Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein criticized the soccer body’s leadership headed by Gianni Infantino on Tuesday, describing prize money withheld from his Jordan national team as a kind of blackmail. Prince Ali said the Jordanian federation he leads still has not been paid money due for reaching the final of the FIFA Arab Cup played last December in Qatar. In a social media post, Prince Ali said that during the World Cup – where Jordan made its debut in June – he was told if he endorsed FIFA President Gianni Infantino “it would go a long way to helping our FA out.”

Infantino is under pressure to save his 11-year presidency amid a fierce backlash from global football leaders about his now-failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to investors led by Joshua Kushner.

“We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now,” said Prince Ali, who placed third in a five-candidate FIFA presidential contest when Infantino was first elected in February 2016.

“But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that,” the Jordanian royal wrote Tuesday.

The 2025 FIFA Arab Cup that Jordan lost in the title match against Morocco was set to pay $4.2 million to the beaten finalist, Jordanian media reported last year.

“The money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet,” Prince Ali wrote, “while at the same time FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve.”

“It is clear the problem really is with leadership. For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters,” he said.

FIFA was approached for comment about the claims.

Prince Ali was elected by Asian football to serve on FIFA’s ruling executive committee from 2011-15, and stood against then-president Sepp Blatter in a May 2015 election. That vote to re-elect Blatter was held in the shadow of raids at Zurich hotels two days earlier to arrest soccer officials as part of investigations by U.S. and Swiss federal agencies.

Infantino had seemed a lock to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term leading FIFA through 2031 when he left New York two weeks after the World Cup final.

Fallout from his secretive private equity plan revealed one week ago has rocked soccer politics with Infantino’s former colleagues at European soccer body UEFA now looking for a rival candidate. The proposal underwritten by Kushner’s Thrive Eternal fund would have paid $20 million each to Jordan and all other FIFA members had they accepted by a Sept. 19 deadline

UEFA also is threatening a boycott of FIFA games, events and meetings, while the leadership of the North American soccer body CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, of which Jordan is a member, also have spoken out against Infantino.

FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for candidates to declare for the election by 211 member federations on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

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Blake Shinn has made a triumphant return to race riding, achieving a victory with his initial mount after being sidelined by injury.

Back at Flemington for the first time since his significant fall on Melbourne Cup Day last year, Shinn guided Nearco Frod, trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, to a win in the TAB We’re On (2500m).

The $2.50 favourite, Nearco Frod, surged under Shinn to secure a 1¾ length victory over Urban Outlook ($21), with Our Chief ($2.70) securing third place.

“The legs have pulled up a little but sore which is a understandable but it is such a great feeling,” an emotional Shinn said.

“It has been a bit of a journey, but it is nice to be coming home a winner and not in the back of an ambulance.

“To get the support of all the leading trainers and owners and I’ve had to ensure that I’m ready for today with a great team who have helped me in the recovery.

“First ride back a winner so it is special. Hopefully it is the start of a great season.”

The five-year-old’s strong finish over the 2500 metres has the McEvoy stable considering a run in the Archer Stakes scheduled for September 12.

Shinn also playfully attributed some of the success to Craig Williams.

“I’ll have to thank my great mate Craig Williams for going on holidays,” Shinn stated, having filled in for the jockey who has won 10 Melbourne premierships.

“He’s a promising horse and was adaptable on the dry today.”

This marks Nearco Frod’s third consecutive win, having previously recorded back-to-back successes at Sandown before Saturday’s Flemington triumph.

“When he arrived with us he was a young horse,” Calvin McEvoy remarked.

“We have a nice preparation with him but he has really come on. He had to tick the Good track box as that was the query for me as he’d been winning on heavy nines.

“He was dynamic there on a Good 4.

“To win three in town is a good effort and it is lovely to provide Blake Shinn with his first winner.”

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Alex Iwobi has opened up about the realities of representing Nigeria, revealing some of the challenges Super Eagles players face while insisting his passion for playing for the national team has never changed.

Speaking during a recent interview, the Fulham midfielder painted an honest picture of life on international duty, from paying for flights to dealing with poor facilities.

“I love playing for Nigeria, but you have to pay for your own flight. You get to the hotel and there’s no electricity. You wash your own kit, the pitch is only half grass, and if you make one bad pass the coach is screaming at you. But I love the food.”

Despite the difficulties, Iwobi made it clear that representing Nigeria remains one of the greatest honours of his career.

The 29-year-old also reflected on the emotional aftermath of Nigeria’s defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, admitting the criticism from fans affected him so deeply that he deleted his Instagram account.

“After the AFCON final against Côte d’Ivoire, Nigerians dragged me so much I deleted my Instagram.”

Iwobi revealed that Victor Osimhen visited him after the final and reminded him of everything he had achieved with the Super Eagles.

“Then Victor Osimhen knocked on my hotel room and said, ‘Even if you retire today, you’re a Super Eagles legend and one of our best players.”

Despite the challenges, Iwobi made it clear that nothing has diminished his pride in representing Nigeria. For him, wearing the Super Eagles jersey remains a privilege worth every sacrifice.

Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open as he continues to recover from a wrist injury.

The world number two has not played since he pulled out of the Barcelona Open in April, missing Wimbledon and the chance to defend his French Open title.

After winning the event in 2025, Spain’s Alcaraz was due to return at the Cincinnati Open as part of preparations for his defence of the US Open, which begins on 30 August.

Instead, the organisers of the Ohio event – which starts on 11 August – said that “an ongoing wrist injury” will prevent the 23-year-old from taking part.

“We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible,” said tournament director Bob Moran.

“We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.”

File photo of Zaheer Khan© BCCI

The Crew agreed to acquire 23-year-old forward Gonzalo Tapia on loan from Sao Paulo, according to a source on Aug. 4.

Tapia, a native of Chile, has spent the last two years with Sao Paulo, a club in the top flight of the Brazilian league. In 2026, he registered two starts in 11 appearances and has yet to score a goal this season. He scored five goals in 12 starts and 20 matches played for Sao Paulo last season.

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Before Brazil, Tapia spent a year with River Plate in the Argentinian league. He started his professional career with Universidad Católica in the Chilean Primera División.

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

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Columbus Crew vs FC Cincinnati ‘Hell Is Real’ match. See highlights

Tapia will be placed in an international slot, but he will not be a designated player, a slot reserved for MLS teams for salaries outside the cap. The Crew still has a temporary designated player spot to replace injured striker Wessam Abou Ali.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew add forward Gonzalo Tapia on loan

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala kept the country up until the wee hours on Monday as she picked off the last top 10-ranked player in the world left in the Mubadala DC Open, with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Jessica Pegula of the United States.

The comeback win gave Eala her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour championship—and a newly elevated place in Philippine sports history.

READ: Alex Eala, Filipino fans make rare Monday final one to remember

No other Filipino—man or woman—has won a tennis title at this level, and Eala has taken along an entire nation for the ride. More fans started following her especially after her breakout tournament in Miami last year, and now in Washington DC even television analysts were left dumbfounded by her feat.

“To all my supporters, thank you, guys,” Eala had said in a post-match interview. “Especially to the Filipino community here in DC and back home, wherever you are in the world. I really feel all the love, ’Maraming, maraming salamat, mga kababayan.’”

Currently ranked No. 3 in the world, Pegula came in as the top-seeded player in the tournament—but was now added to Eala’s conquests in elite level competitions.

Leading to the finals, Eala’s ascent to superstardom has the internet buzzing with all kinds of praise from some of the game’s best players of all time.

READ: Alex Eala glows in championship photoshoot after DC Open title

She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands when she converted on the second championship point, as the victory formalized her arrival as a legitimate force and shut down all talk that she doesn’t have the game to win because of her serve.

She actually won the last nine games of the contest, surrendering just eight points in the third set in blanking the seasoned Pegula.

“Just pure happiness,” Eala said of her first title, which came after she agonizingly failed to convert four championship points in her only prior final at Eastbourne last year.

“Oh my gosh, winning a (WTA) 500 (level), it’s insane. It’s an incredible milestone for me,” she added.

“At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. Even at the beginning of the year,” Eala said. “These things kind of creep up on you and I hold these moments really close to me.”

Storming run

With her latest win, Eala rises to a career-high 20th in the world rankings after a relentless run that claimed the scalps of Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, second-seeded Elina Svitolina, third-seeded former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka and defending champion Leylah Fernandez.

“It was a very steep hill,” she said. “I knew that the competition was super-strong and my draw was quite tough. So I’m really, really proud. I think I encountered my fair share of obstacles this week.”

The scoreboard showed a match time of one hour and 45 minutes, but it took nearly 24 hours to complete.

Pegula had won the first set 6-4, and Eala was up 2-1 in the second on Sunday when officials decided to postpone the finish until Monday due to lengthy rain delays.

The pair waited through a three-hour delay before starting, and once the match was halted, it was another five hours before officials called a halt for the day.

“Definitely felt like two different matches,” said Pegula, who opened Monday’s action with a nervy service hold for 2-2.

“I just felt like I couldn’t find my rhythm. I think I was playing much better yesterday, for whatever reason, than I was today, and I think she was playing better today than she was yesterday.”

Eala also had to work hard to keep herself ready during the long break.

“I think I warmed up like a thousand times,” the Filipino ace said. “A lot of unpredictable swings with the weather, and I want to thank the tournament for just, you know, being so accommodating, helping us through it and, you know, arranging this Monday final was really great.

“It was difficult, I think, [but] at the same time, it’s happened to me a lot, you know, rain delays.

All Alex in the 3rd

“I think this is just kind of another one of those, although it [had] a lot higher stakes. But I think I was able to take my time and kind of take those learnings from the first half of the match and do my best to apply them in the second, and I think it worked pretty well.”

Pegula could make no inroads on Eala’s serve, and Eala broke Pegula in the 10th game to take the second set and force a third.

The final set was all Eala, to the delight of a vocal contingent of supporters, which turned out in force despite the postponement.

Pegula welcomed the energy of the crowd even in support of her opponent, who has proved a massive draw around the world.

“I just think it’s so refreshing and nice to see how well she’s handled all of the kind of fandom and stardom that’s come with her being from the Philippines and how they’ve really embraced her,” Pegula said.

“It’s crazy how she deals with it every single week, which just shows her maturity as a player and as a person.”

Both players will now head to Toronto, where two-time champion Pegula is the third seed and Eala is seeded 25th in the WTA 1000 hard court event.

Cheers, no jynx, from Marcos

In Manila, President Marcos, who last week praised Eala in his State of the Nation Address, again congratulated the new Filipino star athlete.

“Alex Eala does it again. The Philippines now has its first WTA 500 champion,” Marcos said in a post on his official Facebook account on Tuesday. The Filipino nation joins you in celebrating this latest achievement. Mabuhay ka, Alex!”

She continued “to redefine what is possible for Philippine tennis and inspire countless young Filipinos to dream without limits,” the President added.

According to Palace press officer Claire Castro, however, the President opted not to watch Eala’s matches live at the Mubadala DC Open “because he might bring bad luck if he watches her games in real time.”

Senator-judges ‘united’

At the Senate, Sen. Francis Escudero, the presiding officer of the impeachment court trying Vice President Sara Duterte, conveyed the chamber’s congratulations before the start of Tuesday’s hearing.

“Our views may differ. Although both sides are competing here in the impeachment court, there are things that we should agree on and be united about, especially those who stayed up late last night watching TV,” Escudero said.

“And for me, one of these is the victory and championship of our talented and brave compatriot Alex Eala in the DC Open,” he said, drawing applause from his fellow senator-judges and those in the gallery.

“We are so proud of you and we celebrate your victory. Congratulations, Alex,” he said, adding in jest: “If there’s a sleepy senator-judge, [he/she] probably watched it last night.”

Several other senators also filed resolutions commending Eala for her latest championship. —WITH REPORTS FROM DEXTER CABALZA, AND TINA G. SANTOS

Trainer Nathan Doyle’s gamble to geld promising sprinter Funshow has been handsomely rewarded, with the rapidly improving four-year-old completing a winning treble in the Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill.

Doyle admitted that Funshow showed considerable ability early in his career, but also presented enough signs to convince the stable that gelding him was the correct decision.

“Funshow was a rig but he showed us plenty,” Doyle said. “I thought we will leave him a colt but then he got beaten a furlong in a trial so we thought better geld him. He was a big, dumb bugger early days so we had to be patient with him. But he’s building confidence with every run and he loves to bowl along in front.”

Guided expertly by jockey Tim Clark, the $13 outsider dictated the pace before kicking clear in the straight to win by 1¼ lengths. Sponars ($18) and Barking Mad ($1.70 favourite) dead-heated for second place.

The heavily backed favourite, Columbus ($1.95), settled on the pace but lacked acceleration in the run home and raced greenly.

James McDonald suggested that the addition of blinkers could prove beneficial for Columbus in fulfilling his potential.

Funshow has now won three races consecutively and boasts a record of three wins and four placings from just seven starts. Doyle was full of praise for Clark’s ride.

“He racked them, stacked them then booted away on the corner – he just out-rode them,” Doyle said.

Celebrating his birthday, Clark indicated that the race unfolded precisely as he had anticipated.

“It looked like a race devoid of speed and he’s the type of horse that likes to sort of get into a nice rhythm and flow along,” Clark said. “He’s building confidence as he goes through his preparation and is maturing all the time.”

Doyle also provided an update on his stable star, Churchill’s Choice, confirming the mare has returned to work after her winter spell.

The talented mare has already qualified for The Big Dance after winning the Hawkesbury Gold Cup, followed by unlucky runner-up performances in the Scone Cup and Magic Millions National Classic.

“I think Churchill’s Choice has a good race in her,” Doyle said. “What she did in Queensland, she was a million-to-one like the caller said, so her form to finish so close blows your mind. The Big Dance has the big prizemoney but we are also after black type with her.”

Doyle also confirmed that Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes winner Hidden Motive has returned to work at Newcastle.

“We are in no rush with him,” Doyle said. “He’s a Magic Millions horse which has good prizemoney for a horse like him.”

Earlier in the day, Richard and Will Freedman kicked off the new Sydney racing season in style when Attractiveness captured the opening Midway Handicap (1400m).

“We are on top of the premiership,” Will Freedman joked after the victory.

Sent out the $3.20 favourite, Attractiveness, ridden by Chad Schofield, charged home to defeat Krasina ($5) by just over a length, with Cape Byron ($6) another 2½ lengths away in third.

“She was strong late,” Freedman said. “She has a good turn of foot like you saw there but I feel in three or four months time you will see a better horse again. I was never concerned about winning a Midway at some stage with her, I’ve always thought she had the ability to do that. But she is a late mature and a lot of those Kiwi pedigrees are like that so we are excited to see where she gets to.”

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