Asia

With kick-off less than 20 weeks away (135 days) and Wednesday serving as the global celebration of International Women's Day, FIFA marked the occasion by unveiling the official poster for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The main poster is accompanied by one for each of the nine host cities, "highlighting the iconic and historical landmarks, wildlife and vibrant cultures that are unique to each."

A boy from Syria who told rescue workers after a devastating earthquake in February that he wanted to meet Cristiano Ronaldo came face to face with his idol on Friday after being invited to watch his club Al Nassr play in Saudi Arabia.

Nabil Saeed made the request to rescue workers in Syria in a video shared on social media last month following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6.

More than 50,000 people have died as a result of the quake. The death toll in Syria is more than 5,900, authorities said.

Newly appointed China head coach Aleksandar Janković is aiming to guide the Asian country to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, the Serbian said, adding that the team has room for improvement.

Despite major government ambitions for the team, China have qualified for the World Cup only once in 2002 when they lost all three of their group matches and failed to score a goal.

Jürgen Klinsmann has been named head coach of South Korea, the country's football association said on Monday.

Former Germany coach Klinsmann replaced Paulo Bento, who stepped down following South Korea's defeat by Brazil in the World Cup last 16 in December.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said Klinsmann had signed a contract until the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Cristiano Ronaldo is doing what he does best: scoring goals. After playing five games in the Saudi Pro League CR7 is already in the top five goal scorers for the league.

Ronaldo scored goals six, seven and eight on Saturday with a first half hat trick during Al Nassr’s 3-0 victory vs. Damac.

Two league games ago Ronaldo scored all four goals in a 4-0 victory. This time around he only needed 44 minutes to score three.

An excellent finish from Mallory Swanson was the difference in the USWNT's 1-0 SheBelieves Cup win over Japan on Sunday at GEODIS Park in Nashville. Japan caused all sorts of issues in disrupting the U.S. buildup while launching 15 shots compared to only five for the Americans.  

The U.S. played with fire at the back and the midfield didn't establish any sort of dominance, but the team showed exactly what makes them so difficult to beat even when they're not at their best: an unmatched fighting spirit mixed with individuals who can provide the difference at any moment.

Portugal and Chile start with a slight advantage as 10 teams battle it out for the remaining three berths at this year's Women's World Cup in the final qualifying playoffs over the next week in New Zealand.

Cameroon, Haiti, Panama, Paraguay, Senegal, Thailand, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea are also involved in the tournament, which will complete the field for the first 32-team Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia later this year.