The New York Yankees released the latest details of a fresh setback that delayed Giancarlo Stanton’s return to the lineup. The slugger underwent tests on Saturday following a strain to calf on the previous day while running bases.
According to manager Aaron Boone, on Tuesday, Stanton, who has been sidelined since April 24, “reinjured” himself. The Yankees will take a cautious approach to his rehab this week.
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Fans on social media expressed their frustration with the former MVP. They called out the veteran for his regular Injured List stints that have curtailed his career in the Bronx.
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“Dude is made of porcelain,” a fan said.
Dude is made of porcelain.
“This guy needs to be put in bubble wrap till Sept,” a fan wrote.
This guy needs to be put in bubble wrap till Sept
“Honestly if he ever comes back they should limit him to only jogging around the bases. He’ll get thrown out a lot, but maybe he will mash enough home runs to be worth it,” a fan opined.
Honestly if he ever comes back they should limit him to only jogging around the bases. He’ll get thrown out a lot, but maybe he will mash enough home runs to be worth it.
“Retire! It’s a 40 man spot. Missing big chunks of every season isn’t worth the benefit,” a fan commented.
Retire! It’s a 40 man spot. Missing big chunks of every season isn’t worth the benefit
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“This guy can not be on the roster next year. This is beyond the point of laughable. Love Big G, always wanted him to hit 500 HR as a Yankee but I don’t want to wait 12 more years for him to do it,” a fan posted.
This guy can not be on the roster next year. This is beyond the point of laughable. Love Big G, always wanted him to hit 500 HR as a Yankee but I don’t want to wait 12 more years for him to do it.
“Just release him already or send him to the Twins,” a fan added.
Just release him already or send him to the twins.
Stanton, still signed to the 13-year, $325 million contract with the Miami Marlins, has managed just 764 games, amounting to 84.9 games per season for the Yankees in nine years. He has hit 189 home runs during that spell for the club but never truly unlocked his real potential that was on display in his early years with the Marlins.
Giancarlo Stanton’s return timeline in jeopardy after latest setback
According to Stanton himself, he had hoped to get back into the lineup for the Yankees 12-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. But that is likely to be postponed for a prolonged period. Another report by SNY said that the pain level for Stanton was bad as it was at the beginning of the injury.
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Giancarlo Stanton said he was planning on returning to the lineup as soon as tomorrow before his latest setback. Now it’s unclear when he’ll be back in uniform.
Stanton was off to a decent start this season. In 24 games played, the 36-year-old had three home runs and 14 RBIs before his injury.
Fortunately for the Yankees, despite injuries to major figures like Stanton and Aaron Judge, the club is still in first place of the AL East with a 44-27 record.
A Turkish state broadcaster has removed a commentator from its World Cup coverage after he mistakenly identified the Iran and New Zealand teams during a live broadcast.
TRT confirmed late on Tuesday that the commentator, named by Turkish media as Murat Ekrem Çimen, had been withdrawn from the US World Cup broadcast team pending an investigation. He will not continue to comment on matches throughout the tournament.
Reports in Turkish media indicate that Mr Çimen referred to Iran’s attacks as New Zealand’s and vice-versa during the opening minutes of the broadcast.
TRT described the error as “unacceptable” under its broadcasting standards.
“We apologise to our viewers and the public for this error,” the broadcaster stated. “It is unacceptable for TRT that someone with over 30 years of experience in sports broadcasting would make such a mistake.”
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Iran earned a point from Monday’s game (Getty)
The Group G match on Monday night ended in a 2-2 draw, with Iran twice coming from behind to rescue a point from their opening game.
Elijah Just put New Zealand in front twice, but his goals were cancelled out by strikes from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi.
Iran faced a disrupted build-up to the tournament amid the nation’s ongoing conflict with the US, who are co-hosting the World Cup.
Iran moved their training base to Mexico ahead of the World Cup, with the squad flying into the US for each of their three group matches.
Following Monday’s match against New Zealand, Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team is the “most oppressed” at the World Cup.
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“We’ve spent so much time commuting in the air,” he said.
“They didn’t even give us time to recover after the game today. They said we had to leave immediately.
“It’s very important for us to have time for recovery and yet we were asked to return to Tijuana and we are really troubled by that.
“We do not know why they are returning us. I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us, decisions are made elsewhere, we were supposed to arrive two nights before the game and we were not permitted, we were supposed to stay tonight and return tomorrow lunchtime but I have no idea why, and they haven’t told us.
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“Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup.”
It’s difficult to overstate the impact of the Williams sisters on tennis. Now in their forties, both are back playing at the top level, after Serena (44) joined 46-year-old Venus in appearances at the Queens tournament in London and the Berlin Open over the last week.
The pair have also been offered a wilcard doubles entry for Wimbledon a decade after they won the last of their six doubles titles at that particular Grand Slam. They have also won two US Open doubles titles, two in the French Open and four in the Australian Open. Between them they also have 30 Grand Slam singles titles, Serena has 23 of those. But her motivation for this comeback after four years out came a little closer to home.
“My daughter Olympia told me I should play with Venus. She’s always right, so I was like ‘damn,’” Serena said. “So I said ‘You know, let’s see if we can do it’.”
Serena Williams has returned to professional tennis after four years outImage: Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu/picture alliance
Venus Williams had returned to top level tennis this January, becoming the oldest woman to play singles at the Australian Open.
At 45, Williams, was handed a wildcard for the tournament and was 27 years older than the youngest player in the women’s draw, fellow American Iva Jovic. After winning the first set, she fell 2-1 to Serbian player Olga Danilovic, in the first round. She’s won one of her six singles matches since her comeback but is looking forward to reprising her prolific doubles partnership.
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“It’s incredible, the quality of her stroke is obviously there,” Venus, who unlike Serena never formally retired from the sport, told British broadcaster TNT of her sister’s return.
“She’s, I think, a little bit of a natural, she’s got a pretty good record, she knows what she’s doing and she’s very tenacious, so I’m not worried about how she’s going to play even though I haven’t seen her play, which is crazy.”
40 but not finished
While elite athletes competing into their 40s and beyond is not so unusual in less-physical sports, more elite athletes in more physically demanding sports appear to be able to sustain a career longer now than ever before.
“Population aging is not only increasing the average age of citizens but the average ages of elite sport participants, too,” Dr. Rafal Chomik of the UNSW Centre for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR) in Sydney, Australia, told DW.
“There are a number of likely explanations, including improvements in sports science, equipment innovation, and training regimes which are sport-specific, but there are also the wider societal trends that combine medical innovations and better health behaviors that shift all of us towards longer, healthier lives, including athletes.”
CEPAR conducted a study of Olympic athlete ages at the Tokyo Games in 2021. It found that the average age of Olympians increased by 2 years from 25 to 27 between 1992 and 2021, with the median age up to 25 from 23. The trend continued at the Paris Games in 2024, with the average age just over 27 and the median age not far behind at 26.6.
Power fades first
But not all sports are made equal in this regard. The oldest competitor in Paris was Australian equestrian rider Mary Hanna at 70. That sport had an average competitor age of 39.5 in Paris — rhythmic gymnastics was the lowest at 20.44.
“We seem to lose power — measured by jumping ability in our study — at an earlier age than endurance and strength,” Maria Westerstahl, lead author of the study, told DW.
“One explanation could be that the explosive muscle cell type (Type II) appears most vulnerable to lack of exercise or to aging itself. However, we do not know why, so the exact reason requires further study,” she continued.
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“However, there is considerable room for change if you remain or become active. Aerobic capacity tracks the least, while muscular endurance tracks the most, meaning that aerobic capacity requires the most maintenance to preserve.”
Winning gets harder with age
This goes a long way to explaining why the likes of Williams, James and Ronaldo are such outliers in the top echelons of sports where power matters, whereas sports like equestrian, bowls or darts see players in their 40s, 50s or even older compete at the elite level.
“Darts is not a sport where you need to be really strong. All you need is to basically be healthy,” darts player Paul Lim said after becoming the oldest player to win a match at the World Championship this year at the age of 71.
“Longevity is something in darts that will be longer than a lot of other sports.”
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Although Lim won a match, the title went to 18-year-old prodigy Luke Littler. Realistically, winning a match or two, rather than a seventh title, might be all that the Williams’ can achieve in London.
“If you look at the top 100 Tennis player lists over the last 30 years, for both men and women, the maximum age appears not to exceed 40,” Chomik said.
“Perhaps it becomes a distinction between participating and winning.”
This article was originally published on January 12, 2026. It was updated on June 17, 2026 to reflect the fact that the Williams sisters have been playing doubles in London and Berlin this summer.
Roman Reigns is on a quest to regain dominance in WWE with The Bloodline. The OTC is at the top of Monday Night RAW as the World Heavyweight Champion and wants Jey Uso to bring the Undisputed WWE Championship to the faction as well. Jacob Fatu has also joined the stable after losing the Tribal Combat to Reigns at Clash in Italy.
The YEET Master has qualified for the semifinals of the King of the Ring Tournament and will face Je’Von Evans on this week’s SmackDown to potentially secure a spot in the final against Oba Femi at Night of Champions.
Thanks for the submission!
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That said, if Jey fails to win the tournament, it might affect his standing in The Bloodline. The OTC may not be pleased with The YEET Master if he comes back empty-handed. Reigns has taken a different approach with The Bloodline this time around, treating everyone as equals. However, failure may still have consequences for the members.
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Reigns might even kick Jey Uso out of the faction if he doesn’t win the KOTR. Jimmy could choose his twin brother’s side and leave the group as well. This could then lead to the OTC forming a new version of The Bloodline.
If that happens, here are four stars Roman Reigns could be part of his Bloodline 2.0.
#4. Jacob Fatu
Jacob Fatu would likely remain a part of The Bloodline even if Roman Reigns decides to rebuild the faction. The Samoan Werewolf officially joined the group after losing Tribal Combat to Reigns at Clash in Italy. Since then, he has fully devoted himself to the OTC and has shown no signs of going against him.
That loyalty could be important if Jey and Jimmy Uso leave the faction. Moreover, Fatu gives Reigns something that very few superstars can. He is one of the most dangerous competitors on the roster and can completely change the outcome of a match or feud on his own.
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Roman knows that. If The Bloodline were to enter a new chapter, it would make sense for Reigns to keep Fatu by his side. The OTC has a powerful enforcer at his disposal, and there is little reason to let him go.
#3. Solo Sikoa
Solo Sikoa could still find his way back into The Bloodline. On last week’s SmackDown, Roman Reigns sent Jacob Fatu to invite Solo back into the faction. However, the former Tribal Chief rejected the offer and made it clear that he was not interested.
However, that may not be the end of the story. If Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso leave the group, Reigns could find himself needing more allies. In that situation, bringing Solo back into the fold would make a lot of sense.
Moreover, there is already history between the two men. Solo was one of Roman Reigns’ most trusted allies during the original Bloodline run and played a major role in the faction’s success. While their relationship eventually broke down, the foundation is still there.
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A rebuilt Bloodline could therefore give both of them a reason to put their differences aside. Solo has already shown that he is capable of operating within the faction, and Reigns clearly still sees value in him. If Bloodline 2.0 becomes a reality, Solo could end up being one of its most important members.
#2. Talla Tonga
Talla Tonga could also become part of a new version of The Bloodline. The giant star does not have much history with Roman Reigns. However, he has been closely aligned with Solo Sikoa and has shown loyalty to him.
That could be important. If Solo eventually agrees to rejoin The Bloodline, there is a good chance Talla will follow him. After all, he has consistently backed Sikoa and could view joining the faction as the best move for both of them.
Moreover, Talla would give the group something it currently lacks. His size alone makes him a valuable asset. Few superstars on the roster can match his physical presence, and he could quickly establish himself as one of the faction’s most intimidating members.
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#1. Roman Reigns could bring Zilla Fatu into The Bloodline 2.0
Zilla Fatu could be a long-term addition to Bloodline 2.0. Recent reports have suggested that the company is interested in signing him, and he was recently spotted training at the WWE Performance Center.
That has naturally led to speculation about a possible role in The Bloodline storyline. If Roman Reigns ends up rebuilding the faction, Zilla could be an option. Unlike some of the other names on this list, he would bring something new to the group.
Moreover, he is still young and has plenty of potential. Adding Zilla would allow Roman Reigns to bring in someone who could develop alongside the faction and potentially become an important member in the future.
You see, these group-stage games against smaller nations aren’t as easy as you might think!
Strikers Deniz Undav and Kai Havertz both scored against Curacao, but there’s been some bad news for any Germany fans wanting to have those names printed on the backs of their replica shirts after the official kit provider ran out of letter Vs – with midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic‘s name also affected.
“The DFB [German Football Federation] and its partner 11teamsports are responsible for shirt names,” kit manufacturer Adidas told the SID sports news agency.
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“Due to high demand for the names of Undav, Havertz and Pavlovic, there were temporary shortages of the letter V. These shortages were quickly corrected and names with a letter V will be available online again soon.”
The popular Deniz Undav also scored, and set up two more, further boosting demand for the letter VImage: Matthias Koch/picture alliance
Germany’s most popular World Cup kits
German sportswear manufacturer Adidas is kitting out the German national team at a World Cup for the final time before the DFB controversially switches to US rivals Nike from 2027 onwards.
Germany’s kits at the 2026 World Cup are particularly popular, with the white shirt with the staggered black, red and gold colors a nostalgic throwback to Italia ’90 – but the turquoise second strip is selling best.
The revolutionary pink shirt from the 2024 European Championships two years ago remains the best-selling Germany away shirt of all time. Fortunately, Havertz was the only German player with a V in his name to score at that tournament, while Pavlovic wasn’t in the squad.
Germany’s next game is against Ivory Coast on Saturday night (22:00 CET).
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Protests, controversy surround kickoff of 2026 World Cup
Edited by: Rana Taha
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PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, June 17: Russian and Polish papers discuss the murder of a Russian cartoonist who mocked Vladimir Putin. Next: The New York Times investigates the final days before Jeffrey Epstein’s death and his “fraying” mental health. Finally, we ask why India is not in the World Cup and discover Brooklyn Beckham’s latest family feud.
A Russian dissident artist has been killed in Poland. The Moscow Times reports that Semyon Skrepetsky – that’s his pseudonym – was shot dead in eastern Poland, in a city around 30 kilometres away from the border with Belarus. He was an artist and blogger known for his political caricatures of Russian President Vladimir Putin. For now, two Belarusian citizens have been detained, but no charges have been pressed and the investigation continues. An opinion piece in the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita says that the murder of the artist shows Russia is a real threat to Poland. The article criticises Polish politicians who don’t take external threats from Russia more seriously, but instead decide to trivialise them for the sake of domestic politics. The Sun shows us an example of Skrepetsky’s work: a painting of Hitler and Stalin with Putin in the centre, grinding what we can assume are dead Russian soldiers.
Next, The New York Times has a deep dive into Jeffrey Epstein‘s final days entitled “The untold story of Jeffrey Epstein’s death”. The article describes his arrest in July 2019, when a jail employee described him as “sad”, “a little confused” and “withdrawn”. The paper examined newly released records and interviewed as many people as possible who interacted with Epstein in his final days. Many presented a picture of “a fraying mental state that sharply contrasted with the upbeat picture he presented to jail psychologists”. The paper says that Epstein’s arrest was the “beginning of a journey into darkness that would end 35 days later” when he was found dead in his jail cell. The paper doesn’t draw any clear conclusions, but suggests that the suicide theory is indeed plausible.
In World Cup news, the BBC examines why India, “a country of 1.4 billion is not in the football World Cup“. The article writes that India’s so-called “Blue Tigers” have never progressed beyond the preliminary rounds of Asian Zone qualifiers. But the irony is that there are some football-crazy Indian states like West Bengal, Kerala and Goa. A growing number of sports journalists are covering the event on the ground, although India is not even participating. India’s neighbour, China, has also yet again not qualified.
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So will India ever play in the FIFA competition? For many Indians, it’s not impossible, now that the Asian teams’ quota has gone up. But what is missing, the article says, is the right ecosystem and a serious programme with a long-term vision.
Speaking of the World Cup, Brooklyn Beckham’s new advert has polarised the internet. The Daily Mail says that “Brooklyn Beckham’s ‘exploitative’ World Cup advert mocking his parents could be the ‘beginning of the end’ for his brand and ends any hope of a family reunion”, according to PR experts. He is promoting a food delivery company, since he is not going to the World Cup. “It’s complicated” indeed, as Brooklyn’s beef with his family has gone viral all over social media since his wedding. British tabloids see him as the new Prince Harry when it comes to public family scandals.
You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya (BCCI Photo)
NEW DELHI: India A sealed their place in the Tri-Nation A Series final with a commanding 101-run victory over Afghanistan A in Dambulla on Wednesday, producing a complete all-round performance led by half-centuries from Priyansh Arya, Tilak Varma and Kumar Kushagra, followed by a four-wicket haul from Nishant Sindhu.After posting a formidable 319/9 in 50 overs, India A bundled out Afghanistan A for 218 in 36.5 overs to enter the final, aided by a superior net run rate of +0.797. India A will now take on Sri Lanka A or Afghanistan A on June 21 in the final in Dambulla. Asked to bat first, India A got off to a flying start through openers Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who added 75 runs in just 48 balls for the opening wicket.Sooryavanshi survived an early scare when a stunning catch at point was ruled not out by the third umpire, and the youngster made the most of the reprieve by scoring 38 off 28 balls with four fours and two sixes before Faridoon Dawoodzai finally ended his stay.Arya continued the charge and brought up a fluent half-century. The left-hander struck nine fours and a six in his 42-ball 58, laying a strong platform for the middle order.Ruturaj Gaikwad chipped in with 30 before India A captain Tilak Varma and wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra took control of the innings.The duo stitched together a crucial 104-run stand for the fourth wicket. Varma anchored the innings with a composed 59 off 75 deliveries, while Kushagra impressed in his first appearance of the series, scoring a well-crafted 58 from 67 balls.After both set batters departed, Vipraj Nigam provided the late flourish with a brisk 30 off just 20 balls, while Nishant Sindhu remained unbeaten on 21 as India A crossed the 300-run mark.For Afghanistan A, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Farmanullah Safi picked up two wickets each.Chasing 320, Afghanistan A never truly recovered after losing wickets at regular intervals.Yash Thakur struck early by dismissing Hassan Eisakhil, while Anshul Kamboj produced a brilliant breakthrough when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi completed a stunning second-attempt catch to remove Khalid Taniwal.Captain Imran Mir fought back with 32, but Nishant Sindhu trapped him with the help of a well-judged catch from Suryansh Shedge.Afghanistan A’s only meaningful resistance came through Faisal Shinozada and Bahir Shah. The pair added 87 runs for the fourth wicket and briefly threatened to keep the chase alive.Bahir led the counterattack with an impressive 57 off 52 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six, while Faisal fell heartbreakingly short of a half-century after scoring 46.The turning point came when Anukul Roy dismissed Faisal and Vipraj Nigam removed Bahir shortly afterwards. Once the partnership was broken, Afghanistan A’s lower order offered little resistance.Sindhu then ran through the tail, dismissing Shams Ur Rahman, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Zahir Khan to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 31 from 6.5 overs.Yash Thakur claimed two wickets, while Kamboj, Roy, Nigam and Shedge chipped in with one apiece.Afghanistan A were eventually bowled out for 218, handing India A a comprehensive 101-run victory.
NEW DELHI: Former India batter Manoj Tiwary believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi needs to learn how to handle provocation on the field after his recent altercation with Sri Lanka A players during the ongoing tri-series in Dambulla.The incident took place after India A lost a Super Over thriller to Sri Lanka A on Monday. Television footage showed the 15-year-old pushing Sri Lankan spinner Vishen Halambage before senior player Niroshan Dickwella intervened. Reports suggested Halambage had been sledging Sooryavanshi throughout the series. While the Sri Lankan player was sanctioned, the Indian youngster escaped punishment.Tiwary said the attention surrounding Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise means rival teams will try to unsettle him.“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has to understand a little. There will always be verbal battles against us on the pitch, because there are many countries that are jealous of us. So, they will provoke you. The way Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s IPL campaign went, and the way he is moving forward and getting everything, so they will poke him more. The way a 15-year-old is progressing, they are jealous of it. So, we have to prepare him for it,” the former batter said on Cricbuzz.
Different paths to success
Tiwary said Sooryavanshi now faces an important decision regarding the image he wants to create in world cricket.“It is upto him what kind of image he wants to create in the cricketing world. One path is like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who are generally calm people, they answer through performances. The other route is like Virat Kohli, people who are aggressive. Now he needs to decide how people want to perceive him. Anger is important, but it is important to point it in the right direction,” he continued.Tiwary also felt the controversy may have affected the youngster’s batting after he managed only 38 runs against Afghanistan A.“No one will take action against him for this, but he must realise what he has done. No one wants to see an emerging player be involved in pushing and shoving. The more he plays, the more he will understand about the conduct in the field. But under any circumstances, he should not go outside the laws of the game. People are watching him, and his behaviour will be noted. He scored only 30-40 runs today, so it is affecting him, as he did not score as much he should have,” Tiwary concluded.
Bahutule backs youngster to learn
India spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule, who has worked closely with Sooryavanshi at age-group level and with Rajasthan Royals, described the incident as unfortunate and backed the youngster to move on from it.“It was an unfortunate incident, but we don’t know how he was provoked because I know him, and Vaibhav is a very composed kid, but I’m sure there are experienced coaches there who will guide him,” Bahutule said in the press conference ahead of the second ODI between India and Afghanistan.“Sri Lankan players should also be educated on how to behave,” Bahutule added.The former Mumbai skipper expressed confidence that the teenager would mature with experience.“He will learn, he is a young kid with a lot of responsibility of representing India. I’m sure he will not repeat it and such incidents can be avoided,” Bahutule said.
Jacob Bethell takes a stunning diving catch to remove New Zealand captain Tom Latham for 27 off the bowling of Jofra Archer as the tourists fall to 58-2 on the opening morning of the second Test against England at The Oval.
Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be remembered for Lionel Messi’s historic hat-trick, but I believe the Argentine captain was fortunate to remain on the pitch after a dangerous challenge on Algeria defender Aïssa Mandi.
Messi scored three goals to help Argentina begin their title defence in style and move level with Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s joint all-time leading scorer. However, the biggest talking point of the match came in the 32nd minute.
Replays appeared to show Messi planting his studs onto Mandi’s calf and Achilles area. The Algerian defender was left in pain and needed medical attention before continuing.
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Referee Szymon Marciniak did not show a card, while VAR decided not to intervene. In my view, that was the wrong decision.
According to the IFAB Laws of the Game, a player is guilty of serious foul play if he challenges an opponent in a way that endangers the safety of that opponent or uses excessive force. Serious foul play is punishable by a red card.
The laws also state that a tackle or challenge which endangers the safety of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play. Studs-first contact above the ankle is often considered one of the key indicators when referees assess possible red-card offences.
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While opinions may differ on whether Messi intended to hurt Mandi, intent is not the main issue. The most important question is whether the challenge endangered the opponent’s safety. Looking at the replays, I believe it did.
Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha shared a similar view, saying on ESPN that the incident was worthy of a red card and that VAR missed an opportunity to correct the referee’s decision.
The controversy has become even bigger because other players at the tournament have been sent off for dangerous tackles. Many fans believe the same standard should apply to every player, regardless of reputation or status.
Messi went on to complete his hat-trick and win the Player of the Match award, but for me, the challenge on Mandi remains a red-card offence under the Laws of the Game.
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His brilliance with the ball should not stop people from discussing what happened without it.
FILE–The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala hits a volley against China’s Shuai Zhang during their round of 32, singles match at the HSBC WTA tennis Championships at Queen’s Club in west London on June 9, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala cooled off red-hot Donna Vekic, 7-5, 6-4, to advance to the round of 16 of the Berlin Open on Wednesday (Manila time) at Steffi Graf Stadion in Germany.
It only took Eala a pair of sets this time, but the victory didn’t come any easier against the confident Croatian, who’s coming off a crowning moment at Queen’s Club in London on Friday.
“I told myself that she’s fighting back, but I’m also a fighter, so I have to try and give her a hard time. Donna is an incredible player and she’s been showing us that,” said Eala, who received a wildcard entry into the WTA 500 tournament, after a brilliant Berlin debut.
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“Every time I play her, it’s been very difficult,” she added.
Behind a big service game, Eala battled back from 0-40 down to close out Vekic, who turned back home bet Emma Raducanu in the Queen’s final. Eala served up eight aces and had 25 winners against 13 unforced errors.
It was a game of runs and momentum swings, especially in the opening set.
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Vekic, who turns 30 years old on June 28, zoomed to a 2-0 lead in the first set before Eala responded by winning the next four games.
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Vekic reclaimed the lead, 5-4, but Eala pulled ahead for good after earning a crucial break in the 11th game.
Eala won’t have much time to celebrate her big win over Vekic with a round of 16 duel against World No. 2 Elena Rybakina set on Thursday.
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