Connect with us

Sports

EU sports commissioner says FIFA is ‘damaging to football’

Published

on

The European Union’s sports commissioner has criticized world football’s governing body FIFA over its controversial and now-aborted plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

Speaking to DW at his Brussels office, Commissioner Glenn Micallef labeled the plans “another episode in a series of poor governance decisions that excessively commercialize the sport,” adding: “It’s damaging to football.”

However, Micallef stopped short of calling on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign, amid growing pressure on him to step down. Asked whether FIFA was fit for purpose under Infantino, the commissioner insisted it wasn’t for him to decide.

“That’s a decision that belongs to national associations and federations,” Micallef said. “I hope that they will have the chance to have an open process where they can discuss these things, where they can ensure accountability and responsibility for these issues.”

Advertisement

Infantino faces ethics complaint

Micallef’s comments come as the human rights group FairSquare submitted an updated complaint against Infantino to FIFA’s ethics committee, joined by more than 100,000 signatures as part of its “Reboot FIFA” campaign.

The complaint details eight instances, four of them new, in which Infantino allegedly broke FIFA’s ethics rules. These include the World Cup privatization plans and the reversal of US player Folarin Balogun’s red card ban. All of the instances are linked to Infantino’s relationship with US President Donald Trump.

In the complaint seen by DW, FairSquare state: “at a minimum, [Infantino] abused his power, violated his duty of political neutrality and his duty of loyalty in his efforts to ingratiate himself with the US president. The evidence that he sought to gain personally from this pattern of behaviour adds to the seriousness of the allegations.”

Advertisement

Nicholas McGeehan, director of FairSquare, told DW that European football’s governing body UEFA — among Infantino’s fiercest critics — should get behind the complaint.

“I think [the ethics committee] is a paper tiger, but it is a mechanism that could be usefully deployed,” McGeehan said. “You have a mechanism within this organization that could be used to get this guy out. So why aren’t you supporting these complaints?”

 Donald Trump & Gianni Infantino at the 2026 World Cup Final
Gianni Infantino (left) and Donald Trump (right) have been close ever since the 2026 World CupImage: Tom Weller/dpa/picture alliance

World Cup for sale

FIFA’s plans to sell 20% of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors caused widespread outrage when they became public in July.

“Football is not for sale,” Micallef told DW. “Yes, football needs investment, but that investment does not mean that football has to sell itself. The FIFA leadership is there … to make sure that football grows and reaches more people, but not to profit from it. Football belongs to us, the fans.”

Despite the controversy, Infantino has confirmed he will stand for a fourth term as FIFA president next March. The governing body, which didn’t respond to DW’s request for comment, has closed ranks around its leader, saying previously that there was a “concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president.”

Advertisement

With no sign of Infantino budging, McGeehan called on the EU to intervene, questioning the ability of sports organizations to regulate themselves.

“I think there are a lot of football supporters who are dreadfully concerned about the way the game is run, but think that there is no way to fix it,” McGeehan said. “And of course, there’s always a way to fix it, and the way to fix it is politics.”

Is FIFA breaking EU competition law?

FIFA’s role as both competition organizer and football’s global regulator has long raised concerns about a conflict of interest.

It is already the subject of a complaint to the European Commission’s competition watchdog over its control over the international match calendar. The complaint, filed by the umbrella group representing Europe’s domestic football leagues, alleges FIFA abuses its role to favor its own competitions. On Tuesday, the complaint was widened to include the women’s game.

Micallef, meanwhile, did not rule out further action.

Advertisement

“The fact that sport is autonomous does not absolve it of its responsibilities under the law,” he said. “So I don’t exclude competition policy. Competition policy is a tool in our war chest, but I would much rather prefer to address these issues through dialogue than through competition lawyers.”

Pointing to the EU’s role last year in opposing Spanish and Italian league matches being played outside Europe — proposals heavily criticized by fan groups — Micallef expressed hope for change.

“The football community should never be underestimated. When those who are passionate about football and institutions come together and send a strong message, then we are a power to be reckoned with,” said Micallef. “We deserve proper governance. That’s not too much to ask.”

Matt Pearson contributed reporting to this article.

Advertisement

Edited by: Jonathan Harding

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

Pratika Rawal’s India comeback gets another boost as she replaces injured Jemimah for Asian Games | Cricket News

Published

on

Pratika Rawal’s India comeback gets another boost as she replaces injured Jemimah for Asian Games
Pratika Rawal replaces Jemimah (Image: IANS)

Top-order batter Pratika Rawal has been included in India’s women’s cricket squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as a replacement for injured Jemimah Rodrigues.Jemimah continues to recover from a hamstring injury she suffered while playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred on August 3. The injury had already ruled her out of the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai and the Asian Games.

Rawal gets Asian Games call-up

Rawal was initially named as Jemimah’s replacement only for the Asia Cup, with no official word at the time on who would take her place in the Asian Games squad. However, a BCCI source confirmed on Wednesday that Rawal’s name was already included in the 15-member squad submitted for the Asian Games, meaning she will travel to Japan as Jemimah’s replacement.The 17-year-old made her T20I debut during the ongoing Asia Cup and has been used at No. 3 by the Indian team management. She has scored 22, 10 and 4 in her three league-stage appearances so far.

A long road back for Rawal

Rawal’s return to international cricket came after a lengthy injury layoff. She had not played competitive T20 cricket since November 2024 before her Asia Cup call-up and was also forced to miss the 2026 Women’s Premier League after an ankle injury suffered during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. She had been preparing to join Warwickshire for the One Day Cup in England when the India call came. UP Warriorz had bought her for Rs 50 lakh at the WPL auction last year, but she could not feature in the 2026 season.

Advertisement

India head to Japan as defending champions

India will enter the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games as defending champions after beating Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final of the previous edition in Hangzhou. The eight-team competition is scheduled to run from September 17 to 22, with India joined by Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and China.India’s Asian Games squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (WK), G Kamalini (WK), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh, N Sree Charani and Nandni Sharma.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

England v Pakistan Third Test, day one Edgbaston – highlights

Published

on

England took early control of the third and final Test against Pakistan after a day of dominance with bat and ball, closing the day on 156-4, giving the home side a lead of 23 at stumps, after earlier bowling Pakistan out for 133 at Edgbaston.

MATCH REPORT: England v Pakistan – Third Test, Day One

Available to UK users only.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

After Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi Makes Major Move In Spanish Football

Published

on




Lionel Messi is poised to become the majority shareholder at second-division side Eldense, the Spanish club said on Wednesday. Eldense, based near the port city of Alicante in south-east Spain, confirmed to The Associated Press that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had reached a preliminary agreement with the club’s owners. The deal will see him buy the shares held by Grupo TH Soluciones, subject to the completion of the remaining legal and contractual procedures. The club did not provide financial details and did not say when the contract would be completed.

Eldense will become the second Spanish club the Argentina star has invested in. Earlier this year, he became the owner of a fifth-division side, Barcelona-based UE Cornella.

Eldense fired coach Claudio Barragan on Sunday after claiming just two points from four league matches this season.

Advertisement

Messi has built a strong bond with Spain. He arrived at Barcelona at age 13, when he and his family came to the country to try his luck at the club’s youth academy.

He was the best player of his generation during two decades at Barcelona, where he won multiple titles before leaving in 2021.

Now aged 39, Messi was named this week on the shortlist for another Ballon d’Or award after guiding Argentina to a runner-up finish at the World Cup and winning Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.

Messi’s long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo also has a stake in a second division club in Spain – Almeria.

Advertisement

Ronaldo holds a 25% stake in Almeria, while SMC Group owns the remaining 75% of the Spanish club.

Advertisement

Almeria beat Eldense 3-0 when the two teams met earlier during the league season.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)


Featured Video Of The Day


CWG 2026 Weightlifting Gold Medallist, Mirabai Chanu Get Hero’s Welcome in Delhi

Advertisement

Topics mentioned in this article

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Hayden Winks’ top-12 wide receiver projections

Published

on

Fantasy football analyst Hayden Winks reveals his top-12 wide receiver rankings and analysis for Week 1. He’ll continue to update his rankings for every position throughout the week. He also wrote about two lower-ranked WRs playing in Wednesday ‘s season opener.

Nacua easily finished as half PPR’s WR1, scoring 2.8 more points per game than Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He did it by averaging 108 yards and 8.1 receptions, not by TDs. If Nacua chips away at Davante Adams‘ league-high 0.76 TDs per game in the red zone, then he could have a record-breaking season. For reference, Nacua was at 0.32.

Advertisement

Nacua has “only” averaged 8.2-85-0.60 receiving in five career contests against the 49ers, good for 16.2 half PPR points per game. But those also included two games of 52% and 43% snaps, so he’s roasted them just like every other team on a per-snap basis. The 49ers are dealing with return-to-play front-seven players who are being dragged on 15+ hour flights, and their secondary is just okay.

Advertisement

Nacua is projected for a league-high 88.5 receiving yards on a league-high 11.5 targets this week. LA has a 26.0-point team total, which is notably lower than their nearly 30-point scoring average from 2025.

Chase is the WR1 on WR1 expected points in games with Joe Burrow healthy over the past three seasons, averaging 21.5 PPR points per game. The offense may tinker its design a little bit this year by going under center a bit more in order to hunt more explosives on the ground, but this will still be a pass-first offense. It’s possible they have more explosives off play-action and down the field because of the tinkered design, too.

Advertisement

Chase gets a pass-funnel matchup to start off. The Bucs were sixth in passing yards allowed versus 27th in rush yards. Teams facing DT Vita Vea simply pass the ball, and that’s especially true with fairly unproven starters at CB2 and in the slot. The Bengals are third in projected points (27.0), and Chase will eat. He’s projected for 87.5 yards on 10.5 targets. Only Puka Nacua has the edge over him this week.

Advertisement

Join a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season

When David Montgomery either missed the game or finished with five carries (10 game sample), Amon-Ra has averaged 20.9 PPR points and 21.8 expected points. Both are WR1 overall caliber. In those games, he’s averaged 8.4 receptions, 102.5 yards, and 0.60 touchdowns. His average depth of target drops, as he becomes an extension of the run game. Well, Monty is gone and even current RB2 Isiah Pacheco is out.

Advertisement

The Lions have the highest team total of Week 1 (28.75 points), and the Saints have 2025 third-rounder Jonas Sanker in the slot to defend him. There is nothing negative to say about the set up this week. I’m surprised his betting market projections aren’t even higher: 6.5 for 78.5 on 9.5 targets.

Advertisement

Just throw out the 2025 season. Everything else has been pure greatness. Jefferson averaged 100 receiving yards from 2022-24 in games without Josh Dobbs and Jaren Hall. That’s enough to flirt with WR1 overall if Kyler Murray can reach the Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold tier. That seems within range!

The Packers without Micah Parsons are a great spot to start out hot. In five games without him to close last year, they allowed the fifth-highest EPA per dropback and eighth most passing yards per game, with the lowest sack rate (2.2%). Heck, even Jefferson put up 101 yards in Week 18 with J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer!

Advertisement

The Packers are starting Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine at outside CB, and they will reportedly play more man coverage and do it with more off coverage. That’s dangerous against Jefferson’s gumby-like movements.

Advertisement

Jefferson is back to elite WR1 status in this home, domed matchup. Minnesota has the 10th-highest team total of the week.

In a new role that led to more underneath targets, Olave posted a career-best WR7 per-game finish on WR6 usage under HC Kellen Moore. He had improved QB play from rookie Tyler Shough, and Olave really took off without Rashid Shaheed after Week 10. From that point forward, he averaged 9.9 targets per game and 86 yards. Both are very clear WR1 numbers. Nothing has materially changed from that dominant stretch.

Advertisement

The matchup is amazing. The Saints project for 21.25 points against the Lions, and the game script is obviously pass first as 7.0-point dogs in a dome environment. Both offenses play with aggressive pace, and the Lions’ secondary is a total mess. ESPN’s Ben Solak notes the Lions starting secondary is the oldest of any team in the last 15 years. They don’t have the speed to match with Olave. They won’t have safties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.

Advertisement

Only Puka Nacua projects for more targets (10.5) by the betting markets.

(Chart by Hayden Winks)

JSN vs. CB1 Christian Gonzalez is the biggest matchup of Week 1, and it happens on the NFL season opener. Let’s go. Smith-Njigba ran 32 routes in the Super Bowl before leaving injured, and Gonzalez did travel with him plenty. It wasn’t every snap, of course, but there were times where he’d travel with him in the slot and C-Go did go to JSN’s side of the formation more times than not. JSN had 27 yards on nine targets. Gonzalez also semi-shadowed Courtland Sutton in the AFC Conference Championship.

Advertisement

This time around, the Seahawks are projected for 23.75 points (11th) at home with a first-time play-caller. The offense will remain balanced with downfield play-action shots as the primary focus of the pass game. It’ll be nearly impossible to replicate the +10.2 completion percentage over expected that JSN had last year with a white hot Sam Darnold, but JSN is in consideration for best route runner in the league. Darnold has always had a great deep ball, too.

Advertisement

WR rooms facing the Patriots last year averaged 24 fewer receiving yards than their season-long average. They’re extra solid against No. 1 WRs because of Gonzalez. They held Courtland Sutton to 17 yards, Quentin Johnston to 20 yards and Jayden Higgins (without Nico Collins) to 59 yards during their playoff run as an example.

This is a challenging opener for JSN. He’s still projected for 82.5 receiving yards by the betting markets. That’s a real discount to his 100-yard average from 2025.

Lamb has averaged 90 receiving yards per game from 2022-2025 when Dak Prescott has started. He’s the WR3 on WR5 usage and a 26% target share (WR5) over that span.

Advertisement

Advertisement

With George Pickens balling out last year, Lamb averaged 89 receiving yards per game on a 26% target share, if we remove his two injured games. He was the WR8 on WR6 usage, with the only real difference being he scored 0.25 touchdowns per game rather than his baseline of 0.37. Long story short, Pickens’ breakout just made the Cowboys a better offense. It didn’t really matter for Lamb’s fantasy production.

Meanwhile, the Giants are going to attempt being more stout on the ground under HC John Harbaugh, but they could get quite exposed in the secondary with Greg Newsome and Deonte Banks as their top outside CBs. Dru Phillips has had competitive moments but is a volatile slot CB, too. It’s a great matchup to open with, and the Cowboys No. 5 implied team total reflects that.

Pickens feasted without CeeDee Lamb last year, then in 13 games WITH Lamb, he averaged 77 YPG en route to a WR10 per-game average on WR13 usage. His targets with Lamb active had a 63% success rate (WR4) because they come when Lamb is getting the shaded coverage on the other side. One-on-one to Pickens is as good as it gets.

Advertisement

Advertisement

That’s especially true in this great matchup. The Giants’ starting CBs were in a competition throughout camp (read: bad) and were vulnerable whenever left on islands last year. More resources will be spent loading the box with this new defensive scheme, and the Giants could get exposed through the air, even with a great pass rush. There’s simply not enough talent in the secondary.

Pickens might be a little more volatile than other fantasy WR1s, but he’s projected for a strong 70.5 yards and 8.5 targets by the betting markets. Those are less than what he averaged with Lamb last year. There’s been consistent talk out of camp that Pickens was the best player on the team.

Collins is the most likely WR to have a Jaxon Smith-Njigba type of breakout season. He’s certified elite on tape and in the advanced metrics, and the Texans’ lackluster WR depth opens up the chance for a 30% target share. Newly acquired Kayshon Boutte is a low-volume deep threat as his counterpart, and that type of profile should allow Collins to have more underneath/intermediate routes this season. That’s the difference between being a consistent fantasy WR1 and the up-and-down WR11 on WR11 usage that he was last season. I’m optimistic.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The matchup is more neutral. The Bills have an offense that can keep pace with the Texans’ elite defense, but Buffalo was a run funnel last season, allowing the fifth most rushing yards and the second fewest pass yards per game. It’s a new scheme under DC Jim Leonard but the secondary is still a tier better than their front seven, in part because CB1 Christian Benford is legit.

The Texans are 22nd in projected points, and Collins has a 68.5-yard projection by the betting markets as a low-end WR1.

AJB had a normal training camp and heads into the year healthy, unlike last year when he had an unusually slow start with a hamstring issue. His tape and numbers bounced back halfway through 2025, and he should compete for low-end WR1 numbers in his age-29 season with an MVP-caliber QB.

Advertisement

Advertisement

OC Josh McDaniels handed an older version of Davante Adams 180 and 175 targets just a few years ago with far worse QB play, so the upside remains intact.

The Seahawks still provide a very challenging matchup under HC Mike Macdonald with CB1 Devon Witherspoon tasked with partially stopping him. There is a potential drop down to their CB2 after Riq Woolen departed, and star SCB Nick Emmanwori (questionable) is banged up, while FS Ty Okada is ruled out.

If there’s a time to catch the Seahawks secondary, now is it. The Patriots are still projected for just 20.75 points (24th). TreVeyon Henderson will not be available, potentially setting up more dropbacks than normal.

With A.J. Brown gone, Smith is the clear-cut WR1 for the first time since he broke out as a rookie in 2021. In five games without AJB since then, Smith is the WR3 in yards per game (89) on WR10 targets (9.0). It’s an extremely small sample and the Eagles have Makai Lemon now plus their red-zone rush rate, but Smith could put up top-10 receiving yards if OC Sean Mannion proves to be an upgrade over last year’s static play-caller.

Advertisement
.

(Chart by Hayden Winks)

Smith was just at 64 YPG and 7.0 targets in games with AJB over that same sample. This could be a 10-20 receiving yards per game trade for Smith.

Advertisement

The matchup is ripe for a big outing. The Commanders were horrific last year in every phase. They were eighth worst against fantasy WRs when adjusting for schedule, and they’re still only starting Rasul Douglas, Mike Sainristil and SCB Amik Robertson in the secondary with a no-namer at free safety.

Higgins has played 39 games with Joe Burrow healthy since 2022. He’s averaged 12.3 half PPR points, equating to WR13 per-game production on WR14 usage.

Advertisement

There are times when the Bengals won’t be pushed and those provide lower-floor outcomes than others in this tier, but this season opener is against a pass-funnel Buccaneers defense that is routinely allowing opposing offenses to pass more than normal in neutral situations. Tampa Bay allowed the sixth-most receiving yards per game last year.

.

(Chart by Hayden Winks)

Higgins has a great ceiling with the Bengals projected for 27.0 points (third most). The betting markets have him projected for 11.4 half PPR points and 60.5 receiving yards as an upside WR2.

Advertisement

Doubs was signed to be a long-time starter on the boundary after finishing as the WR37 on WR35 usage on the Packers last year. He is an effective route runner who does most of his damage in the intermediate levels. Kayshon Boutte had this starting spot last year and was utilized far more downfield. We’ll see if his role changes in a new scheme and while playing next to a star WR like A.J. Brown.

Advertisement

The Seahawks are a tough matchup, of course. The good news is CB1 Devon Witherspoon will likely see a bulk of Brown, and there’s a real dropoff to CB2 Josh Jobe with Riq Woolen and other members of the secondary out of town. Star NCB Nick Emmanwori (questionable) and S Ty Okada (out) are also injured. If there’s time to sneak on in against this defense, it’s now. It’s still not a positive one any way we slice it. The Patriots have the No. 24 team total.

Advertisement

Shaheed is back on a 3-year, $51M contract after doing little as a receiver post trade. He only had 4.4 targets per game as a Seahawks last year, but the coaching staff doubled down on him throughout the offseason. He was a stand out in camp per reports.

The Seahawks will remain balanced on offense, while using play-action deep as the staple of the pass game. Shaheed should be the second target on these valuable looks but their success will be impossible to project week over week.

Advertisement

The Patriots have a star CB1 in Christian Gonzalez, but he’ll be tasked with stopping Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a lot of the night. CB2 Carlton Davis is decent but far more gettable.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

MLB Wednesday Betting Picks: Cubs vs. Brewers, Aaron Judge and More

Published

on

Aug 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman (12) delivers the ball during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesAug 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman (12) delivers the ball during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Wednesday’s MLB schedule features a meeting of Eastern division leaders as Tampa Bay visits Atlanta eager to regroup from a 7-1 loss in the series opener Tuesday.

Salivating matchups can be found elsewhere, though, especially individually. Read on to see just how well the Yankees’ Aaron Judge has fared against Rockies righty Tomoyuki Sugano. Odds are via FanDuel.

That tussle is among the free picks for today’s slate.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS AT SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS, 3:45 p.m. ET

One win separates the Giants (61-85) from their first home sweep of a lost season. Still treading water for the final National League wild card spot, the Cardinals (72-74) lost three in a row at Philadelphia from Aug. 21-23 and in Milwaukee in late May.

Let the record show that Cards right-hander Andre Pallante pitched in neither series. That he’s set to get the start in this matinee steers the pick in St. Louis’ favor.

Advertisement

Pallante is 2-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his past seven starts covering 41 innings. He’ll face Giants righty Blade Tidwell (0-2, 4.43), who has needed 100 and 93 pitches, respectively, to complete five innings in each of his past two starts. Tidwell walked five and hit a batter in a road loss at Pittsburgh Thursday.

Look for the Redbirds to rebound and keep the Giants sweepless in San Francisco.

Cardinals (-124)

Our Current Best Offers

Advertisement

Channel debug: betting

COLORADO ROCKIES AT NEW YORK YANKEES, 7:05 p.m. ET

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in Tuesday’s series-opening win against Colorado after missing 84 games with a broken rib.

An early remedy is on the horizon in the person of Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano. Judge was dominant against the righty when Sugano pitched for the division rival Baltimore Orioles last season, batting .778 (7-for-9) with three solo home runs.

Advertisement

New York (82-62) gradually is acclimating Judge to game speed. Considering who’s on the mound for the 55-89 Rockies, though, it’s worth taking this chance before Judge exits for a late-game defensive replacement, as planned.

Aaron Judge 2+ hits (+230)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

Advertisement

CHICAGO CUBS AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS, 7:40 p.m. ET

NL Central-leading Milwaukee (90-56) holds a nine-game edge on Chicago (81-56) with 16 games to play.

The Cubs hoped to make a dent this week but have lost the first two games of the series 4-3. Tuesday’s contest ended in that score in 10 innings after Chicago squandered a 3-1 lead entering the bottom of the ninth.

The Brewers won two of three at Wrigley Field to begin September, but a Milwaukee sweep seems imminent here. So does a low-scoring game, so long as the Cubs minimize contributions from their bullpen.

Brewers starter Logan Henderson is coming off Thursday’s tough-luck road loss at Chicago, when he scattered two runs and three hits – including a two-run homer from Pete Crow-Armstrong – in seven innings.

Advertisement

Cubs righty Kevin Gausman earned the victory in that game, surrendering a solo home run to Andrew Vaughn but otherwise shining over seven innings of one-run, five hit ball. Henderson and Gausman combined for 16 strikeouts. We’ll see what the rematch holds.

Under 7.5 runs (-110)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Canelo vs Mbilli undercard set to feature another world title fight as Mexican’s stablemate added

Published

on

Next month, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is set to top a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ bill when he challenges Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight world title in Saudi Arabia. On the undercard, one of his stablemates will compete in another championship bout.

Canelo lost his undisputed super-middleweight throne to Terence Crawford one year ago, and an elbow injury has kept him sidelined since. In the meantime, Crawford’s retirement led to the belts being scattered, with all now claimed or reassigned.

One of those beneficiaries was Mbilli, who held the WBC Interim title and was subsequently elevated to full world champion when Crawford relinquished the belt. The French-Cameroonian is yet to fight since appearing on that Canelo-Crawford undercard, but will make his first defence against one of the biggest names in the sport

Advertisement

On a revised Halloween fight date, Mbilli will hope to put an end to the legendary career of Canelo in the main offering of a mammoth event, which Boxing News revealed back in July will also feature a vacant IBF super-lightweight world title bout involving Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov.

Now, a source close to the event has told Boxing News that an agreement has also been signed for Mexico’s WBO featherweight world champion Rafael Espinoza to take on Venezuela’s Lorenzo Parra, who notably halted Elijah Pierce inside two rounds back in February and is rated as the number one contender with the WBO.

Espinoza has not boxed since continuing his stoppage streak with a fourth knockout in as many title defences last November, when he forced Ukraine’s Arnold Khegai to retire on his stool after 11 rounds of action.

This will be ‘Divino’s’ first fight since partnering up with Canelo trainer, Eddy Reynoso, whilst another stablemate, Jaime Munguia, could also feature on the October 31, card – which could prove to be a busy but rewarding night for coach Reynoso.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson to host Saturday Night Live’s Season 52 premiere

Published

on

While the NBA season is still over a month away, Jalen Brunson will be on your screen even sooner.

Aptly crowned “The King of New York,” Brunson is set to make an appearance on the iconic sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live, which films in the Big Apple, on Sept. 26, the program announced on Wednesday.

Brunson will host the show’s Season 52 premiere episode, with pop group Katseye appearing as a musical guest.

The star guard is coming off an eventful summer after leading the Knicks to their first NBA championship in over half a century.

Advertisement

New York took down the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals, with Brunson being named MVP of the title-clinching series. The three-time all-star chipped in 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per contest through the five-game series.

En route to the championship, Brunson collected an Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, NBA Cup MVP and all-NBA second team selection after regular-season averages of 26 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists through 74 games.

Brunson will now belong to an exclusive group of NBAers to host SNL, joining the likes of Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and LeBron James.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Napoli v Arsenal LIVE: Latest team news and updates ahead of Champions League clash

Published

on

The changes Arsenal must make to take the next step after Champions League final defeat

It was so close, yet so far for Arsenal last season in their quest to win a maiden Champions League crown. Having made it all the way to the final, they were bested by PSG, who made it back-to-back titles.

Shortly after that final, Miguel Delaney analysed what the Gunners need to do in order to get over the line in Europe’s premier competition.

Luke Baker9 September 2026 18:19

Advertisement

Why Scott McTominay won’t be playing this evening

Napoli and Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay won’t feature this evening after successfully undergoing corrective surgery following the diagnosis of a minor heart issue.

The 29-year-old former Manchester United player was found to have a mild benign arrhythmia, an irregular heart rhythm considered non-serious that presents no significant danger to his overall health.

Having travelled to Manchester for the operation on Tuesday, he is set for a fortnight on the sidelines.

Advertisement

A statement from the Italian club confirmed: “On Tuesday morning, Scott McTominay underwent an ablation procedure at Spire Manchester Hospital. The operation was a complete success.

“McTominay will rest for two weeks and then resume training.”

Scott McTominay won’t play against Arsenal
Scott McTominay won’t play against Arsenal (PA Wire)

Luke Baker9 September 2026 18:10

Napoli v Arsenal

A couple of hours until kick-off. The calm before the storm at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Advertisement
(Reuters)
(Reuters)
(Reuters)

Luke Baker9 September 2026 18:00

Arsenal caught up in airport travel chaos ahead of Champions League opener against Napoli

Arsenal’s press conference ahead of their Champions League opener away to Napoli was cancelled after the team’s flight was delayed by air traffic control issues in the UK.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta had been due to speak to journalists in Naples on Tuesday evening, alongside defender Riccardo Calafiori.

But with widespread disruption at UK airports following a technical failure with the air traffic control system, the pre-match media was scrapped.

Advertisement

Arsenal’s squad remained at the club training ground during the delay before leaving for the airport.

Due to the disruption, they did not arrive in Naples until around 9.30pm local time (8.30pm BST).

Arsenal stayed at the training ground while their flight was delayed
Arsenal stayed at the training ground while their flight was delayed (Getty)

Luke Baker9 September 2026 17:53

Early Napoli team news

Napoli will be without Scott McTominay after he underwent a small heart procedure.

Advertisement

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has been ruled out while David Neres is doubtful, but former Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne is set to return to the starting line-up and former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is another familiar face.

Napoli XI: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Rafa Marin, Spinazzola; Vergara, Lobotka, De Bruyne; Neres, Hojlund, Alisson Santos

Scott McTominay will not play against Arsenal after undergoing a minor heart procedure
Scott McTominay will not play against Arsenal after undergoing a minor heart procedure (Getty)

Luke Baker9 September 2026 17:45

Early Arsenal team news

Jurrien Timber has travelled to Italy so could be available to play for the first time this season. Cristhian Mosquera did not train before the trip, however, and so is set to miss out, with Ezri Konsa likely continuing in defence.

Advertisement

Mikel Arteta could make some changes from Sunday’s win over Chelsea with Bruno Guimaraes, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres hoping to feature.

Possible Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Eze; Tzolis, Gyokeres, Saka

Jurrien Timber (right) could feature for the first time this season
Jurrien Timber (right) could feature for the first time this season (PA)

Luke Baker9 September 2026 17:41

How to watch Napoli v Arsenal?

Kick-off in tonight’s Champions League fixture is 8pm BST at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples.

Advertisement

It will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 2 and HBO Max.

Luke Baker9 September 2026 17:39

Napoli v Arsenal

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Napoli v Arsenal.

Advertisement

Another Champions League campaign begins for the Gunners and it’s a tricky test first up – a trip to Naples to face Napoli.

Luke Baker9 September 2026 17:38

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Previewing the Top 2026 Week 2 Pac-12 Football Games

Published

on


  By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports


The Pac-12 had four great opportunities to show it could compete with Power Four teams and made good on three.

New Pac-12 LogoBoise State made the Ducks nervous until the final minutes in Eugene; Washington State gave the Huskies all they wanted in Seattle; and Oregon State had the Cougars on the ropes late in Houston.

Four more big opportunities await the conference this week.

WSU travels to Kansas State, Boise State hosts Memphis in a potential Playoff play-in, San Diego State tests UCLA on the road, and Oregon State hosts Playoff contender Texas Tech.

Advertisement

Here are my game previews in order of their TV broadcast times.

Washington State logoWashington State at Kansas StateKansas State Wildcats logo

Saturday, September 12th
9:00 AM PT, TNT

Washington State played decently in their opener against Washington. It hurt the eyes, but the Cougars were a third-down stop away from an opportunity to tie the game.

If WSU wants to find success this weekend, however, they need to find a playmaker on offense. That side of the ball proved non-existent until the fourth quarter last week.

The Cougs also lost their top receiver in Tony Freeman, who is also their best offensive player.

Advertisement

The key to their matchup against Kansas State is to run the ball more efficiently. The Wildcats feature one of the best defensive ends in the Big 12, Wendell Gregory. If they don’t keep Gregory off balance, it’ll be a repeat of the Apple Cup.

Caden Pinnick
WSU QB Caden Pinnick scores vs Washington | Imagn Images via On SI

Kansas State probably feels confident that scoring points in the first quarter would decide the game. Avery Johnson is a veteran quarterback but an iffy leader. Johnson’s a five-tool athlete but lacks some of the intangibles to play the position.

New KSU coach Collin Klein should work well with him, though; Klein was Johnson’s offensive coordinator his freshman year. If Johnson plays solid, the Wildcats should have enough talent to handle the Cougars.

The best way to summarize this matchup is that KSU is a slightly worse team than Washington.

WSU can hang, but can they win?

Advertisement
espn%2Bmemphis.pngMemphis at Boise StateBoise State Broncos logo

Saturday, September 12th
3:00 PM PT, USA Network

Boise State’s the best team in the conference, which makes this game against Memphis dangerous. No matter how well the Broncos played against Oregon, if they lose, they’re 0-2 and probably out of the College Football Playoff.

And the Tigers showed last week they can come out West and get a victory. But maybe not the Wild West. BSU only allowed three sacks against the Ducks in the opener.

U of M played well on offense against UNLV, but their defense won them the game. They finished with six sacks and held the Rebels to 3-of-15 on third downs. It feels unlikely they can replicate this against Boise State.

Sire Gaines
Sire Gaines vs Oregon | Lydia Ely/AP

The Broncos offensive line should be able to control the tempo of the contest. The combination of Roger Carreon, Jason Steele, and Daylon Metoyer is elite. With these three moving furniture for Sire Gaines and Dylan Riley, the duo should put up some big numbers.

Memphis defensive linemen Elijah Kinsler and J’Mond Tapp are excellent players, but Boise just faced the No. 2 team in the country. Tigers quarterback Marcus Stokes is also phenomenal in his own right, but Will Smith won’t let Stokes win twice.

Advertisement

Look it up. Boise State—with a hat tip to the Far East Movement’s song—can still “fly like a G6.”

San Diego State Aztecs logoSan Diego State at UCLAUCLA Bruins logo

Saturday, September 12th
4:15 PM PT, Big Ten Network

This is another game that could transform the perception of the Pac-12, one way or the other—especially after UCLA’s win at Cal.

If San Diego State gets thrashed by the Bruins, some will argue that the conference is pretty much the same as the Mountain West, except for Boise State.

But if the Aztecs win, the Pac-12 feels more credible.

Advertisement

The key to this contest is for SDSU to find their identity. If the offense can replicate what it did against Portland State, then Aztec FAST is coming to life. But Jayden Denegal will need to do more to knock off the Bruins.

Lucky Sutton
RB Lucky Sutton vs Portland St | The Sporting Tribune

It feels unlikely that SDSU will be able to run for 237 yards again. UCLA only allowed 119 yards against the Bears, and Cal running back Adam Mohammed is a bruiser with speed who can play.

Denegal needs to make some downfield throws to keep the Aztecs in this matchup. UCLA scored 45 points against Cal, and Nico Iamaleava had an off game.

San Diego State will also need to find a way to stop the Bruins halfback duo of Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods. They combined for 189 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the opener. This is concerning because SDSU only returns two starters on defense.

If the Aztecs are going to pull off the upset, they’ll need other skill players to support Lucky Sutton and Denegal. No one needs this more than the SDSU, but UCLA be fighting to protect their turf.

Advertisement
Texas Tech logoNo. 13 Texas Tech at Oregon Stateespn%2Boregon%2Bstate.png

Saturday, September 12th
4:30 PM PT, CBS

Oregon State made a marvelous comeback against Houston.

If Amare Thomas didn’t make an elite catch in the fourth quarter, the game could’ve swayed. The Beavers offense had some crests and troughs in their initial outing.

OSU has to find a way to move the ball on the ground better. The Beavs only finished with 26 total yards rushing. The number looks worse because of four sacks, but they got stuffed.

However, on the positive side, Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson might be a stud. If he can play the way he did against the Cougars, anything could happen this week.

Advertisement
Jesse Legree
Freshman WR Jesse Legree vs Houston | Karl Maasdam/Oregon State Athletics

Texas Tech is the best team OSU will face all season, but maybe the Beavers can catch them exhaling from the Brendan Sorsby thing.

The Red Raiders feature three standouts in their front seven. The most notable is A.J. Holmes Jr., a second team All-American last season. Jamond Mathis and Ben Roberts can also wreak havoc at linebacker.

Another thing to consider is that Tech’s quarterback Will Hammond hasn’t proven much at the collegiate level. They have a pack of wolves around Hammond, but he’s gotta be successful on this hunt.

And if TTU falls behind early in Reser, the leader might get shaky.

Nick Bartlett
Latest posts by Nick Bartlett (see all)

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Rams GM Les Snead wouldn’t trade Sean McVay for any amount of first-round picks

Published

on

Head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have built the Los Angeles Rams into a juggernaut. 

The duo has won a Super Bowl, made two Super Bowl appearances and three NFC title game appearances since Snead hired McVay in 2017. McVay’s 10 career playoff wins are the most in NFL history before age 40, and the next-closest coaches have half that number, with five. With +500 odds to win Super Bowl LXI, their 2026 squad is just the fifth team in the last 50 seasons with preseason Super Bowl odds shorter than 10-1.

So what is McVay worth to the Rams’ franchise? Snead reveals the answer in a 60 Minutes sit-down with correspondent Jon Wertheim, who also speaks with McVay himself and 2025 NFL MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford in an inside look with the Super Bowl favorites. The conversations were recorded during a preseason practice and will air on the Season 59 premiere of 60 Minutes on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m., after NFL football, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

“If I could write on this whiteboard here, I would write, ‘There’s– there’s no trade chart for Sean McVay,’” Snead told Wertheim. 

Advertisement

Doesn’t matter how many picks? 

“Not on the table,” Snead replied.

Wertheim said artificial intelligence felt McVay was worth three first-round picks. That’s the bounty the Houston Texans used to revitalize their franchise after trading away three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns. Snead still wouldn’t take that return package for McVay.

“Still not pullin’ the trigger, not for four, not for five,” Snead said.

Advertisement

60 Minutes

Tune in: The Season 59 premiere of 60 Minutes is Sunday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m., after NFL football, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+

It makes sense considering the duo’s success and that they’ve been able to assemble the most star-studded roster the NFL has seen in years after trading for edge rusher Myles Garrett, fresh off setting the league’s single-season sacks record in 2025, and coaxing three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year defensive tackle Aaron Donald out of a two-season retirement. 

QB Matthew Stafford 

2025 NFL MVP (1 of 15 QBs all-time with MVP & SB win)  

Advertisement

WR Puka Nacua

Most receiving YPG (95.3) in NFL history  

WR Davante Adams 

Seventh-most receiving TDs in NFL history (117)  

Advertisement

RB Kyren Williams 

Third-most scrimmage TDs (44) in NFL in last three seasons

DE Myles Garrett 

Most sacks per game (0.94) in NFL history (NFL-record 23.0 sacks in 2025)  

Advertisement

CB Trent McDuffie

Two-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion  

DT Aaron Donald Three-time NFL DPOY (tied for the most in NFL history)

HC Sean McVay

Twice as many playoff wins (10) as any other HC before age 40 all-time

Advertisement

Los Angeles will look to join the 2018 New England Patriots, the team they lost Super Bowl LIII against, as the only squads in the last 50 seasons to win the Super Bowl with preseason odds shorter than 10-1. If they do, Snead, McVay, Stafford, and Co. will be hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at home in SoFi Stadium for the second time in six seasons. 

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025