Marcus Bell writes about sport as culture — the rivalries, the arguments, the moments that outlast the score. Conversational, opinionated, and always ready to relitigate a bad call.
The Kenyan's 2:09:56 from the 2024 Chicago Marathon remains in the record books after she admitted anti-doping violations and was suspended. Fellow marathon stars Brigid Kosgei and Jacob Kiplimo have since joined a voluntary testing programme requiring at least 25 out-of-competition tests a year.
Players who sign up for LIV next season will be barred from DP World Tour membership in 2027, ending any path to playing for Europe. About 15 players, including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, currently hold status on both tours.
A Fifpro survey of more than 800 players across 30 leagues finds that growth in the game has not reached the pitch. Only 56% have a formal employment contract, and 57% have struggled with their mental health — half of them with no support from their clubs.
The peloton held its ground for five minutes in Bergamo while Remco Evenepoel addressed the crowd, citing the death of Fin Tarling and a police motorcycle collision earlier this week. Paul Seixas, 20, won the race after breaking away with 19km to go.
The Minnesota Lynx guard needed just her first basket against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday to move past Clark's mark of 769 points. Miles reached 771 in the same number of games Clark played in 2024 — despite missing several games earlier this season.
The FIFA president has written to all 211 member associations proposing an independent review of how major decisions are made. It follows an investment plan that went public before the Council had been properly consulted — and was then withdrawn.
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters' Club has issued a no-confidence statement in the club's ownership after Sir Jim Ratcliffe linked Britain's decline to high immigration and high taxes in a BBC interview. It is the second time Ratcliffe has made such remarks — he apologised in February after saying the UK had been "colonised by immigrants".
The Red Roses had not dropped a match since March 2023, winning four Six Nations titles and a home World Cup along the way. Canada's first-ever draw against England keeps their unbeaten record intact but brings the winning streak to a halt.
The Barcelona winger told Movistar Plus that unconscious bias — indirect comments and looks — is as persistent as open abuse. He and Vinicius Jr were identified as the most frequent targets of online racist abuse in Spain in the final quarter of 2025.
Arsenal arrived at the Amex undefeated and left with their first loss of the season. Brighton made the most of their anniversary occasion, beating the defending champions by a three-goal margin.
A letter to Gianni Infantino calls for a $2.11 billion one-off release from reserves, to be spent on infrastructure and development. It follows the collapse of Infantino's plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
Monaco, Bahrain, Australia, Japan and Abu Dhabi will host sprint weekends for the first time. Formula 1 says viewership at sprint events has run 12% higher than at standard race weekends since the format launched in 2021.
The 39-year-old will win his 208th and final cap in a friendly against Benin, ending a two-decade international career that brought Argentina the 2022 World Cup and back-to-back Copa America titles. He leaves as the country's all-time leading scorer with 125 goals.
The 39-year-old finished 23 under par at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, posting a tournament-record 257 to claim his second national open title, 17 years after his first.
Shelton recovered from a set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American semifinal lasting over three hours. He faces top seed Alexander Zverev for the title.
Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes as San Francisco dominated Los Angeles at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The game was part of a record nine international NFL fixtures planned for 2026.
The French Football Federation says FIFA's governance problems remain unresolved, even after Infantino dropped a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. France joins England, Italy and several other European federations that have publicly withdrawn their backing.
The Saudi-backed league owes at least $45 million to players including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, who are now free to leave. LIV hopes to restructure with new investment and relaunch as a majority player-owned tour early next year.
The former world number four, returning from elbow surgery as a qualifier, is the first player to reach the women's fourth round that way since Emma Raducanu won the title in 2021.
Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen will meet in an all-American quarterfinal, with one guaranteed to reach the last four. Ben Shelton faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who has beaten him in all three previous meetings.
Taylor beat Flora Pili by unanimous decision in front of 80,000 people in Dublin, her final fight. It was the first boxing headliner at Croke Park since Muhammad Ali fought there in 1972.
The world champion was struck from behind by several riders after a pile-up on stage eight, with 33km still to race. It is the first time he has abandoned a Grand Tour, and ends his bid to win all three in his career.
It is the first Grand Tour abandonment of the world champion's career, ending his bid to complete a full set of Grand Tour victories. Enric Mas now leads by 1 minute 11 seconds — and chose to hold rather than wear the red jersey on the podium.
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