Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo has finally spoken about the most difficult period of his career, revealing the mental health struggles that forced him to step away from football.
After months of silence, the defender has now returned to the pitch and, more importantly, to a better mental place.
The defender explained that the match was an important step in his recovery and confidence.
“The truth is, I’m feeling really good. I felt very comfortable. I think I played a good game. I was also able to help with the goal, which was great for me.
“Physically, I felt strong too. At the end, I was obviously tired because I hadn’t played so many minutes in a long time, but overall, I’m very, very happy.”
The red card against Chelsea
The Uruguayan also reflected on how much he has changed since his red card in London on November 25, an incident that marked the start of his break from football.
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Araujo was sent off against Chelsea. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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“I’ve changed quite a bit because I’ve learned a lot during this time. I think it was what I needed to do after that decision I made.
“I feel different and I’m happy about that because I’m more comfortable, happier. I can enjoy what I love doing, which is playing football, and that helps a lot.”
When asked what exactly had changed, Araujo explained that the time away helped him gain a new perspective on life and football.
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“Well, you see things from another point of view. I felt that the worst of the worst was over and now I see things differently.
“The time I took off was for a reason, because in the end I was able to work on it with professionals, with my family, and spiritually, which was what I needed.”
Looking back at the red card against Chelsea, Araujo revealed that the moment was only part of a deeper and longer struggle.
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“It was a combination of things. I hadn’t been feeling well for a long time, maybe more than a year and a half. You try to be strong, but I felt that I wasn’t well.
“Not only on a sporting level, but also on a family and personal level. I wasn’t feeling myself, and that was when I clicked and said: Something is happening, I need to raise my hand and ask for help.
“I’m one of those people who keep everything to myself, but you also have to understand that there are professionals who can help you.
“I needed to raise my hand and say that something was happening to me in order to recover.”
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Been dealing with it for a long time
He also revealed the extent of the issue, admitting that anxiety had turned into depression while he was still playing matches.
Araujo has opened up on his mental state. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
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“In the moment, you feel sad, but then, when the game is over, it all hits you. I already felt that I wasn’t well, that’s the truth, but out of inertia, you try to keep going, and sometimes you need help.
“I had been suffering from anxiety for a year and a half, which turned into depression, and I was playing like that. That doesn’t help, because you don’t feel like yourself on the field.
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“When I wasn’t feeling well, I knew something was going on. That day, I realised that I needed to talk to professionals and the club so they could help me.”
Despite the mental struggle, Araujo insisted that quitting football was never truly on his mind.
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“I didn’t think about giving up playing, but you consider a lot of things because I wasn’t feeling myself.
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“I knew my performance wasn’t what I’m capable of. That’s why you consider a lot of things, but it wasn’t the idea.”
“First, I spoke to Deco because he’s the sporting director and he’s close to us. I told him what was happening to me.
“At first, he was a little surprised because it’s not very common for a Barcelona player to tell him these things, but he took it very well, in a very personal way.
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“From the very first minute, Deco called the president and the coach. They were spectacular.
“I’m very grateful to Deco, the president, the coach, and also to the people behind the scenes who you might not see, who are part of our day-to-day lives. The club gave me everything I needed to recover.”
Araujo is thankful to Flick. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“He took it very personally. Flick knows my condition, and it was clear that I wasn’t performing at my best. He knew something was going on.
“From the beginning, he sent me messages telling me to take my time recovering, that the most important thing was to get through it well.”
Araujo admitted that the dressing room also played a key role during his darkest days.
“A huge one. After making the decision, I had some really bad days. I didn’t want to get out of bed. It was hard, because I had always dreamed of playing football and now I had to stop.”
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He also remembered the encouraging words from teammates, which helped him stay motivated.
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“They were all very nice messages from Pedri, Frenkie… Messages like, “Take it easy, get well, and come back as the titan you always are.” That was really nice because you see that they trust you.”
Support from the football community
Finally, Araujo revealed that the support went beyond Barcelona, with players from other clubs reaching out privately.
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“That surprised me a lot. When I decided to stop, I didn’t imagine the boom it would cause, but, of course, we’re at Barça. Players from other teams in Italy and Germany.
“They appreciated what I had done.
“Some told me they had been through the same thing but had kept it to themselves because they were perhaps being paid, they were afraid to stop, afraid of how people would react.”
Famed for his willingness to fight and his desperation for legacy, Terence Crawford retired as an undefeated pound-for-pound great just a few months ago.
However, when reflecting on his career, there is one opponent whom ‘Bud’ wishes he could have fought.
Crawford became boxing’s third four-belt undisputed champion when he trumped Julius Indongo to take control of all four titles back in August 2017, before repeating the feat up at welterweight six years later with a dominant beatdown of Errol Spence Jr.
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Last September, Crawford then made the sizeable jump up to super-middleweight, where he dethroned long-reigning 168lb superstar Canelo Alvarez to become the first three-division undisputed titleholder since Henry Armstrong in 1938.
Soon after, the Omaha operator announced his retirement from the sport, hanging up the gloves with a record of 42-0 at the age of 38 years old.
Despite all of his success, Crawford admitted that the man he most wishes he could have fought is boxing’s only eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, in a clip captured by Jai McAllister.
“Pacquiao, for sure. 1000%.
Man, I tried to fight Pacquiao for [so long]. That was a fight that I was chasing for years, since I was 140lbs.
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“To see him fight [Adrien] Broner, Tim Bradley, Keith Thurman and all of those fights. I was like, man, what is going on. These guys is not [on my level].
“I am [up] here, [on a level above,] and he was fighting these guys. I just couldn’t understand it.”
While Crawford has retired, Pacquiao remains active, still competing at 47.
The 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur begins Wednesday morning with the first round at Champions Retreat in Georgia. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Wednesday, including full Augusta National Women’s Amateur TV coverage, streaming info and Round 1 tee times.
How to watch ANWA on Wednesday
American amateur star Asterisk Talley is only 17 years old, but she’s already become a fixture at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. First, she finished 8th in her ANWA debut in 2024. Then last year, Talley came oh-so-close to claiming the title, finishing one shot short of 2025 ANWA champion Carla Bernat Escuder.
Now ranked No. 10 in the women’s world amateur ranking, Talley is hoping this week’s event sees her finally lift the tophy on Saturday at Augusta National.
But first, Talley and the rest of the 72-player field, which features two former Augusta National Women’s Amateur winners, have to contest the first and second rounds at Champions Retreat to earn the right to compete at Augusta this weekend.
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And the action gets started Wednesday morning with Round 1.
You can watch the first round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on TV via Golf Channel, which will air coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. You can also watch a live simulcast Golf Channel’s TV coverage via ANWA.com.
Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the first round of the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
How to watch on TV Wednesday
Golf Channel will air first-round TV coverage of the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET.
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How to stream online Wednesday
You can stream the first round of the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur via Peacock and ANWA.com, both of which will offer live simulcasts of Golf Channel’s Wednesday TV coverage.
2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Round 1 tee times for Wednesday (ET)
Tee No. 1
8:00 a.m. – Brooke Biermann, Ai Goto, Emily Odwin 8:12 a.m. – Rocio Tejedo, Catherine Rao, Charlotte Back 8:23 a.m. – Grace Kilcrease, Vanessa Borovilos, Yurina Hiroyoshi 8:35 a.m. – Huai-Chien Hsu, Catherine Park, Dianna Lee 8:46 a.m. – Nikki Oh, Raegan Denton, Elise Lee 8:58 a.m. – Seojin Park, Mackenzie Lee, Clarisa Temelo 9:09 a.m. – Prim Prachnakorn, Sara Brentcheneff, Chloe Kovelesky 9:21 a.m. – Amanda Sambach, Arianna Lau, Elizabeth Rudisill 9:32 a.m. – Marie Eline Madsen, Jasmine Koo, Camille Min-Gaultier 9:44 a.m. – Kiara Romero, Andrea Revuelta, Eila Galitsky 9:55 a.m. – Soomin Oh, Rianne Malixi, Megha Ganne 10:07 a.m. – Tsubasa Kajitani, Lily Reitter, Reagan Zibilski
Tee No. 10
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8:00 a.m. – Andie Smith, Eunseo Choi, Aira Nagasawa 8:12 a.m. – Paula Martin Sampedro, Maria Jose Marin, Anna Davis 8:23 a.m. – Patience Rhodes, Asterisk Talley, Aphrodite Deng 8:35 a.m. – Megan Streicher, Megan Propeck, Kary Hollenbaugh 8:46 a.m. – Avery Weed, Veronika Kedronova, Beth Coulter 8:58 a.m. – Louise Landgraf, Karen Tsuru, Katelyn Kong 9:09 a.m. – Bailey Shoemaker, Gyubeen Kim, Amelie Zalsman 9:21 a.m. – Anna Fang, Anna Iwanaga, Ava Merrill 9:32 a.m. – Ashley Yun, Macy Pate, Yunseo Yang 9:44 a.m. – Meja Örtengren, Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio, Farah O’Keefe 9:55 a.m. – Scarlett Schremmer, Lauren Kim, Yujie Liu 10:07 a.m. – Kyra Ly, Achiraya Sriwong, Kelly Xu
Arslanbek Makhmudov has the chance to re-establish his reputation as a man to avoid in the heavyweight division as he takes on two-time world champion Tyson Fury next weekend. After a successful training camp, his coach Marc Ramsay believes the Russian is well prepared to pull off the upset.
An amateur standout with fearsome punching power, Makhmudov had been recognised as something of a divisional boogeyman throughout much of his professional career, with many heavyweight rivals unwilling to risk a fight with the Mozdok-born contender.
That changed in December 2023, when the previously overlooked Agit Kabayel produced a stunning stoppage win in Riyadh to hand Makhmudov his first career defeat. Makhmudov bounced back with another early finish, but was then halted by Guido Vianello in August 2024 – a loss which led many to question his standing in the division.
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Since then, Makhmudov has had a point to prove, looking to show that those defeats were setbacks rather than a sign of decline, and that he remains a dangerous contender at the top level.
Recent victories over Ricardo Brown (TKO 1) and Dave Allen (UD) are his only consecutive wins since suffering that first defeat and, ahead of a fight with Fury – who returns from a 16-month retirement – Makhmudov appears to have regained his confidence.
Speaking exclusively to Boxing News, head trainer Marc Ramsay admitted that the opportunity to face ‘The Gypsy King’ came as a surprise, but one that the 36-year-old simply had to take.
“Everything is going very good. We have had a very good training camp here in Montreal, lots of different sparring partners and a lot of challenges. To be honest, this is a fun fight for us, it is a fight that we didn’t expect at all.
“We are going there to challenge, we have no pressure, nothing to lose, just everything to gain. We can feel an atmosphere in the training camp, we are enjoying this moment.”
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“We have already fought good boxers, but after the last win with Arslanbek, we created a little bit of publicity. We didn’t expect a fight like this. They offered us the fight and it was a no-brainer for us – especially with the age of Arslanbek, we want to go and try for real.”
Ramsay also noted a renewed sense of motivation in camp.
“The motivation is better. Arslanbek always has a good work ethic but you can feel that extra push from the team and from the boxer.”
Continuing, Ramsay highlighted that the fight with Allen was ideal preparation for this clash with Fury, allowing Makhmudov to experience being the away fighter and deal with a hostile and vocal UK crowd.
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“That Dave Allen fight was a really good experience and I found that as a coach myself. You can talk about the feeling of the crowd in the U.K., but you have to live it to understand exactly what it is and how passionate the fans are.
“To go there, to win there, to feel the atmosphere was fantastic. We understand that there is going to be a big crowd again, but it is about preparing the boxer mentally for those things.”
“[It was also] the first time reaching 12 rounds. We focused a lot on that in sparring during training camp. Even for 10-round fights in the past, we always prepare for 12.
“But to do that in the gym every day and to do it in competition are two different things and I am very happy that he has had that experience before we go into this kind of fight.”
Preparing for Tyson Fury, however, brings its own challenges. Standing at 6’9” with a unique style, the Brit is difficult to replicate in sparring, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding his form after a lengthy lay-off.
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Ramsay explained that the approach has been to break Fury down into individual attributes and replicate them collectively in camp.
“You cannot find sparring partners who are going to be that good – Fury is at the top of the division. What you need to do is isolate a little bit of the technique he brings, a little bit of the size, and with a couple of sparring partners you can work on those qualities. That is the way to prepare for this kind of challenge.
“He could be a little bit rusty, but we have to prepare for the best version of Tyson Fury that we have seen. We have looked at almost all of his fights as a professional and we expect him to show his quality.
“He already looks leaner than he did for his fights with Ngannou and Usyk, so I believe he will show up in good shape and we are prepared for him.”
Despite Fury reportedly training himself for his return, Ramsay has no issue with that approach.
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“I have no problem with that. A lot of people speak against it, but with the experience he has, he knows what he is doing.
“Sometimes we overanalyse the role of a coach. Of course, he will have people around him to help with certain things, but we are focused on what we are doing here in Montreal, not on what he is doing.”
For the fight itself, many believe Makhmudov’s best chance lies in his power, particularly early on. Seventeen of his 19 knockouts have come inside the opening three rounds, and Fury could be vulnerable before settling into the contest.
Ramsay, however, insists that Makhmudov’s power will be present throughout.
“Arslanbek can carry his power deep into the fight. He can generate it early, but also in rounds eight, nine, ten – it is not a problem.
“He has the experience to manage things round by round, but at some point we are looking to land that shot – and we have plenty of time to do it in a 12-round fight.”
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Team Makhmudov will travel to London this weekend as they prepare for the opportunity of a lifetime, hoping to make a major statement in the heavyweight division – and force further questions about Fury’s future in the sport.
NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant endured a frustrating start to his opening experiment as Lucknow Super Giants took on Delhi Capitals in their first IPL 2026 clash on Wednesday, with a bizarre run-out cutting short his innings.The incident unfolded in the third over when Mukesh Kumar delivered a full ball that Mitchell Marsh struck firmly back towards the bowler. Mukesh got a fingertip to the ball in his follow-through, inadvertently deflecting it onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
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Angkrish Raghuvanshi focused only on team’s wins
Pant, who had backed up too far, was caught well short of his crease with no chance of recovery. Visibly disappointed, he walked off without waiting for the third umpire’s confirmation after scoring 7 off 9 balls.Watch:Pant’s early dismissal dealt a blow to LSG’s strategy, as the team had opted to promote him to the top in a bold tactical move. The wicket also validated Delhi’s decision to bowl first after Axar Patel won the toss, expecting assistance from the fresh surface.Earlier, Axar explained the call, citing potential help for bowlers in the powerplay despite data favouring teams batting first. Delhi fielded a balanced XI featuring the likes of KL Rahul, David Miller and Kuldeep Yadav, while LSG relied on a strong overseas core including Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Anrich Nortje.Adding to the talking points, Arjun Tendulkar remained absent from both the playing XI and the bench despite being part of LSG’s squad this season.With Pant’s gamble backfiring early, the contest quickly tilted in Delhi’s favour in the opening exchanges.
LSG vs DC Playing XI
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Prince YadavLucknow Super Giants Impact subs: Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akshat RaghuvanshiDelhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi,Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh KumarDelhi Capitals Impact subs: Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, Sameer Rizvi, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney believes Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has been under immense pressure this season. He said that the winger has struggled, partially because of being the captain.
Saka has been a key player for the Gunners since graduating from their academy. The 24-year-old has made 305 senior appearances for them, scoring 79 goals and providing 78 assists. However, he’s struggled this season with nine goals and seven assists in 42 games.
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Wayne Rooney believes it could be because Saka is under pressure to deliver Arsenal their first major trophy since 2020. He said on the BBC (h/t Metro):
“Do you know what? You need to look at the pressure on Bukayo Saka, especially as he’s been captain for a lot of the season with Martin Odegaard being injured. That pressure to win trophies, given where Arsenal have been, that can tally up and make it difficult for you.”
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“He has struggled this season but he’s a fantastic player and he’s been brilliant. He’s played a lot of games as well in his career. I think we all know there’s more there,” he added.
Odegaard has played 27 games across competitions for the Gunners this season, with Saka being the captain in his absence.
Pundit backs Arsenal star Bukayo Saka to start for England at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Bukayo Saka’s struggles this season have also translated to his performances at the international level. He has one goal and one assist in the last three games for England. He didn’t feature in their friendlies this month.
Hence, there is speculation about his place in Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, Alan Smith believes the Arsenal man will beat competition on the right wing to start for the Three Lions, saying (h/t Metro):
“It’s not been the best, has it, for him? He’s set such high standards. But he’s always done well for England. He knows what it’s about. He’s got great tournament experience and he’s done well in tournaments.”
“So it would take a lot I think for Tuchel to drop him. Plus the fact he hasn’t really got anybody you’d say, oh no, he should be in ahead of him. Jarrod Bowen plays on the right. Noni Madueke, his clubmate. But I still think Saka’s in the box seat comfortably, really,” he added.
Overall, the Arsenal winger has scored 14 goals and provided nine assists in 48 games for England.
Italy will miss out on a third straight World Cup after falling to Bosnia and Hercegovina in Tuesday’s breathless qualification play-off final, the Azzurri blowing their chance to reach this summer’s tournament in North America with a 4-1 penalty shoot-out defeat.
Esmir Bajraktarevic shot the winning spot-kick in Zenica where the Bosnians booked a place in Group B and matches against co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar, and plunged Italy into a new nightmare.
Four-time world champions, Italy took the lead through Moise Kean in the 15th minute but then folded under the weight of expectation at the Bilino Polje Stadium after having to play most of the match with 10 men.
Italy were already firmly on the back foot when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for chopping down Amar Memic four minutes before half-time, and Haris Tabakovic poked home Bosnia’s deserved leveller in the 79th minute to take the match to extra time.
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And the horror show continued in the subsequent shoot-out, with Pio Esposito smashing Italy’s first penalty over the goal, and when Bryan Cristante hit the bar and Bajraktarevic squeezed his effort under Gianluigi Donnarumma, the game was up.
“I don’t think the boys deserved to suffer such a blow, for the performance, the effort and the heart that they showed tonight… I’m proud of the boys,” said a visibly shaken Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso.
Gattuso added that talking about his future “wasn’t important” but Gabriele Gravina, the head of the Italian Football Federation, later told reporters he had asked Gattuso to stay on as coach and he would not being resigning from his position.
Italy are the first World Cup winners to miss three consecutive editions of the tournament, and it was also a third straight elimination in the play-offs after Sweden in 2018 and North Macedonia four years ago.
Bosnia meanwhile reached their second World Cup finals, and first since 2014, in front of a passionate crowd which invaded the pitch after a historic victory.
“They’re guys with character. We have guys we’re proud of,” said Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez.
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“I’ve told them that we have to go to a tournament every two years.”
Some Italy players were filmed celebrating when Bosnia won their semi-final – again on penalties – against Wales.
Sorry Italy
Italy looked nervy in the opening exchanges but were given a helping hand in opening the scoring by Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj, who under pressure from Mateo Retegui passed the ball straight to Nicolo Barella.
The Inter Milan midfielder offloaded to Kean who confidently curled home his eighth goal in six international appearances from the edge of the penalty area.
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Bosnia reacted well to going behind, continuing to harry Italy and force mistakes on a bobbly pitch, and Ermedin Demirovic glanced a header inches wide in the 38th minute.
And the already rowdy home fans smelled blood when Bastoni was given his marching orders for his horrendous challenge, the Inter defender arriving late on Memic and giving referee Clement Turpin no choice but to show him a straight red card.
A man down and with a slender lead to protect, Gattuso brought on Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti for Retegui and set his team up to soak up the waves of Bosnia pressure which came after the break.
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Donnarumma had to be alert to punch away Kerim Alajbegovic’s powerful drive in the 52nd minute, but Kean wasted a golden chance to double Italy’s lead on the hour mark when he pounced on Memic’s sloppy pass and charged towards goal only to smash his shot over the bar.
And after Esposito and Dimarco failed to make the most of presentable shooting opportunities, substitute Tabakovic sparked wild celebrations after Edin Dzeko’s header was clawed off the line by Donnarumma.
Another superb Donnarumma save from Demirovic’s header kept Italy level and extra time was equally tense, with the Italians furious that Tarik Muharemovic was not sent off for taking out Marco Palestra as the Cagliari defender burst towards goal.
But that won’t be much of an excuse after another sorry effort to reach the World Cup ended in dismal fashion in the shoot-out.
Spanish authorities have said they are investigating repeated abusive chants by fans during Tuesday night’s international friendly match between the Spanish and Egyptian men’s national football teams.
The game, which had to be moved to Barcelona from Qatar as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, ended in a 0-0 draw, but was marred by persistent anti-Muslim jeers directed at the visiting team.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente was livid after the match, voicing “total and absolute disgust” for the behavior of some Spanish fans while blasting “any form of xenophobia, racism or disrespect” as absolutely unacceptable.
“Violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves. They must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible,” de la Fuente added.
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The coach pointed out that a large majority of fans at the match loudly condemned the incident and booed those responsible, but he called for those involved in wrongdoing to be banned.
De la Fuente’s disgust was echoed by Spanish football’s governing body RFEF.
Spanish police are now seeking to identify those involved in the “Islamophobic and xenophobic” chants.
Islamophobic and racist chants persisted throughout the game despite repeated verbal and written warnings to Spanish fansImage: Albert Gea/REUTERS
What did Spanish fans do during the game against Egypt?
The trouble started early on Tuesday evening, with Spanish supporters loudly jeering the Egyptian national anthem, only to shift to overtly racist and anti-Muslim chants halfway through the first half.
Authorities made repeated requests for those insulting the guests to stop, to no avail.
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At one point, stadium operators flashed a message to fans on scoreboards that read: “Please be reminded that legislation on the prevention of violence in sport prohibits and penalizes active participation in violent, xenophobic, homophobic or racist acts.”
“We are investigating yesterday’s Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at RCDE Stadium during the Spain-Egypt friendly match,” Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra regional police force later wrote on X.
Spanish Justice Minister Felix Bolanos joined the condemnation as well, saying, such “racist insults and chants shame us as a society.”
After 23 matches, a 25-hour journey, a rejected request for postponement and the complications of playing amid a war that has taken its toll, Iraq have made the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
A 2-1 playoff win over Bolivia in Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Tuesdaysaw wild celebrations in Iraq.
The Iraq team, led by Australian coach Graham Arnold, arrived in Mexico last week after an arduous three-day journey, with some players forced to make parts of the journey overland thanks to the shutdown of air traffic in the region as a result of the US-Israel war with Iran.
Arnold had asked for the match to be postponed due to the logistical difficulties but was happy to see his team overcome the challenges. “Delighted for the players, very good boys, very happy for the 46 million Iraqis,” he said.
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‘Let’s shock the world’
“Hopefully it will help change the perception of Iraq and the football in Iraq. Doing something in the World Cup nobody expects us to do. Let’s shock the world.”
More than 100 Iraqis have died in the war but the country took to the streets after the final whistle blew, with a two day national holiday announced.
“Despite the dire economic situation and the war, our national team won,” fan Ali al-Muhandis told news agency AFP. “We in Iraq excel in exceptional circumstances. We are living through a war that has nothing to do with us, because it’s between Iran, America and Israel.”
This morning FIFA announced that: “The line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been completed with six teams clinching the remaining places among the 48 that will make the upcoming tournament in North America the most inclusive ever.”
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Iran protests and position cast real World Cup doubt
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the Iranian national team’s 5-0 win over Costa Rica in Turkey on Tuesday in which Iranian players held pictures of children killed in US and Israeli strikes on the country during the national anthem, the second such protest in their March international friendlies. In the first, the players wore black armbands held children’s rucksacks to commemorate the victims of a strike on a primary school in Iran on the first day of the war.
Iranian national team players made reference to war before both of their March internationalsImage: Orhan Cicek/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO
“Iran will be at the World Cup,” Infantino said at halftime. “That’s why we’re here. We’re delighted because they’re a very, very strong team, I’m very happy.” He then added: “I’ve seen the team, I’ve spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine.”
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It seems unlikely that Washington and Tehran feel the same. US President Donald Trump, the recipient of FIFA’S new Peace Prize last year, said last month that Iran should not travel “for their own life and safety”. Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, has also previously said that “under no circumstances can we participate” while a statement from the team’s Instagram account said: “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.”
FIFA’s reluctance to wrangle with a potential Iranian boycott leaves the question of who would replace them open. The organization’s laws state that: “A nominated alternate, often the direct runner-up from the relevant qualifying playoff or highest-ranked non-qualified team from that confederation””should qualify, which may end up being the United Arab Emirates, given Iraq’s win. But nothing is certain.
Bosnia, DR Congo jubilant as Italy miss out again
Things are a little clearer for the other five playoff winners on Tuesday. In Europe, Czech Republic, Turkey, Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina all won through. The latter beat Italy on penalties to condemn the Azzuri to a third consecutive missed World Cup and spark wild scenes in Sarajevo and elsewhere in the country.
“What can I say? We saw everything after that last penalty. Great pride,” defender Nikola Katic said. “I’ve never cried after a game, I’m 29 years old, and now the tears have started.”
There were similar feelings as the DR Congo punched their World Cup ticket for the first time in 1974, when they were known as Zaire.
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The 48-team tournament has drawn criticism for expanding the tournament in an already packed football calendar and diluting quality but has given opportunities to those beyond the normal qualifiers. Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan will all make their tournament debuts later this year.
Sheza Alibi retains the possibility of being the tightest favourite ever for a three-year-old filly in a Doncaster history spanning 100 years, despite copping barrier 13 in Saturday’s Group 1 $4 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) over Royal Randwick.
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s charge eased a fraction to $2.10 market leader post Tuesday morning’s pivotal barrier allocation, with key opponent Autumn Boy contracting from $6 to $5 off the inside barrier.
“I’ve eased Sheza Alibi slightly to $2.10, not because she drew a little wide but her main rival Autumn Boy has the rails barrier,” TAB Fixed Odds spokesman Tim Ryan said.
“I don’t think Sheza Alibi’s barrier is a disadvantage but Autumn Boy is probably going to settle in front of her.
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“But I would not be surprised if Sheza Alibi starts shorter on raceday as she is very popular with our punters and over 70 percent of the all-in money is on her.”
Back in 1926, Valicare became the lone three-year-old filly to dispatch odds-on status in the Doncaster, scoring at 5/4 on ($1.80).
No filly in the modern age has beaten Sunline’s starting price when she secured her first Doncaster in 1999 from 10/9 ($2.10).
Winx, the powerhouse mare, was a four-year-old $1.80 elect when victorious in the 2016 Doncaster.
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Tuesday’s barrier draw for the 16-horse Doncaster Mile field produced various talking points:
Moody, a Hall of Fame figure, “led in” past winner Lygon Arms as a 19-year-old attendant for trainer Tommy Smith in 1988.
“I haven’t had much exposure in the Doncaster as a trainer,” Moody told Racing And Sports.
“But I was strapper for Lygon Arms all those years ago. TJ knew how to win the race and obviously we would love to win it.”
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Regarding the 13 barrier for Sheza Alibi in the Doncaster, Moody downplayed any issues.
“Sheza Alibi can settle midfield, three-deep with cover,” Moody said.
“She’s done really well since winning the Randwick Guineas and she won’t get into a handicap with 49kg again so we sort of had to go to the Doncaster.
“Jamie (Melham, jockey) rode her in a trial last week so she’s had the opportunity to put the filly through her paces and we are very pleased with her preparation.”
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The duo of Moody and Coleman also saddles Victorious Spirit and Bingi in the Group 1 $2 million ATC Australian Derby (2400m).
“Victorious Spirit is going well, he just got caught wide the other day,” Moody said.
“I think Victorious Spirit and Bingi will improve for the Derby.”
Godolphin runner Observer leads at $3 for the classic at Randwick, aiming to follow Hitotsu (2022) and Riff Rocket (2024) in the VRC Derby-ATC Australian Derby double within the last four years.
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