Category: 6. Sports

  • These teams have qualified for the semi-finals – full list

    These teams have qualified for the semi-finals – full list

    Find the full list of teams to qualify for the semi-final stage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 of men’s football, below.

    The tournament’s semi-finals will take place on Tuesday, 8th and Wednesday, 9th July at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.

    The competition will come to a climactic end on 13 July, at the same stadium, where the champion will be crowned in the final.

    Scroll down for the complete list of semi-finalists.

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  • ERC – European stars aim to ace the Rome asphalt

    ERC – European stars aim to ace the Rome asphalt

    It’s Tarmac time in the FIA European Rally Championship once again after three action-packed gravel counters.

    As well as a change of surface, Rally di Roma Capitale marks the start of the second half of the season, which has celebrated four different winners from the opening four rounds.

    Ever-present on the ERC schedule since 2017, when Bryan Bouffier beat Kajetan Kajetanowicz by 0.3sec in the closest finish of the modern European championship era, Rally di Roma begins on Friday (4 July) with a spectacular driving parade through the Eternal City.

    That’s followed by a 1.3-kilometre super special stage in front of the Colosseum, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, as the sun begins to set, prior to two days of fast-paced asphalt competition around host town Fiuggi, south of Rome.

    “The roads are completely different from day one and day two,” said Andrea Mabellini, Italy’s top ERC driver, who competes in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 on Pirelli tyres. “Day one is a little more bumpy, the second day is more clean so we must find a compromise with the set-up or two different set-ups that work between two days. It’s going to be one of the toughest races in terms of being at the right speed and we must consider the drivers from the Italian championship.”

    Mabellini continued: “There are two long stages and for sure the organiser makes the challenge even higher than in the previous years and the temperatures will be very hot, even if it is earlier in July than last year.”

    Massive entry for a monumental challenge
    An unprecedented 85 crews have registered for FIA European Rally Championship points on Rally di Roma Capitale to underline the huge interest in the ERC and the Italian event. A season-high 38 drivers will compete in the headlining ERC1 category for Rally2 cars. In addition, 11 drivers have entered the Rally3-based ERC3, while 36 drivers are eligible for ERC4, which caters for Rally4 and Rally5 machinery. Of those 36, 16 will be in contention for honours in the Hankook-equipped FIA Junior ERC Championship with 18 competing in the new-for-2025 Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF. Eight drivers will chase the various incentives on offer in the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy.

    Marczyk tops the ERC title order
    Michelin-equipped Miko Marczyk heads to Italy for Rally di Roma Capitale with a 16-point advantage over fellow Michelin runner Mads Østberg in the race to become ERC champion for 2025. Pirelli-supplied Tymek Abramowski tops the ERC3 and ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy standings, while Dariusz Biedrzyński, another Pirelli contender, leads the Master ERC ranking. Hankook-shod Calle Carlberg heads the order in ERC4 and Junior ERC followed by Victor Hansen and Ioan Lloyd respectively. Team MRF Tyres is first in the FIA European Rally Championship for Teams with Michelin ahead in the FIA European Rally Championship for Tyre Suppliers.

    Rally di Roma Capitale route in short
    Event organiser Motorsport Italia has prepared an itinerary featuring three all-new special stages and a “complete route revision” following the return of legendary stages from previous editions of the asphalt-only event. It has stated with confidence that “the revamped layout raises the bar for competition and spectacle alike”.

    Following Friday evening’s Colosseum super special, leg one on Saturday consists of three stages run either side of service in Fiuggi. At 34.57 kilometres, the double use Torre di Cicerone is the rally’s longest stage. Sunday’s leg follow an identical format with a midday service stop in Fiuggi taking place following a trio of stages that are repeated in the afternoon. Canterano – Subiaco is the longest of the day at 30.59 kilometres, while the Jenne – Monastero Power Stage is scheduled to get under way at 17:05 local time.

    Collepardo Pozzo d’Antullo, Torre di Cicerone and Jenne – Monastero are new stages for 2025.

    How to watch?
    Fans across the globe can experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally broadcast Rally.tv platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.

    Rally di Roma Capitale: the key numbers
    Stages:
    13
    Stage distance: 207.82 kilometres
    Total distance: 811.55 kilometres

     

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  • Ex-Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey charged with rape

    Ex-Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey charged with rape

    Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

    The offences are reported to have taken place between 2021-2022, the Metropolitan Police said.

    The charges involve three women, with two counts of rape relating to one woman, three counts of rape in connection to a second woman and one count of sexual assault linked to a third woman.

    The Ghanaian international denies the charges and “welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name”, his lawyer said.

    The charges follow an investigation by detectives, which started in February 2022 after police first received a report of rape.

    The 32-year-old’s contract with Arsenal ended on Monday after playing with the team since 2020.

    An Arsenal spokesman said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”

    The Football Association and the Premier League declined to comment.

    Det Supt Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward.

    “We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@met.police.uk”

    Mr Partey, of Hertfordshire, is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 5 August.

    In a statement, his lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said: “Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him.

    “He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation.

    “He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.

    “Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.”

    Mr Partey joined Arsenal for £45.3m from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, made 35 top-flight appearances last season and scored four goals as the London club finished second in the Premier League.

    He also played 12 times in the Champions League as the Gunners reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

    Overall, he made 130 Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side, scoring nine goals.

    Mr Partey has also made more than 50 appearances for Ghana’s national team, and most recently played at World Cup qualification matches in March.

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  • Jonathan Diuguid Takes Over as Penske Racing President

    Jonathan Diuguid Takes Over as Penske Racing President

    Travis Law Named Competition Director

    Team Penske filled its leadership vacancies Friday by promoting two members of its decorated sports car program.

    Jonathan Diuguid, who led Porsche Penske Motorsport to the past two 24 Hours of Daytona victories and this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring title, is the new president of Penske Racing. Travis Law, a fixture in the team’s sports car program for many years, has been named competition director for Penske Racing. The two have a combined 38 years with Team Penske.

    The promotions came due to three longtime team executives – Team President Tim Cindric, Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and General Manager Kyle Moyer – being released by team owner Roger Penske in May following penalties incurred in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Moyer recently joined Arrow McLaren’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES program as the director of competition.

    Diuguid will oversee Team Penske competitors in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as well as Porsche Penske Motorsport, which races in both the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. He had most recently been the managing director of the team’s sports car program. He joined Team Penske in 2005 and has served seven seasons as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES engineer, working most often with Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves.

    Law arrived at Team Penske in 2007 as a tire specialist. He rose through the ranks to become a championship-winning chief mechanic in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES before enjoying the same success with Porsche Penske Motorsport. Most recently, he was the competition director for that program.

    The NASCAR leadership structure for Penske Racing South remains unchanged with Michael Nelson serving as president and Travis Geisler continuing as vice president of competition.


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  • Indian cricket team loses last-over thriller to England by five runs

    Indian cricket team loses last-over thriller to England by five runs

    With England cricket team captain Tammy Beaumont electing to bat, the hosts seemed poised for a huge total with openers Sophia Dunkley (75) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (66) putting up a century stand for the first wicket.

    When Dunkley departed in the second ball of the 16th over while trying to hit Deepti Sharma’s low full toss over the ropes, England looked in total control.

    However, after the two put together 137 in the first 92 balls, the rest of the team managed just 34 in the next 28 while eight more wickets toppled.

    Arundhati Reddy sent back Alice Capsey, Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones in the 17th over of the innings before Radha Yadav cleaned up the England skipper in the next to register her 100th wicket in women’s T20Is.

    Deepti is the only other Indian bowler with over 100 wickets in the format.

    Shree Charani, who has been India’s standout lady with the ball, dismissed Paige Scholfield and Issy Wong off consecutive balls in the penultimate over before Deepti Sharma missed a hat-trick in the final one as England finished with 171/9.

    Besides the two openers, Ecclestone, with 10, was the only other England batter to hit double figures.

    Chasing 172 for history, Indian openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma made a watchful start before taking the attack to the English bowlers. The duo put together 85 for the opening wicket before Verma departed just three short of a half-century.

    Lauren Filer reignited the home team’s hopes as she sent back Jemimah Rodrigues (20) and Mandhana (56) in quick succession to put India in a spot of bother.

    The wickets also dried up the boundaries as India’s asking rate climbed up to 30 to get from 18 balls from 49 runs needed of 42.

    Richa Ghosh’s wicket in the penultimate over didn’t help India’s cause either as 12 were needed off the final over with Indian T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot Kaur on the crease.

    Lauren Bell, bowling the final over for England, gave away just six-runs and dismissed Harmanpreet off the last delivery of the match to send her team-mates and home support into a frenzy.

    ENG-W vs IND-W 3rd T20 2025 brief scores: England 171/9 in 20 overs (Sophia Dunkley 75, Deepti Sharma 3/27) beat India 166/5 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 56; Lauren Filer 2/30) by five runs.

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  • No. 1 Sabalenka charges past Raducanu in Wimbledon thriller

    No. 1 Sabalenka charges past Raducanu in Wimbledon thriller

    World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka booked her spot in the Wimbledon Round of 16 in dramatic fashion on Friday, besting home hope Emma Raducanu in two gripping sets in a Centre Court nightcap.

    Wimbledon: Scores Order of play | Draws

    With the roof closed under darkening skies, reigning US Open champion Sabalenka held off 2021 US Open champion Raducanu 7-6(8), 6-4 in their marquee third-round clash. Sabalenka needed exactly two hours to pull herself into the Wimbledon second week for the third time.

    Sabalenka was down a break in each set before narrowly grinding out both. Sabalenka had to save one set point in the first-set tiebreak, and she was a point away from a 5-1 deficit in the second set.

    Despite that adversity, the world’s top-ranked player held her nerve to keep her quest for her first Wimbledon title alive. She is by far the highest-seeded player remaining, as all of the other Top 6 seeds have already been eliminated from contention.

    Mertens next up: With the win, Sabalenka remains the title favorite, and she will take on someone she knows very well in the Round of 16: No. 24 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium. Mertens ousted No. 14 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine earlier on Monday on No. 1 Court.

    Mertens and Sabalenka were a formidable doubles team not too long ago. They paired up to win two hard-court Grand Slam doubles titles (2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open) and both spent time at the WTA Doubles World No. 1 ranking during their partnership.

    As their respective singles rankings would predict, Sabalenka has the upper hand over Mertens when they are opponents instead of teammates. Sabalenka has won their last nine meetings and leads the rivalry 10-2 overall (2-0 in 2025).

    Match breakdown: Friday night’s first set will be remembered for quite some time as Sabalenka needed 75 minutes to capture the one-set lead following a variety of compelling twists and turns.

    Raducanu’s groundstrokes were clicking as she took the early 4-2 advantage, but Sabalenka picked off three straight games to lead 5-4. Sabalenka then had seven set points in a mesmerizing 13-minute game, but Raducanu found some of her finest serves to battle through that tussle and somehow keep the set going.

    Spurred on by an excited crowd, with their decibel level enhanced by the closed roof, Raducanu nearly pulled off a first-set steal when she held set point at 6-5 in the tiebreak. A nerveless Sabalenka, though, boldly swatted that away with a drop shot winner. Two points later, Sabalenka punched a volley winner to close out an epic first set. 

    Raducanu had an even bigger lead in the second set as she raced to 4-1 and had break point for 5-1. But, once again, World No. 1 Sabalenka showed why she is in that position, reeling off the next five games to earn her second victory in two meetings with former Top 10 player Raducanu.

    More to come…

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  • Uihlein surges in Rd. 2 at The International Series Morocco

    Uihlein surges in Rd. 2 at The International Series Morocco

    LIV Golf players competing at The International Series Morocco and the DP World Tour’s BMW International Open are making waves entering the weekend.

    RangeGoats GC’s Peter Uihlein continued to shine at the par-73 Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat in Round 2, one day after he finished Round 1 tied for the lead with a 5-under 68. On Friday, Uihlein got into the red again with a 1-under 72 to stand at 6-under, tied for third and just three back of leader Scott Vincent.

    His RangeGoats GC teammate Ben Campbell, the defending champion in Morocco, shot a 5-under 68 on Friday and enters the third round just four off the lead and tied for fifth.

    “I hit the ball really well,” Campbell said. “I didn’t really hole anything on the greens, unfortunately. Felt like it was a day that could have been a lot, lot better, so that was a little bit frustrating.”

    LIV Golf reserve John Catlin, who was tied for the lead with Uihlein after the opening round, fell down the leaderboard after a tough start and finished with a 3-over 76. But it was good enough to make the cut, and Catlin will began Saturday at 2-under, tied for 27th.

    LIV Golf players who also made the weekend in Morocco were Torque GC’s Mito Pereira (74-70, 2-under total, T27), Stinger GC’s Charl Schwartzel (75-71, even par, T51) and HyFlyers GC’s Andy Ogletree (73-74, 1-over total, T61).

    Vincent shot a 7-under 66, the best round of the tournament so far. Despite a disappointing three-putt bogey on his final hole, he had done enough to jump to the top of the leaderboard, two shots clear of Australian Maverick Antcliff (70).

    Uihlein, a two-time International Series champion last year, threatened to overtake Vincent. However, after reaching 9-under through 14 holes, he made three bogeys in his last four holes to drop into to a tie for third. He was joined there by the Thai Suteepat Prateeptienchai (67).

    The International Series Morocco is the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, which form a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

    Follow scoring from Morocco here.

    PUIG STAYS HOT ON DP WORLD TOUR

    Fireballs GC star David Puig continued to make noise at the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany, and is four shots off the lead after a 5-under 67 in Round 2. Puig, who is tied for sixth, had an eagle, six birdies, one bogey and one double bogey on Friday.

    Cleeks Golf Club Captain Martin Kaymer (70-70, 4-under total, T37) made the cut in his home country. LIV Golf players who will miss the weekend are 4Aces GC’s Patrick Reed (71-71, 2-under toal), Fireballs GC’s Josele Ballester (74-69, 1-under toal) and Fireballs GC’s Captain Sergio Garcia (75-72, 3-over total).

    Follow scoring from DP World Tour here.

    (The International Series staff contributed to this story)

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  • PSG star Dembele on Bayern, fitness and Luis Enrique influence – FIFA

    1. PSG star Dembele on Bayern, fitness and Luis Enrique influence  FIFA
    2. Inter Miami look forward after Club World Cup: “We are proud”  MLSsoccer.com
    3. PSG 4-0 Miami (Jun 29, 2025) Game Analysis  ESPN
    4. Will We See Ousmane Dembélé Start for Paris Saint-Germain Against Bayern Munich?  beIN SPORTS
    5. Ousmane Dembélé is not in PSG’s lineup for Club World Cup opener against Atlético Madrid  AP News

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  • NCCC News : OUTLAWS DEFEATED IN DURHAM

    NCCC News : OUTLAWS DEFEATED IN DURHAM

    Cameos from Matt Montgomery and Joe Clarke were not enough to propel Notts Outlaws to a record T20 chase as they fell to a 49-run defeat away to Durham.

    On a run-stuffed evening in the North East, the home side made 231-5 before the Outlaws replied with 182 all out, as Montgomery and Clarke both hit 41.

    Calvin Harrison and Matt Montgomery both claimed two wickets apiece, while Olly Stone, making his return to the Outlaws fold for the first time in 2025, picked up a scalp of his own.

    The home openers, Alex Lees and Graham Clark, began in uncompromising fashion, by putting on 70 runs in six overs.

    Joe Clarke’s decision to use the spinners, Farhan Ahmed and Calvin Harrison, in tandem slowed the run rate.

    However, it was Montgomery who took the first wicket on 83, when he had Clark caught on the cover boundary by Daniel Sams for a 27-ball 40.

    Nevertheless, Durham’s hundred came up in the eleventh over and Lees reached a 34-ball fifty a few deliveries later.

    Stone then found joy in his second spell when he had Lees caught by Harrison on the deep backward square leg boundary for 77.

    Notts seized the initiative when Jimmy Neesham was bowled by Harrison and Ben McKinney was caught on the long-on boundary, by Harrison off Montgomery, both for three.

    Despite the loss of three wickets for ten runs, Durham fought back through Colin Ackermann, who made 83 before being caught by Sams off Harrison as his side finished strongly.

    The Outlaws’ pursuit of their distant target began in difficult circumstances as Freddie McCann was caught by Will Rhodes off Callum Parkinson for five.

    However, the visitors were going well on 37-1, until Jack Haynes was caught by Lees off Kasey Aldridge for 14, though the pair of wickets made no difference to the Outlaws’ approach.

    Lyndon James hit his first two balls for four and Jimmy Neesham’s first over cost 19 runs as Nottinghamshire scored 76 runs in their powerplay, six more than their hosts.

    Despite the strong start, James was dismissed by Sowter, and Clarke was then next to go, caught at short third man by Sowter for a 25-ball 41.

    Notts reached the midpoint of their innings on 112 for four, still needing 120 to win, and that task seemed tougher still when Aldridge struck twice in four balls.

    He bowled Tom Moores for five, before having Liam Patterson-White caught at long off by Rhodes for eight.

    Parkinson conceded 19 runs off his next over as the Outlaws dispensed with any scrap of caution, but Sams was bowled by Sowter for nine.

    With seven overs remaining, 76 runs were still required and that was reduced to 61 off six thanks to Montgomery taking 14 off three deliveries from Parkinson.  

    However, the late intervention of Kasey Aldridge, who claimed new career-best figures of 5/29, saw the Outlaws fall to defeat in the 16th over.

    Montgomery and Harrison, having partnered for 39 in 19 balls, were both dismissed, and the end of the former’s 18-ball knock brought about the formal end to proceedings.

    *******


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  • Quarter-Finals: USA, Germany survive, joined by newcomers Slovenia and New Zealand

    Quarter-Finals: USA, Germany survive, joined by newcomers Slovenia and New Zealand

    LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – Four teams remain standing at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 with favorites USA and Germany both surviving tough tests in the Quarter-Finals while Slovenia and New Zealand made history – the latter spoiling the party for hosts Switzerland.

    Let us know what you think and vote:

    Who will be crowned U19 World Cup 2025 champions?

    USA survive classic vs Canada

    United States needed everything they could muster but managed to fight past Americas rival Canada 108-102 in probably the best game of the tournament thus far.

    USA had temporarily led by 13 points but Canada roared back into the game and it was tight throughout the second half. USA just made more plays down the stretch to move into the Semis.

    AJ Dybantsa scored 22 points and Mikel Brown picked up 20 points and 8 assists for the Americans.

    “It’s amazing, just to be here – big stage. Canada played a great game but at the end of the day we have one goal – that’s to win gold. We pulled it out. No matter what the score was. We won the game,” said JJ Mandaquit, who chipped in 4 points and 7 assists.

    You may also want to read this:

    USA beat Canada in a must-watch classic

    New Zealand spoil Swiss party

    Next up for USA will be New Zealand, who have never reached this level before but made history by beating Switzerland 84-70.

    Hayden Jones scored 23 points to go with 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks, Julius Halaifonua had 17 points and Oscar Goodman tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Junior Tall Blacks, who were already playing in their first-ever Quarter-Finals.

    “It means a lot. Basketball has been on the rise for the last five years. It keeps getting bigger every day, and this just shows we can compete with the best teams in the world,” Goodman said.

    You should check this one too:

    New Zealand standing tall in first ever U19WC Semis

    Germany into first top four in 38 years

    It was a long time coming but Germany finally have returned to the Semi-Finals, beating Australia to end a 38-year wait. The Germans nearly wasted a 23-point lead as the Australians got back within four points but ended up prevailing 80-67.

    “It’s a pretty big thing that we were able to show the character when we have a run against us. We stuck together and found a way to win,” said Hannes Steinbach, who tallied 16 points and 16 rebounds.

    What asked about the country finally ending a 38-year wait, Steinbach said: “That’s pretty amazing. This group here is pretty good and we can achieve even more.”

    Related Articles

    Back among the best: Germany’s 38-year Semi-Final wait ends

    Slovenia secures Semis spot

    Slovenia secured their first-ever berth in the Semi-Finals by running away from Israel 79-55 in the Quarter-Finals and set up a date with Germany. The Balkan used a 17-3 run over the final 4 minutes of the first half to take control and were never threatened the rest of the way.

    Zak Smrekar tallied 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and Urban Kroflic chipped in 13 points in the win. Slovenia’s best previous finish was seventh in 2003.

    You may also want to read this:

    Magic in motion: Slovenia’s Semi-Final dream lives on

    Classification 9-16

    – Thiago Sucatzky dished out a FIBA U19 World Cup record 15 assists as Argentina beat Cameroon 85-67. Tyler Kropp added 25 points and 9 rebounds in the win.
    – Nikola Dzepina totaled 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a 94-88 victory for Serbia over Dominican Republic.
    – Mali had no problem with Jordan, rolling to a 91-50 victory thanks to Sekou Bagayoko scoring 22 points and Youssef Traore registering a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
    – France bounced back from their disappointing loss to Switzerland in the Round of 16 to beat China 85-76. Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada scored 21 points and Yohann Sissoko chipped in 17 points for the winner.

    Saturday July 5 schedule:

    Semi-Finals:

    SLO v GER
    NZL v USA

    Classification 5-8

    ISR v AUS
    SUI v CAN

    Classification 9-12

    ARG v SRB
    FRA v MLI

    Classification 13-16

    CMR v DOM
    CHN v JOR

    Let us know what you think and vote:

    Who will be named FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 TISSOT MVP?

    FIBA

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