Apple TV’s Most Underrated Series Finally Returns This Summer
Although Apple TV is known as the prestige television streamer, with dramas like Severance, Pluribus,…
Although Apple TV is known as the prestige television streamer, with dramas like Severance, Pluribus,…
The Spanish football federation banned Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada for 13 matches on Wednesday after he punched Huesca player Jorge Pulido in the face.
The federation’s disciplinary committee said in a statement that the Argentina international and his club would also be fined. Andrada was sent off before he “attacked” Pulido during the second-tier derby last Sunday.
Andrada was handed a 12-match ban for the punch, while his initial red card carried an automatic one-match suspension. The punishment rules him out for the rest of the season and deals a blow to Zaragoza’s hopes in its battle to avoid relegation.
The 35-year-old, on loan from Mexican side Monterrey, shoved Pulido and was shown a second yellow card for the incident.
ALSO READ: FIFA opens talks on rule requiring clubs to field one homegrown young player during matches
Andrada then became enraged, running towards Pulido and hitting him, sparking a brawl on the pitch in stoppage time.
“The truth is I’m very, very sorry for what happened,” Andrada said afterwards.
“It’s not a good image for the club, for the fans, and especially not for a professional like myself. So, I’m very sorry.”
Huesca goalkeeper Dani Jimenez and Zaragoza’s Dani Tasende were also sent off after the brawl, with host Huesca holding on for a 1-0 win. Jimenez was banned for four matches and Tasende for two.
“We witnessed scenes unbecoming of this sport and which should never have occurred,” Zaragoza said in a statement on Sunday.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
The Spanish football federation banned Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada for 13 matches on Wednesday after he punched Huesca player Jorge Pulido in the face.
The federation’s disciplinary committee said in a statement that the Argentina international and his club would also be fined. Andrada was sent off before he “attacked” Pulido during the second-tier derby last Sunday.
Andrada was handed a 12-match ban for the punch, while his initial red card carried an automatic one-match suspension. The punishment rules him out for the rest of the season and deals a blow to Zaragoza’s hopes in its battle to avoid relegation.
The 35-year-old, on loan from Mexican side Monterrey, shoved Pulido and was shown a second yellow card for the incident.
ALSO READ: FIFA opens talks on rule requiring clubs to field one homegrown young player during matches
Andrada then became enraged, running towards Pulido and hitting him, sparking a brawl on the pitch in stoppage time.
“The truth is I’m very, very sorry for what happened,” Andrada said afterwards.
“It’s not a good image for the club, for the fans, and especially not for a professional like myself. So, I’m very sorry.”
Huesca goalkeeper Dani Jimenez and Zaragoza’s Dani Tasende were also sent off after the brawl, with host Huesca holding on for a 1-0 win. Jimenez was banned for four matches and Tasende for two.
“We witnessed scenes unbecoming of this sport and which should never have occurred,” Zaragoza said in a statement on Sunday.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
The Spanish football federation banned Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada for 13 matches on Wednesday…
The underdog has universal appeal because it represents all of us.
Undersized and beating the odds. The common citizen saving the world. The unassuming hero.
A No. 8 seed taking down a No. 1 in a playoff series is long shot gold. Or at least it should be.
The Orlando Magic are poised to join the underdog hall of fame this week in their first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons.
At No. 8 and the lowest seed in the Eastern Conference, Orlando earned an official playoff spot only after a loss and then a victory in the play-in tournament. Now they have the top-seeded Pistons on the ropes with a 3-1 series lead.
Just eight games over .500 in the regular season, the Magic can now boot a 60-win team from the playoff field.
And yet the rags-to-riches tale does not seem to be captivating a nation like it should.
Don’t expect anybody to crank up the “Hoosiers” clips before what could be a decisive Game 5 on Wednesday. This isn’t even “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.”
Only six No. 8 seeds have ever won a first-round series against a No. 1 in NBA playoff history. Perhaps the most famous was in 1994 when the Denver Nuggets got past the Seattle SuperSonics in a best-of-five opening round.
The sight of Nuggets center Dikembe Mutombo lying on the court and holding the basketball aloft — part laughter, part tears — is the picture of playoff upsets.
In 1999, the New York Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy knocked off the Miami Heat in another five-game thriller.
Other first-round conquerors, all in seven-game series, include the 2007 Golden State Warriors over the Dallas Mavericks; the 2011 Memphis Grizzlies over the San Antonio Spurs; the 2012 Philadelphia 76ers over the Chicago Bulls; the 2023 Heat over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Perhaps it has happened too often to stir the senses.
Or maybe it’s that the top seed in this case was sort of the underdog of the regular season that rose to new heights. The Pistons had just ended a five-season playoff drought last year when they were dumped in the first round.
That 2025 playoff appearance came after they were a brutal 14-68 one season earlier. They had averaged just shy of 19 wins per season over the previous five campaigns.
This Pistons-Magic series is void of a proper villain.
In Orlando, though, there is nothing Mickey Mouse about it.
The Magic have been eliminated in the first round the last six times they have made the playoffs. They have not won a series since making the Eastern Conference finals in 2010 under Stan Van Gundy.
Orlando looked ready to turn a corner when Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs arrived before the 2021-22 season. They seemed well on their way when Paolo Banchero joined one season later.
They added Desmond Bane this season in an eye-opening deal that cost four unprotected first-round draft picks and a 2029 draft pick swap. Bane ended up delivering 20.1 points per game in the regular season while providing veteran leadership. In the playoffs, he is scoring 19.0 points while shooting 44.1% from 3-point range.
After Wagner missed 48 games during the regular season with an ankle injury, he has scored 16.8 points in the playoffs. Banchero has scored 21.0 points with 8.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the playoffs.
If the Magic can get past the Pistons, they look like they also have a chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors in the next round.
If the Magic move deeper into the playoffs, maybe then they can move the masses then. It is a small world after all.
The underdog has universal appeal because it represents all of us.
Undersized and beating the odds. The common citizen saving the world. The unassuming hero.
A No. 8 seed taking down a No. 1 in a playoff series is long shot gold. Or at least it should be.
The Orlando Magic are poised to join the underdog hall of fame this week in their first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons.
At No. 8 and the lowest seed in the Eastern Conference, Orlando earned an official playoff spot only after a loss and then a victory in the play-in tournament. Now they have the top-seeded Pistons on the ropes with a 3-1 series lead.
Just eight games over .500 in the regular season, the Magic can now boot a 60-win team from the playoff field.
And yet the rags-to-riches tale does not seem to be captivating a nation like it should.
Don’t expect anybody to crank up the “Hoosiers” clips before what could be a decisive Game 5 on Wednesday. This isn’t even “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.”
Only six No. 8 seeds have ever won a first-round series against a No. 1 in NBA playoff history. Perhaps the most famous was in 1994 when the Denver Nuggets got past the Seattle SuperSonics in a best-of-five opening round.
The sight of Nuggets center Dikembe Mutombo lying on the court and holding the basketball aloft — part laughter, part tears — is the picture of playoff upsets.
In 1999, the New York Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy knocked off the Miami Heat in another five-game thriller.
Other first-round conquerors, all in seven-game series, include the 2007 Golden State Warriors over the Dallas Mavericks; the 2011 Memphis Grizzlies over the San Antonio Spurs; the 2012 Philadelphia 76ers over the Chicago Bulls; the 2023 Heat over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Perhaps it has happened too often to stir the senses.
Or maybe it’s that the top seed in this case was sort of the underdog of the regular season that rose to new heights. The Pistons had just ended a five-season playoff drought last year when they were dumped in the first round.
That 2025 playoff appearance came after they were a brutal 14-68 one season earlier. They had averaged just shy of 19 wins per season over the previous five campaigns.
This Pistons-Magic series is void of a proper villain.
In Orlando, though, there is nothing Mickey Mouse about it.
The Magic have been eliminated in the first round the last six times they have made the playoffs. They have not won a series since making the Eastern Conference finals in 2010 under Stan Van Gundy.
Orlando looked ready to turn a corner when Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs arrived before the 2021-22 season. They seemed well on their way when Paolo Banchero joined one season later.
They added Desmond Bane this season in an eye-opening deal that cost four unprotected first-round draft picks and a 2029 draft pick swap. Bane ended up delivering 20.1 points per game in the regular season while providing veteran leadership. In the playoffs, he is scoring 19.0 points while shooting 44.1% from 3-point range.
After Wagner missed 48 games during the regular season with an ankle injury, he has scored 16.8 points in the playoffs. Banchero has scored 21.0 points with 8.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the playoffs.
If the Magic can get past the Pistons, they look like they also have a chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors in the next round.
If the Magic move deeper into the playoffs, maybe then they can move the masses then. It is a small world after all.
The underdog has universal appeal because it represents all of us.Undersized and beating the odds.…
FIFA has opened talks on making it mandatory for all professional teams to field at least one homegrown young player throughout a match.
The FIFA Council agreed late on Tuesday to work towards a formal plan within a year, following global consultation with stakeholders.
The move is aimed at increasing playing opportunities for young players developed by clubs, especially at teams that usually rely on bought and imported talent.
FIFA said it is targeting “a regulatory obligation that senior club teams are obliged to always have at least one homegrown player from the Under-20 or Under-21 category on the field of play.”
Such a rule would be stricter than existing regulations in national and international club competitions, including the Champions League, which require a quota of homegrown and club-trained players in squad lists.
ALSO READ: FIFA boosts cash payments for World Cup 2026
However, those rules do not make it compulsory for clubs to select such players in their starting line-ups or use them during matches.
Champions League rules require each squad to reserve at least eight places for “locally trained players” in a maximum squad of 25.
A locally trained player is defined by Champions League organiser UEFA as one developed by the club itself or by another club in the same country for at least three full seasons between the ages of 15 and 21.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
FIFA has opened talks on making it mandatory for all professional teams to field at least one homegrown young player throughout a match.
The FIFA Council agreed late on Tuesday to work towards a formal plan within a year, following global consultation with stakeholders.
The move is aimed at increasing playing opportunities for young players developed by clubs, especially at teams that usually rely on bought and imported talent.
FIFA said it is targeting “a regulatory obligation that senior club teams are obliged to always have at least one homegrown player from the Under-20 or Under-21 category on the field of play.”
Such a rule would be stricter than existing regulations in national and international club competitions, including the Champions League, which require a quota of homegrown and club-trained players in squad lists.
ALSO READ: FIFA boosts cash payments for World Cup 2026
However, those rules do not make it compulsory for clubs to select such players in their starting line-ups or use them during matches.
Champions League rules require each squad to reserve at least eight places for “locally trained players” in a maximum squad of 25.
A locally trained player is defined by Champions League organiser UEFA as one developed by the club itself or by another club in the same country for at least three full seasons between the ages of 15 and 21.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
FIFA has opened talks on making it mandatory for all professional teams to field at…
Apr 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Pete Alonso (25) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images The Baltimore Orioles would like for first baseman Pete Alonso to get untracked.
They hope to see more signs of that Wednesday night against the visiting Houston Astros after the slugger unleashed an opposite-field home run in a 5-3 Baltimore victory Tuesday in the series opener.
Alonso, a big free-agent prize for the Orioles in the offseason, is batting only .198 with four homers and 12 RBIs this season.
“I think my swing feels good,” he said. “Just need to get a ball or two to find some grass or maybe a seat.”
Alonso put one in the seats over the right-field fence in the fifth inning Tuesday. Every time he homers, it’s a signal that he could be on the verge of a breakout.
“His defense right now has been better than advertised,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. “It’s been elite for us at first base. So it’s just on the offensive side of the ball, and he’s close. You can see it in the box, you can see it in his work. So I think once he kind of gets in that groove, it’s going to be dangerous.”
Alonso said it’s clear that the best is still to come from the Orioles, who halted a two-game skid on Tuesday.
“I think from the group largely, there’s been a lot of great individual performances, but I think from a lineup perspective, not everyone’s got going,” Alonso said. “I think once everyone kind of gets going, we start getting on the same page clicking, we’re going to put some runs up, which is going to alleviate some of the stress for the pitching staff.”
Right-hander Chris Bassitt (1-2, 6.75 ERA) will be Baltimore’s starting pitcher for the middle game of the three-game series with the Astros. He gained his first victory of the season last Wednesday despite giving up five runs in 5 1/3 innings in an 8-6 win at Kansas City. The Orioles have won in his past three starts.
Bassitt has made 16 career starts vs. Houston, recording a 5-6 record and 4.32 ERA in 89 2/3 innings. That marks the most innings he has logged against any opponent in his 12-year big-league career.
The Astros have the worst record in the American League and are dealing with injuries that have altered the available roster.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to go through this again,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “But we find ourselves in a spot that we know we have been here before. … We have a roster now that I feel good about. Putting these guys in the best position to have some success is the most important thing while we get the rest of the guys back.”
Houston’s starting pitcher on Wednesday will be right-hander Peter Lambert (1-1, 3.27 ERA), who’s coming off last Wednesday’s six shutout innings in a 2-0 victory at Cleveland. He’ll face the Orioles for the first time.
Espada said the Astros will have infielder Jeremy Pena back with the team Wednesday, but he won’t be activated to play. Instead, he’ll continue rehab work for a hamstring strain.
Outfielder Colton Cowser hasn’t been in Baltimore’s lineup for four straight games, but Albernaz said part of that is because of Leody Taveras’ production.
“It’s nothing about Cowser,” Albernaz said.
Taveras is batting .286 this season, with two homers and 15 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Apr 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Pete Alonso (25) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images The Baltimore Orioles would like for first baseman Pete Alonso to get untracked.
They hope to see more signs of that Wednesday night against the visiting Houston Astros after the slugger unleashed an opposite-field home run in a 5-3 Baltimore victory Tuesday in the series opener.
Alonso, a big free-agent prize for the Orioles in the offseason, is batting only .198 with four homers and 12 RBIs this season.
“I think my swing feels good,” he said. “Just need to get a ball or two to find some grass or maybe a seat.”
Alonso put one in the seats over the right-field fence in the fifth inning Tuesday. Every time he homers, it’s a signal that he could be on the verge of a breakout.
“His defense right now has been better than advertised,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. “It’s been elite for us at first base. So it’s just on the offensive side of the ball, and he’s close. You can see it in the box, you can see it in his work. So I think once he kind of gets in that groove, it’s going to be dangerous.”
Alonso said it’s clear that the best is still to come from the Orioles, who halted a two-game skid on Tuesday.
“I think from the group largely, there’s been a lot of great individual performances, but I think from a lineup perspective, not everyone’s got going,” Alonso said. “I think once everyone kind of gets going, we start getting on the same page clicking, we’re going to put some runs up, which is going to alleviate some of the stress for the pitching staff.”
Right-hander Chris Bassitt (1-2, 6.75 ERA) will be Baltimore’s starting pitcher for the middle game of the three-game series with the Astros. He gained his first victory of the season last Wednesday despite giving up five runs in 5 1/3 innings in an 8-6 win at Kansas City. The Orioles have won in his past three starts.
Bassitt has made 16 career starts vs. Houston, recording a 5-6 record and 4.32 ERA in 89 2/3 innings. That marks the most innings he has logged against any opponent in his 12-year big-league career.
The Astros have the worst record in the American League and are dealing with injuries that have altered the available roster.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to go through this again,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “But we find ourselves in a spot that we know we have been here before. … We have a roster now that I feel good about. Putting these guys in the best position to have some success is the most important thing while we get the rest of the guys back.”
Houston’s starting pitcher on Wednesday will be right-hander Peter Lambert (1-1, 3.27 ERA), who’s coming off last Wednesday’s six shutout innings in a 2-0 victory at Cleveland. He’ll face the Orioles for the first time.
Espada said the Astros will have infielder Jeremy Pena back with the team Wednesday, but he won’t be activated to play. Instead, he’ll continue rehab work for a hamstring strain.
Outfielder Colton Cowser hasn’t been in Baltimore’s lineup for four straight games, but Albernaz said part of that is because of Leody Taveras’ production.
“It’s nothing about Cowser,” Albernaz said.
Taveras is batting .286 this season, with two homers and 15 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Apr 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Pete Alonso (25) celebrates after hitting…
We divided the league up into four distinct tiers based on where we think they’ll end up.
We start at the bottom with three teams that clearly have no plan to be competitive this season, with 2027 already on the horizon. The shared DNA here is that all three teams are searching for franchise quarterbacks, and we’re going into one of the most stacked QB classes in recent memory. They will be duking it out to see who’s worst in order to control their draft destiny and make their pick between Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and Julian Sayin — who are presumably the best three QBs coming out.
Like any good bell curve, this is our bulge. All these teams made significant enough improvement through the draft and free agency that they very well could make the playoffs, but there are also good enough reasons to doubt that they’re ready to take the next step. This can be due to some major holes that haven’t been patched, or simply a factor of being locked in a division with teams that are further along in the process. None of these teams making the postseason would be a surprise, nor would it shock us if they’re drafting Top 5.
20. Washington Commanders
These are the teams we’ve identified as either division winners or highly-rated Wild Card teams. You can see where the split comes in for some of the iffier divisions like the NFC South, which has the Panthers in this tier — but the Buccaneers right behind them. There is an outside chance one of these teams goes on a Cinderella run to the Super Bowl, but it’s highly-unlikely based on other teams higher on this list.
Finally, we reach the seven teams that legitimately feel like they could make it all the way to the Super Bowl in February. These were dominant teams from a year ago who got better this offseason, or are healing from key injuries and now return in 2026 to make a statement. Any combination of these teams in the Super Bowl wouldn’t be surprising to us, and it’s more than likely one of them will end up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the end.
We divided the league up into four distinct tiers based on where we think they’ll end up.
We start at the bottom with three teams that clearly have no plan to be competitive this season, with 2027 already on the horizon. The shared DNA here is that all three teams are searching for franchise quarterbacks, and we’re going into one of the most stacked QB classes in recent memory. They will be duking it out to see who’s worst in order to control their draft destiny and make their pick between Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and Julian Sayin — who are presumably the best three QBs coming out.
Like any good bell curve, this is our bulge. All these teams made significant enough improvement through the draft and free agency that they very well could make the playoffs, but there are also good enough reasons to doubt that they’re ready to take the next step. This can be due to some major holes that haven’t been patched, or simply a factor of being locked in a division with teams that are further along in the process. None of these teams making the postseason would be a surprise, nor would it shock us if they’re drafting Top 5.
20. Washington Commanders
These are the teams we’ve identified as either division winners or highly-rated Wild Card teams. You can see where the split comes in for some of the iffier divisions like the NFC South, which has the Panthers in this tier — but the Buccaneers right behind them. There is an outside chance one of these teams goes on a Cinderella run to the Super Bowl, but it’s highly-unlikely based on other teams higher on this list.
Finally, we reach the seven teams that legitimately feel like they could make it all the way to the Super Bowl in February. These were dominant teams from a year ago who got better this offseason, or are healing from key injuries and now return in 2026 to make a statement. Any combination of these teams in the Super Bowl wouldn’t be surprising to us, and it’s more than likely one of them will end up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the end.
The NFL schedule hits one of its only lulls as the wait until training camp begins. The 2026 NFL Draft is in the rear view (read our full team grades here), and with it a chance to look at how all 32 teams changed with their incoming rookies. Naturally everyone got better, that’s just the nature of the beast — but some teams did a lot more work patching their holes than others, including several teams who still have an eye on the future, rather than worrying about competing now.
We divided the league up into four distinct tiers based on where we think they’ll end up.
We start at the bottom with three teams that clearly have no plan to be competitive this season, with 2027 already on the horizon. The shared DNA here is that all three teams are searching for franchise quarterbacks, and we’re going into one of the most stacked QB classes in recent memory. They will be duking it out to see who’s worst in order to control their draft destiny and make their pick between Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and Julian Sayin — who are presumably the best three QBs coming out.
Like any good bell curve, this is our bulge. All these teams made significant enough improvement through the draft and free agency that they very well could make the playoffs, but there are also good enough reasons to doubt that they’re ready to take the next step. This can be due to some major holes that haven’t been patched, or simply a factor of being locked in a division with teams that are further along in the process. None of these teams making the postseason would be a surprise, nor would it shock us if they’re drafting Top 5.
20. Washington Commanders
These are the teams we’ve identified as either division winners or highly-rated Wild Card teams. You can see where the split comes in for some of the iffier divisions like the NFC South, which has the Panthers in this tier — but the Buccaneers right behind them. There is an outside chance one of these teams goes on a Cinderella run to the Super Bowl, but it’s highly-unlikely based on other teams higher on this list.
Finally, we reach the seven teams that legitimately feel like they could make it all the way to the Super Bowl in February. These were dominant teams from a year ago who got better this offseason, or are healing from key injuries and now return in 2026 to make a statement. Any combination of these teams in the Super Bowl wouldn’t be surprising to us, and it’s more than likely one of them will end up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the end.
The NFL schedule hits one of its only lulls as the wait until training camp…
Boxers from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete as neutral athletes by World Boxing, the new governing body recently put in charge of Olympic boxing competitions.
World Boxing announced on Tuesday that it would treat Russian and Belarusian boxers as neutral athletes, following the approach generally taken by the International Olympic Committe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Fighters and support personnel from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to take part in World Boxing events with flags, uniforms or national anthems. They must also be cleared through a vetting process to ensure they have not supported the war in Ukraine or have links to the Russian military.
World Boxing was formed in 2023 as an alternative to the International Boxing Association, which was permanently banned from the Olympic movement that year. The IOC had lost patience with the IBA after years of governance issues and financial misconduct, compounded by the organisation’s ties to Russia following the election of Umar Kremlev as president in 2020.
The IBA largely ignored restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes across sport in recent years, allowing them to compete with national flags and symbols from 2023.
ALSO READ: None more deserving of FIFA Peace Prize than Donald Trump: White House
World Boxing was given provisional recognition by the IOC in February 2025. The IOC had run the Olympic boxing tournaments in Tokyo and Paris after the IBA was excluded.
A month later, boxing was formally confirmed as part of the programme for the Los Angeles Olympics after months of uncertainty over the sport’s governance.
World Boxing has gradually expanded its membership to include federations from almost every nation. It also added federations from Russia and Belarus last month. Ukraine’s federation joined the organisation last year.
Gennadiy Golovkin, the former middleweight world champion who won an Olympic silver medal for Kazakhstan in 2004, was elected World Boxing president last year.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
Boxers from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete as neutral athletes by World Boxing, the new governing body recently put in charge of Olympic boxing competitions.
World Boxing announced on Tuesday that it would treat Russian and Belarusian boxers as neutral athletes, following the approach generally taken by the International Olympic Committe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Fighters and support personnel from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to take part in World Boxing events with flags, uniforms or national anthems. They must also be cleared through a vetting process to ensure they have not supported the war in Ukraine or have links to the Russian military.
World Boxing was formed in 2023 as an alternative to the International Boxing Association, which was permanently banned from the Olympic movement that year. The IOC had lost patience with the IBA after years of governance issues and financial misconduct, compounded by the organisation’s ties to Russia following the election of Umar Kremlev as president in 2020.
The IBA largely ignored restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes across sport in recent years, allowing them to compete with national flags and symbols from 2023.
ALSO READ: None more deserving of FIFA Peace Prize than Donald Trump: White House
World Boxing was given provisional recognition by the IOC in February 2025. The IOC had run the Olympic boxing tournaments in Tokyo and Paris after the IBA was excluded.
A month later, boxing was formally confirmed as part of the programme for the Los Angeles Olympics after months of uncertainty over the sport’s governance.
World Boxing has gradually expanded its membership to include federations from almost every nation. It also added federations from Russia and Belarus last month. Ukraine’s federation joined the organisation last year.
Gennadiy Golovkin, the former middleweight world champion who won an Olympic silver medal for Kazakhstan in 2004, was elected World Boxing president last year.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
Boxers from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete as neutral athletes by World…
Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) steals second base as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) looks on during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II homered Tuesday night, while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson each knocked in three runs as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7.
St. Louis scored multiple runs in four different innings, finishing with 12 hits. The Cards were efficient, going 5 of 16 with runners in scoring position and stranding only seven runners. The Cardinals collected six extra-base hits and reached double figures in runs for the first time this year.
Kyle Leahy (3-3) garnered the win, scattering nine hits and allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and fanned seven.
Braxton Ashcraft (1-2) absorbed the loss, permitting six runs on six hits and three walks while whiffing seven. Ashcraft and reliever Hunter Barco combined to issue five walks and Pittsburgh chipped in two errors.
Gorman got the onslaught started in the second with his fourth homer of the year, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and walloping it over the seats in right field. Scott led off the third with his first homer, belting it an estimated 415 feet to right.
Walker tacked on an RBI single later in the inning for a 3-0 lead. St. Louis doubled its lead in the fifth, getting a run-scoring double from Burleson plus sacrifice flies from Walker and Gorman.
Leahy cruised into the sixth inning before the Pirates got back into the game briefly. Oneil Cruz launched a leadoff homer to center, his ninth of the year, and Ryan O’Hearn drilled his fifth homer, a two-run shot with Bryan Reynolds aboard to cut the margin to 6-3.
But the Cardinals responded in their half of the seventh with three more runs. Walker’s second RBI single, an infield out from Gorman and Masyn Winn’s run-scoring single restored a six-run lead.
St. Louis made it 11-3 in the eighth when Burleson laced a two-run double to right-center. Pittsburgh scored three runs in its half of the eighth on O’Hearn’s RBI single and a two-run single by Nick Gonzales.
Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Pirates, his second.
–Field Level Media
Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) steals second base as Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) looks on during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II homered Tuesday night, while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson each knocked in three runs as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7.
St. Louis scored multiple runs in four different innings, finishing with 12 hits. The Cards were efficient, going 5 of 16 with runners in scoring position and stranding only seven runners. The Cardinals collected six extra-base hits and reached double figures in runs for the first time this year.
Kyle Leahy (3-3) garnered the win, scattering nine hits and allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and fanned seven.
Braxton Ashcraft (1-2) absorbed the loss, permitting six runs on six hits and three walks while whiffing seven. Ashcraft and reliever Hunter Barco combined to issue five walks and Pittsburgh chipped in two errors.
Gorman got the onslaught started in the second with his fourth homer of the year, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and walloping it over the seats in right field. Scott led off the third with his first homer, belting it an estimated 415 feet to right.
Walker tacked on an RBI single later in the inning for a 3-0 lead. St. Louis doubled its lead in the fifth, getting a run-scoring double from Burleson plus sacrifice flies from Walker and Gorman.
Leahy cruised into the sixth inning before the Pirates got back into the game briefly. Oneil Cruz launched a leadoff homer to center, his ninth of the year, and Ryan O’Hearn drilled his fifth homer, a two-run shot with Bryan Reynolds aboard to cut the margin to 6-3.
But the Cardinals responded in their half of the seventh with three more runs. Walker’s second RBI single, an infield out from Gorman and Masyn Winn’s run-scoring single restored a six-run lead.
St. Louis made it 11-3 in the eighth when Burleson laced a two-run double to right-center. Pittsburgh scored three runs in its half of the eighth on O’Hearn’s RBI single and a two-run single by Nick Gonzales.
Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth for the Pirates, his second.
–Field Level Media
Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) steals…
The FIFA World Cup is the world’s richest clown show. Recently run by people investigated for international criminal conspiracy, now run by people who ask to be treated like the Pope on a visit to Canada. Bought and paid for by dictators for decades, sustained by those who see its mandate over the world’s most popular sport as the ultimate source of power and sportswashing. Yet it has managed to be completely unfunny even in its incompetent, institutional idiocy, always dipping its disgusting toes into matters that defy even the realm of comedy. You find yourself laughing at it out of delirious shock, before realizing what horrific realities lie beneath the face paint and red noses.
I can’t really “criticize FIFA” as I would, say, the Las Vegas Raiders, because FIFA’s misdeeds exist on such a galactic scale that I can’t actually do them any justice. There are a billion reasons to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but I’m not asking you to do that. I am even tempted to say I won’t enjoy it, but I know I will.
The World Cup is entertainment genius; it’s the world’s prodding, calculating, beautiful game distilled into a single chaotic flow, national pride and eternal glory for the victors. It is the greatest spectacle on earth, the peak of every player’s career. And it is being stepped on like a cockroach. Yes, we will enjoy the World Cup, but we will enjoy it in spite of everything I am about to tell you. And it is within that dissonance, our enjoyment leeched upon by subsurface repulsion, that we find suffering instead of celebration.
It seemed impossible that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be topped in terms of pre-tournament issues — it spawned a standalone Wikipedia article titled: “List of 2022 FIFA World Cup Controversies.” But the 2026 World Cup in North America has not even begun, and yet it is a mortal lock to be categorically insane. Whereas the Qatar contest was the result of documented corruption, graft and secrecy, 2026 is the out-in-the-open sequel.
For instance, President Donald Trump, the winner of the spectacularly not-illustrious FIFA Peace Prize, will surely be the event’s main character given his cozy association with the much-maligned FIFA president Gianni Infantino and their perfectly matched egomania. And he will be the mascot of the event even despite the depravity of his immigration crackdown that will threaten the security and human rights of soccer fans who travel to the United States; Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already issued a public warning. He will glow in the light of his Not-The-Nobel Peace Prize while prosecuting an aggressive war with Iran, who qualified for the World Cup, as Trump’s representatives attempt to replace them with Italy, who did not.
Infantino has repeatedly made a mockery of his position and authority, called a “nowhere man in this bonfire of greed, vanity and despotic power” (I can’t do any better than that) by The Guardian’s Barney Ronay in 2022. The FIFA President is seen by many observers as an over-promoted megalomaniac who has marshalled global soccer to serve himself above all others. And lately, FIFA’s utterly guaranteed profit-margin has come at the direct expense of its consumers.
FIFA has treated their ticket sales like we live in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max hellscape, and their tickets are gasoline; feel scammed? That’s just the way of the world. The Athletic’s Henry Bushnell has been relentlessly reporting on the changing seat maps and lack of transparency despite stratospheric price hikes, and it’s really something to behold. FIFA has treated their fans, and the greatest sporting event the world has to offer, like a cash cow they can repeatedly bludgeon with impunity.
And they can. What began as a regulatory body for European soccer between seven continental countries is now an essentially unaccountable superstructure of graft and corporate overreach. I often joke that while American sports can sometimes feel chaotic and corrupt, with monopolistic leagues organized financially like drug cartels, international soccer makes American leagues look like a kindergarten papier-mâché project.
2015 saw FIFA investigated for multinational racketeering; we’ve had broadcast rights bribery, investigations about how in the world Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup, lines of financial criminality that penetrate local administration, you name it. FIFA, which is supposed to be an administrative and regulatory body, has behaved like the dictator of international soccer and has placed itself above the game; they have become a distraction rather than a unifier. If there’s one silver lining, though, it’s that their culture of greed and corruption is hitting the United States at the perfect time, as it will have ample opportunity to mix and mingle with our own special brand of greed and corruption that is presently ascendant in American politics and business.
The World Cup should be the coolest thing ever when it comes around, and it’s still amazing every time. But why must it come with a persistent circus of financial crimes, authoritarian-curious actors with egos the size of Jupiter and human rights violations at every turn? It is the epitome of a sporting event being too big to fail, too popular to boycott and too powerful to fight.
The FIFA World Cup is the world’s richest clown show. Recently run by people investigated for international criminal conspiracy, now run by people who ask to be treated like the Pope on a visit to Canada. Bought and paid for by dictators for decades, sustained by those who see its mandate over the world’s most popular sport as the ultimate source of power and sportswashing. Yet it has managed to be completely unfunny even in its incompetent, institutional idiocy, always dipping its disgusting toes into matters that defy even the realm of comedy. You find yourself laughing at it out of delirious shock, before realizing what horrific realities lie beneath the face paint and red noses.
I can’t really “criticize FIFA” as I would, say, the Las Vegas Raiders, because FIFA’s misdeeds exist on such a galactic scale that I can’t actually do them any justice. There are a billion reasons to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but I’m not asking you to do that. I am even tempted to say I won’t enjoy it, but I know I will.
The World Cup is entertainment genius; it’s the world’s prodding, calculating, beautiful game distilled into a single chaotic flow, national pride and eternal glory for the victors. It is the greatest spectacle on earth, the peak of every player’s career. And it is being stepped on like a cockroach. Yes, we will enjoy the World Cup, but we will enjoy it in spite of everything I am about to tell you. And it is within that dissonance, our enjoyment leeched upon by subsurface repulsion, that we find suffering instead of celebration.
It seemed impossible that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be topped in terms of pre-tournament issues — it spawned a standalone Wikipedia article titled: “List of 2022 FIFA World Cup Controversies.” But the 2026 World Cup in North America has not even begun, and yet it is a mortal lock to be categorically insane. Whereas the Qatar contest was the result of documented corruption, graft and secrecy, 2026 is the out-in-the-open sequel.
For instance, President Donald Trump, the winner of the spectacularly not-illustrious FIFA Peace Prize, will surely be the event’s main character given his cozy association with the much-maligned FIFA president Gianni Infantino and their perfectly matched egomania. And he will be the mascot of the event even despite the depravity of his immigration crackdown that will threaten the security and human rights of soccer fans who travel to the United States; Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already issued a public warning. He will glow in the light of his Not-The-Nobel Peace Prize while prosecuting an aggressive war with Iran, who qualified for the World Cup, as Trump’s representatives attempt to replace them with Italy, who did not.
Infantino has repeatedly made a mockery of his position and authority, called a “nowhere man in this bonfire of greed, vanity and despotic power” (I can’t do any better than that) by The Guardian’s Barney Ronay in 2022. The FIFA President is seen by many observers as an over-promoted megalomaniac who has marshalled global soccer to serve himself above all others. And lately, FIFA’s utterly guaranteed profit-margin has come at the direct expense of its consumers.
FIFA has treated their ticket sales like we live in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max hellscape, and their tickets are gasoline; feel scammed? That’s just the way of the world. The Athletic’s Henry Bushnell has been relentlessly reporting on the changing seat maps and lack of transparency despite stratospheric price hikes, and it’s really something to behold. FIFA has treated their fans, and the greatest sporting event the world has to offer, like a cash cow they can repeatedly bludgeon with impunity.
And they can. What began as a regulatory body for European soccer between seven continental countries is now an essentially unaccountable superstructure of graft and corporate overreach. I often joke that while American sports can sometimes feel chaotic and corrupt, with monopolistic leagues organized financially like drug cartels, international soccer makes American leagues look like a kindergarten papier-mâché project.
2015 saw FIFA investigated for multinational racketeering; we’ve had broadcast rights bribery, investigations about how in the world Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup, lines of financial criminality that penetrate local administration, you name it. FIFA, which is supposed to be an administrative and regulatory body, has behaved like the dictator of international soccer and has placed itself above the game; they have become a distraction rather than a unifier. If there’s one silver lining, though, it’s that their culture of greed and corruption is hitting the United States at the perfect time, as it will have ample opportunity to mix and mingle with our own special brand of greed and corruption that is presently ascendant in American politics and business.
The World Cup should be the coolest thing ever when it comes around, and it’s still amazing every time. But why must it come with a persistent circus of financial crimes, authoritarian-curious actors with egos the size of Jupiter and human rights violations at every turn? It is the epitome of a sporting event being too big to fail, too popular to boycott and too powerful to fight.
The FIFA World Cup is the world’s richest clown show. Recently run by people investigated…
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan on Wednesday attributed the bowlers’ steadily improving outings against marauding batters in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) to their aggressive mindset and putting in place right strategies. Amidst the general bashing the batters meted out to bowlers, the likes of Akeal Hosein (4/17), Mohsin Khan (5/23), Josh Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) have made strong impression across the last week or so.
“I’m very happy to see that bowlers are coming back in a tournament like IPL right now. You’ve seen some low scores. You’ve seen 155 (-run) games also being defended (and) you’ve seen (a) team getting all out for 75,” Zaheer told reporters on the sidelines of the jersey launch event of the EUT20 Belgium, which starts on June 6.
“I think aggression and the right kind of approach are working out (for bowlers). The teams (that) are having good balance in bowling, are making that impact in this tournament,” he added.
READ | Pitch perfect Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar show how to restore IPL’s bat-ball balance
Zaheer, however, did not read much into Jasprit Bumrah’s form in this IPL where he has only two wickets to show in seven matches.
“That’s the kind of season he’s having. As a bowler, you can go through these phases,” Zaheer said.
“It doesn’t make you a bigger or a smaller bowler. It’s just about the phase and he’s aware of it. Still, (there are) what, seven games to go for him? So there’s still plenty of time for him to turn things around. You’ve seen what kind of capability he has,” he added.
Zaheer, however, heaped praise on Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for staying true to his natural approach.
“I think (it is about his) ability, confidence,” he replied when asked about Sooryavanshi’s knack of going after the top bowlers. “(He is) someone who is not carrying any baggage, approaching the game in the purest form — seeing the ball, hitting the ball, and having that kind of talent and ability.
“To be able to do that consistently, that is the exciting part about someone like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. (He is) just going out there and enjoying the game,” Zaheer added.
Zaheer, who has 311 Test wickets, rued an injury-hit career so far for pacer Mohsin, who plays for Lucknow Super Giants.
“He has been down and out with injuries, isn’t it, for a while. It is great to see him coming back. It is about how he makes the impact, right?,” said Zaheer, LSG’s former bowling coach and mentor.
“The skill is there. The fitness has to be backed properly for him because we have seen in the last two-three seasons, he has been a stop and start (player). For him, it is about playing more and more matches.
“What I’m really excited about is someone like Prince (Yadav) also, who’s doing so well, who has put in all the hard work in the last year. You’ve seen Praful Hinge as well making that kind of impact,” Zaheer said.
Zaheer said the 36-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar could be thinking of making an India comeback.
“It’s great to see that he’s (Bhuvneswhar) coming up with such performances. I’m sure he must be thinking in those lines,” he said.
“(The) IPL, we’ve seen, has been a platform for many to be able to showcase and Bhuvneshwar certainly has shown that. This season so far, it’s just about finishing strong, I think. We’ve seen things happen post-IPL. So why not?” He also urged Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi, who had a splendid red ball season, to grab his opportunities in the IPL.
“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing — that is something which is very important. Also, it’s to do with opportunities, right? It’s a very complicated scenario that way.
“But for anyone who is playing IPL, (it is) such a platform, such a format, it is just about being ready to grab those opportunities,” added Zaheer.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan on Wednesday attributed the bowlers’ steadily improving outings against marauding batters in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) to their aggressive mindset and putting in place right strategies. Amidst the general bashing the batters meted out to bowlers, the likes of Akeal Hosein (4/17), Mohsin Khan (5/23), Josh Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) have made strong impression across the last week or so.
“I’m very happy to see that bowlers are coming back in a tournament like IPL right now. You’ve seen some low scores. You’ve seen 155 (-run) games also being defended (and) you’ve seen (a) team getting all out for 75,” Zaheer told reporters on the sidelines of the jersey launch event of the EUT20 Belgium, which starts on June 6.
“I think aggression and the right kind of approach are working out (for bowlers). The teams (that) are having good balance in bowling, are making that impact in this tournament,” he added.
READ | Pitch perfect Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar show how to restore IPL’s bat-ball balance
Zaheer, however, did not read much into Jasprit Bumrah’s form in this IPL where he has only two wickets to show in seven matches.
“That’s the kind of season he’s having. As a bowler, you can go through these phases,” Zaheer said.
“It doesn’t make you a bigger or a smaller bowler. It’s just about the phase and he’s aware of it. Still, (there are) what, seven games to go for him? So there’s still plenty of time for him to turn things around. You’ve seen what kind of capability he has,” he added.
Zaheer, however, heaped praise on Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for staying true to his natural approach.
“I think (it is about his) ability, confidence,” he replied when asked about Sooryavanshi’s knack of going after the top bowlers. “(He is) someone who is not carrying any baggage, approaching the game in the purest form — seeing the ball, hitting the ball, and having that kind of talent and ability.
“To be able to do that consistently, that is the exciting part about someone like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. (He is) just going out there and enjoying the game,” Zaheer added.
Zaheer, who has 311 Test wickets, rued an injury-hit career so far for pacer Mohsin, who plays for Lucknow Super Giants.
“He has been down and out with injuries, isn’t it, for a while. It is great to see him coming back. It is about how he makes the impact, right?,” said Zaheer, LSG’s former bowling coach and mentor.
“The skill is there. The fitness has to be backed properly for him because we have seen in the last two-three seasons, he has been a stop and start (player). For him, it is about playing more and more matches.
“What I’m really excited about is someone like Prince (Yadav) also, who’s doing so well, who has put in all the hard work in the last year. You’ve seen Praful Hinge as well making that kind of impact,” Zaheer said.
Zaheer said the 36-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar could be thinking of making an India comeback.
“It’s great to see that he’s (Bhuvneswhar) coming up with such performances. I’m sure he must be thinking in those lines,” he said.
“(The) IPL, we’ve seen, has been a platform for many to be able to showcase and Bhuvneshwar certainly has shown that. This season so far, it’s just about finishing strong, I think. We’ve seen things happen post-IPL. So why not?” He also urged Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi, who had a splendid red ball season, to grab his opportunities in the IPL.
“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing — that is something which is very important. Also, it’s to do with opportunities, right? It’s a very complicated scenario that way.
“But for anyone who is playing IPL, (it is) such a platform, such a format, it is just about being ready to grab those opportunities,” added Zaheer.
Published on Apr 29, 2026
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan on Wednesday attributed the bowlers’ steadily improving outings against marauding…