World football’s governing body will increase the prize money on offer for the 2026 World Cup in North America following concerns from participating nations over escalating operational costs.
Several European associations had previously warned they risked losing out financially by competing in the expanded 48-team tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Officials anticipated that logistical expenses would be significantly higher than those experienced during the previous edition in Qatar four years prior.
These apprehensions included a lack of guarantees regarding taxation, which varies considerably across different states within the US.
Record financial packages to be expanded
Following extensive dialogue with worried federations, a revised and improved funding package is expected to be approved at an upcoming Fifa Council meeting in Vancouver.
This strategic adjustment will also boost the development funding distributed to all 211 member associations worldwide.
An initial record prize pot of £537m had already been approved last December, which included a dedicated £37m reward for the eventual champions.
Governing body confirms ongoing discussions
A spokesperson for the international federation confirmed that extensive talks remain ongoing to ensure enhanced revenues are available for the global game.
“This includes a proposed increase of financial contributions to all qualified teams for the Fifa World Cup 2026 and of development funding available to all 211 member associations.”
“The Fifa World Cup 2026 will be ground-breaking in terms of its financial contribution to the global football community.” Fifa Spokesperson
The Swiss-based organisation added that it is currently in its strongest ever financial position and remains firmly committed to benefiting the sport through its Forward programme.
Enzo Fernandez scored the decisive goal as interim manager Calum McFarlane guided Chelsea to a 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United at Wembley, setting up a final clash with Manchester City.
The narrow triumph concludes a turbulent week for the West London club following the swift dismissal of Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior departed after less than four months in charge following an appalling slump in domestic form.
McFarlane’s second spell in temporary charge began impressively in front of 82,500 supporters at the national stadium.
Fernandez ends epic goal drought
Chelsea had endured a miserable 293-minute run without scoring in any competition prior to this crucial breakthrough.
The Argentine midfielder’s decisive moment arrived when he met Pedro Neto’s deft cross with a clinical header.
It marks his 13th goal of the campaign, an impressive tally surpassed only by Morgan Gibbs-White among Premier League midfielders.
The strike also represented the first time the Stamford Bridge outfit had breached top-flight opposition since early March.
Tactical reset delivers immediate results
The Blues initially looked disjointed in the opening exchanges before settling into a much-improved rhythm.
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was instrumental in bypassing the opposition press with direct distribution towards Joao Pedro.
The forward’s excellent hold-up play provided a vital outlet to safely progress the team up the pitch.
He almost doubled the advantage later in the match but saw a powerful effort strike the woodwork.
Wembley return secured
Sanchez also demonstrated essential game management tactics during the second half to frustrate the Yorkshire side.
His commanding performance between the posts further cemented his status as the club’s undisputed first-choice stopper.
The gritty result vindicates the ruthless boardroom decision to reset the managerial hierarchy ahead of the season’s climax.
The rejuvenated squad will now return to Wembley in three weeks to challenge for major silverware.
Rangers suffered a devastating blow to their Scottish Premiership title aspirations after a dramatic 3-2 defeat by Motherwell at Ibrox on Sunday left them third in the table.
Danny Röhl’s side entered the first post-split fixture desperately needing a victory to keep pace in the championship race.
Instead, the hosts endured a nightmare start in Glasgow as Lukas Fadinger stunned the home crowd with a 16th-minute opener.
Emmanuel Longelo then doubled the advantage for the visitors before the half-hour mark with a composed finish at the back post.
Stirring comeback falls short
The home side emerged with renewed attacking intent following a tactical reshuffle at the interval.
Youssef Chermiti reduced the deficit in the 51st minute before Nicolas Raskin completed the comeback 19 minutes later to ignite the stadium.
However, the Steelmen refused to buckle under the mounting pressure.
Longelo claimed his second goal of the match in the dying moments when his deflected strike agonisingly found the back of the net.
Title ambitions slipping away
The devastating late twist leaves the Ibrox club stranded on 69 points with just four domestic fixtures remaining.
Slipping to third place means they now deeply trail fierce rivals Celtic in the race for the Scottish crown.
Meanwhile, the crucial triumph strengthens fourth-placed Motherwell in their ongoing pursuit of European football next season.
Having already drawn twice with the Light Blues at Fir Park this campaign, the Lanarkshire outfit once again proved to be incredibly frustrating opposition.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has revealed he wants to extend his Formula 1 career beyond the 2026 season, stating at the Monaco historic grand prix that he is not yet ready to retire.
The 44-year-old is out of contract at the end of the current campaign but explicitly stated that he hopes 2026 will not be his final year on the grid.
Previously, the Spaniard suggested he would evaluate his future as the year progressed and anticipated treating 2026 as his definitive farewell tour.
However, speaking to the event’s official television channel, the veteran driver emphasised his enduring passion for elite motorsport.
I love what I do, I love racing. I did my first race when I was three years old, and I am 44, so 41 years of my life I have been behind a steering wheel. The moment I have to stop racing, it will be a very hard decision and difficult to accept. Fernando Alonso
The former Ferrari and Renault star added that he still feels highly competitive, motivated, and genuinely happy whenever he takes to the track.
Aston Martin struggles hinder farewell plans
The veteran’s optimistic outlook comes despite a highly challenging start to the year for his current team.
Aston Martin entered the campaign with massive expectations following their transition to a works engine partnership with Japanese manufacturer Honda.
Optimism was further fuelled by the high-profile acquisition of legendary car designer Adrian Newey, who joined the Silverstone-based outfit in March of the previous year.
Instead, the team has suffered a dismal opening phase, battling severe performance deficits and crippling reliability issues.
Chassis and engine woes plague new partnership
Initial public scrutiny fell heavily on Honda after severe engine vibrations caused mechanical failures and extreme physical discomfort for both drivers.
However, subsequent analysis across the first three races revealed that over half of the team’s overall performance deficit actually originates from the chassis.
Newey clarified that his delayed arrival and significant wind tunnel complications heavily disrupted the design process, leaving the team four months behind rival constructors in crucial research and development.
Despite the substantial setback, the esteemed engineer remains confident that Aston Martin can successfully bridge the chassis performance gap as the season progresses.
Honda granted developmental lifeline
Meanwhile, the broader Formula 1 paddock widely acknowledges that Honda currently possesses the weakest power unit among all engine manufacturers.
As a result, the Japanese marque is expected to receive permission for extra development and upgrade opportunities to address their severe operational deficiencies.
This regulatory mechanism is built into the new 2026 power-unit guidelines, specifically designed to offer trailing manufacturers a realistic chance to close the competitive gap.
With Aston Martin possessing limited options to secure a top-tier replacement driver, an eventual upturn in form could easily convince the legendary Spanish driver to orchestrate a final swansong in 2027.
Alex Marquez claimed a comfortable victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday to halt overall leader Marco Bezzecchi’s five-race winning streak in MotoGP.
The Ducati-Gresini rider triumphed from fifth on the starting grid, crossing the line 1.903 seconds ahead of his Aprilia rival.
It marks a triumphant return to the top step of the podium for the recently turned 30-year-old, who secured his maiden premier class victory at this exact Jerez circuit last year.
Marc Marquez crashes out after sprint success
Sunday’s grand prix provided a stark contrast to Saturday’s chaotic, rain-lashed sprint event.
Reigning champion Marc Marquez had clinched victory in those treacherous wet conditions following some quick thinking to change bikes.
Despite starting from pole position in the main race, the older Marquez brother could not replicate his sprint success.
Alex closed the gap rapidly at the start of the second lap, executing a clinical move up the inside at turn six to snatch the lead.
Disaster struck for Marc just five turns later as he lost the front end of his Ducati and crashed out of contention.
Bezzecchi extends championship advantage
With clear track ahead, the younger Marquez brother proved untouchable for the chasing pack.
Fabio di Giannantonio delivered a strong performance to complete the podium places, while Jorge Martin crossed the line in fourth.
The result finally breaks a formidable run of form from the current championship leader.
The Italian had dominated the premier class by winning the final two rounds of last season and the opening three races of the current campaign.
Despite missing out on the victory, the second-place finish allows him to stretch his overall standings advantage to 11 points over Martin.
Di Giannantonio climbs to third in the title race, leaving the reigning champion languishing 44 points adrift in fifth.
A turning point for the Gresini rider
This crucial win propels the victorious Spaniard up to seventh in the overall classification.
His previous best result this season had been a modest sixth-place finish.
“We struggled a lot at the beginning of the year,” the race winner said.
“Today, it was clear – go from the first lap, pushing, trying to take the lead.”
“From that moment, I knew that the rhythm was really good until the end.”
Gianluca Rocchi, the head of referee assignments for Italy’s top football divisions, has suspended himself after being implicated in a sporting fraud investigation.
The Italian Referees Association (AIA) confirmed the temporary departure following inquiries launched by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Andrea Gervasoni, the video assistant referee (VAR) supervisor for Serie A and Serie B, has also stepped aside after being placed under investigation.
Allegations of referee favouritism
According to Italian news agency AGI, the former international official faces allegations of complicity in sporting fraud during the 2024-25 campaign.
The 52-year-old is accused of assigning a specific official to an Inter Milan fixture simply because that referee was favoured by the club.
Another incident under intense scrutiny involves a VAR decision not to intervene when an Inter Milan player allegedly elbowed an opponent.
Pressuring match officials
The referee designator is additionally accused of improperly influencing the review process during Udinese’s 1-0 victory over Parma.
It is claimed he pressured a VAR official into instructing the on-field referee to review a potential handball on the pitchside monitor.
The match officials had initially dismissed the penalty appeals but subsequently reversed their decision, allowing Florian Thauvin to score the decisive winning goal.
‘Unscathed and stronger’
A preliminary hearing regarding the serious allegations is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Sporting fraud is a criminal offence in Italy and carries a potential maximum prison sentence of six years.
“This painful and difficult decision, shared with my family, is intended to allow the judicial process to proceed smoothly, from which I am certain I will emerge unscathed and stronger than before.”
“My great love for my association and my sense of responsibility for the role I hold lead me, above all, to protect such an important group of athletes, whom I do not want to be affected in any way by my circumstances.”
The suspended chief concluded by stating he eagerly awaits further legal developments to fully clarify his position.
Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar has secured his fourth Liege-Bastogne-Liege victory by dropping French teenager Paul Seixas in the closing stages to take his 13th career Monument title.
Emotional tribute
Pogacar wore a black armband during the race to honour his former teammate Cristian Camilo Munoz.
The Colombian rider died on Friday from an infection linked to a knee injury sustained in a recent crash.
The world champion pointed to the sky in a touching tribute as he crossed the finish line.
An electric battle
Sunday’s race was highly anticipated as the first major clash between the sport’s dominant force and highly-rated teenager Seixas.
The 19-year-old initially matched a blistering attack over the brutal La Redoute climb with 35 kilometres remaining.
However, the French wunderkind was finally distanced on the steep 10 per cent gradients of the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons.
A seated acceleration with 14km to go proved decisive, allowing the race leader to finish 45 seconds clear.
Chasing pack dynamics
Lidl-Trek’s Mattias Skjelmose was the best-placed of the remaining favourites following the initial surge on La Redoute.
The Danish rider was eventually caught by the chase group after struggling alone for several kilometres.
Former Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley attempted a late breakaway inside the final 30km, but the group quickly reformed to contest the final podium spot.
Evenepoel secures podium
Two-time winner Remco Evenepoel sprinted away from a large chasing pack to secure third place.
The Belgian finished one minute and 42 seconds adrift of the victorious Slovenian.
Closing in on Merckx
This triumph marks the third Monument victory of the season for the 27-year-old.
Having already conquered Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders, he now sits on 13 career Monument titles.
He is just six victories behind cycling legend Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 19 wins.
A victory at Il Lombardia later this year would make him the first rider in history to claim four Monuments in a single season.
Wrexham will attempt to secure a Championship play-off spot on the final day of the regular season when they host Middlesbrough at Stok Cae Ras on Saturday.
The Red Dragons currently sit sixth in the table, ahead of seventh-placed Hull City on goal difference and a single point clear of Derby County.
Phil Parkinson’s side successfully clawed back a four-point deficit over the last month to take their top-six ambitions down to the wire.
“A few weeks ago we were four points adrift and the aim was to go right to the wire in the battle to get into the play-offs,” said the Wrexham manager.
He added that reaching this decisive scenario is an outcome the Welsh club would have accepted without hesitation at the start of the campaign.
Evolving mindset following Coventry defeat
The promotion hopefuls suffered a 3-1 defeat to title-winners Coventry City in their previous outing.
Midfielder Ollie Rathbone scored his eighth goal of the season in that loss and believes their deep frustration highlights the squad’s immense progress.
“It shows how much the team has evolved that we’ve come to the best team in the division and we’re disappointed that we’ve not taken anything away,” said Rathbone.
The 27-year-old expressed immense pride in their growth despite the ultimate disappointment against Frank Lampard’s newly-crowned champions.
Automatic promotion hopes complicate permutations
Visiting Middlesbrough arrive in North Wales with their own play-off berth already guaranteed.
However, Kim Hellberg’s men could still be chasing an automatic promotion spot depending on the midweek result between Southampton and Ipswich Town.
Rathbone insists the home side must ignore the intense outside permutations and focus entirely on claiming three points.
“I think you’ve just got to try and be as calm as possible, play the game as you would normally and hope you’ve done enough,” added the midfielder.
After 45 grueling fixtures in the second tier, the squad intends to go full blast this weekend with hopes of celebrating another historic achievement.