Manchester City have firmly rejected claims that Erling Haaland will join Real Madrid this summer, threatening legal action over the unauthorised use of the striker’s image.
Speculation arose after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme used the Norwegian international’s likeness during his election campaign.
The challenger incorrectly claimed the forward possessed a release clause that would facilitate an imminent move to the Spanish capital.
“He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid,” Riquelme stated.
Camp dismisses Spanish speculation
However, these assertions have been swiftly dismantled by both the Premier League champions and the player’s representatives.
A joint statement from the attacker’s father, Alf-Inge, and agent Rafaela Pimenta dismissed the political campaigning as entirely fictitious.
“All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections,” they clarified.
The Etihad club further escalated the situation by confirming there is no contractual mechanism allowing such a transfer.
Perez retains presidency with alternative targets
Riquelme ultimately lost the election to incumbent Florentino Perez, who subsequently secured his 17th consecutive year in power at the Bernabeu.
Perez immediately distanced the La Liga giants from the former Borussia Dortmund star, outlining alternative recruitment plans for the upcoming window.
“We’re going to make a significant offer, at least around €150m. He needs to be a player from midfield who can go forward, and it’s not Haaland,” Perez confirmed.
Despite the immediate future of the prolific goalscorer remaining in Manchester, long-term speculation continues to surround his eventual career path.
Long-term future remains a talking point
The Scandinavian forward has enjoyed a sensational spell in English football, maintaining a staggering scoring rate that averages a goal every 85 minutes.
Such remarkable consistency has kept Europe’s elite clubs on high alert, with Barcelona also reportedly monitoring his situation.
Borussia Dortmund president Hans Joachim Watzke, who oversaw the 24-year-old’s development in Germany, recently weighed in on the ongoing debate.
“I know very well what Haaland thinks, and I can say that a move to Madrid will happen in the future,” Watzke told Marca.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been ranked as the top team heading into the 2026-27 NBA season following the New York Knicks’ recent championship triumph.
The Knicks recently secured their first title in 53 years by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in a five-game series.
However, early projections for the upcoming campaign place the defending champions below both the Thunder and the Texan runners-up.
General manager Sam Presti has meticulously prepared his perennial contenders for a highly expensive luxury tax era.
Thunder face soaring wage bill
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recently collected his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award following a dominant 64-win season.
His franchise must now navigate lucrative contract extensions for rising stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
These new deals are expected to push the organisation’s salary cap footprint toward the $250m mark.
This massive financial commitment drags the Western Conference heavyweights deep into the league’s punitive second apron.
An untimely injury to Williams hampered their recent playoff run, ultimately contributing to their conference finals exit against San Antonio.
Wembanyama leads rising Spurs
The Texas-based franchise smashed expectations last year by accelerating their rebuilding timeline straight into championship contention.
Victor Wembanyama anchored their defensive efforts, claiming the Defensive Player of the Year award in the process.
The towering Frenchman is now eligible to negotiate a historic five-year rookie extension worth a reported $251m.
He forms a formidable young core alongside Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, supplemented by veteran guard De’Aaron Fox.
Antetokounmpo evaluates Bucks future
Away from the leading contenders, significant roster movement is anticipated across the broader basketball landscape.
Milwaukee Bucks talisman Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly considering taking his elite talents elsewhere this off-season.
Such a high-profile departure would trigger a seismic shift in the balance of power across the Eastern Conference.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto carried a no-hit bid into the ninth inning before Tristan Peters homered, but the Los Angeles Dodgers still secured a dominant 7-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
The Japanese right-hander retired his first 23 batters at Rate Field before a fielding error by Mookie Betts ended his pursuit of a perfect game in the eighth.
He was ultimately replaced by Alex Vesia after giving up a 96.6 mph leadoff drive in the final frame, departing the mound to a standing ovation from the 37,832 fans in attendance.
The 27-year-old struck out seven across his commanding 109-pitch performance to secure his fourth consecutive win of the campaign.
Muncy and Ohtani provide the firepower
Max Muncy delivered a standout offensive display for the visitors, homering twice and driving in four runs to ensure the victory.
His contributions helped the National League West contenders bounce back emphatically from an 8-2 defeat in Friday’s series opener.
Shohei Ohtani also made an immediate impact upon returning to the lineup following a brief absence due to left knee inflammation.
The two-time Most Valuable Player launched a 409-foot leadoff blast in the first inning off starting pitcher Sean Burke.
White Sox home winning streak snapped
Chicago entered the contest having won eight consecutive home games, representing their best run in front of their own fans since August 2020.
However, Burke struggled to contain the formidable visiting lineup, conceding four runs and six hits across four innings of work.
The defeat halts the momentum of the home side, while the Los Angeles club continue to demonstrate their championship credentials.
Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez has suffered a broken bone in his left hand during Saturday’s 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers and faces an indefinite spell on the sidelines.
The 33-year-old sustained the fractured hamate bone while swinging the bat to lead off the fifth inning.
Manager Stephen Vogt confirmed the extent of the damage following the game after imaging tests revealed the break.
Major blow for reigning champions
Losing the seven-time All-Star represents a significant setback for the two-time defending American League Central champions.
The switch-hitter is widely regarded as the cornerstone of the Cleveland franchise.
Despite his talismanic status, the veteran infielder had been enduring a difficult season at the plate, batting just .238 with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in prior to this setback.
Recurring hand issues compound injury woes
This is not the first time the Dominican star has encountered this specific issue, having previously fractured his right hamate bone in 2019.
That earlier injury sidelined him for over a month and currently stands as his only career stint on the injured list.
Cleveland’s physical problems compounded early in Saturday’s contest as two further players were forced out of the action.
Chase DeLauter exited with a bruised right rib cage, while fellow outfielder Angel Martinez sustained a bruised foot after fouling off a pitch.
Former San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Aldon Smith has died at the age of 36 in the Bay Area, his former team has confirmed.
The Niners originally selected the pass rusher with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
No cause of death was provided for the former Oakland Raider, who passed away on Saturday.
‘Undeniable talent and sheer dominance’
The 49ers released a statement expressing their devastation at the sudden and tragic passing.
“Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen.”
“Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into.”
A record-breaking start derailed by off-field issues
The defensive star burst onto the scene with 14 sacks in his debut campaign to finish second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
He followed that up with a phenomenal 2012 season, posting 19.5 sacks to earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro honours.
That remarkable tally remains a single-season franchise record for San Francisco to this day.
However, the highly touted prospect saw his rapid ascent to NFL stardom severely impacted by a series of off-field issues.
Suspensions and final comeback attempts
He was arrested 10 times over a nine-year span, facing charges that included driving under the influence and possessing illegal assault weapons.
The NFL suspended the prolific sack artist for nine games in 2014 before the 49ers ultimately released him the following year.
Despite subsequent stints with the Raiders and Cowboys, further suspensions kept him out of professional football for four years between 2016 and 2019.
He briefly attempted a final comeback with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 before officially announcing his retirement on a podcast in 2023.
The Football Association will withhold the cheapest tier of tickets for England’s 2026 World Cup matches until the day before kick-off to prevent them from being sold at inflated prices on secondary markets.
Thomas Tuchel’s side begin their campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, backed by thousands of travelling supporters.
However, global governing body Fifa has faced heavy criticism regarding its ticketing strategy for the tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Many fans have been forced to pay exorbitant sums just to secure a seat at the highly anticipated fixtures.
Combating the secondary market
To protect supporters, the English governing body has secured hundreds of entry-tier tickets priced at £45.
These affordable options will intentionally be kept off the market until 24 hours before the fixture.
The delayed release is designed to stop touts from purchasing the allocations and listing them on resale websites at a massive markup.
Fifa defends ticketing policy
Fifa maintains that United States legislation compels them to allow tickets to be resold at any price point.
The international organisers currently take a 30 per cent commission from every transaction processed through their official resale platform.
President Gianni Infantino has staunchly defended the cost of attending the finals, citing unprecedented global demand.
“If you sell it at a lower price point in this particular market it would have gone in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices,” Gianni Infantino
The Swiss administrator argued that under-pricing tickets would simply funnel money toward black-market operators rather than reinvesting it into the sport.
Legal challenges and market comparisons
Several states across the US have launched legal investigations into the ticketing procedures, but Fifa remains unconcerned.
“If we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong as well,” Gianni Infantino
The 54-year-old president compared the surging costs to other major American sporting events, noting similar trends during the NBA Finals.
Shemaine Campbelle struck an emotional, unbeaten 90 as the West Indies defeated defending champions New Zealand by seven wickets with just one ball remaining in their Women’s T20 World Cup opener in Southampton.
- New Zealand 162-6 (20 overs): Halliday 40, Green 35; Alleyne 4-27
- West Indies 163-3 (19.5 overs): Campbelle 90*, Matthews 48; J Kerr 2-17
Chasing 163 for victory, the Caribbean side reached their target in dramatic fashion during a tense final over.
Experienced all-rounder Sophie Devine was tasked with defending six runs from the last six deliveries.
With the scores level, Campbelle handed the strike to 20-year-old Jahzara Claxton, and the pair scrambled a bye from the penultimate ball to seal a famous win.
Campbelle ends long wait for half-century
The match-winning knock held immense personal significance for the veteran wicketkeeper-batter.
Campbelle was visibly emotional upon securing the victory, having registered her maiden T20 international half-century after an astonishing 122 matches.
Her heroic innings was heavily supported by star captain Hayley Matthews, who capitalised on early fielding errors by the opposition.
The White Ferns will bitterly regret dropping the destructive opener on just nine, allowing her to build a crucial foundation with a rapid 48.
White Ferns falter despite competitive total
Earlier in the day, the defending champions posted a respectable 162-6 despite suffering a sudden top-order collapse.
The title holders slipped rapidly from 49-0 to 56-3 before middle-order batters Brooke Halliday and Maddy Green stabilised the innings.
Halliday top-scored with 40 and Green added 35, building on Izzy Gaze’s brisk 39 during the powerplay.
However, Aaliyah Alleyne proved to be the standout bowler for the Windies, claiming brilliant figures of 4-27 to restrict the scoring rate.
Group 2 blown wide open
This dramatic result immediately reshapes the landscape of Group 2, creating a highly competitive race for the knockout stages.
With tournament heavyweights England widely considered favourites to secure top spot, the battle for the second qualification place is now fiercely contested.
The Caribbean outfit have taken a massive step toward the semi-finals, leaving the reigning champions under immediate pressure in their title defence.
Ticketmaster has confirmed that valid tickets held by New York Knicks fans for Game 5 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio will not be revoked, ending confusion over geographical purchasing restrictions.
The Eastern Conference franchise are potentially one victory away from securing their first NBA championship since 1973.
An initial message on the ticketing platform stated that orders placed outside a 150-mile radius of the Frost Bank Center would be cancelled without notice.
Initial restrictions spark outrage
That warning prompted swift backlash from prominent New York officials, who criticised the policy for seemingly preventing travelling supporters from attending the crucial matchup.
“Knicks fans finally get within one game of a championship, and their reward is having their tickets canceled?” – New York Governor Kathy Hochul
However, Madison Square Garden Sports Corporation issued a statement on Saturday to alleviate concerns among the travelling fanbase.
Ticketmaster subsequently clarified on social media that no valid, authenticated purchases for the fixture have been or will be voided.
Spurs defend standard playoff policy
The geographical limitations were only applied at the point of initial sale, meaning anyone who successfully acquired a seat remains eligible to enter the arena.
Officials from the Western Conference team defended the 150-mile radius rule as a standard practice utilised throughout the NBA postseason.
“This allows us to continue prioritizing local fans across San Antonio, Austin and surrounding communities.” – San Antonio Spurs Spokesman
Because these restrictions do not extend to the secondary market, visiting fans still have legitimate avenues to secure a place inside the Texas venue.
New York supporters previously overcame similar geographical ticketing hurdles during their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the playoffs.