Cup

DEL MAR — Bill Mott was nearly 2,500 miles from Del Mar on Saturday night, but if you listened closely as the field raced down the backstretch in the $1 million Pacific Classic, you probably could hear the Hall of Fame trainer scream.

Thirty years ago, Mott brought Cigar to this same track for this same race, hoping his superstar horse would set the modern-day North American record for consecutive victories. But Cigar, at odds of 1-10, got caught up in a speed duel and wound up losing to a 39-1 long shot named Dare and Go.

Now it seemed like it might be happening again.

Knightsbridge went off at odds of 11-10 instead of Cigar’s 1-10 and he wasn’t racing for history, but the race took on an eerie similarity as the favorite dueled head-and-head with Full Serrano for much of the 1¼ miles. And they were going fast — not quite as fast as Cigar but close enough (1 minute, 10.02 seconds to 1:09.29) for some anguish.

“I thought maybe they were going a little too fast down the backside,” Mott told Del Mar publicity by phone from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

He had no way of knowing, but so did his jockey.

“I was a little worried we were going a little too fast,” Junior Alvarado said.

As it turned out, neither man had reason to worry. Knightsbridge had a short lead as the two horses passed the mile marker, and when they straightened out in the stretch, the race was over. He continued on, Full Serrano weakened, and the others were too far back.

The final time was 2:02.28, with Original Sin 6¼ lengths behind in second and Full Serrano third. Om N Joy, the first filly to try the Pacific Classic in a decade, finished fourth, followed by Hit Show, Malarchuk, Forged Steel, British Isles, Navajo Warrior, Subsanador and Finger, a Japanese 3-year-old.

With the victory, worth $4.20 to his backers and $600,000 to owners Godolphin, Knightsbridge earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. But whether he runs in that race or the Dirt Mile will be a decision for Mott and Godolphin, who also have Sovereignty, last year’s horse of the year and the top-ranked horse in the Breeders’ Cup’s initial poll for Classic contenders.

“They’re two different horses,” said Alvarado, who rides both. “It’s nearly impossible to [compare]. This horse carries a lot of speed. The other horse has a hell of a turn of foot coming for home … from the half-mile all the way to the wire, very strong at a mile and a quarter. I don’t recall having such a strong finisher like Sovereignty. So it’s going to be interesting. We got time just to decide what we’re going to do next.”

The idea that Knightsbridge would even be under consideration for the 1¼-mile Classic would have been unthinkable until last month; his first 10 career races were all around one turn at either seven furlongs or a mile. But Mott decided to try him at 1⅛ miles in the Monmouth Cup on July 18 at Monmouth Park, and the 5-year-old son of Nyquist won by 10¼ lengths in a time that earned him the fastest Beyer Speed Figure of the year (122).

With the West Coast handicap division weakened, Mott figured it was a good time to try the Pacific Classic again. He had won the race in 2008 with Go Between and enjoyed other successes here, including last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Scylla, but he also had to scratch Sovereignty from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic when the horse got sick.

Now he has another positive memory — his second win in Del Mar’s signature race, which has been won by only two other trainers not based in California, Todd Pletcher (Fierceness last year) and Dale Romans (Dullahan in 2012).

“It was quite impressive,” Mott said. “They went quick, but gosh he had something to finish with.”

The victory completed a Grade 1 sweep Saturday for Alvarado, who one race earlier captured the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks aboard Tam Tam ($7.40) for trainer Philip Bauer.

How did he plan to celebrate?

“We’re going to celebrate it going back to New York tonight on the red-eye flight,” he said, smiling.

In the other Breeders’ Cup Challenge race here Saturday, the 5-year-old gelding Sorrento Sky ($16), ridden by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Phil D’Amato, earned a spot in the Turf Sprint by capturing the $200,000 Green Flash Handicap by a length over No Nay Hudson. D’Amato and Rispoli also won the $300,000 Del Mar Mile with King of Gosford ($12.40).

The crowd of 15,187 was a 13% increase from last year. The mutuel handle of $29.14 million was the second highest in Del Mar history outside of the Breeders’ Cup, surpassed only by $36.02 million in 2021 when there was a Pick 6 carryover and mandatory payout.

England women’s hopes of success at the FIH Hockey World Cup ended at the group stage after a 0-0 draw with India.

David Ralph’s side finish third in Pool D on four points, with two teams moving forward to the next round, and will now play in a classification phase that sees teams placed from 9th to 16th.

England won their opening match 4-0 against South Africa on Sunday but lost to China two days later, conceding four before Tess Howard and Sophie Hamilton reduced the deficit.

The national side have not challenged in tournaments since winning Commonwealth gold in 2022, finishing fourth in the 2023 EuroHockey Nations Championship, and fifth last year.

Teams from England and Great Britain have finished no higher than sixth in the FIH Pro League since a third place in 2020-21, while Great Britain also finished eighth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Meanwhile England’s men are through to the second stage of the men’s World Cup, topping Pool D with three wins out of three.

They defeated Pakistan 4-1 and India 4-2 prior to beating Wales 8-2 in their final group stage match on Wednesday.

They move in a second stage pool with India, with their 4-2 win carried forward, and will face two qualifiers from Pool A on Saturday and Monday as they attempt to reach the semi-finals.

England women play Chile on Friday and Japan on Sunday in their classification pool, with both World Cups being held in Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in the Netherlands.

Hope Not Hate said current attempts to tackle online abuse often focused too heavily on what happens after a racist post had already been seen.

Players can block users, report messages and platforms can suspend accounts, but Hermansson says those measures do not address the way abusive content is amplified.

“X doesn’t take racism seriously enough,” he added. “We’ve seen it for a number of years now. There is no change or improvement.”

He said social media companies already had the tools to alter how their algorithms recommended content, particularly during periods when abuse is surging.

“It’s actually a relatively small number of accounts and originating tweets that then get tons of replies,” he said.

“I think it’s entirely feasible to stop this, or a vast amount of it.”

Hope Not Hate said one option would be to downrank posts attracting large volumes of abuse, meaning they were recommended to fewer people.

Before the new Premier League season the group called on UK’s media regulator Ofcom to use its existing powers under the Online Safety Act more effectively and address predictable spikes in hate.

They want Ofcom to outlaw the algorithms fulling abuse and also to designate major sporting events as “high risk”.

This would require platforms to deploy strict safety-by-design rules, remove abuse proactively and downrank rapidly escalating viral hate through algorithmic adjustments.

In a statement to BBC Sport, Ofcom said: “We’re pushing tech firms hard to make their services safer, and we’ll be holding them to account if they don’t.”

Ofcom also cited a new partnership with police and footballing bodies before the World Cup to tackle online abuse.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Arthur Fery has been included in Great Britain’s Davis Cup team to face Ecuador in September.

Former world number four Jack Draper is not included but a fifth player will be added closer to the time.

British number one Cameron Norrie, Henry Patten and Lloyd Glasspool make up the team to play at London’s Copper Box Arena.

“I am really proud to be able to represent GB again,” Fery said. “It is going to be a bit of a different scenario this time, at home, in the World Group and trying to qualify for the final eight.

“There might be some extra pressure, but I’m ready for it.”

Fery, 24, jumped to a career-high world ranking of 36 following his shock Wimbledon success, when he was a wildcard into his home Grand Slam.

Ranked 114th in the world before the start of the tournament, Fery went on to become the lowest-ranked player to make Wimbledon’s last four since Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.

This will be Fery’s first outing in England since Wimbledon.

Draper, 24, broke down in tears earlier this month midway through his first game since June following long-term injury difficulties.

A persistent arm injury has kept him sidelined and caused his world ranking to plummet from fourth to as low as 160th over a 12-month period.

The best-of-five tie takes place over two days on 19 and 20 September, with two singles matches on day one.

Day two features a doubles match followed by two singles encounters.

Fery was unable to celebrate his Davis Cup inclusion as he suffered a 7-5 7-6 (7-3) defeat on Monday to world number eight Alex de Minaur in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Rain delayed the start of play, before later forcing the players off with fifth seed De Minaur leading 7-5 5-1.

Fery fought back after a 30-minute delay to take the second set to a tie-break, but his Australian opponent was able to wrestle back control and see out victory.

The Indomitable Lionesses outshine their opponents to claim first final victory on their fourth attempt in Morocco.

Cameroon claimed their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title when they thumped surprise package Malawi 3-0 in the final, with Marie Ngah’s first-half double helping seal victory on Sunday.

Cameroon had lost three finals but made it fourth-time lucky against a Malawi side making their debut at the continental championship. Ranked 153 in the world and 32nd on the African continent, Malawi had a fairytale run to the decider.

The two finalists had already sealed their place at the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year, along with fellow semifinalists Morocco and Algeria. The latter finished third after winning the bronze medal fixture on penalties on Saturday.

Under pressure, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino was all smiles as he handed the Indomitable Lionesses their medals in the presence of Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe, with several players requesting photographs with the Swiss.

Infantino has long enjoyed the support of many on the African continent as he bids for re-election next March, despite revelations of his now-abandoned plans to sell a stake in future World Cups, which drew worldwide condemnation.

Cameroon dominated the first half and led 3-0 at the break after a superb performance against an outgunned Malawi.

Ngah reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box to give them the lead from close range after 20 minutes and they doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark as Naomi Eto added a second.

Malawi were clinging on and hoping to make it to halftime without any further damage but Ngah scored her second in the third minute of added time from Eto’s pass.

Cameroon are the fourth different winners of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations since it was first played in 1998.

Nigeria have a record 10 titles, while Equatorial Guinea have two and South Africa one.

St Jude Championship – round four leaderboard

-17 S Scheffler (US); -9 Kim (Kor); -8 A Noren (Swe), S Burns (US); -7 W Clark (US), Im (Kor)

Selected others: -6 L Aberg (Swe), T Fleetwood (Eng); -5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -4 V Hovland (Nor), J Spieth (US); -3 H Hall (Eng); E J Rose; +3 S Lowry; +8 R McIlroy (NI)

Full leaderboard

Rory McIlroy says “he felt lost” as he toiled to a 66th-place finish – 25 strokes behind champion Scottie Scheffler – at the St Jude Championship.

While world number one Scheffler was a cut above the rest at 17 under overall as he claimed his first victory since January, more concerning for McIlory was that his eight-over total left him ahead of just two players in the first of the three FedEx Cup play-off events.

The Northern Irishman, who won his second Masters title earlier this season had not played competitively since the Open Championship in July.

And it told at TPC Southwind, where he failed to record a single round under par across the four days and struggled to find the sort of rhythm that will be needed if he is to claim an unprecedented fourth FedEx Cup later this month.

“I’m so far away from where I need to be to even feel like I have a chance. I’ve just got to keep working and hope it turns around a little bit,” said McIlroy, who is 13th in the season-long standings.

“Obviously didn’t come in here with a ton of reps, (it) almost felt like the more the week went on the more I felt lost with my golf swing a little bit.

“I guess [it was] nice to shake the rust off a little bit but I’m going to have to work pretty hard between now and next Thursday to feel like I have any sort of golf game to compete next week.

“To me it’s more about the execution of what I’m doing right now, and the execution wasn’t there this week.”

McIlroy’s struggles were obvious particularly in from tee to green where he ranked 62nd out of 68 players for strokes gained.

However, he would at least have been able to take some comfort from a seven-hole stretch on the back nine where he knocked in four birdies, albeit he finished with successive bogeys to bookend a round which began with a six on the par-four opening hole.

Sebastian Coe has a simple approach to avoiding political interference in global sport.

“The balance is keeping the politicians on the bus but not letting them anywhere near the steering wheel,” Coe said late Friday at the European championships.

The World Athletics president was responding to a question while speaking to journalists about avoiding political turmoil at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Other topics included track and field’s ban on Russian athletes, private equity in sports and FIFA’s credibility crisis following a controversial overturned red card at the World Cup.

FIFA was criticised after United States President Donald Trump made a phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino urging that US forward Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension be overturned. World football’s governing body lifted the suspension. Trump will be nearing the end of his second term when the LA Games take place.

The 69-year-old Coe, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, led the 2012 London Olympics’ bidding and organising committees.

“I ran the London Games. I know it’s really important that you have really good working relationships with government, prime ministers,” said Coe, a former elected member of the British parliament.

“The delivery of the Games is in large part predicated on those relationships – with Treasury, Defence, Homeland Security, in our terms the Home Office.”

But with phone calls to influence a sporting matter, it’s “entirely down to the resilience of a sporting organisation to say, ‘I hear what you say, but thank you and goodnight,’” Coe said, noting the need to keep politicians out of the driver’s seat.

“I think I probably achieved that quite well in London. But not having those relationships is dangerous. Of course, there’s a balance.”

Could failed World Cup private equity look to track and field?

Infantino’s failed plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity investors has landed the FIFA president in a battle to retain his post.

Coe said the idea was “not as unfamiliar territory as people tend to think”.

“For the last decade, private equity or sovereign wealth funds have been investing in sports,” he said.

The ambitions of each member federation, he added, are tied to its ability to raise revenues.

“Private equity is a big play in many sports. There are individual athletics federations at this very moment I know are discussing partnerships with external sources of revenue including private equity,” Coe said. “That’s the way it should be, and that’s what I’ve encouraged our federations to look at.”

Infantino has acknowledged his FIFA proposal lacked transparency, but on Saturday received the backing of the executive director of the White House Task Force for the recently completed World Cup, Andrew Giuliani, who told critics of Infantino, ‘It’s just politics.’

“What you want to absolutely make sure,” Coe said of private investors, “is when that does take place that your sport has the kinds of governances and checks and balance and the type of consultation that allows people to understand the rationale, the ambition and what the execution looks like. That is critical.”

Coe noted that World Athletics has broadcast and sponsorship deals expiring in 2029, so seeking external sources of revenue is “an absolutely critical conversation to have. That debate has been taking place for two or three years, particularly at executive board level.”

Coe to defend World Athletics’ ban on Russian athletes

Coe plans to be on hand at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to defend World Athletics’ ban on Russian athletes.

In July, the International Olympic Committee lifted a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and advised Olympic sport bodies they no longer need to vet Russian athletes for permission to compete as neutrals.

But World Athletics said it will maintain the ban it imposed shortly after Russian forces invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.

Russian Athletics has asked Switzerland-based CAS to overturn the sanctions.

“I will be in the Court of Arbitration (for Sport) defending our position,” said Coe, who lost a bid last year to become IOC president.

“We will continue to do what we think is in the best interest of our sport,” he added. “The primacy of an international federation to determine what eligibility looks like in the sport is the base of the pyramid.

“When we have been to the court before on previous occasions, that concept has been upheld. This is not about politics or passports. This is about the integrity of competition. That is the position we will be defending.”

Andrew Giuliani, son of ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, tells critics of FIFA’s Gianni Infantino ‘it’s just politics’.

Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and executive director of the White House Task Force for the recently completed World Cup, has voiced his support for embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino, calling his critics jealous.

Infantino has faced ⁠widespread criticism over his plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. He quashed the idea in late July amid the outrage, but the plan has nonetheless cost him support for his re-election bid next year.

Among those who have voiced their displeasure with Infantino or announced their refusal to back his re-election are UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), plus ‌the football federations of England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand.

Giuliani said politics and pettiness are the true reasons behind the outcry.

“It’s politics. I’ve seen this before,” Giuliani told The Athletic. “I’ve seen it before when they’ve targeted President Trump from a political perspective. I’ve seen it before when they’ve targeted other people.

“People are jealous when people are very ⁠high achievers – and what Gianni Infantino has done for FIFA ⁠is he’s taken them to a whole new level that probably they didn’t think was possible.”

Infantino’s plan was to sell approximately 20% of a proposed new entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), focused on ⁠the commercial and operational facets of the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments.

Among the investors in FFE was to ⁠be Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared ⁠Kushner and part of the group that recently agreed to buy the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Look, we are all human beings, and I think it’s one of those things where sport has become ‌monetised and commercialised,” Giuliani added.

“I would just say that you have got to look at Gianni’s full body of work and to also realise that he’s always ‌trying ‌to improve his organisation, and I think that’s the thing … I would look at the body of work and say this is the guy I would want leading.”

Oceania have offered support to Gianni Infantino, but New Zealand have gone against their own confederation in FIFA row.

New Zealand has become the latest nation to withdraw its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid over his aborted commercial rights stake sale plan, while Oceania’s confederation cautiously backed the ⁠governing body’s leadership.

Infantino has faced open revolt after three confederations – Europe’s UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean) – called for a review of his leadership and attacked his conduct over the plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions.

Infantino will seek re-election for a fourth term in ⁠charge of the global governing body at the FIFA Congress next year, with the African and South American confederations declaring their continued support.

New Zealand, the only Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) nation to qualify for this year’s World Cup, said on Friday it had withdrawn support for Infantino and that the review of the stake sale proposal should be independent due to a loss of confidence and trust in FIFA’s leadership.

“We’ve called for an independent review specifically because what we don’t ‌want to see is a sort of in-house quick washover of this,” New Zealand Football (NZF) Chief Executive Andrew Pragnell told the Reuters news agency.

“An independent review is something else that has been called for by other confederations that will help restore some of the trust.”

The OFC said in a statement that it welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw the proposal and that football in the Oceania region had grown under the current FIFA leadership.

“OFC recognises the progress achieved over the last decade in advancing football development in Oceania under FIFA’s leadership and encourages FIFA to use the review as an opportunity to identify and implement any changes that may be necessary,” it added.

What allies does Infantino have?

Swiss Infantino had proposed carving off ⁠the commercial rights to the World Cup and selling 20 percent to private investors to raise about $4.2bn before ⁠a U-turn following the furore.

The proposal came with a $20m grant for member associations for the next funding cycle, an amount that could have been doubled if they signed the deal.

Following a crisis meeting in Morocco last week, FIFA apologised to its 211 member associations for mistakes in the handling of the proposal and said its leadership had ⁠full support for Infantino.

Despite the opposition of the three confederations, which represent 136 of the 211 member associations who will vote in the FIFA presidential election in March, Infantino still has plenty of allies in the game.

Six ⁠heads of Arab national football associations, including Qatar and 2030 World Cup cohost Morocco, firmly ⁠backed him on Thursday, saying they appreciated his “sustained efforts to advance football globally”.

The Confederation of African Football’s executive committee also unanimously confirmed its support for Infantino, though, there is no guarantee of a bloc vote from all 54 members.

Pragnell said an independent review into the scrapped FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal needed to shed light on decision-making and oversight at FIFA.

It should ‌also identify who was involved in the plan for Thrive Capital, a firm with close familial links to US President Donald Trump, to play a leading role in the venture.

“I think the scope needs to be considered really carefully, but what’s most important is that all confederations should agree ‌on ‌the scope, and it needs to get under way with urgency,” Pragnell told Reuters.

AFC member Australia has also called for an independent review alongside the Asian bloc, without publicly expressing a position on Infantino’s leadership.

“Based on what we’ve seen, including [Australia’s] commitment to the AFC statement, we’re strongly aligned,” Pragnell said.

The tournament from February 2 to 7 will feature Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad.

The 2027 Spanish Super Cup will be held in Turkiye at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium, the Spanish Football Federation has announced.

The Final Four tournament will take place from February 2 to 7 and feature Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad, the federation said in a statement on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia has hosted the competition since 2020 but was ruled out as the dates coincide with the Asian Cup, the continent’s premier men’s international football tournament.

Barcelona, the reigning Super Cup champions after beating Real Madrid in the 2026 final, said in a statement that the Superr Cup will return to Saudi Arabia in 2028.

The Spanish Super Cup features the winners and runners-up of La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

The Lakers will open NBA Cup play against the same team they open the season with.

The Lakers start the in-season tournament on Oct. 30 on the road against the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. PDT on Prime Video, the NBA announced Wednesday during another stage of the schedule release that will wrap up Thursday. The NBA Cup opener is a second matchup in the first weeks of the season between the Lakers and the Warriors, who begin their regular-season schedules on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.

The Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs are also in the Lakers’ five-team Group C. The Lakers have Cup home games against the Trail Blazers (Nov. 6, 7 p.m.) and Kings (Nov. 20, 7 p.m.) and play their last group-stage Cup game at San Antonio at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 27.

With 30 teams split into six groups for the NBA Cup, teams play a round-robin group stage before the top team in each group and the best second-place team in each conference advance to the eight-team quarterfinal stage.

The quarterfinals (Dec. 4 and Dec. 5) and semifinals (Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9) will be hosted in NBA team markets, a departure from the previous formats that placed only the quarterfinals in team arenas before playing the semifinal and championship in Las Vegas. The championship game, scheduled for Dec. 11, will be played at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The in-season tournament, now in its third season, was launched to increase the stakes during a long NBA regular season. It incentivized competition in part by dangling more than $500,000 in prize money for each player on the winning team.

The NBA Cup just produced its first NBA champion, with the New York Knicks becoming the first team to win the regular-season tournament and the NBA title in the same season.

After years and years of failure and billions of pounds spent, Paris St-Germain finally won the Champions League in 2025.

And then they became one of only two teams to win consecutive Champions League trophies.

They hammered Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich in 2025 and then beat Arsenal on penalties in Budapest this year.

Only Real Madrid had won the Champions League back-to-back before – winning three in a row from 2016 to 2018.

It is something even the great teams like Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona or Manchester City, or Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, or various Bayern Munich sides have not done.

Joining Real on three is the aim for Luis Enrique’s side this season.

Going back to the start, only three other teams have managed to win three consecutive European Cups – Real Madrid, who won the first five from 1956 to 1960, and Ajax and Bayern Munich both in the 1970s.

In fact if you stretch it out to three European Cups in five years you would only have to add Liverpool (1977, 1978, 1981) to that list.

Jeremy Doku says he is “not against” the journalist who criticised his plan to leave the Belgium camp during the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child.

Doku’s wife Shireen was due to give birth during the second week of July and he told Reuters, external before the start of the tournament he intended to leave the camp to be at the birth even if his side were still in contention.

But it brought fierce criticism from L’Equipe channel presenter France Pierron, who labelled a father “completely useless” at the time of their child’s birth.

L’Equipe later apologised and said Pierron’s comments were “very far removed” from its values. The presenter also apologised but was taken off air until the end of the current season of her show.

Doku eventually missed Belgium’s 0-0 draw against Iran in the group stage to fly back to the UK for the birth of his son, Praise.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, external, Doku said he understood why some people questioned the timing of events.

“There was a lot of noise of course,” the Manchester City winger said.

“I can understand why people felt like maybe this was orchestrated because it was too perfect.

“I also saw the journalist speak about me and the situation and all the people getting at her. But I just wanted to use this video as well to really… pray over her.

“I don’t want to come at her in a way that most people did. I don’t want people to be too harsh on her. We don’t know what she has experienced. It’s her opinion.

“She got fired and all these things. I never want this for a person. I’m not against her. I’m not angry at her or anything. She just said her opinion.”

Doku played 86 minutes of Belgium’s opening 1-1 draw with Egypt in Group G of the World Cup before missing their next game, with his absence explained as illness.

A Belgium statement later said, external that the 24-year-old travelled to London to be with his wife “with the approval of and accompanied by one of our team doctors”.

Yorkshire secured second spot in Group B with a seven-wicket win over Essex to book a home quarter-final at York on Friday.

Captain Dom Bess (3-32) and seamer Ben Coad (3-22) helped bowl out already-eliminated Essex for 151 inside 41 overs.

The Tykes then slipped to 15-2, but a second first-team half-century for England Under-19s man Will Bennison, who hit 60 off 59 balls, helped the visitors to their sixth win in eight group matches with more than 18 overs to spare – and a second quarter-final place in successive seasons.

Durham gained third place in the group but not before some late dramatic twists against the holders Worcestershire at New Road.

Worcestershire won the game by 77 runs on the back of being bowled out for a competitive 291, thanks largely to Tom Taylor’s quickfire 86.

Ben McKinney then plundered 82 from just 70 balls but when he was out with Durham on 141-6, they still needed a further 63 to be sure of finishing above the hosts in the group.

When three more wickets went down in eight balls for the addition of just five runs, at 199-9, Durham still needed five more to reach that initial target of 204. They got them but not long before being bowled out for 214.

Hampshire had their hopes of reaching the knockout stages for a fifth successive year ended by Derbyshire in a thriller at Southampton.

Martin Andersson made 125, his fourth hundred of the summer across all formats, enjoying century stands with Harry Came (62) and Brooke Guest (67) as Derbyshire totalled 317-5.

But former Hertfordshire player Andrew Neal then almost turned the game on its head in Hampshire’s reply.

Coming to the crease at 134-6, with 183 still required, he smashed 10 sixes in a 63-ball 110, his maiden professional century at the age of 26, before being caught on the boundary edge with nine runs still needed as Hants were bowled out for 309, with 10 overs to spare.

James Cracknell shared a third-wicket partnership of 202 with Nathan Fernandes (92) as Middlesex recovered from losing two early wickets to post a formidable 354-8 as they cruised to a 92-run win over Sussex at Radlett.

Half-centuries by former Middlesex man John Simpson (65) and Oli Carter (58) enabled Sussex to mount a respectable reply, but they were dismissed for 262 to finish bottom of Group B with just one win.

Hope-Bell, Edwards and Wallace made first team debuts, as did batter Callum Nicholls, 22, and Australian paceman Connor O’Riordan, whose bid to develop in Wales after missing out in New South Wales echoes the example of county stalwart Timm van der Gugten.

Wicket-keeper Alex Horton, 22, was the top run scorer.

Nicholls and Hope-Bell played major roles in the dramatic closing win over Worcestershire, with Pontarddulais product Edwards marking his potential by taking three wickets after being thrust into the squad because of injuries.

“Of the younger lads, Jack Hope-Bell has been impressive throughout the tournament and showed again [against Worcestershire] he’s got a future here,” said Harrison.

“Callum Nicholls has had a couple of scores and to get 70 in a chase was really good. There’s a lot of experience for some of the younger players and it’s shown we’ve got a bright future ahead.”

Glamorgan are far from unique in blooding youngsters in the One Day Cup while some of their star names are away at the Hundred franchise tournament, but the perennial ambition to have a Welsh core to the team looks closer to fulfilment than has been the case since the noughties.

As well as those used, 18-year-old seam bowler Tom Norton – a breakout star of recent Championship games – missed the competition because of a back problem which will probably keep him out for the season, while batter Jacob Blades recently played for England under-19s at the age of 17.

“You’ve always got to plan for the future and this competition gave us that opportunity to develop a few of our players, playing against Ben Stokes for Durham is a great experience when they’ve watched him on TV playing for England.”

Captain Andy Gorvin, the oldest player at 29 for several matches, was compared to a school-teacher in charge of the youngsters by one opposition commentator.

“My family did tell me about that! I try to help in whatever way I can and when it doesn’t go right, it’s how to keep the guys going,” said Gorvin.

“The most important thing about sport is having the resilience to come back the next day. They’ve always tried to improve, it’s a three-week block with eight games so you improve on the job and I’ve tried to guide as well as I can, and I’ve got to improve as well.”

“So close to glory.”

That’s how Iván Barton described the moment he heard his last name called during the 2026 World Cup referee assignment meeting. It wasn’t to ask a question or to correct some administrative detail.

The next sentence changed his career forever: “Barton, your match is France vs. Spain. … After that, I didn’t hear anything else. I didn’t even know who my assistant referees would be.” The World Cup semifinal — one of the biggest matches a referee can officiate — had just been entrusted to the Salvadoran.

“It’s like going into shock, but a good kind of shock. ‘This is happening — it’s really happening.’ Reaching a semifinal is coming within a hair’s breadth of glory, because after a World Cup final, there’s nothing left,” Barton said.

Referee Iván Barton issues a yellow card to France’s Adrien Rabiot during a World Cup semifinal match against Spain on July 14 in Arlington, Texas.

(Lars Baron / Getty Images)

There’s one detail in that scene that captures the magnitude of the moment. While waiting for the meeting to begin, Barton was checking the airline’s app on his phone. His ticket was still scheduled for a return flight to El Salvador the next day. He had already started packing, convinced that his World Cup was over.

“I was already mentally preparing to fly back to El Salvador the next day,” Barton recalled. “When I heard ‘Barton,’ I thought, ‘What happened?’ Then they said, ‘Spain vs. France, semifinal.’ I didn’t even hear the names of my assistants.”

The first thing he did after that was call his wife.

“That’s when the tears of joy came,” he said. “It was also a moment to thank God for what was happening and immediately start preparing for the match.”

For the first time, both World Cup semifinal matches were officiated by CONCACAF referees. Barton officiated the France-Spain match, while American Ismail Elfath refereed the England-Argentina match. The confederation described both appointments as an unprecedented event for the region.

Barton said he fulfilled a dream working during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but he and other CONCACAF referees were determined to show their ability to call the most important games.

“Qatar meant making a dream come true. Making it to 2026 was a huge challenge because the bar had been set very high,” Barton said. “There were high expectations. We approached it with a great sense of responsibility and humility.”

When the tournament ended, the feeling was different from that of his first World Cup.

“I feel happy, very proud to have placed our little El Salvador flag practically at the very top of world soccer,” he said. “That’s what fills me with the most pride. We continue to open doors not only for my country, but also for the entire region and for CONCACAF refereeing.”

The red card that made history

Among the four matches Barton officiated, the Turkey-Paraguay game went down in history at the 45+3-minute mark.

During a confrontation between Miguel Almirón and Turkey’s Mert Muldur, the Paraguayan star covered his mouth while speaking aggressively to his opponent.

Barton had to review the play via VAR, and as stipulated by the new amendment to Law 12, the incident resulted in a red card, since the situation had elements of confrontation and the gesture served to conceal provocative, derogatory or inflammatory communication.

The review confirmed his interpretation.

Referee Iván Barton issues a red card to Miguel Almirón for covering his mouth while confronting another player during a World Cup match.

(Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images)

Almirón became the first player sent off in a World Cup under this new provision.

For Barton, however, the story isn’t simply about a player covering his mouth.

“People get confused. It’s not just the act of doing it; it’s doing it in a confrontational situation against an opponent. That’s what changes the picture,” Barton explained.

Clarity is important.

The amendment aims to prevent players from hiding insults or other abuse — including discriminatory remarks — behind their hand, arm or jersey.

In Almirón’s case, Barton believed the conditions were met.

“In that match, it was clear that it had occurred during a confrontational situation in which the players were facing off,” Barton explained. “Seeing it on the VAR footage was clear. It was evident, and at no point was there any doubt about the decision that had to be made.”

The incident occurred shortly before halftime, when Paraguay was leading 1-0. The red card left Paraguay with 10 players for the entire second half, but the team went on to win the match 1-0.

For Barton, the red card illustrates something he believes the public still misunderstands: VAR does not eliminate the need for the referee to interpret the rules.

“VAR isn’t there to eliminate 100% of errors,” he said. “Errors will always be part of soccer because there are many issues open to interpretation, and that’s what the referee is there for — to interpret them.”

Breaks that changed the pace of the matches

There was another major change fans protested during the World Cup — the hydration breaks.

FIFA decided that during the 2026 World Cup, there would be a three-minute break midway through each half, regardless of the temperature or stadium conditions. The referee was required to stop the match around the 22nd minute of each half.

The decision was motivated by concerns about player welfare in some of the hottest venues and a committee agreed it would be best to use the breaks universally rather than whenever the weather conditions required it to assure no teams were hampered by not getting breaks, but the debate did not go away.

In some cases, the breaks interrupted the flow of the game just as a team was starting to take control.

Barton understands that criticism, but he also doesn’t believe the break necessarily has a favorable or unfavorable effect on a team.

“Team A is attacking, attacking, attacking Team B. Obviously, it won’t be beneficial for Team A because they’re at their peak. For Team B, it will be,” he said.

The scenario can change in the second half.

“And what if, in the second half, the roles are reversed and it’s Team B that’s attacking Team A? For Team A, it’ll be beneficial. It’s very relative. I don’t think you can generalize whether it’s positive or not because it depends on the circumstances of the game.”

There’s also a difference between analyzing the break from the spectator’s perspective and doing so from the field.

As a referee, Barton found an immediate benefit.

“For us as referees, it’s beneficial because having a break to rest a bit, regain our strength and get feedback from our colleagues to see if anything needs adjusting — well, of course that’s positive,” said Barton. “In the United States, summers are extreme and it often becomes very difficult to say, ‘In this game, yes; in this game, no,’ because that undermines the consistency that the application of a rule must have.”

The stars’ last names don’t change the rule

What happens when the player who needs to be disciplined is named Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal or James Rodríguez?

In a stadium, those names carry weight. On the lineup sheet, according to Barton, they don’t.

“As a referee — contrary to what many people might think — you detach yourself from many situations, from the noise, from the pressure,” he said.

That doesn’t mean the referee is unaware of who’s on the field. According to him, it means he can’t let a player’s name influence his decision.

“On the field, there are no big names, no big teams. You see 11 players against 11 players,” Barton said.

The Salvadoran had already officiated games featuring Messi during his career in various tournaments and at the 2026 World Cup, he faced some of the most renowned soccer players on the planet.

“At no point do we think, ‘I’m not going to speak to him firmly or show him a card because it’s this player.’ No, absolutely not,” Barton stated.

The rules must apply equally to everyone.

“If you see an incident, a foul or something someone did, you make a decision regardless of who it is,” Barton said.

Barton explains the relationship in a way that makes it clear it’s not about ignoring the players’ status in the sport. It’s about understanding that, for those 90 minutes, roles are clearly defined.

“Obviously, we respect them for what they’ve achieved, for what they represent in soccer, but when it comes to applying the rules of the game, we see 11 players against 11 players — and that’s it,” he said.

Taking El Salvador to the biggest stage

Barton speaks little about himself and a lot about his country. Every assignment, he explains, ceases to be an individual endeavor.

“The higher you climb a mountain, the stronger the wind blows. The harder it is to maintain your balance,” he said.

His philosophy has changed little since he began his career.

“I haven’t achieved these things on my own. There’s a huge team behind me. … My family, CONCACAF, FIFA, the people who have always supported me,” Barton said.

The Salvadoran acknowledges that, during international competitions, he often finds that there are still people who don’t even know where El Salvador is located.

“When you get to competitions at this level, there are people who can’t even locate our country on a map,” Barton noted. “Serving as a means for others to learn about El Salvador and ensuring that representation is dignified is one of my greatest responsibilities.”

There’s a common perception among fans that FIFA assigns the matches each referee will officiate from the very beginning of the tournament.

Instead, each assignment depends on the performance shown during the previous match.

France captain Kylian Mbappe and Spain captain Rodri pose with referee Iván Barton and match officials before a World Cup semifinal.

(Florencia Tan Jun / Getty Images)

“First, you have to earn a spot in the World Cup. Then you have to earn the privilege of officiating a match. And after that, it depends entirely on how you perform in that match,” Barton said. “It’s just like the teams. No one is guaranteed to advance. Game by game, you prove whether you deserve to stay in the competition.”

After each match, there are technical sessions during which every major match decision is analyzed.

“We have debriefing sessions to review what we did well and what we need to improve,” he said. “We also work with a technical staff that conducts tactical analyses of the teams to prepare for the different scenarios a match might present.”

Although the semifinal against France and Spain holds a special place in his heart, Barton recalls other World Cup moments that will likely stay with him forever.

“The four walkouts before the matches were impressive. Hearing the World Cup anthem and walking out of the tunnel was always special,” he said.

“When the final whistle blew in the semifinal, I felt like I’d written my name into soccer history by representing my country. It was one of the most sublime moments of my career.”

Unlike many public figures, Barton decided to stay virtually off social media before and during the World Cup.

“Our minds are what we choose to feed them. If we feed them garbage, we’ll end up thinking that way,” he said.

Barton only opened official accounts after the tournament — and, according to him, not out of personal interest.

“There were too many fake profiles impersonating me,” Barton said. “I’m not swayed by flattery, just as I’m not affected by insults. … I’ve faced the most attacks in my own country, not abroad,” Barton confessed.

Even so, he insists on always responding with the same message.

“Behind the referee is a human being. There’s a father, a husband, a son,” he said. “It’s fine to criticize the work, but don’t cross the line into personal attacks.”

EXPLAINER

As the winners of the Champions League and Europa League face off, here is everything to know on the venue, history, quotes from the coaches and more.

The UEFA Super Cup is the annual game between the winners of European football’s top two competitions – the Champions League and the Europa League – and is seen as a curtain-raiser to the new season in Europe.

This year the French champions and Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will take on English Premier League side Aston Villa, who are Europa League champions.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game.

When is the game being held?

The match kicks off at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday, August 12.

Where is the UEFA Super Cup being played?

Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena in Austria will host the final.

The 30,000-capacity stadium, which is referred to as Stadion Salzburg during UEFA matches, is usually home to Austrian Bundesliga team RB Salzburg.

How did PSG reach the UEFA Super Cup?

Paris Saint-Germain held their nerve in a cagey Champions League ⁠final in May to retain the title by beating ⁠Arsenal 4-3 on penalties as a tense showdown ended 1-1 after extra time, cementing the French side’s status among Europe’s modern greats.

Arsenal defender Gabriel blasted his spot kick over the bar at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, his miss confirming PSG as the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid completed their ⁠three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.

How did Aston Villa reach the UEFA Super Cup?

Aston Villa ended their 30-year trophy drought in style as spectacular goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia inspired a 3-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul in May.

Unai Emery’s side took the lead late in the first half through Tielemans’ thunderous volley, before Buendia increased Villa’s advantage with a sublime curler seconds from the half-time whistle.

Morgan Rogers’ second-half goal finished off the outclassed Germans, sealing Villa’s first silverware since the 1996 League Cup and their first major European prize for 44 years.

Who is predicted to win the match?

According to Polymarket, PSG are the clear favourites with a 55-percent chance of winning in regulation time, with the likelihood of a draw at full time estimated at 25 percent and an Aston Villa win at 22 percent.

What is the history of the UEFA Super Cup?

It was officially introduced in 1973, with the European Cup/Champions League winners playing the Cup Winners Cup champions.

After the Cup Winners Cup was abolished in 1999, the winners of the UEFA Cup (subsequently rebranded as the Europa League) played the Champions League winners.

Who are the previous winners of the UEFA Super Cup?

Real Madrid are the most successful side in the fixture, having won six Super Cups. Barcelona and AC Milan have won five, while Liverpool have won four.

PSG are the reigning Super Cup holders after they beat Tottenham 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in last season’s tie.

Last 10 winners:

• 2025 – Paris St-Germain
• 2024 – Real Madrid
• 2023 – Manchester City
• 2022 – Real Madrid
• 2021 – Chelsea
• 2020 – Bayern Munich
• 2019 – Liverpool
• 2018 – Atletico Madrid
• 2017 – Real Madrid
• 2016 – Real Madrid

How to watch the UEFA Super Cup?

In the United Kingdom, the game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.

In the United States, the game will be shown on CBC Sports.

The full list of global broadcasters can be found here.

What happens if the game ends in a draw?

If the scores are level after regulation time, the match will go straight to a penalty shootout with no extra time to be played.

Who is the referee?

Somali referee Omar Artan, who was controversially denied entry to the US for the FIFA World Cup, will officiate the Super Cup.

PSG vs Aston Villa: Head-to-head

The two clubs have met twice in recent years, both in the 2024-25 Champions League quarterfinals.

PSG won the first leg 3-1 at Parc des Princes on April 9, 2025, while Aston Villa won the second leg 3-2 at home a week later – with PSG progressing 5-4 on aggregate.

What have the coaches said about the Super Cup?

PSG coach Luis Enrique:

“There are no doubts in my mind that it’s [the Super Cup] a really important trophy and Villa will be really competitive. If we look at the Premier League, there are five or maybe six Spanish coaches at the best teams.

“I think that Spanish football is at the top of world football in every regard, be it players, coaches or directors. Our game stands for a fun way of playing football, in that we seek out the ball, having it is our priority, and we adapt through possession to being solid defensively. I think it’s a great moment for Spanish football in a worldwide context and we should be proud of that.”

Aston Villa coach Unai Emery:

“We’re trying to be successful through, firstly, [building] a winning team, and then aiming for the positive consequences after it: winning trophies.

“To play the UEFA Super Cup is another opportunity to be there, the opportunity to win a trophy, to play against Paris Saint-Germain – the [best] team in the world now and another team we can compare [ourselves] with.”

Three confederations release letter criticising FIFA’s president over his proposal to sell off stakes in the World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come under renewed fire as a joint letter from three confederations – UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC – declared that football “belongs to no individual”.

Infantino has received scathing criticism ever since launching, and then withdrawing within days, a plan to bring in private investment into FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

FIFA had hit back on Saturday, claiming “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” football’s governing body and Infantino.

However, Monday’s letter from the governing bodies of European football (UEFA), North and Central America (CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC), showed his critics were unbowed.

“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held,” they wrote.

“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the confederations added.

The three confederations called for a fully ⁠independent review into the stake sale proposal.

“Football’s strength has ⁠always been its unity,” the statement concluded. “We call for that unity to ‌be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not ‌seeks ‌to command it.”

They also criticised a FIFA emergency meeting in Morocco last week, saying there was only one elected official present, while also calling for an independent review which FIFA would have ⁠no role in, to determine what led to this “profound failure of judgement”.

On Friday, Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) President ⁠Lise Klaveness, seen by some as a potential candidate to replace Infantino, called on the 56-year-old to step down from the presidency immediately. Klaveness has long been an outspoken critic of Infantino.

After quelling in-house dissent at the emergency meeting on Wednesday, FIFA apologised to the 211 federations and Infantino rallied his support among the six confederations that ⁠make up the world governing body.

Africa’s confederation CAF released a statement on behalf of its 54 members backing Infantino on Thursday, with CONCACAF member Mexico following suit along with South American countries Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia.

On Friday, as Infantino attended the inauguration of Colombia’s new President Abelardo De La Espriella ⁠in Cali, FIFA released a blistering attack on the president’s critics, saying attempts to challenge his leadership must follow the governing body’s statutes and democratic procedures.

FIFA also echoed the statements of several of the bodies that supported Infantino, as well as one from South American confederation CONMEBOL.

FIFA’s ‌statement came after reports by The Daily Telegraph about payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino’s time as the European governing body’s general secretary, allegations he has denied and that FIFA has rejected as unfounded.

Almost 70 of FIFA’s 211-member associations have said publicly they will ‌vote ‌for Infantino, with about a dozen either withdrawing previously promised support or saying they will not vote for him.

UEFA apart, the confederations that say they have lost confidence in Infantino are not completely united, with several Asian nations backing him as well as Mexico from CONCACAF.

Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Malawi have all qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco is also acting as a qualifying tournament for next summer’s tournament, with any country that makes the semi-finals earning their places at the World Cup.

Algeria beat 10-player Ivory Coast 2-1, with goals from Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham – after N’Sira Oudraogo was sent off when the Ivorians were 1-0 ahead – to reach the Wafcon last four and qualify for a Women’s World Cup for the first time.

Goals from Sakina Ouzraoui Diki and Hanane Ait El Haj helped Morocco defeat South Africa 2-1 to claim their place, with Cameroon securing a 1-0 victory over Nigeria thanks to a spectacular 30-yard free-kick from 19-year-old Myriam Nyadjou.

The fourth spot was taken by Malawi, 153rd in the world rankings, who caused a huge shock by beating Ghana 2-1, coming from behind with goals from Temwa Chawinga and Rose Kadzere.

The Wafcon semi-finals will take place on Wednesday with Morocco taking on Cameroon before Algeria meet Malawi.

The four nations that lost in the Wafcon quarter-finals – Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and South Africa – still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup.

On Thursday, Ivory Coast play Ghana and Nigeria will face South Africa with the two winners going into the 10-nation intercontinental play-offs in November and December.

Out of those 10 countries in the play-offs, three will qualify for next summer’s World Cup, which begins on 24 June and ends on 25 July.

Fourth round, 30 October 2012, Madejski Stadium

An incredible match, the joint-highest scoring EFL Cup tie in history, and it took extra-time to find a winner.

Still without a win in their return to the Premier League, Reading threw away any joy their fans were feeling as they led Arsenal 4-0 by capitulating to lose 7-5.

Arsenal found themselves four down after 35 minutes, but Theo Walcott’s goal before half‑time sparked a comeback that dragged the match into extra-time.

Marouane Chamakh put Arsenal in front for the first time on the night with a goal in the first period of extra-time, only for Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak to make it 5-5.

But Walcott restored Arsenal’s lead before Chamakh completed the scoring.

A remarkable night was further added to by the faintly ridiculous moment when Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin threw their shirts into the crowd, thinking the match was over, only to have to awkwardly ask for them back once they realised extra‑time was still to come.