Matt Milnes took a hat-trick and career-best figures of 7-38 as Yorkshire moved into pole position in a tight Group B battle for qualification for the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup.
Wins for the White Rose county, Somerset, Warwickshire and Middlesex narrowed the possible contenders down to four with one round to go, with Yorkshire looking strong favourites to go through.
In Group A, the picture cleared significantly with Worcestershire beating Leicestershire Foxes to become the second side after Gloucestershire to qualify, leaving Hampshire and Essex to battle for the final knockout berth.
The Foxes had slim qualification hopes going into the game but they were extinguished as they slipped to a 16-run defeat. The penultimate round of action also saw Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Surrey knocked out as Hampshire and Essex posted the wins that kept them in the hunt.
In Group B, defeats for Sussex, Durham and Kent saw their hopes of progression ended.
Yorkshire stayed top of Group B by beating Sussex, thanks in a large part to heroics from Milnes, who took two wickets in two balls in the fifth over and then bettered that with a hat-trick in the 45th over as the Hove hosts were restricted to 284-9.
A century from Pakistan international Imam-ul-Haq provided the foundation for a controlled Yorkshire reply along with a solid contribution from James Wharton (85), the pair breaking the back of the chase with a 196-run partnership for the second wicket.
Victory, achieved by six wickets and with 14 balls to spare, leaves Yorkshire as favourites to progress to the knockouts given a four-point lead over the chasing pack and a healthy net run-rate.
At Leicester, Brett D’Oliveira hit 107 from 105 balls in Worcestershire’s 328, Rishi Patel taking 5-65.
In reply, a fifth-wicket stand of 163 between Shan Masood (88) and Ben Cox (76) helped Leicestershire recover from 23-4. But the Foxes’ innings fell away again, with Ben Mike’s unbeaten 72 from 46 balls not enough to steer them home.
When Donald Trump remained on stage, grinning in the sun as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup trophy last month, it was all too easy to treat the incident as a one-off mistake. A moment that said plenty about Trump’s ego, sure. But ultimately, only a moment.
Nope. It’s reality. Inescapable. Donald Trump will be everywhere Fifa is in the US, including at the 2026 World Cup – due to start in about 10 months, when Canada and Mexico will co-host.
If this much wasn’t clear already after that moment at MetLife Stadium and all the other times Trump or his agenda have affected World Cup affairs, it may have become so after Friday’s Oval Office appearance with Fifa president Gianni Infantino – the eighth reported meeting between the pair since January, and the fifth to take place in public at the White House.
Trump wore a signature hat reading “TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING” – one of his collection that was deemed noteworthy enough to display to world leaders in the middle of high-stakes talks with lives hanging in the balance. He then announced that the attention of the soccer world will once again be on him in December. On the fifth of that month, the World Cup draw will take place not at the Las Vegas Sphere as had been widely expected, but at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center – a historic venue and a worthy place to sort through some ping-pong balls, but also one that is now controlled by Trump, who has installed himself as chair, named himself as host of the institution’s annual honors, overseen upcoming renovations (“there’s nothing like gold,” he said on Friday in reference to his Oval Office redesign), and may soon lend his wife’s name to the opera house.
“Some people refer to it as the ‘Trump Kennedy Center,’ but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet,” Trump said on Friday. “Maybe in a week or so.”
The World Cup is not federally controlled like the Kennedy Center, but it will now be subject to a similar dynamic. The tournament Trump has taken credit for bringing to the US will take place under his presidency, with the draw and “big press conferences” happening in a venue he controls, put on by an organization run by someone looking to befriend Trump at every turn – including by becoming the Trump Organization’s tenant. There is almost no choice other than to accept that Trump will make sure he is front and center at this tournament – even in spots where he has no business, or where his involvement may be seen as uncouth or inappropriate. It’s a dynamic Americans know well now, more than a decade into Trump’s rise.
After Trump’s announcement, Infantino allowed him to hold the single most valuable hardware in men’s soccer, the World Cup trophy – not unheard of for heads of state, but more uncommon when accompanied with Infantino’s comment: “Since you are a winner, of course, you can as well touch it.”
Trump asked if he could keep the trophy afterward, and it was not immediately clear that he was joking, given that Infantino let him keep the Club World Cup trophy, where it has been on display in the Oval Office ever since.
Trump made this latest World Cup announcement in practically the same breath as he expounded on his latest imposition on the American people – a strong-arm takeover of Washington DC, which he called a “crime-infested rat hole” despite the fact that the Justice Department had previously reported a 30-year low in violent crime in the capital. Trump continued to promote his crackdown later on, with the trophy directly in front of him on the Resolute Desk, as if it was a microphone meant to amplify his message. When Trump got to talking about immigration, Infantino moved the trophy out of the way.
When prompted by Trump on Friday, Infantino – rather than demurring to comment on the domestic affairs of a foreign country – gave a solemn “oh yes” to express approval of the president’s plan for DC. It’s a plan Trump said he intends to spread to other American cities, mentioning Chicago specifically, but one can easily imagine that any city that voted against him – like 10 of the 11 US host cities for the upcoming World Cup – would be on the list.
“Johnny”, as Trump calls Infantino, then gifted him a ceremonial ticket to the World Cup final – row 1, seat 1.
Given all of this, expect the World Cup final camera to linger on Trump’s face longer than many of the players, coaches, and team staff who will have worked all their professional lives to get to that point.
You’ll see him at the World Cup before then, too. He’ll boast endlessly about how well the tournament is going, only changing tack if things get so bad it’s obvious to everyone, in which case he’ll blame someone else (watch your back, “Johnny”). He’ll do at least one half-time interview on Fox, which is broadcasting the tournament in the US. Alexi Lalas, a big fan of Trump’s Maga movement, will shake his hand. Don’t rule out a gold-encrusted seat waiting for Trump at the final and any other games he chooses to attend.
There can be no doubt now – the World Cup is not a guest in the house Trump runs. It is his plaything. And Fifa appears happy to do anything it takes for things to remain that way lest world football’s governing body be discarded or, worse, made a target.
The World Cup, beneath all of the commercialism, is almost comically pure-hearted. It’s a celebration of the most popular sport in the world. It gives people across the world something in common to talk about, to bond over, to yell at. That feeling goes double for the host nations, and it’s a large part of the tournament’s singular power. It’s why it’s so coveted by countries that rule through authoritarian means – and that now arguably includes the US under Trump
Indelible, sublime moments will still happen at the 2026 tournament. People will still take joy, hurt, anger, and feelings from them. But those moments will be punctuated by Trump – eternally encroaching on even the most elevated of emotional experiences.
If this news drives you to boo, ready your vocal cords. If it drives you to act, start thinking about what you want that to look like. If it thrills you, pace yourself. Whichever way, it’s time to get used to it.
When Donald Trump remained on stage, grinning in the sun as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup trophy last month, it was all too easy to treat the incident as a one-off mistake. A moment that said plenty about Trump’s ego, sure. But ultimately, only a moment.
Nope. It’s reality. Inescapable. Donald Trump will be everywhere Fifa is in the US, including at the 2026 World Cup – due to start in about 10 months, when Canada and Mexico will co-host.
If this much wasn’t clear already after that moment at MetLife Stadium and all the other times Trump or his agenda have affected World Cup affairs, it may have become so after Friday’s Oval Office appearance with Fifa president Gianni Infantino – the eighth reported meeting between the pair since January, and the fifth to take place in public at the White House.
Trump wore a signature hat reading “TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING” – one of his collection that was deemed noteworthy enough to display to world leaders in the middle of high-stakes talks with lives hanging in the balance. He then announced that the attention of the soccer world will once again be on him in December. On the fifth of that month, the World Cup draw will take place not at the Las Vegas Sphere as had been widely expected, but at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center – a historic venue and a worthy place to sort through some ping-pong balls, but also one that is now controlled by Trump, who has installed himself as chair, named himself as host of the institution’s annual honors, overseen upcoming renovations (“there’s nothing like gold,” he said on Friday in reference to his Oval Office redesign), and may soon lend his wife’s name to the opera house.
“Some people refer to it as the ‘Trump Kennedy Center,’ but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet,” Trump said on Friday. “Maybe in a week or so.”
The World Cup is not federally controlled like the Kennedy Center, but it will now be subject to a similar dynamic. The tournament Trump has taken credit for bringing to the US will take place under his presidency, with the draw and “big press conferences” happening in a venue he controls, put on by an organization run by someone looking to befriend Trump at every turn – including by becoming the Trump Organization’s tenant. There is almost no choice other than to accept that Trump will make sure he is front and center at this tournament – even in spots where he has no business, or where his involvement may be seen as uncouth or inappropriate. It’s a dynamic Americans know well now, more than a decade into Trump’s rise.
After Trump’s announcement, Infantino allowed him to hold the single most valuable hardware in men’s soccer, the World Cup trophy – not unheard of for heads of state, but more uncommon when accompanied with Infantino’s comment: “Since you are a winner, of course, you can as well touch it.”
Trump asked if he could keep the trophy afterward, and it was not immediately clear that he was joking, given that Infantino let him keep the Club World Cup trophy, where it has been on display in the Oval Office ever since.
Trump made this latest World Cup announcement in practically the same breath as he expounded on his latest imposition on the American people – a strong-arm takeover of Washington DC, which he called a “crime-infested rat hole” despite the fact that the Justice Department had previously reported a 30-year low in violent crime in the capital. Trump continued to promote his crackdown later on, with the trophy directly in front of him on the Resolute Desk, as if it was a microphone meant to amplify his message. When Trump got to talking about immigration, Infantino moved the trophy out of the way.
When prompted by Trump on Friday, Infantino – rather than demurring to comment on the domestic affairs of a foreign country – gave a solemn “oh yes” to express approval of the president’s plan for DC. It’s a plan Trump said he intends to spread to other American cities, mentioning Chicago specifically, but one can easily imagine that any city that voted against him – like 10 of the 11 US host cities for the upcoming World Cup – would be on the list.
“Johnny”, as Trump calls Infantino, then gifted him a ceremonial ticket to the World Cup final – row 1, seat 1.
Given all of this, expect the World Cup final camera to linger on Trump’s face longer than many of the players, coaches, and team staff who will have worked all their professional lives to get to that point.
You’ll see him at the World Cup before then, too. He’ll boast endlessly about how well the tournament is going, only changing tack if things get so bad it’s obvious to everyone, in which case he’ll blame someone else (watch your back, “Johnny”). He’ll do at least one half-time interview on Fox, which is broadcasting the tournament in the US. Alexi Lalas, a big fan of Trump’s Maga movement, will shake his hand. Don’t rule out a gold-encrusted seat waiting for Trump at the final and any other games he chooses to attend.
There can be no doubt now – the World Cup is not a guest in the house Trump runs. It is his plaything. And Fifa appears happy to do anything it takes for things to remain that way lest world football’s governing body be discarded or, worse, made a target.
The World Cup, beneath all of the commercialism, is almost comically pure-hearted. It’s a celebration of the most popular sport in the world. It gives people across the world something in common to talk about, to bond over, to yell at. That feeling goes double for the host nations, and it’s a large part of the tournament’s singular power. It’s why it’s so coveted by countries that rule through authoritarian means – and that now arguably includes the US under Trump
Indelible, sublime moments will still happen at the 2026 tournament. People will still take joy, hurt, anger, and feelings from them. But those moments will be punctuated by Trump – eternally encroaching on even the most elevated of emotional experiences.
If this news drives you to boo, ready your vocal cords. If it drives you to act, start thinking about what you want that to look like. If it thrills you, pace yourself. Whichever way, it’s time to get used to it.
MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – George Conditt IV is proving to be a great example of the “next man up” for Puerto Rico at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025, stepping into a bigger role as the team continues its unbeaten run.
After flirting with a double-double on Friday (12 points and 9 rebounds in 18 minutes against Panama), the 25-year-old went off for 16 points and 13 boards on Saturday in Puerto Rico’s blowout win over Venezuela.
The 6’11’’ big man also added an assist, a steal, and three blocks, finishing with a game-high efficiency rating of 31 to help Puerto Rico clinch a spot in the quarter-finals.
“I’m just trying to pick up where I’m needed,” Conditt said after Saturday’s win.
Traditionally more of a defensive anchor than a scorer, Conditt has been filling out the stat sheet through just two games at Polideportivo Alexis Arguello in Managua.
He averaged 10.8 points per game at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and just 6.3 points at the Paris 2024 Olympics. But with key scorers Tremont Waters and Jordan Howard absent, he has become a vital inside presence alongside veteran Ismael Romero while giving NBA guard José Alvarado another reliable target.
Conditt IV is now 10-for-15 from the field across 2 games and 8-for-8 at the charity stripe. Against Venezuela, Puerto Rico needed him to provide more offense. However, in the opener against Panama, his defense helped hold the team to just 53 points, including only 26 in the paint.
“
In the first game we got a good showing from everybody. It wasn’t a game where I needed to be dominant offensively. My job was to be a defensive anchor, and that’s what I focused on.”
George Conditt IV
Both Conditt and Romero rank among the top 10 in efficiency at this AmeriCup after two games, but a tougher challenge awaits. Puerto Rico will face Canada on Monday, with Group B supremacy on the line.
What head coach Carlos González asks of Conditt may change by the matchup, but Puerto Rico’s chances of advancing deep into the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 will depend on his ability to keep filling the gaps on both ends of the floor.
MUNICH (Germany) – Nikola Jokic has already collected his share of hardware – winning the 2023 NBA championship as well as three NBA Most Valuable Player trophies. The Serbian big man has yet to reach the podium at a FIBA EuroBasket but his opponents rave about Jokic’s game.
FIBA asked a series of stars who will be leading their national teams in a week about Jokic and the Serbian center impresses fans and fellow star players alike. The responses ranged from Jokic will be an all-time legend, to making his teammates’ life easier to just hoping the point center has an off-night.
“Highest confidence I’ve ever seen”
Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic in earlier times
Bogdan Bogdanovic has been playing with and against Jokic for multiple years. While he goes against the big man in the NBA, Bogdanovic gets to play alongside him with Serbia. And Bogdanovic is impressed with what many don’t see in him.
“Everybody knows about his IQ and feel for the game, but what really makes him special is his basketball shape for his size – his ability to run and his conditioning,” said Bogdanovic. “He brings probably the highest confidence that I’ve ever had playing with anyone else.”
He makes life easier
Just like Bogdanovic, Aleksa Avramovic has the advantage of playing with Jokic. And it makes things much easier for the Serbian wing.
“His basketball IQ on and off the court is absolutely unbelievable. He has all the information about basketball in his mind. He thinks really quick and makes decisions really quick and literally he doesn’t have a bad decision. That’s why he is the best,” Avramovic said.
“With him on the court our chances are bigger. He’s someone who makes life easier for others on the court. He makes my life easier.”
Aleksa Avramovic loves playing with Nikola Jokic
He will be a legend
Furkan Kormaz was not afraid to put Jokic really high on an all-time pedestal.
“
“He will really be a legend.”
Furkan Korkmaz
“It’s a lot of fun to watch him. It’s hard to describe Jokic. We are lucky to watch him. 15 or 20 years from now, I don’t know how much higher we will speak of him but he will really be a legend,” the Turkish star said.
You have to see it to understand it
Mateusz Ponitka of Poland said Jokic’s mix of talents and skillset are just different.
“Nikola Jokic is an example that you cannot describe in one word. He’s somebody unique. He has multiple talents, his basketball IQ, his feeling for basketball … you cannot find it. It’s difficult. You have to see it to understand that this is something special,” Ponitka said.
“In every sport you have some examples of sportsmen who are just different and right now Nikola is differnent. The way of play, the way of understanding, the mix of talents that he has. It’s so unusual that it makes him a special player.”
Hope it’s his off-night
Greece’s guard Tyler Dorsey said opponents really only have one chance when they are facing Jokic.
“It’s like with the other great players, you hope it’s his off-night,” Dorsey said. “He’s unorthodox. I can’t find another player that actually plays like him – at any level. It’s hard to figure out, you can’t figure it out.”
“
“It’s like with the other great players, you hope it’s his off-night.”
Tyler Dorsey
Spanish NBA star Santi Aldama offered a similar response, saying: “He always makes the right read. If he doesn’t have the ball, it’s probably better for us.”
Winner with no ego
Nicolo Melli says Jokic is probably the best player in the world and the Italian big man actually enjoys watching him play – especially since the Italians defeated Serbia in the Round of 16 at the EuroBasket 2022.
“Watching him, what stands out is how easy everything comes to him. He’s a winner but he doesn’t have this ego that many of those players at that level have. It’s just fun to watch him and every time I had the opportunity to play against him it was a big challenge to try to limit him,” said Melli.
He knows what will happen
Sasu Salin called Jokic special and the Finnish marksman said his basketball level is on another level.
“He knows exactly what’s going to happen in like two seconds. He knows how to pass the ball, he knows how to shoot. His size is a big advantage for him. He’s not the fastest or most athletic, but the basketball IQ is just on another level,” Salin remarked.
He’s a point center … and coach
German guard Andreas Obst is impressed with Jokic’s leadership skills, both on and off the court.
“
“He’s like a point center. He’s also kind of like a coach.”
Andreas Obst
“He’s so physical but so skilled. So much patience but also such a high IQ: Reads the game super well; knows exactly where his teammates are. He’s like a point center. He’s also kind of like a coach,” said Obst.
“He runs the team. He can shoot, he can score, rebound, pass, dribble. It’s really hard to find a defensive system against him.”
“The Joker”
Willy Hernangomez just laughed when asked about Jokic and said: “‘The Joker’. He’s able to do everything. He’s the MVP, the best player in the world. Great great guy.”
Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest held each other to a 1-1 draw in a game that was billed as the “battle of the boardrooms” after the controversy over their European football status this season.
Ismaïla Sarr opened the scoring for Palace in the first half, but Callum Hudson-Odoi levelled in the secind period.
The game was staged in the backfrop of off-field drama. Forest replaced Palace in the Europa League after the latter were deemed to have breached UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.
There was also drama surrounding the Forest dugout, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo reportedly having fallen out of favour with owner Evangelos Marinakis.
– Transfer rumors, news: Follow ESPN’s daily live blog
– Grading biggest completed transfers of the summer window
When asked before the game if his comments that the pair are “not as close” could be perceived as him trying to engineer a departure from the club, Nuno told Sky Sports: “That is nonsense. That does not make any kind of sense.
“The state is that we are focused on the game, that is more important. We have to make sure the players are ready to play, because this game is going to be very tough.”
Asked if he wanted to continue in his role, the Forest boss added: “Of course. Of course.”
Justin Devenny, the 21-year-old Northern Ireland international Oliver Glasner inserted in Eberechi Eze’s place for Palace’s Conference League first-leg play-off victory over Fredrikstad on Thursday night, earned another start.
And he had an early chance with a cross-shot from a tight angle denied.
Jean-Philippe Mateta came closer to opening the scoring just before the half hour — his strike, straight at Matz Sels, just the second shot on target for the hosts who had limited Forest to none.
Morgan Gibbs-White would have wanted to do better in the build-up to Palace’s opener. He was unable to take control of the ball as it dropped just outside the 18-yard box, allowing Will Hughes to seize possession.
Sarr then broke the deadlock with the finishing touch of a well-worked sequence that began with Adam Wharton’s sprayed pass out to Daniel Muñoz, who perfectly-timed his own delivery for the Senegal international to guide in the opener.
Palace had a few more opportunities to double their lead before the break – a Will Hughes effort flashed wide and Marc Guehi’s header against the right post with the final touch of the first half.
Nuno switched his wingers’ sides to start the second half and it paid off when Hudson-Odoi drew the sides level in the 57th minute, supplied by a sharp pass from Dan Ndoye, allowing him to outpace Tyrick Mitchell and finish low past the outstretched toe of Dean Henderson.
Forest nearly emerged victors when Jesus — who would have had Henderson beaten — smashed against the woodwork in stoppage time, when VAR also disagreed with Palace’s penalty shouts after Sarr was brought down by Murillo.
New Forest signing Omari Hutchinson had two decent chances to snatch a winner, but directed both off target.
The Football Association is investigating a banner unfurled by Crystal Palace fans that depicted Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis holding a gun to midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White’s head.
Forest are hugely disappointed that supporters were permitted to bring the banner into Selhurst Park, according to well-placed sources.
Crystal Palace have been approached for comment by the BBC.
Palace and Forest played out a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on Sunday but the clash was overshadowed by the banner which, in addition to the portrayal of Marinakis pointing a gun towards Gibbs-White, read: “Mr Marinakis is not involved in blackmail, match-fixing, drug trafficking or corruption!”
Marinakis has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to such allegations.
The FA is probing the banner and will decide whether Palace face punishment.
There are strict rules regarding messaging contained in such banners regarding foul language and defamatory, political and offensive slogans.
The banner will serve to heighten tensions between the two clubs following a controversial summer that saw Palace relegated into the Europa Conference League with Forest taking their place in the Europa League after the London club contravened Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules.
Last month, Palace chairman Steve Parish said the decision to remove Crystal Palace from the Europa League was “the biggest injustice in the history of football”.
However, there is now major frustration at the City Ground that more was not done to prevent the banner from being displayed.
The banner is viewed at Forest as being inflammatory and xenophobic. They are privately questioning why Palace and the club’s ownership group consisting of Woody Johnson, Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer have not publicly criticised the banner.
Gibbs-White came close to leaving Forest for Tottenham earlier this summer after the London club appeared to trigger the England international’s £60m release clause.
But the midfielder ended up staying at the City Ground, signing a new deal,, external and speaking about his decision to stay in an interview alongside Marinakis.
