List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Newcastle United FC’s Saudi Arabian owners are considering buying another top football club in Europe, a person with

Stars of the upcoming Women’s World Cup have pledged to neutralise the climate impact of their flights to and from Australia and New Zealand by donating money to climate resilience and carbon offsetting initiatives. A collection of 44 leading players from four different countries, including Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen, Canadian midfielder Jessie Fleming and Italian defender Elena Linari, have committed to take responsibility for their environmental impact at the tournament. The initiative was created by 31-year-old Pedersen, who has won 85 caps for Denmark, and is being facilitated by Common Goal, the social and environmental collective movement in global football, and Football For Future, the UK-based climate advocacy group. Although there are 44 players currently signed up, it is hoped that number will reach at least 50 by the time the World Cup gets underway later this month. Pedersen explained: “I want to ensure my World Cup experience has a positive environmental legacy. Climate change is the biggest issue humanity faces, and I want to be part of the solution. While there are no current sustainable solutions to aviation, as players we are setting an example, and taking a tangible step in the right direction.” Chelsea and Canada star Fleming added: “This is a topic I feel passionate about, and I hope this action my teammates and I are taking accelerates the climate conversation and sets a precedent for what athletes can do to push for more environmental policies in football.” The campaign recognises that these donations are only short-term tools to compensate for players’ flights to and from the World Cup but the stated aim is to inspire everyone in football to take responsibility for tackling climate change, with the hope that governing bodies will make carbon-offsetting a key criteria to hosting tournaments int he future. The campaign relies on a rigorous and scientific methodology to calculate the environmental impact of the players’ flights to and from the World Cup, directly referencing the flight’s carbon tonnage. The players will then donate the money to a combination of climate resilience, carbon offsetting and adaptation initiatives run by WWF (Australia, New Zealand) and DanChurchAid. These initiatives are based in Australia, New Zealand, and Uganda. Read More Lionesses bonus row could drag on until after World Cup Sam Kerr ready for her ‘Cathy Freeman moment’ at Women’s World Cup ACL injuries are keeping stars out of the Women's World Cup

Daniel Ricciardo is set to return to the Formula One grid, joining Alpha Tauri "on loan" for the rest of the season in replacement of Nyck de Vries. The 34-year-old Australian and eight-time grand prix winner had been Red Bull's third driver for the 2023 season after he was released by McLaren last year. It means that F1 fans will see Ricciardo racing at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 23. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter De Vries lost his seat at the Red Bull sister team after failing to pick up points ten races into the championship and having several crashes, with the 28-year-old being outperformed younger teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Previously Ricciardo drove for AlphaTauri in 2012 and 2013 back when they were known as Toro Rosso before being promoted to Red Bull in 2014 and then in 2019 moved to Renault for two seasons. After this, he joined McLaren for two seasons where he provided McLaren's only race victory in 10 years after winning the Monza Grand Prix in 2021, but was let go from the team in 2022 after some disappointing results when he was replaced by fellow Aussie Oscar Pisastri. “I am stoked to be back on track with the Red Bull family,” Ricciardo said. “I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team,” commented Franz Tost, Scuderia AlphaTauri Team Principal. “There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straightforward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner. He added: "I would like to thank Nyck for his valuable contribution during his time with Scuderia AlphaTauri and I wish him all the best for the future.” As a fan favourite, F1 fans were delighted at the news of Ricciardo's return. While others noted they felt mixed emotions at the decision as they are happy for Ricciardo but felt sympathy for De Vries's sudden departure. David Croft (Crofty), Sky Sports F1's lead commentator noted "...however nice it will be to have Daniel back on the grid, Nyck wasn't given enough time..." Some shared their excitement at the fact Ricciardo will be racing in Vegas later this year. Elsewhere, Cara Delevingne and Sam Ryder gave two different F1 grid interviews, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buy a stake in the Alpine F1 team and, did The Simpsons 'predict Damian Lewis' F1 national anthem gig? Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Francis Ngannou will make more money in his fight with Tyson Fury than in his entire UFC career, according to the Cameroonian’s longtime representative. Ngannou, 36, will box WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, 34, in Saudi Arabia on 28 October, marking the “Predator”’s first fight since January 2022. In that bout, Ngannou beat Ciryl Gane to retain the UFC heavyweight title, which he won in 2021 and vacated this January upon leaving the promotion. Ngannou has since signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) – a rival to the UFC – which has granted him the chance to box before he makes his debut with the company in 2024. And per Marquel Martin, Ngannou’s longtime rep, Ngannou will earn more from boxing Fury than he did in his 14 UFC fights combined. Responding to past claims that Ngannou ‘fumbled the bag’ by leaving the UFC, Martin told The MMA Hour on Wednesday (12 July), “Let’s just say this: The bag is so big, he may actually just drop it on the way to the bank. “I don’t know what the haters are trying to say right now, I kind of just blocked it out, but they’ll just be proven wrong again. This is life-changing. This is exactly what we planned and visualised, so we’re happy.” When asked if Ngannou would earn more in the Fury fight than in all of his UFC bouts combined, Martin said: “Oh, my God. I mean, by far – by multiples. Just to make [this money] even while being champion, he would’ve had to fight multiple times, just to [be in this ballpark].” As it stands, Fury’s WBC title will not be on the line in Riyadh, where he fights Ngannou, and it is unclear whether the bout will count towards the Briton’s professional record. However, Martin and Frank Warren – who promotes Fury – have insisted that the contest is not an exhibition fight. “This is an actual fight,” Martin said. “What happens with the WBC belt, we plan on talking with the WBC to get licensed. That’s our plan, and we never know, we may have the opportunity to maybe put his [belt] on the line. I don’t know, that’s for his side. “But I know that, from our side, we plan on hopefully having those conversations and making sure that we do everything in our power to. We want this to go on on [Fury’s professional] record. But again, I’ll set the record straight: This is a real fight.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever ‘Nonsense’: Anthony Joshua reacts to Fury vs Ngannou fight announcement Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic confirmed as seismic UFC title fight looms

Dele Alli has revealed he was sexually abused at the age of six and was dealing drugs by the time he was just eight years old. In an emotional interview, the Everton midfielder fought back tears as he laid bare his difficult upbringing before he was adopted by the Hickford family. Alli also told Gary Neville in The Overlap podcast in partnership with Sky Bet that he has battled a sleeping pill addiction and only came out of rehab last month as he struggled with his mental health. The England international, who spent last season on loan at Besiktas, said: “When I came back from Turkey, I came in and I found out that I need an operation and I was in a bad place mentally. “I decided to go to like a modern-day rehab facility for mental health. They deal with like addiction, mental health, and trauma because it was something that I felt like it was time for. “I think with things like that, you can’t be told to go there. I think you have to know, and you have to make the decision yourself, otherwise it’s not going to work.” Alli said that he had been able to mask his difficulties. “To be honest, I was caught in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm and, yeah, I think I was waking up every day and I was winning the fight, you know, going into training, smiling, showing that I was happy,” he said. “But inside, I was definitely losing the battle and it was time for me to change it because when I got injured and they told me I needed surgery, I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle begins and I didn’t want it to happen anymore. “So, I went there, I went there for six weeks and Everton were amazing about it, you know. They supported me 100 per cent and I’ll be grateful to them forever.” Alli – a key part of the England side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals – laid bare the sickening abuse he received as a child, saying he was “molested” at the age of six. “I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then I was sent back,” he said. “At seven, I started smoking, eight I started dealing drugs. “An older person told me that they wouldn’t stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my football, and then underneath I’d have the drugs, that was eight. Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, a man. “Twelve, I was adopted – and from then, it was like – I was adopted by an amazing family like I said, I couldn’t have asked for better people to do what they’d done for me. If God created people, it was them.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Chloe Kelly knows every England player needs to be ready at World Cup Para-triathlete Mel Nicholls dreaming of success at Paris 2024 Sarina Wiegman keeping out of discussions over World Cup bonuses

Jordan Henderson is set to face a decision over whether to stay at Liverpool amid interest from Saudi Arabia and the possibility of a lucrative transfer. Liverpool are yet to receive an offer for their captain but Henderson has emerged as a target for Al Ettifaq and their new manager Steven Gerrard. The side is reportedly offering the Liverpool captain £700,000 a week, or around £36 million a year – quadruple his current Premier League wage. Henderson, 33, has two years left on his contract at Anfield but could face a battle for his place after Jurgen Klopp spent £95m revamping his midfield with the signings of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Now Liverpool’s Champions League-winning skipper must determine whether to extend his 12-year stay at Anfield or join a host of players, including his former teammate Roberto Firmino, in signing up to go to Saudi Arabia. Euro 2024 is likely to be a factor in his thinking. Henderson forced his way back into England’s starting 11 during last winter’s World Cup and remains keen to play for his country. Klopp may be reluctant to lose the former Sunderland player, who made 43 appearances last season, after three other midfielders – vice-captain James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – left at the end of the season. The 2020 Footballer of the Year succeeded Gerrard as Liverpool captain in 2015 and led them to their first English league title in three decades five years later. Read More The reason why Liverpool’s worst season under Jurgen Klopp can be a one-off Liverpool thought they’d bought the future – but two wrong moves left them counting the cost Why England will head into 2024 with their sense of optimism restored

Anurag Jain has loved cricket his entire life, but after learning how much players made he ditched his

Manchester City has topped the list of FIFA payments to clubs whose players were selected for the 32 national teams in Qatar

Dapper Labs Inc., creator of the NBA Top Shot marketplace for nonfungible tokens, announced further jobs cuts amid

England manager Sarina Wiegman insisted she has not waded into a rumoured row surrounding World Cup bonuses. Wiegman’s side open their campaign in earnest on July 22 when they face Haiti in Brisbane, but they will first take on FIFA world number-seven ranked Olympic champions Canada behind closed doors on Friday at Queensland’s Sunshine Coast stadium. Some reports ahead of England’s arrival Down Under claimed the Lionesses were unhappy with the Football Association about performance-based payments, but Wiegman was adamant it has not been a topic of discussion in camp. “Players haven’t spoken to me about it,” she told Sky Sports. “We’ve been focusing on football and that is what I have seen. “They’re focused on football in meetings. I don’t see any problems. I know that it is something that needs to be solved and I hope for a quick solution. “I am not involved in those discussions. I hope it’s solved quickly before the tournament starts.” Under a new model, players will receive payments directly from FIFA, with amounts increasing the deeper teams go in the tournament. They range from 30,000 US dollars (£23,367) per athlete for the group stage to USD 270,000 (£210,305) allotted to each champion. Previously, it was up to individual national governing bodies to decide how money was allocated. Some federations have agreed to additional payments in 2023, though multiple reports have suggested the FA has no current plans to do the same. The PA news agency has contacted the FA for comment. The Dutch boss, who led England to their first major trophy at last summer’s home Euros, was more forthcoming when asked how her team feels about FIFA’s solution to the ‘One Love’ armband debate that swirled around the men’s World Cup in Qatar last autumn. Captains of the nations involved in the ‘One Love’ campaign, including England and Wales, were threatened with sporting sanctions starting at a yellow card if the rainbow bands were worn, because they would have been a breach of FIFA equipment regulations. The bands were seen as a potent symbol of tolerance in a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised. Instead, FIFA has partnered with the UN to create eight stakeholder-sanctioned armbands that can be swapped out or worn throughout the month-long tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Alongside inclusion, the other causes being highlighted are ‘unite for indigenous peoples’, ‘unite for gender equality’, ‘unite for peace’, ‘unite for education for all’, ‘unite for zero hunger’, ‘unite for ending violence against women’ and ‘football is joy, peace, love, hope and passion’. Team captains will also have the option to wear a ‘football unites the world’ armband for the entire tournament, if they do not wish to choose a single cause or support different causes round by round. None directly advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, of which a record number of players in the 2023 World Cup – including some Lionesses – are a part, so the decision has drawn some criticism. Wiegman added: “I think the players are happy with the solution. I think first of all it is good there is a solution ahead of the tournament. “I think that with the armband, the team can have a voice and now it is up to the team what armband they want to wear. I think we are in a really good place with it. “The players will decide and they will live by their values anyway. And we as staff will support them in any choice they make.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wimbledon final places and world number one ranking up for grabs on day 11 Joe Marler reveals ‘weird encounter’ with Steve Borthwick over England hopes Alice Capsey says England can play even better after levelling Ashes series

Soaring mortgage costs and the end of the government’s Help-to-Buy programme saw first-time buyers’ home reservations halve in

England’s players could have to wait until after the Women’s World Cup for the stand-off over bonuses to be resolved, as there is still no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations between the Football Association (FA) and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), who are representing Sarina Wiegman’s group. The dispute centres on the squad’s argument that the governing body should supplement the landmark Fifa prize money with extra performance-based payment should the Lionesses get to the quarter-finals. That is largely due to the huge commercial upswing that has come with the team’s progress as well as the precedent set by squads of similar profile in USA and Australia. Their governing bodies have agreed deals in excess of the 60% of prize money guaranteed by Fifa, with both heavily performance-related. The FA were part of a group of federations that worked with Fifa to stipulate a hard percentage that should go directly to players, and The Independent understands that figure will of course be honoured. The players’ representatives have also been told, however, that it might be better for all parties to discuss bonuses after the World Cup as there could naturally be a huge difference in “commercial uplift” depending on whether the team reach the quarter-finals or win the tournament. As an illustration of this, the FA have in the last 10 days put down an offer that reflects the increase in sponsorship revenue from the last year and England’s historic Euro 2022 win. The arguments put forward by the PFA, however, are that this is lacking in transparency and that it would be better for all concerned if it would be settled beforehand. As numerous involved sources have also insisted, it is a situation that would simply “never happen” in the men’s game. “Can you imagine telling them we’ll discuss it when we’re back,” one said. The FA, whose discussions are handled by the commercial team, are pointing to the different dynamics of this competition – especially as it is the first 32-squad World Cup in the women’s game. There is also the issue that Fifa’s 60% stipulation means the prize money from the governing body does not fully cover the travel costs for a hugely expensive tournament, in the manner that customarily happens with such funds. While the FA will of course cover all of that, it is one additional factor complicating discussions over the prospective budget for this World Cup and commercial income. The governing body have attempted to assure the players that they will get fair reward for their contributions, but the PFA naturally want clarity now, especially as commercial income for the team has “skyrocketed” in the last year. The involved parties have been approached for comment although there is a will from all sides that it doesn’t devolve into a briefing war or disrupt a tournament that could yet bring a historic victory for the squad. Fifa’s new stipulations means that every player at the World Cup will be guaranteed at least $30,000, with that drastically increasing the further teams go. The team that lifts the trophy will be guaranteed $270,000 per squad member. Lucy Bronze this week expressed irritation that the situation had not yet been solved. “It is frustrating but I think that’s the way the women’s game has predominantly been. As a team we’ve always been pushing in the background, it’s only been recently that it’s been made more public and people are aware of it, but it’s something we’ve always had to do as players." Read More Lucy Bronze says ‘it’s a shame’ women have to fight for change amid bonus row Ellen White tips ‘proven winner’ Sarina Wiegman to lead England to further glory Talking points as England fly out ahead of Women’s World Cup