An article criticising Lionel Messi, published by the British media outlet The Daily Mail, has received immense backlash following Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The journalist behind the piece, Oliver Salt, criticised Messi for “ghosting” in the final after he failed to register a single shot on target. Salt also took aim at Messi for ‘crying like a 10-year-old’ after his potential final appearance for Argentina on the global stage ended without a fairytale finish.

The article titled “Lionel Messi’s full humiliation laid bare: Left crying as his Argentine thugs disgraced themselves… how this World Cup exposed the GOAT’s dark arts shame” slammed Messi and Argentina for resorting to dirty tactics.

However, fans criticized Salt for pushing an agenda against Messi out of a grudge, as Argentina had beaten England in the semi-finals.

They paid them to insult Messi.

Jesus Christ!! pic.twitter.com/yHIZOnZTfh

— BeksFCB (@Joshua__Ubeku) July 21, 2026

Calling a player crying like a child and attacking his family only for personal issues shows how much problems you have lets hope messi sues them pic.twitter.com/1Q72qrhp28

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— Omar abdallah (@omarabdalla0) July 22, 2026

All for what? Because he beat them. And involving his family. So low

— Xtiana (@posh_tiana) July 21, 2026

There is a weird propaganda of hate against Messi.

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It’s something unlike anything I’ve ever seen in sports.

Messi’s character as an athlete and as a faithful husband and father is almost as well-known as his status as the greatest football player of all time.

And yet people… https://t.co/s5tG8YlhSg

— Samuel Sey (@SlowToWrite) July 22, 2026

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The article also highlighted the aggressive antics of the Argentine team following the defeat, labelling players such as Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina, as well as an assistant manager, as “thugs.” Salt also suggested that Argentina will always be remembered as “sore losers” for their actions.

Paredes and Molina were involved in a post-match brawl after Argentina conceded in extra time and lost the match 1-0. Paredes was labelled a villain for grabbing Spain’s Eric Garcia by the neck, as well as punching midfielder Gavi in the face before pushing him to the ground. 

The aggression wasn’t confined to the pitch, as Lionel Scaloni’s assistant, Roberto Ayala, also got involved and landed a punch on Dani Olmo. Salt pointed out that while Messi was not involved in the post-match ruckus, the Argentina captain “didn’t cover himself in glory” following a failed attempt to get Marc Cucurella sent off.

Broadcast visuals showed Cucurella touching his face briefly while talking to Messi, who urged the referee to send Cucurella down the tunnel for covering his mouth – an act that previously saw Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie receive his marching orders under the new rule.

Salt, however, didn’t stop there. He also criticized Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, for her low-key appearance during the final, accusing her of “being in hiding as Messi struggled and wept on a devastating day.”

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France vs Morocco Highlights | Mbappé Inspires France to FIFA World Cup Semifinal Victory

Tyson Fury is back in the ring this weekend, competing in a warm-up fight for his long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua.

In Thailand, where Fury has trained over the last year, the “Gypsy King” will box former world-title challenger Mariusz Wach, one night before “AJ” takes on Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.

Should Fury and his fellow Briton pass these tests, they will finally square off later this year, with a November meeting at Wembley Stadium on the cards – provided the fight takes place in the early hours of the morning, apparently.

Some might argue that Fury, 37, has already had a warm-up bout for his planned bout with Joshua; in April, Fury ended his fifth retirement from boxing and outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov in Tottenham.

But the former world heavyweight champion wants to go again, facing Wach in a fight whose proceeds will go to charity, according to Fury. Here’s all you need to know:

When is the fight?

Fury vs Wach will take place on Friday 24 July at Max Muaythai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand. The main card is believed to begin at 11am BST (3am PT / 5am CT / 6am ET), with main-event ring walks then likely at 1pm BST (5am PT / 7am CT / 8am ET).

How can I watch it?

Fury has said: “This great fight will not be streamed live! It will only be broadcast on my hit Netflix TV show ‘At Home With The Furys’ season three.” There is currently no release date for that season. The Independent will provide live updates from the event, however.

Odds

Fury – 1/50

Wach – 25/1

Draw – 14/1

Via Betway. Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers. The Independent vets betting sites for usability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.

Undercard

Subject to change:

Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach (heavyweight)

Daniel Baer vs Simon Ibekwe (heavyweight)

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Michael Alan Flannery vs TBA (light-heavyweight)

Lucas Dassios vs TBA (cruiserweight)

Mark Ahondjo vs TBA (heavyweight)

Arlo Stephens vs TBA (heavyweight)

For perhaps the first time, India arrives at a Commonwealth Games with genuine medal contenders spread across multiple disciplines in both track and field. From former Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra to long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, and from distance runners Gulveer Singh to Parul Chaudhary, the country’s hopes are no longer concentrated on a single athlete or event. 

Instead, they are built around a squad that has produced national records, continental titles and world-class performances across throws, jumps, distance running and combined events.

That transformation was evident at Birmingham 2022, where India returned with eight athletics medals despite the absence of the biggest Indian name of the current era, Neeraj Chopra, due to injury.

Four years later, the squad is deeper, more experienced and more accomplished. With multiple athletes capable of challenging for the podium, Glasgow could become the Commonwealth Games where athletics emerges as India’s biggest medal-producing sport.

Full list of Indian athletes at the 2026 Commonwealth Games:

Why Glasgow has put athletics at the heart of India’s medal hopes

Their omission leaves athletics with an unprecedented opportunity to become India’s biggest medal-winning sport. Historically, India’s Commonwealth success has been driven by wrestling, weightlifting and boxing, while athletics has largely played a supporting role. Since the 2010 Delhi Games, wrestling has won 56 medals, weightlifting 41, boxing 28 and athletics 26.

Unlike boxing and weightlifting, where medal opportunities are restricted by weight categories and athlete quotas, athletics offers multiple chances across throws, jumps, distance running and combined events.

More importantly, India’s medal hopes are now spread across several world-class athletes rather than centred on a single star. That growing depth, coupled with the changing Commonwealth Games programme, gives athletics its best opportunity yet to emerge as the country’s leading medal contributor in Glasgow.

Sports dropped from Birmingham 2022 to Glasgow 2026:

From boom to bust

Looking back, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi represented the high point of Indian athletics at the Commonwealth Games, while the next two editions served as a reality check.

Competing on home soil, India produced one of its finest performances in track and field, winning 12 medals, including historic golds by Krishna Poonia in the women’s discus throw and the women’s 4x400m relay team. Athletics accounted for nearly 12 per cent of India’s record 101-medal haul, underlining its status as one of the country’s leading medal-winning sports.

2022 brought back hope

In another turning point at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Indian athletics delivered its best-ever overseas performance at the Commonwealth Games, even without the then Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who withdrew due to injury.

India won eight medals in athletics, including Eldhose Paul’s historic gold in the men’s triple jump, Murali Sreeshankar’s silver in the long jump, Avinash Sable’s silver in the 3,000m steeplechase, and medals in race walking and the women’s long jump.

The numbers underlined the revival. Athletics contributed more than 13 per cent of India’s total medals in Birmingham — the highest share since the Delhi Games — and nearly tripled its medal tally from each of the previous two editions.

India’s athletics performance at the last four Commonwealth Games:

Regular success has changed the narrative

The transformation began with Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic gold in Tokyo, but it did not end there. India followed it up with its best-ever performance at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where athletics contributed 29 medals, the most by any Indian sport and nearly a quarter of the country’s record 107-medal haul.

The performance demonstrated that India’s success was no longer confined to the throwing events. Medals came in hurdles, relays, steeplechase, long jump, triple jump and race walking, highlighting the growing breadth of talent across disciplines.

That momentum has been reinforced at the continental level. India finished third at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships with 27 medals before improving the quality of its performances at the 2025 edition, where it claimed 24 medals, including eight golds.

While the overall tally dipped slightly, the increase in gold medals reflected India’s growing ability to convert finalists into champions — an important indicator ahead of a multi-sport event such as the Commonwealth Games. 

India’s performances at major athletics events (last 6 yeras):

India’s top medal prospects in athletics in Glasgow

Neeraj Chopra (Men’s Javelin Throw)

Despite an injury-hit season, Neeraj Chopra remains one of India’s strongest medal prospects for Glasgow 2026. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, Paris 2024 silver medallist, 2023 world champion and Diamond League winner is India’s only 90m thrower, holding the national record of 90.23m set in Doha in 2025.

He also won India’s first Commonwealth Games men’s javelin gold at Gold Coast 2018 with a throw of 86.47m. After missing the 2025 World Championships with a back injury, Chopra returned in June 2026, finishing fourth in Doha with 85.69m.

However, his journey to a medal will be anything but straightforward. His biggest challengers at the upcoming event will include Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who has taken the javelin world by storm with his personal-best throw of 92.62m.

The 23-year-old also defeated Chopra at the Doha Diamond League 2026 with an 88.68m effort and currently sits second in the World Athletics rankings. This means that a podium finish for Neeraj would not be far-fetched, although his challenge for gold will require a strong performance.

Moreover, Pathirage will not be the only obstacle Neeraj must overcome for a podium finish, as he will also be up against the likes of Grenada’s Anderson Peters (PB 93.07m) and Kenya’s Julius Yego (PB 92.72m), who will also be among the strongest contenders for a podium finish.

Gulveer Singh (Men’s 5,000m and 10,000m)

Gulveer Singh has emerged as India’s biggest distance-running medal hope for Glasgow 2026 after rewriting national records. In 2025, he became the first Indian to break 13 minutes in the 5,000m (12:59.77) and set the 10,000m national record (27:00.22), rising to World No. 11 in the 10,000m.

He also became the first Indian to run a sub-four-minute mile (3:55.63) in 2026 and completed a historic 5,000m-10,000m double at the 2025 Asian Championships.

However, his path to the podium will not be unchallenged. His main opponents will include Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the world half-marathon record holder (55:20) and Commonwealth Games 10,000m record holder (27:09.19), and Australia’s Ky Robinson, who has consistently run sub-13-minute 5,000m races. Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir and Cornelius Kemboi also strengthen the challenge, but Gulveer’s tactical racing could make him a genuine medal contender in Glasgow.

Parul Chaudhary (Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase and 5,000m)

If Gulveer Singh has transformed India’s men’s distance running, Parul Chaudhary has done the same on the women’s side. She has emerged as India’s leading women’s distance runner and one of the country’s strongest medal prospects for Glasgow 2026.

The 31-year-old holds the national record in the 3,000m steeplechase (9:12.46), set at the 2025 Asian Championships, and improved her 5,000m national record to 15:04.26 in France earlier this year.

She also clocked 9:12.84 at the 2026 Shanghai Diamond League, the second-fastest time by an Indian woman, and is ranked World No. 20 in the steeplechase. Parul won gold in the 5,000m and silver in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2023 Asian Games. In Glasgow, she will face Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai (PB 8:48.03), world champion Faith Cherotich (sub-nine minutes) and England’s Elizabeth Bird.

However, Parul’s national record is now faster than the 9:15.68 she ran at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, making her a genuine medal contender in the steeplechase.

Murali Sreeshankar (Men’s Long Jump)

Another major medal hope for India heading into Glasgow is long jumper Murali Sreeshankar. The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist has returned strongly from a knee injury, recording 8.38m at the National Inter-State Championships — his second-best career jump after his personal best of 8.41m in 2023.

He has crossed 8.00m in every competition this season, and his 8.38m is the best by any Commonwealth athlete in 2026 and among the world’s top 10 performances this year. Sreeshankar won Commonwealth silver (8.08m) in Birmingham 2022, followed by Asian Games silver and a top-eight finish at the 2023 World Championships.

His main challengers for a medal will include Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock (PB 8.54m), Australia’s Liam Adcock (8.34m this season) and Jamaica’s Carey McLeod (PB 8.40m).

However, Sreeshankar’s season’s best already surpasses the Commonwealth Games record of 8.35m, making him a genuine gold contender.

Praveen Chithravel (Men’s Triple Jump)

Praveen Chithravel enters Glasgow 2026 as one of India’s leading field-event medal hopes after three years of remarkable consistency. The 25-year-old holds the national record of 17.37m, set in 2023 and equalled at the 2025 Federation Cup.

This season, he opened with 17.08m — the ninth-best jump in the world in 2026 — before winning the National Inter-State Championships with 16.92m. Praveen narrowly missed a medal at Birmingham 2022, finishing fourth, but has since won Asian Games bronze and silver medals at the 2025 Asian Championships and FISU World University Games.

Notably, Praveen’s 17.37m exceeds the Birmingham 2022 gold-winning mark of 16.92m and is just 6 cm short of the Commonwealth Games record of 17.43m, making him a genuine podium contender.

However, Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert (PB 17.80m) and Jordan Scott (PB 17.69m) will be the two rivals standing between Praveen and a podium finish in Glasgow, with superior personal bests that could make his medal bid more challenging.

Tejaswin Shankar (Men’s Decathlon)

Tejaswin Shankar has transformed himself from one of Asia’s top high jumpers into India’s leading decathlete, making him a strong medal prospect for Glasgow 2026. The 27-year-old became the first Indian to cross the 8,000-point barrier, setting a national record of 8,057 points in Ranchi after earlier scoring 7,947 in the US.

He also comfortably surpassed the AFI’s Commonwealth qualification mark of 7,787 points. Tejaswin’s biggest weapon remains the high jump, where he owns a personal best of 2.29m and earlier this year defeated Olympic silver medallist Shelby McEwen with a meeting record of 2.26m.

His main rivals include Grenada’s Lindon Victor (PB of more than 8,700 points), Australia’s Cedric Dubler (PB 8,393) and England’s Daniel Golubovic. With rapid improvements across events, another 100-150-point gain could put Tejaswin firmly in medal contention and potentially make him India’s first Commonwealth decathlon medallist.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Men’s Shot Put)

Tajinderpal Singh Toor heads to Glasgow 2026 as India’s most experienced shot putter and a strong medal contender despite recent injury setbacks. The 31-year-old holds the Asian and national record of 21.77m, set in 2023, and remains the only Indian to breach the 21.50m mark.

A two-time Asian Games champion and two-time Asian champion, Toor has shown signs of returning to form this season with throws of 21.03m in Delhi, 19.97m in Sangrur and 20.07m at the National Federation Cup.

New Zealand’s Tom Walsh (PB 22.90m), Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell (PB 22m) and England’s Scott Lincoln, the Birmingham 2022 champion who has consistently thrown beyond 21m this season, will pose a daunting challenge for India’s seasoned campaigner in the race for the podium.

However, if Toor can regain the form that produced his 21.77m record, he has the ability to return to the Commonwealth Games podium in 2026.

Stage 17 takes the peloton from Chambéry to Voiron over 174.7 km and could offer the sprinters a final opportunity before the Alpine stages.

In MotoGP, Fabio Quartararo will join Honda’s factory team for the 2027 and 2028 seasons after leaving Yamaha.

In football, English referee Anthony Taylor announced his retirement at 47 after officiating 831 matches.

Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has also decided to retire after the 2026 World Cup.

In tennis, Quentin Halys and Valentin Vacherot meet in the second round at the ATP 250 event in Kitzbühel.

In the NBA, Yaxel Lendeborg was named Summer League’s MVP after Golden State’s title victory.

France claimed silver in the women’s K1 team event at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Oklahoma City.

Chelsea ended last season without a trophy and finished 10th in the Premier League, but their academy teams won league and cup titles.

It highlights the quality of the talent coming through under the leadership of Shields and Van der Kraan, with pathways director Jack Francis providing continuity as he enters his 16th year at the club.

The Cobham academy was previously led by Neil Bath and Jim Fraser, who built a system capable of winning five consecutive FA Youth Cups, including three wins in a row against City, to match the long-standing record set by Manchester United‘s ‘Busby Babes’ in the 1950s.

Chelsea also won the Uefa Youth League in 2015 and 2016 and remain the only English club to have won the competition.

However, Chelsea were handed a transfer ban in 2019 over breaches relating to youth recruitment and are currently serving restrictions on registering academy players following historical offences dating back to the Abramovich era.

That first transfer ban helped create opportunities for Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Andreas Christensen and Reece James to establish themselves in the first team under Frank Lampard.

Those were heady days for Chelsea‘s academy, but City were rapidly expanding under their Abu Dhabi ownership and investing heavily in youth development, an area exempt from financial spending restrictions.

Such was the dominance of the two academies that they had an informal agreement not to sign players from one another, helping to avoid inflated wages and transfer fees at youth level. That arrangement has since ended.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal also began a new wave of investment in their academies after Brexit made it impossible to sign overseas players under the age of 18.

Notably, Liverpool signed now-England youth international Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea in 2024, prompting restrictions on youth scouts from a number of rival clubs attending matches.

While Chelsea were under new ownership, Bath was developing a fresh strategy. However, after Fraser left the club following a disagreement with senior figures, Bath also departed and former City staff moved into senior academy positions.

That transformation has surprised many within academy football, where stories persist of fierce rivalries between the two clubs, heated confrontations behind the scenes and intense celebrations after victories at lower age-group levels. A genuine rivalry developed between the dominant academy systems of the north and south over the past decade.

Asked about the rivalry in 2025, Delap said: “We hated each other in games.”

He added: “But everyone’s man enough now that, off the pitch, we can be friends. I used to play against Levi [Colwill] every year. It was a great battle. There are too many matches to remember, but we [City] beat them in the Youth Cup final [in 2020].”

There have since been substantial changes in coaching methodology at Chelsea. Scores of new staff have arrived and those who have remained at the club have had to adapt.

Liverpool women’s manager Gareth Taylor spent nine years in City’s academy and recalls how former Barcelona coach Rodolfo Borrell helped to establish a Johan Cruyff and Guardiola-inspired coaching philosophy.

He described Delap as playing with a “real edge”, Rogers as “really good and really humble”, and Palmer as a player who “used to run rings around opponents” and would “never get nervous”.

Taylor said: “We designed a really clear playing style. From under-11s and under-12s all the way up to the under-23s, you could see really clear alignment in the way we played, our identity and our style.”

The City-modelled revolution has made an impact on both the senior and youth teams at Stamford Bridge.

Now Chelsea, with Alonso coming in, will hope the approach brings more rewards.

Veteran India batter Rohit Sharma was spotted alongside Nita Ambani during the opening match of The Hundred 2026 between MI London and SunRisers Leeds. The contest was played on Tuesday, July 21, at the Kennington Oval in London.

The 39-year-old opted for a casual look, wearing a black cotton Henley T-shirt paired with light blue relaxed-fit jeans. Rohit Sharma completed the outfit with white leather sneakers featuring black laces, a dark green baseball cap, and round black sunglasses.

Check out the clip below:

Speaking of the game, after being put in to bat, SunRisers Leeds were bowled out for 143 in 99 balls, with Mitchell Marsh top-scoring with 41 off 27 deliveries. For MI London, Richard Gleeson starred with the ball, returning figures of 4/25 from his 19 deliveries.

In reply, MI London were reduced to 51/3 before captain Sam Curran and Nicholas Pooran stitched together an unbeaten 93-run partnership off just 40 balls to guide their side home. Curran remained unbeaten on 60 off 39 balls, smashing five fours and three sixes, while Pooran finished not out on 58 off 22 deliveries, hitting five fours and as many sixes as MI London sealed a seven-wicket win with 16 balls to spare.

Rohit Sharma recently scored a century at Lord’s against England

On Sunday, July 19, England and India squared off in the deciding ODI of the three-match series at Lord’s in London. Opting to bat first, the hosts posted a massive 387/3 in their allotted 50 overs, with opener Ben Duckett top-scoring with 141 off 135 balls, including 18 fours and a six.

In reply, Rohit Sharma starred for the Men in Blue, bringing up his 34th ODI century. The veteran opener played a stunning knock of 138 off 110 balls, laced with 17 fours and five sixes. However, he could not take India over the line as the visitors finished on 360/7, falling 27 runs short of the target.