International Sports
Mbappe and Messi remain level as Golden Boot race heads into World Cup semi-finals
Norway’s Erling Haaland sits third with seven goals after his country’s quarter-final exit to England, ending his chances of challenging for the award.
France striker Kylian Mbappe and Argentina captain Lionel Messi remain locked at the top of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot standings with eight goals each as the tournament heads into the semi-finals.
Even though Argentina secured a 3-1 quarter-final victory over Switzerland on Sunday to help the defending champions reach the last four, Mbappe retained first place in the standings by virtue of the tournament’s tiebreak criteria.
The FIFA Golden Boot is awarded to the tournament’s leading scorer. If two or more players finish level on goals, the first tiebreaker is assists, followed by the fewest minutes played. Mbappe has provided three assists in 563 minutes, while Messi has two assists in 608 minutes, giving the France forward the advantage.
Norway’s Erling Haaland sits third with seven goals after his country’s quarter-final exit to England, ending his chances of challenging for the award.
England have two players still in contention, with midfielder Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane both on six goals and one assist. Bellingham is ranked fourth ahead of Kane after playing fewer minutes during the tournament.
With France, Argentina and England all through to the semi-finals, four of the top five players in the Golden Boot race will have at least one more opportunity to add to their goal tallies.
France face Spain in the first semi-final on Tuesday, July 14, while England take on defending champions Argentina on Wednesday, July 15.
The race for the Golden Boot is expected to go down to the wire, with every goal in the remaining matches potentially deciding who finishes as the tournament’s leading scorer.
Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch these exciting matches live and exclusively on Ariana Radio and Television Network. For updated schedules follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages.
International Sports
Tottenham face Charlton as ATN brings live EFL Cup action to Afghan fans
Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Tottenham Hotspur take on Charlton Athletic live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, Wednesday, August 26, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.
The two London clubs meet in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham looking to progress while Charlton will aim to produce an upset against their Premier League opponents.
Tottenham enter the match as favourites on paper, with their greater top-flight experience expected to make them the stronger side. However, cup football can produce surprises, and Charlton will be looking to take advantage of any opportunity at their disposal.
The match provides Tottenham with another chance to build momentum early in the season, while Charlton will see the tie as an opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s biggest clubs.
The EFL Cup remains an important route to silverware for clubs across the English football pyramid, with teams aiming to advance through each round toward the final at Wembley.
Afghanistan fans can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.
International Sports
Watford face Peterborough in EFL Cup; ATN to bring live action to Afghan fans
Watford will have home advantage and are being tipped by experts to win.
Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Watford take on Peterborough United in the England Football League Cup live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.
The two sides meet at Vicarage Road on Tuesday in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Watford looking to continue their unbeaten start to the new season.
The Hornets have won two and drawn one of their opening three competitive matches under new head coach Alessio Dionisi. They began their campaign with a 1-0 EFL Cup victory over Crawley Town before beating Southampton 2-1 in their Championship opener. They then drew 1-1 with Wrexham.
Peterborough have also made a positive start, winning two of their first three matches. They beat Bristol Rovers 1-0 in the opening round of the EFL Cup and defeated Mansfield Town by the same score in League One, but lost 2-0 away to Bradford City.
Watford will have home advantage and are being tipped by experts to win.
The clubs last met in 2013, when Peterborough won 3-2 in the Championship. Watford, however, have a strong recent home record against Peterborough and will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten start.
Afghanistan fans can watch Watford vs Peterborough United live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.
International Sports
AFC Champions League Elite draw nears as Al-Nassr seeded above Al-Hilal
The stage is set for the draw for the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite, with Saudi Arabian giants Al-Nassr seeded one tier above rivals Al-Hilal ahead of Tuesday’s ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed the draw mechanism for the expanded league phase, which will feature 32 clubs divided equally between the West and East regions.
In each region, 16 teams will be split into four pots of four. Every club will play eight matches against eight different opponents, with four games at home and four away. Clubs will not face teams from their own national association during the league phase.
Al-Nassr, returning to the competition after missing last season’s edition, have been placed in Pot 2 alongside Uzbekistan’s Neftchi, Iraq’s Air Force Club and UAE side Shabab Al-Ahli.
Al-Hilal, one of the most successful clubs in Asian football, are in Pot 3 alongside Qatar’s Al-Gharafa, Iran’s Tractor and UAE club Al-Wasl.
Defending champions Al-Ahli headline Pot 1, alongside Al-Ain of the UAE, Qatar’s Al-Sadd and Iran’s Esteghlal.
Pot 4 consists of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ittihad, Qatar’s Al-Shamal and Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor.
The draw will use a fixed grid rather than individually selecting eight opponents for each club. Teams will be placed into four columns, with the position determining their home and away opponents.
The AFC has also introduced country-protection measures to ensure clubs from the same national association are not placed in positions that would result in them meeting during the league phase.
The East Region will follow the same format, with clubs including Kashima Antlers, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Buriram United, Shanghai Port, Vissel Kobe and Pohang Steelers among the participants.
The top eight teams from each region will advance to the Round of 16, which is scheduled to take place from March 1 to 17, 2027.
The competition will then move to Saudi Arabia for a centralised final stage, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final scheduled from April 23 to May 1, 2027.
Al-Ahli will begin their title defence seeking to make history by becoming the first club to win the revamped AFC Champions League Elite three times in succession.
The draw takes place on Tuesday, August 18, at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, with the outcome set to determine the first major matchups of the new Asian club season.
Fan in Afghanistan can meanwhile tune in on Tuesday, August 18, at 12.30pm Kabul time to watch the draw live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
-
Latest News3 days agoFour mediators struggle to secure lasting Pakistan-Afghanistan ceasefire
-
Latest News4 days agoSyria and Saudi Arabia condemn Kabul bombing, express solidarity with Afghanistan
-
Latest News4 days agoUS judge strikes down Trump visa suspension for 75 countries, including Afghanistan
-
Business2 days agoAfghanistan’s trade diversification challenges Pakistan
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan-India T20I series could see major schedule change
-
Latest News4 days agoAchakzai urges Pakistan to end hostility towards Afghanistan
-
Latest News3 days agoAfghanEvac warns US court ruling does not reopen door for Afghans
-
Sport5 days agoAbaseen Defenders clinch Khan Hospital Kabul Premier League Season 4 title
