After 14 seasons of transformative leadership and unprecedented success that reshaped women’s soccer on both domestic and global stages, two-time consecutive Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas is preparing to depart FC Barcelona, the Catalan giants confirmed this week. The club announced Tuesday that the 32-year-old icon will formally say goodbye to fans and teammates during a ceremonial event at Camp Nou on Wednesday, an occasion organized to honor the extraordinary legacy of a player who has become a global role model both on and off the pitch.
Putellas’ exit comes just days after she helped Barcelona secure their fourth UEFA Women’s Champions League crown in just six seasons, capping her final campaign with the club with one more major trophy. Since joining Barcelona from Levante back in 2011 at the age of 18, Putellas has built an unmatched record with the club: she has featured in 507 senior matches, the second-highest total in the club’s all-time history, and netted 232 goals — a mark that stands as a new club record for any player, male or female. Over her 14 years in Barcelona’s blue and garnet stripes, Putellas lifted 38 major trophies, including 10 Spanish domestic league titles and the four continental crowns.
In a heartfelt video message shared across her personal social media channels, Putellas reflected on her time with the club, saying, “The time has come to acknowledge that I’ve given everything for these colors. It’s been a perfect story.”
Putellas’ legacy extends far beyond the trophy case and record books. She was the talismanic leader of Barcelona’s first-ever Champions League winning side in 2021, a breakthrough triumph that cemented Spanish women’s soccer as a global powerhouse. Her back-to-back Ballon d’Or wins in 2021 and 2022 brought unprecedented mainstream attention to the women’s game, with many analysts crediting her influence as a key factor behind Spain’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup victory.
Off the pitch, Putellas has stood at the forefront of cultural change for women’s soccer in Spain. When the Spanish football federation was plunged into crisis following former president Luis Rubiales’ unwanted non-consensual kiss of player Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 World Cup trophy ceremony, Putellas stepped forward as one of the leading voices of the player rebellion that ultimately forced Rubiales to resign. Reflecting on the progress of the sport over her career, Putellas noted, “At the beginning, being a soccer player wasn’t even recognized as a profession. Now I feel privileged to have been part of this change.”
Her career has not been without adversity: a serious leg injury sidelined her for months at the peak of her powers, casting doubt over her future at the top level. After her return, limited minutes sparked widespread rumors of an early exit, but Putellas ultimately committed to a contract extension to see out her final chapter with the club she called home for nearly 15 years.
As of yet, Putellas has not confirmed her next professional move, but speculation across Spanish soccer circles has linked her to a potential move to the London City Lionesses, a rapidly rising club in England’s second tier. Putellas was spotted attending a Lionesses match in London back in January, fueling ongoing rumors about her next step.
分类： sports
-
Women’s soccer star Alexia Putellas leaves Barcelona after 14 seasons
-
Osaka sparkles in golden French Open outfit
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has once again blended high fashion and elite tennis, turning heads at the 2026 French Open with a dramatic two-layered outfit inspired by the sparkling night sky over Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower — and backing up the viral entrance with a straight-set first-round win.
The 28-year-old Japanese star, who has built a reputation for show-stopping custom looks at major tournaments, made her entrance onto Court Suzanne Lenglen in a dramatic outer ensemble: a structured black corset paired with a flowing pleated skirt that swept across the red clay. Beneath this moody, elegant outer layer, Osaka hid a showstopping custom gold tennis dress covered in light-catching sequins that glinted under the bright Parisian sun. In a post-match interview, Osaka shared that the outfit’s design was directly inspired by the twinkling evening light display that makes the Eiffel Tower one of the most visited landmarks in the world. “When I first saw it, I felt like I look like the Eiffel Tower at night time when it’s bright,” she explained.
The layered look was a collaborative design: the sustainable black outer pieces came from London-based fashion designer Kevin Germanier, while the glittering gold base dress was custom-created by Osaka’s long-time apparel partner Nike. Osaka admitted that she had one major concern ahead of her opening match: the intense reflection from the sequins when hit by direct sunlight. She revealed she brought two plain backup dresses to the court, worried tournament umpires would ask her to change over distraction concerns. “I was a little scared the umpire was going to kick me off the court,” she joked. “Thankfully I didn’t have to wear them.”
Osaka’s fashion-forward entrance won praise from across the tennis world, including from women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who watched the entrance live on broadcast. “This is sparkling. I love it. I love that she is expressing herself and feels confident,” Sabalenka said. “That’s the beauty of the fashion world, there’s space for anything and I love that she’s bringing it on court.”
Former British top-ranked player Annabel Croft noted that pulling off a high-profile custom outfit on a Grand Slam stage takes a unique level of confidence that few players can match. “If you out there in an extraordinary outfit, you’ve got to live up to that and have the confidence to play in it and give the crowd the tennis as well as the outfit,” Croft told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. “Naomi can handle it. She really loves it and she’s not fazed by it.”
Osaka delivered on both fronts: after the viral entrance, she played solid, consistent tennis to defeat Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) to secure her spot in the tournament’s second round. She will next face Croatia’s Donna Vekic for a place in the third round.
This French Open look continues Osaka’s recent tradition of memorable Grand Slam entrance outfits. At the 2026 Australian Open earlier this year, she stepped onto court in a jellyfish-inspired look that she dedicated to her two-year-old daughter Shai, and previous majors have seen her debut bold designs ranging from bow-accented lime green ensembles to tie-dye statement pieces. Osaka says these pre-match entrances are the one part of her job where she gets to embrace the performative side of professional sports. “Sometimes people say athletes are in show business or entertainers or whatever,” she said. “For me, Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I’m an entertainer.”
Osaka is no stranger to pushing fashion boundaries in tennis, a trend that can be traced back decades through trailblazing players like Serena and Venus Williams. The image gallery accompanying this event highlights iconic boundary-pushing tennis fashion moments: Serena Williams’ all-black studded ensemble at the 2004 US Open, her 2018 French Open black catsuit (which she said made her feel like a “superhero”), Venus Williams’ black-and-red corset lace dress at the 2010 French Open, and Maria Sharapova’s tuxedo-inspired twist on Wimbledon’s all-white dress code in 2008, placing Osaka’s latest design firmly in a legacy of athletes using fashion to express creativity on court.
Since returning to the tour following the birth of her daughter in 2023, Osaka has mounted a remarkable career comeback, climbing back into the world’s top 20 rankings and reaching the semi-finals of the 2025 US Open.
-
Southampton pay tribute as Udoh dies aged 21
The global football community is in mourning after the announcement of the sudden passing of 21-year-old rising talent Victor Udoh, who previously played for the academies of both Southampton FC and Royal Antwerp. The Nigerian left-winger, whose promising career was just getting off the ground, leaves behind shocked teammates, coaches and fans across three European countries where he played.
Udoh began his European youth career with Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp, joining the club’s academy setup in 2023. He quickly made an impression with the club’s youth development squad, Young Reds, netting 12 goals in 27 appearances to force his way into first-team contention. By the end of his first season at the club, he had earned his senior debut, and went on to rack up 28 first-team appearances before moving on.
In February 2025, Udoh made the move to England to join Southampton’s prestigious academy, where he spent six months developing his game. During his time on the south coast, he featured eight times for the club’s under-21 side in the competitive Premier League 2 competition, and scored two goals for the young Saints side.
After leaving Southampton that September, Udoh continued his professional journey by signing with Ceske Budejovice, a club competing in the Czech second tier, where he had been playing up until his passing.
Both former clubs have released official statements paying tribute to the young player, expressing their deep sorrow at his death. “We are devastated by the tragic passing of former player Victor Udoh at the age of 21,” Southampton FC shared in a post on X. “The thoughts of everyone at the club go out to Victor’s loved ones at this extremely difficult time.”
Royal Antwerp echoed the sentiment, writing: “With great dismay, RAFC has learned of the passing of former player Victor Udoh. Our thoughts are with Victor’s family, friends, and loved ones. We wish them much strength, support, and warmth during this particularly difficult time.”
No cause of death has been announced publicly by the clubs or Udoh’s family at the time of publishing.
-
Inglis to lead Australia in ODI series against Pakistan after Marsh ankle jury
A last-minute leadership shakeup has hit Australia’s men’s one-day international squad ahead of their highly anticipated three-match series against Pakistan, with wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis tapped to step into the captaincy role following an ankle injury to Mitchell Marsh, Cricket Australia announced Tuesday in Islamabad.
Marsh picked up the injury during his recent participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL), forcing him to withdraw from the Lucknow Super Giants’ closing fixture of the tournament and return to his home country for further care. The all-rounder will undergo detailed medical assessment and targeted treatment in Perth once back in Australia, with no clear timeline yet released for his return to competitive play.
This leadership vacancy comes as no small surprise, given Australia is already missing two of its top white-ball leaders for the Pakistan series. Regular 50-over captain Pat Cummins and vice-captain Travis Head have both skipped the tour to remain in India for the IPL playoffs, leaving the squad already short on experienced top-level leadership before Marsh’s injury.
The ODI series is set to kick off this coming Saturday in Rawalpindi, with the two remaining matches scheduled to take place in Lahore on June 2 and June 4 respectively. For Inglis, this captaincy appointment is not uncharted territory. The wicketkeeper-batter already led the Australian side in a series against Pakistan back in November 2024, when a large number of the team’s first-choice players were also unavailable for selection.
Following the conclusion of the Pakistan series, Australia’s men’s squad will travel directly to Bangladesh for a white-ball tour. A number of the team’s star fast bowlers, including Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, have already been confirmed as absentees for both the Pakistan and Bangladesh legs of the back-to-back tour.
-
PGA Tour heads to Colonial without Scheffler and Spieth while LIV resumes in South Korea
Professional golf enters a busy week of tournament action across six major men’s tours and multiple women’s circuits, with elite players jockeying for form, ranking points, and coveted major championship exemptions ahead of next month’s U.S. Open.
### PGA Tour: Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club
Headlining the men’s schedule this week is the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge, hosted for the first time in back-to-back weeks with the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, an unprecedented scheduling shift for the Texas-based stop. Held at Fort Worth’s Colonial Country Club, the par-70 7,289-yard course will host a $9.9 million total purse, with the winner taking home $1.782 million in prize money.Notable absences shake up this year’s field: current FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler, who has notched seven top-5 finishes in 11 events this season with one win at The American Express, will miss the tournament for the first time since he became eligible to compete. Texas fan favorite Jordan Spieth also sits out this year, ending a consecutive start streak that dates back to his professional debut. With Scheffler and Spieth out, U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, ranked world No. 9, enters as the highest-ranked competitor in the field. Former top-50 player Nico Echavarria will look to rebound after a surprise last-week win by Wyndham Clark at the Byron Nelson knocked him out of the top 50, costing him an automatic exemption into the 2025 British Open. Justin Thomas makes his first start at Colonial since 2022, while Texas native Ryan Palmer accepted a sponsor exemption for his sixth PGA Tour start of the year. In milestone news, Si Woo Kim has officially crossed $6 million in career PGA Tour earnings, coming off a runner-up finish at last week’s Byron Nelson. Ben Griffin returns as defending champion.
Broadcast coverage is split across Golf Channel and CBS: preliminary rounds air Thursday and Friday from 4-7 p.m. ET on Golf Channel, with Saturday coverage running 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Golf Channel and 3:30-6:30 p.m. on CBS. Sunday coverage airs 1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel and 3-6 p.m. on CBS.
### LPGA Tour: ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey
On the women’s side, the LPGA Tour hosts the ShopRite LPGA Classic at Galloway, New Jersey’s Seaview Hotel and Golf Club Bay Course. The par-71 6,263-yard event carries a $2 million total purse, with a $300,000 winner’s share. Jennifer Kupcho returns to defend her 2024 title, while Nelly Korda enters the week as the top-ranked player in the Race to CME Globe standings. Last week, Lottie Woad claimed victory at the Kroger Queen City Championship.This week’s New Jersey event is one of only two remaining 54-hole tournaments on the LPGA schedule, held just seven days ahead of the high-profile U.S. Women’s Open at Los Angeles’ Riviera Country Club. World No. 7 Charley Hull is the only top-10 ranked player in the world competing this week, with most top contenders opting to prepare directly for next week’s major. Nelly Korda, who fell out of the final round top grouping in her most recent event for the first time this season, will not compete. First held in 1986, the tournament has only seen one repeat winner in its history: Anna Nordqvist, who won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. Nordqvist shares the 54-hole scoring record of 17-under 196 with legend Annika Sorenstam.
Broadcast coverage runs exclusively on Golf Channel: Friday 12-3 p.m. ET, Saturday 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET, and Sunday 3-5 p.m. ET, with early Sunday coverage streaming on the Golf Channel app.
### DP World Tour: Austrian Alpine Open in Kitzbühel
The European DP World Tour travels to the Austrian Alps for the Austrian Alpine Open, held at Kitzbühel’s Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith Golf Club. The par-70 6,822-yard course hosts a $2.75 million total purse, with a $458,333 winner’s share. Nicolai Von Dellingshausen returns as defending champion, with Patrick Reed leading the Race to Dubai standings entering the week. Last week, Richard Sterne claimed victory at the Soudal Open.Austrian native Sepp Straka makes a sentimental home start, competing in his national open 12 years after he played his first professional event at the same tournament as a 20-year-old collegiate golfer at the University of Georgia. Only two other top-100 world-ranked players join Straka in the field: Casey Jarvis of South Africa and Daniel Hillier of New Zealand, with the field slightly depleted by conflicting tournament play from LIV Golf. Kevin Na, who recently ended a four-year tenure with LIV Golf, makes his second DP World Tour start of the year at this event. First held in 1990 with Bernhard Langer as the inaugural champion, the tournament spent eight seasons as a Challenge Tour event before returning to the DP World Tour schedule in 2006. This week’s event marks the third stop of the DP World Tour’s European Swing.
Golf Channel will carry all four rounds of coverage, airing 6:30-11:30 a.m. ET Thursday and Friday, 7-11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, and 6-11 a.m. ET Sunday.
### LIV Golf League: LIV Golf Korea in Busan
The breakaway LIV Golf League travels to Busan, South Korea for LIV Golf Korea, the eighth event of the 2025 season held in the eighth different host country, with four of this year’s stops hosted in Asia. The event is held at Busan’s Asiad Country Club, a 7,024-yard par-70 originally built for the 2002 Asian Games that underwent a major redesign by Rees Jones in 2019. The 54-hole event carries a $20 million total purse, with the winner taking home a $4 million payout. Bryson DeChambeau, who won the 2024 event at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, returns to defend his title, while Jon Rahm enters the week as the circuit’s points leader. Last week, Lucas Herbert won LIV Golf Virginia, earning himself a spot in the upcoming U.S. Open.This week’s event is the first of two consecutive LIV stops ahead of the U.S. Open, and the circuit continues its streak of strong major performances: at least one LIV player has finished in the top 10 of the last 10 major championships. Three LIV players qualified for the upcoming U.S. Open via sectional qualifying last week in Dallas: Peter Uihlein, 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, and amateur Caleb Surratt. The season-ending points leader after next week’s stop in Andalucia will earn an automatic exemption into the British Open at Royal Birkdale.
Broadcast coverage airs on Fox Sports networks: FS1 carries round one and two coverage Thursday and Saturday from 12-5 a.m. ET, with final round coverage Sunday on Fox from 12-5 a.m. ET.
### Other Global Tour Events This Week
The Korn Ferry Tour hosts the UNC Health Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina this week, held at Raleigh Country Club with a $1 million total purse and an $180,000 winner’s share. Trace Crowe returns as defending champion, with Ian Holt leading the tour’s points standings. No television coverage is scheduled for the event.Additional global events this week include the Mizuno Open on the Japan Golf Tour, the Jabra Ladies French Open on the Ladies European Tour, the Spanish Challenge on the European Challenge Tour, the Resort Trust Ladies on the Japan LPGA, and the Suhyup Bank MBN Ladies Open on the Korea LPGA. Next week, top tours will shift to major championship preparation, with the PGA Tour hosting the Memorial Tournament, LIV Golf heading to Andalucia, the DP World Tour hosting the KLM Open, and the LPGA Tour teeing off the U.S. Women’s Open.
-
Partey in preliminary Ghana squad for World Cup
One of Ghana’s most high-profile football stars, former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, has been selected for the West African nation’s preliminary squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a decision that comes as the 32-year-old prepares to stand trial on multiple sexual offense charges next year.
Partey, who currently plies his trade for Spanish La Liga club Villarreal after leaving Arsenal this past summer when his contract at the North London side expired, has formally pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one additional count of sexual assault. The charges stem from allegations made by four separate women dating back to incidents between 2020 and 2022. His trial is scheduled to get underway in 2026.
Across his five-year tenure with Arsenal between 2020 and 2025, Partey earned 167 appearances across all domestic and European competitions for the Gunners. Capped 58 times for Ghana to date, the midfielder currently serves as vice-captain of the national team, a status the Ghana Football Association has reaffirmed in the wake of the charges.
“Thomas is our vice-captain. He is one of the top midfielders in the world and we stand by him shoulder to shoulder,” GFA President Kurt Okraku told BBC Sport in a public statement confirming the association’s support for the player.
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz named Partey as part of his 28-man preliminary group for a pre-World Cup training camp, which will be capped off with a friendly fixture against Wales in Cardiff on June 2. Queiroz is required to cut his final roster down to the 26-player limit mandated by FIFA before the tournament kicks off.
Alongside Partey, other notable call-ups include Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, Coventry City striker Brandon Thomas-Asante, and Leicester City pair Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu. Five goalkeepers were included in the preliminary squad, among them Joseph Anang, who currently plays for League of Ireland Premier Division side St Patrick’s Athletic. The only major absentee from the group is Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus, who has not featured since January due to a persistent quad injury.
Ghana will kick off their Group L campaign at the 2026 World Cup against Panama in Toronto on June 17, before subsequent group stage matches against England in Foxborough and Croatia in Philadelphia respectively.
-
Sabalenka thrives in French Open heat, Sinner waits in wings
The opening day of main draw action at the 2025 French Open delivered a mix of dominant wins, shocking upsets and highly anticipated upcoming matches on Tuesday, as top seeds navigated soaring Paris temperatures and tricky first-round hurdles to kick off their fortnight at Roland Garros.
Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka got her tournament campaign off to a flying start, wrapping up a straight-sets 6-4, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, the world No. 50, in just 75 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Belarusian 28-year-old, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, only faced one minor scare when she failed to close out the match on her own serve, but responded immediately with a break in the next game to seal her spot in the second round.
The result marked a strong bounce-back for Sabalenka, who suffered a surprise early exit at the Italian Open earlier this month. Speaking after her win, the top seed acknowledged that first-round matches at major tournaments always carry extra pressure. “I’m super happy to be through. I feel like it was a tricky first-round opponent,” she said. “I’d say that for me the first rounds are always not easy. And then, as I get further in the tournament, as I get more comfortable, my level becomes better.”
Sabalenka will next face the winner of the opening-round match between French wildcard Elsa Jacquemot and Czech qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova in the round of 64. She also noted that the unseasonably hot conditions at this year’s tournament actually worked in her favor, a stark contrast to the cold, wet weather she faced in Rome and during her first week of practice in Paris. “I’d say that it was a bit warm,” she joked. “Especially compared to the first days when I first got here, it was like 14C, freezing. Now it’s boiling hot and balls are flying, everything is much faster. But physically I feel strong, so I feel like it can benefit me.”
As Sabalenka wraps up her opening match, all attention turned to the evening’s night session, where men’s world number one Jannik Sinner was set to make his 2025 French Open debut. The Italian 24-year-old is one win away from completing a career Grand Slam, with the Paris title the only major still missing from his trophy cabinet. With double defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury and Sinner bringing a 29-match winning streak into the tournament, he enters as the overwhelming favorite to lift the trophy. Still, six matches stand between him and the men’s final on June 8, and he will open against French wildcard Clement Tabur, who is expected to receive a rapturous welcome from the home crowd on Chatrier. Tuesday’s match marks almost exactly one year since Sinner’s heartbreaking five-set loss to Alcaraz in the 2024 final, where he held three championship points before being overturned.
Before Sinner takes the court, women’s defending champion Coco Gauff will face off against compatriot Taylor Townsend in the preceding match on Chatrier.
The opening day also brought a major upset when Russia’s sixth seed Daniil Medvedev suffered a five-set first-round exit at the hands of Australian wildcard Adam Walton. The result extends Medvedev’s poor run of form at Roland Garros: it is now the seventh time he has been knocked out in the opening round in 10 tournament appearances. Despite the disappointing loss, the former world number one insisted he remains committed to competing in Paris. “I know that I am in good shape and I can play well in Roland Garros. I can,” Medvedev said. “It’s just tougher for me, and first rounds are usually tougher for me, but I will always come here.”
Elsewhere in the draw, 18-year-old American rising star Iva Jovic continued to turn heads with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win over Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, booking a second-round clash with compatriot Emma Navarro, the former world No. 8 who eased past Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in straight sets. 2021 French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas also advanced after his opponent Alexandre Muller was forced to retire through injury early in the match. The Greek 27-year-old, who has plummeted to No. 79 in the ATP rankings after a poor run of results, could reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in seven appearances when he faces Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi next. The day ended with a fairy-tale win for home crowd favorite Moise Kouame: the 17-year-old French wildcard notched his first ever Grand Slam match win with an impressive 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1 victory over 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia.
-
DR Congo seeks World Cup ticket refunds after Ebola outbreak
Fifty-two years after their last appearance at football’s global showcase, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s men’s national team – known affectionately as the Leopards – is set to make a historic return to the FIFA World Cup this summer. But a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak centered in the Central African nation has thrown a wrench into plans for hundreds of home fans, who are now barred from entering the United States to cheer on their side, prompting the country’s football governing body to push FIFA for full ticket refunds.
The World Health Organization designated the ongoing Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 16, triggering sweeping travel restrictions from the United States, one of three co-hosts for the 2026 tournament alongside Canada and Mexico. As of late May, regional health officials have recorded more than 900 suspected Ebola cases and 223 suspected deaths across Central and East Africa, over 90% of which are concentrated in DR Congo. In response to the public health crisis, the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa has suspended routine visa processing, and Washington has implemented an entry ban barring all non-U.S. citizens who have traveled to DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the prior 21 days.
While the WHO has refrained from issuing official recommendations for cross-border travel restrictions, the U.S. policy has effectively locked hundreds of DR Congo-based fans out of matches scheduled on U.S. soil. Veron Mosengo-Omba, president of the Fédération Congolaise de Football (Fecofa), told BBC Sport Africa that the federation has formally asked FIFA to issue refunds for hundreds of tickets purchased by fans who now cannot travel. Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are already exponentially higher than the 2022 edition in Qatar, reaching up to seven times the cost due to FIFA’s controversial dynamic pricing model.
“They are punished because they cannot get to see the World Cup (in the USA) to support their team,” Mosengo-Omba said. “We don’t want our supporters who love football, who love the World Cup, to lose everything.”
FIFA, the global governing body for football, told reporters it will review Fecofa’s request in due course. Under the organization’s standard ticketing policy, refunds are only issued in exceptional cases such as match cancellations, with fans typically limited to reselling or transferring tickets to other attendees. It remains unclear whether the organization will grant an exception for the affected DR Congo fans.
The timeline of the tournament puts additional pressure on stakeholders: the Leopards kick off their Group K campaign against Portugal in Houston on June 17, meaning fans traveling from DR Congo would have needed to depart by the end of May to meet the 21-day entry requirement. Following their opening match, DR Congo will face Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico, and most displaced fans have already shifted plans to attend that fixture, which is not subject to U.S. entry rules. If the Leopards advance to the round of 16 as group runners-up, their next match would be held in Toronto, Canada, which currently does not enforce the same entry restrictions as the United States.
Notably, the DR Congo national squad itself remains unaffected by the travel ban. All 26 players in head coach Sebastien Desabre’s squad and nearly all technical staff are based at clubs outside DR Congo. The few Fecofa officials traveling with the team from the country departed weeks ago to satisfy the 21-day waiting period, and the federation canceled a planned pre-tournament training camp in Kinshasa, opting to assemble the squad in Belgium for warm-up friendlies before moving to their tournament base in Texas.
For DR Congo, this World Cup marks more than just a football competition: it is the first time the nation has qualified for the tournament since 1974, when it competed as Zaire, making it the first sub-Saharan African nation to ever compete at the World Cup. Mosengo-Omba, who was elected Fecofa president earlier this May after stepping down from his role as secretary general of the Confederation of African Football, called the long-awaited return a “resurrection” of Congolese football.
“This is the resurrection of football in this country,” he said. “People forget their problems now they are following the Leopards. The team need to go to the second round (at the World Cup). With the new leaders, we bring the football of this country to the very highest level. We are not saying that we will win the Afcon or World Cup, but we will build a solid foundation for the future.”
Mosengo-Omba also pushed back against widespread global anxiety over Ebola, noting that the outbreak is concentrated in rural eastern regions of the large country, and that DR Congo has far more experience containing the virus than any other nation. However, public health experts warn that this outbreak presents unique challenges: it is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which has not circulated globally in more than a decade, and no licensed vaccine is currently available for the variant. Containment efforts have also been hampered by armed conflict in eastern DR Congo that has displaced tens of thousands of people, and widespread community distrust of public health workers.
FIFA added that it remains in close contact with Fecofa, the three host governments, and global health authorities to ensure full compliance with all medical and security protocols for the tournament.
-
From McEnroe to Medvedev, meltdowns on tennis courts are part of the sport’s mental challenge
As the 2024 clay court swing reaches its peak with the French Open underway, a familiar, dramatic staple of professional tennis has returned to the spotlight: explosive on-court temper outbursts, most commonly marked by violent racket-smashing. For a sport universally recognized as one of the most psychologically demanding in the world, moments where even top-ranked competitors lose their composure in front of thousands of live spectators and millions of global viewers are far from a new phenomenon.
Recent weeks have already delivered multiple high-profile meltdowns across European clay tournaments. Former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev suffered one of the most humbling defeats of his career earlier this season, dropping a 6-0 6-0 double-bagel loss to Matteo Berrettini at the Monte Carlo Masters. Midway through the lopsided defeat, the Russian star slammed his racket into the red clay seven consecutive times before tossing the completely mangled frame into a court-side trash can. Medvedev later acknowledged that even he did not plan the outburst, noting he had hoped the release of frustration might spark a comeback, though the effort failed to turn his game around.
Not long after, German competitor Daniel Altmaier saw his frustration boil over during a tournament in Hamburg, where he smashed his racket before kicking the broken frame into the spectator stands. No fans were injured in the incident, but it reignited conversations about the risks of unregulated on-court anger.
This trend stretches back decades. 1980s legend John McEnroe remains one of the most iconic examples of on-court temper, and even some of the sport’s most beloved and composed greats had their moments early in their careers. Roger Federer, widely hailed as one of the classiest players in tennis history, was known for frequent racket-smashing as a junior before reining in his emotions to build his legendary legacy. Other all-time greats have also had high-profile run-ins with officials over outbursts: Serena Williams was penalized for shouting at a line judge following a foot fault call at the 2009 U.S. Open, while Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the 2020 U.S. Open after accidentally striking a line judge in the throat with a hit ball, ending his 29-match winning streak in stunning fashion.
Current top players have opened up about the root of these outbursts, explaining that the pressure of tennis amplifies the same frustrations all people experience in daily life. Andrey Rublev, the world No. 13 and a player who has long been open about his own on-court anger, noted that the intensity of the sport can even leave him with cuts after punching racket strings or slamming his knees to release frustration. Rublev’s coach, legendary former player Marat Safin, once estimated he broke more than 1,000 rackets over the course of his own career.
“It’s not about tennis,” Rublev explained. “All people have this situation in life and you just lose it. What makes tennis different is that you’re completely alone out there, and everyone is watching. Some people handle those emotions better, but I’m one of the people who let them take over.”
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has worked for years to manage her own temper, says that unchecked anger used to tank her performance. “My emotions were destroying my game and my level was dropping dramatically when I would start overreacting on everything,” she said. “Opponents would see that weakness, step up, and play even better. Learning to keep those emotions in check has been a huge improvement for my career, and it really helped me level up.”
Some players have adapted by channeling their frustration away from the public eye. After Coco Gauff’s off-court post-match meltdown was caught on camera at the Australian Open, it sparked broad debate about athlete privacy. World No. 5 Jessica Pegula says she intentionally reserves any racket-smashing for private spaces away from crowds. “I go find some place that’s maybe not near people and then I can break a racket,” she said, noting that on the court she is able to stay composed. “I’m not a super emotional person in general, so getting to that point takes a lot for me. But I do think it’s entertaining to watch – sometimes I wish I could wear my heart on my sleeve more, that’s just not who I am.”
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka similarly developed a private way to handle frustration, after her father corrected her poor on-court attitude when she was young. Now, Osaka releases her anger quietly enough that it rarely draws attention. “I actually do curse a lot on the court, I say it so softly you can’t hear it,” she explained. “I’m really glad about that, because I don’t want to get fined for it.”
36-year-old Sorana Cirstea, who recently became the oldest player to debut in the WTA top 20, summed up the prevailing perspective among players: professional tennis is a uniquely grueling mental test, and competitors are only human. “It’s such a mental sport,” Cirstea said. “To be able to sustain that mentality for three long hours with all the adrenaline and the pressure, sometimes you don’t handle it the best. We are human.”
-
Yomiuri Giants baseball manager Abe resigns after arrest over allegedly assaulting his daughter
In a sudden development that has sent shockwaves through Japan’s professional baseball community, 47-year-old Shinnosuke Abe has stepped down from his post as manager of the iconic Yomiuri Giants, one of the nation’s most storied sports franchises, following his arrest on allegations of assaulting his teenage daughter. The incident unfolded on Monday at Abe’s Tokyo residence, where he intervened to break up a physical altercation between his two daughters. According to the Yomiuri newspaper — the parent company that owns the Giants — Abe grabbed his 18-year-old elder daughter by the collar and threw her to the ground during the intervention. He later admitted to losing his temper during the confrontation, confirming the core of the allegation against him.