Every team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has its own unique celebrations for home runs, whether it’s a special jacket from the Dominican Republic or coordinated handshakes with Team USA. 

But Team Italy might have the best one of all – the players take an espresso shot, which is made from a machine that sits right in the dugout. 

It’s about as Italian as it gets. 

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Dante Nori of the Italy celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Brazil and Italy at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

The machine sits toward the end of the dugout, but players and coaches can get their quick caffeine fix. And it isn’t anything new from this group. 

During the 2023 WBC, there was a Nespresso machine in the dugout, and it worked out for the team. They made it out of their group stage for just the second time ever in the tournament. 

So, why not bring it back? 

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who stars for the Kansas City Royals, seems to be the ring leader with the machine when a player goes yard, too. After making the player who hit the home run an espresso shot, he gives them a kiss on both cheeks – a traditional sign of affection by Italians. 

“In Italy, we drink coffee about 20 times a day,” manager Francisco Cervelli, who used to catch in the big leagues, said, via MLB.com. “It’s a tradition. You’re walking down the road. You see a coffee spot, get some coffee. Then you chitchat, and then keep walking and do the same thing all over and over again. That’s how Italy is.”

Vinnie Pasquantino of Team Italy holds up an espresso shot during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team Brazil and Team Italy at Daikin Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB)

Cervelli, who became Italy’s manager in January 2025, said that the espresso machine “goes everywhere with us,” and he learned that with the European Baseball Championship last year as well. 

“It’s something normal. We got it on the bus. We’ve had it in the dugout, everywhere.”

Whether superstition or not, Italy has seen early success in Houston’s Pool B, which also features Team USA. They are 2-0 in the tournament thus far, defeating Brazil, 8-0, and taking down Great Britain, 7-4, on Sunday. 

Dante Nori of Team Italy drinks an espresso shot in the dugout after hitting a home run in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team Brazil and Team Italy at Daikin Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB )

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Italy’s next contest will be against Team USA on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET. 

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Every Sunday brings something different. One week there’s tears in the eyes of the champion. The next there’s flushed cheeks and sorrow words from the runner-up. This week brought the first playoff at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in nearly 30 years. And with it, a reminder:

This whole season has been telling us something. And Akshay Bhatia was watching closely enough to remind us once he made the winning putt. 

“This game is so crazy,” he told Cara Banks just minutes after his win. “It’s been crazy for these last couple weeks, watching [Jacob] Bridgeman win and then watching Nico [Echavarria] win, and so you just never know what can happen in this game.”

If you only tune in on Sundays, that’s been the story of the year, no? You just never know. That’s all we’ve seen recently! The Bridgeman character he’s referring to nearly bungled a lead on the back nine at the Genesis Invitational two weeks ago, having started the day six shots ahead. (He somewhat calmly parred the last to win by one.) The Nico character he’s referring to was last week’s winner by way of a Shane Lowry collapse. Lowry held a three-shot lead with three to play before rinsed multiple shots in the water. You just never know.

Bhatia was never leading this week’s tournament alone until that final putt dropped. Daniel Berger, the runner-up, was trying to lead wire-to-wire, which had never been done at the legendary tournament. The 32-year-old Floridian had a five-shot lead through 36 holes. Then a one-shot lead through 54. And then suddenly, a three-shot lead with just six to play. He was on cruise control, but you just never know.

Chris Gotterup had one-half of a hole to play at the WM Phoenix Open last month, sitting two shots back with an expected win probability of 0.7%. (That is, win once or twice in 200 tries.) It was Super Bowl Sunday so maybe you weren’t watching, or maybe you were focused on making an appetizer, or commuting to the football watch party … as Gotterup stunted on those odds, made birdie from the rough, squeezed into a playoff and poured in a 40-footer to win. You just never know.

Maybe that’s what Bhatia was thinking while playing the par-5 16th hole, on which he hit perhaps the best 6-iron of his life to a tap-in eagle, moving to one back. It’s likely the shot he’ll remember most from this tournament, given how it took three steely pars after to raise the trophy. 

He did, at the very least, admit to thinking about that mentality when he turned to the back nine. Bhatia had played the front in two over, bogeying the 9th. He was five back of Berger at that point and pissed off. 

“So I went to 10 tee very angry,” he said after, while wearing the red cardigan that API winner’s receive. “That was the first time I really showed some frustration. But I told [my caddie, Joe Greiner] you know, we shot 4-under yesterday on this side, let’s just try and do that again. And you just never know in this game.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about the improvement he has seen in his side in the last three matches.

Pep Guardiola is starting to believe that Manchester City are capable of competing for 90 minutes after being impressed in their last three performances. The Blues have been plagued all season by problems in the second half of matches that have led to dropped points in the Premier League and Champions League.

The start of 2026 was particularly painful for City when injuries bit the hardest, with Chelsea and Brighton coming from behind to pick up draws at the Etihad and Spurs claiming a point at home from 2-0 down. However, Guardiola had been concerned about the issue from the opening day win at Wolves, and they lost a few weeks later to Brighton having led after an hour.

City dropped more points at home to Nottingham Forest in the last week, but Guardiola was happier with that second half despite conceding two goals (and scoring one). Added to the defensive resilience shown to shut out Leeds at Elland Road and the two goals scored to put the FA Cup fifth round tie beyond Newcastle at St James’ Park, the City manager reckons the squad is now strong enough to avoid dropping after half-time.

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“We fought and I’m happy because in the last three games our second half was quite similar in the first half and all the season we dropped a lot – otherwise we would be in an incredible position in the Premier League,” he said. “It’s because we didn’t have enough tools and players being available to do some changes, but Nico Gonzalez helped us a lot in the absence of Rodri and today he was back again. The partnership with Nico O’Reilly was outstanding, both physicality and have the ball – really good.”

Guardiola made ten changes for the win over Newcastle and that included first starts for wingers Savinho and Jeremy Doku after injury. City have moved to a more narrow 4-2-2-2 formation since Savinho’s injury and enjoyed some impressive performances and results in that shape – but having the wingers back gives Guardiola more options for different games that should also help City to maintain their form; it is now 11 games unbeaten since they lost to Bodo/Glimt in a game where the manager lamented his lack of wide players.

“We learned a lot because in the other way we played really good but we didn’t have these players and without that it is more difficult,” he said. “We took good results in the other shape but especially with the teams that I remember in Bodo and the other ones they are so narrow, bringing the ball to the wingers and having the ability to drop them and make turns and movements in behind, how good Matheus played in the pockets and the movements from Tijjani and Omar because in between the lines there are no spaces.

“Newcastle don’t allow spaces, Bodo/Glimt don’t have spaces, you have to attack from there and both was massive. Savinho was injured for more than two months and Jeremy was also injured for a long time and Omar, Antoine can do that but the rest are not proper wingers. Oscar Bobb was injured most of the time so they helped us a lot today, without wingers it would have been much more difficult.”

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Whilst he may be a stranger to Wales, Govil is quick to point out his familiarity with franchise success.

His Washington Freedom side have won the most games in the three years of MLC, taking home the trophy in 2024 and finishing runners-up in 2025.

“I have a history of doing this, it’s not just the Washington Freedom. I had a professional badminton team in India and in the very first year we won the championship,” the Maryland-based entrepreneur said.

“Even business, I’ve taken over assets, which are really underperforming and turned it around.”

The secret to his success?

“It’s all about looking at a big picture, having the right components, and creating an environment which is very fertile towards success,” he explained.

Fire have already been busy trying to acquire the right components.

Salt, Chris Woakes, Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra have joined the men’s side as direct signings whilst Freya Kemp, Georgia Wareham and Georgia Voll have signed with the women’s team.

If Govil is to be successful in reversing the fortunes of his new franchise, the team’s performances on the field will need to mirror his own bold confidence.

The next step to building this team will come in this week’s inaugural auction.

As well as having the opportunity to build a competitive team Govil will have the chance to shine a light on Welsh talent and create an identity fans are more likely to subscribe to.

Then, comes the hope of bringing a history of success to a place that has not yet experienced it.

Match of the Day’s Ellen White and Glenn Murray dissect two brilliant headers in Port Vale’s 1-0 FA Cup win over Sunderland, including an Alan Shearer-inspired celebration from Vale hero Ben Waine.

MATCH REPORT: Port Vale 1-0 Sunderland

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The Los Angeles Rams not only traded for Trent McDuffie – they just made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. 

When the Rams struck a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs last week, they addressed a key need this offseason. But McDuffie was only set for one more year with his fifth-year option picked up by Kansas City, though reports said both sides would likely agree to an extension.

The Rams and McDuffie agreed to a four-year, $124 million extension, including $100 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

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Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs exits the field at halftime during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Nov. 16, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

In turn, McDuffie is now the highest-paid at his position in the league with an average annual value of $31 million in new money. He will be paid $13.6 million in 2026 on his fifth-year option. 

The Rams sent over their No. 29 pick in this year’s NFL Draft to acquire McDuffie, as well as 2026 fifth- and sixth-round selections and a 2027 third-round pick. 

McDuffie, a First-team All-Pro in 2023, has Super Bowl pedigree, playing a starting role in the secondary for two rings as part of the Chiefs’ dominance in recent seasons. He set a career-high in tackles last season (63), while totaling seven passes defended, one sack, and one forced fumble. 

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) takes the field prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)

For his early career, McDuffie has 34 passes defended, eight forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks and 246 combined tackles. He is one of the best at his position, which is why Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tweeted, “damn,” after news broke that McDuffie was moving out west.

McDuffie, though, heads back home, having been born in Westminster, California, which is part of Orange County. He even discussed the possibility of playing somewhere other than Kansas City, hoping, if anything, he would be going back to California. 

“If I could play for another team, I’d probably want to play close to my family, so that would probably be the L.A. Rams so that my family could come see every single game,” McDuffie said during a back-to-school event in August 2025, per ESPN.

Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 27, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

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McDuffie’s deal comes before what’s expected to be a hectic free agent period, beginning on Monday when the legal tampering window opens at noon ET. During that time, players and teams are allowed to agree to terms on an extension, which would clear when the new league year begins on March 11 at 4 p.m. ET. 

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Logan Paul received a bit of publicity for throwing out a $1 million challenge for a boxing match with an NFL star. A 29-year-old star who was offered a contract (or atleast was about to be offered one) says he has already defeated The Maverick after he was ghosted by him.

For reasons unknown, Paul was online recently and went on a tangent about how he wasn’t allowed by WWE to go ahead with his $1-million challenge. The two names who stepped up to the challenge were ex-NFL stars Le’Veon Bell and the lesser-known 29-year-old star, Breiden Fehoko.

Breiden Fehoko responded to Logan Paul ghosting him, stating that he considers it a win in his professional boxing career:

Logan Paul claims that WWE banned him from his $1-million challenge to NFL players

Logan Paul managed to successfully goad reactions from two ex-NFL players, Breiden Fehoko and Le’Veon Bell. It’s unknown as of this time if this was just one big publicity stunt or whether the former US Champion genuinely had no idea that he would be banned from doing this.

It seems like the exact type of thing WWE would do, which is to ban a big name from participating in fights while under contract. It doesn’t mean that they haven’t allowed him to fight before, but simply that now, it is likely too risky, as Paul is a valuable asset to the company. This is what Paul said about WWE reportedly not allowing him to fight:

“Welp. The bosses called. Turns out I’m too valuable of a WWE Superstar to be fighting bums. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate @LeVeonBell and @BreidenFehoko for their 15 minutes of relevancy. Now back to being broke and retired I’m going back to RAW every Monday on Netflix @WWE.”

Naturally, neither Le’Veon Bell nor Breiden Fehoko was too pleased at this ordeal. Bell, in particular, went on the offensive against wrestlers in general, claiming he could “throttle” the likes of Roman Reigns and The Rock.