Europe’s youngest nation, Kosovo, stands on the brink of an historic achievement: a potential spot in the World Cup finals for the first time.

This marks a stark contrast to the 1990s, when football was banned under Serbian rule, forcing private games and players to wash in rivers or melted snow after matches.

Independent from Serbia since 2008 and only sanctioned to join world football in 2016, Kosovo will host Turkey in a decisive play-off on Tuesday.

Following a thrilling 4-3 victory over Slovakia last week, the winner will secure a place in the North American tournament this June.

Eroll Salihu, former secretary general of Kosovo’s federation, described the potential qualification as “historic, truly epochal.”

He added: “This would be the realisation of a dream, for the generations who played in muddy fields and meadows to defend the honour and spirit of the sport.”

For a nation of 1.6 million, Kosovo’s football journey has been one of resilience. They lost nine of 10 games in their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Fortunes shifted when the federation began recruiting from its diaspora. This campaign has seen positive results, including victories over Sweden and Slovenia, securing their play-off spot.

Every match holds profound significance for a conflict-scarred country. Kosovo’s fight for independence, secured by a NATO air campaign in 1999, claimed over 13,000 lives.

Samir Ujkani, Kosovo’s first captain and goalkeeper, who moved to Belgium as a child, emphasised this duty: “People have suffered here, each of us has lost many family members. It is our duty to come back here and represent our country.”

Excitement is reaching fever pitch across Kosovo. The national stadium, holding just 12,500 people – a fifth of many World Cup venues – saw tickets for Tuesday’s game sell out within minutes.

Now resold on the black market for up to 20 times their price, towns plan big screens in main squares for those unable to attend.

Adding to the high stakes, Kosovo’s government has pledged a bonus of one million euros (£850,000) should the team emerge victorious.

Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma have faced repeated questions about a potential fight despite being stablemates at the Ben Davison Performance Centre.

Itauma is fresh off another knockout win, stopping Jermaine Franklin this past weekend in Manchester in highlight-reel fashion.

Wardley currently holds the WBO belt and has shown he is willing to take on anyone by accepting the hard-hitting Daniel Dubois as his first challenger.

Speaking on the DAZN broadcast post-fight, Wardley was again asked about a potential clash with Itauma.

“Right now, we’re in different places. That is an emphatic victory, he deserves all the credit in the world because Franklin is a tough opponent and no one’s done that to him. I know first hand Moses has all the talent in the world.

“But we are in different places. He’s looking towards where I am currently as world champion. I’m looking at Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua. I’m looking higher than that still. There is a gap of separation where we’re at, and that’s only due to time and experience.”

The Ipswich man then outlined the only scenario in which the fight would become a ‘serious conversation.’

“Look, there’s four belts, there’s two of us. The only time this ever becomes a serious conversation is if I have two and he has two, and we have to look around and go, ‘what are we gonna do here?’ Are we gonna do a Klitschko where we just hold on to them, do our defences and hold down the gym with all four belts in there?”

Pushed on what his thinking would be should things play out that way, Wardley admitted that the carrot of undisputed dangling would be hard to turn down.

“I would always want to be undisputed … The title of undisputed is something that I’m sure Moses himself will want to claim at some point and something I want to claim. Like I said, that’s the only time there would be a serious question, but it’s in the distant, distant future right now.”

As it stands, the division offers plenty of match-ups without splitting Ben Davison’s gym and forcing either Wardley or Itauma to seek another trainer. The intrigue from fans, however, only seems to be intensifying, and an expected order from the WBO to install Itauma as mandatory challenger – should Wardley keep his belt against Dubois in May – makes the situation a little more complicated.

France’s football team comes back from the US with two victories under its belt. Warm-up matches against Brazil and Colombia allowed the players to get used to the terrain ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Trainer Didier Deschamps was able to see his team in action, and work out any adjustments needed, before they compete. The final line-up is set to be revealed by Deschamps on May 14th.

Devin Haney is back in the market for his next opponent.

The three-division world champion moved up to the welterweight ranks in November of last year, dropping and outpointing Brian Norman Jr to win the WBO belt.

There are several options for ‘The Dream’ at 147lbs, including three potential unification fights. Lewis Crocker holds the IBF belt, Rolando Romero the WBA and Ryan Garcia the WBC.

A rematch between Haney and Garcia following their controversial 2023 fight – overturned from a Garcia win to a no contest after a failed doping test – would be the preferred option for fans, but Haney had instead been in talks to face ‘Rolly’ Romero.

Romero beat Garcia last year to win the WBA Regular strap and was subsequently elevated to full champion when Jaron Ennis vacated to move up in weight. He has a mandatory challenger in Shakhram Giyasov, though appeared close to securing a two-belt bout with Haney for May in Las Vegas.

However, talks now seem to have fallen apart, with Haney taking to social media to express his frustration.

“Rolly [is] delusional acting like he some kind of draw but can’t sell out a ballroom. Thats why the fight hasn’t been made yet. The money isn’t right. I’m looking at other options he can go fight his mandatory since he’s such a draw.”

Whether or not negotiations with Romero can be salvaged remains to be seen, but this development opens the door to the Garcia rematch, and the latter’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, has said he is very keen to make that happen next.

After another dominant display, Moses Itauma is once again being linked to a shot at unified heavyweight ruler, Oleksandr Usyk. In response, Carl Froch has offered his thoughts on that proposed contest, admitting that he ‘does not like the fight’ for one man.

On Saturday night, atop a British bill for the first time in his career, Itauma dispatched of Jermaine Franklin with a special knockout, taking the American out with a crisp and clean left uppercut followed by a devastating right hand that will no doubt appear in his future highlight reels.

With Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua unable to halt Franklin in their fights with the game Michigan operator, Itauma’s fifth-round stoppage has sent a major statement to the rest of his division – his power now proven to be real.

As a result, talk of a clash between him and 39-year-old WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, Usyk, is rife yet again, with hopes that young Itauma, now 14-0 (12 KOs), can intervene on the Ukrainian’s three-fight plan before retirement.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, super-middleweight legend Froch, declared that he ‘does not like that fight for Usyk’.

“I just think that a peak Usyk against a peak Itauma, you would have to say Usyk, but Usyk is a natural cruiserweight and Itauma is a big lump. Have you seen the size of him? Tall, big, strong, heavy, and lightening-fast hands like a middleweight.

“I don’t like the Usyk-Itauma fight. I don’t like it for Usyk. I think that Usyk has done what he needs to do and I’d like to see him hang his gloves up and retire as the number one king. He is the kingpin of the division, of cruiserweight and heavyweight, but he loves fighting and he wants to fight again.

“Would Moses Itauma fancy the fight with Usyk? I am not even sure if his team would fancy it. You wouldn’t usually put someone like him in, at his level, with somebody like Usyk. But, he might have no option and no choice because if he keeps his obliterating opponents the way he has been doing it then that might be a fight that happens.”

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However, when predicting how the bout would play out if it were to happen, ‘The Cobra’ found himself unable to go against the dominant world champion, ultimately siding with Usyk due to his superior experience.

“I think that Usyk has got too much experience and that he would be too good for him but you just never know because Moses Itauma looks that good.”

Moses Itauma is set to return to the ring in July, ahead of a planned world title shot before the end of the year.

Oleksandr Usyk’s three-fight plan has got the heavyweight contenders riled up, and one of the names that is on that hit list has admitted that he will be ‘fuming’ if the Ukrainian pursues other options.

Earlier this month, Usyk revealed plans to take on the victor of Fabio Wardley’s upcoming WBO world title defence against Daniel Dubois, after his fight with Rico Verhoeven in May, before finishing his career with a Tyson Fury trilogy clash.

However, fans have demanded that the Ukrainian fights WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel, due to the German’s triumphs over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang, which are adjudged to merit a title challenge.

Usyk has since admitted that a showdown with Kabayel could take place and potentially replace one of the three fights that he announced, but Fabio Wardley has told iFL TV that he does not believe the 39-year-old truly knows who he wants to face before hanging up the gloves.

“No one knows [who he is going to fight]. One minute he is over in Egypt fighting a pharaoh or something, the next he wants to fight me, then he wants to fight Kabayel. He doesn’t know what he wants to do.

“I will just crack on, I will keep winning and knocking people out and if he wants to have a go, he can have a go.”

Then, when quizzed whether it would be a relief to avoid Usyk, Wardley declared that he would be ‘fuming’ if he and his fellow undefeated heavyweight did not go toe-to-toe before he retires from the sport.

“Absolutely not, I would be fuming. I got through the Joseph Parker fight and I wanted Usyk. I’m going to get through the Daniel fight and I want Usyk. How many tests does he want [me to have]?

“I feel like I am going through Usyk tests. He is setting me things to do before I am allowed to fight him. So, if I do them, and then he just f**ks off, I will be fuming. I’ll be having words.”

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Wardley-Dubois takes place on Saturday, May 9, at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, as the Ipswich fan-favourite makes his first defence of the WBO crown since being elevated to world champion.

The Vegas Golden Knights only have eight games remaining in the 2025-26 season, but decided to make the stunning move to fire and replace their head coach.

Vegas announced on Sunday that they relieved Bruce Cassidy as head coach and replaced him with John Tortorella.

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Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, March 3, 2026, in Buffalo, New York. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)

“We thank Bruce Cassidy for his dedication to our hockey club and community over the past four seasons,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a news release. “Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our ultimate goal in 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas. Bruce will forever be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was accomplished here. With the stretch run of the 2025-26 regular season upon us, we believe that a change is necessary for us to return to the level of play that is expected of our club.

“With John Tortorella, we bring in a Stanley Cup Champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the NHL. His guidance will be a great asset to our team at the pivotal point in the season we currently face. We look forward to welcoming John to Vegas.”

John Tortorella, Philadelphia Flyers head coach, arrives for a news conference at the NHL hockey team’s arena on May 12, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

BLUE JAYS STARS CAUGHT SITTING IN WRONG SEATS AT MAPLE LEAFS GAME IN HILARIOUS MOMENT

The Golden Knights fell to the Washington Capitals, 5-4, on Saturday in a shootout. It marked the team’s third straight loss and sixth defeat in their last seven games.

Vegas is 32-26-16 this season and in third place in the Pacific Division. If the season ended Sunday, the team would be in the playoffs and have a series against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.

Tortorella was not coaching in the NHL this season. He spent time as an assistant for Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. The Americans took home the gold medal.

Washington Capitals players celebrate as Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) skates off the ice after failing to score during a shootout in an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

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He is 770-648-37 as head coach. He won a Stanley Cup title with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Favourite Barnavara at $1.70 failed to make an impact late, crossing only fourth behind stablemate Wootton Verni who claimed a decisive triumph.

Waller credited Wootton Verni’s Australian tenure as pivotal, expressing regret over Barnavara’s display yet acknowledging her excuses.

“Wootton Verni has been here a while now and he found some great form in the spring,” Waller said, referring to the gelding’s wins in the Coongy Handicap and Rosehill Gold Cup.

“Certainly, he’s talented horse and with a bit of give in the ground and being rock-hard fit, he showed the others up.”

Barnavara’s European style involved settling prominently, but a poor start hindered her on Australian soil.

“The plan was to go forward, to be second, third or fourth but she dwelt at the start,” Waller said.

“I think rather than fire her up, Australian horses just find their positions so quickly, whereas if you fire her up first Australian start I guess James (McDonald) would have thought you could of set her alight which is what we didn’t want.

Then when they went slow, it was very hard from back there. They controlled it from the front and made it hard to finish off.”

Tommy Berry guided $5.50 shot Wootton Verni to a two-and-a-half length romp over $4.20 English import Caviar Heights in second after a bold finish, with $26 outsider Portland grabbing third close up.

Barnavara, Group 1 winner from France, surged on the turn but weakened beyond 300m to run fourth.

Berry appreciated having Wootton Verni ahead of the mare Barnavara.

“I was always going to put my bloke into the race,” Berry said.

“I thought the mare (Barnavara) was going to maybe even slide forward and I would be on the back of her.

It’s always nice to be in front of quality horses in the run and they’ve got to chase you.”

James McDonald on Barnavara noted the slow pace disadvantaged her.

“She got back in a slowly run race,” McDonald said. “She will improve.”

Waller is contemplating futures for the pair.

“The plan was always to run Wootton Verni in the Tancred Stakes today but he just didn’t quite fulfill our expectations last start,” Waller said.”So, we’ve come back a grade just to give him some confidence, and he’s got that confidence back.

Is he up to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes? That will be the question we have to answer.”

Barnavara’s path to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 11 depends on her recovery, Waller indicated.

Caviar Heights’ strong second gives UK handler William Haggas options.

Issy Paul, Haggas’s travelling rep, said Caviar Heights eyes the Queen Elizabeth Stakes or Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 11.

“Caviar Heights will go to either of those races, it will be up to the boss (Haggas),” Paul said.”But we are very happy with Caviar Heights. He has run a really good race and will improve.”

Jockey Tom Marquand lauded Caviar Heights’ effort.

“He ran great,” Marquand said. “We were ruined a little bit by the lack of tempo.

I wish he’d stepped a little better and I’d have been able to be a bit more positive.”

Matthew Smith was satisfied with Portland’s third-place finish.

“He’s run well and continues to improve,” Smith said. “We will look at the JRA Plate for him.”

Kerrin McEvoy aboard Portland described a meritorious run.

“I got onto the back of the favourite but it didn’t really take me anywhere,” McEvoy said.

“I had to switch out to get into the clear and he got going well over the last furlong (a200m).”

Discover leading betting sites offering racing odds for the Neville Sellwood Stakes and similar events.