Italy have done all this before.
The Azzurri were World Cup regulars – and contenders – until remarkably failing to qualify for the first time since the 1958 tournament when they were beaten by Sweden in the play-offs for Russia 2018.
Of course, Italy feared a repeat when they were consigned to the play-off route again for Qatar 2022, but a potential final against Portugal was surely of greater concern than a home semi with North Macedonia.
Sensationally, however, the visitors stunned the European champions in Palermo, where Aleksandar Trajkovski's 92nd-minute blast secured the unlikeliest of 1-0 wins.
It means Italy are yet again featuring on a list of shock World Cup absentees.
ITALY/SPAIN 1958
Until these past two upsets, Italy's only failure to qualify for the World Cup had come in the 1950s. Needing to beat Northern Ireland in their final game of the three-team group, the Azzurri slumped to a 2-1 loss in Belfast. More surprising was the absence of Spain, as a team of legends including Alfredo Di Stefano and Luis Suarez missed out on a place in Sweden. A draw with Switzerland and defeat to Scotland meant that 4-1 victories in both return matches were not enough to salvage their hopes.
ENGLAND 1974
England were on top of the world in 1966 having lifted the Jules Rimet trophy on home turf. It remains the Three Lions' only triumph at a World Cup and, eight years later, England were not even at the tournament held in West Germany. In a three-team group with Wales and Poland, a 2-0 defeat and 1-1 draw with the latter meant Alf Ramsey's side did not qualify. Twenty years later, England again disappointed as they failed to qualify for USA '94 under Graham Taylor.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1978
Having won the European Championship two years previously with their attractive brand of football, there were high hopes for Czechoslovakia heading into qualifying for the tournament in Argentina. However, battles of Britain proved their downfall as losses in Wales and Scotland scuppered their hopes of adding World Cup glory to their European triumph.
NETHERLANDS 1986
After reaching the World Cup final in both 1974 and 1978, there was a down period for Netherlands, who missed out in '82 and also failed to qualify for Euro '84. A crop of players including Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Marco van Basten were expected to bring about a turnaround in fortunes for the Dutch ahead of the next World Cup in Mexico. However, they had to settle for a play-off against neighbours Belgium after finishing second in their qualifying group, and Georges Grun's header with just five minutes left on the clock saw them crash out on away goals. Netherlands also failed to qualify in 2002 and were not in Russia four years ago.
FRANCE 1994
Les Bleus had failed to qualify for Italia '90 having finished third in 1986. That failure was accepted as something of a transitional period, but a star-studded team featuring the likes of Laurent Blanc, Jean-Pierre Papin and Eric Cantona were unable to secure the necessary result against Bulgaria in their final qualifier for the 1994 World Cup in the United States. France led through Eric Cantona but were pegged back by an Emil Kostadinov leveller before half-time. Gerard Houllier's side looked set to cling on to the point that would see them through until David Ginola infamously gave the ball away with an ill-judged cross in the final minute that allowed Kostadinov to make it 2-1 on the break, leaving French hopes dashed.
EGYPT 2010
Incredibly, Egypt's appearance at the 2018 World Cup was their first since 1990. That is despite their 2000s domination of the Africa Cup of Nations, with three consecutive victories between 2006 and 2010. Their failure to reach South Africa 12 years ago was arguably the greatest disappointment. After finishing with an identical record to Algeria, a play-off was needed to separate the two, with Egypt falling to a 1-0 defeat to extend their wait for a return to the global stage.
CHILE 2018
The depth of talent in South America means there are always likely to be notable casualties, but even then the two-time defending Copa America champions would have expected to contend on a global stage in Russia. However, Chile could only finish sixth in an incredibly tight group, without even a play-off to show for their efforts while Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to qualification with a hat-trick against Ecuador – his own participation in the finals having been in question until that point.
Italy were "destroyed" by their shock defeat to North Macedonia, with Giorgio Chiellini saying their failure to qualify for the World Cup opened "a great void".
The reigning European champions fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to North Macedonia, with former Palermo attacker Aleksandar Trajkovski netting a surprise winner for the visitors in the 92nd minute.
Italy have now failed to qualify for two straight World Cups. They will not be able to feature on that stage until 2026, with their only win in the competition since they triumphed in 2006 coming against England in the 2014 group stage.
The defeat to North Macedonia marked an incredible turnaround in fortunes for Italy, who won Euro 2020 as part of a 37-game undefeated streak that ended in October – a month after they dropped valuable points against Bulgaria and Switzerland in their World Cup qualifying group.
Roberto Mancini's side ended up missing out on top spot to Switzerland after two further draws, and their capitulation at the Renzo Barbera was tough for Chiellini to take.
"It's hard to explain. There is great disappointment. We played a great match but just couldn't score," Chiellini told Rai Sport.
"We weren't presumptuous. We were missing something. We made mistakes from September until today and we paid for them.
"I am proud of this team, but it's obvious we are disappointed and destroyed. We have to start again.
"It's difficult to comment so quickly. There will remain a great void and I hope this void will give the energy needed to restart. We have to start against to win again and get back to the top of the European Championship and in four years go to the World Cup."
Veteran defender Chiellini refused to confirm whether the loss would prove to be his final match for Italy, saying "now is not the right moment."
Italy will miss out on a second successive World Cup after Aleksandar Trajkovski's stoppage-time strike gave North Macedonia a sensational 1-0 victory at Renzo Barbera.
Having also failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia, the European champions will not go for glory in Qatar this year after suffering their first World Cup qualifying defeat on home soil.
Roberto Mancini's side dominated the game, but they were made to pay for their lack of a cutting edge in a dramatic finale.
Trajkovski was North Macedonia’s hero, beating Gianluigi Donnarumma from 25 years in the second minute of stoppage time set up a showdown with Portugal for a place in the World Cup.
The Kansas City Chiefs are signing free agent Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $36million contract as they seek to rebuild their offense following the departure of Tyreek Hill.
Six-time Pro Bowler Hill failed to agree terms on a new deal with the Chiefs and so was traded to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks on Wednesday.
That left the Chiefs without their number one wide receiver – and it remains to be seen how exactly they replace the game-breaking attributes of Patrick Mahomes' top target.
Their first move – according to ESPN and NFL Network – has been to sign a receiver familiar with elite quarterback play, bringing in Valdes-Scantling after four years with Aaron Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers.
However, Valdes-Scantling played second fiddle to Davante Adams – now with the Chiefs' AFC West rivals the Las Vegas Raiders – in Green Bay.
He last year ranked as low as third among Packers receivers for targets (55) and receiving yards (430) and fourth for catches (26) and receiving touchdowns (three), albeit he played only 11 games due to a hamstring injury.
Valdes-Scantling was used primarily by Rodgers as a deep-ball threat, leading all NFL receivers with 50 or more targets in consecutive seasons in terms of depth of target – 17.6 yards downfield on average in 2021, slightly down on 18.3 yards in 2020.
That approach was less effective last year, as Valdes-Scantling got open on just 54.7 per cent of his targets – the third-worst rate in the league.
By contrast, in 2021, Hill's average depth of target was only 10.3 yards, yet he got open 82.7 per cent of the time and tallied 824 receiving yards at the point of catch, ranking sixth among receivers.
Valdes-Scantling alone is highly unlikely to plug the hole he leaves, with the Chiefs set to turn to the draft with two first-round picks. They have also signed JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Burak Yilmaz's late penalty miss proved costly as Turkey fell to a 3-1 loss to Portugal in their 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final on Thursday.
Otavio scored his second international goal in just his third cap to put Portugal in front, with Diogo Jota doubling their advantage before half-time.
Yilmaz pulled one back for Turkey after the hour mark and had a chance to take the game to extra time by making it 2-2 after referee Daniel Siebert awarded the visitors a penalty for Jose Fonte clipping Enes Unal.
However, Yilmaz's spot-kick clipped the crossbar on its way over and Matheus Nunes rubbed salt into the wound in stoppage time, ensuring it was Portugal who advanced to the final against North Macedonia, who earned a shock 1-0 triumph over European champions Italy.
Portugal started brightly and took the lead when Otavio scored on the follow-up after Bernardo Silva's shot was tipped onto the post by Ugurcan Cakir.
Turkey responded positively to going behind but Portugal doubled their advantage before half-time when Jota guided Otavio's exquisite delivery into the bottom-right corner with a pinpoint header.
Yilmaz pulled one back for Turkey when he stabbed a cool finish past Diogo Costa in the 66th minute after an excellent one-two with Cengiz Under.
The game looked destined to be heading for extra time when the referee pointed to the spot after a trip to the pitchside monitor with five minutes remaining, but Yilmaz was unable to convert.
It proved to be Turkey's undoing as substitute Matheus put the result beyond doubt when he finished off a pass from Rafael Leao in the 94th minute to send Portugal through.
Pedri wants Erling Haaland to join Barcelona when he leaves Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland's Dortmund contract does not expire until 2024, but he reportedly has a release clause that means he could be signed for €75million at the end of this season.
Barca, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been heavily linked with a move for the Norway striker.
Haaland has scored 80 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund since joining from Salzburg in January 2020, winning the Golden Boy award that year.
That prolific goalscoring record is the main reason Pedri – who was named the 2021 Golden Boy – hopes Haaland's next move sees him end up at Camp Nou.
"It's something for the club. But Haaland has great qualities and almost everything he touches ends up in the goal," Pedri told TVE.
"I hope he can come because I've always said I want the best players at Barca."
Barca had no trouble in front of goal on Sunday, though, as they overcame LaLiga leaders Real Madrid 4-0 in El Clasico. The gap between the teams now stands at 12 points, with the Blaugrana possessing a game in hand.
Following the resounding triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu, Pedri is refusing to give up on finishing top of the pile this season.
"We have to try to win everything and make them lose and put pressure on them. We can win the league, I won't say we can't," he said.
Pedri is on international duty with Spain, who take on Albania and Iceland in friendlies on Saturday and Tuesday with their place at the 2022 World Cup already secured.
Luis Enrique's side are among the favourites to go all the way in Qatar, and Pedri feels a triumphant campaign is the only way for Spain to feel successful.
"A good result would be to win the World Cup, but it's a very difficult competition. We'll take it one game at a time and hopefully put another star on the badge," he said.
Paul George has given the Los Angeles Clippers a lift with his return to practice on Thursday for the first time since December.
The Clippers have seen their season wrecked by injuries but have still managed to hover around .500, entering Thursday's games eighth in the West with a 36-38 record.
They are set to finish the regular season in that position, securing a place in the play-in tournament – an impressive achievement given the absence of key players.
Kawhi Leonard is yet to play in 2021-22 due to the partial tear of the ACL in his right knee that curtailed his playoff campaign last year.
George carried the Clippers in his stead, averaging 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals until he tore a ligament in his right elbow late last year.
A trade for Norm Powell sought to breathe new life into the Clippers' season, yet he lasted just three games – scoring 21.0 points per game – before fracturing a bone in his left foot.
The team's competitive results have given the trio time to recover, though, and now George is back in the mix, cleared for practice even if he remains out on gameday.
"He is doing good," coach Ty Lue said on Thursday. "He hasn't felt any pain, so that is a positive thing.
"He is just working on his conditioning and just making sure he can continue to go through the minimal contact without having any issue. So as of right now, it hasn't been a problem."
Mohamed Salah will stay at Liverpool as Manchester City are the only club in world football who can compete with their title rivals, Michael Owen believes.
Salah's reported £200,000-per-week contract expires in 2023, and Liverpool have so far failed to agree new terms with their superstar winger.
No player can match Salah's Premier League goals (115) or goal involvements (158) since he signed on at Anfield in 2017, during which time the Egypt international has also played his part in Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and EFL Cup triumphs.
There is therefore understandable concern among Liverpool supporters as they wait for updates on the 29-year-old's future.
However, Owen – who scored 118 of his 150 Premier League goals in Liverpool colours – suggests they need not worry.
Only a remarkable – and highly unlikely – switch to Pep Guardiola's City would make sense for Salah, according to Owen, who instead expects a resolution between the player and his current employers.
"I'd be very surprised if Mo Salah didn't sign with Liverpool," Owen told BBC Sport.
"What are the options at the moment? You are only going either sideways to Manchester City or down anywhere else, because there is no-one else as good as these two teams in the world at the moment.
"Let's give everyone time, because these things don't happen overnight.
"You are talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world and one of the biggest players in the world, and that player is about to sign the biggest contract of his life.
"I think it's entirely normal that negotiations can drag on a little bit."
The Phoenix Suns' All-Star guard Chris Paul is "probable" to return to action on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets.
The 36-year-old suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb in a 124-121 win over former team the Houston Rockets on February 16, though he still played two minutes for Team LeBron in the All-Star Game four days later.
Paul has missed the past 15 games for the Suns, his absence coinciding with a slight wobble from the 59-14 league leaders as they lost four of their next nine games.
However, Phoenix have won six in a row since then, and the return of Paul will be a welcome boost with the playoffs on the horizon.
Paul had been a key part of the season up to his injury, averaging 14.9 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists.
Even with his injury, only Atlanta's Trae Young (634) has more total assists this season than Paul's 619, having played nine games more.
Former national champion Sean Morris pulled off a commanding victory during Sunday’s final round of the Constant Spring Golf Classic at the Constant Spring Golf Club while being the only player to record an under-par score on the par 70 course.
Morris shot a three-under-par 67 to win by 11 shots over runner-up William Knibbs. Aman Dhiman was further back in third in the Men & Men Senior 0-6 category.
Morris scored 72 on the opening day for a combined score of 139. Over the two rounds, he carded nine birdies, six bogeys and a double-bogey at the 15th hole on opening day. He was at his best on the front nine on Sunday when he shot three birdies to be three-under.
"I am on my way back with some new equipment so the journey is going to be a hard one,” Morris said afterwards.
“After the tournament I played at Caymanas, I knew there was something in these clubs but I still have some adjustment to do so I am still not as confident as I would like to be with them. The score was 72 on the first day and 67 on the second day which is a total of one-under par. An under par round on any golf course in Jamaica is a commendable score, so I am really happy with it."
He said he was satisfied with the playing conditions.
“The course was in pretty good shape,” he said.
“The greens were a little bit inconsistent but it’s the same course that everybody plays so everybody has to figure it out. I am happy to be the one who came out on top this weekend."
Knibbs, meanwhile, carded a three-over-par 73 one day one and was seven for a 77 on Sunday for a total 150. Dhiman scored 83 and 79 for a combined score of 162.
The top performers in the various categories were as follows:
Men & Men Senior 7-12 - Vikram Dhiman 153 (74, 79), Philip Gooden 164 (80, 84) and Clive Newman 171 (88, 83).
Men and Men Senior 13-24 - Courtney Cephas 175 (81, 94) and Mitchell Watson 215 (108, 107).
Men Super Senior 0-12 - Wayne Chai Chong 156 (73, 83), Radcliff Knibbs 158 (82, 76) and Bert Tomlinson 160 (81, 79).
Men Super Senior 13 -24 - Vivian Monteith 186 (84, 102), Linval Freeman 188 (90, 98) and Howard Lau 192 (97, 95).
Boys 16-17 Noah Azan 165 (84, 81) and Zaniel Knight 178 (93, 85).
Boys 14-15 - Lek Drummond 191 (100, 91).
Girls 14-15 - Samantha Azan (73, 80)
Bukayo Saka has withdrawn from the England squad for upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast after testing positive for COVID-19.
Saka had been isolating from the rest of the squad at St. George's Park since Wednesday, but the decision has now been taken for the 20-year-old to return home.
Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate will not call up a replacement for the Arsenal forward.
Saka has made 33 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions this season, scoring 10 goals and registering five assists.
Southgate has already had to make several changes to the initial squad named, with Kyle Walker-Peters, Tyrick Mitchell, Ollie Watkins and Sam Johnstone all being drafted in to replace unavailable players.
Johnstone himself then also had to be replaced by Fraser Forster on Wednesday after withdrawing through illness.
England welcome Switzerland to Wembley on Saturday before also hosting Ivory Coast on Tuesday as preparations continue for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Kyrie Irving has been cleared to play home games for the Brooklyn Nets after changes to New York's vaccine mandate were officially announced on Thursday.
It means Irving will be eligible to take to the court when the Nets host the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center on Sunday.
New York City mayor Eric Adams recently removed restrictions requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter establishments including bars, restaurants and sports arenas, but the mandate for private sector employees remained in place.
As a result, Irving – who is unvaccinated – was only able to attend home games as a spectator.
However, at a media conference at Citi Field on Thursday, Adams confirmed the mandate for athletes and performers had been lifted.
"This is about putting New York athletes on a level playing field," he said. "We were treating our performers differently because they live and play in New York City."
Adams did reiterate his previous stance that athletes, including Irving, should reconsider their stance on vaccination.
"Kyrie, you should get vaccinated," he said. "This does not change my message that everyone should get vaccinated."
Irving, who has played just 20 games this season, scored 43 points in Brooklyn's 132-120 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
Simona Halep has withdrawn from the Miami Open after aggravating a thigh injury.
Former world number one Halep was due to face Australia's Daria Saville in the round of 64 on Thursday but felt unable to contest the match.
Halep said she sustained a thigh injury during her Indian Wells semi-final defeat to Iga Swiatek the previous week and it caused her discomfort again while training on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old two-time major winner expects to sit out the Charleston Open and will miss the start of the Billie Jean King Cup.
In a tweet posted on her official Twitter account, Halep wrote: "While I was practising in Miami yesterday I felt a sharp pain in my left leg.
"I had been struggling with the thigh since my semi-final in Indian Wells and hoped it would improve, but I went for an MRI last night and unfortunately it showed a tear.
"My body needs time to heal and as a result I will be out of competition for three weeks. This means I have had to make the super tough decision to pull out of Miami, Charleston and Fed Cup [Billie Jean King Cup].
"While it feels like really disappointing news to share, I am keeping the confidence from my great start to the year and am motivated to do everything to be ready for the clay-court season.
"Thanks for your continued support through the highs and lows."
Lucky loser Harmony Tan will take Halep's place in the draw.
Ravindra Jadeja knows he has "big boots" to fill after he replaced MS Dhoni as Chennai Super Kings captain.
It was the end of an era on Thursday as the defending champions announced that Dhoni had decided to relinquish the captaincy.
The former India captain has led CSK from the start of the IPL in 2008, guiding the franchise to four titles and losing five finals.
Dhoni lifted the trophy in Dubai last year after his side beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final.
The 40-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman steps down just two days before the Super Kings start the defence of their title against KKR at the Wankhede Stadium.
India all-rounder Jadeja has been charged with the task of replacing Dhoni, who will continue to play for the franchise this season and beyond, and knows he will be a hard act to follow.
Jadeja said: "I'm feeling good. At the same time, I also need to fill in big boots, [Dhoni] has already set the big legacy so I need to carry [that] forward.
"I don't need to worry too much because he is here so whenever I have a question to ask, I'll definitely go to him.
"He'll be my go-to person. He was and still he is today, so I'm not worried too much."
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