The Cheltenham Festival is back and the 2026 edition promises to be action-packed before culminating in Friday’s Gold Cup with Inothewayurthinkin attempting to win the trophy for a second successive year.
St. Patrick’s Thursday looks set to follow in the footsteps of two fabulous days of racing with Willie Mullins’ Irish Gold Cup winner, Fact To File, the odds-on favourite to triumph in the Ryanair Chase (4.00pm). Also of note is another Mullins’ charge at Bambino Fever goes off in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle while Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel takes on the Jack Richards Novices’ Chase again but without last year’s winning jockey Rachael Blackmore.
(PA)
Following Lossiemouth’s victory in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, Mullins continued his form when Il Etait Temps won the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The Irish trainer is now two for two from the champion races this year and looks set for a third victory on Thursday.
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Our racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge will be at Cheltenham all week to share his thoughts, insights and tips. Plus legendary former jockey Ruby Walsh has shared his tips with Paddy Power.
Thursday 12 March – St Patrick’s Thursday
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1.20: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Bambino Fever
“Bambino Fever has an outstanding chance. She was beaten by Oldschool Outlaw at Naas, but improved markedly to win at Fairyhouse on her second start over hurdles. She was last year’s Champion Bumper winner, and she’s in very good form at home. I couldn’t oppose her.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Oldschool Outlaw (e/w)
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“There’s little to choose between the top two in the market on what they’ve achieved so far but the second favourite, Oldschool Outlaw is a much bigger price than Bambino Fever, whom she’s already beaten when they met at Naas in December. Of the Brits, La Conquiere looks the most interesting.”
2.00: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Sixmilebridge
“I really like Simmilebridge, who’s done nothing wrong over fences. He’s won all three starts over the larger obstacles, including the Scilly Isles at Sandown, where he beat Kala Conti impressively.”
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Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Ben Solo (e/w)
“I think there may be some value in Ben Solo. He’s a seven-year-old trained by Rebecca Curtis and is still feeling his way as he tries to establish himself over fences. He’s certainly shown ability, having won one of his four starts over the bigger obstacles, that coming over an extended 2m3f at Chepstow last November.”
2.40: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Wodhooh or Jade De Grugy
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“This looks between Wodhooh and Jade De Grugy, and I’m finding it hard to split them. I can’t see Wodhooh out of the first two, and Jade De Grugy is the only one I can see beating her. The rest will struggle to match that pair for pace, so I’ll be playing them in a reverse forecast.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Wodhooh
“She’s several pounds clear of the field on official ratings and I think last year’s Martin Pipe winner Wodhooh is still a half decent price at a shade of odds-on.”
3.20: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
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Ruby Walsh’s tip: Honesty Policy
“I can’t see a lot of pace on, and that may suit Honesty Policy, who has plenty of gears. If Gordon Elliott’s string starts firing, I’d be keen on this improving six-year-old. I loved his run at Ascot last time, and he’s a big player.
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Bob Olinger (e/w)
“Surely it’s only the fact that he’s now an 11-year-old that means Bob Olinger is a 15/2 chance for the staying hurdlers’ championship, as I write this. He is 4-4 at Cheltenham, three of those wins coming at the Festival.”
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4.00: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Fact To File
“Fact To File can avoid back luck, he should win. Impaire Et Passe could be the one to chase him home for a Willie Mullins 1-2, but I can’t see past Fact To File.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Fact To File
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“I’ve been praying that Willie Mullins would send Fact To File to this race and Gaelic Warrior to the Gold Cup and I’ve got my wish in that respect. I’m not saying that Fact To File can’t win a Gold Cup but I do think he is perfectly suited by this trip at a stiff track and on more or less any ground.”
4.40: Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Yeah Man
“I’m giving a shout to Yeah man for the Gavin Cromwell team. He ran in the Red Mills Hurdle to get his fifth qualifying run in after finishing second in a Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown. He’s off a higher mark in the UK, but on a going day, he’s a solid proposition.”
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Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Red Dirt Road (e/w)
“I’m prepared to take a chance here on a lightly raced nine-year-old who I’ve already tipped to no avail this season but I’m happy to hold my nerve and suggest a small each-way play on Red Dirt Road. He was my selection at Sandown in January, where he’d won a Grade 3 decisively last year. On this occasion, he led before going out like the proverbial light on ground described as heavy.”
5.20: Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (0-145)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Kim Roque
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“Kim Roque made the trip to Cheltenham on his first two starts for Joseph O’Brien. He then went to Leopardstown and ran well in the handicap chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. If the step up in trip brings about any improvement, he’s got a solid chance under John Gleeson.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Gericault Roque (e/w)
“Only two of the last 10 favourites have won this and I’ll warn you, I’ve not backed the winner in that entire decade. I’m going to go with a sporting selection in Gericault Roque, who was third here in the Ultima in 2022 and went on to be third in Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup later that year.”
Mike Tyson is expecting a good fight between 49-year-old Floyd Mayweather and 47-year-old Manny Pacquiao when they meet for a rematch this September.
The two fighting icons first fought in 2015, with Mayweather running out a unanimous points winner after twelve rounds of action that failed to deliver on incredible hype that had been built up for around six years.
Despite the general consensus that both men were significantly past their best, the event was a money-spinner and set various records in the sport that still remain intact today. The best chance of those records being broken may only be a return fight.
Speaking to FightHype, Tyson was excited at the prospect of the rematch, praising Pacquiao’s latest performance against Mario Barrios.
“I think that’ll be a good fight. I hope Manny’s serious. Manny looked good in his last fight he fought, too.”
Pacquiao fought to a draw with then WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in July last year. Mayweather, who retired in 2017, has only been active on the exhibition circuit – something he says he will continue twice this year before putting his famous 50-0 professional record on the line against his Filipino rival.
Many had assumed that scheduled exhibitions for both men – Tyson for Mayweather, Ruslan Provodnikov for Pacquiao – would be canned due to the magnitude of the rematch. Asked if his bout with Floyd would still go ahead, Tyson remained tight-lipped, dialling back on an interview earlier this week in which he said with certainty it was going ahead.
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“Hey, you never know. Anything’s possible … You know he’s crazy.”
Learning how to sequence your downswing properly can be confusing, especially if you’re doing it on your own. The internet is flooded with swing tips, and for every great coach offering thoughtful guidance, there’s an armchair expert doling out bad advice to chase clicks, making it harder to tell what’s actually correct and what just sounds convincing.
That’s why it helps to listen to those who have spent a lifetime studying and mastering instruction. We turned to Brian Manzella, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, to simplify the downswing and strip it down to the essentials.
Instead of a dozen swing thoughts, Manzella says you need to remember just three key moves. Follow along with his three-step approach to dial in your sequence and start striping your shots in time for golf season.
1. Drop from the top
There’s a common mistake amateurs make at the top of their backswing that can ruin your sequence before it even starts: spinning or turning your body to lower the club down. As Manzella explains, keeping the club in the same position and turning your body toward the target never works out well.
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Instead, he says, something has to lower the club down to set you up for a successful following sequence. You just need to learn how to do that properly.
“The drop of your arms down to a normal hitting position — arms relative to the torso — early in the downswing is your first step,” Manzella says.
According to Manzella, before you practice dropping the club down, you first need to ensure that your lead arm is higher than it is across your chest. Meaning the club isn’t starting from a position that is too far inside, or behind you. Once you’re in the proper position at the top of your swing, let your arms fall straight down until your hands reach about hip height.
2. Twist or tumble to turn the clubface
“Your second step is, depending on the golfer, you’re either going to have to apply some twist pretty soon after this drop occurs,” he says, “or you may drop it so much that you have to apply another move, the tumble.”
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Manzella explains that this “twist” move helps players turn their clubface toward the ball, which helps them square up the face as they enter impact. The ‘tumble,’ on the other hand, is a slightly more pronounced action where the club travels slightly more out and forward to get the face turning toward the ball.
The twist, it seems, is ideal for players who keep their club on plane during their initial drop in the downswing sequence, while the tumble is optimal for players who get slightly more laid off during their first step in the downswing.
If you tumble the club, Manzella says to remember one key thing: avoid dropping the club too far under plane. This can make it difficult to consistently turn the clubface toward the ball, and lead to poor face control and inconsistent contact.
3. Throw it into impact
The final step in Manzella’s three-step approach to the downswing is throwing the club into impact, and it might be the easiest of all. The secret to a successful throwing motion? Clubface control.
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As Manzella explains, when you’re throwing the club into the ball, you need to line it up for the shot you’re trying to hit. That means avoiding any twisting or turning of the hands as you deliver the clubhead into the back of the ball.
If you can control your face as you throw the club, you’ll nail this move and catch it clean every time.
While these three pieces work in tandem as a synchronized chain, Manzella encourages players to work on them both individually and together. Do that, he says, and you’ll have the club in position to hit textbook shots every time.
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The Compression Ball: Golf Impact & Swing Training Aid
The Compression Ball
The New Golf Swing Ball Training Aid to Build a Consistent, Connected Motion and Improve Ball Striking
Stop the guesswork and start building a powerful, repeatable golf swing. Introducing The Compression Ball, the premier golf impact ball training aid designed to master the most crucial element of a great swing: connection. If you’re tired of inconsistency, this golf swing trainer is your key to synchronizing your arms and body for more accurate strikes and better performance.
This impact ball golf trainer is more than just a piece of foam; it’s a comprehensive system for developing muscle memory. Whether you’re a beginner struggling with a “flying elbow” or an experienced player refining your sequence, this is one of the top golf training aids for immediate, tangible feedback.
Why The Compression Ball is a Must-Have Piece of Golf Training Equipment:
MASTER YOUR CONNECTION: As a leading golf impact ball, its primary function is to keep your arms and body working as one. Place the soft foam ball between your forearms to eliminate separation in your backswing and downswing, leading to dramatically improved ball striking.
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INNOVATIVE LANYARD SYSTEM: What truly sets this impact ball training aid apart is its adjustable, removable lanyard. When you lose connection during a drill, the ball doesn’t fall to the ground. No more chasing your aid—just uninterrupted, efficient practice.
PREMIUM ADAPTIVE FOAM: Made from ultra-soft, durable memory foam that comfortably molds between your arms. We selected the best foam for this training aid—it’s soft enough to prevent tension but firm enough to provide clear feedback on your arm structure.
VERSATILE SWING TRAINER: This is the perfect swing trainer golf aid for a wide range of practice. Use it for chipping, pitching, half-swings, and full-swing practice. It’s lightweight and perfect for the range, home, or as part of your pre-round warm-up.
Benefits –
✅ Build a Tour-Level Swing: Promotes ideal arm structure and body synchronization.
✅ Improve Timing & Tempo: Encourages a smooth, one-piece takeaway and transition.
✅ Develop Lasting Muscle Memory: Ingrains the feeling of a connected, efficient swing.
✅ Instant, Honest Feedback: Immediately signals when your arms and body are out of sync.
✅ For Golfers of All Levels: Simple enough for juniors, effective enough for scratch players.
✅ Practice Anywhere: Its durable, lightweight design is ideal for indoor or outdoor use.
Simple & Effective Golf Impact Ball Drills:
Getting started with your new golf swing ball training aid is easy:
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Placement: Place The Compression Ball between your forearms, just below the elbows. Apply light pressure to hold it in place.
Chipping Drill: Start with small chip shots. Focus on keeping the ball between your arms from start to finish, rotating your chest to control the swing. This will eliminate wristy, inconsistent chips.
Half-Swing Drill: Progress to 9-o’clock to 3-o’clock swings. If the ball drops, you know you’ve lost connection. This drill is key for improving your swing path and impact position.
Full-Swing Integration: Once comfortable, take smooth full swings. The goal isn’t to hit at 100% power, but to maintain connection throughout the entire motion.
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Connection is the secret that separates good golfers from great ones. Stop searching for complex solutions and get back to the fundamentals. With The Compression Ball, you have the simple, effective golf swing training aid you need to build a swing you can trust.
Order the Compression Ball and feel the difference a connected swing makes!
ACC Tournament action ramps up Wednesday with four games, including the postseason debuts for five teams. No. 7 seed NC State will look to stop its late-season slide against No. 15 seed Pitt in the day’s opening game. Then, No. 6 seed Louisville will take on No. 11 seed SMU in a high-octane offensive matchup to cap the early session.
The Cardinals will be without star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr., who has been dealing with a back injury and is seeking to get healthy for the NCAA Tournament.
No. 8 seed Florida State will play No. 9 seed Cal to open the evening window as the Seminoles look to stay hot against a Cal team fighting for NCAA Tournament consideration. Finally, No. 5 seed Clemson will take on No. 13 seed Wake Forest as the Tigers look to stabilize following some struggles late in the regular season.
ACC Tournament play began with a thriller on Tuesday as No. 15 seed Pitt upset No. 10 seed Stanford 64-63 to potentially ruin the Cardinal’s at-large aspirations for the NCAA Tournament. Damarco Minor played the role of hero for the Panthers by rebounding his own miss and scoring a go-ahead put-back in the final second.
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In other action, No. 11 SMU stayed on the path toward at-large consideration with a desperately needed 86-69 win over No. 14 seed Syracuse. The Mustangs had dropped four straight entering the contest, jeopardizing their NCAA Tournament hopes. The nightcap between No. 12 seed Virginia Tech and No. 13 seed Wake Forest made for a thrilling end to the first day of action, as the Demon Deacons outlasted the Hokies 95-89 in overtime.
Location: Spectrum Center — Charlotte, North Carolina Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free) | Follow live:CBS Sports App
All times Eastern; some start times approximated
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Second round — Wednesday, March 11 Game 4: No. 7 seed NC State 98, vs. No. 15 Pitt 88 | Recap Game 5: No. 6 seed Louisville 62, No. 11 seed SMU 58 | Recap Game 6: No. 8 seed Florida State vs. No. 9 seed California | 7 p.m. on ESPNU Game 7: No. 5 seed Clemson vs. No. 13 seed Wake Forest | 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Quarterfinals — Thursday, March 12 Game 8: No. 2 seed Virginia vs. No. 7 seed NC State | Noon on ESPN2 Game 9: No. 3 seed Miami vs. No. 6 seed Louisville | 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2 Game 10: No. 1 seed Duke vs. Game 6 Winner | 7 p.m. on ESPN Game 11: No. 4 seed North Carolina vs. Game 7 Winner | 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
Semifinals — Friday, March 13 Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner | 7 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN2 Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner | 9:30 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN2
ACC Tournament Championship Game — Saturday, March 14 Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner | 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
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2026 ACC Tournament scores, results
First round — Tuesday, March 10 Game 1: No. 15 Pitt 64, No. 10 Stanford 63 | Recap Game 2: No. 11 seed SMU 86, No. 14 seed Syracuse 69 | Recap Game 3: No. 13 seed Wake Forest 95, No. 12 seed Virginia Tech 89 (OT) | Recap
Members of the Iranian women’s national football team landed in Malaysia on Wednesday after their Asian Cup elimination and are awaiting a flight home as Iran‘s airspace remains closed amid US and Israeli strikes.
They were received in Kuala Lumpur by Iran’s ambassador to Malaysia, Valiollah Mohammadi, and are staying in a hotel while travel plans are finalized.
Anthem protest and asylum offer
Six players and one staff member remain in Australia after accepting humanitarian visas offered by the Australian government. Another player initially accepted Australia’s asylum offer but changed her mind at the last minute.
The team was offered asylum after some players remained silent during the Iranian national anthem before their opening match — a gesture that led Iranian state television to call them “wartime traitors.”
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Fearing possible persecution if they returned home, the Australian government offered the squad humanitarian visas.
Some members, officials told the Associated Press, were not granted visas — reportedly because of ties to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
After the opening game, the players sang the anthem in subsequent matches but have not publicly explained their actions or shared their views.
The Iranian women’s team was in Australia for a match against the PhilippinesImage: Str/AFP
‘Come home’ — Iran’s foreign minister
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, has called the team to “come home.”
“Don’t worry — Iran awaits you with open arms,” Baqaei wrote on X.
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Meanwhile, Iran’s governing football body says Australia held the players as “hostages” and coerced them to abandon their country.
Rights groups have long accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening relatives or seizing property if they defect or speak out against the Islamic Republic.
Team members who chose to stay in Australia, Burke said, would not face a legal battle for permanent residency and would receive health, housing and other support in the country.
Kitzbuhel (11/1) was bravery personified as he led from the start to land the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
Ridden by Harry Cobden, the six-year-old French-bred grey gave his trainer Willie Mullins a 1-2 as the Paul Townend-ridden Final Demand (7/2) was runner-up three-quarters-of-a-length behind the winner.
Salver (25/1), with Caoilin Quinn in the saddle, was third for handler Gary Moore, two-and-a-quarter lengths behind Final Demand.
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Kitzbuhel, owned by Corkman Joe Donnelly, provided Willie Mullins with a Grade 1 double on the day.
A difficult season for owners Joe & Marine Donnelly, but they reflect on Grade One glory with Kitzbuhel pic.twitter.com/rcGPwbZmg2
Final Orders gave Gavin Cromwell successive wins in the Glenfarclas Cross County Chase on Wednesday.
The County Meath-based hander, who won the race with Stumptown last season, saw Conor Stone-Walsh and Final Orders defeat the race favourite Favori De Champdou (2/1) by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Winning rider Conor Stone-Walsh said of his first Cheltenham Festival win:
“It’s a bit surreal at the minute – I think it will take a while to sink in! I had no real plan, just get a good start and go wherever he was happy, but I was conscious that I wanted to cover the least ground as possible, so I let him rock down to the Canal Turn, and he jumped that well and ended up on the inside, and I was happy where I was and he was taking me everywhere. He jumped from fence to fence and he kept going the whole way.”
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The runner-up, ridden by Jack Kennedy, had 18 lengths to spare over the third-placed finisher, Vanillier – also from the Cromwell yard. The 13/2 chance was ridden by Seán Flanagan.
Final Orders, who has taken well to the cross-country discipline, won over course and distance last December when landing the Crystal Cup.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 15: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the second quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on January 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has matched one of the most remarkable scoring records in NBA history, tying the mark set by Wilt Chamberlain by scoring 20 or more points in 126 consecutive games.
The milestone came during the Oklahoma City Thunder victory over the Denver Nuggets, where Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points and hit a decisive three-pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining to secure a 129–126 win.
The reigning MVP reached the historic mark with a three-pointer late in the third quarter, pushing his total beyond 20 points for the night and tying Chamberlain’s legendary streak.
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Chamberlain originally set the record between 1961 and 1963, when he scored at least 20 points in 126 straight games while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors.
Despite the milestone, Gilgeous-Alexander kept the focus on the team’s success.
“It’s still a lot to even wrap my head around it,” he said. “I try not to think about it during the season. So much is going on and so many things have to go right.”
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The Thunder currently hold the best record in the league, and Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistency has been a major factor. During the streak, he has recorded five games with at least 50 points, including a career-high 55-point performance earlier this season.
He now has the chance to break Chamberlain’s record in the Thunder’s next game against the Boston Celtics, which would give him sole possession of one of the NBA’s most iconic scoring achievements.
Iran’s sports minister said Wednesday that Iran would not take part in the 2026 World Cup, citing airstrikes carried out in the country by the tournament co-host, the US, alongside Israel.
“Since this corrupt government assassinated our leader, we have no conditions under which we can participate in the World Cup,” the minister, Ahmad Donyamali, said on state television.
“Our children are not safe,” he added.
Federation chief floats boycott, cites Australia precedent
It is not yet clear whether the decision is final. But Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, has raised the prospect of a boycott.
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“What reasonable person would send their national team to the US if the World Cup is going to be as political as it was in Australia?” he told the Isna news agency.
He pointed to the Asian Cup in Australia, where five players from Iran’s women’s football team were granted asylum after refusing to sing the national anthem before their first match, fearing persecution if they returned home.
FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, said on Instagram that US President Donald Trump told him during a meeting on Tuesday that Iran’s team “is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States” despite the war.
Trump had previously said “I really don’t care” whether Iran participates in the World Cup or not.
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Iran’s team is scheduled to play across US cities starting June 15Image: Sebastian Frej/IMAGO
Iran scheduled for matches in US cities
Iran is among the 48 nations qualified for this year’s World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Iran, who dominated the Asian qualifying rounds, was the only nation missing from the FIFA planning summit held last week in Atlanta, US.
The team is scheduled to play on June 15 against New Zealand, then face Belgium and Egypt later in the five-week tournament. All three matches are set to take place in US cities.
According to FIFA rules, any team that withdraws from the tournament “no later than 30 days before the first match” will be fined at least 250,000 Swiss francs ($320,800, €277,049).
Sanctions may also include expelling the federation from future FIFA competitions and replacing the team with another country.
The referee blows the final whistle and it’s level at half-time of this tie!
Not a vintage Arsenal performance but they have the result to take back to London, while Leverkusen put in a spirited display and may well feel hard done by to not come out with a win.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:39
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal
It’s a good delivery…but there’s some holding and an Arsenal player is penalised.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:38
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A late corner for Arsenal. Can they steal the win from right under the noses of the hosts?
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:36
Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal
A well-taken penalty from Havertz and Arsenal are right back in it. At this stage, you feel like they might just settle for the result.
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We’re into the first of three minutes of added time.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:34
GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal
Havertz steps up against his old club – he’s calm and collected as he slides it right into the corner past Blaswich!
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(REUTERS)
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:33
PENALTY! Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
It’s given! Perhaps a little soft but Tillman definitely catches Madueke and once it’s given, those can’t be reversed.
Havertz will step up to take it!
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:31
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
PENALTY! Finally something a little more direct from Arsenal, and they have a penalty for it!
Madueke skips in between the two defenders and he bursts into the box, and he’s clipped by Tillman!
It’ll go to a VAR check but the on-field call was a penalty.
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Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:30
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
CLOSE! Arsenal go up the other end and Martinelli hangs up another good cross. Timber is there to meet it just a few yards out but he can only direct his header over the bar!
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:28
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
Another free-kick in a dangerous area for Leverkusen. Can they make something of another set-piece?
Garcia’s ball in looks like a tempting one but it has a little too much on it and nobody is there at the back post.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:27
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
Changes for both sides as Gabriel Jesus replaces Eze for Arsenal.
Leverkusen take off Terrier and Palacios for Fernandez and Hofmann.
With Crawford’s retirement taking a rematch off the table for Canelo, he has announced his return on a September card in Saudi Arabia, a fight that boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh says will come with a world title.
“For me, my goal right now is to fight Canelo because I was [the] long time number one WBC challenger. Number one challenger, number one on WBC for Canelo. Now I have to show that I am the number one of the division.”
Mbilli fought on the Canelo–Crawford undercard, drawing with Crawford stablemate Lester Martinez to retain the belt. The Cameroon-born Frenchman said, in the same interview, that he intends to rematch Martinez down the line.
The fight with Alvarez has little to no obstacles and plenty of weight behind it: Turki Alalshikh, Canelo’s good standing with the WBC and his number one ranking, and it being undoubtedly the most lucrative option for Mbilli. If the Mexican wants to test himself, the opportunity is there.
;)
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