Sports
‘Greed’ and loopholes: How cricket’s $55 million development fund gets gamed
This story was first published at Play the Game.
Cricket’s power brokers gather in Edinburgh this week for the Annual Conference of the sport’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC). On the agenda: how to divvy up the game’s money. Not on the agenda: how the system that hands out the funds is being gamed, insiders say.
“After 28 years of the ICC’s development programme,” one administrator told a Play the Game survey, “GREED is still the key to earning money, sacrificing national cricket development.” Speaking with Play the Game on condition of anonymity, some member-country administrators raised concerns around the potential for fraud and lack of accountability in the global development programme run by the ICC.
“There’s an enormous amount of money floating around,” said another chairperson. “The programme is designed to enhance certain countries and make the others survive just enough that they don’t die.”
A quick guide to how the cricket money flows
The ICC has 12 Full Members and 98 Associate Members. Full Members like India, Australia, and England take 88.8% of the organisation’s budget, allocated mainly by the commercial value they bring to the ICC. India alone takes nearly 40% of the ICC’s annual earnings – largely thanks to its vast broadcast market.
The Associate Members “where cricket is firmly established and organised”, according to the ICC, operate mostly on volunteer labour, with few having more than one or two full-time staff.
The ICC distributes the remaining 11.2% of its budget among the Associate Members through two funding streams: a competition grant – participation and reward money for ICC tournaments – and a ‘Scorecard’ grant, a payment meant to incentivise the growth of grassroots cricket. The latter is allocated based on a so-called Scorecard containing self-reported statistics including how many seniors and juniors play, the number of pitches available and how much funding members raise outside the ICC.
Based on the Scorecards, members are ranked and placed into 14 funding tiers – determining how much they receive.
According to documents obtained exclusively by Play the Game, the total pot for Associate Members in 2026-27 is USD 54.9 million, with the Scorecard grant making up just over half.
Top tier countries like the United Arab Emirates and Scotland each receive $1.02 million in Scorecard funding. Those at the bottom, like Iran and Saint Helena, receive $26,000.
For lower ranked boards, a difference of one place in the rankings can mean a dramatic funding swing. The Philippines, for example, rose from 57th to 47th between 2024 and 2026, jumping three tiers and more than tripling its Scorecard funding from $65,000 to $237,000.
This is not to suggest the Philippines’ growth is illegitimate. Rather, it illustrates the powerful incentive to keep numbers rising and avoid a drop at all costs. Combined with patchy oversight, insiders say this creates fertile ground for dishonesty.
Journalist Bertus de Jong, who has covered Associate cricket for more than a decade, put it bluntly: “Scorecard fiddling is utterly endemic.”
Cricket’s disappearing numbers
One key source of transparency has quietly disappeared.
Around six years ago, the ICC stopped publishing its Census, which detailed participation and infrastructure across all Associate Members. The last time the Census appeared in official communication seems to have been a 2020 blog post, with a summary of key figures rather than granular data.
With public data scarce, Play the Game commissioned a survey to all 98 Associate Members, requesting their most recent Scorecard submissions and their views on the system.
Of the 96 reachable boards, 80 did not respond, 10 declined, and just six offered comment. Only Norway shared its data.
Greig White, the Isle of Man’s development officer, said, “all good thank you from our perspective”, adding that any concerns would be raised “through the committees rather than the press”.
‘You can manipulate the data’
Given the amateur nature of many boards, a 6% participation rate is unsurprising. More revealing were the comments from those who did speak.
“You can manipulate the data,” said Yousuf Gilani, chairman of Norway’s cricket federation. “How does the ICC quality-check what countries have done, what they have been writing in the Scorecard?”
Gilani said Norwegian cricket does not rely heavily on ICC funding thanks to government support, but argued the Scorecard is still “a good thing to have” for global development.
He disputes how the ICC counted Norway’s data – for instance, claiming the board reported 80 junior women players, not the zero recorded by the ICC. Junior participation is the most heavily weighted category in the Scorecard and therefore the most valuable. As a result, he said, Norway sits one tier lower than it should – costing $70,000 in funding – and at rank 44, misses out on ICC voting rights typically granted to the top 40.
He and other sources also criticised the lack of adjustment for geography and demographics.
“Norway has only a three-month season,” Gilani said. “Spain has a nine-month season, and still we’re compared on the same Scorecard. That does not make sense.”
“80% of the countries don’t understand how to report [the Scorecard],” he added. “It’s only the ICC administration that understands.”
ICC Europe Development Officer Esther de Lange, speaking on the BBC Stumped podcast in April, acknowledged that European cricket boards face significant capacity constraints: “There’s always limited amounts of money available, limited amounts of time for people to do things that need to be done”.
The loopholes no one closes
For the chair of another board, speaking anonymously due to ongoing discussions with the ICC, the Scorecard is not just misunderstood. It’s misleading.
“I’m told that if I have a team in a competition that has 11 players on it, they count as 15 for the Scorecard. That’s already four ghosts.”
Guidelines obtained by Play the Game state that “Teams consisting of the same players, playing across multiple competitions, should only be counted once.” The source said that wording allows for interpretations that inflate numbers.
“There is no hard and fast understanding on how the counting is being done,” they said. “Most of this fraud is in the loose interpretation. It’s in the loopholes of the system that’s being exploited.”
“There are people out here committing fraud, and it’s financial fraud, because they are taking money based on false information.”
“I’m told that if I have a team with 11 players on it, they count as 15 for the Scorecard”
Associate cricket chairperson, on condition of anonymity
Play the Game did not independently verify specific instances of fraud.
So how much auditing is actually done?
Guidelines say regional officials will request evidence for “at a minimum, 30% of the data submitted.”
But de Jong said the Census is “more or less entirely self-reported”, and regional bodies “don’t have the resources to actually check”.
He cited long-standing implausible data: “Suriname claims they have 10 turf wicket facilities. I know for a fact they have none.”
Suriname’s cricket board did not respond to a request for comment.
The anonymous chair said auditors tend to focus on big variations: “If you’ve been cheating and you’ve always been cheating, then it looks like you’re not cheating because the numbers are the same.”
Two anonymous survey respondents said they had been audited, one as recently as 2024. One described the Scorecard as “modelled on the big cricketing nations”, arguing it shows “little understanding” of how sport develops in their region.
Gilani suggested more transparency could help: “They should publicly announce all the Scorecards for the European side, for the African and the Asian side… on a webpage where everyone can follow.”
‘Mercenary’ cricket
The ICC’s funding model increasingly rewards tournament performance over grassroots development. Some of the sources Play the Game interviewed argue this encourages countries to recruit foreign-born players rather than develop local talent.
Competition grants now represent almost half of Associate funding, up from just over a third in 2022, according to the data we obtained. For instance, each country playing at the Cricket World Cup League 2 – the main route through which Associate nations can qualify for the One Day International (ODI) World Cup – receives $1.16 million, more than the highest development grant.
Under ICC eligibility rules introduced in 2018, players need only prove their “primary and permanent home” has been in a country for three consecutive years to represent its national team; no citizenship required.
Our data also shows that the UAE, home to the ICC’s headquarters, appears to be reaping the rewards. Ranked top of the Scorecard, its funding has increased from $2.44 million to $3.40 million this period, driven almost entirely by competition grants. Only 11.4% of its 102,705 registered players are juniors, compared to 37% for fourth-ranked Scotland.
“The top eight countries are getting $20 million out of [more than] $50 million,” said one former regional administrator, also granted anonymity. “Four of those countries don’t have [homegrown] players. They play mercenaries.”
Scorecard data shows stark disparities in youth pipelines: two of the eight countries receiving the highest competition grants report junior participation below 15%, while one reports over 75%.
Beyond the boundary: the Iceland case
The system frustrates even those outside it.
Iceland Cricket, with a national team, five clubs and three domestic competitions (plus a cult following on the internet), is not an ICC Member.
Chairman Bala Kamallakharan said requirements for new ICC membership, particularly around women’s activity, are difficult to meet, while existing members face little scrutiny.
“There is a lot of smoke and mirrors surrounding cricket activity,” he said. “Associate Members wouldn’t put their funding at risk by saying they no longer meet membership requirements.”
“We are following strict rules [to try and join the ICC]; those already in the system are not.”
No change of ends: privileging the privileged
Reform looks unlikely.
Voting rights determine who can influence funding rules, eligibility criteria, and audit frameworks. While commonly believed that the top 40 Associates hold voting rights, an ICC document obtained by Play the Game shows that in 2024, 39 of the top 47 did, with exceptions including boards in administrative turmoil like Sweden and the USA. Those rights will be exercised this week at the ICC meeting in Edinburgh.
This concentration of power makes reform difficult, sources said, as those benefiting control the votes needed for change.
The ICC did not respond to multiple requests for comment within seven months, including questions about verification procedures and whether inaccurate data had affected funding decisions.
Cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games will essentially exclude Associate nations, with only six men’s and six women’s teams competing. But Associates hope it will still bring more eyeballs and once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunities. All the more reason for accurate reporting and transparent governance.
For now, in a system that mostly benefits those with the money and the power, tens of millions of dollars are doled out per year based on largely self-reported statistics and scarce independent oversight.
Those calling for reform remain in a lonely place, believing the system fails the very grassroots it claims to serve.
Nothing decided in Edinburgh is likely to change that.
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After Arjuna Awardee GM calls out Indian chess calendar, AICF moves swiftly to find solution | Chess News
NEW DELHI: The All India Chess Federation (AICF) is working to ensure the senior National Chess Championship is held later this year after concerns were raised over the tournament’s initial scheduling for March 2027.TimesofIndia.com has learnt that AICF officials are in constant touch with stakeholders, including the host state association, to finalise dates in the November-December window.The senior National Championship was earlier scheduled for March 25 to April 4, 2027, in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, a move that would have meant no nationals in the 2026 calendar year.“The calendar was packed. It was very difficult to make room for the event. Yet, after discussing with the team, we have decided to host it in the November-December timeframe,” a senior AICF official told TimesofIndia.com.It is understood that a packed domestic and international calendar forced the federation to initially defer the senior National Championship, but the AICF is now doing everything possible to stage the event later this year.The development comes after five-time Commonwealth champion and Arjuna Awardee Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta raised concerns over the earlier schedule, saying it could adversely affect players.Speaking to TimesofIndia.com, another AICF official said the federation prioritised age-group National Championships so players can qualify for world championships without running into age-eligibility issues. The senior championship doesn’t have any age-related deadline, which is why it has been kept for later in the calendar.
GM Abhijeet Gupta calls out the calendar
Gupta had questioned the earlier plan on social media, pointing out that a March-April window could clash with school board examinations and create logistical challenges for young players.In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Gupta wrote, “India is producing world champions, but are we making it harder for the next generation to even compete? The 2026 National Championship is now scheduled for March 2027, meaning there will effectively be no National Championship in 2026.”In his post, Gupta laid out three major pain points for players. The late March-early April window clashes directly with crucial school board exams, forcing young prodigies to choose between academics and their chess careers; host venues in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities add longer, costlier, and trickier travel logistics for families; and overall, these barriers end up locking out the very talent the system should be nurturing.Concluding his appeal, the 36-year-old veteran Grandmaster had directly urged the AICF to rethink its scheduling and planning for the sake of India’s rising stars. Following those concerns, the federation has accelerated efforts to identify a suitable date before the end of the year.The last time India hosted a senior National Championship was back in October 2025, when Panneerselvam Iniyan edged out Goutham Krishna on tiebreaks to take home the title.
MALOLOS, Bulacan — The Bulacan Dreamers women’s softball team opens its campaign in the 2026 Senior League Softball World Series against an East region squad on Wednesday (Manila time) at Layton Field in Delaware, United States. The 13-member Philippine team, which represents the Asia-Pacific region, booked a spot in the World Series after winning the 2026
In April, Skinner faced questions about his future, insisting he had “no doubts” that he remained the best person for the job.
There had been no internal discussions about his position going into the World Sevens tournament in May – and the club were satisfied with results.
The expectation was to challenge for silverware and try to qualify for Europe again. United lost the League Cup final to Chelsea, missed out on a top-three finish by nine points but had reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
All in all, given their budget was considerably lower than their top-three rivals (their wage bill was £5.9m in 2024-25, while Chelsea’s was £14.5m), Skinner had done a good job in the face of widespread scrutiny from fans.
But United sources say as the new season approached, discussions took place and it was clear Skinner and the club were not aligned on the direction they were going.
As United moved towards a sustainable model, focused on youth development, Skinner had become increasingly frustrated at a lack of squad investment.
Following their 3-0 defeat by rivals Manchester City in March, Skinner said: “The team are giving absolutely everything they can. It’s clear to me that if we get the right investment in the right areas, then we can meet those expectations.”
He echoed the sentiment following their cup final defeat by Chelsea and again on the final day of the season as they looked ahead to the summer transfer window.
Yet despite a quiet January window, United have not acted with pace this summer, instead signing 22-year-old defender Andrea Medina and goalkeeper Janina Leitzig, who is presumably back-up to the established Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
While United remain cagey in the market, their rivals are spending big with Arsenal bringing in the likes of England international Georgia Stanway and Spain full-back Ona Batlle, while Chelsea paid £850,000 for one of United’s key players, Melvine Malard.
Skinner had struggled to win over supporters, so faced with intense external scrutiny, limited squad depth and clear disagreements over the club’s lack of spending, his position became untenable for both parties.
The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired right-handed starting pitcher José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels hours ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline, the teams announced Monday. In return, the Angels will receive shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti, and right-hander Angel Rivero.
Soriano, 27, has enjoyed a strong season in 2026 as a member of the Angels rotation, and he’s under team control through the 2028 season. Those multiple years of control added significantly to his trade value and explain why interim Angels general manager John Mozeliak was able to get such a substantial return.
Soriano joins the Blue Jays only hours after they sent ertswhile ace Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs for two prospects.
The Angels, under new leadership, get back a significant prospect haul, headlined by 20-year-old Nimmala, the No. 20 pick in the 2023 Draft. MLB Pipeline ranked him the Blue Jays’ second-best prospect, highlighting the power that “continued to show flashes of excitement, stemming from his upright right-handed stance and vicious uppercut swing,” especially considering his youth.
This season, Nimmala has been promoted as high as Double-A, where he’s hitting .279/.355/.451. Neither Micheletti nor Rivero made Pipeline’s top 30 Blue Jays prospects. Here now are our grades for both teams.
Blue Jays grade: B+
Soriano is exactly the Blue Jays’ type, but the deal is a pricey gamble
The Blue Jays have a type — loud stuff and less than stellar control — and Soriano fits it to a T. Whether they can help Soriano harness his stuff the same way they helped Dylan Cease remains to be seen, but Soriano aligns with what the Blue Jays do well with pitchers. That’s promising, though it does not guarantee success. (Getting Soriano away from the Angels is another reason to think there’s another level here.)
Toronto enters play Monday 4 ½ games behind the third wild card spot with six teams ahead of them. Soriano will boost the team’s slim postseason odds this year, but this trade is geared more toward the future, given his remaining team control. Here is the Blue Jays’ 2027 rotation depth chart using only players under contract or team control beyond this season:
- RHP Dylan Cease
- RHP José Soriano
- RHP Trey Yesavage
- RHP Cody Ponce (rehabbing from ACL surgery)
RHP José Berríos(out until second half with Tommy John surgery)RHP Bowden Francis(will miss first few weeks with Tommy John surgery)- RHP Jake Bloss
The Blue Jays have a ton of money coming off the books after this season (Gausman, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, etc.) and can make a play for a free agent starter to slot into the top half of that rotation. Given how aggressive they’ve been in free agency the last few offseasons, I would expect them to make a serious run at Tarik Skubal.
It’s a hefty price for Soriano, whose value to the Blue Jays in 2026 is minimal given their place in the standings. These next two months will be a runway to work with him on whatever adjustments Toronto has in mind, continuing with them into the offseason, then preparing to fully launch in 2027. A pricey gamble, but a smart one.
Angels grade: A
The Angels cashed in on Soriano’s breakout season and got one of baseball’s top infield prospects
Barring a surprise blockbuster (always possible on deadline day), Nimmala will be the best prospect traded at the deadline this year. He’s a consensus to 40-ish prospect in baseball, one who reached Double-A as a 20-year-old this season. Nimmala has the talent to be an impact player at an up-the-middle position. The Angels needed a true stud prospect to trade Soriano and they got one.
Micheletti, 24, is a bat-first player hitting .251/.347/.454 in Double-A. There are enough secondary skills (defense, baserunning, etc.) to carve out a career as a lefty platoon bat. Rivero, 19, is a rookie ball lottery ticket with good strike-throwing ability and a 95 mph heater. He’s a long-term development project. Nimmala alone makes this an A haul for the Angels. The other guys are gravy.
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The Cleveland Guardians went from watching starter Gavin Williams go from pitching a perfect game to a benches-clearing altercation in the matter of moments at Progressive Field on Sunday.
Williams was humming to start this contest, striking out 10 of the first 15 hitters he faced, and as the top of the sixth began, he was looking at a perfect game bid.
But things got interesting when Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Tim Tawa attempted a bunt on a 0-1 pitch from Williams in the frame. In the unwritten rules of baseball, bunting while a pitcher is throwing a perfect game is very much frowned upon.
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Ildemaro Vargas of the Arizona Diamondbacks argues with Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt during the sixth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Aug. 2, 2026. (Getty Images)
Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey took exception, having words with Tawa before the right-handed hitter stepped back in the box.
In the end, though, Tawa served a single to right field and ended both the perfect game and no-hit bid for Williams.
CINCINNATI REDS PITCHER RIPS ‘F—ING FATA–’ UMPIRE FOR GETTING IN DEFENDER’S WAY ON GROUND BALL
Just a few pitches later, rain in the Cleveland area started coming down in buckets. After Williams threw a brutal wild pitch, umpires called a rain delay, as the grounds crew came sprinting out with the tarp.
But as the tarp was still unfurling, both dugouts were on the field and near home plate as an argument broke out. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was seen walking out of the dugout with pace to clearly say something to the other side, and that sparked the scrum near the dish.
While it was clear both teams were screaming some unkind words toward each other, nothing escalated into a physical altercation between the two teams. It can be implied that Vogt took exception to Tawa’s bunt attempt, but it’s unknown what he said exactly toward the D-Backs.
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo separates Cleveland Guardians third base and infield coach Rouglas Odor as benches clear during the sixth inning of an interleague game Aug. 2, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Icon Sportswire)
Then again, the other side of the argument is any hitter can attempt to reach base how they see fit. If it’s a 450-foot home run, or a bunt single, that’s the batter’s right.
But when the Guardians were facing the Minnesota Twins on July 9, Williams was also in a perfect game scenario when Royce Lewis showed bunt during an at-bat. He would eventually hit a single like Tawa did to end the bid.
When the rain delay finally ended, and both teams cooled the tension, the Guardians continued to dominate with a 5-0 victory at home. The Diamondbacks were only able to muster one hit after Tawa’s single, while the Guardians tallied eight hits on the day.
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams walks to the dugout during a rain delay in the sixth inning of an interleague game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 2, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Icon Sportswire)
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Rookie Chase DeLauter went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Bailey crushed a home run in his 1-for-3 day at the plate.
Williams never made it back into the game after the rain delay, finishing his day with 5.2 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, one hit and one walk allowed.
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Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova celebrates beating Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova after beating her during their women’s singles final tennis match on the thirteenth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)
Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is eager to get back to work at the WTA 1000 hard court tournament in Toronto after the whirlwind that followed her first Grand Slam title.
“Obviously the last couple of weeks have been nothing more but crazy and chaos, so I’m glad I can kind of start over,” said the 21-year-old, who was feted by Czech President Petr Pavel amid a welter of media appearances in her homeland before squeezing out a little holiday time in Italy.
Noskova sounded almost relieved as she spoke to reporters on Sunday that another tournament had rolled around.
READ: Noskova, Rybakina, Zheng named for Billie Jean King Cup finals
“It’s a new week, new tournament, new surface, it’s all the changes at the same time,” she said. “I’ll have to get used to it as fast as possible, but it’s a new opportunity for me to work on my tennis and get better.”
Noskova, who moved to her current career-high seventh in the world after beating fellow Czech Karolina Muchova in the Wimbledon final, said it took a while for the achievement to sink in — if it actually has.
“Maybe I will not realize it a hundred percent, you know, it’s always just one of those big things that actually happen and you’re not preparing yourself for that, it’s kind of like a big shocker,” Noskova said.
The key thing, she said, was making sure she didn’t treat the achievement of such a long-cherished goal as an ending but as a beginning.
READ: Linda Noskova barges into WTA top 10 after Wimbledon triumph
“I had to tell myself that it is not the end of the world,” Noskova said. “My career is not ending here, it is hopefully only starting.
“Winning a Grand Slam is an unreal thing. But at the same time, I’m still 21, I feel like since I accomplished this so soon, I feel like it’s even a bigger motivation for me to keep going.”
Noskova is in the bottom half of the draw anchored by second-seeded Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, with fourth-seeded Coco Gauff looming in her quarter.
She’ll face either qualifier Tatjana Maria or Caty McNally in her second-round opener and could come up against rising Philippines talent Alexandra Eala in the third round.
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Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka reacts as she plays against Japan’s Naomi Osaka during their women’s singles round of 16 tennis match on the seventh day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 5, 2026. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
Aryna Sabalenka’s world number one ranking will be on the line at the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto, where the Belarusian star aims to extend her hard court dominance in the build up to her US Open title defense.
Sabalenka has won 23 of her 24 hard court matches this year, the lone defeat her loss to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.
But she was turfed out in the quarterfinals on the clay of Roland Garros and fell to Naomi Osaka in the round of 16 on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
If Sabalenka fails to reach the round of 16 in Toronto, Kazakhstan’s Rybakina can rise to number one if she lifts the trophy.
Sabalenka has never made it past the semifinals in Canada, which alternates each year between Montreal and Toronto, but she said she was feeling rested and ready to reassert herself after taking time off in the wake of her All England Club exit.
“Clay and grass, I wouldn’t say they were that bad,” she said. “I was trying a couple of things, didn’t go the way that I expected. And now we’re kind of back to basics and I really hope it’s going to work out well.”
Sabalenka had exited Wimbledon saying she wanted to “forget about tennis.”
She did that with a summer holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos.
READ: Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner lead US Open fields
“I think the rest was much-needed,” she told reporters on Sunday. “I spent there five, six days maybe. I felt much better, I couldn’t wait to get back on court and start working towards my goals for this swing.”
Sabalenka heads a top half of the draw that also includes two-time winner Jessica Pegula, the third seed, 2024 finalist Amanda Anisimova and seventh-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland.
Former world number one Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, will be aiming to regroup after slumping to a third-round defeat at Wimbledon.
Rybakina anchors a bottom half of the draw that also includes fourth-seeded Coco Gauff, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka and newly crowned Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
Czech Noskova, who broke into the top 10 after winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, is seeded sixth and could face another rising star in the Philippines’ Alex Eala in the third round.
They have met twice already this year, with Noskova winning both times.
Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova is among the notable absentees as she recovers from a minor surgery.
Reigning champion Victoria Mboko of Canada, who thrilled Montreal fans with her run to a first WTA title last year, remains sidelined with the knee injury that forced her out of Wimbledon.
Tricky schedule
The ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal this week has also been hit by high-profile defections, including that of Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner.
Sabalenka said the scheduling is “tricky” for any player that does well in the grass court season, with the Canadian tournaments followed by a 1000-level event in Cincinnati in a schedule that offers little respite before the US Open begins on August 30.
“If you go far at the grass court (season) you feel really fatigued and you’re not able to pull out any good tennis so what’s the reason of coming when your body is really so much stress,” she said. “It’s very tricky, but this year I didn’t do well so I’m here.”
All 32 seeded players received first-round byes.
Play got underway on Sunday with Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima booking a second-round meeting with Sabalenka with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
Czech Sara Bejlek posted a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory over China’s Wang Xiyu, who was hobbled by a left leg problem, and booked a second-round meeting with Swiatek.
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Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams bowed out in the first round, falling 6-4, 6-1 to Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova.
Sports
Vinicius’ Real Madrid current contract details as renewal talks deadlocked due to image rights
Vinicius Jr.’s contract situation remains one of Real Madrid‘s biggest unresolved issues, with negotiations stretching back to the aftermath of the 2025 Club World Cup, shortly after Xabi Alonso took charge.
Indeed, as reported by AS, it was during that period that the player’s representatives held their last face-to-face meeting with the club, when an agreement appeared close before talks unexpectedly stalled.
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Negotiations are now set to resume from that point.
A deal that nearly happened
During that meeting at Valdebebas, Vinicius reportedly made a significant concession on his original salary demands, which had initially been close to €30 million net per season.
Real Madrid also improved their offer, bringing both sides much closer together. Despite the progress, the renewal was never finalized.
Neither party was willing to make the final compromise, leaving an agreement that seemed imminent unsigned.
Still no agreement over renewal. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Current salary and new demands
Vinicius is now seeking a salary of around €20 million net per season, an increase of roughly €5 million over his current earnings.
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His existing contract, signed in 2022 and officially announced in October 2023, runs until 2027 and is worth €75 million net over five seasons, averaging €15 million per year.
The agreement was structured progressively. He began on approximately €10 million net per season. His salary rose annually to reach around €18 million in the final year.
The 26-year-old Brazilian also received an additional €2 million per season after winning FIFA’s The Best award, a bonus that would also have been triggered by winning the Ballon d’Or.
Image rights the major issue
While salary remains important, image rights have become one of the biggest sticking points in negotiations.
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Kylian Mbappe controls almost 100% of his image rights, a structure that helps facilitate his overall financial package at Real Madrid.
Vinicius is now looking for a similar arrangement. As one of football’s biggest commercial stars, the Brazilian has endorsement deals with 18 international brands.
Image rights are proving to be an issue. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
These include Nike, Apple, PlayStation, Pepsi, Gatorade, Boss, Visa, Marriott Bonvoy, Havaianas, UNESCO, Clear, Rexona, Omo, Vivo, Prada, Dubai Tourism, and Betnacional.
The winger is also believed to be interested in receiving a renewal bonus, similar in concept to the signing bonus Mbappe received when joining Real Madrid.
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A tense situation
Vinicius’ current deal expires in 2027, meaning that from January he would be permitted to negotiate freely with clubs outside Spain if no renewal is agreed.
As such, Real Madrid are seeking a quick resolution, one way or the other.
The latest information from the Brazilian’s camp suggests his priority remains staying at Real Madrid by signing a new contract.
Having returned to Valdebebas today after his vacation, Vinicius is expected to hold a decisive meeting with Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid’s senior leadership in the coming hours to discuss his future.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under pressure after abandoning plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. Infantino’s plans fell apart after UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also said they opposed the plan.
As we head towards the 2026 NFL season, I have been ranking the position groups and the head coaches of the NFC North teams. Now we come to the endgame – ranking the four teams for the 2026 season.
Check back on the position rankings through the following links QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, iDL, EDGE, LB, CB, S, HC
NFC North Team Rankings for 2026
To try and get the most unbiased rankings I can I am using all the rankings I’ve done so far to assign points to each team. Teams get points for where they ranked in each of the position rankings given out like this;
1st place – 4 points
2nd place – 3 points
3rd place – 2 points
4th place – 1 point
The point totals have been counted and the NFC North team rankings are decided.
1. Detroit Lions – 34 points
The Lions topped the rankings by four points and look like they have the strongest roster in the division. Of course, this was also the case last season, and Detroit finished last. If the Lions don’t prove that last season was a blip and get back to looking like genuine contenders then Dan Campbell’s position will come under fire.
Detroit is strong right across the roster, with the one area I have reservations about being the offensive line. They’ve lost big players from the OL but they do still have one of the best tackles in the game in Penei Sewell. Add to that exciting playmakers on offense like Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam Laporta, as well as great defenders like Aidan Hutchinson, Jack Campbell, Brian Branch, and DJ Reed, and this is a team that should still be thinking Super Bowl.
2. Chicago Bears – 30 points
at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
In Chicago, they will be hoping Ben Johnson can build on the success of his first season as head coach of the Bears. His division title win was built on his offense, particularly a strong offensive line, running backs, and tight ends, in a very similar way to the success he helped bring to Detroit.
Johnson helped get more consistent play out of Caleb Williams and the development of the former first overall pick will go a long way to determining how Chicago moves forward.
My biggest concern for the Bears is up front on the defensive line where the team is going to have to figure out ways to disrupt some good OLs that reside in the division. This is still a good team, though, that will be eyeing a return to the playoffs.
3. Green Bay Packers – 24 points
Despite the big trade for edge rusher Micah Parsons during last season, I sense the Packers are potentially a team on the decline.
There are plenty of good players on Green Bay’s roster but not many very good/great ones outside of Parsons and a strong group of safeties – Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Javon Bullard. A big rushing season from Josh Jacobs will be crucial for the Packers and they need at least one of their WRs to step up and have a big season.
They will be competitive but I don’t foresee playoff football in Wisconsin this season unless they can sneak into a wild card place. With both plenty of experience and a recent run of lots of playoff football, they shouldn’t be completely counted out.
4. Minnesota Vikings – 22 points
The Vikings have a lot of question marks across the roster. Most notably, QB, RB, CB, S, and the ability of Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores to get more out of the team than the sum of its parts will again be crucial – particularly on defense where the loss of Jonathan Greenard has left the Vikings lacking in top-end talent.
On offense, Minnesota needs to find consistent QB play to allow Justin Jefferson to take over games and let the rest of the offense come with him. A healthy offensive line would also help after a season that saw the unit decimated by injuries in 2025.
Through all the turmoil of last season, the Vikings managed to win nine games, so I expect them to be competitive again. Making it to the playoffs through a wild card place would constitute a good season.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
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