John Higgins moved a step closer to snooker history as he battled his way past Neil Robertson in the World Championship quarter-finals, leaving himself one victory away from becoming the oldest ever world finalist.

The 50-year-old will be the oldest semi-finalist since 52-year-old Ray Reardon in 1985 when he faces Shaun Murphy in the last four, beginning on Thursday afternoon, and a fifth world title is becoming a genuine possibility for the Scot.

Higgins trailed 2010 champion Robertson 9-7 heading into the final session but quickly eradicated that deficit with breaks of 66 and 77 before responding to the Australian’s run of 73 with two more frames to lead for the first time at 11-10.

The frames were generally long and arduous but a trademark Higgins counter-clearance saw him snatch frame 22 by a point to move within one of victory before finally getting over the line in the next, just after 11pm, to triumph 13-10. It was a remarkable triumph and the tired-looking, but smiling, Scot gave a relieved wave to the crowd as he trudged off the arena floor.

Higgins will square off with a much fresher Murphy in the semi-finals, after the 2005 champion produced a brilliant session of snooker to end the run of defending champion Zhao Xintong, who became the 21st man to fail to break the Crucible Curse, of no first-time winner successfully defending their title.

Murphy and Zhao were locked at 8-8 heading into the final session, only for the Englishman to pull away in style, making breaks of 96, 80, 70 and 69 to secure a 13-10 triumph.

“I knew going into it nothing but my best would do,” Murphy explained after booking a first semi-final appearance since 2021. “Thankfully, I found it in the third session, and I’m delighted. It’s one of the best wins of my career.”

Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen became the first man into the semi-finals in the morning session when he seized on an “unforgivable” blunder by Barry Hawkins to triumph 13-11.

Hawkins looked set to force a decider when he fluked a red and just needed to roll up behind the pink to leave his opponent in huge trouble, only to come up short and allow Allen to clear up for victory.

“It’s unforgivable not reaching it,” admitted Hawkins. “I was worried about over-hitting it, believe it or not. I didn’t want to twitch, throw a quick one in and push the white past. But I just didn’t go through the ball. I was just thinking, that’s it, game over. I was gutted, obviously. What a way to lose. It’s a horrible feeling, knowing that you played an absolutely terrible shot. It’s just gutting, a sinking feel, after such a long match and playing well for the most part.”

Allen will face Wu Yize in the last four, with both men bidding to reach their first world final, after the young Chinese talent did most of his damage in the afternoon session, building a 10-6 lead over Iran’s Hossein Vafaei and wrapping up a 13-8 win later in the day.

Eddie Hearn believes he has a ‘giant’ on his books who can bring a heavyweight world title back to Matchroom Boxing.

The announcement of Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury later this year looks set to close out a generation and welcome the new school, with the likes of Moses Itauma and Fabio Wardley poised to become the heavyweight division’s big names.

Coming up right behind them is Australia’s Teremoana Teremoana, who today scored his 11th knockout in as many contests.

The 6ft 6in Aussie stunned Bowie Tupou with a sickening uppercut just over a minute into their bout and finished it with a right hand as the referee was stepping in to stop the action. Thankfully, Tupou made it to his feet with the help of his team and will be checked out fully.

WOW! TEREMOANA WITH A MONSTROUS EARLY KO! 😱#NicolsonTurner | Live now on DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/yp1T1gBGAw

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 29, 2026

Post-fight, Hearn said fans in Melbourne were witnessing a future heavyweight world champion.

“That was one of the scariest knockouts I’ve seen. This guy has got devastating power. We know there’s levels above Bowie Tupou, but these are the kind of opponents you have to go through on the way to the top. They’re the kind of opponents you hope will give you rounds. You’re not gonna do rounds with Teremoana Teremoana.

“What you’re watching right now is a future world heavyweight champion. This is going to be a huge star. He’s not just got the personality, he’s not just got the dance moves, he can really fight and he’s got power in both hands. A giant of a man.”

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Hearn then said that he would like to headline his rising star back in Australia this coming July, though revealed that there has been interest to box him on a Saudi Arabia card. Teremoana himself reiterated a desire to win the Australian heavyweight title. Both statements point to a smart building phase ahead, rather than a rush to leap frog levels.

Lee Trevino, one of golf’s greatest players, is talking about his high regard for Jack Nicklaus, perhaps the greatest player, and Scottie Scheffler, the current top-ranked golfer, and he can illustrate that thought, though to help him, he needs another sport besides the one where all three claim their fame.  

Volleyball. 

Appearing on a video released Wednesday on the PGA Championships’ YouTube channel, Trevino was asked about several topics by host Rich Beem, who, like Trevino, is a PGA winner. They remembered Trevino’s start in golf. His victories. How he won them. The entire video is worth a watch, and you can do so here. One of the more interesting points, though, came when Beem asked Trevino what role Nicklaus played in his success.

Notably, Trevino said it was small, at least at the start. He knew Nicklaus’ standing. He knew what he needed to meet that. “You kind of pull your belt a little tighter,” Trevino said, in his Trevino way. That said, though, Trevino said he thought his humble beginnings had numbed him to any pressure — “I didn’t know what the hell pressure was,” he said — and that helped his play.

Then came a moment at a Ryder Cup. 

Trevino and Nicklaus were teammates, and one of the nights, there was a function, but Nicklaus was a no-show. Later, Trevino asked him about that. The event felt important. 

But Nicklaus said his daughter had a volleyball match. 

“And that’s when I realized,” Trevino said, “you know, there’s more to this game.” 

He went further on Nicklaus. 

“I respect his golf, but I respect his fatherhood more,” Trevino said. “He was the best dad I have ever seen in my life.

“I learned a lot from him. I had kids in the beginning. I got divorced, [and] I never knew them because I was always on the golf course. When I married this young lady in ’83 and we had two kids, she looked at me and she says, ‘You’re going to help me raise these.’ And they went everywhere. But she pulled them. She would — no, no, she said, ‘We’re going to go see your dad.’ You know, ‘We’re going with your dad.’ And Friday nights, man, they were there, come home, the whole thing. 

“And I knew exactly what Jack did. That gave me the vision of saying, ‘This is what Jack was doing.’”

And Trevino said he sees Scheffler doing that, too. 

As he’s won 20 PGA Tour events over the past four years, including four majors, Scheffler has often talked about his family. He most memorably did so during a lengthy answer at a press conference at last year’s Open Championship, where he said his family is his priority.

“I’m blessed to be able to come out here and play golf,” Scheffler said, “but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.

“This is not the be all, end all. This is not the most important thing in my life.”

Trevino has noticed.  

“Scottie said, ‘Listen, it’s just not this game,’” he said.

Here, Trevino ended his answer with a quick joke. After all, this is Trevino, who’s as skilled with his words as he is his golf. 

“But I guess when you’re the GOAT, you say, ‘You can spend more time at home.’”

Editor’s note: To watch the entire PGA Championships video with Trevino, please click here.  

Football‘s power brokers meet in Vancouver on Thursday as FIFA convenes its 76th Congress, a high stakes gathering less than two months before the biggest World Cup ever opens across Canada, Mexico and the United States

The Iran war, World Cup logistical headaches and the unresolved question of Russia’s international ban are set to feature in discussions among roughly 1,600 delegates from more than 200 member associations.

Iran’s absence is already threatening to overshadow the meeting. 

Officials from the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto earlier this week, abandoning their onward trip to Vancouver.

Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj — a former member of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — and two colleagues flew home after being “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.

Canada, which designated the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2024, said Wednesday that individuals linked to the force were “inadmissible.”

“While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country,” Canada’s immigration agency said in a statement.

The episode adds fresh uncertainty to Iran’s World Cup status, already clouded since the Middle East war erupted on February 28 with a wave of attacks by the United States and Israel.

Iranian football officials said last month they had suggested moving their three World Cup group games from the United States to co-hosts Mexico — a plan which was swiftly nixed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Infantino told AFP that Iran will play at the World Cup “where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted last week that Iran’s footballers would be welcome to compete at the tournament.

But Rubio warned that the United States may yet bar entry to members of the Iranian delegation with ties to the IRGC.

Infantino under scrutiny

The FIFA boss heads into Thursday’s meeting facing scrutiny following criticism over skyrocketing World Cup ticket prices and his close friendship with US President Donald Trump.

FIFA on Tuesday announced it had boosted World Cup financial distributions to nearly $900 million, up from the initial $727 million announced in December.

The move came after several World Cup-qualified teams reportedly warned that they risked losing money from competing at the sprawling tournament, citing the high cost of travel, taxes and overall operations.

Rights groups meanwhile have called for the football supremo to use his upcoming address to FIFA delegates to give assurances that World Cup visitors face no risk of being caught in the Trump administration’s draconian immigration crackdown.

“FIFA President Gianni Infantino has yet to publicly outline how fans, journalists and local communities will be safe from arbitrary detention, mass deportations and crackdowns on free expression,” Amnesty International‘s head of economic and social justice Steve Cockburn said Wednesday.

“This FIFA Congress should be the moment he does so, and the global football community must receive more than empty platitudes,” Cockburn added in a statement.

Infantino is also facing calls to abolish the FIFA Peace Prize, which he awarded to Trump during last December’s World Cup draw in Washington.

“We want to see (the prize) abolished,” Norwegian football association president Lise Klaveness told reporters this week. “We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize.”

Thursday’s Congress could also address the issue of Russia’s ongoing ban from international football, which has been in force since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Infantino spoke in favor of lifting the ban on Russia earlier this year. 

“We have to (look at readmitting Russia). Definitely,” Infantino told Britain’s Sky News.

“This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Team building never truly stops. Things speed up or slow down, but the train is always rolling. News that the Vikings just signed someone isn’t much of a surprise, at least in terms of basic roster maintenance.

Check out the matter-of-fact update courtesy of the team’s official social media: “The #Vikings have signed DL Eric Johnson II.” The 27-year-old defender was a Colt before a quick stop in New England. He then ventured into free agency. The third chapter of his NFL career gets rolling with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings Just Signed “Creature” Eric Johnson for D-Line

Lately, all of the attention has been on who got scooped up in the draft.

The Vikings’ 1st-Round pick got sunk into Caleb Banks (leading to strong opinions). In the 3rd, the Vikings opted for Domonique Orange, who is more of a menace in the running game. These two young fellas are meant to add some sizzle to a defensive line that was too often playing humdrum ball last year. Each is huge.

If the depth chart proceeds in the expected manner, then the top options up front appear as follows:

• DL1: Jalen Redmond
• DL2: Caleb Banks
• DL3: Domonique Orange
• DL4: Levi Drake Rodriguez
• DL5: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
• DL6: Taki Taimani
• DL7: Elijah Williams
• DL8: Eric Johnson II (a.k.a. “The Creature“)

Other players exist within the hierarchy, but those are the current top names to know. So, too, is there the option to bring in a veteran such as Christian Wilkins.

In the meantime, Johnson is the elder statesman in that defensive line room. He offers good size at 6’4″ and 320 pounds, continuing the trend of adding mean muscle to the trenches. He got into the NFL back in 2022, chosen in the 5th of what is considered one of the all-time whiffs in franchise history: a 2022 draft haul that made a mess of basically every pick.

Turning pro hasn’t been particularly smooth for Eric Johnson.

The veteran has played in 51 games but has yet to earn a start. Only a single sack has been added to his overall tally. Johnson’s tackles come in at 41 across his four seasons. The Vikings, in other words, likely didn’t find the next version of Alan Page, John Randle, or Kevin Williams.

Right now, there’s quite a bit of attention going toward the Jauan Jennings meeting alongside the recently-launched GM search. Even within all of the various things that are going on, the Vikings continue to chip away at the roster.

Eric Johnson is likely to be a depth option if he makes the roster, but he’s facing an uphill battle to be among the final 53. The roster still has some open spots that need to get filled, so stay tuned.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Arsenal close the gap on leaders Manchester City to eight points with two games in hand, after a resounding 7-0 win against Leicester City. The result confirms the Foxes will finish bottom of the Women’s Super League table and face a relegation play-off.

MATCH REPORT: Women’s Super League – Arsenal 7-0 Leicester City

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Manchester United U18s cruised to a 4-1 victory over Liverpool in the U18 Premier League on Wednesday lunchtime

Michael Carrick had seen enough from the youngsters as Manchester United cruised to a 4-1 victory over Liverpool in the U18 Premier League. Fortunately for JJ Gabriel, the Reds’ interim head coach left just before the 90th minute, having seen him score twice late on to seal the win.

It had been a quiet game for the 15-year-old up until the final 10 minutes. The first half was stolen by Jay McEvoy who scored a thunderbolt on 18 minutes after being played through by Junior Brown. His strike was not too dissimilar from a Carrick rocket from years gone by.

With his confidence up, McEvoy added a second to his tally as he picked the ball up from Jim Thwaites, danced through the Liverpool tackles and eventually slotting home. It was the ideal moment for the Irishman to stake his claim for a spot in United’s training squad.

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The Reds are on the verge of a major midfield overhaul and there is room for academy players to be part of it. Both Thwaites and McEvoy did little to harm their chances. The same could also be said for Noah Ajayi.

On a pitch of teenagers, the 17-year-old German looked the one most prepared for first team opportunities next season. Ajayi is strong, quick and was toying with the Liverpool full-back throughout the first 45 minutes. By no means is the winger the finished article yet.

However, he also seems to be above this age group and you wonder how beneficial playing against teenagers would be for him next season. First team minutes for United could be a step too far, but certainly an EFL loan move could do him some favours in 2026/27.

Liverpool pulled one back after a mistake from Louie Bradbury at the near post but up stepped Gabriel to make his impact. He coolly converted from the penalty spot to put the game out of reach of Liverpool before capitalising on tired legs to make it four by jinxing past a man and rolling the ball into the back of the net.

That was Gabriel’s 25th of the season and even on a day when he threatened to fade into the background, he still managed to steal the show. As Carrick trotted back to his office at Carrington, he will have had plenty to ponder.

Both McEvoy and Ajayi made impressions but Gabriel’s talent continues to shine through. Next season, the youngster will be eligible to feature for United’s first team.

The success of Arsenal’s Max Dowman will increase pressure on United to call Gabriel up. But the Reds won’t listen to outside noise, even if it results in an unpopular decision.

If Gabriel had the physique of Ajayi with the same goal return, he would be in the United squad next season without a doubt. But he looks like a 15-year-old and overexposure to the senior game will not help him.

United had to use Chido Obi before his time last season and that did him no favours. They do not want to do the same thing with Gabriel.

Starting next season with the U21s would be ideal for Gabriel as he continues to develop. It might be unpopular, but United cannot be swayed by others. A little more patience could go a long way.

Muhammad Ali is recognised by many as the greatest ever heavyweight, and arguably fighter, of all time, but in the eyes of fellow pound-for-pound legend Floyd Mayweather, there is one more recent heavyweight who would have gotten the better of ‘The Greatest’.

Ali suffered five defeats during his iconic career, with three of those losses coming in his last four contests when he was well past his best; losing out to Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and then Trevor Berbick.

His other two shortcomings came at the hands of Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, both of which he twice avenged in their respective trilogies, that being one of many reasons why Ali is deemed to have been the supreme operator in heavyweight history.

Aside from Ali, the other standout candidate for that mantle is considered to be Joe Louis, who holds the record for the longest reign in the history of the division – keeping hold of the heavyweight championship for almost 12 years and making 25 consecutive title defences.

Yet, when partaking in a prime ‘Winner Stays On’ game involving the the best heavyweights of all time, Mayweather told Daily Mail Boxing that he believes a prime Lennox Lewis would have overcome Ali.

As Ali had done before his last two fights, Lewis defeated every opponent in his career, winning his rematches against Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, who both shockingly knocked him out, as he became one of five three-time heavyweight champions.

Lewis became undisputed champion in his career before retiring in the early 2000s, having also defeated the likes of Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.

Manchester United will qualify for the Champions League next season if they beat Liverpool on Sunday

Manchester United’s season started terribly but will end in optimism thanks to another rollercoaster year at Old Trafford. From the Grimsby disaster to sublime back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, the Reds have put their fanbase truly through the ringer this campaign.

Now with four games remaining, United are on the cusp of qualifying for the Champions League. Of course considering the stature of the club, simply qualifying for Europe’s elite competition is not enough. The Reds will be expected to compete and at least make it to the knockout stages of the tournament.

To do that, the Reds must assess their current squad and see who is worth keeping, selling or loaning this summer. Below, MEN Sport has taken a closer look at the entire first-team squad, and some of the club’s promising youngsters, to see what next season should hold for them.

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Goalkeepers

Senne Lammens has been a revelation since joining in the summer. He has slotted in magnificently and strengthened an area of the pitch that looked so weak at the start of the season. The Belgian will be United’s No.1 for a long time to come. Keep

Altay Bayindir was preferred to Andre Onana at the start of the season but could not keep Lammens out for long. At 28, he is not quite good enough to be second choice and probably would prefer regular football next season. Sell

Andre Onana had a disastrous game against Grimsby to seal his fate. A loan to Trabzonspor was his only option and he has done little there to justify keeping him next season. Sell

Tom Heaton is a valuable third choice goalkeeper but is out of contract at the end of the season. At 40, he may wish to transition into coaching and there would be no harm keeping him around for that. Keep

Radek Vitek has had a solid loan spell at Bristol City and should Bayindir leave, he could be second choice. However, once you get a taste of regular football, it is tough to give that up. Keep

Defenders

Leny Yoro went through a tough spell at the start of the campaign and found himself out of the starting line up. However, he has improved as the season has gone on and should be a key player for years to come. Keep

Matthijs de Ligt has been missing since December with a back injury. He has plenty of time left on his contract but will need to hit the ground running next season. Keep

Lisandro Martinez looked to be back in the plans but his suspension could not have happened at a worse moment. The Argentine has one season left to prove he deserves a new contract. At the moment, it is 50:50 which way that goes. Keep

Ayden Heaven shone in the victory at Chelsea and earned his start against Brentford. He is still learning but Heaven offers too much to the first team to be loaned out. Keep

Harry Maguire earned his new contract earlier this month and has been dependable this season. However, United will hope they are preparing for the future this time next year. Keep

Patrick Dorgu could easily be among the midfielders given his impact since Christmas. Injury has left him in the same boat as De Ligt but with left wing an area that needs strengthening, the Dane has a route into the first team again. Keep

Luke Shaw has done exceptionally to defy his previous injury issues to play every Premier League game this season. He has locked down the left-back position. Keep

Tyrell Malacia should have been allowed to leave in January. United pulled the plug but won’t offer him a new deal. Release

Diogo Dalot has been steady for United and does little wrong. Whether the Reds choose to upgrade on him in the future will be interesting. Keep

Noussair Mazraoui played the role of utility man well in the win at Chelsea. A good squad player for the Reds. Keep

Harry Amass did well at Sheffield Wednesday but injury has scuppered his Norwich loan. A move back to the Championship could be good next season. Loan

Midfielders

Manuel Ugarte has not impressed when Casemiro has been unavailable. Ahead of a midfield rebuild, the Uruguay international has to leave. Sell

Casemiro has done well this season and will leave United on a high. ‘One more year’ chants are a testament to his performances but that decision will not be reversed. Leaving

Kobbie Mainoo endured a difficult start to the season but has partnered Casemiro exceptionally. Thoroughly deserves the new contract being lined up. Keep

Bruno Fernandes should be kept at all costs. He has been the chief creator for United this season and he will be vital for the Reds in next season’s Champions League. Keep

Mason Mount will struggle to justify his spot at the end of this season. Competing with Fernandes is difficult but injuries continue to scupper him. United may need to make a tough decision on him. Sell

Tyler and Jack Fletcher could do with some more first team football to position themselves for the first team in the future. Loan

Toby Collyer has suffered similar injury problems to Amass. He needs a proper season on loan in the Championship without injuries stop-starting his momentum. Loan

Forwards

Bryan Mbeumo has gone off the boil recently but when he is on his game, he has been an excellent addition. He will remain a first choice player next season. Keep

Amad has had a mixed campaign and perhaps played better as a wing-back. He should be kept around for the new campaign though. Keep

Matheus Cunha would be better down the middle but has still done well on the left. His versatility will be key with a Champions League campaign to come. Keep

Benjamin Sesko could have easily been left behind like Rasmus Hojlund had Amorim stayed. Since his exit, the forward has hit some brilliant form and his confidence is flowing. Keep

Joshua Zirkzee has been a good team player but United need a better striker to compete with Sesko. The Reds cannot offer the Dutchman the minutes he needs. Sell

Marcus Rashford may be open to a return now Amorim has left but too much water has gone under the bridge now. A sale to Barcelona would be best for everyone. Sell

Jadon Sancho has had his time at United. Where he goes at the end of the season will not be of concern to the Reds. Release

Rasmus Hojlund has all but left United thanks to his and Napoli’s performances this season. His time at United did not quite work. Sell

Chido Obi has enjoyed a good year outside of the first team glare. He could come in handy as a third choice striker next season. Keep

Shea Lacey continues to live up to his hype. He was unfortunately sent off against Brighton in the FA Cup but that was a learning curve and he should get more chances next season. Keep