Kylian Mbappé and Hugo Ekitike both scored as France found their bearings in Boston with a 2-1 friendly win over Brazil on Thursday. Les Bleus will return to Massachusetts in three months’ time, with the state capital set to serve as their World Cup base camp.
The play-offs to determine the last four European teams to qualify for the World Cup kicked off on Thursday. Italy are now 90 minutes away from a return to the world stage after beating Northern Ireland 2-0, while Sweden and Poland also advanced to Tuesday’s play-off finals.
Paris Saint-Germain‘s request for their top-of-the-table clash against Lens to be postponed has been approved, handing the league leaders a full week’s rest between their Champions League quarter-final legs against Liverpool. The league authorities’ decision, however, has frustrated the Parisians’ title challengers.
Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev will face off again in Friday’s Miami Open final four, while the other semi-final sees France’s Arthur Fils take on Jiří Lehečka for a shot at a career-first final at a Masters tournament.
There is perhaps no better way to ensure that no one ever mistakes your ball for their own than by playing a TaylorMade Pix golf ball.
The limited-edition designs are stamped all over the golf ball’s surface, making them easily visible no matter how your ball is sitting in the grass or sand.
New TaylorMade Pix ball designs are released a few times each year. Recent designs have included a fire horse and other symbols for Chinese Lunar New Year, chili peppers and even pizza slices.
The designs are available in TaylorMade’s popular TP5 and TP5x golf ball models, both of which include TaylorMade’s 5-layer construction, seamless Tour flight dimple pattern and a soft-tough cast urethane cover. The TP5, though, is specially designed for higher spin and softer feel than the TP5x, which boasts faster ball speed, longer distance and higher launch.
If you love summer vibes, you’ll definitely want to purchase the latest TaylorMade Pix design: flamingos! Each ball features a pink flamingo design, with flamingos pictured in various poses all around the ball.
The ball boxes are fun too, with TP5 sleeves in seafoam green and the TP5x in sand. A tropical beach scene graces the front of each box, featuring a flamingo standing tall in the water at sunset with palm trees in the background.
If you’re already dreaming of summer rounds, start gearing up with these golf balls. But hurry! These limited-edition drops tend to sell out quickly, so make sure to secure your boxes now.
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Shop TaylorMade Pix Flamingo golf balls at Fairway Jockey
As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.
Iran has banned its sports teams from traveling to countries it considers “hostile,” Iranian state TV reported Thursday ahead of Tractor FC’s scheduled soccer game in Saudi Arabia.
The ban announced by Iran’s Ministry of Sports in Tehran didn’t mention the World Cup which starts June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The ministry’s statement singled out the Tractor game against Shabab Al Ahli of Dubai that was set to be played in Saudi Arabia. It’s a playoff game in the Asian Champions League Elite.
“The presence of national and club teams in countries that are considered hostile and are unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice,” it said.
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The Iran war has impacted the region, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel.
Tractor’s playoff game in Saudi Arabia was the result of the Asian Football Confederation’s draw Wednesday to determine the quarterfinal pairings, a day after announcing that the western zone playoffs that were postponed because of the war in the Middle East have been rescheduled for April 13-14 in Jeddah.
The Saudi city is also slated to host the tournament quarterfinals, semifinals and final from April 16-25, with organizers setting the dates and hoping for peace in the region.
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The Iranian ministry added that the soccer federation and clubs “will be responsible for notifying the Asian Football Confederation of this matter in order to relocate the games.”
Iran’s stance on the World Cup
The Iranian ambassador in Mexico City has said the country was negotiating with FIFA to move Iran’s three group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico after U.S. President Donald Trump discouraged the team from attending the 48-nation tournament, citing safety concerns.
Last week, however, FIFA President Gianni Infantino further dampened Iran’s attempts to move its World Cup matches, saying global soccer’s governing body wants the tournament “to go ahead as scheduled.”
Iranian government and soccer officials have said they do not want to boycott the World Cup but that it is not possible for the national team to come to the U.S. because of military attacks on the country by Israel and U.S. since Feb. 28.
It isn’t hard to spot the potential biggest liability of “The Masters Wait,” Amazon Prime’s new documentary on the inside story of Rory McIlroy’s stirring Grand Slam victory at Augusta National last April.
It’s right there in the credits and paragraph one of the doc’s press release: Firethorn Productions.
Firethorn, a nod to Augusta National’s famed par-5 15th hole, is the name of Rory McIlroy’s production shop, which McIlroy’s team launched to produce content around the five-time major winner. McIlroy is not the first athlete to create a production company. He’s not even the first golfer to do so— Rickie Fowler started his own studio in 2022, following a slew of other famous athletes (LeBron James, Steph Curry, Peyton Manning) seeking to own a piece of their own likenesses and narratives.
For athletes, the benefit of a media apparatus is multifold — launching new TV shows, amplifying their brands, creating a post-career career — but in the case of documentary filmmaking, the goal is usually singular: editorial control.
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The logic is simple. There’s tremendous upside to creating a celebrity documentary: Money to be made from streaming companies, networks and sponsors, fame to be accrued from fans, influence to be generated from telling your story. But there’s also tremendous risk: If you say something the wrong way, or if your story isn’t quite as squeaky clean as it appears, your moment in the sun could quickly turn into reputational suicide, with several weeks of roasting on the coals of the internet.
For the celebrities at the center of these films, editorial control is the skeleton key. If you’d like to make a documentary about, say, John Stamos — that’s fine! Just give him the opportunity to tell you what to include and what to leave out; that way he can ensure his reputation remains intact. In return, the streaming company or network will receive all the access they need to execute the vision for the film, which in many cases would be impossible (or unprofitable) without the subject’s inclusion.
The liability here is that celebrities (and their handlers) often have the risk tolerance of hydrogen-bomb technicians, unwilling to let anything that might encroach within 100 miles of “interesting” into the final edit of the film. This can lead to stories that are bleached of essential texture and subtlety, and present somewhere between uninteresting and unbelievable.
Thisis the result I feared when I heard McIlroy’s company was involved in the production of “The Masters Wait,” which will begin streaming on Amazon Prime on March 30. I worried the greatest sporting moment I have witnessed in the flesh would be reduced to a story that felt flat and preordained. That it would not have any of the nausea, horror and disbelief that accompanied the experience of watching it live. That McIlroy’s approval of the story meant it would be, in some essential way, diminished.
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But I’d made one crucial error in my accounting: the sensibility of the show’s star.
In “The Masters Wait,” McIlroy is jarringly self-effacing and bracingly honest. In his interviews, which were shot over several sessions with director Drea Cooper, McIlroy is not whitewashed or particularly protective of his image. He candidly addresses the lows of his major drought, acknowledging he came to “resent” the majors for their role in the sport. He speaks about his previous major failures with painful specificity, admitting that some of the residual anguish from his 2011 Masters collapse probably still lives in his subconscious. He even shares a story of a previously unreported 2025 Masters Sunday standoff with Bryson DeChambeau that makes both golfers look slightly petty.
“For us, at the outset, it was very much about very clearly setting some ground rules and understanding where everybody sits,” Cooper, the director, told me. “To his credit, we made this film independently. Rory’s contribution was very much about helping with access, helping connect us to others.”
To those ends, McIlroy worked the phones — setting up shoots in Northern Ireland and Augusta with film crews in late 2025, and convincing three famously media-shy characters to participate: Augusta National and Rory’s doting parents, Gerry and Rosie. The latter two voices are the strength of the film.
“After we did Rory’s first big sit‑down interview,” Cooper said, “he turned to me and our producer and said, ‘Look, that was a great conversation. And, you know, I really think this film could benefit from hearing from my mom and dad. So let me see if I can work on them.’ And he did.”
Even McIlroy’s persuasiveness has its limits, though, and caddie Harry Diamond is a glaring absence. Diamond, who is one of McIlroy’s oldest friends, is famously media shy, and turned down his boss’s request for an interview. Diamond’s recounting of one of the most memorable rounds of the 21st century is reduced in the film to CBS’s on-course microphones.
“We tried our hardest. We thought we came close, and then we didn’t, and then we tried again and again,” Cooper said of Diamond. “To Rory’s credit, he asked. But it’s not what Harry does.”
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In the end, McIlroy’s vulnerability is the documentary’s biggest (and most pleasant) surprise. And yet, strangely, McIlroy himself also represents the film’s biggest challenge — which is that his story isn’t yet complete.
Yes, McIlroy’s Masters triumph wasthe culmination of his career to this point. It would be negligent to tell the tale of that Sunday without touching on all the history that preempted it, from McIlroy’s boyhood dreams through to his nightmares of the last decade and a half. But McIlroy’s career didn’t end on that magical Sunday — and he was understandably weary about the documentary being framed through that lens.
“I was probably a little reluctant at the start because I was like, you know, I’m still not finished with my career, and maybe I want to do a documentary at the end,” McIlroy said. “But I talked to a few people who have been through that process, different athletes, and I think the common theme was: It doesn’t have to be a tell-all of your whole life; it can just be a snapshot in time of this certain moment.”
That thinking drives the narrative arc of the story, but it is also explains why the film feels incomplete.
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“It’s a moment in time,” McIlroy said. “It’s a snapshot. It’s not about my entire life. It’s just about my journey to try to complete the Slam. Again, I think it would have been a miss to not document it in some way, and we felt like this was the best approach.”
For those seeking a closer look at the golfer and tournament that tilted the sport on its head, “The Masters Wait”is a thorough and excellent account of that history. But if you want to know how the win really felt, and why it felt that way, a 90-minute look-back does not suffice.
Maybe some day the time will come to capture the entirety of the Rory McIlroy’s story in all its gory verisimilitude. Should that day come, one can only hope a similarly open-minded star arrives to the set to capture it.
It’s getting very real for the Canadian men’s team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Canada Soccer recently unveiled its official World Cup jerseys, renovations to BMO Field and BC Place continue, and the men’s side is now less than 80 days away from playing its opening match of the tournament.
There are also some important games on the horizon for Canada, including friendlies vs. Iceland (March 28) and Tunisia (March 31) in Toronto in the penultimate international window before the World Cup. The Canadians’ final World Cup tune-up matches are scheduled for June 1 in Edmonton vs. Uzbekistan and June 5 in Montreal vs. Ireland.
Here are some key storylines to watch for from Canada during this month’s games.
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The goalkeeping situation
The battle between Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair continues on as coach Jesse Marsch hasn’t officially settled on who’ll be Canada’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup.
Marsch has gone back and forth between the two shot stoppers for over a year, giving them both chances to play during international windows. That’ll be the case again this month as both are expected to start one game apiece.
Crépeau, 31, is three years older than St. Clair, and has more international experience (29 caps vs. 18). On the other hand, St. Clair was last season’s MLS goalkeeper of the year with Minnesota United.
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Funny enough, both goalkeepers made moves in the off-season — Crépeau left the Portland Timbers to join Orlando City, while St. Clair is now with Inter Miami. Not so funny is that both have struggled at their new clubs early on in the 2026 MLS campaign. According to fotmob.com, Crépeau boasts the worst goals conceded per 90 minutes (3.5) in MLS, while St. Clair has the fifth-worst save record (55.6 percent).
It’s unlikely that Marsch will come to a definitive decision on who’ll be No. 1 this summer based on this month’s games, but St. Clair or Crépeau would do their respective cases no harm with a strong showing.
“I’m preparing to be the starter at the World Cup, and I’m sure Max is doing the same thing,” St. Clair said this week.
Cyle Larin back in form for club, but can he do it for Canada?
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It is generally understood that Jonathan David, Canada’s all-time top scorer with 37 goals in 73 appearances, will serve as the team’s go-to forward at the World Cup and main reference point in the attack.
Who will partner with David up front hasn’t yet been decided by Marsch and has been the subject of passionate debates among Canadian fans and media members.
Tani Oluwaseyi looked to be in pole position late last year before Promise David emerged as the top contender. But David suffered a ruptured hip tendon last month that could rule him out of the World Cup
As a result, the door has swung wide open for Cyle Larin. Despite being Canada’s second all-time leading scorer (30 goals in 87 games), Larin has struggled the past few seasons at club level, bouncing between RCD Mallorca and Feyenoord with little success. He’s also failed to score in 11 straight games for Canada, his last goal coming on Oct. 15, 2024.
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But Larin has been in fine form since his loan move to English side Southampton in January, scoring four goals and adding an assist in 11 games. A strong showing for Canada in these two games by the burly forward could put him back in contention for a starting role at the World Cup.
“Larin’s move to Southampton is exactly what he needed. You can see like now already, his confidence, his rhythm, his fitness, his power, everything, like, he looks really good, so we are really excited,” Marsch said.
Defensive depth will be put to the test
Defenders Alistair Johnston and Moïse Bombito have been named to this latest Canadian squad but only as training players as they regain fitness from long-term injuries.
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Missing from this latest roster due to injuries are fullback Alphonso Davies, and defenders Alfie Jones, Zorhan Bassong and Jamie Knight-Lebel. Young centre back Luc de Fougerolles is in camp but is dealing with an ankle injury. His participation in these games is questionable.
Derek Cornelius is with the team after recently returning from injury, which means Canada only has one regular starting centre back available to play against Iceland and Tunisia. Needless to say, the team’s defensive depth will be tested.
As a result, Ralph Priso of the Vancouver Whitecaps has a great opportunity to bolster his chances of earning a spot on Canada’s World Cup roster. The 23-year-old was converted from a midfielder to a centre back last season by Vancouver and he’s taken to playing a new position like a duck to water.
Marsch took notice of this and called Priso into camp in January and gave him a start against Guatemala and could turn to him again this month to play substantial minutes in these two games.
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“He’s smart and he’s got an ease to the way he does things that he can transition into that position pretty smoothly. When I watch him carefully, I can see that he’s still trying to figure out some moments, like where the perfect positioning is. But overall, I think his intelligence has guided him in a good way,” Marsch said.
Marcelo Flores set to make his debut for Canada
After a long, laborious process, winger Marcelo Flores is expected to earn his first cap for Canada after finally having his one-time international switch approved by FIFA in February.
Flores, a 22-year-old born in Georgetown, Ont., is a dual national (he’s been capped for Mexico) who plays for Tigres UANL in Liga MX, the Mexican first division. Flores was eligible to switch allegiances under the current regulations because his three appearances for Mexico’s senior team came before he turned 21.
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Marsch courted Flores, including visiting him in Mexico and called him up for last November’s international window even though he wasn’t yet eligible to play for Canada. Marsch felt it was important for Flores to be in camp with the team so he could envision what it would be like for him to be a member of the Canadian team.
Now that he’s available to play for Canada, Marsch is expected to give the wily winger plenty of playing time over these next two games, giving him every chance to earn a spot on the World Cup roster.
The Canadians could certainly benefit from a player of Flores’ profile: He’s a dynamic attacker who likes to take on defenders, has great energy and is very dangerous on the dribble.
A big month for Ismaël Koné
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With Stephen Eustáquio unavailable for this window due to injury, fellow midfielder Ismaël Koné has an opportunity to reassert himself as a key figure for Canada going into the World Cup.
The 23-year-old has started in six of Canada’s last seven games, scoring in last November’s 2-0 win over Venezuela in Florida. At the same time, Koné’s club career has been revitalized at US Sassuolo Calcio after he failed to impress in stints with French clubs Olympique Marseille and Stade Rennais FC. The 23-year-old has five goals in 28 appearances in all competitions this season and looks to have recaptured his best form while playing in Italy.
“I think Ismaël now is an established player, and in the two years that I’ve been here, he’s now understood more what higher levels look like, and how to be more reliable and disciplined. And I think he’s been outstanding at Sassuolo, and not just with the ball, but his defensive responsibilities, his intensity that he plays with is at a different level,” Marsch said.
Koné will be suspended for the Iceland game stemming from a red card he picked up vs. Venezuela, but he will see action against Tunisia.
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“We will definitely play him against Tunisia, and we expect him to be a cornerstone of what we do this summer as well,” Marsch offered.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
A second-half brace from Omang Dodum guided India to a convincing 3-0 victory over Pakistan in their opening Group B match of the SAFF U20 Championship, earning them a semifinal berth here on Thursday.
Dodum struck in the 64th and 88th minutes after Vishal Yadav had handed the Blue Colts an early advantage in the third minute.
The win not only gave India a perfect start but also secured their place in the semi-finals. Pakistan, having lost both their matches after a defeat to Bangladesh two days before, are now eliminated from the competition.
The top spot in Group B will be decided when India face Bangladesh on Saturday.
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India began on the front foot and created an opportunity within two minutes. Vishal Yadav surged down the right flank and delivered a dangerous cross into the box for Omang Dodum, but the forward was unable to convert.
The breakthrough came moments later. Spotting Yadav’s run, Gurnaj Singh Grewal lofted a ball over the Pakistan defence. The winger controlled it well and attempted a shot that was blocked. However, he reacted quickly to the rebound and finished with his left foot at the near post to give India an early lead.
The goal lifted India’s confidence, but Pakistan gradually settled into the contest and began to test the Indian defence. They came close to equalising on two occasions, only to be denied by goalkeeper Suraj Singh Aheibam, who produced a couple of excellent saves.
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Pakistan’s missed opportunities proved costly in the second half. India doubled their lead through a swift counter-attacking move.
Samson Ahongshangbam carried the ball from defence into the left channel before switching play with a precise cross to Rishi Singh Ninthoukhongjam. Rishi laid it off for Dodum, who reached the ball before goalkeeper Zulqurnain and headed the ball home in the 64th minute.
With a two-goal cushion, India controlled the tempo, while Pakistan searched for a way back into the game. The Indian defence remained compact and disciplined, limiting Pakistan’s chances.
In the 88th minute, Muhammad Junaid brought down Prashan Jajo inside the penalty area, prompting referee Virendha Rai to award a spot-kick. Dodum stepped up and converted with a powerful strike, completing his brace and putting the result beyond doubt.
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The comprehensive win gives India early momentum in the tournament, with the Blue Colts now set to face Bangladesh in their final Group B fixture.
The Flat is back with the Lincoln meeting at Doncaster and I’ve got five to follow for Saturday’s racing tips, including an each-way contender in part 1 of the spring double.
Doncaster tips: Saturday Lincoln meeting
Spycatcher can retain Cammidge Trophy
A field of 12 goes to post for this Listed sprint, with the winners of the 2024 renewal, Montassib and last year’s race, SPYCATCHER both back for more and it’s the latter who earns the vote.
Admittedly, William Haggas has had his recent runners performing closer to their optimum than Karl Burke’s string has but we’re back on turf now and the latter can often be a strong starter himself.
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Spycatcher won the race in the absence of Montassib a year ago, as the Haggas-trained runner was away from the track from October 2024 until last September. He faced a stiffish task in the Champions Sprint at Ascot last October and was then beaten almost five lengths by Spycatcher over C&D (heavy) at the November meeting.
That win now means that the selection has to concede 5lb to his chief rival but there are still reasons to think there’s a good chance of that. He acts on the forecast good to soft ground, he goes well when fresh and his two C&D successes read well in terms of his penchant for this track. At his price on betting sites at the time of writing, he looks an each-way bet to nothing, with a decent chance that he’ll win it again.
Empirestateofmind has the potential to hit the right key in Spring Mile
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A typically open renewal of this traditional early season cavalry charge. Several will fancy their chances and there should be plenty of pace on this straight mile, with an interesting runner from a high draw being EMPIRESTATEOFMIND.
He’s a big price, on account of a couple of lesser efforts at the back end of last season. However, his strike rate is reasonably good, he acts on good ground or slower and this is his optimum trip.
He’s back on the mark from which he won an Ayr handicap last summer and, with the Quinn yard’s runners in decent nick, he could run a big race at a big price. He looks a small stakes each-way play. Try to get five places on horse racing betting sites if you can.
A quality field of just five line-up and the pick of them is DOCKLANDS on both official ratings. He also looks the pick in terms of his form profile, dropping back in grade to Listed level here, having dined at the top table in Group 1 company on his last six starts.
He was good enough to win the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, and he has run with great credit in three others. He finished behind the reopposing Qirat when Ralph Beckett’s runner produced that famous shock success in the Sussex Stakes last July but overall, his profile is, as the ratings suggests, superior.
They race off level weights and although he’s yet to win after a break, he has gone very close more than once and I don’t think his efforts when fresh are a great concern. He looks capable of picking up this first prize of over £34,000 and getting 2026 off to a flyer.
Greek Order a tasty each-way option in the Lincoln
Only one favourite has obliged in the last decade in this traditional first leg of the spring double, while half of the ten winners in that period carried double figure SPs.
William Haggas and Charlie Appleby have both trained two of those ten successful runners, while three of the last four winners have come from a single figure draw. I have a huge amount of respect for the Haggas-trained Eternal Force, who is towards the head of the market on betting apps and tries to complete a protracted four-timer here. He still looks well treated and comes out of stall six, so a big run looks on the cards.
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However, at a sporting price and drawn lowest of all, GREEK ORDER is back on a handy mark himself. Although exposed, he’s proven over the trip, has run well when fresh on several occasions and he acts on any ground, so conditions on the slow side won’t be a problem.
He sees out further than this, which with the pace on here will be no bad thing, while he represents an in-form trainer in Michael Bell. I think he’s probably overpriced and I’ll be having an each-way play to as many places as I can find. If the first-time visor works the oracle, then he could be bang there at the business end.
Masters Legacy can end a three-year drought at Uttoxeter
An open-looking handicap chase where several come into it having won last time out, and all four of them are respected in siding against them with MASTERS LEGACY.
Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, the 11-year-old can’t have been the easiest to train, given the gaps between his appearances on the track at times. He’s had wind surgery on three occasions and when you consider that, it’s easy to see why there’s an inconsistency about his CV.
Having said that, at his best, he’d be a shoo-in from this mark of 114 and he wouldn’t need to be at that level to win this. He sees out three miles well, acts on good ground or slower and his return from nearly a year off saw him finish fourth in an Ascot handicap chase last November, form which looks good in the context of this race.
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It’s fair to say he ran a stinker at Hereford around three weeks later and perhaps that race came too soon for him. His record shows that he can (although not always) go well when fresh and he’s been given 108 days off since that latest run, which could pay dividends.
A further 4lb drop won’t do any harm and with headgear on for the first-time, he may prove good enough to end a drought of over three years. I certainly think if he’s anything like that Ascot run in terms of performance, he looks likely to be in the shake-up and he can be backed each-way.
Free horse racing bets
Each Saturday, Virgin Bet run a money-back offer relating to one of the races being shown on ITV Racing that day. This week, that race is the 14.08 at Kempton.
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If you decide to have a wager on that race at Kempton and your selection doesn’t win, you’ll receive your stake back in free bets.
There’s no need to opt in to the offer, just place a wager on the race and if your selection doesn’t win, you’ll receive a free bet refund, up to a maximum of £10.
Only the win part of any each-way bets will be credited back to Virgin Bet punters.
Responsible gambling
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If you plan to have a bet on the racing, make sure to gamble responsibly.
It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using the betting sites UK, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.
Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.
It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino bonuses you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
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You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.
You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
The Super Eagles claimed a 2-1 win over Iran in an international friendly in Antalya, thanks to a bright start and a solid defensive effort late in the game.
Nigeria went ahead just six minutes into the match. Moses Simon finished calmly after receiving a well-timed pass from Samuel Chukwueze, beating his marker before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
The Super Eagles controlled much of the first half, with Wilfred Ndidi setting the pace in midfield. Iran had a few promising moments, mainly through Mehdi Taremi, but failed to turn them into clear chances before the interval.
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Nigeria doubled their lead shortly after the restart. Ademola Lookman delivered a smart through pass to Akor Adams, who kept his composure to score and make it 2-0.
Iran pulled one back in the 67th minute when Taremi reacted quickly after a corner hit the crossbar, setting up a tense finish. He later found the net again, but the goal was disallowed for handball.
The Super Eagles had chances to extend their lead, with Lookman testing from distance, but were forced to defend deep in the closing stages as Iran searched for an equaliser.
One of badminton’s all-time greats, Carolina Marin on Thursday announced her retirement due to a persistent knee injury, bringing the curtain down on a glittering career that has an Olympic gold medal and three World Championship titles.
In a video message shared on her social media accounts, captioned “My journey ends here”, the former World No. 1 Spaniard said the recurring injury had forced her to take the difficult call, opting to prioritise her long-term health over a final appearance on court.
“My journey in professional badminton has come to an end and therefore I will not be competing in the European Championships in Huelva,” Marin said.
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“I wanted us to see each other for the last time on a track, but I don’t want to put my body at risk for that. I said many times, and I am consistent with my decision.”
Marin shared one of modern badminton’s most compelling rivalries with India’s two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, with the duo producing several memorable encounters over the years.
She famously defeated Sindhu in the final of the Rio 2016 Olympics and again in the summit clash of the 2018 World Championships.
The 32-year-old was set to feature in next month’s European Championships in Huelva, Spain, an event that was meant to mark her farewell on home soil.
“I wish I had gotten the opportunity to end my career in a different way, but sometimes in life, things don’t always go the way that we want it to and we have to accept that.”
Marin retires with an illustrious record, having won world titles in 2014, 2015 and 2018, seven European crowns, and the Olympic gold at Rio 2016.
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Her last competitive appearance came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a remarkable return after overcoming two anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2019 and 2021.
“In the end, I did retire on a track, in Paris, in 2024, only then we did not know,” she said.
“Thank you for never letting me fall, for being by my side, and for supporting me in the hardest moments. Thank you for your unconditional love,” Marin added.
Although she will not compete in Huelva, Marin said she will still be present at the championships.
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“In a way, I will be retiring at Huelva, not with a racquet in my hand, but by giving back all the energy to the city where I was born and to experience an unforgettable week,” the Spaniard said.
“I leave feeling very proud of everything I have achieved in the sport. Not just the titles, but also earning the respect of the sports world both on and off the court,” she said.
The No. 11 Texas Longhorns’ Cinderella story in the NCAA Tournament came to a heartbreaking end on Thursday night, as Trey Kaufman-Renn’s tip with 0.7 seconds left on the clock gave No. 2 Purdue a 79-77 lead to advance to the Elite Eight.
It was a thriller to the end in this Sweet 16 matchup between a team that needed to play in the First Four to kick off the tournament, and one of the higher seeds in March Madness.
The Longhorns’ Dailyn Swain made a clutch and-one layup with 11 seconds left that allowed him the opportunity to tie the game at 77 apiece if he made his free throw. He nailed it with the pressure on, but the Boilermakers had 11 seconds to get up court and potentially win the game.
Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers dribbles the ball against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026, in San Jose, California.(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
It was Braden Smith finding his way to the lane and putting up his own layup. However, the ball didn’t have the correct English off the glass, as it started to roll off the rim.
But Kaufman-Renn, who positioned himself underneath the basket, tipped home the game-winning bucket, giving himself 20 total points to help Purdue move on and keep their tournament dreams alive.
There was some discourse on social media, though, as an overhead shot of Kaufman-Renn’s tip showed a potential foul, as he was hooking the arm of the Longhorns player jostling for the rebound.
Either way, no whistle blew, and the Boilermakers were celebrating, while the Longhorns couldn’t believe their season came to a close in that fashion.
Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots the game-winning shot against the Texas Longhorns during the second half during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026, in San Jose, California.(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
This was a back-and-forth game throughout the 40 minutes on the court, as both teams traded the lead, especially in the second half. The largest lead any team had was Purdue at only seven points, while Texas’ lead never got higher than four.
But it’s because both teams were shooting well, with Texas making 52% of its shots (29-of-56), while Purdue poured in 48% (30-of-62).
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Looking more into the box score, every Boilermakers starter had at least 10 points, while Fletcher Loyer (18), and Braden Smith (16) doing crucial work in the backcourt to help the winning cause.
Meanwhile, Texas’ Tramon Mark left it all out on the court, shooting 11-of-15 for 29 points, including 5-of-7 made from beyond the arc. Swain also just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, while tallying five assists.
Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates with teammates after making the game-winning shot against the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026, in San Jose, California.(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Purdue now awaits the winner of Arkansas and Arizona to see who they must play to earn a spot in this year’s Final Four, which will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Robbie Griffiths understands clearly that Legacy Bound excels at delivering victories.
Barrier seven is the starting position for Legacy Bound in Saturday’s Listed VRC Sprint Classic (1100m) on Flemington’s turf, where he looks to better his local record and claim triumph number five.
Having raced four times before at Flemington, the three-year-old Ole Kirk gelding notched two wins and a third, plus a fourth from the innermost barrier as the placegetters drew wider.
Three outings there – encompassing his pair of wins – spanned 1100m, with the third at 1200m coming in the Coolmore Stud Stakes in spring, trailing Tentyris and My Gladiola.
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Those rivals launched their seasons in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington a month ago, occupying the quinella.
Saturday omits Tentyris, but includes My Gladiola, a rival Griffiths sees as potentially problematic.
“She had the upperhand in the Coolmore, but she came from off the speed and we did more work up the front, and she might be better than us, who knows,” Griffiths said.
“She was also fantastic in Lightning, and she gets the weight advantage on us here.
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“Probably on facts and figures, she beats us, but it doesn’t always work out like that, as we all know, and he’s got a great win record.
“Whether that’s because he’s been in easier races than hers, who knows.”
Legacy Bound opened his campaign victorious over 1100m at Flemington March 7, with Griffiths confirming solid recovery.
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