FC Barcelona and the player Wojciech Szczęsny have reached an agreement for the extension his contract which will tie him to the Club until 30 June 2027.
The deal comes after a great season from the goalkeeper following his unexpected arrival to cover the unfortunate long term injury to Marc ter Stegen. Barça needed a keeper and chose Szczęsny, who came out of retirement to accept the challenge after having hung up his gloves in the summer. The Pole responded by showing he is still one of the best goalkeepers in European Football.
Stats that speak for themselves
In 30 appearances for Barça in the 2024/25 season, Szczęsny kept 14 clean sheets and was never on the losing side in La Liga. The Polish player’s experience and maturity was a great help for coach Hansi Flick in a young and inexperienced Barça squad.
Impressive CV
The goalkeeper’s time at Barça is another addition to his impressive career. Szczęsny announced his retirement in August 2024. However, Barça’s call brought him back to football after an admirable career and many achievements. After leaving his hometown of Warsaw at the age of 16 years old, he went on to play for major European sides such as Arsenal, Roma and Juventus, giving him great experience in the continent’s top leagues.
More trophies
With the domestic treble at Barça in 2024/25, Szczęsny has now claimed 14 trophies during his career with more than 500 appearances, 83 of which have come in the Champions League, the last eight of which came last season in a Barça shirt. They may well not be his last with the goalkeeper remaining a blaugrana now until 2027.
A.J. Foyt holds the record for most race victories in INDYCAR SERIES history – he has eight more wins than second-place Scott Dixon’s 59 – but Dixon has a record that might stand forever.
Dixon’s victory in Sunday’s The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the All-New 2026 Passport gave him 23 seasons with at least one NTT INDYCAR SERIES race win.
Here’s the kicker: The six-time series champion is still two weeks from celebrating his 45th birthday, which means he has won a race in the series that’s considered the most competitive in global motorsports in more than half the years of his life.
Friends, that is a nearly incomprehensible fact, and it’s worth noting that Foyt, who was still driving these cars at age 58, had five fewer winning INDYCAR SERIES seasons than Dixon has. It’s also worth noting that Dixon’s run of success spans more than the life of Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyffin Simpson, who turns 21 in October.
Additionally, Dixon extended his streak of consecutive seasons with at least one victory to 21.
Dixon won a series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for a record-extending seventh time, finishing ahead of the driver who is on the verge of winning his third consecutive series championship and fourth title in five years. Yes, Alex Palou made a colossal mistake in Turn 9 that allowed Dixon to grab the lead with five-plus laps remaining, but the driver of the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda had put himself in position yet again to win a series race, and he did when the opportunity presented itself.
“On the approach to (Turn) 9, I saw the dust and I was like, ‘Oh, maybe that’s a lap car or something’ because there’s been times in these sessions where the dust has actually been lingering in the air,” Dixon said. “You come through (Turn) 1, there’s a load of dust, and then you don’t even see the car that’s in front.
“I didn’t know if it was (Palou), and then obviously I see it’s a black car. He’s had multiple (car) colors this year, so it’s always hard to figure out, and I saw that he was kind of struggling to get going. Hate to say it, but pleasantly surprised when I saw that he was rejoining the track.”
Dixon then held off Palou, who was charging in those waning laps with an advantage in fuel and push-to-pass opportunities. Dixon’s margin of victory was .4201 of a second, the track’s closest series finish in six years.
Dixon executed this victory as he has so many others, by perfectly managing the balance between fuel preservation and speed production. While some considered making the 90-lap race a two-stop affair but didn’t opt for it, Dixon did pulled it off, stopping on Laps 30 and 61, leaving enough in the tank and with the Firestone Firehawk tires to capitalize when Palou, who was using a three-stop pit strategy, made his big mistake in Turn 9 in the No. 10 Open AI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
The result was Chip Ganassi Racing’s second 1-2 finish of the season, with Palou overtaking Dixon late in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Palou also held off his teammate in the 2023 race at Mid-Ohio.
“I think a lot of the best INDYCAR races is when you can have a flat-out three-stopper and a two-stopper that converge at the end, and that always creates a lot of suspense and a lot of craziness,” Dixon said.
Dixon said he was surprised it wasn’t a 1-2-3 finish for Chip Ganassi’s team, which last had one 12 years ago today at Pocono Raceway (Dixon won that race, too). Simpson had qualified third, spent much of the race in the top five and led a lap in the No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda before settling for a 10th-place finish after serving a drive-through penalty for clipping the foot of Dale Coyne Racing crew member Nico Don.
Dixon’s win gave Honda its 10th consecutive victory to open the season. There hasn’t been engine domination like this since 2016 when Chevrolet won the first five races and 12 of the first 13.
Palou didn’t win the race, but he had a winning day as he gained 20 additional points on his nearest title challenger, Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, who finished eighth. Palou has combined to win four races at two of the six remaining tracks on the schedule – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Portland International Raceway – and he has a commanding 113-point lead over Kirkwood with seven races to go.
But Palou’s coronation is a moment for another day. Sunday, Mid-Ohio again crowned its king of this series.
Former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is through to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the second time in her career after a 6-4, 6-1 win over Denmark’s Clara Tauson on Monday at the All England Club.
Wimbledon: Scores | Order of play | Draws
From 3-1 down in the first set after a shaky start on serve, Swiatek had her way with the No. 23 seed in their third career meeting in 1 hour and 5 minutes. The eighth seed’s improved form was coupled with Tauson suffering from an apparent illness; the Dane, who upset former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the previous round to reach the Round of 16 at SW19 for the first time, received a medical timeout in the match, and Swiatek revealed that she told her she wasn’t feeling well when the two shook hands.
“Even though the beginning was pretty shaky with the double faults, I managed to play well and solid,” Swiatek, who double-faulted four times in her first two service games but just once for the rest of the match, said. “I’m hoping she’s going to have a good recovery and a fast one.”
“It’s never easy to keep your focus,” Swiatek continued. “I know that sometimes when I wasn’t feeling well that I’d just let go of everything and it gives you a boost. I just tried to be ready for everything.”
Swiatek finished the match with 18 winners and five breaks of Tauson’s serve — but those weren’t the only notable numbers. Read on for more.
3: Swiatek is now 3-0 against Tauson in their careers — and, in fact, went on to win the title at the only Hologic WTA Tour event where she faced Tauson previously: the 2022 BNP Paribas Open.
4: Swiatek has reached the quarterfinals or better at the last four consecutive Grand Slam events.
7: Swiatek has now won seven grass-court matches in 2025, tying her highest mark in an entire season, which came in 2023.
12: Swiatek has now reached 12 Grand Slam quarterfinals in her career. She is the youngest player to reach a dozen quarterfinals at majors since Maria Sharapova reached her 12th at the 2008 Australian Open — and since Swiatek’s Grand Slam debut in 2019, only Aryna Sabalenka has reached more major quarterfinals. Sabalenka has 13 on her resume and counting.
The iconic Silverstone Circuit delivered a weekend of high drama and challenging conditions for Round 7 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship. Amidst the unpredictable British weather, the Red Bull Junior Team F3 drivers confronted the elements head-on, with Nikola Tsolov securing a sensational pole position, while Tim Tramnitz pushed for every position in both races, narrowly missing out on points in the Sprint race.
Nikola Tsolov Masters Qualifying to Claim His Third Pole of the Season
Nikola Tsolov arrived at Silverstone with a point to prove, and he delivered in spectacular fashion. After a dominant display in practice, the young Bulgarian truly came alive in a nail-biting qualifying session. As the clock ticked down, and rivals pushed to the limit, Tsolov dug deep, snatching pole position by a mere 0.023 seconds in a breathtaking final run from Ugochukwu. This remarkable feat marked his second consecutive pole and third of the 2025 season, solidifying his status as a qualifying force.
Nikola Tsolov in the pit lane of Silverstone 2025 – Formula 3
However, the racing gods had a cruel twist in store for the Feature Race. The heavens opened, transforming Silverstone into a treacherous, rain-soaked circuit. Starting from pole, Tsolov, in his Campos Racing machine, found himself grappling with severely limited visibility and the unpredictable grip levels. Despite his best efforts, the conditions proved overwhelming, and a difficult race saw him finish only in P20. While the result was a bitter pill to swallow, his qualifying performance was a stark reminder of his raw talent.
It is quite funny. I was not really impressed with my lap.
, admitted a candid Nikola Tsolov after the QP session. “I did not think it was fantastic, you know. I saw Rafa’s time on the second set, which I got safety mode in, so I could not do it, so then I wanted to really push hard, did a few mistakes, but overall I think we have had the pace since practice, so it was enough to do pole.”
A Rough Weekend for Tim Tramnitz
Tim Tramnitz (MP Motorsport), faced a weekend that demanded every ounce of his fighting spirit. While qualifying fifth, a strong position for the Feature Race, the Sprint Race presented an immediate challenge. Starting from P8 due to the reverse grid, Tramnitz battled hard in a chaotic race, ultimately finishing P11 in the Sprint Race, just outside the points-paying positions.
Tim Tramnitz ahead of Inthraphuvasak in Silverstone – Formula 3
The Feature Race was where Tramnitz truly showcased his resilience. Like his Red Bull Junior teammate, he contended with the deluge and treacherous track conditions. The race was marked by an early red flag, adding another layer of complexity. Despite the extreme conditions and the inherent difficulties of overtaking in the wet, Tramnitz pushed tirelessly, looking for any advantage, but could only bring his car home in P18.
That was a difficult one!
“Struggled with the balance and just for overall pace. Not happy to just miss out on points with P11,” said a candid Tim Tramnitz following the Sprint Race.
The Silverstone weekend delivered a true rollercoaster of emotions and challenges for the two Red Bull Junior Team F3 drivers. Despite the demanding conditions that impacted race results, Nikola Tsolov’s sensational pole position was a clear highlight, showcasing his pure speed. Equally impressive was Tim Tramnitz’s relentless fighting spirit throughout a challenging weekend.
The focus now swiftly shifts to Round 8 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, from July 25-27, 2025. The team will regroup, analyze the data from a demanding Silverstone, and prepare to unleash their full potential on a circuit renowned for its unique challenges. Both Tsolov and Tramnitz remain fiercely determined to convert their promising pace into strong championship points and podium finishes.
Erin Routliffe and Gaby Dabrowski are into the Wimbledon quarterfinals following their 7-6(1) 7-6(2) win over Irina Khromacheva from Russia and Hungary’s Fanny Stollar on Monday.
The win means they have reached at least the quarterfinals in all six of the grand slams they have played together, as they continue to be regarded as one of the top doubles teams in the world.
But this was Routliffe and Dabrowski’s toughest match so far during the Wimbledon fortnight and they needed to raise their levels to clinch both sets.
Dabrowski had her serve broken in the second game, but Stollar wasn’t able to consolidate that lead and was broken in the following game.
Dabrowski fell behind 30-40 at 4-5 for a set point, but Routliffe hit an angled volley at the net for a winner.
Stollar and Khromacheva had another set point soon after and again Routliffe raced across the net for another winning volley.
For a third time the Europeans had a set point and yet again Routliffe was waiting at the net to hit a winner and eventually Dabrowski got the hold.
Although the set was tight, there was only one team in the tiebreak, with Routliffe and Dabrowski winning it 7-1.
Routliffe and Khromacheva both fended off break points early in the second set and after that, the serve dominated.
But once more the tournament’s second seeds took control in the tiebreak, so advanced to the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Veronika Kudermetova from Russia and Belgium’s Elise Mertens.
Although it was a straight-sets win, it still took one hour and 48 minutes — but Dabrowski was relieved they didn’t need a third set.
“We got the job done in two sets, that makes it a bit easier on the body and mind,” she said.
“They played well, they served well and it’s not uncommon, especially on the grass, to find yourself in tiebreakers when both teams are serving pretty well.”
It is almost two years since Routliffe and Dabrowski started playing together, in Montreal in August 2023.
Spending that much time on court together, helps when they’re in tight situations, like in both of the tiebreaks in this match.
“I don’t think it can hurt us, we handled the moments very well,” Dabrowski said.
“We stepped up to close out both of those sets, played very clinically and that’s the way we want to play. So it was kind of very calm and collected, and it worked out luckily in our favour.”
It will be the first meeting between these four players, who between them have appeared in 12 Grand Slam finals.
“It’s kind of nice we get to play a different team,” Routliffe said.
“A lot of the time you find yourself playing the same teams, sometimes over and over and over again. So it’ll be exciting, we’re excited.”
Dabrowski added that it should be an interesting match up.
“They serve big, they return big, they have good ground strokes,” she said.
“So we’ll see how our game style matches up against theirs. I’m really curious to see how it’ll go on the grass for us.”
A spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final is on the line when Brazilian side Fluminense and English Premier League standouts Chelsea clash Tuesday at MetLife Stadium.
How to watch & stream
When
Where
MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, New Jersey
The winner advances to the July 13 final at MetLife Stadium, where they’ll meet Paris Saint-Germain (France) or Real Madrid (Spain).
The further clubs progress in the expanded tournament, the more they get from the unprecedented $1 billion prize pool.
Club World Cup tickets: Fluminense vs. Chelsea
Group F runner-up: 1W-0L-2D (5 points)
Round of 16: 2-0 win vs. Inter Milan
Quarterfinals: 2-1 win vs. Al-Hilal
The lone remaining South American side, Fluminense are looking to reach their second straight Club World Cup final following a runner-up finish at the 2023 edition of the tournament.
Captained by legendary former Brazilian international (and former Chelsea star) Thiago Silva, the Fluzão finished second in Group F before knocking off Inter Milan and Al-Hilal in the knockout stages, getting goals from Hércules in both elimination games.
Colombian international Jhon Arias has also enjoyed a strong tournament, posting 1g/1a over five matches.
Group D runner-up: 2W-1L-0D (6 points)
Round of 16: 4-1 win vs. Benfica
Quarterfinals: 2-1 win vs. Palmeiras
The 2021 Club World Cup champions advanced from a group that also featured LAFC, Flamengo and ES Tunis. They then proceeded to eliminate Benfica and Palmeiras en route to a semifinal berth.
Pedro Neto (3g/0a) and Cole Palmer (1g/1a) have been among the standouts for the Blues, who will face their third Brazilian opponent of the tournament in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Just six weeks ago, Chelsea were crowned UEFA Conference League champions. Head coach Enzo Maresca’s side also finished fourth in the EPL to book their Champions League return.
Kick Sauber Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley has lauded Nico Hulkenberg’s efforts in securing his maiden F1 podium at the British Grand Prix, calling it “the most overdue podium in F1 history”.
The German had the record for the most F1 starts without scoring a rostrum, but that ended on Sunday as he put in an error-free performance in the most testing of conditions – in what was his 239th start – to rise from P19 on the grid to P3 at the flag.
Hulkenberg and Kick Sauber made the right calls at the right time – swapping to fresh intermediate tyres just as the rain was starting to fall again, before making those last long enough to bolt on some mediums at the end.
Hulkenberg also had work to do on track as he rose up the order, overtaking Lance Stroll for third and then not making any mistakes in the closing laps despite knowing Lewis Hamilton was chasing hard to get back in touch.
“Where do I start… The most overdue podium in F1 history and the first podium for the team since Japan in 2012,” said Wheatley after the race.
“This was a weekend of highs and lows but, ultimately, we pulled it all together and when the opportunity was there, we grabbed it with both hands.”
“From starting in 19th to P3 this was the lowest ever starting position for a podium finisher in Sauber’s 32-year history and, after 239 Grand Prix starts, Nico delivered the goods. No driver is more deserving of a podium than Nico.”
Wheatley is no stranger to success in F1, moving to Kick Sauber from Red Bull to be part of the project that will ultimately see the team transform into Audi from next season.
And the Briton was in no doubt about the magnitude of what Hulkenberg did on Sunday, calling his efforts, amongst other things, a “masterclass.”
“Nico drove an outstanding race today, one of the best I’ve seen at Silverstone and one of the best I’ve seen of any driver ever,” he said. “It seems incredible to me that we’re all celebrating a podium as it feels to me like he should have been getting them all his career.
“I can’t speak for anyone other than myself. I’ve considered him to be an extraordinary talent for a very long time, and I think I’ve been consistent in saying that to everyone here. It seemed incredible to me that he’s never achieved a podium in his career.”
With Hulkenberg’s Silverstone achievement secured, and with the regulation change incoming for next year, as well as a chance for the pecking order to be jumbled up – can the German now go one better and win in Formula 1?
“I think Nico showed today what he’s capable of,” Wheatley continued. “I think given the right race car, given the right circumstances, he’s capable of delivering that. I have no doubt he can win a race.
“He’s an outstanding driver and he just showed it today.”
Wheatley was also quick to pay credit to Hulkenberg’s clear and calm direction over the radio throughout a frenetic race that saw multiple crashes, spins and plenty of strategy dilemmas.
Gabriel Bortoleto did not make it to the flag after spinning off on the medium tyres on a wet track – but the rookie stuck around to listen to Hulkenberg’s radio throughout the race and learn from his experienced team mate.
“Gabriel has a tremendous work ethic, and he has a capacity for learning,” the Sauber team boss continued. “He wants to learn. He’s drawing information out of everything.
“He takes information in from everywhere. I think for him to sit there in those conditions and listen to Nico asking all the right questions and conversations on the radio, it’s only going to make him stronger.”
