Albania, the Czech Republic, Italy, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Sweden and Ukraine are definitely in.
Kosovo and Turkey will be in barring huge victories against Switzerland and Spain respectively, while Poland would need the Netherlands to lose heavily to Lithuania to avoid the play-offs.
One of North Macedonia or Wales will feature, and most likely both.
So, what do we know for certain? Not too much yet:
Pot 1: Italy
Pot 2:
Pot 3: Albania, plus Kosovo unless they beat Switzerland by six goals.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Going into the first start of his career, Luke Duncan would be facing the nation’s top-ranked team in one of the most intimidating environments in college football with an offensive line missing its most veteran starter.
It went about as well as one might expect.
Don’t blame Duncan, the UCLA backup quarterback who did his best with a conservative game plan in the absence of Nico Iamaleava. It was just that the Bruins were so thoroughly outclassed that they basically had no chance with their star quarterback sidelined by concussion symptoms he experienced earlier in the week.
Ohio State scored on its first five drives on the way to a 48-10 victory on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, the highlights for the Bruins sporadic enough to be counted on one hand.
There was a sack by linebacker Jalen Woods to end a Buckeyes drive early in the third quarter, forcing them to punt. There was a fourth-down stop on Ohio State’s next drive that gave the ball back to the Bruins. Duncan finally put his team on the board late in the third quarter when he found Kwazi Gilmer cutting across the field for an 18-yard touchdown.
“He got more and more comfortable, that’s what I was proud to see of him,” UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper said of Duncan. “That’s a tough deal and just proud of that kid for fighting. He never blinked an eye and just kept moving forward, so he’ll build off of that.”
There was little to celebrate for the Bruins (3-7 overall, 3-4 Big Ten) on a night they were outgained, 440-222, in total yardage even after tightening up considerably on defense in the second half.
Duncan increasingly found a rhythm after halftime and completed 16 of 23 passes for 154 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. The redshirt sophomore was never sacked, an offensive line that was missing guard Garrett DiGiorgio holding up against the Buckeyes’ pressure.
“It was nice to get in that rhythm,” Duncan said, “and just wish we could have started earlier.”
Ohio State defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson, top, tackles UCLA running back Jaivian Thomas during the first half Saturday.
(Jay LaPrete / Associated Press)
Playcaller Jerry Neuheisel tried to help Duncan with a game plan that called for lots of short passes and a few direct snaps to running backs. It led to a relatively efficient performance from a quarterback who had not previously thrown a pass at the college level but did not help the Bruins build any momentum as they managed only two first downs in the first half.
“He had his little package of plays that we had for him,” Skipper said. “We were trying to get him going, you know, get him to ease into the game.”
UCLA didn’t cross midfield until wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. hauled in a 51-yard pass late in the third quarter. The Bruins eventually scored on Gilmer’s touchdown, but the momentum was only momentary given that the Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0) returned the resulting kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown as Lorenzo Styles Jr. successfully navigated the coverage.
“It was a no-DNA touchdown,” Skipper said, “I don’t think anybody touched him.”
Ohio State’s offense produced most of the memorable moments in building a 27-0 halftime lead. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith snagged a pass with one hand near the sideline, drawing audible amazement from the crowd of 104,168. Running back James Peoples hurdled UCLA defensive back Cole Martin on a 19-yard touchdown run, thrilling those fans anew.
Ohio State running back James Peoples, top, hurdles over UCLA defensive back Cole Martin to score a touchdown during the first half Saturday.
(Jay LaPrete / Associated Press)
Just when it seemed as if things couldn’t get worse for a team facing a 24-0 deficit in the final minute before halftime, Will Karoll’s punt went off the side of his foot and into the body of an Ohio State player. The Buckeyes kicked a field goal two plays later.
There was little slowing Ohio State’s offense. Running back Bo Jackson rushed for 112 yards and one touchdown and quarterback Julian Sayin completed his first 11 passes on the way to throwing for 184 yards and one touchdown before giving way to a backup midway through the fourth quarter.
The Bruins waved the white flag in the final two minutes, allowing Madden Iamaleava to make his collegiate debut in relief of Duncan.
Duncan said he found out he was starting Friday during a team meeting on the field, going on to lead the offense through a mock game.
“I gave him the [best] advice ever — just throw the ball to our color jersey,” Skipper cracked, “that’s all I told him.”
As Duncan warmed up more than two hours before kickoff, Nico Iamaleava stood behind his understudy, wearing sunglasses and the hood of his windbreaker pulled over his head. Duncan appeared confident and poised as he took underhanded tosses from a team manager and fired passes, even bopping his head ever so slightly as Blink-182’s “All the Small Things” blared over the stadium loudspeakers.
Duncan said Iamaleava rewatched plays on an iPad with him during the game, helping Duncan diagnose the Buckeyes’ defense. Other teammates encouraged Duncan, even after the score became lopsided.
“The whole O-line was cheering me on the whole time, and nobody got negative,” Duncan said. “It’s just a great group. No one gave up.”
Iamaleava was ruled out after he absorbed a series of punishing hits the previous weekend against Nebraska.
There was no relief in what he would see Saturday night.
Unbeaten Spain (5-0-0) is guaranteed direct qualification into the FIFA World Cup 2026 if they beat Turkiye in their last Group E fixture on Tuesday in Seville.
Armed with a three-point lead – and a huge goal difference – Luis de la Fuente’s side are in a highly advantageous position to clinch a 13th consecutive appearance at football’s global showpiece.
Turkiye (4-0-1), for their part, still have a mathematical chance to steal the top spot from Spain in their Matchday 10 finale – but they will need to rain down a plethora of goals on the reigning European champions to avoid the runners-up spot.
Here is all to know about their Group E return clash:
Current Group E standings (one fixture remaining):
Spain – 15 points (from five matches)
Turkiye – 12 points (from five matches)
Georgia – 3 points (from five matches)
Bulgaria – 0 points (from five matches)
How can Spain qualify for the World Cup?
Spain currently sits at the top of their Group E with five wins out of five fixtures and have a perfect record with 15 points.
Scenario 1:
A draw or a win in their final match against Turkiye would seal their spot at the 2026 World Cup with an insurmountable lead in the group.
Scenario 2:
A loss to Turkiye would mean both teams conclude the qualification period with 15 points from six matches – but with Spain having a vastly superior goal difference.
To finish first in Group E, Turkiye would have to pull off a stunning seven-goal victory away to Spain to pip La Roja for automatic World Cup qualification.
How can Turkiye qualify for the World Cup?
Turkiye sit in second position in Group E with 12 points – nine points clear of next-best Georgia.
Unless they can defeat Spain by seven goals, Turkiye will enter the UEFA playoff competition in March as the group runners-up.
Turkiye last took part in the World Cup finals in 2002, finishing a surprise third place in the tournament that was co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.
Spain’s Mikel Merino celebrates scoring his side’s fifth goal against Turkiye in their UEFA World Cup Qualifier Group E fixture at Konya Buyuksehir Arena, Konya, Turkiye on September 7, 2025 [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
What happened the last time Spain and Turkiye played?
Mikel Merino’s hat-trick helped Spain thrash hosts Turkiye 6-0 in their last World Cup qualifier on September 7.
The home side had no answer to Spain’s dominance, undone time and again by the visitors’ speed and finesse, with a helpless Turkish defence torn apart on every counterattack.
That loss remains Turkiye’s only defeat in Group E.
Will Lamine Yamal play for Spain?
Barcelona star forward Lamine Yamal will miss Spain’s final World Cup qualifier against Turkiye as he continues to manage an ongoing groin issue.
Yamal, 18, underwent a small procedure in Barcelona on November 10 to try and fix the problem. Doctors estimate his recovery time from the surgery at 7-10 days.
Star forward Lamine Yamal is one of several key players missing from Spain’s final Group E fixture against Turkiye on Tuesday [File: Murad Sezer/Reuters]
Head-to-head
Spain has never lost to Turkiye in the six international fixtures they have played since 2005.
Spain – won 5
Turkiye – won 0
Draws – 1
Form Guide:
Spain: W-W-W-W-W (UEFA World Cup qualifiers, most recent result last)
Turkiye: W-L-W-W-W (UEFA World Cup qualifiers, most recent result last)
Spain team news
In addition to Yamal’s unavailability, Spain heads into the Turkiye fixture without other key players Dani Carvajal, Pedri and Rodri.
Dean Huijsen is also questionable with a groin issue and is likely to be a game-time decision for De la Fuente.
Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored eight goals in his last eight international appearances, will again be the No 1 choice to lead the line for Spain on Tuesday.
Turkiye team news
The Turkish Football Federation has officially ruled out Inter Milan midfield star Hakan Calhanoglu against Spain after he picked up a wrist injury during the previous international match against Bulgaria on Saturday.
Calhanoglu, who is the top goalscorer in Italy’s top-flight Serie A this season, will likely be replaced in an attacking midfield position by Isak Vural, who has been brought into the squad.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella will almost certainly be without Galatasaray defender Kaan Ayhan, who is highly questionable after he was substituted on Saturday with a groin injury.
Midfielder Ismail Yuksek will serve a one-match ban after picking up a second yellow card in the qualifying campaign against Bulgaria.
Hakan Calhanoglu’s omission from the Turkiye side to play Spain makes their monumental task of outscoring the European champions by seven goals all the more difficult [Umit Bektas/Reuters]
The Spain head coach is not taking his team’s unbeaten Group E run for granted before Tuesday’s fixture with Turkiye.
“Our aim is to qualify for the [FIFA] World Cup,” he said.
“Regardless of the results in this phase, we want to win to secure our place in the qualifiers, and that means fighting, working hard and doing things right to give ourselves the best chance of winning.
“It’s very difficult to win and we want to continue on our path, but one game at a time and one day at a time,” De la Fuente said.
“Every now and then it’s good to keep our feet on the ground. What this team is doing is very difficult, but we want to keep improving.”
Montella:
The Turkiye head coach has deployed a strong tactical game plan against Spain, but concedes his side’s chances of overtaking the European champions in the points table are slim.
“It [the fixture] won’t have much effect on the points table, but it’s important for us nonetheless,” he said. “I believe in my players.”
When and where is the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The tournament is being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The first match will be played in Mexico City on June 11, while the final will be staged in New Jersey, US, on July 19.
Due to the expansion of the tournament – from 32 teams to 48 – the 39-day event is the longest in its history.
The MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, US, will stage the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on July 19 [File: Kena Betancur/VIEWpress via Getty Images]
How could Scotland start so poorly and finish so impressively?
“Was it because we’ve got that mindset where a point might do, so it’s cautious?” Dodds wondered. “Maybe the cautious approach came from what we needed out of the game, but then we realised at the end, we’re desperate and we nearly did it, but it didn’t really matter in the end, did it?
“It’s all about energy and belief. That’s when we’re at our best. It’s about having a go.”
McFadden thought “lousy defending” and “a nervousness” from their previous recent meetings with Greece contributed to Saturday’s eventful defeat.
“I thought our press was really poor,” he said. “They found it far too easy to play in the areas they wanted to play and we didn’t stop them.
“The distances were too big between defence and midfield and attack, so the press was never going to work, but then the second half started much better, much more aggressive, we’re getting players forward.
“You look at Andy Robertson’s cross for Ryan Christie’s goal. Earlier in the game, he probably turns back, because it’s not perfect, it’s bouncing.
“Earlier, John McGinn wasn’t driving forward, Scott McTominay wasn’t driving forward. We are at our best when McGinn’s driving forward, when McTominay’s getting into the box, when Robertson’s getting up the line and getting crosses into the box and, for whatever reason, the last three games have not been like that.”
Clarke said afterwards that “we need to believe in ourselves more”.
“I don’t know why they don’t believe in themselves, being the players we all know they can be,” McFadden said, recalling the struggle to beat Belarus at Hampden.
“I don’t know if it’s lack of belief, I don’t know if it’s confidence, but when you watch players and they’re doing things they don’t normally do, not for the better of the team, then you start to think is it maybe time for some of these players to be replaced and then you see them driving forward and playing how they can play.
“Is it because it’s a World Cup and there’s a real fear of failure?”
LAS VEGAS — Gabriela Jaquez scored 17 points to lead six UCLA players in double figures, and the No. 3 Bruins dominated from the beginning to beat South Florida 94-61 on Saturday night in the WBCA Challenge.
Charlisse Leger-Walker added 16 points for the Bruins, including 12 in the first quarter.
Katie Davidson led South Florida (2-2) with 16 points, and Stefanie Ingram scored 13.
UCLA controlled the entire game and was especially effective inside in outscoring the Bulls 56-18 in the lane. The Bruins also made 61% of their shots.
They scored the game’s first 14 points and led 29-8 after the first quarter. Underscoring the total team dominance, usual standouts Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts combined for just two points. They later made their presence felt with Betts scoring 14 points and Rice 12.
UCLA is showing all signs of a team that looks primed to return to the Final Four for the second year a row. In addition to this victory, the Bruins beat two ranked teams this past week — No. 6 Oklahoma 73-59 and No. 11 North Carolina 78-60 — by double digits.
They will have a chance to build on their resume when the Bruins return to Las Vegas in two weeks to play in the Players Era in which three of the four teams are ranked in the top four.
South Florida is playing under interim coach Michele Woods-Baxter, though she is in her 18th season in the program. She stepped into that role when the WNBA’s Dallas Wings hired Jose Fernandez, the Bulls’ coach for 25 seasons, before South Florida’s season opened.
Boland looked likely to be a reserve to the first-choice Australia pace attack in this series, but will now be in the Australia XI for the opening Test following injuries to captain Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood.
Boland and Mitchell Starc will probably be joined by uncapped 31-year-old Brendan Doggett as the specialist seamers.
“Obviously you don’t want to be missing two great players like Josh and Pat,” said Boland.
“Our bowling stocks have been really strong for quite a while – no one has been able to break in.
“It’s going to be an exciting time. A new guy or two will get a look in. They’re not inexperienced guys. Brendan is 31 years old, he’s played a lot of first-class cricket and he knows his game. He knows what he’s going to need to do to express his skills out on the big stage.”
Cummins appeared to be bowling at full pace in the nets on Monday as he builds towards a return for the second Test in Brisbane.
England’s method of attacking batting is going to be tested on what is expected to be a lively surface at Perth Stadium.
The tourists’ stroke-makers will also have to adapt to vast playing areas at Australian grounds, much larger than the Test venues in the UK.
“I’m sure it will help us,” said Boland, speaking at Perth Stadium. “Balls that would go over the fence in England have a longer way to go at grounds like here, the MCG and the Gabba in Brisbane.
“It’s the same for them. Their bowlers when they bowl their short balls, you have to hit it 85 metres instead of 65, so it’s a big difference.”
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown scored 33 points and had 13 rebounds, Payton Pritchard added 30 points and the Boston Celtics held off the Clippers for a 121-118 victory on Sunday.
Derrick White scored 22 points with nine assists and seven rebounds, and Neemias Queta chipped in with 14 points and nine boards for Boston.
Playing for the first time since beating Memphis by 37 points at home Wednesday, the Celtics nearly blew a 24-point, third-quarter lead but never trailed en route to their second straight victory.
Coming off his 82nd career triple-double with 41 points in a double-overtime victory at Dallas on Friday, James Harden scored 32 of his 37 points in the second half to lead the Clippers. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 boards.
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. was injured in a collision with Brown in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Brown’s arm struck Jones’ leg. Jones grabbed his knee as he fell to the floor and was rolling in pain before slowly getting up and being helped to the locker room, barely putting any weight on the leg. Brown was whistled for a foul on the play.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue comforts forward Derrick Jones Jr., who holds his knee after he was injured in the game against the host Celtics on Sunday.
(Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press)
The 28-year-old Jones has started all 13 games this season and entered averaging 10.9 points.
With Jones out, the Clippers rallied. They made it 119-118 on Harden’s three with two seconds left, but Pritchard was fouled and hit two free throws.
Harden had an open look at a potential tying three-pointer, but it hit off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
After the Clippers sliced it to 90-85 at the end of the third, Brown scored 11 of Boston’s initial 16 points in the final quarter to keep the Celtics in control, mixing a three-pointer with a conventional three-point play and a couple of mid-range jumpers.
Boston had opened it to 76-52 midway into the third behind two three-pointers from Pritchard, who was eight of 13 overall on three-point attempts.
The Clippers closed it to 90-85 with a 12-4 run that was capped by Harden’s left-wing three with 2.4 seconds left.
The Clippers play a Philadelphia on Monday, the third of a seven-game road trip.
Forward Adrian Kempe agreed to an eight-year, $85-million contract to stay with the Kings, a person with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because the Kings hadn’t announced their deal with the 29-year-old Kempe, who would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer. The deal extends through the 2033-34 season and has an average annual value of $10.625 million.
Kempe has been the Kings’ most dependable offensive player over the last four seasons, earning an All-Star selection in 2022 and leading the Kings to four straight playoff appearances. The Swedish right wing has 200 goals and 220 assists in a 10-year career spent entirely with the Kings, which drafted him with the 29th overall pick in 2014.
Kempe scored a career-high 41 goals during the 2022-23 season and has four consecutive 25-goal seasons. He leads the Kings with six goals and 13 assists in 19 games this season while playing extensively on special teams.
Kempe is also on Sweden’s initial roster for the 2026 Olympics.
Re-signing Kempe has been a top priority for new Kings general manager Ken Holland, who said he wanted to maintain a foundation of leadership and talent when longtime captain Anze Kopitar retires next year. But negotiations with Kempe stretched from the summer into the season, leading to increasing speculation that Kempe would hit the open market next year.
Instead, Kempe joins the list of potential 2026 free agents who re-signed with their teams in the last two months. Connor McDavid, Martin Necas, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov all committed to their respective teams recently.
The Kings (10-5-4) rebounded from a slow start with four consecutive victories on their six-game road swing. They play at Washington on Monday.
Since the US Open, Sinner has focused on being more aggressive with his serving – which led to him being broken only once during his five matches in Turin – and playing with more variety.
Both facets were evident against Alcaraz.
When Alcaraz had a chance to win the first set at 6-5 on Sinner’s serve, the Italian nervelessly sent down a 117mph second serve to his opponent’s backhand to save the break point.
A pair of unreturnable first serves followed and enabled Sinner to force a tie-break which he then controlled.
In the second set, with Alcaraz hampered by a hamstring injury which required strapping, Sinner began to use more drop shots and it was notably one which saved a break point in the seventh game.
Breaking Alcaraz again in what proved to be the final game meant Sinner lifted the trophy without dropping a set.
“You are definitely a player I look up to,” Sinner, who stretched his unbeaten record indoors to 31 matches, told Alcaraz in his winner’s speech.
“[You give me] a lot of motivation – I need this – in every practice session with a big, big purpose.
“I hope to see you again next year with, hopefully, great, great battles ahead of us.”
The tickertape had not even settled on the Turin court.
Yet the platitudes exchanged by the pair – who appear to have a genuine warmth in a relationship – indicated they are already looking forward to locking horns again in the 2026 season.
A lot of tennis fans are also licking their lips about seeing Sinner and Alcaraz going head-to-head again – and lamenting it will not happen again for at least another couple of months.
A rendezvous in the Australian Open final, with Sinner looking to defend his Melbourne crown and Alcaraz aiming to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, would be their dream.
On the evidence of this season and this latest encounter, few would bet against it.
No. 1 Nebraska displayed every skill that’s made it a powerhouse program — the offense attacked every part of the court, defense never gave up on the ball and the fans showed up at the Galen Center.
In front of a sellout crowd of 9,072, USC’s nine-match win streak came to an end with a straight-set loss to Nebraska (26-0, 16-0 Big Ten).
“I just felt like the game was a little too fast for us today,” USC coach Brad Keller said. “I thought it was slow for them and fast for us.”
The No. 17 Trojans never led and were limited to a 20% point scoring percentage throughout the match. USC (20-6, 11-5) led in attacks, but its 16 errors were costly during the 25-13, 25-16, 25-20 loss to the Cornhuskers.
USC’s Adonia Faumuina taps the ball over the net against Nebraska at the Galen Center on Sunday.
(Kim Ly / USC Athletics)
“Nebraska is the real deal,” Keller said. “They are really, really good and they showed that today from point one to the very end. They’re hitting .400 and they held us down to .156, that kind of shows you a lot of where they were.
“Go Big Red Nation deserves credit and they deserve the fact that they travel and they support their team.”
USC outside hitters London Wijay, with 10 kills, and Adonia Faumuina, with nine kills, kept the Trojans in as much as possible throughout the three sets. After a break, the Trojans came out with some extra gusto to make things a little interesting for the Cornhuskers.
“We literally had nothing to lose,” Faumuina said.
During the match, Nebraska made 10 errors, with five spread across the first two sets. The Huskers moved the ball quickly around the court and if they made a mistake, the team quickly adjusted. In the third set, a ball bounced in the air close to the floor seats. Nebraska saved the ball and it later led to a kill by Virginia Adrian that put the Huskers three points from closing out the game.
Nebraska kept USC guessing, while exploiting the weaker USC back court and capitalizing on attacking errors. Throughout the match, they kept hitting the ball to the back, usually resulting in a point for them.
“There were some plays they made that I haven’t seen in a while and that was normal for them,” Keller said.
As the Trojans look ahead to their next match against Oregon on Wednesday, Keller doesn’t have a silver lining take-away from the loss.
“I love my team, I don’t care what their age is,” Keller said. “There needs to be a standard and we need to execute and if we don’t execute, we go back to the drawing board, we work on those things, we get better and we execute.”
Wijay said the loss exposed how much harder the Trojans must work to achieve their goals.
“I don’t want to brush off this loss,” Wijay said. “I think it’s good to use as fuel for the next game. It was a good test to see how far we are to get to that level. And I feel like the silver lining is to make sure that we’re all gonna be in the gym working even harder to make sure that we pursue the balls.”
“I think it made me more hungry to want to win,” Wijay added.
Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz for just the second time this year and defended his ATP Finals crown in Turin.
Published On 17 Nov 202517 Nov 2025
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Italy’s Jannik Sinner retained his ATP Finals title on Sunday, sending the Turin crowd wild as he battled past Spanish world number one and rival Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(4) 7-5 in the decider to the season-ending championships.
Sinner, backed by a raucous Italian crowd, fell to the floor after breaking his rival’s serve in the final game before racing to celebrate with his team as chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Sinner, Sinner” rang around the Inalpi Arena.
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“Finishing in front of the Italian public was a fantastic thing, maybe even better than last year. Thank you very much for the support, it was incredible,” Sinner said.
“Thanks to all of you, it felt like being on a football pitch.”
In a season defined and dominated by the rivalry between the two players, it seemed inevitable that they would meet in the title clash, and both obliged by easing through the tournament unbeaten to set up one last dance in Turin.
Sinner hits a return to Alcaraz during the final match at the ATP Finals [Marco Bertorello/AFP]
Sinner under pressure
Alcaraz forced the only break point in the first set, but Sinner held firm and brought the crowd to its feet with a tiebreak win and sealed the match when the Spaniard was unable to hold while serving to stay in the contest.
Sinner missed out on ending the year as world number one to Alcaraz after the Spaniard won his three round-robin matches this week, but the Italian won the last act of 2025 to crown the best season of his career.
The 24-year-old reached the final of all four Grand Slams, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while Alcaraz has also had a stellar year, winning Roland Garros and the US Open, beating Sinner in both finals.
“Hopefully you’re going to be ready for next year,” Alcaraz said with a smile.
“Because I will be ready.”
Alcaraz put Sinner to the test in Turin, but despite not being at his best and struggling with his service game – which had powered him past opponents all week – the Italian held his nerve.
Sinner won his opening service game to love with Alcaraz responding in kind, and at 2-2 the Spaniard forced deuce before a medical emergency in the stands led to a 10-minute break, the duo chatting over the net, belying the tension in the arena and on court.
When play resumed, Sinner advanced to the net to slam down a winning volley and fired an ace to hold. Alcaraz required a medical time-out during the break at 5-4 up before forcing the first break point of the match at 6-5.
Sinner survived and after letting slip a mini-break in the tiebreak, the champion brought the crowd to its feet, smashing down a lob after Alcaraz had chased back to return a drop shot and then catching out the Spaniard with a lob of his own to take the first set.
The Spaniard had chances to take the final the distance, breaking the Italian in the opening game of the second set, where Sinner hit two double faults. Yet Sinner came back to level the set at 3-3 and came through when it counted.
Sinner arrived in the final on a remarkable indoor hardcourt winning run of 30 matches since losing to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 decider in Turin, also the last time the Italian dropped a set in the competition.
Appearing in his third successive final in the season-ender, Sinner had lost four of his previous five meetings with Alcaraz this year, which all came in finals, but he was not to be denied in Turin, where his win earned him a record $5.07m in prize money.
Sinner, left, is congratulated by Alcaraz at the end of their match [Marco Bertorello/AFP]
Portugal recovered from a shock loss to Ireland on Thursday to qualify, while Norway is through for the first time since 1998.
Portugal booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup with a 9-1 victory over Armenia on Sunday, while an Erling Haaland brace rubber-stamped Norway’s place in the global showpiece as they romped to a 4-1 win in Italy.
After being held by Hungary and then stunned by the Republic of Ireland last time out, Portugal sealed top spot in Group F at the third time of asking with a resounding win over bottom-side Armenia.
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In the absence of the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, star midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves both scored hat-tricks as the Portuguese ran riot in Porto.
Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao were also on the scoresheet.
“The most important thing was qualifying for the World Cup,” Paris Saint-Germain linchpin Neves told RTP.
“For me, as I always say, the team always comes before the individual. I’m very happy to have scored my first goal for the national team, and my second and third as well.”
Portugal will compete in a seventh consecutive edition of the World Cup, a tournament which the Euro 2016 champions have yet to win.
“We’re at the World Cup! Let’s go, Portugal!” Ronaldo posted on social media.
The striker could miss the start of the tournament depending on whether FIFA extend his suspension beyond the mandatory one-match ban he served against Armenia.
Ireland sewed up the playoff place in the group thanks to Troy Parrott’s 96th-minute hat-trick goal, handing them a 3-2 win over third-placed Hungary.
Daniel Lukacs gave the hosts the lead in Hungary after four minutes, before Parrott levelled from 12 yards shortly afterwards.
Barnabas Varga’s 37th-minute goal looked to have been enough for Hungary to seal second spot until 23-year-old Parrott notched his fourth and fifth international goals this week.
Parrott was the hero with his brace in Thursday’s 2-0 defeat of Portugal, and he struck to equalise again for Ireland with 10 minutes remaining in the Hungarian capital.
The AZ Alkmaar forward then sparked wild Irish celebrations as he prodded home Liam Scales’s knockdown deep into injury time to send Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side into March’s playoffs.
Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes scores a hat-trick against Armenia from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute [Luis Vieira/AP Photo]
‘Absolutely insane’
Italy needed a miracle in Milan to pip Norway to first place in Group I due to the visitors’ gargantuan goal difference advantage.
Pio Esposito scored early at the San Siro to give the home side the faintest of hopes, but they were unable to again break down stubborn Norwegian defending as Stale Solbakken’s side held firm.
Antonio Nusa levelled just after the hour before Haaland, inevitably, netted twice in 60 seconds to turn the tie on its head. Jorgen Strand Larsen then put gloss on the result in injury time as Norway romped to an eighth win from eight outings.
It will be Norway’s first appearance at the World Cup in 28 years.
“I’m happy, but more relieved. There’s a lot of pressure and stuff, and I feel it. But it’s fun,” Haaland, who netted 16 goals across the campaign, told TV 2.
“It’s indescribable. Absolutely insane. The way we did it is absolutely incredible. It’s huge,” Martin Odegaard said.
Israel beat Moldova 4-1 but finished six points adrift of second-placed Italy, who go into the playoffs.
France booked their place in next year’s tournament in North America with a win over Ukraine earlier in the week, and a much-changed side concluded their campaign with a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan.
Ukraine saw off Iceland 2-0 thanks to two strikes inside the final 10 minutes from Oleksandr Zubkov and Oleksii Hutsuliak to claim second place in Group D.
Thomas Tuchel’s England completed a perfect group-stage performance as they won 2-0 against Albania to finish their campaign with a 100 percent record, featuring 22 goals scored and zero conceded – a European record for a team playing at least six qualifying matches.
“I think it’s as good [a squad] as we’ve ever had,” Harry Kane, who scored both England goals, told ITV.
“I think when you look at the starting 11, you look at the players coming off the bench, we’re going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites.”
With Albania already assured of second place, Serbia beat Latvia 2-1 in a dead-rubber in Group K’s other match.
Norway’s captain Erling Haaland and teammate Julian Ryerson celebrate their victory at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2026 European qualification match between Italy and Norway, at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, on November 16, 2025 [Alberto Pizzoli/AFP]
The accomplished manner in which Rogers has taken to the England stage has given Tuchel a wonderful conundrum, while the searing heat at next summer’s World Cup means he is likely to deploy “starters” and “finishers”, Bellingham and Rogers can do both.
Rogers has an avid admirer in Tuchel. He has made 10 appearances under him, starting six games and playing for a total of 531 minutes. Bellingham has started four, playing 374 minutes in total.
Tuchel will not duck big decisions. He will not indulge in star systems or simply pack his team with the biggest names.
So who will start?
For all Rogers’ impressive work, Bellingham has proved he can deliver game-changing moments at the highest level, his status also confirmed when Albania’s Kristjan Asllani asked him to swap shirts at half-time rather than risk leaving it until the end.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer also has the ability and class to force his way into the squad if he can recover from his groin injury.
In reality, however, it looks like a choice between Bellingham and Rogers.
Bellingham’s greater experience of the rarefied air of major competitions will surely just give him the edge when Tuchel names his team for England’s first World Cup game.
On the day the Rams donned black uniforms for the first and only time this season, the offense largely went dark.
Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford cooled. Star receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua struggled to consistently make the clutch plays that they often make look routine.
But safety Kamren Kinchens and the Rams’ defense managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay — just barely.
Kinchens intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Darious Williams also picked off passes as the Rams held off the Seahawks for a 21-19 victory Sunday before 75,323 at SoFi Stadium that was not secured until Seattle’s Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field goal as time expired.
Stafford tossed touchdown passes to Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson, and Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown as the Rams improved to 8-2, extended their winning streak to five games and assumed sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
The Rams can thank Kinchens, a second-year safety who has six career interceptions, including four against the Seahawks. His interceptions set up Williams’ touchdown in the first quarter and Parkinson’s in the fourth.
The Rams went into the game having scored at least 34 points in each of their last three games. But that production was absent against a Seahawks team that fell to 7-3 and had its four-game winning streak end.
Stafford increased his league-leading total of touchdown passes to 27 and did not have a pass intercepted for the seventh consecutive game. But the 17th-year pro was not as sharp as he had been during a stretch that put him in the conversation for NFL most valuable player. Stafford completed 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards.
Stafford enjoyed a banner day compared to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Rams’ front pressured Darnold into multiple poor decisions, and Kinchens, Durant and Williams made him pay. Darnold completed 29 of 44 passes for 279 yards with four interceptions.
Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was on pace to set an NFL record for yards receiving in a season, caught nine passes for 105 yards. But he did not score.
Cooper Kupp, the former Rams star making his return to SoFi Stadium, did not have a catch in the first three quarters but had three during a late scoring drive that trimmed the Rams’ lead to two points.
The Rams led 14-9 at halftime on Williams’ one-yard touchdown run and Stafford’s one-yard touchdown pass to Adams.
It was a satisfying situation for the Rams, whose first drive ended at the Seahawks’ eight-yard line when Stafford’s fourth-down pass to tight end Tyler Higbee fell incomplete.
Kinchens’ 31-yard interception return, however, set up Williams’ touchdown. And after Myers kicked the first of three first-half field goals for the Seahawks, Stafford led a long drive that ended with Adams’ 1,000th career reception and his 10th touchdown catch of the season.
The Rams had an opportunity to seize control early in the third quarter when Durant returned an interception to the Seahawks’ 35-yard line. But two plays later, Nacua lost a fumble after making a catch.
Myers’ fourth field goal pulled the Seahawks to within 14-12 midway through the third. But Kinchens intercepted another pass late in the quarter, setting up Stafford’s six-yard touchdown pass to Parkinson for a 21-12 lead.
Still, the Rams struggled to put away the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker III’s one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter pulled the Seahawks to within 21-19 with 2:23 left.
After Ethan Evans’ punt pinned them at the one-yard line, the Seahawks got the ball back with 1:40 left and drove 56 yards in nine plays.
But Myers could not match his career-best 61-yard field goal against the Rams in 2020. This time it went wide right.
The Rams play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) next Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Unable to handle Jacksonville’s ground game or its pass rush, the Chargers offered little resistance in a 35-6 defeat under blue skies at EverBank Stadium.
It was the worst loss of Jim Harbaugh’s 1½ seasons with the Chargers, and the club’s worst loss since a 63-21 thrashing by the Raiders on Dec. 14, 2023.
The Chargers proved as mild as the balmy weather, mustering a pair of field goals and making the Jaguars look like playoff contenders, even though Jacksonville had lost three of its previous four games.
The Jaguars ran for 192 yards — the Chargers got 42 in that department — and won the time-of-possession battle by almost 16 minutes.
Justin Herbert took a beating, spending some time in the blue medical tent, as the Chargers’ offensive line woes came home to roost in a big way. He was under heavy pressure on most of his drop-backs even though Jacksonville entered the game tied for last in sacks.
Three starters missing from the Jacksonville secondary? That didn’t seem to bother the Jaguars a bit, as Herbert was limited to 81 yards passing with an interception, and was sacked three times. He oversaw a Chargers offense that gained a total of five yards in its first three second-half possessions.
Herbert mercifully was replaced in the fourth quarter by backup Trey Lance, with the game long since decided. In fact, the Chargers pulled most of their starters with 11 minutes remaining.
Jacksonville was the scene of the crime where three years ago the Chargers blew a 27-point lead in a first-round playoff loss to the Jaguars.
Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey is tackled by Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard in the first half Sunday.
(Mike Carlson / Getty Images)
The first half Sunday was a forgettable one for the Chargers, who made their way to the locker room in a 14-6 hole.
Their biggest concern was Herbert, who was slammed to the turf on a fourth-down drop-back with 29 seconds to play.
The play had been whistled dead — left tackle Trevor Penning was lined up wrong — but that didn’t stop Jaguars defensive end B.J. Green from racing around the edge and obliterating the star quarterback. The Chargers didn’t even get the benefit of the roughing-the-passer call, as the penalties were offsetting.
Herbert headed to the blue medical tent and Lance began warming up.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh looks down on the sideline during a 35-6 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
(Doug Murray / Associated Press)
Chargers running back Kimani Vidal, promoted from the practice squad earlier this season after the team’s top two backs were injured, spent much of the first half on the sideline with a leg injury. The Chargers had promoted two more practice-squad running backs to play behind him.
In shambles is the Chargers’ offensive line. Penning, acquired in a trade with New Orleans two weeks ago, made his debut as the starting left tackle. Like his team, he struggled mightily all day.
DR Congo reach inter-confederation playoffs for 2026 World Cup after beating favourites Nigeria on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Published On 16 Nov 202516 Nov 2025
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo kept their hopes of a World Cup place alive as they edged Nigeria 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time to win the African qualifying playoffs in Morocco.
DR Congo now await the draw on Thursday for the inter-confederation playoffs in March where six teams will chase two places at the 48-team finals.
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Captain Chancel Mbemba converted the decisive kick on Sunday after Congolese substitute goalkeeper Timothy Fayulu, brought on a minute before the shootout, made two saves in the shootout.
Frank Onyeka had Nigeria ahead in the third minute but Meschack Elia equalised for the two sides to be level 1-1 after extra time.
The mini-tournament in Rabat was for the best runners-up across the nine African qualifying groups, whose fixtures were completed last month with the nine winners automatically booking a berth at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States next year.
Nigeria, who have been to six previous World Cups, were off to a perfect start as the Congolese cleared an early cross but only onto the edge of their penalty area where Onyeka snapped up the ball and powered home an effort, helped into the net by a slight deflection off Axel Tuanzebe.
But the Congolese could have been level within nine minutes had Ngal’ayel Mukau not put his close-in effort over the crossbar after Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali had flapped at the ball.
They did equalise in the 32nd minute after Alex Iwobi had been stripped of possession inside the Congolese half, and a quick counter saw Cedric Bakambu square for Elia to score despite the efforts of Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi to intercept the ball.
A clever backheel at a corner early in the second half from Bakambu saw Nwabali make a sharp stop, and there looked a decent penalty shout for the Congolese as Noah Sadiki was upended by Benjamin Fredrick in the Nigeria box in the 55th minute, but the referee did not show any interest, and there was no VAR check.
DR Congo looked more ambitious as the contest wore on, but it was characterised by a wary approach from both sides, keen not to make any mistakes with so much at stake.
Nigeria needed extra time to get past Gabon in their Thursday semifinal and looked much more fatigued than their opponents, who beat Cameroon inside 90 minutes in their semi later the same night.
There were two opportunities in extra time on either end, with Nigerian substitute Tolu Arokodare heading over and then with the last effort of the game, Mbemba had his effort saved by Nwabali.
DR Congo went on to hold their nerve in the shootout and still have a chance to compete at their first World Cup since 1974, when the country was still known as Zaire.
Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Cape Verde, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Tunisia have already qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup from Africa.
Bolivia from South America and New Caledonia from Oceania have already reached the six-team continental playoffs.
In Asia, the UAE host Iraq in their second leg on Tuesday to decide another playoff entrant. The first leg was 1-1.
Also included will be the best two group runners-up from the North American, Central American and Caribbean federation once normally qualifying ends on Tuesday.
Europe has its own playoff system for the remaining non-automatic berths for the 48-team World Cup.
After a whirlwind first couple of years on the tour, the last thing for Littler to accomplish was the world-number-one ranking.
Humphries had topped the PDC Order of Merit since winning the 2024 World Championships but Littler had been gradually chipping away at his rival’s lead and eventually completed his ascension at the Grand Slam of Darts.
He won 10 of the last 11 legs to beat Danny Noppert in the semi-finals and secure top spot in the rankings, even before the final against Humphries.
He went on to win that 16-11, winning 10 of the final 13 legs to secure back-to-back titles.
“I am the best in the world, I can finally say. World number one, you are the best in the world. To top it off by going back-to-back here makes it even more special.
“Now I’m number one, I’m hungry to stay there. I want to be there for the next few years. There’s going to be a target on my back from Luke and all the other players. It’s made me more hungry.
“Now I’ve got the number one spot and he wants it back. We’re going to be battling even more, I think we’re going to playing well because obviously he wants it back and I don’t want to give it away. You’re going to see many more great games.
“It definitely is war because if someone takes it off you then you want it back. You don’t want to be second. It’s taken me 19 or 20 months to get to world number one so now I want to stay there for a few years.”
