Manchester City uses a detailed data system to find and evaluate football players, helping them decide who to buy or sell. This method is combined with traditional scouting to reduce risks and improve the team. Since winning the Treble in 2023, City has replaced most of their squad based on this approach.
Key Facts
Manchester City has a database of 650,000 football players worldwide to identify potential recruits.
Players are evaluated on ability, characteristics, playing style, and potential to improve at City.
The club narrows down candidates to 20-50 players based on data before scouts review them.
Data helps guide transfer decisions but does not replace traditional scouting and expert judgment.
Only four players remain from the 2023 Treble-winning squad after a major team overhaul.
City categorizes players by specific roles, such as types of full-backs, to match their tactical needs.
Example: Andrea Cambiaso of Juventus was on their radar for his playing style, but the club decided not to pursue him recently.
The data department accurately predicted Arsenal as last season’s Premier League favourites, showing the system's effectiveness.
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Yuki Kurihara, an 11-year-old from Japan, is the youngest athlete competing in the Asian Games this year. He plays the puzzle video game Puyo Puyo Champions and has won all his group matches, aiming to win a gold medal on Saturday.
Key Facts
Yuki Kurihara is 11 years old and competes in Puyo Puyo Champions, a puzzle game like Tetris.
He is the youngest athlete ever at this year’s Asian Games held in Nagoya, Japan.
Kurihara won all four opponents in Group A and hopes to win gold.
He turned professional at 10 years old, before his 11th birthday.
Kurihara won Sega’s Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final by beating an adult pro in February.
The Asian Games include eSports as medal events for the third time, with Puyo Puyo among the 11 games.
Kurihara prepares for contests by eating eel, a practice believed to boost energy.
The current youngest Asian Games medallist is Indonesia’s Bunga Nyimas, who won bronze in skateboarding at age 12.
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A new reality TV show called Team Moms: Baseball follows wealthy parents of young baseball players at a sports academy in Arizona. The show focuses more on the parents' lifestyles and social status than on the children’s baseball or education. It highlights the expensive and intense nature of the youth baseball industry.
Key Facts
Team Moms: Baseball is a reality series on Paramount+ executive produced by Kim Kardashian.
The show features parents of 13- and 14-year-old baseball players at Legendary Prep Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The series emphasizes the parents' luxury lifestyles, including expensive homes and cars.
The baseball training is intense, with daily early practices and weekend games requiring long travel.
Youth baseball often demands high fees, with similar academies charging $12,000 to over $20,000 per year.
The focus is more on parents seeking social status than on providing a balanced athletic and academic experience for the kids.
The show draws a comparison to other reality programs like Love Island and Real Housewives rather than sports documentaries.
The children’s education outside baseball appears limited or secondary to training.
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A Fijian rugby player, Saimoni Vunilagi, died after showing signs of severe heatstroke during training in hot and humid conditions in Japan. This event highlights concerns about the increasing risk of heat-related illnesses in sports due to rising global temperatures and more frequent heatwaves.
Key Facts
Saimoni Vunilagi, a 26-year-old rugby player, died days after training in 35°C heat with over 75% humidity in Fukuoka, Japan.
Japan, the UK, Europe, and other regions have experienced severe heatwaves in 2026.
Several athletes, including tennis players and marathon runners, have suffered heat-related medical problems this year.
Some sports now monitor heat stress using a measure called the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which considers temperature, humidity, wind, and sunlight.
Experts say today’s heatwaves are more intense than past ones due to global warming, increasing health risks for athletes.
There are calls for universal rules in sports to protect athletes from extreme heat, similar to how sports handle lightning delays.
Current policies on heat risk vary widely between sports leagues, causing inconsistency in athlete safety measures.
Measures like hydration breaks have been introduced in events like the World Cup to help players cope with high temperatures.
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Manchester United is selling small glass cubes containing pieces of the Old Trafford pitch for £125 each. The club has also disclosed it still owes over £1 billion and is spending £63.5 million on land for a new stadium that will cost more than £2 billion.
Key Facts
Old Trafford turf was dug up and taken down to its foundation for the first time in 14 years.
Pieces of the turf, measuring 7x7 cm, were placed in glass cubes for sale.
Each cube costs £125 and the first batch sold out quickly.
Manchester United reported a record revenue of £677.6 million and an operating profit of £22.6 million for 2025-26.
Despite profits, the club had a pre-tax loss of £43 million.
The club’s total debt is still more than £1 billion.
£63.5 million has been spent on buying land for a new stadium.
The new stadium is expected to cost over £2 billion.
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Carlos Alcaraz lost a long and late US Open match after returning from a wrist injury that kept him out for five months. He expressed concern about matches finishing very late and said he will skip some events to stay healthy. Alcaraz will play for Team Europe in the upcoming Laver Cup in London.
Key Facts
Carlos Alcaraz lost his US Open quarter-final match to Ben Shelton after 4 hours and 28 minutes.
This was Alcaraz’s first tournament in over five months due to a wrist injury.
He missed the French Open and Wimbledon and decided to play the US Open only a week before it started.
Some US Open matches finished very late, with players finishing after 1am or 2am.
Alcaraz suggested changes to scheduling to avoid matches ending so late.
He plans to skip some future tournaments to keep mentally and physically healthy.
Alcaraz will compete in the Laver Cup with Team Europe, captained by Yannick Noah.
He has a rivalry with Jannik Sinner, who missed the US Open due to a knee injury.
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Germany, the Netherlands, and France have new football managers leading their national teams. Both Germany and the Netherlands are rebuilding after disappointing exits from the last World Cup, and they will play each other in the upcoming Nations League match.
Key Facts
Jürgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager, is debuting as Germany’s new national team coach.
The Netherlands and Germany were both eliminated early in the last World Cup.
France is also starting a new era under manager Zinédine Zidane.
The Nations League will feature a match between Germany and the Netherlands.
Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming to score 1,000 goals for his national team but says it is not an obsession.
In the Women’s Champions League, Lyon won 5–0 against Servette Geneva.
Lyon, last season’s runners-up, started their European campaign strongly with a big win.
The defending Women’s Champions League winners began with a 5–2 victory over Paris-based PFC.
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Harry Kane, England’s football captain, is thinking about trying a career as an American football kicker after he retires from soccer. He is also considering playing in the U.S. Major League Soccer and says playing in the NFL seems more possible than pursuing golf.
Key Facts
Harry Kane is England’s top goal scorer with 85 goals in 121 games.
Kane is currently playing for Bayern Munich and is in contract talks with them.
He thinks his experience taking penalty kicks in soccer could help him kick better in American football.
Kane says he would need around six months to a year of practice before playing in the NFL.
Kane is also considering playing in Major League Soccer in the U.S. as part of his future plans.
Some players have previously moved between soccer and American football kicking roles.
Kane says a switch to NFL or MLS would likely happen after several more years in soccer.
He described NFL kicking as more realistic than pursuing a golf career.
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Tottenham Hotspur has spent about £400 million on new players this summer, creating high hopes for their team. Manager Roberto De Zerbi faces challenges in fitting these new players together and needs more time to build a strong team and improve their performance.
Key Facts
Tottenham spent nearly £400 million on new players this summer.
The club had avoided relegation twice by finishing 17th in the last two seasons.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi took charge late last season and helped keep the team in the Premier League.
Early results this season have been disappointing for Tottenham.
Many players are currently away on international duty, leaving De Zerbi short-handed.
De Zerbi’s main task is to build teamwork among new and existing players.
Fans are already critical despite only five games played this season.
Building a new strong team usually takes time and patience.
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Two women, Debbie Beard and Amanda Thorpe, shared their experiences after losing their husbands, who were involved in professional sports and died by suicide. They spoke at an event promoting suicide prevention in sports, supported by the Prince of Wales and the Royal Foundation.
Key Facts
Debbie Beard’s husband, Matt Beard, former Liverpool Women manager, died in 2025, believed to be suicide.
Amanda Thorpe’s husband, Graham Thorpe, former England and Surrey cricketer, took his life in 2024 after depression.
Graham Thorpe struggled after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022.
An event launched a national toolkit to help sports include suicide prevention in their culture.
Amanda Thorpe believes more support from the England and Wales Cricket Board might have helped her husband.
Both men had been dealing with mental health challenges before their deaths.
The event aims to make suicide prevention as common in sports as warm-ups or training.
Mental health remains a serious issue discussed within sports communities.
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Anthony Gordon, an England and Barcelona football player, says England should stop trying to copy Spain’s style of keeping the ball and play more to their own strengths. He believes that England’s players have different qualities than Spanish players, and trying to be like Spain may not help them win.
Key Facts
Anthony Gordon has played 25 times for England and scored 4 goals.
England lost the 2022 World Cup semi-final to Argentina 2-1 and finished third by beating France.
Gordon says controlling the ball like Spain is not natural for England players.
Gordon recently moved from Newcastle to Barcelona for £69.3 million.
He feels Spain’s style is very different and hard to copy because Spanish players have unique skills.
England has lost recent European Championship finals and been beaten by France and Argentina in World Cups.
Spain won the World Cup with strong ball control, holding 65% possession in the final.
Gordon was surprised to be taken off during the World Cup semi-final after scoring a goal for England.
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A 6-year-old girl caught a baseball hit by Cincinnati Reds player Eugenio Suarez during his 350th home run. After catching the ball, she threw it back onto the field.
Key Facts
Eugenio Suarez is a player for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.
He hit his 350th home run during a game.
A girl celebrating her 6th birthday caught the home run ball.
The girl then threw the ball back onto the field.
This event was reported by CBS News.
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Essex cricketer Robin Das has been charged with two counts of rape related to an incident in Brixton in March 2024. He is set to appear in court on 9 October 2026 and has been suspended by Essex County Cricket Club since his arrest.
Key Facts
Robin Das, a 24-year-old Essex cricketer, faces two rape charges.
The charges stem from a reported rape in Brixton on 30 March 2024.
Das was arrested on 27 August 2025 and charged on 23 July 2026.
He will appear at Inner London Crown Court on 9 October 2026.
Das has played 60 matches for Essex, including first-class, one-day, and T20 games.
He last played for Essex in a One-Day Cup match on 21 July 2026.
Essex County Cricket Club suspended him immediately after his arrest.
The club is cooperating with cricket authorities and following legal procedures.
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President Donald Trump will attend the college football game between the University of Texas and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday. This will be his first time at a college football game since the national championship in January.
Key Facts
President Trump plans to go to the Texas vs. Tennessee football game this Saturday.
The game will take place in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The White House confirmed his attendance to The Hill news outlet on Wednesday.
This is President Trump’s first college football game visit since January’s College Football Playoff National Championship.
The last game he attended was the championship where Indiana University beat the University of Miami.
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Former NFL player Antonio Brown plans to accept a plea deal related to an attempted murder charge in Miami. The deal will avoid prison time and involve probation without other penalties.
Key Facts
Antonio Brown faces an attempted murder charge from an incident in Miami in May 2025.
He allegedly fired shots at a man after a fight following a celebrity boxing match.
Brown’s lawyer said the plea deal includes pleading guilty to aggravated assault.
The plea deal means no jail, house arrest, or additional penalties—only probation and staying away from the victim.
The victim has forgiven Brown and will not participate in the case.
Brown played 12 seasons in the NFL for teams like the Steelers and Buccaneers.
He had 928 catches, 12,291 yards, 83 touchdowns, and was selected to seven Pro Bowls.
Brown won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2020 and ended his NFL career in 2021.
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Manchester United reported a nearly 30% increase in net losses, reaching £43 million ($57 million), despite setting a new record for revenue at £678 million ($898 million) for the year ending June 30. The club's financial losses continued due to high costs, including payments related to the sacked manager and increased loan repayments, while revenue grew mainly from broadcasting rights.
Key Facts
Manchester United’s net loss rose by almost one third to £43 million ($57 million).
The club reported record revenue of £677.6 million ($897.8 million), up 1.7% from the previous year.
Broadcasting income increased by nearly 20%, helping to boost overall revenue.
Commercial and match-day income each fell by around 5%, partly because the club had no European games.
The club paid £8.2 million ($10.9 million) in exceptional costs mostly linked to the departure of manager Ruben Amorim.
Manchester United spent £63.5 million ($84 million) to buy land next to Old Trafford for a planned new 100,000-seat stadium.
Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has led cost-cutting measures including job cuts since buying a stake in February 2024.
The team, managed by Michael Carrick, had a poor start to the new season, earning only five points from five Premier League matches and being eliminated from the English League Cup.
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Ivory Coast and Ghana will play the first match in Group C for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on September 24 at Stade de Bouake in Ivory Coast. Both teams aim to qualify for the final tournament in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with Ivory Coast coached by Herve Renard and Ghana led by Carlos Queiroz.
Key Facts
The match between Ivory Coast and Ghana is on September 24 at 7 pm GMT in Bouake, Ivory Coast.
The qualifier is part of the process to reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Group C also includes The Gambia and Somalia.
Ivory Coast’s coach, Herve Renard, has previously won AFCON twice and returned after the 2026 World Cup.
Ivory Coast has won the AFCON three times, most recently in 2023.
Ghana’s coach, Carlos Queiroz, has experience managing top teams and returned after managing Ghana at the 2022 World Cup.
Both teams were eliminated early in the 2026 World Cup but aim to succeed in AFCON 2027.
Al Jazeera Sport will provide live coverage and text commentary of the game.
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Filip Hrgovic defeated Moses Itauma in an IBF heavyweight title fight by stopping him in the ninth round. Hrgovic said Itauma is very skilled and fast but may struggle mentally after this loss, which could affect his future boxing career.
Key Facts
Moses Itauma has lost only one of his 15 professional fights.
The fight took place at the O2 Arena in August.
Hrgovic was knocked down in the second round but won after Itauma got tired.
Hrgovic praised Itauma for his speed, talent, and boxing intelligence.
Hrgovic said Itauma experienced a "big humiliation" in the loss.
Hrgovic believes Itauma’s mental strength will determine if he can come back strong.
Fighters need tough training and strong mental readiness to recover from such losses.
Hrgovic wants to unify the heavyweight boxing division.
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German football club VfL Wolfsburg and Danish player Christian Eriksen have ended his contract early by agreement. Eriksen, who had health issues including a cardiac arrest, decided to return to Denmark for rehabilitation.
Key Facts
Wolfsburg and Eriksen agreed to end his contract early, which was supposed to last until June 2027.
Eriksen collapsed during a friendly match against Ukraine in June.
He had a previous cardiac arrest in 2021 during a European Championship match.
Eriksen has played with a pacemaker since then and took a six-month break from football.
He plans to go back to Denmark to be near his family and undergo rehab.
Eriksen joined Wolfsburg one year ago as a free agent.
He played 34 games, scored 3 goals, and made 10 assists for Wolfsburg.
Eriksen has earlier played for Ajax, Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan, and Manchester United.
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Martyn Jackson, a footballer who received a heart transplant in 2024, played for England in the Transplant World Cup in 2026 and helped his team win the final against Spain. The Transplant World Cup features players who have received organ transplants, playing a modified version of football to match their health needs.
Key Facts
Martyn Jackson was diagnosed with myocarditis and received a donor heart transplant in November 2024.
Less than two years later, he played for England’s transplant football team and scored in the 5-1 final win over Spain in 2026.
The Transplant World Cup is a football tournament for people who have received organ transplants.
Matches are seven-a-side, with shorter halves (20 minutes each) and less physical contact to protect players’ health.
Jackson played football in England’s ninth tier before his illness and had been part of Manchester United’s youth academy.
Jackson’s wife found out about the transplant football team on social media and encouraged him to join.
The transplant football team helps inspire people by showing life can continue actively after organ failure.
Jackson manages his playing time carefully because of his heart transplant, usually playing short bursts in matches.
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