Mbappe dazzles as France march on at World Cup; Norway, Mexico advance

Los Angeles, United States: Kylian Mbappe extended his red-hot scoring streak to fire France past Sweden and into the last 16 of the World Cup on Tuesday as Norway and Mexico both won their opening knockout round games. newssport.cv

Mbappe took his tally for the tournament to six goals -- making him joint top-scorer alongside Lionel Messi -- with a superb double as France strolled past the Swedes 3-0 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The prolific French striker's latest brace took his career World Cup goals record to an incredible 18 in 18 matches, one behind Argentina superstar Messi's all-time record of 19 goals.

Michael Olise #11 of France shoots and misses a chance against Jacob Widell Zetterstrom #1 of Sweden. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images/AFP

Bradley Barcola scored France's other goal as Les Bleus produced another dazzling exhibition of attacking football that underscored their status as favourites for the title.

Sweden manager Graham Potter had warned beforehand that his team would have to produce the game of their lives to have a chance of containing France's multi-pronged offensive arsenal.

But after France were held at bay for most of the opening 45 minutes, Mbappe finally broke the Scandinavians' resistance on the stroke of halftime, jinking into space before rifling home.

Bradley Barcola #12 of France scores his team's second goal past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom #1 of Sweden. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP

Barcola made it 2-0 on 53 minutes before Mbappe added a second in the 74th minute to seal a victory that sends France into a last 16 duel with Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday.

"I know who I am and what I've got to do, but it's not just me, I think the team is perfectly aware of what we have to do here," Mbappe told beIN Sports.

Haaland rescues Norway

Earlier Tuesday, in-form Manchester City striker Haaland fired Noway to their first ever World Cup knockout win in a 2-1 defeat of Ivory Coast at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Haaland swept in an 86th-minute winner to slam the door on Ivory Coast's hopes of a fightback after Amad Diallo had equalised for the Africans following Antonio Nusa's opener for Norway.

The Norwegians -- beaten in both of their previous opening knockout round appearances in 1938 and 1998 -- will face Brazil in the last 16 on Sunday with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

Erling Haaland #9 of Norway celebrates scoring his team's second goal. Lars Baron/Getty Images/AFP

Haaland will head into that meeting brimming with confidence after taking his tally for the tournament to five goals, one behind joint top-scorers Messi and Mbappe.

Ivory Coast's Diallo came within a whisker of grabbing an injury time equaliser, but his curling free-kick destined for the top corner was saved by Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.

The victory was a vindication for Norway coach Stale Solbakken, who had faced stinging criticism after benching Haaland and fielding a second-string team in their final group game, a 4-1 thrashing by France, last week.

Andreas Schjelderup #21 of Norway celebrates as Yahia Fofana #1 of Cote d'Ivoire reacts. Alex Slitz/Getty Images/AFP

Solbakken saluted Haaland as the "greatest goalscorer in the world" after Norway's win.

"To score five goals in the World Cup in three games, for a little country like Norway... I wouldn't swap him for anyone," Solbakken said.

"Because he's the greatest goalscorer in the world of football today."

Mexico down Ecuador

In the late game on Tuesday, co-hosts Mexico maintained their proud record of never having lost a World Cup match at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca with a 2-0 win over Ecuador.

Mexico's players celebrate after winning the 2026 World Cup round of 32. (Photo by Alfredo Estrella / AFP)

After torrential rain and lightning delayed kick-off by an hour, Mexico tore into Ecuador and were two goals to the good after barely half an hour.

Julian Quinones lashed in a spectacular opener to put 'El Tri' 1-0 up after 22 minutes, and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez made it 2-0 with a fine strike in the 31st minute.

Ecuador, who were the second-best side in South American qualifying for the World Cup, finishing second only to Argentina, rarely looked like clawing their way back into the contest.

Mexico's defender #03 Cesar Montes and Ecuador's forward #11 Kevin Rodriguez fight for the ball. (Photo by Carl De Souza / AFP)

Mexico's victory means they will return to the Azteca for Sunday's last 16, where they will face either DR Congo or England, who meet in the last 32 in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Off the field on Tuesday, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman announced he was stepping down, a day after his team's agonising penalty shoot-out loss to Morocco in the last 16.

Mexico's goalkeeper #01 Raul Rangel punches the ball clear from a corner. Photo by Rodrigo Oropeza / AFP

"We all shared the dream of making history at this World Cup, but we fell short. No one is more disappointed by that than I am," Koeman said.

"As head coach, the responsibility ultimately rests with me."

London: The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday a revamped format for the men's 2027 one-day international World Cup that could lead to an additional fixture between arch-rivals India and Pakistan.

While next year's edition in southern Africa remains a 14-team competition, the three lowest-ranked qualifiers will now take part in a preliminary round with just one of them progressing to a 12-strong main group stage.

That will now feature just two pools of six, with a new 'super seven' stage replacing the previous 'super six' round-robin.

Significantly, there will be no quarter-finals with the tournament denied the further jeopardy and interest that comes with an extra round of clear-cut knockout matches.

An additional team in the round-robin phase, however, increases the prospects of an extra match between India and Pakistan.

The passion for cricket in the sub-continent, which in turn generates huge broadcast rights and commercial revenues for the ICC, makes a match between India and Pakistan the most lucrative in the sport.

But India and Pakistan no longer meet outside of ICC events, with political tensions between the bordering nations meaning they are effectively barred by their own governments from facing each other.

The last bilateral series India played in Pakistan was in 2006 (Test and ODI series).

In a statement, the ICC insisted the new World Cup structure "creates greater context, competitiveness and consequence during the event."

Another change approved at the ICC's recent board meeting in Edinburgh will see the next men's T20 World Cup in 2028 remain a 20-team competition, but with 10 sides qualifying from the group stage rather than eight.

The two best performing teams in the 'Super 10' will automatically secure a semi-final spot, with a new eliminator stage to decide their opponents.

Los Angeles, United States: Paraguay sensationally sent four-time champions Germany crashing out of the World Cup on Monday as Brazil and Morocco clinched dramatic victories to reach the last 16.

Germany's hopes of mounting a deep run at the tournament ended at Foxborough's Gillette Stadium with the country's first ever defeat in a World Cup penalty shoot-out.

The seismic upset was the highlight of another day of enthralling action as the knockout rounds got into full swing, with Brazil coming from behind to score an injury-time winner in a 2-1 defeat of Japan before Morocco edged past the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties in a classic duel in Monterrey.

Orlando Gill was the hero for Paraguay in their shoot-out defeat of Germany, saving from Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade to give them a crucial advantage.

Paraguay blew two chances to win it before Jose Canale blasted in the winning spot-kick after Germany's Jonathan Tah blazed his effort over the bar.

Germany had never lost a penalty shoot-out at a World Cup on four previous occasions since the 1982 finals in Spain.

"Obviously, we analysed every player and every detail of the penalty-takers," 'keeper Gill said afterwards. "Thank God I was able to save two penalties. This is a privilege; we eliminated a champion."

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, who sat stunned on the bench after the defeat, said simply: "We didn't do enough today."

The match had gone to penalties after the two sides finished extra-time locked at 1-1. Tah had seen a headed goal controversially disallowed after a VAR review in extra-time.

Earlier, Julio Enciso had given Paraguay a 42nd minute lead before Arsenal forward Havertz equalised for Germany nine minutes into the second half.

Paraguay will now face either France or Sweden in the last 16, who play on Tuesday.

Brazil escape

Another shock had looked on the cards when Brazil squeezed past Japan 2-1 in Houston to book their place in the last 16 thanks to a 95th-minute winner from Gabriel Martinelli.

Japan had threatened to pull off one of the all-time great World Cup upsets after Kaishu Sano fired them into the lead with a superb 29th-minute goal on the counter-attack.

But Brazil equalised on 56 minutes, Casemiro nodding in at the far post after a superb curling cross from the left by Gabriel Magalhaes.

Japan appeared to have done enough to force extra time, but paid the price after Ao Tanaka conceded possession on the edge of the area in injury time. The ball found Martinelli, who took a touch before burying the winner.

"I can't find the words to describe the joy in my heart. Seeing all those fans on their feet, my parents, my friends... I can't explain it," said Martinelli.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said his team would depart the tournament with heads held high.

"Even people who don't really know or pay much attention to football have come to see that Japan is fighting to become world champion and is growing and challenging itself," Moriyasu said.

Brazil will face either Ivory Coast or Norway in the last 16.

Morocco win thriller

In Monday's other last 32-clash, Morocco set up a last 16 clash with co-hosts Canada on Saturday after beating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties in Monterrey. The game had finished 1-1 following extra-time.

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made the crucial save to block the Netherlands' fifth penalty from Crysencio Summerville before striker Ismael Saibari stepped up to blast home the winning effort for the Atlas Lions.

The Netherlands had been minutes away from a place in the last 16 after forward Cody Gakpo -- playing just two days after his partner confirmed the death of the couple's unborn sorn -- put the Dutch 1-0 up on 72 minutes.

But Issa Diop glanced in an equaliser in stoppage time to make it 1-1, setting up extra-time and the shoot-out drama.

"We needed calm and to realise our abilities," Morocco coach Mohammed Ouahbi said. "We deserved to qualify. Sometimes you have to accept winning in this way when it is a knockout match."

Dutch coach Ronald Koeman lamented his team's inability to defend their 1-0 lead.

"Maybe at times Morocco had the better opportunities, the most dangerous moments, but we were leading and they didn't really see a solution," Koeman said.

"Then there was a lucky assist that scored a goal, and that's obviously even more bitter when it's in injury time."

Starting a fitness routine at home sounds simple, until you’re staring at a hundred products online, unsure what you actually need versus what’s just marketing. Too much equipment wastes money and space. Too little leaves you stuck without a proper way to build strength or endurance.

This guide cuts through the noise and covers the best home gym equipment for beginners, so your first purchases actually get used, not stashed in a corner after two weeks.

Why Starting Simple Matters

Most beginners overspend on their first home gym, buying machines they’re not ready for while skipping the basics that matter most. A smarter approach focuses on versatile, affordable pieces that build a real foundation.

A well-planned basic home gym setup should let you train strength, cardio, and flexibility, without needing a dozen different machines from day one.

Essential Gym Equipment for Home: The Core Five

If you’re only buying five things to start, these cover almost every beginner workout need.

1. Adjustable Dumbbells

A single adjustable dumbbell set replaces an entire rack of fixed weights, making it one of the most space-efficient pieces of beginner strength training equipment available. You can progress from light to heavier resistance as your strength improves, without buying new weights every few months.

2. Resistance Bands

Among the most versatile and portable tools for any starter setup, resistance bands support strength, mobility, and warm-up work. They’re often considered part of the best resistance bands and dumbbells combo every beginner should own, since bands complement dumbbell training rather than compete with it.

3. An Adjustable Bench

A bench unlocks dozens of exercises using just dumbbells, from presses to rows to step-ups. It’s a small footprint addition that dramatically expands your workout variety.

4. A Compact Cardio Machine

A foldable treadmill or compact stationary bike rounds out your home workout equipment list, giving you a reliable way to build endurance and burn calories indoors, especially useful during Qatar’s hot summer months when outdoor exercise isn’t practical. Sports Village Qatar’s treadmill collection for home use includes compact and foldable models suited to apartment living.

5. A Yoga or Exercise Mat

Needed for floor work, stretching, and core exercises, a good mat protects your joints and your flooring in equal measure.

Affordable Home Gym Equipment: Setting a Realistic Budget

One of the biggest beginner questions is simply: how much should this cost? An affordable home gym equipment starter plan generally falls into a few tiers.

• Starter setup — resistance bands, adjustable dumbbells, a foldable mat, and one compact cardio machine. Ideal for beginners and small apartments.
• Mid-range setup — a quality treadmill, adjustable bench, dumbbell set, resistance cables, and rubber flooring. Suited to working professionals ready to commit further.
• Full home gym — commercial-grade treadmill, multi-gym machine, dumbbell set, and full rubber flooring, once you’ve outgrown the basics.

Sports Village Qatar’s complete home gym building guide breaks these budget tiers down in more detail, including specific price ranges for each stage.

Small Space Home Gym Equipment: Making the Most of Limited Room

Not everyone has a spare room to dedicate to fitness. Small space home gym equipment should prioritize items that fold, stack, or double up on function.

• Foldable treadmills that store upright against a wall
• Adjustable dumbbells that replace an entire weight rack
• Resistance bands that roll up and tuck into a drawer
• Wall-mounted or under-bed storage for mats and bands

For apartments in Doha, a compact home gym equipment setup of just 6 to 8 square metres can realistically deliver a full strength and cardio programme without cluttering your living space.

Home Gym Equipment for Weight Loss: What Actually Helps

If fat loss is your main goal, prioritize equipment that keeps your heart rate up consistently. Home gym equipment for weight loss typically includes:

• A treadmill or stationary bike for steady-state and interval cardio
• Resistance bands or dumbbells for strength work, which helps preserve muscle while losing fat
• A simple jump rope, an inexpensive but highly effective calorie-burning tool

Combining short bursts of cardio with basic strength training tends to produce better long-term results than cardio alone. Sports Village Qatar’s guide on home cardio equipment for HIIT-style workouts explains how to structure this kind of interval training at home.

How to Start a Home Gym: A Simple Step-by-Step Approach

Knowing how to start a home gym without overspending or overcomplicating things comes down to a few clear steps:

1. Define your main goal — strength, weight loss, general fitness, or a mix of all three
2. Measure your available space before buying anything, so equipment actually fits
3. Start with the core five essentials listed above rather than buying every machine you see online
4. Add rubber flooring early, since it protects both your equipment and your actual floor
5. Expand gradually, adding a rowing machine, cable attachments, or a second cardio unit only once you’ve built a consistent routine

Sports Village Qatar’s guide to choosing the right gym equipment in Qatar walks through this planning process in more depth, including how to align your purchases with your specific fitness goals.

Home Gym Equipment Buying Guide: What to Check Before You Purchase

Before adding anything to your cart, run through this quick home gym equipment buying guide checklist:

• Space — measure the exact area, including clearance needed behind treadmills and around benches
• Noise level — important in apartments, especially for treadmills and adjustable benches
• Build quality — cheap, low-quality equipment wears out fast and can be unsafe under regular use
• Warranty and after-sales support — genuine equipment from an authorized supplier protects your investment long term
• Room to grow — choose adjustable equipment (like adjustable dumbbells and benches) that scales with you as you get stronger

Budget Home Gym Essentials for Small Apartments in Qatar

For anyone setting up in a Doha apartment, a home gym equipment for small apartments approach works best when every item earns its floor space. Focus on:

• One foldable cardio machine instead of two bulky ones
• A single adjustable dumbbell set instead of a full weight rack
• Rubber interlocking tiles to protect flooring and reduce noise for neighbours below
• Wall or corner storage for bands, mats, and small accessories

If you’re planning to eventually train arms and upper body more seriously, Sports Village Qatar’s guide to the best arm exercise equipment is a useful next read once your basic setup is in place.

Beginner Strength Training Equipment: Building Confidence Safely

New to lifting? Beginners often worry about form and safety more than seasoned gym-goers. Good beginner strength training equipment should support safe, controlled movement:

• Dumbbells with a comfortable, non-slip grip
• A stable, well-padded adjustable bench
• Resistance bands with clear resistance-level labeling, so you can progress predictably

Starting light and focusing on form pays off far more than jumping straight to heavy weights.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the single best piece of equipment for a beginner home gym?
Adjustable dumbbells are usually the best starting investment, since they replace an entire rack of weights and support dozens of different exercises in a small footprint.

2. How much should a beginner budget for home gym equipment?
A basic starter setup with resistance bands, adjustable dumbbells, a mat, and a compact cardio machine can be assembled affordably, with costs scaling up as you add more equipment over time.

3. Do I need a treadmill to lose weight at home?
No, though it helps. A stationary bike, resistance bands, or even a jump rope can support weight loss goals if used consistently alongside a sensible routine.

4. What’s the best home gym equipment for small apartments?
Foldable treadmills, adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, and rubber tile flooring are ideal, since they take up minimal permanent space and can be stored away easily.

5. Should beginners buy commercial-grade equipment right away?
Not necessarily. Starting with reliable, well-built home-grade equipment is usually enough, upgrading to commercial-grade machines only makes sense once your routine is well established.

Ready to Build Your First Home Gym?

The right starting equipment makes all the difference between a home gym that gets used every day and one that quietly gathers dust. Whether you’re outfitting a small apartment or a dedicated workout room, choosing genuine, warrantied equipment from a trusted supplier protects your investment from day one.

Visit Sports Village Qatar to explore home gym equipment for beginners, or call +974 4450 1166 for a free consultation and personalized recommendations for your space and budget.

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Written by the Sports Village Qatar fitness content team.

London: Serena Williams could be forced to pull out of the Wimbledon doubles event after the American legend suffered a knee injury in her first round singles defeat.

Williams, playing her first singles match in four years, was beaten by Australia's Maya Joint in a three-set epic on Centre Court late on Tuesday evening.

The 44-year-old, who retired in 2022, made a sensational comeback in June, playing doubles tournaments at Queen's Club and Berlin.

She is due to join forces with sister Venus Williams in the women's doubles first round against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.

There had been no indication of any injury to the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion during the Joint loss.

But Serena did not attend the mandatory post-match press conference, instead issuing a short quote through tournament organisers.

Players can be fined for skipping media duties but it was revealed on Wednesday that Williams is dealing with a knee problem.

A statement from the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion's agent Jill Smoller read: "Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams.

"She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week."

Serena and Venus, 46, who were given a wildcard entry into the tournament, have won the Wimbledon doubles six times, with their most recent title coming in 2016.

Serena has not won a Grand Slam singles crown since the 2017 Australian Open, while Venus last lifted a major singles trophy at Wimbledon in 2008.

Serena said her astonishing comeback was motivated by a desire to play in front of her two young daughters.

Her children watched their mother's loss to Joint alongside her husband Alexis Ohanian and Venus in the players' box on Tuesday.