Everton and Nottingham Forest received points deductions for breaking Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) in recent years but despite making “obvious and deliberate breaches” which “involved deception and concealment in relation to financial matters”, Chelsea were spared a sporting sanction.
When the punishment was announced Chelsea said: “From the outset of this process, the club has treated these matters with the utmost seriousness, providing full cooperation to all relevant regulators.”
Because the breaches came during former owner Roman Abramovich’s time in charge, and new owners BlueCo made voluntary disclosures and showed “exceptional co-operation”, that was viewed as enough mitigation to avoid more severe punishment.
“This is essentially a litany of offences related to how you conduct transfer business, so a transfer ban makes sense,” Purslow said.
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“But to see that ban suspended in full, again, seems extremely lenient.
“That must really rankle with clubs like Everton and Forest who I don’t think have had much credit in the past where they have co-operated.”
The Premier League has previously stated, when handing Everton a points deduction, that “a financial penalty for a club that enjoys the support of a wealthy owner is not a sufficient penalty”.
That verdict also stated “the requirements of deterrence, vindication of compliant clubs, and the protection of the integrity of the sport demand a sporting sanction in the form of a points deduction”.
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Chelsea signed players such as Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o, Willian, Ramires, David Luiz and Nemanja Matic as they won seven majors honours between 2011 and 2018, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
“Sporting sanctions first came into the frame as an acknowledgement that sometimes punishing with a fine just didn’t fit the crime,” Purslow added.
“In other words, when football clubs had gained meaningful football advantage, you needed to sanction with sporting penalty to compensate.
“It is blindingly obvious that sporting benefits were attained through this transfer activity.”
Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have on their radar former Chennai Super Kings pace duo Simarjeet Singh and KM Asif, along with veteran Sandeep Warrier, to fill the void left by the injured Harshit Rana in the upcoming Indian Premier League. KKR’s pace resources have been hit hard by Rana’s ligament strain in the right knee, sustained during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up against South Africa. The pacer has undergone surgery and is currently in rehabilitation with no fixed timeline for his return. Keeping Rana’s absence in mind, the KKR think tank is exploring other options.
Simarjeet, who has played for CSK (2022, 2024) and Sunrisers Hyderabad, has 11 wickets from 14 IPL games.
A tall quick capable of hitting 140kph-plus and delivering sharp yorkers, he impressed with nine wickets in 10 matches for CSK in 2022 but struggled last season for SRH, managing two wickets in four games.
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Asif and Warrier were called up for trials during KKR’s first training session at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, while Simarjeet had impressed earlier in Mumbai during the first phase of the trials as head of scouting Biju George and deputy Manvinder Bisla oversaw the process.
Asif, who rattled Mumbai with a career-best 5/24 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, is known for his 140kph pace but has struggled with niggles.
The 32-year-old made his IPL debut for CSK in 2018 and has featured only sporadically since, with his last appearance coming for Rajasthan Royals in 2023. He has seven wickets from seven matches.
The 34-year-old Warrier debuted for KKR in 2019 and has since represented the franchise across three seasons apart from a stint with Gujarat Titans. He has eight wickets from 10 IPL matches.
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Pathirana yet to get SLC clearance
There is also uncertainty over Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana’s availability as he is yet to receive clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket.
The slinger, bought for Rs 18 crore, is recovering from a calf strain suffered during the T20 World Cup against Australia, where he limped off after bowling four overs.
“They are yet to confirm about his joining. We are in constant touch and almost every day tickets are being booked and cancelled for him,” a team source said.
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KKR are also without left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman after he was released following a BCCI directive earlier this year, with Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani brought in as replacement.
All eyes on Muzarabani
Muzarabani, who grabbed 13 wickets in the T20 World Cup to become the joint second-highest wicket-taker, had a stunning 4/17 against Australia in a famous upset that led to the ouster of the former champions from the tournament, was the cynosure of all eyes during their first training session of the season.
The Zimbabwe quick, who has over 200 international wickets, is yet to make his IPL debut despite being previously signed by RCB in 2025 as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi.
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He had also served as a net bowler with Lucknow Super Giants during Andy Flower’s tenure.
KKR still have pace options in Vaibhav Arora, Akash Deep, Kartik Tyagi and a fit-again Umran Malik, who was seen working on his variations.
Nayar pep talk in revamped set-up
The Ajinkya Rahane-led side, which finished eighth last season, began training under a rejigged support staff with Abhishek Nayar as head coach, assisted by Shane Watson, while Tim Southee has taken over as bowling coach. Dwayne Bravo continues as team mentor.
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The session began with a team huddle addressed by Nayar. The coaching set-up will also have another highlight with their explosive batter Andre Russell to be seen for the first time in a non-playing role (power coach).
Kiwi firepower joins Thursday
The squad will be bolstered by New Zealand trio Finn Allen (Rs 2 crore), Tim Seifert (Rs 1.5 crore) and Rachin Ravindra (Rs 2 crore), who are set to join on Thursday after their impressive T20 World Cup campaign.
Seifert was New Zealand’s leading run-getter with 326 runs at a strike rate of over 165, while Allen smashed 298 runs at a strike rate of 200, including the fastest century in T20 World Cup history, against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
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India spinner Varun Chakravarthy will also join on Thursday, while their record signing Australian all-rounder Cameron Green (Rs 25.20 crore) is set to arrive on Friday.
The West Indies contingent — Sunil Narine, Rovman Powell and Russell — will link up on March 24 ahead of their departure to Mumbai.
KKR begin their campaign against Mumbai Indians on March 29 and will play their first home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 2, where team owner Shah Rukh Khan is expected to be present.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
JOHANNESBURG — Bryson DeChambeau hasn’t always been great at, to borrow an old phrase, bringing the hay down where the goats can get it.
It’s been over a decade now that golf fans have tried understanding the physics lessons DeChambeau offers every time he and his caddie have a conversation about club choice. (As someone who has witnessed it plenty, they speak a different language than us!) And throughout some of those years, DeChambeau has been more inclined to brush over the more complicated stuff — think Coefficient of Restitution — rather than dig into it, particularly in press conferences.
But when pushed for more, when there’s clear runway to dive into the details, it can be hard to get him to stop. As evidenced this week in South Africa, where DeChambeau teased out that he’s driving it great, hitting his irons well and putting solid. The last frontier for his game before the Masters is “dialing in” his wedges.
“Kinda like I did back in ’23 when I was just testing a bunch of drivers at the end of that year and then I found the driver I’m using today,” DeChambeau said.
What has become so incredibly clear is that dialing in equipment probably means more to DeChambeau than it does to the average Tour-level pro. It matters for everyone, but with DeChambeau the not-right fit can teeter on the edge of chaos. So what does “dialing in” wedges actually look like? I lobbed the question his way, laid out and, unsurprisingly, he spoke for the next three minutes.
“It’s a great question,” he began. “It’s a lot about strike point and how much turf is getting in between the face and the grass and mitigating that, managing that strike, and how you manage that strike is dependent upon how soft the turf is. If it presses into the ground a lot, if it doesn’t, if it bounces off the ground like in Australia, it was really firm ground so it bounced off quickly. So I could throw it behind the ball quite a bit and then hit low on the face. If it’s soft here, you hit just the same spot and it goes right under; you hit high on the face and it comes out with more spin and shorter and deader.”
Considering the absolute dumping of rain that Steyn City has received in the last 24 hours, DeChambeau is right about the softness of the turf. Long strips of turf will be flying through the sky in South Africa. And that almost surely won’t be the case in Augusta in a few weeks.
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“So trying to find a bounce that works for me, number one, that plays like firm conditions because I’ve always played pretty well in firm conditions,” DeChambeau continued. “I’m learning from [my teammates]. I see how they strike it. I see what they do, and I’m learning a lot from my team, even though I’m not necessarily asking because they’re tired of me asking about wedges. They’re just like, go to shorter wedges and normal clubs, which I’ve tried, and I still suck with that.”
DeChambeau has played one-length irons and used longer wedge shafts than normal for years. It works for him … but it’s absolutely atypical. Those teammates sat next to him while he spoke and nodded their heads knowingly.
“But I’ll tell you that it’s nice seeing how they strike the ball, the forward shaft lean, and where they’re striking on the face is important,” he continued. “So I think leading edge height to bounce is very, very important, depending on how soft the turf is.
“I think the surface friction on the face is really important, how rough it can get. Funny enough, when the face gets rougher, it actually starts to spin less at a certain point, to the legal limit. Then, once you go past the legal limit, it starts spinning more and more. There’s like a bell curve with it. It’s kind of wild.
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“Then you can get scenarios where it’s super slick face and then it’s wet and slides and doesn’t spin at all, and it has to spin.”
Let that be a window into what DeChambeau’s testing sessions ultimately look like. They go so far as to try to understand the weird bounds by which face friction starts to revert on its purpose of maximizing spin.
“I unfortunately mis-hit my wedges quite a bit just because maybe I don’t have the right bounce configuration,” he continued. No one was interested in stopping him. “Maybe the shape of the grind is a little different.
“I’m trying some new wedges. They’ve got almost a bubble on the bottom and it’s been helping quite a bit. It helped last week.”
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Those new wedges are Bettinardi HLX 6.0 wedges. He’s 1-for-1 in converting victories with them in the bag. But it sounds like he might change them out for new ones at any point. There are apparently plenty of options in play.
“Got a little more head weight on the wedges. We’re cutting away things that have not worked for me, whether it be a softer shaft, shorter wedges, different type of torque in the head for contact, different types of grinds, lighter heads, no grooves to grooves to friction on the grooves. We’re just going through everything as much as possible and trying to isolate the biggest problems in my wedge game and cutting those out as much as possible so I can be — shoot, if I’m 5 more percent consistent, I have a better chance than what I did last year at the Masters.”
Ah, yes. The 2025 Masters, forever remembered for Rory McIlroy’s Grand Slam completion, and sneakily slept on that DeChambeau played in the final group and faded so quickly into the background because his iron play was not up to standard. Now he apparently has that mostly figured out, and the wedges are getting a proper moment under the magnifying glass.
“I took that last Masters as an opportunity to learn how to become a better iron play and a better wedger,” he said, coming to a close. “I feel like most of it was there. Just a couple fine-tuning moments and continue to ball strike it the way I have and hopefully I give myself a good chance.”
Despite that uncertainty, Davies is already laying the foundations for the club’s long-term direction, with a major emphasis on building a high-performance environment both on and off the field.
“A big part of what I’m doing is making sure we’re high-performance across the board,” he added.
“There’s a huge amount of work in aligning our style of play – our Scarlets DNA – with the processes that support that, the coaching roles, the player profiles, the conditioning programmes and the skill sets.
“It’s about putting the right processes and metrics in place so we can drive things forward, understand where we are and measure progress.”
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Davies also confirmed he has yet to hold any discussions about extending his stay, although he is leading a significant structural reset behind the scenes.
“A lot of this is about evolving the environment,” he said.
“There will be robust processes and a clear structure in place for the future, whoever is involved.”
The review has already led to changes in the backroom team, and more could follow, with defence coach Jared Payne leaving at the end of the season.
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Davies says further backroom adjustments are likely as the club looks to rebuild.
“In any organisation, if you want to move forward, you have to continually assess, re-evaluate and evolve,” he said.
NEW DELHI: Former world chess champion Ding Liren has dropped out of the FIDE ratings list after playing too few games, but he seems completely at peace with the situation. Once at the top of the chess world, he is now taking a step back and enjoying a quieter phase in his career.Ding, who lost his world title to D Gukesh, said he is happy being away from the pressure of elite tournaments.
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Exclusive: Hungary No. 1 Richárd Rapport on Hungarian Chess, GCL, Candidates 2026, and more #chess
“I quite enjoy my current situation. What I mean is, being a player with an inactive rating, who seldom participates in elite invitationals. I’m enjoying this rare moment of leisure,” he said.Instead of intense preparation, he now prefers casual online games. Explaining his current approach, Ding added: “I keep up playing the occasional game online: it doesn’t require arduous pre-game preparation, just undivided concentration in the moment. The process itself is rewarding.”Ding became world champion in 2023 after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi, but his reign was followed by a dip in form and eventual defeat. Despite that, he pushed Gukesh to the final game of the 2024 championship before losing.Looking back, Ding shared a personal reflection: “I wish my younger self had studied more and persisted in academics a bit longer, not letting it fall to the wayside. That way, later years of life might be richer. People always dwell on the things they didn’t do (or paths they didn’t take).”For now, Ding appears content stepping away from the spotlight and focusing on a more relaxed relationship with the game.
Breanna Stewart‘s wife, Marta Xargay, had a proud reaction to the WNBA’s new CBA deal. On Wednesday, Xargay shared a picture of herself and the Liberty star on her Instagram story.
In the picture, the couple was in their bed. Xargay covered her face with her hand while Stewart stared into the camera with a wide grin. She praised Stewart in the story’s caption.
“She freaking did it! I’m so proud of her❤️” Xargay wrote.
Marta Xargay praises Breanna Stewart on her IG story.
The WNBA and the WNBPA were in a stalemate for more than three months. The former CBA was set to expire in October 2025, but the league kept extending the deadline as it had not reached an agreement with the players’ association.
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The WNBPA, led by Nneka Ogwumike as the President and Breanna Stewart as the Vice President, found common ground with the league on Wednesday. The new CBA is a major upgrade for the players from the previous one.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the new salary cap for the players starts at $7 million, which went up from $1.5 million. The league will also share about 20% of revenue with the players. A supermax contract will now start at $1.4 million, while the average salary went up to $600,000.
The league will also add two new teams this season, the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. The 2026 WNBA season will begin on May 8.
Breanna Stewart shares her thoughts on the new CBA: “Transformational”
Breanna Stewart shared her thoughts on the new CBA while talking to the press after exiting the negotiations on Wednesday. She called the new agreement between the league and the players a transformational move.
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“This deal is going to be transformational,” she said. “It’s going to build and help create a system where everybody is getting exactly what they deserve and more, from on the court and off the court aspects. Just excited that we can tell our fans that we’re going to be back.”
Breanna Stewart is coming off an incredible run with the Mist BC in Unrivaled. The New York Liberty star led the Mist BC to their first Unrivaled championship in the 3×3 league in early March.
She had a good run with the Liberty in the W last season. She averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, helping them finish in fifth place in the standings. However, the Liberty lost (1-2) to the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the playoffs.
Jos Buttler is refusing to accept his England career is over despite admitting he had a “poor tournament” at the recent T20 World Cup. Widely regarded as one of the outstanding white-ball batsmen of his generation, Buttler managed just 87 runs in eight innings at the tournament as England reached the semi-finals before losing to co-hosts and eventual champions India. “Obviously I had a poor tournament, which is disappointing,” Buttler, who remains on an England and Wales central contract, said on his For the Love of Cricket podcast with former England fast bowler Stuart Broad.
“But I have been playing some of the best cricket of my (career) in recent years, so hopefully I can get back to playing my best.
“I certainly have ambitions (to play for England again), but no longer being a captain, I am not a selector and whatever, so what will be, will be.”
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Buttler, 35, is set to play for Gujarat Titans in the upcoming Indian Premier League and hopes time away after the World Cup “up the mountains” in France with his family will leave him feeling reinvigorated.
“I couldn’t have been further away from cricket, which for me at the time was just perfect,” said Buttler. “It is exactly what I needed.”
“Obviously the tournament didn’t go personally how I would have liked it to go, and I just felt like I needed some space from cricket and not to think about the game, and I could not have been further away from cricket where I was in that week.”
Buttler, a member of England’s 2019 one-day international World Cup-winning team and also the skipper for their T20 triumph in Australia three years later, added: “It was really refreshing — I really enjoyed it, a complete sort of release, and slowly but surely, I would say at the start of this week, (I am) just starting to reflect a bit and have a few thoughts about what is important to me and my cricket, and why it probably didn’t go quite as I would’ve liked.
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“There’s elements that I actually don’t really know exactly. For all your best intentions and hard work and efforts to perform, it just didn’t work, and sometimes that is OK as well.
“That is something I have had to realise. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, it just didn’t quite happen.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Aug 24, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA; General view of a Detroit Lions helmet sitting on the bench during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
In the last week, the Detroit Lions have signed former Minnesota Vikings players Teddy Bridgewater and Tyler Conklin — and they made it a trifecta on Tuesday evening by signing defensive end D.J. Wonnum.
Detroit kept mining former Vikings for roster help.
Wonnum spent the last two seasons in Carolina, and now he’s in line to grab some serious playing time in Detroit.
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Where D.J. Wonnum Fits in the Lions’ Teensy EDGE Rotation
The Lions’ EDGE depth is skinny.
Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum (98) celebrates with cornerback Chau Smith-Wade (26) during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium, showing early-game energy as Carolina’s defense set the tone in front of a home crowd during preseason action. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Wonnum to DET
It’s back to the NFC North for Wonnum. ESPN’s David Newton wrote Tuesday, “Free agent defensive end D.J. Wonnum is signing a one-year deal worth up to $6 million with the Detroit Lions, his agents told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Wonnum heads to Detroit after a two-year stint with the Carolina Panthers. He didn’t get on the field with Carolina until midway through the 2024 season due to a quad injury he suffered with the Minnesota Vikings and was limited to four sacks.”
“He had only three sacks this past season despite starting 15 games for the Panthers. Wonnum’s overall lack of production for a team that ranked near the bottom of the NFL in sacks and quarterback pressures made him expendable in Carolina, particularly since the Panthers would have to pay him $825,000 in dead money on top of a new deal.”
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Wonnum created a few notable memories in Minnesota, notably a game-ending sack on Aaron Rodgers during his rookie season when the Vikings took down the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
The Lions’ DEs Right Now
If you happen to be a Lions enthusiast reading this article — unlikely — shield your eyes.
Per the current depth chart, Wonnum would actually be on tap to start in 2026 if the regular season began tonight. Here’s a look at the defensive end depth:
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Aidan Hutchinson
D.J. Wonnum
Ahmed Hassanein
Tyler Lacy
For a team that will claim Super Bowl aspirations, that just isn’t enough EDGE help. General manager Brad Holmes may be forced to select a pass rusher in Round 1 — and maybe multiple throughout the draft.
Pride of Detroit‘s Eric Schlitt on the Wonnum transaction: “While not a flashy signing, Wonnum has plenty of starting experience and can function as a rotational piece on the edge for the Lions in 2026. He’ll likely need to be paired with another veteran free agency pass rusher or a rookie from the 2026 NFL. Draft.”
“At 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, Wonnum has shown the range to line up with his hand in the dirt or standing up on the edge, while also pushing inside on pass-rushing downs. He has a solid, long frame and possesses a variety of pass-rushing moves in his tool bag.”
Wonnum’s Bio
The Vikings drafted Wonnum in the 4th Round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He initially served as a situational pass rusher, most notably disrupting the Chicago Bears while struggling against other teams — a point of humor within the division and among Vikings fans. However, Wonnum has since evolved into a more quasi-consistent threat, applying pressure to quarterbacks on a weekly basis.
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Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson (88) engages with Minnesota Vikings defensive end D.J. Wonnum (98) during a game at U.S. Bank Stadium, battling at the line of scrimmage in a divisional matchup that featured physical play throughout the afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Over his 86-game career, with 54 starts, Wonnum has recorded 30 sacks. He also scored a crucial touchdown against Carolina in October 2023, shifting the game’s momentum and helping to keep Minnesota’s season alive.
Last season with the Panthers, Wonnum played in 16 games, recording 42 tackles, 3 sacks, 29 pressures, one quarterback hit, and an interception. Starting in 15 of those games, his statistics are more typical of a rotational EDGE rusher than a full-time starter.
The 2025 season confirmed what Vikings fans had long suspected: Wonnum thrives as a depth EDGE rusher, providing energy and pressure in specific situations without the demands of a full-time starting role.
Detroit has been busier in free agency than Minnesota, but generally speaking, that hasn’t been hard. Here’s a look at their newcomer signings and extensions:
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Cade Mays (C) CAR → DET
Christian Izien (S) TB → DET
D.J. Wonnum (DE) CAR → DET
Isiah Pacheco (RB) KC → DET
Larry Borom (RT) CHI → DET
Malcolm Rodríguez (LB) DET → DET
Rock Ya-Sin (CB) BAL → DET
Roger McCreary (CB) TEN → DET
Teddy Bridgewater (QB) TB → DET
Tom Kennedy (WR) DET → DET
Trevor Nowaske (LB) DET → DET
Tyler Conklin (TE) LAC → DET
Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker D.J. Wonnum (98) returns a fumble for a touchdown after stripping Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) in the second half at Bank of America Stadium, delivering a pivotal defensive score that shifted momentum late in the contest. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
And the players who left:
Alex Anzalone (LB) DET → TB
Amik Robertson (CB) DET → WAS
Grant Stuard (LB) DET → LAR
Kalif Raymond (WR) DET → CHI
Kyle Allen (QB) DET → BUF
Roy Lopez (DL) DET → ARI
Tyrus Wheat (ED) DET → DAL
Al-Quadin Muhammad (ED) DET → TB
Wonnum will likely settle in as Detroit’s DE3 or DE4 when the roster is finalized later this summer.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was left out of the squad for Nigeria’s upcoming friendly matches against Iran national football team and Jordan national football team due to his current club situation.
Head Coach Eric Chelle named a 23-man squad for the games, selecting Maduka Okoye, Adebayo Adeleye and Francis Uzoho as his goalkeepers.
Nwabali, who was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper in recent matches, is currently without a club after ending his contract with Chippa United by mutual agreement last month.
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His status as a free agent is believed to be the main reason for his omission, as the coaching crew prefers players who are actively playing at club level and maintaining match fitness.
Despite concerns over his future, the 29-year-old has remained calm, insisting he is not under pressure to rush into a new deal.
“I’m not worried. Not at all,” he said. “I don’t have a specific country or destination in mind. Anywhere that welcomes me, I’m ready to play.”
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Nwabali added that he is waiting patiently for the right opportunity, even though he currently has no offer on the table.
“There is no contract in front, there is no club in front. And I am not guaranteeing you that a club will come today or tomorrow,” he said.
While his absence is a notable one, the Super Eagles will hope their selected goalkeepers can step up in the friendly matches as preparations continue for future competitions.
Argentina is spearheading a South American bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, a joint effort that would include Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin is visiting Argentina to assess the nation’s feasibility as a host for the tournament, slated to follow Australia 2027 and USA 2031.
Formal applications for hosting rights are expected this autumn.
A preferred host will be identified in May 2027, with World Rugby’s council granting final approval the following November.
“The 2035 bid represents a federal objective and a legacy project that transcends our borders,” said Gabriel Travaglini, president of Argentina’s rugby union.
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“Welcoming Alan Gilpin to advance this technical analysis is a fundamental step in demonstrating that the region is ready.
A preferred host for the tournament will be revealed in May 2027 (AFP via Getty Images)
“We want a World Cup that reflects the passion and development that rugby has achieved in every corner of our territory.”
Argentina would be a popular destination for the 13th edition of the World Cup and worthy hosts given they have reached the semi-finals three times.
They are currently positioned fifth in the global rankings, one place above England.
Japan, Spain, Italy and a combined Middle East bid are shaping up to be their rivals to put on the tournament.
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The World Cup will be staged in Australia next year — when Argentina, Chile and Uruguay will be South America’s representatives — and in the United States in 2031.
Argentina were narrowly defeated in the final of the Rugby Championships in October, losing to South Africa 29-27 in a thrilling encounter at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
In August, they won a first-ever home Test over New Zealand as they beat the All Blacks 29-23.
South Africa have won the last two editions of the World Cup, beating New Zealand in the 2023 final and England in 2019.
Working at the tournament, I remember a feeling there was an extra edge in the build-up to the final in Rabat, compared to previous editions.
What stood out were the allegations – on social media – that hosts Morocco were getting the rub of the green when it came to refereeing decisions. It was becoming a big part of the managers’ pre-match news conferences.
The conspiracy theories seemed to be linked to a perceived close relationship between Morocco’s football federation and the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Morocco have become a powerhouse in African football – regularly hosting tournaments like the Women’s Afcon, and helping Caf by hosting many qualifying matches for nations who can’t play at home.
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There was chaos when Senegal arrived in Rabat for the final, and pictures of the players walking through huge crowds – with seemingly minimal security – went viral. Complaints followed from Senegal’s football federation that their original hotel wasn’t good enough – and that they didn’t have enough tickets for their fans.
It felt almost inevitable that a controversial moment during the game would lead to an incident – but no-one could have foreseen a group of players walking off the pitch as Senegal did in that chaotic conclusion to normal time.
Now, the two best teams on the continent are at loggerheads. Even before Tuesday’s decision, Senegal’s prime minister had complained about the prison sentences given to 18 people from the country after being convicted of hooliganism offences during the final. Many of the Senegal players spoke out in support of those fans.
The teams will meet again soon – potentially even in the next Afcon final – and you wonder, with relations at an all-time low, what sort of occasion that will be.
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Referee Jean-Jacques Ndala blew the final whistle of that match in Rabat almost two months ago, but the ramifications of events during the game will impact African football for a long time to come.
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