Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
India's Women's 4x400m Relay Team Wins Country's First Athletics Gold of the Games
India won their first athletics gold of the Asian Games, with Kiran Pahal , Poovamma MR , Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj winning the women's 4x400m relay in Nagoya. Bahrain took silver and China settled for bronze, as the Indian quartet held off the field to the line. The gold comes after India's mixed 4x400m relay team had already claimed silver behind Bahrain earlier in the Games, with the men's 4x400m relay team adding bronze of their own. Athletics has been India's deepest medal-producing discipline at these Games, with the women's relay gold joining a string of individual medals across the sprints, middle distance and field events through the week.
South Africa Win ODI Series 2-1 as Australia Salvage Consolation Win in Rain-Hit Finale
Australia avoided a series whitewash, beating South Africa by 45 runs via DLS in a rain-affected third ODI at Potchefstroom, with the hosts sealing the three-match series 2-1. Put in to bat, Australia posted 322 for 9, built on half-centuries from Alex Carey (74) and captain Mitchell Marsh (56), with Ollie Peake adding 48. Corbin Bosch was the pick of the South African bowlers with 4 for 60. Adam Zampa then struck twice in the middle overs to peg back the chase, and with Tony de Zorzi forced off with a hamstring injury, South Africa were 145 for 4 off 28 overs, with Ryan Rickelton unbeaten on 71, when persistent rain ended the match and handed the result to Australia on DLS. South Africa had already secured the series with wins in the first two matches at the Wanderers, but the washout denied them a clean sweep. Pat Cummins's return and a revival in form from Zampa and Carey were the key factors behind Australia salvaging a consolation win. The two sides now turn to a three-Test series, beginning in Durban on October 9.
Philippines' Progella and Pagara Win Historic Asian Games Beach Volleyball Bronze
Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara of the Philippines won bronze in the women's beach volleyball at the Asian Games 2026. The result is the Philippines' best finish in Asian Games beach volleyball since the sport was introduced at the 1994 Hiroshima Games. The pair beat China's Cao Shuting and Dong Jie in the bronze medal match on Friday, October 2, at the Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court in Aichi. They celebrated with fellow Alas Pilipinas players Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons after the match. Progella and Pagara reached the semi-finals by upsetting hosts Japan in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. They then lost 21-23, 18-21 to Thailand's Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee in Thursday's semi-final. The Filipinos led 19-15 in the first set and 14-12 in the second before the Thais pulled away. The same Thai pair are the reigning Asian Beach Games champions. Rondina and Pons, the Philippines' other pair, lost to the same Thai duo in the quarter-finals. They went down 17-21, 21-12, 13-15 after leading 13-11 in the deciding set. Rondina and Pons had beaten the same Thai pair to win the 33rd Southeast Asian Games gold. Progella and Pagara had finished ninth at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, so the bronze is a big step up. Thailand's pair advanced to the gold medal match. The beach volleyball competition runs through October 3.
Japan's Kusuhara and Nakagawa Win Asian Games Men's Doubles Tennis Gold
Japan's Yusuke Kusuhara and Shunsuke Nakagawa won the men's doubles gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. They beat South Korea's Nam Ji-sung and Park Ui-sung 6-3, 7-6(4) in 1 hour 31 minutes at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya on Friday, October 2. The Japanese pair took the first set and then held their nerve in a tight second. Nam and Park pushed the set to a tiebreak, but Japan won it 7-4 to seal the title in front of a home crowd. The silver is South Korea's only tennis medal of the tournament. Korea had set a target of up to four tennis golds, but their players went out in both the men's and women's singles. Nam and Park had reached the final a day earlier, beating Chinese Taipei's Ho Chen-jui and Hsu Yu-hsiou 7-6(3), 2-6, 11-9 in a match tiebreak. It extends Korea's run of men's doubles medals to two editions. Kwon Soon-woo and Hong Seong-chan won bronze at Hangzhou 2023. South Korea has not won a tennis gold at the Asian Games since 2014, when Lim Yong-kyu and Chung Hyeon won the men's doubles title in Incheon. The bronze medals went to Chinese Taipei's Ho and Hsu and China's Zhang Fumin and Zhang Tianhui , who lost their semi-finals. Uzbekistan's Khumoyun Sultanov has also secured a men's singles bronze. The tennis programme runs through October 3.
Nethra Kumanan Wins Women's Dinghy Bronze for India's Third Asian Games Sailing Medal
Nethra Kumanan won bronze in the women's dinghy at the Asian Games 2026 on Friday, October 2, in Gamagori. The 29-year-old Olympian from Chennai finished on 14 points . It is India's third sailing medal of the Games, after men's skiff silver and women's skiff bronze. Nethra was fourth going into the last day. A difficult first final race, in which she finished sixth, put her under pressure. She then won the second final race to level on points with Hong Kong's Stephanie Norton . Nethra took bronze on a better head-to-head record against Norton. Thailand's Sophia Montgomery won gold with just 5 points . Singapore's Jania Ang took silver with 13. In the men's dinghy, South Korea's Jeemin Ha won gold with 9 points, ahead of Hong Kong's Nicholas Halliday on 11. Malaysia's Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy took bronze. India's Vishnu Saravanan finished fourth, one place short of the podium. India's other two sailing medals came in the skiff classes. Prince Noble and Manu Francis won silver in the men's skiff behind China. In the women's skiff, India's Harshita and Shital originally finished fourth. They were upgraded to bronze after a post-event decision involving the Chinese team. India's sailors now have one silver and two bronze medals. The country is sixth in the overall tally with 70 medals: 12 gold, 24 silver and 34 bronze. The sailing regatta runs through October 3.
India Face Malaysia in Asian Games Men's Hockey Gold Medal Match on October 3
India's men's hockey team will play Malaysia for the Asian Games 2026 gold medal on Saturday, October 3, at 3:30 PM IST at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara. India are the defending champions from Hangzhou 2023. The gold medallist earns a direct place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India reached the final with a dramatic 4-3 win over Pakistan in Thursday's semi-final. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored from penalty corners in the 5th and 13th minutes, and Sukhjeet Singh added a field goal in the 23rd to make it 3-0. Pakistan then came back through Abu Mahmood (30th), Hannan Shahid (45th) and Waheed Rana (49th). With a shootout looming, Abhishek scored the winner with about 50 seconds left, after a shot deflected off a Pakistani stick into the goal. The semi-final also marked Mandeep Singh's 300th senior international appearance. Malaysia beat South Korea 2-1 in the other semi-final. Pakistan and South Korea will meet in the bronze medal match on the same day. India came through Pool A with five wins from five matches. They scored 49 goals and conceded four. The results included an 8-2 win over South Korea, a 2-0 win over Japan, which was their toughest pool match, and a 10-0 win over Bangladesh. The unbeaten run follows a disappointing seventh-place finish at this year's World Cup. India have not lost to Pakistan since the 2016 South Asian Games final. A win on Saturday would give India back-to-back Asian Games titles and a direct ticket to Los Angeles. The women's team plays China for gold today at 3:30 PM IST, the first time both Indian teams have reached the finals at the same Games since 1998.
India Women Face China in Asian Games Hockey Gold Medal Match Today
India's women's hockey team will play defending champions China for the Asian Games 2026 gold medal today, Friday, October 2, at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara. The match starts at 3:30 PM IST. The winner earns a direct place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India reached the final with a 2-0 win over South Korea in Wednesday's semi-final. The Koreans defended deep and frustrated India for the first half and most of the third quarter. Ishika Chaudhary broke the deadlock. The second goal came when a cutback from captain Salima Tete deflected off a Korean defender into the net. The result assured India of a medal. The team has been unbeaten in Japan. India won all five Pool B matches, against Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Singapore, with a goal difference of +63 . The closest game was a 3-1 win over hosts Japan. In the last pool match, India beat Singapore 7-0, with Sunelita Toppo scoring twice and India earning 27 penalty corners. China topped Pool A, where they beat South Korea 3-0, and then edged Japan in a shootout in the other semi-final. Japan and South Korea play for bronze at 1:00 PM IST. India won the first women's hockey title at the Asian Games in 1982, beating South Korea in the final. They have not won gold since. They finished with bronze at Hangzhou 2023. This is their fourth Asian Games final, and the first time both India's men and women have reached the final at the same Games since 1998. The men play Malaysia for gold on Saturday.
India Add Recurve Mixed Team Silver Behind China
India won a second archery medal of the day, taking silver in the recurve mixed team final at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, beaten by China with South Korea settling for bronze. The result came hours after India's women's recurve team had claimed a historic maiden Asian Games gold in the category, meaning India's recurve archers reached the podium in both team finals held on the day. China's win in the mixed event continues the country's strength across the recurve disciplines at these Games, while the silver adds further gloss to what has already been India's best Asian Games archery campaign on record. India's compound and recurve archers have combined for a string of team medals in Nagoya, with the compound squads sweeping all three team golds on offer earlier in the competition before the recurve archers added a gold and a silver of their own on the same day. The depth of results across both bow categories marks a shift from previous editions, where India's archery medals came largely from the compound discipline alone. With both recurve team events now decided, the discipline's focus shifts to the individual recurve events still to be contested in Nagoya, where India's archers will look to add further colour to a campaign that has already delivered the country's best-ever showing in the sport at the Asian Games.
Lovlina Borgohain Wins Boxing Gold on Her Birthday, Avenges Hangzhou Final
Lovlina Borgohain won gold in the women's 75kg boxing final at the Asian Games in Nagoya on her 29th birthday, beating China's Ziyi Bao to turn her Hangzhou 2023 silver into continental gold. Borgohain had lost the Hangzhou final to China's Li Qian, and avenged that result against a different Chinese opponent this time, having also beaten China's Bao Ziyi, the second-ranked boxer in the category and reigning Asian Boxing Elite Championships gold medallist, in the final. It is India's best Asian Games result in women's boxing since Mary Kom's gold in 2014, and comes after Borgohain switched up from 69kg, the weight at which she won her Tokyo Olympic bronze, to 75kg following the category's removal from the Olympic programme. Four other boxing finals were also decided on the day. Japan's Rui Yamaguchi beat the Philippines' Carlo Paalam for men's 55kg gold, while Kazakhstan's Torekhan Sabyrkhan beat Jordan's Zeyad Eashash to win men's 70kg. In the women's events, China's Yu Wu beat Vietnam's Thi Tam Nguyen to gold in the 51kg category, and Chinese Taipei's Yu-ting Lin beat China's Chengyu Yang to win the 60kg final. The results mean six of the Games' eleven boxing finals have now been decided, with China claiming a gold and two silvers across the day's bouts, while gold medals in the remaining men's and women's categories are still to be settled as the boxing programme in Nagoya heads toward its final sessions.
India Win Maiden Asian Games Recurve Team Gold, Beat South Korea
India's women's recurve team won a historic gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, beating South Korea in the final with China settling for bronze, to claim the country's first-ever Asian Games gold in the Olympic recurve discipline. The result is a landmark moment for Indian archery. India's recurve archers had never previously won gold at the Asian Games, with their best prior results being bronze medals at Guangzhou 2010 and again at Hangzhou 2023, when the women's team of Ankita Bhakat, Simranjeet Kaur and Bhajan Kaur ended a 13-year medal drought in the category. Korea has historically dominated recurve archery at the Games, and beating them in the final to win gold marks a significant shift in the discipline's balance of power in Asia. The win adds to what has already been an outstanding archery campaign for India at these Games. The country's compound archers swept all three team golds on offer, with the women's team, the mixed pair of Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav, and the men's team all topping the podium earlier in the competition. With recurve team gold now added to that haul, India has enjoyed its most successful Asian Games archery campaign on record, spanning both the compound and Olympic recurve disciplines. The result is India's eleventh gold of the Games, taking the country's overall medal tally to 67, with 23 silver and 33 bronze. India's recurve archers built momentum coming into these Games, having already beaten China in a dramatic shoot-off to win the women's team title at an Archery World Cup stage earlier this year, a result that appears to have carried through to a maiden Asian Games gold in Nagoya.
Kyrgyzstan, Iran and Japan Win Latest Wrestling Golds at Asian Games
Kyrgyzstan , Iran and Japan won the remaining wrestling golds decided on the latest day of action at the Asian Games, across the men's Greco-Roman 60kg and 77kg categories and the women's freestyle 62kg. In the 60kg final, Kyrgyzstan's Zholoman Sharshenbekov beat Uzbekistan's Alisher Ganiev for gold, with Iraq's Sajjad Ali Mukasr Albidhan and Japan's Ayata Suzuki sharing bronze. In the 77kg final, Iran's Alireza Abdevali beat Japan's Nao Kusaka , with Kyrgyzstan's Akzhol Makhmudov and Qatar's Shahin Badaghimofrad taking bronze. In the women's 62kg freestyle final, Japan's Nonoka Ozaki won gold ahead of North Korea's Ok Ju Kim , with Mongolia's Altjin Togtokh and China's Qi Zhang sharing bronze.
Nitesh Kumar Wins India's Second Wrestling Medal With Greco-Roman 97kg Silver
India's Nitesh Kumar won silver in the men's Greco-Roman 97kg final at the Asian Games, losing to Japan's Yuri Nakazato , in a repeat of his runner-up finish at this year's Asian Championships. It is India's second wrestling medal of the Games, after Sunil Kumar's bronze in the 87kg category, and continues a difficult but improving run for India's Greco-Roman squad, historically the weakest of the country's three wrestling disciplines at the Asian Games. Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar and Iran's Mehdi Balihamzehdeh shared bronze in the category.
Saudi Arabia Win Team Jumping Gold to Extend Asian Games Equestrian Dominance
Saudi Arabia won the team jumping gold at the Asian Games equestrian competition, with UAE taking silver and Japan bronze, extending the Kingdom's dominance of the event. Saudi Arabia has topped the podium in team jumping at four of the last five Asian Games, with Abdullah Al Sharbatly, Ramzy Al Duhami and Abdulrahman Al Rajhi, three of the four riders from their Hangzhou 2023 gold-winning team, all returning for this edition. Al Sharbatly, a six-time Asian Games gold medallist, first won team jumping gold two decades ago at Doha 2006. Jumping was the final equestrian discipline to be decided at these Games, after China topped the dressage team and eventing individual events, South Korea won the dressage individual, and Thailand won the eventing team title earlier in the week.
South Korea Sweep Poomsae Golds on Opening Day of Asian Games Taekwondo
South Korea won both individual poomsae golds on the opening day of taekwondo at the Asian Games, with Haeun Jung taking the women's title and Kyusung Yun winning the men's, extending the host nation of taekwondo's dominance of the discipline. In the women's final, the Philippines' Juliana Mykhail Candelaria won silver, with Thailand's Thitaree Kaewolanwasu and Japan's Yuiko Niwa sharing bronze. In the men's event, Thailand's Navin Pinthasute took silver, with the Philippines' Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape and Singapore's Zong Han Darren Yap sharing bronze. South Korea topped the taekwondo medal table at Hangzhou 2023 with five golds, and has won 63 of the discipline's Asian Games golds all-time. Poomsae competition runs through October 3 at the Toyohashi City General Gymnasium, alongside the Games debut of virtual taekwondo.
Ireland Let Two-Goal Lead Slip in 2-2 Draw With Austria, Halted Twice by Protests
Troy Parrott scored twice but the Republic of Ireland let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 with Austria at the Aviva Stadium, in a match twice temporarily halted by protests against Ireland's fixtures against Israel. The game was first interrupted around the 20th minute when tennis balls bearing Palestinian flag stickers and the text "#StopTheGame" were thrown onto the pitch, and again in the 35th minute when a man carrying a Palestinian flag ran onto the field before being escorted off by security. Parrott had given Ireland the lead with a first-half opener before doubling it from the penalty spot after a VAR check. Austria responded in the second half, with Alexander Prass capitalising on a defensive error from Liam Kitching before substitute Michael Gregoritsch curled in a free-kick to complete the comeback. The point keeps Ralf Rangnick's side top of Group B3, with Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson saying he was pleased with the first-half performance despite surrendering the lead.
Wales Beat 10-Man Norway 2-1 for First Nations League Win, Haaland Kept Quiet
Wales claimed their first Nations League A win of the campaign, fighting back from behind to beat 10-man Norway 2-1 in Cardiff, with Erling Haaland kept quiet throughout. Norway took a shock lead through Oscar Bobb , but Craig Bellamy's side responded strongly after Norway were reduced to ten men, with Daniel James levelling the scores before Neco Williams struck the winner. Haaland had late chances to rescue a point, heading one effort over the bar and seeing another saved, but could not find a way past goalkeeper Danny Ward. The win follows a disappointing defeat to Denmark in Wales' previous outing and lifts Bellamy's side off the bottom of Group A4, with Portugal six points clear at the top after beating Denmark on the same night.
Reijnders' Late Strike Rescues Netherlands Draw After Greece Led 2-0
Greece squandered a two-goal lead as the Netherlands fought back to draw 2-2 in Thessaloniki, with Tijjani Reijnders scoring an 89th-minute equaliser to complete the comeback and keep Greece top of Group A2 on seven points. Greece took a shock lead when Fotis Ioannidis intercepted a loose ball in midfield and set up Giorgos Masouras to finish just before half-time, having already opened the scoring himself in the 23rd minute. Dutch coach Xavi Hernandez made a triple change at the interval, and his side responded, dominating the second half with 14 shots to Greece's one. Virgil van Dijk headed in a Joey Veerman corner just after the hour mark, before Reijnders volleyed home a Noa Lang cross deep into stoppage time to snatch a point. Arsenal winger Christos Tzolis was forced off with an injury in the 18th minute after having an earlier effort ruled out for offside. The result leaves Greece unbeaten after three matches, with the Netherlands two points back in second and Germany a further point behind in third after their win over Serbia on the same night.
Bischof and Wirtz Give Klopp His First Win as Germany Beat Serbia 2-0
Jurgen Klopp earned his first win as Germany head coach, with goals from Tom Bischof and Florian Wirtz giving the hosts a 2-0 Nations League victory over Serbia at the Allianz Arena. Klopp made wholesale changes to his starting eleven after a difficult start to his tenure, which had brought a draw with the Netherlands and a defeat to Greece in his first two matches. The reshuffled side controlled the game from the outset, with Bischof opening the scoring on his first goal for the senior national team, and Wirtz , who played a part in both goals, sealing the win in the second half. "I told the boys that this has to be our benchmark," Klopp said afterwards. The result lifts Germany to third in Group A2 on four points, one behind the Netherlands and three behind leaders Greece, while Serbia remain bottom without a point from three matches.
Portugal Beat Denmark 4-2 in Six-Goal Thriller to Stay Perfect Without Ronaldo
Portugal made it three wins from three in the Nations League, beating Denmark 4-2 away in a six-goal thriller at Parken Stadium, to open a six-point lead at the top of Group A4 without Cristiano Ronaldo , who was left out of the matchday squad. Goncalo Ramos was involved in both of Portugal's first-half goals, setting up Joao Cancelo's opener before finishing a Bruno Fernandes pass to restore the lead after Mikkel Damsgaard had equalised with a curling effort. Damsgaard turned provider for Rasmus Hojlund to make it 2-2 early in the second half, but Portugal pulled away through Vitinha's near-post header and a late Joao Felix finish on the counter. It continues a perfect start for Jorge Jesus since replacing Roberto Martinez, with Group A4 now showing Portugal six points clear of second-placed Norway, who lost at Wales on the same night.
India's Men and Women Both Reach Hockey Finals for First Time Since 1998
India's men's and women's hockey teams have both reached the Asian Games 2026 gold medal finals, assuring the country of at least two medals and marking the first time since the 1998 Bangkok Games that both teams have reached the summit clash together. The men's team , defending champions since Hangzhou 2023, survived a thriller against arch-rivals Pakistan, winning 4-3 after squandering a three-goal lead, with Abhishek scoring the winner in the final minute following a brace from captain Harmanpreet Singh . They will face Malaysia , who beat South Korea 2-1 in the other semi-final, in Saturday's final on October 3. The women's team beat South Korea 2-0 to set up a gold medal clash against defending champions China , who beat Japan in a shootout in the other semi-final. The women's final is on Friday, October 2, at 3:30 PM IST. India's men are chasing a fifth Asian Games title, and the women are aiming to end a long wait for gold in the event.
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 Groups Announced: India and Pakistan Drawn Together in Group A
The groups for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 are out, and India and Pakistan have been placed in the same pool. The ICC and Cricket South Africa revealed the draw at the one-year-to-go event in Cape Town on October 1. Here is how the two groups look right now: Group A: India, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe Group B: South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh Each group has five confirmed teams for now. The remaining places in the 14-team field will be filled through the World Cup Qualifier, which runs from February 22 to March 23, 2027. Two-time champions West Indies have to come through that route. Group A carries plenty of star power. India and Pakistan share a pool once again, with Australia and Afghanistan in the mix. Zimbabwe will back their home support as co-hosts. Group B is just as tough. South Africa lead the hosts' charge, and England , New Zealand , Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will not make life easy for them. The format is new this time. The three lowest-ranked qualified sides play a Super Series first, and only the winner moves ahead. That leaves 12 teams in two groups of six. The top three from each group, plus the best fourth-placed side, enter the Super 7 stage. The top four from there reach the semi-finals. The tournament will be played across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with the final on November 21, 2027 . Follow the group standings on the live points table as the event gets closer.
Cristiano Ronaldo Leaves Portugal Camp With Immediate Effect
Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal's national team training camp with immediate effect, confirming his departure in a statement on Instagram following a dispute with head coach Jorge Jesus during the squad's Nations League window. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) confirmed that Ronaldo left the camp in Copenhagen ahead of Portugal's Nations League fixture against Denmark. The 41-year-old had been visibly unhappy after staying on the bench for the full 90 minutes of Portugal's 2-1 win over Norway, and tensions escalated after Jesus suggested in a press conference that fellow forward Goncalo Ramos would start against Denmark, with Ronaldo only coming on if needed. Posting on Instagram, Ronaldo wrote: "Following the national team coach's press conference, and after a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I decided to leave the national team's training camp." He added that he would in time explain his reasons to the Portuguese public, before concluding: "Now the moment has come to wish Portugal and all my team-mates, without exception, the best of luck." While Ronaldo's statement did not explicitly confirm retirement, multiple outlets, including Portugal's O Jogo, report that his decision to walk away is effectively the end of his international career at 41, after 234 caps and 146 goals for Portugal spanning more than two decades, including the country's Euro 2016 title. With Ronaldo's number 7 shirt freed up for the squad, Rafael Leao was handed the shirt for the Denmark match, and reports from Portugal suggest the national team's social media following dropped by close to 500,000 in the hours after the news broke, with a fan poll finding the large majority of Portuguese supporters blaming Ronaldo rather than Jesus or the federation for the fallout.
Japan to Face North Korea in Asian Games Women's Football Final
Japan will face North Korea in the Asian Games 2026 women's football final after both sides won their semi-finals on September 29, with hosts Japan chasing a third straight gold medal. Japan beat South Korea 2-0 at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, with Chiina Kamiya scoring both goals as South Korea missed out on a first-ever final despite dominating possession. North Korea beat China 2-0 in the earlier semi-final, combining a second-half own goal with a strike from Myong Yu-jung . The gold medal match is scheduled for Friday, October 2 at the same venue, with South Korea facing China for bronze earlier that day. Japan, who have reached the final for a sixth consecutive edition, are seeking their third straight title and fourth overall, fielding a squad made up entirely of domestic-based players.
South Korea to Face Japan in Asian Games Men's Football Final
South Korea and hosts Japan will meet in the Asian Games 2026 men's football final after both came through dramatic semi-finals on September 30, with South Korea chasing a fourth consecutive gold medal. South Korea came from behind to beat China 2-1 at Nagai Stadium, with China taking an early lead through Wang Yudong before Lee Young-jun levelled and Bae Jun-ho scored a late header to seal the win. It was China's first men's football semi-final appearance at the Asian Games since 1998. Japan needed penalties to see off Uzbekistan , who led through Sardorbek Bakhromov after just eight minutes. Japan equalised deep into stoppage time through Sena Ishibashi to force extra time, before winning a marathon shootout 9-8. The gold medal match is scheduled for Saturday, October 3 at Toyota Stadium, with China facing Uzbekistan for bronze. South Korea, under head coach Lee Min-sung , are the three-time defending champions and have not lost the final since 2014.