Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Champions League Shocks
Atlético Madrid stunned Tottenham skysports.com with a dominant 2-0 victory at the Metropolitano, becoming the first team to defeat Spurs in all four games under new manager Igor Tudor. The Spanish side capitalized on multiple critical errors from the London club, with pundits describing Spurs as "fragile" and "weak" after the collapse. Meanwhile, Galatasaray upset Liverpool espn.com 1-0 in Istanbul, handing Arne Slot his first defeat in 100 matches as Reds boss, while Barcelona snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw skysports.com at Newcastle when Lamine Yamal converted a stoppage-time penalty.
Wrexham's Championship Struggles
Phil Parkinson admitted his Wrexham side were "feeling sorry for themselves" after a 2-1 home defeat to Hull City, a result that left them six points behind the Tigers in the promotion race. The loss came as striker Kieffer Moore was confirmed as a "big doubt" for Wales' World Cup play-off campaign bbc.com compounding Wrexham's attacking concerns. Hull's victory strengthened their grip on a Championship play-off position, with the East Yorkshire side capitalizing on Wrexham's FA Cup hangover.
Transfer Market Buzz
Arsenal are lining up a free transfer move for Borussia Dortmund's Julian Brandt bbc.com while Manchester United, Tottenham and Crystal Palace are all reportedly interested in Brentford's Thomas Frank. In Spain, Real Madrid are again monitoring Manchester City's Rodri espn.com with the Spanish champions desperate for midfield reinforcement ahead of their Champions League clash with City. Meanwhile, former Barcelona president hopeful Víctor Font has encouraged Lionel Messi to "explain the truth" about his failed Camp Nou return.
International Football Developments
Mexico has begun granting visas to players from Iraq's national team ahead of their World Cup playoff match in Monterrey espn.com while Jamaica's Mount Pleasant will be without 10 first-team players for their Champions Cup tie against LA Galaxy after being denied US entry. In Europe, Spain's football federation president expects a decision within 48 hours on whether the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain will be played in Qatar.
Managerial Changes and Speculation
Tottenham's Igor Tudor skysports.com admitted uncertainty about his future after becoming the first Spurs head coach to lose each of his first four games in charge. In Scotland, Motherwell's Jens Berthel Askou has been named Manager of the Month after guiding the Steelmen up the Premiership table into a four-way title race. Meanwhile, Celtic are linked with midfielders from Sturm Graz and Cologne as they prepare for their season run-in.
Player Retirements and Returns
Kyle Walker has announced his retirement from international football with 96 England caps espn.com while Kai Havertz returns to the Bay Arena for the first time since leaving Bayer Leverkusen, facing his former club in the Champions League with "new hunger" after what he called the "worst pain" of his career. In tennis, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka eased past Naomi Osaka 6-2 6-6-4 to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals skysports.com while Jack Draper is relishing his upcoming match against Novak Djokovic after reaching the last.
Women's Football and NWSL
Newcastle United's rise from the fourth tier to the fringe of the Women's Super League has been detailed in a comprehensive BBC Sport analysis bbc.com while the NWSL Ambition Rankings highlight which teams are raising standards through stadium building, star signings, and increased spending, and which are falling behind.
Off-Field Issues
Former Falkirk chairman Gary Deans admitted possessing obscene videos after bbc.com being caught with child and animal abuse material at his home in 2023. Former footballer Joey Barton has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with an assault near a golf club. In cricket, India bowler Arshdeep Singh was fined by the ICC after throwing a ball at New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell in the T20 World Cup final.
Golf and Other Sports
Rory McIlroy is skysports.com expected to be fit for his title defence at The Players Championship but looks set to head into the tournament without a practice round at TPC Sawgrass due to a "stubborn" back injury. In boxing, promoter Frank Warren intends to open negotiations for Oleksandr Usyk to fight the winner of Fabio Wardley's world title clash with Daniel Dubois. England made one change to their starting line-up for the final Six Nations match against France, with Ollie Chessum coming in for Sam Underhill.
Promotion Races
UD Almeria took another step towards LaLiga promotion after a 3-0 league triumph over Cultural Leonesa espn.com much to Cristiano Ronaldo's delight as the Portuguese star has backed the Andalusian club. In England, Sheffield Wednesday look set to start life in League One next season with a 15-point deduction as none of the current bidders are prepared to pay £15m to the outgoing owners.