TORONTO, ONTARIO – AUGUST 04: Iga Swiatek of Poland in action against Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic in the second round on Day 3 of the National Bank Open at Sobeys Stadium on August 04, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
Iga Swiatek made a winning start to her North American hard-court campaign, defeating Czech youngster Sára Bejlek 6-0, 6-3 to reach the next round of the National Bank Open in Toronto.
The former world No. 1 was in complete control for much of the contest, storming through the opening set before getting a spirited challenge from Bejlek in the second.
Afterwards, the five-time Grand Slam champion admitted she wasn’t sure how she managed to come through it.
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“I don’t know how I won that game. I just wanted to stay patient and keep fighting for every point.”
This victory is Swiatek’s 24th win of the 2026 season and her first in Toronto in four years.
She is also delighted to be back competing in Canada after her long wait for another win at the tournament.
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“It’s great to be back here. I always enjoy playing in Canada, and I’m happy to start the tournament with a win.”
With her opener out of the way, Swiatek says her focus is now on building momentum as the North American hard-court swing continues.
“Every match is important at this stage of the season. I’m just trying to find my rhythm and improve with each round.”
The PGA Tour’s slow rollout of tournaments that will make up the top tier of the PGA Tour’s new schedule continues.
On Tuesday, the Tour announced the Cadillac Championship as a Championship Series event, increasing the total to five confirmed events beyond the majors, Players Championship and FedEx Cup Playoffs.
The Cadillac Championship, played at Trump National Doral outside of Miami, returned to Doral in 2026 after a 10-year absence. Played in May this past year, Cameron Young went wire to wire and beat Scottie Scheffler by six in a runaway victory. President Donald Trump was on hand for the final round.
The Cadillac joins four other tournaments that were confirmed as Championship Series events just last week: The Sentry (now at Torrey Pines), Arnold Palmer Invitational, Travelers Championship and Sompo, which will take over the Napa, Calif., event in 2027 before it owns a Championship Series event in 2028 at a to-be-announced venue and location.
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PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp officially announced the new PGA Tour competitive structure last month, which, beginning in 2028, will feature a Championship Series track as well as a Challenger Series. The Championship Series events will feature the top players in the league and offer purses of $20 million versus $4 million on the Challenger Series. That means sponsors will have to pay big bucks for the Tour to host a Championship Series event, and while many of the announced tournaments have been somewhat predictable, there have still been some surprises (like the Sompo) and there could potentially be more.
We likely won’t know them until the next 2028 schedule drop, though. Until then, Rolapp plans to announce the complete tournament rundown in early 2027.
Alex Eala of the Philippines returns a shot during a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Fresh off winning her first WTA Tour title, Alex Eala seeks to carry her momentum into the Canadian Open.
Eala is riding high after claiming the biggest title of her career at the DC Open on Tuesday and she looks to continue her winning ways against American Alycia Parks in the round of 64 in Toronto on Thursday, 8:10 a.m. (Manila time), at Center Court.
The 21-year-old Eala, however, is playing her best tennis yet this season with a historic run at Wimbledon and a maiden WTA 500 crown in Washington when she stunned American World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the final.
The Filipino trailblazer, who is now the World No. 20, dazzled in DC, rallying past Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the first two rounds and sweeping second seed Elina Svitolina, and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively, before defeating Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the title round.
Joey Cantillo and the Cleveland Guardians took the field against the New York Mets, the day after a successful trade deadline. The pieces have been moved and the Guardians got a first look at the rest of the season.
Unfortunately for Joey, the Mets were on their better game. Joey looked like he was struggling with control, pitching a bit wild, and a throwing error in the second wasn’t helpful. With two outs, Gabriel Arias made a throwing error to first that allowed Marcus Semien to reach. The next batter walked and the batter after him hit a three-run home run on a 90.9 mph four seamer down the middle. Cantillo ended the night having gone 5.0 innings. He allowed five runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks and struck out five.
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Slade Cecconi came on in the sixth in his new role in the bullpen. Slade went 2.2 innings, allowing a solo home run, two hits, and striking out four batters. Tim Herrin finished the eighth and closed the game, only walking one batter.
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Recent acquisition Jo Adell went 2-for-4 with a run and a walk. He also reached on a error. In the bottom of the third Adell doubled to lead off the inning. Chase DeLauter drew a walk and, with one out, Angel Martínez slapped a double to left that bounced off of the foul line on the walk to score Adell from second.
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With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Chase DeLauter singled on a sharp liner to left. Angel Martínez, with now two outs, drew a walk. Travis Bazzana hit a RBI single up the center, through both defenders to score CDL for the Guards’ final run of the night.
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On a night where there are a lot of frustrating little mistakes and issues that piled up to a loss, there were some positives. Jo Adell looks to be a good addition that the team needed. Chase DeLauter is an on base machine, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Steven Kwan is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game.
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These two teams will face off again tomorrow at 6:40PM EDT. It will be a righty face off with Christian Scott and Tanner Bibee starting for their teams.
LATROBE, Pa. — Does Aaron Rodgers still have what it takes to finally capture that elusive second Super Bowl ring? For Steelers defensive back Brandin Echols, that question is downright laughable.
“Oh yeah, of course,” Echols told CBS Sports following Tuesday’s training camp practice. “Sometimes, he calls out stuff I’m doing, and I’m like, ‘Bro, how’d you even call this out? I didn’t even show an inch of what I’m gonna do!’ That just shows the type of IQ he has for the game.”
New Steelers running back Rico Dowdle, who previously played with Dak Prescott in Dallas, hasn’t needed much time with Rodgers to come to a consensus on how good Rodgers is heading into his age-42 season.
Clearly, Rodgers’ teammates still see greatness in the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Their belief appears to be well warranted, as there are several reasons to believe that a special season may be in store for the Steelers and Rodgers, who has already announced that the upcoming season will be his last.
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Silencing his critics
The biggest story so far from Steelers training camp took place about 200 or so yards away from the practice field on Monday afternoon, when Aaron Rodgerswent on a fiery diatribe that included challenging his critics to find another way to try to dent his armor.
Based on his comments on “The Pat McAfee Show,” it’s safe to say that Rodgers feels vindicated and either no longer feels the sting of past criticisms or simply doesn’t care anymore. He’s at peace with who he is on and off the field and the legacy that he’s built across a lengthy and decorated career. Mental clarity is a valuable thing, and it’s something that Rodgers appears to have in spades.
Rodgers enters his final NFL season a happily married man. He’s reunited with his family after a prolonged estrangement. And based on his comments on Monday, he clearly feels that his stance on COVID — and the handling of it — has been justified.
From a football standpoint, Rodgers has quelled the narrative that he hasn’t been a good teammate during his time in Pittsburgh. He’s playing for a team that believes in his ability to lead it to the promised land, and for a coach whom he reached the mountaintop with during the crowning moment of their careers.
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Sound mind and body
Rodgers also has two other things at his disposal: his legendary throwing touch and the mind of a four-time league MVP who has seen every conceivable scenario one can envision on a football field.
Unfortunately for athletes, the body often goes well before the mind does. If anything, a player’s mental prime is later than their physical one. Fortunately for Rodgers, his ageless arm and razor-sharp mind have helped him overcompensate for some of the physical things one loses with age.
Rodgers is trying to become the fourth starting quarterback over 38 to win a Super Bowl, joining Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and John Elway. Manning largely leaned on his mind when he and the Broncos won Super Bowl 50. Brady still had plenty of physical gifts when he won two Super Bowls after turning 40, but he also relied greatly on his football IQ during those last championship seasons. Elway walked away at age 38 after winning back-to-back titles. Rodgers has both the physical and mental tools to join all three.
Rodgers also has the leadership qualities that will undoubtedly be needed if the Steelers are going to make a serious Super Bowl run. Clearly comfortable in his own skin, Rodgers isn’t afraid to be direct with his teammates, who by all account are embracing his leadership style.
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“A-Rod takes every day the same,” Echols said. “High intensity, very vocal. From an offensive or defensive side, he’s trying to bring out everybody’s best.”
A talented supporting cast
Obviously, Manning and Brady were on talanted teams that helped them win those Super Bowls. The Steelers are nobody’s pick to win the Super Bowl, but they nonetless have the talent to complement Rodgers.
While it was a year late, the Steelers finally upgraded their receiving corps this offseason with Michael Pittman, Dowdle (who is expected to be a key component in the passing game) and rookie Germie Bernard. Rodgers has also continued to strengthen his rapport with DK Metcalf (who continues to be Rodgers’ unquestioned primary option) and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Roman Wilson, after two tumultous seasons, has had a strong training camp and at this point has a firm hold of the starting slot position.
Rodgers also has a young, promising offensive line in front of him and the talented running back duo of Dowdle and Jaylen Warren behind him. Warren told CBS Sports that his individual goal is to run for over 1,000 yards for the first time, and he feels that Dowdle is capable of topping 1,000, too.
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“Great addition for us,” Warren said of Dowdle, who has run for over 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons. “He’s definitely a dude. I’m excited to work him him. … Our O-line, they’ve definitely built that chemistry. Everybody’s on the same page.”
Defensively, the Steelers don’t appear to be negatively impacted by the fact that they no longer have a defensive-oriented head coach. In fact, it appears to be the opposite.
Led by new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, the Steelers’ defense made a bevy of notable plays during the first two days of padded practice. That was the case even with the absence of defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr.
From a coaching standpoint, Mike McCarthy has given the Steelers the revitalization that Mike Tomlin himself acknowledged might be needed when he decided to step away after 19 seasons. But while the coach might be different, the goal remains the same.
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“It’s different, but ultimately it’s the same message,” Warren said. “Everybody is trying to win the Super Bowl.”
Super Bowl? For a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in a decade? While that is indeed a lofty goal, it’s worth noting that Manning’s Broncos and Brady’s Buccaneers weren’t trendy Super Bowl picks. In fact, the defending champion Seahawks were not a popular choice to win it all this time a year ago. The NFL has achieved its goal of parity, and the result is that more teams than ever are capable of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
That may be true, but it’s also still true that — in this era of passing — you need a talented quarterback if you are going to have a chance at climbing the mountaintop. Rodgers has already done that once, and he is more than capable of doing it one more time for a franchise that is hoping to recapture its past glory.
Quordle Answers (August 05, 2026): Struggling to solve today’s Quordle? No worries. We have today’s Quordle hints and answers for you to solve it on your own!
If you’re a fan of word puzzles, you probably already know that Quordle is a more challenging version of Wordle. Instead of guessing just one word, Quordle requires you to guess four five-letter words simultaneously within nine attempts.
We’ll offer a few hints to nudge you in the right direction for solving today’s Quordle (August 05, 2026) on your own. If you’re still struggling, we’ll reveal the Quordle answers as well.
Oh, and yes, we also have today’s answers for Quordle Chill and Quordle Extreme modes. And if you still want more, we have the answers for Quordle Sequence and the Quordle Weekly Challenge.
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Ready to tackle today’s Quordle? Let’s dive in!
WARNING: Spoilers ahead! Only read on if you want to know today’s Quordle answers.
Let’s start with the Daily Quordle. Here are a few hints to help you solve the puzzles:
Daily Quordle Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
The second word (top-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
The third word (bottom-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
Daily Quordle Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters
Daily Quordle Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “”.
If you still need help with today’s Quordle Answer, you can try our Wordle Solver. Although it was built for Wordle, it can still help you narrow down the possible answers for Quordle as well.
Today’s Daily Quordle Answers
Spoiler alert: The Daily Quordle answers for today are provided below.
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Are you ready?
Today’s Quordle answers for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:
If you managed to crack all four, great job! If not, don’t sweat it—there’s always another chance with tomorrow’s puzzles. If you can’t wait till tomorrow, the Quordle game has many modes that you can try today. And yes, we have the answers and hints to help you out here as well.
Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Hints
The Daily: Chill mode gives you 12 tries to get the 4 words. Here are some Quordle hints to help you get started.
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Quordle Chill Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 3 vowels.
Quordle Chill Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
The second word (top-right) has 1 letter repeated twice
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice
Quordle Chill Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “A”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “L”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “D”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “U”.
Those are today’s Quordle hints for the Daily: Chill mode.
Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Answers
If you haven’t solved it yet, we have the Quordle answers for the Chill mode right here.
Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Chill mode for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:
Let’s look at the Quordle hints and answers for the Daily Extreme mode next.
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Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Hints
Let’s look at the Quordle hints for the Extreme mode. Please note that you only have 8 tries!
Quordle Extreme Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 1 vowel.
The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
The third word (bottom-left) has 1 vowel.
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.
Quordle Extreme Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice
Quordle Extreme Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “T”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “V”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “S”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “K”.
If you’re still working on it, the Quordle answers for the Extreme mode are the next thing you’ll see.
Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Answers
If you didn’t get a single answer, I hope you have four turns remaining. You will need them to enter the Quordle Extreme answers that are shared below.
Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Extreme mode for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:
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Today’s Quordle Sequence Hints
You’ve got 10 chances to solve Sequence, but be strategic and don’t waste them all on your first guess. Check out these hints to help you:
Quordle Sequence Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?
The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.
Quordle Sequence Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?
The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters
Quordle Sequence Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?
The first word (top-left) starts with “F”.
The second word (top-right) starts with “S”.
The third word (bottom-left) starts with “L”.
The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “D”.
One tip to solving Quordle Sequence is to use 3 words with completely different letters. This will create a base when you try to solve the next word.
Today’s Quordle Sequence Answers
We have today’s Quordle Sequence answers for you right below.
Today’s Quordle answers for Sequence for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:
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That wraps up all the daily Quordle answers. Let’s try solving the Weekly Challenge next (if you haven’t already).
Previous Quordle Answers
Looking for the answers to the previous Quordle puzzles? Here is a list of answers for Quordle’s Daily: Classic mode for the last 7 days:
If your thirst for word games hasn’t been quenched yet, may I suggest Blossom? It’s available on Merriam-Webster — the same place you’re playing Quordle. If you need help in this game, you can use our Spelling Bee Solver tool. Yes, we made it for a different game but it works for Blossom.
With a desire to face the winner in a unification match, Ryan Garcia has offered his prediction for Rolando Romero’s WBA welterweight title defence against Teofimo Lopez.
Back then, the result came as a sizable upset, especially with ‘Rolly’ scoring a second-round knockdown to widen the margin of his victory.
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The American was then upgraded from ‘Regular’ to full WBA champion and, despite his inactivity, has been afforded the chance to make a voluntary defence of his title.
This will arrive against Lopez who, following his unanimous decision defeat to Shakur Stevenson in January, has moved up to 147lbs and is bidding to become a three-weight world champion.
And despite the comprehensive nature of his loss to Stevenson, ‘The Takeover’ has been made a clear favourite against Romero, whose achievements pale in comparison to his wins over the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor.
Not only that, but the sparring footage of several years ago suggests that Lopez is capable of outboxing his opponent through large portions of their upcoming encounter.
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Speaking with Ring Magazine, Garcia has expressed his own belief that the 29-year-old will emerge victorious against Romero.
“I want to fight [the winner of Romero-Lopez]. That’s what I want to end my Golden Boy [contract] with.
“Probably Teofimo [will win]. I feel like Teofimo has his number. I think the sparring is going to play a part.
“They’re both going to have a sense of hesitation, because of the sparring, but when Teofimo really believes in himself, [he’s hard to beat]. He didn’t seem like he was confident with Shakur at all.
“But I think, in this fight [against Romero], he knows what to do.”
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With two fights remaining on his contract with DAZN and Golden Boy, Garcia must first retain his WBC title against Conor Benn on September 12.
Olympic silver medallist and three-time consecutive CWG gold medallist Mirabai Chanu acknowledged the pressure of high expectations, saying her next target is an elusive Asian Games medal.
Chanu began her ascent at the 2014 Glasgow CWG with a silver medal before winning three consecutive golds in her weight category in Gold Coast in 2018, Birmingham in 2022 and Glasgow again in 2026. She also won the World Championships gold in 2017 and silver medals in 2022 and 2025, besides medals at the Asian and Commonwealth Championships.
“Winning a medal makes you very happy, but it is also very difficult. You have more responsibilities and have to give your best in upcoming competitions. There is a lot of pressure. An Asian Games medal will be very important for me.
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“I will try my best because I have to win where I have never won a medal before. So, the Asian Games is very important for me. Yes, I am aiming for an Asian Games medal next, for which there is pressure,” Chanu told PTI in an interview here on Sunday after returning from her successful CWG campaign in Glasgow.
“Some athletes are very happy when they win a medal. But for me, winning a medal gives me strength. I think I have to work even harder to win the next medal,” she added.
Recalling her happiest and saddest career moments — both at different Olympics — Chanu said regrouping and competing at her best again was difficult.
“There is a lot of pressure in every competition that I have to win this medal. That has been the story. Every athlete wants to participate in the Olympics. Getting a medal there was a dream, but I felt very sad when I missed it by a whisker in the Paris Olympics.
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“It was very difficult to regroup and compete at the highest level. I had to plan ahead and work very hard,” she said.
Summarising her journey, Chanu said she had tried to live up to the responsibility and expectations placed on her.
“I was very happy when I won the silver medal for India in 2014 in Glasgow. After that, I was given more responsibility for weightlifting. I had to decide what I wanted to do and how far I wanted to go.
“Gradually, I learned about international weightlifting and how much effort I had to put in. I tried my best to do what I wanted for Indian weightlifting. Gradually, I got support from everyone. I am very happy that I was able to achieve all this with the support of my coach Vijay Sharma sir,” she said.
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Chanu said there would be no special training ahead of the Asian Games and she would continue with her normal schedule.
“The key will be to remain injury-free leading up to the Games. No special training will be required; just the usual stuff,” she signed off, adding that she would be happy to receive her childhood dream of an Arjuna Award despite already holding the Khel Ratna.
Former FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein criticized the soccer body’s leadership headed by Gianni Infantino on Tuesday, describing prize money withheld from his Jordan national team as a kind of blackmail. Prince Ali said the Jordanian federation he leads still has not been paid money due for reaching the final of the FIFA Arab Cup played last December in Qatar. In a social media post, Prince Ali said that during the World Cup – where Jordan made its debut in June – he was told if he endorsed FIFA President Gianni Infantino “it would go a long way to helping our FA out.”
Infantino is under pressure to save his 11-year presidency amid a fierce backlash from global football leaders about his now-failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to investors led by Joshua Kushner.
“We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now,” said Prince Ali, who placed third in a five-candidate FIFA presidential contest when Infantino was first elected in February 2016.
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“But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that,” the Jordanian royal wrote Tuesday.
The 2025 FIFA Arab Cup that Jordan lost in the title match against Morocco was set to pay $4.2 million to the beaten finalist, Jordanian media reported last year.
“The money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet,” Prince Ali wrote, “while at the same time FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve.”
“It is clear the problem really is with leadership. For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters,” he said.
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FIFA was approached for comment about the claims.
Prince Ali was elected by Asian football to serve on FIFA’s ruling executive committee from 2011-15, and stood against then-president Sepp Blatter in a May 2015 election. That vote to re-elect Blatter was held in the shadow of raids at Zurich hotels two days earlier to arrest soccer officials as part of investigations by U.S. and Swiss federal agencies.
Infantino had seemed a lock to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term leading FIFA through 2031 when he left New York two weeks after the World Cup final.
Fallout from his secretive private equity plan revealed one week ago has rocked soccer politics with Infantino’s former colleagues at European soccer body UEFA now looking for a rival candidate. The proposal underwritten by Kushner’s Thrive Eternal fund would have paid $20 million each to Jordan and all other FIFA members had they accepted by a Sept. 19 deadline
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UEFA also is threatening a boycott of FIFA games, events and meetings, while the leadership of the North American soccer body CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, of which Jordan is a member, also have spoken out against Infantino.
FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for candidates to declare for the election by 211 member federations on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.
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Spain’s World Cup Champions Celebrate Wildly At Cibeles Square
Blake Shinn has made a triumphant return to race riding, achieving a victory with his initial mount after being sidelined by injury.
Back at Flemington for the first time since his significant fall on Melbourne Cup Day last year, Shinn guided Nearco Frod, trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, to a win in the TAB We’re On (2500m).
The $2.50 favourite, Nearco Frod, surged under Shinn to secure a 1¾ length victory over Urban Outlook ($21), with Our Chief ($2.70) securing third place.
“The legs have pulled up a little but sore which is a understandable but it is such a great feeling,” an emotional Shinn said.
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“It has been a bit of a journey, but it is nice to be coming home a winner and not in the back of an ambulance.
“To get the support of all the leading trainers and owners and I’ve had to ensure that I’m ready for today with a great team who have helped me in the recovery.
“First ride back a winner so it is special. Hopefully it is the start of a great season.”
The five-year-old’s strong finish over the 2500 metres has the McEvoy stable considering a run in the Archer Stakes scheduled for September 12.
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Shinn also playfully attributed some of the success to Craig Williams.
“I’ll have to thank my great mate Craig Williams for going on holidays,” Shinn stated, having filled in for the jockey who has won 10 Melbourne premierships.
“He’s a promising horse and was adaptable on the dry today.”
This marks Nearco Frod’s third consecutive win, having previously recorded back-to-back successes at Sandown before Saturday’s Flemington triumph.
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“When he arrived with us he was a young horse,” Calvin McEvoy remarked.
“We have a nice preparation with him but he has really come on. He had to tick the Good track box as that was the query for me as he’d been winning on heavy nines.
“He was dynamic there on a Good 4.
“To win three in town is a good effort and it is lovely to provide Blake Shinn with his first winner.”
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Alex Iwobi has opened up about the realities of representing Nigeria, revealing some of the challenges Super Eagles players face while insisting his passion for playing for the national team has never changed.
Speaking during a recent interview, the Fulham midfielder painted an honest picture of life on international duty, from paying for flights to dealing with poor facilities.
“I love playing for Nigeria, but you have to pay for your own flight. You get to the hotel and there’s no electricity. You wash your own kit, the pitch is only half grass, and if you make one bad pass the coach is screaming at you. But I love the food.”
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Despite the difficulties, Iwobi made it clear that representing Nigeria remains one of the greatest honours of his career.
The 29-year-old also reflected on the emotional aftermath of Nigeria’s defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, admitting the criticism from fans affected him so deeply that he deleted his Instagram account.
“After the AFCON final against Côte d’Ivoire, Nigerians dragged me so much I deleted my Instagram.”
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Iwobi revealed that Victor Osimhen visited him after the final and reminded him of everything he had achieved with the Super Eagles.
“Then Victor Osimhen knocked on my hotel room and said, ‘Even if you retire today, you’re a Super Eagles legend and one of our best players.”
Despite the challenges, Iwobi made it clear that nothing has diminished his pride in representing Nigeria. For him, wearing the Super Eagles jersey remains a privilege worth every sacrifice.
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