Sports

As Mexico City prepares to host the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, teachers have pledged to continue their protests for increased wages and better labor conditions in the area surrounding the capital's legendary Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) as part of a national strike announced June 1 by the CNTE education workers union, which is demanding a 100% pay-rise.  Over the past week, thousands of teachers have occupied the iconic Zocalo, or main square, blocked intersections and marched through the streets of the capital. Media report that security forces deployed tear gas against teachers who were attempting to occupy the Education Ministry.  On the Paseo de la Reforma (Promenade of the Reform), teachers tore down meter-tall statues of soccer stars that had been erected ahead o...

The outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically the Bundibugyo virus disease, has already caused 91 deaths in the country. The latest data from the World Health Organization, released on June 6, shows there have been 515 confirmed cases in the country and 19 in neighboring Uganda, which has seen at least two deaths. Isabel Brosius, an infectious disease specialist from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, is in DR Congo. She told DW that the outbreak is devastating a country that has been wracked by conflict on its eastern flank and several other significant public health threats. "Ebola can be a very scary disease. So definitely, when this happens in a population that is not always super health-literate, that's a very scary thing. People start...

"We have excellent conditions here, both on the pitch and off it," Germany coach Julian Nagelsman told reporters a few hours after the team's arrival at Wake Forest University campus in Winston-Salem, USA. "If you feel comfortable and can prepare well, the likelihood of playing good matches increases. And if you deliver good performances, the chances of success rise, too," added the 38-year-old, who is about to take part in his first World Cup. The location was selected a something of a retreat, as the distances to be covered in the first World Cup jointly staged by three countries, the USA, Canada and Mexico, make this tournament a Herculean task. "We have been preparing for nearly two years. Our travel experts have visited the site frequently to ensure that the team's quarters and all...

1. Isn't football's governing body FIFA supposed to be politically neutral? In the months leading up to the 2026 World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino got unusually cozy with US President Donald Trump. This included sitting on a stage wearing a red USA baseball cap during the president's Board of Peace meeting, and presenting Trump with the newly created "FIFA Peace Prize" during the World Cup draw. According to its own statutes, FIFA is supposed to be politically neutral. However, Infantino has created the impression that he is deliberately mixing international sports politics with the interests of a state. The fact that the United States is at war with Iran is a first; never before has a World Cup host nation been engaged in a military conflict with one of the participating team...

A Somali referee set to become his country's first to officiate a World Cup match has been denied entry into the US, ending his involvement in the football tournament. Omar Artan was turned away on Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport and told to return to Istanbul, from where he had flown. He was named Africa's best referee in 2025. United States Customs and Border Protection said Artan was denied entry due to "vetting concerns" that made him "inadmissible." Artan said he remained positive despite the circumstances and was focused on his next refereeing challenges. "I thank FIFA and CAF for their support and will maintain my refereeing standards as I look ahead," he said. "I ​want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best suc...

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva beat Polish underdog Maja Chwalinska 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the French Open in Paris on Saturday to claim her first Grand Slam title. Andreeva, 19, is the youngest player to win the women's singles title at Roland Garros since Yugoslavia's Monica Seles, who was 18 when she won a third consecutive French Open in 1992. She is also the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova won the French Open in 2014 and the first teenager to take the crown ‌since Poland's Iga ​Swiatek ⁠in 2020. During the trophy presentation, Andreeva took the unusual step of thanking herself "for believing in myself, always giving 100%, even when it's tough, trying every day to be better as a person and as a player, believing that I can do this, fighting so many d...

German tennis number one Alexander Zverev defeated Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a five-set thriller at the French Open on Sunday to win his first-ever Grand Slam. In his fourth major final, Zverev beat first-time finalist Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1. The 29-year-old from Hamburg, currently ranked third in the world, had previously lost in the finals of the US Open (2020), the French Open (2024) and the Australian Open (2025), but finally secured a maiden Grand Slam in Paris. Zverev became the favorite for this year's tournament at Roland Garros after top seed and world number one Jannik Sinner was eliminated in the second round, followed by world number four Novak Djokovic in the third round. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the event with an arm injury and Zverev t...

Germany made it nine wins out of nine with a 2-1 win over the USA in their last match before the World Cup. The win, secured by goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane, means they have won four successive friendlies, having also won their last six World Cup qualifiers. But Julian Nagelsmann knows tougher tests than this are not far away. Just as he had for his club, Arsenal, in the Champions League final, Havertz gave Germany an early lead, this time after just two minutes. The striker, who joined the squad later than anyone else after that final, headed home from close range after just two minutes. Havertz was unmarked to nod home a Joshua Kimmich freekick from the right, with the US defense missing in action.  Germany could not build on the early lead though and were pegged back by Anto...