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The rise of legalized sports betting has led to a rise of online abuse that athletes have had to deal with while trying to perform on a daily basis in their respective sports.

Fanatics Sportsbook, which has become the fastest-growing sportsbook in the United States, is trying to combat that social media abuse with a groundbreaking partnership announced on Thursday.

Fanatics Sportsbook has partnered with Integrity Compliance 360, Inc. (IC360) and Signify Group to establish the Bad Actor Program, designed to tame online hostility toward athletes, which is ever-increasing across social platforms.

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A team member stands inside the Fanatics Sportsbook at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., on Sept. 14, 2025. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

This important step in safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved in legalized sports betting will begin at the start of football season in the U.S., which comes at the start of college football in late August.

IC360 will collaborate with Signify Group’s Threat Matrix service to monitor for targeted abusive and threatening content across multiple social platforms. If problematic abuse and threats toward athletes, organizations and teams are detected, those individuals behind the accounts will be placed into IC360’s ProhiBet Bad Actor program.

It’s a similar platform as IC360’s ProhiBet, which helps restrict wagering by athletes, coaches and trainers. The Bad Actor program will provide sportsbooks with the ability to restrict wagering by those who are threatening athletes and coaches.

PRO TENNIS PLAYER REVEALS SCARY MESSAGE FROM SPORTS BETTOR: ‘I WILL COME AFTER YOU’

“This groundbreaking program will hold bettors accountable for threats made against players, coaches, and officials,” Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming, said in a statement. “It falls in line with our core values at Fanatics — respect and tolerance for the athletes and coaches that play the games that we love. We encourage other operators to join the initiative because there is no sports betting potential loss that should embolden a sports betting customer to threaten or harass an athlete online.”

Also, as part of Threat Matrix’s monitoring of global sports competitions, athletes and officials will be encouraged to report abusive direct messages to expedite the process. Once submitted, Signify will analyze reports, assess the severity of the messages and escalate serious cases to its in-house specialists for detailed investigation. And if behavior crosses to a criminal threshold, the proper law enforcement agencies will be contacted.

Fanatics Sportsbook will also be suspending or permanently terminating a customer’s account if it is determine they have engaged in abusive, threatening, defamatory or harassing conduct of any kind toward sports officials, players or coaches. As the sportsbook enforces a  zero-tolerance policy for bettors who engage in threatening conduct, the Bad Actor program only escalates that key pillar of the company.

The Fanatics Sportsbook app is displayed on a smartphone in New Hyde Park, N.Y., on Sept. 17, 2025. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Threats of violence and harassment in sports at arenas and on social media are increasing at an alarming rate, undermining the integrity of the sports betting industry,” Scott Sadin, co-CEO of IC360, said in a statement. “Addressing the individuals with ProhiBet Bad and Threat Matrix is crucial to protecting athletes and other stakeholders from serious, long-term harm.”

Too many times athletes have come forward, sharing their direct messages where sports bettors have sent threats, used vulgar language and much more. Arthur Bouquier, who was the No. 219-ranked men’s tennis player in the world at the time, revealed a scary message he received in 2025, where a bettor who lost his wager, “I will come after you.”

“French tennis is so mediocre right now that French players stick to playing at home to avoid embarrassment abroad,” the message to Bouquier read. “Let me remind you that you don’t achieve much when you leave France – it shows the limits of your tennis game. 

“I swear, if you lose, I will never forgive you. I will track you and your family down just to hurt you, even if it means going to prison. Might as well, because if I lose these 2000 euros, I’ll be on the streets, so my life won’t make sense anymore – I might as well spend my days in prison.”

The Fanatics Sportsbook logo appears on a smartphone in New Hyde Park, N.Y., on Sept. 17, 2025. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Fanatics Sportsbook hopes the Bad Actor program helps deter and punish abusive online offenders, while showing those involved in the sports world that they can identify those who cross the line and deal with them accordingly.

As King said, Fanatics Sportsbook hopes the rest of the sports betting world follows suit to maintain the integrity of an industry that continues to evolve.

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Two-division world champion Jermall Charlo is set to return to action in Australia next month. Should he be victorious, there is one reigning champion that the Texan is hoping to take on.

Charlo claimed world honours at both super-welterweight and middleweight but after almost three years without defending his WBC 160lb crown, the undefeated Charlo was stripped of his belt in May 2024.

Since then, ‘Hit Man’ has fought only once, knocking out Thomas ‘Cornflake’ LaManna on the Caleb Plant vs. Armabdo Resendiz card last May, where victory for him and Plant was supposed to tee up a grudge match until Resendiz pulled off the upset in the main event.

Resendiz was then elevated to WBA super-middleweight world champion, but he lost the belt in an attempted first defence against Jaime Munguia last month. 

Speaking with FightHype, 36-year-old Charlo confirmed that he is still pursuing that strap, targeting a shot at Munguia’s title in 2027.

“Let’s get done with this fight in July and then I will try to fight before the end of the year to give you [fans] another fight.

“Then I want to go and fight Munguia, Munguia sounds like a good fight.” 

Charlo first makes his comeback on the Errol Spence vs. Tim Tszyu card in Sydney on Saturday, July 26, facing off with Australian super-welterweight champion Koen Mazoudier in the co-main event.

Fellow American two-division ruler Stephen Fulton is also scheduled to appear on that ‘Australia vs. USA’ card, tasked with former super-featherweight world title challenger Liam Wilson.

The final round of group-stage fixtures continues at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 26, with qualification scenarios becoming clearer across Groups E, F and D.

While some teams have already secured their place in the Round of 32, others are still fighting to keep their World Cup dreams alive. Germany enter the day as Group E winners, the United States have already wrapped up top spot in Group D, while Group F remains one of the most competitive groups in the tournament with three teams still chasing automatic qualification.

Ivory Coast And Curaçao Battle For Second Spot

Germany have already secured top spot in Group E after winning their opening two matches, leaving the battle for the second qualification berth wide open.

Ivory Coast currently hold the advantage and know that avoiding defeat against Curaçao should be enough to progress. Ecuador remain alive but need a positive result against Germany and help from elsewhere.

Curaçao have been one of the surprise packages of the tournament and still have a realistic chance of reaching the knockout rounds.

Group E Scenario 

• 
  Germany have already won the group.
• 
  Ivory Coast qualify with a win or draw.
• 
  Curaçao qualify with a win over Ivory Coast.
• 
  Ecuador need a win and favourable results elsewhere to remain in contention. 

Key Match

Curaçao vs Ivory Coast

This is effectively a knockout game. A victory would send Curaçao into the Round of 32 for the first time, while Ivory Coast only need to avoid defeat to secure qualification.

Group F: The Tightest Group Heads For A Dramatic Finish

Group F remains one of the most unpredictable groups in the competition.

The Netherlands, Japan and Sweden all remain firmly in the race for the two automatic qualification spots. With only one match remaining, every goal could prove decisive.

Group F Scenario 

• 
  Netherlands qualify with a win or draw.
• 
  Netherlands win the group with a win and a Japan draw or loss.
• 
  Japan qualify with a win or draw.
• 
  Japan win the group with a win and a Netherlands draw or loss.
• 
  Sweden qualify with a victory.
• 
  Tunisia have been eliminated.

Japan vs Sweden

This could effectively decide one of the automatic qualification spots. Sweden need victory, while Japan know that even a draw could be enough to secure a place in the knockout stage.

USA Already Through, Australia And Paraguay Fight For Survival

The United States have already secured top spot in Group D after winning their first two matches and are guaranteed a Round of 32 fixture in Santa Clara. That leaves Australia and Paraguay battling for second place.

Australia enter the final matchday in the stronger position and need only avoid defeat against Paraguay to progress. Paraguay, meanwhile, face a straightforward task: win and they advance. Türkiye have already been eliminated after two defeats.

Group D Scenario 

• 
  USA have already won the group.
• 
  Australia qualify with a win or draw.
• 
  Paraguay qualify with a win.
• 
  Paraguay could still qualify with a draw depending on third-place rankings, but it is not guaranteed.
• 
  Türkiye have been eliminated.

Paraguay vs Australia

Curaçao and Ivory Coast will kick-start the June 26 action of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at 1:30 am IST in a crucial Group E encounter.

Which two teams will feature in the second game of FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 26?

Ecuador will face Germany in the other Group E fixture, also scheduled to begin at 1:30 am IST.

Which two teams will feature in the third game of FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 26?

Tunisia will take on the Netherlands in a Group F clash scheduled to start at 4:30 am IST.

Which two teams will feature in the fourth game of FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 26?

Japan and Sweden will lock horns in the second Group F fixture at 4:30 am IST.

Which two teams will feature in the fifth game of FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 26?

Türkiye will meet the United States in a Group D encounter beginning at 7:30 am IST.

Which two teams will feature in the sixth game of FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 26?

Paraguay and Australia will square off in the other Group D fixture, also starting at 7:30 am IST.

Where to watch the live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 June 26 matches in India?

The broadcast of the June 26 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels for fans in India.

Where to watch the live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026 June 26 matches in India?

The live streaming of the June 26 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on the ZEE5 app and website for viewers in India.

Ecuador’s World Cup qualification campaign began with a three-point deduction slapped on them back in 2022 for fielding Colombia-born Byron Castillo, who Chile claimed was ineligible to play the qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar.

They began the 2026 qualifiers under Felix Sanchez, who guided them to three wins from six matches before the former Qatar boss was dismissed in July 2024, straight after a Copa America quarter-final defeat by Argentina.

“They lost the shootout, and Sanchez was sacked in the dressing room after the game,” South American football expert Tim Vickery told BBC Sport.

“They treat their coaches with great harshness.”

Beccacece reign began with a 1-0 defeat by Brazil but his side did not lose again in 11 matches as they qualified for the World Cup as runners-up in South America – only behind the Selecao.

It meant they arrived at the tournament with high expectations and boasting a 19-game unbeaten run.

But it was far from the start they or their supporters had hoped for.

A last-gasp 1-0 defeat by Ivory Coast in the opener was followed by a humiliating goalless draw with debutants Curacao – which turned the fans against the coach.

“I am very sorry I didn’t make ​it to the heart of the Ecuadorean fan,” he had said.

“For the fans who don’t know me, I think I didn’t quite click with them. There is something they don’t like with me ​and that is fine.”

After no playing career of note, Beccacece earned his reputation as an assistant to Jorge Sampaoli during Chile’s era of success a decade ago – helping them to reach the 2014 World Cup and secure their first-ever Copa America title in 2015.

He was also Sampaoli’s assistant at the 2018 World Cup with Argentina while he was in charge of Spanish side Elche before joining Ecuador.

Having now masterminded Ecuador’s turnaround at the World Cup, the 45-year-old has perhaps achieved the biggest feat of his managerial career.

“We never feel like we are in hell, nor do we feel like we are in heaven,” he said after beating Germany.

“We have our feet grounded on earth and we feel and think in the right manner.”

Top spot in Group E, 10 goals scored and two wins from three. And yet, an air of disappointment.

While Germany’s 2-1 loss to Ecuador was celebrated raucously in the stands of the New York New Jersey Stadium, it changed little for the four-time World Cup winners, who had wrapped up first place in their group five days earlier. However, as the players wandered around the pitch at full-time, it felt like an admission of defeat in more ways than one.

After exiting the tournament at the group stages in 2018 and 2022, a place in the last 32 – and their first World Cup knockout game since the 2014 final – is an achievement for Germany, if an expected one. However, this is a nation that dreams big every four years, and on the same pitch where the final will be held in a few weeks, they produced a performance that suggested they’ll have flown home long before 19 July.

It all started so well too, Leroy Sane opening the scoring inside two minutes. It was a well-taken finish, though Aleksandar Pavlovic can count himself lucky that a high foot wasn’t penalised in the build-up.

But if players and fans had hoped that would be a sign of things to come, they were in for a rude awakening. Ecuador were level within seven minutes, Nilson Angulo getting his own slice of fortune as a superb strike went through the legs of the onrushing defender as it flew into the corner.

It was a moment that sparked the game into life, and for a while Germany looked shellshocked, unable to handle Ecuador’s intensity and looking sloppy in possession.

Even as they began to find their feet in possession again it was far too pedestrian. Neither side was able to dominate throughout the first half, but while Germany saw plenty of the ball, there was a lot of probing but very little of substance in their attacking play.

It was not the type of football many associate with Germany, though it is something we’ve become more used to seeing after the group stage exits in the last two World Cups.

“In the weeks leading up to the World Cup, the key issue was that this team needed time to develop chemistry because they hadn’t played many matches together,” said Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann in his pre-match conference. It was clear for all to see in East Rutherford, and combined with a clunky starting XI, injuries and a lack of quality, it feels like it will be Germany’s undoing this summer.

The struggles of Joshua Kimmich at right-back and the lack of threat offered by Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz in attack were a reminder that some of the nation’s best players are being shoehorned into the side due to a lack of alternatives. Kimmich spent most of the season playing in central midfield for Bayern Munich, while Wirtz has proved far more effective down the middle for Liverpool.

As for Havertz, the debate over his abilities as a striker will rage on, while you suspect that in an ideal world Nagelsmann would have better alternatives to Leroy Sane too.

That is no criticism of Nagelsmann either, with the Germany boss simply trying to make the most of his mixed resources. There are few viable – or better – alternatives to Kimmich, Sane and Wirtz, for example, though perhaps he could help himself by starting Deniz Undav in the last 32.

As the game wore on, the lack of chemistry was apparent, with players chasing loose passes, making the wrong runs and failing to pick out teammates. It was summed up in a late mix-up between Tah and Neuer, the defender prodding the ball past his onrushing goalkeeper moments before Gonzalo Plata fired narrowly over the bar.

Havertz, Wirtz and Kimmich all came off, though with Pascal Gross replacing the Liverpool man and centre-back Malick Thiaw also shoehorned in at right-back, only Angelo Stiller felt like a reasonable replacement as he came on for Pavlovic.

Of course, the quality of some players in the starting XI meant that Germany still created chances. The penalty decision at the beginning of the second half would have been a cruel – if entirely self-inflicted – way for Ecuador to fall behind again, but it neatly summed up the game in a way, as it began to feel like a moment of Ecuador madness would be the only way through for Germany.

Later on, Sane blew the best chance of the second half at one end – scuffing his effort and firing it straight at Hernán Galindez – before a brilliant block from Stiller at the other saved Germany.

Even then, it was only for a moment, with Plata bundling in from a corner seconds later. It further summed up Germany’s day. Kevin Rodriuguez won the first ball, Neuer was too slow to react, Tah was too busy grabbing a handful of a shirt rather than getting goal-side, and Plata fired home. A lack of aggression and a lack of physicality were problems throughout, and they combined as Germany conceded again.

As full-time loomed, players raced to recover loose passes and the forwards toiled, but Germany fell to a defeat that feels like the true representation of their 2026 World Cup campaign so far. Wins against Curacao and the Ivory Coast have papered over cracks; having better players will inevitably win you some games, but the level of individual talent in this set-up won’t win Germany this World Cup.

The expanded format and a kind draw means they have avoided the disasters of 2018 and 2022, and will play their first World Cup knockout game since 2014 in Boston on 29 June.

But while the expanded format means that game will come against the likes of Scotland or Paraguay, France could be waiting in the last 16. For Germany, it feels like the end of the road will come sooner rather than later in another tournament to forget.

Manchester City have agreed a club record fee to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

The England midfielder is expected to become City’s biggest ever signing after Forest, who had rejected a previous bid of £106m, rising to £120m, accepted a nine-figure offer, thought to be £116m.

It is understood it is a straight offer with no add-ons and is below the British transfer record, Alexander Isak’s £125m move from Newcastle to Liverpool last summer.

Manchester United were also interested in Anderson but City showed a willingness to meet Forest’s huge asking price.

City made Anderson their top target in their midfield rebuild after captain Bernardo Silva left the Etihad Stadium, with the Portuguese joining Real Madrid.

City are also considering bringing in a second central midfielder this summer, with Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali also of interest to them.

Anderson is currently in the United States as part of the England squad in the World Cup, leaving a question of when and where his medical will take place and the deal is completed.

When the 23-year-old joins City, it will take their spending in 2025 and 2026 to around £550m. City’s current club record buy is Jack Grealish, who signed for £100m in 2021.

Anderson joined Forest for £35m two years ago and will give the Midlands club a vast profit on their investment.

City are closing in on the appointment of Enzo Maresca to replace Pep Guardiola as manager after talks with Chelsea about compensation for the Italian.