Victor Wembanyama scored 23 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 122-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks, earning their first victory of the NBA season. In other games, Philadelphia beat Milwaukee 127-116, and Phoenix defeated Golden State 131-122 behind Devin Booker’s 43 points.
Key Facts
Wembanyama added seven rebounds and four blocks for San Antonio.
Dylan Harper scored 22 points for the Spurs, while De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle scored 19 each.
Rookie Sergio De Larrea led Dallas with 21 points.
Joel Embiid recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as Philadelphia beat Milwaukee.
Jaylen Brown scored 27 points for the 76ers, who improved to 3-0; the Bucks fell to 0-3.
Devin Booker had 43 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in Phoenix’s win over Golden State.
The Suns scored a franchise-record 131 points in a home opener.
Golden State played without Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green and Al Horford.
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James Anderson said he was sad to leave Lancashire after the county decided not to renew his contract for 2027. He has not announced his retirement, and other counties are interested in signing him.
Key Facts
Lancashire told Anderson last Monday that it would not offer him a new contract for the 2027 season.
Anderson, 44, said he had hoped to continue playing and had planned to play in the summer of 2027.
Anderson first represented Lancashire in 2001 and played for the county for 25 years.
He took 443 first-class wickets for Lancashire, along with 83 in List A cricket and 50 in T20s.
Anderson took 50 wickets in Division Two in 2026 and was named Lancashire's County Championship player of the year.
Lancashire said it wants to rebuild its men's squad and aim to challenge for the Division One title within three or four years.
Several county clubs have shown interest in speaking with Anderson about a possible move.
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The Denver Nuggets came back from a 23-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 in overtime. Nikola Jokić scored 35 points and recorded a triple-double, then said fans who booed Denver at halftime were not welcome to return.
Key Facts
Jokić finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, earning his 199th regular-season career triple-double.
Jamal Murray scored 42 points for Denver.
Rookie Trevon Brazille scored 17 points, including seven in overtime, in his home debut for Denver.
Denver trailed 73-57 at halftime after New Orleans shot 65.9% in the first half.
Murray made two of three free throws with 17 seconds left in regulation to tie the game.
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 26 points; Dejounte Murray scored 22.
The Pelicans lost their first three games under first-year coach Jamahl Mosley.
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Australia beat Fiji 36-22 to reach the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals. New Zealand recovered from an early deficit to defeat the Cook Islands 82-16, while New Zealand’s women beat France 92-0.
Key Facts
Australia came from behind to beat Fiji after Fiji led 16-12 early in the second half.
Tom Trbojevic scored three tries for Australia, and Sam Walker scored a try and kicked 12 points on his debut.
Semi Valemei scored three tries for Fiji.
New Zealand’s 82-16 win over the Cook Islands followed its 24-22 opening loss to Australia.
Jamayne Isaako scored a record 38 points for New Zealand, including 13 conversions.
New Zealand will play Fiji in a final pool match on 31 October.
New Zealand’s women scored 18 tries in a 92-0 win over France.
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Pakistan recalled Salman Agha and Ali Usman for its two-Test series against Sri Lanka, while Mohammad Rizwan was left out. Babar Azam will captain the 14-player squad for the World Test Championship matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Key Facts
Agha returns after scoring a century against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI series.
Rizwan remains out of the Test squad and is under investigation by Pakistan’s cybercrime agency.
Pakistan’s PCB recently allowed Rizwan to play in a domestic match.
Ali Usman also returns after being sent home during Pakistan’s tour of England.
The squad includes uncapped batters Mohammad Taha, Sameer Minhas and Mohammad Suleman.
The first Test is scheduled for Rawalpindi from November 9 to 13; the second is in Lahore from November 17 to 21.
Pakistan is ninth and last in the World Test Championship standings, while Sri Lanka is seventh.
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Organizers cancelled the Australian MotoGP race at Phillip Island because heavy rain reduced visibility and prevented safe operation of the medical helicopter. The event was the circuit’s final Australian Grand Prix before the race moves to Adelaide next year; riders completed a farewell lap for fans.
Key Facts
Moto2 and Moto3 races were cancelled before organizers called off the MotoGP race.
The MotoGP race was cancelled at 3:40 p.m. local time after a two-hour delay.
Organizers cited limited visibility that affected the medical helicopter’s operation.
Riders made a lap behind the safety car and greeted fans on the main straight.
Jack Miller performed a wheelie and gave his gloves and boots to fans.
Phillip Island had hosted the world championship for about 30 years, excluding two seasons lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to move to the streets of Adelaide next year.
Marc Marquez could not extend his championship lead in the cancelled race; Jorge Martin was ruled unfit after fracturing his wrist.
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Alexander Volkanovski retained his UFC featherweight title by stopping Movsar Evloev with a technical knockout in the second round of UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. Petr Yan defended his bantamweight title by defeating Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in the co-main event.
Key Facts
Volkanovski stopped Evloev with a right hand and follow-up ground strikes at 4:54 of the second round.
The scheduled title fight was set for five rounds, and the referee stopped it with six seconds left in Round 2.
The loss was the first of Evloev’s professional career.
Yan defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 48-47.
Lone’er Kavanagh stopped Ramazan Temirov by TKO at 4:28 of the first round of their flyweight bout.
Alexander Volkov beat Rizvan Kuniev by unanimous decision and earned his third straight win.
Aaron Pico stopped Losene Keita by TKO just over a minute into their featherweight fight.
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Many of football’s leading players have won major team trophies but never received the Ballon d’Or. Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson examines some of the greatest players who missed out on the individual award.
Key Facts
The article focuses on football players who never won the Ballon d’Or.
The Ballon d’Or is described as football’s most prestigious individual award.
Some players who missed out on the award have won league titles.
Some have won the Champions League.
Some have won the World Cup.
Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson looks at the players featured.
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Barcelona will try to open the La Liga season with a 10th straight win when it faces Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho says the teams’ recent form will matter less than the rivalry, while Barcelona manager Hansi Flick says his side must tighten its defense after a 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Key Facts
A Barcelona win would break Real Madrid’s record of nine consecutive wins to start the league season, set in 1968-69.
Real Madrid has a chance to stop Barcelona’s record bid in Sunday’s El Clasico, scheduled for 20:00 GMT.
Barcelona lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League before the match.
Real Madrid has won its last two matches, beating Sevilla and RB Leipzig 4-1.
Real Madrid is third in the league, six points behind leaders Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappe has scored 12 goals in 12 appearances this season, according to the article.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr will miss the match through suspension.
Flick said Barcelona needs compact positioning and better organization to defend against Real Madrid’s attack.
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Tony Pulis argues that Manchester United need stability rather than another managerial change, and says the club’s problems extend beyond Michael Carrick. He points to the squad Carrick inherited, the club’s recent spending and recruitment, and the difficulty managers face when balancing team performance with players’ transfer value.
Key Facts
Michael Carrick became Manchester United’s interim manager in January, according to the article.
Pulis says United improved under Carrick and finished third, reaching the Champions League places.
The article says United had three other permanent managers since 2021: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
It reports that more than £1 billion was spent on 27 major signings under those managers, with many players still at the club.
The article says United spent another £150 million this year, mainly on three midfielders.
Pulis says managers should set clear standards for hard work and team spirit, then identify which players will meet them.
Pulis says managers can face pressure to improve inherited players and preserve their value in the transfer market.
The article says defender Lisandro Martinez recently questioned the club’s recruitment strategy.
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Liverpool have scored nine goals in seven Premier League matches under manager Andoni Iraola, far fewer than their output in other competitions. Iraola pointed to differences in opponents and match styles: Liverpool have often faced low defensive blocks in the league, while their Premier League defending has been stronger than in cup and European games.
Key Facts
Liverpool scored nine goals in their first seven Premier League matches.
Brighton had scored 23 Premier League goals and Manchester City had scored 20, according to the article.
Liverpool scored 15 goals across three Champions League matches and a Carabao Cup tie.
The team averaged 1.29 goals per Premier League game and 3.75 per game outside the league, according to the article.
Liverpool had kept three Premier League clean sheets and conceded eight league goals.
Liverpool conceded first in four of their seven league matches.
Liverpool faced a low defensive block in 28% of their games, the highest share among Premier League teams, while they faced a high block in 15%, the lowest share.
The article says Liverpool had 10 different goalscorers that season.
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Premier League managerial exits are most common in November and December, when nearly one-third of in-season departures occur. No manager has left a club so far this campaign, but Manchester United manager Michael Carrick faces increased scrutiny after a 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como.
Key Facts
Managers who left Premier League clubs last season had held their jobs for an average of 310 days, the second-lowest average on record.
Eleven managers left their clubs during the 2025-26 campaign; Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca resigned, while the others did not leave of their own accord.
All 20 Premier League managers remain in their jobs so far this season.
November and December together account for nearly one-third of in-season managerial departures in the league’s history.
Club boards often make managerial changes around autumn international breaks and before Christmas and the winter transfer window.
An average of 154 days for departing managers in 1994-95 is the league’s lowest recorded figure.
Nine clubs began this season with new permanent managers, and five of those clubs are in the bottom half of the table.
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The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 2 of the World Series, taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Milwaukee came back from a four-run deficit, with Sal Frelick tying the score on a sixth-inning home run and Cooper Pratt driving in the winning run in the seventh.
Key Facts
The Rays led 4-0 after the first inning.
The Brewers scored two runs in the first inning and narrowed the deficit to 4-3 in the fourth.
Frelick hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4.
Pratt singled in the seventh inning to score Brice Turang and put Milwaukee ahead.
Abner Uribe pitched one and one-third hitless innings and earned the win.
The Brewers have won seven straight games and took the first two games of the World Series.
Game 3 is scheduled for Monday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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Barcelona host Real Madrid in a La Liga Clásico featuring Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, with Jose Mourinho returning to the fixture as Madrid manager. Barcelona lead the league by six points after winning their first nine matches, but both teams enter with selection concerns and contrasting results in Europe.
Key Facts
Barcelona have won all nine of their league matches and scored 39 goals.
Real Madrid trail Barcelona by six points and are third in the standings, behind Atletico Madrid.
A Barcelona win would extend their lead to nine points; a Madrid win would cut it to three.
Barcelona lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, their first defeat of the season.
Barcelona defenders Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde were unavailable because of injuries, and midfielder Dani Olmo also had an adductor injury.
Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 in the Champions League and have won all three of their matches in that competition.
Real Madrid will be without the suspended Vinicius Junior for the Clásico.
Madrid have lost six of their past seven Clásicos, according to the article.
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Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the United States Grand Prix and can clinch the Formula 1 title on Sunday if he wins, while George Russell finishes below eighth and Lewis Hamilton below fourth. At 20 years and 61 days old, Antonelli would become the youngest F1 champion, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record by more than three years.
Key Facts
Antonelli beat Max Verstappen to pole by 0.179 seconds at Circuit of the Americas.
Antonelli has won eight of the 17 races held so far this season.
He leads Russell by 102 points and Hamilton by 111 points.
Russell starts the race sixth, while Hamilton starts fifth.
Antonelli said he is enjoying the weekend and spending time with friends to relax.
Max Verstappen said Antonelli could secure the title at a later race if he does not win it in Austin.
The article identifies Alberto Ascari, who won in 1953, as the last Italian F1 world champion.
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BBC iPlayer lists a 69-minute episode of Match of the Day dated 24 October 2026. It features highlights from five Premier League games, including Aston Villa against Manchester City and Arsenal against Everton.
Key Facts
The episode first aired at 10:30 p.m. on 24 October 2026.
The program runs for 1 hour and 9 minutes.
The episode covers highlights from five Premier League games.
Manchester City travel to Aston Villa for Saturday’s early game.
Arsenal host Everton at the Emirates.
The episode is available on iPlayer for 30 days.
The listing offers audio description and sign language.
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Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the United States Grand Prix, beating Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds. Antonelli can clinch the Formula 1 title if he wins Sunday’s race, Lewis Hamilton finishes lower than fourth, and George Russell finishes lower than eighth.
Key Facts
Antonelli, a Mercedes driver, secured his first pole since the Belgian Grand Prix in July.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen qualified second, 0.179 seconds behind Antonelli.
Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar qualified third, ahead of Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton qualified fifth and Russell sixth, so Hamilton already meets the required finishing condition for Antonelli to clinch the title.
Antonelli said he would aim for a strong start and to lead into Turn One.
Verstappen said his car lacked grip in the final qualifying session.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified behind Russell; Norris had a lap deleted for exceeding track limits.
Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson qualified ninth and tenth; Lawson will receive a five-place grid penalty for using too many engine parts.
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Dalton Smith retained his WBC light-welterweight title with a split-decision win over Alberto Puello in Sheffield. The victory extended Smith’s unbeaten professional record to 20 wins and completed his first title defence.
Key Facts
Smith won by scores of 115-113 on two judges’ cards; the third judge scored the bout 116-112 for Puello.
The 29-year-old Smith fought at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena in a tactical contest.
Smith first won the title by knocking out Subriel Matias in the fifth round in Brooklyn in January.
Puello is a two-time world champion whose only previous career loss was to Matias last year.
Smith had withdrawn from the bout, originally scheduled for June, because of an elbow injury.
Potential future opponents mentioned include WBO champion Shakur Stevenson, WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell and British fighter Adam Azim.
Smith has said he would welcome a fight with Azim at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium in 2027.
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Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick rejected the idea that the club is impossible to manage as he faces pressure after a run of seven games without a win. He called the team’s 4-1 loss to Como unacceptable, disputed claims that the players do not press or run enough, and said he trusts them to respond against Bournemouth.
Key Facts
Manchester United were due to host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday.
United had gone seven games without a win before the Bournemouth match.
Carrick said the club was not unmanageable.
United lost 4-1 to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Carrick described the team’s performance against Como as unacceptable.
Senior players Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes had criticised the club’s recruitment and Carrick’s tactics.
Carrick said he had spoken with Sir Alex Ferguson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during the week.
Carrick said he trusted his squad and expected the team to play differently against Bournemouth.
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Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, moving up to 12th in the Premier League, their highest position since 2 January. The win was their second time winning consecutive league games in 42 attempts, with James Maddison and Mathys Tel playing starring roles; Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders scored an own goal and Cole Palmer was sent off.
Key Facts
Tottenham won 2-0 away at Chelsea on Saturday.
The result lifted Tottenham to 12th in the Premier League, their highest league position since 2 January.
Tottenham had won two league games in a row only once in their previous 42 attempts.
Tottenham had 68% possession, their highest share in a match since April 2025.
James Maddison and Mathys Tel were among Tottenham's leading performers.
Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders punched the opening goal into his own net.
Chelsea's Cole Palmer was sent off after receiving two yellow cards.
Roberto De Zerbi took charge of Tottenham at the end of March 2026, when the club was one point clear of the relegation zone.
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