The Golden State Valkyries can clinch a WNBA title in just their second season when they face the Atlanta Dream in Game 6, live on Sky Sports on Thursday. Atlanta, meanwhile, is fighting to force the first Game 7 in league history—putting a historic finish within reach for either team.
London Broncos are expected to be elevated to Super League for 2027, potentially expanding the competition to 15 teams, but must give up their claim to about £1.3m in central funding under a condition set by the existing clubs. The move advances despite a planned Super League partnership with the NRL—and its expected financial backing—now not anticipated until 2028.
Milwaukee turned a dominant season into its first World Series championship, following 103 regular-season wins and a sweep of the Dodgers with the ultimate prize. The low-budget Brewers’ triumph challenges owners’ claims that small-market teams can’t compete—and puts baseball’s looming salary-cap debate in the spotlight.
Alexia Putellas is women’s football’s top player again, earning her third Ballon d’Or after a remarkable return from a serious knee injury and extending Spain’s run of dominance alongside Aitana BonmatÃ. Her achievement is a testament to her resilience and greatness, but the shortlist’s lack of African representation raises questions about whether the award truly reflects the global game.
As Manchester United face another managerial crisis after a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth and a 4-1 loss to Como, Jonathan Wilson argues that the club’s troubles reach far beyond Michael Carrick. He traces the decline to years of damaging ownership and leadership decisions—suggesting the roots of United’s fall began with a seemingly small, unconnected moment.
Billed as a tectonic shift for rugby union, the inaugural Nations Championship is building toward its finals, with the November schedule set to bring the competition’s biggest tests. Here’s a look at the tournament format, results so far and the matchups that will decide who finishes on top.
Fleetwood Town pulled off one of the Carabao Cup’s biggest shocks, knocking Premier League champions Arsenal out on penalties to book a place in the quarter-finals. The remarkable upset sends the League Two side into the last eight and leaves Arsenal facing an early end to their cup campaign.
FIFA’s first peace prize, awarded to Donald Trump, is portrayed as a political gesture by president Gianni Infantino that damaged the award’s credibility. Rather than scrap it, FIFA could reimagine the prize to recognize people making a genuine difference through soccer—giving the sport a chance to reclaim its message of unity.
After Lancashire decided not to renew his contract following 25 years together, 44-year-old Jimmy Anderson has shown no sign of calling time on his career. The England great is set to lead and co-own the Napoli Knights in a Rome T10 tournament, extending a remarkable playing journey powered by his determination to keep taking wickets for as long as his body allows.
A remarkable goal by West Brom Under-21s’ Justin Seven-Seven has revived a classic football trivia question: who has scored in the minute matching their surname? The Guardian’s Knowledge revisits Didier Six, whose sixth-minute strikes included goals against Bordeaux in consecutive seasons, while also exploring other football curiosities—from long home droughts to the race for pre-Christmas goal milestones.
