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About 2km from the Republic of Ireland’s Aviva Stadium, which won’t be hosting the home leg of the two Nations League games against Israel next week, there’s a notable indication as to why. Dublin’s Liberty Hall, the headquarters of the country’s main workers’ union, features a huge banner imploring the national team to “Stop the Game”.

That is also the name of the grassroots campaign behind the banner, which adds: “Go with your conscience, don’t play ball with genocide.”

Irish manager Heimir Hallgrimsson took the last few words further at his squad announcement last week, stating: “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel, we are not playing with Israel.”

The stridency caused surprise, but spoke to a lot of an Irish society very mobilised about this match, while infuriating Israel.

Although bodies like the United Nations Commission of Inquiry have described the conflict in Gaza as a “genocide”, that has not been currently been proven in an international court, and Israel denies the claim.

An Israel Football Association spokesperson stated “it is impossible to say genocide against us and not respond to him”, with an official social media post adding: “We have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by [Hallgrimsson]. We’re not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity, we’re playing against the coach who embodies them.”

The Israel FA were said to be considering a complaint to Uefa, amid an expectation that players will not swap shirts at full-time and Israel coach Ran Ben Shimon will not shake hands with his counterpart Hallgrimsson.

And all of this on the Monday six days before the first game. Little wonder the Football Association of Ireland cancelled all media engagements outside those mandated by Uefa, as federation head David Courell described “a unique couple of fixtures”.

Israel play their “home” game in Debrecen in Hungary on Sunday, before Ireland “host” a return the following Sunday in Serbia’s Backa Topola. Irish broadcaster RTE is only showing a live feed of the games in order to fulfil contracts, with no additional coverage, as all the usual commercial aspects are stripped away. The LED boards in Serbia will only have “respect” messaging, while traditional protocols like dining with opposition officials will not take place.

This is largely because of the profound anger in Ireland about Gaza, which has contributed to what various football figures – including at the top of Uefa – have described as “unprecedented” circumstances for two countries not in conflict. “I’ve never known anything like it,” one source said.

In Ireland, debate about refusing to play has dominated national discourse, with severe criticism for the FAI over “cowardice”.

Fintan Drury, an Irish football agent who has published two books critical of the west’s support of Israel, has been a leading voice.

“The public support of Palestine is smothered by institutional cowardice, starting with a government that speaks out of both sides of its mouth. Its indifference made it easier for the FAI board to back away from its call on Uefa to ban Israel but then decide to play the matches when they found themselves pitted against them.”

One reason Ireland’s home game is in Serbia is because of what Courell described as “operational challenges” that “could impact on the delivery of the game” in Dublin. Any such fixture would have faced considerable protests about “normalising” Israel at this seismic historic moment.

In Israel, some close to the team see this as a next step from similar fixtures they have faced over the last three years, not least a November 2025 World Cup qualifier away to Norway. Such trips have involved 16 Mossad agents travelling and snipers on hotels, amid a sense there isn’t sufficient awareness of how society – including concerned players – were affected by the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023.

As regards this specific match, some have pointed to the perceived symbolism of Ireland being one of very few countries unable to safely host Israel, unlike fellow group opponents Kosovo and Austria.

Sources in European football have actually expressed sympathy for the FAI due to the diplomatic tightrope, but there is also a frustration within the Irish body as to why they have been left with the decision to play.

Courell expressed his “wish” that such decisions “were taken on another level”. Hallgrimsson echoed this, while relaying a common contrast with Russia, stating there’s been no “explanation why one is banned and the other is not”.

The answer is actually that this primarily comes down to individual countries.

The general view of Uefa and Fifa is not to ban associations, due to both the idea that the national team is separate to the current state – echoed in how Israel would point to Arab players in their team – and the understandable reluctance to have to repeatedly adjudicate on conflicts.

Consequently, neither Fifa nor Uefa proactively banned Russia on the invasion of Ukraine. They were forced to respond to Poland refusing to play a World Cup play-off, with the backing of multiple other countries.

The Uefa hierarchy are nevertheless understood to have been so affected by the urgency of the Gaza situation in October 2025 that informal discussions were held about a potential vote on banning Israel, only for that to be postponed by peace negotiations. That came just before the match in Norway, that foreshadowed much of Ireland’s fixture.

“Stop the national match” protests surrounded a game that was the country’s most high-security sports event since the 1994 Winter Olympics. Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness went through a tense press conference, since she had previously led calls for Israel to be banned.

Klaveness stressed that wasn’t down to the recent UN Commission of Inquiry conclusion, but Israeli teams contravening Fifa rules about playing on occupied land. First put to Fifa by the Palestinian FA, that argument was echoed by the FAI to Uefa in 2024. An independent Fifa panel didn’t rule on it, citing “the unresolved legal status” of the West Bank, despite the International Court of Justice ruling the occupation unlawful.

The same qualification group saw Italy stage their Israel fixture in Udine’s small Stadio Friuli, also out of security concerns. The city was essentially on military lockdown, as local politicians tried to stop the game.

Udine also hosted the 2025 Super Cup two months before, with Uefa mascots holding up banners that read “stop killing children, stop killing civilians”. Numerous sources say Israeli officials were furious over “hypocrisy” and “sides being taken”.

Norway meanwhile donated the proceeds from their game to Doctors Without Borders, but neither they nor Italy ever considered going out on their own with a boycott.

Such stances have been given short shrift by swathes of Ireland, a country widely viewed as the most pro-Palestine in Europe. The connection goes back over a century, when the same British colonial officials served in both countries, as parallels have frequently been drawn – especially with Northern Ireland. Ireland were in 1980 the first European Union member to call for Palestinian statehood. Or, as one figure in Irish football put it, “pictures of dead children should be enough”. The layers of the relationships are only illustrated, however, by how a necessary neutrality in the second world war has since strained relations with Israel.

Those close to the Israeli team ultimately feel their situation and the role of Hamas just isn’t fully relayed in Ireland. All of this is why there was dismay within both federations when the draw was made. None of that, however, has extended to a refusal to play.

The FAI insist they have to consider Irish football’s long-term interests, arguing a boycott could cost more than €5.5m, having also warned members of further sanctions. The thinness of the line they are treading is nevertheless illustrated by Courell insisting Uefa have not made any such threats.

A potential test for the FAI’s position is that the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Poland’s refusal to play Russia. Whether that serves as a precedent is open to question, however, since Fifa and Uefa relied on safety justifications or suspending Russia – even in neutral grounds. More significantly, that decision involved numerous countries threatening a boycott. Ireland would have to risk punishment alone.

Courell has insisted the FAI are continuing lobbying efforts for Israel to be banned, but there is scepticism about this among both their members and within Uefa. Member associations closer to Ireland say they are not aware of any overtures.

Uefa, however, have intimated they may consider separation of countries based on such tensions in the future. That could be one legacy of this fixture.

In just one other break from protocol, meanwhile, the FAI have discussed the game with their squad and manager. “None of us feel comfortable playing these games but once we have decided to play them, we all stick together and play as one,” Hallgrimsson said.

Some players are also conscious of how the Nations League could influence qualification for Euro 2028, which Ireland part-host along with Britain. “It’s happening,” says one source, “so players have to treat it as just another game.”

Everything around it, however, suggests it is anything but.

India vs Chinese Taipei Men’s Kabaddi LIVE Streaming, Asian Games 2026: India men’s kabaddi team is all set to face Chinese Taipei in their last Group A match of Asian Games 2026 on Thursday at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium. With their semifinal berth already secured, the Indian team will look to carry its unbeaten run into the knockout stage as it targets another Asian Games title. Earlier on Wednesday, India stormed into the men’s kabaddi semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games with a commanding 48-25 victory over Bangladesh in their Group A clash. The win marked India’s third consecutive victory in the group stage and confirmed a medal in their bid for a ninth men’s kabaddi gold medal at the Asian Games.

India vs Chinese Taipei Men’s Kabaddi LIVE Streaming: Check Where and How to Watch Asian Games 2026

When will the India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 take place?

The India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 will take place on Thursday, September 24 (IST).

Where will the India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 be held?

The India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 will be held at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Tokai City

What time will the India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 start?

The India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 will start at 9:45 AM IST.

Which TV channels will show the live telecast of the India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026?

The India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 will be televised live on the Sony Sports network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026?

The India vs Chinese Taipei, men’s kabaddi match at Asian Games 2026 will be live streamed on the SonyLIV app and website.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has attracted attention during the international break

Manchester United have continued their difficult start to the campaign, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finding himself under scrutiny. Michael Carrick’s side, who languish in 12th position in the Premier League, face a break from action during the international window, yet off-field matters have attracted attention.

INEOS chief Ratcliffe has faced criticism following his remarks about immigration in the UK. Speaking to the BBC, the 73-year-old said: “Unfortunately, at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide. It’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it. I think ultimately, we need politicians who are tough enough to deal with some very difficult problems.”

He continued: “Nobody’s tough enough to deal with the immigration problem. Nobody’s tough enough to deal with the benefits problem. But somebody needs to do it, otherwise, it ends in a bad place.”

These comments have placed Ratcliffe in conflict with his favourite player Eric Cantona, whose famous “seagulls follow the trawler” quote inspired Ratcliffe’s Trawlers Ltd holding company when he acquired his stake in United. Separately, the club have released their most recent financial accounts, which show that debt levels have risen. MEN Sport examines some of the major stories surrounding United below.

Man United debt increase

United’s financial results for the 2025/26 campaign revealed record revenue numbers but also showed debt levels continue to climb. The club’s “non-current borrowings” now total £577.6million, rising from £471.9m the previous year.

The club did register record revenue of £677.6m, representing a 1.7 per cent rise despite United’s absence from European competition last season. Carrick’s team benefited from a £33.9m surge in broadcasting income following a third-place Premier League finish, up from 15th position in 2025.

United recorded a full-year operating profit of £22.6million but reported an overall deficit of £43m, which represents an increase on last year’s £33m figure. Meanwhile, the absence of European matches and early cup eliminations led to a £6.8m decline in matchday income.

Eric Cantona takes swipe at Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Cantona has hit out at Ratcliffe’s remarks, claiming he would not have joined United had the INEOS chief been at Old Trafford during his playing career. The 60-year-old helped Sir Alex Ferguson’s side claim four league titles in five years before hanging up his boots in 1997. Yet when quizzed on whether he would sign for the club under Ratcliffe, Cantona responded: “No.”

Speaking to United fan Peter Boyle, Cantona said: “Of course not [he wouldn’t have signed]. You know what I think about all of this, with this kind of politics. And I cannot understand that someone like this can say something like this when he’s one of the owners of the club.”

He went on: “Football is a very popular sport. Football is made – all the greatest players come from different waves of immigration. Everywhere, in France, in England, everywhere.

“In France for instance, the greatest players in France, they all come from different waves of immigration. I made a documentary on that, French Football: An Immigrant History. Raymond Kopa, in the fifties, was the son of Polish immigrants who came to France, worked in France, and worked hard in France.

“And then the Italians, Italians like Platini. And then Spanish, like me, my mother came from Spanish refugees. I cannot accept this kind of thing.”

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Man Utd posted record revenues for the 2025/26 season and are already expecting to better those figures this term, but issues still remain.

In some ways, the financial picture at Manchester United for the 2025/26 season is a testament to the club’s resilience and ability to make money, even in a year when almost nothing is happening.

United played just 40 games in all competitions last season and had no European football at all, but still managed to post record revenues of £677.6million. Those figures should be smashed this season, with the Champions League back at Old Trafford.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire said it was evidence of the durability of “brand United” in delivering a set of results, but the positive headline figure doesn’t tell the full story.

While United’s ability to generate cash was strong again and will only rise with European football and a new training kit sponsor, the level of debt shot up, and an interest repayment of £70million brought up a milestone that will only reinforce the view of many supporters that success while the Glazers remain in place will be difficult to achieve.

“The finance costs, that’s an emotional one,” said Maguire, on the Price of Football podcast. “There’s almost £70million in interest costs. United were stung by the exchange rate movement issue, but over the course of the Glazer ownership, we’ve now got total interest costs in excess of £1billion.

“That’s £1billion that could have gone into sports science, it could have gone into the transfer budget, it could have gone into better facilities for fans.

“And this is where United are losing out to the likes of Spurs, because if you go to Spurs, you arrive an hour before the kick-off, you can pick up a pint in 30 seconds, they’ve got a far better range of food, so people go for the experience. United, you go to the football and that’s it, and you get out as quickly as you can.

“The level of debt has gone up. They’ve admitted that. We don’t know what the club’s plans are. I know they’ve rescheduled the debt, but at higher interest rates. So that’s going to be a further handbrake on Manchester United.

“And it does mean that there is extra pressure there on the footballing side of the club in terms of delivering results.”

United’s gross debt now sits at around £689million and it has gone up in these latest results after a loan was refinanced in the summer, partly to buy land for a new 100,000-seater Old Trafford.

While that new stadium could be a significant long-term revenue generator, in the immediate future, it is likely to complicate the club’s financial picture.

“The club is never going to generate enough cash to be able to repay the debt, unless they produce dozens and dozens of young football players in the same way that Chelsea do and, to a certain extent, City do, through their academy,” said Maguire.

“They’re not going to make it from Old Trafford itself. And of course, the debt is going to go higher and higher with the new stadium.

“Once approval is given, that’s when you get the worst scenario. You’re borrowing money to pay for the construction, so you’ve got those interest costs, and you’re not getting the benefit of having the bigger stadium. So there’s no positive when it comes to revenues and you’ve got the negatives when it comes to costs.”

Maguire expects a “big acceleration” this season, with the extra money from Europe and new commercial deals, while ticket prices continue to rise, which is partly behind better-than-expected matchday income for 2025/26.

But while the latest results are theoretically strong, questions remain about the club’s long-term direction and its ability to achieve targets such as Premier League success by the end of next season.

“These results, in my view, are as good as can be expected for a Manchester United that was not in the Champions League and not participating in Europe,” said Maguire.

“But the improvement on-field performance, which you’ve got to give Michael Carrick a lot of credit for, it is papering over some of the cracks elsewhere at the club, which does appear to not really have an identity in the boardroom and doesn’t appear to have a strategy and a philosophy, apart from ‘this is the INEOS way’, which worked well in petrochemicals, so therefore it’s bound to work in football.”

The combination of breeding and innate ability has been instrumental in Better Late’s development into a more formidable racehorse. His trainer is of the opinion that the gelding is on the cusp of another victory at Rosehill, contesting the Midway Handicap (1300m) this Saturday.

Having been gelded prior to his last racing campaign, the now four-year-old achieved two wins from his six outings. However, it is during this current preparation that two barrier trial successes were followed by two second-place finishes, with a victory at benchmark 68 level at Newcastle on August 25 occurring in between.

“He’s by Maurice so he is only going to get better with a bit of time on his side,” Newcastle-based trainer Nathan Doyle commented.

“He has come back in good order and I can’t fault any of his runs this preparation and he’s got the hoof on the till once again.

“The track suits him being an on-speed runner. He’s pretty bombproof.”

A consistent performer, Better Late has seen his Racing and Sports ratings improve at each of his last three starts. His most recent performance at Rosehill over 1200m on September 12 was hampered when James McDonald, aboard Formal, managed to get the better of him late.

Encouragingly, McDonald is booked to ride Better Late this time around, commencing from barrier eight.

“You can take that as you will,” Doyle remarked with a smile.

“But we are very happy to have him aboard.

“Better Late does everything right and gets out of the gates and makes his own luck and I will be disappointed if he isn’t in the finish.”

Doyle also has Mercy Me entered in the final race, scheduled over 1100m. This mare is first-up following a lackluster conclusion to her winter campaign, finishing out of the placings in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1200m) in June.

“Her work was good on Tuesday,” Doyle shared.

“She does need to take the step up from three-year-old grade and takes on the older horses but she seems to be in he right frame.”

Explore the competitive betting markets for the race at your favourite online bookmakers.

Puducherry: Sam Konstas may be only 20, but the Australian opener has already experienced the highs and scrutiny that are part and parcel of top-flight cricket.His Test debut against India in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy brought him instant fame when he took on Jasprit Bumrah with his audacious approach and smashed a 65-ball 60 that went a long way in Australia winning that Test.He reverse-ramped Bumrah for a six, the over-boundary coming after the Indian pacer had gone 4,483 deliveries without conceding one in Test cricket.Looking back at that remarkable passage of play, Konstas admits he was simply enjoying himself.“I can’t remember, but I was having a lot of fun. It was quite surreal and a lot of things happened in that moment,” the opener, who is now part of the Australia ‘A’ team playing here, told TOI.“Bumrah is the best bowler in the world, so obviously it was very challenging as well.”His debut also featured a much-discussed confrontation with Virat Kohli. The two were involved in a shoulder-to-shoulder incident during the first session before exchanging words.Konstas, however, has no lingering bitterness about it.“He just shouldered me and then we moved on. It’s all part of the game. After the match, he wished me all the best for the future.”Though form isn’t exactly on his side, the youngster doesn’t seem to have lost confidence.“I am in very good form, pretty much smashing them,” was Konstas’ cryptic reply.

Twelve seconds.

That’s how long Gable Steveson’s second UFC fight lasted before Sean Sharaf put him on the canvas at UFC 331.

Steveson came into the UFC with a ridiculous amount of hype. He’s an Olympic gold medalist, one of the best wrestlers America has produced in years and an athlete who has been told pretty much his entire life that he could do anything he wanted in sports.

Then he got punched in the face harder than he ever has in his life, and that’s MMA.

So now we’re left with the obvious question: Is it really over for Gable Steveson?

No. At least, it shouldn’t be.

One loss doesn’t erase everything Steveson has accomplished, and it definitely doesn’t mean he can’t become a good MMA fighter.

But let’s not pretend UFC 331 wasn’t a massive reality check.

Steveson didn’t lose a competitive fight. He didn’t get tired after two rounds or get exposed by someone with better grappling.

He got caught– In the blink of an eye,

That’s going to follow him for a while.

The UFC didn’t bring Steveson in because he had a long MMA resume. He had basically the opposite. The entire appeal was the upside.

He’s a freak athlete with an elite wrestling background, he’s only 26 and he has the kind of physical tools that are hard to teach. The problem is that MMA isn’t wrestling.

That sounds obvious, but it’s something that gets forgotten whenever another elite wrestler makes the jump.

Steveson can be one of the best wrestlers on the planet and still have no idea what it’s like to deal with a professional heavyweight trying to take his head off. That’s what Sharaf showed him in about 12 seconds. Now the UFC has a decision to make:

Do they throw Steveson right back in there against another dangerous heavyweight and see what happens?

If Steveson actually wants to do this, he needs time.

He needs rounds. He needs to get comfortable getting hit. He needs to learn how to use his wrestling in an MMA fight instead of assuming his wrestling will automatically carry him.

And most importantly, he needs to fight. Not five years from now. Not after another two-year training camp.

He needs to get back in there, fight someone around his level and figure out what kind of MMA fighter he actually wants to be.

Because talent isn’t the question.

We’ve already seen what Steveson can do on a wrestling mat. The question is whether he can turn that talent into MMA wins. That’s going to take time, and honestly, Steveson deserves the chance to find out.

He’s 26 years old. UFC 331 was a disaster, but it doesn’t have to be the end of his story. It can just be the fight he really, really wishes he could forget.

And if Steveson sticks around long enough, maybe 12 seconds eventually becomes nothing more than a funny answer to a trivia question.

Right now, though?

He’s got a lot to prove.