Hamilton claims his first Ferrari win at Barcelona F1 Grand Prix

Montmeló, Spain: Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory for Ferrari on Sunday at the Barcelona-Catalunya Formula One Grand Prix, ending championship leader Kimi Antonelli's five-race winning streak.

The seven-time world champion finished ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris, while Antonelli was forced to abandon in the final stages because of a technical problem.

Hamilton, 41, cut down Antonelli's title lead to 41 points by triumphing on a Sunday nearly two years after he last won a race. ipltable.lol

Mercedes polesitter Russell came in 19 seconds behind Hamilton, with Norris completing an all-British podium.

"You have helped me so much to achieve this dream, I cannot thank you enough," said Hamilton over team radio.

"To the fans, thank you for reminding me who I am. I couldn't have done this without you."

Russell, pre-season favourite for the championship, arrived in Barcelona bemoaning bad luck for his recent struggles but after team-mate Antonelli edged in front of him late on he had some good fortune to cut the gap on the teenager to 53 points after the Italian abandoned.

"Good to be back on the podium and have a clean race, but Ferrari were mighty today so we need to keep pushing," said Russell.

"The last stints were difficult, but it's good to be back here. The pace today was insane from Lewis, they are coming I think."

With track temperatures up at 51 degrees Celsius, Hamilton opted for a three pit-stop strategy and it worked to perfection, with the third of those fortuitously coming while the virtual safety car was deployed.

Ferrari's heavily upgraded car may well have been fast enough for Hamilton to triumph anyway, as he recorded the 106th victory of his career.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen came in fourth, ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Isack Hadjar in the other Red Bull.

Russell got off to the perfect start from pole, holding off Hamilton on softs, with the Ferrari driver cutting off Antonelli.

Hadjar, who started in position six, was slow off the line and overtaken by eight cars.

Charles Leclerc, in the second Ferrari, admitted he was "ashamed" by his crash in qualifying which left him starting in 10th but expertly weaved his way up to sixth, although he was later forced to retire.

Early stop

Hamilton took an early pit stop on lap 12 to swap his softs for hards, with Mercedes responding on the following lap with hards for Russell.

Russell was worried his stop "exposed" him to Antonelli but retook the lead from Hamilton with his teenage team-mate back in third after his own stop to bolt on the hards.

With Hamilton 2.3 seconds behind Russell he said "we are on Plan C" over team radio.

The seven-time champion pitted for the second time in the 28th lap, indicating a three-stop strategy, with Mercedes deciding not to follow suit because of the threat of 2025 champion Lando Norris, who was on a two-stop plan.

Antonelli moved right behind Russell, who was forced to fend off his team-mate.

Russell was called in for fresh hards before Antonelli followed suit, allowing Hamilton into the lead, with Ferrari telling the Briton this was the "critical time" for his race.

Home favourite Alonso, in what he said was probably his final appearance in Barcelona, was forced to retire because of a suspected battery issue. It brought out a yellow flag with the virtual safety car deployed, offering Hamilton an ideal chance for a cheap stop.

That worked brilliantly for Hamilton who emerged from his third stop with fresh rubber 2.6s ahead of Russell with 24 laps remaining.

With clean air Hamilton was able to stretch his lead comfortably to triumph in style.

The victory was sweetened further by late drama as Antonelli retired from second place in the 62nd lap to blow open the championship.

Doha, Qatar: Germany will begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against debutants Curacao tonight, with the four-time champions aiming to make an immediate impact in Group E and take an important step towards the knockout stages.

The match, scheduled to kick off at 8pm at Houston Stadium, marks the opening fixture in Group E, which also features Cote d’Ivoire and Ecuador. With every point likely to prove crucial in the race for the knockout stages, both teams will be determined to make a winning start.

Germany arrive at the World Cup after finishing top of Group A in the UEFA qualification stage. Under head coach Julian Nagelsmann, the Germans recovered from an early setback and produced a dominant run to secure their place at the tournament.

The World Cup presents another opportunity for Germany to add to one of the most successful records in international football. The Germans have lifted the trophy four times, winning titles in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014. Expectations remain high whenever Germany compete on football’s biggest stage, despite disappointing group-stage exits at the last two World Cups.

Curacao’s players take part in a training session on the eve of their opener. PICS: AFP

Nagelsmann believes his side is ready for the challenge ahead.

“We are ready,” the Germany coach said ahead of the tournament. “My job is to create the moments that lead to that joy.”

While Germany enter the match as clear favourites, Curacao arrive carrying the momentum of one of the most remarkable qualification campaigns in their history. The Caribbean nation topped CONCACAF Group B to secure first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals.

With a population of approximately 150,000, Curacao becomes the smallest nation by both population and area to qualify for a World Cup, making their participation one of the tournament’s most compelling stories.

Head coach Dick Advocaat has described the achievement as one of the highlights of his distinguished managerial career.

“I consider qualifying the smallest country in the world for the World Cup one of the highlights of my career,” Advocaat said. “I’m proud of my players, staff and the board members who believed in us.”

The experienced Dutch coach is embracing the challenge of facing Germany in the opening match.

“That it’s Germany right at the beginning is fantastic,” Advocaat said. “That way we immediately know where we stand. You have to play them anyway so you might as well play them right at the beginning.”

Much of Germany’s hopes will rest on an exciting generation of players led by Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, two of Europe’s most highly rated young talents.

Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich are expected to provide leadership and experience as Germany target a strong start.

Defender Nico Schlotterbeck has warned against underestimating Curacao despite Germany’s status as favourites.

“We had a team discussion yesterday on Curacao and it is a good team with players who have been trained in the Netherlands,” Schlotterbeck said. “But we are the favourites and I am confident we will win the match.”

Doha, Qatar: Four years ago, Qatar’s World Cup debut never truly got going. A nervy opening defeat to Ecuador set the tone for a difficult campaign that ended without a point and with hopes fading before the knockout rounds even came into view.

As Al Annabi prepare to begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Switzerland at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara tomorrow, head coach Julen Lopetegui will be hoping for a far brighter start.

The stakes are significant as the reigning Asian champions enter their second consecutive World Cup with ambitions of reaching the knockout stage for the first time, but their toughest Group B assignment arrives immediately against a Switzerland side dubbed the favourites to finish top of the section.

Switzerland bring experience, consistency and a squad packed with players competing at the highest levels of European football.

Murat Yakin’s side have progressed from the group stage at each of the last three World Cups and reached the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

This is Switzerland’s 13th World Cup appearance and they arrived in North America unbeaten in qualifying, winning four and drawing two of their six matches.

Led by captain Granit Xhaka, Switzerland also possess valuable World Cup experience throughout the squad. Xhaka is preparing for his fourth successive World Cup, while Ricardo Rodriguez is also set for a fourth appearance.

Five members of Yakin’s squad are competing at their third World Cup, giving the Swiss a core group accustomed to the demands and pressure of major tournaments.

Qatar’s preparations have not been entirely smooth. Planned high-profile friendlies against Argentina national football team and Serbia national football team were cancelled due to regional tensions, limiting opportunities to test themselves against elite oppositions before travelling to North America.

Even so, Lopetegui has remained encouraged by the work completed during training camps at home and in the United States. Qatar closed their preparations with a 1-0 defeat to Ireland and a goalless draw against El Salvador, results that highlighted both the team’s defensive organisation and their continuing search for greater attacking efficiency.

Lopetegui has made no secret of the challenge awaiting his side against Switzerland.

“Switzerland are a huge challenge in all aspects,” Lopetegui said recently, pointing to the quality, experience and tactical discipline that have made the Swiss regular competitors at major tournaments.

For Qatar, the task will be to avoid a repeat of the slow start that undermined their campaign in 2022. Defensive concentration will be essential against a Swiss side capable of controlling possession and punishing mistakes, while Qatar must also show greater attacking ambition than they managed in their opening World Cup appearance against Ecuador.

Much of that responsibility will fall on Akram Afif, Qatar’s leading creative force, and Almoez Ali, the country’s all-time leading scorer, who continues his return to full fitness after an injury-interrupted season. Midfielders Assim Madibo and Ahmed Fathy are expected to play important roles in helping Qatar compete physically and tactically against a well-drilled opponent.

Lopetegui has repeatedly stressed that Qatar are not travelling to the World Cup simply to participate.

“In theory, they may be stronger than us, but they have to prove that on the pitch. Our job is to defend our chances and compete from the first minute,” the coach said.

That message may be particularly important in the opening match. With Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina still to come, a positive result against the group favourites would significantly strengthen Qatar’s hopes of reaching the knockout rounds.

تُوّج نجما منتخب قطر الوطني للكرة الطائرة الشاطئية شريف يونس وأحمد تيجان بجائزة أفضل لاعبي الكرة الطائرة الشاطئية للرجال في قارة آسيا لموسم 2025–2026، وذلك خلال حفل جوائز الاتحاد الآسيوي للكرة الطائرة الذي يقام لأول مرة .

ويأتي هذا التكريم تتويجًا للمستويات المميزة والإنجازات الكبيرة التي حققها الثنائي القطري على المستويين الآسيوي والدولي، ليواصلا تأكيد حضورهما ضمن نخبة نجوم الكرة الطائرة الشاطئية في القارة.

ويُعد هذا الإنجاز الأول من نوعه للكرة الطائرة القطرية في حفل جوائز الاتحاد الآسيوي للكرة الطائرة، في خطوة تعكس المكانة المرموقة التي وصلت إليها الكرة الطائرة الشاطئية القطرية، والنجاحات المتواصلة التي يحققها الثنائي شريف يونس وأحمد تيجان‏.