Former Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy has joined Burnley until the end of the season.
The 39-year-old, who is Leicester’s record Premier League scorer with 145 goals, departed for Cremonese in 2025.
Vardy left the Italian side in the summer and now joins the winless Clarets who are bottom of the Championship.
“This club has a proper footballing history and passionate fans who deserve a team that represents them and their town,” Vardy told the club website., external
“I can’t wait to get going on the pitch and help the team move in the right direction.”
Vardy, who won 26 caps for England, scoring seven goals, spent 13 years at Leicester after signing from non-league Fleetwood Town in 2012.
He went on to score 200 goals in all competitions in 500 appearances.
Burnley, relegated from the Premier League last season, have made a poor start back in the second tier and have not won in five matches under new boss Nicky Hayen.
On Saturday they conceded two goals in the final 10 minutes to lose 2-1 at home to Bristol City.
“His experience and leadership will be invaluable to our squad, and we believe he can make a significant impact on our campaign,” Hayen added.
“Jamie has a proven track record, and we are looking forward to seeing him in a Claret shirt.”
It will mark the ninth Super Bowl in the Los Angeles area across three venues: the Coliseum (two), Rose Bowl (five) and SoFi (two). But in some ways, all those previous games were a drumroll leading up to this one — Super Bowl LXI, in a futuristic $5-billion stadium, absent the lingering restrictions of a pandemic.
“Super Bowl LVI was an amazing experience, but it was still on that tail end of COVID, and it was not everything that this Super Bowl LXI could be,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of club business, international and league events.
“We didn’t do a Super Bowl Opening Night — it was virtual — and there were a lot of things we were still adjusting. … It was absolutely spectacular during the weekend and on game day, but I do think this Super Bowl gives us all the chance to do it full-on, in the way an L.A. Super Bowl can and should be.”
In the weeks leading up to the first Super Bowl at SoFi, there were misguided rumblings that the game might be moved to Dallas, because the NFL had secured that city as a backup. But those type of contingency plans are in place for every Super Bowl, and the game was not in serious peril of being moved. Still, there was a cloud of public doubt lingering over the event.
“Those rumors created a lot of havoc and uncertainty in our market,” said Kathy Schloessman, chief executive of the Los Angeles Super Bowl Host Committee for both games. “It was hard to get the excitement going because people didn’t know if the city was open or closed. I almost hate to say it because I don’t want to jinx anything, but this is our first normal Super Bowl planning.”
Super Bowls can take over a city. Look at the games played in New Orleans, Indianapolis or Houston. Seemingly every resident was aware the game was happening. But in some of the bigger cities — New York, Los Angeles, Miami — there aren’t reminders everywhere you turn.
Something that might offset that this season is ESPN is broadcasting the game for the first time, and has been hyping it ever since the most recent Super Bowl ended.
“It’s a year of the Super Bowl for them that ends in Los Angeles,” O’Reilly said. “That feels natural and poetic. I can’t say enough good things about the way they’ve embraced it.”
South side view of the field at SoFi Stadium.
(Sam Farmer / Los Angeles Times)
Disney is the parent company of ESPN, and likewise has embraced the game, which feels like a true confluence of the sports and entertainment industries.
“When I think about L.A. and brands coming together — Disney, SoFi Stadium, the Rams — I think it takes advantage of what the NFL had always hoped when bringing a Los Angeles team back,” Rams president Kevin Demoff said. “SoFi Stadium is that marriage of the NFL and entertainment.”
Whether they play in the game or not, the Rams are intimately connected to this Super Bowl, as they are the host team. That means they have a degree of financial responsibility to make good on the commitments made to the NFL when Los Angeles was awarded the game. They also are allotted more tickets to the game than the other franchises not hosting (or playing in) the event.
Although the Chargers were co-hosts for the first Super Bowl at SoFi, they opted not to host this one. According to a Chargers spokesman, they chose to cede the stage to Rams owner Stan Kroenke, whose vision they credit for the stadium and Hollywood Park development, but will make a “significant seven-figure financial commitment” to the host committee in the run-up to the game.
Part of Kroenke’s vision in moving the Rams and building the stadium and surrounding campus was to shift the center of gravity of the sporting world to Los Angeles. It’s worth noting that SoFi was a central location of the World Cup — the first U.S. goal was scored there — and will play host to swimming events in the 2028 Olympic Games.
“[SoFi] is now established as one of the world’s greatest sporting stages, which the Super Bowl helped put on the map the first time,” Demoff said. “But now it’s in the middle of this global run.”
It isn’t just the Super Bowl. SoFi will also play host to the NFL’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game — Rams versus Green Bay Packers — on Netflix.
“If you’re looking at the arc — not as a Super Bowl but how the NFL wanted to come back to Los Angeles — you have Disney, a longstanding, old-school entertainment partner,” Demoff said. “And then you have this element of streaming and new media and where the NFL is heading. It’s a really interesting juxtaposition.”
Fifa president Gianni Infantino will stand for re-election in March, says football’s world governing body.
Infantino, who has filled the role since 2016, has been under pressure following his scrapped plans to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investment firms.
Infantino’s lucrative plan sparked a global outcry, with European football’s governing body Uefa threatening to boycott all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup.
“The Fifa president announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027,” read a Fifa statement.
“Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election.”
It is the first time Fifa has said he will aim to run for a fourth term since the scandal began following the summer’s World Cup.
Last week Uefa filed legal papers in the US requesting disclosure of evidence and documents from Fifa, warning it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
BBC Sport understands Uefa is confident that a candidate can be found to stand against Infantino.
A candidate must received the backing of at least 106 of the 211 Fifa member associations.
Uefa has abandoned the idea of trying to force a vote of no confidence.
It would require three-quarters of the members – 159 votes – to pass the motion through a change of Fifa statutes, which is considered unrealistic.
No other candidates to challenge Infantino have been named, although Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is considered a serious option.
After a series of head-turning trades, signings and one legendary player’s return from retirement, the Rams and 10th-year coach Sean McVay are well beyond all-in.
On paper, the star-studded offense is seemingly invincible, the reconstructed defense inarguably impenetrable.
“It gets down to: how do we come together as a team,” McVay said. “But it’s hard to say top to bottom that the collection of individuals is not very special.”
The Rams are an overwhelming favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.
It’s Super Bowl or bust. Again.
McVay said at the outset of training camp that the season would not be considered a success or a failure by whether the Rams win the Super Bowl.
Tell that to Rams fans.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is the reigning NFL most valuable player — and shows no sign of slippage as he enters his 18th NFL season.
Receiver Puka Nacua led the league in receptions last season, and future Hall of Famer Davante Adams led the league in touchdown catches.
After their secondary was exposed in an NFC championship game defeat by the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. They signed cornerback Jaylen Watson, McDuffie’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate. And then general manager Les Snead pulled off another stunning deal for defensive end Myles Garrett, a two-time NFL defensive player of the year.
And that was before Aaron Donald, a three-time defensive player of the year, ended a two-year retirement to join a team about to embark on a boom-or-bust season.
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Defensive lineman Aaron Donald has come out of retirement to join the Rams’ Super Bowl title push.
“You know all these other teams probably hate us,” Rams safety Quentin Lake said, chuckling. “They think we’re like the new Dodgers or something like that.”
Defensive line coach Giff Smith described the acquisition of Garrett, who amassed an NFL-season record 23 sacks last season, as “a grand slam.”
So what could possibly go wrong?
Nacua and left tackle Alaric Jackson are under investigation by the NFL regarding separate off-the-field incidents. If the league determines they violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy, they could be suspended.
The offensive line is experienced but short on quality depth at tackle. If Jackson is injured or suspended, Stafford is at more risk of injury.
Garrett sat out most of training camp and preseason practices because of a knee issue. Donald has not played a snap in two years.
Kicker Harrison Mevis came on last season and solidified a suspect field-goal unit, but it remains to be seen whether new coordinator Bubba Ventrone turns special teams from a liability into a strength.
Regardless, the Rams are built to win another title on their home turf.
“It’s special to be part of a team that can truly go all-in and bring in some new firepower to help us be able to reach the goals that we have in store for ourselves,” defensive lineman Kobie Turner said.
The Rams open the season this week against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers traveled there last week. The Rams are scheduled to depart Tuesday evening, arrive Thursday morning and play on Friday.
Unlike after other previous international trips, there will be no off week before the Rams play their home opener against the New York Giants. Then it’s consecutive road games against the Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles before a home game against the Buffalo Bills.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett smiles during training camp in July.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams then host the Arizona Cardinals before playing three of the next four games on the road at Las Vegas, Washington and Arizona.
It doesn’t get easier after a shortened bye week. The Rams play the Green Bay Packers the night before Thanksgiving. Then it’s a home game against the Chiefs, a trip to Santa Clara to play the 49ers, and a home game against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Rams play the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks twice in the final three weeks, with a game at Tampa Bay sandwiched in between.
After all the buildup, the Rams are ready to embark on their quest.
They plan to finish it by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium.
“It’s our time,” Turner said, “to go and make those dreams a reality.”
It was more than three minutes outside her best time for the course and well outside her British record for the distance of 1:05:43.
Britain’s Jack Rowe missed out on a record fourth consecutive victory in the men’s race, finishing in second place, 14 seconds behind Birchfield Harriers’ Kadar Omar Abdullahi, who won in a time of 1:01:51.
Britain’s David Weir defended his title in the men’s wheelchair event, winning the race for the fifth time in its nine-year history in a new record time.
The 47-year-old, who retired from Paralympic competition in 2024, knocked 45 seconds off his own record for the course, which he set last year, winning in 46:13.
Eden Rainbow Cooper won the women’s event in 52:47 to defend her title.
While her trophy cabinet is overflowing with gold medals and world title belts, perhaps her greatest legacy is leaving women’s boxing in a vastly better place than she found it – that Serrano trilogy lifting women’s boxing to new heights.
Taylor broke through the barriers with a grace which belied the obstacles she faced yet her quiet determination and humble nature will serve as an example of what can be achieved by belief, hard work and a refusal to accept her lot as young girls can now walk the path she laid.
Fierce inside the ring yet unassuming outside of it – even factoring in an impulse-buy speedboat, since sold – superlatives such as trailblazer, icon and Ireland’s greatest sportsperson are not hyperbolic, for Taylor’s status as a legend is in no way cliched.
She has indicated she will remain in the sport, but for now, there is time to savour an extraordinary career, with her place among boxing’s greats set in stone.
Irish boxing is going to be a lesser place.
“I’m retired now so I can eat what I want, but I’m just going to enjoy a nice celebration and look back on a dream ending to a dream career.
“My story is the story of everyone in this room: we all have our ups and downs. I think people resonate with your vulnerabilities and your successes – saw me cope with the heartbreak of Rio, the Chantelle Cameron loss and personal difficulties.
Keys appeared on course for a first fourth-round appearance at her home slam since 2023 after taking a commanding third set lead against Olympic champion Zheng.
But the 2025 Australian Open winner would miss a match point and lose each of the final seven games in a 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 loss that stunned the crowd.
The 31-year-old Keys said she felt as though she “couldn’t play tennis anymore” in the final set.
“I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I got really scared, like I couldn’t swing [the racquet],” Keys said.
“I felt like I couldn’t play tennis anymore. It just felt like it was a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match all of a sudden.”
Keys, who lost the 2017 US Open final to fellow American Sloane Stephens, went out in the fourth round at the other three majors in 2026.
“I feel like I’ve been struggling for a while now. I’m going to have to make some sort of changes,” Keys said.
“I just kind of keep putting it off because that’s how the tennis world works. It’s just to the point where I actually need to do something about it.”
Anisimova, beaten by world number one Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s US Open final, lost in straight sets to Russian-born Austrian 24th seed Anastasia Potapova.
The 25-year-old was visibly frustrated with herself throughout the contest, losing her serve twice in the first set and four times in a topsy-turvy second.
Meanwhile, two-time champion Naomi Osaka fought back from a break down in the decider to see off Belgian 23rd seed Elise Mertens.
Osaka, seeded 13th, won 6-3 3-6 7-5 to set up a last-16 match against second seed Elena Rybakina.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, who knows she will be guaranteed to become the new world number one if she reaches the semi-finals, demonstrated her quality in a 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 victory over Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has not played since Wednesday, when he struck out four times and winced noticeably at the plate.
On Saturday, the Dodgers held him out of the lineup for the third consecutive game because of pain in his right biceps.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani’s path back to the field is predicated on how he responds to hitting in the cage, which he planned to do before Saturday night’s game against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium.
“My expectation is that he’s going to hit today in the cage,” Roberts told reporters. “Once he hits and how he comes out of it, that’ll be telling for tomorrow.”
The injured list becomes a consideration if Ohtani is not trending in a positive direction Sunday, Roberts said.
Ohtani falls under the 15-day category for the IL, which covers pitchers and two-way players, as opposed to the 10-day list for position players. The Dodgers can backdate the move up to three days, akin to time served. So a 15-day window would be reduced to 12 days.
Although Roberts said he has not spoken to Ohtani about how he feels physically, the manager said he can get a hint from the player’s demeanor.
“When he doesn’t feel well physically, he gets more short and he’s not the same personality,” Roberts said, adding that Ohtani has seemed looser and more easygoing the past couple of days.
