Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start the Formula One Mexico City Grand Prix from the pole position

Tiger Woods is making yet another return to competition

It was last weekend when it really sank in for Callum Wilson that he and Newcastle United are bound for the Champions League. Not, as might seem logical, Saturday’s Champions League final, the sort of occasion that may have prompted thoughts of progressing that far, or at least welcoming Inter Milan to Tyneside, but Sunday’s Sam Fender gig at St James’ Park. Wilson had been on holiday, “totally switched off”, before the Newcastle-supporting rock star exposed him to his new reality. “I went to the concert with my wife at St James’ Park,” he said. “There was a sea of black and white. And before he came out, he actually played the Champions League song and everyone was cheering and I was like ‘this is absolutely real’. I could see how much it meant to everybody. Hearing the anthem in the stadium, without actually walking out to play, was surreal. This is going to happen next season and I cannot wait to get started.” Amid the broader picture of Newcastle’s rise and the reasons behind it are endearing stories of players who carried themselves further than most envisaged. In 14 years of professional football, Wilson has never played in Europe. He was part of a winless team when the club was taken over in 2021 and his former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was appointed. He was one of seven survivors from Steve Bruce’s reign to make at least 31 Premier League appearances last season when Newcastle came fourth. Like Fabian Schar, Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron, he exceeded expectations. Wilson’s 18 goals were a career-best total in the top flight and exceeded by only four others: Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Ivan Toney and Mohamed Salah. Newcastle, who failed to win any of their first 14 league games last season, lost only five of 38 this year. “It’s an incredible achievement what has happened,” Wilson said. “Seven or eight of the players who started the games at the back end of the season were also the ones who were fighting relegation in the previous two seasons. That shows what a good job the manager has done with the current squad. But it also shows where the club has got to with a few new good players around us. Now it is only going to get better if we keep investing in the right way and become a top-four team more regularly.” If a challenge was posed to each, to raise his game, to ensure he was not cast aside to make way for reinforcements, it was particularly direct in Wilson’s case. Alexander Isak became Newcastle’s club record signing. There was a high-class alternative in attack. “We brought in a £60m striker last summer and that was one of our first big signings,” Wilson said. “You use it as competition, as fuel. You know, with the way that the club is going, that if you don’t perform then potentially it could be your time done at the club.” Especially when there was a point where Isak seemed to have displaced Wilson. A burst of goals earned him a World Cup spot but he entered April with a solitary strike in 18 appearances for club and country and as a substitute. “We went to Dubai for a mid-season training camp and we had five days there when we didn’t play football and I got to sit back and think ‘yes, it has been a fantastic start to the season but it has turned out into a bad season,’” he said. “I was out of the team so I had to basically pull my finger out and start scoring goals again.” Which he did, in impressive fashion. A run of 11 goals in 10 appearances powered Newcastle into the Champions League. If it was a dramatic intervention, Wilson is not alone in pulling his finger out. “That’s what everyone is doing,” he added. “Players like Sean Longstaff, who has come through the academy, and now the manager is getting the best out of him and he looks a top player week in, week out. We wouldn’t change him for anybody now. I think it’s a good place to be at.” Whether Wilson remains there remains to be seen. His form would suggest so, but he will soon enter the last year of his contract. “My time at Newcastle has been amazing so far and long may it continue,” he added. “My agent and the club will be speaking on my future at some point and hopefully it will be with Newcastle.” If the Champions League provides one reason to stay, the Premier League is another. Alan Shearer is an admirer, helping persuade him to join. Wilson wants to rank next to Newcastle’s record scorer. “In terms of Premier League goals, behind Shearer at Newcastle, there aren’t many in front of me now,” he said. He is sixth, but only nine goals behind Peter Beardsley, both the man nearest to Shearer and still far behind him. “I’m trying to get second – it’s a long way to catch Alan,” Wilson added. But he will become the first player since Shearer to wear Newcastle’s iconic No. 9 shirt in the Champions League. Read More The year that sportswashing won: A season that changed football forever Bellingham gone but who’s next? Midfield merry-go-round will define summer Liverpool’s must-add midfielder and Haaland 2.0 to Man Utd: Transfer targets for every Premier League club Callum Wilson tuned up to secure England recall after Newcastle disappointment England’s future is about to be defined – and it’s out of Gareth Southgate’s control Qatar World Cup workers suffered ‘human rights abuses’, new Amnesty report finds

Rasmus Hojlund says Erik ten Hag retains the dressing room’s support as misfiring Manchester United look to kickstart their stumbling season. A promising first campaign under the Dutchman brought Carabao Cup glory and Champions League qualification but things have gone awry this term. United sit eighth in the Premier League, have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and suffered their ninth defeat in 17 matches on Wednesday evening. The late 4-3 loss at Copenhagen damages their chances of reaching the Champions League knockout phase but Hojlund says the squad believe Ten Hag will turn things around. “A really good coach,” the 20-year-old summer signing said. “He cares about every single detail, and he helps me a lot, gives me a lot of confidence and supports me. “I think every player in the dressing room support him. I hope it is just a matter of time (before we will be successful). “The first 30 minutes today was some of the best football we have been playing this season.” Hojlund’s first-half brace had put United in control against his former club, only for Marcus Rashford’s debatable red card and two contentious goals to change the dynamics. We need a little luck at the moment. We miss the small things Rasmus Hojlund “Not so good,” the Denmark striker said of his emotions after the chastening 4-3 loss. “A special game for me. It was nice to score two goals. “But, having said that, it is a shame that we concede a red card because we were playing very well in the first 20-25 minutes.” Asked about the decisions that went against United on Wednesday, Hojlund said: “We need a little luck at the moment. We miss the small things.” Wednesday’s loss leaves the Red Devils bottom of Group A with a trip to Galatasaray and home clash against already-qualified Bayern Munich remaining. Premier League matters now take precedence as Ten Hag’s men look to build on their stoppage-time win at Fulham last weekend at home to Luton on Saturday. It is United’s final match before the international break and is set to see more Old Trafford protests against the Glazer family. Nothing has been finalised in terms of the club’s future direction nearly a year on from the controversial owners’ announcement of a strategic review. A potential full sale seems to have been put on ice, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe is understood to be closing in on a deal to purchase around 25 per cent of the club. The 1958 fan group are planning more protests against the Glazer family ahead of the Luton match as they call for the American owners to relinquish full control. After demonstrations were paused following the death of United great Sir Bobby Charlton, a protest is planned from 2pm at the North West Quadrant towards the back of the Stretford End. Steve Crompton, a spokesman for The 1958, said: “The fight remains in full force. “There was a natural impasse to reflect the sad passing of Sir Bobby but we will never give up until the greedy Glazers have been removed from our club in their entirety. “Let there be no doubt. The fight is not over. In many ways it’s only just begun.”

Arsenal have announced that goalkeeper Matt Turner has joined Nottingham Forest on a permanent transfer. The USMNT star has signed a four-year contract at the City Ground.

Julianna Pena has labelled Amanda Nunes a ‘coward’ for retiring at UFC 289. Nunes, 35, retained the bantamweight title with a points win over Irene Aldana on Saturday, before calling time on a career seen by many as the greatest in women’s mixed martial arts history. One of the few blemishes on the Brazilian’s career came in 2021, when Nunes – who also holds the UFC women’s featherweight title – was submitted by Pena with the bantamweight belt on the line. Nunes avenged the upset loss by dominating the American in 2022, and the pair were due for a trilogy bout at UFC 289 until Pena withdrew due to injury. Pena, 33, was in attendance in Vancouver to see Nunes retire, and the former champion said on The MMA Hour on Monday: “There was a part of me that really wanted to storm the cage. I had so many people like, ‘Yes, we’ll do it, we’ll throw you over the gate!’ Then my coach was like, ‘Don’t do it. Be classy and don’t do it.’ So, I let her have my moment, but it was really difficult for me, because there were so many times where my urge was to go, ‘Now is the time, go, go go.’ “But at the end of the day, she’s retired, she’s off in the sunset, she’s dead to me at this point, and we’ve just got to keep the division moving. Now we’re stepping into day one of the ‘Pena Power’ era. I’m the champ, I’ve always been the champ in my heart and in my head [...] It’s just a matter of time before the belt’s around my waist again. “I’ve been telling you from the beginning: She’s been wanting to retire, she was one foot out the door the entire time. “She even said it herself: She was going to retire after she tapped to me, but she didn’t, because she decided I’m too good looking and she doesn’t want me to have the belt. Seriously, she’s got a problem with me.” Pena has not fought since losing the bantamweight title to Nunes last July. The rivals were set to headline UFC 289 until a rib injury forced Pena out of the bout, leading Aldana to step in. “At the end of the day, Amanda didn’t want the fight,” Pena said. “The whole time, the UFC asked her to make the trilogy, she didn’t want to make it, and they made that clear to me. They said, ‘She doesn’t want to fight you.’ That’s why it took so long to book the trilogy, and when I fell out because of injury, she said it was ‘less heavy’ for her. “Hopefully she comes back. That would be best-case scenario, so we can squash this thing and finish this trilogy. It was literally going to be the greatest trilogy in women’s MMA. It’s never happened before, and she lost that opportunity to make it happen. I lost that opportunity because I got injured, she lost that opportunity because she wants to retire early. I say she took the coward’s way out, and that’s all there is to it.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More MMA great Amanda Nunes retires after win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man

Major League Baseball is keeping the pitch clock the same for the postseason as it was for the regular season, brushing aside urging from some players

The Atlanta Braves keep surging as favorites in the NL, which means an active MLB Trade Deadline, and the bottoming-out Cubs are rich with trade targets.Maintaining their lead in the NL East and holding the National League's best record, the Atlanta Braves are the goods. They should be amon...

It’s win or go home for the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 at Wells Fargo Center.Philly stole Game 5 in Boston behind a monster game from Joel Embiid, who is on my list for prop bets in Game 6.Embiid, Jayson Tatum and a key Celtics gu...

A person familiar with the terms tells The Associated Press that three-time Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott has signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots worth $4 million

Paige Spiranac said, 'They will go into a game, get their two front teeth knocked out and then do it all over again the next day'

Match report & player ratings from Almeria 1-3 Real Madrid in La Liga.