Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Formula 1
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
Mercedes Upgrades
Mercedes has explained why its latest upgrade left the car harder to drive, raising doubts after the Singapore Grand Prix.
Championship Outlook
Title push analysis shows Mercedes could clinch the 2026 world championships on the strength of its return to form.
Coming Up
Mercedes' championship timing depends on the remaining rounds of the 2026 calendar.
Football/Soccer
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
Premier League
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé scored twice as Madrid cruised past Sevilla 4-1 on Sunday. Mourinho dismissed the fuss over an elbow from Arda Güler, saying he had not seen the images.
Arsenal edged a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, with Noni Madueke's late strike settling a game in which the Gunners managed only one shot on target. Arteta blamed Forest's "Christmas tree" setup for the blunt display, while the result pushed Forest into the relegation zone. Arsenal's title defence drew scrutiny after another weak attacking performance.
Brighton thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0, with Diego Gomez's wonder strike standing out, and Palace boss Pierre Sage admitted feeling "shame" at the performance. Bournemouth claimed their first league win of the season, beating 10-man Sunderland 2-0 through goals from Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson.
Manchester United's slump deepened as they drew 1-1 at Leeds, a result that leaves them with seven points from seven games. Michael Carrick said the situation doesn't look great, and the pressure on him continues to grow. Gary Neville warned that the club must avoid the bottom half by January, and Michael Carrick pointed to Bryan Mbeumo as a rare source of reliable goals.
Celtic crushed Hearts 7-1 to move four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Kris Boyd criticised Hearts' "lack of respect," while Brendan Rodgers' side called the result a wake-up call. Martin O'Neill downplayed the scale of the win, insisting "four points is nothing."
Barcelona matched a record LaLiga start, with Hansi Flick hailing Lamine Yamal as the best player in the world. Eric García and Jules Koundé were ruled out of the Champions League clash with PSG through injury. Elsewhere, Lionel Messi scored twice to take his MLS-leading tally to 25 in Miami's win at Atlanta, and AC Milan held off an Atalanta fightback for a 3-2 win at San Siro.
Gianni Infantino apologised at a FIFA Council meeting, but his re-election as president remains uncertain. Chicago and Portland have entered the race to host 2031 Women's World Cup games.
Women's Football
Manchester City extended their perfect WSL record with a 3-2 win over Brighton, while Chelsea hit six against Spurs. Fran Kirby said the abrupt exit of Brighton head coach Dario Vidosic had left her stressed.
Coming Up
Arsenal's Viktor Gyökeres could leave the club in January, according to transfer reports. Kulusevski returns to Tottenham's matchday squad for the first time in 526 days. Manchester City's appeal against sanctions faces "substantial hurdles."
NBA Basketball
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
Injuries and Roster Moves
Kings guard Ben Simmons has suffered a torn Achilles tendon and will undergo surgery, ending his season before it has meaningfully begun. The Knicks, meanwhile, are waiving Bruce Brown while keeping James Wiseman on the roster ahead of the season opener. The Suns have signed center Oso Ighodaro to a three-year, $29M extension, locking in a rotation piece for the years ahead.
Injury Watch
Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa exited the preseason finale with an ankle injury, and the top overall pick will have it checked. Warriors guard Stephen Curry was limping off the court after tweaking his right ankle in practice, but Steve Kerr said the superstar is "fine."
76ers
Without VJ Edgecombe, who sat out Friday's 125-120 loss, Joel Embiid insisted that no one on the star-laden roster will "take a back seat." Philadelphia, short on frontcourt help, also converted 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall to a two-way contract.
Off the Court
Kevin Durant fired back at Suns owner Mat Ishbia on social media over how his tenure in Phoenix was framed. Elsewhere, Steve Lacy delighted a concert crowd with a viral "LeBron, LeBron, LeBron" version of his hit "Oh Yeah?"
Fantasy Corner
The fantasy basketball panel picked out one player each of them views differently from the consensus.
Coming Up
The Knicks' season opener arrives shortly, with Wiseman expected to be part of the rotation. Dybantsa's ankle results are pending after his examination.
NFL Football
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
Week 6 Results and Standouts
Jordan Love found Matthew Golden for an early touchdown as the Packers struck first. Aaron Rodgers tied Peyton Manning on the all-time passing touchdown list with 539 scores, throwing two touchdowns to lift Pittsburgh to an overtime win. Caleb Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in his return from injury, showing no rust for Chicago. Trevor Lawrence and Malik Nabers came up big in Week, while Travis Hunter became the first player since 2002 to record an interception and a touchdown catch in the same game, though Jacksonville still fell at Wembley.
Upsets and Turnarounds
The Titans stunned the Colts for their first win of the season, with Robert Saleh crediting Jeffery Simmons' play and halftime message. Indianapolis fans booed their own team after the loss, with chants calling for general manager Chris Ballard to be fired. The Rams' punter Ryan Wright nailed a go-ahead extra point after replacing the injured Blake Grupe, and the Browns beat the Ravens in a game where Derrick Henry's fourth-quarter fumble again proved costly. Jerry Jeudy made a clutch catch that helped Cleveland win, earning the game ball.
Injuries and Roster Moves
The Eagles placed Jalen Hurts on injured reserve and he is expected to be out indefinitely. The Patriots lost Romeo Doubs and Vera Tucker to injuries in their win over the Jets, while A.J. Brown, who was activated from injured reserve, managed a career-high three drops in his return. Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey exited with a concussion after returning from a Week 4 foot injury. Texans safety Reed Blankenship suffered a concussion in London, and Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is out against San Francisco with a groin injury. The 49ers ruled out Nick Bosa for Monday night. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is reportedly playing with two broken bones in his non-throwing hand.
Coaching and Front Offices
Giants coach John Harbaugh declined to name a starting quarterback after the home loss to New Orleans. Saints owner Gayle Benson endorsed Kellen Moore and his staff despite a 1-4 start. Former Broncos executive John Beake, who was central to the trade that brought John Elway to Denver, died at 87.
Coming Up
The Saints and Steelers remain scheduled to meet in Paris on October 26 despite unrest in France. Micah Parsons' return to Dallas with Green Bay headlines a Sunday Night Football matchup between the Cowboys and Packers.
MLB Baseball
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
ALCS
The Tampa Bay Rays move one win away from the World Series after taking a 3-2 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series. Drew Rasmussen delivered a gem, allowing one run over seven innings for his second postseason win.
Earlier, the Rays evened the series at 2-2 with a 7-3 win in Game, as Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda combined to go 6-for-14. The turning point came when Chase DeLauter's costly error in right field opened the door for Tampa Bay in the pivotal contest.
Coming Up
Game 5 of the ALCS takes place Sunday in Cleveland, where Tampa Bay can clinch a World Series berth.
NHL Hockey
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 8:10 PM ET
Panthers Make History
The Florida Panthers became the first team in NHL history to record natural hat tricks in three straight games, with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett each scoring three goals in the streak. Brady Tkachuk added another natural hat trick, becoming the third player in league history to post back-to-back of them.
Power Rankings
The Carolina Hurricanes returned to the top of ESPN's 1-32 poll, with the latest rankings also highlighting each team's biggest surprise of the 2026-27 season.
Jets Await Hellebuyck
Winnipeg is still awaiting a trade for goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and his suspension is nearing its end, which could return him to the Jets lineup.
Tonight's Slate
Sunday's action features just two games, Blue Jackets at Wild and Hurricanes at Flames, and ESPN has previewed both matchups with stats and betting information. Saturday's slate was even larger, with 14 games, as covered in ESPN's preview.
Coming Up
Blue Jackets and Wild face off Sunday, with Hurricanes and Flames meeting on the same day.
General Sports
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 10:40 PM ET
College Football Upsets
Miami climbed to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2002 after a chaotic Week 7 reshuffled the rankings, with BYU moving to No. 2 after a 28-24 upset of Notre Dame. Auburn stunned No. 1 Georgia after a Stockton fumble doomed the Bulldogs, with quarterback Byrum Brown leading a dominant ground game. Bill Connelly called the day one of the wildest of the season, and the top scenes capture a day in which eight top teams fell. Ohio State survived Indiana after a Nick Marsh out-of-bounds misstep on what looked like a go-ahead score, while Indiana's effort ended a 22-game win streak against the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes also face a setback, as Julian Sayin will miss several weeks with a shoulder injury.
Coaching Moves and Injuries
Maryland fired defensive coordinator Ted Monachino on Sunday after a five-game slide. Florida State lost running back Ousmane Kromah for the season with an ankle injury, and the Seminoles also fell to Miami in a double-overtime thriller that survived two Hail Mary attempts. The Big 12 admitted an error in the Notre Dame-BYU ending, conceding the Irish had one second left. Jon Sumrall celebrated Auburn's win in a cowboy hat, while Dylan Raiola rebounded from a benching to rally Oregon to a 17-14 win over his former team.
WNBA Finals
Golden State took a 1-0 series lead over Atlanta with a 68-64 win, with Gabby Williams coming up clutch as the Valkyries found a way.
Golf
Ruoning Yin made a four-foot birdie on the 16th hole to break out of a back-nine deficit and claim a one-stroke LPGA Shanghai win. Eugenio Chacarra won the DP World India Championship by two strokes to take the Race to Dubai lead.
Rugby
Northampton edged Cardiff 28-12 in a nervy Champions Cup pool win. Toulouse denied Exeter a famous win on a late Slade miss, while Pau beat Leicester 41-17 with late tries. Harlequins scored 57 points in a Challenge Cup opener against Vannes. New Zealand edged past Fiji in the Rugby League World Cup, a result the squad described as a wake-up call.
Gaelic Football and Other Sports
St Brigid's claimed their first Antrim SFC title in an all-Belfast final, with players calling it pure relief. Jack Lisowski advanced in his Northern Ireland Open defence, while Sonay Kartal lost the Wuhan Open final to Maja Chwalinska. Rhys McClenaghan failed to reach the pommel horse final at the Worlds. Daniel Dubois beat Fabio Wardley emphatically, prompting questions about the heavyweight division's next move. Emma Finucane vowed to come back fighting after narrowly missing gold.
Safety Incident
An Air Force service member died after a fall while attempting a pregame rappel before the Navy-UTSA game, and a separate rafters fall at the Alamodome sent a service member to hospital.
Coming Up
Golden State and Atlanta continue their WNBA Finals series after the Valkyries took Game. The next AP poll reaction will reset the rankings with Miami and BYU at the top.