Thursday, 18 June 2026
IVORY COAST'S ELYE WAHI DENIED CANADA VISA FOR WORLD CUP MATCH AMID FIXING ALLEGATIONS
Striker, who started against Ecuador, will miss Saturday’s Germany game in Toronto
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| Elye Wahi of Ivory Coast in action in the World Cup against Ecuador. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA |
Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi will not travel to Canada for this weekend’s World Cup clash with Germany, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) said on Thursday, a day after the player was linked to an investigation into suspected sports corruption in a Ligue 1 match.
The FIF said they had full confidence in Wahi and he was not travelling for Saturday’s match in Toronto because authorisations for his travel to Canada had not been obtained. French authorities said unusual betting patterns were detected around a yellow card Wahi received in a Ligue 1 match while playing for Nice last month.
“To date, the FIF has not been officially notified of any legal or administrative proceedings concerning him,” the FIF said in a statement.
“During this particularly difficult period, the FIF offers its full support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him. Elye Wahi remains an important member of the Ivory Coast national team.
“The player will not be able to join the delegation’s trip to Canada. This is because the administrative authorisations required for him to enter Canadian territory have not yet been obtained. Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States until the team returns.” Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 in their first Group E match, where Wahi started for Côte d’Ivoire. He will remain in the United States pending the team’s return, the FIF said.
- The Irish Times
MOSES ITAUMA SET TO RETURN AGAINST FILIP HRGOVIC AS DATE AND LOCATION REVEALED
Perhaps the most exciting prospect in world boxing, Moses Itauma, is set to make his much-anticipated return to the ring in a huge step-up in opposition.
The highly-rated Brit was last in action back in March when he became the first man to stop durable American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin in the fifth round of their clash at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.
Itauma has had an impressive start to his professional career and remains unbeaten in 14 contests, producing victories over the likes of Mariusz Wach, Demsey McKean and Dillian Whyte since his debut in January of 2023.
The 21-year-old from Kent now looks to take the next step towards becoming a world heavyweight champion as he prepares to tackle the toughest test of his career to date.
As reported by Sky Sports Boxing, Itauma will lock horns with Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday August 29, with a launch press conference expected to take place in the next couple of days.
Hrgovic could pose a serious threat to Itauma having suffered just one career defeat so far, an eighth round stoppage to reigning WBO world heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois in June of 2024.
The hard-hitting Croatian made his return to the ring last month when he proved to be too much for popular British heavyweight Dave Allen, stopping him in the third round of their clash at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster, England.
Whilst he is faced with what is certain to be the toughest test of his career, a victory for Itauma will see him move into pole position for a world title shot, which could come against WBO champion Dubois.
- Kailem Lowe
YOANE WISSA: THE ACID ATTACK SURVIVOR WHO BECAME FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 HERO FOR DR CONGO
Yoane Wissa may not be a new name for football fans due to his time with Brentford in the Premier League but not many are aware of his courageous story off the field.
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| Yoane Wissa celebrates after scoring in FIFA World Cup 2026 |
Yoane Wissa may not be a new name for football fans due to his time with Brentford in the Premier League but not many are aware of his courageous story off the field. The striker grabbed the headlines on Wednesday as he scored DR Congo's first World Cup goal in 52 years to clinch a historic 1-1 draw against Portugal. Joao Neves handed Portugal the lead early in the match but DR Congo did not give up and Wissa's powerful header was the perfect example of their grit and determination. While the whole world could not stop praising the striker for his brilliant performance, it was less than five years ago that he almost lost his eyesight after suffering an acid attack at his home in Lorient.
A woman, who was later identified as Laetitia P, posed as a fan and threw acid on his face. She even tried to kidnap his daughter but was ultimately caught and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
It was just days ahead of his move to Brentford from Lorient and it seemed like his transfer can get affected by the accident.
"I opened a door, and had liquid thrown in my face. I screamed and could not breathe. My wife called the emergency services, and they told me to get under the shower to rinse my eyes. At the hospital they told me my eyes were burned. Someone had to come and rinse them out every hour. It has been a nightmare."
Since then I panic every time I hear a noise, and the only thing that kept me going was knowing my children are safe. I had surgery on both eyes, and the doctor told me I will need to use eye drops for the rest of my life. Had I not been treated so quickly, the consequences would have been far worse," Wissa told the court.
However, he joined Brentford in 2021 and ended up making 149 appearances for the club over four seasons. He scored 49 goals during his time with the club and ultimately moved to Newcastle United in a big-money deal.
- Sayan Ghosh
Wednesday, 17 June 2026
LIONEL MESSI EXPLAINS WHY HE CRIED IN 2026 WORLD CUP OPENER AFTER SCORING A HAT-TRICK
The Argentinian soccer star broke down in tears after scoring his first goal for the team against Algeria in the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, June 16
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| Lionel Messi World Cup, Argentina vs. Algeria. Credit : Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty |
NEED TO KNOW
- Lionel Messi became emotional after scoring his first goal in Argentina's 3-0 World Cup win against Algeria
- The soccer star credited his teammates for their support and said he's going through a challenging time unrelated to the game
- Messi tied the World Cup scoring record with 16 goals and secured his first-ever World Cup hat trick
Lionel Messi left his heart on the field.
The Argentine soccer star, 38, opened up about why he was visibly emotional after scoring his first of three goals in the 2026 World Cup during his team's matchup against Algeria on Tuesday, June 16.
"Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days," Messi said, after he was seen using the front of his white-and-blue, sweat-soaked jersey to wipe the tears from his eyes as he helped Argentina shut out Algeria 3-0 at Kansas City Stadium.
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| Lionel Messi #10 and players of Argentina line up to applaud fans after the team's 3-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. Michael Steele/Getty |
"But I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it," continued the soccer legend, who's playing in his record sixth World Cup.
Messi, who turns 39 next week, didn't share further details on what prompted his emotions after that first strike, which marked one of three to secure his first-ever World Cup hat trick .
His emotional first goal came off a feed from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul in the first few minutes of the matchup. He scored another early in the second half and secured his third goal moments before subbing out to a standing ovation from a crowd of 69,045 fans.
With his three goals during Argentina's victorious opening game against Algeria, Messi tied Germany's Miroslav Klose for the most goals in a men's World Cup with 16.
"At a loss for words about Leo. What can I say?" Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the match. "He's incredible."
Messi had his family in attendance to support him during the match in Kansas City, including his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and their three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.
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| Lionel Messi of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City, United States. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty |
The remarkable performance by Messi laid to rest any concern about his hamstring scare, which had fans worried after he was seen limping off of the field during a Major League Soccer matchup on Sunday, May 24.
- Skyler Caruso
MERCEDES GRANTED FIA HEARING OVER GEORGE RUSSELL'S MONACO F1 PENALTY
The FIA has confirmed Mercedes' request for a review of the Monaco Grand Prix results, with a hearing scheduled for this Saturday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix
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| George Russell, Mercedes Photo by: Erik Junius |
The FIA has accepted Mercedes' request for a review of the Monaco Grand Prix result and George Russell's penalties, with a hearing scheduled for this Saturday, following Alpine's successful overturning of Pierre Gasly's penalties.
A document published by the FIA on Wednesday confirmed that Mercedes has lodged a Right of Review petition regarding the decision made by the Monaco stewards following Alpine's successful challenge against the penalties issued during the race.
That puts the Monaco Grrand Prix result in further doubt after it was already amended last week.
The hearing will take place in two stages. As per the regulations, the stewards will first determine whether Mercedes has presented a "significant and relevant new element" that was unavailable at the time of the original decision. If that threshold is met, the case will proceed to a second hearing, where the substance of the challenge will be considered.
The latest development follows the dramatic twist in the Monaco Grand Prix result that saw Gasly's two pitlane speeding penalties overturned.
Several drivers were penalised during the race for allegedly exceeding the 60km/h pitlane speed limit. Gasly received two separate five-second penalties, dropping him from a podium finish to seventh place in the final classification.
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| Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images Pierre Gasly, Alpine |
However, Alpine successfully challenged those penalties after presenting evidence that the distance used by the official timing system in one of the pitlane timing sectors was incorrect for the Monaco pitlane layout. Formula One Management acknowledged the issue, admitting the timing system had been set up incorrectly, leading the stewards to rescind both penalties and restore Gasly to third place.
That decision immediately raised questions about the cases of other drivers who had received penalties under the same circumstances.
While the FIA stewards have not yet formally established that Russell's penalty was unjustified, the fact that FOM acknowledged the timing system was working incorrectly strongly suggests the Mercedes driver may also have been incorrectly penalised for speeding in the pitlane.
Russell was initially handed a five-second penalty for pitlane speeding. He then attempted to serve that penalty during a pitstop, but the stewards later determined that the penalty had not been served correctly. As a result, he received an additional drive-through penalty, which he served after the final restart.
The sequence dropped Russell out of the points, turning what had been a solid points-scoring afternoon into a point-less finish.
The consequences extended beyond Monaco itself, as Russell lost significant ground in the drivers' championship, with the zero score proving particularly costly in his battle against team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
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| Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images George Russell, Mercedes |
Two other teams are understood to be challenging what is now a provisional Monaco Grand Prix result, with McLaren having already confirmed on Tuesday that it has formally protested the decision to overturn Gasly's penalties.
Its driver Oscar Piastri was also penalised during the race but, unlike Gasly, served his penalty during the grand prix. As a result, the decision to reinstate Gasly's original race time effectively dropped Piastri from fourth to fifth in the final classification.
Red Bull has not confirmed that it has protested last week's stewards' decision, but it is understood to have done so as well, as it seeks to restore Isack Hadjar's podium finish.
Hadjar originally inherited third place after Gasly's penalties were applied, before losing the position again when the Alpine driver's sanctions were rescinded.
Following the stewards' decision to cancel Gasly's penalties, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed the team's intention to continue challenging the Monaco result.
While admitting it was a long shot to have Russell's result revised, Wolff stressed that Mercedes would explore every possible avenue to secure a better outcome for its driver.
Although Russell ultimately finished outside the top 10 after serving a drive-through penalty, he had been running third on the road before the sanction was applied.
Wolff suggested there may be a mechanism to revisit the result by converting Russell's drive-through penalty into an equivalent time penalty. Under the sporting regulations, a drive-through penalty that cannot be served during a race is converted into a 20-second addition to a driver's race time.
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| Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images George Russell, Mercedes, Lando Norris, McLaren |
"A drive-through, if it didn't happen at the end, is equivalent of 20 seconds race time," Wolff said. "What would 20 seconds race time have meant for his result? Do we think that we realistically have a position, a chance of reverting the result? I don't think so, but we definitely have to give it a go if we see that there is a millimetre of chance to do so and bring him back to whatever it was before."
Wolff was referring to Article B1.9.6.c.iii of the sporting regulations, which covers situations where a driver is unable to serve a drive-through penalty during a race. In such cases, 20 seconds are added to the driver's final race time.
The Mercedes boss argued that the same principle could potentially be used in reverse if the original speeding penalty is ultimately deemed invalid. Under that interpretation, Russell's drive-through could effectively be converted into a 20-second race-time adjustment, potentially moving him back into the points-paying positions.
Whether the stewards have the regulatory scope to apply such a solution remains unclear, but it is one of the possible avenues Mercedes could pursue in its attempt to recover some of the ground Russell lost in Monaco.
- Oleg Karpov
FLOYD MAYWEATHER FACING THEFT, INTENT TO DEFRAUD CHARGES ... Over $200K Watch Purchase W/ Bad Check
Floyd Mayweather is in deep trouble in Las Vegas -- the boxing legend is facing felony theft and intent to defraud charges after allegedly buying a $200K Audemars Piguet watch with a reportedly bogus check
The 50-0 fighter is accused of stiffing Las Vegas shop Gold and Beyond in December 2024.
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| Getty |
According to the complaint, filed earlier this year, Mayweather had "insufficient money, property, or credit" to pay for the jewelry -- and prosecutors believe he was aware of that when he used a check tied to a Wells Fargo account to pay for the item.
A court hearing was held on Monday, where Mayweather was represented by his legal team.
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| Getty |
Mayweather is facing prison time if found guilty of either charge -- the theft could range from one to 20 years behind bars ... and the fraud could be one to four years.
An attorney representing the jewelry store told ESPN their client wanted to give Mayweather plenty of opportunities to make things right before taking it to court -- but was eventually ghosted.
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| Getty |
"The reason for the delay is that my guy trusted Mayweather and was trying to give him every opportunity to make good on that," Marc Cook of Cook & Kelesis told the outlet.
"And it got to the point where he wasn't getting responses and wasn't getting money for a watch that Mayweather had for well over a year."
Mayweather has seemingly run into serious financial problems recently -- he's not only suing Showtime and taking his former business partner to court for more than $500 Million combined ... but also allegedly owes more than $7 Million in unpaid taxes.
If that's the case, it might explain why he's taking an exhibition with Greek fighter Mike Zambidis later this month ... which he still intends to travel to, despite the ongoing legal issues.
- TMZ Sports
HULL CITY FIGHTING TO AVOID PREMIER LEAGUE POINTS DEDUCTION - BEFORE FIRST SEASON AFTER PROMOTION STARTS - AS OWNER ADMITS THEY MUST SELL PLAYERS
Hull City are attempting to avoid being hit with a six-point deduction in the Premier League with their owner admitting they must sell players to ensure they do not breach financial rules.
The Tigers must sell players before the end of the month to avoid punishment after overspending in their profit and sustainability (PSR) calculation.
Owner Acun Ilicali admitted that Hull will have to part way with some players but insisted it was a 'manageable' situation.
'We have overspent and we have to sell some players before 1 July,' Ilicali said this month. 'I'm not afraid, we have managed harder things. For us, this is more manageable. Now we are a Premier League team, the values (of our players) have risen.'
Under English Football League rules, clubs are allowed to lose £39million over a three-season period.
It is understood Hull are set to pay out around £12million in player bonuses after their 1-0 play-off final victory over Middlesbrough, though as that does not need to be paid until August, it is expected to count towards the calculations for the next financial year.
Millwall have bid £5million for forward Kyle Joseph, which would cover most of the shortfall, but he has not agreed to depart and will not be fit for a few weeks in any case, which would complicate a medical.
Naturally, Hull would look to upgrade their squad and that would entail some departures as well as incomings.
They will take heart by how Sunderland defied the odds as play-off winners to qualify for the Europa League in their first season back in the Premier League last campaign.
The financial year for most clubs typically end on June 30, so if Hull raise enough cash by then, they would not need to worry so much. The Premier League's rules permit a £105m loss over a three-year period.
Manager Sergej Jakirovic has already proven that he can get Hull to punch above their weight - few tipped them to even challenge for the play-offs last season.
All the same, the Yorkshire club feel a squad upgrade is needed and are looking at various signings.
They have already opened talks for Sporting Braga goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
The Premier League new boys want two goalkeepers for their return to the top flight and are understood to have offered £12.5m plus add-ons for the 6ft 6ins Czech Republic international who is part of his country's World Cup squad.
They have also enquired about Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, who has been on the radar of Newcastle and Tottenham.
- LUKE POWER, SPORTS REPORTER
MAX VERSTAPPEN RECEIVED AN OFFER TO JOIN MERCEDES - RALF SCHUMACHER
Max Verstappen's F1 future is currently unknown, but it appears Mercedes has opened the door for the four-time champion.
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| ARTICLE © Red Bull Content Pool |
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has claimed Mercedes submitted an offer to Max Verstappen to poach him away from Red Bull.
However, according to Schumacher, the four-time champion turned down the contract due to its financial conditions.
Verstappen has long been linked with a move away from Red Bull and last year, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff publicly voiced his interest in teaming up with the Dutchman.
Verstappen has cast doubt over his F1 future, admitting on several occasions that he's unhappy with the direction of the sport in relation to its technology, regulations and weekend format.
But as the 28-year-old continues to assess his own position in the sport, Schumacher has stated Mercedes has opened the door to him.
“There’s no spot at Ferrari right now,” Schumacher told the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.
“And at Mercedes, you hear that Wolff has made him an offer behind the scenes.
“But that offer was apparently so bad financially that it’s not an option anyway.
“That’s apparently what’s going on behind the scenes right now.”
Mercedes has returned to the head of the F1 pecking order this year, winning six out of the opening seven rounds of the campaign.
It is currently enjoying a strong run with second-year driver Kimi Antonelli, who has fired himself into contention for the F1 title.
Schumacher has theorised that Mercedes' alleged low-ball offer to Verstappen was deliberate, as the team recognises it will need to substantially boost Antonelli's figures if he keeps on his current trajectory.
“I believe this is intentional,” he said.
“I’ve said it before: why would Wolff bring in the expensive Max Verstappen alongside Kimi Antonelli - the next superstar if everything goes according to plan?
"Then he’d have two drivers on the team fighting each other. He remembers that well from the days of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, and that’s the last thing you want.
“Above all, he’d be putting Kimi at risk. So that actually makes no sense at all.”
- RN365
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