Nair continues to rack up the runs

Left out of the senior India and the India A squads, Karun Nair served another reminder to the selectors and team management, converting his second successive fifty-plus score for Karnataka into a double-century, against Kerala in Mangalapuram. This was Nair’s fifth double-hundred in first-class cricket and third since 2024.After dropping him for the home Test series against West Indies in favour of Devdutt Padikkal, Nair’s state junior, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that they ‘expected a little bit more’ than his 205 runs in eight innings at an average of 25.62 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Nair went back to the Ranji Trophy and scored an unbeaten 174 against Goa in Shimoga in the second round. After that knock Nair felt that he “deserves” to be part of India’s Test team.”Obviously, it is quite disappointing, but I know that I deserve to be there after the last two years I have had,” Nair told reporters during the last round. “People might have their own opinions, but for me personally, I can have my own. My own opinion is that I deserve a lot better.”He eventually ran out of partners in Shimoga but found ample support from 22-year-old R Smaran, who scored a double-century of his own. The pair added 343 for the fourth wicket, stopping 12 short of Karnataka’s first-class record. Manish Pandey and Dega Nischal had piled on 354 for the fourth wicket against Uttar Pradesh in Kanpur in 2017-18.It was seamer NP Basil who ended the stand when he dismissed Nair for 233 off 389 balls, including 25 fours and two sixes. Smaran then proceeded to make a career-best 220 not out. Karnataka will hope that the twin double-centuries will translate into their first outright win this season.Shikhar Mohan: A new star for Jharkhand?•PTI

Another double-centurion: Shikhar Mohan

Jharkhand’s rookie opener Shikhar Mohan also hit a double-century, setting up his team’s push for an innings win against Nagaland in Ranchi. After Jharkhand had lost two early wickets on the first day, Mohan combined with stand-in captain Virat Singh, who was leading the side in the absence of Ishan Kishan, who had linked up with the India A team in Bengaluru as cover for the injured N Jagadeesan. They accumulated 253 for the second wicket before Virat was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Imliwati Lemtur.Mohan and Kumar Kushagra (58) then carried Jharkhand past 400. Robin Minz also helped himself to a half-century before Jharkhand declared on 510 for 8. Mohan finished with 207 off 303 balls, with 21 fours and three sixes in his third first-class innings. A prolific run-getter in age-group cricket for Jharkhand, Mohan, now 20, is making a smooth step up to the Ranji Trophy.Elsewhere in Raipur, Jammu and Kashmir opener Shubham Khajuria came close to a double-hundred, but left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate denied him and dismissed him for 190 off 344 balls. His knock countered Chhattisgarh professional Ravi Kiran’s 7 for 82.Nachiket Bhute’s five-for wrecked TN•PTI

Vidarbha flex their depth

No Danish Malewar. No Atharva Taide. No Harsh Dubey. No Yash Thakur. No problem for defending champions Vidarbha.Despite being hit by injuries and unavailability of their strike bowlers Thakur and Dubey, who are on India A duty, Vidarbha had enough depth to dominate Tamil Nadu in Coimbatore. Tamil Nadu were also without Gurjapneet Singh, Jagadeesan and India Under-19 allrounder RS Ambrish, but it was Vidarbha who coped better.Fast bowler Nachiket Bhute, who was playing his 14th first-class game, stepped into Thakur’s shoes and triggered a TN collapse. From an overnight 252 for 4, TN were bowled out for 291. Bhute threatened both edges, especially the inside edge of both right-handers and lefties with his inducker. Both M Shahrukh Khan and B Indrajith were done in by sharp induckers. Bhute gifted himself a five-wicket haul a day after his 26th birthday.Aman Mokhade then kickstarted Vidarbha’s reply with fluent strokes against both pace and spin. When TN captain R Sai Kishore pushed one marginally outside off, Mokhade stretched forward and swept him flat and hard into the square-leg boundary. When offspinner S Mohamed Ali darted one into the stumps from around the wicket, Mokhade dared to back away and pump him through the covers. But just when he was looking set to reel off this third successive century, Sai Kishore had him caught by Vimal Khumar for 80. Vidarbha’s professionals Dhruv Shorey and R Samarth then helped them cut their deficit to 80 by stumps on day two.

A relieved Pep Guardiola joked that he lost his hair after Manchester City held on to beat Fulham in a nine-goal thriller. City escaped with a 5-4 victory at Craven Cottage in a match so chaotic, that even a comfortable four-goal cushion was not enough to calm Guardiola. And when he walked into his post-match press conference, the City boss was wearing the look of a man who had just survived a major life scare.

City cruise, then collapse, then somehow hang on

For the first 55 minutes, City were operating in ruthless form. Erling Haaland celebrated his 100th Premier League goal, shattering yet another record after reaching the milestone in just 111 appearances, and his team-mates followed with a flurry of strikes that suggested the contest was settled before the hour mark. Tijjani Reijnders added a second, Phil Foden curled home a stunning third, and Emile Smith Rowe clawed one back for Fulham before halftime. Foden scored again just after the restart, and when Jeremy Doku’s shot looped in via Sander Berge to make it 5-1, the away fans relaxed into their celebrations. This, it seemed, was routine. Another day, another five-goal haul under Guardiola; the 41st time his side had done so in the Premier League. 

But what followed bordered on chaos. Alex Iwobi unleashed a 20-yard curler to reduce the deficit, and suddenly Fulham discovered a fire they had lacked all afternoon. Substitute Samuel Chukwueze, then transformed the closing stages into something close to a fever dream. His first strike rattled City’s composure. His second arrived six minutes later and sent the home crowd into a frenzy, urging their team towards an unlikely equaliser. In the final moments, only a desperate clearance off the line from Josko Gvardiol prevented one of the most improbable comebacks of the season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola: 'It was survival!'

Laughing in disbelief, Guardiola opened his press conference with a quip: "Did you enjoy it? Nice, huh?!"

But when a reporter asked whether he had enjoyed it, the City manager threw his hands up. "Me?! My god, I lost my hair! My god!" he exclaimed, half-joking about the ninety minutes he had just endured. 

Guardiola admitted that, during those frantic final minutes, City were simply trying to keep themselves afloat. 

"It's the Premier League, you can't control, it's the Premier League," he said. "I know you're going to ask what happened, and I don't have an answer. It's the emotion, it's the football. Why you do this, why you do that? But I'm sorry to tell you, we made incredible things today, incredible, because I know how difficult that team is.

"We proved it and scored the goals that we score and the quality we have done. Erling had a chance for 6-3 and immediately later, 5-4. And when that happens, it's just a question of survival. Don't tell me how, the players don't know either. At the end we take it."

City are now just two points behind leaders Arsenal, who host Brentford next, yet their sloppiness at the back poses uncomfortable questions for a side chasing a sustained title charge.

"Arsenal are so strong and so solid. So I know what we have to do," added Guardiola. "It will be difficult, but at the same time, the Premier League is so long. And I promise you that I have enough experience to make long, long runs to try to fight to win the Premier League."

History made but defensive worries linger

The match produced a catalogue of statistical firsts. It was Fulham’s first top-flight game with nine or more goals since 1968 and their first such home fixture since 1965. For City, it marked the first time since December 1957 that they had won a league match while conceding four goals. It also became the sixth Premier League match involving Guardiola’s City with nine or more goals, a tally bettered only by Manchester United (7).

"Of course I was concerned [Fulham could come back], but this will help us in future games," Guardiola said. "Every game is a new team for some players. You have to make a process to start to correct. There were some really positive things in what we have done – to come here, to score five goals, and the way we played in that first half.

"In the end, it was a question of character, resilience and defence. They did what they had to do."

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GettyWhat comes next for Man City?

City will have little time to recover from the mayhem. They return to action on December 6, when they welcome Sunderland to the Etihad, and Guardiola will hope for something considerably calmer than the madness he survived on Tuesday.

Arguably one of the best sights in football is seeing a world-class winger in full flow. Whether it be through speed or skill, there are plenty of top-quality wide men in today’s game, including 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

In the past, we have been graced with the brilliant skills of Ronaldinho and crossing ability of David Beckham, but who is the best winger in football today?

Ranking factors

To help rank the wingers in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has been performing Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others are saying about them 15 Rafael Leao AC Milan and Portugal

One of the fastest wingers around in the game today is AC Milan star Rafael Leao, who has been called one of the players Ronaldinho most enjoys watching.

Tammy Abraham has even said that Leao “has no idea how good he is”, and he has wowed on the left wing, contributing with double figures for goals and assists in 2024/25.

Serie A

2022

Nations League

2025

Italian Super Cup

2025

Taca da Liga

2018

14 Rodrygo Real Madrid and Brazil

With Real Madrid’s squad filled with world-class stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo is sometimes forgotten about in Spain.

However, Jude Bellingham labelled Rodrygo as “the most gifted player in the squad” and a “pleasure to play with”, so he must be doing something right at the Bernabeu. Neymar is also a big fan of his fellow countryman, calling him a “joke” in 2025.

Champions League

2022, 2024

La Liga

2020, 2022, 2024

Copa del Rey

2023

FIFA Club World Cup

2023

UEFA Super Cup

2022, 2024

FIFA Intercontinental Cup

2024

Spanish Super Cup

2020, 2022, 2024

13 Luis Diaz Bayern Munich and Colombia

Luis Diaz has both the speed and the skill to leave defenders for dead and is already catching the eye at new side Bayern Munich.

Diaz, who left Liverpool in 2025, won his first Premier League title before leaving Anfield, and, according to Danny Murphy, has “gone under the radar”. His defensive work ethic has also been praised, and in the final third, he can come up with something special out of nothing.

Premier League

2025

Liga Portugal

2020, 2022

Categoria Primera A

2018, 2019

FA Cup

2022

League Cup

2022, 2024

Taca de Portugal

2020, 2022

Copa Colombia

2017

Community Shield

2022

Portuguese Super Cup

2021

Colombian Super Cup

2018

12 Nico Williams Athletic Club and Spain

After coming through the Athletic Club academy, Nico Williams has made a huge impact in La Liga and with Spain and is now regarded as one of the top left-wingers around. At the age of 23, Williams looks destined to move from Bilbao at some point, but did sign a new contract in 2025.

Jose Mourinho has even revealed that he prefers Williams to Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, calling the Athletic Club star “unique” and “wonderful” – high praise from an iconic manager.

European Championship

2024

Copa del Rey

2024

11 Bradley Barcola PSG and France

Bradley Barcola arguably goes under the radar slightly at Paris Saint-Germain due to the sheer amount of attacking talent at the Parc des Princes, but the 22-year-old enjoyed his best ever season in 2024/25.

Called “unstoppable” by Luis Enrique, Barcola has hit double figures for Ligue 1 goals and assists for the first time in his career, which has resulted in his Transfermarkt valuation rocketing to €70m.

Ligue 1

2024, 2025

Champions League

2025

Coupe de France

2024

French Super Cup

2024, 2025

10 Desire Doue PSG and France

Another exciting attacking PSG star is Desire Doue, who, on the right-hand side, has been making a name for himself all across the world.

In French, Doue means ‘gifted’, and the teenager has been living up to his name, with some even calling him the next Neymar due to his ability to stand defenders up, slow the play down before going past them with a piece of skill.

Ligue 1

2025

Champions League

2025

French Super Cup

2025

9 Mohamed Salah Liverpool and Egypt

Many would argue that Mohamed Salah would have been top of this list earlier in 2025, however, the Egyptian King has gone off the boil at Anfield in 2025/26.

The Liverpool star extended his Anfield stay and produced record numbers for goals and assists in a 38-game Premier League campaign, winning his second title with the Reds as a result. Arne Slot called Salah “outstanding” recently, but at 33, Salah may well be getting past his prime.

Champions League

2019

Premier League

2020, 2025

Swiss Super League

2013, 2014

FA Cup

2022

League Cup

2015, 2022, 2024

FIFA Club World Cup

2020

UEFA Super Cup

2019

Community Shield

2022

8 Jeremy Doku Man City and Belgium

Jeremy Doku has been a standout player for Manchester City in 2025/26, terrorising full-backs with his explosive speed, agility and dribbling qualities.

The Belgian’s display in a 3-0 win over Liverpool was unbelievable, and if it wasn’t for a certain Erling Haaland, you could say Doku would be the first name on the teamsheet under Pep Guardiola.

7 Michael Olise Bayern Munich and France

After swapping Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich in 2024, Michael Olise has taken his game to the next level with the Bundesliga giants, hitting double figures for league goals and assists for the first time in his career in 2024/25.

Olise “could be as good as anyone” and, according to Didier Deschamps, the Bayern star has a “lot of qualities and has progressed a lot”, so he could get even better over the coming years. His Transfermarkt valuation now sits at a career-high €100m.

Bundesliga

2025

6 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia PSG and Georgia

After starring for Napoli for over two-and-a-half years, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sealed a big-money move to PSG in 2025 and is so far proving to be worth the €70m fee.

The two-footed winger can play on either side and has helped PSG to another Ligue 1 title and a Champions League triumph. Kvaratskhelia is not just brilliant in attack, but the Georgia star also does a “titanic defensive job” with a “relentless” attitude in tracking back, something which doesn’t go unnoticed.

Ligue 1

2025

Champions League

2025

Serie A

2023

Russian Cup

2019

Both powerhouses are through to the semis, but there is plenty to play for in Indore

S Sudarshanan21-Oct-20252:09

Preview: England’s middle order in the spotlight

Big picture: First defeat in store, but for whom?Australia and England. Two powerhouses of women’s cricket. Two sides that know how to push oppositions back to the wall. They will clash at Holkar Stadium on Wednesday, at the end of which only one will remain undefeated at the Women’s World Cup 2025. Both teams have already secured their semi-final spots.On paper, Australia sure have the edge. But England would quietly be confident ahead of this contest for two reasons. One, they played in Indore only a couple of days ago. And two, Australia are coming back after a six-day gap.Australia trained on each of the two days leading up to the contest. Their last two games were ones where the top order (read Alyssa Healy) flexed their muscles. Healy scored back-to-back centuries but she is out with a minor calf strain she picked up when Australia had a fitness session on Saturday morning. Their senior pros in Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney have stepped up in different games.Related

Knight and Smith stay cool in the heat of the battle

Alyssa Healy to miss England match with 'minor calf strain'

Scenarios – Four teams fight for one spot

Only Tahlia McGrath, who has aggregated 43 in three innings, is yet to fire but captaincy could be the right potion for her. She revels under responsibility, and freed of the baggage of worrying about qualification, she could well join the party in batting-friendly conditions. There is little concern in their bowling.Which may make England rethink their strategies. Amy Jones, Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt have had at least one big innings with the bat. But the others haven’t yet stepped up. England’s lower-middle order has been a concern: Nos. 5 to 7 average only 9.25 at this World Cup, the lowest among all teams. At the start of the year, England also lost the multi-format Women’s Ashes 16-0, unable to win a single game. But their leadership has undergone a change since and they will look to turn a leaf on that episode.Charlotte Edwards’ tactics and Sciver-Brunt’s captaincy have served them well. Their come-from-behind win against India would only act as a further boost. They will perhaps play scant respect to the fact that they have lost each of the five meetings against Australia in India.While teams often maintain that “the past doesn’t matter”, Sciver-Brunt would want to pay Australia back after her heroics went in vain at the 2022 World Cup final. A small step will be on Wednesday, when one of the teams will have a first taste of defeat at this World Cup.Form guideAustralia WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWWLIn the spotlight: Phoebe Litchfield and Amy JonesWith Healy absent, the onus will now be on Phoebe Litchfield to lay the platform with the bat for Australia. She is coming on the back of 84 not out against Bangladesh. The flat surface in Indore will only play into her hands. England have a plethora of spinners, and Litchfield is a superb exponent of the sweep and the reverse sweep. She showed a glimpse of that in Australia’s opening match at this venue, now it’s time for a longer exhibition.Amy Jones was a little surprised when Edwards first mentioned that she could be back to opening the batting for England. She had played in the middle order for a good part of the last five years. She showed her hunger at home against West Indies but it wasn’t until her half-century against India that she made her presence felt at this World Cup. “I thought at the halfway stage of the tournament, it was a rocky phase,” Jones said. “I have been riding a wave of ups and down with opening, as you do in cricket. But I was pleased to get a bit of a start last game.” Australia better beware.Team news: Voll in for Healy?Georgia Voll is likely to take Alyssa Healy’s batting spot against England•ICC/Getty Images

Healy’s injury makes it a straight swap for Georgia Voll at the top with Mooney to keep wickets. Australia could also bring back left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux after she was rested for the Bangladesh game.Australia (probable): 1 Georgia Voll, 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney (wk), 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath (capt), 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Darcie Brown/Kim Garth, 11 Megan SchuttEngland may consider bringing Danni Wyatt-Hodge in place of either of Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey or Emma Lamb. The trio has been low on runs and England would not want to take chances against a strong Australian team.England (probable): 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Alice Capsey, 7 Emma Lamb/Danni Wyatt Hodge, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell/Lauren FilerPitch and conditions: Another batting belter in storeA black-soil pitch will be used for this fixture. It is expected to be flat. This track is right next to the red-soil one that was used for India vs England. It is the centre pitch at the venue, so expect the square boundaries to be more-or-less equidistant. Indore is expected to be humid and a little cloudy, with a slight probability of rain. There is no threat of a washout, however.Stats and trivia Mooney is 89 away from 3000 ODI runs. She will be the seventh from Australia to the mark Among bowlers, Megan Schutt is three wickets away from leapfrogging Lisa Sthalekar (146) to third on the ODI wicket charts for Australia. She also has 38 wickets in ODI World Cups and needs two more to go past Lyn Fullston as the leading wicket-taker for Australia in the tournament. Sciver-Brunt is four away from 1000 ODI World Cup runs. She will be the third from England to get there Sophie Ecclestone is two away from becoming England’s second-leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket. Jenny Gunn has 136 while Ecclestone has 135. One more wicket will push Ecclestone into the top five among wicket-takers in all women’s internationals. She is currently level on 317 with Shabnim Ismail.Quotes”I don’t think there’s any special ingredient. I feel like we prepare really well. Our players are really adaptable and we try to communicate around conditions. The girls have been fantastic at adapting and being able to get us out of some sticky situations and having different players step up and perform has been really critical for us.”
“Linsey’s been brilliant. For her to get the opportunity [to open the bowling] in 50-over cricket is brilliant. It was a big goal of hers to break into the 50-over team. In the summer, there were questions around: could Linsey and Sophie [Ecclestone] play in the same team. And it’s brilliant to see how she has taken on a different role opening the bowling.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been something of a mixed bag this season, but at least the Londoners are well set for a prolonged period of success, having recruited a range of exciting young talents over the past few years.

While there are many teenage talents waiting in the wings, Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou before him have succeeded in integrating youth, with the average age of Tottenham’s starting 11 in the Premier League this season 25.2, as opposed to a 27-year-old average during the 2022/23 campaign.

Who could be a better purveyor of this new focus than Micky van de Ven? The 24-year-old has increasingly become a talismanic force for the Lilywhites.

How Van de Ven is becoming the main man at Spurs

Van de Ven isn’t quite a spring chicken, having racked up 51 Premier League appearances, but he’s still well before his prime as a centre-back, and he’s still emerging as a superstar for Tottenham.

The Dutch defender has been described as “world-class” by journalist Sonny Snelling, with his remarkable blend of athletic power and position-bending pace making him a force to be reckoned with.

It is crucial that Tottenham keep him in their ranks over the coming years, with few players more influential than him in the Premier League. It would be difficult for Spurs to sign an even better star to strengthen their backline, after all. Certainly, it would be difficult to find someone capable of mimicking the former Wolfsburg player’s dynamic skills.

Of course, Tottenham’s prudence and promotion of their academy talent has seen them land such a player already.

Spurs have signed a bigger talent than Van de Ven

Van de Ven is a unique profile, but then Tottenham have also signed a singular talent in Luka Vuskovic, with the 18-year-old bearing the skillset to become one of the Premier League’s finest.

Hailed as a “freak talent” and a “freak athlete” for his physical profile by analyst Ben Mattinson, Vuskovic is currently plying his trade out on loan in Germany with Hamburger SV, with Spurs having wrapped up a deal for the youngster in 2023, yet to integrate him into the senior set-up.

While there is much work still to be done, the Croatian prospect has only increased the hype across his first few months in the Bundesliga, having established himself as a core part of Hamburg’s defence, who are 13th after ten matches.

Looking at how the teenager compares with Van de Ven this season, it’s easy to see why there is so much chatter around his name. You might even say Van de Ven is being outperformed by the younger man.

Translation from the Bundesliga to the Premier League can prove a hard task, but Vuskovic certainly has what it takes, and his physical attributes are only going to develop further over the coming years.

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

8 (8)

Goals

3

1

Assists

0

0

Clean sheets

3

2

Touches*

69.9

82.5

Accurate passes*

54.6 (92%)

53.0 (86%)

Chances created*

0.2

0.8

Dribbles*

0.3

0.3

Recoveries*

3.7

4.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

1.6

Clearances*

3.4

9.8

Duels (won)*

3.1 (53%)

8.9 (72%)

With this in mind, we might consider the 6 foot 4 teenager to have what it takes to become Tottenham’s leader at the rear, ahead of Van de Ven, ahead of Cristian Romero.

In fact, WhoScored believe that Vuskovic’s performances have been so impressive that he gets into the European Team of the Season so far, higher-rated, in fact, than Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes beside him.

Not just a warrior at the back, in the words of U23 scout Antonio Mango, much like Van de Ven, he is “turning into a goal machine” having netted seven goals on loan at Belgian side KVC Westerlo in 2024/25.

Though Vuskovic still has some developing to do, there’s no question that he’s a potential superstar, and if he does come to partner the Dutchman down the line, he might even outstrip him.

Spurs have their new Parrott in academy star who's been "compared to Kane"

This Tottenham Hotspur youngster could be a future star in North London despite his struggles this season.

ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2025

MLS owners have reportedly taken their first concrete step toward identifying a successor to Commissioner Don Garber, convening a small, closed-door “succession committee” ahead of last week’s Board of Governors meeting, according to the Sports Business Journal. The group held its initial session with Garber in attendance as it began outlining early plans for the league’s future leadership.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Succession committee holds inaugural meeting

  A newly formed succession committee held its first closed-door meeting last Wednesday in Palm Beach, Florida, prior to the league’s full Board of Governors gathering the following day, per the SBJ report. The committee — tasked with planning for senior leadership transitions, including Commissioner Don Garber’s eventual replacement — is being co-chaired by LAFC’s Bennett Rosenthal and Columbus Crew’s Jimmy Haslam.

  Additional committee members include Jonathan Kraft of the New England Revolution, Oliver Mintzlaff of the New York Red Bulls, and John Ingram of Nashville SC. Garber himself attended the inaugural session, according to the report, underscoring his involvement in the early stages of the succession planning process.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Timing coincides with calendar shift and Garber’s contract

  The formation of the succession committee comes at a significant moment for MLS, which recently approved a major shift to a summer-to-spring calendar that will align the league with top European competitions. This calendar change complicates the timing of Garber's current contract, which is scheduled to expire at the end of the 2027 season – a date that would now fall midway through the 2027-28 campaign under the new calendar format.

  League officials have not clarified whether Garber's contract expiration date has been adjusted to accommodate this calendar shift. The commissioner, who has led MLS since 1999, has not publicly indicated whether he intends to remain beyond his current agreement.

• Getty Images Entertainment
  

  Deputy commissioner's retirement adds context

  The succession committee's first meeting occurred just one day after MLS Deputy Commissioner Gary Stevenson announced his plans to retire following next summer's FIFA World Cup.

  The succession planning process appears to be part of a comprehensive strategic review that began in late summer 2025, which league spokesperson Dan Courtemanche described as focused on improving the league’s structure.

  “Major League Soccer is currently engaged in a comprehensive, league-wide strategic planning process led by Commissioner Garber together with a committee of MLS owners and an external consulting firm,” Courtemanche told SBJ. “This process, which began in late summer 2025, is focused on strengthening the league’s organizational structure and preparing MLS for the opportunities and challenges that come with being a growing sports league.

  “Like is the case with most high-performance organizations, this work includes broad, long-term succession planning for senior leadership positions, along with a holistic review of organizational design and operational effectiveness across the league office.”

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  Garber approaches milestone

  As the succession committee begins its work, Garber is approaching his 27th year as commissioner, having guided MLS from its financially precarious early days to its current position as a stable, expanding league with 30 franchises across the United States and Canada.

Northamptonshire delay trophy presentation but can’t escape defeat

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Leicestershire 429 (Eskinazi 155) and 260 for 5 dec (Patel 76, Cox 51*, Budinger 50) beat Northamptonshire 189 (Zaib 62, Wright 3-19, Holland 3-28) and 333 (van der Merwe 116, Zaib 58, Bartlett 50, Trevaskis 6-85) by 167 runsNorthamptonshire’s Stuart van der Merwe held up Leicestershire’s Division Two trophy presentation with a century on debut on the final day of this Rothesay County Championship match at Wantage Road.The 20-year-old who trialled at Leicester earlier this season was recently awarded a two-year rookie deal by Northamptonshire after impressing in the One-Day Cup and duly celebrated by scoring 116 from 209 balls, with 12 fours, to frustrate Leicestershire’s push for their seventh win of the season.Already assured of promotion and the Division Two title, Leicestershire finally wrapped up victory by 167 runs just before tea, bowling out Northamptonshire for 333, Liam Trevaskis taking a career best 6 for 85.Van der Merwe shared a sixth-wicket stand worth 80 with Saif Zaib who rounded off a spectacular year with 58, finishing as county cricket’s leading run-scorer with 1425 runs. With six centuries and seven half-centuries, Zaib has scored the third most runs in a Championship season for Northamptonshire this century.Van der Merwe also shared a seventh-wicket stand with of 128 off 187 balls with George Bartlett who scored his third half-century of the season.Earlier Northamptonshire resumed on 120 for 5, chasing an improbable 501 to win. van der Merwe was dropped off Trevaskis by Rishi Patel at wide first slip, but Zaib soon worked Holland off his legs to bring up Northamptonshire’s 150 in the 53rd over.He straight drove Holland for four before running a single off the next delivery to reach his 50, before bringing up the 50 partnership with van der Merwe in style by pulling Trevaskis over midwicket for six.Van der Merwe also started to locate the boundary ropes, dispatching two short balls through the off side in the first over of a fresh Josh Hull spell before driving Holland through the covers.Zaib’s long summer of batting finally ended though when he drove loosely at one from Hull, Stephen Eskinazi taking the catch at gully.Trevaskis had two lbw shouts turned down against van der Merwe as he went to sweep but the Northamptonshire youngster deposited him over deep midwicket when he served up a juicy full toss. With the floodlights on, van der Merwe then took a single off Trevaskis to reach 50 off 103 balls. Bartlett, meanwhile, pulled Chris Wright square for four to get off the mark.After lunch, van der Merwe and Bartlett both swept the spinners for boundaries, while van der Merwe drove Patel through midwicket to bring up Northamptonshire’s 250 and then pulled him for another four next ball.Bartlett hit a wide ball from Wright over the vacant gully position to the ropes before driving Ian Holland straight down the ground as the partnership gathered pace.Van der Merwe had a couple of nervous moments during a testing spell from Wright, playing his final game, but drove Holland confidently through the covers, while Bartlett drove Wright sweetly through midwicket and then punched Holland off the back foot through cover to bring up the 100 partnership off 160 balls.In an eventful over from Logan van Beek, van der Merwe hooked for four before running a single which allowed Bartlett to run one and reach his half-century. Van der Merwe reached three figures off the final ball of the over as he pulled to fine leg, becoming only the third man to score a century on first-class debut for Northamptonshire after Alastair Storie in 1985 and David Sales in 1996.Bartlett fell to the very next ball though when he steered Hull straight to backward point, with Trevaskis soon trapping both George Scrimshaw and Ben Whitehouse lbw. Finally, the left-arm spinner then had van der Merwe brilliantly caught by Budinger at short leg to allow the celebrations began.

The top four had another bad time of it in the second innings in Barbados, and Sam Konstas is under increasing pressure after falling to an incoming ball for a second time in the game

Andrew McGlashan28-Jun-20252:05

Travis Head made back-to-back fifties

Australia’s top order is spluttering, but the middle-order engine room purred nicely on the third and, in the nick of time, final day in Barbados – as it has on numerous occasions in recent times to help the team out of trouble.It does fuel the notion that such performances, along with the strength of the bowling attack, are papering over cracks, and a team with less brittle batting and better catching than West Indies could have made them pay – like South Africa in the World Test Championship final – but that should not diminish what Australia were able to achieve at Kensington Oval.While the result was comfortable for Australia, their position at the start of the day was anything but with a lead of 82. The performances of Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey provided a big enough cushion of runs that they could attack with the ball without too many concerns and the trio, while playing largely against an older ball, belied how tricky the surface remained.Related

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“I thought those three were brilliant,” Pat Cummins said. “They kept the scoreboard ticking over. I thought they took really good options. They were always looking to score. Really, that was the difference. [You are] turning up today thinking that if we didn’t get a big lead it was 50-50, really. Those guys took the game away from West Indies.”There was some luck, such as Head profiting from the seventh dropped catch of the match by West Indies, but they made it count. Head was named Player of the Match for his twin half-centuries and Carey produced some of the most free-flowing batting of the game, highlighted by stunning straight sixes off Jayden Seales and Justin Greaves. Yet, in many ways, given his inexperience at international level, it was Webster’s innings that stood out most.It was the second time in five Tests that he has made a half-century on a very tricky pitch after the debut effort against India at the SCG. He also nipped in with a brace of important first-innings wickets. Barbados was perhaps not quite as spiteful as that Sydney surface, but a batter always knew there could be one that misbehaves, as Head found out against Shamar Joseph and a few of the West Indians did later in the day.2:25

Webster’s 63 steadies Australia

At a time when so much attention is on Sam Konstas and how he is attempting to learn as he goes at international level, it is worth noting that Webster has a decade of domestic experience under his belt and earned his chance by churning out runs and wickets in the Sheffield Shield. That isn’t to say the route Konstas is taking – a youngster plucked out after a handful of games – won’t eventually work, but Webster has seen and done plenty before moving up a level.”I think it’s pretty much the same as what he does for Tasmania,” Cummins said. “He seems to always contribute in some way. He’s kind of knocked down the door with his performances over the years in Shield cricket. It’s great when you’ve got someone like that coming to the team. They know their craft so well and you saw that today, even on a tricky wicket, he knew where his areas to score were. He’s been a fantastic asset to the team over the last six months.”Konstas, meanwhile, is being thrust into a new situation almost every time he bats. In this match, he was twice dismissed by deliveries angling back – once lbw and once bowled – to highlight a technical flaw that has been visible before. In the second innings, he became increasingly flustered trying to break the shackles, albeit Shamar Joseph bowled superbly to him.”One of the hard things about playing Test cricket is you get thrown into different conditions all the time,” Cummins said. “And you might not have the flying hours under your belt as a youngster coming in, so you’ve got to work out your craft on the bigger stage.2:15

Alex Carey’s swashbuckling 65 sets up Australia’s lead

“What we’ll keep working [on] with the young guys over the next little bit is: where are your options? Because that’s probably the hardest thing when the pitch is doing a lot, is getting out of your little bubble, still trying to score and taking good options. You saw it today, how hard it can be to try and fire a few shots.”Sammy, he tried a few different options yesterday. Not too many of them worked out, but full confidence [in him].”When Webster fell, glancing down the leg side, the lead was nudging 200 and Carey, who had a superb 2024-25 season across formats, flicked a switch and took 14 off an over from Seales. There is a fine balance of risk and reward in Carey’s batting; he was criticised for his missed reverse sweep against Keshav Maharaj in the World Test Championship final, but here he found the perfect balance.”I went in before tea and try to get a bit of a feel for the wicket,” Carey told ESPN. “I think when you see Travis Head not scoring at 90 strike rate you know it’s probably a pretty tricky wicket. I was trying to get into my innings, and then just try to continue to put the bowlers under pressure. We lost Beau Webster and I thought my role was just to stay positive and try to keep the scoreboard ticking – the messaging today was, runs are going to be crucial, however you can get them.”Scoring runs however you can: it’s something a few of Australia’s top order will hope to be able to do in Grenada.

تحدثت صحف إيران عن مواجهة منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم، نسخة 2026، وذلك حسب القرعة التي تمت اليوم في مركز “جون كينيدي” في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

وتُعد تلك هي النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم، بعد استحداث نظامها، حيث سيشارك فيها 48 منتخبًا، سيتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة، ويتأهل متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى دور الـ32، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 8 منتخبات في مركز ثالث.

وشهدت القرعة تواجد كل من: بلجيكا، مصر، إيران ونيوزيلندا في المجموعة السابعة في بطولة كأس العالم الصيف المقبل (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة عن القرعة من هنا).

وقالت صحيفة “hamshahrionline” الإيرانية: “وُضع المنتخب الإيراني في المجموعة السابعة في كأس العالم، إلى جانب بلجيكا ومصر ونيوزيلندا، وبالتالي، يبدو أن إيران لديها فرصة جيدة للتأهل، وسبق أن توقع المدرب أمير قاله نوي أن إيران ستقع في مجموعة واحدة مع بلجيكا ومصر وهايتي، وقد تحققت اثنتان من توقعاته، ولم تحل محلها سوى نيوزيلندا”.

وأضافت: “ستواجه إيران نيوزيلندا في أول مباراة لها في كأس العالم، وفي حال فوزها، فقد تكون لديها فرصة جيدة جدًا للتأهل كأحد الفريقين أو أحد الفرق الثلاثة الأولى، ووعد أمير قاله نوي سابقًا بأن فريقه سيحصد 4 نقاط على الأقل في كأس العالم ويتأهل”.

في حين قالت صحيفة “ettelaat” الإيرانية: “بعد قرعة كأس العالم، وتواجدنا في مجموعة مصر، بلجيكا ونيوزيلندا، حصلنا على فرصة للتأهل إلى الدور المقبل”.

بينما قالت صحيفة “sharghdaily” الإيرانية: “يعد المنتخب البلجيكي، الذي يحتل حاليًا المركز الثامن في تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا)، أحد أخطر المنتخبات في العالم، حيث يضم نجوما مثل تيبو كورتوا، ويوري تيليمانس، وتوماس مونييه، وأليساندرو سالماكيرز، وتشارلز ديكتيلير، وجيريمي دوكو، ولياندرو تروسارد، وروميلو لوكاكو، وكيفن دي بروين، ولويس أوبيندا، وأمادو أونانا، بينما فازت مصر، المصنفة في المركز 34 في تصنيف الفيفا، بسبع بطولات كأس أمم إفريقية، ويعتمد المصريون على نجوم أمثال محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش ومصطفى محمد، ما يجعلهم قادرين على إثارة المشاكل لأي خصم”.

واستكملت: “ويضم منتخب نيوزيلندا، الذي يحتل المركز 86 في تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا)، والذي فاز بكأس أوقيانوسيا ست مرات، كريس وود كشخصية بارزة في الهجوم، إلى جانب لاعبين مثل بنجامين أولد وتايلر بيندون”.

أما صحيفة “asriran” فقد قالت: “لم يتواجد المنتخب الإيراني في مجموعة صعبة، سيواجه بلجيكا ومصر ونيوزيلندا في دور المجموعات، وهي من أكثر المجموعات تنوعًا من حيث أسلوب اللعب وجودة الفرق، لا تزال بلجيكا، بجيلها الجديد، من أقوى المنتخبات في أوروبا، وتعتبر المنافس الأهم لـ إيران في هذه المجموعة، أما مصر، بنجومها أمثال محمد صلاح، فهي من أكثر المنتخبات طموحًا في إفريقيا، رغم خسارتها مؤخرًا أمام أوزبكستان، أما نيوزيلندا، المصنفة في المركز 76، فهي أضعف منتخب في التصنيف الرابع، وقد حلت رابعة في هذه المجموعة”.

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