celebrate

The 22-year-old scored two goals against Tunisia but had muted celebrations against the country of his father’s birth.

For a 22-year-old making his World Cup debut for Sweden, Yasin Ayari could only have dreamed of a better start to his introduction to the biggest showcase of football.

With a full-throttled volley into the top corner of Tunisia’s net just seven minutes into the first half of their Group H match in Monterrey, Ayari had opened the scoring for the Scandinavian side against their North African opponents.

The fresh-faced midfielder, though, did not revel in the moment as a young World Cup debutant might and instead chose to hold both his hands up before falling onto the ground in sujoud (Muslim act of prostration).

The reason? The deep Tunisian connection that runs in his blood, and one that could have seen him play for the opposition as late as four years ago.

Ayari is of North African heritage, with a Tunisian father and a Moroccan mother, but was born in Sweden. At 18 years of age, the promising footballer decided to represent the country of his own birth, rather than his parents’, and his father backed the decision.

“I wanted him to play for Sweden,” Azzouz Ayari told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, adding: “He should feel like he is giving back to the country that took care of him.”

Azzouz, who migrated to the Scandinavian country, revealed that his son was offered a place on the Tunisian side, but neither father nor son considered it an option.

Ayari began playing football at age seven on the youth side of his hometown club Rasunda, in Solna, before moving to Scandinavian football giants AIK, where he made his senior team debut in 2020.

The attacking midfielder was signed by English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023, making his Sweden national team debut in the same year.

Explaining his decision to wear the yellow and blue of Sweden instead of the red and white of Tunisia, Ayari said it was “only natural” to continue representing the country he had played for as a child.

When the World Cup 2026 draws were announced in December, the irony of playing against the country of his father’s heritage was not lost on Ayari.

“It was crazy that we ended up with them in our group,” he said.

The young talent was the standout player in Sweden’s thumping win over Tunisia, and he bookended their dominant performance with another scorching individual goal in the 95th minute.

Ayari found the ball at the edge of the Tunisian goal and sent it flying into the far corner to bag his second World Cup goal in his debut game.

This time, though, he did celebrate and soak in the applause of the jubilant Swedish crowd.

June 12 (Asia Today) — Thousands of South Korean soccer fans packed Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, cheering, gasping and celebrating through South Korea’s 2-1 comeback victory over Czechia in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Dae-han-min-guk! Until the end!” fans shouted as the square turned red with supporters wearing national team jerseys and carrying South Korean flags, cheering sticks and handheld fans.

The Group A match was played Friday morning in South Korea, but the weekday timing did little to slow the crowd. Children, office workers and longtime members of the Red Devils, South Korea’s national soccer supporters’ group, gathered in front of a large outdoor screen set up near the square.

When the opening whistle sounded at 11 a.m., fans shouted “Fighting!” and “Let’s win!” Police unofficially estimated about 3,000 people had gathered at the square at the start of the match.

The temperature in Seoul rose to 28 degrees Celsius, or 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit, under clear skies. Many fans used parasols, portable fans and folding fans to cope with the heat.

Some supporters took vacation days to watch the match in public. Lee Hyun-soo, 37, an office worker who came with his elementary school-age child, said he used annual leave so they could cheer together.

“The next day is the weekend and my child also filed for an experiential learning day, so I took the day off,” Lee said. “It is very hot, but it is better than cloudy or rainy weather.”

South Korea controlled much of the early play but failed to score in the first half. When chances ended without a goal, fans grabbed their heads and groaned in frustration.

The crowd grew sharply near halftime as office workers from nearby buildings joined during their lunch breaks. Some skipped restaurant meals and watched while eating toast or convenience store food.

Kim Sung-il, 28, who works near Gwanghwamun Station, said he came with co-workers to watch the second half.

“Lunch break gives us enough time to watch the second half,” Kim said. “I hope the result lets us start the afternoon shift happily.”

As the crowd swelled, police and event staff moved quickly to control pedestrian flow. Seoul’s real-time city data showed about 14,000 to 16,000 people were in Gwanghwamun Square at noon, more than twice the 6,000 expected by the Korea Football Association.

Police deployed about 260 officers from three mobile units to manage the crowd. Officers and staff repeatedly asked fans to fold parasols while moving and to continue walking in one direction. No major safety incidents were reported.

The match turned tense in the second half. Czechia took the lead in the 59th minute when Ladislav Krejci scored with a header. The mood at the square briefly fell silent.

South Korea quickly answered. Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute and later helped create the winning goal by substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 80th minute.

As Oh’s goal went in, fans hugged friends, jumped in place and shouted in relief. Many stayed in the square after the final whistle, still caught up in the emotion of South Korea’s first opening-match win at a World Cup since 2010.

Kim Ji-min, 23, a university student, said she had been nervous before the match.

“I was very worried before the game, but I am so happy we came back and won,” Kim said.

Shim Sung-min, 42, an office worker, said the match felt cinematic.

“I heard this was South Korea’s first opening-match win in 16 years,” Shim said. “Today’s match felt like a movie. I think I can enjoy the rest of the weekend.”

South Korea’s win gave the team three points to begin Group A and lifted hopes among fans watching from Seoul that the national team can advance from the group stage.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260612010004331

Soccer Aid has raised an eye-watering and record-breaking amount of money for Unicef with their annual charity match that saw the likes of Joe Marler and Angry Ginge compete

Soccer Aid have raised a huge sum of money for Unicef. The annual charity football match raised a staggering £16.5million for the children’s aid organisation.

The match, which was created by Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes in 2026, aims to raise millions for Unicef every year but has never raised as much as it did this year. By raising over £16m, the celebs taking part have increased the total ever raised from the event to £137million.

The grand total was revealed in the last few moments before Soccer Aid went off air, in an announcement made by Robbie, who also performed his song Feel for the halftime performance.

Over £1million of the total amount was raised by Olly Murs. The singer had taken on a mammoth challenge that involved cycling, rowing and running the 400km distance from Old Trafford to the London Stadium. Prior to the match beginning, Tom Hiddlestone revealed on air that Olly had raised £1,342,214 for the total pot.

The rest of the funds were raised throughout the event, including the build up to kick off. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen came out to the pitch to deliver the football and revealed that before play had even begun, the event had raised over £4.6million. Tim delighted fans as he said his Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase: “To infinity and beyond!”

Roughly 15 minutes before the teams headed out, GK Barry caught up with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen with the latter catching many off guard courtesy of his comments.

While stood in the tunnel, upon GK Barry asking for their attention, the latter stated: “I’m just just b****ing about penalty shots.” The comment went unacknowledged by ITV, despite airing pre-watershed.

As Americans, the pair aren’t used to European football. Tim continued to say he was going to “try to work out how you win or lose a game on a penalty shot”. Tom, who said he did have some knowledge of the UK game, jokingly hit back: “You cannot use your hands.”

Soccer Aid celebrated its 20th anniversary this weekend with a massive showdown at the London Stadium. The fixture occurs every year and its mission is to raise vital funds for UNICEF while bringing together a unique mix of world-class football legends and beloved celebrities.

Former United captain Wayne Rooney led the line for England. Big football names taking to the pitch included Jill Scott, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott.

Other huge names making up the England side were Tom Hiddleston, Danny Dyer, Paddy McGuinness, Olly Murs and Joe Marler. They were joined by Toni Duggan, Steph Houghton, Jordan North, Angry Ginge, GK Barry, Jack Wilshere, Joe Hart, Sam Thompson, Chloe Burrows, Jack Whitehall and Owen Cooper.

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India’s Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha with mass prayers and gatherings nationwide. Celebrations remained largely peaceful under tight security amid growing anti-Muslim tensions over restrictions on public Eid prayers.

Muslims around the world have begun celebrating Eid al-Adha, the “Festival of Sacrifice”, which falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Muslim lunar calendar.

One of the biggest holidays in the Muslim calendar, it coincides with the last day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

In Gaza, where Israel’s months-long offensive has devastated neighbourhoods and displaced most of the population, many families are marking Eid in tents and crowded shelters, with little meat or festive clothing.

More than 1.7 million people are taking part in the Hajj this year, slightly up from 2025, even as a war pitting the United States and Israel against Iran casts a long shadow across the Middle East.

On Tuesday, pilgrims prayed on Mount Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have delivered his final sermon. They then spent the night out in the open at Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and Mina, where they collected pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil.

After the stoning ceremony in Mina, pilgrims return to Mecca for a final circumambulation of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building at the heart of the Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world face when they pray.

Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic story of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. Islamic tradition holds that God spared the boy, replacing him with a ram.

The day is marked with the sacrifice of an animal – usually a sheep, goat or cow – and the distribution of its meat among family, neighbours and those in need, underlining the festival’s themes of faith, charity and community.

Watch the moment Arsenal players and staff celebrate as they secure their first Premier League title in 22 years after Manchester City draw 1-1 at Bournemouth.

READ MORE: Twenty-two years in the making – how Arsenal celebrated title win

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VICTORIA Beckham put on an Adams family party to celebrate the 80th birthday of her dad Tony. 

Posh Spice, whose maiden name was Adams, posed with her clan, including husband Sir David and 14-year-old daughter Harper — but estranged son Brooklyn, 27, was not there. 

Fashion designer Victoria, 52, was also joined by her younger sons Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 21, and her mum Jackie. 

The lavish celebration at the weekend was at Hotel Café Royal in Central London. 

Victoria, who wore a white dress at the party, said as her father turned 80 yesterday: “Happy birthday, Daddy, we love you so so much! 

“Thank you to all our friends and family who helped to make it so special! Such an amazing night celebrating my wonderful dad.” 

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The mum-of-four was known as Victoria Adams before marrying England footie star David in 1999. 

Brooklyn made a rare mention of his family by posting a photo on social media, right, of him and Tony and saying: “Happy 80th papa x I love you so much.” 

Brooklyn is said to still be close to his grandparents despite not seeing them for months amid his feud with his parents and brothers. He has remained in the US with his wife Nicola Peltz, 31. 

Sir David, 51, gave Tony a leg of Monte Nevado ham as a gift and called him “the best father-in-law I could ask for”. 

There was a more down-to-earth birthday celebration yesterday — a visit to a pie and mash shop in Waltham Abbey, Essex, where Tony was presented with some school cake. 

Barcelona, Spain — Draped in club flags and with their faces painted blue and maroon, Barcelona fan Max Dour and his father Nico joined thousands of others celebrating their team’s crowning as La Liga champions under the glow of flares lighting up the night sky at the famous Plaza Catalunya in the Catalan capital.

Playing at home, the football giants sealed their second consecutive Spanish league title with a 2-0 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid in a highly-anticipated El Clasico on Sunday.

The league triumph was made all the sweeter by a lacklustre performance from Madrid and the tens of thousands of cules – as Barcelona supporters are known – packed inside the Camp Nou stadium.

The iconic venue carried an air of anticipation for what fans believed was an inevitable victory. They chanted “Campeones, campeones (champions, champions)” throughout the match and well past the referee’s full-time whistle.

Come Monday afternoon, Barca fans will once again pack the city streets when the players join their celebrations with an open bus parade through the streets.

“I promised my son if we won La Liga, then we would go to the Canaletas [fountain] to celebrate, so here we are,” said Dour, a businessman who is a Barca season ticket holder, like his 14-year-old son. “How better could you end the season and win La Liga?”

The Canaletas fountain at one end of Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s famous thoroughfare, is where fans traditionally gather to celebrate victories, but it was closed off for works on Sunday.

It is part of Barcelona folklore.

During the 1930s, the main sporting Barcelona newspaper, Las Ramblas, would record the team’s results here on a blackboard if they were playing away. The blackboard has long gone, as has the newspaper, but the tradition of celebrating victories there remains.

Dour, 50, praised the team’s consistency throughout the season and credited that quality for their title win.

“Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid only seemed to play for certain games,” he said.

Such was the pull of the derby – and the chance to see Barca crowned champions – that fans travelled from across the world.

Vance Sterling flew in from Missouri in the United States just for this  match, after saving up for the $2,000 match tickets.

With the azulgrana (blue and maroon) colours painted on his cheeks, Sterling, 33, said: “It has been worth the journey. This has been a marvellous experience. Winning La Liga by beating Real Madrid in this stadium – how could you beat it?”

Barca’s win or Real Madrid’s loss?

For other fans, however, their joy at winning La Liga was slightly muted.

“It is great that we have won the title of course, but strangely it has not been so emotional or exciting as it was last year when it was coach Hansi Flick’s first season,” Adrian Fabregat, another Barcelona season ticket holder, said

“I think we may have been a little obsessed with the UEFA Champions League. That is what Hansi said he was determined to win.”

Fabregat, 45, a computer worker who has been a fan since 2004, said that Real Madrid’s poor form helped Barca win the title.

“They dropped points to clubs they never should have drawn with or even lost to, which has helped. We have been more dependable. It is always great to win the title when Real Madrid do not win anything else.”

Flick has now won a third major title, including the Copa del Rey in 2025, in his two years in charge of Barcelona. During the same period, Madrid have finished a second successive season with no major silverware.

Madrid will now limp to the finish of a disappointing season in which Xabi Alonso was fired and – barring a drastic change of events – Alvaro Arbeloa is also expected to be ousted in a summer shake-up.

Spanish football expert Graham Hunter believes the title win does not make for a “good season” for the Catalan club.

“In objective terms, Barcelona have gone backwards this season,” he told Al Jazeera.

“They have conceded in every UEFA Champions League game and were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the competition by local opponents Atletico Madrid, rather than the semifinal like last season. They were also knocked out in the semifinals of the King’s Cup.

“Irrespective of whether their winning margin and the date of their league victory is better than last season, they have not played better football, in fact, they have often played less well.”

However, Hunter said two players shone for Flick.

“Lamine Yamal has been outstanding.”

“He has often carried the team. He is, without any doubt in football terms, a genius. Joan García in goal has played blindingly well,” he added.

Hunter agreed that Barca’s triumph had a lot to do with Real’s poor form.

“It is undeniable that Real Madrid have been chaotic and have often gifted points to minor teams.

Sacking a manager in mid-season and watching his replacement have an even lower win rate was not a good look. The two-horse race was always going to be won by the thoroughbred against the Shetland pony,” he added.

Alberto Martínez, a football journalist for Barcelona-based newspaper La Vanguardia, said Flick and his players pounced on the opportunity presented by the crisis at Madrid.

“Barcelona’s continuity, with the manager and players, were key to their victory” he said.

Barcelona fans filled the streets in wild celebration after a convincing 2-0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid at Camp Nou sealed their 29th LaLiga title. Fireworks, flags and flares lit up the city as supporters marked back-to-back league triumphs under Barca’s manager Hansi Flick.