Argentina have named Lionel Messi in their squad for a friendly against Benin in October in a match which is set to be the forward’s farewell to international football.

Messi announced his retirement from Argentina duty in August in the wake of his country’s defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final and after saying he was considering his future in football following the death of his father, Jorge.

The 39-year-old, who captained Argentina when they won the 2022 World Cup, said the decision to stop playing for La Albiceleste hurt him “deeply” but that he had “given it my all” and had “nothing left to give”.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who currently plays for Inter Miami, is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, having scored 125 goals in 207 appearances.

“We made the decision to invite the best player in the world, the symbol of our national team, our captain, Lionel Andres Messi, so that he can have the farewell he truly deserves on 6 October here in Argentina,” said Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia.

River Plate’s Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, which has an 85,000 capacity, will host the game against Benin.

Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winners have also been invited to the match, which Tapia said would be an “unforgettable” occasion.

Edinburgh Leisure moves close to underlying break-even, supported by record membership

The charity’s 2025–26 Impact Report shows almost 6 million customer visits during the year

It has reached an all-time high of 38,383 active members

Chief executive, Jen Holland, said it marked a turning point financially

Edinburgh Leisure has emerged from a difficult period of financial pressure to move within £18,000 of underlying operating break-even, while increasing participation and taking membership to an all-time high.

The charity’s 2025–26 Impact Report shows its additional one-off support from the City of Edinburgh Council fell from £4.2m in 2024–25 to £1.868m in 2025–26, with no further additional support expected during the current financial year.

This funding is separate from the £8m annual management fee Edinburgh Leisure receives from the council to deliver leisure services across the city.

Jen Holland, chief executive of Edinburgh Leisure, said: “Financially, 2025–26 marked an important turning point. Through careful management, innovation and the dedication of colleagues across the organisation, we closed our financial gap and entered the new year on a more stable footing.

“Being financially stronger helps us keep doing what matters most: opening up more opportunities for people across Edinburgh to be active. As a charity, every step towards sustainability means we can better support our communities now and plan with confidence for the future.

“Behind every number is a person: someone learning a new skill, feeling stronger, meeting familiar faces or taking a step towards better health,” said Holland. “The challenge now is to build on this progress, so more people across Edinburgh can access the support, spaces and opportunities they need to be active.”

The charity reported an unrestricted surplus of £2.315m before actuarial pension losses. After adjustments for non-cash pension accounting, sinking-fund treatment and expenditure from designated funds, it recorded an underlying operating deficit of just £18,000 – broadly equivalent to break-even.

The improved position was supported by rising participation and stronger operational income. Customer visits increased by 4.2 per cent, from 5.7 million to 5.976 million, while active membership reached an all-time high of 38,383.

IMPACT REPORTING

• Unrestricted income from leisure facilities was 5 per cent ahead of budget and membership income increased by around 11 per cent, driven largely by full fitness and golf memberships.
• Edinburgh Leisure’s Community Access to Schools programme also returned to surplus, generating £447,000 and returning £415,900 to the council.
• During the year, Edinburgh Leisure supported 15,764 people facing barriers to physical activity – an increase of 16 per cent – through programmes addressing low income, poor health, social exclusion and other inequalities.
• A total of 9,846 people on low incomes accessed free or subsidised activities, while 3,351 people made 36,204 visits through the Community Access Programme.
• The organisation also received 9,415 health and exercise referrals from primary care, health and social care and charity partners. Healthy Active Minds supported 979 people experiencing mental health challenges, while tailored activities for people with additional support needs were used by 50 families each week. Ageing Well sessions reached 674 older adults a month.
• The charity expanded its falls-prevention work with the launch of Balanced Life, delivered in partnership with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership. The programme increased its weekly classes from 34 to 65, with annual participation rising from 1,152 to 2,232.
• Edinburgh Leisure also invested almost £1m across five projects. These included a £329,000 indoor cycling studio at Craiglockhart Leisure and Tennis Centre, a £261,000 upgrade of the Tumbles soft-play facility and café at Portobello and a £138,000 café redevelopment at the Royal Commonwealth Pool.
• A further £196,000 was spent resurfacing the Meadows tennis courts and installing LED lighting and a smart-access system, while Craiglockhart received a £55,000 Trackman golf simulator.
• Environmental measures resulted in a reported 13.7 per cent reduction in carbon emissions and an 8 per cent reduction in electricity use. The charity also diverted 20 tonnes of waste and reported £30,000 in waste savings.

A much-changed Liverpool side knocked Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup to continue their winless start to the season under Roberto De Zerbi.

Spurs named a strong team, started well and should have taken a first-half lead when a cross fell to the feet of Lucas Bergvall in the box, but goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made a stunning stop to deny him.

Liverpool then almost cut through Spurs as Rio Ngumoha found Lewis Koumas, only to be denied by Martin Dubravka, before Alexis Mac Allister fired the opening goal with a first-time shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Tottenham had not come from behind to win in 47 previous attempts and their task became even harder when Cody Gakpo cut inside from the left and slammed Liverpool into a two-goal lead shortly after the break.

Conor Gallagher belatedly scored Tottenham’s first goal of the season to set up a frantic ending, but Dominik Szoboszlai’s late rocket sent Liverpool through to the fourth round.

Here are how the players rated at Anfield

Liverpool

Giorgi Mamardashvili, 8: Liverpool’s No 2 goalkeeper made an excellent early stop to deny Lucas Bergvall when the tie was goalless, and another from Omar Marmoush later on. But he looked weak from the corner that led to Tottenham’s goal.

Jeremie Frimpong, 5: Both of Tottenham’s big first-half chances came down his side while, in an attacking sense, his final ball from the right was poor once again. But stuck to his task against the lively Mathys Tel.

Ronald Araujo, 7: The only player to keep his place from Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham. He displayed authority in the backline in another promising display from the on-loan Barcelona centre-back.

Joe Gomez, 6: Perhaps some rust would have been expected as the injury-prone defender made his first start of the season, but he slotted in well enough in a 45-minute showing and had a role in Mac Allister’s goal.

Milos Kerkez, 6: Solid enough defensively, with some bright bursts going forward too. An excellent recovery challenge to deny Omar Marmoush in the box was his highlight.

Alexis Mac Allister, 8: Delivered another big Anfield goal on a night where Liverpool needed his experience and he showed up. Showed his class at times.

Trey Nyoni, 7: Deployed in the deep-lying midfield position, the 19-year-old didn’t put a foot wrong once he had adjusted to the pace of the game and Tottenham’s fast start.

Rio Ngumoha, 7: Produced a wonderful turn and pass to set up an early chance for Lewis Koumas and also had a hand in Mac Allister’s opener. The 18-year-old continues to adjust to the right side of attack.

James McConnell, 7: A very bright showing, full of energy, and led the hugely improved Liverpool press that rather set the tone for the night. Like Nyoni, didn’t look out of place.

Cody Gakpo, 8: Continued his superb start to the season with a trademark finish while coming inside onto his right foot. Brought incision to Liverpool’s attack and scored while wearing the armband, too.

Lewis Koumas, 7: Didn’t stop running all night and worked his socks off, despite playing in an unfamiliar position. Had an excellent chance to open the scoring after making a peeling run but was denied by Dubravka.

Substitutes

Jeremy Jacquet, 7: Made an excellent recovery challenge on Marmoush in the second half.

Ryan Gravenberch, 6: Liverpool actually lost some control after he replaced Nyoni.

Dominik Szoboszlai, 7: Wowzer. What a way to seal victory – and after wasting a late chance to put the game to bed.

Bradley Barcola, N/A: Showed some electric pace on the counter-attack, but Frimpong couldn’t find him.

Alexander Isak, N/A: Led a very late breakaway but could not find the target.

Tottenham

Martin Dubravka, 6: Made a good save to deny Koumas early on but was well beaten on the three Liverpool goals.

Archie Gray, 5: One of Tottenham’s better performers in the first half but allowed Gakpo onto his right foot far too easily.

Tosin Adarabioyo, 5: Looks to be Tottenham’s fourth-choice centre-back and hardly suggested he deserves to be any higher.

Marcos Senesi, 4: Caught out on the ball on a couple of occasions when playing out from the back.

Destiny Udogie, 5: Showed up well in his battle with Ngumoha and offered a couple of moments from threat from left back.

Rodrigo Bentancur, 4: Looked slow on the ball and off the pace. Blitzed by Liverpool’s young midfielders at times.

Lucas Bergvall, 6: Produced a couple of bursts forward but spurned a brilliant chance to open the scoring.

Mohammed Kudus, 6: Wasted a glorious chance to equalise from under the crossbar but brought some flashes on his first start of the season.

Conor Gallagher, 4: Scored Tottenham’s first goal of the season, at long last, but he was wasteful on the ball at times and guilty of some loose touches in midfield.

Mathys Tel, 5: Crafted a couple of opportunities for others on the left wing, but brought off in the second half without having made enough impact.

Omar Marmoush, 6: Similarly, had bright moments. Struggled leading the line but then was denied by an excellent Mamardashvili after fashioning a chance for himself coming off the left.

Substitutes

Andy Robertsons, 6: Came on to an excellent reception on his Anfield return.

Matheus Fernandes, 7: Tottenham improved when he was added to the midfield.

James Maddison, 7: Made a real difference when brought on to No 10.

Savio, 5: Flashed a glorious late chance wide of the post.

Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin has achieved something that seemed impossible just a few years ago; the man known as the “Great 8” has broken Wayne Gretzky’s all-time National Hockey League (NHL) regular-season record of 894 goals scored.

Goal number 895 went in a 4-1 loss in one of the final games of the Washington Capitals’ season in the US-Canadian NHL. Ovechkin was celebrated as a hero ― not just by fans of his Washington Capitals, but by ice hockey fans all over North America and beyond. There was no shortage of congratulations, including from NHL top brass, and the man whose record he is set to break, Wayne Gretzky.

“To be honest with you, when I was tying the record, I still can’t believe it,” Ovechkin said afterwards. “It was so emotional. Such a great night. But this is something crazier. I’m probably gonna need a couple of days, maybe a couple weeks, to realize what does it mean to be No. 1?

However, some are irritated or even disturbed by all this cheering. For Ovechkin is a left winger ― but only on the ice. More than three years after Vladimir Putin launched his war of aggression on neighboring Ukraine, Ovechkin’s Instagram profile picture remains a photo of him smiling beside the Russian president.

Indeed, the day after Ovechkin broke the record, Putin said the following in a statement released by the Kremlin: “This achievement has become not only your personal success, but also a real celebration for fans in Russia and abroad.”

The NHL ‘metaphorically shrugs its shoulders’

It’s something that baffles some, like retired Canadian hockey journalist and international broadcaster Paul Romanuk.

“Just imagine for one moment if an NHL player like (Canadian superstar) Sidney Crosby’s social-media profile picture was him with his arm around Harvey Weinstein or Jeffrey Epstein – can you imagine the outrage? The league would order him to take it down immediately. The pushback on social media would be off the scales,” Romanuk told DW in a recent Zoom call.

“And yet you can have this great hockey player side-by-side with a dictator waging a war on an innocent country like Ukraine ― and the NHL metaphorically shrugs its shoulders.”

The profile photo is by no means a one-off, with Ovechkin taking credit for having launched the “PutinTeam” in 2017 to support the president in his 2018 reelection campaign.

Ovechkin’s public support of Putin has indeed put the NHL in a difficult position, and for the most part the league has been closed-lipped on the issue, apart from a statement released shortly after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

NHL condemns invasion, concerned about players

“The National Hockey League condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urges a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible. Effective immediately, we are suspending our relationships with our business partners in Russia and we are pausing our Russian language social and digital media sites,” the league said.

At the same time, it expressed concern about the “well-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL Clubs, and not on behalf of Russia.“

The man himself has also remained tight-lipped about the invasion. DW attempted to reach out to him through the Washington Capitals for comment but received no answer. Ovechkin has only commented on it once, a day after Putin launched the invasion, on February 24,2022.

Asked by a reporter covering the Washington Capitals if he still supported Putin despite the invasion, Ovechkin replied: “Well, he’s my president.”

He did call for peace but declined to criticize Moscow’s military action.

“Please, no more war. It doesn’t matter who’s in the war — Russia, Ukraine, different countries,” he said.

In its statement, the NHL also expressed concern for its Russian players and their families, which it said had been placed in “an extremely difficult position.”

According to a 2022 New York Times article, it was concern about his family back in Russia, that made Ovechkin decide against changing his Instagram profile pic. This has been rejected by critics who argue that there has been no evidence of Putin’s regime retaliating against the families of athletes critical of the war.

Hockey Hall of Famer an outspoken critic

Since then, Ovechkin has gone on playing and putting up points, including a lot of goals for the Capitals. But the “elephant” in the room, as Romanuk calls it, has scarcely been mentioned in the North American media ― something that also sticks in the craw of Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek.

“Russia is committing the most terrible crimes, including genocide against Ukrainian children,” Hasek, a former Czech national team goalie, told DW in a written statement.

“And since every citizen is an advertisement for the actions of his country, this Russian citizen Ovechkin is currently a huge advertisement for the aggressive Russian war and other Russian crimes.”

Popular with the fans

Many fans, though, seem to be willing to give Ovechkin the benefit of the doubt. When DW asked a random group of North America-based fans for their thoughts, support for the hockey player, who is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, was unanimous.

Most said that in a particularly troubled world they just wanted to enjoy watching their favorite sport, unencumbered by politics. One noted that in the United States, the war in Ukraine seemed an awfully long way away. Another pointed to the fact that beyond Ovechkin’s Insta profile photo, as far as he knew, the player hadn’t actively publicly supported Putin’s war.

“As long as the NHL chooses to celebrate The Great 8 for his accomplishments, so should we. Putin is responsible for Putin, not Ovechkin,” he said.

The player vs. his political views

Hasek, for one, certainly won’t be celebrating whenever Ovechkin does break the record.

“If I applauded the record in any way, I would be contributing to this advertisement for a war that is responsible for a huge number of human lives [lost],” Hasek said.

Romanuk can’t say enough about Ovechkin’s skills and career.

“The hockey fan in me has great admiration for his accomplishments as a player. I do believe he is the greatest pure goal scorer in the history of the game,” he said.

But like Hasek, the former broadcaster, who called hundreds of NHL and international hockey games over his career, won’t be raising a glass whenever Ovechkin gets that record-breaking goal.

“The short answer is no. I have no respect for the person and his political views and who he chooses to align himself with. I’ll be shaking my head and (thinking) I still don’t understand why the NHL has stood by and given a collective shrug of the shoulders to the Ukrainian people and the elephant in the room, which is Alexander Ovechkin’s support of Vladimir Putin.”

Jonathan Crane contributed to this article. This article was updated after Ovechkin broke the record on April 6.

Edited by: Matt Pearson

HOUSTON (AP) — Jeremy Peña homered in his first two at-bats and Yordan Alvarez slugged his 39th home run to lead the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

The Astros, who entered the day leading the AL West by one game over the Texas Rangers, got back on track after a three-game sweep by Tampa Bay over the weekend.

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Peña hit Michael Wacha‘s first pitch over the wall in left-center field for his first homer since Aug. 30.

There was one out in the third when he connected off Wacha (9-9) again, a shot to the seats in left to make it 2-0 and give him a fifth career multi-homer game.

The Astros led by one when Peña singled with two outs in the fifth. Alvarez followed with his soaring longball to right field. His 39 homers are a career best and trail the Rays‘ Junior Caminero by two for the AL lead.

AJ Blubaugh and Bryan Abreu each threw a scoreless inning before Josh Hader allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth to close it out and collect his 26th save.

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Houston starter Hunter Brown (6-3) allowed two hits and a run while tying a season high with 10 strikeouts in five innings.

He had allowed just one hit when he walked Isaac Collins with two outs in the fifth. Collins stole second base before Carter Jensen‘s double to left field sent him home.

Vinnie Pasquantino homered off Bennett Sousa with two outs in the sixth to get the Royals within 4-2.

Wacha yielded four hits and four runs in six innings as the Royals lost their third straight.

Up next

Royals LHP Daniel Lynch IV (5-5, 3.52 ERA) opposes Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-5, 5.50) on Wednesday night.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Ryan Garcia is only a few days removed from his latest win and he’s already plotting his return.

Garcia made an emphatic defence of his WBC welterweight title on Saturday as he stopped Conor Benn inside two rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Attention has already turned to what ‘King Ry’ may do next, with a unification clash with WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez initially seeming to be the frontrunner option.

It is believed that Cinco de Mayo weekend in May is the targeted date for that clash, and therefore Garcia has revealed his intention to fight before then, looking at a potential battle against the man that has been dubbed as ‘mini Mike Tyson.’

Speaking to The Ariel Helwani Show, Garcia discussed a possible match-up with former world champion Isaac Cruz.

“I kind of want to get in the ring either December or January. That’s kind of where I’m looking at. There’s a lot of people out there. You’ve got Pitbull Cruz, I wouldn’t mind rumbling with him… I won’t call it a tune up but I don’t want to get caught off guard.

“I don’t want to wait until May to fight. Why do I have to wait until May? I have no bruises, I have no hits to the head, why can’t I fight? So I’ll give the fans a little treat.”

Cruz won the WBA super lightweight title in March 2024 with a stoppage win over Rolando Romero, before losing the belt in his first defence in a split decision defeat to José Valenzuela.

He has since become WBC interim super lightweight champion with a win over Omar Salcido, and was held to a draw with Lamont Roach Jr in his last outing, so a clash against Garcia could be an interesting spectacle before a showdown with Lopez.

On Saturday, Conor Benn was halted by Ryan Garcia with ease, stopped inside two rounds of his maiden world title bid, and now a two-division world champion has labelled Benn as ‘terrible’ at world level and says that he didn’t belong in the same ring as Garcia.

Garcia and Benn had all of the necessary build-up of a super-fight, but those anticipating a gruelling slugfest or technical chess match were left short-changed as Garcia closed the show in less than five minutes of action to retain his WBC welterweight title.

As a result, many fighters and critics have shared their disappointment at Benn’s display, believing that the challenger was massively overmatched and undeserving of a shot at Garcia’s throne.

Speaking to Pro Box TV, former welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi branded Benn as a ‘terrible boxer’ in comparison to other world-level combatants.

“Conor Benn is, by the standards of world-class boxing, terrible. Terrible boxer.”

Malignaggi then went on to say that Benn should have pursued the belt when Mario Barrios was the WBC welterweight champion, rather that his fights with Chris Eubank Jr, believing that to have been the best chance that ‘The Destroyer’ will ever get to capture world honours. 

“I’m not sure he could have [beaten Mario Barrios]. I think maybe on hunger and determination, Conor is a hungry kid, I will give him that. He is a determined kid and Barrios is a bit gun-shy, a bit high-guard and doesn’t throw enough punches at times. 

“There was an opportunity there possibly, because Barrios sucked as a world champion as well, to tell you the truth. There was an opportunity [for Benn] to out-hustle Barrios and possibly sneak in a world championship. It would definitely have been his best chance ever.”

“Last night was a shot against a world champion of his generation, it looked like they were doing two different sports. It looked like he didn’t belong in the ring.”

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Benn is set to move up to either middleweight or super-middleweight following the first stoppage defeat of his career, with a potential trilogy with Eubank Jr. now on the horizon.

Kieron: Kilmarnock could have won by three or four and it wouldn’t of flattered them. Hibs were so poor tonight. David Gray’s position is hanging by a thread.

Stuart: The players on that pitch have to take as much responsibility as Gray for this result, nowhere near good enough. Amateur performance.

Andy: How can Gray continue to keep his job? The players are not playing for him. The club is a mess. Banning the only fans that bring an atmosphere. Benching three of our best players. So confusing.

Chris: Question the tactics. Thought for long time long ball is desperate and lacks ambition. Pressure indeed on David Gray.

Lee: If we end the game two points off bottom spot then it’s surely time up for the Hibs manager. It’s not a run and recovery from a bad position needed, it’s deliver and results from the get go the support demands for a club of our size.

Stuart: The players on that pitch have to take as much responsibility as David Gray for this result, nowhere near good enough. Amateur performance.

Paul: Long balls to no-one as usual from Hibs and as usual our keeper is a weak link. Gray has to go even if we win as this is awful football. Bring in Neil Lennon or Steve Clarke asap before our season drifts to nothing as usual.

Andy: How can Gray continue to keep his job? The players are not playing for him. The club is a mess. Banning the only fans that bring an atmosphere. Benching three of our best players. So confusing.

Brian: Worst backline in Scotland, midfielders trot about like headless chickens, feel sorry for strikers. Gray clueless. No plan. No tactics. Blah, blah, blah after game as usual but won’t resign. Board have to act.

SMcDhfc: David Gray has lost the team, it was obvious tonight. As an attacking force, we were shocking, lots of huffing and puffing but not one real effort on target. The players should be embarrassed after that display, but they will get the result they are after, Gray sacked.

Craig: I like Gray but believe it’s time he goes. He has one formation. It’s just not good enough. But, if he goes, Malky MacKay [director of football] should go too. His signings have been terrible.

Kai Rooney models his game on a former Premier League star and one‑time Manchester United rival

Kai Rooney has modelled elements of his game on former Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli as he continues his development at Manchester United, following in the footsteps of his father Wayne. The teenager has risen quickly since joining the club in 2020.

This summer marked a major milestone, with the 16‑year‑old signing a scholarship deal and declaring: “Work starts now.” His progress stalled in March when an injury brought his season to an early end, ruling him out of a potential appearance in United’s FA Youth Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

The young forward has shifted from playing centrally, like his father once did, to operating out wide, where he can cut inside onto his left foot as he moves through United’s youth ranks.

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His reference point in that role is Martinelli, the former Arsenal winger who left the Emirates for Al Hilal in a £60million move after making 278 appearances for the Gunners.

“If I’m playing right wing Martinelli but more like him as a striker. I’m not like a hold up striker, I’m more running behind,” Kai told TikToker Gabrielvpool during an interview.

Martinelli highlighted the impact Futsal had on his development during an interview with club media in November 2024.

He said: “Futsal was really important in my growth in football. You play in a smaller pitch or court and you have to think quicker.

“How you control the ball is different. You don’t have much space so it helps you a lot.”

Kai has been part of United’s academy since returning at the age of 11 and took another significant step last month by signing his first‑year scholarship contract.

The deal allows him to continue his education while progressing through the academy, having recently passed all his GCSEs.

His mum, Coleen, marked the achievement with a message on social media. Coleen wrote: “GCSE results day! ! Super proud @kairooney.10 ….Great results especially with a busy schedule, all passed and a place in 6th form!! We love you.”

The next major milestone will come when he turns 17 and becomes eligible to sign a professional contract.

Wayne has previously said he prefers to step back, letting Kai play freely without interference, and avoids putting any added pressure on the teenager.

“I think it’s very unfair for anyone to expect him to go and do all kinds,” the Reds icon said. “He’s just playing, he’s a 15-year-old boy playing his football, enjoying it.

“Of course he gets different attention to a lot of his team-mates but I think he handles that really well.”

On Monday, Russia’s highest court upheld a lawsuit against the anti-war opposition party Yabloko. Its candidates will now be barred from taking part in the parliamentary election from September 18 to 20.

The case against Yabloko was brought by the pro-Kremlin party Rodina, which accused it of infringing copyright with its election campaign materials. Rodina also made the claim that Yabloko had engaged in extremist activities and had received illegal financing from abroad.

The verdict was pronounced by presiding judge Vyacheslav Kirillov. This was the same judge who, in April, banned the Russian human rights organization Memorial and designated it an extremist organization. Kirillov also previously dismissed legal complaints against the Russian prison service filed by the prominent opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Navalny spent many years in Russian prisons prior to his death in jail in 2024.

At least 500 people gathered in front of the court to show their support for Yabloko, distributing apples and sang songs. The name Yabloko — “apple” in English — derives from the initials of the party’s three founders, Grigory Yavlinsky, Yury Boldyrev and Vladimir Lukin (YaBL). The apple is now well-known as a symbol of the party.

At the end of the nine-hour court session, security services threatened the people gathered outside the courthouse with arrest, also warning young men that they could be taken to an army enlistment office.

“You are mistaken if you believe that, with a stroke of a pen, you can write off millions of people who want peace, freedom and a normal future for their country,” Nikolai Rybakov, the leader of Yabloko, wrote on Telegram that evening.

He insisted that the party had not broken any Russian laws, and announced he would appeal the judgement.

Kremlin ‘got scared’

Yavlinsky, one of Yabloko’s founders, said those in power were afraid of Yabloko’s program, which calls for an election “for peace, freedom and a life without fear” — because, he said, “removing a party with a platform like this from the election, without any real grounds, is the political system exposing itself.”

The lawsuit came at the same time as an appeal by Russian opposition and cultural leaders living abroad for people to support Yabloko.

They include the politician Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny’s widow, as well as Lyubov Sobol, Ilya Yashin and Andrei Pivovarov. The writer Dmitry Bykov, human rights activist Oleg Orlov and other prominent people also voiced their support for Yabloko.

Navalnaya, who now leads the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) her husband set up in 2011, responded to the verdict. The Kremlin was originally going to let Yabloko stand in the election, she said, but those in power “got scared” and had the party blocked.

Navalnaya wrote on Telegram that the powers-that-be had observed a development they wanted to stop at any cost: People were starting to join forces. This, she wrote, was less about support for Yabloko than the possibility for millions of Russians to express how they really felt about President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.

Andrei Pivovarov, a political activist who lives in exile in Germany and is a coordinator of the Russian Antiwar Committee, explained that the opposition had not believed supporting Yabloko would bring about swift political change or an end to the war. The aim, he said, had been to make visible the extent of anti-war sentiment in Russia.

“There would have been a dozen parties on the ballot who are pro-war, and one that is pro-peace. The war wouldn’t end even if Yabloko were to get representatives into the State Duma. But we would have seen that a lot of Russians oppose the war,” said Pivovarov. This view, he added, would not simply disappear now Yabloko has been barred from standing.

What were Kremlin’s plans for Yabloko?

In an interview with DW, Political scientist Ivan Preobrazhensky speculated that the banning of Yabloko could be a consequence of a power struggle between different interest groups in the Kremlin. He suggested that the security bloc allied with the federal security service, the FSB, may have wanted Yabloko to act as a counterweight to the New People party. This is regarded as a project of Sergey Kiriyenko, the first deputy chief of staff of the presidential administration.

Another version of events is that Kiriyenko himself may have tried to create the impression of political rivalry, and underestimated the potential of anti-war feeling in the country.

Preobazhensky said the government underestimated the number of people in Russia who oppose the war and are ready to support a political force campaigning for an end to the war in Ukraine. Surveys, he said, indicate that there is substantial demand for such a political alternative. He also believes the Kremlin initially intended to let Yabloko run in the election but changed its mind when it saw how much support the party was getting.

Another political scientist, Mikhail Vinogradov, thinks there was a different calculation behind the move. If Yabloko had scored very few votes in the election, the Kremlin could have painted a picture of a population solidly behind the war. A poor result would also have served to disillusion those who oppose it.

Barring Yabloko makes independent election monitoring more difficult. The party is now no longer allowed to send representatives to monitor polling stations. Roman Udot, a Russian specialist in electoral observation, explained that Yabloko has also enabled access for independent observers in the past.

Does the Kremlin have situation under control?

The State Duma election is taking place at a time of growing uncertainty in Russian society, said Margarita Zavadskaya from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. She pointed to data from the Russian Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), which regularly records the population’s prevailing view of the situation in the country: optimism or alarm?

At the end of July, 57% of those surveyed said that they were worried. This is the highest level since mobilization in the autumn of 2022. FOM surveys should be taken with a grain of salt, but Zavadskaya said an increase like this in high summer indicates that “something is not going according to plan.”

She gave the increase in drone attacks, deaths, fires in warehouses and rumors of a fresh mobilization as reasons for the prevailing sentiment, and added that the summer of 2026 has been the most unsettling for the people in Russia since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine almost five years ago. She also believes the number of people who support the war is going down rather than up.

Russia’s leadership, therefore, has good reason to be nervous.

“For the Kremlin, the ideal scenario would be a boring election with low turnout and no noteworthy events,” said Zavadskaya. “Right now, though, this seems unlikely, as the situation in the run-up to the election does not appear normal, nor does it give the impression that the government has the situation under control.”

This article was originally written in Russian.