Joshua Mbu

FIFA requires that celebrities and officials, including Gianni Infantino, be shown during World Cup broadcasts, a practice drawing some fan dissatisfaction. The tournament in North America has faced multiple controversies involving officiating errors, political intervention and disputes over team accommodations. Infantino’s visibility comes as he seeks a third term as FIFA president, with major confederations already pledging support and no challengers announced. Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium is expected to feature a prominent role for Donald Trump, adding to the politically charged atmosphere surrounding the event.

Argentine television presenter Florencia Pena resigned from Luzu TV after falsely announcing live that Lionel Messi's father, Jorge, had died. The Messi family later confirmed that Jorge was under medical observation for a health condition and was recovering favorably, while urging the media to avoid speculation. Pena apologized and accepted responsibility, and Luzu TV said it was ending its association with those responsible for airing the unverified report. Argentina's World Cup campaign continues with a fixture against Austria on June 22.

Somali FIFA referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport after U.S. authorities cited derogatory information and alleged associations with suspected terrorist organization members. Artan, who said he had the correct visa and described the decision as deeply disappointing, was sent back to Turkey and removed from FIFA's list of officials for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA said host governments control visa and admission decisions, while Somalia's sports ministry and football federation challenged the lack of an official explanation. Artan received a hero's welcome in Mogadishu and vowed to attend a future World Cup.

Floyd Mayweather could face the loss of his U.S. passport over an alleged seriously delinquent tax debt exceeding $7.25 million, potentially preventing him from travelling to planned overseas bouts against Mike Zambidis and Mike Tyson. His proposed professional rematch with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas is also in doubt, with Eddie Hearn questioning whether it will proceed and suggesting Netflix could instead schedule a Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn fight.

Donald Trump Jr and his former wife Vanessa reunited to celebrate their daughter Kai’s prom. The 18-year-old, who is set to study golf at the University of Miami, was photographed with both parents after recently attending the Masters. The reunion occurred while Vanessa’s partner, Tiger Woods, faces misdemeanour DUI charges following a car crash and has stepped away from golf to seek treatment and focus on his health.

Chris Eubank Jr shared Instagram footage showing fires and smoke in Dubai after explosions reportedly near the Fairmont The Palm hotel, urging people to stay safe. The blasts followed US and Israeli military strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliatory attacks on American bases and other targets across Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia condemned Iran and pledged solidarity with affected states, while Donald Trump demanded that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps surrender and called on Iranians to overthrow their government. Regional instability has also prompted F1 to consider contingency plans for its 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races.

Scottie Scheffler won his fourth major at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush after an outstanding season that also included victories at the PGA Championship, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the Memorial Tournament. Phil Mickelson had predicted in March that Scheffler would not win again before the Ryder Cup, but congratulated him after the victory and praised his iron play and putting. Fans mocked Mickelson for the failed prediction, while Mickelson also surpassed Gary Player by making his 103rd cut in men's major championships.

Gilberto Silva says Declan Rice will be a “massive weapon” for Arsenal in their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, praising the midfielder’s consistency, physical presence, defensive work and ability to influence games in attack. Rice was central to Arsenal’s 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid, but Arsenal must cope without the suspended Thomas Partey, whose absence Gilberto considers a major loss. Gilberto also reflected on Arsenal’s 2006 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona, saying the team remained proud of its performance despite Jens Lehmann’s early red card.

Ludvig Aberg fell from a potential solo third-place finish to seventh at the Masters after a bogey on the 17th and a triple bogey on the 18th, costing him more than £500,000 in prize money. Rory McIlroy won a playoff against Justin Rose to claim his first Masters title, end an 11-year wait for a major and complete the career Grand Slam.

Tiger Woods made a costly miscalculation during Jupiter Links' TGL match against New York Golf Club, believing he faced a 99-yard shot instead of 199 yards and hitting well short of the green. Woods called the error one of the most embarrassing moments of his career, while teammates Kevin Kisner and Tom Kim laughed. New York won 10-3, leaving Jupiter Links below the playoff qualification line. The appearance was Woods's first since the death of his mother, Kultida, and he spoke about the difficulty of grieving with support from family and fellow players.

Former England defender Phil Jones has backed Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Liam Delap to make an impact under new manager Thomas Tuchel before the 2026 World Cup. Jones praised Rogers’s performances and potential, Gibbs-White’s strong season at Nottingham Forest and Delap’s goalscoring form for Ipswich Town. He also expressed confidence in Tuchel’s appointment, saying the manager inherits a deep group of talented young and experienced players and should aim to build on Gareth Southgate’s achievements by winning silverware.

Former Manchester United and England defender Phil Jones, who retired from football in 2024 because of persistent knee injuries, will represent England at the Icons Series golf tournament in Bangkok in March. Captained by Lee Westwood, England will face a World team led by Sergio Garcia and featuring players including Ruud Gullit, Luis Figo and Nemanja Vidic. Jones says he is excited to return to competitive sport, considers driving his strongest golf skill, and plans to improve his putting before the event.

Xander Schauffele accepted the boos he received after flubbing a pitching-wedge chip during New York Golf Club’s 9-2 defeat to The Bay in TGL’s inaugural match at SoFi Center in Palm Beach, Florida, saying he would have booed himself too. The incident came as Schauffele adjusts his swing with coach Chris Como. TGL, created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, launched with a short indoor format and will run its regular season through March 4 before playoffs and a best-of-three championship series.

Christian McCaffrey suffered a suspected posterior cruciate ligament injury during San Francisco's loss to Buffalo, just four games after returning from bilateral Achilles tendinitis. The setback adds to a lengthy 49ers injury list and threatens McCaffrey's season, while San Francisco's 5–7 record leaves its playoff hopes fading behind NFC West leader Seattle. Quarterback Brock Purdy praised backup Jordan Mason, and George Kittle urged the team's remaining players to step up in McCaffrey's absence.

Anthony Kim rose 2,281 places in the Official World Golf Rankings, from 4,595th to 2,314th, after finishing tied 37th at the Asian Tour’s International Series Qatar. The points were his first since the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational, following a 12-year absence caused by an Achilles tendon injury. Kim returned to professional golf in 2024 through LIV Golf, where he failed to score points in 11 wildcard events but earned nearly $1 million through guaranteed prize money. He remains confident that he will soon contend for titles and is expected to return to LIV Golf for the 2025 season, potentially joining a new wildcard team or Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Wanya Morris apologised to his teammates after Patrick Mahomes was sacked five times in the narrow victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Morris was replaced in the fourth quarter by a reshuffled offensive line after struggling against Maxx Crosby and K'Lavon Chaisson. Andy Reid and Mahomes said the adjustment helped stabilize protection, while Mahomes acknowledged that a lack of trust during the final drive affected his decision-making.

Australian golfer David Micheluzzi set the Guinness World Record for the longest non-tournament golf putt by sinking a 139-yard attempt at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi during the DP World Tour’s Hero Challenge. More than 65 players tried the putt, but Micheluzzi succeeded on his second attempt and said he initially believed the challenge was only for fun. The achievement capped his maiden DP World Tour season, which took him across numerous countries, and he hopes the experience and full tour status will help him perform better next year.

Mike McCarthy declined to discuss his future as Dallas Cowboys head coach, humorously responding to questions after owner Jerry Jones said retaining him beyond the 2024 season would not be surprising. Dallas has struggled to a 4–7 record and lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a season-ending injury, but a 34–26 win over Washington offered renewed optimism. McCarthy pointed to improved team unity and the returns of DaRon Bland and Micah Parsons ahead of the Cowboys' game against the New York Giants.

Javier Mascherano is set to replace Tata Martino as Inter Miami head coach after the club's disappointing playoff defeat by Atlanta United. His appointment will reunite him with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Mascherano, who previously coached Argentina's youth teams, will take charge of a senior men's club for the first time after a playing career with River Plate, Corinthians, West Ham, Liverpool, Barcelona, Hebei China Fortune and Estudiantes.

Brazilian World Cup winners Roberto Carlos and Gilberto Silva took part in Striver's charity football match in Lewes, East Sussex, raising money and awareness for the suicide-prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). Gilberto discussed his own struggles and urged people experiencing difficult moments to seek help. Striver co-founder Tim Chase, who has lost six friends to suicide, said the event was intended to support affected families as well as fund CALM. The partners plan to make the match an annual event and are also working to address social-media abuse in football.

Stiliyan Petrov recounts how acute leukaemia diagnosed in 2012 ended his professional football career, describing the vital support of his wife Paulina, family, hospital patients and the wider football community during 13 months of chemotherapy. He remains grateful to Aston Villa for standing by him and is proud of the club’s progress under Unai Emery, praising its recruitment, tactical development and return to Champions League football. Petrov also took part in a charity match supporting suicide-prevention awareness.

Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has urged the club and its players not to panic despite falling nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after defeats by Newcastle United and Bournemouth. He attributed the difficult start partly to injuries and suspensions, including the absences of Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. Silva said Arsenal must recover points, avoid dropping them needlessly and improve both at home and away as competition from Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea intensifies. He also defended Declan Rice, arguing that the midfielder is carrying out Mikel Arteta's instructions and that the team must focus on executing its responsibilities and closing out matches.

Frankie Muniz said he was unharmed after a heavy collision during the NASCAR Truck Series race in Phoenix, despite being seen limping toward an ambulance. He explained that he was hit from behind and pushed into two other trucks, while also viewing the race as useful experience. Muniz plans to compete full-time in the Truck Series next season with Reaume Brothers Racing and is preparing to return at Daytona.

The PGA Tour has revised its pace-of-play policy for the 2025 season, reducing penalties for a player’s first two excessive violations while introducing a retrospective penalty for players whose average stroke time is at least 12 seconds above the field average. The changes may frustrate Rory McIlroy, who said slow, stop-start play during his six-hour second round at the 2024 Masters harmed his rhythm and contributed to a poor finish. Fans have criticized the revised policy as too lenient and harmful to the viewing experience. McIlroy is also preparing to return to competition after losing a U.S. Open lead to Bryson DeChambeau.