afpf-conference-Latest News About the World Test Championship

As the 2026 World Cup draws closer, teams are kicking off their qualification campaigns. Depending on the region, each confederation’s tournament format differs — factors such as continental size and membership, pedigree of member nations, and localized cultural considerations all play a part in how a qualifier is run.

While FIFA oversees the World Cup, the organization leaves qualification to its subsidiary governing bodies, which include AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania) and UEFA (Europe). The top-ranked team from each confederation is guaranteed a spot in the finals, while the other spots are allocated through a series of playoff rounds.

Each round of playoffs pits a group runners-up against a third-placed team from a different group, with the winner earning a place at the World Cup and the other qualifying for the Intercontinental Playoff. Unlike the regular World Cup tournament, where each game counts for three points, in the playoffs each match is played over two legs.

The 2025 playoffs were set up to give a chance to a handful of underdogs to qualify for the World Cup. The four best-placed African group runners-up — Gabon, Nigeria, Cameroon and the DRC — were drawn against one another in a mini four-team bracket, with the winners advancing to the final tournament.

All the action kicked off in mid-October with a quarterfinal between Gabon and the DRC, which featured plenty of drama on the pitch. The Panthers swept the DRC in their first matchup, but lost their second. Despite their disappointing finish, the DRC were able to make it through on away goals due to their better overall record against the group runners-up.

Athlete endorsements have become a crucial marketing strategy, allowing brands to create genuine connections with their audience and increase engagement. With the NCAA now allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), endorsement opportunities are growing for both elite professionals and up-and-coming stars. Endorsement contracts should include clauses that protect the brand and support a sustainable career for an athlete. These clauses typically cover a variety of topics, including exclusivity and NIL usage, compensation, termination, and indemnification. Additionally, they must account for varying regulations in various industries, such as child labor laws when working with minors and NIL licensing rules in collegiate sports.

NIL rights in a sponsorship agreement allow a brand to use an athlete’s image and name in marketing campaigns, products, and media. These agreements can be structured as licensing or endorsements, with either a fixed fee or a performance bonus. Licensing deals tend to be less risky for athletes, as they may earn royalties based on product sales. Athletes can also retain some control over how their NIL is used in marketing campaigns through approval rights and creative collaborations with a brand.

As more and more athletes engage in influencer marketing, it’s important to focus on measurement to understand the true impact of an endorsement campaign. Metrics such as conversion rates, sales uplift, and brand sentiment analysis can help brands determine the value of an endorsement campaign. In addition, social listening can reveal key insights into public perception. For example, when celebrity medical doctor and media personality Ciara Kelly partnered with Filorga Ireland to promote their anti-ageing skincare range, her professional expertise helped add credibility to the campaign.

F1 standings are the defining measure of champions and are crucial for both Drivers’ Championships and Constructors’ Championships. They determine who wins the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, which is awarded to the team that scores the most points over the course of a season.

A team earns points for every place it finishes in a Grand Prix race and the winner gets 25 points, with the top 10 scoring 8 points each (top eight in sprint races). Drivers are ranked individually according to their results, while a team’s total is calculated by adding up both its drivers’ points.

It’s rare that two drivers end the season tied on points and dead heats don’t decide a title in Formula 1’s history, but if it did happen then there would be a countback of results. The driver with the most wins would be crowned champion, followed by the driver with the most second place finishes and so on until a tie is broken.

While the Drivers’ Championship captures the public imagination and generates more media attention, the constructors’ title is the ultimate prize for Formula 1 teams – that’s Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas, Honda, Jaguar, McLaren, Renault, Mercedes and Sauber – because they receive significant financial bonuses from the FIA, as well as the prestige of being referred to as the ‘best team in Formula 1’. However, the title doesn’t always mean much more than bragging rights – it can also influence internal politics and lead to some controversial tactics.

In 2021, the inaugural list of sports technology trends included innovations addressing short-term challenges like maintaining player fitness while minimizing physical risk during the pandemic and engaging fans during lockdowns. Since then, a host of new technologies have emerged to make the athlete and fan experience more effective and immersive. Some, such as smart helmets and augmented reality (AR), are enhancing player safety. Others, such as training and scouting systems, are improving athlete performance metrics and efficiency. Embracing these advancements is critical for anyone involved in the sports industry.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are revolutionizing the athlete and spectator experience by transporting fans to immersive environments while streamlining the analysis of real-time data. For instance, VR enables athletes to practice in game-like scenarios without the risk of injury, while AR overlays can provide real-time stats and data on top of live action.

Combined with other sports tech trends, this new approach to training is accelerating athletic development and reducing injuries. For example, training load monitoring compares recent workouts to long-term trends so coaches can detect and respond to spikes in fatigue or injury risk – keeping players healthy and on the field.

In addition, the consolidation of wearables with sports tech platforms streamlines data analysis. For instance, Firstbeat Sports integrates multiple wearables into a single platform to enable coaches and medical teams to make better decisions about player readiness and workload management. In addition, virtual reality training is catching up to traditional physical training by providing an immersive way to improve decision-making and muscle memory while staying safe from injury.

Whether they’ve helped bring down their club manager, marched against their team’s owner or pushed back against plans to commercialize football, fan protest stories remind us that fan activism is more than just a passing fad. In this special issue, our contributors examine how fans use the shared fellowship of fellow-feeling to express their values and push for change.

In a series of photo captions that have been published as stand-alone slide shows, Georgia Hampton provides a vivid portrait of the way in which football fans can protest. Her photos offer a window into the look and sound of these events, and a reminder that a good protest story doesn’t need to be complicated or overly political. The key is to focus on people, and if possible, to quote them. We recommend quoting at least one person in a news short and three people in a longer report.

Graeme Souness has been quick to point out that the boycott of this weekend’s match against Tottenham is “an ingrates’ response.” It certainly seems that way to West Ham fans, who feel they’re being treated like a cash cow by owners Paul Sullivan and Brady.

Our other essays take a deeper dive into the core debates around fan activism. Melissa M. Brough and Sangita Shresthova highlight how efforts by celebrities (authors like John Green, pop stars such as Hong Kong’s Cheuk Yi Lin, and cult TV actors such as Gillian Anderson) to mobilize their fan bases can be a useful tool for political change. But they also raise important questions about the limits of celebrity-driven activism, and about how fans themselves can be active agents in the struggle for social change.

Whether it’s the precise technique of boxing, the powerful strikes of Muay Thai, or the grappling mastery of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, combat sports are a thrilling blend of athleticism and strategy. Explore the dynamic world of these sports, where each style draws inspiration from a rich heritage of culture and tradition.

The high-intensity nature of these sports offers a powerful, full-body workout that enhances strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. The physical demands of many combat sports also improve coordination, balance, and agility. In addition, training in these sports is often accompanied by psychosocial benefits such as self-discipline and resilience.

These sports involve using hands and legs for striking and kicking in a stand-up position. They include Boxing, Savate, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. This category also includes judo, which focuses on throws and grip strengths, and wrestling, which uses leverage and techniques to control opponents on the ground.

Increasingly popular, these sports are known for their brutality and technical depth, while promoting values of respect and fairness in competition. They also serve as a window into the complex interplay between sports and society, where participants challenge conventions, advocate for social justice, and inspire change. Many people begin their journey in these sports for personal achievement, mental toughness, stress relief, self-defense, or to connect with a community of like-minded individuals. Many find that, despite the violent nature of these sports, they are a source of pride and honor. As such, they strive to help their peers achieve their goals and aspirations through hard work, commitment, and dedication.

World Athletics Championship is the IAAF’s flagship event, taking place every two years and usually a month and a half after the Olympics. It was started in 1976 after the IOC dropped the men’s 50 km walk from the Olympic programme for Montreal’s 1976 Summer Games, and in response to calls from the sport’s athletes for an international event separate from the Olympics.

During this year’s championships in Tokyo, a number of American athletes excelled and brought home medals, including sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who became only the second female to complete a sprint treble and save her dad’s life. Teammate Noah Lyles won a 200m and 4x100m gold to earn the Male Track Athlete of the Year award, while Cordell Tinch finished his stellar season with another 110m hurdles win.

In the marathon, Clayton Young stuck with the lead pack until the final 2km (1.25 miles), and pushed his way up to 3rd, just behind Amanal Petros (Germany) and Julia Paternain (Uruguay). In the women’s 10km, Beatrice Chebet unleashed her signature kick in the last 200m and won the title for Kenya, ahead of Nadia Battocletti (Italy) and Guduf Tsegay (Ethiopia).

Good afternoon from Augusta and welcome to our live coverage of The Masters leaderboard, where we’ll track all the latest updates as this most extraordinary tournament winds to a close. Rory McIlroy is in a superb position to become the first man since Jack Nicklaus to complete a career grand slam, as he holds an impressive two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau going into Sunday’s final round.

Hideki Matsuyama and Tommy Fleetwood are on four under, with the Englishman getting off to a flyer with birdies at holes 1 and 2.

A decent crowd is watching as Brian Campbell hits his drive down the right-hand side of the fairway on hole 1. He overcooks his second shot into a bunker to the left of the green but makes the seven-foot putt for par.

The former Australian Open champion takes the honours at the fifth, birdieing the par-five to move up to a joint-fourth on three under. He is joined by the Scottish duo of Marc Warren and Martin Laird who are both on two under.

Patrick Reed is still on course for a fourth Masters title, but the American must improve over the weekend to challenge at the top of the leaderboard. Bryson DeChambeau is on the cusp of his first green jacket, and the Northern Irishman will need to be extra strong in Amen Corner on Sunday to fend off the young American’s threat.

From a dog saving a soccer goal to a mascot’s funny antics and an NFL player’s troll-tastic handshake, viral sports moments captivate fans across the globe and create indelible memories. From heartwarming tributes to pranks gone wrong, these micro-moments go beyond the box score and help leagues and athletes connect with fans in real time and build loyalty across teams.

When writing content, remember Berger’s mantra “built to show, built to grow.” To increase the chances of your article going viral, keep in mind that it should elicit a reaction from readers and make them want to share. A stale, clunky narrative that doesn’t capture the spirit of the moment will likely fail to resonate. Read your article aloud to catch awkward phrasing and unnatural rhythms, and ask friends to read it as well.

These campaigns went viral because they tapped into universal emotions that everyone can relate to, especially motherhood and sports. The ad brought tears to viewers’ eyes as it showcased many athletes’ relationships with their mothers and highlighted the role that their moms played in their athletic success.

Esports tournaments take video games to the next level – it’s like the gamer version of an athletic championship. These global competitions attract millions of in-person and online spectators and are hosted by some of the world’s most famous video game companies. Top gamers compete in a variety of tournaments and leagues to win prize money and brand sponsorships.

First-person shooters, real-time strategy games and sports simulations are some of the most popular types of esports. These competitions allow gamers to play as their characters, view all the action from their character’s perspective and hunt down and kill opponents to earn a cash prize.

The esports calendar is jam-packed with events in 2025. From a blockbuster FPS like Counter-Strike to the acclaimed strategy game Dota 2, players and fans are excited for big events that will showcase their skill. 2025’s esports calendar includes the League of Legends Worlds, Capcom Cup 11, Street Fighter 6’s biggest event and Rocket League’s RLCS 2025 Birmingham Major.

As the eSports industry continues to grow, it’s important to understand how the eSports tournament system works. The structure of team-based eSports follows patterns similar to professional sports in European and Asian countries, with promotions and relegation in order to balance the competition and keep it fair for all teams. Sponsored teams will play a number of games over the course of a season, and depending on how they do at each event, they may be promoted or relegated to a different league.