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Italian football federation says its decision is based on Infantino’s recent initiatives on international competitions.

Italy’s football federation (FIGC) has withdrawn its support for embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his failed attempt to sell off stakes in the World Cup.

“This decision is intended to clearly and transparently express the FIGC’s position… regarding the recent initiatives promoted by the FIFA president concerning the governance and development of international competitions,” said a FIGC statement on Wednesday.

The move comes as a host of European national associations, including England, Ireland and Wales, have already scrapped their backing of Infantino, who is seeking re-election at next year’s FIFA Congress.

Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down as head of world football’s governing body over his now-abandoned plan to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.

“We will continue to work alongside UEFA and the other European federations to promote a vision of football based on merit, solidarity, sustainability and the central role of the fans,” said FIGC head Giovanni Malago.

“We identify with a model of dialogue, listening and shared responsibility which has, to date, enabled football to grow, innovate and, at the same time, defend its founding principles.”

However, Italy’s World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, and his Brazilian counterpart, Cafu, have joined a group of former footballers backing Infantino.

Their social media messages expressing support came after another group of former players, led by Frenchman Mikael Silvestre, called for “change” in FIFA’s leadership.

“Over the last ten years, world football has improved,” and footballers “have once again taken centre stage,” Cannavaro – who was part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning team, posted on social media on Wednesday.

“Infantino has done a great job… Not acknowledging that would be intellectually dishonest,” added the former centre-back, who coaches the Uzbekistan national team.

Similar messages were posted on Tuesday night by Brazilians Cafu and Roberto Carlos, Argentines Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso, Colombia’s Ivan Ramiro Cordoba and Mexico’s Jared Borgetti.

“We have followed the work of FIFA and president Infantino to promote the representation of players in football, something that didn’t exist before,” wrote Cafu, who lifted the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and 2002.

Infantino, the 56-year-old former UEFA secretary general, had the broad backing of European nations when he succeeded Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016.

European football body UEFA said it would formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that Infantino’s failed sell-off plan will not be revived.

UEFA, which oversees European football, had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions.

The Pro Bowl is no more, the NFL announced Wednesday, ending an exhibition of the league’s top players that was held in some form almost every year since 1951.

The game wasn’t played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was the only pause in the postseason event.

The league said 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowl players and honored in Los Angeles after this season. Several flag football events also will take place at that time.

“The Pro Bowl has always been about recognizing the players who distinguish themselves as the very best in the NFL,” league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a statement. “A Pro Bowl selection will return to its original purpose, honoring the best of the best. We want that distinction to carry even greater meaning for the players, their families, their clubs and our fans.”

The Pro Bowl has waned in popularity in recent years. Once a staple in Honolulu, the NFL has moved the event to various cities and even switched from tackle to flag football in 2023.

Jeanie Buss is taking her siblings to court. Again.

Attorneys representing the Lakers’ controlling governor filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday to block her five siblings from trying to sell the family’s remaining 17.82% of the NBA franchise the Buss family has owned since 1979.

Jeanie contends that her siblings should abide by a 2017 court order that mandated the family’s co-trustees to “take all actions reasonably available to ensure that Jeanie is appointed and remains as the NBA controlling owner of the Lakers.” The 2017 legal battle installed Jeanie’s younger siblings, Janie and Joey, as her fellow co-trustees, two roles that were previously held by her older brothers Jim and Johnny, who were ousted after a failed attempt to wrestle control away from Jeanie.

The 97-page petition accuses Janie, Joey and the other siblings Jim, Johnny and Jesse of “devious behavior” for not including Jeanie in discussions to sell the family’s last stakes in the team earlier this month. While the other siblings elected to sell soon after Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agreed to a record-breaking transaction with Mark Walter and released a statement attributed to the Buss family, Jeanie “never agreed to any sale, was never consulted and was never even informed,” the petition states.

“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition reads. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”

Among five points on the petition, Jeanie hopes to declare her siblings’ votes to sell the team void, remove Janie and Joey as co-trustees for “breach of fiduciary duty” and hold both in contempt of court and hold Jim, Johnny and Jesse in contempt and liable for “aiding and abetting.”

Jeanie, the third-oldest child of former Lakers owner Jerry Buss, was hand-picked by the family patriarch to oversee his prized investment that grew from a $67.5-million purchase into a $12.5-billion world-renowned brand. Iger, the former Disney chief executive, and Kushner, founder of a venture capital firm, bought a majority stake of the Lakers from Walter earlier this month at a record valuation, and reports of five of the Buss siblings’ plans to sell their ownership stake in the team came days later.

To remain on the NBA board of governors, Jeanie would need to own at least 15% of the team. She was to stay in the leadership role for at least the next four seasons after the Buss family relinquished control of the team to Walter in 2025.

That unique aspect of the 2025 sale “demonstrated the co-trustees could fulfill their duties under the trust — and honor Dr. Buss’s intent — while also delivering extraordinary financial returns to the beneficiaries,” the petition states.

Jeanie contends that not only is her latest fight to maintain her governor role a way to “enforce of her parents’ intent,” but the petition says Jeanie also believes remaining the governor can “protect the strategic decision by the trustees less than a year ago to sell a portion of the team and retain an interest sufficient to maintain control and to benefit from the continuously skyrocketing value.”

Since Jerry Buss built the Lakers into the NBA’s most glamorous franchise during four decades of stewardship, the team will now have a third controlling owner in as many years. Walter, who previously owned a minority stake in the team, took majority control in 2025 when the team was valued at $10 billion. His reign was short-lived; he shockingly sold his shares of the team to Iger and Kushner for a 25% profit 14 months after Walter’s purchase offer was accepted by the Buss family trust.

The sale from Walter to Iger and Kushner is not expected to be affected by the Buss family’s legal proceedings, according to a source close to the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

The petition adds that Lakers minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the Los Angeles Times and said he plans to hold onto his 4% stake in the Lakers, and real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. believe Jeanie is “the right person to continue as controlling owner and NBA governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of the Lakers stock investments.”

The Lakers functioned as a family-run business for decades under the Buss family. Each child held different roles, but Jeanie is now the only one left at the organization. Jim and Johnny were ousted in 2017. Janie, Joey and Jesse were all fired soon after Walter’s sale was approved in November. Joey was the chief executive of the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers and Jesse was the Lakers’ director of scouting. Janie led the organization’s charity efforts. ESPN reported that Jim and Johnny had returned to roles with the team and were among those fired in November.

After Jeanie and her legal team announced their intention to contest the siblings’ attempt to sell, the five other siblings released a statement saying they were “united” in their decision and intended to “move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through appropriate process.”

“The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team,” the statement released Aug. 18 continued. “They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community.”

A court hearing to review the request is scheduled for Nov. 5, according to the petition. The Lakers will be two weeks into their season at the time.

Chelsea are in talks to sign Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor.

The Blues expressed an interest in the 18-year-old Italian when they signed right-back Marco Palestra from the Serie A side in July.

BBC Sport has been told Atalanta are willing to sell Ahanor if their 40m euro (£34.3m) valuation is met.

Ahanor, who mainly plays at left-back, joined Atalanta from Genoa on a three-year deal last summer for a reported fee of 16m euros, plus 4m euros in add-ons.

He made 28 appearances in Serie A for Atalanta last season, establishing himself as a regular starter for the Italian club. He also made his Champions League debut in a 2-1 win against Club Brugge in September.

In May, he was called up by Italy for friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been building his squad since taking over at Stamford Bridge in July, signing England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a club record £117m, and adding experienced Premier League players Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.

Chelsea face Brighton at home in the Premier league on Sunday after beating Fulham 3-2 in their opening match of the season on Monday.

An investment firm owned by the two youngest sons of late Lakers owner Jerry Buss has bought into the new ownership group of the San Diego Padres.

Buss Sports Capital, which was started in September by Jesse and Joey Buss, joins a Padres ownership group that includes husband-and-wife controlling owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. Although neither the team nor the firm supplied financial details of the deal, multiple media outlets are reporting that the Buss brothers’ stake in the Padres is around 5%.

“We are honored to join Kwanza and José and have the opportunity to contribute to the future of a team that Jesse and I have loved since we were kids growing up in San Diego,” Joey Buss, 41, said in a statement. “Sports have always been a part of our family’s story, and great organizations have a unique ability to bring people together and create a lasting sense of community. …

“The Padres are on the cusp of something special, and through Buss Sports Capital, we look forward to bringing our experience and perspective to the ownership group and doing our part to build on the strong foundation already in place.”

Like their four older siblings, Jesse and Joey Buss took part in the family business of running the Lakers. When the Buss family sold the controlling stake to Mark Walter for $10 billion last year, team controlling governor Jeanie Buss told ESPN, the siblings were told their roles with the team wouldn’t change for five years.

In November, however, Jesse and Joey Buss, as well as the rest of their siblings except for Jeanie, were let go by the Lakers. At the time of their dismissal, Jesse had been the team’s assistant general manager and Joey was vice president of research and development.

Earlier this month, Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger agreed to buy the majority ownership of the Lakers from Walter for $12.5 billion. Soon after, ESPN reported that the Buss siblings had agreed to sell their remaining 17.8% stake in the team to Kushner and Iger. Jeanie Buss, however, filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday to block such a sale.

The Padres are the first major acquisition for the brothers’ investment firm.

“Joey and I had the privilege of learning from our father and then spending nearly two decades building our own careers in professional basketball operations,” Jesse Buss, 38, said. “We saw firsthand what it takes to build a championship organization, and throughout our careers have applied those lessons across talent evaluation, roster construction, player development and long-term organizational planning. While every sport is different, we believe the principles behind building sustained success are universal. …

“We look forward to bringing that experience to the ownership group, supporting Kwanza and José’s vision for the Padres and doing everything we can to help bring a World Series championship to San Diego.”

Steven Kwan hit a tying double in the ninth inning, Travis Bazzana followed with a sacrifice fly and the Cleveland Guardians rallied past the Angels 4-3 on Wednesday for their seventh straight victory.

Hunter Gaddis (2-3) retired the final two batters in the eighth to earn the win. Erik Sabrowski worked a scoreless ninth for his second major league save and first since 2024.

With a runner on second, Sabrowski struck out pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud and got pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza to pop up to second as Cleveland completed a three-game sweep.

Chase DeLauter, slowed this week by left hamstring tightness, sparked the winning rally with a one-out single off reliever Ryan Watson (1-1) in the ninth.

Petey Halpin ran for DeLauter and went to second on Brayan Rocchio’s single. Kwan roped a ground-rule double to right field for a 3-all tie, and Bazzana’s sacrifice fly sent the Angels to their 10th loss this season when leading after eight innings.

Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez gave up one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking one. Guardians starter Joey Cantillo gave up two hits in six innings but issued a career-high seven walks and committed a first-inning error that led to a run.

Zach Neto led off the bottom of the first with a single and scored when Cantillo fielded Vaughn Grissom’s one-out dribbler and threw the ball into right field.

The Angels extended the lead to 3-0 in the second when Cantillo walked the bases loaded with one out, hit Neto with a pitch to force in a run, and Mike Trout added a sacrifice fly.

Cleveland cut it to 3-1 in the fifth when Rocchio doubled, went to third on Kwan’s groundout and scored on Bazzana’s sacrifice fly. The Guardians pulled to 3-2 in the eighth when Bazzana bunted for a single, Jo Adell walked and Nathaniel Lowe flared an RBI single to left-center.

Ashley Sanchez scored twice to break the single-season goals record for the North Carolina Courage in a 2-0 victory over Angel City on Wednesday night.

The former All-American at UCLA leads the National Women’s Soccer League in scoring this season with 15 goals.

Sanchez scored her 14th goal in the 41st minute, tying Lynn Biyendolo’s record for the North Carolina set in 2019. Evelyn Ijeh’s backheel flick found a charging Sanchez, who blasted it into the far corner.

Sanchez added her record-breaker in the 78th, running down a long ball sent forward by Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and out-running three Angel City defenders before burying her shot. Sheridan, who got the assist, ran up the field after the goal to celebrate with Sanchez.

Sanchez also had a pair of goals in the Courage’s 2-1 victory over the Boston Legacy on Saturday. North Carolina has won (11-3-7) has won five of its last six games.

The loss ended a four-game streak of draws for Angel City (7-6-7). Angel City played to a scoreless tie at home with Gotham on Sunday.

North Carolina’s Maycee Bell made her 50th NWSL regular-season appearance but she was injured early in the second half and had to be stretchered off with an apparent arm injury.

ATLANTA — The gathering on the Truist Park mound kept growing. At first, Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki was visited by pitching coach Mark Prior and catcher Hunter Feduccia, with the help of interpreter Will Ireton. Then, Prior summoned head athletic trainer Thomas Albert. Then, they called out manager Dave Roberts, who eventually made the pitching change.

The group had been examining the middle finger on Sasaki’s right hand. And the team later announced Sasaki had exited with a blister on that finger.

That might explain why Sasaki, who was charged with four runs and six hits in 3 ⅓ innings, didn’t look as sharp Wednesday against the Braves as he had been in the rest of his impressive second-half stretch. Sasaki entered the day with a 2.19 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break.

His efficiency Wednesday wavered, and he exited after 66 pitches. After Sasaki gave up a solo home run to Matt Olson in the first inning, the outing began to devolve in the fourth.

Sasaki walked Ozzie Albies to open the inning. Then he surrendered a single to Mike Yastrzemski, a sacrifice fly to Austin Riley and a double to Sean Murphy. Then Prior came out to check on him.

Right-handed reliever Edgardo Henriquez replaced Sasaki, inheriting two baserunners. Both scored when Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez overran Drake Baldwin’s deep fly ball down the line, for a double.

Gonzalez had a close relationship with Rodri and long humbly recognised that only a select number of players can start in his position at clubs bidding to challenge for the biggest honours.

Rodri was that man at Manchester City under Guardiola and, following the midfielder’s move to Barcelona, new manager Enzo Maresca has signed Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, having already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

The club also look set to make a bid for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.

It was still not easy for Gonzalez to leave Manchester City, where he felt settled, but Newcastle will give him the platform he has been longing for as a key player.

The enthusiastic Spaniard sees this as an opportunity to develop further, which has always been a driver.

“His mentality is top,” Toure said. “I would review games individually with the players and every time I had my laptop and sat next to him, he was so open to learning.

“He wanted me to show him and I wanted to help him because he was demanding in that way.

“You want to have players like this because they want to see what they do well and not well, and are open to criticism.

“He’s going to keep on improving because of his mentality.”

Gonzalez certainly did so when he left Barcelona, where his professional career started, and has such experience to fall back on.

Having spent a decade at Barca, and risen through the ranks, Gonzalez ultimately had to depart to truly flourish elsewhere.

Following a successful loan spell at Valencia, he joined Porto on a permanent basis at the age of 21 before earning a move to Manchester City.

Former Barcelona B team-mate Roger Riera feels he has developed “another vision” as a result.

“Nico has seen different countries and different styles of football,” he said. “He’s added a lot of things to his game, which have made him a more complete player.

“He is a better package now.”

NFL owners have approved the $9.612bn record sale of the reigning Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks to a group led by billionaire Vinod Khosla.

The deal, which required the support of at least 24 of 32 owners, is currently the second highest amount paid for a franchise in North American sports history.

The estate of Paul G. Allen, which inherited the NFL team after the death of the Microsoft co-founder in 2018, agreed to terms with the Khosla family on 11 July after a search for a new owner.

And now approved, the sale surpasses the $6.05bn the Washington Commanders fetched when they were sold in 2023, although the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were subsequently sold for $10bn in 2025 and are currently in the process of changing ownership again for a reported $12.5bn.

“We are honoured to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks. How often do you get to buy a franchise that just won the Super Bowl?” said Khosla.

“We are incredibly lucky and humbled by this gift, I would say, from the Allen trust.”

“We look forward to building on the winning legacy Paul Allen created and to earning the trust of the Seahawks organisation and fans everywhere.”

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Khosla, who will have to relinquish a minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers as part of his agreement to buy the Seahawks, added: “The task ahead is actually pretty simple – keep the winning streak alive, get another Super Bowl.

“Our approach is generally going to be long-term focused, that’s our inclination always. So, keep winning, take a long-term approach, and learn a lot. We don’t know enough, and the other owners have been incredibly welcoming and willing to teach us, so we’ll learn a lot.

“We’ll learn from management and see what they are recommending.”

Khosla, 71, was the co-founder of US technology company Sun Microsystems and the founder of the venture capital firm Khosla Ventures and has a net worth of $13.2bn, according to Forbes. , external

Former owner Allen saved the Seahawks from relocating to Southern California when he bought the team from Ken Behring in 1997.

His sister, Jody Allen, took control of the Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers as chair of both teams upon her brother’s death with a directive to eventually sell both and donate the proceeds to charity.

In the 29 seasons in which Paul or Jody Allen were in charge, the Seahawks made the play-offs 17 times and won two of the four Super Bowls they contested.

Britons Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel, Harry Wendelken and Harriet Dart stand one win away from a place in the US Open main draw after coming through their second round qualifying matches in New York.

Fearnley showed great resilience in battling to a three-set victory over Frenchman Luka Pavlovic, which set up a meeting with Austria’s Jurij Rodionov.

The 25-year-old world number 100 recovered from a break of serve down to take the opening set, and held his nerve in the decider after his opponent levelled the match to clinch a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win.

Samuel, bidding to qualify for the US Open for the first time, produced a comeback victory against fellow Briton Billy Harris.

The 23-year-old, who made his slam debut at this year’s French Open, recovered to win 4-6 6-4 6-1 and set up a meeting with Chile’s former top-20 player Cristian Garin.

Wendelken, who has never contested the main draw at an overseas slam, saved a match point to come through a three-hour tussle with Switzerland’s Remy Bertola.

The 24-year-old, ranked 196th, appeared on the brink of elimination at a set and 5-2 down, but denied Bertola a match point to level at 5-5 before edging the second-set tie-break.

Wendelken took charge of the decider, establishing a 5-2 lead, but was forced to withstand a late fightback from his opponent before eventually clinching a 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win. He will face Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas next.

Under coach Sean McVay, the Rams’ final preseason games routinely are showcases for players vying for spots on the practice squad, not the roster.

But Thursday night’s game against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium will offer another look at perhaps one of the most important players for the Rams’ future:

Rookie quarterback Ty Simpson.

Simpson, the 13th pick in the NFL draft, has been competing with fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett to back up Matthew Stafford, though Bennett took the vast majority of second-team reps during training camp and preseason workouts.

“I’ve seen good stuff,” McVay said this week of Bennett and Simpson. “I think the hard part is there have been up and down days. I think our defense does a good job of being able to give a lot of challenging looks.”

Simpson will play against the Chargers, McVay said, and also aimed to provide Matthew Caldwell, an undrafted free agent from Texas, his first opportunity. McVay said he had not made a determination about Bennett.

Bennett started against the Kansas City Chiefs but played only two series, one that resulted in a field goal. Simpson came on and completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Against the New Orleans Saints, Bennett played the first half and completed 19 of 31 passes for 181 yards. He also rushed for two touchdowns. Simpson completed eight of 12 passes for 73 yards in the second half.

“What I have seen in both the games is the guys have good command,” McVay said, adding, “We feel fortunate that you got two guys that we believe in, feel really good about. One of those guys will be the backup in Australia.”

Other things to watch Thursday:

Who is not on the field

The season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia is looming, so McVay will hold out nearly all players assured of a roster spot, other than perhaps kicking-game specialists.

If they are not in uniform on the sideline, they will be on the 53-man roster.

Receiver Tyler Scott trying to catch on

With Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith and rookie CJ Daniels, the Rams are set at receiver.

But Scott, who played for the Chicago Bears in 2023 and 2024, has made an impression that could land him on the practice squad if he is cut and clears waivers.

Against the Saints, Scott caught a key fourth-down pass from Bennett and just missed coming down with a deep pass.

Will Wesley Bailey stand out again?

Bailey, an undrafted free-agent outside linebacker, played very well in the first two games, but is trying to find a spot in a position group that includes Myles Garrett, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart and Desjuan Johnson.

Bailey had a sack, three quarterback hits and also forced a fumble against the Saints.

If Bailey, at 6 feet 5 inches and 265 pounds, shines against the Chargers and does not make the roster, he seems like a longshot to clear waivers.

Special teams

Kicker Harrison Mevis has made all four of his preseason field-goal attempts.

Punter Ethan Evans appears ready for a standout performance in a contract year.

Azerbaijan side Sabah fight back from 4-2 down on aggregate to beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva of Israel 6-4 on aggregate to secure their place in the main draw of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

WATCH MORE: When is the Champions League draw?

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Aston Villa are close to an agreement to sign striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £65m.

There is a broad agreement between the clubs over the terms of a move for the 25-year-old, with Chelsea set to achieve their asking price with an initial sum of £47.5m with £17.5m in add-ons.

And if the Senegal international agrees personal terms and completes the switch to Villa his arrival is likely to trigger England international Ollie Watkins’ move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

The deal remains subject to personal terms being agreed, but negotiations are at an advanced stage, with Jackson expected to reunite with Unai Emery having played under the Villa boss at Spanish club Villarreal.

Jackson would become the latest player in Villa’s summer rebuild following the arrivals of record buy Johan Manzambi, midfielder Joao Gomes, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and defender Matteo Ruggeri.

However, there has also been significant movement out of the club and Watkins leaving would mean they had sold five of the starting XI who won the Europa League in May.

Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa have already left with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez expected to depart too.

Chelsea are weighing up a move for the Argentine, who is now deemed surplus to requirements after Suzuki joined from Parma.

In signing Jackson, Villa would be getting a forward who joined Chelsea from Villarreal for £35m in 2023 and scored 30 goals in 81 appearances.

His most recent appearance for the Blues came against Fluminense in the Club World Cup in 2025, while he also won the Europa Conference League with the club.

He spent last season on loan to Bayern Munich, scoring 11 times in 34 games and helping Bayern win the Bundesliga.

Chelsea banked a £14.3m loan fee from the move, though an obligation to buy for £56.2m was not triggered after Jackson failed to make 40 appearances of 45 minutes or more.

Fellow forward Liam Delap is also likely to leave the Blues, with a £50m fee agreed with Nottingham Forest for the striker.

Meanwhile, the club have also been holding talks with Atalanta’s Honest Ahanor, 18, over a potential move to Stamford Bridge. The defender is valued at £34.3m by the Italian club.

Luke Littler’s hopes of qualifying for the Players Championship finals suffered another setback as he was beaten by Brendan Dolan in the semi-finals of PC28 in Leicester.

The world champion went a step further than he managed at Tuesday’s PC27, but still fell short of the title, which was won by fellow Englishman Luke Humphries with an 8-6 victory over Dolan.

“Luke has been by far the best player in the last 18 months and he deserves the world number one spot,” said world number two Humphries after his victory.

“He’s won everything and I am going to be the only one who’s trying to stop him.

“I want to go on and win a major this year. I don’t want him to have a clean sweep – as much as everyone would love to see it.”

Littler, meanwhile, climbed from 141st to 125th in the order of merit with prize money of £10,500 and posted on Instagram: “We are so on the move.”

But the semi-final defeat leaves the world number one with work to do in the race to reach November’s finals in his attempt to complete the calendar sweep of ranking events in 2026.

Only the top 64 players in the Players Championship qualify for Minehead.

And Littler, who skipped the first 26 events on the circuit, is currently £16,750 behind 64th-placed Shane McGuirk.

On Wednesday, the 19-year-old beat Benjamin Pratnemer, Martin Schindler and Krzysztof Ratajski to reach the final four, where he was denied by Northern Irishman Dolan.

The world number one has largely skipped the floor events this year in an effort to manage his schedule.

With the projected cutoff expected to exceed £30,000 after all 34 events, and only seven events remaining, Littler might travel to Den Bosch next month to boost his hopes of reaching the finals.

He has previously stated his intention to only feature in the UK events, and the two in Leicester on 4 and 5 November complete the qualification stage.

Littler was defeated by Jermaine Wattimena in the quarter-finals of PC27 on Tuesday.

Alysa Liu is stepping away from skating again.

The first time, following her bronze medal at the 2022 world championships, Liu considered herself retired at age 16.

This time, six months after becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in skating since 2002, the 21-year-old athlete says she’s simply taking a year off from the sport and is already planning her return.

“I will not be competing this season,” Liu wrote Monday on Instagram. “I always want to challenge myself in new ways, so my artistry & skating can evolve. It’s important to me that my sport reflects my personal growth. I’m gonna take the time to recalibrate, fine-tune things & whatnot.

“So fear not, I’ll be back, & in the meantime I’ll be rooting for my teammates near & far. See yall soon!!”

Born in Clovis and raised primarily in Oakland, Liu won back-to-back U.S. championships in 2019 and 2020 at ages 13 and 14. In February 2022, she finished seventh at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Less than two months later, Liu announced on Instagram that she was “done with my goals in skating [and] i’m going to be moving on with my life.”

During her two years off, Liu hiked to Mount Everest base camp with friends, enrolled at UCLA and focused on herself.

“I found what I like and what I didn’t like,” Liu said earlier this year. “Really got to know myself, because [when] I had skating, I didn’t really know myself. I couldn’t know myself. I only ever did one thing.”

She returned to skating in 2024 on her own terms, with a new look that included a halo hairstyle and a “smiley” piercing in the tissue connecting her upper lip to her gums. A gold medal at the 2025 world championships set the stage for her triumph at the Milano-Cortina Games.

While her last break was an effort to get away from skating, Liu told NBC Sports that this time she will continue training to improve her “overall artistry, spins, jumps, everything.”

“I really want to improve my skating, and I wanted to take the time to do that for myself and just to evolve, and then I’ll be back after that is done,” Liu said. “But I’ll still be cheering on all my competitors and my teammates, and I’m really excited.”

She added that “logically and emotionally and physically, this just makes the most sense” and “I just felt this was right. So I’m trusting my instincts.”

Cardiff City have completed the signing of centre-half Krystian Bielik from Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion on a permanent deal.

Bielik has signed a three-year contract with the Bluebirds and joined for an undisclosed fee.

“I’m very excited, I’m finally here and I couldn’t be happier,” he told the club’s official website.

“I’m looking forward to starting with the team as soon as possible and focusing on the first game.”

The 28-year-old made 17 Championship appearances for the Baggies last season as they finished 21st, narrowly avoiding relegation to League One.

The experienced defender – who can also operate as a defensive midfielder – joined Arsenal from Legia Warsaw in 2015 and had spells with Birmingham City, Walsall, Charlton Athletic and Derby County prior to joining West Brom last summer.

Bielik is Cardiff’s fourth senior summer recruit following the arrivals of goalkeeper Nathan Trott, midfielder Jack Moylan and left-back Calum Scanlon, who has returned to the Welsh capital on loan from Liverpool.

“I’ve played a few times against Cardiff City, and it’s never been an easy place to come to,” Bielik added.

“It’s always got a great atmosphere, so it will be a pleasure to be here playing for this club.

“I’m ready, fit and healthy, and can’t wait to start with the team tomorrow and prepare for the big game on Saturday.”

Poland international Bielik is a welcome addition for the Bluebirds, who are currently without a fit central defender in their ranks.

Will Fish, Dylan Lawlor, Calum Chambers and Gabriel Osho are all currently injured, although the latter is thought to be close to a return to action.

The Bluebirds gave a debut to 15-year-old defender Noah Anyadike – who became the youngest player in EFL Cup history – during their 2-1 loss against Norwich City in the second round on Tuesday night.

Bielik is in contention to make his Cardiff debut when they host Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United on Saturday (15:00 BST).

European 800m champion Audrey Werro has backed herself to overhaul one of athletics’ oldest and most controversial world records.

Jarmila Kratochvilova, representing the then Czechoslovakia, clocked one minute 53.28 seconds in 1983 and the mark has remained untouched in the 43 years since.

While a systematic doping programme of athletes was in place in the country during her career, Kratochvilova never failed a doping test and has denied cheating., external

Werro, still only 22, ran 1:53.80 in Paris in June, moving up to third in the event’s all-time list and to within half a second of Kratochvilova’s time.

“Things have happened really fast,” said Werro, on the eve of Thursday evening’s Diamond League meeting in Zurich.

“I was not prepared for a world record this year. I just want to focus on running fast and winning some races and I think with this mentality the world record will fall one day. But I don’t know when.”

Werro, a multiple title-winner at youth level, has improved her personal best in each of her last eight seasons and is now consistently within range of the world record.

This year the Swiss has registered three of the 10 fastest times in history.

TWG Global — the holding company of Dodgers owner Mark Walter — rejected allegations of financial impropriety in the purchase and operation of the Dodgers and reiterated the team is not for sale.

At a time insurance regulators and federal investigators are looking into allegations that insurance companies under Walter’s umbrella did not properly disclose and conduct transactions between other companies he controls, and after Walter sold his controlling interest in the Lakers at a record $12.5 billion valuation, potential bidders have monitored whether the Dodgers might be sold as well.

In a statement Tuesday, TWG Global decried “multipronged attacks against TWG … by unnamed sources with self-serving interests” and said no insurance policyholder has been hurt as a result of the company’s financial transactions.

“There is no victim here,” the statement said. “No one has been harmed, and no one has claimed they were harmed.”

In 2012, when Walter and his partners bought the Dodgers for $2 billion, The Times reported the use of $1.2 million from Guggenheim Partners insurance funds into the deal. At the time, rival bidders expressed concern over the unusual financing, but state insurance regulators cleared the deal and Major League Baseball approved it.

“The transaction was subject to a full investigation conducted by an outside law firm on behalf of insurance regulators from multiple states,” the statement said, “which identified no irregularities and resulted in no further action.”

Even with the Dodgers issuing over a billion dollars in deferred contracts and amid whatever transactions might have been conducted between TWG-related insurance companies and the Dodgers’ affiliates — including ones that hold the team’s television rights and ticket revenues — the Dodgers’ ability to fund player contracts is not at risk, according to the statement.

“The Dodgers have the highest revenue in baseball, and it significantly exceeds the team’s obligations to its players,” the statement said.

The statement reiterated that, as Dodgers president Stan Kasten has said, “the team is not being sold and no sale process has been initiated.”

The Dodgers, if sold, could likely command a price in the range of $10 million to $13 million, industry analysts have told The Times.

The Lakers sold at a record price for a North American sports franchise, although industry analysts have said a competitive bidding process likely would have resulted in an even higher sale price.

Said the statement: “Mr. Walter was approached by Josh Kushner and his team about this transaction and the agreement represents a 25% premium to the price paid by Mr. Walter less than a year ago (and an even higher premium to the $5.0 billion valuation Mr. Walter paid in 2021) — hardly a ‘fire sale.’”

The statement added: “TWG is not looking to sell its sports assets at ‘fire sale’ prices to raise capital for its insurance operations.”

TWG said it is “working cooperatively and in partnership with the Delaware Department of Insurance” to resolve the regulatory issues and “is committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve their inquiries.”

“TWG stands firmly behind the integrity of its business,” the statement read. “Despite what has been reported, there has been no fraud.”

Manchester City‘s position has shifted following Wednesday’s signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi. They have generated 278.5m euros from sales so far, with the departures of players including Savio, Tijjani Reijnders, Rodri, James Trafford, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake.

Bouaddi’s arrival takes City’s spending to 273.7m euros, leaving them with a positive transfer balance of 4.8m euros.

Further departures could quickly change the picture again. Tottenham have agreed a loan deal to sign Omar Marmoush, with an obligation to make the move permanent for £60m (58m euros) next summer. That fee would therefore count towards City’s 2027-28 transfer income rather than this season’s figures.

Nico Gonzalez is also expected to leave, while Jack Grealish could yet be another departure before the deadline. Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton, who remain interested, although the winger has viewed Enzo Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola as manager as a fresh start at City. His contract runs until June 2027.

A permanent sale of Gonzalez, and possibly Grealish, could still significantly increase City’s 2026-27 income.

Their ability to sell at such a level is particularly significant given the scale of their midfield rebuild. City have already signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for 135m euros. They also remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

The advertisement, which was released online last week before being pulled, prompted calls for a boycott of Callaway products.

Golf equipment giant Callaway has issued an apology, although largely in vain, after facing an immense backlash for an advertisement depicting violence against women, which has since been removed.

The commercial, which was released online last week before being pulled, showed a male golfer shoving a female player to the ground when she reaches for his new driver, and prompted calls for a boycott of Callaway products.

Callaway issued an apology for the advertisement, and Callaway chief executive Chip Brewer said in a statement on Tuesday that the company had launched an investigation into how the advertisement — produced by golf media firm Good Good Golf — had been approved.

“Last week Good Good Golf and Callaway posted a video to promote a co-branded driver,” Brewer said in a statement.

“While the video was produced by Good Good, it was approved by Callaway prior to posting. That approval should never have happened. Mistakes were made and we are taking the matter very seriously.

“As we deal with the consequences of our mistake and complete our investigations, I want to make it clear that we sincerely apologize for the video.

“The content was inappropriate and does not reflect our values. To be clear: we are unequivocally against discrimination, domestic violence or threatening behaviour of any kind … I assure you we will learn from this and do better.”

The online advertisement showed Good Good cofounder Garrett Clark shoving Epson Tour professional player Alexis Miestowski to the ground when she attempted to reach for his driver, before warning her: “Do not touch my new driver.”

Good Good Golf, which centres its business around a successful YouTube channel aimed at bringing a younger audience to the sport, had already apologised for the controversial advertisement.

“We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand,” Good Good said in a statement.

“We have since taken that content down. And sincerely apologize. Good Good has always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all, and we will continue to ensure that is our mission moving forward.”

Good Good’s rise will see the company be the title sponsor for the PGA Tour’s inaugural Good Good Championship in Austin, Texas in November.

PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp said on Tuesday the circuit was dismayed by the advertisement and Good Good’s handling of the controversy.

“I think what we saw was concerning, is clearly not aligned with PGA Tour values. We take it very seriously,” Rolapp said.

“I think their initial response was disappointing. It was a bit defensive and late.

“But I think the responses are getting better. We’ve seen some things this morning, we’ve had some conversations with them, so we’ll continue to monitor and work with them going forward. But no, we were disappointed with what we saw.”

Apology ‘isn’t good enough’

Online criticism has been aimed at representation, accountability, and decision-making surrounding the advertisement, in addition to domestic violence being promoted.

Social media users have questioned how the advertisement was greenlit to begin with, with many infuriated that it was removed only after backlash and not because either company realised how controversial it was.

One woman golfer on social media said the advertisement was a significant setback for women looking to break into the male-dominated sport, with many emphasising that the apologies from Callaway and Good Good Golf did not come across as genuine.

Several Callaway customers publicly renounced their loyalty to the brand after being appalled at the advertisement.

The backlash for the deleted video spilled over to other Instagram posts from both companies, where social media users continued to demand accountability and a more meaningful apology.