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
Abu Dhabi to host 'Fight Island' MMA event The United Arab Emirates will hold the isolated UFC event on Yas Island with health precautions in place, as the combat sport continues to grow in the Middle East. Originals
Players of Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club involved in sex scandal When two players of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club were suspected of sexual relations with minors, club owner Mitchell Goldhar made it clear this was intolerable on all levels. Israel
Turkish NBA player's father acquitted of terrorism charges in Turkey Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is an outspoken critic of the Turkish government, which has led to trouble for his family back home. Turkey
UAE camel racing to resume following a five-month hiatus The United Arab Emirates announced the resumption of camel racing, coupled with precautionary guidelines, which is among the most popular sports in the Gulf with prizes sometimes reaching millions of dollars. United Arab Emirates
Saudi soccer to resume this summer Matches will resume with health measures in place, after they had stopped in March due to the coronavirus outbreak. Saudi Arabia
Qatar’s World Cup organizers accused of not paying migrant workers Human rights organization Amnesty International said roughly 100 employees of a Qatari subcontractor went up to seven months without receiving salaries. Originals
Israeli soccer fans dream of returning to stadiums Israeli soccer players have resumed training sessions and might even play again, but the fans are still kept away from the stadiums. Israel
Egypt withdraws from FIFA online friendlies Two Egyptian soccer players have withdrawn from the FIFA eNations StayAndPlay Friendlies, over Israel’s participation. Egypt
Turkish soccer to welcome back players — but not fans Turkey's professional soccer teams will begin playing in empty stadiums in June, the Turkish Football Federation president said Wednesday. Turkey
Saudi bid for English Premier League soccer team has support of fans, opposition of human rights advocates The reported effort by the state-run Saudi Public Investment Fund to buy the Newcastle United football club has prompted an opposition campaign by human rights organizations. Culture & Society
Turkish soccer team lands in political hot water The soccer team of Turkey’s largest Kurdish-majority city has become the target of nationalist animosity from rival fans as well as the government, which accuses the club of being linked to armed Kurdish militants. Turkey
Gaza's female softball players in league of their own Baseball and softball fever is sweeping Gaza, where women and girls are learning to swing. Palestine
