Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Formula 1
Last updated: October 18, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
Mercedes Upgrades
Mercedes autosport.com has explained why its latest upgrade left the car harder to drive, raising doubts after the Singapore Grand Prix.
Championship Outlook
Title push autosport.com analysis shows Mercedes could clinch the 2026 world championships on the strength of its return to form.
Coming Up
Mercedes' championship timing depends on autosport.com the remaining rounds of the 2026 calendar.
Football/Soccer
Last updated: October 19, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
Premier League Results and Table Watch
Arsenal struggled espn.com to create chances but still edged past Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground, with Noni Madueke coming off the bench to fire the winner. Arteta blamed espn.com Forest's compact "Christmas tree" shape for the lack of a cutting edge, and the win leaves Forest sinking skysports.com into the relegation zone. Brighton thrashed skysports.com Crystal Palace 5-0, with Diego Gomez scoring a stunning strike, and Palace manager Pierre Sage admitted bbc.co.uk he felt "shame" at the performance. Brighton's Fabian Hürzeler urged espn.com supporters to enjoy the moment rather than fixate on the table, while Bournemouth beat skysports.com 10-man Sunderland 2-0 for their first league win of the season. Man City face espn.com an uncertain off-field future, though Enzo Maresca's side continue to deliver on the pitch, and Erling Haaland's limp-off espn.com prompted only mild concern from the Spaniard.
Manchester United Crisis
Manchester United's worst start espn.com since 1986 deepened with a 1-1 draw at Leeds, leaving them with seven points from seven games. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's second-half equaliser cancelled out bbc.co.uk an early effort, and Michael Carrick said the situation doesn't look great espn.com, while pressure on his position continues to build espn.com. Gary Neville warned skysports.com the club must avoid the bottom half by January, and Carrick insisted espn.com the squad is united after Lisandro Martínez's fiery outburst. Mbeumo has been the side's most reliable scorer, according to skysports.com Sky Sports' ratings, while Carrick backed bbc.co.uk his team to stay calm as the winless run reached six.
Celtic and Scottish Premiership
Celtic crushed skysports.com title rivals Hearts 7-1 at Celtic Park, moving four points clear at the top. Hearts were overwhelmed bbc.co.uk from the outset, and Kris Boyd criticised skysports.com the visitors' "lack of respect," while O'Neill downplayed bbc.co.uk the scoreline, saying "four points is nothing."
Champions League and La Liga
Barcelona moved espn.com level with a record LaLiga start, with Hansi Flick hailing Lamine Yamal as the best player in the world, while Eric García and Jules Koundé will miss espn.com the Champions League clash with PSG through injury. Real Madrid routed espn.com Sevilla 4-1, with Kylian Mbappé netting a brilliant double, and José Mourinho dismissed espn.com the fuss over Arda Güler's elbow. Milan held off espn.com an Atalanta fightback to win 3-2 at San Siro, keeping Amorim unbeaten in Serie A. Northampton became skysports.com the first Premiership side to win in this season's Champions Cup.
Chelsea, Tottenham and Women's Football
Chelsea hit six skysports.com past Spurs in the WSL, while Man City stayed perfect skysports.com after a 3-2 win over a spirited Brighton. Chelsea's Emiliano Martínez suffered bbc.co.uk a broken jaw in the win at Everton and will be out for weeks. Jordan Henderson, at 36 the Premier League's oldest player, is becoming espn.com undroppable at Chelsea. At Tottenham, Roberto De Zerbi banned espn.com phones during meals, and Dejan Kulusevski returns espn.com to the matchday squad after 526 days out. Sonay Kartal fell short skysports.com in the Wuhan Open final, losing a deciding set to Maja Chwalinska.
Other Stories
Messi scored twice espn.com to lift his MLS tally to 25 in Miami's win at Atlanta, and Gio Reyna scored espn.com for Strasbourg in a loss to PSG. Chicago and Portland have entered espn.com the race to host 2031 Women's World Cup matches. Infantino apologised espn.com at the FIFA Council but his re-election remains uncertain. Gyökeres could leave espn.com Arsenal in January.
Coming Up
Barcelona face PSG in the Champions League, with García and Koundé espn.com both ruled out. Arsenal face espn.com Nottingham Forest's rivals next as they chase City at the top.
NBA Basketball
Last updated: October 19, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
Contract Extensions
The Thunder signed guard Cason Wallace espn.com to a five-year, $139M extension, locking up the All-Defensive selection for the long term. Suns center Oso Ighodaro also agreed to a three-year, $29M extension espn.com with Phoenix.
Injuries
Kings guard Ben Simmons suffered a torn Achilles espn.com and will undergo surgery, ending his season. Top overall pick AJ Dybantsa exited the Wizards' preseason finale espn.com with an injury and will have his ankle checked. Warriors star Stephen Curry tweaked his right ankle espn.com in practice, but Steve Kerr said he is "fine."
Roster Moves
The Knicks waived Bruce Brown espn.com while keeping James Wiseman on the roster ahead of the season opener. The 76ers, short on frontcourt depth, converted 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall espn.com to a two-way contract.
Philadelphia Outlook
Without VJ Edgecombe, who sat out Friday's 125-120 loss, Joel Embiid insisted no one will espn.com "take a back seat" on the star-laden Sixers.
League Feuds & Entertainment
Kevin Durant fired back at Suns owner Mat Ishbia espn.com on social media over how the Phoenix tenure was framed. Singer Steve Lacy delighted a crowd espn.com with a viral "LeBron, LeBron, LeBron" version of his hit "Oh Yeah?"
Coming Up
The Knicks open their season espn.com with James Wiseman retained on the roster. The 76ers look to bolster espn.com their rotation as the regular season approaches.
NFL Football
Last updated: October 19, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
Week 6 Results and Standouts
Aaron Rodgers espn.com tied Peyton Manning on the all-time passing touchdown list with 53 scores, throwing two more to lift the Steelers to an overtime win. Chad Ryland espn.com kicked six field goals, including a 43-yarder as time expired, to upset the Rams. The Packers espn.com won 23-13 over the Cowboys behind third-down conversions and a few defensive takeaways. Caleb Williams espn.com completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in his return from injury, and Travis Hunter espn.com became the first player since 2002 to record an interception and a touchdown catch in the same game, though Jacksonville still lost at Wembley.
Week 6 Takeaways and Winners
Our reporters espn.com weighed the biggest storylines from across the league, with the Bills, Browns, Packers and Cardinals among the clear winners. In fantasy, Malik Nabers, Kenneth Walker III and Trevor Lawrence espn.com came up big, while Jerry Jeudy's clutch catch earned him the game ball in Cleveland's win. Mahomes espn.com reached 100 career wins with the Chiefs in his 131st start, matching Tom Brady for the fastest to that mark.
Losses, Controversies and Ejections
The Titans espn.com recorded their first win of the season by stunning the Colts, with Jeffery Simmons' halftime message credited for the turnaround. Colts fans booed the team espn.com and called for GM Chris Ballard to be fired after the loss, prompting coach Steichen to say he didn't blame them. Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson espn.com was ejected for a spitting incident and expects a fine. The Ravens lost to the Browns after Derrick Henry espn.com fumbled in the fourth quarter, the latest costly turnover for Baltimore. Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble espn.com apologized for a penalty tied to a taunt directed at Eagles defender DeJean.
Injuries and Roster Moves
Jalen Hurts espn.com was placed on injured reserve by the Eagles and is expected to be out indefinitely. Patriots receiver A.J. Brown espn.com had a career-high three drops in his return from a high ankle sprain, while Romeo Doubs and Vera Tucker also exited New England's win. Ladd McConkey espn.com left the Chargers game with a concussion, and Reed Blankenship espn.com suffered one for Houston in London. The 49ers ruled out Nick Bosa espn.com for Monday night, and Saints quarterback Tyler Shough espn.com has reportedly been playing with two broken bones in his non-throwing hand. Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon espn.com was activated from the PUP list, and the Patriots activated A.J. Brown espn.com from injured reserve.
Coaching and Front Office
Saints owner Gayle Benson endorsed espn.com Kellen Moore and his staff despite a 1-4 start. Giants coach John Harbaugh said he is not ready to name a starting quarterback or running back after a home loss to the Saints. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh declined to address the reported McDaniel situation, saying his team will address everything espn.com as it starts 0-6. John Beake, the Broncos executive who helped secure John Elway and guided back-to-back Super Bowl teams, died at 87 espn.com.
The NFL confirmed espn.com that the Week 7 Steelers-Saints game in Paris will go on as scheduled despite civil unrest in France. Packers-Cowboys will be a Sunday night showdown espn.com that revives a rivalry steeped in history. Our analysts have made their Week 6 predictions espn.com, including upset picks and touchdown scorers.
Coming Up
The Steelers and Saints play in Paris espn.com on Oct. 26 in Week. Packers and Cowboys meet Sunday night espn.com in a game that marks Micah Parsons' return to Dallas.
MLB Baseball
Last updated: October 19, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
ALCS
The Rays espn.com took a 3-2 series lead with a 3-1 win over the Guardians on Sunday night. Tampa Bay followed up in Cleveland espn.com, securing the pivotal Game 5 victory and moving within one win of the World Series. The Rays then evened the series espn.com earlier in the sequence, with Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda combining for six hits in 14 at-bats after Cleveland's errors.
Guardians
Cleveland now faces elimination espn.com at Tropicana Field in Game. With no travel day after a Game 3 rainout, the weary Guardians return to the road, a setting the club says is where "this team thrives."
Coming Up
Game 6 of the ALCS is set for Tampa Bay espn.com, where a Rays win would send them to the World Series.
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 espn.com 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 espn.com 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 espn.com, 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 espn.com with stats and betting information. Saturday's slate was even larger, with 14 games, as covered in ESPN's preview espn.com.
Coming Up
Blue Jackets and Wild face off espn.com Sunday, with Hurricanes and Flames meeting on the same day.
General Sports
Last updated: October 19, 2026, 4:40 AM ET
College Football Upsets
Miami climbed to No. 1 espn.com in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2002, with BYU moving up to No. 2 after a chaotic week. Miami then survived two Hail Marys espn.com from Florida State to win in double overtime, while Auburn stunned top-ranked Georgia espn.com after a late fumble doomed the Bulldogs. The Big 12 admitted an error espn.com in ending the Notre Dame-BYU game, acknowledging Irish had one second left. Bill Connelly described the Saturday espn.com as an upset-filled day unlike any in recent memory, and the top playoff contenders espn.com were reassessed in light of five top-seven teams losing. Maryland fired defensive coordinator espn.com Ted Monachino after a five-game slide, and Florida State lost running back espn.com Ousmane Kromah for the season with an ankle injury.
WNBA Finals
Golden State held off Atlanta espn.com 68-64 to take a 1-0 lead in the series, with Gabby Williams delivering late espn.com as the Valkyries found a way to win.
NASCAR and Golf
Tyler Reddick won in Phoenix espn.com as Kyle Larson failed to finish, tightening the playoff title race. Ruoning Yin sank a four-foot birdie espn.com on the 16th to win the LPGA Shanghai by one stroke over Choi.
NFL and Other Sports
The Arizona Cardinals upset the Rams bbc.co.uk in week six while the Eagles lost. Duke cornerback Kimari Robinson apologized espn.com for swatting away a trainer's arm during the UNC game. Dylan Raiola came off the bench espn.com to lead Oregon to a 17-14 win over his former team. A member of the Air Force died after a fall espn.com before the Navy-UTSA game.
Rugby and Cricket
Northampton edged Cardiff 28-12 bbc.co.uk for the only English win of the Champions Cup openers, while Toulouse denied Exeter bbc.co.uk a famous win when Slade missed a last-gasp kick. Pau beat Leicester 41-17 bbc.co.uk with late tries, and Harlequins won 57-19 bbc.co.uk against Vannes in the Challenge Cup. A rule change is altering the face of one-day cricket.
Tennis, Golf and Athletics
Sonay Kartal lost the Wuhan Open final bbc.co.uk to Maja Chwalinska after fading from a strong position. Eugenio Chacarra won the DP World India Championship bbc.co.uk by two strokes to take the Race to Dubai lead. Rhys McClenaghan failed to reach bbc.co.uk the pommel horse final at the World Championships, and Emma Finucane vowed to come back fighting bbc.co.uk for gold after narrowly missing out. Lisowski defended his Northern Ireland Open title bbc.co.uk with a 4-1 win.
Coming Up
Smith defends his WBC title bbc.co.uk against Puello, with the undercard and viewing details laid out in the BBC preview.