Kylian Mbappé apologized after a video circulated in which he appeared to call Mao Zedong a Chinese dictator while discussing a meme. Several Chinese companies ended deals with him, and China Media Group suspended broadcasts of games featuring him and removed his advertisements.
Key Facts
Mbappé said his comment was ill-judged and apologized to people in China and Chinese communities around the world.
Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy company Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground said they were ending agreements with Mbappé.
The China Football Association said it lodged a protest with Real Madrid and called for public, formal apologies from the club and the player.
China Media Group said it had suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches and other games featuring Mbappé, and removed advertisements featuring him.
La Liga said Mbappé's comments were made in a personal capacity and did not represent the league.
The clip showed Mbappé describing a meme featuring his face on an image of Mao Zedong.
Mao led the Chinese Communist Party to victory in the civil war and founded the People's Republic of China; his rule included policies linked to a famine that killed an estimated 30 million people.
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Stuart Broad criticized Lancashire’s decision not to renew James Anderson’s contract, saying the club handled the news disrespectfully. Anderson, 44, took 50 County Championship wickets last season and has not announced whether he will retire; other counties are reportedly interested in signing him.
Key Facts
Lancashire told Anderson last week that it would not renew his contract, ending his 26-year professional career with the club.
Anderson took 50 wickets in the County Championship last season and served as Lancashire captain.
Lancashire finished second bottom in Division Two of the County Championship.
Incoming director of cricket Paul Farbrace made the decision as part of plans to rebuild the team.
The club said at a Monday meeting with members that it would look into arranging a farewell for Anderson.
Broad said Lancashire should have given Anderson a better send-off and criticized the club’s leadership.
Anderson said he was sad about the decision but did not announce his retirement.
Other counties are reportedly interested in signing Anderson.
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South Africa made 329 on the first day of the third Test in Cape Town after Australia chose to bowl. Mitchell Starc took six wickets for 72 runs, including four wickets in six deliveries late in the day, and Australia had not yet batted.
Key Facts
The third Test is the series decider, scheduled for 27–31 October in Cape Town.
Australia won the toss and chose to bowl under clear skies.
South Africa reached 203 for one before losing six wickets for 29 runs.
Marques Ackerman scored 95, Aiden Markram made 78, and David Bedingham scored 50.
Nathan Lyon dismissed Ackerman and South Africa captain Temba Bavuma.
Mitchell Starc finished with six wickets for 72 runs.
Starc took four wickets in six deliveries near the end of the innings.
South Africa were all out for 329; Australia were yet to bat.
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Rangers manager Derek McInnes says he feels guilty about leaving Hearts for Ibrox shortly after the Edinburgh club narrowly missed winning the Scottish Premiership. He expects Hearts fans to give him a hostile reception when he returns to Tynecastle on Wednesday, but says he remains proud of his time at the club.
Key Facts
McInnes left Hearts to become Rangers manager in the summer.
Hearts finished second after leading the Scottish Premiership for much of last season.
Celtic retained the title after beating Hearts 3-1 on the final day.
McInnes said Hearts earned 80 points after previously finishing in the league’s bottom six.
He said he understood fans’ anger because he had felt let down when captain Lawrence Shankland announced a move to Rangers.
McInnes called Hearts title contenders this season under head coach Wouter Vrancken.
He said he believed contentious decisions contributed to Hearts missing out on the title.
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Maya Turner has become the first woman named captain of the University of Manitoba football team. The 24-year-old joined the team in 2024 and is one of seven captains, who lead in different areas on the field.
Key Facts
Turner is the first woman to serve as a captain of the University of Manitoba football team.
The team has seven captains.
The captains lead different areas of play.
Turner is 24 years old.
She joined the team in 2024.
Turner spoke to the BBC about what football means to her.
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The FIA has proposed simpler, less expensive V8 turbo hybrid engines for Formula 1, potentially starting in 2030 or 2031. The proposal would reduce the hybrid system’s power and cut car weight, while keeping sustainable fuels; manufacturers still need to discuss key details.
Key Facts
The FIA sent the proposal framework to the six engine manufacturers involved in Formula 1.
The proposed engine would be a 2- to 2.3-litre V8 with a smaller turbo.
The proposal lowers the hybrid motor’s recovery capacity to 200kW, from 350kW under the current rules.
The plan would make 100kW of electrical power available at all times and reserve another 100kW for push-to-pass or overtaking.
The internal combustion engine would provide most of the proposed total output of about 900bhp.
The rules would retain fully sustainable fuels, with the aim of making their production requirements less complex and less costly.
The FIA aims to reduce the cars’ overall weight by 80kg.
The proposal moves away from the FIA’s earlier idea of returning to naturally aspirated engines.
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Michael Carrick remains Manchester United manager and led training ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match at Chelsea. His future came under scrutiny after United’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth extended their winless run to eight games and left them 16th, one point above the relegation zone.
Key Facts
United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday.
The defeat extended United’s winless run to eight matches in all competitions.
United sat 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone.
Senior club officials held talks on Monday about Carrick’s position, but announced no decision.
Carrick oversaw training at Carrington and prepared the team for Saturday’s away match at Chelsea.
Fans applauded Carrick after the Bournemouth loss and booed the players as they left the pitch.
Carrick said he was carrying on as normal and would do what he believed was best for the club.
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Jay-Z will perform at halftime of Super Bowl LXI in February, the NFL announced Monday. He leads Roc Nation, which selects the halftime performer with Apple Music.
Key Facts
The NFL announced Jay-Z as the Super Bowl LXI halftime performer.
Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February.
Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards.
Jay-Z leads Roc Nation, a music and entertainment company.
Roc Nation and Apple Music select the Super Bowl halftime act.
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Jay-Z will headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Roc Nation, the NFL and Apple Music announced the booking; the set list and any guest performers have not been announced.
Key Facts
Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation, the NFL and Apple Music confirmed him as the featured performer.
Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help produce the league’s entertainment, including the halftime show.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had asked Jay-Z to perform when the NFL and Roc Nation first reached their agreement.
Jay-Z said the performance marks 30 years since his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
The article reports that Jay-Z has not announced his song list or guest performers.
Beyoncé has performed at two previous Super Bowl halftime shows, in 2013 and 2016.
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The Ballon d’Or ceremony, held in London for the first time in its 70-year history, began 45 minutes late after traffic and crowds delayed guests. The event also faced confusion over online articles naming possible winners, disorder outside the venue and criticism over how journalists were chosen to question Harry Kane.
Key Facts
Organisers held the ceremony at the London Palladium.
Traffic and crowds delayed the start from 20:00 to 20:45 GMT.
The ceremony lasted nearly two and a half hours, and audience members shouted and booed at several points.
Harry Kane won the men’s award, and Alexia Putellas won the women’s award.
The Ballon d’Or website published articles naming several nominees as winners before the ceremony; a spokesperson said the articles were prepared for all nominees and published inadvertently.
BBC Sport reported that some people climbed over or damaged barriers outside the venue, and security removed several people who entered without tickets.
Only men were selected to ask Kane questions at a press conference, despite female journalists attempting to ask questions; the Ballon d’Or team apologised.
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Venus Williams lost 6-2, 6-2 to 18-year-old Lilli Tagger at the Guangzhou Open on Tuesday. The defeat was Williams’ 16th straight singles loss and left her without a win in 2026, while Tagger advanced after not facing a break point.
Key Facts
Williams is 46 and ranked 599th in the world.
Tagger is 18 and ranked 53rd in the world.
The 28-year age gap was among the largest in WTA tour-level history and the biggest in a WTA match this decade, according to the article.
Tagger dropped seven points on serve and faced no break points.
Williams saved 12 of the 16 break points she faced.
Williams has relied on tournament wildcards to enter WTA events.
Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles and 30 WTA tournaments.
Tagger won the 2025 French Open girls’ title.
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Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets in Lahore, eliminating England from the one-day international tri-series. Sri Lanka chased Pakistan’s 110 all out in 18.1 overs, leaving Thursday’s England-Sri Lanka match with no bearing on Saturday’s final.
Key Facts
Pakistan scored 110 runs in 25.2 overs.
Sri Lanka reached 114-2 in 18.1 overs to win by eight wickets.
Dilshan Madushanka took five wickets for 34 runs for Sri Lanka.
Kamindu Mendis scored 62 not out from 60 balls.
Babar Azam was Pakistan’s highest scorer with 29 runs.
England lost their first three matches and can no longer reach the final.
England are scheduled to tour Australia for three one-day internationals and five T20 matches, starting on 13 November.
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Kylian Mbappe apologised after a video circulated in which he appeared to joke about a Chinese leader in connection with an internet meme. Two Chinese companies ended sponsorship deals with him, and La Liga and its president also issued apologies to China.
Key Facts
Mbappe said his comment was ill-judged, apologised to people he had upset and said he respected the Chinese people and their history.
The video showed Mbappe describing a meme of his face edited onto an unnamed person he called a Chinese dictator; the article identifies Mao Zedong as the apparent reference.
The clip was shared by French football podcast The Bridge and circulated widely on social media on Monday.
Chinese drinks company Dongpeng terminated its contract with Mbappe with immediate effect.
Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, also ended its ties with the footballer.
La Liga said the comments were made in Mbappe’s personal capacity and did not represent the league; president Javier Tebas apologised on X.
The article says Chinese state television halted broadcasts of all matches, but does not specify which matches.
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Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or after a career that included loan spells at several English clubs and doubts about his prospects. The article highlights his scoring records for England, Tottenham and Bayern Munich, and the work and steady development behind his rise.
Key Facts
Kane won the Ballon d’Or at a ceremony at London’s Palladium on Monday night.
At 33, Kane is England’s leading scorer with 91 goals and has 125 caps, tied with Peter Shilton for the national record.
Kane is Tottenham Hotspur’s record scorer, with 280 goals in 435 appearances.
He scored 73 goals in 65 games for Bayern Munich and England during the 2025–26 season.
Before establishing himself at Tottenham, Kane went on loan to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City.
Kane scored five goals in 18 appearances for Leyton Orient and nine goals in 24 starts for Millwall.
Kane beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to the award, according to the article.
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Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich and England striker, won the Ballon d’Or on Monday, October 26, 2026. The report says his record-breaking season helped secure the award; Alexia Putellas won the women’s award, according to the headline.
Key Facts
Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or on October 26, 2026.
Kane plays for Bayern Munich and England.
The report describes Kane’s season as record-breaking.
The article says Kane had pursued the award for a long time.
Alexia Putellas won the women’s award, according to the headline.
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Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or on Monday, becoming the first Englishman to receive the award in 25 years. He scored 73 goals for club and country last season and captained England to third place at the World Cup.
Key Facts
Kane won the Ballon d’Or on Monday.
He became the first Englishman to win the award in 25 years.
Kane scored 73 goals for club and country last season.
He captained England at the World Cup.
England finished third at the World Cup.
Kane broke scoring records at the World Cup.
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Michael Carrick will remain Manchester United manager for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea. The club’s leadership has considered replacements after a poor run, but Carrick will have a chance to improve the team’s form.
Key Facts
United have gone eight matches without a win in all competitions.
United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday and sit one place above the relegation zone.
The team has won one of its first eight Premier League matches this season.
The club considered former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and former Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann as possible replacements.
Carrick became United’s permanent manager in May after leading the team to third place and Champions League qualification.
United visit Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Captain Bruno Fernandes was an unused substitute in the Bournemouth match after criticizing Carrick’s tactics following a 4-1 Champions League loss to Como.
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Fifteen-year-old Mitchell Lawrie is one of 24 amateur players who will compete against world darts champion Luke Littler in a live Netflix special on Friday in Manchester. The first player to beat Littler in a single leg of 501 wins £501,000 and ends the competition.
Key Facts
Lawrie is from Renfrew, Scotland.
The event, Beat Luke Littler, will be broadcast live from Manchester Central Convention Complex.
Each of the 24 players gets a chance to face Littler in one leg of 501.
Lawrie says he previously beat a team featuring Littler at the 2023 junior World Cup in Gibraltar.
Scotland won that tournament for the first time, according to Lawrie.
Lawrie won the WDF Open Youth World Championship last year.
He reached the WDF World Championship final in December, becoming its first teenage finalist, the article says.
Lawrie says he began playing darts at age two but took it seriously only about three and a half years ago.
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The article argues that the Ballon d’Or’s focus on star power has obscured questions about how to judge individual excellence in a team sport. It says the award has favored attackers and European football, while commercial marketing has made players’ individual brands more prominent.
Key Facts
Harry Kane is described as the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won 13 of the 17 Ballon d’Or awards presented between 2008 and 2025.
The Ballon d’Or was first presented in 1956, with England’s Stanley Matthews as its inaugural winner.
The article says commercial marketing has helped players build profiles and fan bases independent of their clubs.
Lev Yashin, who won in 1963, is the only goalkeeper to have won the award.
Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to win the award, in 2006, after captaining Italy to a World Cup title.
For nearly four decades, only European players could win the award; in 1995, eligibility expanded to players of any nationality at European clubs.
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India beat New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20 international in Wellington, chasing 199 in 13.2 overs. Abhishek Sharma scored 113 from 38 balls, including a century in 35 balls, as India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Key Facts
New Zealand made 198-3 in 20 overs, led by Daryl Mitchell’s 89 from 52 balls.
India reached 199-4 in 13.2 overs to win by six wickets.
Abhishek Sharma hit 113 from 38 balls, with nine fours and 11 sixes.
Abhishek reached his century in 35 balls and his fifty in 15 deliveries.
Abhishek and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added 133 runs for India’s first wicket in seven overs.
India scored 118 runs in the powerplay, a record for international T20 cricket.
Sooryavanshi scored 45 from 19 balls.
India now lead the five-match series 3-0; the teams are scheduled to play five one-day internationals and two Tests afterward.
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