NASCAR has opened an investigation into how a derogatory message was broadcast on the radio channel of Bubba Wallace’s race team during last weekend’s All-Star race

Two defamation lawsuits filed by former Masters champion Patrick Reed against golf reporters and media outlets were dismissed on Wednesday by...

The possible link between repetitive heading and cognitive impairment in later life has again been highlighted in new data published on Monday. The University of Nottingham’s FOCUS study, co-funded by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association, gathered information on heading frequency from 459 retired players aged 45 and over. Players who recalled heading a ball 15 times or more per match or training session were found to be 3.53 times more likely to score below the test threshold in the cognitive status assessment than players who said they headed the ball up to five times, the FOCUS study found. Players who recalled heading a ball six to 15 times were also 2.71 times more likely to score below the test threshold than the lowest-frequency heading group. The study said its findings suggested “repetitive heading during a professional soccer career is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment in later life”. It concluded further study was required to establish the upper threshold for heading frequency to mitigate this risk. The FA has already taken steps to reduce the possible risk posed by repetitive exposure to heading by issuing guidance for players in children’s and adults’ game. Adults at grassroots and professional level are now advised to perform a maximum of 10 ‘higher force’ headers per week in training. As well as restrictions on heading in training for under-18s football, the FA is entering the second season of trialling the complete removal of heading in under-12s football. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said on the FOCUS Study: “This study is another step in understanding any potential link between neurogenerative disorders and former professional footballers. “Since funding the FIELD study, we have continued to invest in research to gain a greater understanding of the area and potential risk factors. “More research is required to fully understand the issues and we welcome a global approach to do that. “Whilst there is no doubt of the overall benefit to health of playing football, by addressing potential risk factors whilst we continue to invest in medical research, we will ensure that millions can continue to enjoy our national sport.” The FIELD study found in 2019 that footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease compared to age-matched members of the general population. The first part of the FOCUS study, published in June, found 2.8 per cent of retired professional footballers in its study reported medically diagnosed dementia and other neurodegenerative disease compared to 0.9 per cent of controls. This meant former professionals were found to be 3.46 times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases compared to the control group. The study also showed retired footballers in the study were twice as likely to fall below established thresholds in some dementia testing than the general population. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leon Taylor hails ‘coming of age’ moment for Team GB’s female divers Cameron Smith has no point to prove defending Open title he won before LIV move An in-depth look at the rapid rise of Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz

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Co-hosts New Zealand and Australia are in action on the opening day of the World Cup finals as their big moment finally arrives. The Football Ferns kick off the tournament against Norway at Eden Park in Auckland before the Matildas host the Republic of Ireland side in front of a sold-out 80,000 crowd at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at an eagerly-anticipated opening day. A different ball game New Zealand head coach Jitka Klimkova has challenged her players to make football as popular as rugby in the southern hemisphere nation with their exploits in the tournament. The All Blacks are three-times Rugby World Cup winners, while the Black Ferns have lifted the women’s version on six occasions and are the current holders. Klimkova told a press conference: “I really believe this is an incredible opportunity for this country to not be just a rugby country, but to actually really also wake up the love of football.” The Football Ferns, who are playing at their sixth finals but are yet to win a match, are ranked 26th in the world by FIFA and will have to upset the odds if they are to launch their campaign with a victory over the 12th-placed Norwegians. Play it again, Sam Sam Kerr is happy to bear the weight of expectation as Australia target World Cup glory. The Matildas’ record goalscorer with 63, Chelsea striker Kerr insists she is used to the pressure of having to deliver on the big stage. She told a press conference: “I guess for me the expectation has been growing over four years so it’s been something I’ve learned to deal with. “I think I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m really proud we have a home World Cup, and to be part of this journey is amazing. I’m really excited for it. “Of course everyone in Australia has a lot of expectations, but it’s something I take in my stride and I try to just enjoy. “Back at Chelsea I’ve done that too, just enjoyed it, and that’s when I’m my best me.” Dictionary corner Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw is predicting her team’s “outbelieve” slogan will end up in the dictionary if they continue to defy expectations. Ireland got the better of Sweden, Finland and, in a dramatic play-off, Scotland to reach the finals of a major tournament for the first time, and they will need to scale new heights if they are the emerge from a group which includes top-10 sides Australia and Canada, as well as Nigeria. Pauw said: “That word will end up in the dictionary because we outbelieve we can do something special here. “That is how we ended up here because we outbelieve and we did something that nobody expected, but we are realistic. “We are very realistic, otherwise you cannot succeed, but the key thing everybody will feel is we have no fear of failure.” Picture of the day Quote of the day We must play every match as if it's our last. We need to really bleed for each other and bleed for our uniform, because nothing comes free Norway striker Ada Hegerberg Post of the day Up next July 20 Group A: New Zealand v Norway (8am, Eden Park, Auckland)Group B: Australia v Republic of Ireland (11am, Stadium Australia, Sydney)

Brooks Koepka is at a major and feeling as good as ever

Chris Paul’s pursuit of an NBA championship is taking him to the Golden State Warriors, after they agreed to the framework of a trade on Thursday that will send Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards, according to a person with knowledge of the matter

Within the span of hours this weekend, Spain's Women's World Cup hero Olga Carmona experienced a career high and a deep loss, the latter of which was kept from her so she could focus on Sunday's final.

Mauricio Pochettino warns Chelsea's owners they are at risk of creating a squad 'mess'.

Everton winger Dwight McNeil cautioned against premature celebrations despite his side taking a significant step towards Premier League safety. McNeil’s second-half brace helped the Toffees climb out of the relegation zone with an emphatic 5-1 away win at Brighton on Monday to move them one place and two points clear of 18th-placed Leicester. While taking all three points from Roberto De Zerbi’s side provided a considerable boost, McNeil quickly diverted his attention to Everton’s remaining fixtures. “Winning on the road is massive for our confidence within the camp, especially going forward into our final three games,” he told the club website. “Now we are out of the relegation zone, we have a massive game coming up Sunday, then after that, the last two games are massive as well. We have to rest up now and get ready for that big game on Sunday. “It’s massive to be out of the relegation zone, but we know nothing is done yet. We have got to go right to the end and get more points on the board and that’s what we want to do.” Just three points separate 16th-placed Nottingham Forest and second-from-bottom Leeds. Everton will look to dampen another club’s ambitions when they host Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday before encounters with Wolves and Bournemouth to close out the campaign. Boss Sean Dyche was full of praise for former Burnley man McNeil, who picked up an assist for one of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s two goals against Brighton, while it was his cross that ultimately led to Jason Steele’s own goal. Dyche said: “I’ve said keep going, keep driving forwards, because he does it so well. He can cross the ball and as you saw he can deliver calm finishes. His two finishes were terrific. “It’s just another sign of what he’s got. I think he’s got a lot, to be honest, but I do about a lot of these players, when they’re on the edge and they’re all playing well and they’re full of confidence, but you have to build confidence and I think he’s been building his confidence levels and his performances.” Brighton boss De Zerbi, meanwhile, encouraged his side to quickly move on from the defeat as they continue to target a place in Europe next season. While it looks likely that seventh will be good enough for a Europa Conference League berth – a permutation thanks in part to the all-Manchester FA Cup final – De Zerbi wants his men to aim higher and refocus their mindset. He said: “What you did in the past is not important, it doesn’t count, and we are Brighton. We have become Brighton. We won against Liverpool, against Manchester United, against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, against Chelsea. “Not because there is a top coach, not because there are top players, [but] because we showed pride, we showed courage, energy, patience, and I’m sure we will show for a long time.”

Leeds United are not looking to sell teenage starlet Archie Gray despite rising interest in his services from across Europe. Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United are all keeping close tabs on Gray.

Stanford has not given up on getting an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference as its fellow Pac-4 members wait and hope to rebuild their plundered league