Sports
Fenerbahçe in tatters after Athletic loss
ISTANBUL
Fenerbahçe headed into turbulent times after a home loss in the Europa League against Athletic Bilbao on Dec. 11 night added to the club’s wounds and sparked fan protests.
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Inaki Williams put the visiting side ahead early with an easy tap-in after Gorka Guruzeta’s assist and added his second at the end of the first half when his angled shot from the right hit the crossbar and bounced into the net.
Fenerbahçe was reduced to 10 men after defender Mert Müldür received his second yellow card in the 69th.
Bilbao moved to the top of the table with 16 points from six games in the league phase of the revamped competition. Fenerbahçe has eight points in 15th place after its second loss of the campaign.
The dismal run on the European stage and a loss at city rival Beşiktaş last weekend left the club six points behind leader Galatasaray after 14 weeks, making Fenerbahçe fans furious.
Thousands of fans in the stands in the Bilbao match chanted for the resignation of club president Ali Koç, while defender Samet Akaydın was replaced at halftime following whistles every time he touched the ball in the first half.
The pressure is also growing on coach Jose Mourinho, whose arrival in the club in June had raised hopes for both reorganization and success.
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“I can never criticize the reaction of the fans,” the Portuguese coach said after the match when asked about the protests.
“The fans are the foundation of the club,” he added. “The fans are sad, but not sadder than we are. We can be sad, but we have to be balanced. There is a new game on Sunday.”
Mourinho said back-to-back losses put pressure on the team.
“The most important thing in football is results,” he said.
“In a team where you’re winning all the time, it might seem like results don’t matter, but when you have two defeats in a row, you realize the importance of results. It’s a cultural thing in this country, we have to adapt. I am not going to try to change that culture.”
Mourinho believes that his side will be better in the future.
“We are in transition to where we want to be in the future. The next game we play will be at home again, we have to make sure that our fans support us in that match.”
Fenerbahçe still has the chance to advance in the Europa League by winning one of its two remaining games, and the Süper Lig title race has a long way to go, but the fans are impatient having last watched their team lifting the trophy 10 years ago.
In a league mostly dominated by the three major Istanbul clubs, Fenerbahçe supporters are furious to have seen archrival Galatasaray winning the league five times since and Beşiktaş three times.
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Club chair Koç has worked with nine different coaches since his election to the post in June 2018, with the club’s only success in his era being the Turkish Cup victory in the 2022-2023 season.
The result of a league game at home against Başakşehir scheduled for Dec. 15 may decide the future of coach Mourinho and chairman Koç.
Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sönmez has reached a new career milestone, climbing to No. 54 in the latest WTA rankings, the highest position ever achieved by a Turkish woman in singles and a reflection of her steady rise on the professional circuit.
The 24-year-old gained seven places in the updated standings following a productive grass-court swing, highlighted by her run at the Lexus Nottingham Open.
There, Sönmez produced one of her most significant wins of the season, defeating second seed Leylah Fernandez in straight sets, a result that underlined her growing confidence against top-ranked opposition.
She advanced to the second round before being edged out in a tightly contested three-set match by Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.
The ranking surge pushed Sönmez beyond her previous personal best of No. 59, set earlier in 2026 after strong performances during the clay-court swing, including the WTA 1000 event in Rome. It also extended her standing as the leading figure in Turkish women’s tennis, building on the benchmark once held by Çağla Büyükakçay.
Sönmez’s progress this season has been shaped by consistency rather than isolated breakthroughs. She has remained a steady presence in main draws across multiple surfaces, compiling a positive win-loss record and strengthening her position inside the WTA top tier. Her 2026 campaign has also included a notable victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, further evidence that she is capable of challenging established names on the tour.
Her improvement on grass has been particularly significant. The surface, often a difficult adjustment for players who build their games on clay or hard courts, has instead become a platform for Sönmez to accelerate her rise, with her Nottingham performance serving as a key ranking catalyst ahead of the Wimbledon Championships.
Beyond individual events, Sönmez has also contributed to Türkiye’s national efforts in the Billie Jean King Cup, adding experience in high-pressure match environments that have translated into more composed performances on tour.
Group L reaches a decisive early turning point on Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, where England national football team and Ghana national football team meet with both sides knowing a second straight win would effectively secure a place in the 2026 World Cup knockout rounds.
England arrive in Foxborough with confidence rising after a chaotic but statement 4-2 win over Croatia that underlined both their attacking edge and lingering defensive fragility. The performance, their first World Cup four-goal outing since 1966, also ended a damaging run of results against elite opposition and restored belief in a squad long judged by its performances in high-pressure games.
Under Thomas Tuchel, England’s approach has tilted firmly toward vertical, aggressive attacking play. The Croatia match reflected that identity shift. Harry Kane continued his record-equalling international scoring form, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford supplied pace and directness that repeatedly exposed Croatia’s back line.
The numbers reinforced the dominance. England produced 20 shots inside the penalty area, the highest such tally recorded in a single World Cup match, a sign of sustained pressure rather than isolated moments. Yet the concession of two goals also exposed defensive gaps that Tuchel will be reluctant to ignore, particularly in transition moments where England were repeatedly stretched.
The stakes are now clear. Victory guarantees progression with a match to spare and would extend England’s winning streak to four games in all competitions, while also reinforcing a growing sense that Tuchel’s side are beginning to translate attacking intent into consistent output at major tournaments.
Ghana, however, arrive with their own momentum and growing belief after a narrow but significant 1-0 win over Panama that came only after 94 tense minutes. The breakthrough arrived through 20-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi, whose late counter-attacking finish delivered three points that could prove pivotal in a tight Group L race.
That result was more than just a win. It halted a four-match winless run and restored defensive confidence after a stretch in which Ghana had conceded heavily. It also marked another milestone, with back-to-back clean sheets at World Cup level now within reach for the first time in their history.
For Carlos Queiroz’s side, the equation mirrors England’s. A second straight victory would guarantee a top-two finish and allow them to approach their final group match against Croatia without pressure. Their challenge, however, remains consistency in attack. Ghana have struggled to score multiple goals in matches, relying instead on narrow margins and defensive control.
Personnel issues add further complexity. England continue to manage fitness concerns around Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Rashford, though Rice and Rashford have returned to full training after precautionary issues. Saka’s limited involvement in group sessions has opened the door for Noni Madueke to retain his place on the right, offering a different profile of direct running and ball progression.
In defence, Tuchel faces a more delicate decision. Errors from Ezri Konsa and John Stones against Croatia have prompted internal reassessment, with Marc Guehi emerging as a strong candidate to reshape the back line.
Ghana’s situation carries its own uncertainty. Midfield anchor Thomas Partey has been at the center of off-field complications tied to ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom, though he is expected to be available for selection in the United States portion of the tournament.
There is also concern in goal. First-choice keeper Lawrence Ati Zigi was substituted at halftime against Panama after discomfort, and while official assessments remain cautious, reports suggest a longer recovery window. If he is unavailable, Benjamin Asare is likely to step in for a match that could demand composure under sustained pressure.
The possibility had been the talk of tennis since Serena Williams announced nearly three weeks ago that she would return to professional competition after nearly four years away from the sport.
Even so, the official confirmation still came as a shock.
In a brief announcement Sunday, the All England Club revealed that the 23-time Grand Slam champion had been awarded the final women’s singles wild card for Wimbledon, just eight days before the tournament begins.
“Serena Williams (USA) receives the final ladies’ singles wild card,” the statement read.
At 44, Williams is set to compete in both singles and doubles at Wimbledon. She had already accepted a wild card into the doubles draw, where she will partner with her older sister, Venus Williams.
“This is not a drill,” Wimbledon said on its social media accounts Sunday.
The WTA Tour commented: “Name a more iconic return … we’ll wait.”
Wimbledon held open the eighth and final women’s singles wild-card spot until Williams made up her mind. As recently as this week, after losing a doubles match in Berlin, she appeared uncertain about the decision.
“Oh my gosh, there are some left?” she replied when told there was still a wild-card spot available.
Wild cards are special invitations handed out by tournament organizers that allow former champions and others access to the main draw without meeting the usual entry requirements. But Williams then questioned whether she was ready.
“Do you think I’m ready for singles?” she asked a reporter before turning to doubles partner Karolina Muchova for her opinion.
“I think I would be interested in it,” the Czech player responded.
“That’s the question of the hour, right?” Williams said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I wonder why there’s … I don’t know.”
Now that Williams has made up her mind, the biggest remaining question is how she will physically handle singles competition after such a long absence.
Williams’ most recent singles match was a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she did not want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.
“Just finished a mean game of duck duck goose,” Williams wrote on X after the wild-card announcement.
Of Williams’ 23 Grand Slam singles titles, seven came at Wimbledon: 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016. She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, all with Venus, including six at Wimbledon.
Williams also swept the singles and doubles titles with Venus at the 2012 London Olympics, when the tennis competition was held on the grass courts of the All England Club.
In her most recent Wimbledon appearance in 2022, Williams lost in the first round to then-No. 115 Harmony Tan in her first match since being forced to retire less than a set into her opening-round contest at the All England Club the previous year because of an injury.
Williams won a doubles match with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club last week, but the pair later withdrew after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.
In another doubles match at the Berlin Open on Tuesday, Williams and Muchova lost to Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.
As of Sunday, Williams had not entered the singles draw of any grass-court warmup tournament before Wimbledon.
She will learn her first-round opponent Friday when the Wimbledon singles draws are held.
While Williams is No. 593 in the doubles rankings following her victory last week, she does not have a singles ranking after such a lengthy absence.
Iga Swiatek is the defending Wimbledon champion, while Aryna Sabalenka is ranked No. 1.
Because Williams is unranked, she could potentially face Swiatek, Sabalenka or another top-ranked player in the opening rounds.
Portugal arrive in Houston under immediate pressure to stabilize their World Cup campaign when they face Uzbekistan on Tuesday, with Roberto Martinez’s side already needing a sharper response after a flat opening performance left them searching for rhythm and authority in Group K.
Portugal national football team opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo national football team, a result that felt heavier than the scoreline suggested given their early lead and late drop in intensity. Joao Neves put them ahead inside six minutes, but Yoane Wissa’s equalizer exposed familiar lapses in game management and left Portugal third in Group K after the opening round.
The performance quickly shifted focus onto structure, tempo, and leadership, with Martinez openly facing questions about balance between control and aggression in midfield and attack. While Portugal spent long stretches in possession, they struggled to turn territory into sustained pressure, a concern that has followed them into the second matchday.
Attention, however, has also centered on Cristiano Ronaldo, whose influence became the dominant talking point after a subdued outing in which he failed to register a shot on target from three attempts and rarely found decisive space in the final third. At 41, his role continues to divide opinion, especially in high-tempo matches where Portugal’s attacking rhythm depends heavily on quick combinations around him. The scrutiny intensified following a tense on-field exchange involving Bruno Fernandes, adding another layer of pressure to an already scrutinized frontline.
For Martinez, the challenge is no longer about selection alone but about restoring cohesion in a team still widely considered among the tournament contenders. Defensive stability also remains under review, with Rúben Dias a potential return after missing the opener due to fitness concerns. His availability could influence how aggressively Portugal push their back line, particularly against opponents likely to sit deeper and counter.
The opponent, Uzbekistan national football team, arrive with their own urgency after a 3-1 defeat to Colombia in their first-ever World Cup match, a debut that mixed historic breakthrough with structural fragility.
Under coach Fabio Cannavaro, Uzbekistan showed early nerves, failing to register a single touch inside the opposition penalty area in the first half while posting an expected goals figure of just 0.02 before the break. Yet their response carried historical weight. In the second half, sustained pressure led to their first World Cup goal, finished by Abbosbek Fayzullaev after a sequence involving Dostonbek Khamdamov and Eldor Shomurodov, offering a glimpse of attacking potential once they settled into the pace of the tournament.
That brief momentum did not last. Colombia’s quick counterattacking quality restored control almost immediately through Luis Diaz, exposing defensive gaps that Uzbekistan struggled to close for the remainder of the match. Still, the debut was not without value, giving Cannavaro a clearer picture of where his side can compete and where they remain vulnerable against elite opposition.
Tuesday’s meeting in Houston carries added historical context. It is the first-ever clash between Portugal and Uzbekistan, and Portugal’s recent World Cup record against AFC opposition adds subtle caution, with no wins in their last two such encounters. While the gap in experience and squad depth is clear on paper, Uzbekistan’s unpredictability in their debut appearance introduces an element of uncertainty Portugal cannot afford to ignore.
Team selection remains a key talking point for Martinez. Portugal are weighing whether to reinstate Rúben Dias into the starting lineup or continue managing his workload, while Ronaldo is expected to retain his place despite external criticism. The wider debate within the squad centers on tempo and fluidity, particularly how quickly Portugal can transition from midfield control into decisive final-third actions.
For Uzbekistan, continuity appears more likely. Cannavaro is expected to stick with much of the side that faced Colombia, with Utkir Yusupov set to continue in goal and the defensive pairing of Abdukodir Khusanov and Rustam Ashurmatov likely retained. The focus will be on tightening structure early and limiting the spaces that proved costly in their opening defeat.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said Saturday that U.S. authorities had informed him travel restrictions affecting his team would be eased in time for Iran’s third World Cup group match, but criticized the treatment his players have faced, saying it had negatively affected their performances on the field.
The Iranian squad arrived at the World Cup with their country still at war with co-hosts the United States, and have been based in Mexico while playing all their games in the U.S.
That has required frequent cross-border travel and U.S. authorities have only permitted the team to remain in the country for a few hours after each game, with restrictions frequently shifting at the last minute.
After playing Belgium in Los Angeles last Sunday, Iran’s final group game will take place in Seattle next Friday against Egypt.
Ghalenoei Saturday said he had been told his team would have more flexibility for their final match, before quickly adding that it would have been “justice” for his team to have the same treatment for its first two games.
“They said in Seattle, you can do what you want, you can act the way you want to, and you can come earlier,” he told a press conference, without specifying who exactly the information had come from.
“But what I want, my problem is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?”
“I just know for the last game, yes, they’ve allowed us to decide, to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel,” he said.
“But unfortunately, for the first two games, others made these travel arrangements for us, and the timing for us.”
Last week, Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand, the tournament’s lowest-ranked team, with sloppy defending twice allowing the All Whites to go ahead before Team Melli equalized.
“There were errors, individual ones and also with regards to this defense we had, and I think we were playing … we were doing too many passes,” said Ghalenoei.
“And I think, because we have been flying too much, commuting, as a result of this long commute, we’ve been tired.”
The manager said restrictions on his team had been even more onerous for Sunday’s game against Belgium, Group G’s highest-ranked team.
Ghalenoei said his team had arrived in the U.S. on Saturday, less than 24 hours before kickoff, despite being briefly told by FIFA on Friday afternoon that they might be able to travel that day.
“We waited till 7 p.m., nothing happened, and they said, ‘Sorry, we weren’t able to do that,” said the coach.
“That’s going to affect us mentally, especially me as a head coach, because I want to focus on technical stuff,” he said.
Iran had only been able to do half of its usual pre-game training session, Ghalenoei complained.
All four teams in Group G currently have one point, with only the top two guaranteed to reach the knockout stages.
A majority of third-placed teams across all groups will also progress, depending on their performance.
Defending champions Argentina national football team can move closer to the World Cup knockout stage when it faces Austria national football team in its second Group J match on Monday, with both sides seeking to build on convincing opening-round victories.
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina’s title defense with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria, drawing level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, while Austria beat Jordan 3-1 to set up a meeting between the group’s two early leaders.
A victory would leave Argentina on the brink of the Round of 32 and could secure top spot in the group if Jordan fail to beat Algeria in the day’s other Group J match.
Austria arrive with ambitions of their own after an impressive opening performance under coach Ralf Rangnick and can also move into a commanding position in the group if they overcome Argentina and Algeria do not beat Jordan.
Alaba wary
Much of the attention will again fall on 38-year-old Messi, whose clinical display against Algeria reinforced Argentina’s status as one of the favorites to retain the trophy, a threat Austria captain David Alaba acknowledged after watching his opener.
“We definitely watched their game before we left,” the defender said after their opening win.
“It’s incredible that Messi started such a tournament with a hat trick. Absolutely insane … Let’s hope he doesn’t (do it) next week.”
Alaba was quick to stress that Argentina’s quality extends well beyond their talisman.
“We know what kind of opponent we’re up against, what kind of quality they have in their ranks, even besides Messi, but also what they’re capable of as a team,” he said.
Austria will hope their organised pressing game can disrupt Argentina’s rhythm and strengthen their credentials as potential group winners.
Argentina assistant coach Pablo Aimar warned that Austria would pose a different challenge to Algeria, describing Rangnick’s side as a physical team capable of causing problems despite Argentina’s impressive start.
“Austria is a very tough team, as we’re seeing with the vast majority of the teams participating in this World Cup,” he said in a FIFA interview.
The build-up has also been coloured by Algeria’s complaint to FIFA’s refereeing commission over several decisions in Argentina’s opening victory, including an incident in which Messi escaped punishment after a challenge on captain Aissa Mandi before going on to score his hat trick.
Argentina have not publicly commented on the complaint and will be focused on extending their winning start.
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Türkiye tracks down elusive fugitives of terrorist FETÖ around world
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