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Qatar Airways will make history this year as the first ever ‘Presenting Partner’ of the world’s most prestigious award ceremony in football, Ballon d’Or, reinforcing the airline’s deep commitment to global sport and excellence.The 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or will take place on September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.For over six decades, the Ballon d’Or has crowned the greatest players in football, celebrating talent, dedication, and achievement on the world stage.This new partnership unites the national airline with the “world’s best” players, and marks a milestone in Qatar Airways’ ongoing support of the global sporting community.As the airline that connects fans, players, and cultures across the globe, Qatar Airways’ role as the 69th Balon d’Or ceremony ‘Presenting Partner’ underscores its purpose-driven ambition – to bring the world together through the universal language of sport.Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Badr Mohammed al-Meer, said: “We are delighted to become the first ever Presenting Partner of the Ballon d’Or Ceremony as we celebrate the legends who inspire generations. This partnership is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, and by aligning Qatar Airways, the World’s Best Airline with the World’s Best Footballers, we are reinforcing our brand's dedication to being the very best in every arena we enter. Just as we connect people and places through our extensive network and award-winning service, this partnership will further our mission to connect dreams, cultures and the passion for football across continents.”UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, said: “The Ballon d’Or is more than an award - it’s a celebration of inspirational talents who define football and its history. We are honoured to welcome Qatar Airways as the first presenting partner of this iconic ceremony. “Together, we celebrate not only a passion for the beautiful game and excellence without borders, but also the profound value of bringing the world closer together.”The Ballon d’Or is awarded annually by France Football magazine, honouring the world’s best players across the Men’s and Women’s game. The full set of nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or can be found here.This partnership marks another chapter in Qatar Airways’ portfolio of high-profile global sports partnerships, including the likes of FIFA, UEFA Champions League and National Team Competitions, Formula 1®, Paris-Saint Germain (PSG), FC Internazionale Milano, AFC, Tennis Legend – Novak Djokovic, The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), MotoGP, the IRONMAN Triathlon Series, French Rugby Team – Section Paloise, The Brooklyn Nets NBA Team, and multiple other disciplines including Australian football, equestrian, motor racing, padel, squash, and tennis.

Tickets for the AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 are now on sale. Fans can purchase tickets online from tickets.qfa.qa, starting from QAR 10. All tickets will be digital.The tournament will take place in Qatar from 20 September to 3 October, bringing together young football talents from the region to compete for the coveted trophy. This is the first time that the competition is being held under the auspices of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF).“The U-17 Gulf Cup embodies our commitment towards nurturing young, emerging football talents in the region. We are excited to build on the legacy created by the Arabian Gulf Cup – the region’s oldest national team competition – and encourage fans to show their support for these future stars in the making,” said Jassim Sultan Al Rumaihi, AGCFF Secretary General.A total of 15 matches will be played across two venues – Grand Hamad Stadium and Suheim bin Hamad Stadium. Both venues are accessible, ensuring a barrier-free experience for disabled fans.The Grand Hamad Stadium, with a capacity of 13,000, is currently the home ground for Qatar’s Al-Arabi club. The stadium was selected as the team base camp for the Brazil national football team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Meanwhile, the Suheim bin Hamad Stadium is home of the Qatar Sports Club football team. The 12,000-seater stadium hosted football matches during the 2006 Asian Games as well as various other high-profile matches during the AFC Asian Cup 2011™.Participating teams include the eight member associations of the federation and have been divided into two groups. Hosts Qatar will lead Group A, and will be joined by the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. Iraq will lead Group B, and will play alongside Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The tournament will get underway on 20 September at Grand Hamad Stadium, 6pm, when Iraq face Kuwait. Hosts Qatar will play their first match, one day later, on 21 September at Grand Hamad Stadium, 6pm, against Yemen.The AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 will kick off an exciting football season in the country, with a line-up of tournaments scheduled for the last quarter of 2025. Hosts Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™, that will take place from 3-27 November at the state-of-the-art Competition Complex at Aspire Zone. This will be followed by the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ from 1-18 December.For issues or complaints regarding tickets, fans can email: [email protected] purchase accessibility tickets, fans can email: [email protected] all information related to the AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025, follow @AGCFF on all major social media platforms.

Paris Saint-Germain earned a fourth consecutive win with a 2-0 triumph over Lens in the fourth round of the French Football League (Ligue 1) season. French international Bradley Barcola netted both goals for PSG in the 15th and 51st minutes, bringing his season tally to three league goals.With the win, PSG tops the table with 12 points, while Lens suffered its second defeat of the season, slipping to seventh place with six points after two wins.Meanwhile, Lille secured a 2-1 victory over Toulouse. Algerian international Nabil Bentaleb converted a penalty in the 90th minute, before Ethan Mbappe added a second one into stoppage time (90+8). Franck Magri had earlier opened the scoring for Toulouse in the 50th minute.

Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Iraq Football Association. Under this agreement, the Iraqi national team will receive continuous medical and scientific support over the next two years, gaining access to Aspetar's state-of-the-art medical facilities and advanced sports infrastructure. With this partnership, Iraq joins Aspetar's global network of partners who benefit from the expertise of the renowned Qatari hospital.Commenting on the occasion, Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, Acting Director general of Aspetar, said, "The signing of this cooperation agreement with the Iraq Football Association marks another milestone in strengthening our solid and longstanding relations. This agreement reaffirms Aspetar's leading role in sports medicine in the region and underscores our commitment to enhancing player performance by providing world-class medical and scientific services, while supporting initiatives that serve athletes and advance sports medicine regionally and internationally."For his part, Adnan Dirjal, President of the Iraq Football Association, stated, "This agreement with Aspetar aims to further enhance sporting cooperation between the two parties. We have agreed to coordinate efforts to benefit from Aspetar's expertise in medicine and sports science, which will help improve the technical and medical capabilities of Iraqi teams. Aspetar, as the first of its kind in the world, plays a vital and pivotal role in preserving player health and achieving optimal results."The memorandum also grants Iraqi teams priority access to Aspetar's world-class medical services, enabling them to benefit from international best practices in maintaining player fitness and improving performance.Furthermore, the agreement covers collaboration in sports science services, including performance assessments for national team players, scientific and professional development for the association's medical staff, and providing athletes with guidance aligned with the highest international standards.Aspetar is one of the world's leading specialized hospitals in orthopaedics and sports medicine, and the first of its kind in the Middle East. In 2009, Aspetar was officially accredited as a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, and it is also recognized as an IOC Research Centre.