Match story
- Japan fired more attempts (12 vs 1 shots).
- Japan was more accurate in front of goal (17% on target vs 0%).
- Japan held more of the ball (78% possession).
Japan and Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 in the World Cup - Qualification Asia. The fixture is part of the 3rd Round - 8 stage in the 2026 season. The match was played at Saitama Stadium in Saitama. A. Al Ali officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Japan vs Saudi Arabia meeting in World Cup - Qualification Asia with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Japan and Saudi Arabia. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World Cup - Qualification AsiaRecorded meetings: 7 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Japan and Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 in the World Cup - Qualification Asia. The fixture is part of the 3rd Round - 8 stage in the 2026 season. The match was played at Saitama Stadium in Saitama. A. Al Ali officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Japan vs Saudi Arabia meeting in World Cup - Qualification Asia with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Japan and Saudi Arabia. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World Cup - Qualification AsiaRecorded meetings: 7 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Coventry remained afloat in the top flight for 34 years the last time they came up and Gordon Milne, the manager for nine of them from 1972, traces all of that back to the influence of Jimmy Hill.
PSG and Aston Villa decide the first champion of the European season at the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final, where Omar Artan will be the match referee. The man in the middle for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup 2026 final between PSG and Aston Villa is Omar Artan, a 34-year-old Somali official who becomes the first non-European referee to take charge of the fixture in its history. Artan was appointed to the match in Salzburg, Austria, in what marks his first assignment on a European pitch. The appointment carries extra weight given what Artan went through just months earlier. He was denied entry into the United States at Miami International Airport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with U.S. authorities citing security concerns. The incident forced him out of officiating at the tournament and sparked outrage back home. Reflecting on the experience, Artan told UEFA: “A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging“. On his Super Cup appointment, he added: “I was lucky, but I have worked very hard to be here and I’m really proud“. Artan’s refereeing record Artan has built one of the most decorated résumés among African officials in recent years. He became the first Somali referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024, a milestone for a country with limited footballing infrastructure, and was subsequently recognized as Africa’s leading referee for his performances that season. #SuperCup referee Omar Artan has touched down in Salzburg 🇸🇴🛬🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/t4mwbPwFEZ— UEFA (@UEFA) August 10, 2026 His CV also includes the 2025 CAF Champions League final, one of the most prestigious club fixtures on the continent, before FIFA selected him for the 2026 World Cup — an appointment that never materialized due to his U.S. entry denial. Wednesday’s Super Cup final now stands as the biggest match of his career to date, and his first ever in Europe. The full officiating team for PSG vs Aston Villa Artan will be assisted on the touchline by Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti as first assistant referee and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe of Kenya as second assistant, while Slovenia’s Rade Obrenovič takes charge as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, Marco Di Bello of Italy will serve as the Video Assistant Referee, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernández of Spain assisting him as AVAR — rounding out a team that, like Artan himself, reflects just how far UEFA has widened its pool of match officials for its showpiece fixtures.
As Ronaldo heads towards 1,000 career goals, the league plans to lift the standard of Saudi Arabian football, not just the clubsThere is no Mohamed Salah in the new Saudi Pro League season that kicks off on Thursday and while the era of the ageing megastar is ending, there is still the strong chance the next few months will be dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old is 24 shy of 1,000 career goals and, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner having scored 102 in 107 league games for Al-Nassr, the milestone could – should – be reached this season.Huge as that will be, just how it fits into the plans of the league is unclear. This is the fourth season since the spending started with $957m splashed out in the summer of 2023. It produced thousands of articles, dozens of international broadcasting deals and untold numbers of people worldwide sporting the yellow CR7 Al-Nassr shirt. Now, though, the focus is on getting a little more value for money and lifting not just the clubs, but the standard of Saudi Arabian football in general. Continue reading...
Fabrizio Romano reports that the decision has been made for Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye to continue in the Premier League instead of moving to Saudi Arabia. Al Hilal had been keen on Ndiaye this summer, but it seems the Senegal international has decided that he wants to stay in the English top flight instead of […] The post “Decision made” – Boost for Arsenal as Fabrizio Romano delivers major transfer update appeared first on CaughtOffside.
While announcing his marriage with Georgina Rodriguez, Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to miss the first two games of the 2026-27 season for Al Nassr. Cristiano Ronaldo is celebrating one of the happiest personal milestones of his life after officially confirming his marriage to long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez. However, the wedding celebration will temporarily impact Al Nassr, as the Portuguese legend is reportedly expected to miss the club’s first two official matches of the campaign. On Tuesday, August 12, Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez publicly confirmed their marriage following an extended summer vacation following the conclusion of Portugal’s 2026 World Cup run. Taking to social media, the couple published a joint post showcasing matching gold bands with a brief caption that read, “I do.“ According to People, the civil ceremony embraced an intimate setting rather than a lavish public spectacle. Reports indicate the wedding took place in Cascais, an upscale coastal town west of Lisbon, Portugal, with attendance limited exclusively to the couple’s five children: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., Eva Maria, Mateo, Alana Martina, and Bella Esmeralda. The marriage took place exactly one year after Ronaldo proposed to the model on August 11, 2025. “Yes, I do. In this life and in all my lives,” Rodriguez wrote at the time while displaying her oval-cut diamond engagement ring, valued at roughly €6 million (around $7.8 million USD), which also appeared in the background of their official wedding announcement. Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez announce their marriage. (@cristiano/Instagram) Ronaldo set to miss first two Al Nassr fixtures Following Portugal’s World Cup elimination on July 6, Ronaldo did not join his Al Nassr teammates for their preseason preparations. While Al Nassr completed their overseas training camp in Portugal before returning to Riyadh, the club captain did not attend a single session, with the competitive season commencing in less than a week. According to a report from Al Riyadhiah, team sources confirmed that Ronaldo will sit out Al Nassr’s first two competitive fixtures of the 2026-27 campaign across two separate competitions. Having been granted an extended leave of absence following international duty at the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo was absent from the club’s summer training program. The forward utilized the additional rest period to complete his marriage to Rodriguez in Portugal before traveling to Saudi Arabia to resume club activities. Lacking full match fitness for the opening fixtures, Ronaldo will first miss Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al Fateh on Saturday, August 15, as the club begin their title defense. Al Nassr will then play their second fixture on Tuesday, August 18, facing Al Diriyah in the Round of 32 of the King’s Cup. Based on those reports, Ronaldo is targeted to make his seasonal debut on Matchday 2 of the Saudi Pro League against Al Riyadh on Friday, August 21. Until his return, new head coach Ange Postecoglou will need to adjust his attacking options to fill the central No. 9 role.
Hudson, who worked with the USMNT as an assistant at the 2022 World Cup, and served as an interim head coach in 2025, he was named head coach of Thailand's national team, qualified Thailand for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. The post Anthony Hudson on finding success in Thailand and working with USMNT appeared first on Soccer America.
This time around, chairman Mark Ashton says Ipswich have to be "a bit braver" in their approach to the Premier League, and the type of players the club are pursuing reflects that increased ambition. Japanese attacker Daizen Maeda and Morocco centre-back Issa Diop were both on target at the World Cup this summer, and a third goalscorer from that tournament could follow. The Tractor Boys have been linked with a move for Paraguayan forward Julio Enciso, who played under O'Neil at Strasbourg last season and had an injury-blighted loan spell at Portman Road during the second half of 2024-25.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
Coventry remained afloat in the top flight for 34 years the last time they came up and Gordon Milne, the manager for nine of them from 1972, traces all of that back to the influence of Jimmy Hill.
PSG and Aston Villa decide the first champion of the European season at the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final, where Omar Artan will be the match referee. The man in the middle for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup 2026 final between PSG and Aston Villa is Omar Artan, a 34-year-old Somali official who becomes the first non-European referee to take charge of the fixture in its history. Artan was appointed to the match in Salzburg, Austria, in what marks his first assignment on a European pitch. The appointment carries extra weight given what Artan went through just months earlier. He was denied entry into the United States at Miami International Airport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with U.S. authorities citing security concerns. The incident forced him out of officiating at the tournament and sparked outrage back home. Reflecting on the experience, Artan told UEFA: “A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging“. On his Super Cup appointment, he added: “I was lucky, but I have worked very hard to be here and I’m really proud“. Artan’s refereeing record Artan has built one of the most decorated résumés among African officials in recent years. He became the first Somali referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024, a milestone for a country with limited footballing infrastructure, and was subsequently recognized as Africa’s leading referee for his performances that season. #SuperCup referee Omar Artan has touched down in Salzburg 🇸🇴🛬🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/t4mwbPwFEZ— UEFA (@UEFA) August 10, 2026 His CV also includes the 2025 CAF Champions League final, one of the most prestigious club fixtures on the continent, before FIFA selected him for the 2026 World Cup — an appointment that never materialized due to his U.S. entry denial. Wednesday’s Super Cup final now stands as the biggest match of his career to date, and his first ever in Europe. The full officiating team for PSG vs Aston Villa Artan will be assisted on the touchline by Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti as first assistant referee and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe of Kenya as second assistant, while Slovenia’s Rade Obrenovič takes charge as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, Marco Di Bello of Italy will serve as the Video Assistant Referee, with Guillermo Cuadra Fernández of Spain assisting him as AVAR — rounding out a team that, like Artan himself, reflects just how far UEFA has widened its pool of match officials for its showpiece fixtures.
As Ronaldo heads towards 1,000 career goals, the league plans to lift the standard of Saudi Arabian football, not just the clubsThere is no Mohamed Salah in the new Saudi Pro League season that kicks off on Thursday and while the era of the ageing megastar is ending, there is still the strong chance the next few months will be dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old is 24 shy of 1,000 career goals and, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner having scored 102 in 107 league games for Al-Nassr, the milestone could – should – be reached this season.Huge as that will be, just how it fits into the plans of the league is unclear. This is the fourth season since the spending started with $957m splashed out in the summer of 2023. It produced thousands of articles, dozens of international broadcasting deals and untold numbers of people worldwide sporting the yellow CR7 Al-Nassr shirt. Now, though, the focus is on getting a little more value for money and lifting not just the clubs, but the standard of Saudi Arabian football in general. Continue reading...
Fabrizio Romano reports that the decision has been made for Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye to continue in the Premier League instead of moving to Saudi Arabia. Al Hilal had been keen on Ndiaye this summer, but it seems the Senegal international has decided that he wants to stay in the English top flight instead of […] The post “Decision made” – Boost for Arsenal as Fabrizio Romano delivers major transfer update appeared first on CaughtOffside.
While announcing his marriage with Georgina Rodriguez, Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to miss the first two games of the 2026-27 season for Al Nassr. Cristiano Ronaldo is celebrating one of the happiest personal milestones of his life after officially confirming his marriage to long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez. However, the wedding celebration will temporarily impact Al Nassr, as the Portuguese legend is reportedly expected to miss the club’s first two official matches of the campaign. On Tuesday, August 12, Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez publicly confirmed their marriage following an extended summer vacation following the conclusion of Portugal’s 2026 World Cup run. Taking to social media, the couple published a joint post showcasing matching gold bands with a brief caption that read, “I do.“ According to People, the civil ceremony embraced an intimate setting rather than a lavish public spectacle. Reports indicate the wedding took place in Cascais, an upscale coastal town west of Lisbon, Portugal, with attendance limited exclusively to the couple’s five children: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., Eva Maria, Mateo, Alana Martina, and Bella Esmeralda. The marriage took place exactly one year after Ronaldo proposed to the model on August 11, 2025. “Yes, I do. In this life and in all my lives,” Rodriguez wrote at the time while displaying her oval-cut diamond engagement ring, valued at roughly €6 million (around $7.8 million USD), which also appeared in the background of their official wedding announcement. Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez announce their marriage. (@cristiano/Instagram) Ronaldo set to miss first two Al Nassr fixtures Following Portugal’s World Cup elimination on July 6, Ronaldo did not join his Al Nassr teammates for their preseason preparations. While Al Nassr completed their overseas training camp in Portugal before returning to Riyadh, the club captain did not attend a single session, with the competitive season commencing in less than a week. According to a report from Al Riyadhiah, team sources confirmed that Ronaldo will sit out Al Nassr’s first two competitive fixtures of the 2026-27 campaign across two separate competitions. Having been granted an extended leave of absence following international duty at the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo was absent from the club’s summer training program. The forward utilized the additional rest period to complete his marriage to Rodriguez in Portugal before traveling to Saudi Arabia to resume club activities. Lacking full match fitness for the opening fixtures, Ronaldo will first miss Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al Fateh on Saturday, August 15, as the club begin their title defense. Al Nassr will then play their second fixture on Tuesday, August 18, facing Al Diriyah in the Round of 32 of the King’s Cup. Based on those reports, Ronaldo is targeted to make his seasonal debut on Matchday 2 of the Saudi Pro League against Al Riyadh on Friday, August 21. Until his return, new head coach Ange Postecoglou will need to adjust his attacking options to fill the central No. 9 role.
Hudson, who worked with the USMNT as an assistant at the 2022 World Cup, and served as an interim head coach in 2025, he was named head coach of Thailand's national team, qualified Thailand for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. The post Anthony Hudson on finding success in Thailand and working with USMNT appeared first on Soccer America.
This time around, chairman Mark Ashton says Ipswich have to be "a bit braver" in their approach to the Premier League, and the type of players the club are pursuing reflects that increased ambition. Japanese attacker Daizen Maeda and Morocco centre-back Issa Diop were both on target at the World Cup this summer, and a third goalscorer from that tournament could follow. The Tractor Boys have been linked with a move for Paraguayan forward Julio Enciso, who played under O'Neil at Strasbourg last season and had an injury-blighted loan spell at Portman Road during the second half of 2024-25.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
