Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is set to return to action after his doping case was resolved, bringing an end to a chapter that has kept him out of competitive football since late 2024.

The Football Association (FA), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Mudryk reached an agreement during his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), allowing the Ukrainian international to resume his career with immediate effect.

Mudryk had initially received a four-year ban after testing positive for meldonium in October 2024. However, the sanction was effectively reduced to the period he had already served following changes to WADA’s technical guidance.

Under the current standards, the concentration of meldonium found in his sample would no longer be considered a doping violation.

Although the settlement allows him to return, Mudryk accepted that he had committed anti-doping rule violations as part of the agreement. Throughout the process, however, he maintained that he had never knowingly taken a banned substance.

Reacting to the decision, the 25-year-old expressed relief that the case had finally come to an end.

“After a long battle, the four-year ban that was imposed on me has been rescinded, and I am free to resume my career with immediate effect.”

He added:

“This has been the most difficult period of my career. As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance.”

Chelsea also welcomed the outcome, reaffirming their support for the winger.

“Chelsea Football Club is pleased that this matter has now reached a conclusion which allows Mykhailo to return to football with immediate effect.”

Mudryk is now expected to rejoin Chelsea’s first-team squad as preparations continue for the new Premier League season. His return also gives manager Xabi Alonso another attacking option after nearly two years away from competitive football.

Few things are more frustrating than walking off the green with a three-putt. But you don’t need to rebuild your stroke or spend hundreds on the latest training aid to avoid these scorecard killers. More often than not, becoming a better putter comes down to building better habits.

That’s exactly what GOLF Top 100 Teacher David Armitage says more amateurs need to focus on if they want to cut these score-killers out of their rounds. According to Armitage, the best putters all share three simple habits that improve distance control, produce a more reliable stroke and reduce their chances of three-putting. 

Want to start taking strokes off your score? Below are the three habits you can use to never three-putt again. 

1. Slow down before setting up

According to Armitage, one of the biggest mistakes amateurs make on the greens is rushing through the process — or not having a process at all.

“We’ve got to try and educate ourselves,” Armitage says. “I think a lot of people skip that step.”

That doesn’t mean spending minutes dissecting every putt. Armitage notes that some golfers fall into the opposite trap, overanalyzing the read and second-guessing themselves.

The goal is to find the middle ground: a consistent pre-putt routine that helps you read the green, commit to your line and step over the ball with confidence.

2. Let your stroke control distance

One of the biggest mistakes amateurs make is creating speed with their hands and accelerating through impact. Instead, Armitage wants golfers to maintain a consistent tempo and control distance by changing the length of their stroke.

He compares the putting motion to a pendulum: the rhythm stays the same, but the length of the stroke changes depending on the putt. On slower greens, make a longer stroke. On faster greens, shorten it — but avoid the instinct to accelerate or decelerate.

That consistency gives you a repeatable system for distance control, no matter the length of the putt.

3. Practice the putts that save strokes

Most golfers spend their time on the practice green trying to make short putts. While those are important, Armitage believes long-range putts are where amateurs have a bigger opportunity to improve.

“Amateurs … definitely don’t practice their long putting enough,” he says. “And I think it’s a place where they could definitely get better very quickly.”

To improve distance control, Armitage recommends trying ladder drills or hitting putts toward the fringe. Both of those drills are designed to help golfers develop a feel for speed while maintaining the same tempo and adjusting only the length of their stroke.

Remember, the goal isn’t to make every long putt — it’s to leave yourself a manageable second putt and eliminate costly three-putts.

Three-putts don’t have to be a part of your game. By slowing down your routine, developing a consistent tempo and practicing longer putts, you can eliminate costly mistakes and lower your scores.

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Terence Crawford has offered Lamont Roach some words of wisdom ahead of his vacant WBC world title clash with William Zepeda.

The sanctioning body’s two leading lightweight contenders will collide this evening, headlining a Golden Boy card in Las Vegas.

Zepeda has therefore been presented with a second stab at the WBC 135lb strap, despite coming off a unanimous decision defeat to Shakur Stevenson in July 2025.

Even against Stevenson, though, the Mexican fought at a relentless pace and proved that he represents a hard night’s work for any fighter.

Roach, on the other hand, has been accused of lacking a degree of urgency, or rather believing he is comfortably ahead on the judges’ scorecards when, really, the fight remains in the balance.

This appeared to be the case in his last outing, against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, whose sheer aggression and work rate saw him come away with a 12-round draw in December.

Prior to that, Roach boxed to a far more contentious draw against Gervonta Davis, who should have suffered a knockdown when he touched the canvas in round nine.

The fact remains, however, that Roach must elevate his punch output and intensity if he is to emerge victorious against Zepeda.

Speaking with FightHype, former three-division undisputed champion Crawford outlined this as an area of improvement for the 30-year-old.

“It’s going to be a good fight. If Roach don’t pick up his punch count, it’s going to be a bad one [for him].”

While seemingly needing to increase his volume, Roach does have the footwork and fluidity to cause Zepeda serious problems.

Manchester United continue their pre-season tour of Scandinavia as they take on fellow European heavyweights Atletico Madrid in Stockholm.

United bounced back from their surprise opening defeat to Wrexham with a rampant 5-0 win over Norwegian outfit Rosenborg.

They now face their biggest test of pre-season so far, with Atletico coming into the clash off their 4-1 triumph of their LaLiga rivals Getafe, which saw Ademola Lookman bag a brace.

It kicks off a run of exciting friendlies for Michael Carrick’s side, who will also face Paris Saint-Germain, fierce rivals Leeds and AC Milan before their Premier League curtain-raiser at Hull City.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Man United vs Atletico Madrid?

Manchester United’s pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid kicks off at 2pm BST on Saturday 1 August at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

How can I watch it?

Fans can watch the match on MUTV, with an annual subscription costing £29.99.

Team news

Man United are without Benjamin Sesko along with Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt due to injury, but there is a boost in the form of Amad Diallo’s return. New boy Andrey Santos starts again but there is no debut yet for Youri Tielemans, who has finally arrived at Carrington off the back of the World Cup.

Atletico are without their Argentine and Spanish stars that featured in the World Cup final – all those other than Marcos Llorente, who is already back for the squad despite his involvement for La Roja.

Confirmed line-ups

Man United XI: Heaton; Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Mount, Santos; Amad, Lacey, Dorgu; Mbeumo

Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak; Dominguez, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Koke, Vargas, Castillo, Ortiz; Lookman, Martin.

With its superstar striker Erling Haaland and its fans doing the Viking Row in the stands, Norway was one of the better storylines at the 2026 World Cup.

The team reached the quarterfinals after last appearing at the tournament in 1998. Spurred by Haaland’s goalscoring prowess, Norway finished second in Group I with wins over Iraq (3-1) and Senegal (3-2) before losing to France 4-1. In the round of 32, a 1-0 win over the Ivory Coast was followed by a 2-1 win over five-time champions Brazil in the round of 16. England would defeat the Norwegians in a sweltering quarterfinals match in Miami, 2-1. 

So what’s next for Norway’s top players after the 2026 World Cup?

He became the breakout star at the tournament, scoring seven goals in five appearances and carrying Norway to the first World Cup quarterfinal in the nation’s history. Haaland put the team on his back throughout its remarkable run, firmly announcing himself on the biggest stage in international football.

He’s already considered one of the best players in the world, having scored 162 goals across all competitions in his four seasons at Manchester City. He’s won the Champions League and multiple Premier League titles already. Don’t expect him to slow down anytime soon. 
 

At the World Cup,  served as Norway’s main creative outlet during its historic run to the quarterfinals. Odegaard provided the perfect complement to Haaland, growing into the tournament and becoming increasingly influential as Norway progressed. He finished the competition with three assists.

The summer capped off a memorable first part of the year for Odegaard, who serves as captain for Arsenal. He helped the Gunners win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final, narrowly losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. Arsenal should be squarely in the mix for more silverware this season.

Nusa is the future of Norway’s left flank and impressed during the summer with his creativity and flair on the wing. He scored in the win over the Ivory Coast in the round of 32. And while he was benched for the game against England in the quarterfinal, his spark nearly won it coming on as a substitute. 

He is a rising star in the German Bundesliga with RB Leipzig but expect teams in the Premier League to keep tabs on him moving forward.  

Another reason why the future is bright for Norway. He took Antonio Nusa’s starting spot, scored the opener against England, set up both of Haaland’s goals against Brazil in the round of 16 win. He is a super-sub no more. 

Currently at Portuguese powerhouse Benfica, it fees like a Premier League move is almost a formality.

A February letter from the sports ministry was explosive for French cricket.

Arriving at France Cricket’s Saint-Maurice headquarters on February 11, the letter declared that no mandate for the sport had been granted for 2026-2029 and underscored that no cricket squad had the right to call itself an official team of “France”.

Minutes from a June 26 board meeting – published July 7 on the France Cricket website before being deleted within half an hour, and archived by FRANCE 24 – show that, for weeks, France Cricket’s elected board was apparently not told of ministry letters confirming it had lost official status.

The minutes contain email and text exchanges with Chairman Prebagarane Balane in which he denied receiving notice from the sports ministry.

When the February letter first arrived, France Cricket’s administrative officer emailed a PDF version to Balane, copying CEO Saravana Durairaj and the organisation’s lawyer, Alexis Rutman. Later asked by Treasurer Prethevechand Thiyagarajan to account for what happened, she stated that Balane had instructed her to forward it. 

By the time a second ministry letter arrived on March 6, those instructions had changed. According to the minutes, the administrative officer texted Balane to say she had not opened the envelope, in line with his instructions, and had placed it in his drawer, sending him a photograph of it.

When she emailed the same three recipients to notify them of its arrival, she says Balane called her, angry that she had copied in colleagues and reminding her he had told her to keep the letter to herself. She recalled the email; the lawyer had already read it, according to her statement, but the CEO had not. She texted Balane to tell him the recall had worked. He replied with thumbs-up emojis.

By this time, France Cricket’s loss of status was no secret – FRANCE 24 reported in December that its recognition would soon lapse.

But on March 25, Thiyagarajan wanted to know whether it was official. In an email to the chairman and copied to the board, he asked for confirmation that the ministry had not yet sent a letter. Balane replied that his reading was correct. In another message that morning, Balane said a letter was expected the following week. 

Two days later, Balane wrote to the sports ministry saying he had never received the February letter. The ministry emailed him a copy and said it had been dispatched to France Cricket’s address on February 3.

When a third ministry envelope arrived days later postmarked March 30, the meeting minutes show the administrative officer again texted Balane to say she had put it directly in his drawer and that this time she had told no one else, notably neither the lawyer nor the CEO. Balane acknowledged her message.

The minutes from the June 26 board meeting carried another bombshell: Balane’s resignation, to take effect on July 17. He is on record as saying that he served France Cricket for years and wanted the organisation to move forward under new leadership.

Balane did not respond to questions from FRANCE 24 about the letters, his possible resignation or the removal of the minutes from the France Cricket website. In an email to Thiyagarajan included in the annexes, Balane said Rutman handled all exchanges relating to the organisation’s status.

Read moreAllegations of fake matches, murky finances plague cricket in France

On notice

With France Cricket in turmoil, relations with the International Cricket Council (ICC) have reached a new low.

In a letter cited in the June 26 minutes, the sport’s global body asked why France Cricket had continued to approve official “France” teams after being told it could not, and why board minutes from an April meeting were never published.

Under France Cricket’s own internal regulations, board minutes must be published on its website within a week of the meeting.

On July 6, France Cricket published – and within two hours, removed – the minutes of a July 3 meeting that detailed further demands from the ICC: a multi-year development plan and a plan to reform its governance to the standard required of a recognised federation, with a progress report due within six months.

In response, France Cricket produced a 45-page governance “white paper” that the meeting minutes showed was adopted unanimously and sent to the ICC ahead of its annual conference, which took place in Edinburgh July 8-11. At the same meeting, Secretary General Patricia Clément, Treasurer Thiyagarajan and CEO Durairaj – but not Balane – were named the body’s official contacts with the ICC.

Then, in Edinburgh, the ICC made its move.

“France Cricket were placed on notice at the ICC Annual Conference 2026 on account of their non-compliance with the ICC Membership Criteria,” an ICC spokesperson told FRANCE 24 on July 18.

“They have 12 months to rectify the areas of non-compliance.”

According to The Cricketer, the ICC found France Cricket in breach of its rules on four counts: a “lack of appropriate legal status and national recognition”; a “governance framework/structure being not fit for purpose”; an “executive, administrative and corporate structure being not fit for purpose”; and a “failure to submit a compliant three-year National Development Plan”.

France Cricket’s June 26 meeting minutes note that ICC funding had been blocked. The Cricketer reported the ICC suspended funding with immediate effect on June 16. France Cricket was due $560,000 in ICC development funding for 2026-2027.

Read moreFrench women’s cricket team disbands after probe into fake matches

Out of the crease

France Cricket lost government recognition on January 1, when its mandate to run the sport through France’s baseball and softball federation lapsed and was not renewed. A would-be rival, the multi-sport body ASPTT, applied for the ministry’s mandate and then withdrew, leaving cricket with no recognised governing body in France at all.

France Cricket has been under scrutiny since a 2023 FRANCE 24 investigation revealed allegations that it had staged fake matches to access ICC funding. The affair prompted 17 members of the women’s national team to demand an inquiry; the team was subsequently disbanded.

Read moreFrance Cricket faces power struggle as government backing hangs in the balance

FRANCE 24 revealed in April that France Cricket fielded a senior men’s team at an ICC-ranked tournament in Portugal despite losing government recognition. The sports ministry said France Cricket could not legally field a national team, and legal experts said those responsible could face civil or criminal liability. 

France Cricket went on to compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe qualifier in Cyprus in May, entered as “France Cricket XI” but playing with “FRANCE” across players’ shirts.

Asked by FRANCE 24 about fielding teams without state recognition, an ICC spokesperson said France Cricket “has the same right to participate as any other of our members”.

ICC membership criteria require a member to have national recognition in its home country. For now, during the 12-month window, France Cricket keeps the rights of any other member: it can compete internationally, provided its teams enter as “France Cricket” rather than “France”.

But its place in world cricket now depends on regaining the recognition it has lost at home; and the French state, which controls that recognition along with public funding and the right to field an official national team, continues to refuse.

In a BBC podcast published June 6, Balane defended his organisation’s conduct. He denied reports of “ghost” matches and said France Cricket was appealing the ministry’s refusal to grant a mandate and would go to court if the appeal failed.

That appeal was rejected, according to the minutes of the June 26 board meeting.

“I [have been] president for almost 12 years,” he told BBC broadcaster Alison Mitchell. “We are volunteers doing it by passion and to develop cricket.”

A seat at the ICC’s top table

Even as France Cricket’s standing collapsed at home, its vice-president was rising in the world of cricket. In Edinburgh, Gurumurthy Palani was elected to the ICC’s 16-member board as one of three associate member directors, topping the poll with 35 of 43 eligible votes and unseating Imran Khwaja, an associate director since 2008. The ICC then named Palani chair of its Development Committee, the body responsible for growing the game in smaller cricketing nations, even as it placed France Cricket on notice.

Palani no longer appears on France Cricket’s website; an archived version shows he was listed as vice-president as recently as June 29. The June 26 minutes record that he had told the board he might have to step back from the organisation if elected. Palani did not reply to a request for comment.

The France Cricket board was due to meet again on July 17, when Balane’s resignation would have taken effect. But the meeting did not take place. 

Team Northern Ireland boxers Michaela Walsh and Kaci Rock both had to settle for Commonwealth Games silver medals as they lost their respective finals by unanimous decision.

Holy Family fighter Walsh, who has earned a medal in each of her four successive Games appearances, has claimed a third silver after also coming second in 2014 and 2018.

But she missed out on the chance to add a second gold to the one she won in Birmingham four years ago after being outclassed by Jaismine.

The decorated 33-year-old also won gold in 2022, and joins bowler Neil Booth, shooter Martin Millar plus Mike Bull and Lady Mary Peters from athletics on four medals.

Only shooter David Calvert has won more medals with eight, four of which were gold.

Three of the five judges scored the fight 29-28 while the other two gave it 30-27 with all in favour of Jaismine.

Walsh made a slow start and had an uphill battle after a cagey first round which she lost 3-2.

The second was a much closer affair and while she went all out for the stoppage in the third, her efforts were in vain as Jaismine did enough to win and claim the gold.

Rock comes away from her first Games with NI’s fourth silver after falling short against England’s Sacha Hickey.

Hickey just had too much for 23-year-old Rock in an entertaining encounter, with four judges scoring it 30-27 and one 29-28 for the English fighter.

She edged the first two rounds and pushed on in the third to comfortably take victory.

Jon McConnell has the chance to add boxing’s first gold of these Games when he fights Wales’ Orlando Holley-Sotomi in the men’s light-middleweight final at 13:15 BST.