From Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Cape Verde's fairytale run, VAR controversies and unforgettable fan moments, relive the memories that made the 2026 FIFA World Cup the biggest and most dramatic tournament in history.
As New Delhi prepares to host the BWF World Championships from August 17-23, 2026, five young talents - Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Alwi Farhan, Tomoka Miyazaki, and Kalyana Nalbantova - are identified as potential breakout stars capable of challenging the sport's biggest names and redefining their careers.
AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric has signed a contract extension, committing his future to the Serie A club until June 2027. The 40-year-old Croatian international, who joined Milan last year, has made 37 appearances and scored two goals.
Indian gymnasts Tapan Mohanty and Yogeshwar Singh have successfully qualified for the men's all-around final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. While they secured individual berths, the Indian men's team finished seventh in the overall competition, with Canada, England, and Australia taking the top three spots.
Indian boxers delivered a flawless performance at the Commonwealth Games, with four more pugilists - Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, and Sachin Siwach - advancing to the semifinals. This brings the total number of Indian boxers in the semifinals to nine, ensuring a minimum of nine bronze medals for the country.
Top-seeded Indian Anahat Singh has advanced to the women's quarterfinals of the World Squash Junior Individual Championships after defeating Malaysian Doyce Ye San Lee. Meanwhile, her compatriot Aryaveer Dewan was eliminated in the men's round of 16.
India has ascended to the No. 1 position in the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings, surpassing England, following their dominant 2-0 series lead against Zimbabwe. Key performances from batters Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma, alongside strong bowling, secured the series victory and the top ranking.
The 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship is set to begin in Coimbatore, featuring 30 teams across three divisions. The tournament includes a promotion and relegation system, adding competitive intensity as teams vie for the national title and advancement between divisions.
The Indian sub-junior men's hockey team secured the gold medal at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 3-1. This victory also ensured their qualification for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup. The Indian women's team also earned a silver medal, and Hockey India announced cash rewards for both squads.
Lionel Messi said Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain had left "immense" pain but praised his team for reaching a second successive final and thanked supporters for uniting behind the national side.
Six-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom believes Indian pugilists will secure a 'reasonably good medal haul' at the Commonwealth Games, though gold might be elusive, while expressing less certainty for the Asian Games. She also criticised the Boxing Federation of India's functioning and selection policies.
Having won silver in Birmingham in 2022, 27-year-old Murali Sreeshankar added another medal to his collection at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after producing a best leap of 8.09 metres, capping an emotional comeback from the career-threatening knee injury that had nearly derailed his career.
Seasoned shuttler HS Prannoy and rising star Unnati Hooda will lead the Indian contingent at the Taipei Open Super 300 badminton tournament. Both players are looking for consistent performances, with Prannoy facing Japan's Minoru Koga and Unnati taking on a qualifier. Several other Indian players, including Tharun Mannepalli, M Manjunath, S Dayanand, Kiran George, Devika Sihag, Tasnim Mir, and others in doubles, are also set to compete.
Spain's Rodri claimed the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, Unai Simon won the Golden Glove, and Pau Cubarsi was named the Best Young Player, leaving Lionel Messi without another personal honour despite his impressive World Cup performance.
UEFA's member associations have unanimously voted to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions in protest against FIFA's plan to sell stakes to external investors in a subsidiary managing its tournaments.
The end of coach Didier Deschamps' Midas-like reign turned into a Tantalus torment as France suffered a comprehensive World Cup semi-final defeat by Spain before losing 6-4 to England in a wild third-place playoff, but those disappointments will not tarnish his legacy.
Raja Muthupandi completed a remarkable comeback from a career-threatening elbow injury to win Commonwealth Games 2026 silver, dedicating the medal to his parents and coach while vowing to return stronger.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is in advanced negotiations to bring its national football team to Kolkata, India, for a friendly match in early October, marking a significant event for the region's large Brazilian fan base.
The third week of the Esports World Cup 2026 concluded in Paris, seeing Razvan "RvPLegend" Puiu win in EA FC 26, Virtus.pro dominate PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, and Team Vision secure the Teamfight Tactics title. The event featured significant prize pools and impacted the Club Championship standings.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in a dramatic World Cup final after extra time, preventing Argentina from staging another of their characteristic comebacks. Lionel Messi, who had been instrumental in previous matches, was effectively neutralised by the Spanish defence, leaving Argentina without an answer and unable to register a shot on target for much of the game.
Eleven-year-old Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir demonstrated exceptional talent by securing pole position in the Champions of the Future Academy Program Round 3 in Viterbo, Italy, out-qualifying two Mercedes F1 junior drivers.
India is relying heavily on its boxing, weightlifting, and athletics contingents to maintain its two-decade streak of top-five finishes at the Commonwealth Games, which opens in Glasgow.
The Oval in London has been confirmed as the venue for the 2027 ICC World Test Championship Final, scheduled from June 9-13. This marks the second time The Oval will host the final, having previously done so in 2023. Nine teams are currently competing in the ongoing WTC cycle, with Australia leading the standings, followed by South Africa and New Zealand, as the race intensifies with crucial upcoming series.
Former Indian boxing coach Mohammed Ali Qamar believes the country's women's boxing squad for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games is one of its best ever, with each of the seven members capable of securing a medal, though he cautioned that draws would be crucial.
Former Italy international Andrea Pirlo has withdrawn from contention for the national team's head coach position after his commercial ties to Russian betting company Fonbet drew significant criticism and opposition from Italian football officials and lawmakers.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has reached her first final in over two years at the Japan Open. Her opponent, Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei of China, retired midway through their women's singles semifinal due to a hamstring injury. Sindhu was leading 21-19, 15-10 when Chen was forced to pull out. Sindhu will now face the winner of the second semifinal between Japan's Akane Yamaguchi and Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani.
Malaysia's Sepang circuit will host the rescheduled 'Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia' on October 4, Formula One announced, stepping in after the original April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled due to the Iran war and Middle East situation.
Dempo Goa Challengers have secured their spot in the Ultimate Table Tennis final after a dominant 8-2 victory over former champions Dabang Delhi TTC. Olympian Alvaro Robles was instrumental, starring in both men's singles and mixed doubles, extending Goa's unbeaten run in the tournament.
Julien Alfred became the third-fastest woman in 200m history with a 21.51-second win, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi broke a 27-year-old world record in the rarely contested 1,000m at the Monaco Diamond League.
The political drama 'Article 370' was the biggest winner at the 72nd National Film Awards, securing the best feature film honour, with its lead star Yami Gautam named best actress. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the best actor award for 'Bramayugam' and 'Chandu Champion' respectively.
Reigning champions U Mumba secured their first victory of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7, defeating unbeaten Dabang Delhi TTC 8-7 in a thrilling encounter. Anusha Kutumbale was the hero, winning a dramatic Golden Point decider in the final women's singles match. Meanwhile, in the UTT Juniors competition, Dempo Goa Challengers became the first team to reach the semifinals, and HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades strengthened their playoff bid.
Indian triple jumper Selva Prabhu, a World U20 silver medallist and NCAA champion, is set to make his senior Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow. He attributes his transformation into a more complete athlete to his experience competing in the NCAA circuit in the United States, highlighting the high-quality coaching and world-class competition. Prabhu is focused on consistency, speed, and technique, aiming to deliver his best performance and make India proud. He also acknowledges the crucial support from the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in his development.
Spain defender Aymeric Laporte has questioned some refereeing decisions involving Argentina ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, saying aggressive play should not go unpunished.
Indian golfer Diksha Dagar was the sole Indian player to make the cut at the Women's Scottish Open, finishing tied 35th after two rounds. While Pranavi Urs and Avani Prashanth missed the cut, Dagar's performance keeps her in contention and is crucial for her qualification for the AIG Women's Open. Korea's Jenny Shin leads the tournament.
A 13-year-old boy was killed and two others injured in Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain, when a fountain collapsed during celebrations for Spain's FIFA World Cup 2026 victory. The tragic incident cast a shadow over nationwide festivities after Spain secured its second World Cup title with a 1-0 win over Argentina.
England's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign concluded with a semi-final defeat to Argentina. Star midfielder Jude Bellingham expressed gratitude to supporters for their unwavering backing and called for the unity shown during the tournament to continue. Bellingham was England's top scorer, playing a crucial role in their journey to the semi-finals.
Indian boxers Vishvanath Suresh (50kg) and Ganga (55kg) secured gold medals at the Asian U-19 and U-23 Boxing Championships in Jakarta. The U-23 men's team delivered two golds and one silver, while U-19 boxers earned two silver medals, showcasing a strong overall performance.
Indian shuttlers Devika Sihag and HS Prannoy faced early exits on the opening day of the USD 2,000,000 China Masters. Devika fought hard in a three-game match, while Prannoy suffered a straight-game defeat. PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Ayush Shetty are set to play on Wednesday.
Indian shooters Sonam Uttam Maskar and Elavenil Valarivan reached the women's 10m air rifle final at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, finishing fifth and sixth respectively.
India's Harjinder Kaur won a silver medal in the women's 69kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games, setting new Games records in both snatch and clean and jerk. Her exceptional performance contributed to India's strong showing in weightlifting, which now boasts seven medals. However, fellow Indian debutant Nirupama Devi had a forgettable outing, failing to register a total in the 63kg category.
