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Harry Kane, 33, of Bayern Munich, claimed the 2026 Ballon d'Or with a margin smaller than the gap between Rodri and Vinicius Junior in 2024, according to France Football editor Vincent Garcia. Kylian Mbappe, now at Real Madrid, led voting for an extended period before Kane overtook him in recent days.
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Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Judo — The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo tournament runs October 29–31 with 389 athletes from 60 countries competing. The draw ceremony takes place Wednesday via video link from Mubadala Arena, Abu Dhabi, with preliminary rounds beginning Thursday in lightweight categories.Al Ain World Chess Championship — The city of Al Ain hosts the fourth World Junior Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship (U20) from November 1–7, featuring 150 players from 40 nations under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The event is organized by Al Ain Chess Club in partnership with the International Chess Federation and the Emirates Chess Federation.Youth Al Ain Equestrian — Al Ain club Ghantoot has recruited ten young riders into its "Abu Dhabi Rider" program, which now operates in cooperation with the UAE Education Ministry and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. The initiative has attracted strong enrollment across multiple age groups since its launch.Sharjah Basketball Win — Sharjah defeated Al Ain 89–83 and Al Wasl beat Al Batha 90–87 in Round One of the 50th UAE Basketball League, both claiming their first victories. Al Nasr opened the tournament with a 107–78 victory over Al Jazeera.Patrick Steffan Firefighting Title — Patrick Steffan, an athlete from the Dubai Police Rescue team, won the World Firefighting and Rescue Championship held in the United States, testing strength, speed, endurance and precision across obstacle courses, tower climbs and equipment drills.Youth Al Ahli AFC Champions League — Youth Al Ahli extended their perfect group stage record to three wins with a 2–0 victory over Iran's Esteghlal on Tuesday at Rashid Stadium, Dubai, through goals from Matheus Lima (69) and Juan Bezerra (84). The side maintains nine points from nine and currently leads Group West.What to Watch:
Cairo group draw on Wednesday, October 28: The draw for AFC Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup group stages takes place at Egyptian Football Association headquarters. The CAF Confederation Cup draw begins at 2 p.m. Egypt time, followed by the AFC Champions League draw at 3 p.m., both streamed on CAF TV YouTube.Al Jazeera vs. Al Muhallaq (Wednesday): Both teams play in AFC Champions League 2 Round Three, with Al Jazeera hosting Al Muhallaq at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, at 8 p.m. UAE time, while Al Wasl travels to Bahrain's Al Khalidiya.