Category: 6. Sports

Chelsea’s João Pedro marked his first start in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, scoring twice to send the Premier League side into the Club World Cup final with a 2-0 victory over his boyhood club Fluminense.

The 23-year-old Brazilian forward, signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for £60 million ($81.5 million) last week, curled home a fabulous strike in the 18th minute before sealing the win with a brilliant finish following a counter-attack early in the second half at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Chelsea will face Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain, who meet in the second semifinal on Wednesday, in Sunday’s final.

“I’m happy to score my first goal, but also I know this tournament is very important for them,” he said. “I can’t just say sorry, but I have to be professional. I play for Chelsea. They pay me for that to score goals. And today I was happy to score.”

Fluminense of Rio de Janeiro is the final non-European team to be eliminated in a tournament where all four Brazilian entrants reached the knockout phase, including two that reached the quarterfinals.

After previously appearing in the 2023 final of the Club World Cup’s previous, smaller format, their return was prevented by one of their own.

Pedro came up through Fluminense’s youth academy, but after 25 appearances in the Brazilian top flight in 2019 was off to England to play first with Watford and then Brighton. He then made a move to Chelsea this summer.

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He debuted off the bench in Chelsea’s second-round win over Palmeiras in Philadelphia last Friday. And in his first start Tuesday, he required only 18 minutes to put his former club behind.

He created the attack himself, winning the ball back quickly in midfield and playing Pedro Neto down the right. Neto’s low cross into the box was cleared only as far as Pedro at the edge of the box, where he took two quick touches before bending a brilliant right-footed finish beyond Fábio and into the top right corner.

The finish on his second strike in the 56th minute was even better.

After reaching Enzo Fernández’s outlet ball down the left, Pedro dribbled into the left side of the box, cut back across one Fluminense defender to improve his shooting angle, then fired in another ferocious strike that caught the underside of the crossbar on its way into Fábio’s goal.

Between those goals, Fluminense saw two crucial chances break against them later in the first half.

In the 26th minute, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella slid to clear Hércules’ effort off the goal line with Robert Sánchez beaten.

In the 36th, referee Francois Letexier overruled his own penalty decision following a video review, deciding after consulting replay that Trevoh Chalobah’s arm had been in a natural position next to his body.

European teams will win their 12th straight Club World Cup title and 17th in 18 tries, the lone exception being a 2012 victory by Brazil’s Corinthians over Chelsea, who won in 2021.

Chelsea have earned between $88,435,000 to $103,815,000 for reaching the final, with the amount depending on a participation fee FIFA has not disclosed.

Despite a 3 p.m. local time kickoff amid high summer temperatures on the east coast of the U.S., more than 70,000 fans filled the NFL home of the New York Jets and Giants to watch the semifinal.

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this recap.

Assistant coach Scott Hansen said of the 31-27 win in Dunedin, “We’re not overly happy with the amount of points that were scored against us.

“There’s a little bit in the gut around that, so we need to be better. You look at them in the Six Nations, the coaching, the philosophy around defence, the way they recover. They defend a bit differently than New Zealand teams, and what we’ve seen in Super Rugby Pacific.

“There are a couple of little pictures there that we can adjust to when we need to.

“But, also with their good defence, there’re opportunities and we’ve seen it now. Now the challenge for us is to be better in how we attack it. We can build our game, we can get better.”

The French would feel better about their effort in the first Test after being written off in many quarters, even while they were confident in themselves.

“They’re young, excited, and they’ve talked about having no fear. What we saw was an excited and experienced French team that was proud to play for their country.

Hansen said the best way to reduce the TMO coming into the game was to deny him the opportunity by on-field performance.

“Our challenge is to give the TMO an enjoyable evening by being clinical and executing well so he can enjoy his evening.”

Former All Blacks coach Sir Wayne Smith joined the side at Wellington and is performing a mentoring role with the coaching group.

“He’s always there for us as a sounding board, it’s great having him in. He’s coached a lot of them and he just shares stories. He shares events that he’s been through.”

Hansen said they didn’t have a return-to-play time for captain and lock Scott Barrett, but he would miss the rest of the series as a result of the injury to his calf muscle.

“We’ll take it week for week, and he’ll be keen to get back as quickly as possible. We want to be quite cautious with that given we’ve seen in other sports that calf injuries can easily turn into Achilles injuries.”

With Ardie Savea taking over the captaincy, he would be able to call on support from the leadership group.

Prop Pasilio Tosi said they had just been told Barrett wouldn’t be playing, but they had confidence in Savea, who has led them before.

Tosi said France had stepped up in Dunedin, forcing the All Blacks to make errors, but they were ready to right those in Wellington.

“We know we’re going to be up against another good France team. They’ll review the game and we’ll review there’s.”

The All Blacks were disappointed to have three tries ruled out by the TMO, but there was no escaping their presence.

“They’re always there, so we’ve got to be squeaky clean. I ran into a French player so I need to be mindful of not getting in their way.”

Tosi expects more fire from the French bellies, having missed a chance to get one over the All Blacks in Dunedin.

“I expect an aggressive France team, that will test us.”

Find out where to watch All Blacks v France around the world HERE.

New scholarship program will empower passionate, under-represented youth from the Campo de Gibraltar region, with full scholarships to attend the Sotogrande International School

The Foundation serves as part of Valderrama’s and LIV Golf’s partnership to drive impact in the region beyond the game of golf with a clear focus on academic development.

LIV Golf Andalucia returns this weekend with tickets available at LIVGolf.com

SOTOGRANDE and NEW YORK – Valderrama and LIV Golf have announced a multi-year partnership to launch a transformative youth scholarship program under the recently created Valderrama Foundation.

The Foundation’s primary mission is to foster the economic development of the Campo de Gibraltar region by supporting local children in their academic, professional, athletic, and personal growth—using golf as a powerful tool for development. Grounded in core values such as discipline, perseverance, integrity, and respect, the Foundation aims to become a catalyst for positive change in the local community. Through full scholarships, it will create life-changing opportunities for talented students with limited financial resources.

As part of this academic and golf development initiative, selected scholars will attend the prestigious Sotogrande International School (part of the Inspired Education Group), while receiving elite golf training at a state-of-the-art golf academy developed by Sotogrande S.A. (Orion Investment Group). This unique dual-focus program will equip students to become bilingual, cultivate international networks, and acquire critical life and industry skills that open doors to future opportunities in the global golf ecosystem.

This great initiative is supported by LIV Golf through its Impact initiative, Potential, Unleashed to drive engagement in the communities that host the League’s international events.

Starting this summer, five talented children from the region will be awarded the program’s inaugural scholarships and begin their academic journey at Sotogrande International School. To celebrate the launch of the partnership between LIV Golf and the Valderrama Foundation, the young golfers were welcomed to the iconic Real Club Valderrama, where they enjoyed a guided tour of the club and had the unique opportunity to participate in a special golf clinic led by LIV Golf stars Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, David Puig and Josele Ballester—offering them inspiration and expert guidance as they begin this transformative new chapter.

Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia, said: “It’s amazing to meet these kids and help them to play the game that they love, while also having the chance to study at a great international school in Sotogrande. Looking at it from when I was a kid, this opportunity would be a dream come true. To see the commitment from Real Club Valderrama, the league and the Valderrama Foundation to helping the future of the game is very exciting.”

Javier Reviriego, Managing Director of Valderrama, said: “The creation of the Valderrama Foundation is a fundamental piece of our vision to support the youth of this region, and provide opportunities for talented young individuals to excel and grow on the golf course and academically. Through our long-standing partnership with LIV Golf, we are delighted to unveil this new program that will ensure the continued development of this sport within the next generation in the years to come.”

Jake Jones, Senior Vice President of Impact and Sustainability at LIV Golf added: “This new chapter in LIV Golf’s partnership with the Real Club Valderrama through its Valderrama Foundation supports our efforts to give back to the local community, and a region that has embraced us since our first event in 2023. This new initiative will provide a clear pathway for young people to thrive both in developing as golfing talents but also in life, with personal development skills and access to one of the region’s finest schools. We look forward to seeing this program and our students flourish over time.”

To learn more about the foundation, click here.

The launch of the partnership comes ahead of LIV Golf Andalucía, with the event’s third edition bringing the League’s 54 stars back to one of Europe’s iconic courses from July 11-13.

Fans can look forward to seeing Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC alongside the world golf’s biggest names, including two-time major winner and Spanish hero, Jon Rahm of Legion XIII , five-time major winner Brooks Koepka of Smash GC and Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC in action at the Real Club de Valderrama.

Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming edition of LIV Golf Andalucía, with more information available at LIVGolf.com.

Crystal Palace will move a step closer towards discovering whether they can play in next season’s Europa League with Lyon’s appeal against their relegation from Ligue 1 set to start on Wednesday.

The French club’s hearing, which will be crucial towards Uefa’s decision as to whether Palace can compete in the Europa League, has been brought forward after initially being due to take place at the end of this week, multiple sources have told BBC Sport.

French football authorities have demoted Lyon into Ligue 2 due to their poor financial state.

But the club have appealed against the decision, with French football’s watchdog now set to rule over whether to uphold the relegation or hand Lyon a reprieve.

If Lyon maintain their Ligue 1 status, the French side would likely keep their place in the Europa League, potentially at Palace’s expense.

If their relegation is upheld, Lyon have agreed with Uefa to be excluded from the competition – clearing the way for Palace to play in the competition.

The uncertainty over Palace’s European spot next season stems from a perceived breach of Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules.

Eagle Football Holdings – owned by American businessman John Textor – is at the centre of the case.

The company currently owns stakes in Palace and Lyon, with Uefa rules stating that clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition.

Palace argue that Textor does not hold any decisive influence, but Uefa are yet to rule over whether they accept the Premier League side’s defence.

However if a verdict is reached on Wednesday, Uefa says it is unlikely to reach its own decision until the end of the week.

European football’s governing body delayed its ruling on the case until the French authorities has made a decision on Lyon’s league status.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the cover athlete of NBA 2K26 following his MVP and title-winning season, the video game’s developer announced Tuesday.

Last season’s scoring champ and Finals MVP will be featured on the game’s standard edition. He averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and five rebounds per game, leading the Thunder to a 68-14 record.

The Thunder outscored teams by 12.9 points per game, the biggest margin in league history. They beat the Indiana Pacers in seven games to win the NBA title. Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded last week for his stellar season with a record-setting 4-year, $285 million extension.

A release date for NBA 2K26 has yet to be announced. The game is expected to launch in September.

The NBA 2K cover athlete last year was Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who was also featured after his team won the championship.

The cover athlete announcement comes after 2K Games teased its plans to get back into the college basketball gaming market. It wasn’t clear whether the developer wants to revive its long-dormant college basketball franchise or incorporate college hoops into its NBA franchise.

“2K is the undisputed home of basketball gaming,” 2K Games said in a statement to The Associated Press last week. “We have a strong history with college hoops and are exploring exciting new ways to bring athletes and schools to life. Class is in session.”

Understanding how different tennis court surfaces like grass and clay play requires knowledge of the physics behind them.

The grass tennis courts of Wimbledon are among the most recognizable in the world. 

But despite its fame, grass is one of the rarest surfaces on which tennis is played today; and many tennis fans and players may never set foot on its lush turf in their lives. 

How does the iconic Centre Court lawn compare to the gritty red clay courts of the French Open, where last year’s Summer Olympics took place? Understanding how different tennis court surfaces like grass and clay play requires knowledge of the physics behind them.

Why Wimbledon’s grass courts create fast, low bounces

As it concerns the physics of grass and clay courts, there are some fundamental differences, says Arun Bansil, a university distinguished professor of physics at Northeastern University. 

“Grass courts have lower friction and absorb more energy during the bounce,” Bansil says. “As a result, the ball bounces low due to loss of vertical speed, but bounces fast due to lower friction and smaller loss of horizontal speed.” 

It’s that zippy, low-bouncing quality that defines gameplay on a grass court. For amateurs and professionals alike, the surface is among the trickiest on which to find your footing. 

How friction and spin change the game on clay vs. grass

Clay courts, on the other hand, have more surface friction, resulting in more “grip” on the ball, a slower pace of shot but a much higher bounce. 

On a clay court, the ball seems to sit on the court for a split second longer: that’s the friction at play, which slows the shot and converts the ball’s spin into vertical lift. 

Grass courts are also more sensitive to temperature and humidity and other external effects, which is why the ball behaves less predictably, Bansil notes. In drier temperatures, the soil beneath the grass is firmer, causing the ball to zip through the court more. 

In slicker conditions, the ball might play even lower to the ground, as the moisture absorbs even more pace. Slick grass can also pose problems for a player’s movement, particularly during the first week of Wimbledon when the turf is lush and less worn down. 

“Grass courts perhaps provide a more interesting play for these reasons because the spectators are likely to experience more unexpected turns in the match than on, say, hard courts,” Bansil says.

MADRID – Liverpool’s Portuguese forward Diogo Jota was probably speeding when the Lamborghini car he was driving crashed in northwestern Spain, killing him and his brother, police said in a preliminary report on Tuesday.

The forensics team is analysing the marks left by one of the car’s wheels on the asphalt that suggest a tyre burst and whether that and excessive speed caused the crash, police said in a statement.

Having concluded their investigation, police will send the report to the local court before it is made public.

Jota’s death at the age of 28 sent shockwaves through the world of soccer and beyond, with messages of condolences pouring in from national leaders as well as fellow football players.

Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who played for Penafiel in the Portuguese second division, were believed to have been driving to a ferry in Spain to travel to Britain when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames after midnight on Thursday.

They were buried in their hometown of Gondomar in northern Portugal on Saturday. REUTERS