JJ Gabriel’s social media posts have sparked speculation about his Manchester United future

JJ Gabriel has appeared to confirm the next step in his Manchester United career with plans for him to join their pre-season tour. The 15-year-old has emerged as one of the country’s best young talents after scoring 23 goals in 23 league games for the Under-18s this season.

After suffering defeat in the FA Youth Cup final to Manchester City, Gabriel took to Instagram to announce his latest accolade while teasing his potential inclusion in United’s pre-season squad next month.

“It’s a great honour to be awarded the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the year. Thank you to everyone at @manutd. I’d also like to thank all the fans for their continued support,” he wrote, before rounding off the post: “See you in pre-season.”

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The Manchester Evening News previously reported how United are keen on creating a pathway to the first-team for the forward, and including him on the tour will demonstrate the faith they have in him.

The youngster’s exploits on the academy scene have already resulted in him training with the first-team on numerous occasions. Interim boss Michael Carrick – who is set to sign a two-year deal as permanent manager – has sounded off on Gabriel’s immense potential after attending several youth games.

Carrick said in March: “He is not allowed [to be part of a first-team squad on a matchday]. He’s too young. JJ’s doing really well. We’ve got some really good players in the academy and we try and get the younger players up [with the main group] as much as we can.

“We’re always trying to give them that exposure. JJ is a big talent, it is pretty obvious and he has had a good season for U18s. We think an awful lot of him.

“But patience is important in managing everything that comes with that and developing him and picking the right moment to step up, to leave them in a certain place. He’s trained well and it is good to have young players up.”

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Many expected Gabriel to make the progression to Under-21 level this season but the possibility was dashed because he was 14 when the season began. United could have been fined if he had been included in the U21 team due to the strict age rules.

United’s pre-season campaign begins with a clash against Wrexham in Finland on July 18 before a trip to Norway to face Swedish side Rosenborg. It is Atletico Madrid up next for the Reds as they round up their Scandinavia journey in Sweden on August 1.

This summer’s World Cup opens the door for more opportunities for United’s next generation, with a large portion of the first-term squad expected to be called up by their nations.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The Cleveland Cavaliers open the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Cleveland enter as underdogs, partly because New York have home-court advantage and arrive with more rest after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Still, that may not scare the Cavaliers. They were not favourites against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons either, but still advanced in seven games.

Cleveland Cavaliers reach rare post-LeBron Eastern Conference Finals against the NY Knicks

Accoridng to Courtside Buzza, this Tuesday marks Cleveland’s first Eastern Conference Finals appearance without LeBron James on the roster since 1992, even with ‘King James’ having left the Cavs eight years ago.

The last team to do it was the 1992 squad, led by Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance, which lost to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the conference finals.

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This version is built around Donovan Mitchell and a group that has already handled pressure, as they showed in Game 7 against Detroit, which they won 125-94 on the road.

Mitchell had 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in that win, while Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill and Evan Mobley also scored at least 20.

That balance could give the Cavaliers a real platform, even if the matchup with New York is expected to be difficult.

For Cleveland, this series is about more than reaching the NBA Finals. It is also a chance to create a defining postseason chapter without LeBron.

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The World Cup final will feature a star-studded halftime show headlined by Madonna, Shakira and boy-band BTS.

FIFA has announced that, for the first time, the final at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 will include a Super Bowl-style concert.

Soccer’s governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said it would bring together “music and football on the biggest stage in sport for a very special cause.” 
“Every child should have the opportunity to dream, and together we can help make that possible,” he posted on Instagram.

The show will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

The Super Bowl is famed for its halftime show, attracting the world’s biggest stars for spectacular performances. This year featured Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny.

Previous headliners included Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Rhianna.

But halftime shows are not commonplace in soccer, with events such as the Champions League final featuring a pre-match concert. On May 30, the Killers will headline European club soccer’s biggest game between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest.

It is not known how long the World Cup halftime show will last, but the interval in soccer is not supposed to go beyond 15 minutes.

FIFA describes it as “a singular moment at the intersection of sport, culture and purpose, broadcast live around the world.” 
The World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and runs through June and July.

Well then! It’s been a busy 24 hours hasn’t it.

The news that Pep Guardiola will depart in the summer has dominated the headlines and there’s plenty to digest, we’ll flag plenty of it here as we go along but there is a game on this evening though, and a vital one with City needing a win at Bournemouth to take the title race to the final weekend of the season.

Arsenal’s narrow 1-0 victory over Burnley on Monday night means the Gunners will be champions for the first time since 2004 if City fail to win on the south coast.

If the Blues can claim the three points they will host Aston Villa on the final day of the season knowing a victory, coupled with Arsenal failing to beat Crystal Palace, will see Guardiola bow out with a Premier League title and a domestic treble.

Bring it on

Jannik Sinner is two victories away from becoming the first home male player to win the Italian Open in half a century. And it doesn’t seem like anybody can stop him – either in Rome or at the French Open that starts in 10 days.

The top-ranked Sinner landed shots on the lines repeatedly in a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over No. 14 Andrey Rublev to reach the semifinals Thursday and move past Novak Djokovic with a record 32nd consecutive victory in Masters 1000 events – the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.

“I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story. And obviously at the same time it means a lot to me,” Sinner said.

The last Italian man to raise the singles trophy on the red clay of the Foro Italico was Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the title to this year’s champion on Sunday, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the final.

“It’s a special tournament for me,” Sinner said.

Sinner’s semifinal opponent will be 2023 Rome champion Daniil Medvedev, who came back to beat Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

The other semifinal will feature Casper Ruud of Norway against Luciano Darderi, an Argentine-born Italian.

Huge partisan support: 
With nearly everyone inside the 10,500-seat Campo Centrale cheering for Sinner, many supporters wore hats and T-shirts in orange – his theme color.

One group of fans held up a sign that said, “Sinner, Facce Sogna” – “Sinner, Make us dream.” 
Sinner lost last year’s final in Rome to Carlos Alcaraz, who is now sidelined due to a right wrist injury, while Jasmine Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to raise the trophy in 40 years.

Sinner broke serve in the opening game for a third straight match and never lost control against Rublev, who was once ranked as high as No. 5. 

Rublev noticed there were “many points where he played really well or close to the line or in a line. But he’s No. 1 and it’s normal. You need to force him to miss and it takes a lot of focus to be able to play at that level.” 
Sinner had only one brief lapse when Rublev broke him late in the second set.

“It was a bit breezy, a bit windy, so it was very tough conditions,” Sinner said. “I felt we both didn’t play at our best today.” 
Sinner said he felt fatigued toward the end.

“I’m going to be all right. It’s normal that one day in the tournament you are slightly tired,” he said. “It has been very long days for me.” 
Unbeaten since October Sinner hasn’t been beaten in a Masters event since he retired with cramps in extreme heat against Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai in October.

Djokovic won 31 straight Masters matches in 2011.

Including all tournaments, Sinner’s winning streak reached 27 matches. He was last beaten by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Feb. 19 – and he hasn’t even dropped a set since his opening match of his previous tournament, the Madrid Open.

Sinner is also aiming to become the second man after Djokovic to triumph at all nine Masters events. Djokovic has won each event at least twice.

The Italian Open is the only Masters event that Sinner hasn’t won.

Coco Gauff back in final: 
In the women’s tournament, Coco Gauff beat 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final for a second straight year.

Gauff will face two-time Rome champion Elina Svitolina in the final after the Ukrainian beat three-time champion Iga Swiatek 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

Gauff saved a match point in a three-set victory over Iva Jovic in the fourth round and then came back from a set down to defeat Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.

Against Cirstea, Gauff got 78% of her first serves in and had only one double fault.

“I’m just happy to be through in straight sets today,” Gauff said. “It’s been a marathon week.” 
Gauff was beaten by Paolini in the 2025 Rome final, then went on to win the French Open.

Svitolina won Rome in 2017 and 2018.

PV Sindhu and Virat Kohli (Instagram Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s badminton icon PV Sindhu shared a heartfelt message for Virat Kohli after meeting him at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit in Bengaluru. The badminton star posted a picture with Kohli on Instagram and thanked him for always supporting and guiding her during difficult moments in her career.“Every time I’ve needed guidance, you’ve always been there with the right advice and the right words. There is no better example of what a true senior in Indian sport should be: generous, grounded, inspiring, and always willing to lift others. ‘Never back down, PV.’ Advice taken. Keep being the absolute force of a human being that you are. Indian sport is better because of people like you,” Sindhu wrote.Sindhu has been slowly returning to her best after dealing with injuries over the past year. Recently, she reached the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open before losing to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. She also performed well during India’s Uber Cup campaign and has taken on a major leadership role off the court as Chair of the BWF Athletes’ Commission.The role gives Sindhu voting rights on the Badminton World Federation Council, marking an important step in her career beyond playing badminton.Meanwhile, Kohli continues to shine for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026. The veteran batter has played a major role in helping RCB qualify for the playoffs, including a match-winning century against Kolkata Knight Riders earlier in the season.Apart from cricket, Kohli was one of the key speakers at the sports summit, where he discussed athlete fitness, leadership, recovery, mental strength, and the future of Indian sports. The interaction between Sindhu and Kohli quickly became a talking point among fans, with many praising the mutual respect shared by two of India’s biggest sporting icons.

Kylian Mbappe said after not starting in Real Madrid’s Spanish league soccer match against Oviedo on Thursday that coach Alvaro Arbeloa told him that he is the team’s fourth-choice striker.

Arbeloa appeared to be caught by surprise by Mbappe’s words and said he never told him that. He said he doesn’t know why Mbappe felt like that.

Mbappe, who had been nursing a left hamstring injury, said he was ready to play from the start against Oviedo but Arbeloa decided not to use him.

“I’m 100% fine,” Mbappe said. “I didn’t play because the coach told me I’m the fourth striker in the squad behind (Franco) Mastantuono, Vini (Vinicius Junior) and Gonzalo (Garcia). I accept it. I was ready to start, it was his decision. You can’t be angry with the coach, you always have to respect the opinion of the coach. I’ll keep working hard and wait to be the starter.” 
Arbeloa later said he never told Mbappe he was the fourth striker in the squad.

“I don’t have four strikers, and I haven’t told anything like that to Mbappe,” Arbeloa said. “He probably didn’t understand me. I don’t really know what to tell you. I wouldn’t tell him that he’s the fourth-choice striker.” 

 
The disagreement between Arbeloa and Mbappe is the latest in a chaotic week for Madrid, which started with an altercation between players in training that led the club to fine Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni 500,000 euros ($589,000) each.

Then came the 2-0 loss to Barcelona in the clasico on Sunday that allowed its rival to clinch the league title. On Tuesday, an edgy Madrid president Florentino Perez called for new elections after saying he was the victim of an “organized campaign” to unseat him.

Mbappe was booed by the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium after coming into the match to replace Garcia in the 68th minute. He assisted in Jude Bellingham’s 79th-minute goal that sealed Madrid’s 2-0 win.

The France star had been criticized by some fans who claimed he was saving himself for the World Cup. During his time off because of the injury, Mbappe reportedly traveled to Italy with actress Ester Exposito, prompting criticism in Spanish media that he may not be taking his rehabilitation seriously.

The striker downplayed the importance of his trip.

“I had the club’s permission to be away from Madrid,” Mbappe said. “I wasn’t the only one, but you have to accept it and move on. I can easily turn this situation around.” 
Mbappe has not yet fully met expectations of his high-profile signing with Madrid two seasons ago. The club has not won a major trophy since he arrived.