Legendary footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has voiced concerns about Cristiano Ronaldo's role in Portugal's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, citing the 41-year-old's physical decline and suggesting his selection is based more on reputation than current performance. This comes as Portugal secured a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against Croatia to advance to the Round of 16.
Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu will lead India's challenge at the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament, following the country's bronze-medal finish at the Thomas Cup Finals.
India skipper Shubman Gill has strongly rejected the idea of pruning ODIs to 40 overs, instead advocating for more triangular or quadrangular series to revive the struggling format amidst the rise of T20Is.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni believes 39-year-old Lionel Messi will continue to be the world's best player for as long as he desires, dismissing age concerns as Messi dominates the World Cup with eight crucial goals.
France head coach Didier Deschamps made World Cup history by becoming the most successful manager in terms of victories after France's dominant 3-0 win over Sweden, with Kylian Mbapp starring once again to send Les Bleus into the Round of 16.
Dutch football players Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber, and Crysencio Summerville were subjected to racist, discriminatory, and hateful online abuse after missing penalties in their World Cup shootout defeat to Morocco. The Dutch football association (KNVB) has condemned the abuse, calling it appalling, and plans to file a case with 'Meld Online Discriminatie' which could lead to a criminal investigation. Morocco won the thrilling Round of 32 match 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, advancing to face Canada.
Neymar has suggested he may have played his final match for Brazil following their 2-1 defeat to Norway in the World Cup round of 16, a result that eliminated the five-time champions. The emotional 34-year-old scored a penalty but indicated his international career might be over, marking Brazil's worst World Cup performance since 1990.
European T20 Premier League (ETPL) is a necessary addition in the existing assortment of franchise-based tourneys as the format is here to stay unlike ODIs, said Indian spin bowling legend Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday.
Star Indian table tennis player Manika Batra has accused the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) of violating its own Constitution during the selection of the Asian Games squad, where she was named a reserve. Batra claims a nine-member committee, exceeding the constitutional limit, finalised the team, leading to her "mental exhaustion" from the ongoing fight.
Jannik Sinner's Wimbledon title defence gathered pace on Friday as the world number one swept aside American Jenson Brooksby 6-4 6-3 6-4 to enter the fourth round and reinforce his status as the man to beat at the All England Club.
India's Diksha Dagar secured a tied 12th finish at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open, continuing her strong performance on the Ladies European Tour. Pranavi Urs also delivered an impressive round, while Finland's Noora Komulainen clinched her maiden LET title after a three-way playoff.
The Egyptian Football Association on Wednesday criticised refereeing decisions in Egypt's dramatic 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 defeat by Argentina, saying it would not remain silent over what it described as the improper use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
The World Cup final offers football's grandest stage a deliciously odd pairing: Argentina, all pulse, fire and Lionel Messi, against Spain, the European champions who appear to treat chaos as an administrative error and have turned control into something close to an art form.
England defeated South Africa by 40 runs in the semi-final at The Oval, securing their place in the Women's T20 World Cup final against Australia. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt's 75 runs and a crucial partnership with Heather Knight were key to their victory.
Indian-American golfer Sahith Theegala is T-2 after the third round of the 2026 US Open, carding an even-par 70. He shares second place with Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Sam Stevens, positioning himself as a strong contender for the final round, though leader Wyndham Clark holds a six-shot lead.
Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan has significantly increased his lead in the Candidates chess tournament after defeating India's R Praggnanandhaa. In the women's section, R Vaishali leads after drawing with Anna Muzychuk.
Riyad Mahrez, the Algerian football star, has announced his retirement from international football following Algeria's elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 by Switzerland. Mahrez confirmed his decision after Algeria's 2-0 defeat, concluding a distinguished career with 119 appearances, 40 goals, and 45 assists, including a pivotal role in Algeria's 2019 Africa Cup of Nations victory.
Legendary Indian goalkeeper Brahmananda Sankhwalkar reflects on the emotional FIFA World Cup exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Junior. He discusses their unfulfilled World Cup dreams, their rivalry with Lionel Messi, and the circumstances of their respective team's eliminations, highlighting their enduring legacy despite the absence of a World Cup trophy.
Indian shooters Vanshika Chaudhary and Shiva Narwal secured a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany. This achievement further boosted India's leading position in the medal standings with a total of 16 medals.
FIFA has strongly defended Brazilian referee Raphael Claus after US President Donald Trump questioned his integrity following a controversial red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup.
Moved by Lionel Messi's record-breaking form at the World Cup, Argentines have taken to the streets and social media to sing "Happy Birthday" to their favourite footballer who turned 39 on Wednesday.
Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi capped a historic IPL 2026 season by winning the Emerging Player, MVP, Orange Cap, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards after scoring 776 runs and smashing a record 72 sixes for Rajasthan Royals.
Indian-American golfer Akshay Bhatia is in a strong position, tied for third place at the Travelers Championship, heading into the final round. Despite slipping five shots behind leader Viktor Hovland, Bhatia, who previously won the Arnold Palmer Invitational this season, is aiming for his fourth PGA Tour title. The tournament also features a close battle between Hovland and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine will replace Koneru Humpy in the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus after Humpy withdrew due to safety concerns related to the region's proximity to the West Asia conflict.
Brazil's World Cup Round of 32 meeting with Japan on Monday comes with the chance for revenge for Carlo Ancelotti's squad and a test of how far he has taken his team since a Tokyo collapse early in his tenure.
Harry Kane struck in the closing stages to rescue England from a shock World Cup exit, sealing a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo and a place in the Round of 16, as emotional scenes unfolded in the stands with his family celebrating his match-winning heroics.
Indian golfer Diksha Dagar delivered a superb six-under 66 in the opening round of the Czech Ladies Open, placing her tied ninth. Fellow Indians Pranavi Urs and Vani Kapoor also had strong starts, with Urs tied 14th and Kapoor tied 26th, ensuring a significant Indian presence in the top 30. Diksha's round featured eight birdies, continuing her excellent form on the Ladies European Tour.
Khalin Joshi's consistent performance propels him to the lead at the Andhra Open golf tournament, while Dhruv Sheoran slips to second place after a challenging round.
Indian golfer Saptak Talwar shot a two-under 70 on the opening day of the Blot Play9 in France, placing him in a tie for 25th. He is five shots behind leader John Gough, who carded a seven-under 63.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp criticised the VAR decision that disallowed Jonathan Tah's goal, leading to Germany's early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026. He also took a dig at Arsenal regarding their set-piece goals, suggesting many would be ruled out if Tah's goal was illegal.
Despite not winning a medal at the recently-concluded Asian Senior Fencing Championships, India's men's foil team secured direct qualification for the upcoming Asian Games, marking a significant step forward for the sport in the country. The event, hosted in India for the first time, provided valuable experience and highlighted the growing competitiveness of Indian fencers against top Asian nations.
Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, were held to a surprising 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener. Ronaldo had a quiet game, failing to score, and was met with "Messi" chants from fans after the match, raising questions about the team's early performance.
Spain and Portugal are set to clash in the World Cup Round of 16 in Texas, a rematch of last year's Nations League final. The match features a generational battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal, with Spain entering unbeaten in 34 matches and Portugal looking to overcome recent struggles.
Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti says Neymar could return for Scotland game and insists the team will work on improving as the tournament progresses.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated Javokhir Sindarov in the second round of the Super Chess Classics. Other results from the round include victories for Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Vincent Keymer, while Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So drew their respective matches.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Tuesday announced that the India Open Competitions in July will be named in honour of legendary shooters Jaspal Rana and Raja Randhir Singh, who died recently, leaving the fraternity shocked.
India's Women's T20 World Cup campaign ended in another group-stage exit, putting Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy under scrutiny and exposing issues with team selection, batting approach, bowling balance and fielding that could trigger a major reset.
Colombia defeated Ghana 1-0 in a crucial World Cup Round-of-32 match, with Jhon Arias scoring the decisive goal in the 14th minute. This victory propels Colombia into the last 16, where they will face Switzerland.
India's men's volleyball team achieved an unbeaten run to the AVC Men's Volleyball Cup semi-finals, propelling them to World No. 42. Head coach Dragan Mihailovic attributes this success to discipline and a structured system but stresses the need for consistent international exposure, longer national camps, and a robust development pathway to sustain and build upon this momentum, especially amidst administrative uncertainty in Indian volleyball.
Lionel Messi experienced an emotional rollercoaster in Argentina's World Cup last-16 tie against Egypt, missing a penalty but ultimately scoring a vital late equaliser to save his team's World Cup dream after being two goals down.
