RELIANCE

AL-BIREH, West Bank: Palestinian club football is set to resume on Sept. 4 after a nearly three-year interruption, with 226 teams from the West Bank, Gaza and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon scheduled to take part in a tournament created to honour athletes killed during the conflict. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has named the inaugural competition the “Thousand Martyrs Cup” , describing it as the first step toward restoring organised football after years of disruption. PFA President Jibril Rajoub announced the tournament on Monday at the Joseph Blatter Academy in Al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank. He said the initiative was intended to revive Palestinian sport and provide a source of hope and community life for Palestinians at home and abroad. Rajoub also called for support from FIFA and other international football organisations to help clubs cope with financial and security challenges. 226 clubs from three regions The tournament will bring together 146 clubs from...

Egyptian Forward Set for Medical as Turkish Club Moves Closer to Completing High-Profile Transfer Istanbul — Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor has confirmed that it has entered formal negotiations to sign Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, with club officials expressing confidence that the transfer could be finalized later this week. In a statement released late Tuesday, Trabzonspor announced that discussions had officially begun with the 34-year-old, who became a free agent after bringing his nine-year spell at Liverpool to an end this summer. Club president Ertugrul Dogan later told local broadcaster A Spor that negotiations were progressing positively. He said Salah is expected to travel to Türkiye for medical examinations before completing the move, although the agreement has not yet been formally signed. If all remaining details are finalized, the transfer could be completed within days, marking one of the biggest signings in the club's recent history. End of a Histor...

Veteran Goalkeeper Says World Cup Success Confirmed His Belief That He Belonged at a Major Club Santiago, Chile — Cape Verde international goalkeeper Vozinha has completed a move to Chilean football powerhouse Colo-Colo, describing the transfer as the fulfillment of a long-held belief that he was destined to play for one of the sport's historic clubs. Speaking shortly after his unveiling on Tuesday, the 40-year-old said his performances on football's biggest stage reinforced the confidence he had carried throughout his career, despite spending much of it in smaller European and African leagues. "Throughout my career, I always believed I had the quality to represent a major club," Vozinha said. "Even when I was playing outside the spotlight, I never lost that conviction. When Colo-Colo expressed interest, my decision was immediate. There were other opportunities, but this was the destination I wanted most." World Cup Breakthrough Vozinha became one ...

UEFA and several national federations raise concerns over proposed private investment in FIFA commercial operations  ZURICH, Switzerland, July 29 — FIFA's proposal to open part of its commercial operations to private investment has triggered growing opposition across the global football community, with several European football authorities warning that the plan could fundamentally alter the governance of the sport's most valuable competitions. The controversy follows FIFA's announcement that it intends to establish a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprises , to manage the business operations of major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Under the proposal, up to 21% of the new company's shares could be sold to private investors, a move expected to generate approximately $4.2 billion in fresh capital. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has presented the initiative as a long-term strategy aimed at strengthening football develop...

  Brazilian side recovers from conceding after 19 seconds to defeat Universidad Central 4-2 and advance 8-3 on aggregate SANTOS, Brazil, July 29 — Brazilian club Santos overcame an early setback to defeat Venezuela's Universidad Central 4-2 on Thursday, securing an emphatic 8-3 aggregate victory and booking a place in the Copa Sudamericana Round of 16. The home side fell behind after only 19 seconds at Vila Belmiro Stadium following a costly defensive error, but responded with four goals to complete a comfortable win and continue its campaign for continental silverware. Universidad Central stunned the hosts almost immediately when defender Adonis Frías misplaced a back pass inside his own half. Samuel Sosa intercepted the ball and calmly lifted his finish over goalkeeper Gabriel Brazão to give the visitors a dream start. Despite the early blow, Santos gradually regained control of the contest and found an equalizer before halftime. Bolivian midfielder Miguelito produced ...