MotoGP is not currently holding any discussions over adding further street circuits to the calendar, with the series stressing that Adelaide will remain a standalone case for the foreseeable future. 

Earlier this year, the championship sparked a major debate by announcing that Adelaide will replace the popular Phillip Island Circuit as the venue for the Australian Grand Prix in 2027.

The proposed event will see the next-generation 850cc bikes racing around the city centre and Victoria Park, on a site previously used by Formula 1 from 1985 to 1995.

Following initial concerns from fans about rider safety at a fully urban venue, MotoGP had already clarified that the Adelaide project didn’t mark a shift to broader city-based tracks.

Now, MotoGP SEG sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta has reiterated that position, revealing that the series is not discussing the possibility of replicating that concept in other cities at present.

“There are two very distinct sorts of scenarios,” Ezpeleta told select media at Brno.

“One is Buenos Aires, which is a huge opportunity for us with an urban population of 14 million people, and a permanent circuit in the centre of that. 

“That is easier than something like Adelaide, where there's a specific geographical feat about the city where they can build something and take it down. 

“With regards to Adelaide, we're not having any other conversation like that at the moment.

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports

“The world has to sort of see what that looks like, and it's an incredible opportunity also for MotoGP to showcase that it is possible.

“We're really, really excited, but we're not having any other conversations like that.”

Under new owner Liberty Media, MotoGP is pushing on bringing the series closer to fans, with the addition of both the Adelaide street circuit and the revamped permanent track in Argentina’s capital city a part of the same strategy.

Separately, Liberty is also exploring the possibility of bringing MotoGP to Miami, which has become an important commercial destination for F1.

MotoGP is indeed holding discussions to race at the Miami Autodrome in the long term, but Ezpeleta clarified that he doesn’t view the Florida venue as a bona fide street circuit.

“I consider Miami and Adelaide very different,” he said, referring to the temporary circuit built around the Hard Rock Stadium.

Read Also: MotoGP insists on no safety compromises amid Liberty’s Miami GP ambitions MotoGP chiefs visit Buenos Aires construction site ahead of 2027 Argentina GP

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Mercedes has identified an issue with its battery that is at the heart of its recent Formula 1 race retirements which have cost both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and is working on a permanent fix.

After Russell’s Mercedes conked out while he was leading the Canadian Grand Prix last month, Antonelli suffered the same fate while running in second place in the Barcelona GP last weekend. Both were linked to a failure with Mercedes' battery.

While not specifically linked to the works team’s problem, customer squad McLaren has also suffered a run of electrical trouble; Lando Norris needed a battery change during the Monaco GP weekend and retired from the race with power unit settings being noted as the cause of his DNF, while both Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start the Chinese GP with separate electrical issues.

Speaking immediately after the Barcelona GP, Wolff said Mercedes can’t afford the run of retirements in the battle for the F1 world titles and the team would “leave no stone unturned to understand” what was causing the unreliability.

Read Also: Kimi Antonelli's Barcelona GP retirement prompts reliability concerns at Mercedes

After diagnosing Antonelli's car after the Barcelona race, Mercedes technical director James Allison said the team has pinpointed the issue to its power unit’s battery and a permanent fix is being worked on.

“I think anyone who's a keen watcher of the sport will have seen that this has laid a few Mercedes engine cars low over the season so far,” Allison said on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “They're not all identical, but they do sort of originate in the same broad part of the battery.

George Russell, Mercedes

“I think that most of the areas of risk have been understood. And with a bit of luck, when we start to sort of phase in the new modules into the racing season – then our fortunes as a fleet should pick up.

“Obviously for us, that's an important thing. These DNFs are very, very painful.”

Speaking more broadly about how the team designs and builds parts with reliability in mind, Allison explained how the team aims to identify failures either in testing or in engine rigs to avoid being exposed in races – but inevitably, when pushed to extremes and in different racing conditions, previously unidentified weaknesses can appear.

“You accept that there will be failure. We try to make sure that failure happens in testing or on rigs and that it happens as little as possible when you're out there trying to earn championship points,” Allison said.

“Now, clearly it doesn't always work because occasionally the car will DNF and that is definitely a failure of our process and all of our attempts to deliver performance without the downside of that performance.

“But when a failure like that does happen, then in the first instance and perhaps before it's fully understood, then the team will tend to take a slight half-step backwards to be more cautious with the equipment, to push it slightly less hard, just to give a little bit of resilience to the kit that's obviously suffering.

James Allison, Mercedes

“But a different part of the team will try to figure out what was the root cause of that failure to design that out, prove that out and put something back on the table that is sufficiently robust.

“So you do a first intervention that is just to try to sort of give the vulnerable thing an easier life while then working on a proper cure that lets you really cane it.”

Mercedes hasn’t given a timeline on when the “proper cure” will be ready as it begins preparations for four race weekends across five weeks, starting with the Austrian GP next weekend.

But given its two DNFs in Canada and Barcelona have effectively cost 43 points - ignoring changes of positions for the sister car after the retirements - Mercedes' dominant position in the F1 world constructors' championship has been eroded to 72 points by Ferrari.

Read Also: Why Mercedes won't challenge George Russell's Monaco penalties after all

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The new season is set to run from Friday, August 21 to Sunday, May 30. Here's every Premier League fixture, including the ones we're most looking forward to.

Cam Waters and Tickford Racing have put a tough mid-season behind them with a first win of the season in the first of three Supercars races at Hidden Valley in Australia’s Northern Territory.

In the first-ever Friday race at the Darwin circuit, Waters and his Ford Mustang came from fourth on the grid and pitted later than early leader Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing Ford) to take the lead at Turn 1 and come home to a narrow victory, in a race that featured a one-lap dash to the flag after a late safety car.

“A long hard slog, for sure,” said Waters, whose victory ended a 47-race winless streak. “We haven’t had the best start to the year but we have been there or thereabouts.

“I thought he [Kostecki] was going to make it a little bit harder for me but I had a fresher tyre. Amazing to get a win, it has been a hard year."

In unseasonably cool conditions (it even rained lightly during the second part of Qualifying), Kostecki took the early lead from the Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro of Anton De Pasquale – the pair shared the front row for the fifth time of their careers. Both lost positions in the race, with the Grove Racing Fords of Kai Allen and Matt Payne pushing the 2023 champion back to fourth in one fell swoop on lap 32.

Allen, who scored a podium at the track a year ago, said: “I love this track.

“I need to get the qualifying a little better but the race car was really good. I got to the back of Brodie’s rear bar and we tried to get a double podium, and it worked out.”

Read Also: Where will Kevin Magnussen rank among the Project 91 NASCAR drivers?

Payne rued the loss a couple of seconds when a rear wheel stuck during his pitstop.

“Kai was making the moves for us,” he said. “I thought the car was pretty speedy but we just had a hiccup during the pitstop.”

Earlier, Kostecki shrugged off a problem with his engine’s throttle body, which stranded him in the garage for the opening 15 minutes of the sole Practice session, and a bout of flu, to take pole position. But his car lacked the race pace of the other Fords and he had to settle for fourth place at the finish.

Will Brown took fifth for Triple Eight Racing, thereby giving Ford a sweep of the top five places at a track that has previously featured only Chevrolet wins during the Gen3 era.

The best of the rest was De Pasquale, just ahead of the Toyota GR Supra of Walkinshaw TWG’s Chaz Mostert. The defending Supercars Champion just missed making the Qualifying cut to the top 10 session and started 11th, before passing team-mate Ryan Wood on his way to seventh.

Points leader Broc Feeney, the winner of six of the eight previous Gen3 races at the circuit, started from 13th on the grid after a tricky qualifying session. He did his cause no good at all by running off immediately when rejoining after his pitstop and complained of a lack of straightline speed during the race, finishing 14th. As a result, the 90-point lead he brought to the event has been reduced to 59.

The Supercars teams and drivers will return to action on Saturday and Sunday with two 70-lap, 200km races.

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Thomas Tuchel put himself on the spot in front of his England players by throwing a ceremonial first pitch in the Kansas City Royals baseball team’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

England head coach Tuchel and members of his squad were guests at the Kauffman Stadium to watch the Royals barely 24 hours after winning their opening World Cup game against Croatia in Dallas.

Having seen captain Harry Kane score from the spot with a retaken penalty against Croatia, Tuchel put himself on the spot by throwing a ceremonial first pitch to Royals manager Matt Quatraro.

The moment was captured on film by delighted fans at the game after the stadium announcer welcomed the England players on the stadium’s big screen.

In a reversal of roles, England’s players were able to sit back and assess their head coach’s technique, as Tuchel tossed a right-handed pitch to Quatraro.

Against Croatia, Tuchel had inspired his team’s 4-2 victory with an inspiring half-time speech after being unhappy with elements of the first-half performance.

Kane, who was welcomed by name at the Royals, scored twice against Croatia with Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford also getting on the scoresheet.

Tuchel and his players were relaxing on Thursday night between World Cup games after flying straight back to their Kansas training base from Dallas.

The England squad face Ghana in their next Group L game next Tuesday, which gave the players and Tuchel an opportunity to switch off ahead of stepping up their preparations for the game in Boston.

Kane and vice-captain Declan Rice are both confident they will be fully fit to face Ghana. Rice went off against Croatia with some pain in his lower back that may need managing, while Kane experienced some cramp.

Iran’s 2026 World Cup team will lodge a complaint with FIFA claiming they are being subjected to travel restrictions during the tournament in North America, the Iranian football federation spokesperson said on Thursday.

“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans,” the spokesperson said, according to AFP news agency.

Iran wanted to fly from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to the United States two days before their next group match against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday. But the Iranian federation claims its request was turned down.

“Given that the game will be played at 12pm local time in Los Angeles, the football federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match,” the spokesman said.

“The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations.

“Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”

 

After Iran’s first World Cup game on Monday – in which they drew 2-2 with New Zealand in a politically charged encounter – US officials said that the team will have to leave the country within hours of the full-time whistle at their World Cup group games in Los Angeles and Seattle.

The response from the World Cup 2026 cohost nation came on Tuesday following criticism of its handling of the Iranian team’s visas and stay in the US after their first game.

The Iranian delegation left the US hours after the match in LA ended at about 8pm local time (03:00 GMT) and returned to their base camp in Mexico, prompting criticism of the US handling of their visas, as the team did not get a day to recover at their hotel.

‘Match day minus one,’ says US government

The US administration has pushed back against the Iranian claims.

Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said on Monday that Iran had been informed in advance that they would be allowed to come into the US only on the day before the game.

“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match,” Giuliani told CBS News.

“They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles.”

He added that the procedure would be the same for Iran’s final group game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Iran, who are in Group G, kicked off their campaign this week in North America after months of uncertainty over the team’s participation in the World Cup amid the US-Israel war on Iran.

In a rare move, NASCAR moved the start time for last weekend's race at Pocono up a full two hours, which they were only able to do thanks to flexibility provided by Prime Video as a streaming service.

On this week's edition ofInside the Race, both Steve Letarte and Kyle Petty praised NASCAR and Prime for the proactive measure, which allowed for all 400 miles/160 laps of racing to take place without a single delay.

"Bravo to Prime," remarked Letarte, a former Daytona 500-winning crew chief. "I know I work for them, but bravo because I will tell you, about five minutes after we got off the post-race stage, there would have been no racing. The rain was there."

Petty agreed, saying: "There's a million fans you could probably call up on the phone right now that have sat in the grandstands for five or six hours to see the last half of a race, saying 'oh my gosh I wish they would have moved it up so we could see the whole race.' I applaud Amazon, NASCAR, everybody. We are very blessed to be with Amazon in this period of time, when they can make that adjustment. Some networks can't make that adjustment, some networks can't. I completely understand that, but to be with a partner like Amazon who can adjust for the fans and the competitors, everybody won in this."

Well it was certainly a good call,, the late change didn't reflect positively in TV ratings, with 1.66 million viewers (down eleven percent from 2025).

'Inside the Race' will be live from San Diego this Sunday, hosting a post-race show from Naval Base Coronado. Our Senior NASCAR Editor Matt Weaver will make an appearance on the show, which you can watch live on Motorsport.com following the conclusion of Prime's final broadcast of the 2026 season.

Read Also: How to watch NASCAR in San Diego: Weekend schedule, start time, TV San Diego NASCAR Viewer's Guide: Everything you need to know for the Anduril 250

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Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler struggled to a two-over par 72 in Thursday's first round of the US Open, saying "good" shots were not good enough in punishing winds at Shinnecock.

Scheffler, needing a victory this week to complete a career Grand Slam, followed bogeys with birdies on the next hole three times in his round, but a three-putt double bogey at the ninth was crucial.

"It felt like a day where a lot of good shots were going to get punished is what it felt like," Scheffler said.

"You had to be hitting a 'great' shot if you wanted to avoid a punishment. I think 'good' would put you in some tough spots."

There was, however, one saving grace in his struggles.

"It's a little easier sometimes in a US Open because it's happening to everybody," Scheffler said.

With memories of watering the greens between groups in 2004 and 2018 US Opens at Shinnecock, the US Golf Association dialed back the maximum green speeds -- more than Scheffler expected.

"I would say the greens were maybe a little softer than I expected, but I think with the wind that was forecasted, you always want to err on the side of caution," Scheffler said.

"The last thing that they wanted was having balls blowing off greens, so they might have put a little extra juice on them last night to slow them down."

Scheffler rated most of the greens as fine but warned of outliers where balls struggled to hold their positions.

"There's a couple greens where there's so much pitch that (if) you get the wind going down the slope it can roll off pretty easily," said Scheffler.

"It was probably maybe a little softer than I thought. Just I had imagined it would be firm and slow, I guess."

Even with less than the maximum test the US Open has typically been, the wind and greens and dense rough were more than enough to send scores soaring.

"Any time you get conditions like this, I think the scores are going to be high," Scheffler said. "It's an interesting golf course. Part of the challenge so far is judging the conditions as well, judging how this course is going to play.

"This course can change pretty rapidly from day to day. That's also part of the challenge of the tournament is adjusting to those conditions."

The result left Scheffler within reach but needing to adjust to make a charge for the top.

"It was a really challenging day," he said. "Overall it was a good battle. Get some rest, and we'll see how the course changes."

js/bb

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle has branded the handling of the Monaco Grand Prix pitlane penalties and Pierre Gasly's reinstated podium "a mess with no easy solution".

Writing in his regular post-race column following the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, which saw Lewis Hamilton secure his maiden grand prix victory for Ferrari, Brundle commented on the Monaco penalty situation.

Several drivers were handed penalties during the Monaco Grand Prix for speeding in the pitlane. While the majority of those drivers served the penalties during the race, Gasly, who finished third on the road, had the time added after the chequered flag and lost the podium as a result.

Alpine lodged a right of review, which was ultimately successful after the French team was able to provide evidence clearing Gasly that was not available to the stewards at the time. Gasly's podium was subsequently reinstated ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. 

McLaren and Red Bull, whose drivers either served their penalties during the race or were affected by the reinstated podium, have now begun the appeals process. Mercedes had, but has since withdrawn.

Martin Brundle

"That's a very complicated and uncomfortable decision," Brundle wrote of Gasly's reinstated podium. "Other drivers in Monaco had served their penalties and adjusted strategies accordingly, and Russell's race was destroyed, but because they were not post-race penalties nothing was changed for them retrospectively in the results.

"This will now be appealed by Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull who all lost out. Ferrari are not too bothered as it cost Mercedes and McLaren points. This also sets a precedent of not serving marginal in-race penalties to preserve the right to contest them post-race.

"It's all a mess with no easy solution. It turns out one of the timing loops in the Monaco pit lane was 77cm shorter than calibrated hence lots of 60.1kph recordings when the limit was 60kph."

He concluded: "Lessons will be learned no doubt and the story will presumably run a while."

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Alphonso Davies misses out again for Canada as the co-hosts face Qatar at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Here's how to watch the Group B fixture for free online and from anywhere.

Unheralded American Sam Stevens grabbed the early clubhouse lead in Thursday's first round of the US Open with Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg only one stroke adrift.

Gusting winds under overcast skies at Shinnecock combined with thick rough and greens slightly softened by watering to baffle the world's top golfers.

Stevens, who has never won a PGA Tour event, sank a birdie putt from just outside six feet at the ninth hole, his last of the day, to fire a two-under par 68.

The 29-year-old Texan, in only his eighth major start, began with a double bogey at 10, waited through a two-hour fog delay then solved Shinnecock for six birdies against two bogeys.

"Got off to a weird start but made a birdie on the very next hole. Felt like I settled in after that," Stevens said.

"Drove the ball well. Hit my irons really well. Had a lot of birdie looks. The greens were a little bit softer. They had to water them. Made a few nice putts."

American amateur Ryder Cowan was at two-under through five holes.

McIlroy, another back-nine starter, closed with back-to-back bogeys after making an 11-foot eagle putt on the par-five fifth to shoot 69 and share second in the clubhouse with Sweden's Aberg and Americans Max Greyserman and Brian Harman.

"Overall, a really good day," McIlroy said. "Obviously it stings a little bit to finish the way that I did, especially not feeling like I hit particularly bad iron shots on eight and nine there."

McIlroy, who won his sixth career major at the Masters in April, stayed patient in tough conditions.

"It was obviously a really tricky day and just a day to stay patient and hang in there, and I hit enough good shots to give myself some chances," he said. "I think anything in red figures today was a good effort."

Second-ranked McIlroy could become just the seventh player to capture the Masters and US Open in the same year, the first since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

Aberg, a back-nine starter chasing his first major title, sank a birdie putt from just inside 30 feet to briefly lead but fell back after a bogey at the fourth after finding the left rough.

"The wind is definitely a big factor," Aberg said. "Pleased with the way I was hitting it, pleased with the way I was scrambling when I had to. Yeah, it's a tough test."

A field of 156 chased a record top prize of $4.5 million from a record $22.5 million purse.

Organizers kept green speeds below maximum and watered greens between waves to help balls stay on the putting surfaces amid the gusting winds.

In the 2004 and 2018 US Opens at Shinnecock, brutal winds and high green speeds had groundskeepers watering greens between groups in a bid to keep the course playable, many complaining that organizers had "lost the course."

- Scott's run hits 100 -

Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters winner, made his 100th consecutive major start, joining Jack Nicklaus with 146 in a row as the only men to reach the milestone. The 45-year-old Australian fired a 73.

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, seeking a victory to complete a career Grand Slam, shot 72.

The two-time Masters winner won captured last year's British Open and PGA Championship to give himself a first chance at the career Slam at Shinnecock on Sunday, his 30th birthday.

Brooks Koepka, chasing his sixth major title on the same course where he won the 2018 US Open, fired a 73.

"Conditions were tough," Koepka said. "It's just weird how soft the greens are. I understand why they're soft. Not complaining. It's just a difficult day."

The 36-year-old American is fighting an ulnar nerve issue that numbed his left ring finger and pinky and forced him to withdraw from last week's PGA Canadian Open.

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Lionel Messi’s ⁠⁠father is ⁠⁠recovering from a health issue and “evolving favourably”, his family said in a ⁠⁠statement.

The family said on Thursday that Jorge was “under medical follow-up” and asked for privacy. It ⁠⁠did not specify the ⁠⁠nature of the health issue.

Speculation about the health of Jorge intensified after ⁠⁠Lionel wiped away tears with his shirt after scoring Argentina’s first goal against Algeria at the World Cup last Tuesday.

“My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to football. And those feelings were because of that,” Messi said. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.”

The family statement, released by Messi’s media office, came on the same day that reports of Jorge’s death circulated in Argentina.

“At times like these, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity,” the family said. “A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest.”

Jorge Messi played a key role in his son’s career, acting as his agent and managing his business affairs off the field.

He accompanied the young Messi to Barcelona in the early 2000s for a tryout at La Masia, the Spanish club’s youth academy.

His father also negotiated Messi’s contracts with Barcelona and then his transfers to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, while also managing his son’s image rights and several investments in real estate, hotels and restaurants.

In 2016, Messi and his father were convicted in Spain on tax evasion charges but avoided prison time because the sentence was less than two years.

While Messi is with his teammates at Argentina’s base camp in Kansas City awaiting their second group match against Austria on Monday in Dallas, his family expressed their “sincere gratitude for the outpouring of affection, respect and concern received”.

“We request that the privacy and confidentiality of Jorge and his entire family be respected during this process,” the statement said.

Argentina will continue their title defence with a Group J ‌‌game ‌‌against Austria on Monday.

South Africa scored ⁠a ⁠penalty seven minutes from full-time as they fought ⁠back to draw 1-1 with the Czech ⁠Republic at the World Cup after falling behind early in the Group ‌A clash.

Teboho Mokoena slotted home the spot kick after Pavel Sulc’s handball handed the South Africans a lifeline on Thursday as they were staring ⁠at potential early ⁠elimination.

The Czechs led from the sixth minute when Michal Sadilek struck ⁠home after a clever slipped ⁠pass from Alexandr ⁠Sojka following Adam Hlozek’s delivery from the right wing.

Both teams now ‌have a point after losing their respective opening games – two behind cohosts Mexico and South Korea, who face-off later on Thursday.

South Africa next face South Korea, while the Czech Republic take on the daunting task of playing Mexico in the Estadio Azteca.

Both sides started with disappointing performances and defeats on the World Cup’s opening day, but the Czechs quickly set about making amends.

Patrik Schick is the biggest name in a Czech side lacking the star quality of previous generations but the Bayer Leverkusen forward missed a glorious chance inside the first minute when he planted a header wide.

Miroslav Koubek’s men only had to wait another five minutes to take the lead.

Adam Hlozek’s cross was classily cushioned by Alexandr Sojka into the path of Sadilek, who calmly stroked the ball past Ronwen Williams.

Now in their fourth attempt, South Africa have never progressed beyond the group stage at the World Cup.

Hugo Broos has overseen an upturn in Bafana Bafana’s fortunes since taking charge five years ago.

The 2010 hosts had not qualified for the World Cup since 2002 but finished third at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Their return to the global stage has exposed a lack of quality, though, particularly in forward areas.

The Czechs were left to rue not making more of their chances to kill the game off early in the second half.

Vladimir Darida took too long to get his shot off with a big chance before Lukas Cerv’s long-range effort was tipped over by Williams.

There were thousands of empty seats on show at the futuristic home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, but those that were in attendance loudly booed the mid-half hydration breaks in an enclosed and air-conditioned stadium.

The majority of the crowd were backing South Africa and finally had something to cheer seven minutes from time.

Thapelo Maseko’s shot hit the arm of the unfortunate Pavel Sulc and referee Tori Penso, part of an all-female officiating team, pointed to the spot.

Mokoena confidently drilled home the spot-kick for his nation’s first World Cup goal in 16 years.

They came close to a second five minutes later when Matej Kovar saved from Relebohile Mofokeng.

But both sides had to settle for a point that could yet prove vital come the end of Wednesday’s final Group A games.

Here's how to watch Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina for free online and from anywhere as both sides chase a crucial first win in World Cup 2026 Group B.

Lyle Foster drops out of South Africa's starting XI for their must-win clash with Czechia at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Here's how to watch the Group A fixture for free online and from anywhere.

Peugeot is planning a major upgrade of its 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar for next year’s World Endurance Championship.

The French manufacturer is aiming to take advantage of a new Hypercar class regulation introduced for this year that allows additional evo joker updates in cases where there is a “demonstrated significant lack of performance”.

Read Also: Peugeot’s scathing explanation for Le Mans qualifying debacle: “We are in WEC”

Peugeot did not make any performance upgrades for 2026 because it is understood to have used up the five evo jokers allowed to each manufacturer over the initial lifespan of each LMH and LMDh design. 

Olivier Jansonnie, motorsport boss of Peugeot parent company Stellantis and formerly technical director of the Peugeot Sport in-house competitions department, said: “We must deliver performance on track, we must evolve and we must be allowed to do an evolution of the car.

“The rules have changed for this year to allow this kind of thing; they [series organisers the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest] are adapting the rules to re-homologate cars that are showing they are missing performance.

“We have been preparing this for some time now and hopefully should get it on track next year.”

#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Stoffel Vandoorne, Nick Cassidy

Peugeot joined the WEC after Le Mans in 2022, but has yet to win a race. The best result for the 9X8 so far is a second at Fuji last year, while it also took a solitary third-place finish in each of the 2023, ’24 and ’25 seasons.

A major overhaul of the car was undertaken in time for the Imola round of the WEC in April 2024 when the 9X8 swapped from equal-size wheels and tyres all round to the narrower fronts and wider rears option raced by fellow LMH competitors Toyota and Ferrari. 

That was followed by further updates for 2025, which are believed to have used up its final jokers. 

Jansonnie stressed that Peugeot is not planning a new car, which is also allowed under the regulations, but he explained how the car is homologated is “completely in the hands of the ACO and the FIA”.

When Toyota undertook a series of updates to its GR010 HYBRID LMH (now known as the TR010) for 2023, the car was re-homologated as a new car. 

Jansonnie would not be drawn on which areas of Peugeot’s WEC contender, which was dubbed the 9X8 2024 after the switch to wider rear tyres, will focus on. 

#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Loic Duval, Malthe Jakobsen, Theo Pourchaire

Peugeot remains committed to the WEC through to the end of the homologation period of existing LMH and LMDh machinery at the climax of the 2029 season.

Company CEO Alain Favey said: “Peugeot is 216 years old and is extremely resilient, and that is what we want to demonstrate in our involvement in the WEC and at Le Mans 24 Hours. 

“Therefore we confirmed that we will be part of the championship until 2029 in the knowledge that something would happen to the rules for 2030.”

Read Also: Peugeot supports 2030 Hypercar rules direction but is not committing at this stage

Jansonnie added that the announcement of the broad principles of the 2030 rules during Le Mans week was good news for the championship because it offered stability. 

He explained that the ability of manufacturers to continue to build their own chassis and develop their own hybrid systems under the new regulations was also important to Peugeot. 

But he stated that there are two areas in which Peugeot is “challenging” the ACO and the FIA, one concerning the technological road map for the series and the other regarding the Balance of Performance. 

The FIA and the ACO announced that a 20kW (26bhp) increase in maximum power, up from the current 520kW (697bhp), would be introduced for 2030 but that it could come only from the internal combustion component of the hybrid powertrain.

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A first-ever hat-trick for Lionel Messi, heavyweights Spain stunned by tiny Cape Verde, and DR Congo silencing Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal.

What more could you ask from the opening week of a FIFA World Cup?

After the first round of group matches, here are our top 10 takeaways:

Last dance? Perhaps not, Lionel Messi has more in store

Before the tournament kicked off in North America, many thought Lionel Messi would be gearing himself up for his final act. But after his first-ever World Cup hat-trick – one that also matched the record for most World Cup goals – Messi has reminded us his story is not over just yet.

Where is Cristiano Ronaldo? Portugal star goes missing

While the Messi mania dominated headlines over recent days, his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, also made the news, albeit for the wrong reasons. “Is he past his prime?” was the collective question of viewers after his mostly anonymous display in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday.

There is no stopping Kylian Mbappe

Becoming France’s all-time leading scorer always seemed a matter of when, not if, for Kylian Mbappe, and achieving the feat in their opening World Cup match was further proof of his extraordinary talent. The 27-year-old, now just two shy of matching the all-time haul for most World Cup goals, is making a habit of chasing records.

The Golden Boot race is taking shape

Long-range rockets, tap-ins, headers and more. There was no shortage of goals, and Argentinian legend Messi is the outright leader with three strikes. As many as seven players – including England’s Harry Kane, Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Mbappe – are tied for the second spot with two goals each.

The title favourites are having a hard time

This is, by far, the upset of the tournament. Spain – the absolute frontrunners for the World Cup – stumbled at their first hurdle, being held to a shock goalless draw by Cape Verde, the archipelago west of the African continent of about half a million people, and whose team sits 65 places below the World No 2 in the FIFA world rankings.

Do not write off DR Congo

Yoane Wissa‘s first-ever goal, DR Congo’s first at a World Cup, sparked joy among millions from Kinshasa to Niangara. And for the other teams competing in the tournament, the 1-1 draw with No 5-ranked Portugal sent a warning that the underdogs are out to challenge some of football’s best sides, especially when the world is watching.

Dear Curacao, welcome to the World Cup

The 7-1 thrashing by Germany did little to dampen the spirit of Curacao fans, many of whom made the journey to the United States. For the Caribbean tiny island – the smallest-ever country to play at a World Cup – defeat meant nothing in comparison to the happiness of seeing one of their own score at the sport’s biggest stage. Livano Comenencia is a hero for all of Curacao.

Pink boots are everywhere

Pink seems to be the colour of the month, well, at least at the World Cup. Several players were seen wearing the vibrant, monochromatic boots – or cleats, as Americans would say – regardless of the manufacturer. Be it Nike, Adidas or Puma, sportswear giants have joined this trend of making their boots “electric fuchsia”.

From beats to booze, fans bring the party to the World Cup

It’s safe to say a World Cup is the biggest celebration of football. And some countries just do it better than others.

With their green-and-yellow shirts, flags and pounding drums, Brazil fans brought a slice of Rio to New York, while Moroccans later joined the party, the red smoke from the flares lighting up the World Cup mood. In Boston, Scotland’s famous Tartan Army chugged pint after pint, nearly ⁠draining some pubs of all their beer in the first weekend during their World Cup occupation of the city.

Meet Mexico’s unofficial mascot: Merlin the duck

To best sum up the football craze in tournament co-host Mexico, the fandom is not limited to humans.  A ‌domesticated duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico shirt and custom ⁠duck socks, has ⁠waddled his way into the hearts of many, becoming an unlikely unofficial mascot for the country’s World Cup campaign.

Canada thrashed nine-man Qatar 6-0 to secure their first ever World Cup victory on Thursday as Switzerland reignited their campaign with a resounding defeat of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Tournament co-hosts Canada had lost all six of their previous matches at the World Cup, at the 1986 and 2022 finals, but brought that run of losses to a halt in spectacular fashion at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium.

With Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney -- wearing a replica Canada shirt -- among a fired-up crowd, Jesse Marsch's side ran riot to secure a win that leaves them needing only a point against Switzerland to finish top of Group B.

A hat-trick from Juventus striker Jonathan David, one goal apiece from Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba, and a Mohammad Manai own goal sealed Canada's win.

The victory was marred though by a serious left leg injury to midfielder Ismael Kone, who was stretchered off after being clumsily upended by Qatar's Assim Madibo in the 51st minute.

Madibo was initially shown a yellow card for the challenge which was subsequently upgraded to red. The stricken Kone was given oxygen as he was carried off the field, waving to fans.

"It was a great game even before (Kone) got hurt, but I think after he got hurt it was tough to focus on the game, even finishing the game... we just wanted the game to end so we could all be together," David said.

"It will take a few days to sink in but obviously we know that what we've done today is historical for the country, our first win in the World Cup, and to do it in that fashion is really amazing."

Madibo's dismissal left Qatar down to nine men after Homam el-Amin was also sent off in the first half for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

Canada duly made their numerical advantage count, scoring three times in the second half to crucially boost their goal difference.

The Canadians are level with Switzerland on four points at the top of the group, but their superior goal difference means they will win Group B if they draw when the two sides meet in Vancouver on June 24.

- Switzerland on track -

Earlier Thursday, Switzerland got their campaign back on track with a 4-1 drubbing of Bosnia-Herzegovina at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Johan Manzambi scored twice while Ruben Vargas and Granit Xhaka were on target in a late flurry of goals for the Swiss, who are dreaming of advancing beyond the last 16 for the first time at this World Cup.

Bosnia, who upset Italy in a playoff to reach this this year's tournament, are on the brink after a damaging loss that leaves them with one point from two games.

In other games on Thursday, South Africa, who had two men sent off in an abject 2-0 defeat to Mexico in Group A last week, resurrected their slender qualification hopes with a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic in Atlanta.

Teboho Mokoena's penalty earned a point for South Africa after Michal Sadilek opened the scoring for the Czechs.

But Mokoena's late spot-kick kept both teams in the hunt for the last 32, although they will almost certainly have to win their final Group A fixture to advance.

Both sides move onto one point, two behind co-hosts Mexico and South Korea, who face off later on Thursday.

Both South Korea and Mexico won their opening group games last week, and meet in a potential group decider in Guadalajara that has been shrouded in intrigue after Mexican authorities brought down a drone that was spotted hovering over the South Korean training camp earlier this week.

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Colombia opened their World Cup Group K campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, as Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz and Jaminton Campaz ⁠struck to overcome a spirited second-half response from the tournament debutants.

Uzbekistan were disciplined for long periods under their Italian coach Fabio Cannavaro, but Colombia’s greater quality stood out in front of a crowd of over 80,000 on a cool, rain-tinged evening in Mexico City.

Colombia, the Copa ⁠America runners-up, had early sights of goal through Jhon Arias and James Rodriguez, but Uzbekistan sat deep, scrapped gamely and waited for mistakes. Bekhruz Karimov almost profited when he burst forward, only for Jhon Lucumi to intervene before he could shoot.

Diaz had the clearest chance of the opening half when he struck the post, before Abdukodir Khusanov slid in after the winger ‌had knocked the ball past him, taking out both the Colombian player and a pitchside cameraman who required medical treatment.

Uzbekistan’s resistance finally cracked in the 40th minute. Diaz gathered the ball after an attack had broken down and clipped a fine pass into the path of Munoz, who guided home a neat finish for his third international goal.

The large Colombian contingent erupted, their yellow shirts making the Azteca look and sound almost like home. Chants of “Vamos Colombia”, adapted from a Club America-style chorus, rolled around the ground, while Uzbekistan’s small band ⁠of supporters answered with drums of their own.

Fayzullaev scores Uzbekistan’s maiden World Cup goal

Uzbekistan improved after the ⁠break and equalised on the hour with the country’s first World Cup goal.

Dostonbek Khamdamov fed Eldor Shomurodov, whose shot from the right side of the box was saved low by Camilo Vargas. The goalkeeper could not hold it, however, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev nodded in the rebound from ⁠close range.

However, Uzbekistan’s joy lasted only five minutes.

Gustavo Puerta released Diaz in the 65th minute, and the forward side-footed across goal to restore Colombia’s lead. The crowd ⁠responded with chants of “Lucho, Lucho”.

Uzbekistan kept pushing. Akmal Mozgovoy shot narrowly off ⁠target in stoppage time, Karimov hit the bar with an effort from distance, and Azizbek Amonov had a shot blocked after Otabek Shukurov’s pass.

But Colombia had the final word, Campaz scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time to settle a contest in which Nestor Lorenzo’s side had 15 attempts to Uzbekistan’s nine, ‌and extended their strong recent group-stage record to seven wins in eight World Cup matches.

Colombia face DR Congo on Tuesday in Guadalajara, after Uzbekistan play Portugal on the same day in Houston.

The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11. You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary, and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.

From Lionel Messi rolling back the years to full stadiums and a Cape Verde team that shocked Spain, here is what we learned after the first round of games at the World Cup:

- Messi's still got it -

Lionel Messi's World Cup odyssey appeared to reach its perfect climax in Qatar four years ago when he lifted the trophy. Or so we thought.

As his 39th birthday approaches, the Argentina captain could not resist one last crack at football's biggest prize and he produced a memorable hat-trick in Kansas City.

Messi's goals against Algeria -- two thunderous strikes and a poacher's finish -- took him level with Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup record of 16 goals.

France forward Kylian Mbappe is two goals behind.

"In the end, it's just a statistic and nothing more," a delighted Messi said.

No set of numbers can adequately sum up Messi's genius, but they help tell the story of a man who continues to dazzle on the global stage.

Against Austria on Monday, Messi has the chance to claim the record outright, further strengthening his case as the greatest player the game has ever seen.

- Toothless Ronaldo -

Cristiano Ronaldo took centre stage in Portugal's opening match against the Democratic Republic of Congo after three of football's biggest stars lit up the first round of matches.

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland both scored twice as the race for the Golden Boot got off to a flying start, while Lionel Messi outshone them all with a hat-trick. 

Saudi-based Ronaldo, however, was largely a bystander in the first match of his sixth World Cup as Portugal laboured to a 1-1 draw in Houston.

The 41-year-old's 25 touches were his fewest in a game at a major tournament for Portugal when playing the full match.

And Ronaldo, who is closing in on 1,000 career goals for club and country, has now gone 10 consecutive games at major tournaments without finding the net.

Coach Roberto Martinez faces an unenviable decision over whether to drop a player who has enjoyed one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the game.

- Cape Verde make case for 48-team tournament -

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha breaking down in tears as he was embraced by his team-mates was one of the defining images of the opening round as the archipelago of just over 500,000 people shut down European champions Spain in a goalless draw.

La Roja were expected to stroll to victory in Atlanta but came up against the inspired 40-year-old keeper and a nation determined to make a mark on their World Cup debut.

In doing so Cape Verde also landed a blow to critics of the expanded 48-team tournament, including UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin who claimed the format would lead to "completely uninteresting" matches.

Vozinha's heroics made him an instant social media sensation.

From having 50,000 Instagram followers before the match, he now has nearly 13 million, more than NFL icon Patrick Mahomes and NBA star Victor Wembanyama.

- Full stadiums despite costly tickets -

The sight of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which hosted the Super Bowl this year, packed to near-capacity for the meeting of Austria and Jordan on Tuesday -- perhaps not the most glamorous fixture -- proved that high ticket prices are not putting off spectators at this World Cup.

FIFA said the official attendance of 68,527 was part of the total 281,223 fans who passed through the turnstiles on Tuesday, surpassing the previous World Cup record for a single day of 277,070, established on June 28, 1994.

Referees rein in the red cards

Only four red cards were shown at each of the last two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022, in a notable decrease from previous tournaments.

It looked like we might be on course for a free-for-all flurry of sendings-off this time when three players were dismissed in the opening game as 10-man co-hosts Mexico beat nine-man South Africa 2-0.

But it appears that performance from Brazilian official Wilton Sampaio has led to FIFA encouraging referees to be more prudent about reaching for the red.

Not a single player was sent off in the next 23 games. 

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South Africa ‌coach Hugo Broos told critics of his tactics in last week’s World Cup opener ⁠to “shut up” and ⁠insisted he would continue to do things his way when planning for his team’s Group A clash against Czechia.

There was an outcry in South Africa when ⁠Broos took a rare defensive approach in the tournament’s opening match against Mexico last Thursday, which his team lost 2-0 without creating any genuine chances of their own.

Bafana Bafana, as South Africa’s team is known, also finished down to nine men, with ⁠two players sent off in the second half, and left little positive impression.

“I’ve been a coach for 40 years, and I know it’s a part of the job that you will be criticised. So for the moment, I’m criticised, but people have to know… and for those who still don’t know it… ‌I do it my way,” Broos said at a news conference on Wednesday.

“I never listen to the trash of the social media. I never listen to people who feel they are important enough to criticise the team. When I look back at what they achieved before, I think it should be better that they shut up,” he said in a reference to former player pundits.

“I know what went wrong against Mexico. The players know it, and that’s ⁠the most important thing, and for the rest, I will do it ⁠my way,” Broos repeated.

The veteran Belgian coach said it was imperative for South Africa to win on Thursday in Atlanta to stand any chance of advancing. The Czechs also lost their first Group A game to South Korea last week.

“I think ⁠our situation is clear. If we don’t win tomorrow, we play our last game against South Korea for nothing.

“This is something we must avoid. ⁠We know the mistakes we made in the first game, and ⁠some people said the coach is too soft on his players, but I don’t like to blame my players in front of a camera. So, sometimes you have to lie a little bit as a coach.”

Broos had said after the Mexico ‌match that he felt his team could be confident after the performance, also prompting derision among some South African supporters.

“We know what went wrong in the game against Mexico, and we will try ‌to ‌improve that tomorrow, but we can only improve that if we have the ball,” he added, giving some insight into the possibility of a different tactical approach on Thursday.

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