General Sports 3 Days

Last updated: August 13, 2026, 6:42 PM ET

Athletics – European Championships

Great Britain enjoyed a dominant week at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu secured a sensational 100m one-two for the hosts, while Amy Hunt stormed to 100m glory in her "coming of age" moment. Matthew Hudson-Smith made history as the joint-most decorated man at European Championships by claiming 400m gold on home track. Keely Hodgkinson progressed through her 800m heats alongside rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol, and later reached the final after Werro suffered a dramatic fall that required an appeal. The women's 800m world record remains the longest-standing in athletics (43 years), as explored in a BBC Sport feature. However, the championships faced criticism over empty seats and ticket prices as nearly 10,000 seats were empty at Alexander Stadium on Monday.

Athletics – European Championships (continued)

Jakob Ingebrigtsen expressed disappointment over Josh Kerr's decision to miss the Europeans, saying the absence of the British rival is "ruining the sport." In the pool at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris, Filip Nowacki claimed a dramatic gold in the men's 200m breaststroke final. Angharad Evans won her first European gold in the 100m breaststroke. Adam Ramsay-Peaty finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final, his first loss at a European Aquatics Championships.

Cricket

Bangladesh dominated Australia on day one of the first Test, with Steve Smith benefiting from an odd technology reprieve. Scotland crushed Canada by 170 runs in World Cup League, as captain Richie Berrington and debutant Lyle Robertson starred at Forthill. Afghanistan comfortably sealed their ODI series over Ireland with a game to spare, achieving their record tally in the format. Moises Henriques said helping Portugal qualify for their first men's T20 World Cup would be cricket "nirvana." Rocky Flintoff, the 18-year-old son of Andrew Flintoff, hit his first professional century for Lancashire. Glamorgan's young players shone in the One Day Cup despite winning only two of eight matches.

Football (Soccer)

Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy said his side aim to disprove pundits who expect them to be relegated in 2026-27. Swansea City suffered a heavy blow as Cameron Burgess ruptured his Achilles and looks set to miss the entire season. Manchester United beat Leeds 2-0 in a historic pre-season encounter at Croke Park, the first association football match between two English teams at the Dublin venue. Welsh Fire's men's and women's sides again missed out on the Eliminators in The Hundred despite a drastically improved season. Meanwhile, MI London and Welsh Fire were eliminated from The Hundred after losing their final group matches. Ellyse Perry hit 62 not out to lead Birmingham Phoenix to a five-wicket win over MI London. The Irish League's long-term European hopes rest with Larne after Northern Ireland dropped outside the top 50 of Uefa's coefficient ranking.

Football (Soccer) – Transfers & Coaching

Arne Slot confirmed he pulled out of talks for the Netherlands managerial vacancy, saying his next job will be in club football. Brennan Johnson is tipped to thrive under David Moyes after his transfer from Crystal Palace to Everton.

American Football (NFL)

Efe Obada retired from the NFL after 10 seasons to pursue his "true calling" with a foundation. A high school football player in Arkansas unknowingly wore a helmet with a venomous snake inside it for nearly an hour.

College Football

ESPN released its preseason All-America team for 2026, featuring the nation's best players at every position. Bill Connelly broke down the final preseason SP+ rankings. A survey of GMs, staffers and agents put a price on each position, revealing how much a Power 4 starter earns. Coaches spilled the tea on 43 QBs, including Heisman outlook and draft potential. Freshman phenoms could affect conference and CFP races. Oklahoma's John Mateer has turned heads with his massive arms, sparking a debate on whether QBs can be too swole. Lamar Jackson is adapting to the Ravens' new offense under OC Declan Doyle. Northwestern football received a $35 million donation from Liz and Dick Uihlein.

Basketball (NBA)

The NBA announced its opening week schedule, leading with a tripleheader on Oct. 20 including Knicks vs. 76ers. The 2026 NBA Cup group stage schedule was revealed. Dan Orlovsky stacked the top 10 QBs by skill traits, including strongest arm (Josh Allen) and most unstoppable rusher (Lamar Jackson). A new projection data shows the SEC's best and worst outcomes for 2026-27, including three possible champions and three teams that won't go dancing. Seth Trimble left UNC and committed to Louisville after the court ruling giving Class of 2022 high schoolers a fifth season.

Basketball (WNBA)

Fever coach Stephanie White spoke out against her critics and received vocal support from Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham after she was booed in Indiana before Tuesday's win over the Liberty. The WNBA Power Rankings show time running out as teams jockey for playoff seeds.

Golf

LIV Golf players have been warned that the season-ending Team Championship is set to be cancelled. Rory McIlroy expressed confidence he'll reach a compromise with the PGA Tour to maintain his dual membership despite only 14 starts. The FedEx Cup playoffs start at the St. Jude Championship in Memphis, with tee times for rounds 1 and 2 released. An amateur golfer resigned from his club after a cheating scandal involving a fake hole-in-one.

Tennis

Iga Swiatek reached her first final of the season at the Canadian Open, calling it her "toughest season." She will face Elena Rybakina, who came back from a set and a break down to beat Naomi Osaka in three sets in the quarter-finals.

MMA/UFC

UFC 330 in Philadelphia features two championship matchups. Ian Machado Garry is a real threat to Islam Makhachev, who says he does not have much time left in the UFC.

Rugby Union

England handed five players their first central contracts in Steve Borthwick's shake-up. Ulster captain Iain Henderson will miss the start of the season after hip surgery. Ospreys publicly rejected the WRU plan to cut one professional team, saying four Welsh sides is the way forward. Eddie Jones revealed he uses videos of geese flying in formation to coach Japan. Ma'a Nonu, performed a solo haka in response to the All Blacks before the Sharks' match in Durban. England's Red Roses have been using smaller balls in pre-season training for the WXV Global Series.

Hockey

Four Canadian hockey stars remain suspended after their sexual assault acquittal, while a fifth was reinstated after an appeals board found the whole group broke Hockey Canada's code of conduct.

Baseball/Softball

ESPN MLB experts updated their top 50 players as the regular season winds down. A Texas judge initially backed a decision to remove a Tulsa team from the Little League World Series bid, but later granted a temporary restraining order allowing them to play.

Horse Racing

Five horse races at Saratoga and Monmouth Park are being investigated by an integrity firm after unusual betting was detected on horses that overperformed.

Motorsports

Ty Gibbs will honor Kyle Busch by driving an M&M's paint scheme at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Fantasy Sports

Matt Bowen broke down his favorite fantasy football draft targets, from first-round superstars to late-round dart throws. Tristan H. Cockcroft identified late-season fantasy baseball trade targets, including the Bronx. The fantasy women's basketball playoffs guide offers strategy and expert picks.

Other Sports

PLL Power Rankings ahead of Week 13 show Boston and Philly finishing strong. The Great Britain dressage team secured qualification for the LA28 Olympics by winning silver at the FEI World Championships. Summer Shaw won Scotland's first judo medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games and returned to work at McDonald's a week later. An 18-year-old British gymnast Ruby Evans spoke about coping with fame ahead of the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. A weekly sports quiz covers tattoos, transfers and photo finishes. The solar eclipse forced schedule changes for UK sport events, including the Ffos Las horse racing meeting starting two hours earlier. Zhang Anda shocked world number three Zhao Xintong with a final-ball respot at the China Open snooker. England's cricket team has scrapped their midnight curfew seven months after introducing it, with only wins needed now. F1 correspondent Andrew Benson answers questions on Lawson's seat future and sprint races. American middle-distance runner Jonah Koech received a three-year doping ban.