Sports News - International Sports

On Cricket

Confidence Flows on Both Sides for World Cup Final

By HUW RICHARDS

Steve Christo/Reuters

Steve Smith, left, and Aaron Finch of Australia as it beat India at the Cricket World Cup on Thursday. Australia will play New Zealand in the final on Sunday.

New Zealand has not lost a game yet in the tournament, while Australia will have home-field advantage during the final Sunday in Melbourne.

Olivier Multhaup/DPA, via European Pressphoto Agency

Michael Schumacher, left, and Eddie Irvine, celebrating their team's victory in the inaugural Malaysian Grand Prix in October, 1999.

Special Report: Malaysian Grand Prix

In Malaysia, Start of Something Big for Formula One

By BRAD SPURGEON

The 1999 Malayisan Grand Prix blazed the trail for an array of races in Asia and elsewhere as the series proceeded to expand its global footprint.

Special Report: Dubai World Cup

The jockey Joel Rosario riding Animal Kingdom to victory in the Dubai World Cup on Meydan’s synthetic Tapeta course in 2013.

Modern Track in Dubai Enters an Old-School New Era

By RYAN GOLDBERG

After American horses stayed away, Meydan Racecourse drops its synthetic surface in favor of dirt for Dubai World Cup.

Special Report: Dubai World Cup

In Dubai, an American’s Racing Dreams Come True

By RYAN GOLDBERG

Doug Watson rose from mucking stalls in Illinois to become one of the top trainers in Dubai, where on Saturday he will saddle Candy Boy in the $10 million World Cup.

Yohei Toyoda of the Japanese national team as it lost to United Arab Emirates in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup in Sydney, Australia, in January. It was Japan’s worst performance in the continental tournament since 1996.

Japanese Soccer Hits an Unexpected Rough Spot

By JOHN DUERDEN

The team, one of Asia's best, stumbled at both the World Cup and the Asian Cup, and it has had three coaches within a span of nine months.

Tim Nanai-Williams, right, assisting on a tackle during a Super Rugby match earlier this month in Cape Town. Nanai-Williams, once a member of New Zealand’s national sevens team, now plays for Samoa.

Olympic Loophole Gives Rugby Players a Chance to Swap Nations

By EMMA STONEY

Sevens rugby will make its Olympic debut in 2016, and a change in eligibility rules has prompted a few players to switch national teams in the hope they will get to play in Rio.

Juan Martín Del Potro Loses in Return

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Playing his first match since Jan. 15, del Potro lost to Vasek Pospisil in the first round of the Miami Open, 6-4, 7-6 (7).

Canadians Win Pairs Title

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Canadian duo Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford held off two Chinese teams in the free skate to capture the gold medal in pairs at the world championships in Shanghai.

Brazil Defeats France in Exhibition

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Neymar scored his 43rd international goal and midfielder Willian set up two as Brazil beat France, 3-1, in an exhibition in Paris.

Editors' Picks

Denis Ten already has a silver medal from the 2013 world championships and a bronze medal from last year’s Winter Olympics.

Globe-Trotting Denis Ten Aims to Break New Ground

By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY

Ten, who is competing at this week’s world championships in Shanghai, is the first Kazakh to win a world or Olympic medal in figure skating and is part of the Almaty bid team for the 2022 Winter Games.

Recent polling showed only a third of Boston residents want the city to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

In Reversal, Boston 2024 Wants Vote on Olympic Bid

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

The group trying to bring the Games to Boston said that it now supported a statewide referendum on the proposal and that it would drop the bid if the measure failed.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi during the Champions League round-of-16 match against Manchester City in Barcelona, Spain, on March 18, 2015.

Lionel Messi Is Back on His Game

By JEFF HIMMELMAN

After a disappointing start to the club season, the Argentine World Cup star is finally reminding us why we loved watching him in the first place.

Sports of The Times

David Villa arguing with a referee this month. Villa, 33, who played 97 times with the great Spanish national team, is now a member of New York City F.C.

M.L.S. Takes the Next Step, but Its Fans Are One Ahead

By GEORGE VECSEY

Many North American fans are familiar with how soccer is played at a higher level and with stars like Cristiano Ronaldo.

Diana Taurasi, who starred at Connecticut and with the Mercury of the W.N.B.A., outside the arena in Russia where she plays for U.M.M.C. Yekaterinburg.

Diana Taurasi Focusing on Playing in Russia, Where the Money Is

By CHARLY WILDER

Taurasi, a veteran star, chose to sit out the coming W.N.B.A. season to honor the wishes of her foreign team, which pays her a lot more than the Phoenix Mercury do.

Slide Show: Playing Where the Money Is

Arizona State’s Peace Amukamara warming up before a game against Colorado this month.

More Nigerian-Americans Are Reaching Highest Levels of Sports

By JERÉ LONGMAN

Immigrants from the African country, and their descendants, are excelling at the top levels of high school, college and professional sports, largely as an outgrowth of their pursuit of education.