Garrett Mitchell tripled and scored the tiebreaking run in the fifth inning before making a pivotal catch on Manny Machado’s drive to the wall in the eighth, and the Milwaukee Brewers advanced to the National League Championship Series for the second straight season with a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night, winning their best-of-five Division Series in four games.
Mitchell also drove in Sal Frelick with Milwaukee’s first run as the Brewers ended their 12-game postseason road losing streak and reached the team’s fifth League Championship Series.
Machado nearly tied Game 4 with a 406-foot drive off reliever Abner Uribe, but Mitchell coolly tracked it down and reached just above the short wall in right-center to keep it in the yard.
Second baseman Brice Turang then ended the eighth with an acrobatic catch of Ty France’s tailing popup in foul ground.
After fending off the surging Padres in four tight games decided by a combined five runs, the 103-win Brewers will get an NLCS rematch with the Dodgers, who eliminated Atlanta on Wednesday.
The Dodgers swept Milwaukee last October on the way to their second consecutive World Series title.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a 429-foot homer on an otherwise tepid offensive night for the Padres, who repeatedly tested the majors’ best regular-season team before falling short of only the fourth NLCS appearance in team history.
One night after the Padres avoided elimination in Game 3, Milwaukee claimed its first road playoff win since the 2018 NLCS by sticking to its season-long formula for success.
While four Brewers pitchers combined on a three-hitter and the defense made nearly every big play, Milwaukee’s lineup calmly worked counts, pounded 10 hits through the Padres’ defense and manufactured enough runs to head home smiling.
Game 2 hero Jackson Chourio capped his high-impact series by driving in Mitchell to become the Brewers’ career leader in postseason RBIs at just 22 years old. Chourio has 17 RBIs, including six in this series, in 16 playoff games.
Milwaukee opened the scoring in the third when Frelick reached on an infield single, stole second and came around on a single by Mitchell, an Orange County native and UCLA product.
Brewers starter and former Padres draft pick Robert Gasser threw four innings of three-hit ball, but Tatis ended his 1-for-19 skid since San Diego’s playoff opener with a long shot to center in the third. It was the longest homer ever hit in the postseason at Petco Park by a San Diego player.
Padres starter Walker Buehler yielded just three hits and a run, but manager Craig Stammen replaced him with Game 1 starter Robbie Ray after William Contreras’ leadoff single in the fourth.
Mitchell then stroked a mild liner perfectly over first base and into the right-field corner leading off the fifth, and he scored on Chourio’s single through the drawn-in infield. Chourio surpassed Ryan Braun for the most postseason RBIs in Brewers history.
Jake Bauers singled leading off the sixth and went to third on Cooper Pratt’s ground-rule double before scoring on Frelick’s sacrifice fly.
The Padres were already down 3-1 in the seventh when Mason Miller allowed three baserunners, but no runs. The vaunted closer missed Game 3 for the birth of his first child.
After sitting below .500 and in 11th place in the NL in late July, San Diego roared into the first wild-card spot and then swept the Cubs in the wild-card series last week. The Padres had won 19 of 22 before losing three of four to Milwaukee.
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega says he intends to stand as a candidate in next year’s Fifa presidential election.
The 55-year-old is the first person to confirm they want to challenge Gianni Infantino, who has defied calls to step down in the wake of his failed plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors, which has sparked a major backlash across football.
A former Switzerland centre-back, Vega also played for Celtic and Watford and has worked in finance since retiring from football in 2004.
“I am standing to reunite the global football family, deliver genuine and lasting reform, modernise Fifa for the 21st Century, restore stability and credibility, and rebuild the trust that our game urgently needs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa – president of the Asian Football Confederation – has written to Infantino, distancing himself from an external review of Fifa’s governance system.
In his letter – seen by BBC Sport – Sheikh Salman proposes that Fifa’s council sets up a working group to examine potential reforms, “rather than being outsourced to an external party”.
Last month, Infantino said he was “fully committed to leading Fifa” despite Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation calling for him to quit.
Vega considered running for Fifa’s top job in 2015 following the suspension of former president Sepp Blatter.
Four years later he said he would stand against Infantino, but failed to garner enough support to be included in the ballot, having required the backing of five of Fifa’s 211 member federations.
Candidates must also be proposed by a member association and have played an active role in the game for two of the past five years, as well as passing an eligibility check by a review committee.
“I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game,” Vega said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
“Football does not belong to presidents, confederations or administrators. Football is greater than any position, any individual or any institution.
“It is the people’s game and belongs to everyone: the players, coaches, referees, supporters, volunteers, clubs, leagues, associations and communities that give football its life.
“It belongs to every child discovering the game, every professional carrying the hopes of a nation, and the billions of supporters whose passion makes football the world’s game.
“Football must always come first. Yet for too long, division has fractured our football family.
“The current leadership has demoralised the game. Weak governance has damaged Fifa’s credibility and eroded trust across the global football family. We must stop this conflict from escalating.
“Ego-driven battles within football administration must never be allowed to damage those who matter most: the players, coaches, referees and supporters around the world. They are not responsible for these conflicts. They deserve better.”
Vega concluded: “Football is in the emergency room, on life support. We cannot wait any longer. Fifa needs a new direction and fundamental reform.
“We must reunite the football family, restore trust, bring stability and modernise Fifa’s governance. This requires decisive change – not cosmetic adjustments.”
Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay has returned to training at Napoli following his recent heart surgery.
The 29-year-old’s ablation procedure – a minimally invasive operation to correct irregular heart rhythms – took place in Manchester last month and was described as “a complete success”.
And Napoli said: “On Wednesday, Scott McTominay underwent further diagnostic tests, which showed that he is fit to play.
“The Napoli player therefore resumed training with the rest of the team after the period spent training separately.”
McTominay was substituted after 56 minutes of Napoli’s 2-1 Serie A defeat by Como in August. A mild benign arrhythmia was discovered, prompting the corrective treatment.
According to the NHS,, external an arrhythmia is when the heart beats too quickly or too slowly, or the heartbeat is not steady.
The British Heart Foundation explains, external that a cardiac arrhythmia ablation involves using heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.
During his absence, McTominay missed four Scotland fixtures, including Tuesday’s Nations League defeat by Slovenia.
The Scots’ next games are against Switzerland and North Macedonia in November.
He pounded his chest twice as he left the batter’s box, and all of Dodgers nation rocked to the beat.
Andy Pages did it. He finally did it. He finally broke out of his baffling two-year October slump with a hit so powerful, he didn’t even have to climb over Kiké Hernández to get it.
How powerful? With one smooth swing he broke a tie by scoring two runs while sending two teams packing, the Atlanta Braves trudging home for the winter and the Dodgers charging into the National League Championship Series.
Yeah, it was a blast, both figuratively and literally, Pages’ two-out, two-strike bases-loaded single in the seventh inning Wednesday night silencing the lame tomahawk-chopping fans at Truist Park and giving the Dodgers an eventual clinching 4-1 victory against the Braves in the National League Division Series.
Dodger Andy Pages hits a two-RBI single against the Braves during Game 4 of the NLDS Wednesday in Atlanta.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Certainly, it only gets tougher from here. In winning this best-of-five series three games to one, the Dodgers can now prepare for a best-of-seven showdown task against either the mighty Milwaukee Brewers or blazing San Diego Padres.
Yes, they will need to hit better, they will need Blake Snell to find his focus, they will need Shohei Ohtani to show up.
But… Andy Pages! Seriously! If a guy who was seven for 66 in the last two postseasons and was so helpless last year he was benched for the last three games of the World Series… if that guy can drive in the winning run from the bottom of the order? The once-fallible Dodgers may just be unbeatable.
“There’s no more talented team than the Los Angeles Dodgers,” manager Dave Roberts shouted in the postgame clubhouse. “We’re the best organization in sports, top to bottom. We’re smarter, we’re better, and we’re tougher.”
At that point, someone referenced a recent comment from Padres owner José E. Feliciano insinuating that the Dodgers, baseball’s oldest team, was composed of dinosaurs.
“And we’re dinosaurs!” shouted a voice above the clubhouse din.
If they’re dinosaurs, their first initial is “T” and their last name is ‘Rex.”
It’s OK to start seriously thinking about a three-peat now. They’re now just eight wins away but, given how mediocre the American League playoff teams appear, they could realistically be just four wins away.
Here’s guessing that the NLCS will be the real World Series. And here’s guessing the Dodgers will be ready.
Pages, who won the hearts of Dodger fans last October when he made a leaping game-saving catch over the back of Kiké Hernández, was granted his first big October swing thanks to the Braves largess.
In the seventh inning of a 1-all tie, Teoscar Hernández redeemed himself for another fielding blunder with a single that finally drove dizzying Tyler Mahle from the game.
In came Game 2 rookie sensation Didier Fuentes, only this time, he was all rookie and zero sensation, walking Josue De Paula and Kyle Tucker to load the bases. Considering De Paula is just a kid and Tucker has been struggling, the fact that both showed such patience in such a pressure situation was pretty cool. And moments later, it got even cooler.
In came veteran reliever Robert Suarez, and Pages was ready for him, working the count full before lining the two-run single up the middle.
The Dodgers added a run two innings later on a Max Muncy home run — has there ever been a playoff game when he hasn’t homered? — to finalize the score.
Dodger Max Muncy celebrates after hitting a home run in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS against the Braves in Atlanta Wednesday.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
When the game ended on an Austin Riley fly out to right field, Pages celebrated in center field by taking off his cap, turning his face to the sky and pounding the cap three times into his glove.
It was a series that was worth the emotion, the Dodgers famous starting rotation giving up just four runs in 21 ⅓ innings, the bullpen solid behind a revived Edwin Díaz, and the offense doing just enough to beat Braves aces Chris Sale and Mahle.
In the fifth inning of a tie game, starter Tyler Glasnow issued walks to Riley and Michael Harris II. With two out, in came Alex Vesia. Up stepped slugger Matt Olson. The fans climbed to their feet. This was the Braves’ big chance.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz throws the ball against the Braves in the ninth inning Game 4 of the NLDS Wednesday in Atlanta.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
But Olson swung at the first pitch and lined it directly to second baseman Kiké Hernández to end the threat and quiet the joint. Díaz threw a hitless ninth for his second save of the series and…who’s going to beat them?
Afterward, Roberts referenced nearly half of his team when talking about his pride. He talked about Pages’ hit, about De Paula’s walk, about reliever Edgardo Henriquez’s 1 ⅔ shutout innings, about Muncy’s bat and Freddie Freeman’s glove.
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“I guess, amazement,” he said. “Our guys just continue to fight, persevere. You never know who the guy’s going to be.”
The only glaring weakness was, once again, the superstar who used to be their strength. Ohtani scored the Dodgers’ first run after drawing a walk but went hitless in three ensuing at-bats. He only got two hits in the four-game series and you have to wonder if his injury-wracked body would be better out of the lineup.
How well are they playing without the full services of their most historic player? On the verge of making history, the Dodgers don’t even miss him.
Pep Guardiola is expected to attend Manchester City‘s Champions League tie against Paris St-Germain next week – the club’s first home match since they were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
It will mark the first time the Spaniard has returned to Etihad Stadium since he left the club at the end of last season after a decade as manager.
Earlier this month, an independent commission found the club guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal against the findings in the Premier League’s report that stated the club falsely inflated commercial revenues by £830m through “sham” contracts.
In the aftermath of the verdict, 55-year-old Guardiola backed City’s owners and leadership and says he will “always” be behind the club.
“I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” he posted on social media.
“I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Soriano], the players, staff, Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters.
“Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”
Striker Harry Kane says he could reach 100 goals for England after equalling his country’s appearance record of 125, drawing praise from team-mates Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham.
Declan Rice is close to agreeing a new long-term Arsenal contract, sources have told BBC Sport.
The England midfielder has become a crucial player for the Gunners since his arrival from West Ham for £105m in July 2023.
His current deal expires at the end of next season but BBC Sport revealed in March that talks over a new contract were under way with the process now at an advanced stage.
The 27-year-old has made 165 appearances for Arsenal and helped the club end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title last term.
Rice would receive a significant increase to his reported £240,000-per-week salary, putting him on a par with the club’s best earner Bukayo Saka, who is believed to be paid about £350,000 a week.
While Rice withdrew from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad before the recent three-week camp, he has amassed 80 caps since switching his international allegiance from the Republic of Ireland in 2019.
After a slow start to the season, the New England quarterback seemed to return to his almost-MVP form from a year ago (he finished second in voting to the Rams’ Matthew Stafford) on Sunday during a 29-26 win over the previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills.
On Wednesday, Maye was announced as the AFC offensive player of the week for his efforts in that game, which included completing 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and rushing for 54 yards in eight attempts.
With Maye-mania surely back on track in New England, there was probably no better time for the third-year quarterback to casually drop that he kinda, sorta, maybe, possibly isn’t quite sure moon landings have ever actually happened.
During an appearance Monday on WEEI-FM (93.7) in Boston, Maye was asked by a caller, “What wild conspiracy theory out there do you actually kind of secretly believe in?”
Maye asked for a moment to think — “let me try not to get too controversial,” he said — before revealing his answer.
“I don’t know about the moon, you know?” Maye said. “I’m not really sure 200% if we went there or not. I wouldn’t say I’m leaning one way or the other. I just know I’m a little bit skeptical.”
Maye spent three years at North Carolina, including two as the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback. In 2022, he set a school record with 4,321 passing yards, tied another with 38 passing touchdowns and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year.
During his time at Chapel Hill, Maye said during the radio interview earlier this week, he took a class on conspiracy theories.
“They studied Hitler being alive and ‘are birds real?’ — some of the classic ones that you hear about,” Maye explained.
Asked to elaborate on the birds one, Maye said there are some who believe birds are actually instruments of the government used to spy on us — “or something along the lines of that,” he said.
Maye isn’t the only athlete who has expressed moon-landing doubt. In 2018, Stephen Curry said he didn’t think humans had ever been there, although two days later the Golden State Warriors superstar said that he was kidding.
Former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick reportedly posted one such theory on her Instagram Stories in 2024 and wrote that she believes it.
“I don’t care if you think I’m crazy,” she wrote. “I already know I am.”
Earlier this year, Boston Celtics guard Derrick Whitedescribed himself as a “non-moon landing guy.” Also, two-time major golf champion Bryson DeChambeausaid that while it’s likely that moon landings have happened, some of the footage we’ve been shown might have been fake.
Messi marked his final appearance for La Albiceleste with a goal before addressing the adoring fans in a speech lasting nearly 10 minutes.
Some of his team-mates were in tears as Messi admitted he did not want to leave the field.
“There are so many emotions going through me right now,” he said. “I’m surely forgetting many things I would like to say because this is a very difficult moment for me. The first person who comes to my mind is my dad.
“I leave grateful, proud and at peace. Thank you for everything.”
“I know I’m taking the right decision. It was an incredible journey, full of joy and some sadness, but I know for sure that every step I took was worth it.”
Messi also thanked his family, team-mates and clubs and paid tribute to another Argentina legend, the late Diego Maradona.
His Instagram post also drew a response from Ronaldo, who wrote: “Leo, after so many years of defending your country, you’ve made history that will last forever.
“I have the utmost respect for what you’ve accomplished with Argentina. A hug.”
Australia play their first Test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal when they start a three-match series in Durban on Friday, with the visitors unlikely to face more than a few heckles over the incident that rocked the sport eight years ago.
The tourists’ efforts to roughen up the ball using sandpaper to aid reverse swing in Cape Town in March 2018 were caught on camera and led to a major reckoning for the game in Australia, with captain Steve Smith among those banned for their role in the subterfuge.
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Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the first Test battle in South Africa since the infamous series.
What is the context for the first return of series since ‘Sandpapergate’
South Africa have played Tests in Australia since ‘Sandpapergate’, and Australia have toured South Africa in the interim for limited-overs internationals.
The scandal has attracted little media focus in South Africa over recent weeks in comparison to the attention devoted to the incident in the Australian press.
After dethroning Australia last year in a thrilling World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s to win a first major title, South Africa are focused on improving their chances of a return to the final at the end of the 2025–27 WTC cycle.
What shape are South Africa in for the visit of Australia?
The pitch at Kingsmead often proves a fickle track but should offer the spinners a chance to play a leading role in a change from South Africa’s usually seamer-friendly surfaces.
It is unusual for South Africa’s chances to be largely entrusted to their spin attack, but Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj wreaked havoc in India last November when they triumphed in their last two Test outings.
Spin was also a key factor for the home side as they beat Australia in the recent One-Day International series.
South Africa may therefore opt to rest frontline attack bowler Kagiso Rabada from the Test as he continues his comeback from a hamstring injury.
South Africa also have a choice to make over their number three batsman, with coach Shukri Conrad having several options including a potential first cap for 30-year-old Marques Ackerman.
How are Australia poised for their South Africa return?
Australia are also in need of a boost after a surprise home Test defeat by Bangladesh in August in their drawn series, and with an Ashes tour to England starting next June.
Injury to Australia all-rounder Cameron Green opens up a chance at number five for Cooper Connolly, or a fairytale return for 34-year-old Nic Maddinson after recovering from cancer.
Head hits back at former Australia players in defence of Test team
Australia opener Travis Head has taken to task former Test players turned critics whom he accused on Wednesday of “putting a bullet” through the current team.
Head did not single out any pundit directly, but his strong remarks at a news conference came the day after Matthew Hayden, one-time holder of the record for the most runs in a Test innings, accused selectors of “promoting the greatest pile of mediocrity that we’ve seen in a generation of cricket”.
The reference, made in a podcast, was about the recall of Maddinson, who has been out of Test cricket for nearly 10 years, but who joined the squad in South Africa after Josh Inglis fractured his finger and Cameron Green suffered a stomach injury.
“I think it’s unfairly judged a fair bit from a group of past players, pretty much that put the bullet through a lot of players, which I think is unfair,” Head said.
“But that’s what they’re paid to do. Some of them need a job, so they go after us, and that’s totally fine.
“This group is strong enough to deal with those sorts of things. That’s how it is. It’s unfortunate sometimes to have some of that feedback from a generation of players that we have huge respect for, but that’s the caper.”
Why have Australia selectors been accused of disrespecting cricket?
Hayden accused the selectors of “disrespecting first-class cricket”, asserting that batsmen should have an average of 45 runs or more before being considered for Test selection.
Head, however, praised Maddinson’s abilities and the benefits of choosing experienced players for Test cricket despite the 34-year-old replacement having a first-class average of 37.11.
“We need mature guys that know what they need to be doing,” Head said. “That revolves back to why we’ve been so good over a period of time, and why Australian cricket was so good back then in that era, because you’d bring in the Mike Husseys of the world, who are 30, who are tried and tested and know what they need to do.”
Former Australia captain Allan Border suggested that the 32-year-old Head would face his toughest test as an opener against the South African bowling attack and would perhaps be better batting at number five.
“I have laughed at a fair bit of it because if a traditional opening batter had pushed out the same sort of numbers in his first 20 innings, I think he’d be pretty safe and not talked about in the way that it has been talked about,” Head said. “It’s a lot of headline stuff.”
South African fans hold up a banner with reference to the sandpaper scandal during the fourth Test against Australia in 2018 [File: Gavin Barker/EPA]
Smith still traumatised by Sandpapergate
In the build-up to the series, Smith has admitted he is still traumatised by “Sandpapergate” – the series he oversaw as captain.
The prolific batter was sent home in disgrace, banned for a year and sacked as captain for his role in the ball-tampering scandal during the third Test in Cape Town eight years ago.
David Warner, considered the ringleader, was suspended for 12 months and stripped of all leadership roles, while Cameron Bancroft was slapped with a nine-month ban.
Smith said he still suffers flashbacks to a traumatic period of his life, haunted by memories of leaving Johannesburg airport, with cameras clicking furiously around him, and a harrowing Sydney news conference on his return when he broke down in tears.
“I’m not a big fan of cameras … I get anxious around cameras to be honest,” he told News Corp.
“That was a traumatic experience in my life, and when I hear the flash of a camera it makes me revisit that in a way.
“The 24-48 hours of being told by James Sutherland [then Cricket Australia chief executive] that I was getting banned for a year. That and going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing that press conference.
“I still have little flashbacks here and there of it.”
Smith bore the brunt of the scandal that is considered one of Australian sport’s darkest moments, but bounced back emphatically.
He smashed a superb century against England on his return and has gone from strength to strength, with 10,920 Test runs so far at an average of 56.
“It was certainly a difficult period, particularly the initial period a few days after,” he said.
“The mental state I was in was not great. That’s somewhere I’d like not to get to again, but I certainly learned from that and have been able to move forward with my life.
“I’ve tried to kind of erase a lot of 2018 and what happened,” he added.
“I can’t remember a lot about the series. I’ve tried to block most of it out of my memory bank.”
Smith has been back to South Africa for a white-ball series since 2018, but not for a Test, and he is bracing for hostile crowds.
But the 37-year-old is unperturbed, having negotiated multiple Ashes tours to England since 2018, where the Barmy Army abused him relentlessly.
“It’s something I’m kind of used to. I’ve copped a lot at times away from home at different venues across my career and it’s something that I take in my own stride,” he said.
“I use it as motivation to try and go out and do well and try and take a positive from it.”
Manchester United and Liverpool both eye Adrien Truffert, Tyler Morton is wanted by Newcastle and Martin Odegaard is the latest big name set to sign a new Arsenal deal.
Brazil and Athletico Paranaense defender Arthur Dias, 19, is being tracked by Barcelona having previously attracted an £18m bid from Tottenham. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, 27, is expected to join manager Mikel Arteta in signing a new long-term contract at the Emirates. (Teamtalk), external
Arsenalare ready to make a fresh attempt to lure Julian Alvarez, 26, to north London in January, with the Atletico Madrid and Argentina striker now seriously considering a move to the Gunners. (Teamtalk), external
Former Real Madrid full-back Dani Carvajal remains a free agent after the 34-year-old’s move to Getafe collapsed. (Goal), external
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are keen on Tottenham youngster Luca Williams-Barnett, who made his Spurs debut at the age of 16. (Sun), external
Rahm’s lawyer, John Beck, told the hearing the 31-year-old Spaniard “independently reviewed the terms of LIV 2.0 and determined those terms are unacceptable as to him”.
It was later said that LIV and Rahm’s representatives are “in advanced discussions for a consensual separation agreement between Mr Rahm and LIV”.
It is hoped this will be finalised by a court hearing on 5 November.
LIV’s participants are owed at least $45m (£33m) and have the option to leave.
However, the agreement secures an extension for the league to discuss terms with its players, with talks now open until 25 October.
Documents outlining the money owed to LIV Golf’s creditors, with the 30 largest unsecured claims, show that two-time major winner Rahm tops the list with an unsecured claim of $7.5m (£5.5m).
BBC Sport understands there is no obligation on players to sign on to LIV 2.0, regardless of whether they had previously signed multi-year contracts with LIV Golf.
Spain’s Rahm was arguably the most high-profile name to join LIV when he left the PGA Tour in December 2023 for a deal worth a reported £222m ($300m).
Some players, including Brooks Koepka, have since returned to the PGA Tour, which rewrote its rules in December to allow the five-time major winner to come back, subject to certain sanctions.
Rahm did not follow suit and remained under long-term contract with LIV, but in May reached a deal with the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – to retain his membership and remain eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup.
In August, the former world number one won his third straight LIV season title.
He has previously said he had no regrets over joining LIV and backed organisers to make it sustainable.
Chapter 11 protection postpones a US company’s obligations to its creditors, giving it time to reorganise its debts or sell parts of the business.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is providing a bankruptcy loan of $49.6m (£36.6m) – called ‘debtor in possession’ (DIP) financing – to help fund the process.
He has won two Super Bowls and is a six-time Pro Bowl selection.
Four games into his 14th NFL season — all spent with the team that selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft — Johnson has decided that he’s done.
“I deeply wanted to gut it out for one more year; to take the field with my brothers for one last season,” Johnson said in a statement posted Tuesday on social media.
“But after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized that my personal and family priorities in my life have changed. Right now, it is critical that I focus on my mental health. I owe it to my teammates, coaches, the organization and the fans to have my head and heart 100 percent in the game. And right now my heart is telling me that it’s time to say goodbye to football.
“At this time, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to retire from the National Football League.”
Johnson took a three-game leave of absence during the 2021 season as he battled anxiety and depression and has said he considered retirement during the offseason after a foot injury caused him to miss the Eagles’ final eight games last year. He was a late scratch for last Sunday’s game against the Rams for personal reasons.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, coach Nick Sirianni said Johnson was a “phenomenal player” and much more.
“I love Lane. I’ll miss him dearly and I wish him the best,” Siranni said. “Just want him to be his best. Like I said, love him and everything that he stood for and everything he is.”
Rookie Markel Bell started in Johnson’s place on Sunday, and Sirianni suggested the third-round pick will remain in the spot vacated by Johnson.
“I’m really excited for Markel’s opportunity,” Sirianni said. “Thought under the circumstances of last week that he handled that really well. And I’m excited about the growth that he’s going to be able to have this year. I’m excited for him.”
In a statement released on Tuesday, team owner Jeffrey Lurie called Johnson “an all-time Eagle and one of the best players ever to play his position in NFL history.”
“His combination of talent, strength, athleticism and intelligence made him a truly unique player in this league, and there is no doubt in my mind that one day he will be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Lurie said.
“Beyond his on-field accomplishments, Lane has done a tremendous amount to give back to the community through his numerous charitable endeavors. The courage he has shown using his own personal experiences to advocate for mental health awareness has undoubtedly saved lives.”
Retired Eagles center Jason Kelce, who played 11 seasons with Johnson, wrote a lengthy tribute to his former teammate on X.
“For the past decade, Lane has been the best Right tackle in the NFL,” Kelce wrote. “His athleticism, technique, strength, and size, combined to make him a player few could get around. His pass set and movements looked more like an art than someone who punched people for a living. It was a pure joy to watch him play for all these years, but even more so, it was a pure joy to be his friend.”
Kelce added: “Congratulations on retirement, I loved every second of watching you play, and am proud that I got to share the field with you.”
Tight end Zach Ertz, who recently re-signed with the Eagles after playing for them from 2013 to 2021, posted several pictures of himself and Johnson on X and wrote “every step of the way.”
Left tackle Jordan Mailata told WIP-FM (94.1) in Philadelphia he was “still kinda shocked” by Johnson’s decision.
“I just think about how much I’m going to miss him going forward,” Mailata said.
Longtime Oregon Ducks men’s basketball coach Dana Altman is retiring effective immediately, the school announced on Wednesday.
Altman, 68, took over ahead of the 2010-11 season and is the winningest coach in Oregon history with a 382-182 record. The Ducks made nine NCAA Tournament appearances over that span, including a Final Four berth in 2017.
Oregon also won four Pac-12 regular season titles and four Pac-12 tournament titles during his tenure.
Over the course of his 37-year career as a head coach, Altman’s record is 792-425. Before he came to Eugene, Altman was the head coach at Creighton for 16 years.
“I have had to make two really tough decisions in my coaching career,” said Altman. “The first was leaving Creighton, a place my family and I dearly loved, to come to Oregon. This is the second,” Altman said in a statement. “I’ve loved every minute of coaching here, and stepping away is difficult and truly painful. I love coaching, it’s what I know best and what I’ve been fortunate enough to do for almost five decades. I’m going to miss my coaches, my players and our incredible fans more than I can express. But I know this is the right thing to do at this time.”
Oregon will begin the national search for Altman’s successor after the season. Assistant coach Tony Stubblefield will coach the Ducks for the 2026-27 season.
The Ducks struggled last season, going 12-20, and the program lost nine players to the transfer portal and three to graduation in the offseason.
Stubblefield has spent two stints as an assistant to Altman at Oregon. He left to become head coach at DePaul from 2021-24 before returning to the Ducks.
“Winning 382 games over 16 years, including making nine NCAA Tournaments and a Final Four, is an incredible track record. But the record book tells only part of the story,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullins said. “Dana and Reva have given so much of themselves to this university and to the young men who played for him, and we thank him for all his contributions to Oregon student-athletes, the game of basketball, and the University of Oregon.”
Shanelle Williams has already fulfilled one childhood ambition after making her Wales debut and now she is preparing for another milestone in Japan.
The 19-year-old former Gwernyfed RFC junior came off the bench in Wales’ 50-19 win over South Africa in the WXV Global Series in September.
As a child, Williams had written on her Christmas list that she wanted to play for Wales.
“I didn’t actually know that there was a women’s team,” the hooker said.
“I used to tell my dad that I was going to play for Wales with the boys.
“Then I obviously realised that I actually can play for Wales. Since then, everything I’ve done, rugby’s always been a priority.”
Williams had forgotten about the Christmas list until her older sister reminded her after she won her first Wales Under-18 cap.
“It’s quite a nice reminder that I have been working for this for so long, so it has all been worth it,” she said.
Williams started playing rugby at Gwernyfed aged eight, spending four years there before joining the Red Kites and later moving into the Wales pathway.
She went on to play for Cardiff Quins and Cardiff Rugby before attending Hartpury College.
Her father played a key role, regularly making the journey from home to Cardiff for training.
“Obviously I’m from Gwernyfed, so it was about an hour and a half down to Cardiff,” she said.
“He used to take me for training on Friday nights straight after school.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it if my dad hadn’t given me that opportunity, so I’m very lucky.”
European football leaders meet on Wednesday with the aim of shaping strategy to oust Gianni Infantino as FIFA president.
Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026
European football leaders were gathering Wednesday with time pressing to find a candidate and shape their strategy for trying to oust Gianni Infantino as president of FIFA.
UEFA has called its 55 member federations to a previously scheduled summit on Thursday in Berlin that arrives in the midst of European efforts to get a new leader for football’s world body.
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Infantino’s divisive World Cup private investment plan – that failed within days of being revealed in July – pushed UEFA to act on longstanding mistrust of its former employee’s increasingly executive presidency at FIFA.
UEFA’s longer-term plans include preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland for possible financial mismanagement in the World Cup sell-off deal. It has asked courts in the United States to authorise discovery of evidence.
“Somewhere along the way things went too far with FIFA, and we’re looking to put things back where they belong,” UEFA general-secretary Theodore Theodoridis said last month.
Europe’s 55 count for more than a quarter of FIFA’s 211 member federations that can vote in the election on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco. Research by The Associated Press news agency suggests Infantino already has about 90 votes pledged – albeit before any potential opponent is known.
Still, UEFA is not a united bloc. Infantino has support promised from Azerbaijan, the home country of a close aide, and Latvia. On Wednesday he met with football and government officials in the Czech capital Prague.
First, UEFA and its allies worldwide need to agree on at least one candidate to challenge Infantino by the November 18 deadline to enter the race.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin was joined in August by his fellow FIFA vice presidents from Asia and North America in denouncing Infantino for deception and breach of trust over the World Cup sell-off plan.
Still, neither Ceferin nor his counterparts at the AFC and CONCACAF, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain and Victor Montagliani of Canada, currently look set to be on the FIFA ballot.
Ceferin has long dismissed any talk of himself running to lead FIFA, though he said last month at UEFA meetings in Greece there were “many, many” potential candidates.
Montagliani is expected to focus on his own re-election at CONCACAF in February.
Sheikh Salman has been Infantino’s FIFA election opponent before. He had been favourite in a five-man campaign that Infantino eventually won in February 2016.
Speculation has often pointed to Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, a close ally of Ceferin. The Qatari member of UEFA’s executive committee ruled himself out last week at a meeting of the influential European Football Clubs group he leads.
Infantino is part of UEFA’s focus in Berlin for the biennial business meeting of top executives from its member federations, which can debate policy, strategy and international football competitions.
The meeting is expected to discuss proposals for a more transparent FIFA and a presidential candidate willing to commit to those reforms.
San Marino High first-year football coach Dujuawn “DJ” Jones got smart when he took over the program, searching for the best athletes on campus and getting their friends on the football team to lobby for them to come out.
What’s happened this season is pretty extraordinary. Aided by nearly a dozen baseball players, San Marino’s football team is off to a 6-0 start. The quarterback, Parker Wilson, is the starting catcher for the baseball team. There are also wrestlers, basketball players and track athletes on the team.
The joke is whether the majority of players are talking about the Dodgers or the Rams during practices.
“We try to do some of the teachings more like in baseball terms,” Jones said. “We want our kids to play other sports.”
There are lots of baseball players around the Southland having big seasons playing football, from Capistrano Valley quarterback Talon Spencer to Corona del Mar receiver JJ Haley to Hart running back Matix Frithsmith to La Canada quarterback Joe Bell to Palos Verdes running back Christian Weis.
The only question left to ask regarding San Marino is how many of the football players are visiting the batting cage before practice?
“Right now they’re not missing too much,” Jones said.
If only the baseball players playing the sport 365 days a year knew what fun they are missing out on.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
South Korea signals cuts to military exemptions for gold medallists after backlash over athletes’ Asian Games comments.
Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026
South Korea’s sports minister says the government will review the military service exemption for gold-medal-winning athletes after public backlash to some controversial comments from winners at the Asian Games.
Three players from the men’s football team came under fire for comments following South Korea’s 1-0 win over Japan in the Asian Games final last weekend in Japan.
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All three apologised, but a broader debate had already reignited over whether athletes should receive special treatment for sporting achievements, particularly as common citizens, as even members of BTS – the globally famous K-pop group – had to complete their mandatory service.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the furore surrounding the comments at the Asian Games.
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young on Wednesday said the alternative military service exemption system for artists and athletes “will inevitably have to be scaled back”.
“It is true that the system has contributed to helping outstanding artists and athletes maintain and develop their abilities,” Choi told the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee.
“However, the values attached to fairness and public perceptions of military service have changed. I agree that the system should be comprehensively reviewed once again.”
What does military service look like in South Korea?
Most South Korean men must complete 18 to 21 months of military service by the age of 28.
Since 1973, however, Olympic medallists and Asian Games gold medallists have been able to replace the full term with a supplementary service, which consists of three weeks of basic training.
Three of the footballers, including Yang Min-hyuk, who assisted the winning goal against Japan, made comments that were viewed as insensitive.
“The medal and winning the championship weren’t important. I played the game with only one thing in mind – the reward of a military service exemption,” Yang, who joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2025 and is currently on loan at Belgian club Westerlo, said.
Newcastle United midfielder Park Seung-soo posted a photo on social media showing him wearing a cap associated with soldiers who have completed their service. In a post-match interview, captain Lee Gi-hyuk held up his gold medal and said, “I’m not going to the military.”
What has been said elsewhere in South Korea about the controversy?
A number of politicians, including Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party, said it was time to change the system.
“Some players’ remarks after the match were outrageous,” Ahn posted on social media. “Even the captain bragged about not having to serve in the military. Are all the young people who enlist every year fools?”
Former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min said the flippant comments had provoked resentment and asked: “Is it really fair that BTS has to serve in the military while Asian Games gold medallists are exempt?”
In a Korea Herald editorial on Tuesday, the newspaper declared that the practice was outdated.
“South Korea now stands shoulder to shoulder with the world’s leading nations,” the newspaper said. “The days when finishing first in Asia could meaningfully enhance the country’s national prestige are long gone. It is time to reconsider.”
That was the message from Defence Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna during a press briefing in Seoul.
“Ultimately, we have plans to cut back or scrap the supplementary service, including one designed for artists and athletes,” Chung said.
What other athletes gained military-service exemptions?
The footballers were among many winners from the Asian Games who qualified for the military exemption.
Golfer Tom Kim won the men’s singles on Saturday after flying across the Pacific when the Presidents Cup competition ended so he could compete in Japan. Asked about the military exemption, he took the gold-medal approach.
“I’m more proud that I’m able to bring a medal for my country,” he said.
Sixteen South Korean baseball players are also exempt after defeating Japan 3-1 in the Asian Games final. So are three South Koreans who won gold in esports, an event at the Asian Games.
One is Catholic, the other Jewish. One was a star linebacker for a private high school, Loyola, the other a star receiver for a public high school, Newbury Park. Both wear the same jersey number at UCLA, No. 20.
Scott Taylor and Shane Rosenthal became roommates last year and based on their many smiles, witty comeback lines and football success, it’s clear they’ve become best friends and best teammates.
“It’s cool,” Rosenthal said.
“We just get along really well,” Taylor said.
They share an apartment with two other UCLA players, punter Lennox Miller and defensive back Kuron Jabari.
Whatever initial concerns or perceived stereotypes they may have had quickly vanished after learning about their similar upbringings, goals and expectations to be good students and good people.
“I hosted him on his official visit,” Taylor said. “Hosted him for dinner, took him to Westwood. We have a lot of the same priorities, doing the right things, eating the right food, going to bed at the right time. Little things.”
Said Rosenthal: “We’re on the same timing for everything. He plays defense. I play offense. We’re able to watch film together, talk about football, talk about what he sees from the defense, talk about what I see from the offense and how we go at each other in practice.”
Taylor, a 6-foot-4, 241-pound sophomore who’s never seen a steak he didn’t want to eat, “is a damn good cook,” said his grandfather, Bill Thomason, a former Loyola principal and basketball coach. Thomason once bought his grandson Omaha Steaks as a birthday gift.
“They were so good,” Taylor said.
He sometimes drives home on Sundays to cook steaks for family members. And he eats them, too.
In the competition for who cleans the room the best, Rosenthal wins in a landslide.
“He might be the cleanest guy in the country,” Taylor said. “He might be an All-American cleaner.”
Said Rosenthal: “I definitely feel like I’m the cleanest guy in the apartment.”
As for washing clothes, both said there are no irons in sight. They learned how to do laundry at home but it appears parents are always welcome to help.
Taylor is dating a girl who’s Jewish but Rosenthal gets no credit as a matchmaker since they’ve been seeing each other well before Rosenthal arrived. “There’s usually two Jews in the apartment,” Rosenthal said.
Taylor has become a key pass rusher for the 4-0 Bruins going into Saturday’s game against Oregon. Rosenthal, also a sophomore, has received playing time as a gunner on punts while being a backup receiver. He’s the state-record holder in high school football with 24 career interceptions, so tackling on special teams is something he does well while waiting for the opportunity to show his receiving skills.
Taylor has used weight training to build up his body and give himself an NFL-like stature. It started back during the pandemic when he was 13. He decided to walk down the street to the local fitness center that was allowing kids to use the equipment for free — as long as they were 15. Somehow, he convinced them he was 15. When the business started charging him, he got his mom’s credit card, became a paid member and the rest is history. He has the talent to be on par with former UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
He also possesses the ability to comfortably talk in public. He was the only UCLA player chosen to answer questions from the media after Bob Chesney was introduced as head coach last December. On Tuesday, Taylor welcomed a group of middle school students touring Spaulding Field with high-fives and fist-pumps.
Taylor remembers his first impression of Chesney addressing the team.
“He’s a great communicator to you guys,” Taylor said of Chesney. “He’s also a great communicator to us. Everything’s crystal clear about what we’re supposed to do, what our role is since Day 1. He showed up and said, ‘If you guys choose to stay here’ and … this is before the portal even opened. ‘If you guys choose to stay here, we’re gonna do something special, so if you choose to stay, be ready to work, be ready to compete.’”
Taylor said the foundation of strong relationships within the team is important.
“It’s really special the connection we have,” he said. “And I think that speaks to who we are as a team because it’s really easy to play hard for each other when we’re so close off the field.”
If Chesney ever decides to host a team barbecue, Taylor is ready to lend his steak-cooking skills, with Rosenthal at his side.
Coco Gauff said she had a “draining” few days after receiving racist abuse online before her fourth-round China Open exit.
The American received an “insane” amount of racist comments and direct messages following an incident in her third-round win over 16-year-old Sun Xinran on Monday.
China’s Sun thought she had hit a winner late in the first set, but Gauff raised her hand to halt play because of a flickering light in the side panels surrounding the court.
After a video review – which players are allowed to request – the point was replayed, with Gauff winning it and subsequently going on to clinch the match.
The 22-year-old posted a lengthy statement explaining what had happened and later condemned the racist abuse she received in response.
Gauff was beaten 6-3 6-3 in her next match against Elise Mertens on Wednesday.
Asked how she had felt over the past 36 hours, Gauff said: “It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie.
“I just turn off my phone and move on. I mean, there’s nothing you can do.”
A spokesperson for the Women’s Tennis Association said it was appalled by the abuse. It said it was in contact with Gauff “to offer our full support”.
A statement given to the news agency AFP said the governing body was “seeking action” against the abusive content.
Gauff, who won the title in Beijing in 2024, committed 34 unforced errors and eight double faults against Mertens.
“I was just a bit flat. That’s the main thing,” Gauff said.
“The level was there at some points, I just didn’t sustain it the whole match.”
Belgium’s Mertens will play former world number one Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals after the six-time major champion beat American teenager Iva Jovic 6-1 6-3.
Elsewhere, Britain’s Arthur Fery beat Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 in the Shanghai Masters first round.
Fery came back from a break down in the first set before dominating the former US Open champion in the second to claim his first ATP Tour win since August.
The 24-year-old will face Russia’s 26th seed Karen Khachanov next.
Goals from Hammam Al-Hammami and Firas Al-Buraikan give the hosts their fourth Arabian Gulf Cup trophy.
Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026
Saudi Arabia have ended a long wait for an Arabian Gulf Cup trophy with a 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates amid a charged atmosphere at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
The hosts held on to an early lead, thanks to goals from Hammam Al-Hammami and Firas Al-Buraikan, to lift the regional crown on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia set an early attacking pace in the game and were rewarded when Al-Hammami scored the opening goal in the 11th minute from the edge of the penalty area, setting off wild celebrations in the stands.
The home team’s dream start continued as, two minutes later, Al-Buraikan doubled the score with a close-range shot after a precise assist from Nasser Al-Dosari.
Saudi Arabia’s Firas Al-Buraikan celebrates scoring their second goal [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters]
Saleh Abu Al-Shamat almost scored the third goal for Saudi Arabia in the 16th minute, but the ball was deflected off the goalpost after a one-on-one with UAE goalkeeper Khaled Issa.
The UAE’s first attack came in the 24th minute, when Nicolas Gimenez’s shot hit the post.
Six minutes before halftime, UAE’s Bruno thought he had won a penalty, only to be reversed by the video assistant referee.
Saudi Arabia’s head coach Georgios Donis credited his team’s discipline for the long-awaited home win.
“There were many difficulties, but the players showed focus and discipline and gave their best on the pitch,” he said after the match.
“I think we turned those difficulties into a title, and that’s important. We were the best team in this tournament. This title gives us confidence for the future, and we must continue to show the same qualities.”
Saudi fans celebrate with flares after winning the Gulf Cup [Reuters]
Asian Cup boost
At the start of the second half, Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais saved a close-range shot from substitute Sultan Adel to maintain his impressive clean sheet in the tournament.
Despite Saudi Arabia’s wastefulness in front of goal, their coach was pleased with the team’s efforts.
“After the World Cup, we realised we made mistakes and went through bad moments, but we learned from that experience,” Donis said.
“We improved our level and developed our style of play. And I think they deserve this result. It reflects our hard work.”
Saudi Arabia have now won four Gulf Cup titles, with the last one clinched in 2004.
The Green Falcons exited the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the group stage but will look at their performance in the Gulf Cup as a foundation for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027.
Saudi Arabia will host the continental tournament from January 7 to February 5, as it gears up to become the second Gulf country after Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
A panel of BBC Sport correspondents explore what sanctions Manchester City could face after being found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
