek ambassador over the issue on Tuesday. By Al-Monitor Staff
Palestinians criticize FC Barcelona over possible match with Israeli team Spain's elite soccer club has not confirmed it will play the Israeli team Beitar Jerusalem. Palestine
Syrian opposition organizes Arabian horse festival In the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed opposition in the countryside of Aleppo, equestrian sports are alive with the first purebred Arabian horse festival. Syria
Italians build Gaza’s largest sports park The Gaza Strip will have a huge recreational sports project, which includes one of the largest skateboard tracks in the Middle East. Palestine
Yoga for Gaza paramedics raises controversy A social club in Gaza has organized a one-time event to give a yoga session for paramedics who suffered psychological trauma during the latest Israel escalation. Palestine
The Takeaway: Iran deal on front burner before Raisi takes office Also: Bibi plots his comeback, a woman boxing coach trains men in Egypt, and the latest from Gaza, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey. Iran
Qatar to require World Cup spectators be fully vaccinated The four-week World Cup tournament will hold all of its matches in full stadiums. Qatar
