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Mbappe’s Season on Ice Ahead of Silverware Sprint and World Cup

Little more than 100 days from the start of the 2026 World Cup, the France captain seems to be paying the price for efforts he has made to carry his team this season.According to several sources contacted by AFP, Mbappe, hampered by damage to the outer ligament of his left knee since late 2025, had to withdraw from Madrid's squad to face Benfica in the Champions League play-off round on Wednesday because he felt "pain that was too persistent" in training.Mbappe is expected to rest for at least 10 days so he can recover from the issue which has troubled him over the past couple of months.His absence for one of the most important matches of the season, confirmed by Madrid on Wednesday, is a concern for Los Blancos, who lost at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday to allow Barcelona back in front in the title race.Beyond a personal quest for glory, having finished his first season at Madrid without a major trophy, the intense pressure and demand for results at the Santiago Bernabeu have contributed to Mbappe playing through the pain in recent weeks."It's important to highlight the immense effort Kylian is making and the fact that he's trying to help us out on the patch," said Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa on Tuesday.Mbappe flew to Saudi Arabia in January to appear in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona as a substitute, having missed the semi-final because of knee pain, but his team fell to defeat.It is hard to imagine where the Spanish giants would be without their No 10's supreme finishing ability, as Mbappe has netted 38 goals in 33 matches this season across all competitions.At least winger Vinicius Junior has finally hit top form after a slow start to the season and could pick up some of the slack, along with promising young striker Gonzalo Garcia, who Madrid fans are keen to see more of.Mbappe is top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League, even in a dysfunctional Madrid side that sacked coach Xabi Alonso in January.If they are knocked out by Jose Mourinho's Benfica on Wednesday, a result that would trigger a fresh crisis, Madrid might be tempted to push their striker to play to salvage their season.Should they progress then Mbappe will be eyeing the round of 16 clash against Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon, with the first leg set for March 10 or 11.The next international break (March 23-30), when France face Brazil and Colombia in the United States, would come at the perfect time to give him another breather -- but could trigger a new club-versus-country conflict.France are counting on their captain, a source close to the national team told AFP, adding that Mbappe is in "regular contact" with coach Didier Deschamps.Deschamps is due to announce his squad list for the USA trip on March 19, with the tour including promotional events with American sportswear company Nike, who outfit both the French national team and Mbappe.

25-02-2026 20:02

Hakimi to Stand Trial Over 2023 Rape Allegations

Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi is set to go on trial in France over rape allegations, according to French media reports on Tuesday. In a post shared on X today, the Atlas Lion denied the accusation and said he remains confident that the truth will come out.“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial even though I contest it and everything shows that it is false. It is just as unfair to the innocent as it is to genuine victims,” Hakimi wrote.He said he is “calmly” awaiting the trial, adding that it will “allow the truth to come out publicly.”The Nanterre prosecutor’s office opened an investigation in 2023 after a woman accused Hakimi of rape. French prosecutors later requested that the case be sent to a criminal court. If convicted, Hakimi could face up to 15 years in prison.The case dates back to February 2023, when a 24-year-old woman accused Hakimi of forcing her into a non-consensual sexual act at his home near Paris. The alleged incident reportedly took place on February 25, 2023.According to the woman’s account, she met the footballer through Instagram and was driven to his house in a car he arranged. She claims he kissed and touched her even after she said no. She said she managed to push him away and later called a friend to pick her up.Hakimi has strongly denied the allegations since the start of the investigation.His lawyer, Fanny Colin, said there is “strong evidence” that clears him of any wrongdoing. “We will fight until the end to make sure the truth comes out and that it is clearly said and understood that Achraf Hakimi did not do or say anything wrong,” she told RMC Sport.Colin described the accusations as based on what she called an “incoherent” version of events. She argued that there were no signs of trauma usually seen in similar cases. “In 99.9% of sexual assault cases, there is at least some sign of trauma, whether it’s nightmares, weight changes, or anything else. Here, there is nothing,” she said, adding that she remains calm even if the case goes to trial.French football star Kylian Mbappé, who played alongside Hakimi at PSG, also gave a statement to police defending his former teammate and said he had “never seen him behave inappropriately” toward women. He said Hakimi is respectful and that he had never heard any complaints about him crossing the line.Mbappé described Hakimi as emotionally shaken when he learned about the investigation, saying he cried and appeared deeply affected. He suggested the possibility that the case could be a setup, referring to reported messages from the woman that mentioned money. In one alleged message, she wrote, “We’re going to rob him!” She later said it was a joke meant to relieve stress.Many observers argued that the case has resurfaced at a sensitive time for Hakimi, as he continues to perform strongly on the field and after being a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or.

24-02-2026 16:20

Guardiola Vows to Speak Up for Victims of Global Conflicts

Pep Guardiola said he will continue to use his platform as Manchester City manager to speak up for victims of global conflicts and violence.Guardiola was speaking at a pre‑match press conference ahead of City's League Cup semifinal second leg against Newcastle United, five days after he voiced support for children in the occupied Palestinian territories at a charity concert in Barcelona."Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the information in front of our eyes watching more clearly than now," Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday in Manchester."The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world - in Sudan, everywhere," he said, referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories."What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It's our problems as human beings. It's our problems."He said society must work collectively to improve."Look what happened in the United States of America, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed. Tell me how you can defend that," Guardiola said. The fatal shootings of the two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents sparked widespread protests in the United States."When I see the images, I am sorry it hurts. That is why in every position I can help speak up to be a better society, I will try and will be there. All the time. It is for my kids, my families, for you."There is not a perfect society, nowhere is perfect, I am not perfect, we have to work to be better."

04-02-2026 07:55

US ICE agents going to Winter Olympics sparks anger in Italy

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel will help protect U.S. delegations at next month's Winter Olympics in Italy, causing a political uproar in the country.ICE and Border Patrol agents have come under heavy criticism over their enforcement of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown after they shot and killed two U.S. citizens in separate incidents this month in Minnesota.ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division will back up the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service at the February 6-22 Milano Cortina Olympics, the Department of Homeland Security said in a post on X.The ICE agents' role will be "to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations," the post added, noting "all security operations remain under Italian authority."“Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries," said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.HISTORY OF ICE DEPLOYMENTSICE has been present at major sports events in both the U.S. and abroad in the past, including previous Olympic Games, as part of international partnerships related to human trafficking and drug trafficking, said Jason Houser, who served as ICE chief of staff under former President Joe Biden.Despite assurances that there is nothing unusual about the deployment, Italian politicians strongly criticised the presence of ICE agents in the country, highlighting how the image of the United States has been tarnished in recent months."It seems sheer idiocy to me," Maurizio Lupi, leader of a small centrist party in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's governing coalition, told la Repubblica daily.Giuseppe Sala, the left-leaning mayor of Milan, one of the cities co-hosting the Olympics, called ICE "a militia that kills". Speaking to RTL 102.5 radio, Sala said: "It's clear that they're not welcome in Milan, there's no doubt about it."The Rome government sought to defuse the protests. The interior ministry said in a statement that ICE personnel would only work in U.S. diplomatic offices such as the Milan consulate, and "not on the ground" enforcing order.Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said he met with U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta. Piantedosi said he would address parliament on February 4. The U.S. embassy in Italy declined to comment.

28-01-2026 07:40

NFL Fine Spurs Charity Drive After Azeez Al-Shaair’s Anti-Genocide Message

Palestinian rights advocates are raising charitable donations in the name of American football player Azeez Al-Shaair, who was fined by the National Football League for displaying an anti-genocide message on his nose tape.Nimrah Riaz, founder of Siraat Strategies, a sports consulting firm focused on Muslims, said people in the community wanted to turn the $11,593 penalty against the Houston Texans’ linebacker into something positive.Al-Shaair wore nose tape captioned “Stop the Genocide” during a pre-game TV interview last week, without specifically referring to a particular conflict. But the message was widely understood to be about the atrocities in Gaza and Sudan.“If Azeez was going to use his platform to stand up for humanity, and there was going to be a financial consequence, instead of that moment ending in punishment, the community chose to redirect it, so we can all collectively raise funds towards Palestine and Sudan for those who actually need it,” Riaz told Al Jazeera.Former NFL player Husain Abdullah donated $11,593 to the charity Human Development Fund (HDF) in response to the fine. A separate, ongoing fundraiser by Riaz on the platform Launchgood also aims to donate the same amount to HDF.Despite the vagueness of Al-Shaair’s note, ESPN reported that the league fined the player for violating its uniform rules.Leading rights groups and United Nations investigators have accused Israel of carrying out a genocide in Gaza, an effort to destroy the Palestinian people in full or in part.Warning against anti-genocide messageAl-Shaair displayed the same note on his face on Sunday on the sidelines of another game – against the New England Patriots – but he did not wear it during gametime.The player later said he was threatened with being removed from the game if he kept the message.The linebacker said he accepted the fine but did not understand the warning not to wear the message during the game.Al-Shaair underscored that non-sporting messages displayed by other players resulted only in financial penalties.“I knew that that was a fine. I understood what I was doing,” he told reporters in the dressing room. “But I was told if I wore that in the game, I would be pulled out of the game. So, I think that was the part that I was confused about.”It is not clear who issued the warning to Al-Shaair. The Houston Texans team did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment by the time of publication.While most professional sport leagues in the world attempt to present themselves as politically neutral, critics say athletes who speak out for Palestinian rights in the US and the West are especially scorned and punished.In 2023, the NFL teams held pre-game moments of silence in honour of Israelis killed during Hamas’s October 7 attack – a gesture that ignored the suffering in Gaza as the Palestinian death toll from the horrific Israeli response was mounting.Some teams also released individual statements in support of Israel at that time.Several NFL team owners are outspoken supporters of Israel – most notably the New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft, a major donor for pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).The NFL emerged as a flashpoint in 2016 after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the US national anthem to protest racism and police brutality in the US.Critics of the move accused Kaepernick of disrespecting national symbols and called on the league to intervene. But the player’s supporters praised him for his willingness to stand up to injustice despite potential repercussions for his career.Kaepernick was not signed by any team after he became a free agent at the end of that season.With Kaepernick out, other players continued his kneeling protest.In 2018, the NFL issued a policy requiring players to stand during the anthem or stay in the locker room after mounting criticism and calls for a boycott by President Donald Trump and his allies.

22-01-2026 19:24

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Mbappe’s Season on Ice Ahead of Silverware Sprint and World Cup

Little more than 100 days from the start of the 2026 World Cup, the France captain seems to be paying the price for efforts he has made to carry his team this season.According to several sources contacted by AFP, Mbappe, hampered by damage to the outer ligament of his left knee since late 2025, had to withdraw from Madrid's squad to face Benfica in the Champions League play-off round on Wednesday because he felt "pain that was too persistent" in training.Mbappe is expected to rest for at least 10 days so he can recover from the issue which has troubled him over the past couple of months.His absence for one of the most important matches of the season, confirmed by Madrid on Wednesday, is a concern for Los Blancos, who lost at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday to allow Barcelona back in front in the title race.Beyond a personal quest for glory, having finished his first season at Madrid without a major trophy, the intense pressure and demand for results at the Santiago Bernabeu have contributed to Mbappe playing through the pain in recent weeks."It's important to highlight the immense effort Kylian is making and the fact that he's trying to help us out on the patch," said Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa on Tuesday.Mbappe flew to Saudi Arabia in January to appear in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona as a substitute, having missed the semi-final because of knee pain, but his team fell to defeat.It is hard to imagine where the Spanish giants would be without their No 10's supreme finishing ability, as Mbappe has netted 38 goals in 33 matches this season across all competitions.At least winger Vinicius Junior has finally hit top form after a slow start to the season and could pick up some of the slack, along with promising young striker Gonzalo Garcia, who Madrid fans are keen to see more of.Mbappe is top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League, even in a dysfunctional Madrid side that sacked coach Xabi Alonso in January.If they are knocked out by Jose Mourinho's Benfica on Wednesday, a result that would trigger a fresh crisis, Madrid might be tempted to push their striker to play to salvage their season.Should they progress then Mbappe will be eyeing the round of 16 clash against Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon, with the first leg set for March 10 or 11.The next international break (March 23-30), when France face Brazil and Colombia in the United States, would come at the perfect time to give him another breather -- but could trigger a new club-versus-country conflict.France are counting on their captain, a source close to the national team told AFP, adding that Mbappe is in "regular contact" with coach Didier Deschamps.Deschamps is due to announce his squad list for the USA trip on March 19, with the tour including promotional events with American sportswear company Nike, who outfit both the French national team and Mbappe.

25-02-2026 20:02

Hakimi to Stand Trial Over 2023 Rape Allegations

Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi is set to go on trial in France over rape allegations, according to French media reports on Tuesday. In a post shared on X today, the Atlas Lion denied the accusation and said he remains confident that the truth will come out.“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial even though I contest it and everything shows that it is false. It is just as unfair to the innocent as it is to genuine victims,” Hakimi wrote.He said he is “calmly” awaiting the trial, adding that it will “allow the truth to come out publicly.”The Nanterre prosecutor’s office opened an investigation in 2023 after a woman accused Hakimi of rape. French prosecutors later requested that the case be sent to a criminal court. If convicted, Hakimi could face up to 15 years in prison.The case dates back to February 2023, when a 24-year-old woman accused Hakimi of forcing her into a non-consensual sexual act at his home near Paris. The alleged incident reportedly took place on February 25, 2023.According to the woman’s account, she met the footballer through Instagram and was driven to his house in a car he arranged. She claims he kissed and touched her even after she said no. She said she managed to push him away and later called a friend to pick her up.Hakimi has strongly denied the allegations since the start of the investigation.His lawyer, Fanny Colin, said there is “strong evidence” that clears him of any wrongdoing. “We will fight until the end to make sure the truth comes out and that it is clearly said and understood that Achraf Hakimi did not do or say anything wrong,” she told RMC Sport.Colin described the accusations as based on what she called an “incoherent” version of events. She argued that there were no signs of trauma usually seen in similar cases. “In 99.9% of sexual assault cases, there is at least some sign of trauma, whether it’s nightmares, weight changes, or anything else. Here, there is nothing,” she said, adding that she remains calm even if the case goes to trial.French football star Kylian Mbappé, who played alongside Hakimi at PSG, also gave a statement to police defending his former teammate and said he had “never seen him behave inappropriately” toward women. He said Hakimi is respectful and that he had never heard any complaints about him crossing the line.Mbappé described Hakimi as emotionally shaken when he learned about the investigation, saying he cried and appeared deeply affected. He suggested the possibility that the case could be a setup, referring to reported messages from the woman that mentioned money. In one alleged message, she wrote, “We’re going to rob him!” She later said it was a joke meant to relieve stress.Many observers argued that the case has resurfaced at a sensitive time for Hakimi, as he continues to perform strongly on the field and after being a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or.

24-02-2026 16:20

Guardiola Vows to Speak Up for Victims of Global Conflicts

Pep Guardiola said he will continue to use his platform as Manchester City manager to speak up for victims of global conflicts and violence.Guardiola was speaking at a pre‑match press conference ahead of City's League Cup semifinal second leg against Newcastle United, five days after he voiced support for children in the occupied Palestinian territories at a charity concert in Barcelona."Never, ever in the history of humanity have we had the information in front of our eyes watching more clearly than now," Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday in Manchester."The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened in Russia, what happened all around the world - in Sudan, everywhere," he said, referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories."What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It's our problems as human beings. It's our problems."He said society must work collectively to improve."Look what happened in the United States of America, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed. Tell me how you can defend that," Guardiola said. The fatal shootings of the two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents sparked widespread protests in the United States."When I see the images, I am sorry it hurts. That is why in every position I can help speak up to be a better society, I will try and will be there. All the time. It is for my kids, my families, for you."There is not a perfect society, nowhere is perfect, I am not perfect, we have to work to be better."

04-02-2026 07:55

US ICE agents going to Winter Olympics sparks anger in Italy

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel will help protect U.S. delegations at next month's Winter Olympics in Italy, causing a political uproar in the country.ICE and Border Patrol agents have come under heavy criticism over their enforcement of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown after they shot and killed two U.S. citizens in separate incidents this month in Minnesota.ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division will back up the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service at the February 6-22 Milano Cortina Olympics, the Department of Homeland Security said in a post on X.The ICE agents' role will be "to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations," the post added, noting "all security operations remain under Italian authority."“Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries," said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.HISTORY OF ICE DEPLOYMENTSICE has been present at major sports events in both the U.S. and abroad in the past, including previous Olympic Games, as part of international partnerships related to human trafficking and drug trafficking, said Jason Houser, who served as ICE chief of staff under former President Joe Biden.Despite assurances that there is nothing unusual about the deployment, Italian politicians strongly criticised the presence of ICE agents in the country, highlighting how the image of the United States has been tarnished in recent months."It seems sheer idiocy to me," Maurizio Lupi, leader of a small centrist party in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's governing coalition, told la Repubblica daily.Giuseppe Sala, the left-leaning mayor of Milan, one of the cities co-hosting the Olympics, called ICE "a militia that kills". Speaking to RTL 102.5 radio, Sala said: "It's clear that they're not welcome in Milan, there's no doubt about it."The Rome government sought to defuse the protests. The interior ministry said in a statement that ICE personnel would only work in U.S. diplomatic offices such as the Milan consulate, and "not on the ground" enforcing order.Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said he met with U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta. Piantedosi said he would address parliament on February 4. The U.S. embassy in Italy declined to comment.

28-01-2026 07:40

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