Sports Archives - Freedom Online

Messi’s father, Jorge, dies at 68

Kunle Mudasiru — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 23:09:13 +0000

Lionel Messi has lost his father, Jorge Messi, who reportedly died in Rosario, Argentina, at the age of 68 after a prolonged illness. Jorge, who served as his son’s representative for many years, was a major figure during the early stages of the Argentine superstar’s career and helped guide several important decisions that shaped his […]

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FFE: Infantino’s proposal to sell chunks of World Cup to private investors collapses

Freedom Online — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 08:04:29 +0000

*UEFA, others step up search for candidates to run against FIFA President in 2027 Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell chunks of the World Cup to private investors has sensationally collapsed, with the FIFA president admitting the project “has created divisions of a nature that are no longer in the interest of the objective”, amid widespread […]

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Italian football legend, Franco Baresi, dies at 66

Kunle Mudasiru — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:41:03 +0000

Franco Baresi has died at the age of 66, with AC Milan saying their former captain’s “example and integrity will be forever etched into the club’s DNA”. Baresi spent his entire 20-year playing career with the club from 1977 until he retired in 1997, winning six Serie A titles and three European Cups/Champions Leagues. Regarded […]

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Joshua dedicates comeback victory to late friends, eyes Fury showdown

Kunle Mudasiru — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 19:36:24 +0000

Nigerian-British born heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, has dedicated his victory over Kristian Prenga to his late friends and trainers, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, after overcoming knockdowns to secure a second-round knockout win. The bout watched online, marked Joshua’s first fight since a car crash in Nigeria in December claimed the lives of Ghami, […]

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Guardiola turns down Italy manager job

Kunle Mudasiru — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:15:01 +0000

Pep Guardiola has turned down the chance to coach the Italian national side. Earlier this week, Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Giovanni Malago said talks had been held with Guardiola, who left Manchester City this summer after 10 years, and that “exceptions” could be made for his salary. On Thursday, FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini […]

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2026 Commonwealth Games: Team Nigeria begins medal haul

Kunle Mudasiru — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:08:06 +0000

Team Nigeria has opened its medal account at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Paralympic champion Roland Ezuruike powering to a silver medal in the Men’s Lightweight Para Powerlifting competition at the SEC Armadillo. Ezuruike lifted an impressive 153.9kg, matching the effort of England’s Mark Swan, who was awarded the gold medal on countback, while […]

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Iheanacho to earn £23,000 per week

Kunle Mudasiru — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:02:31 +0000

Kelechi Iheanacho has revealed reasons behind turning his back on the prospect of playing in the UEFA league with Celtic. He says he “asked my agent to make sure he does everything possible to make sure I come to Bursaspor” despite being offered a new contract by Celtic. The 29-year-old Nigerian striker had signed a […]

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FIFA World Cup 2026 statistics: Spain $50m, Argentina $33m, England $29m; 48 teams share $655m

Kunle Mudasiru — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:22:10 +0000

*First time France conceded six goals in 118 years *Mbappe records 22 goals to top all-time highest scorer chat Spain, the champions, earned $50m in prize money, while runner-up Argentina received $33m. England secured $29 million by beating France 6-4 in Saturday’s third-place match, while France will receive $27 million for finishing fourth. FIFA says […]

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FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: Spain outclass Argentina 1-0 to lift second title, sweep awards; Messi weeps

Kunle Mudasiru — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 23:48:04 +0000

Ferran Torres’ goal in the 106th minute delivered Spain its second World Cup title on Sunday in a win over Argentina that was tense but one-sided. The shot was Spain’s 12th on goal, all while defending champion Argentina had produced zero. Yet for how often Spain peppered Argentina’s defence with shots, its brilliant goalkeeper Emiliano […]

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FIFA World Cup Final: Shakira, Burna Boy, Ghetto Kids Prepare Halftime Show

Robert Imoh — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:56:27 +0000

Colombian music star Shakira, Grammy-winning Nigerian Afrobeats artiste Burna Boy and Uganda’s Ghetto Kids have begun rehearsals for their performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The artistes are expected to perform during the tournament’s final halftime show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States. Videos circulating on social media showed Shakira and […]

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How Lionel Messi is rewriting World Cup history

Kunle Mudasiru — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:26:52 +0000

*Before Lionel Messi… World Cup records were spread across various legends of the game. 🇩🇪 Most goals scored: Miroslav Klose 🇦🇷 Most assists: Diego Maradona 🇧🇷 Most goal contributions: Pelé 🇦🇷 Most successful dribbles: Diego Maradona 🇦🇷 Most chances created: Diego Maradona 🇧🇷 Most goal contributions in the knockout stages: Pelé 🇳🇱 Most Man of […]

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Mikel Obi: NFF clueless on how to run football

Kunle Mudasiru — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:35:57 +0000

A former skipper of the Super Eagles, Mikel Obi, has emphatically stated that the current crop of football administrators do not have an idea of how to run the game. Mikel stated that football today demands much more than what we are experiencing in the Nigeria Football Federation. He added that he would have loved […]

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Ajayi wins 100m men’s race at Eugene Diamond League

Kunle Mudasiru — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 18:31:22 +0000

Nigerian sprinter, Kanyinsola Ajayi, has won the 100m race in the Eugene Diamond League in the star-studded final equaling his national record of 9.84 seconds (0.1) to win the men’s 100m at the Prefontaine Classic. Ajayi, the reigning NCAA champion, beat World Champion, Jamaican Oblique Seville, to the second position. American Christian Coleman came third […]

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CAFCL/CC: Rangers, Rivers United, Shooting Stars to begin continental campaign September

Kunle Mudasiru — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 06:27:33 +0000

Nigeria’s representatives in the 2026/27 CAF inter-club competitions will begin their continental campaigns in September following the release of the official match calendar by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF confirmed that the 2026/27 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup will kick off with the first preliminary round, with the first-leg matches scheduled for […]

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NPFL 2026/27 to start in August

Kunle Mudasiru — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 08:49:43 +0000

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has officially unveiled the calendar for the 2026/27 season, with the timeline for the President Federation Cup also included. The schedule provides clubs, players, match officials, broadcasters and other stakeholders with a clear roadmap for the campaign, allowing for better planning and preparation ahead of the new season. Looking […]

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