Month: December 2018

Senegal international Koulibaly, 27, was subjected to racist insults including monkey chants in Napoli’s Boxing Day game at Inter Milan.

Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti said after the 1-0 defeat, during which Koulibaly was sent off, that members of his staff had repeatedly asked for the game to be suspended due to the slurs directed by Inter fans at the central defender.

The ugly incidents led to an outpouring of support for Koulibaly from the football fraternity, including from high-

For the first time since 2007, Lionel Messi has failed to score a headed goal in a single calendar year.

The Barcelona and Argentina superstar ended the year with 51 goals for club and country, but none of those came from his head. It was the eighth time Messi scored over 50 goals in the same year, but the first time in 11 years that none of them were headed goals.

His 51-goal tally also meant Messi was the only player to finish 2018 with more than 50 goals, two more than long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who nett

Sometimes, moments stick out like sore thumbs. In 2018, a year which had a FIFA world cup, a Hockey world cup, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Winter Olympics, these moments came thick and fast.

2018 was just that sort of year.

History was made. Records were broken. All-conquering cricketers broke down in tears. Football managers relinquished the thrones they occupied for over two decades. In NBA, a dynasty was established at Oakland.

In table tennis, a 15-year-old prodigy from Japan won the year-end title. In golf, a fading superstar showed signs of resurgence.

In football, the first-ever Ballon d’Or Feminin was awarded. In gymnastics, women united, and their collective voice brought down a predator. Basketball stars found their voice against the president of the country.

The two Koreas marched as one at the Winter Olympics. And then again at the Asian Games.

In cycling, an unheralded domestique won the Tour de France. In long-distance running, a Kenyan marathoner brought down the world record time by over a minute.

It was a year rich in imagery. As we count down to another year, here’s Firstpost‘s selection of the images, clips, GIFs that encapsulate everything that 2018 brought in the sporting landscape:

From the ball-tampering controversy that rocked the foundation of Australian cricket to Luka Modric br