DIAMNIADIO, Senegal (AP) — The Youth Olympic Games opened in Senegal on Saturday, marking the first Olympic event in Africa as the continent seeks a bigger role in international sports competitions.
Tens of thousands of spectators cheered on the opening ceremony in the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium near the capital Dakar. Hundreds of drummers and dancers celebrated Senegalese and African culture in line with the Games motto, “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.”
Click to Gallery
Performers make the olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Senegalese athletes take part in a parade during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Senegalese athletes take part in a parade during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Dancers take part in a performance during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
A view of Iba Mar Diop Stadium, one of the olympics venues, ahead of the Youth Olympics Games in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
A giant map of Africa was created by performers dressed in yellow, black and white traditional Senegalese gowns, dancing in unison, in a grandiose ceremony that saw West African oral storytelling, concerts by Senegalese singers and athletes parading.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared the Games open.
“This is a historic event and it was so important for me to be here,” said Aby Diouf, 25, a Senegalese spectator at the stadium. “It’s a marvellous celebration and we are all here to bring the energy and get people hyped."
About 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 will compete through Nov. 13 in Dakar, the nearby city of Diamniadio and the beach resort of Saly.
Russia’s delegation of 13 athletes is competing under its national flag for the first time at an Olympic event since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to its suspension.
The first refugee team at a Youth Olympics will field six athletes based in Kenya and Uganda in track and field, judo and taekwondo.
Athletes overall will compete in 153 medal events across 25 sports.
Singapore hosted the first summer Youth Games in 2010. Dakar was initially due to host in 2022 but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the Games.
“This is a historic moment for Senegal, for Africa and for our entire Olympic family” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said at the opening ceremony. Coventry, a former swimming gold medalist from Zimbabwe, became the first female and African boss of the International Olympic Committee last year.
The Games come as African countries increasingly see sports as a tool for diplomacy and development, analysts say.
South Africa hosted the continent’s first soccer FIFA World Cup in 2010. Morocco will co-host the 2030 tournament with Spain and Portugal. Rwanda hosted Africa’s first road cycling world championships last year and Formula 1 is returning to Africa with a grand prix in Rwanda early next decade. Botswana also staged the World Athletics Relays in May.
To close the ceremony on Saturday, men and women representing each of Africa’s 54 countries recognized by the United Nations, stood in colourful traditional dress from their nations to showcase the continent’s cultural diversity. They then merged into a fluid mass and danced together to symbolize African unity.
Lamine Sy, a 21-year-old spectator wearing the jersey of the Senegal national team, said he hopes the Games will challenge negative stereotypes about Africa and show a different side of the continent.
“The ceremony was a great start, it showed Africa's beauty and richness," Sy said. "Today I feel proud of being Senegalese, of being African."
See full AP coverage of African sports here
Performers make the olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Senegalese athletes take part in a parade during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Senegalese athletes take part in a parade during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Dancers take part in a performance during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
A view of Iba Mar Diop Stadium, one of the olympics venues, ahead of the Youth Olympics Games in Dakar, Senegal, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Harry Kane failed to score in his first game since winning the Ballon d'Or as Bayern Munich gave up a late goal to draw with Borussia Dortmund 2-2 in the German Klassiker on Saturday.
After scoring 73 times for club and country in the 2025-26 season and his “magical” award win, Kane switched focus back to soccer but had a rare off-day which left Bayern and Dortmund level on points at the top of the Bundesliga.
“It’s something you have to deal with when you’re at the top, deal with the emotions, deal with everything that comes with it,” Kane said. “I felt like I handled it well. Of course not the best day today, but that’s life, you move on.”
Elsewhere in Europe, Christian Pulisic's goal set AC Milan on course for a 3-1 win against Inter Milan in the latest edition of their city rivalry, there were losses for both Manchester teams, and Barcelona bounced back from two bruising losses by dismantling Alaves 6-1.
Bayern honored Kane ahead of kickoff as he showed off the trophy with his family on the field to cheers from the crowd. “The support you’ve shown me since I arrived has been incredible,” he told the fans.
Kane hit a penalty against the crossbar and hit the post on another chance, but did set up Bayern's second goal with a smart header that left Dayot Upamecano an easy finish. Fabio Silva canceled that out with an 89th-minute leveler for Dortmund.
There were injury concerns, too, for Bayern as Michael Olise, Ismael Saibari and Serge Gnabry all went off hurt.
Bayern was without coach Vincent Kompany, who was resting after he was released from hospital following a sudden collapse last week.
Diego Moreira weighed in with two assists and a goal in an impressive first half for the Belgium international as Milan inflicted the first defeat of the season on Inter.
Moreira whipped in a cross for Pulisic to head Milan into the lead in the fourth minute and delivered the corner from which Adrien Rabiot doubled the Rossoneri’s advantage just six minutes later.
Bastoni pulled one back for Inter but Moreira got on the scoresheet himself with a free kick shortly before halftime.
Milan moved up to fourth, four points behind joint leaders Inter and Lazio, which can move clear atop Serie A at home to Cagliari on Sunday.
Pulisic penned a five-year contract extension with the club on Friday through 2031. Third-placed Roma beat struggling Udinese 5-2. Bologna beat Monza 2-1.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha scored twice each as Barcelona cruised to a 6-1 win over Alaves and took back top spot in La Liga from Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona was coming off losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid but victory never seemed in doubt against an overmatched Alaves. Raphinha moved to 15 goals from 10 La Liga games, four ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe. Anthony Gordon and Fermín López also scored for Barcelona.
Atletico was on top for only a few hours after beating Levante 2-0 earlier.
Left back Alejandro Grimaldo seized on a missed interception in the Levante defense to get Atletico started with a goal in the 36th minute, then Giuliano Simeone finished off an incisive team move for the second. Barcelona faces Atletico next week.
In the English Premier League, Manchester United manager Michael Carrick's job was under yet more pressure after a 2-0 loss at Chelsea.
United is on a nine-match winless run in all competitions and Carrick's coaching came under more scrutiny as he didn't acknowledge Lisandro Martinez as the Argentine defender headed for the tunnel after being sent off.
Yasin Ayari's early goal made the difference as league leader Manchester City was beaten at home by third-placed Brighton 1-0.
That was a second straight league loss for City after opening the campaign with seven wins in a row. It also means champion Arsenal can take top spot off City on Sunday with a draw or a win against Liverpool. Tottenham climbed to eighth after beating 10-man Crystal Palace 2-0.
In the Bundesliga, last season's Europa League finalist Freiburg beat Augsburg 2-1 on Cyriaque Irie's 85th-minute goal to stay third and cut the gap to one point behind leading duo Dortmund and Bayern ahead of their Klassiker.
Leipzig was close behind in fourth after beating Schalke 2-0.
League top scorer Niclas Füllkrug added his ninth goal as Werder Bremen beat Hoffenheim 2-0 to move up to fifth.
Bayer Leverkusen's strong early form hit another setback in a 4-2 loss at home to Stuttgart for back-to-back defeats. Borussia Moenchengladbach and Paderborn drew 0-0.
In France, Troyes beat Le Mans 2-0 in the only Ligue 1 game of the day after three others were moved because of protests across the country.
AP Sports Writer Daniella Matar in Milan contributed to this report.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, right, celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan, Saturday, Oct. 31 , 2026, in Milan Itay. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Dortmund's Fabio Silva, front, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)
Manchester United's head coach Michael Carrick, center, reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United in London, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Munich's Harry Kane holds the 2026 Ballon d'Or trophy before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
Freiburg's Igor Matanovic, center left and teammate Yannik Engelhardt celebrate a goal, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and SC Freiburg, in Augsburg, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Harry Langer/dpa via AP)
