Fifa crisis: Is it possible to defend Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan? August 6, 2026 Crafting a defence of Infantino isn’t easy, but it is possible to assemble both a behavioural excuse and a commercial justification for the Fifa president’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. One newspaper evocatively likened Gianni Infantino to Icarus at the weekend after his proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup melted [...]
Exclusive: Twickenham residents branded anti-fun NIMBYs in rugby stadium row August 6, 2026 Twickenham residents have been accused of being part of the “anti-fun lobby” after a petition to restrict England Rugby’s plans to host most concerts at Allianz Stadium reached 3,000 signatures. The home of English rugby is able to host an unlimited number of sporting events but has submitted a planning application to Richmond Council asking [...]
Qatar Racing takes over sponsorship of £4.4m British Champions Day August 5, 2026 Qatar Racing has replaced QIPCO as title sponsor of British Champions Day at Ascot for its next three editions, starting this year. The racing empire of Qatari royal Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al Thani is a subsidiary of QIPCO, which has sponsored the most lucrative day in the British racing calendar, worth £4.4m in prize [...]
Exclusive: Arsenal target Vinicius Jr future at Real Madrid to be decided this week August 5, 2026 Vinicius Jr’s future at Real Madrid will be decided this week amid interest from Arsenal in a blockbuster move, City AM understands. The Brazilian left winger is under contract with Los Blancos until 2027 but negotiations in Spain have stalled having begun over a year ago, opening the door for an audacious attempt by the [...]
Luis Figo: ‘Deceitful and cravenly self-interested’ Infantino must quit Fifa now August 5, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has come under fire from another high-profile figure after Portugal great Luis Figo joined calls for him to quit without further delay. Infantino is clinging to his job despite senior Fifa figures condemning his plan to sell stakes in a new commercial vehicle that would manage the World Cup to private [...]
How padel courts became a must-have for upscale hotels and members’ clubs August 5, 2026 Professional padel is having its moment in the London sun this week as the capital plays host to an event on the top-tier Premier Padel tour for the first time. The driving force behind its recent stratospheric growth not just in the UK but across Europe, the Middle East and North America, however, is its [...]
Gary Lineker forks out £10k to save England World Cup dream August 5, 2026 Gary Lineker and a group of private backers have come to the rescue of the England men’s amputee team while the Football Association refuses to fund them. The governing body stopped its financial support in 2006 and, despite now backing seven para teams, still excludes the amputee side. The England team, Nations League winners in [...]
Tour de France Femmes: World famous cycling race plunged into bra row August 4, 2026 For penis injections at the Winter Olympics, read bra padding at the Tour de France Femmes, where officials are making extra checks on riders to ensure they are not cheating by inflating the size of their chests. The move comes after unnamed teams raised suspicions that some cyclists were using padding on their chests – [...]
Wenger rubbishes Infantino sell-off plan as senior Fifa figures desert president August 4, 2026 Fifa development chief Arsene Wenger has denied any involvement in the doomed sell-off plan that has left president Gianni Infantino fighting to save his job. Wenger said he only heard about the proposal – to raise $4bn from selling stakes in a new commercial vehicle that would manage the World Cup to private investors including [...]
Manchester United agree £20m a year deal with betting giant August 4, 2026 Manchester United has agreed a mega £20m-per-season deal that will see gambling giant Betway become a sponsor of their training kits. The agreement comes in the same season Premier League clubs introduced a ban on gambling and casino brands featuring as front-of-shirt partners on home and away kits. The deal is reportedly the biggest of [...]