Dávka - Your daily dose of Slovak news
Last refreshed: 28/06/2026 21:39 · 34 articles added
Stories are refreshed at 05:30, 10:30, 15:30, and 21:30 UTC.

Sport

View all1910 stories
Sport

Prestigious Laver Cup to Be Held in Los Angeles Next Year

The Laver Cup, one of tennis's most high-profile team competitions, will be held in Los Angeles next year for its 10th anniversary edition. The tournament will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, a state-of-the-art arena that serves as the home venue for the Los Angeles Clippers NBA basketball team. The Laver Cup pits a team of European players against a team of the rest of the world, and has become a marquee event on the tennis calendar since its launch in 2017.

|
Sport

Slovak Sports Fund Approves €46.7 Million for Sports Infrastructure

Slovakia's Fund for Sports Support has approved €46.7 million in grants for sports infrastructure projects across the country. The funding was allocated under a call designated INFRA 6, which attracted 240 project applications from various applicants totaling a combined requested value of €98.2 million. The Fund for Sports Support is a state institution responsible for financing the development of sports facilities and athletic programs in Slovakia. The approved amount represents roughly half of the total funding sought, indicating significant competition among applicants for the available resources. The investment is intended to improve and expand sports infrastructure nationwide.

|
Sport

Slovan Bratislava to Face Tallinn or Tbilisi in Champions League Second Qualifying Round

Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava have learned their next opponent in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. Wednesday's draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, determined that Slovan will face the winner of a tie between clubs from Tallinn, Estonia, and Tbilisi, Georgia, in the second qualifying round. Slovan Bratislava, the most successful club in Slovak football history, must navigate several qualifying rounds to reach the Champions League group stage, as teams from smaller European leagues are required to qualify rather than receiving automatic entry into the competition.

|
Sport

Opinion: The World Cup Is Both Appalling and Fantastic

The FIFA World Cup presents a genuine paradox for fans: the tournament can simultaneously be a source of deep moral discomfort and pure sporting joy. The tension lies in holding two contradictory thoughts at once — that the event may be deeply troubling in its organization, politics, or host country controversies, and yet remain a thrilling, emotionally compelling spectacle of football at its highest level.

|
Sport

World Cup Day 6: Messi Shines as Tournament's Top Scorer Race Takes Shape

The sixth day of the FIFA World Cup delivered compelling action, with Argentina superstar Lionel Messi cementing his status as a tournament icon while France's Kylian Mbappé emerged as the standout performer on the pitch. The daily recap also highlights a surprise contender nation that could shake up the competition, as fans and analysts begin speculating on who will claim the tournament's Golden Boot as top scorer. The World Cup, football's premier international competition held every four years, continues to produce storylines that transcend the sport, with Messi — widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history — and Mbappé, his Paris Saint-Germain club teammate and heir apparent to football's throne, providing a compelling generational contrast at the tournament.

|
Sport

Messi Hat-Trick Equals Klose Record as Argentina Beat Algeria 3-0

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0, equaling the all-time World Cup goals record held by German legend Miroslav Klose. Messi, who turns 39 on June 24, achieved the feat at the age of 38 years and 357 days, making him the oldest player ever to score a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup.

|
Sport

Haaland Scores Twice as Norway Rout Iraq 4-1

Norway opened their international campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Iraq, with star striker Erling Haaland scoring twice in the first half to lead the charge. Haaland, the Manchester City forward widely regarded as one of the world's best players, also responded after Iraq briefly leveled the score through Aymen Hussein. Following the match, Haaland expressed satisfaction with the result, saying he was proud of the team's strong start.

|
Sport

Mbappé Breaks Record as France Defeat Senegal 3-1 at 2026 World Cup

France opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I, with star forward Kylian Mbappé delivering a record-breaking performance. Mbappé, the French national team's captain and one of world football's most prominent players, scored to set a new milestone in the process. The result gives France an early lead in their group and signals the defending European contenders' intentions heading into the tournament.

|
Sport

Slovak Midfielder Prekop Signs for Polish Club Górnik Zabrze

Slovak footballer Matúš Prekop has signed a contract with Polish top-flight club Górnik Zabrze. The 28-year-old midfielder joins the Polish side from Czech club Slavia Prague, where he arrived last year after a spell at Baník Ostrava. During his time at Slavia Prague, Prekop made 18 appearances and scored one goal.

|
Sport

Slovak Sprinter Zapletalová Sets National Record in 400m at Golden Spike Meeting

Slovak athlete Zapletalová finished fourth in the 400 metres at the Golden Spike athletics meeting, clocking a new Slovak national record in the process. She improved her own previous national record, set last year in Maribor, Slovenia, by 17 hundredths of a second. The Golden Spike, known in Czech as Zlatá tretra, is a prestigious international athletics competition held annually in Ostrava, Czech Republic, and forms part of the World Athletics Continental Tour.

|
Sport

Football Legend Yaya Touré Unveiled as New Head Coach of Slovak Club Slovan Bratislava

Ivory Coast and Manchester City midfield legend Yaya Touré has been officially presented as the new head coach of SK Slovan Bratislava, Slovakia's most successful and decorated football club. Touré appeared visibly nervous at his introductory press conference, held at Slovan's Tehelné pole stadium in Bratislava, where approximately 50 journalists gathered to mark what is being widely regarded as one of the most high-profile managerial appointments in Slovak football history. Club owner Ivan Kmotrík, a prominent and influential businessman who has long been the dominant figure behind Slovan, was notably upbeat, smiling throughout the event. Touré, who won four Premier League titles with Manchester City and the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona during his playing career, brings considerable global name recognition to a club that has been expanding its ambitions in recent years, including competing in the UEFA Champions League group stage. His transition from world-class player to head coach is closely watched, as he has limited managerial experience at senior level. The press conference underscored the scale of expectation surrounding his appointment, with the large media turnout reflecting both Touré's international stature and the significance of the role at Slovakia's premier club.

|
Sport

Jersey Shortage Hits Ice Hockey World Championship as Adidas Struggles with Printing Issues

Fans attending the Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia are unable to purchase replica jerseys bearing the names of star players, including Kai Havertz, Pavlovič, and Undav, due to production problems at Adidas. The sportswear giant is experiencing technical difficulties with the letter 'V' and snowflake-style lettering used in the tournament's official jersey printing, leaving merchandise stands unable to meet fan demand for personalized shirts.

|
Sport

Slovak Club Žilina to Face Croatia's Hajduk Split in Europa League First Qualifying Round

Slovak football club MŠK Žilina will face Croatian side Hajduk Split in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The first leg is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, at Hajduk Split's home ground in Croatia, with the return leg taking place a week later at Žilina's stadium in the northern Slovak city of Žilina, located beneath the Dubňa hill. The Europa League is UEFA's second-tier club competition, and qualifying rounds determine which clubs advance to the main group stage. For Žilina, one of Slovakia's most successful football clubs, the tie represents an early-stage European campaign with the prospect of progressing further in the competition.

|
Sport

Former NBA Center Splitter Named Head Coach of Chicago Bulls

Tiago Splitter has been appointed as the new head coach of the Chicago Bulls, the storied NBA franchise. The former professional center, who played at the highest level of professional basketball, served as interim head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers — a rival NBA team — during the most recent season, gaining his first significant coaching experience at that level before landing the permanent role in Chicago.

|
Sport

McDonald's Cup Youth Football Tournament Crowns New Slovak Champion

Slovakia's McDonald's Cup, a long-running youth football tournament, has crowned a new national champion, setting the stage for the upcoming World Cup season. The tournament, considered a landmark event in Slovak youth football, drew widespread enthusiasm from fans and participants alike. The competition serves as a traditional curtain-raiser to the football calendar, helping build excitement ahead of the FIFA World Cup among young players and supporters across the country.

|
Sport

Slovak Women's Basketball Head Coach Peter Kováčik Dies After Illness

Slovak basketball has lost one of its most prominent figures with the death of Peter Kováčik, head coach of the Slovak women's national basketball team, following a serious illness. Kováčik was a respected and successful coach who also worked in Bratislava during his career. His passing is considered a significant loss for Slovak basketball, a sport that has seen steady development at the national level in recent years.

|
Sport

Belgian footballer Jeremy Doku may miss quarter-final due to impending birth of his child

Belgian footballer Jeremy Doku could be absent from his national team's quarter-final match as he wants to be present for the birth of his child. Belgian media reported that if necessary, the team would likely arrange a private flight to England, where the child is expected to be born. The timing of the birth could potentially impact Belgium's squad availability for the crucial knockout stage match.

|