Prince William and Princess Catherine took their three children to watch the netball semi-finals and cycling events at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They met athletes, volunteers, and enjoyed the atmosphere at the OVO Hydro and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome venues.
Key Facts
The royal family watched New Zealand beat England 61-54 in the netball semi-final.
They visited the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and spoke with British cyclist Laura Kenny.
Princess Catherine and her daughter Charlotte took photos with the Team Scotland netball players.
Team Scotland’s netball team lost to Uganda and missed the chance to finish third.
Jamaica and New Zealand will compete for the gold medal, while England will play Australia for bronze.
Glasgow hosted a smaller version of the Games with 215 medals awarded across 10 sports and a record 47 para-sports events.
Glasgow stepped in to host after Victoria, Australia, withdrew due to high costs.
The Games will conclude with a closing ceremony featuring Scottish and international performers.
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Manchester City's new coach Enzo Maresca praised 18-year-old winger Ryan McAidoo after a pre-season friendly against Inter Milan. McAidoo impressed with his aggressive play and is seen as a promising young player who may get chances in cup games or a loan move.
Key Facts
Ryan McAidoo is an 18-year-old winger signed by Manchester City from Chelsea two years ago.
He scored on his Manchester City first-team debut in an FA Cup match last season.
McAidoo played in a recent pre-season friendly versus Inter Milan, where he performed well and stood out.
New Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca described McAidoo as an aggressive and skilled player who makes good decisions.
Maresca is open to giving young players first-team chances or considering loan moves based on their progress.
Over 40,000 fans watched the friendly match in Hong Kong, a replay of the 2023 Champions League final.
Other young players like Phil Foden, Nico O'Reilly, and Cole Palmer have also come through Manchester City's academy.
Maresca has experience promoting young players from his previous roles at Leicester and Chelsea.
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UEFA praised FIFA’s choice to stop selling some World Cup profits to private equity companies. UEFA also wants a full investigation into the leaders who supported these secret deals.
Key Facts
FIFA planned to sell a part of World Cup profits to private equity investors.
UEFA opposed this and threatened to boycott the World Cup if the sale happened.
FIFA reversed its decision and will not sell the profits.
UEFA welcomed FIFA’s reversal in an official statement.
UEFA called for a review to hold leaders accountable for pushing secret deals.
The dispute highlights concerns about how football money is managed.
UEFA wants transparency in decisions about World Cup finances.
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Sophie Cunningham, a player for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, said she is not distracted by protests against her views on transgender athletes in women’s sports. Supporters have held small rallies at several games, while opponents have also expressed concern. The Fever continue to focus on basketball amid the controversy.
Key Facts
Sophie Cunningham supports restricting transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
Small rallies have taken place outside Fever games showing support for Cunningham and her stance.
Some fans have booed Cunningham and waved transgender pride flags during games.
A Washington state ballot initiative aims to block transgender students from girls’ sports, backed by some Cunningham supporters.
The Seattle Storm fined and suspended a co-owner following an incident involving Cunningham supporters at a game.
The Fever won their recent game against the Portland Fire 112-98, marking their fifth straight win.
Cunningham said she focuses on playing basketball and being herself, ignoring distractions from protests.
Fever coach Stephanie White expressed frustration that the controversy is taking attention away from the team’s play.
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Chelsea’s manager Xabi Alonso said he is happy to have player Mykhailo Mudryk back after a doping suspension but thinks it will take time for Mudryk to get back to full fitness and form. Mudryk will join Chelsea’s pre-season tour after serving a suspension for a banned substance and has not played since November 2024.
Key Facts
Mykhailo Mudryk is a Ukrainian winger, age 25, who played for Chelsea.
Mudryk was suspended since November 2024 for testing positive for meldonium, a banned substance.
The Football Association ended the doping case after Mudryk accepted breaking anti-doping rules and served a suspension of 1 year and 8 months.
Mudryk has trained alone with private coaches and not with Chelsea’s official staff or team.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said it is too early to judge Mudryk’s fitness or game form.
Mudryk will join Chelsea’s pre-season tour starting in Hong Kong.
Chelsea has many other players who can play the wing position.
Former coach Roberto de Zerbi, who managed Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk, praised him as a good player and person who suffered during recent hardships.
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UEFA, the main European football organization, said it no longer trusts FIFA President Gianni Infantino after he tried to sell part of the World Cup to private investors. Infantino dropped the plan after strong opposition from UEFA and other football bodies in Asia and North America, who want more transparent decisions in football governance.
Key Facts
FIFA President Gianni Infantino planned to create a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors.
UEFA and other football confederations strongly opposed this plan, saying it risks the sport’s integrity.
After widespread criticism, Infantino withdrew the proposal.
UEFA stated it lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership and called for accountability.
UEFA will work with other football groups to ensure such plans cannot happen again without proper oversight.
The Asian Football Confederation and North America’s CONCACAF also opposed the plan.
UEFA’s 55 member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA events in protest.
Football officials highlighted the need for collective decision-making and respect for governance rules.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has dropped plans to sell parts of the World Cup and other FIFA events to private investors after many football organizations strongly opposed the idea. Several groups, including UEFA and Asian and European football associations, expressed concern about FIFA’s leadership and called for better ways to manage football resources.
Key Facts
FIFA planned to sell minority shares in the World Cup and other events to private investors.
After strong criticism worldwide, FIFA canceled the plan within a few days.
UEFA announced it lost confidence in FIFA President Infantino’s leadership.
UEFA plans to work on a new way to distribute FIFA’s resources through existing programs.
The Asian Football Confederation stressed that decisions in football should involve proper talks and respect current rules.
The English, Dutch, Swedish, Belgian, and Australian football bodies supported the cancellation but want improved transparency and governance at FIFA.
Some groups called for rebuilding trust in FIFA and continuing discussions on how football should be managed and developed.
The controversy highlighted concerns about FIFA’s current leadership and the process used to propose major changes.
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UEFA, the main European soccer organization, has lost trust in FIFA's leadership after FIFA's president, Gianni Infantino, proposed a plan to sell World Cup profits to private investors. After opposition from UEFA, other soccer groups, and internal FIFA staff, Infantino had to cancel the plan, leading to calls for a review of FIFA's leadership and future.
Key Facts
FIFA President Gianni Infantino tried to create a $20 billion company to run World Cup events with private investors.
UEFA and other soccer confederations, including North America and Asia, opposed the plan.
Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned and urged others at FIFA to speak out against the plan.
FIFA’s chief operating officer said staff felt misled by Infantino and stated the project must not continue.
UEFA called for accountability and said it lost confidence in current FIFA leadership.
The proposed investment plan included 20% ownership by private investors, anchored by a New York firm linked to Joshua Kushner, brother-in-law of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
This is the third controversial plan by Infantino, following rejected proposals in 2018 and 2021.
UEFA is now working with its members and other confederations to prevent similar issues in the future with a deadline for decisions set for November 18.
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Tottenham Hotspur’s coach Roberto de Zerbi said he is not sure if forward Richarlison will stay at the club because the player sometimes says he wants to leave. Richarlison scored a late goal in a friendly win over Chelsea, and despite uncertainty about his future, de Zerbi praised his attitude and goal-scoring ability.
Key Facts
Richarlison is a 29-year-old Brazilian forward playing for Tottenham Hotspur.
He scored a last-minute winning goal against Chelsea in a friendly match in Sydney.
Richarlison is in the final year of his contract with Tottenham.
Coach Roberto de Zerbi said Richarlison sometimes wants to leave but sometimes wants to stay.
De Zerbi praised Richarlison’s professionalism, hard work, and ability to score goals.
Richarlison scored 12 goals for Tottenham in the last season.
Tottenham spent a record £237 million in the transfer window and is looking to sign more attackers.
Manchester City’s Savinho and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo are among the players linked with Tottenham.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino withdrew a controversial World Cup funding plan after strong opposition, especially from UEFA, the European football governing body. UEFA publicly said it had lost confidence in Infantino's leadership, criticizing the plan for lacking transparency and proper consultation within FIFA.
Key Facts
Gianni Infantino proposed a private-investment plan related to the World Cup funding.
UEFA opposed the plan and stated it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
The plan was withdrawn two days after its announcement due to widespread criticism.
FIFA is a not-for-profit organization with over $2 billion in reserves and expected record revenues around $15 billion for the World Cup.
Critics questioned the need for private investment given FIFA’s strong financial position.
Many senior FIFA officials were unaware of the plan before it became public.
Transparency and consultation issues were cited as key problems with Infantino’s approach.
Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman also called for future plans to be shared clearly and in a timely manner.
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Fifa planned to partly privatize the World Cup through a new company called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), aiming to increase revenue by managing ticket sales, broadcasting, licensing, and sponsorship. Documents revealed problems with this plan, including questionable revenue comparisons, very high ticket prices, uncertain financial details, and concerns about shifting control from a nonprofit to a private entity.
Key Facts
Fifa's plan involved creating Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) to run the World Cup and handle money-making activities.
The plan suggested very high ticket prices, possibly over $1,000 for some seats in future World Cups.
Fifa argued football was "under-monetised" compared to American sports leagues like the NFL, but this comparison was misleading since the World Cup happens only every four years.
Football money is spread worldwide, unlike the NFL which focuses mostly on the US, so Fifa wanted to keep a bigger share of total football revenue.
FFE would hold a 20% stake in Fifa and bring an initial $4.2 billion investment.
Shifting control to a partly private company raised concerns about transparency and accountability because Fifa is usually a nonprofit organization.
The plan hinted at putting World Cup broadcasts behind a paywall, which could limit free access to the games in some countries.
The documents showed the plan had flaws and may not have been fully convincing to Fifa members.
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FIFA has dropped its plan to sell parts of the World Cup and other events to private investors after strong opposition. This has raised questions about the future of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, with some top football leaders possibly preparing to challenge him in the upcoming FIFA presidential election.
Key Facts
FIFA planned to raise money by selling stakes in the World Cup and other events to private investors but canceled this plan after backlash.
Several leaders and groups within FIFA criticized the plan, including UEFA and CONCACAF.
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour accused President Infantino of misleading staff about the investment plan.
Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and was re-elected without opposition in 2019 and 2023.
UEFA has lost confidence in Infantino, and there may be challengers in the March FIFA presidential election.
Potential challengers include Nasser al-Khelaifi, Paris Saint-Germain’s president and a FIFA Council member.
Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF and FIFA vice president, is also seen as a possible candidate.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA senior vice president, criticized Infantino’s plans and might also be a contender.
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France Cricket’s chairman, Prebagarane Balane, hid official government letters that showed the organization lost its recognition. Because of this, the International Cricket Council (ICC) froze funds to France Cricket and threatened suspension, even as its vice-president won a seat on the ICC board.
Key Facts
The French sports ministry sent a letter in February 2026 saying France Cricket lost official status from 2026 to 2029.
The chairman kept these letters hidden from the France Cricket board for weeks.
Email and text records show the chairman told staff to keep the letters secret and placed a letter unopened in his drawer.
The administrative officer copied some leaders but was later instructed to stop sharing the letters.
The board only learned about the lost status after FRANCE 24 reported it publicly in December 2025.
France Cricket faces suspension and funding freeze from the ICC due to this issue.
Despite this, the vice-president of France Cricket won a seat on the ICC board.
Chairman Balane announced he would resign in July 2026 but did not answer questions about the letter controversy.
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Tarona Taafaki won Tuvalu’s first Commonwealth Games medal in boxing without winning a match because she received a bye to the semi-finals and lost there. Tuvalu is a very small island nation facing serious risks from rising sea levels.
Key Facts
Tarona Taafaki is a 20-year-old boxer from Tuvalu competing in the women’s 75kg category.
She got a bye to the semi-finals and lost to India’s Lovlina Borgohain by points.
Boxers eliminated in the semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games get bronze medals.
Tuvalu has a population of about 10,000 and is one of the world’s smallest countries.
Athletes in Tuvalu often train on the airport runway because it is the most stable land.
Rising sea levels threaten to flood Tuvalu’s capital, Funafuti, by 2050.
Taafaki and her brother train in New Zealand to access better boxing facilities.
The medal brings attention to Tuvalu’s climate challenges and limited sports resources.
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UEFA says it has lost confidence in FIFA's current leader, Gianni Infantino, after FIFA dropped a controversial plan to sell shares in its competitions to private investors. UEFA and other football groups had opposed the plan and threatened to boycott upcoming World Cups if it went ahead.
Key Facts
Gianni Infantino has been FIFA president since February 2016.
FIFA proposed selling stakes in its competitions to private investors, a controversial idea.
UEFA, which oversees European football, strongly opposed this plan.
UEFA even voted to boycott World Cups if the plan continued.
FIFA decided to stop the plan after the backlash.
UEFA said Infantino failed to keep promises made when he was elected.
UEFA claims not only it but many other football groups have lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership.
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England's netball team lost to New Zealand 61-54 in the Commonwealth Games semi-final and will play for the bronze medal. New Zealand will face either Australia or Jamaica in the final.
Key Facts
England lost the semi-final match 61-54 to New Zealand.
New Zealand led early with fast and accurate passing.
England tied the score 3-3 early but New Zealand pulled ahead by the first quarter's end.
New Zealand's shooter Grace Nweke contributed many goals and used her height advantage.
England made substitutions to boost performance but couldn't catch up.
New Zealand reached their first Commonwealth final since 2014.
England will compete for the bronze medal next.
The gold medal final is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. BST.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has canceled a plan to sell part of the World Cup to private investors after facing strong criticism. The idea had caused problems within FIFA, including some team members quitting in protest.
Key Facts
Gianni Infantino is the President of FIFA, the organization that runs the World Cup.
He proposed a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
The plan received a lot of negative reactions from fans, officials, and FIFA members.
Some FIFA staff resigned because they disagreed with the investment plan.
Following the backlash, Infantino officially withdrew the proposal.
The canceled plan was part of efforts to change how the World Cup is managed financially.
Other topics mentioned include Ivory Coast’s football manager leaving after successes, and the death of Italian football legend Franco Baresi.
UEFA had threatened to boycott the World Cup over the private investment plan before it was canceled.
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Liverpool's new head coach, Andoni Iraola, led his first open training session at the Chicago Fire's performance center during their US pre-season tour. Key players like Alexander Isak returned to training, while some players are recovering from injuries ahead of their match against Leeds.
Key Facts
Liverpool trained at the Chicago Fire's performance center during their USA pre-season tour.
Andoni Iraola is Liverpool's new head coach and actively involved in training drills.
Robert Lewandowski, now playing for Chicago Fire, was seen practicing penalties separately.
There was a recent argument between players Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones, but it settled quickly.
Alexander Isak returned to training after missing recent games; Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch also trained.
Some players like Jeremy Jacquet and Joe Gomez are recovering from injuries and training in the gym.
Liverpool players practiced possession drills, small-sided games, and set-pieces during the session.
Mike Gordon, Fenway Sports Group president overseeing Liverpool, attended the training session.
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Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium has greatly increased the club’s income, especially from matchday events and hosting concerts and sports outside football. The Premier League’s financial rules limit spending on players based on revenue but do not count stadium costs, allowing Tottenham to invest heavily in infrastructure while still spending on players.
Key Facts
Tottenham’s matchday revenue rose from £45 million in 2016-17 to £126 million in 2024-25 after moving to their new stadium.
The stadium hosts up to 30 non-football events a year, including concerts and NFL games, boosting commercial income from £73 million to £277 million in the same period.
The Premier League replaced its old financial rules with new ones focusing on limiting player-related spending as a percentage of club revenue.
Stadium costs are excluded from the new spending limit calculations, allowing Tottenham to spend about £70 million a year on stadium infrastructure without affecting player budgets.
Tottenham borrowed money at low interest rates to fund the stadium, making the investment financially beneficial.
The club used the extra income to sign players like Sandro Tonali for a record fee up to £100 million.
Other clubs, such as Manchester United, are also planning new large stadium projects costing billions.
Building or renovating stadiums can be a way for football clubs to increase revenue and financial flexibility under current league rules.
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