Culture Iran war hits Saudi gaming drive as Esports Nations Cup pushed to 2027 The postponement is a blow for the kingdom, which has made growing its esports sector one of the main priorities under its Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia
Culture How Argentina-Spain World Cup final became debate over Israel, Palestine Governments and fans alike have turned teams and players into symbols of political division. Palestine
Culture What a Zidane pick to coach France means in post-Deschamps era After the loss in the semifinals, French-Algerian football star Zinedine Zidane will replace the retiring Didier Deschamps as coach of Les Bleus. Algeria
France ends Morocco’s World Cup run as last Arab and African team standing Following the loss, no Arab or African teams remain in the tournament. Morocco
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Egypt withdraws from FIFA online friendlies Two Egyptian soccer players have withdrawn from the FIFA eNations StayAndPlay Friendlies, over Israel’s participation.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
Meet the dismissed sports host who challenged Iran’s state TV Popular sports host Adel Ferdosipour, who recently witnessed his show being taken off the air by hardliners in the state TV, has now launched a new show on the internet. Saudi Arabia
