Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, also known as Memo Ochoa, officially retired from professional football after scripting a massive record on Thursday. He played in Mexico’s final FIFA World Cup 2026 group game against Czechia in Mexico City, which the co-hosts ended up winning 3-0. Ochoa came in as a substitute in the 77th minute of the match. With this final appearance at the age of 40 years and 346 days, he became the oldest player to represent Mexico in the tournament’s history. Ochoa broke the previous record of Rafa Marquez, who had achieved it against Brazil in 2018 at the age of 39 years and 139 days.

Mateo Chavez and Julian Quinones scored in a six-minute span early in the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night to win all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the first time.

The 22-year-old Chavez, in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 55th minute and Quinones scored his second goal of the tournament in the 61st. Alvaro Fidalgo added a goal in second-half stoppage time.

Mexico’s previous best group-stage performance was two wins and one draw, done in 1986 and 2002 and both featuring Javier Aguirre, the first as a midfielder and the second as El Tri’s coach. Aguirre is back as coach this year, his third stint leading the team.

Already the winner of Group A, Mexico will play again at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday in a round-of-32 match against an opponent to be determined.

Mexico is undefeated at nine World Cup matches at the massive stadium, which was packed with 80,824 fans on Wednesday. El Tri has only two losses at Azteca, most recently in World Cup qualifying against Honduras on Sept. 6, 2013.

The match included nods to Mexico’s past and future. Gilberto Mora, at age 17, became the youngest Mexico player to start in a World Cup. And 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa entered in the 77th minute, joining Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to appear in six World Cups.

Mexico’s triumph was marred, however, by the return of a homophobic chant by fans that has previously led to fines and other sanctions against its soccer federation. The chant, a one-word slur that literally means male prostitute in Spanish, was heard near the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick.

The Czech Republic was eliminated, finishing with one point in three games.

Mexico is unbeaten in 11 games dating to a friendly loss against Panama last November. And Aguirre has made the most of his roster, using 25 of 26 players in the tournament. Chavez was one of five starters Wednesday who did not start last Thursday’s 1-0 win over South Korea.

Ochoa, who wears No. 13, played the last 13 minutes, plus stoppage time, in what’s likely to be his final appearance for Mexico. He turns 41 on July 13 and has said he plans to retire from international competition after the World Cup.

He was a substitute in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments and started for Mexico in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Raul Rangel is the starter this year, stepping in for the injured Luis Angel Malagon, who helped Mexico win the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup last year. Malagon’s injury opened the door for Ochoa’s return.

(With agency inputs)

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Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long blurred the line between sport, entertainment and commerce. The 2025 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 has now given that shift a corporate stamp, with five IPL franchises making their debut among India’s 500 most valuable non-state-run companies.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have entered the list, becoming part of the same corporate universe as India’s largest private-sector businesses. Their combined valuation of more than Rs 71,000 crore signals a defining moment for Indian sport: cricket franchises are no longer being seen only as teams, but as mature business enterprises.

“Cricket is no longer just India’s sport; it is India’s business. The debut of CSK, KKR, PBKS, RR and RCB on the 2025 Hurun India 500, with a combined valuation of over Rs 71,000 crore, is a defining moment: for the first time, the boardroom and the boundary rope are on the same list,” said Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher, Hurun India.

Knight Riders leads the group at rank 270 with a valuation of Rs 20,850 crore, followed by Super Kings at rank 285 with Rs 19,550 crore. RCB has been valued at Rs 16,700 crore, placing it at rank 330. Royals is ranked 343 with a valuation of Rs 15,700 crore, while Punjab Kings entered at rank 390 with Rs 14,050 crore.

The debut of IPL franchises in the Hurun India 500 marks a shift in how sports properties are being valued in India. For years, IPL teams were seen largely through the prism of on-field performance, star players, sponsorship deals and fan loyalty. Their entry into a list of India’s most valuable private-sector companies suggests that investors and valuation experts are now looking at them as scalable corporate assets.

An IPL franchise today resembles a consumer-facing enterprise as much as a sports team. Its value is tied not only to wins and losses but also to the strength of its brand, the size of its fan base, its ability to attract sponsors, and the predictability of cash flows from cricket’s most valuable league.

Why KKR, CSK and RCB lead the table

The ranking also shows how brand depth and market recall are being rewarded. KKR, CSK and RCB are the three most valuable franchises among the five that entered the list.

KKR’s valuation of Rs 20,850 crore puts it ahead of the other IPL entities in the ranking. CSK follows closely at Rs 19,550 crore, underlining the value of one of the league’s most consistent and widely followed franchises. RCB, valued at Rs 16,700 crore, continues to command significant corporate value despite not having the same title-winning history as CSK or KKR.

This suggests that franchise value is no longer determined only by trophies. Fan loyalty, brand visibility, star association and marketability also shape enterprise value. RCB’s presence in the top three among IPL franchises is a clear example of how a large and engaged fan base can translate into corporate worth.

Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, valued at Rs 15,700 crore and Rs 14,050 crore, respectively, show that the value creation is not limited to the league’s most decorated teams. Even franchises with uneven on-field histories are now valuable enough to sit among India’s top 500 non-state-run companies.

The IPL’s corporate evolution

The IPL has always been a commercial success, but this development reflects a deeper evolution. Franchises are now being valued as enterprises with recurring relevance rather than seasonal visibility.

A strong IPL team can generate commercial value across multiple layers. It offers live sport inventory, digital engagement, sponsorship exposure, content opportunities and brand extensions. The league’s annual cycle also keeps franchises in public conversation through auctions, retentions, player trades, pre-season campaigns, match windows and off-season content.

Total India Inc value exceeds $3.4 trillion

The 2025 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 values India’s 500 most valuable non-state-run companies at $3.4 trillion. To qualify for the list, companies needed a minimum valuation of Rs 10,230 crore as of April 30, 2026, up 7 per cent from last year. The cohort employs 8.9 million people, contributes Rs 3.23 trillion in taxes, and invests Rs 13,433 crore in corporate social responsibility initiatives.

“The companies in the 2025 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 form the backbone of India’s private sector, wielding significant economic influence. Together, they have a cumulative valuation of US$3.4 trillion — higher than the GDP of Canada and the combined GDPs of Indonesia and Spain — and employ 8.9 million people,” Junaid said.

Reliance Industries retained the top rank for the fifth consecutive year, while Bharti Airtel entered the top tier after adding Rs 7.6 trillion in value since 2021. The list saw 95 new entrants, the highest in its history. Financial services and healthcare dominated value creation, while artificial intelligence, defence manufacturing and renewable energy emerged as important growth themes. Sarvam AI became the first homegrown large language model developer to enter the list.

Arnika Dixit, Group Head – Cards, Payments and Wealth Management, Axis Bank, said the report reflected a phase of steady evolution in India’s corporate landscape, where companies were building scale even as they adapted, invested through cycles, and found new ways to stay relevant.

“What is increasingly evident is how the drivers of value creation are becoming more varied, with momentum extending beyond traditional centres into a wider, more diverse set of businesses and markets,” Dixit said.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his parents

NEW DELHI: The biggest question ahead of India’s first T20I against Ireland on Friday is whether teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will make his international debut.The 15-year-old has generated enormous excitement since being named in India’s squad, and fans are eagerly waiting to see if he gets an opportunity in the two-match series in Belfast. Adding to the anticipation, Vaibhav’s parents have travelled to Northern Ireland and arrived at Team India’s hotel in Belfast. A video shared on social media showed them entering the hotel, fuelling speculation that the youngster could be in line for a memorable debut.

A ‘dream fulfilled’ for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Ahead of the series, Vaibhav spoke about the emotions of receiving his India jersey for the first time.“I mean, words cannot explain it. The reason I picked up a bat from day one and went to the cricket ground for practice, today that dream was fulfilled, and the biggest step in that journey was completed today. I truly cannot put this feeling into words,” Vaibhav said in a BCCI video.The teenager admitted he struggled to process the moment when he first saw the India jersey.“It felt just like a dream. The moment I saw that T-shirt, I couldn’t stop smiling. Sometimes, something happens that you never even imagined could happen, and when it finally does, you don’t know how to react. That was exactly how I felt,” he added.

Record-breaking rise of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav recently became the youngest player ever selected for the Indian men’s team, breaking a record that had stood for 36 years. The previous record belonged to Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut at the age of 16 in 1989.The Bihar batter’s rapid rise has been one of the biggest stories in Indian cricket this year.Just days before joining the national squad, Vaibhav produced another stunning performance in the India A colours. In the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla on June 21, he blasted 94 runs off only 29 balls.During that innings, he reached his half-century in just 11 deliveries, setting a new List A world record for the fastest fifty. The previous mark was a 12-ball half-century by Sri Lanka’s Kaushalya Weeraratne.

Vaibhav earned his maiden India call-up after a sensational IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals. He finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 776 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30.The youngster also smashed a record 72 sixes and swept several major awards, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes honours.

With India set to play T20I series against Ireland and England in the coming weeks, all eyes will be on team selection in Belfast. If picked, Vaibhav will take another giant step in a journey that has already captured the imagination of cricket fans across the country.

South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history, an astonishing turnaround after a dismal opening defeat.

The Bafana Bafana, playing in a World Cup for the first time since they hosted it in 2010, were widely written off after their 2-0 loss to Group A winners Mexico in the tournament’s curtain raiser.

But they battled to a draw against the Czech Republic and came out on top of what was effectively a shootout with South Korea for second place in Monterrey, thanks to Thapelo Maseko’s second-half strike.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos said it was difficult to put his side’s achievement into words.

“We scored that goal, and it was 20 minutes of heartbeating and hoping that the game should be finished as soon as possible,” said the Belgian.

“So yes, we are in the second round. It’s historic. But I’m very happy for the guys. I’ve worked with them for five years. And what we did in those five years is amazing.”

South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo made a shock call by leaving captain Son Heung-min — considered by many to be Asia’s greatest-ever player — out of the starting line-up.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Vinicius Junior scores twice as Brazil beat Scotland to reach last 32

The Asian team started strongly, with stand-in captain Kim Min-jae’s powerful header blocked on the goalline by Aubrey Modiba before Lee Kang-in flashed wide.

South Africa quickly settled, playing with hunger and adventure, but their finishing was wasteful.

They seemed certain to take the lead in the 30th minute when the ball fell to Evidence Makgopa after South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu parried Thalente Mbatha’s shot.

But Makgopa could only tamely poke the ball straight at the goalkeeper from close range.

Son came on at the start of the second half, one of three changes made by coach Hong as he sought to change the script.

Early in the second period Maseko squandered another good position while South Korea forward Oh Hyeon-gyu tested goalkeeper Ronwen Williams at the other end.

As news filtered through from Mexico City that the host nation were leading against the Czech Republic, there was an added sense of urgency.

South Africa seized their moment with Tshepang Moremi crossing to Maseko, who this time kept his cool, firing home inside the near post in the 63rd minute.

South Korea pushed hard in the closing stages but ran out of time, meaning South Africa will face co-hosts Canada in Los Angeles on June 28.

Ochoa’s sixth World Cup finals

Co-hosts Mexico topped the group with nine points after winning all three of their matches.

El Tri completed their first round with a 100% record after romping past the Czech Republic 3-0 in the Estadio Azteca.

Mexico move on to a last-32 match in the same stadium on June 30 while the Czechs return home after finishing bottom of the group.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Vinicius Junior scores twice as Brazil beat Scotland to reach last 32

Mateo Chavez gave Mexico the lead in the 55th minute and Julian Quinones took advantage of disarray in the Czech defence six minutes later to extend the lead.

Alvaro Fidalgo completed a sparkling evening for the Mexicans as he smashed in a cross four minutes into added time.

Mexico even brought on goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa as a second-half substitute, allowing the veteran to play in a sixth World Cup finals at the age of 40

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Emma Raducanu can win more grand slam titles if she chases happiness rather than ranking points and stops worrying about her critics.

That is the view of her former coach Mark Petchey as the British number one prepares for her latest crack at Wimbledon.

A year ago, Petchey was in the middle of a successful short-term spell guiding the 23-year-old, but his broadcasting commitments meant it could not become permanent.

Raducanu is now back with Andrew Richardson, the coach who helped her to the US Open title in 2021 that launched her to superstardom but has made the intervening five years a wild and challenging ride.

“I love Emma to bits,” Petchey, who first coached Raducanu as a teenager, told the Press Association.

“I’ll take a bullet for her. I think her situation is so unique. I don’t envy her life, being judged every single week on a result that happened five years ago, that was an amazing story, was an absolute fairy tale.

“She’s a hell of a tennis player. But it’s challenging because, if you don’t win another one, it’s deemed a sub-optimal outcome.

“And I think, for her, it’s been a very hard process to grow up as an 18-year-old, in the glare of the spotlight, with everything that came – everyone would have done the same, but they say they wouldn’t have done the same. That’s the thing that I find really hard, the cognitive dissonance from people.

“She can win another one for sure, I’ve always believed that about her. If she can find a way to just do the ordinary in an extraordinary way, every single day, and not look for a shortcut back to where she was in ’21, she’ll be fine.”

Petchey helped Raducanu out again this spring but is not prepared to give up his other roles, which also include tennis ambassador for Neilson Active Holidays, to take on the post permanently.

Speaking from the latest addition to Neilson’s portfolio, Mangia’s Torre del Barone Resort in Sicily, Petchey says he is delighted to see Raducanu and Richardson reunited.

“There’s so many things I love about it. We obviously had a conversation because my situation was never really going to change and she needed to find somebody.

“And I think going back to what she remembers as an amazing time of her life is perfect, and I think it will be very positive for her. I think they will have a great relationship.

“I also think that it was necessary almost for both of them, to have this time again, because there’s so many people that said she should never have got rid of Andrew. Even if it doesn’t work, at least you can cross that off the list.”

Petchey has had as close a view as anyone of the goldfish bowl in which Raducanu operates and the scrutiny that accompanies her every move.

“I thought I knew quite a lot about what to expect,” he said. “There is a mystery about Emma that really fascinates people. And it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, these people are borderline obsessed about everything’.”

Raducanu has not made it beyond the fourth round of a grand slam since her New York triumph and this has again been a stop-start season after a post-viral illness ruled her out for two-and-a-half months, but a run to the final at Queen’s Club has tilted the balance back towards optimism.

“Everyone knows that things could have been handled differently – but not by her,” said Petchey.

“She was 18. That’s not on her, but there are a lot of adults in the room that clearly will need to look at themselves.

“The lucky thing for her is she won it so young, she had this period to figure stuff out, and she’s now just 23 and has still got a lot of runway ahead in tennis if she decides to use it. Especially on the grass, because there’s no question in my mind this is her best surface.

“I think she needs to live and have her career from here on in on her terms. You get a zero pointer? F*** it. Who cares? Don’t play the tournament. Just do what’s going to make you happy.

“Give yourself the chance at the four majors, because I’ll back you against anyone.

“Don’t worry so much about the ranking and worry more about being in the right position to have a run at a tournament every single time you tee it up, because you’re not like everyone and don’t feel like it’s a negative.

“You could have the longest career of all time if you decide to do that. If you keep doing it like everyone else is telling you to do it, and everyone else is doing it, you’re probably going to have a short career. People are going to criticise anyway, whichever way you do it.”

As for whether Petchey might have a role again in the future, the 55-year-old will leave the door open.

“If she needs me,” he added. “The best thing is probably when my phone doesn’t beep, because then I know she’s happy.”

Chris Waller’s stable is looking to God’s Window to lead their charge in the W J McKell Cup at Rosehill, with stablemate Rotagilla highly likely to compete in Queensland.

Rotagilla has remained in Brisbane since achieving a third-place finish at Eagle Farm earlier this month. Waller’s assistant trainer, Charlie Duckworth, has confirmed the horse will participate in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at the same venue, foregoing a middle-distance race at Rosehill.

“He is already up there anyway, and 2000 just sees him out because he wants to get a little bit keen, so he will stay over the mile up there instead,” Duckworth conveyed.

“He is a good little horse. He just needs speed on, and Tim (Clark) gets on well with him. That’s another factor for keeping him up there.”

With Rotagilla’s Brisbane assignment confirmed, God’s Window will be the sole representative from the stable in the Listed W J McKell Cup (2000m), which is the feature event on the Rosehill card.

Waller has a previous victory in the winter feature, having won with Skyman in 2022. God’s Window is arriving in strong form, having won over a mile at Randwick two starts ago and finishing second to Formal Display over the same course and distance on June 6.

Now in his second Australian racing campaign, God’s Window was considered competitive enough overseas to contest the 2024 Epsom Derby. While his wins have been over 1709m, he has secured placings in races extending to 2414m.

“Both runs back over a mile have been really good,” Duckworth commented.

“He has drawn slightly sticky, but he is relaxing better than he ever has, which has been a bit of a concern for him.

“He had a tick over trial last week. He’s right in it.”

Market leaders concur, with God’s Window listed as the $3.70 favourite. Zaphod, a placegetter in the Gosford and Lord Mayors Cup, is at $5, while Rotagilla is a $8.50 chance in Brisbane.

Check out the latest racing odds for the W J McKell Cup and consider backing God’s Window.

The 2026 NBA offseason is heating up quickly. After the Bucks sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat on Monday, another blockbuster could be brewing with ESPN reporting that Charlotte Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball could potentially be moved by this weekend.

Charania noted that Ball wants to be in Charlotte and that his relationship with the team is in a “good place,” but that might not matter with the Hornets suddenly fielding “aggressive offers” that could make a deal too good to pass up.

Who might these teams trying to trade for Ball be? Marc Stein and Jake Fischer are reporting the Timberwolves and Raptors. Chris Haynes is also reporting Minnesota. 

And that’s seemingly just the start of the list. This situation appears to be developing quickly.

Changing mindset on score-first guards

It’s worth noting what we just saw from Jalen Brunson and pondering how much his playoff performance — and New York’s championship — might be reinvigorating the market for these one-way, ball-dominant point guards. 

For a minute, this was the most rapidly depreciating player archetype in the league. The Hawks couldn’t trade Trae Young for a sack of nickels and wound up having to salary dump him to the Wizards. The Bucks decided that paying Damian Lillard $113 million over five years to play for someone else was better than keeping him. 

Fats forward, and Young has gotten a $212 million contract from the Wizards, who apparently believed there were multiple max offers about to come Young’s way. And now a bunch of teams want Ball. There appears to be a bidding war for his services. 

Ball is an extremely talented player, as we saw in the playoffs, how important shot creation is, even if it’s coming from a defensively deficient source. 

The Knicks just showed the basketball world that it is indeed possible to surround such these one-sided stars with enough defensive infrastructure to make them competitively viable on the highest level. Is Ball or Young on Brunson’s level? Absolutely not. But Ball, at 6-foot-8, has the size to eliminate at least one of the concerns with these types of guards. 

He can be a disruptive defender, and we have seen him scale back some his playground antics on the offensive end. Last season he trimmed his turnovers to a career-low 2.8 per game, and he has scored north of 20 PPG to go with seven-plus assists in each of the last five seasons. 

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He’s far from a perfect player, but the bottom line is the Hornets were 9.9 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court last year, per Cleaning the Glass, and Charlotte was one of the best teams in the league from January on. You can’t call him a total losing player with much credibility anymore. 

Ball’s scoring efficiency still leaves a lot to be desired, but he’s a plus 3-point shooter on high volume despite a pretty difficult shot diet. There is no questioning his ability to create offense for himself and others, and he is an incredible pace-pusher. There’s some Tyrese Haliburton in there. A much bigger Trae Young at worst. Imagining Ball on a team like the Wolves, alongside Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, with that kind of defensive support in place, is an intriguing prospect to say the least. 

Why would the Hornets want to trade LaMelo Ball?

It begs the question: If Ball is this good, and the idea that his type of player can lead competitive teams is now back on the radar, why would the Hornets want to get rid of him? Well, for starters, Charania noted “aggressive” offers. You don’t necessarily have to want to trade a player to be moved to do so by an offer you can’t refuse. 

Besides that, we’ve just taken a total glass-half-full look at Ball. There is still a lot of carelessness in there, and again, the scoring inefficiency is real. It’s hard to imagine a team winning a championship with its point guard launching one-footed 3-pointers as a matter of routine. Plus, he makes a lot of money. He’s owed more than $130 million over the next three years. 

By moving off Ball, Charlotte could be ahead of the curve on a depreciating player, and in doing so could free up a lot of immediate flexibility by taking back expiring money to resign Brandon Miller and begin to build in earnest around him and Kon Kneuppel. 

Perhaps the Hornets could even use Ball to get into the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes by way of a multi-team deal. Whatever the case, the options are much more open with Ball off the books. For a while, it didn’t seem like that would be possible. Again, it wasn’t that long ago that teams were of the mindset that you couldn’t win with the ball-dominant, defensively deficient point guard unless his name is Luka Dončić. Hell, the Mavericks didn’t even think they could win with Dončić. 

But that belief seems to be flipping. How much does Brunson’s success have to do with that? Who knows. But either way, Ball is back in the good graces of the trade market, and things appear to be heating up quickly.