Lionel Messi’s latest, and likely last, assault on the World Cup has garnered a Middle Eastern flavor. If the game’s greatest talent is to belatedly lift the sport’s grandest trophy this winter, he’ll do it in Qatar while employed by Qatar Sports Investments’ Paris Saint-Germain. The 35-year-old will take to the pitch in Doha on Nov. 22 for Argentina’s Group C clash with
Sharjah’s superstars showcased their collective might, Belgium center back Jason Denayer endured a chastening Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai Club debut and an electrified Al-Wasl exhibited flashes of brilliance in a fevered Bur Dubai derby when the ADNOC Pro League returned at the weekend. A lively restart after the international break was headlined by a double strike from Al-Wasl’s
This has been a week like no other in the ADNOC Pro League. A flurry of big-name additions has turned an unforeseeably strong transfer window into an utterly astonishing one. Al-Ain’s early summer capture of Ukraine maestro Andriy Yarmolenko, plus Sharjah’s double swoop for Barcelona alumni Paco Alcacer and Miralem Pjanic, surpassed wildest hopes. Yet, these elite deals were