Wednesday, 24 June 2026
DUCATI STATEMENT REVEALS HINT INTO PEDRO ACOSTA MOTOGP SIGNING
Ducati calls Pedro Acosta “one of the most talented riders in MotoGP” after confirming the KTM rider’s signature
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| Pedro Acosta, 2026 Czech MotoGP. © Gold and Goose |
Ducati admits that signing Pedro Acosta was a target “for some time” after finally confirming the KTM rider for the 2027 MotoGP season.
Acosta has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Italian manufacturer, where he will replace the outgoing Francesco Bagnaia, who is expected to join Aprilia Racing.
Ducati announced Bagnaia’s departure on Wednesday morning, before confirming the news that had been expected since the opening few races of 2026.
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| Pedro Acosta, Francesco Bagnaia, 2025 Japanese MotoGP. © Gold and Goose |
Acosta will line-up alongside Marc Marquez, who himself committed his future to Ducati with a new two-year deal of his own on Monday.
Acosta and Marquez will form one of the most talented rider pairings the sport has ever seen, and it will be the most high-profile since Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha.
Ducati was known to be a big admirer of Acosta in previous years, so it’s therefore no surprise that the Bologna-based company pushed hard to sign the Spaniard when it did.
Signing Acosta comes at a particularly interesting time, with MotoGP set to transition into the new 850cc era in 2027.
Alongside Marquez, Acosta will no doubt be expected to lead Ducati over the next two years by challenging for race wins and the title.
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| Pedro Acosta, 2026 Czech MotoGP. © Gold and Goose |
However, it’s also clear that Ducati sees Acosta as the long-term future of their MotoGP project given he is only 22 years of age.
Speaking about the signing of Acosta, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said: “Pedro is undoubtedly one of the most talented young riders in the MotoGP paddock.
“At just 22 years old, he is the kind of rider with whom a new and exciting chapter can be written.
“We have always liked him and have been following him for some time, both for what he has achieved on track and for his direct and easy-going personality, which we are sure will make Ducatisti fall in love with him once he is dressed in red.
“We believe that, alongside Marc, he represents the ideal complement for a team that - building on its history and on the results achieved in recent years - wants to continue playing a leading role in the future and remain a source of admiration, respect and support for Ducati fans all around the world”.
- Robert Jones
VIRAL PHOTOS: CRISTIANO RONALDO MET UZBEKISTAN TEENAGERS IN 2009 | 17 YEARS LATER, THE CLASHED IN FIFA WORLD CUP
A heartwarming story came from the Portugal vs Uzbekistan match at FIFA World Cup 2026, as Uzbekistan stars Rustamjon Ashurmatov and Dostonbek Khamdamov faced off against their idol, Cristiano Ronaldo.
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| Cristiano Ronaldo had met Uzbekistan's Rustamjon Ashurmatov and Dostonbek Khamdamov in 2009.© X (formerly twitter) |
Cristiano Ronaldo was back at his very best as he slammed in two history-making goals for Portugal in their FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Uzbekistan. Ronaldo became the first player in history to score in six different World Cups, leading Portugal to a 5-0 victory. But away from the records, there was also a heartwarming storyline attached to the game. Uzbekistan stars Rustamjon Ashurmatov and Dostonbek Khamdamov had met Ronaldo when they were barely teenagers when the Portuguese star had visited Tashkent in 2009. 17 years later, they were squaring off against him on the global stage.
Photos and videos of Ronaldo attending a camp of footballers in Tashkent, which also featured Ashurmatov and Khamdamov, went viral on social media ahead of the game.
At the time, Ashurmatov and Khamdamov were 12 or 13 years old, while Ronaldo was just a one-time Ballon d'Or winner who had just left Manchester United for Real Madrid in a world record deal.
Cristiano Ronaldo with Uzbekistan's Ashurmatov and Khamdamov in 2009.
16 years later, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace against them. pic.twitter.com/1iys2lrTdG
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 23, 2026
Ashurmatov:
Bu harika bir fotoraf, Ronaldo'nun ziyareti beklenmedik bir eydi.
Gelip bizimle futbol oynad, o srada biz 13 yndaydk.
Khamdamov:
Unutulmaz bir and; o dnemde Ronaldo hretinin zirvesindeydi. pic.twitter.com/FftqFgTvq3
— Golista (@golistaspor) June 23, 2026
Lost media: when Cristiano RONALDO visited uzbekistan in 2009 and this little boy started imitating all his 5 star skills, ronaldo was amazed
17 years later, he faced two of the boys he met in 2009: Ashmadov and Khumadov as Portugal face Uzbekistan pic.twitter.com/Hz74nFvHlN
— MatchReport (@MatchReportH) June 23, 2026
In their FIFA World Cup encounter, Ashurmatov started in defence for Uzbekistan, playing the full 90 minutes. Unfortunately, Khamdamov did not get to come off the bench during the game.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo declared "I'm back" and said those "attacking" him should never write him off after making World Cup history in the 5-0 hammering of Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Houston.
The 41-year-old, under pressure to deliver after a barren recent run at major tournaments, pounced after six minutes. He added a second with a smart finish before half-time as Roberto Martinez's side ran riot against limited opposition.
The five-star display was in stark contrast to a stale 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in which Ronaldo was laboured and largely anonymous.
Ronaldo shouted into a television camera "I'm back, I'm back", and said after his two-goal display: "I can say it was a very tough week, a difficult week, a week in which public opinion was very harsh on us, on all the players, especially on the coach.
"But it's always like that, it's fine because when you think about it, it's already 23 years I've been a professional and whenever things don't go well it's, 'Cristiano, he's finished, he's old'.
"But well, it was a good response from me and my teammates, which is what we wanted."
With AFP inputs
- Roddur Mookherjee
TARTAN ARMY TAKES OVER MIAMI AHEAD OF SCOTLAND VS. BRAZIL
Scotland fans have descended on Miami, Florida, for what could be a historic World Cup match against Brazil on Wednesday.
Steve Clarke's side currently sit third in Group C after a 1-0 win and defeat against Haiti and Morocco.
If all goes well, Scotland has a chance at qualifying for the knockout stage at the World Cup for the first time ever, following eight previous group-stage exits.
They could even qualify with a loss, but would need to wait until all the group games finish on June 27 to know their fate.
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| Tartan Army cheers on Scotland at a boat party in Miami Credit: ITV News |
Defender and captain Andy Robertson admitted that Brazil will be a tough game, but remained positive, telling reporters: "We are in control of our own destiny."
He's certainly got backing from fans, as thousands of Tartan Army members travelled to Miami for the game.
Fans from both teams were seen drinking, dancing on Ocean Drive, and wishing each other luck. Some even played five-a-sides and other street football games.
“Everywhere they go, people fall in love with them,” Robertson said.
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| Andy Robertson and his team have been training in preparation for their match against Brazil Credit: AP |
"Come tomorrow night. If we manage to beat Brazil ... I'm sure maybe a couple of beers will be drunk by the Tartan Army. That's for sure," he added.
The Tartan Army certainly won over the hearts of people in Boston, where their previous games were held, as they marched through the city playing bagpipes and chanting the new unofficial 'No Scotland, No Party' anthem.
Back on home turf, faithfuls will be watching at fan zones across Scotland including the Ovo Hydro in Glasgow and The Pitt in Edinburgh. The game will kick off at 11pm UK time.
First Minister John Swinney said he has faith that the team can make history and that they "have the chance to make themselves legends tonight".
Both teams kick off at 11pm UK time and the game will be available to watch on BBC 1.
- itvX
JUAN MANUEL FANGIO | FORMULA 1 LEGEND | BORN ON THIS DAY
35 podiums (24 of them wins) from just 51 F1 world championship grands prix 🏅
5 drivers’ titles with 4 different teams in his 9 seasons 🏆
3037 laps raced, 1347 of those in the lead 🏁
56.86% of his total world championship grands prix started from pole 🏎️
The OG 🐐 of Formula 1!
Remembering the late and great Juan Manuel Fangio, who was born on this day in 1911.
- Motorsport Magazine
ANTHONY GORDON'S HUGE £80M BARCELONA DEAL WITH THREE CLAUSES SET TO MAKE NEWCASTLE MILLIONS
Anthony Gordon's sale to Barcelona could prove highly lucrative for Newcastle United down the line
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| Anthony Gordon made a big-money move to Barcelona before the World Cup(Image: Getty Images) |
Anthony Gordon's move to Barcelona this summer could end up landing Newcastle United millions due to three clauses inserted into the deal. While he's been at the centre of one of the biggest transfers of the summer, the Liverpudlian winger failed to impress for England against Ghana on Tuesday evening.
In fact, so far, he's looked a shadow of the man that the Catalan giants shelled out in excess of £69.3million for. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel elected to keep Gordon in his starting line-up for the tie with the Black Stars despite also underperforming in England's 4-2 win over Croatia last week.
Gordon's speed, directness and ability to race to the byline are just some of the reasons Barcelona chose to move for him over Marcus Rashford, who had impressed on loan at Barca last season. However, Gordon will do well to keep his place for England's clash with Panama on Saturday night.
Despite Gordon more often than not starring for Newcastle during his time in the North East, there'll be sections of the fanbase who believe they've had the better end of the deal with the player currently struggling at the World Cup.
He's signed on for five years in Spain and the figures involved are rather astonishing. His deal is set to expire in 2031 and it's thought he's pulling in £300,000 per week, for an annual salary of £15.6 million. Over the full five years of his contract, this amounts to around just shy of £80m.
Gordon, who joined Newcastle from Everton in 2023, cost the club £45m. The deal to take the attacker to the Camp Nou will see 15 per cent being paid to the Toffees.
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| Gordon struggled to make an impact against Ghana(Image: Getty Images) |
With that in mind, the Magpies' trio of clauses mean there's a reality where they will bank much more than the initial fee for Gordon in the future.
Here we take a look at the trio of clauses, which were added to the deal by the club's sporting director Ross Wilson, and just how much Newcastle could bank from the deal.
The 60% Appearance Clause
Newcastle will receive £860,000 (€1m) per season if Gordon features in at least 60 per cent of Barcelona's fixtures, something he has never struggled to do during his time at St James' Park. If he stays fit and remains a regular starter, Newcastle will max this out at £4.3m (€5m) by the end of his contract.
The Silverware Clause
A further £4.3m (€5m) will be paid to Newcastle if Gordon helps Barcelona win trophies during his stint at the Camp Nou. This could bode well for the Magpies with Barcelona having won La Liga for the past two consecutive seasons.
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| He signed a five-year deal(Image: Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty Images) |
Sell-On Clause
Newcastle also wisely inserted a sell-on clause into the deal. While the exact percentage has been kept under wraps, it will ensure that the North East outfit will take a cut of any future transfer fee. This is typically based on the sale's profit if Barcelona choose to cut ties with Gordon before his contract expires.
- Chris Burns
DONALD TRUMP TO JOINTLY PRESENT FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 TROPHY TO WINNERS
FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday stated that he and U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup Final together, where they will watch the match and jointly present the trophy to the winning team.
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| Donald Trump had already been informed that FIFA would like him to present the trophy.© AFP |
FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday stated that he and U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup Final together, where they will watch the match and jointly present the trophy to the winning team. Earlier, talkSPORT reported that FIFA has no objection to Trump handing the World Cup trophy directly to the winning captain and remaining on the podium during celebrations. "We're going to be together with US President Donald Trump, enjoying the World Cup Final and handing the trophy to the winner together," Infantino said as per Fox News.
The US president had already been informed that FIFA would like him to present the trophy to the tournament winners. Officials from Mexico and Canada are also expected to be invited to attend the closing ceremony.
Trump drew attention at the Club World Cup when he remained on the podium beside Chelsea captain Reece James as he lifted the trophy.
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer appeared visibly puzzled, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino initially appeared to guide Trump away before later encouraging him to stay.
Under standard FIFA protocol, the World Cup trophy is typically placed on a plinth and carried by the winning team onto the stage for the presentation ceremony.
Trump did not attend the USMNT's opening victory over Paraguay due to a scheduling conflict, but is expected to be present at the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
- ANI
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
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