Sir Alex Ferguson has paid a heartfelt tribute to his fierce managerial rival Kevin Keegan after the former Newcastle United manager’s death at the age of 75.

The legendary Manchester United boss, famously on the receiving end of Keegan’s iconic “I’d love it, absolutely love it, if we beat them” rant, expressed his profound respect for the man he credited with building Newcastle’s “best ever team”.

Speaking to Track Radio, Ferguson said: “I had the utmost respect for him. We had many duels when he was manager of Newcastle, but I have to say the job he did at Newcastle was fantastic.

“He re-energised that club and he brought that enthusiasm and fanaticism that great supporters can give. That’s the job he did.

“And he also brought three great players to the club – (David) Ginola, (Faustino) Asprilla, Philippe Albert – and added a bit of class to the team, and I must say the challenges we had with Newcastle at that time at United were huge.

“Kevin carried the love of the game on his sleeve, there’s no question about that, and that carried right on to the fans, to the players.

“That period at Newcastle was of emotion, it was excitement. They brought these great players to the club too and they added to it, and it gave Newcastle – I think – their best ever team.”

That emotion memorably boiled over in April 1996 when, with Ferguson’s United chasing down Keegan’s Premier League leaders Newcastle – they would ultimately snatch the title from their grasp – the former England striker made an emotional outburst during a Sky Sports interview.

However, Ferguson revealed the pair bumped into each other at a pub close to Wentworth Golf Club a few weeks after the season had ended and spent the night around a piano with all thoughts of football rivalry shelved.

Ferguson said: “The great thing about him, he held no grudges. That was a fantastic quality he had and we had a great night.

“All aside whatever happened in previous weeks, that was soon forgotten. I really respected him for that.”

Keegan’s death, which was announced on Monday, has prompted a tide of tributes to the former Scunthorpe, Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle frontman from across the football community.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe laid down flowers outside St James’ Park, surrounded by a number of supporters who had congregated at the ground to pay tribute to Keegan.

Sir Trevor Brooking, who played alongside him for England, said in a statement: “I am so very sad to hear the devastating news about my friend and former team-mate Kevin Keegan.

“My friendship with Kevin goes back many decades, to our playing days for England. We were lucky enough to develop a real understanding on the field of play and know what each other was thinking.

“Kevin liked to run and find space on the pitch and I’d try to time my passes to give him the best chance to use his world-class skills to score.

“We roomed together on England duty and Kevin, with his bubbly character, was never shy of making jokes, often at my expense!

“I recently met up for lunch with Kevin and Jean when they were visiting London. Although it had been a while since we’d last seen each other, we picked up our conversation as if it had been yesterday.

“That afternoon, reminiscing about our footballing days, is one I will always treasure.

“Our thoughts and love are with Jean, Laura, Sarah and all of Kevin’s family at this sad time.”

The rich just keep getting richer — at least when it comes to Minnesota WNBA teams. Napheesa Collier is officially listed as “probable” for Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Storm, the team announced on Tuesday. This much-awaited moment would officially be her first game of the 2026 season.

Collier sustained injuries on both ankles last season, one during the regular season and one during the playoff series against the Phoenix Mercury. She underwent surgery on both during the offseason and therefore has not been on the court yet this season.

Collier was one of the top candidates for MVP last season while playing the best basketball of her career. During the 2025 season, she averaged a career-best 22.9 points per game while shooting 53.1% from the field and 40.3% from beyond the arc. She also had 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. These efforts earned her a first-team All-WNBA selection, as well as first-team All-Defense.

Although she joked last week about “fighting” with doctors every day to get back on the court, Collier said she has learned to embrace the process of recovery.

“I would say just embrace. One, I think everything happens for a reason,” she said on Saturday. “And so whatever it is, this is the journey of my life. I can’t control that I was injured, but I can control my mindset now,” Collier said. “If I’m crushing my rehab and doing everything I can to get back, if I’m being a good teammate, supporting my team while I’m out, making the most of it.

“There’s going to be things in life that happen that you can’t control, but you can control your reaction to things and your outlook on it. So I would say just shift inwards instead of outwards to the things that happen.”

This is a particularly interesting game for Collier to make her return since it will be the last one before the All-Star break happening from July 23-27. There is also the fact that when the two teams met on Monday, the Lynx barely survived with a 105-102 victory against a very persistent Seattle roster. Wednesday’s matchup is set for 3 p.m. ET and will be available on WNBA League Pass.

How have the Lynx fared without Collier?

Surprisingly well. The Lynx are at the top of the league standings with a 21-6 overall record even without Collier playing a single game yet. They enter Wednesday’s game on a six-game winning streak.

A huge part of this success has been the addition of Olivia Miles, who has so far been the most impressive rookie of the class of 2026. Miles is averaging 19.6 points per game on 50.1% shooting, along with 4.8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Coach Cheryl Reeve has talked about how Miles finally gave the roster a true point guard. The former TCU and Notre Dame star can certainly score, but her elite passing and playmaking abilities should pair nicely with Collier’s skills.

Minnesota has won four WNBA championships, with their most recent one happening in 2017. Collier did not join the Lynx until 2019, so the Lynx are still looking for their first title in the Collier era. They got close in 2024 when they made it all the way to the Finals, but they fell short against the New York Liberty. Last season they went into the postseason as the No. 1 seed, but fell in the semifinals to the Mercury. Collier was injured in the Lynx’s penultimate game of the season after a collision with the Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas and was sidelined for the deciding Game 4 and the entire season of Unrivaled, the winter 3-on-3 league that Collier co-founded with Breanna Stewart.

Collier — a former UConn star and the 2019 Rookie of the Year —  is still waiting for her first WNBA title, and ironically it could happen the year in which she is recovering from significant injuries. Earlier this month, the Lynx were one of the teams chosen as a favorite to win the 2026 WNBA championship.

The Ciaron Maher stable is evaluating several prospective races for the three-year-old filly Signature Scent, with two Stakes-level events among the possibilities.

Signature Scent has entries in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) and a Three-Year-Old Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield, as well as the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville. All three races are scheduled for Saturday.

Jack Turnbull, Ciaron Maher Racing’s National Assistant Trainer, indicated the race against her own age cohort at Caulfield was the most appealing.

Signature Scent is set to carry 59.5kg in the Caulfield handicap. If the stable decides to utilise the 3kg claim of Jabez Johnstone, who partnered the filly in her 1100m victory on July 11, her weight would be reduced to 56.5kg.

However, under the weight-for-age conditions of the Bletchingly Stakes, Signature Scent would face open-aged competition and carry 56kg. At Morphettville, the Lightning Stakes is a set-weights race for two and three-year-olds, where she would be assigned 57kg.

“The idea of this campaign is to get her back winning and if she was to win again, or run well, there are plenty of races coming up and we don’t have to rush back too soon at the moment if we don’t feel we have to,” Turnbull stated.

He added, “The fact that she is relaxing better now gives her the opportunity to get 1200 (metres).”

“She was a bit of a one trick pony early and the blinkers have really helped her, and it opens up a few more options.”

Signature Scent has prior experience at Morphettville, winning over 1050m on March 28, before finishing third in the Listed Redelva Stakes (1100m) and fifth in the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m).

While a final decision on Signature Scent’s next race is pending, the Maher team will also field Recommendation in the Bletchingly Stakes.

This marks Recommendation’s third appearance in the Bletchingly Stakes, having won the event in 2024 and finishing fifth last year.

Recommendation is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 11. This performance pleased the Maher stable, although the sprinter settled further back than intended.

“There was a lot of pressure early which probably exaggerated where he got to,” Turnbull commented. “We had the winners back, but it was a bit quicker than us, but we feel as though he’s back to his best to be winning this.”

“He didn’t come up well last time and the six (1200m) is no issue and weight-for-age conditions is generally his go.”

Fancy a punt on the Bletchingly Stakes? Explore the leading betting markets for the race with top online bookmakers.

The BCCI on Monday invited bids for the title sponsorship rights for its domestic and international home events, with the current agreement with IDFC FIRST Bank nearing the end of its tenure.

The cricket board issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT), inviting entities to bid for the rights through a competitive process.

The ITT document will be made available on payment of a non-refundable fee of Rs 1 lakh, plus applicable GST. Interested parties can purchase the document until August 4, while the deadline for seeking clarifications is August 5.

Bid documents must be submitted by August 13, the BCCI said in a press release signed by its secretary Devajit Saikia.

The BCCI said the tender document, containing the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions governing the bidding process, will be shared only after confirmation of payment of the ITT fee.

The board clarified that purchasing the ITT does not automatically entitle an entity to participate in the bidding process, with only those meeting the eligibility criteria specified in the tender document being allowed to submit bids.

The successful bidder will acquire the title sponsorship rights for BCCI events, which include international matches involving the Indian men’s and women’s teams played at home, domestic tournaments such as well as Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup, besides age-group competitions.

The current rights are held by IDFC FIRST Bank, which secured the deal in September 2023 and runs until August 2026.

IDFC First Bank is the exiting title sponsor for all BCCI international and domestic home matches (including Test, ODI, and T20 series, as well as domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy).

Additionally, Apollo Tyres serves as the official lead sponsor and jersey sponsor for Team India.

The BCCI reserves the right to cancel or amend the tender process at any stage without assigning any reason.

BCCI also invites bids for associate partner rights 
The BCCI also issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ), inviting entities to bid for the associate partner rights for its events through a tender process.

The RFQ document will be made available on payment of a non-refundable fee of Rs 1 lakh plus applicable GST. Interested parties can purchase the RFQ till August 14, seek clarifications until August 16, while the last date for submission of quotation documents is August 25.

The board said the RFQ, containing the eligibility criteria and detailed terms governing the bidding process, will be shared only after confirmation of payment of the RFQ fee.

The successful bidder will acquire the associate partner rights for BCCI events, which include home international matches involving the Indian men’s and women’s teams, domestic competitions and age-group tournaments.

Lionel Messi could have ended all debate over who is the greatest player of all time by winning another World Cup with Argentina on Sunday, but he was left in tears following Spain’s 1-0 win.

Messi, now 39, dragged the holders to another final, scoring eight goals and also providing two assists in the dramatic late comeback against England in the semi-finals.

But the dream of lifting the trophy again, four years after he inspired Argentina to victory in Qatar, ultimately proved too good to be true.

Ten-man Argentina did not lay a glove on Spain at the MetLife Stadium, and were lucky to survive until the 106th minute, when Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock.

Read moreSpain win World Cup by beating Argentina 1-0

The blunt South Americans struggled throughout the match and faced a huge challenge when Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time.

The final passed Messi by, and as he broke down in tears it was easy to think that he might have been much better off bowing out on that glorious night in Doha in 2022.

That victory allowed him to emulate Diego Maradona, who dragged Argentina to glory in 1986. But this time he emulated his legendary predecessor in a different way.

Maradona’s Argentina returned to the final as holders in 1990, only to deliver a dreadful, cynical display in losing 1-0 to West Germany, a game they finished with nine men.

They fouled their way through this game too, appearing to have no tactic other than to try to get under Spain’s skin.

Messi touched the ball only 54 times, with almost half of those coming in extra-time, and never looked like scoring the goal that would allow him to equal Kylian Mbappé‘s overall World Cup record tally of 22.

Equalling Cafu

It was hard not to come to the conclusion that he ended up hindering his side once they were down to 10 men – he was left as their lone forward, when in any other circumstances coach Lionel Scaloni would surely have sent on the fresh legs of Lautaro Martinez in attack.

Argentina failed to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, but this was still a momentous day for Messi.

He became only the second player to appear in three World Cup finals, matching the achievement of Brazil great Cafu.

World Cup 2026: Argentine coach in tears after defeat to Spain

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Pelé won three World Cups, but did not play in the 1962 final due to injury. Maradona played in two finals.

If Messi does still have any doubters, they may point to the fact that he has now lost two of his finals, with this defeat following the loss to Germany in 2014.

Sunday’s final took place back at the same stadium where he sensationally announced his retirement from international football aged 29 in 2016.

He had won more than 100 caps by then, and was already regarded as one of the greatest players of all time thanks to his achievements with Barcelona.

A game too far

But with Argentina he had already lost three major finals, including the 2014 World Cup final, when he came to the MetLife Stadium for the Copa America Centenario decider against Chile in 2016.

The game ended 0-0, before Messi missed his penalty in the shootout as Argentina lost again.

“For me the national team is over,” he said then.

He went on to enjoy an incredible late career revival with his country, winning the Copa America back-to-back in 2021 and 2024, either side of the 2022 World Cup.

The 2026 tournament in North America felt at first like a victory lap for Messi, as he scored a hat-trick in the opening game against Algeria and the goals kept flowing.

He now has more than 200 caps, and has played a record 34 World Cup games across a joint-record six tournaments.

Surely this will bring the curtain down on his World Cup career, given he will be into his 40s in 2030.

There may, however, be calls for him to keep playing for his country a little longer, especially as he has a contract with Inter Miami until 2028.

It has been a glorious career, but Sunday’s final was a game too far for Messi and Argentina.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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From the show

World Cup Debrief

Reading time
1 min

La Roja have been crowned World Champions for the second time after a tense battle with Argentina in New Jersey. Spain’s Ferran Torres managed to fire a shot past Emiliano Martinez in extra time as he scored the only goal of the game. At the time, Argentina was playing with 10 players, as Enzo Fernandez was sent off after picking up a second yellow card. FRANCE 24’s team analyses the game and the tournament after a record 104 matches.

  European Athletics and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have introduced new broadcast guidelines that ask camera operators and directors to focus on sporting performance rather than images that could sexualise competitors. The move follows feedback from athletes who said certain camera angles and replay techniques not only distract them during competition but also expose them to online abuse after events.

The guidance, titled Raising the Bar, comes ahead of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Although the recommendations are not legally binding, they are designed to encourage more respectful and performance-focused coverage of women’s athletics.

Why were the new guidelines introduced?

According to the EBU, the sexualisation of women athletes through selective camera work and editing remains a concern across sports broadcasting. While broadcasters aim to tell compelling stories, certain filming techniques have often shifted attention away from athletic achievement and towards an athlete’s body.

In the Raising the Bar guidelines, European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said the recommendations are an important step towards eliminating harmful portrayals of women in sport while maintaining high production standards. He added that the organisation hopes the changes will reduce the chances of broadcast clips being taken out of context and shared inappropriately on social media.

What do the camera guidelines say?

The 23-page document includes practical examples of camera work that should be encouraged and techniques that should be avoided. Broadcasters are advised to:

• 
  Avoid prolonged close-up shots of specific body parts
• 
  Avoid low-angle shots filmed from behind or beneath athletes
• 
  Limit slow-motion replays that do not add technical or storytelling value
• 
  Use wider camera angles that better capture an athlete’s movement and technique
• 
  Prioritise visuals that explain the performance or technique

The guidance encourages broadcasters to use alternative approaches such as aerial shots, wider framing, and educational graphics that help viewers understand technique and tactics.

Athletes say the issue goes beyond television

British Olympic pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw said inappropriate camera angles can affect athletes even while they are competing because they become conscious of where cameras are positioned. She added that slow-motion footage of herself and other competitors had been used to create inappropriate videos, which often led to social media abuse.

Former world long jump champion Ivana Španović echoed the call for a different approach. She said athletics offers plenty of opportunities to showcase the beauty of movement and technical precision without relying on revealing angles. Instead, broadcasters can use innovative filming techniques that help audiences appreciate the skill involved in each event.

A wider push for respectful sports coverage

The recommendations build on similar initiatives introduced for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where camera operators received guidance to avoid unconscious gender bias and ensure coverage focused on competition rather than appearance.