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
Big score for Iranian women as doors open to men's soccer games For the first time since 1979, Iranian women are allowed to watch men's soccer matches in Tehran despite stubborn and stiff opposition from hard-liners. Iran
Iraq's PMU militia wants its own soccer club The Popular Mobilization Units, an Iraqi military organization, seek to enter the world of sports by establishing a club to compete in official soccer events. Iraq
New coach pledges facelift to Egypt's national soccer team Javier Aguirre tells Al-Monitor that his main challenge is to raise the morale of his team after their defeat in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Egypt
Backlash in Iraq over chants glamorizing Saddam in Algeria Praising former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during a soccer match between Iraq and Algeria has angered Iraqis and is affecting the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Iraq
Who is this 20-year-old that Gaza sports fans love to hear? Award-winning sports commentator Hesham Muammar has been considered a “boy wonder” ever since he won the Watar talent competition at the age of 14. Now he has taken over management of a radio station. Palestine
Gaza girls take plunge in male-dominated sport After her father's death by Israeli shelling, a teenager from Gaza decided to realize his dream — having an international swimmer in the family. Palestine
FIFA red cards Palestinian soccer leader The latest FIFA decision to ban Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub points to the world soccer association’s possible shift in its actions toward Israel and Palestine. Palestine
Tiny fish powers Gaza bodybuilders After a bodybuilder in Gaza City started searching for an affordable protein-rich diet, he found the answer in UNRWA's standard food aid packages. Palestine
The Sabbath revolution shakes Israeli sports New regulations that condition government funding for sports associations on not holding competitions on the Sabbath threaten to financially destroy entire organizations. Israel
Egyptians brace for disappointment as Cairo makes play for 2030 World Cup Cairo hopes that more professional lobbying and a possible joint bid with Morocco and Tunisia could make Egypt a host of the 2030 World Cup, but many citizens are wary of public embarrassment. Egypt
Iran's national team sees popularity boost, but not just because of World Cup The siege mentality that is re-emerging with the return of US sanctions appears to have acted to rally Iranians around the national soccer squad. Iran
Amid economic woes, soccer team performance rallies Iranians around flag Iran’s national soccer team made history in the World Cup by tying Portugal and defeating Morocco, injecting hope and reviving pride in the midst of economic turmoil. Iran
