FIFA Arab Cup 2025 Final, Doha, Qatar, (December 18): Morocco erupted in celebration on after the national football team clinched the FIFA Arab Cup 2025, following a dramatic 3–2 victory over Jordan after extra time in the final.
The Atlas Lions sealed the title at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, securing the trophy for the second time in their histor, 13 years after their maiden triumph in 2012, after a tense and hard-fought contest.
Scenes of jubilation swept cities across the country as thousands of supporters poured onto the streets of Rabat, Casablanca and Kenitra in the west, as well as Fez, Tangier and Tetouan in the north, according to state television and local media reports.
Local media described widespread celebrations in streets, cafés and fan zones, with large crowds gathering around public screens in the capital, Rabat, and elsewhere to mark the victory.
The win capped a remarkable year for Moroccan football, marking the team’s second major title of 2025. The same squad lifted the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August, at a tournament co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Individually, midfielder Mohamed Rabii Harimat was named the tournament’s Best Player, while Jordan’s Ali Olwan finished as top scorer with six goals. Morocco goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid was voted Best Goalkeeper of the competition.
Qatar hosted the 11th edition of the FIFA Arab Cup, its third time staging the tournament, from December 1 to 18, with 16 national teams from across the Arab world taking part.
Liverpool fallout: Curtis Jones has revealed that Mohamed Salah apologised to the Liverpool squad following the fallout from a recent interview in which he criticised the club and head coach Arne Slot.
🚨 Curtis Jones tells Sky Sports: “Mo Salah apologised to us and was like… If I've affected anybody or made you feel any sort of way, I apologise”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 19, 2025
“That's the man that he is. He was the exact same Mo, he had a big smile on his face and everybody was exactly the same with him”. pic.twitter.com/9OEhKHTw4o
Salah was omitted from Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League victory over Inter on December 10, after accusing the club of “throwing him under the bus” amid a poor run of results. The forward also claimed his relationship with Slot had broken down and insisted he had earned his place in the team after eight outstanding seasons at Anfield.
Slot declined to confirm whether he personally received an apology from Salah before recalling the 33-year-old for Liverpool’s Premier League win over Brighton on December 13, 2025. Speaking at a press conference on December 19 the head coach said he would not comment further on the situation to avoid creating “a distraction” while the Egypt international is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
World Cup bans: Supporters from Senegal and Ivory Coast could be barred from entering the United States for the 2026 World Cup after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing new travel restrictions on both countries.
Senegal and Ivory Coast were drawn earlier this month into Groups I and E respectively for the expanded 48-team tournament, but their fans may be unable to attend matches hosted on US soil.On December 16, the Trump administration announced a partial travel ban on Senegalese and Ivorian nationals, suspending their entry into the US.
The measures follow existing restrictions placed on travellers from Iran and Haiti — both of which are also set to compete at the World Cup next summer.
Under the order, neither immigrant nor non-immigrant visa holders from the affected countries would be permitted to enter the US, including tourists and business visitors — categories essential for attending the tournament.
UFC: Fares Ziam has set his sights on taking the scalps of the lightweight division’s seasoned campaigners, declaring he’s done with the prospect circuit. The Frenchman, riding a razor-sharp six-fight streak, announced his arrival in emphatic fashion with a TKO stoppage of Azerbaijan’s Nazim Sadykhov on the UFC 323 card on December 6.
While Manuel Torres also turned heads with a big finish on the same night, Ziam’s gaze is fixed higher up the ladder. Now boasting a number next to his name, ‘The Smile’ is hunting bigger game.
“The most important thing is to keep winning and break into the top 10 as soon as possible,” Ziam told MMA Junkie Radio. “The UFC sometimes matches rising guys on the same bill, but I want to take those big names before their time is up”
He added that athough he’s yet to face “top-15 opposition before, but with this six-fight run, I’m ready for the likes of a Renato Moicano or a Michael Chandler.”
2025 World U21 Taekwondo Championships, Nairobi, Kenya (December 3-6): Nairobi provided a stunning backdrop for the future of taekwondo as the inaugural World U21 Championships concluded at the Moi International Sports Centre, with Turkey emerging as the dominant force.
A record 452 rising stars from 75 nations battled for supremacy, establishing a vital new tier in the sport’s global pathway.
Turkey laid down a formidable marker, clinching the top spot on the medal table with four golds from a total haul of six. Their strength was further confirmed by securing the women’s team title.
Iran proved the closest challenger, matching Turkey’s four golds but showing greater depth with eight total medals to finish second overall.
The men’s competition was commanded by Iran, whose consistency across weight divisions earned them the men’s team ranking title. Their campaign was spearheaded by Abolfazl Zandi, whose gold in the −58kg category earned him the Men’s Most Valuable Player award.
Turkey finished runner-up in the men’s team standings, followed by Kazakhstan, Egypt, and an unusually subdued South Korea. Turkey’s women proved unstoppable, securing the team title ahead of South Korea and Morocco.
Sude Uzunçavdar (−73kg) and Begüm Kavukçuoğlu (+73kg) delivered commanding gold-medal performances. The Women’s MVP honour, however, went to Individual Neutral Athlete Milana Bekulova for her standout victory in the −49kg category.
The championship demonstrated taekwondo’s widening global footprint, with 20 different nations securing podium spots. gold medals were claimed by nations across Africa, Asia, and Europe, including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, and South Korea.
Coaching excellence was awarded to Iran’s Majid Aflaki (Best Men’s Team Coach) and Turkey’s Suat Hastürk (Best Women’s Team Coach).
With its successful debut in the Kenyan capital, the World U21 Championships has firmly planted its flag on the taekwondo calendar. The baton now passes to Samokov, Bulgaria, which will host the next edition in 2027 as this new generation of talent continues its ascent.
