Football

Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo believes this year is “probably” his last as a professional footballer, the 41-year-old Portuguese superstar said in an interview with Vogue magazine published yesterday. Ronaldo, who has established his place among football’s all-time greats with more than 950 goals for club and country, had previously spoken of retiring “soon” or within “one or two years”. “This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” he told Vogue, saying his future after football was “all mapped out”. “I have so many things to keep me busy that to tell you just one thing is hard,” he said, listing travel and padel among his favourite activities. “Because football could leave a big hole, you have to fill your time in various ways, not just one,” said the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward. Ronaldo married his longstanding partner Georgina Rodriguez in an intimate ceremony in the Portuguese resort of Cascais on Tuesday. He told Vogue he wanted to “continue to enjoy what I’ve earned -- what we’ve earned. Because after all it’s been 25 years with a lot of sacrifice”, referring to his glittering career. After leading Portugal to the last 16 of his last World Cup this summer, Ronaldo is due to link up with his club Al Nassr for the new Saudi Pro League season.

Handball

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s U-18 national basketball team has not lost hope of reaching the knockout stages of the FIBA U-18 Asian Championship, despite suffering a 66–118 defeat against China at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Hall in Ahmedabad, India. The game was part of Group C’s second-round fixtures in the tournament, which runs until August 23 with 16 teams divided into four groups. Qatar captain Abdullah Yassin emerged as the game’s top scorer with 22 points. China’s standout was Xuan Hao, who scored 18 points. In another Group C match, Iran defeated Sri Lanka 110–42, securing its second consecutive win. With these results, China and Iran lead the group standings with four points each, while Qatar and Sri Lanka share third and fourth place with two points apiece. Qatar now face a decisive final group-stage match against Sri Lanka tomorrow. The team will aim for victory to strengthen its chances of finishing third and advancing to the qualification round.

Volleyball

Doha, Qatar: Qatar have been drawn alongside Tunisia, France and Venezuela in Pool A of the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship, which will be hosted in Doha from August 19 to 29. The tournament will bring together 20 teams from around the world, divided into five pools. Pool B features Italy, Cuba, India and Romania, while Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Poland make up Pool C. Pool D consists of Spain, Egypt, Bulgaria and Türkiye, while Pool E includes Iran, Chinese Taipei, Pakistan and Algeria. Each team will play three matches in the preliminary round, with the top 16 teams in the overall standings advancing to the Round of 16. The competition will then continue through the knockout stages leading to the semifinals, third-place playoff and final. Matches will be staged at Aspire Sports Hall and Al Arabi Sports Club Hall, as Doha prepares to welcome some of the world’s most promising young volleyball players for the global championship.