In Peru, there is a wave of new baby Haalands. In Argentina, Lionel has raced up the rankings, and in Mexico a girl was reportedly named after three soccer players. Parents in Latin America are already christening a new generation of babies after the stars of the World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup has been marred by widespread controversy surrounding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, with coaches, players, and fans criticising its application, consistency, and impact on match outcomes, leading to a significant increase in interventions and red cards.
France can secure a more comfortable route through the World Cup when they face Norway in their final Group I match on Friday, though finishing top could leave them facing one of the toughest roads to the trophy.
The World Cup has seen a shift to a more lenient refereeing style, prioritising game flow and reducing stoppages. This, combined with stronger, faster players, has led to a quicker, more physically demanding tournament with higher scoring. While welcomed, experts warn that this intensity tests players' physical limits, increasing injury risks, especially for those not fully fit.
Underdogs Nagaland showed they are made of sterner stuff as their batters fought tooth and nail all day to score 365/5 and frustrate Tamil Nadu who would be fancying their chances of enforcing a follow-on after a mammoth 512-run first-innings total in a Ranji Trophy Group A match in Bengaluru on Monday.
For many big brands, investment in advertising is as big as the amounts spent in setting up factories and other infrastructure.
On the controversial AFSPA, the home minister said, "We will also think of revoking AFSPA."
Rajasthan Royals would be banking on their near-perfect combinations in almost all departments of the game to put up another commanding performance when they take on a strong Punjab Kings.
While SA great Lance Klusener hailed Hardik Pandya as one of the best fast-bowling allrounders, he believes Pandya gave up on Test cricket too easily.
Indian Super League is set to be held behind closed doors from November to March. This was discussed during a meeting between the ISL organsiers Football Sports Development Ltd. (FSDL) and club representatives on Monday.
Ajit Balakrishnan offers a thinking man's guide to the angst of the professions.
The step forward in marketing could be a move to bypass the media and towards owning it directly, says Ajit Balakrishnan.
"Scamsters like Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi magically disappeared from India and reappeared in foreign lands out of the reach of Indian law. Modiji's magic can even make democracy disappear from India very soon,'' he told an election rally at Jowai in poll-bound Meghalaya.
The combination of India's flat pitches and cricket's most trigger-happy batsmen is certain to produce some torrid moments for fast bowlers during the World Twenty20.
Some stunning moments of the week that was
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
FIFA will go ahead with its controversial decision to stage World Cup matches at midday in tropical venues, president Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday as soccer's governing body announced a bafflingly complex procedure for Friday's draw.
Here's your weekly digest of the most Weird, True and Funny News from the across the globe.
Does your favourite city feature in the list? Find out.
Author Ranbir Singh Sidhu's book Good Indian Girls is a departure from the themes that define 'Indian Diaspora fiction', finds Chaya Babu
