Sports

A fan waves a Pride flag before the game between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers at Lumen Field on June 3, 2023, in Seattle, Washington.

Culture

FIFA rejects Egypt, Iran objections, allows Pride flags at World Cup match

The Egyptian and Iranian football bodies previously raised objections over the match to FIFA.

Germany's forward #26 Deniz Undav (2nd R), an ethnic Kurd, scores his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Germany and Ivory Coast at the Toronto Stadium in Toronto on June 20, 2026.

Culture

Amid political setbacks, Kurds shine at the World Cup

Kurdish players and clubs are making rare global gains on football’s biggest stage, offering a brief lift amid ongoing political setbacks across the region.

Hossam Hassan, the head coach of Egypt, celebrates after the 3-1 win during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between New Zealand and Egypt at BC Place Vancouver on June 21, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Culture

Egyptians hail first-ever World Cup win as Tunisia, Turkey exit

Egypt had never won a match at the tournament prior to Sunday's victory, despite previously qualifying for the World Cup in 1934, 1990 and 2018.

Achraf Hakimi #2 of Morocco shoots and misses a chance against Gabriel Magalhaes #3 of Brazil during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match between Brazil and Morocco at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 13, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Culture

Morocco, Egypt impress with notable draws despite winless World Cup start for Mideast teams

Several teams from the Middle East and North Africa could advance to the knockout stage under the new format, and Morocco climbed in the rankings despite a tie in its opener.

Latest News

Feature

Turkey’s World Cup return clouded by politics, dawn kickoffs

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Culture

World Cup opens amid visa disputes for Iran, Iraq and Somalia

Members of the Iranian national soccer team including midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh (R) arrive at Tijuana International Airport on June 7, 2026, in Tijuana, Mexico.

Culture

10 MENA teams at 2026 World Cup: Morocco eyes title, Iran faces visa hurdles

Morocco's midfielder Azzedine Ounahi celebrates scoring with teammates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E African qualification football match between Morocco and Niger at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat on September 5, 2025. (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP)

What LIV Golf’s woes suggest about Saudi Arabia’s economic headwinds

Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC plays his shot from the 17th tee prior to LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on April 15, 2026, in Mexico City.

Palestinian women practise yoga on the beach during an event organized by the Positive Energy Club, Gaza City, Gaza Strip, March 3, 2020.

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.

Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi delivers speech at the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, on June 22, 2021.

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.

In this handout image supplied by Qatar 2022, this artist's impression represents Qatar Foundation Stadium. Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Qatar to require World Cup spectators be fully vaccinated

The four-week World Cup tournament will hold all of its matches in full stadiums.

Multan Sultans' Mohammad Rizwan (L) plays a shot during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) T20 cricket match between Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans at the National Stadium in Karachi on March 3, 2021.

Abu Dhabi to host Pakistani cricket competition

The Emirati city has experience hosting sport events during the pandemic from the Fight Island mixed martial arts series.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur scores his team's fifth goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa League playoff match between Tottenham Hotspur and Maccabi Haifa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, United Kingdom, Oct. 01, 2020.

Arab-Israeli soccer players offer symbol of coexistence

With tensions between Jews and Arabs in Israel reaching sad records, Israeli-Arab soccer players carry the (perhaps heavy) mission of demonstrating coexistence.

Israeli and Emirati rugby teams to play each other for first time

The rugby sevens match in Dubai is the latest example of the strengthening of relations between Israel and the UAE and shows a shift in Israel's sports relations with other regional states.

United Arab Emirates

Soccer academy for African refugees in Egypt

A South Sudanese man in Egypt recently opened an academy to teach and train African refugees passionate about soccer.

The Netherlands puts Qatar trade event on hold over foreign workers' deaths

The Dutch government postponed a trade mission in Qatar after a report on thousands of workers dying there since the country was awarded the 2022 World Cup.

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur hits a return against Japan's Naomi Osaka during their women's singles match on day five of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on February 12, 2021. (Photo by Paul CROCK / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by PAUL CROCK/AFP via Getty Images)

Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur loses at Australian Open

Ons Jabeur is the highest-ranked Arab woman in tennis history. She hopes more women from the region will pick up rackets.

Mohamed Aliwa, a Palestinian youth whose leg was amputated near the knee in 2018 after he was hit by Israeli army fire during protests along the fortified border separating the Gaza Strip from Israel, shows off his parkour skills despite his disability and while on crutches in Gaza City on January 4, 2021. - Parkour, an extreme sport also known as free-running, originated in France in the 1990s. Young people in the Gaza Strip have been practising parkour for years; bounding from ruin to ruin in an enclave p

With one leg, this Gazan parkour star crosses besieged enclave

Official authorities in the Gaza Strip do not recognize parkour as an official sport, but it has become the only breathing space for many young people in the enclave.

Meet Egypt’s Christian soccer team

As Christian football players continue to be rejected from clubs playing in the Egyptian league, the Je Suis team opened the door for these talents to continue doing what they are passionate about.

Iraq is planning to host Gulf Cup soccer tournament

Adnan Dirjal, Iraq's minister of youth and sports, has gotten the ministry to promote health and fitness and is spearheading the nation's bid to host the 25th Arab Gulf Cup in Basra.