London City Lionesses midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d'Or Feminin for a third time, matching Spain team-mate Aitana Bonmati’s record. Putellas won four trophies with Barcelona in 2025-26 before joining London City in July, and returned to top form after an ACL injury in 2022.
Key Facts
Putellas, 32, captained Barcelona to a quadruple in the 2025-26 season, including a Champions League title.
She shares the record of three Ballon d'Or Feminin awards with Aitana Bonmati.
The award has gone to a Spanish player for six consecutive years.
Putellas received the most votes from an international panel of journalists representing FIFA’s top 50 ranked countries.
Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor finished second in the voting, and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw placed third.
Putellas scored 21 goals and made 13 assists in all competitions for Barcelona last season.
She won 38 trophies during her 14 years at Barcelona, including 10 league titles and four European cups.
Putellas suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2022, which ruled her out of that year’s European Championship.
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The Cowboys are scheduled to visit the Eagles on Monday, October 26, 2026, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The preview highlights Philadelphia’s four-game losing streak and quarterback Jalen Hurts’s reported blood clots, as well as Dallas’s defensive struggles and Dak Prescott’s recent trouble against blitzes.
Key Facts
The game is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
U.S. viewers can watch on ESPN or ABC, or stream through Fubo or ESPN Unlimited; ABC availability on Fubo varies by location.
The article lists Fubo Sports Pro and DAZN as streaming options in Canada.
In the United Kingdom, the listed options are Sky Sports NFL, Sky Sports Main Event, NOW, and NFL Game Pass on DAZN.
The preview says backup quarterback Tanner McKee threw 45 passes in Philadelphia’s 25–14 loss to Carolina the previous week.
According to the article, McKee averaged 3.1 completed air yards per attempt in that game, while the Eagles gained 2.9 yards after the catch per completion.
The article says Prescott had no touchdown passes and a passer rating of 67 when blitzed over his previous two games.
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Bristol Bears have signed 21-year-old Samoan forward Totoa Auvaa, two weeks after Saracens dismissed him following an incident in St Albans that police are investigating. Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said the club would offer Auvaa support and a chance to develop.
Key Facts
Auvaa made one appearance for Saracens, playing 20 minutes in a Prem Rugby Cup match in September.
Auvaa was involved in a June nightclub altercation with England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson.
Saracens said Auvaa’s conduct in the St Albans incident fell short of the standards expected of club representatives and dismissed him.
Hertfordshire Police said they were investigating an alleged assault in St Peter’s Street, St Albans, between 2:15 and 2:20 a.m. on 11 October.
Police said a man in his twenties was allegedly punched in the face; enquiries are ongoing.
Auvaa received two red cards for violent conduct while on loan at Championship club Ampthill last season.
Pat Lam said he believed Bristol could provide Auvaa with mentorship, guidance and support.
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The WNBA scheduled Game 6 of the Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries for 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. The early start lets the arena host the Hawks’ game against Cleveland that night; the series could end in Game 6 or continue to a Game 7 on Oct. 31.
Key Facts
Game 5 is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. ET in San Francisco.
The Finals are a best-of-seven series, and Atlanta leads the series 3–1 entering Game 5.
State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, hosted Games 3 and 4 of the Finals.
State Farm Arena can hold more than 17,000 fans, compared with about 3,500 at the Dream’s usual home, Gateway Center Arena.
The Hawks’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers is scheduled for Thursday night, so the WNBA set Game 6 for the early afternoon.
Golden State fans in California would see Game 6 begin at 9:30 a.m. local time.
If needed, Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. ET in San Francisco.
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The Ballon d'Or website briefly posted articles declaring Harry Kane and several other players winners of the 2026 awards, hours before the results were due to be announced in London. The articles were later removed, and it was unclear whether they had been published by mistake or taken down as a response to the confusion.
Key Facts
An article titled “Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or” circulated online shortly after 17:15 GMT on Monday.
The awards ceremony was scheduled for that evening at London's Palladium Theatre, more than four and a half hours after the article appeared.
Similar articles on the Ballon d'Or website named Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi as possible men's winners.
Articles about women's award contenders Alexia Putellas and Ewa Pajor also appeared.
The articles about Kane and Mbappe had been removed by shortly before 17:40 BST.
The article said journalists voted for the award at the end of September.
Kane could become the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since 2001.
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Northern Ireland golfer Graeme McDowell has said he will not pursue a place on LIV Golf’s planned 2027 version, LIV 2.0. His announcement follows several other players’ departures as the league faces financial uncertainty after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing.
Key Facts
McDowell won the 2010 US Open and joined LIV Golf when it launched in 2022.
He said on Monday that he had decided not to pursue LIV 2.0.
McDowell’s best LIV finish was a tie for second in Virginia in June 2025.
McDowell said he had held positive talks about returning to the DP World Tour next season.
Jon Rahm and Louis Oosthuizen have also confirmed they are leaving LIV.
Tom McKibbin, Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter have also left the competition.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing from LIV in April after investing more than $5 billion, according to the article.
LIV has secured a possible $300 million in financing from BC Partners Credit as it seeks to continue with LIV 2.0.
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England left its Under-15 World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland after an England player reported an alleged racist slur. The referee abandoned the Group C game, with Ireland leading 4-1; FIFA said it is collecting reports and will refer the matter to its independent disciplinary committee.
Key Facts
The incident occurred in the final minute of the match in Baku, Azerbaijan.
After an altercation between players, an England player approached the bench and made a complaint to coaching staff.
England’s coaching staff reported an alleged racist slur to the referee and called the players off the pitch.
FIFA said the referee abandoned the match after England refused to continue.
The incident is under investigation, and FIFA is gathering official reports.
The Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland were contacted for comment.
England was scheduled to play Zimbabwe next, while the Republic of Ireland was scheduled to face Cambodia.
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More than 150 men’s doubles players, former players and national federations have urged the ATP to reconsider proposed changes to doubles events from 2028. The ATP plans to reduce draw sizes and may cut doubles’ share of prize money, while saying the changes aim to make the tour more sustainable.
Key Facts
The open letter includes 137 current players, 28 former players and 20 national federations.
The proposal would reduce doubles draws at Masters 1000 events to 16 teams and at smaller tournaments to eight teams.
Doubles could receive 10% of prize money instead of 20%, with the difference going to singles players.
The ATP board is due to vote on the plans at next month’s ATP Finals in Turin.
The ATP says its proposals draw on data about costs, revenue and viewership.
Players say the ATP should promote doubles more and argue it is widely played by club members.
Mike and Bob Bryan said they would support players considering legal action over the proposals.
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ABC News’ Lara Spencer reports on Team Inspire as its runners prepare to take part in the New York City Marathon. The team plans to run the 26.2-mile course across New York City, though the article text does not explain its mission.
Key Facts
The story is about runners preparing for the New York City Marathon.
The runners are part of a group called Team Inspire.
ABC News’ Lara Spencer shares the story.
The marathon course covers 26.2 miles.
The course runs across New York City.
The article is dated October 26, 2026.
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Manchester United is assessing possible replacements for head coach Michael Carrick amid a poor start to the season. Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are prominent on the club’s candidate list, while Antonio Conte is interested and Unai Emery is admired but would be harder to recruit because he is under contract at Aston Villa.
Key Facts
Carrick’s position at Manchester United is under threat, and work to identify a successor is reportedly underway.
Howe and Nagelsmann are prominent candidates, and both are aware of United’s interest.
Howe left Newcastle in July and is reportedly open to joining Manchester United.
Howe led Newcastle to the 2025 League Cup and two Champions League qualifications during his five years there.
Conte is interested in the job after leaving Napoli in June.
Nagelsmann left his role as Germany head coach after the World Cup and previously led Bayern Munich to the 2022 Bundesliga title.
United also admire Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, whose contract runs until 2029.
If Carrick is dismissed, United will seek their eighth permanent manager or head coach since Alex Ferguson left in 2013.
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Manchester United fans targeted director of football Jason Wilcox during the club’s 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth. Wilcox faces criticism over transfer decisions as manager Michael Carrick’s side extends its winless run, though the article notes that Wilcox does not control the club’s transfer budget and that several setbacks limited United’s summer spending.
Key Facts
United lost 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Fans repeatedly chanted Wilcox’s name alongside an obscenity during the match.
United have gone eight games without a win, their worst run since the 2015-16 season.
Defender Lisandro Martinez criticized the club hierarchy less than two weeks earlier and said he expected more from Wilcox.
Wilcox joined United in April 2024 as technical director after working at Manchester City.
Wilcox is not in charge of transfer budgets, which are set at a higher level.
An injury to Manuel Ugarte and Barcelona’s withdrawal from a reported £26 million deal for Marcus Rashford reduced United’s summer spending capacity.
United focused their summer recruitment on midfield rather than adding left-back competition or striking support, according to the article.
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Formula 1’s US Grand Prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas has grown into a popular race after once facing a lack of interest. The permanent track has varied corners and elevation changes, but its surface has become bumpier over time, especially in three braking zones, according to Audi F1 racing director Allan McNish.
Key Facts
Circuit of the Americas is in Austin, Texas, and hosts the annual US Grand Prix.
The article describes COTA as one of the most popular tracks on the F1 calendar.
Unlike the Miami and Las Vegas races, COTA is a permanent circuit with run-off areas instead of concrete walls.
Motorcycle racer Kevin Schwantz designed the track; Herman Tilke’s company handled its buildings and infrastructure.
The track’s layout has stayed the same since its 2012 opening, while its surface has become bumpier.
McNish said bumps affect three important areas, including braking zones where forces pass through the brakes, tires, and track surface.
COTA has added landscaping, hospitality structures, a cable car, swimming pools, rollercoasters, and amusement rides.
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The article traces Manchester United’s troubles to a dispute over racehorse Rock of Gibraltar between manager Alex Ferguson and owner John Magnier. It says the dispute helped prompt Magnier and his associate JP McManus to sell their United shares, which Malcolm Glazer was positioned to buy, and argues that the club’s later ownership and management decisions contributed to its decline.
Key Facts
In 1999, John Magnier asked Alex Ferguson to deliver the traditional Gimcrack Dinner speech after Magnier’s horse Mull of Kintyre won the Gimcrack Stakes.
Magnier later named Ferguson as the owner of horses including Rock of Gibraltar, which won seven Group One races in a row.
Ferguson and Magnier disagreed over what Ferguson was owed from Rock of Gibraltar’s prize money or stud fees.
Ferguson sued Magnier, but the dispute ended in a settlement in which Ferguson received £2.5 million to drop the case.
Magnier and JP McManus sent Manchester United’s board 99 questions, which were reported in the Daily Mail, according to the article.
The article says Magnier and McManus decided to sell their Manchester United shares, with Malcolm Glazer ready to buy them.
The article links the club’s later difficulties to a succession of managerial and ownership decisions.
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Ireland and Leinster prop Tadhg Furlong has been cited over an alleged groin grab during Leinster’s United Rugby Championship win over Munster. A disciplinary process is being arranged; if found guilty, Furlong could miss Ireland and Leinster matches.
Key Facts
Munster player Gavin Coombes raised the allegation with referee Andrew Brace late in the first half of Saturday’s match.
The television match official could not find video evidence at the time.
Furlong was cited under World Rugby Law 9.27, which prohibits conduct including grabbing, twisting or squeezing a player’s genitals.
The United Rugby Championship said arrangements for the disciplinary process are under way and will be announced in due course.
Ireland have included Furlong in their squad for November’s Nations Championship fixtures.
A guilty finding could put Furlong at risk of missing Ireland’s matches against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa, as well as later fixtures.
South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Wessels received a nine-match suspension in 2025 for a similar offence.
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Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson examines the personal and professional costs athletes may face when they speak out on issues they believe in. The report discusses examples ranging from Muhammad Ali and Colin Kaepernick to Azeez Al-Shaair and Naomi Osaka.
Key Facts
The report focuses on athletes’ activism and its potential consequences.
It names Muhammad Ali as one example of an athlete who spoke out.
It names Colin Kaepernick as an example of an athlete who spoke out.
It names Azeez Al-Shaair as an example of an athlete who spoke out.
It names Naomi Osaka as an example of an athlete who spoke out.
Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson explores the subject.
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Sedgefield Racecourse in County Durham was fined £6,500 after a jockey with a shoulder and clavicle injury was taken to hospital in a horsebox rather than an ambulance. A British Horseracing Authority panel found five failures to follow its safety instructions; the course acknowledged the shortcomings and an April inspection found significant progress.
Key Facts
The incident occurred at Sedgefield Racecourse in March.
The jockey fell and suffered a left clavicle and shoulder injury.
A doctor at the course advised the jockey to go to A&E after he said he remained in pain.
All ambulance crews had left the venue, so the jockey travelled in a horsebox with medical staff following in a car.
The BHA panel found the racecourse had failed to comply with five general instructions in its Rules of Racing.
Other failings included a non-working telephone line and rooms that did not present a clean clinical area.
The racecourse acknowledged the errors and shortcomings; an inspection in April found significant progress.
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The article previews the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or and asks who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé. It identifies Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane as leading contenders.
Key Facts
The article was issued on October 26, 2026.
Ousmane Dembélé is the Ballon d’Or holder whom this year’s winner will succeed.
Kylian Mbappé is named among the leading contenders.
Lamine Yamal is named among the leading contenders.
Harry Kane is named among the leading contenders.
France 24’s Emily Boyle reports on the competition.
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Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou, with Kylian Mbappé scoring both goals. The win ended Barcelona’s nine-game league winning streak and moved Real to within three points of the league leaders after 10 matches.
Key Facts
Mbappé’s two goals took his season tally to 14 and his total for Real Madrid to 100 across all competitions.
Real became the first team to beat Barcelona in the league this season.
Barcelona’s defeat was their second in a row, following a loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Real have won five consecutive matches: three in La Liga and two in the Champions League.
After 10 league matches, Real were third with 24 points, three behind Barcelona; Atlético Madrid were second with 25 points.
Real took a 107-106 lead over Barcelona in the teams’ all-time El Clasico win record.
The article says José Mourinho returned to manage Real Madrid after the club had gone two seasons without a trophy.
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Manchester United’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth extended the club’s worst league start in 40 years and intensified questions about its manager, players and leadership. The article points to a lack of reliable goalscoring, recruitment problems and growing fan dissatisfaction as key issues.
Key Facts
United lost 3-0 to Bournemouth on Sunday, extending its worst start to a league season in 40 years.
Fans cheered manager Michael Carrick off the field but booed the players after the defeat.
The article says United has struggled to find a regular goalscorer since Cristiano Ronaldo left in November 2022.
Benjamin Sesko joined in summer 2025, but injuries and his absence have affected United’s start to the season.
Bryan Mbeumo, with four goals, is United’s leading scorer in the Premier League this season, and eight players have scored more.
The article criticizes the club’s recruitment and says United made 75 signings in the 13 years following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
The Glazer family bought into Manchester United in 2005; Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group invested in the club two years before the article was published.
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