Cristiano Ronaldo is set to return in Saudi Arabia, a change in Barcelona’s boardroom might determine whether Marcus Rashford stays in Spain, and Zinedene Zidane may be heading back to Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to end his strike at Al-Nassr and play again for the Saudi Pro League club on Saturday. The 41-year-old Portugal forward has missed two games because he is unhappy with the way the club are run. (Sky Sports), external
England international Marcus Rashford’s Barcelona future hangs on the club’s presidential election next month. A £26m deal for the on-loan Manchester United forward, 28, is the centrepiece of Joan Laporta’s re-election bid. (Times – subscription required), external
Bournemouthare planning to offer 19-year-old French forward Eli Junior Kroupi a lucrative new contract in a bid to ward off interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Chelsea, Liverpool,Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain.(Sun), external
Bayern Munich are not looking at Atletico Madrid’s Argentina forward Julian Alvarez, boosting Arsenal‘s hopes of signing the 26-year-old. (Christian Falk), external
AC Milan are confident Fulham will exercise a £21m option-to-buy for 26-year-old Nigeria winger Samuel Chukwueze, who is on loan at the Cottagers. (Gazzetta – in Italian), external
The managerial merry-go-round might bring changes at a number of major clubs in the coming months, but Spaniard Luis Enrique says he is “so happy” at Ligue 1 PSG. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Among those looking for a big name are Real Madrid, who may make an approach for German Jurgen Klopp. France World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane is more likely to return for a third spell in the dugout though. (ESPN), external
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The Liverpoolboard will consider the future of Dutch manager Arne Slot if the club fail to qualify for the Champions League this season. (Football Insider), external
Daichi Kamada, 29, is set to leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season. The Japan midfielder’s contract expires in the summer and there are no extension talks. (Sky Sports), external
Tunisian referee Haitham Guirat has been suspended indefinitely by the Tunisian football authorities after a serious officiating mistake in a domestic league match.
The suspension was confirmed on Monday following a controversial decision in a Tunisian top-flight fixture, which drew strong criticism from officials, fans and analysts. The referees’ committee launched an immediate review and decided to take disciplinary action.
Local officials described the incident as a serious refereeing error, although full details of the match incident were not made public. The football authorities said the move was necessary to protect the integrity of the league and restore confidence in match officiating.
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Guirat’s suspension has also renewed debate about his appointments at the recent Africa Cup of Nations, where he handled several matches involving Morocco. Some fans and experts had questioned the consistency of his decisions during the tournament.
The suspension is indefinite, and Guirat will face further assessment before any decision is made on a possible return to refereeing duties.
Oscar Bobb returns to the Etihad with Fulham on Wednesday night just days after leaving Manchester City in a £27million exit.
Oscar Bobb lit up the Wembley turf with a breakout showing that seemed to cement his status as a Manchester City first team fixture. Days later, a fractured leg sustained in training ended his season.
It’s a sliding doors moment football often throws up and on this occasion Bobb was on the wrong side of it. The Community Shield victory over Manchester United in August 2024 saw Bobb named player of the match and continued a fine few months for the Norwegian.
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He’d hit a stunning late winner off the bench at Newcastle in the January which went a long way to helping City to the title, before playing a starring role on the summer tour of America.
That earned him a start at Wembley and, but for injury, he may well have started the Premier League opener at Chelsea. Instead he was on the treatment table and staring at the long road to recovery.
He returned to first team action in April 2025 but Bobb has failed to hit the same heights since and despite 15 appearances for City this term, an exit to Fulham was sanctioned. He returns to the Etihad with his new club tonight.
Pep Guardiola was looking for Bobb to kick on and, through injury, form and the arrivals of the likes of Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo in the last three transfer windows, the Norway international hasn’t managed to force his way into the City thinking.
“We want more,” said Guardiola after that 2024 Community Shield showing. “Sometimes he had the chance to take the ball and go and he was a little bit passive. He has something unique; be stopped then go, first one or two steps, right or left are unbelievable. The goal, how he turns and make the cross, huge quality. He has incredible values and work ethic. He has the ability to do it and he can do it more regularly.”
The regularity never arrived. Bobb worked hard to return from that serious injury but this season he never quite looked like he had the trust of his manager.
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Norway boss Stale Solbakken criticised the winger after a friendly with New Zealand: “He was very poor in the first half. He is lacking everything. If you ask Oscar, I think he’ll say that the first half was his weakest performance for the national team. The second half was the next weakest.”
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His confidence hit, Bobb then struggled to recapture it at City and never found a run of minutes. He was handed a start in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Brentford which was prematurely ended inside the opening quarter through injury. From then on, with talk of his future intensifying, the writing seemed to be on the wall.
Guardiola spoke in Bodo of Bobb saying he was still injured so wouldn’t be involved in what felt a pointed answer. The City manager has cited preparation as being the main injury avoidance factor in the past and there seemed some internal frustration at Bobb’s latest issue.
But he left with a glowing piece on City’s website and with the club thinking enough of him to insert a clause into his Fulham switch that allows the Blues to match any bid that comes in for him, a clause they utilised to sign James Trafford in the summer.
Plenty will watch Bobb’s time at Fulham with interest, even if his bright City beginning ultimately fizzled into something of a sour exit.
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Flory Bidunga had a double-double and No. 9 Kansas defeated top-ranked and previously unbeaten Arizona 82-78 on Monday night.
Arizona (23-1, 10-1 Big 12) entered Allen Fieldhouse with the second-longest winning streak in Division I men’s basketball.
Kansas (19-5, 9-2) played without freshman guard Darryn Peterson, who was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. Peterson has missed 11 games with a combination of hamstring, calf and ankle issues.
Arizona held a three-point lead at halftime and led by as many as 11 before Kansas took its first lead of the game at the 9:32 mark in the second half.
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Bidunga put the Jayhawks ahead with a layup, which capped a personal seven-point run. He finished with 23 points on 8-for-11 shooting and added 10 rebounds.
Arizona closed within one point with 34 seconds left in the game, but senior guard Melvin Council Jr. shot 3 of 4 from the line in the final minute and 10 of 11 in the game to help seal the victory for Kansas. He finished with 23 points. Tre White also added a pair of late free throws.
Four Kansas players scored double digits. Bryson Tiller finished with 18 points and Jamari McDowell added 10.
Freshman guard Brayden Burries led Arizona with 25 points. Motiejus Krivas scored 14 and Ivan Kharchenkov 13.
Quarterbacks grab all the headlines, for good or bad, but they simply cannot do it all by themselves in this ultimate team sport.
Tom Brady regularly had, and needed, a top-10 defence on his side to win Super Bowls, while Patrick Mahomes lost two of them because he was soundly beaten up by opposing defences.
In Seattle, Darnold found the perfect storm of a team on the up and a defensive head coach assembling a crack unit that would go on to dominate the NFL, needing just a solid quarterback to steer the offence.
Having the league’s leading receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker also helped, and plenty will say Darnold did not have to do much.
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He became the first quarterback to enjoy successive 14-win seasons with two different teams – only Brady had managed it with one – but still there were questions as he led the league in turnovers, giving the ball away 20 times.
Around 80% of play-off games are won by teams with the fewest turnovers. In Super Bowls the record was 40-7 when winning the turnover battle.
Darnold has the fourth most giveaways in the NFL since being drafted (106) despite spending two years as a back-up, so once again he had to prove himself as he was written off as a liability before even entering the post-season.
The response was remarkable as Darnold’s Seattle became the first Super Bowl champions without a single turnover in the play-offs.
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He answered the mental questions of facing the Rams again with 346 yards and three touchdowns, before doing just enough in the Super Bowl itself.
Was it flashy? No. MVP worthy? Not even close. But Darnold, now 28, did what he had to – he kept hold of the ball, made plays when needed and managed the game without ego or trying to be the hero.
No quarterback has won a Super Bowl having played for five teams before, but then no quarterback has been counted out so many times and got back to the top.
Luck has played a part, teams like Minnesota and Seattle took a chance and the Seahawks have furnished Darnold with everything he could possibly want in a team – and maybe there’s a hatful of quarterbacks in the league who could have won a Super Bowl with them this season.
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None have been where Darnold has though and not many have done more to earn it. His redemption story really is one for the ages.
There are two things we have learned so far in this young 2026 season, although one might be slightly more surprising than the other.
One: Scottie Scheffler is still really good and significantly better than everyone else. Scheffler opened his season at the American Express a couple of weeks ago and won by four. He made his second start at the WM Phoenix Open last week and finished just a shot out of a playoff — despite posting an uncharacteristic 73 on Thursday, six strokes higher than his worst round over the next three days.
And two? Chris Gotterup is for real.
If you were busy preparing for your Super Bowl watch party or getting your parlays in order and skipped Sunday’s finish, here’s the gist of what you missed: We’re just four events into the PGA Tour season and Gotterup has now won half of them. He’s vaulted to No. 5 in the World Ranking and is the second-highest-ranked American behind only Scheffler.
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Back in 2024, Gotterup won the Myrtle Beach Classic for his first Tour win, although it went largely unnoticed by the greater golf audience since it was an alternate-field event and finished the same day Rory McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship. Gotterup then failed to crack the top 50 in his next eight events; he could have easily been a one-hit wonder.
“I definitely knew I was a work in progress, and still am,” Gotterup said Sunday, after he shot 64 in the final round and later beat Hideki Matsuyama in a playoff. “But I knew that my game was suited for out here, and I knew if I continued to work and at least had faith in what I was doing that I would be able to be in the position someday. To say I’ve won four times is pretty crazy.”
Fast forward to July 2025, and Gotterup — this time playing in the same tournament as McIlroy — outlasted the newly crowned Masters champ at the Scottish Open for career win No. 2. That made the 26-year-old former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer a good story, but there are plenty of those throughout the golf season.
Everything he’s done since then, however, has proven he’s much more than that.
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He took third at the Open Championship a week after the Scottish Open and tied for 10th a week later at the 3M Open. He also added a T10 at the Tour Championship and ended the season with a whole new slate of tournaments unlocked for 2026. Those haven’t even started — he’ll play Signature Events like Pebble, the Genesis and Bay Hill for the first time in the next month — and he’s already proven he’s worthy of a spot on the pre-tournament press conference schedules.
He wasted little time reminding 2025 was no fluke, as he opened this season by winning the Sony Open. After a top 20 at the Farmers and now a playoff win in Phoenix, he’s won three times in his last 10 starts.
Sunday’s win included birdies on five of his last six holes, and he birdied 18 again to beat Matuyama on the first extra hole.
“I’m just really enjoying being out here right now, and I’m having fun,” said Gotterup, who ranks second on Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. “I feel confident in what I’m doing and feel like I have played well enough to feel confident to be able to be in those positions. So far, I’ve been able to capitalize on those, and I’m excited for the rest of the year.”
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Besides earning entry into a handful of Signature Events, Gotterup will also make his Masters debut two months from now.
After his win Sunday, Gotterup was met by CBS reporter Amanda Balionis for the obligatory winner’s interview.
“We saw it at the Scottish Open,” she started, “when the moment is biggest, when your back is against the wall, that’s when you show up. Where does that come from?”
“You know, a lot of hard work,” Gotterup said, before pausing to settle his emotions. “You make me cry every time.”
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With the run he’s on, you think he’d be used to it by now.
Olisa Ndah’s agent, Mike Makaab, has dismissed reports linking the Nigerian defender with a move to Libyan club Al Shomooa SC.
Speculation surfaced shortly after Ndah left South African giants Orlando Pirates, with claims that he was set to continue his career in Libya. However, both his agent and his father, Ndubuisi Ndah, have described the reports as false.
Makaab said there is no truth in the rumours and added that there are no immediate transfer plans for the 28-year-old defender. Ndah’s father also confirmed that his son has not agreed to any move to Libya.
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Ndah recently ended his three-and-a-half-year stay with Orlando Pirates after joining the club from Akwa United in 2021. He established himself as a key centre-back and made 81 appearances in all competitions, winning the MTN8 Cup three times.
Injuries limited his game time in the past year, and he did not feature this season, with younger defenders also pushing him down the pecking order. Pirates confirmed that the club and player agreed to terminate his contract so he could seek regular football elsewhere.
Ndah is now a free agent and is expected to explore new opportunities as he looks to revive his career.
and have flown the flag for American boxing over the past few decades but believes one active fighter can find more popularity than the talented duo. Mayweather became the face of the sport throughout the 2000s and 2010s, as he became a five-weight world champion and went on to retire with a perfect 50-0 record. […]
Vonn was airlifted by helicopter from Cortina d’Ampezzo to the Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso.
A source close to the matter confirmed on Monday that a joint team of local orthopaedic and plastic surgeons performed the procedures.
These operations were crucial for stabilising her and preventing complications related to swelling and blood flow.
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While Vonn’s personal doctor was present and assisted, Italian surgeons led the medical interventions.
U.S. delegation may give update
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to a request for comment about the treatment for Vonn, one of the most decorated ski racers in history.
The hospital had said on Sunday that she underwent an operation to stabilise her left leg but did not mention a second procedure. She suffered the ACL injury to her left knee in late January.
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The hospital had initially said it would provide a further update on her condition at 1100 GMT on Monday but this plan was scrapped and further information was expected to come from the U.S. delegation.
A small group of reporters waited outside the hospital in Treviso, which is a short drive from Venice, but it was otherwise a regular day there with no well-wishers turning up.
Lindsey Vonn was transported to hopsital by helicopter after crashing in the women’s downhill event on Sunday (Francois-Xavier MARIT / AFP via Getty Images)
‘One in a thousand’ accident
The case has highlighted a debate in elite sport over who decides when an injured athlete is fit to compete and what message those decisions send.
International Ski Federation President Johan Eliasch said the competitor had to make up their own mind.
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“I firmly believe that this has to be decided by the individual … And in her case, she certainly knows her injuries a lot better than anybody else,” he told reporters on Monday.
“And what is also important for people to understand that the accident that she had yesterday, she was incredibly unlucky. It was a one in a thousand. She got too close to the gate, and she got stuck when she was in the air in the gate and started rotating.”
Victim of her own success, medallist says
Sebastien Amiez, a former French skier and Olympic silver medallist, said Vonn only took part in the race in Crans-Montana on January 30 where she ruptured her ACL because she had been doing so well in the World Cup.
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“Her original goal was to peak at the Olympic Games. But she won early races, led the World Cup, and as a champion she wanted everything. Yesterday, unfortunately, her luck ran out — that’s how it goes,” he said.
The U.S. ski team had inspected several facilities before selecting Treviso, some 125 km (80 miles) from Cortina, favouring it over a closer hospital in Belluno because Treviso also has a neurosurgery department, the source said.
Vonn has been inundated with messages of support from the sporting world and beyond.
“You are a great inspiration and an example of perseverance,” said tennis great Rafa Nadal. “Stay strong and get well soon!”
John Cross, the Mirror’s chief football writer, believes Manchester City star Phil Foden has an uphill task to land a place in the England World Cup squad for this summer, coming up against former City ace Cole Palmer.
Is it a straight shoot-out between Phil Foden and his former Manchester City team-mate Cole Palmer for a place in the England squad for this summer’s World Cup?
While it was an eventful game, there was no place for Foden to make an impact, as he wasn’t even brought on to try and kickstart the fightback, as Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush were named alongside the ever-present Erling Haaland.
When Man City needed to shake the game up, Guardiola turned to summer signing Rayan Cherki rather than the academy graduate, which should be his biggest worry ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
The lack of minutes and impact won’t help Foden’s chances of making Thomas Tuchel’s squad, not least due to the quality available in the attacking positions, especially as a number 10, with former Man City star Cole Palmer starting to show signs of his quality again.
As part of a weekly series ‘England Player Ratings’ counting down to this summer’s World Cup, The Mirror’s chief football writer John Cross gave his thoughts surrounding Foden’s position in the squad, after watching Man City’s 2-1 win over Liverpool.
“This is the bigger worry. He has been eased out by Antoine Semenyo. When City needed something extra, they brought on Rayan Cherki. That has to be a worry,” he said, giving his current form a 6/10 rating, while unable to give a match rating due to the lack of time on the pitch.
“One big name is going to miss out. Will it be Bellingham, Rogers, Foden or Palmer? They cannot all go. One who is either not playing well or just plain unlucky will not go. Foden remains in danger. It might be between Foden and Palmer,” he added, giving his chances of making the World Cup squad a 7/10.
The problem for Foden surrounds the form of those he will be competing with.
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While Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers have shown their form earlier on this season, it may be time for someone like Cole Palmer to make a run towards the squad with some late momentum.
The playmaker, who left Man City for just £40million in 2023, has begun to show his quality again, scoring a hat-trick for Chelsea in their 3-1 win over Wolves this weekend.
While injury issues have plagued him for most of the season, Cross gives Palmer a 7/10 chance of making the squad, stating: “If he stays fit and also plays and gets minutes, then he is hard to resist. Especially when you consider he was so influential – albeit as a substitute – in the last Euros. It’s a big call but it may be a straight choice between Foden and Palmer.”
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With Foden struggling for minutes with City, it may well highlight the transformative move away for Palmer if he can pip him to a spot in the World Cup by landing more opportunities on the pitch.
Marc Guehi’s England chances
While Foden may be struggling for opportunities to break into the England squad, the same cannot be said of Marc Guehi, who looks almost certain to be on the plane this summer, barring an unfortunate injury.
His performance at Anfield landed an 8/10 from Cross, who said: “He was so good at Anfield. Yes, he got booked for a pull back but he looked calm, composed and so strong. He is a Rolls Royce of a defender.
“He makes City’s defence look so much better and they saw out long spells of pressure. He will be one of the best defenders at the tournament.”
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His chances of making the England squad were rated 9/10, with every chance that he starts the World Cup alongside Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa.
Nico O’Reilly position change
Nico O’Reilly may well be down as the left-back option for England, but he once again started in midfield for Manchester City in their win over Liverpool.
The return of Rayan Ait-Nouri has pushed him out from full-back, but into the midfield role, due to his form and performances as of late.
O’Reilly has also been given a strong chance of making the final squad with a 9/10 rating, as Cross said: “He is in pole position for the left-back slot and, unless anything dramatic happens, he is nailed-on for the first game against Croatia.
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“His versatility playing midfield and left-back gives him another string to his bow.”
You can have your say and choose your England squad below…
GB’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson finish the rhythm dance in fourth position with their Spice Girls-inspired performance. The figure skating event concludes on Wednesday with the free dance.
