Extra Time

And then there were two. Croatia, the comeback kings, will face France in the final of the 2018 World Cup after overcoming England and Belgium respectively.

France, world champions in 1998, contest their third World Cup final, while Croatia, population four million, are bidding to win the tournament for the first time.

Zlatko Dalic, less than 10 months into the Croatia job, will pit his wits against France’s Didier Deschamps, w...

Only four teams remain in the 2018 World Cup, with France and Belgium contesting the first semi-final on Tuesday before Croatia and England face off on Wednesday. Whichever side can win two more games will therefore be crowned champions.

France v Belgium looks set to be a battle of the front three, with Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Grioud the big threats for France, while Belgium will look to Eden Hazard, Kevin De...

The 2018 World Cup enters the quarter-final stage on Friday as the eight remaining nations aim to keep their tournament hopes alive.

France and Uruguay contest the first of the quarter-finals, pitting one of the World Cup's most fearsome attacks against its meanest defence.

That is followed by Brazil v Belgium in what could prove the match of the round as Neymar and Eden Hazard attempt to guide their respective sides into the s...

There is no shortage of talking points as the group stages of the 2018 World Cup wrap up.

Lionel Messi finally scored as Argentina managed to sneak through. Cristiano Ronaldo has had a goal-filled tournament for Portugal. Controversy and upsets have kept things interesting. And some elite sides such as Brazil and France have looked sluggish while managing to stay alive.

We discuss these topics, plus the use of VAR and its impac...

The eyes of the football world will be fixated on Russia this summer as 32 nations compete to be crowned the 2018 World Cup champions.

Ahead of kick-off on Thursday, when hosts Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the opening match in Moscow, The National's Extra Time podcast staged a special World Cup quiz episode.

Four players, two teams battled it out in the ultimate test of World Cup trivia - John McAuley and Jon Turner took on A...

The National's John McAuley flies to Russia to cover World Cup 2018 this weekend, but not before joining Jon Turner and Steve Luckings in our Abu Dhabi studio to preview what to expect from football's biggest international tournament.

With the host nation playing Saudi Arabia in the opener, Argentina perhaps featuring Lionel Messi for the final time and Egypt hoping to have a fully fit Mohammed Salah, there are plenty of storylin...

This week, rising UAE cricket star Chirag Suri spoke with Assistant Sports Editor Chitrabhanu Kadalayil. Suri is among a generation of homegrown players representing the national team.

The Indian-born batsman gave his views on the UAE government's announcement last week that expatriates will be eligible to join local clubs and represent the country in all sports from September. What impact will the new regulations have on the cou...

After nearly 22 years in charge, Arsene Wenger announced last week that he was stepping down as Arsenal manager at the end of the season.

Arsenal have begun the search for Wenger's successor as the club look to the future without the man who has helped deliver much of their success.

A day after Wenger's announcement, Arsenal's great rivals Tottenham were defeated in the FA Cup semi-final as another season goes by without Spurs ...

Manchester City secured the Premier League title on Sunday following Manchester United's shock home defeat to bottom-of-the-table West Bromwich Albion.

It might have been a surprising and anti-climactic conclusion to their pursuit of the title, but there was nothing dull about City's season. A record 18 consecutive wins is testament to City's dominance this season as Pep Guardiola and his side target more records with five games ...

This week, Khurram Khan, the former UAE cricket captain, spoke with Assistant Sports Editor Chitrabhanu Kadalayil. Khurramlooked back on his remarkable career three years after he retired from the game.

The Pakistan-born Khurram began by talking about his background and how he made his way from the central city of Multan to glitzy Dubai in the mid-1990s, dreaming of playing international cricket one day.

Cricket fans will recal...

The first race of the 2018 Formula One season saw Sebastian Vettel gain an early advantage over title rival, and defending champion, Lewis Hamilton when the Ferrari driver claimed victory over his Mercedes counterpart at the Australian Grand Prix.

With the new season now under way, organisers of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announced that tickets had gone on sale with a few improvements made to the fan experience ahead of the race's ...

Even as the Cricket World Cup Qualifier rages on in Zimbabwe, two things are clear: neither the UAE nor Nepal will play in the sport's flagship tournament to be held in England next year, and they are both officially classified as one-day international teams.

While the UAE managed to retain their ODI status, Nepal achieved the landmark for the first time in their history. This is obviously the good news for both sides as it means...

By Thursday morning we will know the quarter-final line-up for the Uefa Champions League. Four teams are already confirmed: Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester City and Liverpool – and we may as well add Bayern Munich to that list given that they hold a 5-0 advantage over Beskitas ahead of their last-16 return leg on Wednesday – have their names in the hat, but who will join them?

For Roma, the task of securing a berth in the last ...

Elina Svitolina and Roberto Bautista Agut were the big winners at the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, with the world No 4 from Ukraine successfully defending her title, and the Spanish world No 16 winning the biggest tournament of his career.

This year's tournament will also be fondly remembered for the dream run of Tunisia's Malek Jaziri, who reached the semi-finals ranked No 117, and for the impressive campaign of Ru...

Two of the most promising second-tier cricket teams — the UAE and Nepal — are in Zimbabwe to compete in the World Cup Qualifier, beginning this weekend.

But for Dougie Brown and his UAE side, qualification alone is not on the line. Their livelihoods are at stake as they fight to keep their status as a one-day international team, thereby ensuring the flow of funds and resources needed to keep building the sport across the Emirates...

The Champions League returns with a bang this week, and no fixture packs a bigger punch than the champions Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain at the Bernabeu.

Madrid are looking to win the tournament for a third year in a row, and with the Spanish title beyond them it represents the best chance of silverware for Zinedine Zidane’s side in 2018. The match is heavily billed as the Cristiano Ronaldo versus Neymar show but an int...

The 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur produced arguably the most dramatic final 10 minutes of Premier League football this season. 

A thunderbolt equaliser, two contentious penalty decisions, and two goals in injury-time ensured a breathless end to the game at Anfield. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was left raging while defender Virgil van Dijk has all but accused Tottenham players of cheating. It was better news ...

History was made at the 2018 Australian Open when Roger Federer won his 20th grand slam, extending his record haul for men's singles titles in the Open era, while Caroline Wozniacki became the first player from Denmark to win a major. 

Federer, at the age of 36, continues to set the tone in the men's game as his rivals battle with various injury and fitness issues. For Wozniacki, her triumph marks a major breakthrough, earning he...

Well, it took some time, but we’re finally there. Almost. Sort of.

Although Manchester United and Arsenal are yet to officially ratify the transfers of Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan respectively, the Chilean forward has been pictured on social media at Old Trafford in full United regalia, wearing the club’s famous No 7 shirt, a number synonymous with great United players down the years from George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric...