The upper echelon of the heavyweight division will continue to take shape this summer after it was officially announced that Murat Gassiev and Tony Yoka are set to do battle.
Former cruiserweight world champion Gassiev won the WBA Regular heavyweight title back in December with a sixth round stoppage win over Kubrat Pulev, and had been linked to make a defence of that belt against rising star Moses Itauma.
Gassiev and Yoka will meet at the VTB Arena in Moscow on July 11, and the Russian is expecting a difficult challenge but remains confident of success.
“Tony Yoka is an Olympic Champion. He is a big, strong, experienced boxer with a solid amateur background. He is an Olympic champion, and this definitely won’t be an easy fight. That said, I believe I have a greater desire to retain my title and to beat him.”
Yoka is trained by Don Charles, who recently guided Daniel Dubois back to the world heavyweight title, and the 34-year-old believes that will be pivotal in the match-up with Gassiev.
“I’m going to win this world title for all my people in France and Congo that have not only stuck with me, but still believe in me becoming a professional world champion.
“I’ve been working hard for over two years now with Don Charles and I’m ready to showcase to the boxing world the changes in my professional boxing.”
Brazil forward Vinicius Jr has weighed in on the chances of Lionel Messi and Argentina being contenders to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. La Albiceleste are reigning world champions and will head into the tournament with big expectations.
Lionel Scaloni has yet to name his 26-man squad for the World Cup, with announcement expected to be done in the next 48 hours. And speaking of Argentina’s chances, Vinicius spoke highly of what Lionel Messi and co. can do at the tournament.
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The Real Madrid man picked Argentina as one of the favorites to win the World Cup. Being the defending champions will give Argentina great confidence, according to Vinicius.
He also hailed the impact that Lionel Messi will bring to the team. Vinicius admits that the Inter Miami captain always adds something different to his teams and believes that some of the things Lionel Messi does on the pitch is stuff that no one can even imagine.
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In an interview on CazeTV (h/t All About Argentinaon X), Vinicius commented:
“I’ll pick Argentina too [as one of the favorites of the World Cup], because they were the last champions, they have great confidence and they have Messi.
“He always brings something different, we can never imagine what he might do.”
Argentina are in Group J of the 2026 World Cup alongside Algeria, Jordan and Austria. Vinicius’ Brazil will face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in Group C.
Scaloni offers update on Lionel Messi’s injury scare before World Cup
During Inter Miami’s 6-4 win over Philadelphia Union, Lionel Messi had to be substituted due to an injury. The Argentine was spotted leaving the pitch while holding the back of his left thigh, which raised doubts over his condition.
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Inter Miami head coach offered an update after the game and now, Lionel Scaloni has also reiterated that the latest update isn’t too bad. The Argentina head coach admitted that he would have preferred if nothing had happened but he feels these things are not within his control.
Scaloni stated in an interview with DSports (h/t Diario AS):
“We were watching the [Miami] match at the [Argentina] training complex. We noticed he asked to come off, that something wasn’t right. The early news isn’t too bad.
“Naturally, we would have preferred nothing had happened at all. Now we have to wait and see how he progresses. Above all, he’ll have more tests, I imagine, to confirm that everything is as they’re saying.”
Scaloni also insisted that he’s hopeful of Lionel Messi and others who are facing such physical setbacks to recover in time and give their best at the World Cup next month.
He added:
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“Of course, we would have liked him to go into [the World Cup] without any issues, but that hasn’t been the case with him or with most of the players who’ve had physical setbacks.
“They’re not fully recovered. Our goal is to get them back to full fitness and make sure they go into [the tournament] in the best possible condition.”
Argentina face Honduras and Iceland in pre-World Cup friendlies before locking horns with Algeria in their opening game.
10. Paul Lambert (Borussia Dortmund v Juventus, 1997)
Zinedine Zidane is Champions League royalty, as a player and a coach. But there is one final – and one player in particular – that sticks in the Frenchman’s mind. “Oh my god, that game!” he remarked to Paul Lambert when they met years later.
Lambert joined Dortmund on a free transfer in 1996. Portugal star Paulo Sousa arrived fresh from winning the Champions League with Juventus the same summer, but it was the Scottish midfielder who wrote his name into Westfalenstadion legend.
Dortmund saw off Manchester United in the semi-finals to set up a showdown against Juventus in Munich in 1997, with Lambert handed the task of man-marking a playmaker emerging as one of the world’s greatest.
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“The thing about Zidane, he drifts off your shoulder. He often goes away from the ball, almost baiting you. But the ball’s not the danger, it’s him,” Lambert told the Guardian. “Zidane did put me on the backside a couple of times because he’s brilliant. But he’s not going to evaporate, is he?”
As modest as his account is, Lambert didn’t give Zidane an inch and that was the platform for Dortmund to engineer a 3-1 win over the reigning champions.
Juventus chiefs were so impressed they offered to buy him that summer and, Lambert told BBC Scotland, former Juventus midfielder Antonio Conte later confessed: “You were unbelievable.”
PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 27: Elina Svitolina of Ukraine reacts in her match against Kaitlin Quevedo of Spain during the Women’s Singles first round match during Day Four of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on May 27, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Elina Svitolina continued her strong form at the French Open after defeating Jessica Bouzas Maneiro Quevedo 6-0, 6-4 to reach the third round.
Svitolina completely dominated the opening set before facing a much tougher challenge in the second, but once again showed the confidence and composure.
The Ukrainian is now on an eight-match winning streak after her Rome title run and continues to look like a serious contender in Paris.
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The win also gives Svitolina her 31st victory of the 2026 season and sends her into the Roland Garros third round for the 11th time in her career.
Asked about winning the Roland Garros junior title back in 2010 and still competing at such a high level today, Svitolina laughed:
“It’s crazy to think that I went past so much already and have a little daughter Skaï back at home. Married to the French guy, it’s crazy to think that.”
Manchester City’s season is over. Pep Guardiola has finally left the club after a decade in charge and gave it his all until the very end as the Blues won both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
The Champions League was the big disappointment, with a top-eight finish spoiled by a predictable defeat again at the hands of Real Madrid in the last-16. City also fell short in the Premier League, but while they will have regrets over a few matches they will also be happy to have pushed Arsenal into the final week.
City’s players have been marked every match in the Manchester Evening News and readers have had their say as well. Looking back on the campaign as a whole, here is the verdict on how the squad that finished the season in Manchester have fared.
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Donnarumma: Some big saves – with his most notable at Liverpool away – and he steadied the ship at a critical moment when he joined, but he also showed issues with distribution and defending set-pieces as well as picking up far too many yellow cards. 7
Trafford: A frustrating season for him as his return to City didn’t go anything like he expected. The Spurs game was worrying but he shrugged off personal disappointment to play a key role in winning two cups, enhancing his reputation and earning a World Cup spot. 7
Nunes: A year when Nunes finally accepted his role at right-back and improved significantly as a result, becoming one of City’s most consistent and most reliable players. There has been the odd moment but generally Nunes has been very good and City all the better when he plays. 8
Lewis: Started the season with a bang at Wolves and signed a new contract soon after but it was swiftly downhill and hasn’t recovered. His only league start after August was the dismal defeat to United in January before one last game on the final day. 4
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Khusanov: Looked promising as a right-back for a week in September and then went from strength to strength on his return to the team in January. Still a work in progress but there is so much to work with. 8
Dias: Rarely missed a game in the first half of the season, overplayed in part because of his leadership abilities, yet injuries meant he was not seen much after January and he spent the last two months watching Guehi and Khusanov play ahead of him. 6
Stones: A fan favourite, he contributed in the cups but another strange injury meant the trust for Guardiola disappeared and he barely played after the first third of the season. 5
Guehi: Instantly calmed a boat that was rocking when he joined in January. He showed his class and earned rave reviews from Guardiola and coaches but still goes into next season with plenty to prove. 7
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Ake: Another defender who was rarely used, albeit Ake was trusted more than Stones and started some big games such as the Carabao Cup final. He was excellent whenever he played, it just wasn’t enough for his liking or City’s. 6
Alleyne: A crazy season that started at Watford and then saw him parachuted into a Premier League debut after just a day of training. He performed admirably, even if he had a bad week against United and Bodo/Glimt. 6
Gvardiol: Enjoyed most of his playing time at centre-back this season and it seemed to work very well before his season effectively ended with a big injury in January. He showed on his return just how much he adds to the team in both boxes. 7
O’Reilly: After breaking into the team in the FA Cup late last season, O’Reilly looked to barely break sweat as he played his way into being one of City’s best players. He will be a big part of the team’s future. 9
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Ait-Nouri: Did okay in his first season without really commanding a place in the team. He had an injury and was absent with AFCON duty but also found himself shut out by O’Reilly at left-back. 6
Rodri: Too disjointed with injuries at the start of the season but hit his stride between January and April to put City in the driving seat for the title race. His continuing fitness issues should be a concern. 7
Kovacic: One of three choices Guardiola had for the holding role this season, he was injured for far too much of it and City were worse off as a result. 5
Gonzalez: The weirdest season in the squad. When he got injured in early January he had been the most important player and would have earned a 9/10 but the faith in him completely disappeared and some big conversations are now needed this summer. 6
Silva: What a player. What a leader. The wise old head of this new City team, marshalling the midfield and protecting the defence while keeping standards up across the week. A final year to savour for someone ageing like the finest Portuguese wine. 9
Reijnders: A dream debut, and then not enough returns after that. Reijnders seemed to struggle to find his place in a team that itself changed over the season, and he needs to offer more if he wants more game time. 6
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Foden: Similar to Gonzalez and Dias in that he was overplayed and then ended up being underplayed. Foden never stopped trying in the final months but what he has on the pitch at his best wasn’t close to being there. 7
Savinho: Guardiola said at the Club World Cup that he will be a fantastic player once he improves in the final third but how many games can City give him to do that? He got plenty of chances to impress but wasn’t effective enough. 5
Semenyo: A dream start to his City career and finished the season with the winner in the FA Cup final and the last goal of the Guardiola era. Needs to stay sharp in the final third but can play multiple positions and win his team games. 7
Cherki: Fits and starts early on but his consistency and effectiveness grew, and he was exceptional for a month in the run-in. Standout numbers for his first year in English football and he is young enough to get better. 8
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Doku: A terrific year, definitely one of the top City players. He is assisting Haaland more and also winning games on his own, with opposition plans to double mark him allowing him to set O’Reilly free as well. 8
Marmoush: Having been so good when he joined City in the second half of last season, there were very few fond memories of this one. He struggled on the wing and didn’t do enough with the opportunities he did get to put zero pressure on Haaland up front. 4
Haaland: He dropped off badly during the winter months but it does feel like his FORTY-SEVEN goal involvements have been underappreciated. He was unbelievable early in the season and then found his form again for the big games in the run-in. 9
GUARDIOLA: Never before have we had a manager rating but there have been a few requests and he’s leaving so sod it. An ultimately exceptional year that brought the best out of his squad and earned more trophies, but there were a few head-scratching team selections in that pivotal spell in March that proved disastrous to their Champions League and Premier League hopes. 9
May 27, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson (4) guards Washington Mystics guard Cassandre Prosper (18) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Shakira Austin had game-high totals of 18 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as the Washington Mystics defeated the host Seattle Storm 78-64 on Wednesday.
Michaela Onyenwere added 14 points, making three 3-pointers, and Kiki Iriafen had 13 points and nine boards for the Mystics (3-3), who snapped a two-game losing streak and avenged a 97-85 loss at Seattle on Sunday.
Jade Melbourne scored 15 points to lead the Storm (3-5), who had won their previous two games. Mackenzie Holmes added eight points and 10 rebounds.
The Mystics shot 42.4% from the field (28 of 66), including 7 of 21 (33.3%) from 3-point range. The Storm made just 34.9% of their field-goal attempts (22 of 63) and were 5 of 23 (21.7%) from long distance.
The Mystics, who trailed by as many as 26 points on Sunday, led by as many as 24 in this one, 74-49 with 7:33 remaining.
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Washington scored the opening five points and never trailed.
Onyenwere made two 3-pointers and a jumper in the opening 1:53 as the Mystics took a 10-1 lead. They extended the margin to 23-9 before the Storm went on a 9-0 run.
The Mystics held a 28-20 lead after the first quarter as Onyenwere and Austin combined for 21 points.
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The Storm pulled with six points early in the second before the Mystics answered with a 16-3 run on their way to a 48-29 halftime advantage.
Seattle scored the first eight points of the second half, but the Mystics were up 66-45 after three quarters.
Rookie centers Awa Fam of Seattle and Lauren Betts of Washington, the Nos. 3 and 4 picks in this spring’s WNBA draft, respectively, pretty much played to a draw. Both came off the bench. Fam had six points and five rebounds in 17:15 of playing time, and Betts had six points and three rebounds in 11:16.
The Storm played without center Dominique Malonga (concussion) and forward Ezi Magbegor (foot).
Optus Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 12 AFL game between West Coast Eagles and
Essendon Bombers. The game kicks off at 7:20 pm with West Coast Eagles heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the West Coast Eagles vs.
Essendon Bombers
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Fresh off the departure of Brad Scott as head coach after one win from its last 24 matches, Essendon will travel across the Nullarbor to take on West Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday night. The Bombers dropped to 18th on the ladder following last Friday’s disastrous 74-56 loss to a severely depleted Richmond side that had entered Round 11 with just one win for the season. Elsewhere, West Coast backed up its shock victory over GWS in its previous home fixture by taking it right up to Collingwood in Scott Pendlebury’s record-breaking 433rd AFL appearance before eventually falling 92-82 at the MCG. Essendon has had the better of West Coast in recent seasons, winning each of the past five meetings between the clubs, including a tight 77-75 result at Optus Stadium in Round 6 last year. However, the currently sidelined Peter Wright kicked six of the Bombers’ 11 goals in that match.
Filip Hrgovic looks set to be the next man to test Moses Itauma, who is looking to capture world honours as soon as possible and prove that he is the future of the heavyweight division.
Itauma continues to blitz his way through the ranks, now finding himself well and truly in contention for a heavyweight belt despite not fighting beyond the sixth round in his 14-fight career.
Before the 21-year-old Brit fights for a title – which promoter Frank Warren expects to come by the end of this year – he headlines the O2 Arena on August 8 and Hrgovic is expected to be awaiting him in the opposing corner. A Rio 2016 bronze medallist with designs on a world title himself, and his only pro defeat coming at the hands of reigning WBO champion, Daniel Dubois, the Croatian has vowed to stop Itauma in his tracks.
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Speaking to Boxing News, top trainer Peter Fury looked ahead to the fight, but warned that Hrgovic, who stopped Dave Allen inside three rounds earlier this month, is well capable of exposing Itauma, ‘if he is not the real deal’.
“I think that it is a great step for Moses, I think they are bringing him on well. You know, Hrgovic said the right thing, he said, ‘We will see. He could be the next second coming in the heavyweight division – and he could not’.
“This is a fight that is winnable, but Hrgovic will test him because if he is not the real deal, Hrgovic will find it [out]. It is a good fight at this stage and I think that they are bringing young Moses Itauma on very well.”
An announcement is anticipated soon for Itauma’s August outing, as he headlines an event for the third consecutive occasion and for the first time in the UK capital. Both fighters have confirmed that they want the fight, and it seems only an injury or cut not healing in time will prevent Hrgovic from taking it.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi‘s respectful gesture toward legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar won hearts during the IPL 2026 Eliminator clash between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. Midway through the warm-up session ahead of the match, the 15-year-old sensation rushed over to the broadcasting area where Gavaskar and former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar were present. Sooryavanshi paid respect to both veterans by touching their feet, and he even tried to touch Jatin Sapru’s feet, but the TV presenter hilariously jumped away. It was a heartwarming moment involving the youngster, who has impressed everyone in IPL 2026, and the footage quickly went viral on social media.
Vaibhav Sooryavashi touched the feet of Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Bangar before the match.
Coming to the match, Sooryavanshi slammed a sensational 29-ball 97 to guide RR to victory over SRH, keeping their IPL 2026 Final hopes alive. “When we win, we just take the positive intent forward and move on to the next match. And we will try to win the next match in the same way and reach the finals,” he said after the match.
He also opened up about his mindset going into the Qualifier 2 match against Gujarat Titans.
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“I do think a little bit, but not too much. I just try to play the game I’m in and not overthink. But if I feel there’s something I need to work on, then I look at that.”
“I just think about who the bowlers are in the opposition team, how I can face them on this wicket, how big the boundaries are, just these kinds of things. I just try to stay positive with my intent. When I do that, the bowlers stay under pressure. So I try to continue that and dominate the game.”
Sooryavanshi fell just short of breaking Chris Gayle‘s record of scoring the fastest IPL century but the youngster revealed that he was not even aware of the big milestone ahead of him.
“I found out only after I got out. At that time, my only focus was to contribute as much as I could because centuries will keep happening, but right now the focus is on how to win the trophy. If I feel I’m having trouble somewhere, I work on that. I don’t think about what the opposition is planning, that’s their plan. I focus on what my plan is, and I just try to play normal cricket.”
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Joe Mazzulla has officially been named the NBA’s 2025-26 Coach of the Year after leading the Boston Celtics to an impressive season.
The 37-year-old receives the Red Auerbach Trophy and becomes the first Celtics coach to win the award since Bill Fitch back in 1980.
Mazzulla is also the youngest NBA Coach of the Year winner since Phil Johnson won the award in 1975.
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A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner. Mazzulla finished ahead of J. B. Bickerstaff and Mitch Johnson in the final voting results.
Boston finished the season as one of the league’s strongest teams again under Mazzulla, continuing the success he has built since taking over the Celtics.
The award also places him alongside legendary Boston coaches like Red Auerbach and Tom Heinsohn in franchise history.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shakes hand with SRH’s Kavya Maran (Screengrab)
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals’ teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again found himself at the centre of attention after his breathtaking knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. But apart from the fireworks on the field, one post-match moment involving SRH co-owner Kavya Maran also grabbed fans’ attention online.After Rajasthan Royals sealed a commanding 47-run victory at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Maran was seen greeting the 15-year-old batter and shaking hands with him near the boundary ropes. The Indian Premier League later shared the clip on social media, and it quickly went viral among cricket fans.Watch:The gesture came after Sooryavanshi delivered one of the most destructive innings in IPL playoff history. The left-handed opener smashed 97 runs off just 29 deliveries, hammering 12 sixes and five fours at a stunning strike rate above 334. His explosive innings powered Rajasthan Royals to a massive total of 243/8 in 20 overs.Sooryavanshi narrowly missed out on a century but still managed to rewrite several records during the knock. The teenager crossed Chris Gayle’s tally for the most sixes in a single IPL season and continued his remarkable rise as the breakout star of IPL 2026.While Rajasthan’s batting dominated the contest, Jofra Archer ensured Hyderabad never truly threatened during the chase. The England pacer picked up three important wickets and removed key batters early to put SRH under pressure. Nitish Kumar Reddy top-scored for Hyderabad with 38, while Ishan Kishan added 33 at the top.Sunrisers Hyderabad were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, ending their campaign just short of the final stages. Rajasthan Royals now move on to Qualifier 2, where they will face Gujarat Titans for a place in the IPL 2026 final.
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