WORLD CUP
Box holders beat FIFA
Holders of boxes at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City won a standoff against FIFA over who gets to control the spaces during next year’s World Cup. The use of the boxes and VIP seating has become an issue in the lead-up to the tournament, as the stadium had signed contracts that spanned 99 years of box access to fund a 1966 renovation, said a spokeswoman at Ollamani SAB, the company that owns the stadium. The boxes include 12,500 individual spaces out of the 90,000 the stadium will have following the renovation. Following prolonged negotiations, an agreement was reached between a unit of Ollamani and FIFA — which rents the stadium during the World Cup — that includes the company taking on “relevant obligations and payment commitments” to FIFA to secure access for boxholders, a statement sent to local regulators said. The spokeswoman declined to comment on the amount of the deal, while representatives for FIFA did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment.
Photo: Reuters
WORLD CUP
Mamdani seeks discount
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic nomination on a platform of making the city more affordable, is calling on FIFA to make it cheaper for residents to attend the World Cup. In a petition released on Wednesday, Mamdani demanded that FIFA reverse its plan to set ticket prices for next year’s tournament based on demand, likening the practice to “price gouging.” He also called for 15 percent of tickets to be set aside at discounted prices for residents. “As a lifelong football — sorry, I mean soccer, fan — I couldn’t be more excited,” Mamdani said in an accompanying social media video, speaking in a faux-British accent as he juggled a ball in his dress shoes. “But are any working-class New Yorkers actually going to be able to watch any of the matches?”
LA LIGA
Oviedo supporter arrested
A Real Oviedo supporter has been arrested for directing racist gestures at Real Madrid players when the sides met last month, Spain’s National Police said on Wednesday. “A fan has been arrested for mimicking racist gestures and sounds during a match between Real Oviedo and Real Madrid,” the National Police said on X. “LaLiga reported the incidents after the match held in Oviedo.” The National Police linked to a story in Spanish newspaper Marca, which said the arrest was related to an incident in the 37th minute of the game on Aug. 24, when Real Madrid players were celebrating Kylian Mbappe’s opening goal in a 3-0 win.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Watford unveil John shirts
English second-tier club Watford are to wear a special Elton John-inspired kit for tomorrow’s home game against Blackburn Rovers to mark the approaching 50th anniversary of the global pop icon becoming chairman. The blue strip, that is to be worn just once, is inspired by his Diamonds album artwork and features a star design sublimation, while embossed on the reverse of the shirt are the lyrics “How wonderful life is while you’re in the world” from his 1970 hit Your Song.
A runner who stopped during a marathon in China to pose doing the splits and another who hoarded energy gels have been banned for two years, the local athletics association said yesterday. The incidents happened during Sunday’s marathon in Sichuan Province’s Chengdu and were widely shared online. Videos showed a female runner stopping suddenly and dropping to the ground in the splits position, holding up her arms in a heart shape as she apparently posed for a photograph. She “committed obstructive fouls during the race, affecting the safe participation of other runners,” the Sichuan Athletics Association said in a statement, which identified
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah on Tuesday said that he would leave the English club at the end of the Premier League season, marking an earlier-than-planned departure for one of the club’s greatest-ever scorers and soccer’s biggest names. The 33-year-old Egypt forward, who has scored 255 goals in 435 appearances for Liverpool, “reached an agreement” to quit the team a year before his contract was due to expire, the Premier League champions said. Salah’s form has dipped in his ninth year at Anfield, to such an extent that he was dropped for a stretch of games late last year — leading to the
There were some big games to be played yesterday in the NBA, with the Atlanta Hawks to play the Detroit Pistons in a matchup pitting a Hawks team who are rolling against a Pistons team trying to lock up the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. The Oklahoma City Thunder were to play the Boston Celtics, a showdown featuring the two most recent champions, while the Houston Rockets faced the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game that could factor mightily into Western Conference seeding. Elsewhere, the Washington Wizards were to play the Utah Jazz, with the Wizards on a 16-game slide visiting against a team
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