Exclusives

Less than 24 hours of resumption of sales of the 2018 FIFA World Cup tickets, a total of 1,318,109 tickets have been requested for by football fans around the world. Ticket sales for the World football tournament in Russia resumed on Wednesday exclusively on FIFA.com/tickets and the excitement sparked by Friday’s final draw brought another wave of worldwide interest.

Russia has been banned from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in an historic decision by the International Olympic Committee – although some Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag, the Independent reports. The IOC also handed a lifetime ban to the country's deputy Prime Minister, Vitaly Mutko, preventing him from having any involvement in the Olympic Games, and has ordered the Russian government to pay $15m towards a new Independent Testing Authority and reimburse the cost of their investigations.

Nigeria To Begin Preparation For 2020 Olympics – Dalung

Almost three years ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung has directed that preparations for the games must begin soon.

Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to match his great rival Lionel Messi on Thursday by claiming a fifth Ballon d’Or as recognition for leading Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double last season. Barcelona’s 30-year-old Argentinean superstar won the coveted award from 2009 to 2012 and in 2015. Portugal’s Ronaldo, who is 32, took the honours in 2008, 2013, 2014 and last year.

New mum Serena Williams is set to make her tennis comeback at the Australian Open next month with her return to Melbourne for the season’s opening Grand Slam “very likely” organisers announced today. Williams, 36, won this year's first Slam while pregnant, beating her sister Venus in the final, and gave birth to a baby girl in September.

Sevilla Berizzo, the Manager of Sevilla has been diagnosed with cancer. The coach made the disclosure to his players on Tuesday after his side came from 3-0 to draw level with Liverpool. According to Sky Sports, the Coach never mentioned his health status during the post match conference but Sevilla confirmed the report on Wednesday morning.