Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray took the field for pregame warmups before facing the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, with the venue reflected in his face shield. On January 3, 2021, in Inglewood, California, Murray prepared for the regular-season finale as Arizona readied for a divisional road matchup in Southern California. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings needed a quarterback to hedge the bet against J.J. McCarthy’s out-of-nowhere injury resume, landing on Kyler Murray, who was booted off the Arizona Cardinals‘ roster, in March for $1.3 million. Because of that value — it’s quite incredible — Bleacher Report has decided that Minnesota gets an ‘A’ offseason grade for the transaction.
Vikings fans are excited to see Murray’s debut in September, and in the meantime, the move is drawing stellar reviews.
Murray Move Gives Vikings Offseason a National Dub
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray sits in the front row at the team’s Tempe training facility as Jonathan Gannon is introduced as the franchise’s new head coach. On Feb. 16, 2023, Murray watched the news conference from close range while Arizona began another attempt to reset its coach-quarterback partnership for the organization’s future. Mandatory Credit: Arizona Cardinals.
BR: Murray to Vikings Gets an ‘A’
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report handed out a few ‘A’ grades this week, and Murray was among the recipients.
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He wrote, “Murray is a two-time Pro Bowler and former No. 1 overall pick with respectable passing numbers. He’s thrown for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions with a 67.1 percent completion rate in seven seasons.”
“The 28-year-old could be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate. Despite inconsistent quarterback play, the Vikings barely missed the 2025 postseason, finishing 9-8 behind the 9-7-1 Green Bay Packers. Murray doesn’t need a Sam Darnold rebirth-type season to lead Minnesota to the playoffs. If he stays healthy and gets the ball to wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, the Vikings’ passing attack should be far better than last year’s 29th-ranked unit.”
Other passers like Malik Willis and Mac Jones frequented the Vikings’ February and March rumor mill, but Murray ultimately took the plunge.
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“Furthermore, the Vikings’ low-risk, high-reward signing at quarterback gives them a chance to re-evaluate their plan for J.J. McCarthy after he struggled mightily last season, throwing for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 57.6 percent completion rate, Moton added.”
“Keep in mind, they fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who drafted McCarthy, and hired Nolan Tinsley to replace him. Murray could revitalize his career in a new chapter with the Vikings. Grade: A.”
Every Team Should’ve Signed Murray at That Price
Not only is Murray a wonderful value for the Vikings, every team in the league, including squads with elite passers like Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, should’ve called Murray in March. To find a starting quarterback — who produces 3,900+ passing yards, 30 total TDS, and 600+ rushing yards every 17 starts — for $1.3 million is just absurd and mind-boggling.
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How’d it happen? Simple — the Cardinals cut ties, only to turn around and pay Murray’s tab for 2026. You can’t offload a big NFL contract before its expiration without consequences. So, the price of a fresh start for Arizona was indeed paying Murray to play for the Vikings.
Even if Murray completely flops — plays terribly or blows out a knee, for example — he was worth the price to find out at $1.3 million.
Extreme QB Depth
The Vikings’ intense focus on quarterback depth this offseason is a logical response to recent history.
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Minnesota has experienced two seasons derailed by quarterback injuries. The 2023 campaign took a nosedive the moment Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles. Then the 2025 season became chaotic as J.J. McCarthy sustained repeated injuries. By the end of it, the Vikings had learned their lesson twice over. Their message was clear: “Enough is enough.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray work through minicamp practice reps at TCO Performance Center as Kevin O’Connell’s staff evaluates a reshaped quarterback room. On June 11, 2026, the two passers continued building timing and command during Day 3 of team highlights inside Minnesota’s offseason program in Eagan, Minnesota, that summer. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
So, the 2026 offseason prompted them to aggressively acquire multiple viable quarterback options. The roster now features Murray and McCarthy. Carson Wentz is on hand as backup, and Max Brosmer can develop without intense pressure.
Murray, naturally, is the showstopper. If he remains healthy for all 17 games, Minnesota can realistically harbor playoff aspirations, as Kevin O’Connell typically thrives with an experienced quarterback. The primary concern, however, is Murray’s history of missing games. His availability has been an ongoing issue for years, and it would be imprudent to ignore that trend.
And if Murray is sidelined in 2026, Minnesota will not be caught off guard or forced to scramble for a last-minute replacement (see: Joshua Dobbs in 2023). McCarthy is poised to step in as a formidable Plan B, a role for which he has every incentive to excel, given his high potential.
Other Offseason Additions and Subtractions
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The Jonathan Greenard trade was pivotal — and not entirely ideal. In April, Minnesota sent Greenard and a 7th-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for two 3rd-rounders. The move not only acquired additional draft capital but also created space for Jauan Jennings, securing a legitimate WR3 for the Vikings and providing crucial salary cap relief in 2027 and 2028.
Given the Vikings’ need to reconstruct much of their roster on a tighter budget, they still faced numerous remaining needs.
Their free-agent acquisitions included:
Johnny Hekker (P)
Jauan Jennings (WR)
Eric Johnson (DT)
Isaiahh Loudermilk (DT)
Kyler Murray (QB)
James Pierre (CB)
Ryan Van Demark (OT)
New Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jauan Jennings sits down with Vikings Entertainment Network’s Tatum Everett to discuss his decision to join Minnesota and enter Kevin O’Connell’s offense. On May 27, 2026, Jennings described his first weeks with the team, the receiver room, and the physical mentality behind his playing style after leaving San Francisco. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
And from the draft, they grabbed:
Round 1 — Caleb Banks | DT Round 2 — Jake Golday | LB Round 3 — Domonique Orange | DT Round 3 — Caleb Tiernan | OT Round 3 — Jakobe Thomas | S Round 5 — Max Bredeson | TE Round 5 — Charles Demmings | CB Round 6 — Demond Claiborne | RB Round 7 — Gavin Gerhardt | OL
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Here’s the wild part about this offseason: it really seemed like Minnesota was strapped for cash, and in some ways, they were. But somehow, they still managed to bring in a starting quarterback, a new WR3, and a ton of young help for the defensive line.
And per Bleacher Report, the Murray addition takes the grand prize.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
HOUSTON — In a confounding season with muddled standings and a highly unlikely, but not totally impossible, pathway to the post-season, this trade deadline promised to be fraught for the Toronto Blue Jays.
They weren’t ready to fully concede to their daunting playoff odds by selling off their pending free agents, but also couldn’t afford to hold for a low-probability run at October and risk no return for their expiring assets. They needed worthwhile value back to diminish the on-field product at their sold-out stadium, but teams are better than ever at identifying their very best prospects and keeping them out of deals.
They wanted to, at worst, move laterally in the present while also moving forward substantially in the future. Yet even as they talked about remaining in the race, some of the teams they are, or could be, competing against for the final wild-card berth emerged as top trade partners, within a conflicted wider market.
And then there was the emotional toll on players, coaches, staffers and, of course, fans, of tearing apart the heart of the team that came within inches of winning the World Series last fall.
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The only way to balance those competing, even contradictory forces was to drive in opposite lanes at the same time, and that’s the approach the Blue Jays took in adding 10 players through six trades, highlighted by Jose Soriano’s acquisition ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline.
Joining Soriano are Spencer Arrighetti and Jameson Taillon to help bolster the rotation; John Klein and Josh Stephan to add upper-level pitching depth; Josh Smith to add versatility in a dice roll he can recapture past form at the plate; Brett Bateman for a near-term centre field option; and Ty Southisene, Dasan Hill and Dameury Pena for longer-level upside.
Gone are Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Daulton Varsho, Adam Macko and three prospects, including headliner Arjun Nimmala, Eddie Micheletti Jr. and Angel Rivero, leaving the Blue Jays different but deeper, especially on the mound, than they were.
The weeks and months ahead will determine whether they’re better, too, although “we feel we’re in a healthier position moving forward,” said GM Ross Atkins.
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“The thing we were the most pleased with is that we were able to acquire pieces that can impact the team immediately and will be here for the long term,” he added later. “That was important to us and usually a hard thing to do in the situation that we were in, as far as we’re concerned.”
Some things had to break their way for this deadline to have played out the way that it did, beginning with the Angels, currently being run by John Mozeliak, deciding to put their controllable assets in play, Soriano among them.
Back when Mozeliak was in charge of the St. Louis Cardinals, he and Atkins completed several deals, including ones that brought Randal Grichuk and Aledmys Diaz to the Blue Jays, which surely helped the process. The Angels needed real upside for their system and Nimmala, the headliner currently up at double-A, provides that. Micheletti is a hard-hitting outfielder, also at double-A, while Rivero showed well in the Florida Complex League.
It was a steep price, but Soriano gives the Blue Jays a complement for ace Dylan Cease, who is under team control through the 2028 season, while also giving them a jump on their winter shopping.
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Nimmala “was the difficult part of that trade, making that decision. He’s been very good and he’s going to be,” said Atkins. “Adding Bateman and Southisene softens that blow somewhat. The progress of other players in our system and some of the depth we have in triple-A already and in double-A was part of the equation, as well.”
Under normal buy circumstances, Soriano’s addition would have energized the group and for some it did, in atypical fashion.
“When they acquired Soriano, I thought I was going to stay there because it was like, all right, they’re going to build for the future, but also still try to win this year,” said Varsho, traded to the Astros for Arrighetti. “Ross was pretty honest with me. He’s like, ‘Hey, if I get a package that I think will help our team for the future, I’m going to take it.’ As the day was getting closer to that time, in my mind, I was like, ‘OK, nothing’s going to happen.’ Then it happened. Emotions, obviously, poured in, but very grateful and that’s a blessing for me.”
Shortly after Varsho said his goodbyes in the Blue Jays clubhouse, Arrighetti circled the room saying his hellos, followed by Smith, which narrowly preceded Hoffman being called into manager John Schneider’s office to be told he was being sent to the Minnesota Twins, which led to another round of hugs.
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“Just sad to have to say goodbye to everybody,” said Hoffman, who had hoped to stay but wasn’t shocked to be traded. “Our front office has been clear about how they’re approaching this deadline. Even though we were adding some, I figured there were probably still going to be moves made that maybe affected our roster on the field. I think everybody was kind of prepared for that. Just kind of the luck of the draw.”
In the midst of all that action, Shane Bieber, another pending free agent who was warned that he might be dealt, tried to simply get ready to start a game against the Astros that felt like a footnote rather than the main event.
At about 4:45 p.m. CT, 15 minutes before the deadline, pitching coach Pete Walker approached him and told him his start was on, an all-clear that he wasn’t being dealt. Bieber proceeded to allow one run over 5.2 innings in a 3-1 win, grateful to be staying and that the uncertainty of the deadline had passed, describing the Blue Jays’ buy-and-sell approach as “interesting,” while allowing the clubhouse to exhale.
“I think so,” he said. “That’ll hit for me personally tonight and tomorrow. I was really just trying to have tunnel vision on preparing for that lineup and going out there and pitching.”
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That’s what remains now for the Blue Jays, at 53-60 and four games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the third wild-card spot, but still with five teams in front of them. They made trades with two of those clubs — sending Macko to the 55-58 Texas Rangers and Hoffman to the 56-57 Twins, while Varsho landed with the 58-56 Astros, who are atop a mediocre AL West — underlining the tensions within this hybrid deadline.
“This is a different deadline than 2024,” Schneider said in reference to the full selloff that summer. “The message is we’re not just saying, hey, we’re done competing, you know what I mean? It was a unique time to add talent for the now and for the future and I feel like we did that. So it starts with guys that have been here, we understand we have X amount of games to play better. We’re still trying to win. We’re still trying to get into the post-season and there’s definitely areas that we need to get better at. So hopefully the additions help, but I think a lot of the guys that are here, they need to kind of continue to get better, too.”
Over two hectic days of trading, the Blue Jays appear to have successfully moved the franchise in different deadline directions at the same time. That’s a rare and challenging needle to thread, one the players must try to replicate on the field. The roster is bent into a new shape, and we’ll find out if it’s a better one.
The common take these days is that golf’s major season flies by too fast. Here we are, just barely in the grand month of August, one toe in the water, and the season’s long done — that’s how this argument goes. You know: Augusta in April, the PGA in May, Open I in June, Open II in July, majors out.
Well, we’re here to tell you that’s not true — that summation, that whole four-and-done thing, is way too narrow. For starters, there’s one major left, and it’s boffo: the U.S. Amateur (for men), this year at Merion. Come nightfall on Aug. 16, when it wraps and all the shouting is over, maybe the Amateur will get the coveted GOLF.com prize, “Best Major of the Year.” Could happen, but it’s going to have to beat out this amazing threesome of majors to do it, presented here in order of their amazingness. That is, not the fame of the event or its winner or the venue, but the tingly excellence of the event itself.
Our ranking of the three best majors of the year to date:
No. 1. U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera, won by Nelly Korda on June 7.
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Survey says: The course, its history; the winner, her history.
No. 2. PGA Championship at Aronimink, won by Aaron Rai at Aronimink on May 17.
Survey says: The broad Rory-Scheffler-Cam vibe is cool but this win by golf’s most humble man was a welcome correction.
No. 3. AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham, won by Shiho Kuwaki on Aug. 2.
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Survey says: Shiho was last lady standing after an unlikely two-hole playoff featuring two totally dissimilar golfers in the English dusk of an insane Sunday that proved how hard it is to close in golf.
So that’s three, of 13.
Yes, 13 majors — this year.
This year, and any year that ends in an even number, there are 13 major golf events: the four cited above (the U.S. Women’s Open and AIG Women’s Open; the PGA Championship; and the U.S. Amateur), plus these tried-and-true standbys: the Masters; the U.S. Open and Open Championship; the Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. and Senior British Opens; the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Chevron Championship; and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Next year, with the Ryder Cup in Ireland, there will be 14.
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Is this list subjective? Of course. Is there a reason why the Tradition, a so-called senior major, is not included? Yes. Our take is that winners of majors get bragging rights that don’t expire until the golfer does; in victory, the winner is overwhelmed with emotion, and so are the fans. If you like golf, you’re watching that ANWA finale. It’s one of the best days of the golfing year. Have you ever watched the Tradition? Relatives of Steve Stricker (a three-time winner), please do not answer that question.
So without further ado, and holding a place for the U.S. Am, our first GOLF.com Majors of the Year ranking, starting with a quick recap.
No. 1. Queen Korda at the U.S. Women’s Open at Riv.
No. 2. PGA won by modest Mr. Rai at a spruced-up Donald Ross course, Aronimink.
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No. 3. Shiho’s colorful and expressive playoff win over Esther Henseleit, a stoical and lanky German golfer, at the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham.
And here are the rest…
No. 4. The Masters, won by Rory McIlroy on April 12, one year after he won his first green jacket at Augusta National. So, back-to-back wins after so many years of golfing torture. How weird is that?
Survey says: Did this really happen — and did Scottie finish a shot out of a playoff? Will Rory ever make anything look easy?
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No. 5. U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, won by Padraig Harrington.
Survey says: Paddy in full. Paddy in full! At the course that made Jack. Or, Jackieboy, as Nicklaus’s lifelong instructor, Jack Grout, always called his prized pupil.
No. 6. Nelly Korda winning the Chevron, née Dinah, on April 26 at Memorial Park, a public course in Houston, and reclaiming her place as the most dominant golfer in any division of the game, male or female, pro or amateur.
Survey says: Korda was only 27 when she won the Chevron, her third career major — and then added her fourth at Riviera. When she’s done, will she be on the Mount Rushmore of women’s golf with Mickey (Wright), Kathy (Whitworth) and Annika? Let’s see what the next decade and change brings!
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No. 7. Open Championship, golf’s oldest and grandest event, at Royal Birkdale, won by Ryan Fox on July 19.
Survey says: The course is as great as Muirfield, the Kiwi winner has a hugely fun spirit, and his get-on-with-it pace of play is a lesson for us all.
No. 8. Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Augusta National, won by Maria Jose Marin of Colombia on April 4 by way of a final-round 68 with pixie dust all over it, including a tee shot on 12 that stayed on the bank, “a miracle,” as she said when it was over, her English as good as her golf.
Survey says: Maria Jose Marin as the first Latin American golfer to make the 36-hole ANWA cut and then win? A win that likely lit a million dreams across South America and beyond.
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No. 9. U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, won by Wyndham Clark on June 21. He captured his second Open in the same unlikely way he won his first: by shooting four rounds of golf, each higher than the preceding one.
Survey says: All U.S. Opens are majestic. Any day of golf at Shinnecock Hills has a majesty to it. For some reason, the week did not completely click. The course has become too hit-it-anywhere open and some of the Sunday spectators were classless boors. Clark did not inspire a lovefest. Still, it was a U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and that’s a lot.
No. 10. KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine, in Chaska, Minn., won on June 28 by Haeran Ryu, the Korean sensation who was the LPGA’s rookie of the year in 2023.
Survey says: You’d be hard-pressed to say which American state has the deepest passion for golf, so close are both Minnesota and Wisconsin to claiming this title. Minnesota’s hearty golf fans, with their short season and few chances to see in-state major championships, embraced Ryu as if she were the second coming of Kevin Garnett, or something like that.
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No. 11. Senior British Open at Gleneagles in Scotland, won by 59-year-old Jerry Kelly of Wisconsin on July 26.
Survey says: Along with everything else, the win gives Kelly a place in next year’s Open Championship on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, and he becomes part of Gleneagles lore.
No. 12. Senior PGA Championship, won by six shots by Stewart Cink at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., on April 19.
Survey says: Big trophy, big winner by a big margin.
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The 36-hole stroke-play qualifier for the U.S. Amateur will be held Aug. 10 and 11 at Merion and Philadelphia Country Club: 312 players for 64 spots, then 64 to 32 to 16 to eight to four to two to one. A lot of golf to go. One more major.
2026 Mubadala DC Open women’s champion Alex Eala poses in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
MANILA, Philippines — Clad in a pale yellow dress with the championship trophy in hand, Alex Eala exuded the glow of a champion during her post-title photoshoot in front of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Hours after capturing her first WTA Tour title at the 2026 Mubadala DC Open, Eala traded her green match kit for a classy look to cap off a historic week in the United States’ capital.
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“Serving first ✨🏆,” the WTA tournament account wrote on social media alongside photos of Eala posing with the trophy.
Eala rallied past American top seed Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the rain-delayed final, which was postponed to Monday (early Tuesday, Philippine time).
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While not yet a long-standing tradition at the DC Open, 2025 champion Leylah Fernandez also posed for a post-title photoshoot on the steps of the Capitol after her victory last year.
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Eala dethroned Fernandez in the round of 16 en route to the title.
Eala also posted a series of photos celebrating the title, including moments with the championship trophy and thousands of Filipino fans who packed the stands for the final.
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“Me and my first🥹,” Eala wrote in the caption.
Eala, who is currently the world No. 20, next competes at the 2026 Canadian Open in Toronto, where she is seeded 25th and received a first-round bye.
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“I think it’s really important to keep the fairness in our tour,” said Sabalenka on Monday. “Obviously, biologically, men are way stronger than women, so I feel like it would be not really fair for a woman to compete against a biological man.
“I believe it took them a little while to make this decision and I support it,” the Belarussian continued. “If they want to test us all, I’m happy to do that; it’s pretty fair, and let’s keep it that way.”
Fact check: Trans athlete ban — fair or not?
WTA introduces genetic testing
In July 2026, the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) introduced a one-time, mandatory genetic test for all players. As part of the protocol, players will be tested for the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome. The test can be conducted by a cheek swab or a blood test.
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The new policy also includes a document players must sign highlighting disciplinary action is possible if testing is refused.
The previous WTA policy allowed transgender women to compete if their testosterone levels had been lowered to below 2.5 nmol/L continuously for the previous two years. There are no known transgender women currently playing on the WTA Tour.
Sabalenka is currently the best female tennis player in the world, and has been ranked number 1 for 92 consecutive weeks, so her endorsement carries a lot of weight.
On top of that, she competed in the modern edition of Battle of the Sexes in Dubai in 2025 — a match she lost to Nick Kyrgios, a male Australian player. While billed as a way to generate interest in tennis, some were critical of the match-up.
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Imane Khelif was the subject of great debate after her gold medal in ParisImage: Jiang Wenyao/Xinhua/picture alliance
World Boxing introduced it in May 2025, after a lengthy and controversial debate around gold medal winner Imane Khelif at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Former swimmer Riley Gaines has become a conservative political activist who is known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in women’s sports. Recently, Gaines was seen supporting WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, who had said in an ESPN feature that “biological men” should not compete in female sports in order to protect young girls.
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Maria Jose Martinez-Patino, whose personal experience with gender verification dramatically impacted sporting policy on the matter in the 1980s, believes new genetic testing for women at elite level is “a setback of several decades”.
“It takes me back to the 1950s and 1960s, when women practically had to go through a series of controls, had to undress in front of a panel of doctors,” Martinez-Patino told DW in an interview in 2025. “I get the impression that we haven’t advanced from a scientific point of view. We’ve made practically no progress if it’s now categorically said that women with X and Y chromosomes are not women.”
World Athletics argues that the SRY gene — present in people with a Y chromosome, usually men — “is a reliable indicator for determining biological sex.” Martinez-Patino believes though, that determining someone’s sex is not as simple as that.
“It’s not black or white. There are more than 60 genetic mutations which I think are not all that complicated to study. Something that I’ve always said is that it should be done case by case,” the Spanish former hurdler said.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao looks on during a game against Meralco in the PBA Governors’ Cup.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—The Meralco Bolts came to the defense of Cliff Hodge and slammed Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao for his remarks against the veteran forward.
Following Rain or Shine’s thrilling 85-83 win over Meralco, Guiao labeled Hodge as “the dirtiest player in the league” after a third-quarter incident saw Hodge colliding with Elasto Painters guard Adrian Nocum in the third quarter. The two players stayed down for a few minutes, but appeared OK after returning late in the game.
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“Coach Yeng’s malicious imputations against Cliff are uncalled for and have no place in a professional league such as the PBA,” the team said in a statement.
“We hold all our coaches, players, and staff to always observe the highest level of professionalism, decorum, and conduct in all the games we play here and abroad.”
Guiao didn’t mince words against Hodge, whom he also described as a “danger to his fellow players.”
“Sinaksak niya yung paa niya (he stuck out his foot). There have been similar incidents that I think cause danger to the players. It’s always been a lot of situations or incidents that Hodge is involved,” the multi-titled mentor said during the post-game presser.
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The 38-year-old Hodge said he was trying to draw an offensive foul on Nocum, who was driving down the lane.
“I saw him (Nocum) coming full speed, I went for a charge and at the moment, he sidesteps right into my knees and dished it so we both fell on the ground,” he recalled.
Hodge didn’t seem affected by Guiao’s latest comments against him that came more than a decade since the veteran tactician referred to him in a derogatory term.
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“Coach Yeng is coach Yeng. You guys know, everyone knows and the world knows how he is. He likes to say that, I’ll let him say that. That’s his personality. No hard feelings from me,” said Hodge.
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Kovacic is set to stay at City this season after talks with the club hierarchy. The Croatian only has one year remaining on his contract and had been linked with a return to Inter but has been backed to be part of Enzo Maresca’s squad at the Etihad.
Kovacic told reporters in Hong Kong that he never felt any doubts from the club over his future and is happy to remain in Manchester for another year. Having missed most of last season with injury after needing two separate surgeries on an Achilles problem, the Croatian is looking to make up for lost time and prove his importance to Maresca.
“I didn’t feel the question marks from them. I spoke with them, it was that they count on me, which was important for me to hear that from them,” he said. “And now, like I said, for the players it’s always on you to show your best version, because if you’re playing good, the manager will put you first.”
The BGMI Masters Series (BGMS) Season 5 will begin on August 10, 2026, with 24 teams. Nodwin Gaming has not yet revealed the names of all the participants. The tournament will take place in three stages, including League, Playoffs, and Grand Finals, and will be hosted offline in Delhi NCR.
The BGMS is a major third-party Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) event. Every year, Nodwin Gaming organizes this contest with a huge prize pool. The previous four seasons of the tournament have attracted massive viewership and were among the most successful BGMI events.
The inaugural edition of the BGMS featured a huge prize pool of ₹1.52 crore. The second and third editions boasted ₹2.1 crore and $1 crore, respectively. The fourth iteration was held with a total prize pool of ₹1.43 crore.
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Dates for BGMS Season 5
The League Stage of the event will be held over three weeks, from August 10 to 30; the Playoffs will be hosted over three days, from August 31 to October 2; and the Grand Finals will be held from September 4 to 6, where the top 16 teams from the previous two stages will fight for the trophy.
Here are the dates for each stage of the event:
1) League Stage
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League Week 1 – August 10 to 13
Bounty Weekend – August 14 to 16
League Week 2 – August 17 to 20
Super Weekend 1 – August 21 to 23
League Week 3 – August 24 to 27
Super Weekend 2 – August 28 to 30
2) Playoffs – August 31 to September 2
3) Grand Finals – September 4 to 6
Of the 24 participants, 20 will be invited directly to the BGMS Season 5. Four teams from the TVS Raider Wicked Battles have qualified for the contest.
Santa Esports emerged victorious in the TVS Wicked Battles 2026. White Walkers, Hexnova, and Aura X Esports were second, third, and fourth, respectively. These four underdogs have secured their spots in the BGMS Season 5.
K9 Esports was the winner of the previous edition of the tournament. The omega-led roster put in a top-notch performance to win its first major title. However, the organisation bid farewell to the lineup on April 18, 2026; they will be seen playing under Team Outrage’s banner in the upcoming BGMS Season 5.
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In the coming days, Nodwin Gaming will reveal all the event details, such as format, schedule, prize pool, and more. All matches of the tournament will be livestreamed on Nodwin Gaming’s YouTube channel.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes India’s chances of reaching the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 final hang heavily on the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, warning that the visitors are in a “tough position” in the race for the summit clash. India will begin their Sri Lanka tour with the opening Test on August 15. After nine matches in the current WTC cycle, India occupy fifth place in the standings with four wins and four defeats, giving them a points percentage (PCT) of 48.15. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, sit just below them in sixth place. They have registered one win, one loss and two draws so far, with a PCT of 41.67. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted how significantly the standings could change depending on the outcome of the two-match series. He pointed out that a 2-0 defeat for India would dent their qualification hopes while boosting Sri Lanka’s prospects. “If we lose 2-0, we will remain at only 39 percentage points, and Sri Lanka will jump to 61 percentage points, and they will be No. 4. Sri Lanka will be in the run if they beat India 2-0. Then they have a realistic chance of going forward, or else it’s a so-near-yet-so-far story for them,” Chopra said. He added that a clean sweep would improve India’s position, although not dramatically, while a drawn series would do little for either side. “If we win this series 2-0, we will reach 57.58 percentage points. If we do a clean sweep, we will gain a little. If we draw the series 1-1, we won’t gain anything because we will be at 48.48 and Sri Lanka will be at 44.44, and the positions will remain as is,” he added. Chopra also underlined the difficulty of India’s remaining WTC schedule. After the Sri Lanka series, India are set to travel to New Zealand for a two-Test series before hosting Australia in a five-Test contest early next year. According to Chopra, the shorter away assignments leave little room for error. “Going forward, we have a two-match series in New Zealand, where it is difficult to win. Even if you lose one match, you lose 50 percentage points. It’s going to be a tough one, and after that, there are five matches against Australia in India. India is in a tough position,” Chopra added. India’s upcoming assignments present a stern challenge. They have not won a Test series in New Zealand since the 2008-09 tour under MS Dhoni and have managed just two series victories there overall. The home series against Australia is also expected to test India after recent setbacks against SENA opposition. India were whitewashed by New Zealand and South Africa in successive home series, with the defeat to South Africa marking their first home Test series loss to the Proteas since 1999-2000. Under Temba Bavuma, South Africa also completed the rare feat of winning the ICC World Test Championship title and a Test series in India in the same year. India could also face a stiff examination in Sri Lanka, particularly against spin, an area that troubled them during their recent home series defeats to New Zealand and South Africa.
The hands of an esport gamer clutching the controler at Encore Esports Gaming Lounge in New Rochelle on Thursday, December 20, 2018.
E Sports
Three teams pulled off come-from-behind wins on Tuesday in the tightly contested quarterfinals of the Games of the Future Dota 2 tournament at Astana, Kazakhstan.
Team Resilience, Yakult Brothers and Rune Eaters rallied for 2-1 wins over Xtreme Gaming, Vici Gaming and LGD Gaming, respectively.
The day’s other match also ended in a 2-1 result, with PlayTime outlasting GLYPH.
The $1 million tournament began with 16 teams divided into four groups for the opening double-elimination stage. All group-stage matches were best-of-three.
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The second- and third-place sides from each group faced off in the preliminary playoff round, and the fourth-place squads were eliminated.
The single-elimination playoffs will feature best-of-three matches until the grand final on Wednesday, which will be best-of-five. The winning team will earn $350,000.
On Monday, Xtreme Gaming opened with a 31-minute win on red before Team Resilience claimed the next two maps on red, in 47 minutes and 43 minutes. Yang “Erika” Shaohan paced all-Chinese Team Resilience with a 17-7-24 kill-death-assist ratio.
After Vici Gaming logged 32-minute victory on green, Yakult Brothers won twice on green, in 34 minutes and 47 minutes. Zhou “Emo” Yi led all-Chinese Yakult Brothers with a 27-2-26 K-D-A ratio.
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Rune Eaters recovered from a 34-minute defeat playing on green against LGD Gaming to level the match in 55 minutes on red. On the decisive third map, Rune Eaters triumphed in 40 minutes on green. Nikita “Nicky’Cool” Ostakhov produced a 22-19-44 K-D-A ratio for all-Kazakhstani Rune Eaters.
PlayTime sandwiched a 32-minute win on green and a 33-minute victory on red around GLYPH’s 61-minute win on green. Peru’s Maximo “Wits” Orozco Alza amassed a 27-6-47 K-D-A ratio for PlayTime.
In the semifinals on Tuesday, PlayTime will oppose Team Resilience, and Yakult Brothers will square off with Rune Eaters.
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Games of the Future prize pool
1. $350,000
2. $160,000
3. $120,000
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4. $70,000
5-8. $35,000 — GLYPH, Xtreme Gaming, Vici Gaming, LGD Gaming
9-12. $25,000 — Execration, Yellow Submarine, REKONIX, Zero Tenacity
13-16. $15,000 — Amaru Gaming, Midas Club, Enjoy, L1GA TEAM
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